Vacations Blog

During 70’s we had ourselves a big t-shirt fad. There were all sorts of custom T-shirt stores around; The Shirt Shoppe, The T-shirt Shack, etc. Folks were big into wearing T-shirts adorned with pithy sayings and cool decals. One that I’ve always remembered read “Go Climb a Rock,” which apparently was the logo for the Yosemite Mountaineering School.

Well this past Saturday the boy and I joined some friends and did just that, except the rocks we climbed were at Rock City located in the Mt. Diablo State Park.

Having grown up in the San Francisco/Bay Area, I’ve been to Rock City a few times in my 40-something years, however my last visit was probably during the latter part of the 80’s, and most definitely “pre-boy.” So when friend KC invited us to spend the day with his folks and family I jumped at the chance to show the boy all the good, wholesome fun to be had climbing around on a bunch of rocks. Sarcastic as that might sound (even more so if you know me), Rock City is a great time.

Located somewhere just beyond the 2,000 ft level in Mt. Diablo State Park, Rock City is, described thusly in the Mt. Diablo State Park online brochure; “Rock City: You will find unusually large sandstone formations and small caves here.”  Wow, is that some exciting copy or what?

Be not deterred by the lack of colorful adjectives, would be outdoors-person. Rock City is an awesome place to spend the day. You can climb all over those “unusually large sandstone formations,” and many have had actual foot/hand holds ground into them over the years. The views are spectacular, plus you’re getting exercise, fresh air, and sunshine. And because KC’s parents are so generous and well organized, I also got hot dogs and fried chicken. I can’t promise the same on any visit you might make.

Many visitors have taken to carving their names, and in some cases the occasional vulgarity, into the rock, and while this sounds something akin to vandalism, it actually adds a certain charm to the place. In honesty I prefer the dedication of those willing to take the time to carve something as opposed to some lazy sods that actually used markers to add their names to the sandstone.

There are numerous picnic sites available, each equipped with a table and a bbq stove/grill, and while we did grill, (and when I say “we” I mean KC’s dad) I’d recommend bringing sandwiches or the aforementioned fried chicken. The distance between the actual grill top and one’s charcoal is rather yawning, thus requiring us (us also equals KC’s dad) to assist the charcoal in its task by adding wood and small animals to the blaze. I’m kidding. It’s against the law to gather firewood. Actually I have no idea if that’s true, and if it is KC’s dad broke the law.

Anyway, I can say from personal experience that the boy and I had a great time at Rock City. The entry fee to Mt. Diablo State Park is $7.00 per car.

For more information you can check out the California State Parks website.

A few words of caution; keep a close eye on small children. There are many places where they can get lost, and many very large, very high rocks from which they can fall. DO NOT let young children climb on the rocks without an adult present. Also, this being California mountain country you might run into a rattlesnake. In fact, we did. Fortunately it was on our drive down the mountain and we were able to snap some pictures from the safety of our car. Even still, they’re pretty scary and I cried a little.

Capitol Blvd. in downtown Boise, Idaho

Boise, Idaho, used to have a reputation as a sleepy, boring kind of town. That’s all changed over the past twenty years as the population of the city and surrounding metropolitan area has boomed to over 600,000 people. It may be a big city now, but there’s still a part of the downtown that evokes that relaxed, smalltown feeling.

Julia Davis Park, which stretches out along the banks of the Boise River, is just a half-mile from the steps of the Idaho State Capitol Building and most of downtown Boise.  With a wide variety of sights and activities, It’s the perfect place for a family to spend a day.

Inside the 87-acre park, you can start off at the Idaho State Historical Museum or next door at the Boise Art Museum. My kids always wanted to head straight for the history, and I don’t blame them. The museum is small, but packed full of relics and displays that tell the story of Idaho’s past from prehistoric times through the pioneers coming west on the Oregon Trail and straight into the 21st century. On the grounds of the museum is a pioneer village, showing how settlers lived in the 1800’s.

Watching meerkats at Zoo Boise

From there, it’s a short walk through the park to our favorite little zoo, Zoo Boise. I used to go there regularly with my kids when they were toddlers. It’s big enough to keep an exotic assortment of animals, but small enough to see everything without wearing down the youngest members of the family.

The best part, at least according to my kids, is the extensive children’s area of the zoo. It’s where my son first came face to face with a Komodo Dragon, and my daughter first felt the tickle of a butterfly landing on her nose. There are plenty of slides, tunnels, and hands-on activities to keep kids busy for a few hours. Myself, I could just sit and watch the meerkats for most of an afternoon.

