Leeper Park

Leeper is nice… the park os situated on either side of 31 on the south side of the bridge. There is a tennis complex on one side, where they offer an excellent and affordable childrens tennis program, as well as tennis for adults. It was recently remodeled and is in great shape. Near the tennis complex is a playground, a duck pond and some picnic tables.
Across 31 there is park with a raceway island and a small beach. Its a nice place to take a walk and popular for salmon and steelhead fishing in the fall. Theres a garden and a log cabin replica on the east side of the park as well. The river in this location is fairly shallow wth rapids, my kids like to wade in the shallows when the water is low.

Leeper Park always reminds me of Will. And kind of of Sheila, but mainly of Will. Will was sick. Esther and I visited him. Often. We got stuff from his apartment when he was in the hospital. This was long before Will moved to Philadelphia. This was long before Erin O. met Will. This was long before Erin O. told me about meeting Will, which wasn’t long after Erin O. told me about meeting Aaron. I think Erin O. thought I was trying to set her up with Aaron, but I wasn’t. Or maybe Aaron thought so. Aaron is Canadian and that’s awesome. I was sort of trying to set Erin O. up with Will, but it didn’t take, and that’s fine. All of this was long before Erin O. married Jose.
The park is spectacular. You can drive through it. You can feed ducks. It goes on and on, kind of like a September to remember, though not quite like a December to remember.
Visit this park. Please. I will next time I visit South Bend with Esther, which could be in September. Or October. Hopefully, it will either be unseasonably warm or unseasonably cold. South Bend is best when the weather’s not like it’s supposed to be, either way.
And when I lived in South Bend, I used to wonder whether Leeper park would have leepers if it had sand. You know, leepers, like in the Legend of Zelda? But those are leevers, and I made a mental fool of myself in my own mind for years.