Bill Barber Memorial Park’s true name is Colonel Bill Barber Marine Corps Memorial Park. Colonel William E. Barber died in April 2002 not far from the park which bears his name. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery having served in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. Colonel Barber received the Medal of Honor from President Truman for his bravery in Korea when he led “his troops to defend a key pass near the Chosin Reservoir during one of the epic battles of the Korean War, despite being wounded in the leg by machine-gun fire.” [To read more about this remarkable man, visit ArlingtonCemetery.net]. Stars & stripes abound at this patriotic park which features a “Don’t Tread on Me” rattlesnake path.

Directions to Bill Barber Memorial Park: Off Harvard Avenue near the Irvine Civic Center (Address: 4 Civic Center Plaza, Irvine). Parking lot behind Civic Center or off San Juan. MAP TO BILL BARBER MEMORIAL PARK IN IRVINE

Recommended by: Nicole with added comments from Matt C. (see italics)

Highlights:

• Love the patriotic theme – red, white, and blue everywhere
• “Don’t Tread on Me” rattlesnake path running between upper and lower section of one of the play areas – great to run the kids ragged on or run toddler bikes down
• For the little ones: situate yourself in the central circular planter area then there’s shade under the tree and a place to watch two of the three play areas at once for the smaller kids
• For bigger kids (5+): series of walkways connected by bridges make it perfect for “tag” or “hide ‘n seek”
• Kids like to make a lake out of the water at the sink/faucet for some good clean (well, dirty) fun
• Also a good park for kites, planes, frisbees, giant bubbles – there’s a large baseball field close to the play areas for major running around and lots of space to fly kites or remote-controlled planes/helicopters
• The size of this park makes it stand out – huge grassy areas, ball fields, very large picnic gazebos, and a huge play areas
• Love the garden area with the frog fountain – surrounding by bougainvillea on trellises with citrus and native plants
• It’s somewhat accessible with ramps to get rolling up and along the equipment

Be Aware:

• Some kids will find it hard to resist getting wet in the sink/faucet on the smaller play area
• Some parks are perfect for just sitting and watching the kids play. I’d say this is suited for more active supervision. Mine wanted to be on opposite sides of the park at all times. Until you become comfortable with the park layout and play equipment, it might be challenging to bring multiple “little” kids or kids with differing abilities. [See highlight above on where to situate yourself for optimum supervision]

Checklist:

• Dedicated parking lot off Harvard and San Juan. Another lot at Civic Center, but a bit of a walk to the play area
• Recycled rubber and sand play surface
• Huge bathroom near play area with tons of stalls, but smaller bathroom near the ball fields is slightly nicer
• Plenty of drinking fountains
• Play area is somewhat sunken – so it can be hot – but picnic gazebos and garden provide shade relief
• Awesome picnic park
• Tiny Oranges has great photos and their own review
• Make facility reservations through the City of Irvine
• Nearest public library: University Park Library

Nearby parks:

• Sweet Shade Park
• Springacre Park
• University Community Park

Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks celebrated the 5 year anniversary of the National Natural Landmark designation in October! The many organizations, agencies and volunteers helping to preserve the open spaces comprising the Landmark offer an incredible listing of outdoor activities in Orange County. In fact, I think they are about to put me out of a job!

IMPORTANCE OF BALANCE

The many stewards of this land must work to find a balance of protecting the natural habitat and wildlife — with the desire to connect people to the land. The Irvine Ranch Conservancy works with all the partners to provide guided activities which are free/low cost, but require registration. I wanted to find family-friendly outdoor Fall activities for this post and came up with this list in a matter of minutes from IRLANDMARKS.ORG:

• November 3rd: Tideland Tykes “Coastal Colors” (Peter & Mary Muth Interpretive Center, Upper Newport Bay)
• November 4th: Fall Migration Birding Program (City of Irvine)
• November 5th: Amazing Arachnids (Aliso & Wood Canyons Wilderness Park)
• November 6th: Family Sun Day Fun Day (from Laguna Canyon Foundation)

You see? A lot of outdoor-focused non-profits list their events in one easy-to-read spot! Wilderness Access Days are the ONLY chance you’ll get to see the wildest of these spaces without a guide. You can see Limestone Canyon and The Sinks on November 5th and December 3rd. Bommer Canyon’s upcoming Wilderness Access Days are November 19th and December 17th.