Zoo Boise has a brand new exhibit called African Plains, featuring giraffes and lions (not in the same enclosure, I hope). Other animals you’ll see at the zoo include tigers, bears, bald eagles, lemurs, and snow leopards.

There are other activities in and around Julia Davis Park, including a children’s science museum, the Idaho Black History Museum, Boise Trolley Tours, playgrounds, rose garden, paddle boats, and the Boise River Greenbelt.

MK Nature Center in Boise, Idaho

If you have any time left in your day, head on down the Greenbelt to the Morrison Knudsen Nature Center, a 4.6-acre fish and wildlife experience that features a mountain stream, waterfalls, and wetlands. There are multiple viewing windows for the kids to see how fish develop from tiny eggs into full-grown trout, whitefish, or kokanee.  You’ll even see nesting geese, turtles, beavers, and wild ducks.  The Center also has a large education building where kids can learn about all the different animals that make their home in Idaho.

There’s no better way to show the circle of life, at least in the fish world, than in a place like the MK Nature Center.  In fact, this was the first “field trip” we took our son on after he was born, and we always go back there when we make return trips to visit our old hometown of Boise, Idaho.

There’s even more to Boise’s downtown than Julia Davis Park, the Boise Greenbelt, and the MK Nature Center, but those three sites alone should keep any family fairly busy for a day or two.

All photos by Phil Corless

This summer has been HOT. Muy Caliente. So, what is the best way to beat the heat in Dallas right now? Bahama Beach is a family water park with a lazy river, a rain-fortress playground and tons of slides. Mondays are half-off moms’ tickets with a downloadable coupon and seasons passes are also available. They are located ten minutes south of downtown and open from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day. There’s plenty of shade, reservable private cabanas and concession stands to feed the family.

The City of Dallas also offers seven spraygrounds and a summer brochure listing the metro pool schedules. That makes it easy to find the pool nearest you, because honestly, a cold pool is the best way to beat the Texas summer heat.

Just outside of Dallas is a unique indoor playground called Kidz Muze where children ages twelve and under can play and learn in a safe, clean environment. There are climbing structures, mazes, an arcade, construction zones, ball play centers and a pretend play village. You can skip the sunscreen and quit worrying about the heat on this playground. Adults and babies pay no admission while children one to three years old are $5.99 and children four to twelve years old are $7.99.

You seriously need to check out White Rock Lake, a unique 1,015 acre city lake where you can hike or bike on trails, rent sailboats, fish and picnic. Motorized boats and swimming are not permitted. The lake contains catfish, sunfish, crappie, carp, gar and bass. It’s a great place in the metro area to cool off under the trees while fishing or enjoying the cool breeze off the water while sailing.

With children home for the summer, I’ve been trying to find ways to get them out of house and having fun without spending too much money. There are lots of kid-friendly things to do, but finding the ones that work when you’re feeling broke can be more of a challenge. This translates into our spending a lot of time at parks and playgrounds, because you know what? The parks in the Dallas metro area are extremely varied, educational, beautiful and, best of all, free.

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I like parks to offer more than a play structure and a couple of swings.  These Seattle parks are located in cute neighborhoods for lunch or snacks and offer natural or unique man-made entertainment. You decide if you need to bring your swimsuit, your bike or both to take advantage of what these beautiful parks offer their visitors.

Alki Beach Park – Alki Beach Park is “a long beach strip that runs from Alki Point to Duwamish Head on Elliott Bay. It’s a great spot for a 2.5 mile walk any time of year, and in the summer draws joggers, rollerbladers, volleyball players, beachcombers, sunbathers, bicyclists and strollers out to enjoy the sun.”  I like this beach because of the views and the surrounding neighborhood.

Gasworks Park near Lake Union-I like this whimsical park.  Some visionary turned a gasworks plant that originally  turned coal into gas into a city park. The Seattle Park & Rec dept. says, “The boiler house has been converted to a picnic shelter with tables, fire grills and an open area. The former exhauster-compressor building, now a children’s play barn, features a maze of brightly painted machinery”  It also has a sun dial and is a great place to fly kites.  Nice winds, but not too gusty.

Madison Park near Lake Washington- Madison Park offer a play structure for the little ones, a bit of grass to play on, swimming or wading in the lake, views and lifeguards during the summer. 

