Fort Morgan CO #47 - Pickleball takeover/makeover

 

April 26, 2023

If you watch HGTV, you may be familiar with Fort Morgan CO as one of the towns that they performed a Home Town Takeover on. While the pickleball courts were not part of the Home Town renovations, Joe who is a pickleball player and retired judge made sure that when the pickleball courts were in the approval stage they used the recommended specifications rather than the minimal specifications. This provided for ample room around the courts to go back for a lob or to try for an ATP. Caryl was our contact and was instrumental in seeing that there were players available when we arrived. After playing in Raton NM in the morning, we drove to Fort Morgan CO to play in the late afternoon. Tracy, Lynn, Joe and Caryl were there to provide some great play. Not only were they skilled in placing their shots, they were a delight to play with.

The two dedicated courts in Optimist Park opened in June of 2018 and were still in excellent shape. They had lights for evening play and a fence between the courts to keep balls from wandering away. The park also had a little pavilion nearby where players could retreat to on hot and sunny days. It was a beautiful day when we played. There were a couple tennis players on the adjacent tennis courts. Pickleball and tennis players in Fort Morgan were on friendly terms with each other and so a little light hearted trash talk took place the day we were there. It was good to see this relationship rather than an adversarial one.
While the pickleball courts in Fort Morgan CO were not part of the Home Town Takeover, Mosqueda Delicacies was. We are always on the lookout for some good ice cream when traveling, so Mosqueda Delicacies was a no brainer. We enjoyed the refreshing ice cream and the redesigned interior. You can see the waffle cone like wall in the photo. An appropriate look for an ice cream shop. 
Fort Morgan is right on Interstate 76, so if you are traveling in the area, consider taking a break here. If you are fortunate, you will get to play some pickleball with an enjoyable group of skilled players.


Location: Optimist Park, 1000 Vickie St, Fort Morgan, CO 80701, USA

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