Tanya Iden at Valley of the Moon Park in 1978.
Mountain View Park & Valley of the Moon
by Tanya Iden
Growing up in Anchorage I loved the parks with the rocket ships. Both Mountain View Park (now William B. Lyons Park) and Valley of the Moon Park were my favorites.
Often, childhood birthday parties were hosted at either of these parks. All the neighborhood kids would pile in the back of the Jeep Wagoneer and we'd make our way to the park. The parents would set up camp underneath one of the many pavillions and the children would take off for the fun equipment, most notably the rocket ship. There was always a race to see who could make it to the top first and pilot us to the moon.
I now realize that the greatest birthday gift was the opportunity to run, climb on the equipment, and play with friends under the watchful eye of our parents and surrounded by our safe and healthy community. A community with public space for all of its citizens to share is great indeed.