Most of you reading this know me as Makenna, the one that writes the faith column on Fridays and shares the weekend happenings. Some know me as a friend, sister, daughter, and/or coworker. Out of all the titles I hold, “Mom” is my most cherished.
In collaboration with a very special 9 year old, I’m excited to introduce our newest series on the Local Pulse, Mak & Lou’s Summer Adventures.
This series will include a recap, review, and rating from both Lou and I on all the places we explore this summer. Places will include the parks we visit, any travels we take, and all the fun we find in between.
Our goal with this series is to inspire families to get out and do more together.
The world we live in tries to tempt us that there is a better life outside of our own. Technology is stealing quality time we could be spending with our families. Cartoons on Saturdays have turned into binge watching series, video game marathons, and doom scrolling through social media. This fate effects everybody.
We hope that sharing our (mostly) free, local, and accessible adventures will lead you to making intentional efforts to have a more FUN!
First on the summer tour is the Blake Doyle Skatepark.
Hours: Sunrise to 10 PM
Location: 501 N. Hayne St. Pensacola, FL
Admission: FREE
We LOVE the skatepark. When we heard that it was opening up, we made sure we had our helmets and pads to take on the beginner bowls and ramps full speed ahead. Lou and I are both convinced that she was the first person to break a bone at the park. The funny part of the story, she didn’t even break it actively skating. She was walking around on her skates and tripped while we were gathering our belongings to go home.
Good news, bones heal, and after 6-8 weeks we were back in business!
The park has been a “go to” place for us year around, though the summer is when you will find us there the most. Surrounded by a community garden, the protection of the police department across the road, and lots of shade – we feel like it is one of the best places to spend our summer days!
A Quick Review
The skatepark is clean with lots of space to skate and areas made to set up a picnic blanket to hang out for the day. Oftentimes, we will see grandparents, moms, and dads in lawn chairs with coolers full of snacks.
We typically come strapped with skateboards, skates, and scooters. Be sure to wear your pads, helmet, and close toed shoes. Jeans prove to take a fall the best on the concrete, even if they are hot to wear!
The comradery at the park is contagious and combined of all ages. There has not been a single time we’ve gone to the park where someone hasn’t offered to help us with a trick or encouraged us to “go for it!” We typically bring extra snacks and juice boxes to share with the friends that we make.
Outside of the general day to day scene, the skatepark hosts community wide events, and is the beginnings of a more walkable and vibrant downtown area.
Our Official Rating
On a 5 star scale, we’d give the park a 5 out of 5.
The skatepark has been an incredible addition to our community. We feel grateful for the friends we’ve made, the skills we’ve gained, and the memories we will make for the many years ahead.
For more information on the Blake Doyle Skatepark and the mission of Upward Intuition, you can visit their website here!
Stay tuned for next week’s adventure! Now go out and SKATE.
Till next time,
Mak & Lou
Makenna Curtis
Faith, Family, & Entertainment Columnist
