Every city has one, or five, or more. It's time to enjoy.

A17

Margaret Patricia Eaton

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After months and months of winter, suddenly it's summer and you just want to be outdoors. But let's say you're working all summer, stuck in the city, perhaps without wheels, so escaping to Grand Lake or Parlee or New River Beach on your day off is not an option. Eeeek! What are you going to do?

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Worry and fret no more! Just get out and enjoy your city's parks.

Fredericton

Our capital city of Fredericton boasts 138 parkland locations, with over 900 hectares of green, treed space. There are four outdoor pools opening June 24, with swimming instruction beginning June 30, July 14 and 28. At Carleton Park on the Saint John River there's a wharf for launching small boats, free of charge. There are two skateboard parks, one at Kimble Road and the other at Henry Park.

They're unsupervised, but you should still use safety equipment. There's the Fredericton Botanic Garden, with the main entrance off Prospect Street, next to the Ball Field. Situated on a hillside backed by the old growth forest of Odell Park, it has a glorious view of the Saint John River Valley. It's open all summer for everyone, including artists, photographers, bird watchers and gardeners to enjoy, with a "Treasured Garden Tour" scheduled Saturday, July 11. There's even a park for dogs! The City View Dog Park, off Main Street on the North Side, is a ¾ acre fenced "off-leash" area for dogs to run and play. Owners are required to "scoop the poop".

In addition to the parks, Fredericton has 85 km of trails on both sides of the Saint John and Nashwaak Rivers, that go through a variety of urban, suburban and wilderness areas. Bike rentals are available at the Regent St. Wharf for only $8, from June 16 through September 1.

When I was a summer school student at UNB, my favorite walk was on the South Riverfront Park, where something was always happening, and I'm glad to see that hasn't changed. You can take in outdoor concerts at Officer's Square on Tuesday and Thursday nights at 7:30 p.m. and listen to celtic, country rock, classical or jazz. There's Lighthouse Yoga on Wednesday nights at the Lighthouse on the Green, where you can join a class. And at 12:15 p.m., weekdays and 2:00 p.m. on weekends, the Calithumpians present a free Theatre in the Park, with four shows in repertory. Then, if you can't get enough of that outdoors experience, there's the weekly Under the Stars Classic Movie Series. And it's all free.

Saint John

Moving on to Saint John, you'll find one of the oldest parks in Canada, uptown at the head of Queen Street. The paths in this public square were designed in 1848 to follow the lines of the Union Jack flag and some of the trees planted in 1883 are still standing. In the centre is the 1908 bandstand, the only two storey bandstand in North America. It's no longer an entertainment, except for the city's pigeons. For live, outdoor music, head on down to the boardwalk at Market Square.

Just off Mount Pleasant Avenue is Rockwood Park. At 2,200 acres it's one of North America's largest urban parks and here you can swim and boat in Lily Lake, play golf, ride horseback, kick back and enjoy a BBQ. You could visit Cherry Brook Zoo, home to zebras, tigers, monkeys and other exotic species. Or you might choose to hike through pristine forests where the trees are alive with birds on the winding 26 km trail.

The Irving Nature Park, located off Sand Cove Road (West) provides more walking trails on the Bay of Fundy, where you can see harbour seals, porpoises and hundreds of species of shore birds. Bring your camera.

Twenty minutes from downtown on the eastern edge of Saint John is Mispec Beach, one of the premier sandy beaches found on the Bay of Fundy with several kilometers of walking trails as well as picnic sites.

Moncton

And so on to Moncton which has a lot to offer its winter-weary citizens. My favourite walk is not in a park, but the 40 minute trail around Jones Lake, where I greet my neighbours and their dogs, and watch the dragon boat rowers practicing in early June.

If you're working downtown you'll be able to take advantage of a noon-hour walk at Riverfront Park. There are five kilometres of multi-use trails on both sides of the Petitcodiac, linking Riverview and Dieppe and forming part of the Trans Canada Trail. There are paved paths, ideal for bikes, in-line skaters and wheelchairs and soft dirt paths for walkers and runners. Points of interest on the trail are Bore View Park with the monument commemorating Moncton's wooden ship-building history, Settler's Green, the Treitz House, the Celtic Cross monument, the Hal Betts Commemorative Sportsplex and the Skate Board Park. It's the largest outdoor skateboard park in Atlantic Canada, has room for skateboarders and in-line skaters at all levels, is open seven days a week and, what's best, it's free.

In the city's west end, off St. George Boulevard is Centennial Park. Its 230 acres are filled with recreational opportunity. There's a chance for you to swim at Centennial Beach, where there is fine sand on the artificial beach. There's a tennis court, horseshoe pitch, bowling lawn, picnic sites and hiking trail. For anyone who wants to experience life as a 21st century Tarzan there's Tree Go. Covering four acres of the park, it'll give you a chance to spend two or three hours high in the trees. Tarzan and Jane wannabe's must wear safety equipment and take a training session first. And on Sunday afternoons at 2:00 p.m. there'll be a free concert as part of the Summer Cultural Series. All you need to bring is a lawn chair and sunscreen.

The Victoria Park Concert Series also continue at the park's amphitheatre every Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. in July and August. Centrally located, Moncton's oldest park has long had a history of promoting local talent and emerging artists. From June 24 through July 1 the park will host the 5th annual Rendez-Vous Multicultural Festival. Early in August, it'll be the scene of Turner's Arts and Crafts Fair.

For a place to just 'get back to nature' you might want to check out Moncton's newest park in the north-west end. Mapleton Park, established in 2003, provides 300 acres in a natural haven for those who crave peace and quiet. If that describes you, then Mapleton or Irishtown Park, just beyond the city limits, with 2,200 acres of old growth forest and 200 acres of water, is the place to be.

It's all enough to make you forget the beach and stay in town for the summer, even if you could get away!

For listings of what's happening in a park near you, check out the Events pages in your local weekly edition of [here].