Chandler Martin's kite did a few loops and then soared into the blue sky above Camel's Back Park.

You could hear the wind flapping the kite's wings as it gained altitude.

It has been a windy spring so far, and it's time to dig out a kite and try your best to get it airborne.

Any neighborhood park can be a flight zone, but here are a few of the best places for flying:

® Camel's Back Park (13th and Heron): It's small but it's a sociable place with a lot going on - from dog Frisbee to toddler mountain climbing and hill sliding.

There's enough room for kite flying in the flat part of the park. But the best take-off spot is at the top of Camel's Back.

Watch for tricky crosswinds coming from the mountain and for collisions with Frisbees.

Ann Morrison Park (off Americana Boulevard and the Boise River): If you can dodge incoming Canada geese, this is the place right in the center of town.

You'll find tree-lined open spaces which add a little bit of challenge to the sport.

If the kids get tired of flying, there's always the duck pond or playground.

Bring the bike and take a ride on the Greenbelt.

Optimist Sports Complex (9898 W. Hill Road): If you hook a tree in this 51-acre park in Northwest Boise, you need to give up kite flying.

The park is wide open and in a pretty windy area. Avoid the area when sports teams are practicing, hence the name "sports complex."

There is a pond to avoid so you don't drown your kite.

Simplot Family Sports Complex (Columbia Village): This has to be one of the windiest places in town. It's on the edge of the city and at the funnel of the Boise River Canyon. Lots of open space.

Don't try it on a weekend when sports teams are practicing.

And don't bring your llama. No fooling, there's a sign that says: no dogs, cats, horses and llamas.

Settlers Park (3245 N. Meridian Road, Meridian): This is the ideal place to take kids kite flying because of the large open space. Hopefully that will result in no tangles in trees.

The advantage of this park is everything else that is going on. If your kids get bored or the wind quits blowing, there is a nearby fishing pond and adventure play area to visit.

Foothills ridges (anywhere): This is for the adventurous, and you can combine hiking and kite flying.

The winds coming off the open ridges around the Boise Foothills can be challenging for flying but a lot of fun.

It also can be a disaster if you crash your kite into tick-infested sagebrush. And then there's the cheatgrass in your socks.

There's plenty of open space but it's not for everyone.

Pete Zimowsky: 377-6445