Luke Dobron's Labyrinth on Blue Water Road on the Old Mission Peninsula | Jane Boursaw Photo
Luke Dobron's Labyrinth on Blue Water Road | Jane Boursaw Photo
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Ready for a fun fall adventure with your friends and family? There’s a new labyrinth on Blue Water Road that’s just the thing we all need right now. Maybe it’ll even distract you from all the Covid-19 and election news filling our heads at the moment.

Created by artist, photographer and designer Luke Dobron – longtime OMPer Joanne Westphal’s nephew – the “Labyrinth at Blue Water Project” is a one-mile walking path dotted with sculptures that look like they belong in a Pixar movie – all crafted by Luke with recycled objects.

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Luke Dobron's Labyrinth on Blue Water Road on the Old Mission Peninsula | Jane Boursaw Photo
Luke Dobron’s Labyrinth on Blue Water Road | Jane Boursaw Photo
Luke Dobron's Labyrinth on Blue Water Road on the Old Mission Peninsula | Jane Boursaw Photo
Luke Dobron’s Labyrinth on Blue Water Road | Jane Boursaw Photo

Location, Hours & A Field Full of Life

The Labyrinth is located at 3688 Blue Water Road, about a quarter mile from the Center Road intersection on the right (across the road from Brys Estate Vineyard and Winery). It’s open on the weekends through Nov. 1 with the following hours:

  • Friday, 2 p.m. – 6 p.m.
  • Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Follow the signs to a parking area. Masks and social distancing are required, and donations are gratefully accepted at a little stand there.

I told Luke I’ve been a bit obsessed with that field of tall sorghum over the years, because it’s not only a photographer’s dream with that big sky in the background looking west, but there’s always something amazing happening there – birds, wildflowers and other lovely signs of nature.

I’ve taken hundreds of photos of that field over the past few years – click through these links for pics of the field last summer, last winter, and at various times filled with turkeys and geese. And there are always hawks, snowy owls, turkey vultures, and Sandhill Cranes lurking about, too.

Get Outside and Experience Nature

Luke agreed that it’s a beautiful piece of land, and said he built the labyrinth so that people can get outside and experience nature while making their way along the path. That’s especially needed right now when, as mentioned above, there’s so much going on in the world, and we need something to take our minds off all the chaos.

Luke Dobron's Labyrinth on Blue Water Road on the Old Mission Peninsula | Jane Boursaw Photo
Luke Dobron’s Labyrinth on Blue Water Road | Jane Boursaw Photo

He said he thought about creating a maze, but decided a labyrinth would be less stressful for people. Instead of the multiple choices and dead-ends of a maze, a labyrinth is one continuous path allowing multiple experiences along the way to a central point.

“Only the journey is important,” he says, adding that it’s a great way to reconnect with nature.

A Few Labyrinth Tips

I walked the labyrinth yesterday, and it’s a calming, peaceful journey through the field. When you park your car, look for the trail to the little stand, where you’ll see the Labyrinth sign and a box for donations. From there, go straight past the stand and look for the rainbow, where you’ll embark on the labyrinth journey.

Luke Dobron's Labyrinth on Blue Water Road on the Old Mission Peninsula | Jane Boursaw Photo
Luke Dobron’s Labyrinth on Blue Water Road | Jane Boursaw Photo
Luke Dobron's Labyrinth on Blue Water Road on the Old Mission Peninsula | Jane Boursaw Photo
Luke Dobron’s Labyrinth on Blue Water Road | Jane Boursaw Photo
Luke Dobron's Labyrinth on Blue Water Road on the Old Mission Peninsula | Jane Boursaw Photo
Luke Dobron’s Labyrinth on Blue Water Road | Jane Boursaw Photo
Luke Dobron's Labyrinth on Blue Water Road on the Old Mission Peninsula | Jane Boursaw Photo
Luke Dobron’s Labyrinth on Blue Water Road | Jane Boursaw Photo
Luke Dobron's Labyrinth on Blue Water Road on the Old Mission Peninsula | Jane Boursaw Photo
Luke Dobron’s Labyrinth on Blue Water Road | Jane Boursaw Photo
Luke Dobron's Labyrinth on Blue Water Road on the Old Mission Peninsula | Jane Boursaw Photo
Luke Dobron’s Labyrinth on Blue Water Road | Jane Boursaw Photo

While the path is well-mowed, there are still stalks of sorghum along the way and a few uneven spots, so wear good walking or hiking shoes. The rolling hills are a great way to get your heart-rate up a little. Our hearts love that.

Follow the Blue Water Project on Instagram, and also check out Luke’s website.

Luke Dobron's Labyrinth on Blue Water Road on the Old Mission Peninsula | Jane Boursaw Photo
Luke Dobron’s Labyrinth on Blue Water Road | Jane Boursaw Photo
Luke Dobron's Labyrinth on Blue Water Road on the Old Mission Peninsula | Jane Boursaw Photo
Luke Dobron’s Labyrinth on Blue Water Road | Jane Boursaw Photo
Luke Dobron's Labyrinth on Blue Water Road on the Old Mission Peninsula | Jane Boursaw Photo
Luke Dobron’s Labyrinth on Blue Water Road | Jane Boursaw Photo

SUPPORT YOUR INDEPENDENT LOCAL NEWSPAPER: I started Old Mission Gazette in 2015 because I felt a calling to provide the Old Mission Peninsula community with local news. After decades of writing for newspapers and magazines like the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Family Circle and Ladies' Home Journal, I really just wanted to write about my own community where I grew up on a cherry farm and raised my own family. So I started my own newspaper.

Because Old Mission Gazette is a "Reader Supported Newspaper" -- meaning it exists because of your financial support -- I hope you'll consider tossing a few bucks our way if I mention your event, your business, your organization or your news item, or if you simply love reading about what's happening on the OMP. In a time when local news is becoming a thing of the past, supporting an independent community newspaper is more important now than ever. Thank you so much for your support! -Jane Boursaw, Editor/Publisher, Old Mission Gazette

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