O'Hauser Park - Menasha

Neenah-Menasha (Winnebago Cty)

O'Hauser Park
Originally uploaded by WheretogoWisconsin

This is where I eat my lunch when the day is fair.

Just looking at this brings me peace. Some days it's pretty tough to see the beauty in anything, and when I arrive I know it will be a quiet place to reflect.

Today it was pretty buggy. Imagine a small swarm of bloodthirsty mosquitoes following me in their haphazard way. I left my sweater on for the added protection, but my face and neck didn't fare so well.

There seems to be some misunderstanding as to whose park this belongs to, and the winner is the Town of Menasha (not the city, and not the county as I've experienced).

You may or may not have read other posts of mine, but to reiterate: my main resource to the parks I have gone is by thumbing through the city's phone book. I used to live in West Bend, so I have gotten to know that area quite well, and now in the past decade it's been the Fox Valley that I have been exploring.

Just a light warning, this is not the kind of park to visit if you live more than 15 minutes away. If you are willing to do some park-hopping, then I would indeed have suggestions to plan an afternoon.

The reason I like this park has to do with the 'come hither' quality in so many areas. I fell in love with the bench swings, I have followed the wooded trails and have found little hidden alcoves and traversed a small brook. It somehow has stuck a balance between a public park and a private escape.

Wheretogo: O'Hauser is on 1987 O'Leary Rd, which is located off of Irish Rd and is between Winchester (Cty Hwy II) and Jacobsen Rd (map). Note: Entrance to park is found when travelling down Irish, go over the tracks and the first left is O'Leary and you will follow that to the stop sign. Go left and you will find the start of their 18-hole Disc Gold Course, go straight and the entrance to either North and South is right past it.

What to expect: There is a South and a North O'Hauser Park. South is the cool park, and the North is where the big fancy playground is. Not to worry, they are right across the street from each other.