Exploring the World With Pokemon Go: Warren Township Center
Warren Township Center was a place I went to frequently when I was young. My high school was right next door. My middle school was across the street. Both buildings are still there by the way. For obvious nostalgia, I could not pass up the chance to see this place under the Pokemon Go lens.
Warren Township Center is a massive recreation center that keeps children and adults entertained for many hours a time. There is so much to do here that even exploring around for this blog post, there is plenty I will not get a chance to highlight.
As any journey should, one picks a spot and starts walking. I decided upon the outside as one can see by the fence. This area sports a baseball field and a playground. Already the diversity of this place is obvious.
The Playground:
Before I explored the playground at Warren Township Center, I made sure to get a proper picture of my old High School. Warren Township High School shares its name with this park. I am not sure which was named after the other. Technically that building came second, but my massive high school has two campuses.
As for the playground itself, I was the only one here. It was a bit eerie how silent this place is at the moment. I believe a combination of being much colder this May than normal as well as nearby construction is the true cause. I hope this is not how the park normally is.
As I moved farther into Warren Township Center, the baseball fields and playgrounds transformed into information centers and tennis courts. At this point, I started seeing construction workers in action. Their machines were the only sign of human habitation besides my own.
As the sign in the first image above showcases, there is plenty to do here. Sadly, I was unable to explore every last spot. But this just means that if you wish to know what I missed, you get to find out for yourself!
Old Workout Grounds:
As I ventured even farther back into Warren Township Center, I reached the place that I was most familiar with. You may not know it given that I write blog posts about the outdoors frequently now, but when I was little, I hated going outside. I much preferred staying in my room and playing video games. If not for my father, that might have remained to the current day.
However, he was not going to allow that. I used to come with him multiple times a week and run around this section of the park. The hill here is perfect for working on leg strengthening. Behind the fountain is a short trail loop perfect for a jog.
I am certain that this place is important in my current life. If not for this small stretch of activity fields and hills, I never would have discovered my love for ultra races and intense workout routines. And of course, Pokemon Go would be much more difficult for me today.
Frisbee Golf:
While the previous area of Warren Township Center was a significant part of my life when I was younger, this next area was visited more when I was in high school. There is a Frisbee golf course through the entire region. The last couple areas are also parts of said course. But I never had any reason to visit this more secluded and wooded area outside of the game. And I played a lot of Frisbee Golf when I was in high school.
It truly is a shame that I ignored this area for so long. It has its own beauty that did not appear in the other regions. Sadly, as the last park I visited, this place is heavily flooded right now. I hope all this standing water evaporates soon.
I took another selfie. This time the sun was in my eyes letting my hatred of all things bright in the sky be on display.
Pokemon Go:
My nostolgia walk was at an end. Was it worth coming to Warren Township Center in Pokemon Go? Sadly, not really. I feel like this place probably fell victim to having many of the Pokestops removed. There are entire sections filled with landmarks that are obvious points. Pokemon spawns are about average and with very few stops available, this area is not optimal for catching either.
However, there is one important reason to come here. If nothing else, make sure to battle the gym pictured in the upper corner. This is one of the fabled EX Raid Gyms I have mentioned in the past. Battling here grants a chance at a rare pass that lets you catch an equally rare Pokemon. Pokemon such as Mewtwo and Deoxys.
Given the sheer amount of walking I did between this post and my last, it was inevitable that I would hatch plenty of eggs. Some of them were useless, and some were remarkable. I’ll leave it to you to figure out which ones fit in each category.
I’ll still be in Illinois for a few more days. Plenty of time to explore some places. Look forward to wherever I travel next.