Boise, ID

The swimming pool at Nampa’s Lakeview Park is a favorite for cooling off on a hot summer afternoon. One hundred degrees was forecast for the high, with temps cooling later in the week, and I spent the first half of the day arguing with myself about taking the kids out there. It’s not that I don’t enjoy it myself, but I was feeling sleepy and not really “in the groove” for putting forth the effort. However, the summer was rapidly coming to an end and I wasn’t sure how many more days the pool would be open, as it closes when Nampa public schools resume classes. Besides, the Tooth Fairy had promised, and who am I to mess with the Tooth Fairy’s plans?
It all started about six weeks ago when my daughter tripped while dancing.  She slammed into the wall, knocking one tooth completely out, and leaving one hanging by a thread. Since these teeth were not previously loose, and it was a Saturday (of course!), we made a trip to the ER where the PA pulled the hanging tooth, and the X-ray Tech took pictures to be sure the other tooth, which was MIA, hadn’t ended up in a lung. That evening as soon as the kids were in bed, my husband and I promptly began to brainstorm about what goods and services the Tooth Fairy should provide at our house, this being her first occasion to visit. Granted, our efforts to keep things somewhat in the realm of reality has produced a child who vehemently declared to the ER staff that “the Tooth Fairy is not real!” but we aren’t cruel enough to completely deny all childhood whimsy and wonderment and we needed a Tooth Fairy contract ASAP. As a result of late-night negotiations, the plan became a gold dollar (Presidential or Sacajawea), a Tooth Fairy Ticket to someplace fun, and for this first event, a certificate signed by Flossie the Fairy herself (thanks to one of the many internet sites devoted to this topic for the certificate!) All this to say that the Lakeview Park pool had been the destination promised on that Tooth Fairy Ticket, and as Flossie’s human agent, I didn’t want to let her, or more importantly my daughter, down. So I made myself instantly popular by announcing, “Get your suits, we’re going swimming.”

Walking up to the entrance counter, I started pulling out money and glanced down to see a sign stating that the pool would be closing on Tuesday, August 19. Today was Monday, August 18. I asked the young man taking my money if that meant the pool was closing for the season and he said yes. Whew! Talk about cutting it close! In we went, quickly feeling cool and relaxed in this very child-friendly pool.

One thing I really like is the “beach” entrance that allows even very small children to come in and play safely—and parents can sit down right in the water’s entrance to stay cool and keep an eye on the kids. Even on the “deep” end, the water is never more than 4 feet deep. Of course the kids love all the fountains, “squirters,” and dumping buckets, not only in the pool but on the patio. Older kids have a blast on the long, curving slide. The shallowest end has a cement island that is home to a spouting elephant, turnable by young hands.

If your kids are old enough to let them play with a little less parental supervision (there are several lifeguards), there is plenty of space to hang out on the deck. The pool house, a nice one with clean changing rooms, restrooms, and showers, creates afternoon shade on one end, but there is no other shade, unless you bring in your own umbrella which doesn’t seem to be a problem with the pool staff. I’ve also taken a small cooler with cold drinks. I think there is one picnic table. There has never appeared to be an abundance of deck chairs, but I saw people relaxing in their own lawn chairs.

Prices are very economical for this pool, and hours are fairly extensive with both afternoon and evening open times. Swimming lessons are also offered.

Despite my slow start, I enjoyed the afternoon with the kids. I really like this pool, especially when it’s hot, because we can be outside, stay cool and play hard. Our first time there a couple of years ago I quickly concluded that it’s a win-win excursion: we stayed cool while having fun, and the kids played so much they went home and, after some supper, went to bed and straight to sleep—no hopping up every two minutes for an hour! What more can you ask for!

Although it’s too late for a 2008 trip to the pool at Lakeview Park, I definitely recommend making plans for next summer, especially if you have kids. Put this website, www.nampaparksandrecreation.org/RecDepartment/Swim_Lakeview.aspx in your favorites and check it out when summer comes again to the Treasure Valley. The pool is part of the huge Lakeview Park which is bordered by Garrity and 16th Ave. North in Nampa.