It’s no secret that Irvine Regional Park tops my list of favorite parks. My kids feel the same way, and there is excited squealing and a mad dash for the front door anytime I ask if they’d like to spend some time there. We are huge fans of the train and zoo so it was a natural for us to check out Wheel Fun Rentals. We had a blast cruising around on a parent-powered bike as a family unit and seeing our favorite place from a new perspective.

Location: Irvine Regional Park is located at 1 Irvine Park Road in Orange. Heading north or south on the 5, exit at Jamboree and head north. You won’t miss the park, as Jamboree ends at Irvine Regional Park and curves right around to the entrance. Once inside the park simply follow the signs to park near the bike rental area. (MAP TO IRVINE REGIONAL PARK)

Highlights:

Cruising along the Irvine Park Trail next to Santiago Creek was beautiful. There was no running water in the creek when we were there, but from that slightly higher perspective looking off into the more rugged areas of the park you really get a sense for what a gem this place is. We also took note of some areas that would be neat to check out on foot for a future visit.

• The kids absolutely LOVED being propelled along by mom and dad. There was a constant “wheeee!” coming from my littler boy, and both kids were just so excited.
• Riding around as a family really gave us an opportunity to talk and enjoy each other, especially on the slight downhill parts of our trip when we weren’t working as hard to peddle.
• Cool info book (attached next to the steering wheel on the surrey we rode) allows you to take a self-guided tour of the park on your rental bike.

 Be Aware:

• Give yourself a few breaks and take a little time to rest. Peddling the entire family around on a bike is quite a workout.
• Bring water – we had a single surrey and there was a basket on the back that we were able to fit our water bottles into, and we definitely needed those.
• Listen to the safety instructions when you are given your bike. There are specific areas that you should not let your feet rest while riding.
• Avoid the steep hills next to the lake – we were warned of this when we were given our bike and I can absolutely understand why.
• Children under 18 MUST wear helmets while on the bikes – and Wheel Fun Rentals is kind enough to provide them at no charge.
• Bike rentals are only available on weekends and holidays in the winter. Check the website for the most current schedule.

 Checklist:

• Park entry fee of $5 on weekends and $3 on weekdays – slightly higher on some holidays – applies to each car, or use your OC Parks Annual Parking Pass.
• Prices, hours and photos of available bikes are available on the Wheel Fun Rentals section of Irvine Park Railroad’s website
• Irvine Regional Park’s website: http://www.ocparks.com/irvinepark/
• Fun Orange County Park review of Irvine Regional Park

My Tips:

• Make a day of it! Bring a picnic lunch, ride the train, spend some time at the zoo and enjoy the different playgrounds.
• Go on a weekday and take advantage of internet coupons to save money on a bike rental, as well as buy one get one free tickets for the train and zoo
• Sign up for Irvine Park Railroad’s e-newsletter for periodic offers and coupons via email for different attractions at the park

Disclaimer: A complimentary rental was provided by Wheel Fun Rentals. No request was made for a blog mention.

Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary and Natural Science Center is at the end of Modjeska Canyon.  We went on a foggy day which suited me well because I’m always cautious about rattlesnakes.  I imagined it to be a dry, wide open space with a lake.  It turned out to be a quaint tree covered nature path around a pond tucked up in the canyon.  Perfect for birdwatching!

Directions to Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary: From Santiago Canyon Road, turn onto Modjeska Canyon Road and drive back into the canyon.  Bear to the left at the fork with Modjeska Grade Road and wind your way up to the nature center on the left with the main outdoor portion on your right. MAP TO TUCKER WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

Highlights:

• The natural science center holds all sorts of exhibits to see, hear, feel and touch.  There are animals to see, drawers to pull out, coloring projects to complete, and owl pellets to dissect.  It’s a small space, but holds lots to discover.
• Great hummingbird spotting right outside the nature center.  I stood at the window to the gift shop and watched them come to the feeders outside.
• You’ll find a nice selection of nature books in the gift shop.

