Megan Engelhardt

I have thought it was Wednesday most days this week, except when it really was Wednesday. Late summer always messes with my sense of time.

I spent a week this summer in Auburn, Alabama. I knew it was going to be hot so I tried to find walks that were not outside. One day, though, I discovered something I absolutely had to experience.

Technically it is called Municipal Park. But when I was looking for places to walk, I found it under Monkey Park. Municipal Park is the kind of place I’d go “eh, I might walk there if I have nothing else to do”. MONKEY PARK is a place that made me go “This is the first thing on my agenda and I am leaving right away in the morning because I cannot wait to see what it is like.”

Turns out there’s a monkey!

But there are some other very unique features that I found pleasing to the eye.

I’m not entirely sure what animal this is (a turtle?) but I did love it.

THIS IS THE CUTEST.

I’m not sure if this is a creek or a crick in Alabama. Or maybe a stream. It’s a crick to me, anyway. A number of kids arrived during my walk to play in it, which made me happy. I have lots of memories of playing in the crick behind my house. And it was stupid hot the day I visited, as it almost always is in Auburn, so I’m sure the kids were very happy to be able to kick around in some water.

The park has a railroad! And theoretically a train that runs sometimes. It wasn’t running when I was there, but I still looked right-left-right before walking across the tracks. It’s habit.

The ROCKY BROOK ROCKET. Amazing name.

I found the monkey!

Apparently, in 1956, there were real spider monkeys in this cage. I suspect they were miserable. In 1980 the monkeys were taken to the Montgomery Zoo which, good! I do wonder if they were the same monkeys…

This monkey is probably haunted by the memories of the caged monkeys. That’s probably why it’s double padlocked.

He’s seen some stuff, is all I’m saying.

I’ve been slipping copies of my book in Little Free Libraries when we travel. This park had an adorable train-themed one.

I put the book next to all the (ALL THE) Discworlds. It’s probably the only time we’ll get to share a shelf with Sir Terry.

If you’re anywhere near Opelika or Auburn, go see the monkey and let me know if the book is still there, will you?