Title: Tulsa's Beautiful Parks Word Count: 643 Summary: Needing to get some exercise after surgery my wife talked me into spending Sunday afternoon's visiting one of the parks in Tulsa. We were surprised to find over 150 parks spread across the city, from tiny neighborhood "mini-parks" to sprawling recreation areas with almost every thing imaginable. The Neighborhood Parks Scattered across town in out of the way spots are small neighborhood parks sometimes with nothing more than an open area for kids to play football or base... Keywords: tulsa, parks Article Body: Needing to get some exercise after surgery my wife talked me into spending Sunday afternoon's visiting one of the parks in Tulsa. We were surprised to find over 150 parks spread across the city, from tiny neighborhood "mini-parks" to sprawling recreation areas with almost every thing imaginable. The Neighborhood Parks Scattered across town in out of the way spots are small neighborhood parks sometimes with nothing more than an open area for kids to play football or baseball. Some will have a picnic table but they are generally small, quaint and very inviting for neighbors to gather and meet each other. With television, America's communities have grown distant, sometimes with neighbors barely knowing each other. The internet has exasperated the problem. It's not uncommon for someone to talk with people from a half-a-dozen different countries on a daily basis, online, but speak with their own neighbor once a week if even that frequently. These neighborhood parks help bring people together when our changing culture is working to spread them apart. The Playgrounds Tulsa has been referring to many of their parks as "playgrounds" not as a way of saying here's where kids can play, but to say here's where families can play. Typically the "playgrounds" include sports fields as well as play areas for kids often alongside picnic areas where parents can stay close and watch their kids. It's not too difficult to imagine the small children playing on the "Big Toy" while older kids play soccer, while dad joins in a game of baseball, while mom watches all of them from a picnic area strategically situated in the midst of the park. Tulsan's do like to play. The Community Centers On a larger scale Tulsa has several Community Centers. These are parks that also have facilities for indoor recreation. The outdoor recreation is never neglected since Tulsa's Community Centers are almost always surrounded by good sized parks with a plethora of features. The buildings offer many events year round as well as being available for smaller private events. We've had family Christmas get-togethers for my wife's rather large family at a nearby Community Center. Some even have libraries on site or nearby making them a widely functioning civic point. The Regular Parks And of course there are the run-of-the-mill parks which offer the typical fields, woods, sports fields and picnic areas. Both the City of Tulsa and Tulsa County do a wonderful job maintaining them and you'll find clean, well kept areas for the typical recreational needs. In order to save the taxpayers' money many are situated next to schools so they can also be used as playgrounds, making the need for keeping them safe even more important. You'll find them exactly what you need for a friendly weekend softball game, group picnic or simply a place to stretch your legs. The Big Parks Tulsa has always been a place that works toward large city efficiency with more of a small town friendliness. We pride ourselves on possessing Southern charm, Midwestern ruggedness and American ingenuity. There are other towns with bigger parks, but quantity isn't nearly as important as quality. From Riverparks to Mohawk park to Chandler park you can find someplace to enjoy your time outdoors with verdant woods, soft green fields, scenic jogging trails, beautiful flower gardens, enough to fill a whole lifetime. Visit one of Tulsa's parks and you'll see a family picnicking, a college student sprawled with his books beneath a shade tree, some more college students playing frisbee golf, kids laughing in a play area, couples walking along paths trying to decide which deserves their attention-the scenic view or each other, a rabbit frolicking amidst trees and rocks, kids playing a game of softball, people swimming in one of the many swimming pools or maybe someone by themselves, just enjoying the sunshine. It's all there waiting for you.