Staying Cool at Laguna Lake in San Luis Obispo

Laguna Lake in San Luis Obispo Is a Great Place to Beat the Heat

Last Friday I decided to do my errands in San Luis Obispo to stay cool on a Smart Day. I never really thought of Laguna Lake as a cool place until then. I can't think of any outdoor public place in Paso Robles, including  the Lake at Barney Schwartz Park that would have been as cool that day . San Luis Obispo itself was 10-14 degrees cooler than Paso Robles was. Laguna Lake is also a much larger body of water than the small pond-like lake at Barney Schwartz Park.

View of Laguna Lake, San Luis Obispo, © B. Radisavljevic

What's so Cool about Laguna Lake?

Laguna Lake has many shade trees scattered around the lake. I saw many people relaxing under them, napping or reading or just hanging out. The day I was there I did not see any boats in the lake or anyone fishing, but both forms of recreation are allowed. There is a barbecue area with picnic tables, but the one I saw by the lake was in the sun, not the shade.

Peolple Keeping Cool at Laguna Lake Park, San Luis Obispo, © B. Radisavljevic

I had just stopped at the lake to take pictures, fully expecting the lake to be almost dry after this heat wave. I was wrong. I've never seen it so full. Last year at this time it was little more than a puddle. Now the water is  actually lapping at the shoreline. I had not planned nor did I have time to stay for long on Friday. I was just suddenly aware that had I wanted to, I could have spent several hours there outside and remained relatively cool.

 Quik Shade MAX Shade Chair, Navy
If I had planned to stay for a longer period, I would have needed a cooler and a comfortable folding chair. It's important to have plenty to drink in hot weather, and those drinks are better cold. Now I can even get a rolling cooler that I can pull rather than carry. I would need the same for the beaches.

The cheap chairs I've bought locally haven't lasted very well. I'm going to need new ones.  At my age a blanket just doesn't cut it anymore. I'm amazed at how folding chairs have improved since I last bought one. I think it's time to invest in one or two of these items.

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 NCAA California Golden Bears Adult Elite Chair, Navy Igloo Ice Cube Marine Ultra Roller Cooler (60 Quart, White) Stylish Camping SL1204GREEN Full Back Folding Director's Chair Travel5.0 Deluxe Ripstop Beach Travel Rolling Cooler With Wheels, Blue

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Directions to Laguna Lake from the North County

The public entrance to Laguna Lake is at the intersection of Dalidio Street and Madonna Road. From the North County, take 101 to Madonna Road. When you exit,  stay to the left. Turn left at the signal on Madonna. Get into the right lane. Diladio is the last signal before the commercial area on the left turns residential. The Post Office is on the left side of the street. You will turn right  at that signal beside the park entrance. You can take a virtual view of the park as of December, 2008 here. You will notice how much greener it is in December than in the summer when the rain stops falling.

Once you are in the park, you will follow Diladio to the first paved road and turn left . You will find a parking area, some of which is shaded by trees. This is close to the playground. There is also another large barbecue picnic area there. (See it in the virtual  tour linked to above.) If you go to the end of the road and turn right, you will get to a shady parking lot near the boat ramp, pictured below.

Shady Parking Lot Near Boat Ramp at Laguna Lake, San Luis Obispo, © B. Radisavljevic

Accessing the Lake

This is the boat ramp. You can see how high the water level is on it.  You can compare it to July, 2015, and April 2016 in my previous post on Laguna Lake.

 Boat Ramp at Laguna Lake, San Luis Obispo, © B. Radisavljevic

There is a smaller ramp for docking here.

Alas, my time at Laguna Lake on this trip was too short. So we will have just one last look. If it gets too hot in Paso Robles and you don't want to fight the traffic to get to the beach, remember that Laguna Lake is also a good place to beat the heat.

Last Look at Laguna Lake, San Luis Obispo, © B. Radisavljevic

Where is your favorite place to cool off when the weather gets hot? If you're not in my area, please use the comments to tell us  where you're from and where you like to go when it's hot. 

B is for Barney Schwartz Park #AtoZchallenge

This is my second day of the #AtoZchallenge. "B" is for Barney Schwartz Park. It has something for everyone. There is fishing in the lake, and if you don't fish, you can watch the turtles. There are playgrounds on both the upper and lower levels of the park, and playing fields for softball, football, and soccer. There are plenty of paths for those who want to ride bikes or skateboard or just take a walk. 

