Mill Mountain Park By Day
Mill Mountain Park was a throw-in on the Roanoke portion of the Photo Essay Blitz. Why? Roanoke was under-planned. While I came up with three “targets” on paper, they were all, in a nutshell, downtown Roanoke, which I managed to finish at around 1:00 in the afternoon. So I’m looking for something else to fill the day. What about Mill Mountain Park? It’s the area around the Roanoke Star, but not the star itself. While the centerpiece may be the star, the park that it sits in is lovely in its own right.
Mill Mountain Park is great – it has no “kiddie” facilities like a playground (but there is a small zoo), but it’s a great “adult” park, with lots of places to walk, places to sit, and lots of places to take in the view of the city below. So let’s go, and see what there is to see…
First of all, the mountains… it really is quite a scenic view…
What better place to have lunch than under the trees?
The trees… during the winter, they stand guard, watching all that happens, and in the warmer months, provide shade for all that come by.
Various paths provide access to the star and beyond…
The ground has a number of rocks in it. Wonderful to look at, but nasty if you trip on them.
On the other side of the mountain, the city stands proudly…
The access road is not exactly scenic in itself, but the end of the road is well worth the ride.
The fire hydrants in the park take on an interesting decorative shape.
A large part of the park is a spacious wildflower garden, with paths, benches, and trees and plants galore.
A robin! Spring is near!