One of San Diego's newest parks, 4S Ranch Sports Park, has a slew of baseball/softball fields, soccer/multipurpose fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, and a roller-hockey rink. The 25-acre park also has playgrounds, picnic areas, and grassy space for the kids to run around on.

To reserve a field or court, call 858.673.3900 or drop by the recreation office. Picnic or gazebo reservations are made by calling 858.565.3600.

One of San Diego's newest parks, 4S Ranch Sports Park, has a slew of baseball/softball fields, soccer/multipurpose fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, and a roller-hockey rink. The 25-acre park also has playgrounds, picnic areas, and grassy space for the kids to run around on.

To reserve a field or court, call 858.673.3900 or drop by the recreation office. Picnic or gazebo reservations are made by calling 858.565.3600.

One of San Diego's newest parks, 4S Ranch Sports Park, has a slew of baseball/softball fields, soccer/multipurpose fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, and a roller-hockey rink. The 25-acre park also has playgrounds, picnic areas, and grassy space for the kids to run around on.

To reserve a field or court, call 858.673.3900 or drop by the recreation office. Picnic or gazebo reservations are made by calling 858.565.3600.

One of San Diego's newest parks, 4S Ranch Sports Park, has a slew of baseball/softball fields, soccer/multipurpose fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, and a roller-hockey rink. The 25-acre park also has playgrounds, picnic areas, and grassy space for the kids to run around on.

To reserve a field or court, call 858.673.3900 or drop by the recreation office. Picnic or gazebo reservations are made by calling 858.565.3600.

One of San Diego's newest parks, 4S Ranch Sports Park, has a slew of baseball/softball fields, soccer/multipurpose fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, and a roller-hockey rink. The 25-acre park also has playgrounds, picnic areas, and grassy space for the kids to run around on.

To reserve a field or court, call 858.673.3900 or drop by the recreation office. Picnic or gazebo reservations are made by calling 858.565.3600.

One of San Diego's newest parks, 4S Ranch Sports Park, has a slew of baseball/softball fields, soccer/multipurpose fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, and a roller-hockey rink. The 25-acre park also has playgrounds, picnic areas, and grassy space for the kids to run around on.

To reserve a field or court, call 858.673.3900 or drop by the recreation office. Picnic or gazebo reservations are made by calling 858.565.3600.

One of San Diego's newest parks, 4S Ranch Sports Park, has a slew of baseball/softball fields, soccer/multipurpose fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, and a roller-hockey rink. The 25-acre park also has playgrounds, picnic areas, and grassy space for the kids to run around on.

To reserve a field or court, call 858.673.3900 or drop by the recreation office. Picnic or gazebo reservations are made by calling 858.565.3600.

One of San Diego's newest parks, 4S Ranch Sports Park, has a slew of baseball/softball fields, soccer/multipurpose fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, and a roller-hockey rink. The 25-acre park also has playgrounds, picnic areas, and grassy space for the kids to run around on.

To reserve a field or court, call 858.673.3900 or drop by the recreation office. Picnic or gazebo reservations are made by calling 858.565.3600.

One of San Diego's newest parks, 4S Ranch Sports Park, has a slew of baseball/softball fields, soccer/multipurpose fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, and a roller-hockey rink. The 25-acre park also has playgrounds, picnic areas, and grassy space for the kids to run around on.

To reserve a field or court, call 858.673.3900 or drop by the recreation office. Picnic or gazebo reservations are made by calling 858.565.3600.

Two naturally fed pools provide different ways of enjoying the Agua Caliente County Regional Park's mineral water: a large outdoor pool is a natural 90 degrees, and an indoor therapeutic spa is heated to 102 degrees and outfitted with Jacuzzi jets. Many of the 140 campsites have full or partial hookups, and spring-fed warm showers are available. A caravan area can accommodate large groups. A small picnic area is perfect for day users.

