Raging Waters, San Jose, California
by Gudrun Enger, of Kitchen Gadget Girl
Raging Waters San Jose
When it starts getting hot in the Bay Area, there is no better place to cool off than Raging Waters San Jose. Fortunately, during last week’s heat wave, we took our annual trip to the park and were not disappointed. Everywhere we looked, slides and water awaited us!
Raging Waters is a 23 acre water park in South San Jose, butting up against the hills. Typically a hot and dry area, it is well designed for a water park, with large open spaces and easy access around the park. During the summer, day camps from nearby Lake Cunningham Regional Park come over to enjoy the water for the day.
As you enter, head straight ahead and find a place for your stuff under the trees. Try to snag a lounge chair,
Pirate's Cove
or, if you plan to be on the slides all day, consider parking your things in a locker. You cannot bring food into the park, but I noticed folks who stepped out at lunch time to enjoy a picnic at the tables just outside the front entrance.
My favorite ride in the whole park is the Dragon’s Den - you and your partner ride down on a double tube and after a downhill slide, you end up in a big bowl, where you go round and round, until it shoots you out the bottom. The kids love Shotgun Falls, the long green slide with the big drop at the bottom. For the kids needing a little less excitement, the Pirate’s Cove is a great place to splash and climb.
Wave Pool
Safety is always a major concern at a water park, and I must say, the life guards and staff at the park did an admirable job of keeping things safe and under control. This did lead to long lines, but I felt a lot more comfortable letting my kids go off and enjoy the park without constant supervision. And all kids under 48″ are required to wear life jackets in the wave pool.
Raging Waters San Jose
2333 South White Road
San Jose , CA 95148
Phone: (408) 238-9900
Fax: (408) 270-2022
Looking for other San Jose Attractions? Check out the Winchester Mystery House!
LegoLand and SeaLife Aquarium - Family Fun in San Diego
Legoland in San Diego, CA
A big worry I often have when deciding to take our recently-turned-four-year-old twins places is whether that place will be age appropriate. Restaurants have to be scrutinized. Will there be things the kids can eat? Will the kids be engaged or bored? And that’s just for a night out on the town. When it comes to amusement parks, I’m always dubious that young kids will have much to do. Usually, amusement parks are built for the over 40-inch crowd and those with smaller children are left with whiny kids and even whinier parents. (Is whinier a word? It is now.)
But Legoland, in Carlsbad, CA (located in San Diego County) and it’s newest attraction SeaLife Aquarium, are made for younger kids. Recently I had the pleasure of a tour of the SeaLife Aquarium and LegoLand and was informed that the age range they aim to please is 2 to 12 years old. Perfect for my little ones.
Rays at LegoLand's SeaLife Aquarium
If you go to LegoLand, go early - especially in the summer. It gets mighty warm and the morning crowds are still manageable (For ways to beat the Summer crowds at LegoLand, see this post). You can also eat at the new Ocean Journey Cafe which is part of the new SeaLife Aquarium. The food is freshly made and really yummy. You can choose between smoothies, muffins, eggs & potatoes made to order, cereal, fresh fruit and a multitude of other breakfast fare. Breakfast is served from 9:00 a.m. 10:30 a.m. and make sure you get a cranberry or blueberry muffin. My wife, a true muffin connoisseur, highly recommends them.
The new SeaLife Aquarium was a lot of fun for the kids. It has interactive tide pools for the kids to touch starfish and horseshoe crabs to a large 200,000 gallon ocean display complete with sharks, rays and tropical creatures that swim amongst some pretty cool Lego displays. The LegoLand park itself has a lot of rides for kids of all ages. My kids were able to go on a mini-rollercoaster (accompanied by me and my wife, of course) and had a bunch of fun running around in Explore Village and playing with the water features that make up part of the village. Good times for a couple of four-year-olds.
Of course, vacationing in San Diego offers many things to do, but you’d be hard pressed to find something that is so uniquely catered to younger kids. And big kids like me.
The Redwoods RV Resort - Crescent City, CA
If you haven’t actually stood beside a California Redwood, you will be overwhelmed by these incredible trees. The Redwoods RV Resort is nestled into a fantastic Redwood grove, just minutes from Redwood National Park and the spectacular Northern California Coast.
