Pioneer Park ~ Ferndale

It was a nice Thursday {hooray for Summer} and the girls were ready to get out of the house as soon as we woke up {which was around 6:30 am for Mia, which means the rest of us were forced to wake up then, too}. We didn't have plans to meet our friends until 11:00, so we hit the playground at Pioneer Park a little early to take pictures.

The first thing I noticed was older playground equipment {not a bad thing, it was all safe} with lots of algae, and then I took a step and my shoes filled with pea gravel {OUCH, next time I will wear different shoes}. 

The first thing the girls noticed were the swings {they are obsessed with swings}. I spent a while pushing each girl "high up into the trees" on the swings. {"No, not like that, do it like Daddy dos it!"} It was one of those mornings, and I was glad to be outside.

There are also toddler swings on a separate swing set; plenty of swings to go around :)

The smaller of the playground's two big structures "Toddlertown" has a platform with a tube, double racing slide, dome, tic tac toe, and a mirror {looks like kids had ruined the mirror by either throwing rocks or shooting it with a BB gun, however}. 

The bigger structure has three slides {including a fun corkscrew slide}, fire pole, stairs, climbing structure and bridge. It is small enough for toddlers to enjoy, as well.

Besides the swings, there is also stand alone monkey bar ring things {not quite monkey bars, but not quite rings either because they are stationary}. The bars are pretty high, too high for me to even help my kids use them. I'm a little vertically challenged, though {it's OK, Mia tells me every so often that I'll be taller when I grow up}.

There is also a structure to stand on and bounce {I have no idea what these are called}.

Once our friends arrived, and after we had all eaten a picnic lunch at the picnic tables, we decided to check out the log cabins {actual homes built by early settlers of Whatcom County} at the park. There was a sprinkler going near the entrance, and that frightened the girls until they realized they could walk around it. The general store was the only building we could enter {and buy ice cream bars, souvenirs, and thrift store items among other things}. We had plenty of fun looking around outside at the cabins and buildings.

Addy spied a broom on one of the porches and exclaimed {in a VERY dramatic fashion, if you can't tell by the photo}, "Mama, a Witch must live here!" Upon hearing this, Mia scurried down the stairs.

The kids tried to break into the buildings each and every door. They are lucky they didn't end up in jail!

I love buildings with faces!


We didn't need to use the potty {surprisingly}, but there is one.


Check out the Ferndale Heritage Society's website for pricing and contact information if you want to schedule a tour of the cabins. There are activities at the park throughout the year, including the Old Settlers Picnic, Spring Fashion Show, Pioneer Swap Meet, Fall Dinner Theater, and Olde Fashioned Christmas.  The park is also the temporary home of the Ferndale Library. Check out the WCLS website for a calendar of events. We will be checking out some of the activities this Fall, for sure!

:) Jen

Elizabeth Park ~ Bellingham

I had driven past Elizabeth Park a few times, and had always wanted to check it out. We decided a warm afternoon would be the perfect time to go, since most of the park is in the shade. Chris had the day off, so it was a family adventure!

We parked near the playground and quickly realized that the curb was really high, so we had a hard time opening the passenger doors of the Honda.  Once we made it out without harming the car, we started toward the playground. Wow, this playground is huge!

  

The large play structure has different levels, and is suitable for kids of all ages {and their parents}.  It has a large, wide platform, with many ways to climb up. There five slides!!  Chris chased the girls up and down the slides {even the tube ones} and had just as much fun as the girls! 

 

This playground also features a steering wheel, monkey bars, a fire pole, rings, glider & much more.  

There are 2 springy toys, the whale one was broken {Chris said it needed some grease}.

We also saw some squirrels run through the playground and up one of the park's ginormous trees!

The playground is also home to swings. There are 2 big kid swings and two baby swings. We love finding playgrounds with swings. {The girls are obsessed with swings}.

  

Once we managed to pry the girls from the playground, we strolled through the middle of the park.  We noticed that the playground is next to tennis courts, and is also near a cement basketball court. We discovered a large gazebo {which can be rented} and gorgeous fountain, surrounded by benches {I would love to come here with a good book}.  

Elizabeth Park also has restrooms, with no soap. Outside the restrooms is a {broken} drinking fountain.

I am in love with this park! It had a nice atmosphere and the girls {and Chris} had a lot of fun on the playground. Next time, we are definitely bringing a blanket and picnic lunch.  I also discovered that this park is part of the {free} Concerts in the Parks series!

:) Jen

Lake Padden ~ Bellingham

We arrived at Lake Padden at 11:00 am on a nice Thursday to find an almost empty parking lot! There are a two entrances, we used the first since we were planning on walking most of the 2.6 mile loop around the lake before hitting the playground for a picnic lunch {so basically, we bribed the girls with the playground... hey, whatever works}. We met Jen and Natalie on the path near the parking lot, ready to begin our adventure.

If you plan on walking around the lake, I really recommend heading counter-clockwise around the lake, unless you enjoy physical torture, or do not have a stroller {or in my case a double stroller with 70+ pounds of kids in it}. Luckily, Jen knew which way to go {seriously, she's my hero for that}. I didn't take the time to snap any pictures on the trail because I was pushing the stroller {and my camera is not the best}. It is gorgeous and you will have to see it for yourself ;) Most of the trail is through the woods with trees and ferns all around, and {of course} the lake in the middle. It is mostly shaded, so may be on the colder side if it's not as nice out. There are a few steep spots, so I wouldn't let my girls stray out of sight.

