Pendleton King Park

WHO:  Everyone!

WHAT:  A 64-acre park  and bird sanctuary including two playgrounds, an arboretum, hydrangea and camellia gardens, a small lake, wetland trails, a disc golf course, and a dog park.

WHEN:  Park hours are 8am-8pm (8am-6pm Sundays and everyday in the winter).

WHERE:  1600 Troupe St  Augusta, GA 30904.  Turn south onto Troupe St. from Central Ave. or Wrightsboro Rd.

WHY WE LIKE IT:  Besides being a piece of Augusta history (see their weblink below), there is a lot to do in this extensive park: once you enter the park, up ahead on the right there are two side-by-side playground areas, one most suitable for toddlers/preschooler and another for the school-age crowd (although my 3 and 6 year olds enjoy both of them).  The play area designed for smaller children is special needs-friendly.  To the side of that play area, there is a musical structure– basically several over-sized xylophone-type instruments.  Sadly, the attached mallets keep disappearing, so they aren’t very functional, though my boys will usually pick up sticks and bang out some tunes anyway.  There are restroom facilities beside the playgrounds, as well as several picnic tables in shaded areas.  The extensive hydrangea gardens to your right as you enter the park and head towards the play areas are also worth checking out, as is the arboretum on the left (for those bringing a four-legged friend, the dog park is right at the entrance, immediately before you pass the arboretum).  If you walk around the parking lot from the playgrounds (past the rather down-on-their-luck tennis courts), you’ll come to Lake Elizabeth, a small lake where you can often find ducks to feed.  Beyond the lake is a wetlands trail which we have not yet had time to explore, but it is on our list!  A kiosk near that far side of the parking lot features a guide to the trail and the wildlife you may encounter there.  Behind this kiosk is something a bit random:  an old military tank that was donated by Fort Gordon to the park in the 1950s.  This is of course a big hit with my boys, as there is a ladder they can climb to get on the top of the tank.  Be sure to accompany any small children who wish to climb, however, as the surface is fairly slick and unprotected from potential falls.  There is also a fairly new disc golf course at the park which may be of interest to older children and adults who enjoy the sport.  The advantages of this park are the beauty of the setting, its extensiveness and variety, and the abundance of shade.  The main drawback is that the play equipment could be better maintained, as well as the lake, which looked fairly polluted when we visited a few weeks ago.  I’m going to try to get in touch with the parks and rec people about these issues.

HOW:  Tons of information on the park, including its interesting history and maps can be found on this website:

http://www.pendletonkingpark.com/

Hydrangea Garden view

Lake Elizabeth

Playgrounds (younger area on the left, older kids area on the right)

Savannah Rapids Park & Pavilion

WHO:  Everyone!

WHAT:  A 33-acre park along the Augusta Canal and Savannah River, featuring a walking/biking trail, waterfall, up-close view of the canal’s lock and dam, picnic pavilions, playground, kayak and bicycle rentals.  Aside from being a popular area to explore on an ordinary day, the pavilions are also very popular venues for outdoor wedding receptions.

WHEN:  Park hours are dawn to dusk.

WHERE:  3300 Evans to Locks Road, Martinez, Georgia 30907.  In Columbia County; easy to reach by taking either Furys Ferry Road or Stevens Creek Road to Evans to Locks Road.

WHY WE LIKE IT:  We love this place!  Any time we are looking for an easy, fun outdoor activity for the whole family, Savannah Rapids Park is one of our top picks.  By crossing the canal at the lock and dam and again at the pedestrian bridge, you can make a great short walk for adults and little ones alike.  Our boys like to bring their bikes or scooters; the packed dirt trail is equally easy to navigate with any kind of stroller.  (For the more ambitious, it is possible to follow the trail along the canal for a full 7.5 miles and end up in downtown Augusta!)  Highlights for our boys are the view of the water coming over the dam on the river (especially neat to see following a period of heavy rains like we’ve been having recently) and the Reed Creek Waterfall (adjacent to the pedestrian bridge on the parking lot side).  There is also a small playground that is a fun spot to hit if the little guys have any energy left after walking/riding the trail (be warned that there is no shade there, in contrast to the pleasantly shaded walking trail).  Once the kids are older, we plan on taking advantage of the kayak rentals there.  They also rent bicycles (though none for small munchkins).  Amenities include restrooms and water fountains, and of course several large picnic pavilions with grills that are often rented for weddings and family reunions.  Check out this great scenic area and let your kids have fun trying to spot alligators in the canal (we haven’t seen any yet, but the signs at the park tell us they are there!!).

