Back in the mid-80's, my younger brother and I had a bit of cabin fever, and decided to walk from…read moreour grandparents' central Watsonville home, up to Mount Madonna park. We made it about 2/3rds of the way up the winding, two lane road before a passing motorist stopped for us. The driver told us to pile into the bed of his pickup truck, then shortly after dropped us off at the park. My brother and I briefly explored the park, but dusk was approaching. Back in the days when there were public pay phones aplenty, we used a dime (or perhaps a quarter) to telephone our grandparents to ask for a car ride back down the mountain. In our youthful minds, it was just a little adventure, but our grandparents spoke of it for years afterwards.

On a warm Sat at the end of Feb, I hiked with 2 friends on an 8 miles, 700 ft elevation gain,…read moreSprig, Merry-Go-Round, and Tan Oak Loop. Paid $6, parked at the Amphitheater at 9am. Headed over to the ruins of Miller's Mansion. The forest grove sure was pretty and tranquil. The lake was nice but far away. Saw some benches carved out of huge logs, very cute. Too bad we missed the white deer pen. We completed the hike exactly at noon, 3 hours hike.

I had a very good experience at the park. Leashed dogs are allowed on trails which can be rare in…read moreso many parks in this area. So it was great to be able to have my dogs along. However, be very careful because there are lots and lots of poison oak. So make sure that you stay on the trail with your dog and away from those bushes. It was also a great workout, because the trails are all going uphill, so they are great for giving your heart going. Free parking and there is a bathroom. Remember to bring your dog poo poo bags until dispose of them properly. The road to get to the park right after you turn from the main highway is very narrow at some point and you have to drive very slowly. Just be slow and careful and you will be fine, it was a bit intimidating at first, but it is a very short amount of time in which you drive from the very narrow section before you get to the park. Also remember to make your reservation on their website ahead of time. Although the parking is free, you are required to register.

Great hike, I was able to hike the entire area in about 2h30min. There's lots of different trails…read morethat you can take based on your hiking experience. Very peaceful and not crowded (I went on a Saturday morning). Plenty of parking spaces.

We stumbled upon this park after having to turn around from Uvas Canyon County Reserve for not…read moreknowing to reserve a spot ahead of time. The hike was about less than 30m around the reservoir; it was beautiful, and we got to see plenty of wild flowers and cherry blossom. There are plenty of parking spaces and some picnic benches. Pics were from Feb, so I'm not sure you still can see the wild flowers now. Overall, it's a very pleasant hike.

Took the scenic route today and came across the Uvas Reservoir. The water line was low however it's…read morea nice place to fish, picnic, or go for a hike. It was very calming and relaxing to be among the trees. I saw lots of bicyclists ‍ riding down the hill, taking in the breeze.

Very efficient and friendly staff. As with most chiropractic appointments this will take several…read morevisits. But am confident it will all work out well.

It's tiny but manages to pack some interesting history into a short trip…read more If you spend time reading every single sign and walking the short easy path (most of which have stair or ramp options) you may be here 45 minutes at the most. Now if you are like me and try running your eyes over every visible rock surface in the hopes of finding petroglyphs ... you may be here longer. (I did not see any :/). I'd actually like to take a guided tour if there is one... I saw they do them for kids but I'd be interested especially when it couldn't possible take more than an hour or so. I've lived here for nearly four years and not a mention of this this place to me ... I just happened to drive by it one day and looked up the info. The park is apparently over four acres... very little of which you are free to explore. However you can see visible artifacts along the short walk that are thousands of years old ... such as bedrock mortars etc. It's definitely worth a stop or two for a mostly shaded short walk through a bit of interesting history.

Series of gravel walking trails that line the Watsonville Wetlands throughout town. Kind of a…read morehidden gem, I really don't see a whole lot of people out there, but they're such a great resource. Most of the access points aren't really obvious from the road, but the website has a decent map. Most of the trails are pretty much flat, and have benches and plaques telling you about the slough. Great for all skill levels. Because of the way the city is laid out, most people never see (or may not even know of) the sloughs. The trails are a great way to experience them. Some of the trails get a little slushy after it rains, so bring worthy shoes. Remember to pack your trash and respect the landscape. :-)

My daughter wanted to see ducks. We went by 4 times. We only saw them once but each time was an…read moreadventure looking for them. Thanks for the memories.

