Parks in the Peninsula

Last Saturday I spent some wonderful time with friends, a lovely couple with two young kids. It can be a challenge to pick the right place for a get together with children; my friends let me be in charge of choosing the venue. From the 36 parks in Palo Alto, I picked Johnson Park, in downtown Palo Alto, two blocks from University Avenue. It is a beautiful park with an awesome concrete slide in the middle of a fully equipped playground. We all had a wonderful late Saturday afternoon, complete with a grand finale at the best ice cream place in town (in my opinion): Gelataio. Too bad they had run out of chocolate gelato, but it was a good opportunity to try something else, so I picked grape. Here is some basic information about Johnson Park, and a few more of the parks I have visited and enjoy the most.

1. Dr. Edith Eugenie JOHNSON Park, Palo Alto

2.5-acre park with basketball hoop, picnic tables, concrete slide, and community garden plots. This easy-to-overlook park occupies a full city block of downtown Palo Alto.

2. J. Pearce MITCHELL Park, Palo Alto

21.4-acre park with jogging/walking path, picnic areas with barbecues, benches, seven tennis courts, two paddle tennis courts, horseshoe pits, multipurpose bowl, children’s play areas, and a special-needs playground called the Magical Bridge.

The Magical Bridge is a unique, innovative playground opened in the spring of 2015. Even children with physical disabilities can play there. Don’t forget to check the completely remodeled Mitchell library, that re-opened in late fall 2014.

3. HOLBROOK-PALMER Park, Atherton

Holbrook-Palmer Park is a lovely 22-acre garden with tennis courts, a playground, gardens and walking paths. It is a short walk from the Atherton library and the Caltrain station. It is a truly amazing and peaceful haven right in the middle of the busy peninsula adjacent to the most expensive real estate in the country.

4. COYOTE POINT Recreation Area, San Mateo

When I first saw the playground at Coyote Point, I said: “Wow, this is really cool, I want to play too!” This huge (670 acres) park, conveniently located off of 101, very close to San Francisco Airport, is a great place to watch airplanes landing. I have been there many times since a few of my friends like to have picnics and BBQs there. I like when you see these massive machines flying almost over your head, impressive! The park has bike baths, 23 separate picnic tables, a yacht club, a conference center, they even have a beach! It can get windy and chilly regardless of the season, so please remember to bring extra layers.

5. FRONTIERLAND Park, Pacifica

Located against the hills of Pacifica, this beautiful open space is perfect for a picnic or a BBQ party, with a nice playground. This one is a personal favorite and recommendation of a friend who grew up in Pacifica, and the locals always know best! It is very close to San Francisco, so if you want to get out of the city for a quiet afternoon with children, it might be the perfect venue. Pacifica can be such a relaxing place. Headed to the beach only to discover it is cold or cloudy? Head back into the Valley and find the sun is out at Frontierland Park.