Most people know of Central Park in New York City, but few people know of Central Park in Huntington Beach, California. Of course, the Huntington Beach Park is only about half the size of the New York Park, but it is still a nice place for bike ridding, horse rentals, sports fields, disk golf, hiking/walking, picnicking, fishing, or just enjoying the beautiful surroundings. Since I had my bike along, I elected to follow some of the paved trails to get an overview of the Park.
The Huntington Beach Public Library and Cultural Center is located on the site and is free to all California residents. There is even a Terra Cotta Warrior in the lobby that "stands guard over the many library treasures."
The Shipley Nature Center contains a visitor center, hiking trails that loop around a small lake, demonstration gardens, and a variety of plants native to California.
There are a variety of birds that live on the lakes and they have no fear of humans! As I was ridding my bike, I also enjoyed the many flowers and blooming shrubs that lined the trails.
At one point I also found an American Liberty Elm Tree ("Liberty Tree") from the Liberty Tree Society in Keene, NH. It was donated to the City of Huntington Beach in July, 2017, by the Huntington Beach Lion's Club to celebrate the 100th year anniversary of the organization.
For those that are athletic, there are numerous facilities for all types of sports.
The Secret Garden is one of the highlights of the Park with a variety of plants and flowers.
And, after a day of activities, there is the Senior Center where you can find refreshments and a nice air conditioned place to rest!
BONUS PICTURE
Ronnie: I certainly know of and have visited Huntington Central Park when I lived in So. California. Every once in a while some rare bird would turn up and all the local birders would head down there. I turned out it was also a good place to find Gulf Fritillary, which used the passion vine as a host plant.
ReplyDeleteOf course growing up in NYC, I knew Central Park there well. In May during the migration when I was going to college, I would sometimes go very early and get off the subway at the stop near the Ramble in the park and see what birds were migrating through. If it was a decent day, I might miss a few of my morning classes. If it was spectacular, I might miss the whole day at school.
Warm regards, Fred.