We stayed here in our RV about 6 years ago, when it was named “Ramblin’ Rose RV Resort” and just returned again. The resort is under new management, and it’s obvious that they’ve spent a great deal of time and money on major renovations. The place is fantastic… much nicer than our last time here. Everything is clean and new, including the Wi-Fi and cable TV.
Sites are large, level and secluded, with lots of space, trees, and ferns between us and our neighbors. They have brand new 50-amp full-hook-up sites, with room for any size RV (ours is 43′ long, so that’s important to us). The Redwoods tower overhead, making campsites really feel like part of the forest. There is also a large, open, grassy area in the middle of the resort, making for a nice mix of forested and pastoral environments.
There are also lots of secluded, wooded tent sites, plus modern (and very luxurious) cabins with nice covered decks. Since this is an area we’d love to share with our families, the cabins would be perfect for us to host family without them having to stay on the RV or in a tent. The manager was nice enough to show us inside one.
We will definitely come back to this park any time we visit Northern California’s Redwood Forest.
Sideways Country - Los Olivos, California
This year, why not take the kids to Santa Barbara Wine Country?
Zoe and me, Los Olivos, just prior to getting my Father of The Year Award
Oh, yeah. Right. There are dozens of reasons why. (”Daddy, what’s a hangover?”) Nevertheless, when we travel northward, we always take a detour when we reach Santa Barbara. For starters, it’s a timesaver: the 101 through Santa Barbara can be one of the slowest stretches of freeway in the state. Traffic can slow to a crawl at any time, and this is never fun after one has spent two hours grinding one’s teeth in the morass of motor vehicles that is the L.A. County freeway system. But! Take the 154 north, through Los Olivos, and you may save some time. You’ll certainly get to see some pretty scenery. And believe it or not, there’s some family-friendly stuff amidst all of the wineries, though you probably won’t meet Paul Giamatti or Thomas Haden-Church.
Los Olivos and the surrounding area, of course, were the settings for the movie Sideways. Some of the best wines in the country are produced here - if you like Pinot Noir and Syrah, you’ll be in heaven. But the area is a haven for weary travelers; there’s lots of great ways to unwind before hitting the road to central and northern California. A few of my favorite stops:
Cold Spring Tavern. Near the summit of the 154, you’ll hang a left on Stagecoach Road (blink and you’ll miss it). Cold Spring Tavern is a marvel, a quaint little restaurant that looks like something out of Disney’s Frontierland. Built in 1865, it’s a great place for the kids - although you may have to explain the various animal heads mounted on the walls inside the restaurant. The food’s terrific (I highly recommend the venison sausage burger), and the place gets crowded around lunchtime.
Cachuma Lake Recreation Area. A few miles before Los Olivos, you’ll pass the Cachuma Lake recreation area. It’s a great place to picnic, stretch your legs (and your dog’s - dogs are allowed on a leash), even go for a dip in the lake. If you didn’t pack your own lunch, the park’s Family Fun Center has a general store and grill.
Los Olivos. Again, blink and you’ll drive right past the town. While the town does boast its share of wine tasting rooms (my in-town favorites: Andrew Murray and Consilience), there’s picnic and park space. For lunch, swing by the general store located on Grand Avenue; their tri-tip sandwiches, served on weekends and on select weekdays during the summertime, are excellent. (For non-Californians who don’t know what tri-tip is, go here.)
Homegrown Garlic stand, Los Olivos - a must for garlic lovers.
Of course, if you do find yourself here without the kids, grab yourself a guide to the local wineries (they’re available at any of the stores in Los Olivos) and try a few. The drive through the local wine country is lovely, but give yourself plenty of time as the road is a windy, two-lane blacktop and can get busy (watch for bikers, both motor and pedal) during the summer months and on weekends. Cheers!
25 Cheap Things To Do at San Diego’s Balboa Park
We love Balboa Park. It’s like Central Park, only the weather’s nice year-round and you’re much less likely to get mugged. Also, it’s bigger than Central Park and there are more museums, the best zoo in the country, and my wife and I got married there.
The Prado, Balboa Park, the very spot where my wife and I got hitched.
It’s impossible to see and do the whole park in a day, but if you’re visiting San Diego this summer, the folks who take care of the place have posted a great list of cheap and even free(!) things for you and the family to do there. Some highlights of that list are after the jump (getting married at The Prado is not among them, as Prado weddings are the opposite of cheap).
Some of the highlights of Balboa Park include:
- The museums. Most are just a few bucks, and on Tuesdays some are free.
