Parks with picnic shelters

Ridgecrest Park in Aliso Viejo provided us our first sunny play outdoors day after all that rain a few weeks ago.  I don’t know if it’s because we were playground-deprived, …

Woodbury Community Park in Irvine is just what you’d imagine: a beautiful oasis centering a planned community. The park is at the center, spreading to apartments and housing, then big …

Blue Gum Park in Irvine is one of those great “insider” recommendations. We were playing at Tustin Sports Park with its massive red shade cover, when one of the moms …

Melinda Park in Mission Viejo sits right along Rancho Santa Margarita Parkway on the border of Mission Viejo and Rancho Santa Margarita. It has great views of Saddleback Mountain. Directions …

The Woodbury maze garden sits within the Woodbury neighborhood in Irvine anchored by Woodbury Community Park. When we were visiting Settler’s Park, a family recommended we check out Woodbury. My …

Crown Valley Community Park in Laguna Niguel is truly a great place for community gatherings and exploration. “Thank you, thank you!” to Staci who recommended Crown Valley Community Park. I’ve …

Try a Laguna Niguel nature walk with the whole family. I cover Laguna Niguel Regional Park’s main playground in depth. Did you realize there’s a HIDDEN playground? Past the tennis …

Central Park Huntington Beach is so massive that it has an east and west side. It’s a beautiful oasis of nature right in the thick of Huntington Beach. Location: The …

JUNE 2013 UPDATE: Cedar Grove Park is under construction. (Hurray!) So there will be no reservations available for the picnic areas there. The projected end date is August 18th, 2013. …