Tucson, AZ

At least once a week, I try to take my son out to do something outdoors other than just walking. So, after a particularly restless morning last Thursday, I decided to take him to De Anza Park. This is a place I had passed plenty of times, but never actually stopped to see. The park itself is a small recreational area located at 1000 North Stone Ave. right off Speedway. It offers volleyball nets, a playground, and picnic areas, but what attracted me most was the swing set.

The swing set at De Anza Park has the type of equipment that little kids can sit in without hurting themselves. I’m talking about the kind of swing that looks like a soft plastic bucket that’s been sawed in half with two holes in the bottom for legs. And that’s great for me since my son is now over six months old and able to sit up pretty well. But, since he doesn’t have the greatest control over his body, it allows us to safely have fun.

We had a great time as I gently swung my son back and forth on the swing. But, after about 15 minutes, the fussiness started again and before I knew it we were walking around the perimeter of the park with the stroller. Fortunately for me, my son quickly became more interested in the sights and sounds of people enjoying the park than crying his eyes out and we started having fun again. We saw people picnicking in the shade of large trees, kids playing, and even a few people playing volleyball who commented on how cute and chubby my little guy was.

As we walked on, the lull of the stroller put my son to sleep and I got to wondering about the history of the park and who exactly De Anza was. Later, after a little research, I found out that it’s actually kind of an interesting story. De Anza was Don Juan Bautista de Anza, a Spanish conquistador who was born in Mexico in 1736. He was an explorer, and settled a lot of the land in California and on the west coast. His connection to Tucson was that he was appointed commander of the Presidio of Tucson in 1788, but unfortunately died before he could take office. Because of this, lots of things in Tucson are named for him. There is a De Anza trail, De Anza drive in theater, and of course De Anza park.

After I’d daydreamed for awhile, and got in a little more exercise, my son woke up fussier than ever, so I knew it was time to go home. It was getting a little late in the afternoon, so I knew that I had to get home and do all that had to be done before dinner and bed time. We did really enjoy De Anza Park, though, and will certainly come back to enjoy the swing set, the ambiance, and the fresh air of this nice little outdoor area.