I have always loved parks. It is literally in my name. But seriously, I love spending time outdoors in God’s beautiful creation. You will often find our family at a park—whether it is playing baseball at a city park, camping at a state park, or hiking in one of our country’s amazing national parks!
My family moved to Muskogee, Oklahoma when I was 9 years old, and my parents still live there. From the time we moved there, one of my favorite places in Muskogee has been Honor Heights Park. It is still a must-visit for me every time I go back.
At Christmastime, the park is thoughtfully dressed in colorful lights, reflecting the park’s beauty in warmer months. My wife and kids have been witness to this spectacle many times when we visit my parents at Christmas, but I have been wanting them to experience the beauty this park is famous for—the brightly colored azaleas which gave rise to Muskogee’s annual Azalea Festival in April.
Last weekend we were finally able to make it happen; however, the weather had other plans! It had finally warmed up here in St. Louis and also in Muskogee. After several weeks of temperatures below freezing or just barely above, Thursday and Friday actually felt like spring! Unfortunately, by Saturday morning in Muskogee, temperatures were back in the 30s.
We made the most of it anyway. Our outfits were far from fashionable, but they did keep us all warm! (Please excuse the non-matching colors, sweatpants, etc.!) Despite the cold, the park was gorgeous (even though the azaleas hadn’t hit their peak), and our kids had blast playing on the playground, watching the ducks and geese, and exploring nature.
Our visit coordinated with the Azalea Festival parade, chili & barbecue cook-off, and art crawl; however, we decided to spend our time in the park! If we were going to be outside in the cold, we needed to be running, climbing, and hiking!
We will be back down soon on our way down to Texas. (Our daughter wants to check out all the Fixer Upper things in Waco, and we all want to hit Six Flags over Texas!) Hopefully the weather will cooperate, and we will be able to get pictures that actually look like spring!
If you ever anywhere close to Muskogee, OK (45 minutes southeast of Tulsa), make sure you check out Honor Heights Park! It is the perfect place for family photography. You will love it in the spring, summer, fall, and at Christmas!
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