Summertime and the living is easy

I just got back from a trip to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, which got me thinking about the value of parks. National parks are the crown jewels in our country’s network of public spaces, but state and local parks are great alternatives when all you’ve got is a weekend or an afternoon. One of my main goals in life is to be in a reclining position as often as possible, and parks are a great place to achieve this.

In, say, Elizabeth Park in Hartford,

Crimson Ramblers on Rose Arches, Elizabeth Park, Hartford, Conn. 1997.66.58. Gift of Ruth E. McKinney

one can read a book from a hammock,

Camping at Coventry Lake: two women. 1991.19.7. The Connecticut Historical Society.

or watch the ducks and geese in the pond.

Pond in flowering orchard, South Windham. X2000.35.211. The Connecticut Historical Society.

When one is not maximizing their reclining, there are other options in parks:
looking at flowers,

Pond in flowering orchard, South Windham. X2000.35.211. The Connecticut Historical Society.

picnicking,

Picnic by the shore, Mystic vicinity. 1991.19.6. The Connecticut Historical Society.

or swimming.

Bathing Beach, Seaside Park, Bridgeport, Conn. 1993.26.76. Gift of the Georgia Historical Society.

For those brave souls who like to get outdoors in winter, there’s even sledding!

Children sledding in Bushnell Park, Hartford. 1950.11.1. The Connecticut Historical Society.

Tasha Caswell is the Project Cataloger/Researcher at the Connecticut Historical Society.