A Walk in Elizabeth Park

The weather has really been mild the last couple of days, so Shawna and I thought it would be nice to meet up for a walk in the park.

Since our kids are still in strollers, we needed to go somewhere that had stroller-friendly walking paths.

Since we had already been to the Reservoir (one of my favorite walking destinations), I was struggling with where to go.  Shawna made the suggestion to go to Elizabeth Park located on the Hartford/West Hartford line and I thought, perfect!  I really love Elizabeth park and sometimes forget about it as a destination because it is right in my neighborhood and we go all the time.

I feel blessed to have such a beautiful park located so close to where I live.  Year-round this park offers opportunities to get outside and really enjoy nature.  There are numerous walking/running/biking paths and expansive green space for the kids to run free.  In the summer there are gorgeous rose and tulip gardens, tennis courts, road races, and, our favorite, the summer concert series.  There is even a restaurant located right in the park (the Pond House Cafe), that serves a great brunch on Sundays and delicious meals throughout the week.

Here is a map of the park.

We started off walking on the loop near the tennis courts but then ran into this.

Snowtober caused a lot of damage in the park and they had to block off some areas.  We turned around and headed back towards the Pond House and Rose Gardens.

The roads were much more accessible along that path.  It was amazing to see all of the downed trees and tree limbs, though.

We passed the Pond House Cafe.  Stop in here if you need to use the restrooms.  Also, check out their website for delicious menu options and see if you can spot my husband and I in some of their website pictures.  I guess we were there for dinner the night they were doing a photo shoot for their site.

We checked out the snack bar outside, the “Dog House”.  It didn’t seem to be open, though and I couldn’t get any information on operating hours.  This is more of a happening snack bar in the summer when the weather is warm and they are serving up ice cream. There are also picnic tables here if you need another place to stop.

We took a peek at the beautiful pond behind the Pond House Cafe.  Great spot to sit and rest (or feed a baby) if you need to.

We noticed the lovely sculptures and headed over the pretty bridge.

We did a loop around the rose garden.  Obviously, there are no roses to see this time of year, but there is still plenty of fall scenery.  Do make sure you come back in the summer to check out the garden when it is at its prime.

Here is a picture of Sparkles in the Rose Garden over the summer . . .

Anyways, after we did a loop around the garden, we headed up the hill towards Prospect Avenue.  We crossed over Prospect (this can be a little tricky with children so be careful) and headed to the Hartford side of the park.

The views of the city from the top of this hill are really stunning.  My pictures don’t do it any justice.

We couldn’t find an easy route down the big hill, so we just cautiously went down with the kids.  This hill is a prime sledding spot in the winter time.

At the bottom of the hill is a park for the kids.  I’ll show a few pictures, but if you want a full park review, check out our friends Amy & Kyle Bergquist’s blog here.

As we finished our walk and headed back home, all three kids fell fast asleep.  I think that makes for a successful outing!

 

The Momsense

Elizabeth Park

Located at the corner of Prospect Avenue and Asylum Avenue on the Hartford / West Hartford line

www.elizabethpark.com

Their Facebook page can be accessed here.

Hours

Sunrise to Sunset

Restrooms

There are restrooms located in the Pond House Cafe.  There were also port-a-potties located near the playground.

Tips/Things to Bring

Stroller or carrier for your little one.

Snacks as there is really no place to grab some food this time of year.

Parking is available in several lots in the park and around the rose garden loop.

Check out the Elizabeth Park Facebook Page and Website for year-round events.  The park may be best known for its summer concert series that brings hundreds of families to its lawn each Wednesday night in the summer.  I also just noticed that the Pond House Cafe, located in the park, will be hosting an event next week where the kids can have Brunch with Santa.

Here are the details:

Brunch with Santa

Annual Brunch with Santa at the Pond House Cafe

November 26^th & 27^th 10-1pm.

Enjoy buffet brunch, gingerbread house decorating and pictures with Santa in our Winter Wonderland!

Kids buffet $16.98 (includes a gingerbread house they can decorate)

Adult buffet $21.98

Kids 2 and under are complimentary

Mr. and Mrs. Claus will be in attendance.  The Pond House will not be providing photography services, so bring your own camera to snap a photo of your kids with santa! Reservations are required, so call the Pond House Cafe at 860-231-8823 to make yours now.

COMING UP:

Start collecting your pine cones as you head out on your own fall walks.  Come back Monday and we will give you a few ideas for some pine cone crafting.  Also, next week is black Friday.  Can you believe it?!?  In preparation, we are going to try to provide some helpful tips for shopping with your baby (or babies 🙂