CENTRAL PARK : Huntington Beach Oasis Encourages Quieter Pursuits Indoor and Out

Central Park in Huntington Beach is the kind of place people drive by a lot. It’s at the intersection of several busy streets--Talbert and Slater avenues and Golden West Street--but its attractions are not visible from the road.

There are a couple of nice places for breakfast or lunch, several walking paths and more wildlife than you’d expect for an area that seems so overrun by humans.

8 to 9: The park is divided by Golden West Street into Central Park East and West. Alice’s Breakfast in the Park is tucked into the westernmost corner of the western half of the park.

If you are planning to do some walking after breakfast, you’ll want to avoid the one-hour-only parking spaces right beside Alice’s. There are plenty of spaces with no time limit, and the extra walk is minimal.

Part of the charm of Alice’s is the flock of geese and ducks that greets any visitor who shows even a remote possibility of sharing a crust of bread. The geese are big and loud and white, and you can watch them from most tables inside Alice’s.

The restaurant serves basic omelets for $4.25, and you can add any of 10 items for an extra charge. The bread is baked at the restaurant, with tasty results for the raisin toast. The cinnamon buns are huge and also very good.

Servers keep the extra-tall coffee mugs filled.

9 to 9:15: Lake Huntington is the grand-sounding name for the small body of water you can see from Alice’s bay window.

You’ll share the lake path with walkers, joggers and horseback riders from the nearby stable. The lake is surrounded by trees and has its own good-size population of ducks. There are benches along the way if you want to stop and enjoy the scene.

9:15 to 10:15: When you get back to Alice’s, you’ll notice a sign at the northern end of the parking lot that instructs you to follow the yellow line (on foot) if you want to find the Shipley Nature Center.

The center houses live snakes, turtles and goldfish. There are photos and rocks and mushrooms and other things taken from nature, and they are displayed in a way that teaches, making this a perfect stop for children. One wall holds several items that onlookers are asked to identify. I never would have guessed that porcupine needles looked like that.

As the path meets Golden West Street at Rio Vista Drive, there is a crossing guard to help you across Golden West--even if you’re a grown-up.

The Park Bench Cafe is at the entrance to Central Park East. It’s a cute little place, with tables under the trees.

If you take the walking path to the right, you’ll be heading for the Huntington Beach Central Library.

10:15 to 11: This accommodating and interesting library is being expanded, so there is scaffolding covering much of the front entrance. A model of what it will look like is inside in the lobby.

A part of the expansion that has been completed is a reading area that looks out onto Central Park East. Several indoor water fountains make a pleasant sound and block stray voices from the children’s section, where reading aloud is permitted.

The reference library is equipped with business and law publications for special research. The periodicals section holds some seldom-seen publications such as Washington Monthly, Utne Reader and the Christian Science Monitor.

On the ground floor is the library’s media center, perhaps the most popular section. Patrons can check out compact discs and videotapes.

The media center hours are slightly different from the main library. They are Monday through Thursday from 1 to 9 p.m., and on Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.