Hiking trails, horseshoe pits, shuffleboard courts, and a children's play area offer visitors plenty to do in the 910-acre park, which is open from Labor Day to Memorial Day. Surrounding Agua Caliente is Anza Borrego Desert State Park, the largest state park in the country. It provides additional adventures for visitors who come to explore San Diego's marvel-filled desert.

A large recreation center with a playground, playing fields, community center and a pool. The pool offers swimming lessons, youth water polo, and recreational swim. Hours for family swim are subject to change, so call before you go.

Parties: You can rent the pool for both parties and family gatherings. Call the Center for lesson, party, and polo particulars.

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is the largest desert state park in the contiguous United States. Five hundred miles of dirt roads, two huge wilderness areas (comprising 2/3 of the park) and 110 miles of riding and hiking trails provide visitors with an unparalleled opportunity to experience the wonders of the Colorado Desert. The park name is derived from a combination of the name of Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza and the Spanish word "borrego," referring to bighorn sheep. The park features washes, wildflowers, palm groves, cacti and sweeping vistas. Visitors may also have the chance to see roadrunners, golden eagles, kit foxes, mule deer and bighorn sheep as well as desert iguanas, chuckwallas and four species of rattlesnake.

There are two developed campgrounds in Anza-Borrego, at Borrego Palm Canyon and Tamarisk Grove. Reservations may be made by calling Reserve America at 800.444.7275. There is also a small campground at Bow Willow and, for those wishing to camp with horses, an equestrian camp located at the mouth of Coyote Canyon. Elsewhere in the park, backcountry camping is permitted with the purchase of a $5 daily Park Use Permit. Ask park staff about the rules for backcountry camping.

Attachment Parenting Support Groups encourage parents to "tune in" to their babies by carrying, breastfeeding, and sharing sleep. Monthly meetings and playgroups are available in North County, Central San Diego, and East County.

Aztec Park, almost four acres in size, features a tot lot, picnic tables, barbecues, an open turfed play area, and rest rooms. Only street parking is available.

Aztec Park, almost four acres in size, features a tot lot, picnic tables, barbecues, an open turfed play area, and rest rooms. Only street parking is available.

Aztec Park, almost four acres in size, features a tot lot, picnic tables, barbecues, an open turfed play area, and rest rooms. Only street parking is available.

Aztec Park, almost four acres in size, features a tot lot, picnic tables, barbecues, an open turfed play area, and rest rooms. Only street parking is available.

San Diego owes a debt of gratitude to Kate Sessions, a nature lover and professional horticulturist with a vision for a barren parcel of land, now Balboa Park. Encompassing 1,200 acres in the heart of the city, Balboa Park was the site of the 1915 Panama-California Exposition and the California Pacific International Expo of 1935. Many of the buildings constructed for those events now house the city's museums and cultural centers; the 1915 Expo's Spanish-Colonial style California Tower is arguably the most visible symbol of San Diego.

Balboa Park offers a multitude of activities for families, in addition to its 15 museums. Make your first stop the Visitors Center; staff can provide information about the day's events and can tailor an itinerary for your family.

You can reach for the brass ring on an antique carousel located next to the entrance of the San Diego Zoo, then ride a mini-train through a grove of eucalyptus and pepper trees. Or cross a wooden footbridge and explore the rain forest-like Palm Canyon, the entrance of which is just opposite the Organ Pavilion.

A visit to the Balboa Park Puppet Theater transports kids through time to their favorite fairy tales and adventures.

On Sundays, visitors can enjoy a free concert at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion then amble over to the House of Pacific Relations International Cottages for a cultural fair with food and music.

Balboa Park is also home to two golf courses, and the nine-hole three-par is perfect for beginners.

Picnic spots: Some of our favorites include the lawn in front of the Botanical Building, which overlooks a sweeping rectangular Lily Pond. Or the lawn near the tranquil Alcazar Gardens, where you can enjoy a bag lunch on stone benches while listening to the trickling of ancient tiled Spanish fountains. You can also spread a blanket under the huge shady oak tree opposite the Spanish Village, or on the lawns near the Aerospace Museum.

