Spring has to be the best season of the whole year!

I don’t recall any days ever being more beautiful than the ones we are being blessed with lately.

(I will insert a disclaimer: This is Arkansas and the weather could be totally different by the time this goes to print.)

I am looking for every reason I can find to get outside to take advantage of these near-perfect days. Even doing outdoor chores beats staying indoors whenthe sun is shining, the sky is blue, birds are singing and fresh green vegetation and spring flowers abound.

And the days are often followed by very pleasant evenings. The lingering daylight makes it feel as though there are more hours in the day - something we always say there’s not enough of, right? Spending evenings outside is so appealing.

Earl and I did just that recently as we explored another fun and relatively inexpensive entertainmentoption just a short drive from home. It is something we have talked about doing since the place opened two years ago. So, after purchasing tickets to help out a fundraising effort, we headed out to spend a nice evening watching the Naturals’ play at Arvest Ball Park in Springdale.

This was my first close-up look at the stadium or just about any baseball park. Even though I have never spent much time around “America’s favorite pastime” and don’t know a lot about it, attending a game in this grand facility was quite enjoyable.

After attending a game and doing a little additional on-line research, I will pass along some things to like about it.

First off, since the park is located on the west side ofSpringdale, the drive there takes only a short half hour or so. Once there we found parking easy and although there was a fee, it cost only $3. By getting there a few minutes early, we were able to find a spot near the entrance that didn’t require a long walk from the car to the stadium. Tickets are reasonably priced too, ranging from $6 to $12 for individual games (with season tickets, combination purchases and promotional prices also available).

And, with something like 70 home games on the schedule per season, there are plenty of dates to choose from. The games are played on different days of the week and at different times, making it more likely to find a convenient time to attend. In addition to the seven o’clock eveninggames, day games also start at 11 and 2.

On the evening we attended, the national anthem was performed by a junior high school choir from an area school. This could have been one reason the crowd included so many families with children, but I imagine this to always be a popular family attraction.

To keep everyone entertained, short contests and other activities were performed on the sidelines during breaks in the game, giving us something to watch at almost all times.

As far as the game itself, I really can’t tell you much about it. Having never watched anything other than my son’s games when he was a kid, I was really impressed with how well all the players could hit, catch and throw.

And being my first timethere, I inaccurately assumed the guys in the red uniforms were the Arkansas team. For the record, forget “Razorback red” when you go to this ball park. The Naturals’ are the ones wearing blue.

Whether you’re a real baseball fan or just looking for an entertaining way to spend some time outdoors this time of year, attending a game at Arvest Ball Park is something to consider. If for no other reason, go and see the impressive facility. As long as it doesn’t rain, you can buy yourself some peanuts and crackerjacks; you won’t care if you never get back - Sorry, just had to fit that in someplace.

Annette Rowe is a speechlanguage pathologist at Siloam Springs High School. She may be reached by e-mail at awalkinthepark50 @ yahoo.com.

Opinion, Pages 5 on 05/12/2010