After months of being at home again due to the Alert level restrictions, finally, our family was able to have another field trip or outing this April while NCR is on Alert Level 1.

We had a picnic again after years of waiting and wondering when we can do it again safely.

Going to La Mesa Ecopark has been on our list of places to go to for a field trip for a long time even before the pandemic. My husband and I had beautiful memories at this place when we were still single. We even had our pre-nuptial pictorial here.

Thus, I was thrilled when I got confirmation from La Mesa Ecopark’s Facebook page that we can now go there again and we can bring our kids with us.

I knew very well that our boys would love running around in a big open space surrounded by nature.

Sadly, there are still parts of the park that are not yet open. The swimming pool and the lagoon are among these places.

But, having a picnic with the family and exploring nature is good enough for now.

We brought snacks and drinks only. Our plan was to eat lunch after our stay at the park because we were also scheduled to go to my mom and brother and to visit the columbary where my father’s remains are.

You and your family members can go walking, jogging, running or biking (bring your own bike) and take lots of pictures in the park aside from having a picnic.

Although we stayed there for a few hours only, it was a good break from staying at home for months since our last field trip in December.

We went to the park on a Sunday; so, it’s not surprising that there were a lot of people. But, it’s ok. The amphitheater is still big enough to practice social distancing.

If you do not want to have a picnic at the amphitheater, there are nipa huts that are for rent at P500 each.

If you are looking for a place to go that is affordable and that would enable you and your kids to explore nature, check out this park. The entrance fee or minimum donation is only P50. But if you are a resident of QC, the minimum donation is only P40.

The park is open from 6 AM to 3 PM from Thursday to Sunday. But from Monday to Wednesday, it is open from 6 AM to 12 NN only.

If you have not scheduled or planned a family outing yet this summer, I suggest you plan and schedule one soon before the elections. The Alert Level after the elections might already change and we are not sure if kids would still be allowed after that.