Tours: A Balboa Park Ranger will meet you in front of the Visitor's Center at 1pm each Sunday and Tuesday to lead one-hour interpretive walks through the Park. This may be okay for children in strollers or those age eight and older, but it may be too much walking and information for those in between.

Audio tours are also available from the Visitors Center for a nominal fee (adults $5, seniors and military $4, and children $3).

Parties: You'll find two large open green spaces with playgrounds and picnic tables at opposite ends of the park. Either of these make for great picnic or party locations. One is Balboa Park West located between 6th Ave and Balboa Drive at the end of Quince Avenue; the other is Pepper Grove Park, off Park Drive near the Centro Cultural de la Raza.

Getting around: A free tram operated by the City Parks and Recreation Department runs from the easternmost parking lot at the intersection of Park Drive and President's Way through the Pan American Plaza area, to all the museums on El Prado, and across the Cabrillo Bridge to Balboa Park West. We recommend it highly, especially on Free Tuesdays.

Passport to Balboa Park: A Passport provides admission to 13 museums/attractions during a one-week period, and is the most cost-effective way to see a majority of the remarkable museums. Packages range in price from $35-$59 for adults and $19-$33 for children; the price varies depending on if the Zoo is included or not. Passports can be purchased at the Visitor's Information Center located in the center of park at the House of Hospitality.

Free Museum Admission: Each Tuesday, the Park offers free admission to alternating museums. Please note that some of the museums are only free to San Diego County residents, active military, and students attending a San Diego County school or university. These museums are San Diego Natural History Museum, San Diego Model Railroad Museum, Japanese Friendship Garden, San Diego Hall of Champions Sports Museum, San Diego Aerospace Museum, and
San Diego Automotive Museum.

The monthly Free Tuesday schedule is as follows:

First Tuesdays:

San Diego Model Railroad Museum

San Diego Natural History Museum

Reuben H. Fleet Science Center

Second Tuesdays:

Museum of Photographic Arts

San Diego Hall of Champions Sports Museum

San Diego Historical Society and Research Archives

Third Tuesdays:

San Diego Museum of Art

San Diego Museum of Man

Japanese Friendship Garden

Mingei International Museum

Fourth Tuesdays:

San Diego Aerospace Museum

San Diego Automotive Museum

House of Pacific Relations International Cottages

The Batiquitos Lagoon is one of the few remaining coastal wetlands, and is located between Carlsbad and Encinitas. The preserve includes more than three miles of nature trails along the north shore and a nature center located a short walk from the road.

Highly informative docent-led tours are held periodically, as are special events. A detailed schedule of events and tours is on the Batiquitos Lagoon Foundation website.

The Batiquitos Lagoon is one of the few remaining coastal wetlands, and is located between Carlsbad and Encinitas. The preserve includes more than three miles of nature trails along the north shore and a nature center located a short walk from the road.

Highly informative docent-led tours are held periodically, as are special events. A detailed schedule of events and tours is on the Batiquitos Lagoon Foundation website.

Bikes and Beyond is conveniently located in the Ferry Landing Marketplace in Coronado. There you will find not only the standard bicycles for rental but large, surrey-on-top four person pedalers with an extra jump seat in the front for smaller riders. It's a great way to explore the island.

In-line skates and kites may also be rented.

Blue Sky Reserve is just minutes from downtown Poway and seems like a world away from the city. Park and enter the country of Blue Sky Reserve; 700 acres of oak-lined canyons, hills, and two year-round streams allow vistors to experience nature in all its splendor.

Trails are wide and free of brush and dirt bikes, making it a great first hike for little ones. Make sure to have everyone stay on the trails to avoid the plentiful poison oak growing alongside the coastal sage brush and amazing wildflowers that abound year-round.

Wildlife at Blue Sky includes quails, owls, vultures, lizards, kestrels, and much more. In consideration of these inhabitants, only leashed dogs are allowed and they (like their owners) must stay on the trails.

