Irvine Park

 

Irvine Park

Noel Laflin

11-26-22

 

My very first memory of Irvine Park was probably sixty-five years ago when my brother made the family breakfast there one misty morning.

 

It must have been for a Boy Scout cooking requirement of some sort as I distinctly recall the smell of pancakes, sausage, and the sweet aroma of burning wood. And maybe a little burnt Bisquick turning to charcoal on the old grill, too.

 

The park has not changed all that much since then. Oh, yeah, it's larger now as more acreage has been added over the years (491 acres at present), there's a newer train now, and better restrooms. Peacocks now roam the grounds – they weren’t there when I was a kid, but I think they are a fine addition. The concession stand is bigger and wooden rowboats have been replaced with plastic padding boats.  But setting all that aside, you can wander and still see the metal grills heating up and the smell of hot dogs sizzling. You can still walk or bike the back roads, just for the heck of it. And you can marvel at how those old oaks still reach across a narrow lane and bring welcome shade to those who travel them.

 

But, I will always be most nostalgic for that first visit - and the youngster who took it all in for the very first time. It's, in part, what keeps bringing me back.

 

He's not forgotten the memory, that boy, even all these years later. 

 

So, I find myself drawn back to the park on an all too regular a basis, just to make sure that doesn't happen, ever.