Long has my family retreated from the stress and bustle of everyday life in the reassuring surroundings of Meadow Park in Minnetonka. I have many fond memories of this park for its close proximity to my house and its ability to provide for my diverse interests. The park has been the sight of my family’s ill-advised attempts at learning basketball and tennis over the years. Fortunately, the tree barrier that surrounds most of the park has kept our “fundamentals” from the judgmental public. The open play area of Meadow is small, but endowed with a variety of amenities. It offers tennis courts, basketball courts, a field area with a backstop, a large playground, hockey rinks complete with in-door warming shelter for the winter and a sheltered, wheelchair accessible picnic area.
The park in total is quite large and not limited to its playground and activities area. It is situated on the edge of a large marsh and despite its name a majority of its 100 natural acres are the wetlands and the trails that explore them. Even with busy roads just outside the park boundary, fully-grown cattails cancel the noise and sight of the outside world. It is quite easy to completely lose your self on a relaxing walk within their embrace. Meadow Park is much more than a simple communal activity center. Its mixed uses serve many purposes; preservation, aesthetic entertainment, and active play area. Meadow represents a park’s full potential to release us back into the natural world that is often out of reach of our daily routine.