On Saturday and Sundays, free easy-paced walks are led by docents who talk knowledgeably about the wildlife and plants of the preserve.

On the first Saturday and third Sunday of each month, from 8:30am-11am, Discovery Tables are set up a short walk from the entrance. On the tables are items that might be found in the preserve, including skins, skulls, and tracks - and docents are more than happy to talk to families about the items.

Several evening programs, designed with families in mind, are held throughout the year, including Insects at Night, Hoot, Howl and Prowl, Stargazing, and a variety of wildlife presentations in the neighboring Lake Poway campground. Advance reservations are required for all programs and made by phone or email.

Blue Sky Reserve is just minutes from downtown Poway and seems like a world away from the city. Park and enter the country of Blue Sky Reserve; 700 acres of oak-lined canyons, hills, and two year-round streams allow vistors to experience nature in all its splendor.

Trails are wide and free of brush and dirt bikes, making it a great first hike for little ones. Make sure to have everyone stay on the trails to avoid the plentiful poison oak growing alongside the coastal sage brush and amazing wildflowers that abound year-round.

Wildlife at Blue Sky includes quails, owls, vultures, lizards, kestrels, and much more. In consideration of these inhabitants, only leashed dogs are allowed and they (like their owners) must stay on the trails.

On Saturday and Sundays, free easy-paced walks are led by docents who talk knowledgeably about the wildlife and plants of the preserve.

On the first Saturday and third Sunday of each month, from 8:30am-11am, Discovery Tables are set up a short walk from the entrance. On the tables are items that might be found in the preserve, including skins, skulls, and tracks - and docents are more than happy to talk to families about the items.

Several evening programs, designed with families in mind, are held throughout the year, including Insects at Night, Hoot, Howl and Prowl, Stargazing, and a variety of wildlife presentations in the neighboring Lake Poway campground. Advance reservations are required for all programs and made by phone or email.

Blue Sky Reserve is just minutes from downtown Poway and seems like a world away from the city. Park and enter the country of Blue Sky Reserve; 700 acres of oak-lined canyons, hills, and two year-round streams allow vistors to experience nature in all its splendor.

Trails are wide and free of brush and dirt bikes, making it a great first hike for little ones. Make sure to have everyone stay on the trails to avoid the plentiful poison oak growing alongside the coastal sage brush and amazing wildflowers that abound year-round.

Wildlife at Blue Sky includes quails, owls, vultures, lizards, kestrels, and much more. In consideration of these inhabitants, only leashed dogs are allowed and they (like their owners) must stay on the trails.

On Saturday and Sundays, free easy-paced walks are led by docents who talk knowledgeably about the wildlife and plants of the preserve.

On the first Saturday and third Sunday of each month, from 8:30am-11am, Discovery Tables are set up a short walk from the entrance. On the tables are items that might be found in the preserve, including skins, skulls, and tracks - and docents are more than happy to talk to families about the items.

Several evening programs, designed with families in mind, are held throughout the year, including Insects at Night, Hoot, Howl and Prowl, Stargazing, and a variety of wildlife presentations in the neighboring Lake Poway campground. Advance reservations are required for all programs and made by phone or email.

Bradley Park features picnic areas and a decent-sized playground.

The 85-acre Brengle Terrace Park is considered the most extensive and complete community park in Vista. Aside from traditional playground for both older and younger children, it has tennis courts, volleyball courts, lighted ball and multi-purpose fields, basketball courts, bocce lawn, and horseshoe pits - a gymnasium, recreation center, auditorium, and the Moonlight Amphitheatre.

The facilities - including the recreation center - are available for rental.

Briercrest Park provides the physically challenged with an outdoor place to explore and participate in outdoor recreation. The three-acre sensory park is designed with plants and objects that highlight the fragrance, sound, textures, and wildlife found in nature - including an herbal fragrance garden. The facilities include tables, benches, restrooms, children's swings, and climbing structures. Only street parking is available.

