I just got home from a leisurely and delightful ride in the park with time out in the ride to watch some teen-aged soccer -- saw one brilliant goal scored -- then stopped at the front of the Muny for a while to watch some sort of contest with remote controlled sail boats in the "moat." I visited with 12-15 golfers on the newly opened Dogwood 9 and every single one was wildly enthusiastic about the course: "incredible condition," "a blessing for St. Louis," "just wonderful, I play it often," and on and on. Saw a couple golfers drop shots right in the new Eisenhower Lake (tiny pond) as Dan informed us it is called. That hole # 5 which is much like the old 17 except it is across the street to the north, and not as long a drive. Good grief, how could you hit it in the water there!!!!! It's only a chip shot to the green.
The park was just crawling with people. I went by the boat house to say hi to my friend who seats people for the restaurant and it was just jammed at 1 PM with a long 30 minute waiting time. The lagoons were just loaded with boats, all but ONE of the many row boats was not rented when I rode by, but there were still a dozen of the paddle boats left. When I got over to the Grand Basin there were 15-20 boats there, the most I've yet seen there, and 4-5 even in the small extension which runs toward the tee of hole # 4 of Dogwood (which used to be the tee for # 16 on the 18 hole course).
Bikers, walkers, roller bladers, people with strollers, joggers were out by the hundreds if not thousands. Tennis courts jammed, wait groups at the hand ball and racket ball courts, and traffic jams in front of the zoo.
Meanwhile Dogtown was just crawling with people too. No parking even near Pat's and people pouring in there. Chuy's packed to the gills. Seamus overflowing in the outside garden, and the brand new restaurant of Pepe Kehm, Fritz's, at the northeast corner of Clayton and Tamm was filled as well. Down at St. James a wedding was letting out and it looks like the reception will be across the street from my house at the St. James Gym which means no parking anywhere near my house tonight. No matter, I don't have to leave the house again today. If I don't want to cook I just walk across the street and get a lovely sandwich from Garavaglia's Deli at the corner of Wade and Tamm. (Hey, I could put on my "dress pants" and just go to the wedding, hop in the buffet line and who would ever know the difference!!!!)
This is a great place to live. When I leave my house to ride my bike on my daily 10 + miles in the park, I do now walk my bike down my lawn and get on it on the sidewalk. 10 years ago when I moved back in here on Tamm I used to ride my bike down the hill and take off from there. Now I am chicken and start at my sidewalk. Normally I never stop again until I get back home. I ride up to Tamm and Clayton, then down Tamm to Oakland, across the Tamm bridge, and get on the bike trail heading east. I ride the trail at least through the baseball fields, then begin to just ride the park streets and/or trails, just wander about, normally at least getting by the boat house, the Grand Basin, the golf course, Missouri Historical Society museum (the old Jefferson Memorial) and such. Today I even rode the grounds of the Jewel Box. Today, as I mentioned above I stopped several times -- soccer fields, boat races, boat house to chat, talking with golfers. Then I rode on home and since I can come down Tamm past the church riding fairly fast, I zip right up my front lawn and end my ride right at my front porch.
What a convenient place to exercise. What a great place to live. If others of your are at or approaching retirement, I HIGHLY recommend you begin looking for a place in Dogtown. Come on HOME. You can't beat the great meat up at Gwinner's market, the restaurants, the wonderful people, the people on the streets. It just a great place to live.
And it is ESPECIALLY great on good weather days like today!
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