09/01/2013 - Horner Park, Irving Park Neighborhood, Montrose and California

Post #15

Link to panorama - http://pnr.ma/cMIdNv

Lateness seems to be the trend with my blogging, but we do manage to go parkin' nearly every Sunday.  Two Sundays ago it was Horner Park up on north California (& Montrose).

M & G at the field house doors.

This park is HUGE, although we only really scoped the playground and main building, it's supposed to be one of the biggest (at a whopping 55 acres).

The ratings, boys:

George Carlos - ★★★★★, "I liked it because it really had a dead rat, I had fun and I met a new friend with a Power Ranger, that's why I called it five."

Máximo - ★★★ 1/2, "I'd call it 3 1/2, because there's a broken zip-line, and there wasn't that much, but there was a tire swing, there was some fun equipment and I kind of liked it."

Yes, there was really a dead rat, but I can't blame the park for that, and after the boys made a big deal out of it and showed all of the other pint-sized park-goers the body, it was removed/tossed away from the playground by another boy's grandfather.

Horner Park is named for a former governor, Henry Horner, who was governor of Illinois from 1933 until his death in 1940, and not (unfortunately) little Jack Horner of pie infamy. 

(statue stitched together in PS)

Detail of statue inscription

Though good information, a history lesson was not our reason for visiting Horner Park.

Upon our arrival we found some LOOT!  Which was a good sign until we stumbled upon the deceased rat.

M with loot.

 There isn't anything inherently wrong with the park, really, we just weren't feeling it, I guess.  Maybe I wasn't caffeinated properly, but I just didn't enjoy myself as much as I usually do on these trips. 

standard equipment

 Nothing struck me as terribly original in its design, layout or content.  There were plenty of swings (8 in all, I believe), but nothing to spark an exciting game or take us on a make-believe jaunt.

M and half of the park's swings.

GCVV and some sort of labyrinth-type of marble game that spun. 

Nothing blew our socks off... you know?

Máximo with socks still securely fashioned.

G-Bomb on a spring-motorcycle

Yours truly on the same motorcycle (at the request of young Georgie)

A decent tire swing.

Again, the playground at Horner Park isn't horrible, just underwhelming.  Máximo is probably closer to a fair review, especially since he pointed out the broken zip-line, which is, indeed, bogus.

http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks/Horner-Park/