Briercrest Park provides the physically challenged with an outdoor place to explore and participate in outdoor recreation. The three-acre sensory park is designed with plants and objects that highlight the fragrance, sound, textures, and wildlife found in nature - including an herbal fragrance garden. The facilities include tables, benches, restrooms, children's swings, and climbing structures. Only street parking is available.

Briercrest Park provides the physically challenged with an outdoor place to explore and participate in outdoor recreation. The three-acre sensory park is designed with plants and objects that highlight the fragrance, sound, textures, and wildlife found in nature - including an herbal fragrance garden. The facilities include tables, benches, restrooms, children's swings, and climbing structures. Only street parking is available.

Briercrest Park provides the physically challenged with an outdoor place to explore and participate in outdoor recreation. The three-acre sensory park is designed with plants and objects that highlight the fragrance, sound, textures, and wildlife found in nature - including an herbal fragrance garden. The facilities include tables, benches, restrooms, children's swings, and climbing structures. Only street parking is available.

Buccaneer Beach, a family beach located along the Oceanside waterfront, is relatively uncrowded. Lifeguards, restrooms with showers, a snack bar, and parking are available. A grassy area nearby is supplied with barbecue grills and picnic tables.

Located at Morley Field, the pool offers swimming lessons, youth water polo, and recreational swim. Hours for family swim are subject to change, so call before you go.

The Buena Vista Lagoon is a charming fresh water ecological reserve which straddles the Oceanside-Carlsbad city line. The only fresh-water lagoon in the state of California, it is home to dozens of varieties of migrant and resident waterfowl, and is the site of the Buena Vista Audubon Society, which operates a small but fascinating Nature Center on the edge of the lagoon.

The Nature Center displays one of the finest collections of of taxidermied animals and birds in San Diego county. Kids will be enthralled by displays of insects collected by the resident "Bug Man," and will love to touch and feel the bones, feathers, and nests on the activity table, not to mention the live tarantula.

Besides looking at the exhibits, you'll want to explore the surroundings and discover the many varieties of local plants, animals, and birds for yourself. There are two trails near the Nature Center with lots of interesting views of the lagoon inhabitants. Picnic facilities are available if you choose to make a day of it.

The Nature Center offers tours of the area by reservation, or you are welcome to join a tour if you just happen to come by while one is being given.

Summer camps at the Nature Center tap kids into nature with activities that include docent-led nature talks and lagoon walks, and a variety of artistic endeavors.

The Buena Vista Lagoon is a charming fresh water ecological reserve which straddles the Oceanside-Carlsbad city line. The only fresh-water lagoon in the state of California, it is home to dozens of varieties of migrant and resident waterfowl, and is the site of the Buena Vista Audubon Society, which operates a small but fascinating Nature Center on the edge of the lagoon.

The Nature Center displays one of the finest collections of of taxidermied animals and birds in San Diego county. Kids will be enthralled by displays of insects collected by the resident "Bug Man," and will love to touch and feel the bones, feathers, and nests on the activity table, not to mention the live tarantula.

Besides looking at the exhibits, you'll want to explore the surroundings and discover the many varieties of local plants, animals, and birds for yourself. There are two trails near the Nature Center with lots of interesting views of the lagoon inhabitants. Picnic facilities are available if you choose to make a day of it.

The Nature Center offers tours of the area by reservation, or you are welcome to join a tour if you just happen to come by while one is being given.

Summer camps at the Nature Center tap kids into nature with activities that include docent-led nature talks and lagoon walks, and a variety of artistic endeavors.

The Buena Vista Lagoon is a charming fresh water ecological reserve which straddles the Oceanside-Carlsbad city line. The only fresh-water lagoon in the state of California, it is home to dozens of varieties of migrant and resident waterfowl, and is the site of the Buena Vista Audubon Society, which operates a small but fascinating Nature Center on th