Frank Raab Park

My next installment of the park review is on Frank Raab Park in Poulsbo. Located at 18349 Caldart Ave. NE Poulsbo, Wa 98370, this twenty one acre park is a beautiful hidden treasure you will not want to miss. The park is hidden off of Caldart avenue and is a little tricky to find. be sure you look for the signs.

This park has a lot of different options for you to choose from. It has a beautiful sand volleyball court, a large well kept dog park, a covered area with many picnic tables perfect for lunch, a half basketball court, multiple shade trees for reading underneath, and a walking path that is stroller accessible.

One of my favorite features of this park was the trail that the have on one side. it is 0.2 miles long and is very well kept. that being said, the trail is not quite what you'd expect. It just so happens to be all down hill. That is great for the trip one way, but as it dumps you out at the intersection of Swanson way and 11th avenue, you have only two options. One, have a car pick you up at the end of the trail. Or, Two, walk the entire 0.2 miles back uphill. That distance may not be long but I can tell you from experience that it feels infinitely longer when it is at a steep incline. Since I did not know about this trails unfortunate feature, I had to follow the second option which was not my favorite choice. I am in shape, but that shape is currently round and I was also packing a baby on my back. I'm just glad I made it back up the hill to bring this post to you. All in all a great trail and a beautiful walk, but be warned! It's not as easy as is looks. If you have little ones or use a stroller I would suggest sticking to the track around the park. It is much more level and consistent.

My next favorite feature was the playground. All metal and plastic (be wary on hot days) but really well built. I did not have my resident expert with me, who happens to be my two year old daughter, on the day I scoped out this park, but I guarantee at least an hour of fun for any kid that comes to the park. It had the normal swings and slides but its best feature were the places to climb on. Any kid with a healthy dose of imagination could easily create a pirate ship, or a castle look out in their minds.

The park also has a very large field that would be great for games of Frisbee,catch, football, or soccer. I especially loved the ring of shade trees that circled the field. they are absolute perfect places to lay out a blanket and watch as your kids kick or throw a ball.

Now, for my absolute favorite part of the park. I have been saving this one for last because it is the Best! Frank Raab is home to two incredible community gardens. One is run by the members of the Poulsbo Rotary and all the vegetables and fruits gathered there go to benefit the Poulsbo Fishline (a local food bank).  They really went above and beyond to make it interactive for children. You can definitely see the touches of kids throughout, whether it is the flower pot people or the hand prints on the washing stations. The other garden is a project supported by the Poulsbo Parks and Recreation Department and the University Of Washington. It might not be as asthetically pleasing but it is still quite relaxing to walk through and it has beautiful flowers throughout.

List of things to bring with you.:

• A picnic blanket
• A good book
• Frisbee
• Volleyball
• Basketball
• Baseball and gloves
• Garden gloves to pull weeds
• Really good hiking shoes
• A camera
• Stroller
• Your dog

Now for the overall ratings:

Facilities--✪✪✪

Play ground--✪✪✪✪

Open Space--✪✪✪✪✪

Gardens--✪✪✪✪✪✪

Walking Paths--✪✪✪

This park is a great one if you want to visit a community garden and let your kids see what needs to go into growing our food. The wide open space opens a lot of doors for playing games and the playground gives you kids a place to run and expend their energy. Just don't walk the trail unless you are fully prepared.

I especially loved taking pictures of everything that I saw. In fact I wasn't able to put all of the pictures in this post at all. If you want to see more pictures of Frank Raab Park you can find all of my photos here. Park Pictures Overall rating--✪✪✪✪