Adventure City in Anaheim is a ton of fun for young kids that love vehicles of all kinds. With a miniature train, airplanes, rescue vehicles and so much more, my four-year old was thrilled from the moment we entered the gates. Minimal lines made it possible to go on rides multiple times without testing anyone’s patience. I lost count as to how many times we rode the train, but it was upwards of ten!

Adventure City provides a nice change of pace from the hustle and bustle of the larger local theme parks. It would be a great place to send grandparents for a fun afternoon with young grandchildren, or a nice way to spend some time with out-of-towners with children in tow.

They have a special room for birthday parties that I caught glimpses of from the train… as the train goes RIGHT THROUGH the party room! Of course my son (and husband!) immediately started talking about how it would be a great place for a party. I can only imagine how exciting it would be to have a train constantly going right by your celebration. The birthday child even gets to be the engineer for a ride around the park with their guests as part of the party package. Comprehensive birthday party package information is available on their website. They can host corporate and private events as well.

For the train-obsessed, they also have a Thomas-themed play area up front with a ton of track and elements to build huge layouts and play with.

There is a kid-sized toilet alongside an adult toilet in a special stall in the restrooms near the stage area – my son loved using a potty his size.

There is also a petting zoo which was awesome for my one-year-old, as he is really into animals right now.

General Information:

Adventure City is located at 1238 South Beach Blvd in Anaheim, just south of Ball Road. MAP TO ADVENTURE CITY

Website: http://www.adventurecity.com/default.aspx

Admission is currently $14.95 for adults and children, with children 12 months and under being admitted for free. Seniors 55 and up are currently $9.95.

Parking is free.

Operating schedule tends to follow weekends and holidays – check their website for current days and hours when planning your trip.

Various shows and entertainment are available throughout the day. See website for more details.

Outside food and beverages, with the exception of baby food and formula, are not permitted – however there are many picnic benches just outside of the gates and hand stamps are provided at the exit so that you may re-enter the park. There is a variety of food and snack items available for purchase inside the park as well, and of course they do have drinking fountains.

Give yourself three to four hours to ensure you have ample time to play. We were there for just under four hours, rode favorite rides multiple times (did I mention 10+ times on the train??) and it felt just about perfect.

Disclaimer: The author’s family received complimentary admission to visit Adventure City for the purpose of reviewing and posting on the site. This is completely unbiased review, and I had been planning to visit Adventure City for some time before this.

Parque de Los Vaqueros in Placentia is nestled between housing tracts in a lush greenbelt near an elementary school.

Directions to Parque de Los Vaqueros: The official address for Park de Los Vaqueros is on Carlsbad Street, but I prefer to park in the small dedicated lot off of Yellowstone Avenue instead, which is off of Van Buren Blvd, about half a block south of Yorba Linda Blvd. (Address: 1200 N. Carlsbad Street, Placentia) MAP TO PARQUE DE LOS VAQUEROS

Highlights:

• While the play equipment is fairly standard but fun, the gorgeous trees are the real draw for me. Many birds and squirrels make their homes here, and I have witnessed some pretty adorable squirrel squabbles.
• I like to bring some lunch and spend some real time here, and there are plenty of shaded picnic benches and lots of shaded grassy areas to spread out a picnic blanket and just hang out and enjoy the trees.
• The playground itself is small enough that I feel like I can easily keep an eye on my four-year-old while sticking close to the littler guy.
• There is a lot of sand at this playground, and while it isn’t pristine, it’s much better for digging around in than the average sand/dirt areas I typically come across at playgrounds.
• Bench and baby swings

Be Aware:

• This park is a popular place for the neighborhood pooches to play and we have encountered some fairly large but friendly dogs here, so if a child is afraid of or allergic to dogs, this probably isn’t the best park to visit.

Checklist:

• Small dedicated parking lot
• Restrooms are located right next to the playground – and they even have soap!
• Play surface is mainly sand with some recycled rubber right around the play structures
• Drinking fountain
• Grills
• Picnic areas are available for reservation through the city of Placentia – see official city website for details.
• Official City of Placentia website
• Nearest Public Libraries: Yorba Linda Public Library and Placentia Library

Nearby Parks:

• Veterans Park
• Tri-City Park

The folks at OCParks.com alerted me to this very unique ranger program that’s ongoing at Carbon Canyon Regional Park in Brea.  Even if you can’t make it on Thursdays for the program, the park is beautiful and worth a family visit.

Explore the beauty and wonder of the only Redwood grove in Orange County by scheduling a visit to a very special ranger program: 5 Senses of Science and Nature at Carbon Canyon Regional Park in Brea. Fun activities for kids of all age groups. For home school groups and small group programs. Learn to uncover the 5 senses; deer ears, owl eyes, raccoon touch, sounds and smells of the redwood trees.

Fun storytelling and opera singing for kids to learn about the history of the redwoods and a chance for everyone to participate in songs.

