Elings Park Upper Playground

 After finding so many playgrounds in the summer of 2015, I haven't seen a new one (without leaving Santa Barbara/Goleta) for awhile. I was surprized to find a new one when searching for a hiking trail at Elings Park.  Of course there is the main playground (Capello Playground) next to the softball fields and bathrooms, but above that, there is a separate playground (Mission Linen) next to the soccer fields. Who knew?

Elings Park is a huge park with playing fields, bike area, walking trails, play grounds and wedding areas. There are 2 playgrounds, one next to the softball fields and the other next to the soccer field. Next to the soccer field, there is a 2-5 year old play structure shaped like a boat. There are 2 slides, 2 climbing areas and 3 steering wheels. The front end has a bench for passengers.

Directions: Take the 101 N from downtown and exit Las Positas Rd. Follow the merged road to the stoplight and turn left onto Las Positas. After 1 mile, turn left onto Jerry Harwin Parkway. Pass the first parking lot to park in the next area. The soccer fields and palyground are just down from it.

Pros:
There are bathrooms.
There is plenty of parking on nongame days.
There is a shady sitting area near the playground.

Cons
The park is crowded and parking difficult when there are games.
This is a dog friendly park and not the best for kids who are fearful of dogs.

Ellwood Preserve

Ellwood Preserve and the Coronado Butterfly area are a fun nature walk that can be long or short for the littles.  There are 2 parking options. When I want to visit the butterfly preserve, I park at the end of Coronado and pick up the path there. It is an easy walk of less than a mile to the butterfly area from here. If you want to explore the bluffs, park at the lot across from Ellwood School on Hollister Ave and walk from there.

Directions: Take 101 N to the Glen Annie exit. Turn left onto Glenn Annie, then right on Hollister Ave. Turn left onto Coronado Dr after 1 mile and continue to the end of the road. Or continue past Coronado Dr another .4 miles and turn left into the parking lot for Sperling Preserve.

Trail Rating: Easy
Distance: .75 miles (or more)
Time: 30 minutes
Nearby Attractions: Haskell's Beach, Santa Barbara Shores Park, and Girsh Park 

More Information:
Coronado Butterfly Preserve: http://www.sblandtrust.org/coronado-butterfly-preserve-2/
Sperling Preserve/Ellwood Mesa: https://www.tpl.org/our-work/ellwood-mesa#sm.001815jfj144bdlqq6a2kv07v55uh

Path from the Ellwood Parking Lot

Nasturtiums

Lots of Places to explore Nature

Bridge to the Butterflies

Coronado Butterfly Preserve

Hiking Packing List

After 7 hikes, we have a packing list for our hikes that seems to cover most situations. We all wear athletic shoes (walking) and pants (poison oak). I pack all the items here into a backpack for us. The kids carry their own packs for the treasures they find and MUST KEEP. I am not carrying rocks, people. On longer hikes where I want them to go to a certain point, I carry snacks as motivation. They have fairly healthy snacks usually, so this is the time for yogurt raisins or pretzels, bars, or fruity snacks. Whatever motivates them. A friend was recently telling me her family uses "motivation chocolate" for these occasions!

Athletic shoes
Pants
Water bottles
Wipes
Snacks
Hats
Sunblock
Kid Bags or Backpacks (for treasures found)

Other #MomLife Posts:
Road Tripping with Kids
Beach Tips with Kids
Hiking List with Kids
Travel Packing Lists

Stevens Park Trail

Stevens Park has a fun playground and great creek for nature playing. It also has a trail at the back end of the grass field. For a very short trek, walk to the overpass and listen to the cars drive over you (only about 200 yards). Past here, a shady trail continues for about 1 mile. The path is wide and mainly flat, but there is a lot of poison oak nearby. This trail connects to the 7 mile Jesusita Trail if you are really feeling adventurerous. We hiked to the trail crossing which is about .5 miles up the trail.

Directions: From downtown, take 101 N to the Las Positas exit. Turn right onto Las Positas Rd and follow the road for about 1 mile. Turn left onto Calle Fresno and immediately right onto Canon Dr. The park is on the right,

Trail Rating: Easy
Distance: 2 miles
Time: 1.5 hours with kids
Nearby attractions: Stevens Park Playground,

More information: http://www.santabarbarahikes.com/hikes/frontcountry/stevenspark

Stevens Trail

Rock Bowls in the path

Wildflowers

Riverview Park

Riverview Park in Buellton is a large park with 2 playgrounds and playing fields and walking paths. The lantana covers the wooden arches in spring and it's beautiful. It is only about 10 minutes from blueberry picking, 10 minutes from Solvang or 5 minutes from Ostrichland, so you can combine for a fun day trip. One playground is suitable for 5-12 and has stepping pads, a tunnel, sliding bar, spinner, rope spider web, rings, a twisty slide and a roller slide. The other playground is for 2-5 and has Rope climbing squares, a slide, spinner, and a 3 way teeter-totter. On the far side of the playground are nature paths with Native American huts, wood art and an amphitheater. It is a unique place that is worth the drive.

Directions: Take the 101N to the 246. Turn left onto 246. Turn left onto Sycamore Dr after about 1 mile. The drive from Goleta is about 35 minutes.

Pros
There are so many different kinds of play equipment. Truly if they are bored it is their fault.
There are clean bathrooms.
Parking is easy.

Cons
It is a drive from the Santa Barbara area.
It is sunny and can be very warm. It was very windy the day we were there.

Bathrooms

Big Kid Playground

Big Kid Playground 

Big Kid Playground

Spinning Toy in the Big Kid Area

Group Area with Lantana 

Little Kid Play Area

Little Kid Play Area

Little Kid Spinner

Three Way Teeter-Totter

Nature Paths

Huts

Huts

Wood Art

Wood Art

Wildflowers

Amphitheater 

Wood Art

Natural Spaces

Water Restraining Art

Elings Park--Veteran's Memorial Walk

Elings Park has many trails that criss-cross the southern end of the park for bikes and hikers. On the northern end is an easy, paved path of under half a mile. There are plaques by year of the people from Santa Barbara County who died in the Vietnam War. Towards the end, there is a sitting area with a large globe with plaques listing all the deaths from Santa Barbara in all wars (beginning with the Civil War). It made for great conversation with my 6 year old.

As a side note, my husband and I were trying to figure out what to do on Memorial Day to remember that many people have given their lives to ensure freedom for our country. Walking here and talking about the names or leaving flags, feels like a fitting remembrance.

Directions; Take to 101 to the Las Positas Rd off ramp. Turn toward the ocean and follow Las Positas Rd. After about 7 miles, turn left into the park onto Jerry Harwin Parkway. Follow the road to the upper parking lot and find a small road to the left (George Bliss Dr). The path is to the left at the beginning of the parking lot.

Trail Rating: Easy
Distance: . 7 miles (with the return through Godric Grove)
Time:20 minutes
Nearby attractions: Elings Park Playground, and Hendry's Beach

More information: http://www.elingspark.org/park-maps/

Paved trail

Yearly Plaque

Terrace of Remembrance

Desk Area

Amphitheater

Parks with Shade

Escondido Park

It is hot this week. My PEP group had a whole conversation today about where to go that would actually be cool. Most parks don't have shade over the play structure (because trees create a mess on the playground), but some have shade nearby.  Here are some parks with shade for these warm days.

Rocky Nook Park
Elings Park
Bella Vista Open Space
Hidden Valley Park
Escondido Park
Eastside Neighborhood Park
Stow Grove
Stevens Park
Tucker's Grove
Wallis Park
Willowglen

What are your favorite spots when it is warm?