Lindsay/Lyons Park and Sports Complex

Moments before landing at Bush Intercontinental Airport if you’re approaching from the east, you can look out the left side of the airplane and see a large sports complex directly east of what looks like a large excavation site. The fields make up Lindsay/​Lyons Park and consist of baseball, softball, football and soccer fields along with barbecue pavilions, restrooms, a concession stand and playgrounds.
Because there are twenty soccer fields, this park hosts many city and statewide soccer tournaments. I’ve spent many weekends as a parent spectator on the sidelines during these tournaments and believe this is one of the nicest facilities in the city. The fields are well-​groomed, not over-​crowned, and remain high and dry when many other similar facilities are inundated after a large storm.
The parking is crazy during a large tournament, but I haven’t been anywhere else that doesn’t have the same problem. The only thing that keeps this facility from garnering a four star review becomes evident when a west wind starts blowing.
For, you see, what looks like a large excavation site from the air just happens to be the Atascocita (pronounced uh-​TAS-​koh-​SEE-​ta) landfill. The fetid odor from this dump descends upon the fields and delivers a stench that you not only can smell, but taste. It ain’t pleasant. The only saving grace is that after a few minutes of acute discomfort, your sense of smell is overwhelmed and you stop noticing it.
Regardless, firing up the barbecue just doesn’t seem very appetizing…