Taking a photo walk is my favorite activity there. As you can see, I like to photograph the turtles. I also like to photograph the many unique oak trees and the flowering trees in season. You can see some of the playing fields and flowering trees in the photo below. Barney Schwartz Park is a lovely place to spend the day. Click to this previous post for more photos of the lake at Barney Schwartz Park

Playing Fields and Flowering Trees at Barney Schwartz Park, © B. Radisavljevic

When I first moved here 23 years ago, my husband and I took a drive east on Union Road when Barney Schwartz was nothing but an undeveloped area. We saw the sign for the park and got out to look around, but it wasn't much fun walking through the weeds. Back then it would have been hard to believe how scenic this area would be.  I have to give the City of Paso Robles credit for a job well done on this playground for all ages in all seasons.

Related articles

• Barney Schwartz Park is Paradise for Kids

It's International Kite Day

Will You Fly a Kite Today?

Maybe where you are the sky is blue and the weather is just right for International Kite Day. Where I am it's raining.  It seems this day should fall on a sunny weekend. Then I could go to Moonstone Beach and try flying a stunt kite as this family did. This photo shows one of the kites they were flying.

Stunt Kite, © B. Radisavljevic

Frustrating Kite Flying Experiences

The kites I remember from my childhood were nothing like these dual string stunt kites. My own kites and kite-flying experiences were more like the ones that Charlie Brown had. I think I may have met his kite-eating tree. When I was a child, we didn't have anywhere nearby to escape trees and wires in our neighborhood.

All Ages Can Enjoy Flying Kites -- Even Together

The family we met flying stunt kites at Moonstone Beach were having a family reunion of sorts and flying the kites was an activity everyone from the kids and the grandparents could enjoy together. This man is flying a dual string stunt kite, and his kite is flying so high I can't fit it into the photo below. All you can see are his hands manipulating the strings.

Man Flying Dual String Stunt Kite, © B. Radisavljevic

To see the full intergenerational experience kite-flying experience, watch the video the family gave me permission to make of them enjoying this outdoor recreation. It was my first time to see a dual string kite in action, and I was mesmerized. Enjoy. If you'd like to try flying a stunt kite yourself, Amazon has a great collection of stunt kites to choose from. 

Zazzle Products with Stunt Kites

I made these Zazzle products from a photo of one of the most impressive kites they were flying that day. There are many more products to choose from with this design, and you can customize the text to convey your own message.

 Decal Stunt Kite in the sky, Soar! Wall Stickers Stunt Kite Flying in the Sky Square Pendant Necklace I'd Rather Be Flying a Kite Sleeve For MacBook Air I'd Rather Be Flying a Kite Classic White Coffee Mug

M is for Moonstone Beach

Although Moonstone Beach is in Cambria, not Paso Robles, it is the closest beach to Paso Robles and  my favorite place in the North County to view our coast. I like to walk on the boardwalk,  or on the beach as this man is doing. If you can't see him, you can click to enlarge this or any photo here.

One thing I enjoy about Moonstone Beach is watching what people build. There is always driftwood in interesting shapes, and people make huts or other structures to demonstrate their creativity. Another favorite occupation is looking for interesting stones or rocks. I have often found jade there.

Moonstone Beach has many interesting trees. One of them hides this secluded bench that I call the "lovers' bench." I very often come across couples sitting there where not many people are looking as they walk along the boardwalk  above. It's a great place to view the ocean.

It seems I most often visit Moonstone Beach in autumn or winter when there aren't  as many people. This photo was taken in January and picks up some of the color from the flora. You can see the most common of the fauna below.

One of our most interesting Moonstone Beach experiences was observing a family celebration where three generations were flying stunt kites together. They graciously allowed me to capture them flying the kites on video. I had never seen stunt kites before. It was really fun to watch two in the air at once. You might enjoy watching the video that shows not only what it's like to play at Moonstone Beach, but also how much fun these kites can be as a family activity.

Some of my other Moonstone Beach photos are in my Zazzle Barb's California Card and Gift Gallery Store. Here's a sneak preview.

 Moonstone Beach Surfer Postcard Build Your Dreams Decal Moonstone Beach Jigsaw Puzzle