- The Botanical Building houses a fantastic indoor garden; it’s also free.
- Buskers. There are always musicians hanging out in the park, playing anything from a sax to the pan flute to the cello. Some of ‘em are really good, and tips are optional but welcome.
- Get your Obscure Sports on; there’s lawn bowling, archery, disc golf, and a velodrome.
- Hike. The park has miles of trails.
- See a movie. The park has a great IMAX theater (prices vary), and also shows free movies during their Screen on The Green events.
Yo! Semite! Family Fun at Bass Lake, California
Bass Lake
When I was little I used to watch Bugs Bunny and when Yosemite Sam came on, I always thought his name was pronounced “Yoaz-might.” What? I’m from Connecticut, and I never went anywhere. Frankly, when I learned the proper pronunciation, my bubble burst a little. “Yoaz-might” is a cool way to say it.
Now that I live in SoCal, Yosemite National Park and its environs cropped up as a great place to meet some friends from NorCal. We packed up the family into our Ford Flex loaner and away we went to Sky Lake, a sleep-away camp for kids about an hour from the entrance to the park that opens up its facilities to families a few weekends a year. People described it to me as being like the camp in “Dirty Dancing.” That’s all you really have to tell me. I’m all about hot young dance instructors and talent shows and carrying watermelons. Also, this place charged a flat fee for our family of four, and promised three meals a day, that someone else would cook. Now THAT’S all you really have to tell me. I’m in.
Cabins at Sky Lake
The drive itself was unremarkable, taking us through California’s Central Valley and of course, Bakersfield. With two little boys we had to stop every 30 minutes, it seemed, but still, getting to the general area of our destination only took about five hours. Traffic was light on a Thursday afternoon, and we didn’t have to resort to in-flight DVD use to hypnotize the children until about 3 hours in, so I would say it was a pleasant enough drive.
Once we got into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, it was like we were on Mars. How I forget, living in the San Fernando Valley (like, totally) that there are things like trees and hills and uninhabited beauty. The higher up we climbed, the bigger the trees were. The campground sits in the woodsy hills on Bass Lake, off Highway 41, near the town of Oakhurst, which is small but home to the stores of Everywhere USA just like any other town. It’s when you turn off the main highway and onto Route 222 that you find the isolated bit of car-accessible wilderness that you seek, traveler.
A forest path beckons
Along this road that loops around Bass Lake are countless campgrounds run by California Land Management. Had we not been lucky enough to score a cabin at Sky Lake, we could have obtained a campsite at Spring Cove campground next door. Every nook and cranny of the road seemed to have a National Park campground sign at the end of the driveway. They didn’t seem to be full - we saw a few tents and several RV’s but lots of open campsites near the lake.
Besides the camping, there is the Pines Resort, several motels and cabin rentals, and private homes. The one restaurant we saw around the lake is at Miller’s Landing, a cabin resort whose eatery we visited on our first night since dining service had not yet begun. Miller’s Landing has the resort, the restaurant, an ice cream parlor, a general store stocked with camping supplies and souvenirs, and a dock with boat slips and recreational water vessel rentals. While we waited for our (pricey and not terribly fast or good) food, we walked down to take a look. Two nanoseconds later, we were covered with mosquito bites, and remembered “Hey! The bug repellent is packed in our luggage!” In the days that followed, during the few drives that we made to Miller’s or around sections of the lake, we found that the area wasn’t very crowded and it was quite pleasant.
But then again, it’s still only spring. In the summer, locals say the campgrounds are full, and the lake hosts hundreds of boaters, waterskiers, fishermen, and kids splashing around on the shore. The Sky Lake campers were doing plenty of that during our stay, and we took part as best we could with our little kids in tow. A few people, I heard tell, actually swam the entire length of the lake! I shouldn’t be surprised by that, since the demographic of the guests that weekend was made up of many seriously fit people. My husband got roped into a couple of games of Ultimate Frisbee, and while the other players considered him a ringer, he came back battered and sore each time, saying “I can’t wait to play again!”
Lakeside
And that’s really the essence of our weekend at Sky Lake: playing. There were games for the kids, crafts, tie-dye, a scavenger hunt, campfires, horseback rides where we learned that my toddler loves horses - but would dare not ride on one, a talent show, “attitude adjustment hour” for the grownups (BYOB), board games and art in the dining hall when it rained, and a volleyball court turned sand castle building yard when a hose was turned on and let loose in the sand. Parents of older children let them loose and hunkered down with beverages and good long books. I and my friend, having kids 4 and under, were more tethered to our children, lest they stray into the treacherous forest full of poison oak.
