I've seen all sorts of wildlife on my many walks here - red-tailed hawks and osprey, deer, a barred owl, snakes, great blue herons, turtles, and many others. And in addition to the wildlife, there are simply gorgeous scenic areas. From large bodies of water filled with flowering lily-pads, to fields of multicolored wildflowers, to dense forest and the Willamette River itself - Minto has pretty much everything.
The best part, of course, is that it's extremely close to me. I can be at the park in maybe 10 minutes by car. And for those of us that love nature photography but aren't as keen around groups of people, it's nice - despite being a large, natural, gorgeous park in the middle of town, it rarely fills up; only on the really nice, early summer days does it seem "busy".
Another bonus I've found - free food! Minto itself is covered with fruit and nuts that are literally just falling off the trees. There are vast brambles of blackberries (you can literally pick your own weight and not make a dent, if you're so inclined), old apple trees, cherry trees (black and red varities) and hazelnut trees. Many people in Salem come out in blackberry season with 10 gallon buckets, looking to fill them up. It may seem a little strange to do, but you can make away with a lot of free fruit. Last year I made upwards of 20 fruit crumbles, all free except the toppings!
On to the pictures! There will be many more Minto posts to come; I am there very regularly.
The Forest lit up with sunshine at Minto-Brown Island Park in Salem, OR
A field of dry grass with Queen Anne's Lace in the foreground at Minto-Brown Island Park in Salem, OR
A female mallard duck resting in the sun at Minto-Brown Island Park in Salem, OR
Sunlight glinting in the waters of the Willamette River at Minto-Brown Island Park in Salem, OR
Blackberry bushes and yellow flowers backlit by the sun at Minto-Brown Island Park in Salem, OR
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A mountain cornflower at Minto-Brown Island Park in Salem, OR
