When the weather is warm and the sun is shining, I like to spend my time meandering the paths of Windergarden Park in Bowling Green.

Wintergarden is a place where I feel safe because the trees hug the paths so tightly that it seems as though you are being embraced. The wind whispers through the leaves, calling out a warm song.

I can wander these beautiful woods, travel across the bridge over a small pond-like puddle and march through the wide-open meadow for hours. In fact, I have done this more than a few times.

If there is anything this place has taught me, it is that nature is a beautiful thing that anyone can find on the edge of the city. If you simply open your eyes and look, the forest is laid out in front of you, waiting to be investigated.

One of the best parts of Wintergarden is the animals, though. There are deer tracks on the paths, snakes slithering through the meadow and birds perched high in most of the trees. Plus, there are squirrels and frogs galore.

It is such a relaxing place to know that I am surrounded by little critters without a care in the world.

I know there are some really cool places in Bowling Green, but to me, this place is the bee’s knees. I can’t imagine a place that gives you a gorgeous view, allows you to exercise until you’re content and doesn’t cost anything but gas to go to aside from Wintergarden.

It holds a special place in my heart because I can take anyone there with me—my sister, my boyfriend, my friends—and we can always have a good time. There are not many places you can take such a diverse group of people to and still have a blast.