Sam and I went to the playground at Mary Munford Elementary School today, which he promptly dubbed Mary “Monster” Park.  I had to laugh, but ‘munford’ sure does sound a lot like ‘monster,’ doesn’t it?  Ah, if only I were clever enough to think up that quip on my own! This was my first trip there, his second, and it was well worth the extra drive to get there—not that anything in Richmond is very far from the get-go. 

Mary Monster is located in the Near West End and takes up the block between Cary Street and Grove Avenue where it intersects with the block between Westmoreland Street and Commonwealth Avenue.  The location is quite central, and there is lots of parking, so it’s the perfect place to meet up with friends from across town.  But the best of all reasons to go there is quite simple— it’s a fun park that appeals to kids of various ages.

There are two sides to the park.  One side is more traditional with wood chips, while the other is a huge labyrinth of wooden walkways, complete with swinging bridges, and little towers to climb up.  Sam gravitated to the wooden side and had a grand ole time racing around, exploring the nooks and crannies and turning the towers into pirate ships.  That was until the day camp let out and the “big kids” overtook the playground.

At that point we decided to jump ship and head to World of Mirth, a treat for both of us.  Sam was absolutely dying for a Playmobil toy, but I held fast to my resolve to lay off the toys for a while.  Then I dragged him to the Hall Tree to scout out some bargain clothes for him next summer.  He fell in love with the three way mirror, dancing around with three of his reflections putting Hannah Montana to shame.  Aha!  Out of the corner of my distracted eye, I discovered some “real” Polo shirts for $5.  Can’t beat that! 

And a fun morning was had by all.  Thanks, Mary Monster, World of Mirth, and the Hall Tree for your hospitality! 

LibbY