Friday, December 4, 2020

Walking With Mysterious Lucy Park Pagoda & Suspension Bridge


Down below freezing in this part of the planet last night. Was a little warmer than that when I drove to Lucy Park to do some nature communing.

I took pictures of two Lucy Park features today. The Pagoda and the Suspension Bridge. Taking pictures of only those two Lucy Park features proved coincidental at the end of the Lucy Park walk when I returned to where my vehicle was parked.

I have yet to find an explanation as to the why of the Lucy Park Pagoda. Today a local walked by as I was snapping photos of this mysterious structure. You from around here, asked I. Yes was the reply. I asked the local if he knew why this Pagoda structure is here.

It's a Pagoda? asked the local. 

I said that is what it looks like. The local then said it mostly likely was a situation where there were extra funds and someone suggested building a unique gazebo. And someone had seen a picture of a unique structure and designed the gazebo, not realizing it looks like a Japanese Pagoda.

Okay, I guess that will suffice as as good an explanation as I have currently for the Lucy Park Pagoda.

Continuing on past the Pagoda I walked along the currently extremely clear Wichita River til I reached the Wichita River Lucy Park Suspension Bridge.


A lotta locks have been added to the left side railing wall since I last swayed my way across this bridge.

You can not tell it via the photo, but the river water is so clear that one can see the river bottom. I do not remember seeing that previously at this location. I watched to water flow by for several minutes, expecting to see at least one fish.

I saw no fish.

Now, the reason taking pictures of the Lucy Park Pagoda and the Lucy Park Suspension Bridge proved coincidental by the time I got back to where my vehicle was parked.

A car drove up to me, with the driver rolling down her window. She looked Asian, possibly Japanese, and spoke a heavily accented version of English.

She asked me if I knew where the Pagoda was. I was just there, I told her, and pointed in its direction, and explained how to get there.

She then asked if I knew where the suspension bridge was. I told her just continue on the paved trail past the Pagoda, taking a right on the paved trail which is beside the river and a half mile or so, give or take a few feet, you will come to the suspension bridge. I told her not to be scared, walking across the bridge, when it begins to sway and move up and down.

When I've been in Lucy Park I have been asked a time or two or three how to get to Wichita Falls.

The first time I was in Lucy Park I asked at an information booth how to get to the Falls. There was some event going on during that first visit to Lucy Park. Hard to find parking. And that information booth. Have never seen the park that busy, or an information booth, ever again...

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