HOW:  More information on the park and pavilions can be found on the following websites:

http://www.columbiacountyga.gov/index.aspx?page=4063

http://www.columbiacountyga.gov/index.aspx?page=2422

Kayaks on the river as seen from the trail

Water coming over the dam as seen from the trail

The pedestrian bridge across the canal

Reed Creek Waterfall

Phinizy Swamp Nature Park

WHO:  Everyone!!

WHAT:  I’m cheating this time, as I couldn’t describe the park any better than their website does.  Here is what it says: “Located on 1100 acres and just minutes from downtown Augusta, Phinizy Swamp Nature Park offers visitors the chance to see blue heron, red-shouldered hawk, otter, alligator and the elusive bobcat in their natural settings.“

WHEN:  The nature park is open every day, dawn to dusk.  The Visitors Center is open Saturdays and Sundays, 9-5.  The first Saturday of every month is “Swamp Saturday”, featuring a free guided tour that begins at 9:30 and last 1 1/2 hours (covering a 2.5 mile trail).

WHERE:  Next to the Augusta Airport.  Coming from downtown Augusta or Bobby Jones Expressway, turn left onto Lock & Dam Road.

WHY WE LIKE IT:  Some of the best natural scenery in the area!  I absolutely love Spanish moss, and there is Spanish moss galore at Phinizy.  The swamp itself is beautiful, and then there is the bonus of catching sight of some interesting wildlife while you’re there (of particular interest to the kids).  My family also enjoys the fact that there are many different trails and combinations of trails, so depending on how much time you want to spend exploring, you can choose one as short as 50 feet or as long as 2+ miles.  The Visitors Center also has a wildlife diorama that the kids find interesting, and they plan on adding more educational exhibits there over time.  This is the perfect place for a low-key yet stunning family nature hike!

HOW:  More information on the park, including detailed directions, as well as descriptions of the various trails and educational programs offered, can be found on their website: http://www.naturalsciencesacademy.org/PhinizySwamp.htm

Riverbanks Zoo and Garden

WHO: Absolutely everyone!

WHAT:  A traditional zoo paired with an extensive botanical garden.

WHEN:  Open 9am-5pm (extended weekend hours until 6pm from March 29th to Sept. 29th).

WHERE:  500 Wildlife Parkway, Columbia, SC 29210: super-easy to get to from Augusta taking I-20 East to I-126 East (exit at Greystone Blvd.).  Botanical garden entrance is at 1300 Botanical Parkway, West Columbia, SC 29169 (just off SC Highway 378 at I-20 and I-26), across the river from the zoo.  It takes about an hour to get there (without traffic).

WHY WE LIKE IT:  Who doesn’t love a great zoo?!  This zoo is extremely family-friendly. The exhibits are spacious, but the animals are close enough to give even the smallest kids a really good view of them.  There are programs scheduled throughout the day, so it is easy to catch a feeding or presentation without having to plan it in advance. There are very nice cafes located around the park; we ate at Kenya Cafe and the food was really tasty and reasonably priced (my husband and I got the chicken fingers and fries, which was surprisingly good, and the boys had hotdogs); however, we realized after we got there that you are allowed to bring in coolers with food and drinks, so we will probably bring a lunch sometimes.  I also loved the set-up: tons of shade (in my opinion, a necessity for any zoo on a hot summer day) and benches absolutely everywhere, which made it very easy to stop and nurse my fourth-month-old in peace while the boys enjoyed the exhibits.  An addition bonus is a small train that runs through the farm animal exhibit… my boys are train-crazy, so that was a big win.  (Be aware that tickets to the train cost $2.)