Washington Park Arboretum (near the University of Washington)- pack a picnic and wander the grounds of this lush, verdant park. In the spring wander through the aptly named Azalea Way or walk the Shoreline trail through the freshwater marsh.  You can also rent canoes at the University of Washington and paddle along the shoreline.

Waterfall Garden Park–I happened upon this jewel of a park during my first job out of college when I was dreaming of the great outdoors and not the dull work in my in box.  The park features a 27′ waterfall with beautiful stonework and benches.  It is a surprising oasis in the midst of the concrete desert and high rise buildings. Leave that in-box way behind…

Green Lake–Walk, run, ride and skate around the lake at this park.  The lake is small enough for most elementary age kids to get around if you go their chosen pace.  You can also snag a treat at the Starbuck’s (actually local in Seattle) or grab dine al fresco at several restaurants near the lake.

These parks are fun for a romantic date, a family of four or anyone wanting to enjoy some solitude surrounded by the beauty of Seattle.

Ready to pack your bags? Here is a great resource for flights to Seattle.

I grew up in Tacoma, transplanted from Montana at a young age.  Our mountain raised family was captivated by the parks on Puget Sound.  I think we went to all of them before we settled on our favorites.  If you are looking for a park filled with natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest, here are three of my family’s tried and true recommendations:

1.  Sunnyside Beach in Steilacoom offers a pebbled beach, a play structure and if you can brave 56 degree water, good swimming. Dogs are allowed too.  Plus, you can amble up the road for a quick snack if you wish in the cute coastal town of Steilacoom.

2.  Kopachuck State Park on Henderson Bay is about 20 minutes from the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. This is the first beach we ever went clam digging (we used our mother’s purse as a buckets with their blessing, that is how excited we all were).  It offers picnic tables, barbecues, and a typical Puget Sound beach with good clam digging at low tide. By typical, I mean lots of muddy muck to wade through to get to the water.  Plus it has views of the Olympic mountains when the sun deigns to shine.  Be sure to bring old tennis shoes to walk to the water when the tide is out otherwise the little shells in the muck hurt your feet.  It also offers good campgrounds.

3.  Twanoh State Park on Hood Canal–is my favorite park since I was a child.  As the park service says, “the park is situated on one of the warmest saltwater beaches in the state. This is because Hood Canal is one of the warmest saltwater bodies in Puget Sound.” The water is onlywarm by Northwest standards. Twanoh offers a good beach, nice picnic areas, and a dock that can be swum to from the beach in the summer.

All three of these parks are great to visit whether the sun is shining or not.  I really don’t recall the sun shining much on our visits nor did I mind. In this area, if it isn’t raining, go outside before it does.

Photo:  Kopachuck State Park, courtesy of Washington State Parks.

I want to go to France.  I want to spend time exploring the museums, parks and squares of Paris and sip wine in the countryside.  It’s not happening in 2008 though, despite my plans.  The exchange rate with the Euro has sufficiently squashed my Paris dreams for at least one more year.  If you’re like me and stuck in the good ‘ole US for the time being, here are 5 ways you can feel a little bit French right here at home.

1.  Picnic in the Park – Grab a bottle of wine and a baguette from Vons and head out to your local park with your honey to beat the heat this summer.  There’s nothing more French than a good French kiss in the park with a shared bottle of wine.  In Southern California, check out the Long Beach Parks for great places to picnic under trees.

2.  Attend a festival – Paris always has something going on.  Chances are your local big city does as well.  Throw on your sailor striped shirt and artist pants and head out to whatever local festival is going on.  The city of Orange, like many cities, has a ‘taste of’ festival where you can even grab some French food!

3.  Go Topless, Legally – If the topless French Mediterranean beaches are what is calling you across the Atlantic, find your local nudist colony or beach.  Many have ‘open house’ days when non-members can experience the freedom of going commando for a day.

4.  Drink Some Wine – thanks to growth in vineyard sciences many regions of the country now have local vineyards in previous under developed places, such as Temecula.  Find one close to you and go for a tour and a tasting.  Some even will let you stomp the grapes in the fall!

5.  See the Masters – Find your local art museum and go see some of the French masters.  If you’re in So Cal, splurge and go to the Getty Museum and have a cup of espresso and a croissant while you’re there to complete the French experience.  Close your eyes (or rather your ears to the English being spoken) and it’s just like Paris!

Whatever you do, make sure to do it with style – that’s what will make it truly French.  Bon Voyage!

*Thanks to La Belle Province