Ponies and Longhorns and Piggies Oh My!

Looking for some hands on animal fun in San Diego? Head down to Ponyland where they have a variety of animals you can ride and interact with. Parker along the main road and head in for some animal fun! There are ponies (obviously), a longhorn we couldn't stop staring at, lots of goats, alpacas, pigs, and tortoises. All the animals were very friendly, especially the baby goats. We went on a weekend and there were maybe 5 other families there with small childen. The website says there is a 15 min limit for the petting zoo but we were there longer than that and no one tried to rush us out. I hope you go check out this fun spot that is just minutes from downtown San Diego. Please report back if you do! 

Ponyland San Diego

2606 Hollister Street

San Diego, CA 92154

619-947-3152

[So much fun!]

[$5 for three laps on the pony track]

[We were too scared to pet this alpaca]

[Goat trying to eat Parker's clothes]

[Parker: Maybe dad won't notice if we take this one home.]

Take a Hike at the Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve

The Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve encompasses 4,000 acres between Rancho Penasquitos, Sorrento Hills and Mira Mesa. In less than 10 minutes, I can get from our house to a preserve that includes a waterfall, a babbling stream full of frogs, fish and crayfish, giant sycamores and oaks and so much more. How rad is that? Parker and I recently went on a short hike to explore the preserve and it did not disappoint. When we arrived, the ranger informed told us to watch our for rattlesnakes and rattlesnake babies which look like small sticks. Apparently, they are breeding right now. Yikes! We spent most of our time hiking along the Streamside Trail which was shaded by oak and sycamore trees. We hiked for a couple of hours and covered about 2.5 miles before Parker started getting tired. I hope the photos below inspire you to get out and explore this wonderful urban gem.  

Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve

12020 Black Mountain Road

San Diego, CA 92129

Parking $3

https://www.sandiego.gov/park-and-recreation/parks/osp/lospenasquitos

Mom tips:

-Bathrooms are limited once you get passed the entrance. There are only porta potties.

-The trail is stroller and dog friendly.

-Closed-toed shoes are recommended. 

[A solo fence lizard soaking in the morning sun.]

[Into the wild.]

[Anyone in there?]

[Blooms along the Cactus Trail]

[Can you see me, Mom? I'm camouflaged.]

[The elusive crayfish. Easy to spot and hard to catch.]

[Mom. Mom. Mom. I have a great idea. If I sit right here with the net, the fish will swim right in.]

[Our great catch of the day was a California Toad. We put him in the critter keeper for observation.]

[Streamside afternoon snack with Mr. Toad.]

Discover & Taste the Sweetness of Spring at the Carlsbad Strawberry Company

Visiting the Carlsbad Strawberry Company has become a tradition in our family. We really enjoy visiting the fields and filling up our buckets with sweet, red berries. Now that we are growing strawberries in our raised garden bed at home, I have an even greater appreciation for the time and effort it takes to grow these beautiful strawberries. This year's visit was a little windy and overcast which was perfect for berry picking. We spent about an hour wandering through the rows of berries and teaching Parker the proper way select and pick the berries (no long stems). The field was more crowded than I remember it being in years past but there were plenty of strawberries to pick and space for everyone to spread out. If you have never visited the strawberry fields, check out my mom tips below. Happy Spring! 

Carlsbad Strawberry Company
Canon Road, 1 block east of Interstate 5
Open 9 AM - 5:30 PM daily
http://www.carlsbadstrawberrycompany.com/

Mom tips: 

-Cost $20 for a large bucket and 2 admission tickets.

-Don't forget to apply sunblock and wear a hat. 

-Backpacks, bags, purses are NOT allowed in the fields. 

-Wear close-toed shoes or galoshes.

-The fields can be muddy. Pack an extra pair of shoes to change into after you are done picking.

[If you want the berries but don't want to put in the work, there are flats for sale at the stand.]

[Parker was so excited to start picking be practically ran all the way to the field with his bucket.]

[Showing off a BIG one.]

Outpost Summer Camp Recap

It seems fitting that I am posting pictures from Parker's time at Outpost Summer Camp on the last day of August. Summer is OVAH and I am ecstatic. Summer is great and all but I love Fall with all it's pumpkin-everything goodness and sweater weather. Let's give summer on last hurrah by enjoying these pictures of Parker from his first summer camp experience.

I'm not going to lie, summer camp caused a little anxiety for me. This was the first time Parker would be eating on his own and I was really worried. Turns out I had nothing to worry about and he had THE BEST time running around with his little camp friends and his counselor Miss Kelsey. 

One of my favorite things about Outpost is that they have an app where they post pictures of what the kids did throughout the day. All of the photos in this post are from the app. I loved being able to see the pictures and then hearing stories from Parker about the crafts projects that he worked on, looking for lizard eggs and making mud pies. The app also sent reminders about special events like sports day and tie dye day. It was very convenient!

[Parker and Kaden in their Soccer Shots jerseys for Sports Day]

[Superhero day!]

Parker had a great time at camp and the Merrell sandal tan to prove it. We will definitely be signing him up for camp again next summer!