• Head outside, there’s a short interpretive nature trail right outside the nature center with native plants and a little loop appropriate for toddlers. The path is paved.
• Head past the nature trail and turn left up the dirt fire road to walk a bit steeper and more wild loop up the hill toward with views of the water tower.  This is where I’d keep an eye out for snakes on hot days. (Not appropriate for strollers, but short enough that it would work for young kids.)  We saw lots of wildflowers blooming on our walk

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• Then we came back down the hill to enter the main outdoor sanctuary.  There is lots to see here!  I’ll keep it a bit of a mystery so you can discover for yourself.  Just keep an eye out for birds and make sure you check the telephone poles for woodpeckers.  There’s a special spot for doing this on the trail.  There’s also a special spot for accessing the creek at the very top of the property — look for it.

Be Aware:

• Due to budgetary concerns, the on-site bathrooms were closed. They directed us to visit the park down the street where a portable toilet is located.
• Parking could be tight if the sanctuary is holding a special event.   People park here to head out on the trails, as well as visit the nature center.  Probably busier on weekends.  There is parking past the center and a turnaround so you can head home facing the right direction.
• Drive carefully through the canyon. In many places there is only room for one car and it’s a small neighborhood – so there may be kids or pets in the road.
• Maybe it was because of the weather, but there is a quiet feel to the place.  I think it’s because there are a lot of bird watchers and wildlife to see — so everyone was quiet to entice the wildlife to show themselves.
• It can be hot in the canyons during the summer.

Checklist:

• Parking along the road and a few spots right across from the center.
• Picnic tables right outside the nature center.
• Bathrooms closed at the time of writing this post – use the restrooms at the park down the street.
• Most of it is stroller-friendly, but the paths are so short you probably won’t need your stroller.
• Official website: Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary

I get the best questions!  Here’s the latest: “Do you know of any parks in the OC that have monkey bars tall enough for adults to use?”

Now, Orange County is a big place and there are almost 900 parks here.  At the time of writing, I’ve covered 240 on this website.  So I’ll see if I can narrow it down a bit — by looking through all my photos to refresh my memory.  Of course, playgrounds are only rated for 2-5 year olds and 5-12 year olds — so take that into account.

*=Restrooms
^=Portable Toilets

NOTE: Most of these parks are in South OC — if you know of any in your neighborhood, please add to the comments.  Also, I can’t vouch for how tall these are, I just know they aren’t on the 2-5 year old playsets. I have been to all the playgrounds, it’s just been a while for some of them.

Aliso Viejo Parks
Acorn Park*
Aliso Viejo Community Park*
Argonaut Park
Hummingbird Park^
Iglesia Park
Oak Park^
Ridgecrest Park*
Springdale Park^

Dana Point
Dana Crest Park
Shipwreck Park
Thunderbird Park^

Laguna Beach
Lang Park*
Moulton Meadows Park*

Laguna Hills
Clarington Park
El Conejo Park
Knotty Pine Park
Mandeville Park
Mendocino Park
Stockport Park

Laguna Niguel
Laguna Niguel Regional Park (Main Playground)*
Niguel Heights Park

Lake Forest Parks
Concourse Park
Foothill Ranch Community Park*
Rimgate Park

Mission Viejo Parks
Barbadanes Park
Castille Park
Christopher Park
Pavion Park
Valyermo Park

San Clemente Parks
Bonito Canyon Park*
Marblehead Park*
Talega Park*

San Juan Capistrano
Bonita Park

Trabuco Canyon
O’Neill Regional Park*

CENTRAL & NORTH OC

Spyglass Hill Park in Newport Beach
Balboa Pier Playground* in Newport Beach
Las Lomas Park in Irvine
Fred Barrera Park in Orange
Citrus Ranch Park in Tustin
Fountain Valley Recreation Center and Sports Park

Castaways Park in Newport Beach is one of the best spots in Orange County to take in views of the Newport Back Bay and Newport Harbor.

