The weekend just past felt more like mid-June than mid-March, with temps topping out at 80 degrees — and that followed more than a week of warm, sunshiny days. Twin Citians’ giddiness over the unseasonably mild weather is as plain to see as the shorts and tank tops you’ll see them sporting around town.

(I feel compelled to offer this caution, though: my 80-some-year-old mother-in-law insists we shouldn’t yet pack away our winter coats; a life-long Minnesotan, she remains convinced we’re still due for at least one real soul-crusher of a snowfall before it’s safe to declare spring sprung.)

Under the circumstances, no one is spending more time indoors than they must. Our city’s many parks and lakes, the beautiful Como Zoo and Conservatory — all of them have been packed to the gills with happy sun-seekers. With all the obvious sites so crowded, now’s a good time to pay a visit to some of St. Paul’s less traveled civic art park spaces. Here are a couple of my own favorites:

Western Sculpture Park: This lovely little spot resides in St. Paul’s Midway neighborhood (right across the street from an old Sears department store). A project built and maintained by Public Art Saint Paul (a Knight Arts grantee), the park is filled with a winsome variety of contemporary sculpture by area artists, with nicely shaded benches and a well-appointed playground for youngsters to burn off some energy. Speaking of which, Public Art Saint Paul also offers a number of after-school and summer education programs in the park you might want to check out if you’re beginning to scout around for ways to keep your kids busy once school lets out in June. Western Sculpture Park is open during daylight hours year-round and is located on Marion Avenue, between Interstate 94 and University Avenue in St. Paul, Minn. Phalen Poetry Park: This serene community garden lies at the southern edge of Lake Phalen’s park; true to its name, the space is a wonderful little nook in which to sit and read. Since the garden is tucked away, off the main path for the primary picnic grounds, playground and popular beach areas, this appealing spot is never busy, even on days when the lake is bustling with visitors.

Here you’ll find the “Poetry Post,” festooned with poems by noted area poets and neighborhood elementary students; situated right next to this is a pair of wonderful “Talking Benches” (see the video above), created by local artist, musician and director of the acclaimed American Composers Forum, Philip Blackburn. Follow a charming rock path over the green space, and you’ll find yourself in a whimsical garden conceived and created by teacher and artist, Geri Connelly. The plot, shaped like a sleeping dragon, bristles with spikes of red feather reed grass and is curled around a dry pebble pond, around which sit a couple of “Book Benches” inviting you to linger a while. It’s a perfect spot to while away the late afternoon.

Phalen Poetry Park lies at the southern edge of Phalen Regional Park; access this little park via the Phalen Recreation Center, 1000 E. Wheelock Parkway, or the Minnesota Humanities Center’s parking lot, 988 East Ivy Ave., St. Paul, Minn.