My Spring Walk Down the Arkansas River, West Bank

As I promised last week when I posted some of the pictures I took on my walk downtown along the river, I'm back to share the pictures I took on the second half of that brief jaunt.  I really didn't pay too much attention to the pictures in the days that followed the walk, well other than the ones I posted on Facebook.  But looking at them again, getting these posts ready, I'm really realizing how much I don't utilize living this close to the river.

I don't walk it nearly as much as I should, nor do I go and just hang out.  There are some wonderful areas to meander along, plop a seat, and read for a while.  I guess it's just been so hot outside the last few years, the last thing I wanted to go do was walk in the heat, then sit it in.  When it's hot outside, give me air conditioning, over the scorching misery waiting outside.

With no more chitter-chatter from me, here are the pictures (some of them) that I took as I walked back home.

A picture of Lawrence-Dumont Stadium from the bridge I used to turn around.

Another picture of Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.  The stadium was built in 1935 and has been home to the Wichita  Wranglers and is now home to the Wichita Wingnuts.  Since the beginning it has hosted the National Baseball Congress World Series.

View of the bridge I crossed on from the west bank of the Arkansas River.

What I find interesting about the west bank is that the shore line isn't finished, it's been left rough.  Not sure why they finished off the edging on the east bank, but not here.

View of Century 2 Performing Arts and Convention Center.

Ducks

This is, what I'm assuming anyway, a water feature, but I've never seen water in it.

View of a small segment of down town Wichita.

Canadian Goose

Sitting area in front of the Broadview Hotel.  Not sure why I didn't take a picture of it as I walked past.

Next three pictures are of the bank and some trees going up a small rise in elevation from the river bank.

I never remember what kind of duck this is.

I think this is a view of where they have a troll hiding away, but to tell you the truth, I have never seen it myself.  It's supposed to be a grate with a troll face on it.

The next nine pictures are of Exploration Place or of the views you can see from it.

The next four pictures are off a nature area they built around Exploration Place.

The next six pictures are of outdoor sculptures they have placed in the playground area outside of Exploration Place.  There is also a miniature golf course but I did not take any pictures of it.

View of the Keeper of the Plains after leaving the area around Exploration Place. 

Pretty sure this is a different snake than the one I saw on the other side of the river, but I 've never seen a snake eating a fish before, so I had to take the picture.

Another view of the Keeper of the Plains.

Stairs leading up to the pedestrian bridge so I could go back home.

View of the river, north of the bridge.  I have actually never walked that section.  Maybe someday I will.

Keeper of the Plains

The front rocks have gas jets in them that allow them to light up with fire after dark.  I think they only light them for a few minutes each night.

And the journey ends.