COSTA MESA TRAINS ON THE TRACKS On...

COSTA MESA

TRAINS ON THE TRACKS

On the third weekend of each month, engineers climb aboard their

trains and travel on three miles of track at Fairview Park to display

their steam and diesel engines. The public is welcome to join them at

the park at Placentia Avenue and Estancia North. The Orange County

Model Engineer program started in 1989 when engineers wanted to

display their engines and educate and entertain the community about

the past. (949) 548-7246.

MOBILE SKATE PARK

The Recreation Division’s Mobile Skate Park travels to various

parks throughout the city three days a week to provide skateboarders

and in-line skaters a state-of-the-art skate park. The mobile park

consists of two quarter-pipes, three wedges, two spines, a fun box

and a rail. Participants are required to have a signed waiver and

release form to use the park. Appropriate safety equipment, including

a helmet, elbow and kneepads, are required at all times. Visit the

city’s Web site at www.ci.costa-mesa.ca.us to get a form. Call (714)

327-7560 for a schedule of days, times and locations of the skate

park.

NEWPORT BEACH

BALBOA FUN ZONE

Children can ride the Ferris wheel, the merry-go-round and the

bumper cars, as well as play video games, pose for a portrait and

browse through souvenir shops along the boardwalk at the Balboa Fun

Zone, which has been attracting businesses since 1936. The fun zone

offers many eating choices, including Balboa Bars --

chocolate-covered ice cream bars sprinkled with toppings. The Fun

Zone is open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. 400 E. Bay St., Balboa

Peninsula. (949) 673-0408. www.BalboaNewportBeach.com.

UPPER NEWPORT BAY ECOLOGICAL PRESERVE AND NATURE PRESERVE

Canoe and kayak tours are available to experience six diverse

habitats for more than 200 bird species that either live there or

visit during the birds’ Pacific flyway migration. Campfire programs

are also offered, as are free two-hour walking nature tours departing

from Shellmaker Island every first and third Saturday at 9 a.m. Call

the Department of Fish and Game at (949) 640-6746, or the Friends of

the Newport Bay at (949) 646-8009.

UPPER NEWPORT BAY PETER AND MARY MUTH INTERPRETIVE CENTER

Adults and children can explore 15 hands-on interactive exhibits

and communicate with the Newport Bay Naturalists and Friends through

interpretive educational opportunities or watch a “visual poem” of

Upper Newport Bay presented on five monitors, showing such acts as

birds in flight and the flow of running water in an estuary. The

10,000-square-foot interpretive center offers hands-on opportunities

to experience the inner workings of an estuary. 2301 University

Drive, Newport Beach. The center is open daily, except Mondays and

major holidays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (714) 973-6820.

SHERMAN LIBRARY & GARDENS

More than 2,000 plant species, from desert cactus to tropical

flowers, can be found in the gardens at this educational and cultural

resource center dedicated to the study of the Pacific Southwest. The

conservatory on the two-acre parcel has tropical plants and a koi

pond, and the Discovery Garden, specifically designed for those with

impaired vision, appeals to the sense of touch and is accessible to

wheelchairs. Docent tours are available. The gardens are open daily,

and the library is open on weekdays. 2647 E. Coast Highway, Corona

del Mar. (949) 673-2261.