Las Palmas Park, a few new wrinkles

As I "Julie/Julia" my way through the best local parks, I constantly wonder at how different things pop at different ages. And the creativity of kids.

Visiting Las Palmas in Sunnyvale last Saturday, we brought with us a school pal from Mountain View to see it through fresh eyes. Also, a best practice ;-) from a Mountain View park. Namely, we brought the cardboard snowboard practice - perfected at Rengsdorf park... again proving the ancient wisdom that the box is frequently more fun that the toy that came in it!

So, while a trip to Las Palmas on a sunny Saturday didn't jazz my kids, the chance to bring their shiny cardboard "snowboards" to surf down the Dragon's Back stone slide did. After this euphoria wore off (an hour, with few virtually no cuts or bruises, hooray!) they reveled in the pools of water left in the not quite drained lake area of the park. My eldest, initially convinced he could walk on water, if he just ran fast enough, eventually conceded he might need bigger feet. And a ski boat. And a lake.

The youngest, and his school pal, then became fascinated with the "post trail" - a feature unique to this park, and oddly compelling (I quite like the undulating walk from one post to another...)

Note for those that like getting the kids off the couch... I'm starting a meet up group to continue this Julie/Julia project... go check out on Meetup.com. Its free and I'd love to see you as we continue to explore our great outdoors, with our ungrateful offspring ;-)

Cornelius Bol Park - Then and Now

As you may have seen past posts, I have decided to Julie/Julia my way through the group exercise offerings at the wonderful YMCA where I work. (3 down, about 40 or so to go!)

I realize there is something in me that takes both comfort and challenge from a "do list" as I had a very similar urge to systematically do the J/J treatment to "16 Parks Your Family Will Love" in the most recent Bay Area Parent Family Navigator.

Though, for the record, they are missing my 2 favorites, so the mission I am now undertaking is "18 Parks in 18 Weeks".

(For the record, those missing - IMHO - are: Rancho San Antonio for its great biking/hiking trails... and the cute little farm, and Montebello Open Space Preserve hiking trail, accessing it from the trailhead with the most most child-friendly wine tasting room I know.)

Today I took my kids and our new "mit gears" bikes to Cornelius Bol Park in Palo Alto... I couldn't recall if I'd ever been here before, but as soon as I got here... BOOM, memory hit me in rich, full, fragent detail. This was one of the best Mothers Together playgroup parks, with a creek bank they really want you to scramble down. There's a break in the fence that indicates t best spot. My youngest child had a "running away from me" problem, and I loved this stretch of creek with only one exit.

The play area also had the best tire swing of any park I've been to, and I remembered how my kids would swing there for hours.

Well that hasn't changed! Even to boys 4 years bigger than the last time we came, the tire swing delights, with the added bonus of them singing "you spin me right round baby" -- Chipmunks edition of course -- the whole time.

When we did get on our bikes, the path that had seemed so long (out past Gunn High school to Foothill Expressway) and uphill... well, it was just a little 15 minute round trip, and that with lots of scooting off the trail to try all the little dirt path offshoots.

I'd say we were too old for this park, but they played joyfully for two hours (no whining to return home and play the Wii... whoa) while I read, Lamb, one of the funniest books I can recall.

I read for TWO HOURS in a stretch. Yes, I'm shouting for joy, both for this little pleasure, and at the wonder of seeing 4 years having passed, but leaving such crystal clear memories.

More parks to come. (Let me know if you want to join me on these jaunts.)