Category Archives: NorCal

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Favorite Summer Vacation Posts

Posted on July 17, 2010 | Leave a comment

There is still plenty of summer vacation left here in California (trust me, this teacher has counted the days on the calendar), so get out there and enjoy those long, sunny days.
Here are some posts to help you in all of your summer travel endeavors.

If you’re itching to take a road trip…

I wrote a post for the Trekaroo blog on how to tackle a road trip along the central coast of California.

So you’re ready to hit the road along the coast, just don’t forget the beach bag. Read here for some California road trip tips.

Here are my thoughts on packing busy bags and taking technology on the road.

The kids and moms will be hungry as soon as you pull out of the driveway, here are some tips on what me and other mom travel bloggers pack in their snack bag at Cascadia Kids.

It’s not summer without a trip to the beach…

If you’re lucky enough to find yourself in a tropical paradise and would like to take your kids swimming with the fishes, read some of my snorkeling tips.

I loved to snorkel in Maui’s Kapalua Bay. Please send me a photo if you do go, I’ll live vicariously through you this summer.

One of the top searches to the blog this month has been fried artichoke hearts in Santa Cruz. And it often leads readers to this post on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. This is definitely one of my favorite places to eat fried artichoke hearts (they may not be the best you can find, but you just can’t beat the ambiance).

If you’re ready for some s’mores…

Our all-time popular post is about some favorite California campgrounds with kids.

Here are some tips for you newbie campers. Or if you’re a seasoned pro, tell me what else I can add to the list.

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Posted in Family Travel, Hawaii, NorCal, SoCal, Something Actually Useful, The Mush Pot

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Extreme Mammals at California Academy of Sciences

Posted on June 20, 2010 | 2 Comments

Did you know that whales once walked on four legs? Don’t worry you’re not alone, I didn’t know either. My son did, and he was happy to tell me all about the walking whale, Ambulocetus, while we toured the new Extreme Mammals exhibit at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco.

My Kid’s Picks:

Nothing impresses an eight-year-old more than the extreme, whether it be extreme cannon balls in the swimming pool or extreme mammals at the museum, so this exhibit was right up his alley. As we strolled the nine sections of the exhibit, my son tugged at my sleeve begging me to check out the “freaky” animals. He did stop and read the information behind each display, but seeing the fossils and animal models was the big draw. It’s one thing to learn about prehistoric animals at school, and a whole thing altogether to see them in person. His favorites were the glyptodont-an extinct relative of the armadillo as big as a car-and the live tree shrew in the Reproduction section.

Mom’s Verdict:

I really liked that the prehistoric focus of this exhibit, since this is the one area I found a bit lacking in the new Academy of Sciences. Whenever there is an opportunity to take my son to see some of these fossil and taxidermy displays in person, I will hop at the chance. This exhibit is better suited for school-aged children, but even the younger bunch will enjoy getting a glimpse of the extreme mammals. We saw a few toddlers touring the exhibit, but at a much speedier pace. The timed entry made the exhibit easier to see, without hordes of people trying to push your kid while he checks out that three-horned deer relative. The lighting is a bit darker in this particular hall, so it may be a bit scary to sensitive toddlers.

Useful Tips:

This exhibit requires you get passes for timed entry. Get your passes on the second level once you enter the museum. They are handed out on a first come, first serve basis.

There will be a picture taken of your group in front of two wooly mammoths before you enter. Do tell the photographer you would like to have at least 50% of your group not come out with their eyes closed in the picture. I speak from personal experience.

There is no photography allowed inside the actual exhibit, though, so I wasn’t able to share any with you. But there are a few on the Academy website.

I found my second visit to the new Academy of Science to be much more enjoyable, mostly because the crowds have thinned out. I will have to revisit my previous tips post and will have a more detailed post about the Academy later this month. In the meantime, head down to the Academy of Sciences to check out the Extreme Mammals before they’re gone. The exhibit runs until September 12, 2010.

We received complimentary media passes for this visit to the Academy of Sciences, as always views and opinions shared here are all my own.


