Double Header! Two “trips of the week” in one weekend! The first adventure this weekend seemed like a silly one…a trip to a park in Long Beach called El Dorado Regional Park. I had heard of the park and recently found out that there was a nature center.

I was pleasantly surpised. My first stop was the El Dorado Nature Center which is part of the El Dorado East Regional Park. First a flood plain of the San Gabriel River, then a calico bean field, the Nature Center is now home to skunks, coyotes, ground squirrels and hawks, and a wide variety of trees and plant life including oaks, redwoods and alders.

A 1/4 mile paved trail and two miles of dirt trail wind around two lakes and a stream to make the Nature Center accessible to everyone. Since its opening in 1969, more than two million visitors have enjoyed the beautiful surroundings of the Nature Center. This 102.5 acre oasis sits in a greenery of woodlands in the middle of Long Beach. Migratory birds in their wanderings have found a lakeside haven in the middle of urban sprawl in which to settle down for a moment of quiet.

It is offered to you as well, a place of trails canopied with trees where birds sing, where foxes turn up crossing the meadow ahead, where herons and egrets sit at bankside and paths lead away from the clamoring of the outside world.

It is difficult to measure the salutary effect of sitting beside a lake, of crossing a wooden bridge over a stream, of seeing a hawk at the tip of a pine tree. We only know that a visit to the Nature Center is a beautiful and serene opportunity to step away from the hectic pace of our daily life. Even in the middle of the day, I was impressed with the amount of wildlife and birds that I saw. Plus April and May is Turtle Mating season and there were plent of turtles to be seen in their quest for courtship.

Also part of the El Dorado Park systems are several lakes, a child’s train ride, paddle boats, fishing area and miles of hiking and biking. The park is free but parking is $4 on weekdays and $6 on weekends.