Directions to Castaways Park: There are a lot of ways to get here! You can take Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), the 73, and even the 55.  It’s at the corner of Dover and 16th Street near Newport High School. I’ve saved the map with a satellite view so you can see the parking lot in relationship to the paths. MAP TO CASTAWAYS PARK IN NEWPORT BEACH

Highlights:

• Unbeatable views
• Flat, paved path perfect for little feet and walks after the rain
• It’s big!  The path winds along the bluff top and heads in towards the bay.
• Very stroller-friendly and relatively flat
• Points of interest: benches overlooking the harbor, a veteran’s memorial statue, a native plant demonstration garden
• Walk the loop: Walk from the parking lot out to the point overlooking the harbor, then loop back around and continue in front of the row of houses to a lookout point, then either head back the way you came — or turn down the eucalyptus-lined path that will lead you back to Dover and a wide sidewalk leading back to your car.
• Great for birdwatching — especially pelicans and other waterfowl

Be Aware:

• NO playground
• NO restrooms
• Path is shared with bikes and scooters, so keep your eyes out

Checklist:

• Parking in dedicated lot at the corner of Dover and 16th Street (it looks like a parking lot to nowhere, but it quickly leads out onto the bluff top)
• Paved paths
• Dogs are allowed on leash – and I always see quite a few people walking dogs
• Stroller-friendly and bike friendly

 Nearby Nature Centers:

• Environmental Nature Center
• Muth Interpretive Center

We went whale watching with Dana Wharf and the bottlenose dolphins were such a treat!  I spent a childhood on boats and am lucky to have a lifetime of spotting these friendly fellows from shore and from boats.  I’ll often be at the beach or a bluff top watching the dolphins and then I usually end up being annoying giving a mini lesson to those standing around me about how to spot dolphins from shore or at sea.

Look for the Splash, Look for Lots of Splashes

The first to do when staring out at sea is scan the horizon for splashes. Keeping your eyes scanning left to right and then back right to left is key.  Look for something different checking the water for a disturbance. When you see lots of splashes together, chances are it’s either:

Birds (like this pelican) diving down from the sky and feeding on bait fish.  Or, if you see some jumping action or something that might look like a shark to you — it’s probably these guys:

See how you can barely see them except for the splash?  It doesn’t seem that impressive from far away.

Speed Matters

However, when you are on a whale watching boat — the key is speed.  Too fast — and you’ll pass them by.  Come to a stop — and they won’t hang out long.  If you go slowly, the pod likes to come and check you out: chasing each other over and under, along the side and crossing underneath the bow.

We got great views from above and even underneath the water.  The other things dolphins like to do is surf the wake of the boat.  So when the captain brought the boat up to speed a bit more, they jumped the waves.  They were magnificent!  And it was awesome to see them in their natural setting, as always.

Near or Far?

On shore, I’ve seen them from right outside the breaking waves to much further out at sea.  Nearest shore, you’ll look for the dorsal fin and out further you look for a whole pod with a bunch of splashes (and then rule out bird action).  When you see them nearest shore, there are usually just one or two together instead of a whole pod.

Heisler Park and Main Beach in Laguna are great places for spotting dolphins.

And I’ve also had luck from Crystal Cove State Beach and Dana Point Headlands.

Tips for Whale Watching with Dana Wharf:

• The earlier you go in the day, the calmer it will be.
• Bring jackets – it may be 80 degrees on shore, but once you get out on the ocean it can be considerably cooler. We dressed in layers.
• Bring a camera and/or binoculars.
• Wear sunscreen since there’s an extra chance of sunburn from the reflection on the water.
• The boat rides really well and takes the swell without much bounce. It didn’t feel “rocky” to me at all. My daughter didn’t get seasick!

Visit Dana Wharf’s website and follow them on Facebook where they have fun updates of what they are seeing out there. Dana Point’s Festival of Whales takes place annually in March (www.festivalofwhales.com).

I received two complimentary tickets for the trip and paid for 2 tickets myself.