I had a photo all picked out for this week’s WordPress photo challenge, until I took my boys to a local county park called Dos Picos this past Saturday. It’s one of the very few local parks in the San Diego area with a good amount of trees and green grass. Well, let’s enjoy the green part until it turns yellow as soon as our daily temperatures start rising up.
While at the park we played on the large playground, had a picnic by the pond and went for a nice walk in the woods later. As we were walking on the path, I found the perfect setting for the photo challenge. This is the most “through” the woods you can walk in this park and I really like it. If you look closely, you’ll notice an opening right after the first set of tree branches, then another set of tree branch coverings.
WordPress weekly photo challenge: Through
As we were walking back towards the parking lot, we noticed a park ranger giving a talk to a group of kids and their parents. I didn’t feel like crashing the party but one of the moms told me it was free to attend and participate so we joined in. The boys got a chance to take part in the building of a native American house (our local tribe is called the Kumeyaay). The house is called an “ewaa” but my four-year old kept referring to it as an “ewok”. Should I mention the kid has never seen a Star Wars movie?
Here’s what an ewaa in the making looks like. The structure is made of larger and smaller branches tied up with ropes (originally strings made from yucca leaves). The Kumeyaay would then cover the whole structure with reed leaves they’d collect by the pond.
Building a Kumeyaay ewaa at San Diego's Dos Picos County Park
The park ranger then took us on a nature walk and we got the chance to spot and try an adventure bite of ”miner’s lettuce (officially named Claytonia perfoliata). My five-year old was very excited to pick something off the ground and eat it “without having to wash it first!”
Our nature walk was then followed by a beading session. The kids got to make their own necklace and they loved it. I had no idea taking a walk through the woods would lead us to such entertaining activities but it was a great way to spend our Saturday. We’re all for doing this again in the future, especially since Ranger Ron does this every Saturday. Shame on the regional park closest to us (San Diego Mission Trails) for organizing nature walks for kids only on school days, and not during the weekends or vacation time! You’d think they schedule the classes this way on purpose…
Delightful post
Thank you. We sure had a lot of fun and it’s a beautiful place.
What a great experience! I love when we accidentally find awesome ways to spend a day.
We had a great time even before we ran into the park ranger, but this really topped it all. We’ll definitely have to do it again.
That “through” photo is terrific! It seems like a setting for a fairy tale.
I love when ordinary days become extraordinary like this one that you enjoyed with your kids.
Thanks! I often find that walking in a forest and being close to nature feels a little surreal. Maybe it’s because I don’t get to do it on a regular basis (after all, we don’t really have many “forests” in San Diego, especially since so many of them have burned down in the past 10 years).
Dear Perfecting Motherhood,
Thank you sooooo much for your kind words about our park!!! We do programs every Saturday, and Ranger Dean has begun a Sunday program too. Please come back and see us again, only stay longer and camp next time! Thank you, thank you! Ranger Kyle
You’re welcome! I used to go to Cuyamaca State Park a lot before it burned down several times and now, there’s not much to see there. So I think Dos Picos is our new favorite park, especially with the cool ranger activities. My kids love the playground and the woods are very pretty. It took gorgeous pictures of all the blooms the last time we went, wonderful colors of spring. I’d love to take my kids on the outer trails but the mountain lion warning signs freak them out… Are the Sunday ranger programs in the afternoon too? We’ll definitely make it back on a Saturday soon anyway.