Ping pong
Campfire
Horseback riding
Plaster hand-making
The opportunity to spend time with our friends in such a serene environment was priceless. No theme parks to navigate, no freeways get us lost. Simple, down-and-dirty cabin dwelling put the kids in close quarters and allowed them to get to know each other better, these little offshoots of ourselves who don’t yet know of the ways the internet connects us.
Rocking some tunes
Watching them play together and form a friendship in real life, which is the only way they know how, reminded us of the value of simply being together and sharing experiences. The novelty of sleeping in the woods and using flashlights to light our way through the crickety darkness gave their every move a magical feel. They “whispered,” wide-eyed, about their “sleepover” and their “cabin playdate” and traded stories about space and princesses. Their mothers arranged their future marriage. They’ve been notified.
Skipping on stones
It was an idyll. There is never such an opportunity for my kids to run and play without fear of traffic or strangers back here at home. The weather was gorgeous, even the welcome thunderstorm that sent us all inside to play ping pong and foosball and gin rummy. Frankly, when I heard the “board games in the dining hall” announcement come over the camp’s loudspeaker as the rain started, that was the only moment that really felt like a scene from “Dirty Dancing.” Alas, because the toddler was taking a power nap in the cabin, I had to stay with him, lounging in my camp chair and reading my book. It was the only time in my life so far that it was okay to put Baby in the corner.
Happy, tired kids
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk: Summer fun in California
by Gudrun Enger, of Kitchen Gadget Girl
The Boardwalk
Before the summer crowds arrive, I recommend a visit to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. It had been years since my last visit and on a recent trip with my family, I remembered all the good things (and some of the bad things!) about this amusement park on the beach in Santa Cruz.
First the good - the park is located right on the beach on the west side of Santa Cruz, and because the park uses ride tickets or wrist bands, you can come and go as you would like. Want to go have a dip in the ocean before tackling the Hurricane? Or how about a round of miniature golf or laser tag? You can bring a picnic lunch, find a sandy spot to stretch out, and while the kids relax, hit the rides.
Another plus- the Giant Dipper. Built in 1924, this wooden roller coaster is a real original. Featured in several movies, including “Sting II,” “The Lost Boys,” “Dangerous Minds,” and Clint Eastwood’s “Sudden Impact,”, the Giant Dipper is an institution in Santa Cruz and at the center of the Boardwalk, defines the shape of the park.
Giant Dipper
Our other favorites at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk include the 1911 Looff Carousel (with brass ring!), loads of faire foods including hot dogs on a stick and funnel cake, and the Casino Arcade with the special area of vintage games like PacMan and Centipede.
Carousel horses
The downsides to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk? During the summer, parking can be a royal pain. The ticketing system can be expensive - each ride is 3-6 tickets, a book of tickets is $39.95. Or, an all-day wrist band costs $29.95. Check out the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk site for discounts, as well as local grocery stores who sometimes offer summertime promotions. And, since the park is open, I don’t really feel comfortable letting my kids run around on their own.
Cave Train Adventures
For good family fun, I recommend the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and for the most fun, go during the week or before summer officially starts!
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Unexpected Magic in Bakersfield, CA
We were driving back from Yosemite to Los Angeles after three days of dusty cabin camping. You know the experience: a car full of dirty laundry, hastily packed supplies, garbage, empty soda cans, exhausted parents and restless children. The trip was only 5 hours long, and we were test-roadtripping a luxuriously enormous Ford Flex, so this return journey wasn’t as awful as some of them have been in the past. Still, the 4-year-old’s frequent need to use a restroom, and the 2-year-old’s incessant cry for “Mo’ feesh!” (translation, “More goldfish!”) made for a typically nerve wracking ride.
At one point the children’s cries reached a fever pitch and we knew we had to stop and let them run around, like puppies released from a pen. Trouble was, we were driving through…Bakersfield, CA, which we had always considered a place to get through on your way to somewhere else. I’m sure it’s a lovely town, but from I-99, Bakersfield is one giant dusty truckstop. We looked for any flash of color to be found along the roadside, and pulled over where we saw a gas station and farm stand. We thought, okay a farm stand might be a good place for the kids to run around.
