Review: Tucker Boulder Park

Tucker Boulder Park, Appalachian Highway, Davis, WV, 26260
GPS: 39.132675, -79.473774
Website

Visit Day and Time: April 6, 2018
Temperature at visit: 50-65 degrees (mild but warm enough to enjoy it)
Crowd level: None

Pros

• Very unique park 
• New park
• Nice seating
• Multiple levels of climbing from little kids to adults 

Cons

• If you have a hard time letting your kids climb and fall it might be a stressful park for you
• If your child climbs up and panics might be hard to get them back down

Trash Info

• No trash around
• Trash Cans available 

Shade Info

• There are a few trees around so probably some shade for the benches but the climbing rock are out in the full sun.

Adult Seating

• Several nice metal benches available 
• Bleachers are near by at the baseball feild

Swings

• None

Slides

• None

Access

• Handicap Parking very close 
• Pathways are only gravel and might be harder to navigate

Misc

• There is a donation box onsite to collect funds for Rock #3 so be sure to take some cash with you if you get to enjoy this park or better yet donate online via their website.

Broken equipment

• None

Rock #1 basic climber

Rock #2 Complex Climber

Climbing Park 2 Rocks with room for one more

Benches and Trash

Parking is pretty close

Review: Grand Vue Park Playground

GPS: 39.940031, -80.729304

Website

Visit Day and Time: Thursday 5/10/2018
Temperature at visit: Hot
Crowd level: Low

Pros

• New play structure 
• Lots of variety in the activities 
• Music based play spaces

  

  They had these drums and an electric piano activity.

Cons

• All of the the play structures are out in the sun, so my toddler complained the slides were hot.
• The road getting to the park is narrow in some spots and is generally very out of the way.

Trash Info

• There were several cans along 

Shade Info

• There is a covered picnic structure but otherwise not much shade for the play structures. 

Adult Seating

• There are several benches around the play area.
• There is a covered picnic area with multiple tables at the front of the park.

Sheltered area with picnic tables

Swings

• There are several swings including a couple accessible swings.

Unique swing

Slides

• There were six open air slides.

  

   Slides in the younger children section

  

   Slides in the younger children section

  
  
  
  

  

   Slides in the younger children section

Access

• Accessible swings available.
• There is a sidewalk all the way around the play structure.

Misc

• Restrooms were onsite at the entry to the play structure.
• There is also a pool very close to the play ground.  Check it out here.

Broken equipment

• None

Climbing structure in the older children's area

Climbing structure in they younger children's area

Lots of parking

As you enter from the parking lot there is a building with restrooms to the left

Playground: Oglebay Park, Wheeling, WV

GPS: 40.097827, -80.663141

Visit Day and Time:Wednesday May 3, 2017 from 2:59 pm until 3:02 pm
Temperature at visit: Cool
Crowd level: Mild (There were several families there for a total of around 7-10 kids all kids were under 4 years old)

• Pros
• Large playground with multiple play structures
• Area for small toddlers
• Plenty of various types of seating
• 
  
• Cons
• Could be hard to keep an eye on your child if they move from structure to structure
• My daughter fell several times going between play areas (luckily the rubber turf kept her from getting hurt) so some kids might have a hard time adjusting to the rise that the rubber turf creates
• Trash Info
• Several trash cans available 
• No loose trash
• Shade Info
• There is some shade over some of the adult seating areas 
• Play structures don't have a lot of shade
• Adult Seating
• Several benches
• Several Picnic tables
• Access
• There is a sidewalk from the parking area to the playground
• Multiple access entries (stairs, pipe climber, and chain ladder)
• Misc
• Rubber flooring under play area
• Broken equipment
• None to note

View of lake from one parking area

View of lake from one parking area

View of the playground coming from one of the parking areas

Newer play area to the right coming from one of the parking areas

Playground: Good Zoo, Wheeling, WV

GPS: 40.096943, -80.666360
Address:465 Lodge Dr, Wheeling, WV 26003

Visit Day and Time: Wednesday May 3, 2017 from 1:33 pm until 1:39 pm
Temperature at visit: Cool
Crowd level: We were the only visitors at the playground there were a few families in the zoo in general