Stroll an easy 2 mile walk to the magnificent redwoods.

Event is every Thursday, between 8:00am and 3:00pm please call to reserve a time.

Carbon Canyon Regional Park
4442 Carbon Canyon Road
Brea, CA 92823
(714) 973-3160 or (714) 973-3162

Pioneer Park in Anaheim was yet another map find. From the satellite imagery I could see some details from both structures that made it look very promising, and it didn’t disappoint at all. From the moment we started walking towards the play structures, I knew we’d found something really special. My three-year-old agreed, and he’s asked to go back every morning since – no kidding!

Directions to Pioneer Park in Anaheim: It is located just south of Sunkist Elementary School in East Anaheim. From the 57 freeway, exit at Lincoln and head west. Turn right on Sunkist, and make another right onto E. Underhill Avenue. The park will be on your left. Plentiful parking spots line the street and face the park. (Address:  2565 E. Underhill Avenue) MAP TO PIONEER PARK IN ANAHEIM

Highlights:

• Two amazing play structures separated by a large grouping of rocks to scamper all over.
• The play structure for the smaller kids is an old west hotel – complete with getaway horses.
• I’ve found a new favorite play panel here – the side of the hotel has bells that are struck with music note mallets. Plenty of fun to be had with sounds.
• The larger kids get an amazing tree house play structure – complete with a zip line exit and a large rock bridging two sections of the structure.
• Look for the raccoon and squirrel hiding under the tree house.
• Aside from the amazing play areas, there is an abundance of open grassy space for free play.

Be Aware:

• Steer clear of the tree house structure if you have very small kids with you – it definitely requires a good amount of coordination to scamper across the rock bridge.

Checklist:

• Dedicated parking spots along E. Underhill
• Restrooms
• Swings near the hotel structure
• Play surface: bark and rubber combo
• Picnic benches scattered throughout the park
• Small gazebo with four picnic benches available for reservation through the City of Anaheim
• Official City of Anaheim website
• Nearest Public Library: Anaheim Public Library (Sunkist Branch) 

Nearby parks:

• Pearson Park
• Eisenhower Park
• Fullerton Arboretum

Photo credit: Lisa Lasater is responsible for all these gorgeous photos – and for all the writing in this post. She’s my extremely valued North County Parks Reporter (volunteer)! All you North County families should leave her a comment with your gratitude for all she does to scout out the best in play for you!

The Fullerton Arboretum was on my list of places to visit with the kids ever since I heard about it from a blogger friend.  She said, “Oh, you’ll love it!” and “Get on their email list!” We made it a family trip on the weekend and it was perfect! It wasn’t crowded at all and the place has such a nice feel to it.

Directions to Fullerton Arboretum: It’s right off the 57 Freeway on the Cal State Fullerton campus off Yorba Linda Blvd.  Exit the 57 and head towards State College Blvd and the university campus.  Turn left at N. Campus and make another left into the parking lot. Free parking right outside the Arboretum. (Address: 1900 Associated Road) MAP TO FULLERTON ARBORETUM

Highlights:

• It’s a low-cost trip (with a suggested donation of $3/person)
• When you walk in you are greeted by a rushing waterfall which seemed a popular spot for photos.
• Just as with any garden, there are different “rooms” for the kids to explore. Since this is an arboretum featuring . . . trees . . . there are BIG rooms.
• The kids felt like they were in a jungle, in a desert, in a redwood forest, hanging out at a lake,  living on a farm, or allowed to “touch stuff” in the Children’s Garden.
• Nature connection. Look for fruit bearing trees near the small nature center. It was fun for us to see what our food looks like as it grows. It was a mystery to figure out the names of some of the fruit. Keep an eye out for beautiful butterflies and turtles in the ponds and streams.
• There is also a museum and Heritage House on the grounds.
• Nice place to get away and just take a leisurely stroll with the kids.

Be Aware:

• There are ducks in the pond, but don’t feed them. There are signs everywhere warning not to, but we still saw families feeding the ducks. Human food isn’t good for them and can make them really sick. They get close without having to bribe them with food.
• Don’t pick the fruit or the plants. It’s for the viewing enjoyment of all.
• Bring a water bottle because it can get hot for the kids. I wish we had come earlier.
• NO playground, but the whole place is a playground for the imagination.

Checklist:

• Parking in dedicated lot outside the arboretum
• Restrooms and drinking fountains throughout
• Check the website because the hours are seasonal and fluctuate between M-Th and F-Sun on whether they are open from 8am-7pm or 8am-4:30pm.
• Also check the calendar for special events like pumpkin patch tours and haunted gardens
• You can purchase a family membership for $75/year to support the Arboretum.
• Official Fullerton Arboretum website
• GoExploreNature.com went on a scavenger hunt field trip to the Arboretum

Nearby parks:

• Craig Regional Park
• Rolling Hills Park
• Tri-City Park