Escape with Kel
adventures with my sidekick ollie
Derek Doubleday Arborteum
Quick Facts
Accessibility: The trails are approximately four feet wide with graded gravel. All pathways are flat with no unexpected dips.
Location: 21559 Fraser Hwy, Langley City, BC V3A 4M6
Length: Approximately 1 KM around the perimeter of the park.
Duration: Easily completed within 15 to 20 minutes. You may want allow for more time as there are a couple view points and historical markers along the trail.
Skill: Easy
Park map: https://webfiles.tol.ca/RCP/ParkMaps/Derek%20Doubleday%20Arboretum.pdf
This is a small park in the Township of Langley which is located right beside the Langley Regional Airport. With this being said, the air traffic noise is minimal as this is a municipal airport, so it mainly only sees small aircraft.
The trail around the park commemorates the end of Canada’s deployment in Afghanistan on July 17, 2011, and as such there is a monument to honour those who served and who lost their lives during the mission.
When I walked through this park in early April there were many of these hand-painted hearts that brought some cheer to a dreary day. This trail is lightly trafficked and allows for quiet contemplation. Overall a nice park to get away too and clear your head.
I love this leash for walking Ollie! Since he’s a 5 month old pup and a highly energetic one at that, this Kong Retractable leash is the best way that I have so far in letting him burn some extra energy off while walking him! This leash allows him to run ahead of me, race back, and then bolt away again which, in turn, allows me to walk without getting pulled off my feet. He rarely hits the end of the leash and a simple call of his name is all it takes for him to come back to me. I love how I can also lock it down when I’m in a busier park, and he can only go as far as I let him. Check it out!
Willband Creek Park
Quick Facts
Accessibility: The trails are all approximately 6 feet wide with graded gravel. There were no dips or uneven spots and the surface was easy to navigate. There are some bridges that have a metal grip surface to assist in icy conditions.
Location: Bateman Rd, Abbotsford, BC V2S 7Y8
Length: My ® Fitbit registered 3.19 km on the outside perimeter of the park, from car door to car door.
Duration: It took Ollie (5 month old puppy) and I just over an hour to walk; however, I am recovering from both a back and a knee injury, and Ollie has “cute puppy” syndrome so you should be able to complete this much faster 🙂
Skill: Easy!
Willband Creek Park is located at the intersection of Highway 11 and Bateman Road in the city of Abbotsford, BC. The parking lot is located where the flag is on the map below. It is described as a “Wildlife preserve offering flat walking paths & birdwatching amid marshes, ponds & grasslands. Dogs are welcome but must be on leash. As this park is right beside the Abbotsford-Mission Hwy there is quite a bit of traffic noise, however that being said I was there about 5:30pm on a weekday, and it wasn’t overly noisy or distracting.
© Google maps
There are many incredible views throughout this park including a gorgeous view of Golden Ears Summit. As well as many opportunities to watch the local fauna.
This is a great park to take your dog for a walk or just to become centered again after a long day at work.
