Chino Creek Wetlands and Educational Park-- Chino,CA

This place is so cool. Totally geared toward nature lovers. Imagine a place that FEELS secluded and natural but is right down the street. This is that place.

The Chino Creek Wetlands and Educational Park is at the Inland Empire Utility off El Prado Rd and Kimball at 6075 Kimball Avenue Chino, CA 91708. It is easily 20 minutes from ONT off the 71 freeway, just south of the Chino Prison (Yup, it's here). You can find a link to the CCWEP here --> http://chinocreekwetlandsandeducationalpark.blogspot.com

OK first things first. I have driven past here many many times and never bothered to stop. From the street, it looks like a small path for slow pokes or school trips. Finally, i had the dog with me and i figured we would check it out together. WAY MORE THAN A SMALL PATH. On the north side of the park is a Pipe Garden. There are placards that talk about water conservation and the natural areas in the Inland Empire. Nerd stuff (Being a super nerd on the inside, I was interested). The middle and south sides of the park create and arboretum. It is a large area with native plants and meandering walking paths. There were alcoves, bridges, lakes, ducks, more placards and everything conducive to creating a relaxing experience. I felt instantly at peace.

Let me tell you about one place in particular that really resonated with me. Follow the path south and east. It will take you to a crystal clear pond filled with water grasses, lazy fish, and friendly blue-billed ducks. The south corner of the pond has a bridge situated on it. It is covered and has the most perfect breeze flow through and around it.  Sitting on the bridge, i was wrapped up in heaven. The birds were singing their melodies to the ducks. The ducks were lazily paddling along in the water. Bobbing for fish that seemed naturally subservient to the inevitable. The grass in the water was still and calm and you could see every blade, every leave, every living soul amidst it. Transported to a mellow, comforting corner of my own little world, all the stress and depression of real life melted away.  This was heaven.

But i digress...

This would be a wonderful place to take a small group of active adults, college kids, science groups. This is great for all ages and all fitness abilities.
Go ANY time of year. I went on a stormy summer day.
Take your dog or not.
Go to relax!!! or to work out.

Need to know:
Spend an hour or two
Parking is free
Entry is free

Need to BRING:
Use mosquito repellent
Use sun screen

Saving cash: road trip souvenirs and food

Every road trip has two inevitable questions: do we eat out and do we really need souvenirs? 

The answer can easily be "no" to both. Saying, "yes," to eating out is, at the very least, five dollars a person. By the time you spend $60 to feed a car-full of travelers you could have bought a fresh tank of gas. And, I don't know about your kid, but The Kid always wants something from the gift shop that he already has: a toy helicopter, a matchbox car, a crappy price of plastic that spins around and lights up. Each of these costs ten bucks a piece. So with food and souvenirs, the cost is really starting to add up. This was supposed to be a day trip (and aren't day trips supposed to be cheap?).

Here is the fix: "no!"

For road trip meals: Pack sandwiches or (our family's favorite) a loaf of French bread, cheese block, and  salami, or something you can keep in a cooler all day and serve that for your travel meal. Keep the meal balanced with carbs and protein so everyone can be pleasantly full when done. Bring fruits, veggies, a carb, and a protein. I always slip in one fun sized candy bar for each of us for dessert, because this is a special occasion and i want to brain wash them all into thinking this was a great idea (road trip=candy, yea!). 😃

If your road trip was suppose to have you home before dinner but it has been one hellofaday and now you are 150 miles from home without any more snacks or food, go get food from the grocery store. Pick up some hot grub in the deli department and grab fruit and veggies in the produce isle. A quick grocery trip will cut the food costs in half compared to The Golden Arches or the like. No need to get utensils and plates, some delis will give them to you on request. But you probably have Tupperware and utensils from earlier. Reuse them.

 So, food solved!

Souvenirs...(sound of doom). Don't worry. This can be solved a few ways:

1. We collect rocks. Not in the nerdy, rock hounding, "looks at my Andasite" way. But everywhere we go we see the most amazing geology. We see 3,000 foot cliffs of marble. We see desert rocks that have been slowly racing across Death Valley for 1000 years. We see the tallest trees and the biggest trees on the planet. We saw volcanic rocks from Emboy. We see beaches with marble-like rocks instead of sand. What better way to remember those places than to bring it home!!! And it is free. Everyone take home their favorite rock. We keep our family rock collection in a display case but it would work equally as well in the garden or the kitchen window sill. 

2. Invest in smashed penny souvenir books. Collect pressed or "smashed" pennies from your travels. We have all see those machines you drop $0.51 or $1.01 worth of change into the top, crank the lever. Then, your penny slides the shoot, gets pressed against the die, and comes out of the bottom proudly marked by _(town/zoo/amusement park)____ . This can save you a lot of money compared to the alternative of crappy light up noise makers. If you have six kids you will spend $6.06 vs. $60.92+tax. 

3. Bring your kids' money pouches or wallets with you and make THEM buy their souvenirs. If they want that Calico Gold/Pyrite rock, let them pay for it. This will only work if you have an allowance program in place at home or if you have given them a set $ amount before leaving home.  The Kid receives $8.00 a month for just being part of the family (he is learning how to manage money, not where it comes from). Then he can earn more through extra work (not through chores. Chores are mandatory and without monitory reward and just part of being in this family). I buy him, at most, $5.00 of souvenirs: a piece of candy, a sack or rocks, a whistle, etc. if he wants a plastic airplane or a fire truck, he buys that with his own money (Yes, The Kid is familiar with the returns line at Target because a 4 year old IS fickle!).

+++quick tip++++

Keep an eye out for souvenir prices. Buying souvenir jewelry is almost always cheaper at missions, churches or community centers. But if you feel you are getting a good deal, take it no matter where it is.

4. Just say "no" and that's the end of the story. If you don't have cash on you, in a cash only site, this will be simple. If you don't want to spend anything at a site, say so. You are the adult and you make the rules. Just be honest with your kid. If he has a melt down because you said no. Tell him to ask you "why" and then tell him,honestly, why. It will work and he will get over it. Besides, he DOESN'T need another paper envelope of Mexican Jumping Beans.

I hope this helps to tackle the two biggest money eating issues for your next one-tank road trip. 

Safe travels from us to you.