north dallas

I like to go on evening walks, around dusk. No, this isn’t a personals ad, I really do! In the warmer months, I like to go out and walk with my headphones on, taking in some beautiful scenery. It helps me de-stress, unwind, and clear my head.

I used to do this in my neighborhood in downtown/South Dallas. It was a mostly industrial/commercial area, so after 5pm it was a ghost town. I could walk the streets and alleys, taking in the setting sun behind the city’s glittering skyline; the trains moving through to somewhere else; the graffiti…

Several months ago I moved to North Dallas, which is…well, more suburban. Not that it’s a bad thing, there’s tons of restaurants and other stuff around, and it’s less expensive than being downtown. But I haven’t been able to find my “groove” when it comes to going out for walks. We live off a very busy arterial road. Luckily, though, we’re at the end of a pretty tree-lined street full of apartments and condos, so there is somewhat of a neighborhood feel. But walking to the end of the street and back isn’t as luxurious as the urban exploration I used to do downtown when I’d walk from my loft toward and across the river, past the factories and New Deal-era infrastructure. But I digress…

A couple of days ago I found a 4 acre park in Addison, a nice little towny suburb about a mile away, called Celestial Park. Last night was the first time I visited. One of the pretties parks I’ve ever been to. I only snapped a few photos on my phone to post to Instagram, because the light was fading. Here they are. I can’t wait to go back. I wish I had a “walking buddy” in the evenings, but my playlist makes a pretty good one, I guess.

You can’t see it well in my shot above, but the granite steps (there are several sets leading up to the top of the park) have quotes about life and man’s place in the cosmos, etc. Very cool. Here’s a shot I found online that better illustrates it:

(Read from bottom to top, as you would when moving up the steps)