It is my duty as your local play expert to introduce you to, possibly, the most playful guy in our community! Dave Shenkman is the Founder and CEO of Kite Connection located on Huntington Beach Pier. That all sounds very stiff and boring, but you have got to see this guy in action!

My first introduction to Dave was at the Orange County School District’s “Program Preview Day” in 2010. I was assigned to find the perfect science program assembly for our elementary school. If you ever get a chance to go to a Program Preview Day, take it! Each vendor or presenter has only 5 minutes to give you a pitch on their program. Some organizations just get up there and give an outline, some do demonstrations, and others tell stories or do an act. You get a real feel for how they will interact with the kids. I didn’t realize this was going to be an ALL DAY thing! I only had an hour to be there and wander through the exhibitor room and pick up flyers.

However, I did see about 6 presentations in half an hour. Most were quiet and slow. Most were very educational and professional.

Then Dave comes up with his Kites for Kids presentation! You have to see this video: CLICK HERE!

WOW! The room was awake, the audience was engaged. Just like that! There was an excitement and a real yearning to learn more. You see, Dave’s presentation was educational and professional — but it was also LOUD and fast! You should have seen me back at our school arguing that we needed this “Kite Guy” for our science program. I just kept repeating – “You have to see him. I can’t explain.” Luckily, my fellow parents had faith in me and Dave ended up presenting to our entire school.

I got phone calls right away:

“You should see this guy!”

“The teachers love him.”

His store is just as magical as his school presentations!

My 9 year old son spent his allowance on a rubber band gun and Dave gave him a demonstration before he was allowed to buy it. Then Dave made him raise his right hand and repeat after him that he: would not shoot at anything living, including his sister – or he would pay the price with his parents giving him six months of chores. If he argued about the chores, he’d get more chores. I can’t even remember all the funny things he said, but it was funny.

This guy is for real: a hidden Orange County treasure promoting play and fun. Book his school program or just visit his store which is a family field trip in itself! However you do it, get to know Dave.

I received NO compensation for this post.

GIVEAWAY

Dave is offering an easy to fly single liner kite as a giveaway to my readers. (That means, one single line attached for flying the kite.)

When: Giveaway entry period runs from today - August 6th to 11:59pm on August 13th.

How to Enter:

• Subscribe to my weekly Play Trips newsletter. (That’s it.)  My next newsletter is going to pair up Orange County Farmer’s Markets with the parks within walking distance.
• But, I’m already a subscriber! If you are already a subscriber, just leave a comment that you’d like to be entered in this kite giveaway. (If you’re feeling inspired you can comment on your favorite kite flying memory.) No need to subscribe again.
• One entry per subscriber.

Winner Selected:

• I will select the winner on Random.org from the pool of NEW newsletter subscribers plus any existing subscribers that leave a comment on this post before 11:59pm on Saturday, August 13th.

Thanks for playing – and thanks for reading!

Shipley Nature Center is absolutely one of my favorite spots in Orange County. The cool thing is that it’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to outdoor activities, since it sits smack dab in the middle of Huntington Central Park! What? You didn’t know that Huntington Beach has a central park?  And that it’s HUGE — with lakes and playgrounds and restaurants and a big library?  Now you’ll definitely have to check it out.

Location: You would never know there’s a huge park just from driving by. When I go, I take Interstate 405 to Beach Boulevard and head toward the beach. Turn right on Slater and left on Goldenwest.  Half of the park is on your left (restaurant, lake, library) and the parking for Shipley is on your right. MAP TO SHIPLEY NATURE CENTER IN HUNTINGTON BEACH

Highlights:

• The trails are a manageable size for families with toddlers.
• We always see butterflies, bunnies, bugs and birds on our visits.
• Many of the plants are also marked so you can learn names of some of the local vegetation.
• The Nature Center has some really fun stuff with drawers to open and a little puppet theater with loads of puppets for play.  It’s very hands-on.
• Parents will like the Native Plants for sale, books for sale, and pamphlets. I always like to buy from organizations like this because I know some of the money is going to support the non-profit.
• They have a very helpful website and newsletter at ShipleyNature.org.

Be Aware:

• Children might need to be reminded to stay on the trail – but it’s really fun to let them choose which way to go!
• There’s one section of trail with Stinging Nettles bordering the pathway. There are clear signs when you are entering the area and I think it’s a good lesson on how to identify them. Apparently there’s a rare Red Admiral butterfly which hangs out near them so it’s worth a look.
• The paths are wood chips, so they are not exactly stroller-friendly (although you could do it). I’d recommend letting them run or carrying them.

Checklist:

• They just added a very nice restroom building behind the native plant shop.
• It’s only open 9am-1pm Monday through Saturday (closed Sunday). They have a map on their site, too.
• On the ShipleyNature.org website they have a great episode about park from Huell Howser. Just scroll to the bottom of the page.
• It’s FREE, but they suggest a $2 donation.
• If you live in the area, they offer classes and are looking for volunteers all the time.
• This is also one of the Nature Scene Investigator locations! So bring paper and a crayon for your rubbing and get your clue from GetOutdoorsOC.com first!

The Harriett M. Wieder Regional Park playground area is just a preview of what will one day be a 106 acre regional park. See OCParks.com for more information on its future.  In case you’re curious, Ms. Wieder was the first woman on the Orange County Board of Supervisors and served as mayor of Huntington Beach. Michele actually photographed this park back in September 2008.