THE IRVINE RANCH CONSERVANCY IS A PARTNERSHIP OF STEWARDS

Check out ALL the partners that work together to oversee the 37,000 acres designated as the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmark and the entire 50,000 acres that make up Irvine Ranch wildlands and parks:

• County of Orange (OCParks.com)
• City of Irvine
• City of Newport Beach
• The Irvine Company
• Irvine Ranch Water District
• Nature Reserve of Orange County
• The Nature Conservancy
• Laguna Canyon Foundation
• Silverado/Modjeska Parks and Rec District
• Sea & Sage Audubon Society
• Newport Bay Naturalists and Friends
• California Coastal Commission
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Orange County Fire Authority
• California Department of Fish and Game
• California Department of Parks and Recreation (California State Parks)

OUTDOOR BLOGGERS

You may remember that I wrote an overview of the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks back in February. I just returned for a second time with some fellow OC outdoor bloggers. It was fun for me to the see the change in seasons. It also inspired me to get out there more on the Wilderness Access Days. February was green and full of wildflowers. October was brown and we spotted deer and a tarantula — along with plenty of bird sightings both times.

(View from October 2011)

(Same view from February 2011)

I encourage you to get acquainted with my fellow outdoor and Orange County bloggers:

• *Greene Adventures (they chronicled our tour IN DETAIL on their site)
• *Brian & Ashley’s Hiking Blog (here’s their report on our trip)
• *SoCalHistoryLand by Phil Brigandi

If you’re on Facebook, Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks has an interactive page where they do Foto Fridays and Trivia Tuesdays.

The OC Zoo is one of my favorite places in Orange County. I bring out-of-town guests there ALL the time. Why?

1. It’s inside Irvine Regional Park which offers FOUR playgrounds, a lake, a nature center, beautiful hikes and walks, open space, blue skies and the Irvine Park Railroad.
2. They have a new resident: a five month old beaver named Buckley.  It’s very hard to tell if a beaver is a he or a she, so Buckley fits for both. He/she likes to play up at the front of his exhibit and swim in the pond.
3. You can see the raccoons better now! Raccoons like to bite little fingers. Little fingers like to reach inside the cage. Not a problem with the new barrier.
4. The zoo’s mountain lion, Amanda, had a medical emergency back in July 2011. Her hind legs weren’t working and she couldn’t walk. She’s a big cat and already a senior at 14. They found she had a herniated disc which ruptured a blood vessel. She was just put back on exhibit in October and her recovery is amazing.
5. If you or your kids are “afraid” of the wild, the OC Zoo is a great place to learn more about our local wildlife. You can see what a coyote looks like up close, compare a mountain lion to a bobcat, and identify the differences between turkey vultures, hawks, and eagles.

Take my OC ZOO QUIZ to learn more about this local outing! You can start at the zoo, bring a picnic, and spend the whole day exploring the park.

The affordable part?  The Zoo admission is only $2/person for ages 3 and over. Kids 2 and under are free.  So a family of four can go to everything in #1  – except the Railroad (see above) for $5 parking fee + $2 x 4 = $13.  The price goes up when you include the Railroad, but it’s fun for special occasions.

Saturday, October 29th
OC Zoo-tacular!
10am-4pm
Visit www.ocparks.com/oczoo for more information.

GIVEAWAY EXPIRED

I’m afraid it won’t be in time for Saturday’s Halloween event, but I have TWO items for giveaway:

1. Pass good for 4 FREE admissions to the OC Zoo (parking fee of $3 weekdays, $5 weekends still applies) + 4 complimentary tickets to Irvine Park Railroad
2. Pass good for 4 FREE admissions to the OC Zoo (parking fee of $3 weekdays, $5 weekends still applies) + 4 complimentary tickets to Irvine Park Railroad

To be eligible for the drawing for this giveaway: Sign up to receive my Play Trips Newsletter AND leave a comment on this post (make sure you use the same email address for both).  If you already subscribe to the newsletter, just leave a comment.

Catherine and Stacy are the winners of the drawing from Random.org.

BONUS: Within the next week, I will be giving away a 2011 Annual Pass from OCParks.com which is good for free entry into beaches and parks in the OCParks system through the end of 2011!  But the big Annual Pass giveaway is happening through the NEWSLETTER ONLY — so make sure you subscribe to get it next week.  The newsletter has play trips, park tips, giveaways, and exclusive content that you won’t find on my website! Click to see the last Play Trips Newsletter!

Disclosure: I received free admission to the zoo to preview the Halloween event.

