There's something really special going on along the historic Yellowstone trail that stretches across thirteen states from Plymouth, Massachusetts to Puget Sound, Washington. It's located near the Chippewa River in Eau Claire, Wisconsin where I'm on a day job assignment.
Finding this place on my first day off last week was like searching for a needle in the haystack. Road construction blocked the only entrance to Mcdonough Park located a couple of blocks away from the original Yellowstone Trail.
I discovered how the neighborhood park was transformed from a couple of dilapidated abandoned tennis courts slated for demolition to a state-of-the-art facility when I met Marilyn, a 30yr resident of Eau Claire who earned her PhD in Sports Management from the University of Iowa before making Eau Claire her home. Marilyn introduced me to two more movers and shakers in the community during my third visit to the park. Sandy assists with the activities and Julie Booth serves as the recreation program supervisor.
The place was bustling when I showed up to play pickleball with my wife and another teammate who was also on a day off. Marilyn described how she submitted a grant to reinvigorate the park with 12 picklebar courts, two steel ping pong tables, outdoor gym equipment, shuffle board, a playground, and a view to the Chippewa River which was made possible when Marilyn convinced the city to remove trees so park visitors could sit in park benches and take in one of the best views in Eau Claire.
That's not the end of the story. Marilyn said plans are underway to expand the courts. The group now boasts 400 players. Check out the photos below and make sure you stop at Mcdonough park the next time you find yourself on the Yellowstone Historic Trail. Have a great day.
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