You Up for Yorba?

Skip the overcrowded brunch joints and go al fresco with Mom at Orange County’s Yorba Regional Park. What’s on the menu? Picnic sites, bike trails, lake fun, and more, spread across 140 acres in Santa Ana Canyon. Pack up a picnic basket filled with your outdoorsy mom’s favorite goodies and set up under the shade of the park’s abundant coast live oak trees, or use one of the covered picnic shelters. Lizards and squirrels entertain while you eat, and dozens of species of birds set the soundtrack. Keep your eyes open for snowy egrets, double-crested cormorants, hermit thrush, mountain chickadee, and red-winged blackbirds (to name just a few).

After brunch, head over to the lake to work off those calories! Wheel Fun Rentals provides tandem pedal-boat and kayak rentals, perfect for a serene afternoon adventure with Mom. Four-seater pedal-boats are available if the siblings, or Dad, are along. Sure, the lake is small and you can see everything from the shore, but exploring out on the water is much more fun.

If Mom doesn’t have sea legs and prefers dry land, take her bike riding instead. Several miles of bike trails meander through the park and connect to the Santa Ana River Trail, which stretches 20 miles to Huntington Beach. Wheel Fun Rentals has you covered bikewise, too, from cruisers to surreys, everything you need to create a perfect Mother’s Day. Bonus: This park is perfect for kite flying. Bring one along for a fun throwback to childhood to remind Mom of the good old days!

Yorba Regional Park is located at 7600 E. La Palma in Anaheim. From the CA-91 east, exit onto CA-90 (Imperial Hwy.) and turn left. Make a right on E. La Palma; the park will be on your right. From the CA-91 west, exit on Weir Canyon toward Yorba Linda Blvd. and turn right onto S. Weir Canyon Rd. Make a left on E. La Palma; the park will be on your left.  The park is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Rentals are available Saturday, Sunday, and holidays from 10 a.m. to sunset through June 9. From June 10 to Aug. 25, rentals are available Wednesday through Friday, noon to  7 p.m., and Saturday, Sunday, and holidays from 10 a.m. to sunset. Dog-friendly!