HOW: Tickets are $11.75/adult and $9.25/child (under 3 free).  You can buy then ahead of time online and skip the ticket line when you get there (we went on a holiday weekend, so that line was looong).  You can also skip the lines and go right in if you have a membership.  At $79 for a basic family membership (includes entry for all family members for a year, a number of free guest passes, entry to members-only nights at the park and eventss, and a subscription to the zoo’s magazine), a family of four will save money by getting a membership even if they only go to the zoo twice… great deal!  To buy tickets online, go here: http://www.riverbanks.org/etickets/

For more info on memberships, go here:  http://www.riverbanks.org/membership/

And for the zoo’s main website, go here: http://www.riverbanks.org/membership/

Reed Creek Nature Park and Wetlands Interpretive Center

WHO:  All ages.

WHAT:  The Reed Creek Nature Park and Wetlands Interpretive Center provides interactive educational programs for all ages, as well as maintaining outdoor trails and an indoor space with nature displays and live turtles and frogs.  Programs for kids offered by the center include nature walks for preschoolers and various educational programs for kids, ages 5 and up.

WHEN:  The outdoor trails at Reed Creek are open from sunrise to sundown, 7 days a week.  Preschool nature walks are held two Thursday mornings a month beginning at 10am; programs for older kids are most often held on Saturdays.

WHERE:  The center and trails are located at 3820 Park Lane in Martinez, Georgia.  Turn onto Park Lane off of Furys Ferry Road right next to the Petersburg Shoppes with the Bi-Lo.

WHY WE LIKE IT:  So far, we have only been to Reed Creek for one of the preschool nature walks… it was GREAT!!  We gathered in the interpretive center where the kids could check out the turtles and frogs while we waited for the program to start.  A $2/child fee is paid upon arrival (younger siblings are free).  The staff person who led the morning (I’ve since forgotten her name, unfortunately) was fantastic with the kids and super-prepared.  She spent a good 20 minutes leading them through songs, finger plays, and exploratory activities based on the day’s theme: the sense of touch and texture.  One of the activities involved the kids feeling different objects inside a bag, describing their texture, and guessing each object.  After the indoor activities, the staff person led the group on a walk on one of the trails to find things of various textures, leading more songs and activities along the way.  The trail was made up of a wide wooden boardwalk, so it was easy to take a stroller along (and younger siblings are welcome on the preschool walks).  Following the walk, the group gathered in the center again, this time for a craft related to the theme of textures in nature.  Things wrapped up around 11:30, and the boys had a great time.

HOW:  To get detailed information on the Reed Creek Nature Park’s program dates and times, check the Augusta Parent magazine monthly (free at any library) or check their website: http://www.reedcreekpark.com.

Exterior of the Interpretive Center from the trails

Stopping to check things out during the walk

Riverwalk Park

WHO:  Best for children ages 1-12.

WHAT:  A playground, picnic area, and marina complex located on Augusta’s downtown Riverwalk.

WHEN:  Open dawn to dusk.

WHERE:  Located at the 6th Street entrance to Riverwalk.

WHY WE LIKE IT:  The biggest reason we love the park is because it is right on the river, and has amazing views.  Something about watching the boats go by as the kids play makes me feel like I’m on a mini-vacation somewhere.  The play equipment is in good shape, and varied: multiple slides, a “ship” with a navigating wheel and climbable “stern”, monkey bars and other climbing structures.  It is a smaller playground, with just one large structure, which makes it easy to keep up with the kids.  To one side of the park is a picnic area with several tables, again with a view of the river, and just past the picnic area is a small marina.  Once the kids finish playing at the park, we often walk over to see the boats at the marina.  There is also a small gift store there that also carries snacks and ice cream, and the restrooms are in the same building.  One more bonus: there is a train trestle that crosses the river right over the marina– my four-year-old gets super-excited every time a train passes over us because you can really get an up-close view of it.  The only drawback to this park is that it could be better maintained and cleaned, especially the bathrooms.

HOW: There is free parking right on 6th Street by the entrance to the park, so it is super easy to get there and… PLAY!

Playground Area

 

Picnic Area

View of the train trestle

Marina