Saturday Afternoon in the Park

The last Saturday in July brought cooler temperatures, so we took advantage of the 80-degree weather inland by spending our afternoon in the park.

Well, parks, actually. Both Griffith and Greystone had been on our to-do list for quite some time and we decided to cross them both off at once. We began our little adventure with mini train rides at Griffith Park's Loz Feliz Passenger Station. At $2 each, you definitely get your money's worth. Jakey loved it! He also loved crunching (and attempting to eat) the leaves on the ground.

Jake was a little less sure about the carousel. It is beautifully old -- it's been in Griffith Park since the 1930's -- and it is the loudest, fastest carousel I've ever seen. Jake was like, "This is not like the ones at Disneyland, Mom!" It definitely had a Disney-esque feel to it, though. Set amid tall trees and winding walkways in a hilly green park, I couldn't help but think of Mary Poppins. I half-expected our horses to take off down the sidewalk every time we rounded the bend.

Then it was onto Greystone Mansion, otherwise known as the original Batman's Wayne Manor. We walked around the grounds and found a little secluded spot that overlooked the mansion and the valley. Then we laid our blanket underneath a tree, opened our picnic basket and enjoyed our dinner. There was a wedding reception taking place at the mansion and their music softly filled the air. I picked up my littlest dance partner and happily twirled around for a song or two before his daddy cut in. It was simply perfect.

Griffith:

Greystone:

I would totally recommend it ... if not for the "No Picnics" sign we saw on our way out. Oops!