The path has a few offshoots, which I believe are trail heads {one sign had a horse on it} but we stayed on the main trail that loops around the lake. The path is cement in parts, but mostly gravel/rock and dirt. Jen told me that it gets muddy after it rains. Our 2 strollers fit side-by-side, with room for one more. We encountered quite a few dog-walkers and joggers, as well as other parents with strollers. Some of the dogs were off-leash, and there is a dog park nearby, but we didn't have any issues {Mia is afraid of dogs... when she feels like it}.

When you come out of the trees and stroll by a softball field and some bathrooms, you know you are getting close to the playground! There are some nice views of the lake at this point, as well. The girls were beyond excited at this point, and took off running toward the playground! The playground is one large area covered with cedar. It is home to two play structures, a ride-on springy type toy, and swings {yay} with two baby and two regular swings. There is also a basketball hoop nearby.

Of course, soon, it was time to find a potty. Instead of walking back to the one we had seen before the ball field, we found a closer one, past a picnic shelter further ahead on the trail. The bathrooms are what you would expect, all cement and metal, with no soap {basically ones that can be hosed down to clean}. Luckily, this time, I remembered to bring the hand sanitizer.

We found a picnic table nearby and had a nice lunch next to the lake. We noticed two picnic shelters, a number of benches and other tables around the lake. While eating, there was one duck that came really close {no, we didn't feed it} and the girls had fun "quacking" at it and its entire family. We watched a jogger toss {literally} their dog in the lake for a swim and another person fishing. It was a nice way to spend our afternoon!

The girls played for a while before a family of older boys started taking over the playground and scaring off the younger kids. Luckily, they did not stay very long. The girls mainly played on the larger structure's corkscrew slide and green tube with holes in it, meant for climbing {I think}, but Mia kept sliding down it {because the boys kept sliding up the slide, I'm sure}. There were also some monkey bars, and a few platforms to play on.

The smaller structure was largely ignored by the girls, except to slide down once. I would say it is for really little ones, maybe for under age 2. It has a ramp, slide, and platform section. I didn't see many kids playing on it.  There was evidence that some older kids had taken chalk and played a few games of tic-tac-toe on the side of it, however {at least, I think it was chalk}.

There is a lot to do at this park! Bring a picnic blanket along for a lunch in the many grassy areas, a ball to kick, bounce or hit, or a book to read. We saw quite a few people sunbathing. On the trail around the lake there are some more secluded spots along the outer edges, a small dock, and even raised fire pits if you feel like barbecuing. You can also camp here, boat, golf, and swim!

By the time we left the park, it was almost 2:00 pm, and there were barely any parking spots left {mid-summer, mid-week}. The park did not feel crowded at all during our outing, and we had a nice time! We will definitely return.

The park is open from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm. For more information, check out the City of Bellingham's website.

:) Jen

Bay Horizon Park Playground ~ Birch Bay

We had already made plans with our friends, Jen and Natalie, to walk to Bay Horizon Park to let the girls play on the playground, so it was especially nice that summer decided to return to us for the day! We headed over on the gravel path from our housing development, and were greeted by a few blackberry bushes that had taken advantage of our recent rain. We managed to get through without anyone getting pricked, though we may bring clippers next time.

This park, at first glance, looks very interesting. There are two separate play structures that are each in the center of a circle that is filled with cedar and surrounded by concrete. One is for younger kids ages 2-5, the other is for ages 5-12 years. There are concrete ramps leading into each playground, but no direct path from one to the other. I really have to watch the girls as they run from one structure to the other, since there is a bit of a lip from the cedar shavings up the the cement. Both have taken spills here that have resulted in scraped knees. 

Of course, my girls (ages 3 and 4 3/4) seem to gravitate toward the playground for the older kids. This playground is not your usual playground. The slide on the bigger kids' playground does not have sides. Kids are supposed to wrap their legs around the sides and hold on with their hands. There is also a web-like rope section that the girls take turns pretending to be spiders on. Behind that, there are suspended circles, monkey bars and metal sections that spin. Though they don't have the coordination for all of the activities, the girls seem to have fun!

 

The little kids playground has equally fun things for smaller kids to do. There is a tire-swing looking thing that does not spin, as it is attached at the top and bottom. The girls will stand on it and shake it or pretend it is a fire pit. They lose interest in this pretty quickly. There are also some metal chimes, drums, a metal bar for hanging and a section with stairs that kids can walk around and around, up and down on. This play structure is usually ignored by my four-year-old, but my three-year-old seems to enjoy it.

There are a few picnic tables and benches at the park, but no garbage can, so be prepared to take your trash with you. The playground has a fence around it, and some grass, but not enough to kick a ball around or anything.  It would be a nice spot for a picnic lunch.

There is a port-a-potty located in the corner of the parking lot. It is a bigger one so you can pull in a stroller if needed. It also houses some spiders and other bugs, so be prepared for that. When we went, the current date was filled in on the inspection chart, but the hand sanitizer was empty. Nevertheless, it is always nice to have a potty available! 

There is also a newly revamped gym/activity center that is supposed to be open for open gym on Wednesdays from 4:30-8:30 starting August 10, 2011. The parks department will be holding other activities in the gym, as well. I can't wait to check it out!

Bay Horizon Park, Blaine's former Air Force Station, is located on Gemini Street. It is also home to Birch Bay Hostel & Guesthouse and Lions Camp Horizon!