To the moon and back

OPINION

By Stephanie Davis


“Three… Two… One…. Liftoff!”

The red and silver rocket took off, zooming into space, landing on the nearby moon. Alien voices echoed through the air and space buggies zoomed across the terrain. Colorful extra terrestrial creatures fluttered up in the atmosphere.

At least, that’s how I remember Scott Carpenter Park.

As a child, I could not wait until I was old enough to ride down the bike path on my own to play on the steel space ship, squeezing through the holes and climbing up the ladder that led to the pilot’s quarters. I was on top of the world. I could spend hours playing at that park.

According to the City of Boulder, Scott Carpenter Park was built in 1955 and originally named Valverdan Park. In 1962, it was renamed after Boulder astronaut Scott Carpenter.

In addition to a towering space ship, the park features a near-by swimming pool and a well-maintained skate and bike park. To the north, there’s a graffiti wall that allows local artists to redecorate any time they want. During the summer months, baseball is in full swing in nearby fields, and the creek path connecting to the park is always buzzing.

In one of the brief moments I didn’t want to be a photographer when I grew up, I wanted to be an astronaut. I dreamt of far off planets and flying in the midst of stars.

In college, I spent afternoons flying kites and running up the sloping hill, mountains gracing the backdrop. On top of the spaceship one summer evening, I fell in love, talking about dark secrets and kissing under the stars.

I will never be too old to realize how special Scott Carpenter Park is. To me, the spaceship represents Boulder as much as the Flatirons do, and it will always be worth preserving for future astronauts.