The Flex
Roadside stand
Little did we know we had stumbled upon a lovely little experience. Orozco’s Watermelons were out in full supply, and our children ran gleefully up and down the rows of watermelon bins. Sold by the size, I nabbed a head-shaped melon for $2, and picked up two pints of strawberries as well.
Melons, melons, melons!
I saw Orozco himself reach over to pick up our 2-year-old from one of the rows, and I thought he was going to scold us for letting the kids run around. Instead, he plopped the kid on top of the watermelons, gave him a huge slice, and beckoned for me to point and shoot:
Now what do I do?
Melons as big as your head
Sharing is caring
Sticky but happy
He ate the WHOLE THING
We spent at least 20 minutes frolicking at the watermelon stand. Back in the car, the kids were sticky but satisfied, and happily submitted to a hypnotizing DVD for the rest of the ride. Thank you, Bakersfield.
Orozco’s Watermelons: 1901 Frontage West Road, Mettler, CA 93313 (seasonal, ending June 30)
A Kid-Free Minication: The Standard Hotel, Downtown Los Angeles
Look, I love my kids. Without them, I wouldn’t be much of a dadblogger. But I’m sure most parents out there would agree with me that having a night off from parental duties is a good thing. Beth and I try to do this on a regular basis, taking “minications” to nearby fun spots and acting like our former 20-something childless couple selves. Here in San Diego, there’s plenty of places within a few hours’ drive that offer a brief respite from the kiddies. Our most recent excursion: the hipster-friendly Standard Hotel, located in downtown Los Angeles. It was Beth’s Mother’s Day present, and if you’re looking for a cool place to spend a kid-free evening, I highly recommend it.
The Standard Hotel, downtown L.A.
If you’re looking for a quiet, relaxing getaway, forget it: the Standard is all about the 24/7 life. The rooms are a bit Spartan: ours had a platform bed, a long table with two chairs, a small flatscreen TV, and a closet. Not a place you’d want to spend excessive amounts of time in.
The standard Standard hotel room.
That shot was taken through the wall of the shower, which is glass, which is another reason why you probably should leave the kids at home. They’d probably get a kick out of the toilet paper, though. I sure did.
In case you're not sure what it's for.
Like I said, we didn’t spend a whole lot of time in the room. Downtown L.A. has a lot to offer; we spent some time at the Pharmaka gallery (attending a fundraiser for Urban Compass). After that we hit the hotel’s famous Rooftop Bar, which offers some spectacular views of the L.A. skyline as well as some spectacular wait times for overpriced drinks served at the understaffed bar. To help combat the inevitable hangover, we split a grilled cheese sandwich at The Restaurant; the place was pretty busy, even at 1:00 a.m., but there wasn’t a wait and the service was fast. When we finally went up to our room, we passed the Lobby Lounge, which was still teeming with people.
We’d definitely stay there again, although I did feel a bit, ah, aged compared to most of the hotel guests. The best part? Since Beth’s parents live in the Valley, a short drive from downtown L.A., we get free babysitting. (Next on our agenda: getting the in-laws to move to Vegas.)
Exterior photo of The Standard Hotel courtesy of Hotels.com
Elizabeth Gamble Gardens, Palo Alto, California
Large oak tree in center of garden
by Gudrun Enger, of Kitchen Gadget Girl
The Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden is an historic urban estate with formal, woodland and working gardens around a 1902 Colonial Revival house. Located in Palo Alto, the Gamble Gardens is a lovely place to visit anytime of year!
Bunny sculpture
Open every day during daylight hours, Gamble Gardens offers serious and casual gardeners much inspiration. I love to start in the large open working garden, under the giant oak tree. I wind my around, through the dogwoods and along the side of the main house. In the rose garden, I love to look at all the varieties. And there is even a wisteria garden!
Garden pathways
If Tea Parties are your thing, Gamble Garden offers several throughout the year, and special holiday teas in December that fill up quickly. For Mother’s Day, they offer the option of brunch in the garden - that would make any mother feel special. Check their special events calendar for more upcoming programs.
Blooming flower
Plan Your Visit:
Hours:
Gardens: Open every day during daylight hours
Office: Open weekdays 9AM to noon
Disabled access: Yes
Admission: Free
Address and Contact Information:
1431 Waverley Street
Palo Alto, CA 94301
Tel: (650) 329-1356
Fax: (650) 329-1688