by If I were given a map and dropped naked in the jungle, the results wouldn’t be pretty. Not because I couldn’t fashion rudimentary garments, craft tools and weapons, or utilize arcane bits of survival wisdom. No, it would be because I’d wander fruitlessly, killed by my lack of basic map skills.
Which makes it so surprising that I’m truly fascinated with Austin Parks and Recreation Department’s interactive map.
I was researching a piece for The Austinot and stumbled onto the map’s creator, Allison Hardy. One of the best things about being a writer is getting to talk to people who are passionate about something, and Hardy is passionate about her map. It’s got to be rewarding for her, too, to hear someone like me exclaim over and over again, “Wow! This is amazing! Wow! It’s so cool!”
Read The Austinot piece, “Austin Trails and Parks Revealed with Indepth Interactive Map,” for all the details (feel free to share, please). And to encourage you to fully learn this wonderful resource and develop a useful habit, try this activity:
ATX Outdoor Spaces and Places Quiz
Go to PARD’s website to answer the following questions about Austin’s parks and their amenities. No cheating — use the interactive map feature, not Google, for answers. You’ll be glad you did.
- Is there a permanent bathroom at the Shoal Creek BMX Skate Park?
- Give the title of Lady Bird Lake Boardwalk “Belting It Out” sculpture No. 6.
- How many scenic overlooks are located along the Blunn Creek Nature Preserve trail?
- If you want to play volleyball at Emma Long Metro Park, is there a sand court?
- How many public parking spaces are there at Murchison Pool?
- If you are a beginning rider, would the BMX Loop trail at Walnut Creek Park be a good choice? What’s it rated?
- Which of these things are NOT available at Walter E. Long Park?
- Skeet Shooting
- Model Airplane Building
- Picnic Shelters
- Travis County Expo Center
- What year was the Reed Neighborhood Pool built?
- Which one of these parks allows me to ride a horse on its trails?
- Mary Moore Searight Metro Park
- Slaughter Creek Trail
- Shoal Creek Greenbelt
- That round, swirly fountain thing on Dawson Road, near the Long Center – can my kids play in that?
To check your answers, visit my blog’s Facebook page, Enjoying the Journey.