This is a review of Pinto Lake City Park…read more You may not believe it, but I drove all the way from Costanoa to Downtown (?) Watsonville just to get a breakfast burrito. By the time I got to the market taqueria in question (review upcoming), it was too late for breakfast burritos, so I ordered a regular burrito and then looked for a green spot on the map to eat my (non-breakfast) burrito in peace. That green spot was Pinto Lake City Park, which isn't as green as you believe it will be but which is greener than its surroundings. The park comprises a whopping seventy-eight acres, although seventy of those acres are the southern half of Pinto Lake. The remaining eight acres are mainly the greenish park-looking areas south of the lake and these funny thin strips of land along it southwestern and -eastern shores. There's a different park farther north called Pinto Lake County Park; I didn't drive that far, but if you're having any kind of gathering, make sure everyone knows which of the two Pinto Lake Parks you're actually visiting. Strangely, Pinto Lake City Park is within the city limits of Watsonville even though it's far from Watsonville. How's that again? Well, the park is an exclave of the City of Watsonville. That is, it's a part of the city that's separated from the rest of the city by a few miles of what I assume is unincorporated Santa Cruz County. If you still don't know what I'm talking about, type "Watsonville, CA" into Google Maps. You'll see that Watsonville has three exclaves: one to the south, one to the west, and this one to the north. OK, enough map-nerding. It was already quite hot by the time I got here, and the lack of trees, especially near the lake-view picnic benches, borders on the criminal. What kind of landscape architecture is that, City of Watsonville? It's not the most beautiful lake, so you wouldn't be blocking anyone's views with more trees lakeside. The main part of the park does have quite a few trees, and it looks like a nice city park that gets lots of use. I didn't use the restroom while I was here, but the buildings are in decent shape, and I saw lots of women using the ladies' room, and that's generally a good sign in terms of restroom cleanliness. The parking lot is huge. Besides the lake itself, there's a basketball court, a baseball diamond, plenty of green open space, and a children's playground, I believe. I was surprised by the number of people shore-fishing in the afternoon, although it was a Sunday, so maybe I shouldn't have been surprised. I probably would have enjoyed myself and my burrito more if I had eaten it at one of the tables closer to the park entrance, rather than near the water. Oh well. I guess if I ever wake up early enough to make it to Downtown Watsonville in time, I'll bring that breakfast burrito and eat it on the other side of the park, where it's greener and there's more shade.

What may be just another ho-hum day at the beach to you is often the best day of their lives to…read moreothers. I don't know why exactly but I like helping special needs kids (sometimes, an adult or two). The smiles are all the reward one could ask for in giving up a little time to help make these young lives enjoy our great outdoors. And we're so lucky to live in Southern California with year-round beaches to play on. The Best Day Foundation (http://www.bestdayfoundation.org/) enables children with special needs to build confidence and self-esteem through safe, fun adventure activities that expand their potential and connect them with diverse populations in their community. Volunteers offer activities including surfing, bodyboarding, kayaking, outrigger canoeing, stand-up paddling and snow sports. I'm no skier so I stay on the shore. This organization cannot survive without donor support and volunteer staffing. All of their activities are provided at no cost to any parent, child or participating organization. They're unique in providing activities for children with special needs from 4 to 24 with any physical or developmental challenge including: Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Autism, spinal cord injuries, cancer, sight or hearing impairments, and more. Not only does the Best Day Foundation make a difference in a child's life by giving them confidence to try new experiences, these programs also significantly impact the parents. "The look of freedom in his eyes is one I will remember forever..." Ian's mom, Rena. Parents can relax for a spell and know their loved ones are in good hands, or paws, as the case may be. Quite often at these special needs events, you might see a beautiful dog named Ricochet. He's a friendly girl (yes, Ricochet is a female) golden retriever and loves attention. Find her at http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CCQQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.surfdogricochet.com%2FWho%2520is%2520Surf%2520Dog%2520Ricochet.htm&rct=j&q=surf%20dog%20ricochet&ei=N0WrTYe6O4fgiALUg6DvDA&usg=AFQjCNFKldzyApJGPasPj56RSTPHhGyNwg&cad=rja Do you know a child or group of children who might like to participate? Would you like to earn some priceless smiles? Contact them or learn more on the website. Ph. (800) 309-2815; info@bestdayfoundation.org

Some days you realize that all is in fact good in the world, and maybe you should get off your…read moreselfish narcissistic behind and give back a little. More often then not, when these days happen, I find myself up to my eye lids in saltwater, covered in neoprene trying to make it a Best Day for someone. Best Day Foundation is one of a handful of organizations which looks to encourage and celebrate the lives of children with special needs through action sports type activities. Not every parent is a born water woman or man, but that shouldn't mean that their child must go through life never to feel the incredible sensation of saltwater in their face and sand between their toes. Surfing, boogie boarding, kayaking... Best Day works to provide the best possible water mentors to make it the best day under the sun. You don't have to be a water person to volunteer. And I highly recommend it. It's the best thing you will ever do with a few hours of your time, I promise. If your child has special needs, please sign them up. I would love to see more happy smiling faces at the next Best Day!

Redwood Coast Tours is a fantastic company and I was amazed by the mushroom tour we took with them…read morein Big Basin near Santa Cruz. Our expert guide, Christian, helped us find a multitude of different mushrooms as we meandered thru the Redwood forest. He filled our brains with practically a text book of information about mycology including mycorrhizal fungi. I highly and enthusiastically recommend Redwood Coast Tours for your educational tour on mushrooms!!

"What would you like for Christmas?". "I want you to find a person who we can spend all day in the…read morewoods with and they'll have answers for all the questions." Amazingly enough, this person exists in our own backyard. Christian has passion, knows his stuff, and as a result is an incredible teacher, a cool hang, and propagates a love for nature. I specifically wanted to level up my knowledge of mushrooms, but also hoped to gain a new understanding of plants and birds on the California coast. It was a deluge of info, and explained in a way that sticks. If you love the outdoors and want to spend time with someone who really gets it and has a contagious reverence for it, spend some time with Christian.

It's very uncrowded and very pretty. It is in the middle of nowhere so it's amazing. Also it's very…read morehot and good UV rays. I got so tan here.

This beach was great. Had a great time…read more Something didn't feel right about the parking. Basically was told the parking was full but I'm free to park outside. I was told to still pay the $10. Also when we were waiting in the queue to pay for parking, some people drove right by us and parked. They looked like tourists and not an annual pass holder.