• Pros
• Low/No crowds
• Plenty of Adult Seating 
• You have to pay zoo admission to use this playground (so no one just hanging around without a purpose)
• Cons
• You have to pay zoo admission to use this playground 
• Some broken equipment
• Some parts of the structure have large drop offs
• It is a little hard to see the kids when they are playing on the backside of the playground

• Trash Info
• Low (a bottle and a food wrapper)
• Trash cans available 
• Shade Info
• Shade trees for the adult seating area and the small kids play area
• Not much shade directly over the main playground
• Adult Seating
• Four benches
• Picnic tables very close 
• Swings
• 2 little kid swings
• Slides
• Large tube slide (very fast my toddler ended up on the ground the first time out, I caught her early the second time)
• Large open air twist slide
• 2 mild straight slides (side by side)
• Small straight slide for little ones
• Access
• 2-3 tenths of a mile walk from zoo entrance (if you exit the main building and head right
• Kids need to do a little climbing to get on the equipment
• Misc
• Lots of active climbing for your kids so they need to be aware not fall off the areas where there are high entrance and exits 
• Broken equipment
• One of the logs on the side of the swinging bridge is damaged
• Older kid play area is older but very functional

Entrance coming from the long way (standard zoo path)

General view of the playground (the white tube slide is super fast)

General view from the adult sitting area

Side view

Note the broken post on the right part of the platform before the sway bridge

Due straight slide

Fast tube slide and note the picnic tables in the back

Adult sitting area and trash cans

Little kid play area

Little kid swings (only swings available)

Little kid play area

View from the little kid area

Playground: Dallas Pike, WV

GPS: 40°00'53.3"N 80°31'37.3"W

Visit Day and Time: Sunday around 3:01 pm until 3:47 pm
Temperature at visit: over 80 degrees (Hot for the end of April)
Crowd level: We were the only park visitors

• Pros
• Low/No crowds
• Good line of sight from the adult seating to the play areas
• Cons 
• Lots of boring bees buzzing around and some wasps
• Some broken equipment
• Getting to the tube slide could be difficult without help for little children
• Trash Info
• Low (pair of socks and a couple other pieces food wrappers)
• There was a trash bag tied to a pole (that had some trash it)
• Some minor writing on the interior of the higher club house
• Shade Info
• Adult seating in the sun
• Open air slide in the sun (it was hot to touch the day we were there so my toddler preferred the tube slide
• The club house area is covered 
• The tire swing is under the play structure
• There was some shade in the swing area because of the club house
• The picnic area is covered
• Adult Seating
• Wood bench with movable back to sit facing the playground or the basketball court
• Wood bench (no back)
• Composite bench glider
• Picnic tables at the shelter (6 tables)
• Swings
• 3 standard swings
• 1 baby swing
• 1 tire swing
• 1 rope disc swing
• Slides
• Open air gentle grade slide
• Tube slide (access to this slide is difficult for little ones to do on their own)
• Access
• Climbing chain ladder
• Pipe ladders
• Tunnel to climb from one platform to the other
• Pipe handle/stair to access the tube slide (could be difficult for little ones to do on their own)
• Misc
• Telescope 
• Lower level play house (might have been a sandbox at some point)
• Broken equipment 
• Steering wheel in the club house
• Baby swing was in need of repair but functional
• Rope disc swing seat was pretty worn
• One of the benches back support was gone

View from the parking area

Shelter (I think this is associated with the Dallas Pike community center)

View from the far side of the playground 

Swing area

Basketball court

View from the newer bench area

View from the clubhouse are near the tube slide

View of the area where you enter the tube slide (note the yellow pipe is what my toddler used to climb to the platform)

View from the clubhouse (note the broken steering wheel area)

Parking area