What’s your favorite park in Austin? Why?

Danielle Skidmore

City Council, District 9

My favorite park is Vic Mathais Auditorium Shores at Town Lake
Metropolitan Park. It is beautiful, accessible, and facilitates a range of
activities that generate memories for tourists and residents alike.
Personally, I’ve been running the Butler Hike and Bike trail with my son
Peter (who’s confined to a wheelchair) for 16 years now. People would
recognize us, then over time the picture evolved… the size of his
baby-jogger, the length of my hair, my clothes, etc. All these things
changed over time as I underwent a transition to embrace my own identity,
but the relief and enjoyment that running the trail brought me-and the
opportunity to bond it provided me and my son-remained the same. It is
one of the most consistently happy places I’ve been able to escape to
throughout my years living in Austin and is right out our front door here in
District 9.