I have always thought of Wake Forest as a picture-perfect community, one of those place where – as Mayor Vince Whibbs used to say when we lived in Pensacola – “Thousands live the way millions wish they could.” Here in Tyler Run we live in a lovely home, in a picturesque neighborhood, in an idyllic town, in the heart of a beautiful state.

Any way we want to experience it, Wake Forest has it all and we are so very grateful to be living here.

Our son and his family are staying in an AirBnB on White Street downtown, less than a mile from our house. Saturday we walked down to a wine bar and sat at a table right on the street, talking late into the evening. The center of town is alive, with a healthy buzz to it and lots going on.

Earlier in the day Alicia and I took the children to Wake Forest’s Holding Park Aquatic Center. It’s an amazing facility, built behind the Community House on the edge of downtown and just a half mile from our house. All I have ever done there is to vote, and I had no idea how extensive the work had been when the aquatic complex was refurbished a couple of years ago.

The children spent two and a half hours in and out of the massive pool, jumping from the diving board, up and down the two impressive waterslides, and playing with Mr. T. in the super-cool kids area. It’s admission by reservation only, so numbers are kept manageable and there was a ton of room for everyone to play.

Kudos to our town’s recreation department for such an amazing resource. Happy, worn out grandkids translates into happy grandparents. Enjoy this splash of photos. – DEREK