04 Aug Grizzly Drive, Cub Circle, Berry Lane: Pocket parks and mudpie cupcakes
Shade trees and pocket parks.
I encounter (but do not eat) mudpie cupcakes!
“Flamingo Crossing” ahead.
Photo essay published in 2023.
Mudpie cupcakes
As I began my July 2023 walk along Grizzly Drive, my first sight was a man and two small children in the front yard. I ventured closer to introduce myself and noticed that the children had mud-covered hands and big smiles. Soon I was engaged in conversation with their father, who informed me: “They are making mudpie cupcakes.” Getting into the spirit of the moment, I asked the kids, “Who is going to eat them? The worms?” Everyone agreed that made sense.
After that unusual beginning to a conversation, I learned that Daniel is a stay-at-home dad, that daughter Brigid is named after a Celtic goddess, and that son Leland has a family name.
Daniel told me he grew up in the Rogue Valley and often visited Ashland on weekends. After Brigid was born, he and his wife Ariel decided to move to Southern Oregon to be closer to family.
I pointed to tree-lined Grizzly Drive and asked if the family enjoys the neighborhood. He said they love going for walks because of all the paths and pocket parks within a few blocks, as well as the small bridges that cross Clay Creek and connect the neighborhood with Clay Street. He added that the family meets many neighbors out for a walk when the kids play in the front yard, as they were doing the day of my walk.
Grizzly Drive from Tolman Creek Road to Jaquelyn Street
I began my walk at the Tolman Creek Road end of the street. As I strolled along Grizzly Drive, I noticed there were two cul de sacs off the street, so Cub Circle and Berry Lane are included in this photo essay.
Grizzly Drive is one block south of the equally lovely Takelma Way neighborhood.
Another friendly, walkable street
The houses on Grizzly Drive, Cub Circle and Berry Lane were mostly built in the late 1980s.
Pocket parks make a difference
Cub Circle and Berry Lane are small cul de sacs that feel larger because of adjacent pocket parks. Filled with green lawns and large trees, this oasis serves neighborhood residents.
Cul de sac houses
Many pastel-colored houses
For some reason, the house colors in this neighborhood stood out to me. I don’t remember seeing so many pastel-colored houses grouped together anywhere else in town.
Artistic Animals on Grizzly and Berry
Fortunately, I did not see any live bears as I walked the street and the two cul de sacs. Though I did hear from Daniel that he spotted a brown bear digging in their back yard the previous year. The animals I saw were flamingos, cats, a butterfly and a heron. I will let the photos speak for themselves.
Yard art adds interest to our walks
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