Looking for Blue Bells

I received an email from a friend of mine last week reminding me to visit Poland Woods…NOW…because the Blue Bells were in bloom, and the peak time was limited. I have heard about this event for a number of years, and never remembered or had the chance to check it out. I had never even visited Poland Woods. I have to tell you, it was a real treat.

My wife is the nature person in my family. For me, the outdoors is nice to look at through picture windows. Even when we go to Florida, the beach is best viewed from the balcony of a room serviced hotel room. But I have been feeling a tad blue (no pun intended) lately, and my wife said it would be good therapy to get some fresh air.

What a treat it was. Poland Woods itself is a picturesque place complete with a suspension foot bridge over a lovely creek. We paid our respects to Mother Nature on Saturday morning, and pretty much had the entire place to ourselves, except for the guy walking his very large dog. To get to the Blue Bells, you have to cross the suspension bridge over Yellow Creek. Hold on tight. The bridge jiggles. Given my size, that is a little disconcerting. But it is a big bridge, and well constructed and tied down. So fear not!!

The walking path loops through this magnificent sea of blue. The flowers are everywhere, and just go on and on. The walk itself is only little over a half a mile, but the quiet and beauty makes you want to linger…and wonder if these were planted deliberately or it just happened by itself. I suspect the former, but wouldn’t it be wonderful if it were the latter?

What an outstanding asset Poland Woods is to the entire community. I have walked through Mill Creek Park my entire life, and it is sometimes overwhelming in its size. And Boardman Park is almost too developed. Poland Woods seems to be just right, absolutely pristine in its natural appearance, but on a human scale.

Afterwards, we drove down to Fellows Garden and walked around looking at the last remnants of the tulips, and wonderful vistas overlooking Lake Glacier on one side of the garden and the city on the other. I saw an old Youngstown postcard last week, welcoming folks to visit this area. The postcard said we are a city of steel and parks. Most of the steel may be gone, but the parks are still here in all of their glory, whether they are Mill Creek Metro Parks, Wick Park, Crandall Park, Boardman Park, or Poland Woods, just to name a few. And they are still growing. Canfield Township has purchased property for the establishment of a Canfield Township park.

How fortunate we are to be surrounded with aesthetics that some places can only dream of. So next time someone asks me why I live here, I will answer that when springtime comes to the Mahoning Valley, it’s a great place to look for Blue Bells. They are worth the search.