This week we are taking a visit to what might be Lane County's newest park. Not only is it brand spanking new, but it is just so gosh darn cool. Make a list of all of the positive adjectives you would use to describe a park that you luuuuuhve. This park is all of those things! Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, I give you...

Quartz Park
2300 S. 60th St. 
Springfield, OR 97478

So let's hear it for the Thurston Crew! Way back a million years ago when I first started teaching, I worked in Thurston, and it was a delight to be a new teacher in that community. I absolutely love Springfield. There are so many good things happening there! Also, I might be alone in this, but the smell of the mills around the 42nd Street exit on 126? I sort of love it. Also Chicken Bonz. Oh, Chicken Bonz. You have my heart.

Anywho. Quartz Park is gigantic, and I promise that you can take any kid, any age, any interest, and they will be thrilled. Here's the rundown:

The stuff we love:

• The ground is made of rubber tiles. This is awesome and the best because it means there are ZERO BARK CHIPS. 
  
• There is a sand box. Now, normally, I think sand is the worst. However, this sand is okay because guess what? There are dinosaur bones buried underneath it! The other day I was there with a little friend who was so entertained by the mere thought of dinosaur bones that he just kept pulling out sticks and rocks and leaves and calling them dinosaur neck bones and nose bones and toe bones. It was a total hoot. This sand has the potential to keep your littles occupied for at least two chapters of your book club book.
  
• The play area is totally surrounded by grass and basketball court. This makes it nearly impossible for a kiddo to slip to the parking lot unnoticed. 
  
• There are two play structures. Well, sort of. There's one small one for the littlest littles. And then there's a whole giant area for bigger kiddos - it might be several structures or maybe just one humungous one? I'm not really sure. I really like having options.
  
• At the front of the park, near the small play structure, there are some musical instrument panels that are super cool to interact with. 
  
• This is genuinely well thought out, purposefully designed play equipment. Kids really have to think about how to use it. Lots of chances for imagination and innovation. 
  
• Such a beautiful setting! You get to enjoy fields and hills and all sorts of prettiness.
  
• Speaking of hills, there are some sweet slopes for kids to chase each other up and down. 
  
• The basketball court has hoops that are adjustable! So don't forget your ball!
  
• There's a paved path that's perfect for wheeled adventures.
  
• Lots of grass
  
• Drinking fountain 
  
• It's never very crowded when we visit. As much as I love having other kids at playgrounds for my littles to interact with (because, hello, book club), sometimes it's nice to not have to wait for swings or attempt to convince your three year old that they can't monopolize the truck that some other kid brought. 
  
• Several benches and picnic tables, although they're only at one end of the park.
  
• Even though the play space is super big, it's designed in a really open way which makes it easy to see your littles even if they're way across the space. 
  

The stuff we don't love so much:

• Getting there is confusing. Whoa. 
  
• Zero shade. Bring your sun hats and your sunscreen and your sun umbrellas and your sun repellant. Ugh. 
  
• One lonely garbage can, at the far side of the park. That's just asking to find juice boxes and string cheese wrappers stashed under the slide. 
  
• The play area is set really far back from the parking lot. Yes, I realize that I listed that earlier as a good thing. However, when you're hauling your giant bag of park necessities or heaven forbid, a toddler in full melt down mode, that is a long, long walk. 
  
• No bathrooms. Well, usually there are no bathrooms. But I was there a few weeks ago and there was a port-a-potty, and I was pumped! Warning! This is maybe a summertime only bonus, because Willamalane is using this park for one of their drop in summer play spots (Check out this post for more info on that). Not really sure. But enjoy it while it lasts! 
  

The Essentials
Parking: A smallish, free lot
Cost: Free!
Food: Take your picnic, yo
Restrooms: Ummm maybe? 
Resting/Nursing Spots: Benches and picnic tables and lots of grass
Push or Wear: Hmm. If you have a giant bag, I'd say push, just so you can store all your stuff somewhere and not have to lug it plus the baby. 
Time Frame: At least an hour

Get out there to the 97478 and check it out! 
Happy Adventuring! 

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Megan Defferding is the mom to two super fun boys who love to find great stuff to do all around Lane County! Check out her blog series, Happy Adventuring, weekly on GoMomGo.

Fanfare! Drum rolls! Cutting of ribbons and such! Summer has officially arrived, because the city has turned the water features on at the parks! Which means the next three months of your life will be filled with dumping sand out of shoes and trying to fit your four year old in a pair of 24 month shorts because the ones that fit him got wet and you really need to go into Costco because for some reason your family is constantly demanding to be fed. So, to kick things off, why don't we take a look at one of my family's favorite parks. It's probably one you hang out at too.  

Oakmont Park
2295 Oakmont Way 
Eugene, OR 97401

This park is super popular, and I think there are 3 reasons why: 
1. It's centrally located.
2. Hello you can walk to Starbucks!
3. It's actually a really great park. 

Here's what we like:
- There is a very fun little pretend house that is always a hit.
- Great water features - both a small spray and play to run in and a pouring/pipe system near the sand
- Lots of shade
- A great play structure 
- Lovely hills all around - perfect for running out the crazies!
- It's set pretty far from the road
- Surrounded by a nice paved trail for bikes and other wheels
- Water fountain
- A few garbage cans
- A fun little patch of bushes that makes little kids feel like explorers
- Sand. I can't stand the stuff but it sure keeps littles busy. Have we talked about the magic of baby powder? I can't remember. Anyway, put a shaker of baby powder in your bag. Shake it all over those sandy hands and feet, and the sand will wipe right off. Easy peasy. 
- There's a basketball hoop, so you can rock a game of horse if you have big kids!

Here's what we don't so much like: 
- No bathrooms
- Parking is sort of a pain - you have to cross a pretty busy street if there aren't any open spaces right in front of the park (there are crosswalks but no light to guarantee you the right away) 
- I feel like the structure isn't super accessible for really small ones. There is a very steep bridge and an equally steep tunnel that can be slightly intimidating. That being said, we've been going to Oakmont since my biggest boy could walk, and he's never complained. :) 

Thought of the day: You know that bag that you're always hauling to the park? The overflowing tote with the snacks and the sunscreen and the hats and the shovels and the wipes? Okay, well I've been using a canvas bag that was super handy because it had a zipper, which meant that when it tipped over, all the stuff wouldn't come tumbling out. However, it was so little! Way too small to fit all of the stuff that littles require for a long afternoon at the park. So a friend of mine brilliantly shared that she uses an IKEA bag. You know, one of those huge blue plastic ones? (Note: It's officially called FRAKTA which is not only an entertaining thing to say but also 99 cents!) So now that's what I do, and I LOVE it. It doesn't matter if the bag gets wet or sandy. It's giant, so you won't leave anything behind. And even though it's so big that you sort of have to dig to find what you want, it opens up so widely that it's not really a problem. Try it!

The Essentials: 
Address: Oakmont Park, 2295 Oakmont Way, Eugene

Parking: Free street parking. Sometimes when it's super crowded you have to park just a bit down the street. 

Cost: None

Food: Also none. Pack some up in your IKEA bag. ;)

Resting/Nursing spots: There is plenty of shade, and a few benches and picnic tables. Lots of good options!

Bathrooms: Nope

Time Frame: A few hours, no problem

Happy Adventuring! 

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Megan Defferding is the mom to two super fun boys who love to find great stuff to do all around Lane County! Check out her blog series, Happy Adventuring, weekly on GoMomGo.