Santa Monica Pier

The kids had an interest in visiting the Santa Monica Pier, especially the amusement rides. When we arrived there Monday, before heading down to the pier with the masses, we first went into the Atlas Obscura nearby. Although the building is clearly marked, the entry is ambiguous since the attraction is in shared space with a senior center. That made it all the more intriguing and the free admission was a bonus! The room was circular and easily fit us all. The usual pinhole was more like a porthole. The image was displayed on a large round disc that could be rotated. We could see all around us and even could focus small areas.  Very interesting.

Down at the Pier, we all took a ride on the historic carousel houses in the hippodrome designed by designed by Charles Looffe to house one of his carousels (it was replaced about 23 years after its installation). Jeff also knew of Looffe carousel at Crescent Park in RI that is still in operatiin. The amusement rides by the beautiful beaches gave a feeling of bygone times. Although touristy, it is nice to see places like this still exist and people delight in them as much today. As the kids enjoyed unlimited rides and some independence, the adults went off to the Dudes Brewery Co. for a sampling of local beer and snacks for lunch. The highlight of our time there though  took place outside. There was a HUGE swarm of bees in the air that finally settled on a table. They were covering a section so thickly that they looked like a dripping stalactite. It was an uncommon sight for us, for sure.

Our west coast adventures have come to an end. It was another fun trip. The best part for us was spending time with Jeff and Amanda. Thank you guys for your wonderful company and gracious hospitality.  Hope we see you both again soon!

Hurrah for Hollywood

Per our tourist request, Amanda and Jeff were kind enough to take us to a Hollywood sign viewing point. To our surprise, it was a popular spot. Down the road was the Hollywood Reservoir, an artificial reservoir constructed in 1924 and seemingly not in use at the present. It was a lovely location and we enjoyed a walk around it and got many views of the Hollywood sign without any of the crowds!

Afterwards we went to the Science Center. This was fun for kids and adults. Among other things, we saw an IMAX film about Apollo 11, experienced a hurricane simulator, and saw the space shuttle Endeavour while learning about the space shuttles and their missions.

We weren't done with museums yet though. We had two more gems to visit. The first was the Center for Land Use Interpretation  (clui.org). The mission of this organization seems to be looking at how humans interact with the planet and how the man made structures reflect culture and this interaction. The website, of course, describes it much better. The current exhibit was about shortwave radios--the history, the old buildings and sites devoted to them, and one site that still broadcasts the Voice of America. Right next door was the Museum for Jurassic Technology (http://mjt.org/) This is another place that is difficult to describe. At first glance, it seems to be a museum for strange collections and an introduction to obscure historical figures. A small truth is tied to these things and people so it is not clear to the visitor that these exhibits are not as straightforward as one might think. 

The evening ended with a delicious meal and games. Do you know the height of an Oscar statuette? It could win you big money in Wits and Wagers if you do!

Mission San Juan Capistrano

We headed south today and visited this mission. It is widely known for the swallows returning each year. Actually though, there was a spate of years that they didn't return. Due to urban growth,  they could find higher buildings in the surrounding areas for nesting. Scientists have worked hard to keep them returning to the mission including playing a male swallow mating song to attract them in. We all toured at our own pace with the help of audio guides. The mission has had an interesting history. Afterwards we were able to meet up with Jean and Fenway to catch up.

Snakes in LA

We arrived in Los Angeles on Friday. Amanda and Jeff took us for a fantastic hike at the Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area. It provided a panoramic view of the city. I was just amazed at how large and sprawling it was. We also learned about the Baldwin Hills Reservoir which was formally on this site and which failed in 1963. After cracking, it emptied in 77 minutes and destroying nearly 70 homes. Now it is an inviting green, grassy bowl with many trees. It is a contrast to the scrubbier, dry landscape around it.

Stay CALM and Escape

Thursday in Bakersfield was hot! Despite the heat, we went to check out the California Living Museum (CALM). It has native plants and native non-releasable animals  (due to injury or threat). Unlike a large zoo, we had great access to the exhibits either through proximity or select view areas. We saw some very cool animals such as the CA condor with its huge wing span and the desert tortoise. The poor bears looked very hot. The kids were fascinated by a pelican almost turning its throat inside out and a scrub jay nipped John through the wire cage!

After cooling down and grabbing lunch at Temblor Brewing Company, we decided to enter the world of escape rooms. We were successful escapees from the Crimson Storm room in which we needed to find the treasure from a sinking pirate ship that we were imprisoned on. Great fun!

Raisins and Coffee Pots

On Wednesday, we made our way to Bakersfield. On the way we stopped for some unusual sights in the town of Kingsburg. Our first stop was at the Sunmaid raisin factory and gift shop. There we saw the "world's largest raisin box." We learned that many of the grape vines we had been seeing were the Thompson variety. We drove further into town and paused for a photo of the Swedish coffee pot a.k.a town water tower. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/swedish-coffee-pot-tower

Cable Cars and Other Iconic Actvities

While the teenagers slept in to late morning, we bought a day pass for the cable cars and had an enjoyable morning riding around. We began with boarding the Powell-Hyde line near Ghirardelli Square, and ending in Union Square. The line to ride back was huge, so we walked through the Financial District to Market St. where the California line does not seem to be as much on the tourist radar. We hopped off that line at Powell St., crossed the street, and hopped back on the Powell-Mason line to complete our trip. What is time in San Francisco without riding the cable cars?!

We split up after lunch with John and Isaac heading to the Golden Gate Bridge to have a redux of walking over it. One side was closed to pedestrians so it was a bit crowded with foot traffic and bikes. Isaac, who really wanted to do this again, but doesn't love heights, power walked the whole way, leaving John to play catch up!  And that's telling because John is usually the one leaving the rest of the family in the dust as he zips to a destination!  Once they were back on solid ground, John stopped at Golden Gate Park to grab some sand for his collection. While they were out, Adelaide and I hopped on the cable cars to visit Chinatown. 

Later in the afternoon, John and I walked to Crissy Field to watch the windsurfers and ship traffic coming in and out of the bay. We were surprised by a sea lion stopping right in front of us who peeked up to check out what was happening above water! After, we collected the kids and brought them to an outstanding Korean restaurant John and I had gone to the night before called Surisan. And before the day was done, John and Isaac put those cable car passes to good use and had a night time ride. A nice ending to our time in San Francisco.