The north and south intersections of SW Danbury Lane and SW Yorkshire Road in the Prospect Hills neighborhood are marked by large, triangular traffic islands featuring extensive garden beds and landscaping. There's even a park bench on the heavily-shaded north island.

The six traffic islands in the vicinity of SW 20th and SW Oakley feature a mixture of landscaping -- from garden beds to trees and grass. Two of the islands are at that intersection, while one is east on SW Warner Ct., two are west on SW 20th and another is northwest on SW Westwood Dr.

While the historic Kansas State Capitol building in downtown Topeka is a destination unto itself, the park-like grounds surrounding the Statehouse long have been the setting for a variety of activities. Downtown workers use the grounds as a place to lunch, read, relax in the shade or burn off a few calories with a brisk walk. During the summer, free Brown Bag Concerts are held on the south side of the Capitol from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., while the same area features an outdoor market on Wednesday mornings.

Located on the northeast corner of SW 17th and Gage, this small park is dominated by garden beds filled with flowers, shrubs and trees. There is an ornate metal gazebo and a small sitting area where you can stop and smell the flowers.

Elmhurst Green is a small green space along Washburn Avenue that was created after the removal of several houses. The area has been planted with trees, and a curving sidewalk passes landscaped garden beds.

Dedicated on Sept. 11, 2004, to commemorate Topeka's 150th anniversary, the pavilion is located in a small triangular park at 11th and Washburn -- just south of the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, 1515 SW 10th. A brick walk leads to a sitting area where three large brick pillars are topped by gargoyles and other architectural remnants from the old Shawnee County Courthouse, which stood at 5th and Van Buren from 1895-1965. The area is surrounded by flower beds. The pavilion was named for Topeka banker Anderson Chandler, the primary donor for the project.

Located at 12th and Lane, the Aaron Douglas Mural celebrates the life of the Topeka-born muralist, illustrator and scholar. Painted on a large wall by local high school and college students and residents of Topeka's Tennessee Town neighborhood, the mural is a reproduction of one of four panels of "Aspects of Negro Life: From Slavery Through Reconstruction" that Douglas completed in 1934 for the 135th Street Branch of the New York Public Library (now the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture).

Shawnee South sits across the street from Pauline Central School and next to the Montara neighborhood and is well-marked with signs. It is located near Forbes Field and was part of 175 acres aquired by Shawnee County in 1975 that was once used by the United States Air Force at Forbes Field.

This 60-acre park has something to offer every member of the family. Take the first entrance east of NW 43rd and Kansas Ave., and you'll find the four-diamond softball complex, soccer fields, tennis courts, sand volleyball courts and playground. You'll also find the 15,555-square-foot community center, which features meeting rooms, two preschool classrooms, an aerobics room, a weight room, a dance room, an art room and a kitchen/dining room. The community center was once the Shawnee County Poor Farm.

Shawnee County's largest and finest recreation spot, Lake Shawnee offers generous entertainment options for all. The centerpiece of the park is the lake, which stretches across 410 surface acres with about 2.75 billion gallons of water, providing a home for waterfowl and a popular destination for fishing, wind surfing, swimming and boating. The lake also can be enjoyed from picnic tables and shelters that surround the lake.