Exploring the World with Pokémon Go: Oak Tree Park
I traveled to Chicago Illinois to visit family. But that doesn’t mean I can’t explore some parks near where I’m staying. My first stop on a cold day was Oak Tree Park.
I’m actually staying in a suburb of Chicago called Round Lake. Its far to the north of the city. I’m actually closer to Milwaukee, Wisconsin than Chicago. Anyway, Oak Tree Park is a neighborhood park with a clear field for children to make use of. For the youngest, a path takes them to a small playground in the corner.
Behind the park is marshland. A lot of this part of Illinois has bogs and marshes. One needs to watch their step so they don’t sink into the mud. Since I live in Florida now, I am quite used to avoiding walking into swamps.
Something I want to point out in the above images is that not everything you see is a field. Some of that land. At least a quarter of it from what I saw is actually a dried out retention pond.
A Closer Look:
As I moved deeper into Oak Tree Park, I got a closer view of the playground and the fields. The opposite side of the grass was where the retention pond would sit if this area wasn’t under drought conditions.
Just like in Florida, Covid 19 has had a profound effect on people going outside. I wasn’t surprised that the park was empty since school was in session, but I doubt there is much happening here even on weekends right now.
Perhaps when the pandemic comes to an end, children who live in the nearby neighborhood will come here again. Its a beautiful space with plenty of room for multiple people to use the rolling fields for whatever activities they want. And unlike many parks I have visited in the past, there is plenty of nearby parking too.
Pokémon Go:
Let’s take a look at Oak Tree Park in Pokémon Go. I was actually pleasantly surprised that there was both a Pokestop and Gym here. Many small parks like this one have a stop at the sign near the entrance and nothing else. Instead, the Gym at the front is EX Raid Eligible and there is a Pokestop at the playground.
And there were plenty of Pokemon spawning too. Especially near the playground. Not bad at all considering that many parks like this one are empty. And since this park is right by water, that means what appears here is varied too. I won’t be able to figure that out since an event is going on in game that increases the spawn rate of Fairy Types.
Timbur had fun at Oak Tree Park. Might want to make sure that the log its carrying isn’t from an oak tree though. Might upset the local fauna.
Surprise! I got all my hair cut off before I traveled to Chicago. I was cold when I took this picture. The wind bit at my skin and I don’t miss this at all. Its one of the reasons I moved to Florida. Still, it was nice to explore a park near where I grew up.
Wrap Up:
I’ll be in the Chicagoland area for over a week. So expect plenty of pictures from places I grew up near in the meantime.