A few weeks ago, the boys and I ventured out to the newly re-opened Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Finally complete, the
park was originally built for the Olympic games in 2012. The sunny weather brought out droves of families all wanting to see the
new area.
The first thing we noticed was the new aquatics center which looked amazing. Jace asked if I brought his swim suit – he was ready to jump right in. We only peeked in the windows, but hope to try out their swimming pools sometime. What a cool place for lessons.
In the distance we saw a funky twisted tower which is called the ArcelorMittal Orbit. It’s the tallest art sculpture in Britain now at 376 feet high. It serves as an observatory of the expansive park grounds and London skyline and is a lasting monument of the games. The initial desire was to create something as iconic as the Eiffel Tower, and it has been described as the “Eyeful Tower” by many that don’t like the look. We didn’t bother paying to go in this time, but hope to soon when it’s less crowded. Supposedly it can accommodate 700 guests an hour, but I’m not sure we’ll hike the 455 stairs to the top!
There were plenty of structures for kids to climb and play on.
The playground was full of little kids. The sand pit had a water feature that made for a very messy bunch. Jace ripped his socks off and joined them. Some friends from church recognized us so they had fun playing.
The grounds were blossoming with spring flowers and really lovely. There’s something wonderful about English gardens. We wandered around and tried to get in the main arena, but it wasn’t open yet.
Jace wanted a picture with this solo orange poppy. The only boy who actually asks me to take his picture.
We found the iconic Olympic rings representing the five continents coming together. Walking around, I could imagine the excitement and energy of being at the actual games. I’m not sure I could have handled the crowds though, so we’ll just enjoy it after the fact.
Further away was another playground with the most unusual tree house. The little boys had fun climbing the extremely narrow bridge to get to the top. Somehow I don’t see this passing code in the states, but they loved it.
Nathan’s new meditation slide – wish it made him calmer!
After all the exploring, we were starving and found a nearby Mexican restaurant (which is hard to come by) named Wahaca. The kids loved swinging in the bird cages out front and driving the little truck. Though the atmosphere was cool, the food wasn’t terrific. We’ll keep searching for something to fill our Mexican cravings.
I’m sure the boys will want to return to this awesome park since we only scratched the surface and didn’t even see many of the buildings. With over 250 acres, there’s only so much you can fit in a day.
Smith Snippet 
That park looks awesome! I love the picture of Nathan’s meditation on the slide. Evan has that same tow truck shirt that Jace is wearing, in some of those pictures they look identical. What’s that huge thing Cade has on his back? Have you guys gotten into the Indian food there? There’s tons of that.
It’s very cool. Too bad its a bit of a trip out to get there–but it’s right next to a really good mall so there’s a few reasons to make it out. Sometimes I think Jace and Evan look alike too–it will be fun to see them play soon. Cade brought his hockey stick for some odd reason and never ended up using it. Surprisingly, we haven’t had the Indian food yet. Well Lynn probably has, but we need to make a date since the kids aren’t fans.