Visit a Carmel Gem – Lawrence W. Inlow Park

With a couple of weeks until Labor Day, you may be trying to squeeze in every last drop of summer fun before the pools are emptied and the splash pads stop splashing.

For years, our family splash pad go-to has been Lawrence W. Inlow Park in Carmel.

When our children were younger, it was imperative we go to a place that would contain everyone in the same area. I had been to plenty of parks with splash pads and incredible playground equipment that spanned a large area. This just didn’t work for us. One kid would run to the splash pad, one would scale the slide on what felt like the other side of the world and I would be suspended between the two with my attention completely divided.

With one of me and four of them, I quickly learned a set up like that just didn’t work.

Then, a few years back, we happened upon Lawrence W. Inlow Park and all of my splash pad problems were solved in an instant.

When you pull up to the park you will see a simple (yet fun) splash pad,

pavilion and restrooms,

walking trails,

disc golf course

and (on occasion) a Kona Ice Truck.

This is all you see and it’s perfect. The kids run to play in the water and you sit back and relax, with your eyes on every child you brought with you – no problem.

For years, this is what we would do when we came to this park. I thought this was all there was to do.

Until just recently.

Just recently, we walked back to the wooded area behind the splash pad and found not one, or two, but three playgrounds hidden amongst the trees.

So. Cool.

And again, perfect.

These hidden playgrounds are far enough away from the splash pad that 1) I didn’t even know they were there for years and 2) there is not temptation for the little one playing in the splash pad to run over to the playground.

Moms with little ones – this is the park for you. And moms with big kids – I took my eleven-year old this year and she still loved it.

You have two weeks until Labor Day – if you have never been to Lawrence W. Inlow Park there is still time. And as a side note, bring along some buckets. Ask any kid and they will tell you it makes the splash pad even more fun.

Enjoy the last weeks of summer, everyone.

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Lawrence W. Inlow Park is located at 6310 East Main Street in Carmel.

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Jennifer Thompson is a stay-at-home mom of four spunky, sweet, kind and sometimes a bit wild children. She has a passion for the written word and thinks libraries and bookstores are the coolest places ever. When not hanging out with family or writing, she can be found enjoying a good cup of coffee, running, spending quality time with friends, working on some type of project around the house, planning the family’s next trip to her favorite destination – Walloon Lake, Michigan, or very possibly – reading a book.

Jennifer enjoys writing about her parenting experience and outings with her children for Indy’s Child as a freelance writer and blogger and keeps a personal blog, www.trulyyoursjen.com, that she has fun writing when time permits