Valencia Park in Irvine is perfect for a picnic or some run-around time. I first visited this park back when my oldest was a toddler and loved that it was a bit sunken and contained him from wandering too far. It’s had a little wear and tear over the years, but we recently visited again for a picnic after grabbing lunch from the nearby Henry’s/Sprouts Market.

Directions to Valencia Park in Irvine:  You’ve probably driven by it a million times and never noticed it. It’s right off Jamboree between Irvine Blvd and Portola Parkway near the Tustin Marketplace.  In fact, I thought the park was in Tustin — not Irvine.  So just take I-5 and exit at Jamboree – turning towards the shopping area.  Drive past the shopping and restaurants (unless you want to pick up lunch) and head past Irvine Blvd. Turn right onto Trevino Drive and left into the parking lot the park shares with an elementary school.  MAP TO VALENCIA PARK IN IRVINE

Highlights:

• The location is close to everything
• The pirate ship equipment is fun for pretend play
• There are swings right on the playground (2 bench, 2 baby)
• There’s a huge field for running around and ball games
• I saw a family visiting the park on their scooters and bikes who loved to ride up and down the mini hill/path that runs UNDER Jamboree
• It doesn’t feel too remote if you visit on a weekday
• There are restrooms!
• The picnic area is covered for a little bit of shade, but it’s away from the playground.  We ate and then played.

Be Aware:

• It’s just a bit noisy from the heavy traffic on Jamboree.
• It’s a bit of a walk from the parking lot to the playground (about the length of the soccer field). The picnic tables are halfway.
• It shares a parking lot with an elementary school, so I’d avoid it at school drop-off and pick-up times.
• Recycled rubber surfacing is in need of repair

Checklist:

• Dedicated parking lot (shared with a school)
• Restrooms near the parking lot
• Play surface: sand and recycled rubber
• Drinking fountains
• Covered picnic area
• Soccer field
• Bike path / walking path access
• Official Irvine neighborhood park page
• Nearest public library: The beautiful Irvine – Katie Wheeler Library (OCPL.org) is very near this park!
• Farmer’s Market nearby at the corner of Jamboree and Irvine Blvd on Tuesdays from 9am-1pm

Nearby parks:

• Tustin Sports Park
• Citrus Ranch Park
• Cedar Grove Park

Pretend City’s Way To Play Adventure Guide is an overlooked tool in strengthening your child’s skills through play and learning about developmental milestones. Did you know that 90% of a child’s brain is developed by age 5? Don’t miss any of the crucial developmental steps on this exciting journey. The more informed you are about what milestones are right around the corner, the better you can support your child’s emerging skills with simple play activities. The Adventure Guide pairs age-appropriate activities with different exhibit areas in the Children’s Museum. The best part? You can even take these activities outside the museum and do them in your home or at a park.

The Adventure Guide was developed as part of the Good To Go From Head To Toe child-development initiative ” . . . designed to educate the community, parents and caretakers about the importance of having children (birth through 5-years-old) receive regular developmental checkups as part of routine, well-child visits. Good To Go From Head To Toe is delivered by Pretend City Children’s Museum.”

Pretend City Children’s Museum is a nonprofit, so your dollars go directly to the museum services and programs.  The membership costs may seem high, but there is a reason (discussed on their FAQs and Policies sheet). I had the Play Partner membership when my daughter was younger and absolutely loved the Members only hours from 9am-10am. Totally worth the cost!  You can go and almost have the place to yourself.  Check my calendar page for a coupon for Friday nights in October 2011.

My other posts about Pretend City in Irvine (near the old Wild Rivers on Hubble):

• Zooming in on Fun
• How to Play All Day While Growing Healthy Kids

Baby Steps Program on Monday, October 24th

Enjoy Pretend City and all it has to offer for your infant! Pretend City was designed with your infant in mind, but with so many excited, older children playing in the museum, it may be hard for your little one to get around. Take advantage of this exclusive, infant only hour by engaging in age-appropriate facilitated activities which will teach you about your baby’s developmental milestones.

• Bring your little one to the Library, Café, and Construction Site to practice communication, fine and gross motor skills.
• Pick up a free Ages & Stages Questionnaire!* to ensure your little one is developing on track! They’re FREE, fast and easy! * Available for Orange County residents only.

Time: 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Specifically for: Infants (0-16 months), grown-ups. For the comfort of our infant guests, no older siblings please.
Play Partner: Help Me Grow, Orange County
Space is limited so register early at www.pretendcity.org

No compensation was received for this post.