Moms Talk: Park Time

Q: Can you recommend some of your favorite local parks?

A: The weather outside is, well, delightful. We are surrounded by parks. Hitting one up for a few hours is a perfect family-friendly way to spend the day. Flowers are blooming, squirrels are trying to steel seeds from the soil and kids are raring to play outside.

Parents can either soak up the sun or bring along a book, let the kids play while catching up with a friend or relative on the phone or climb a tree. Careful though, the kids will want to join for sure.

Santa Cruz has many parks to choose from, but here are some of our favorites:

• is located north of Santa Cruz along the Pacific coast. Horses, cattle, goats, chickens and a barn cat are among the animals on this exciting outing. Make a day of it by adding in a hike or bike ride. Bring a picnic lunch and check out old farm equipment.
• —two 40-foot slides are the main attraction at this easy to access park. There are also some good climbing trees, a view of the ocean and boardwalk and loads of kids. Bring wax paper to zip down the slide super fast.
• Jose Avenue Park is a serious neighborhood park with a large play area and a small skate park. Make it a date with your friends who have kids. Because of the variety of activities, it’s fun for most ages. There are benches surrounding the play area, so you can observe while catching up with your buddy and sipping a morning coffee—ahh.
• Roaring Camp Railroads, along Graham Hill Rd. is a great place to picnic, walk around with the family and explore the redwoods. There is a short loop hike just adjacent to Roaring Camp, in Henry Cowell Redwoods. It’s easy enough for any fitness level, and strollers can even traverse the mellow path. Grab a self-guided trail map and learn about the extra large trees along the path.