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.

Belmont Park in Orange was one of those “Hey, let’s look at a map and find a new park to check out!” finds that has been added into our normal park rotation. It’s up in the hills and provides some amazing views, making it a little more exciting than the average park. Picnic benches and large shade trees are sprinkled throughout the park, and a paved path winds in a wide circle around the playground and a large grassy field.

Fred Barrera Park in Orange was dedicated in 2006 in honor of a man who gave many years of service to the City of Orange. A touching plaque at the park details all his endeavors. This small playground with some unusual monkey bars is right up the hill from Serrano Park and around the corner from the Oak Canyon Nature Center.

Location: Take the 55 and exit at Katella – take it towards Anaheim Hills until it turns into Villa Park Road.  Turn left on Cannon Street and right onto Serrano Avenue. Follow Serrano up the hill and prepare to turn right on Kendra into the parking lot for Barrera Park. The playground is visible before you hit the parking lot. (Address: 8380 Serrano Avenue, Orange, CA) MAP TO FRED BARRERA PARK IN ORANGE

Highlights:

• Nice wide open lawn area and shelter for picnics with grills
• Loved the different styles of monkey bars on the older kid equipment
• 2 bench swings, 1 baby swing
• Benches around the playground for easy viewing
• Decomposed granite walking trail loops around the park
• Not really an all-day type of playground – better in short spurts or for birthday parties
• On the day we visited, there was a nice breeze blowing and views into the nearby canyon were beautiful. There’s also a walking path/hiking trail leading up to a rock outcropping in Santiago Oaks Regional Park that looked intriguing. Looks like you can catch up with a trail head below the playground or in the neighborhood beyond Nohl Ranch Road.

Be Aware:

• Next to a VERY busy street – so there’s some noise and the need to be observant around the fence openings.
• Can get hot in this location because there are no shade trees and it’s at the top of a hill.
• There is an elementary school very nearby and I imagine the traffic is impacted around school start and end times.
• Lots of gaps and steps at odd angles on the big kid equipment – okay for big kids, just watch your little ones.

Checklist:

• Dedicated parking lot
• Recycled rubber play surface throughout (no sand or bark)
• Picnic shelter may be reserved (714-744-7274)
• Restroom
• Walking trail
• Grassy area for play
• More information from the City of Orange

Thanks to Kristi for providing some added insight and “Be Aware” items.

Serrano Park in Orange is hidden in a residential neighborhood and comes to us by way of recommendation from Kristi. (Thanks!) It’s a great recommendation, since it’s not even on the map yet. The setting is beautiful with a view – probably out to the ocean on a clear day. Kristi especially noted the path around the grass area being great for bikes, trikes, and scooters.

Location: Take the 55 and exit at Katella – take it towards Anaheim Hills until it turns into Villa Park Road.  Turn left on Cannon Street and right onto Serrano Avenue. Follow Serrano up the hill and prepare to turn left onto Sierra Vista Drive. The park is up the hill at where Sierra Vista turns into Apache Creek Drive. (Address: 2349 Apache Creek Drive, Orange, CA) MAP TO SERRANO PARK IN ORANGE

Recommended by: Kristi (comments in italics)

Highlights:

• Path around the grass area for bikes, trikes and scooters.
• Recycled rubber play surface throughout (no sand or bark areas).
• Beautiful canyon surroundings with great birdwatching. See large turkey vultures and small hummingbirds.
• My daughter loves the “shower head spinner” where she can grab on and swing around.
• A big kid structure with monkey bars, a hanging pedestal path, shower head spinner, long slides, and climber.
• Little kid structure with smaller slide, steering wheels and ramp with embossed bugs.
• One big kid swing, one baby swing.
• Small rolling

Be Aware:

• Can be HOT on the recycled rubber surface with no playground shade.
• I’m guessing you don’t want your kids climbing around on the hillside during the summer – looks like prime snake territory.
• This park is generally empty since it’s hidden in a residential area. Need to know where you are going since it’s not on a main street.

Checklist:

• Dedicated parking lot
• Recycled rubber play surface
• Restrooms and drinking fountain very near the playground
• Nice covered picnic area with large grill available by reservation (more info)
• More picnic tables scattered throughout
• Very large field for soccer or other lawn sports
• Sand volleyball court
• Full basketball court
• Some shade under trees off the playground

Hart Park in Orange feels a lot like Pearson Park in Anaheim with its historical buildings, mature trees, pool, and outdoor space for community concerts.  The first thing to strike me about the park is the parking lot!  We came in off Glassell Street, driving down a short and steep driveway, to enter the parking lot which easily stands 6 or 7 feet below park level. Upon reading a local history blog, I found it’s called “The Orange Plunge” and was constructed to channel Santiago Creek when the park was built back in the 1930′s.

Location: Right off the 22 Garden Grove Freeway near Old Towne Orange. However, I visited on the day I went to Pitcher Park. We came by way of the 55 Freeway. Exit on Chapman Avenue and head to Old Towne. Go through the roundabout and head toward the 22 on Glassell Street. The park entrance is on your before you hit the 22 overpass. MAP TO HART PARK IN ORANGE

Recommended by: Carrie of This Is Me Journal (I met Carrie last year at the OC Blogger’s Ball. I’m embarrassed to say it’s taken me this long to visit the park and type it up for all of you! The funny thing? Carrie happened to be there on the day of my visit and we got to play!)

Highlights:

• This park has everything! A sand volleyball court, amphitheater, tennis courts, large and small picnic areas, and a pool!
• The bike trail off Santiago Creek makes it easily accessible by bike. It’s even possible to bike to the Discovery Science Center and Santiago Park from here.  You can make all sorts of discoveries along the bike trail (locals tell of some old school metal slides which are not to be missed).
• 4 bench swings, 2 baby swings
• Especially nice for picnics

Be Aware:

• Very near traffic and the busy Glassell Street
• It’s a large and central park – so there are people from all walks of life using the park (not just a small neighborhood park with families)
• No shade on the playground.
• Not that most people visit playgrounds during heavy rain . . . but this would be an especially bad choice because of the creek/parking lot.

Checklist:

• Free parking in the Santiago creekbed  – dedicated lot. There are quite a few one way entrances to the park (not just off Glassell). However, there’s only one exit off
• Bark play surface
• Restrooms right near the playground
• Picnic areas with shelters available for reservation
• Beautiful pool, open in the summer for recreational swim and lessons. Click here for more info.
• Two baseball/softball fields
• Amphitheater (or some sites call it a “bandshell”)
• Tennis courts
• Click here for more info on permits and park rules.