Trail Tale: Mariemont Concourse, November 2010

Since I live a stone's throw away from Mariemont, I often take walks through the serene neighborhood, marveling at the beautiful homes and big old trees lining the wide streets.  Although Dogwood Park, which I wrote about in an earlier post, is the boys' favorite Mariemont destination, the Concourse runs a very close second (unless you count Graeter's, but we'll overlook that for now).  The Concourse features a huge stone pergola, built by the towns' planners in the 1920s.

(Much has been written about Mariemont's rich history, so I won't repeat much here. You can find links to some good information on the Fast Facts post for the Concourse).  

Besides climbing on the walls,

my boys are drawn to the Concourse for the possibility of seeing a train moving along the railroad tracks down in the valley that lies beyond the structure.

Marshall on the lookout for trains

I don't believe the tracks are in use at this time, but we have seen a bit of activity, like cars being changed.  If any readers have knowledge of these tracks, feel free to leave a comment!  Regardless, it is a lovely view to take in, with the railroad bridge crossing over the Little Miami River.

The tracks head toward Newtown, lining a farm field before they fade from sight.

The second main attraction for us is the abundance of fossils found in the stones which came from a limestone quarry in Indian Hill at the time the structure was built.  It's easy to allow the minutes slip by as we scan the stones, shouting "look at this one!" and "over here!"  Here is a sample a few fossils at which we marveled today:

and my favorite:

Actually, it was during one of our fossil-hunting days earlier this year that I started to form the idea for this blog which is why I've include this destination.  I had been thinking about easy ways to expose the kids to nature in our everyday activities, like while taking walks around the neighborhood or just playing in the backyard.  It's easy to come across a place like the stone pergola in Mariemont and just let the kids run and climb and do the things they do best--play.  But, what a great opportunity to show them the fossils and turn an ordinary walk into a nature adventure.  


The Mariemont Concourse is a peaceful place too, with plenty of benches overlooking a small arboretum, inviting contemplation and a place to rest.  

Do you have a place like this in your neighborhood that a passerby might not know about?  Feel free to leave a comment.  I love to discover new places to explore!