First Fall Day Nature Communing At Lake Wichita Park

For this first full day of Fall, also known as Wednesday, it was to Lake Wichita Park I ventured for today's pleasantly temperatured nature communing and endorphin acquisition.

Lake Wichita Park is where one finds the landmark I call Mount Wichita. This park is at the opposite, or western side of the lake, from the Lake Wichita Dam side of the lake.

As you can see, via the above photo, Lake Wichita is a bit low at this end of the lake, but not nearly as noticeable\y low as is the case at the dam side of the lake. The kayak launch dock is still serviceable, with an opening to the lake, carved into the exposed lake bottom.

Lake Wichita Park is where you find the Lake Wichita Veterans Memorial Plaza. A rather well done, multi-featured memorial.

That is Mount Wichita you see between the two memorial statues.

Closer to Mount Wichita it does not look much like a mountain. A sign advises "PLEASE USE CAUTION WHEN CLIMBING HILL."

Hill Wichita does not sound as good as Mount Wichita. 

I heeded the advice and used extreme caution and avoided climbing the hill completely.

It has been a few years since I have hiked to the summit of Mount Wichita. Pre-COVID, I think. 

Memorial Day Weekend At Lake Wichita Veterans Memorial Plaza With Space Force

Years in the making, the Lake Wichita Revitalization Project's Veterans Memorial Plaza was scheduled to be complete by the 2023 Memorial Day Weekend. There is still some finishing work to be done, but the Veterans Memorial Plaza is now open, with the construction fence removed.

The Memorial was seeing a lot of visitors this final Sunday of May. The statue you see above is a memorial to those who served during the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War statue part of the Memorial Plaza has been in place for a couple years.

A World War II statue has been added, saluting toward the Vietnam War soldiers.

An homage to Gold Star Families and Relatives.

The backside of the homage to Gold Star Families. Homeland, Family, Patriot. Sacrifice.

Surrounding the homage to Gold Star Families were plaques representing each branch of the armed service. Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and one that sort of surprised me.

I had not heard mention made of the Space Force for quite some time. I thought it'd gone the way of much of the Trump nonsense. But, apparently Space Force is still in force.

One would think that the outhouse that had been at the Memorial Plaza location during its construction would have been removed by the opening of the Memorial Plaza.

Instead, the outhouse is laying on its side. The victim of vandals, or, more likely, a strong wind gust.

The parking lot and road to the parking lot remains a rutted, potholed obstacle course. Some time back it was announced that the parking lot and road to the parking lot were to be re-built. One would have thought that that might have taken place by the time the Veterans Memorial Plaza was completed.