Location: Wieder Regional Park is easily accessible from Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach. Turn onto Seapoint Avenue and turn left into the parking lot before Seapoint hits Garfield. It’s a little tricky to find since the entrance looks very natural, but you’ll know you’ve gone to far when hit Garfield.  From Interstate 405, it’s probably easiest to take the Beach Blvd exit, bear right onto Main, turn right on Garfield and then left on Seapoint. MAP TO WIEDER REGIONAL PARK IN HUNTINGTON BEACH

Highlights:

• Wonderful sea breeze to help keep you cool while you play.
• Very unique play structures both for toddlers and bigger kids. The big kid play structure looks more like a work of art than a playground, and the toddler structures are spread out and encourage exploring and fun. (You can find another Kompan structure at Sweet Shade Park in Irvine).
• The toddler area is well away from the parking lot, and sheltered from the street by plants and fencing.
• Large grassy area for playing and picnicking.
• One toddler swing and two regular swings. The regular swings are rigid and were easy for my toddler to use on his own, which was a really nice change from the swings we normally find.
• The mini-motorcycle ride-on toys are popular because three kids can ride all at once.
• There are lots of opportunities to spot nature here with bird life from the nearby ecological preserve. Go on a mini-adventure with your kids and see what they spot.

Be Aware:

• The plants that are along the fencing aren’t planted very closely together, and I spotted some toddlers wandering off into the underbrush.
• You may be competing for the few parking spots in the lot.

Checklist:

• Dedicated parking lot – however it filled up quickly the morning we were there.
• Recycled rubber play surface with some lawn areas
• Restrooms
• Picnic area
• Trails for exploring and interpretive signs near the overlook explaining Huntington Beach’s oil history and some of the birds you may see.

It was almost a year ago that I posted Bolsa Chica Wetlands. I’d been wanting to explore more of the Ecological Reserve ever since I read this post about it on Alive in Wonderland. Last year, we visited the interpretive center and took a hike to the heron nesting ground. My son was calling it “hotlands” instead of “wetlands.”

So when fellow bloggers, Debi from Go Explore Nature and Sharlene from Double the Adventure, decided to meet up at the wetlands — I was a little hesitant about the kids’ reactions to another hot and dusty hike. Then I remembered the we could enter from the south and suggested we give that a try. What a difference a few miles can make!!

Location: Parking lot opposite Bolsa Chica State Beach is easily found – by spotting the wooden bridge crossing the wetlands.  Lights on side streets (Beach Blvd, Warner, Goldenwest – can take a LONG time off the freeway. I like to take Seal Beach Blvd. and head south on PCH past Warner). MAP TO BOLSA CHICA ECOLOGICAL RESERVE – SOUTH ENTRANCE

Highlights:

• About 30 seconds into our visit, we spotted STINGRAYS – in the wild! Wow! We could have stayed here all day, but the kids wanted to race across the bridge and see what else there was to discover. (If the stingray video is not visible next to this post, click “Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve-PCH Entrance” above and it will show up on the left).

• The main draw to this end of the park is the very long wooden bridge which brings you right on top of the wetland. It’s cooler at this end of the reserve and you can see wildlife in the water, nesting in the vegetation, and flying above.

• We saw plenty of waterfowl on land, in the water, and in the air. I enjoyed quizzing the serious birders we passed to help us identify some of the species we observed: a rare red heron, willets, black skimmer (whose lower beak is one inch longer than the upper so they can scoop goodies from the water), rock doves, and terns. We  identified the seagulls, cormorants, and brown pelicans ourselves.
• Once you cross the bridge, you’ll walk dirt pathways with great views of the water below you. Stay on the trail, you’ll see signs about the protected habitat. We even spotted a large crab doing its distinctive sideways crawl.
• If you can last, you’ll make it all the way to the heron nesting grounds reachable from my last post. With little kids in tow, we turned around midway and saw more unique wildlife on the way back.

Be Aware:

• Only portable toilets in the parking lot.
• Bring food and water with you – it’s a long walk back to the car.
• Wear sun protection – there is no shade along the route. However, the cool ocean breeze helped to keep things comfortable.

Checklist:

• Parking in a very small lot off Pacific Coast Highway opposite the Bolsa Chica State Beach. If you are coming from the interpretive center to the north – you will need to make a U-turn past the beach entrance to get into the parking lot. If you are coming from the south, it’s a right into the parking lot.
• Dirt trails — get map from center. Strollers would work at this end of the reserve – as long as they are okay on packed dirt.
• Only portable toilets in the parking lot. No real restrooms. As an alternative, there’s a Jack-in-the-Box nearby and a nice Trader Joe’s off Algonquin and Warner.
• No shade
• Bring water and wear appropriate shoes
• Binoculars and nature sketchbooks would be good to bring along for older kids
• Bolsa Chica Conservancy website
• Bolsa Chica Land Trust website
• Amigos de Bolsa Chica tours
• StockTeam (one of our favorite Huntington Beach websites) photos and description

A Huntington Beach annual beach parking pass is a great option for those who frequently visit the Huntington Beach Pier and beach area businesses. They went on sale December 1st and take Visa/Mastercard. Parking can be pretty steep on a day-use basis ($1.50 per hour and up to $12 for the day).

The annual beach parking pass is up $25 from last year’s price of $125  (to $150 for 2010). However, it looks as if the cost goes down each quarter as the year progresses. So if you’re only going to hit the beach in July, August, September — it might be a good idea to wait.

See the City of Huntington Beach website for official information.

The experts over at Stockteam have additional insider information. Check out their extensive Huntington Beach park listings while you’re there.