There's a park near where I grew up with a lake with an island in it that's a nature preserve. In the fall an enormous blue heron lives there for a time. There are are two trails that go through the woods around the lake - a nature trail and a fitness trail.
On top of the high hill in the middle of the park is a community barn with picnic benches where families can grill and eat. There's a playground for the youngsters. On the playground is a big old steel frame swingset facing east/west.
In my 20s I used to take girls there on dates. We would have a picnic on the grass on the hill, then when the sun began to set we'd hit the swingset.
You could face west and watch the sun go down while swinging, with the breeze in your hair and the sounds of children playing in your ears. Since it was on top of a hill you could see the whole sky. Pink and orange and blue and purple, clouds like cotton candy.
Once the sun was gone we would turn around in our swings and watch the moon come up. Soon all the children and families were gone, and it was just the 2 of us, and the moon and the twinkling stars, and not a sound. Like we were the only people in the world. Maybe in the universe.
That's my happy place.
