Playground at Highland Otis Park
Mingo Avenue and Highland Street, Seaside, (831) 899-6800, ci.seaside.ca.us/402/Parks
One of the great things about Seaside is its 23 parks, many of them tiny neighborhood parks. Highland Otis Park is a relatively large park, perched high up on a hill with outstanding views of the Monterey Bay. But for years, it was just a weedy sand pit full of litter. Thanks to efforts by Carol Mikkelsen, who initiated a neighborhood cleanup in 2010 that evolved into nonprofit Friends of Seaside Parks, there was a case study for improving parks. FOSPA still does a lot of maintenance – and the city is stepping up to do its part, too. Highland Otis got a picnic area in 2015, and in 2022 a volleyball court and new swing set. Since they were installed, the swings have been occupied morning, noon and night, by kids of all ages, swinging with their eyes toward the ocean and a view of Seaside unfolding below.