Metarvo GRVII - Challenge 9

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Challenge 9 - Parking Lots and Lots of Parks


The good Governor had ordered the construction of a series of parks to preserve some green, natural beauty in the Grand River Valley.  With the development that had been going on, it was important to preserve these areas now.  Not only would pollution be kept lower, but a valuable tourist attraction would be provided for Bordertown, the surrounding communities, and the nation as a whole.  The most important park was Bordertown National Park, which is located on the border of Tiles A and B.


The first major attraction is Towe Creek, a tributary of the Grand River.  The creek provides decent fishing and boating opportunities.


The second major attraction is the Bell Mountain Range.  The mountains provide a good place to hike, sightsee, and take in the cool mountain air.  People get tired of staying in those concrete jungles all the time.


(facing east)
The main gate is actually located on Route 10, the main road for the region.  This is no coincidence; the Mayor wanted to make sure that the park was accessible by everyone in the region.  The I.L.R.R. runs through the edge of the park as well.  Of course, one must pay to enter the park.  The price at the gate is §10 per person for a 24 hr. pass, with weekend passes available for §15 per person.  Upon entering the park, one will see the game warden's office on the left and the welcome station on the right.  One can buy fishing licenses, bait, and other fishing gear at the game warden's office.  At the welcome station, free maps and brochures are available, along with overpriced supplies.  There's also a security station here as well, which is placed here primarily to keep people from getting in without paying.  A parking lot is available here for those who would rather walk through the park instead of driving.


Outside the park in Tile B, there is a Super 8 Motel (§41/night) to provide fairly reasonable accomodations for park visitors.  As you can see, it stays crowded.  A Chevron station is also present here.  It would be a shame for someone to run out of gas in the park, wouldn't it?


(facing west)
A Holiday Inn Express in Tile A provides a slightly more upscale hotel experience for guests.  The prices (§67/night) are somewhat higher, too, which is reflected in the increased number of vacancies.  The area surrounding the hotel has almost taken on a suburban feel, with a Kroger grocery store providing groceries to park visitors and an Old Navy clothing store so that visitors can buy those must-have clothes.  A Dollar Tree is available here for the budget-conscious shopper.  A KFC-A&W fast food restaurant sells good fried chicken and burgers to hungry guests, and an Esso station gives visitors a chance to fuel up.  Some houses have been built here, too, to take advantage of the commercial development.  As you can see, Bordertown National Park even has its own train station for those who would rather ride the rails into the park.  Of course, those who want to get off here must pay for park admission just like those who come in at the gate.


(facing east)
Those who would rather "rough it" can stay in the cabins, located in clusters around the perimeter of the park.  Unlike the hotels, there are no air conditioners, TVs, or running water in these cabins, but one can rent a cabin for §15/night, which beats the prices at the hotels.  At least the cabins have electricity provided by small natural gas generators, so it's not unheard of for people to bring window A/C units in during the summer.  I guess it depends on one's view of camping.  Massively overpriced food stands and park restrooms (some with camp showers) are normally located near these accomodations.


(facing south)
The park provides opportunities to fish, hike, take pictures, and camp, but even all of that can get a little old after a while.  So, there are small sport fields located around the edges of the park.  Vending machines are provided as well, but you had better have §1.50 with you if you want that favorite soda!  Park police and fire services are available, too.  Most of the fire calls are related to campfires gone bad.


(facing south)
Medical emergency services are provided by GooberGen, a well-known medical industry leader which has placed a clinic just outside the main gate.  Although the clinic was built here for the park, nearby residents come here as well.


The park only has one road that is open to car traffic.  One who enters the main gate and drives on will pass the welcome center and the parking lot.  The road passes the train station before curving around the sports fields.  Then, it winds in a generally northward direction, passing a few food stands and cabins.  The road crosses Towe Creek, and then it goes east near the region border while a hiking trail goes west.  The road passes another rest area and then it goes into Tile B.


The hilly portion of the park is known for its deer population.  Before anyone gets any ideas, I want to point out that deer hunting is illegal in Bordertown National Park regardless of the season.


The South Bordertown City Park is located south of the Grand River in Tile H.  The growth of the subdivision south of town has led to an increased desire for recreational areas.


(facing west)
The SBCP includes an open grass field, playgrounds, and trails, among other amenities.  It isn't surprising that the kids at the elementary school sneak over here during recess (and sometimes not at recess ) to play on the better playground equipment.


Here's Cabra Park, a small park for the community in Tile I.  Different management, for which the small park is named, already ordered a central park to be constructed, so a new one was built on the northwestern edge of town.



Extra Pics


(facing south)
Here, we see some law-breaking going on.  Even though deer hunting is illegal in Bordertown National Park at all times, some people don't care.  They sneak around and hunt at night, when they see that the coast is clear and the game warden is busy having a meeting with the park's security force at the local donut shop.


(facing east)
At night, park visitors often gather around the two designated campfire sites.  Mostly, they talk about sports or tell stories about the Mayor.  Quite a few of the residents of the Bordertown area disagree with the Mayor's policies, as expected in most cities.  There's a rumor going around that the Mayor spends too much time in his office playing computer games, and it is alleged that this contributed to the delay in the construction of the park.  I don't know where anyone would come up with a tall tale like that.   Some even declare that the Mayor forgot to make backups of the park plans and lost them in a computer crash a few months ago. As alluded to previously, there have been a number of campfire mishaps that have necessitated the intervention of the park's fire department, but no one has been hurt in such an incident.  Yet.



Description

Bordertown National Park is located in the northwestern portion of the region because of the varied landscape.  The Grand River, Towe Creek, and the Bell Mountains make this area of land nearly useless for any kind of urban development, so it had to be used for something.  In addition, Route 10 and the I.L.R.R. run through this area as well, making it accessible to the public.  So, the Mayor decided to build the park here.  The mountains and the creek provide excellent hiking and fishing opportunities, and the crisp mountain air is so refreshing in summer compared to the hot concrete island of Bordertown.  The mountains provide an unparalleled view of the surrounding area.

[soulchaser]

Great stuff....a lot of creative details.....

[jmyers2043]

I like the comments you made with the pictures.

campfires gone bad.

   Sounds like Stephen King novel. . .

[mrbisonm]

Great that you made it, now I can create your Challenge 10, the Highway challenge. I will judge this when I do all the other challenge 9's.

Good work.

Fred