Southern Illinois pit stop: Jeremy Rochman Memorial Park

Southern Illinois is an area with many beautiful natural parks, forests, and lakes to explore. Just south of Carbondale, Ill., home to Southern Illinois University, you’ll find a park you won't want to miss if you're traveling through the area. Online, you'll find it listed as "Dungeons and Dragons Park," or by its more official name, Jeremy 'Boo' Rochman Memorial Park. My kids, however, call it … [Read more...]

Mount Tom Reservation and Ice Cream

Ready for the perfect summer outing in Western Massachusetts? Mount Tom Reservation is located between EastHampton and Mt. Holyoke, and offers fishing, hiking, picnicking, and a play area, plus skating and cross-country skiing in winter. Mt. Tom: Mt. Tom offers the best view of the Connecticut Valley, the Berkshire mountains, and the Pelham hills. It meanders over 2,161 acres at the top of … [Read more...]

Berkeley CA’s Adventure Playground

Remember playgrounds without padded mats below every surface and safety bars at every turn? Remember building forts in backyards with scraps of plywood and old nails? So does Adventure Playground Berkeley, located at the marina in Berkeley California. This play space has been in operation for 35 years, and is refreshingly unafraid of a lawsuit. We loved every minute. Adventure Playground is a … [Read more...]

Enterprise Park and Kids’ Kingdom

4000 Victor Ave Redding CA We drive through Redding, CA often, and I'm ever on the hunt for a great park. On our most recent pass down I-5, we found one worthy of being declared a pit stop! Kids' Kingdom is a section of the larger Enterprise Park that spans several city blocks. Whereas the park at large seems to cater to the sports and leisure crowd (lots of soccer fields and picnic areas), … [Read more...]

North Point Lighthouse

2650 N. Wahl Ave. Milwaukee, WI The North Point Lighthouse, standing since 1855, is a fixture in scenic Milwaukee, WI. Better yet for traveling families, it's located adjacent to a great park for kids! Says Kara (AKA Vacation Gals' ColoradoGal), "After snapping a photo of both families in front of the lighthouse, we explored a bit: (Double the Adventure's)Sharlene's husband actually pointed … [Read more...]

McKinley Park

601 Alhambra Boulevard Sacramento, CA Some of you may know this already, but the concept for Pitstops for Kids was born after a frustrating afternoon trying to find a nice park while driving through Sacramento, CA. So you can imagine my excitement when I came across this wonderful review at Tripping with Kids! McKinley Park was named Best Playground of 2009 in the Sacramento News and Review, … [Read more...]

Julian Price Memorial Park

Milepost 297 Blue Ridge Parkway Blowing Rock, NC Julian Price Memorial Park is one of the most beautiful parks in the Blue Ridge area, at the base of Grandfather Mountain. If you're traveling the Blue Ridge Parkway near Blowing Rock, you'll definitely want to stop! Boosting 3900 acres of picnic spots, campgrounds, hiking trails and nature walks, the park has long been a favorite for locals and … [Read more...]

E.J. Roberts Park

North Bend Washington If you're stopping for a quick bite to eat in North Bend, WA, you'll quickly lament the lack of play lands at any of the fast food offerings. But a quick inquiry of the drive thru staff at Taco Time led us to E.J. Roberts Park. Only a few minutes into town (and it's a lovely town!), EJ Roberts is a beautiful little respite from a long roadtrip. Located in a quiet … [Read more...]

Lithia Park

Lithia Park Ashland, Oregon is a stunningly beautiful 93-acre park in a garden setting situated within easy distance of 1-5 for either a quick pitstop or an afternoon detour. Located on the north end of Ashland, Oregon in their pedestrian-friendly downtown, there are several entrances to this sprawling park, but the easiest to access from the city center is on Winburn Way. Park either in the city … [Read more...]