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good life
PHOTO BY SKIP BROWN
THE GREAT OUTDOORS YOU’LL FIND PLENTY OF space for a quiet walk, a good place for the kids to play, and the chance to see more than 160 species of birds at Rockville’s RedGate Park, a former 131-acre golf course that is now a public park. It’s easy to spot vestiges of the golf course that closed in late 2018—from the former clubhouse to the concrete signs marking the holes and the rough outlines of fairways now sprouting grasses that sway in the breeze. But where golfers once roamed, the gentle hills now provide new options for fun. Kids can dig away in the sand traps. Paved paths that golf carts used to traverse are perfect for rambling walks or even for younger cyclists to improve their skills on the
flatter stretches. And the broad mowed lawns are ideal for picnicking. Birders describe the park as “heaven” for spotting species that range from great blue herons and wood ducks, which enjoy the large pond, to yellow-billed cuckoos and great horned owls. Climb the stairs to the wooden deck of the former clubhouse to watch as birds of prey, including a variety of hawks and even bald eagles, swoop by overhead. RedGate Park, 14500 Avery Road, Rockville, open from sunrise to sunset daily, redgatepark.org. —Julie Rasicot BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
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