Yesterday morning the kids and set off on a preview of Raleigh’s upcoming Dr. Annie Louise Wilkerson Nature Preserve park. I’d heard about it from my Parks board meeting and wanted to see it for myself, so we all got drinks and snacks, loaded the dog in the car, and headed north.
The park is very much like it was when Dr. Wilkerson bequeathed it to the city. A long, winding driveway leads into the middle of a woodsy expanse of property, with two big meadows at the center. Two homes and a barn stand testament that this was the doctor’s home for over 40 years. Tall grass in the meadows long in need of a cut is the only thing that seems out of place.
We walked down the road, looked into the barn, and walked some of the perimeter of the property, enjoying the shade of the woods as long as we could. Our trek back took us through the meadow, where we likely picked up the three ticks that we carried home. The dog enjoyed wandering through the countryside as did we, and soon we were on our way back home, satisfied in our “intrepid explorer” status.
The park isn’t officially open yet as the design phase is just beginning. Still, I think it was good to see the park before the city officially sculpts it. It promises to be a great addition to Raleigh’s parks systems.