A trip to Pleasant Dale Park

This summer I am getting to be one of my favorite things: a dad.  Yesterday I was browsing the interweb and I stumbled upon this little article on CNN.com.  I would highly encourage you to read it.  I consider myself to be a pretty good father, but this article makes you want to be the best dad you can be.  So, today Ayla (my daughter) and I made a trip to her favorite place: the Pleasant Dale park (or as we refer to it, the PDP).

The 2010 census reveals that Pleasant Dale has a population of 205 people.  There is not a lot going on in town.  The elementary school was shut down at the end of this school year (which is a huge bummer), the gas station is seeking a new owner, and I hear rumors that the restaurant/bar might not be doing great.  What does Pleasant Dale have going for it?  The park.

Rebuilt in 2009 the park is state of the art child entertainment.  There are two main parts to the park, the part that you climb and slide down, and the swings.  We spend an equal amount of time at both locales.  Ayla calls the park the 'Eeee' (mimicking the sound she makes as she goes down the slide).

Main part of the PDP (Pleasant Dale Park)

We love the horses.

We love the horses.  At Ayla's beckoning (and command) even Daddy gets to ride the horses.  There are three total: red, white and blue.  The Red is Ayla's, the white is Daddy's and the blue is Mommy's (again, Ayla has decided this).

Looks like a mirror.  It's not, it represents a choice.

Daddy always has to go down the slides with Ayla.

We climb everything.  Literally.

Tomorrow the Zoo and then swimming.  Now that I have earned my Master's degree, being a teacher in the summer is awesome!