Best Kept Secret South of Rancho Cucamonga

As residents of the Inland Empire since 1983, we tend to wander off faraway places to amuse ourselves. Family time together usually equates to patronizing the newer city attractions like the Victoria Gardens Mall, Pump-It-Up, and Central Park, etc. We've unconsciously forgotten about the local attractions that have been here back when the tumbleweeds used to roll across Foothill Blvd which has now been transformed by the hustle and bustle of everyday community traffic flow.

In addition to being able to choose to take a swim in the pool, romp in the grassy park, play in the children's playground, fish and take a ride on the paddle boats, a water-playground has recently been added to the grounds to enhance our Cucamonga-Guasti Regional Park experience. Besides being free, the park allows the children an avenue to release their energy, cool off, and enjoy the outdoors.

For those living in Rancho Cucamonga and/or nearby communities, the Park is a smart "time" conscious choice in terms of reducing travel time. It's only about 5 minutes South of the corner of Archibald Ave. and Foothill Blvd. What a great place to spend a hot summer afternoon with the family or to entertain a group of rambunctious pre-teens. A visit to the Water Playground at Cucamonga-Guasti Regional Park assists you in keeping your leisure expenses within your budget and it's locale keeps travel time & gas costs down.

We were pleasantly surprised to find bright colors, cool sprinklers & numerous jet streams of water at the playground. It was conveniently situated in the heart of the main park surrounded by the lake and adjacent pool area. Our girls had a blast running, dancing, & darting through the water rays! There were also several other families who enjoyed the water sprays and getting relief from the summer heat.

We were able to spread out a picnic blanket on the grassy area while watching our daughters prance through the water. For just a moment, the Water Playground at Cucamonga-Guasti Regional Park helped my own children put aside the TV, the video games, and escape the monotony of a non-school day. Although a traditional park (sand, slides, swings, etc.) could be enjoyed on the grounds, the Water Playground was a great alternative and a welcome change.

At the time that this article was written, the whole afternoon cost us only five dollars for parking. What a bargain! Just to think it was in our 'backyard' all along...