San Francisco Family Vacation

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Posted in Events for the Cool Kids, Family Travel, Geek Stops, NorCal

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Cool Kids’ Calendar Planner: World Oceans Day Events

Posted on June 3, 2010 | 2 Comments

World Oceans Day is on June 8 and many aquariums and museums in California are holding special family events to celebrate and bring awareness about our oceans and how we can keep them healthy. I’ve compiled a list with links to some of the events taking place this week. If I’m missing any, just add them to the comments.

Monterey Bay Aquarium is holding it’s World Oceans Day event this weekend, June 5-6 and is free with admission. There will be a special family craft room and special feedings throughout the day.

Birch Aquarium is holding special events all month, beginning on Tuesday, June 8 with a special Dr. Seuss, One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish theme activities.

Sea Life Aquarium is holding family events on June 5.

Aquarium of the Bay is holding family events and scavenger hunts from Sunday, June 6 to Tuesday, June 8.

Even if you can’t make any of these events, you should consider a trip to the beach for a little impromptu clean-up and celebration of your own.

Linking up to Trekaroo’s Spotlight Thursday, head there for more family travel ideas.

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Posted in Events for the Cool Kids, NorCal, SoCal

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Lawrence Hall of Science

Posted on May 11, 2010 | 6 Comments

What: Lawrence Hall of Science

Where: Berkeley, CA

Why: I had lived in the Bay Area for over 25 years and had never, ever gone. Go figure. Besides, we were looking for another stamp in our science geek passport (which we made ourselves).

My Kid’s Picks: He enjoyed the Kapla exhibit where he built a tower with wooden blocks, the special exhibit (which was all about boogers and other gross things at the time), the outdoor water exhibit, and the animal discovery room. This room was really a classroom downstairs, with a few university students there to talk to the kids about the animals on exhibit. The big whale sculpture just outside the museum entrance was also fun to climb on.

Mom’s Verdict: The view was my favorite part. I loved the outdoor exhibit area-Forces that Shape the Bay. While the kids try their hand at controlling the water flow from the Sierra Nevada, you can take in the views of San Francisco across the bay. Any science museum with a Zen-like outdoor area is a winner in my book. I also liked that the museum was small enough to tackle in a couple of hours and that it did not overwhelm kids with too many exhibits. This makes it much more accessible for younger kids. There is also a small planetarium, but we didn’t have time to take in a show.

Useful Tidbits: The new special exhibit-Scream Machines-is all about the science of roller coasters and will be open from May 22 to January 2, 2011. We may just have to make another visit to check it out. The museum is open daily from 10 to 4, but check the website for the Animal Discovery Room hours and planetarium show times. Admission prices are $12 for adults and $6 dollars for children ages 3 to 6.

We also made a stop at the University of California, Berkeley Museum of Paleontology to take a peek at dinosaur fossils on display there.

Linking up to Trekaroo’s Spotlight Thursday, lots of family travel ideas there. Go check it out.

Berkeley Things To Do

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Posted in Family Travel, NorCal

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Point Lobos State Reserve

Posted on April 9, 2010 | 14 Comments

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Sometimes you stand on a windy cliff, overlooking glassy blue waters, and you forget that this beauty has already been discovered a million times over. You don’t remember all the others who have stood on that same cliff  (or are standing right behind you trying to snap the same picture). You forget that you’ve already seen these scenes before. The sight of these beautiful places will erase all memory and let you experience their grandeur all over again. I don’t know about you, but I need to experience a bit of grandeur every once in a while.

To experience all this beauty head over to Point Lobos State Reserve just off Highway 1, past Carmel-by-the-Sea, at the beginning of the Big Sur coastline.

I’m trying out this new slideshow feature, just in time for Photo Friday at Delicious Baby. Let me know what you think. Is it easy to view the pictures? Do they load quickly enough? All comments are appreciated.

Monterey Family Vacation

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Posted in Family Travel, Great Outdoors, NorCal

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My Green California

Posted on March 26, 2010 | 8 Comments

This is what my California looks like this time of year. I love it. With all the rain this winter, we have green, green hillsides this spring. But all this green is a fleeting thing. I thought about that this morning, as I drove by hillsides dotted with orange poppies and yellow mustard flowers. Even the construction crew off the side of the freeway looked prettier with all the wildflowers in the background. I want to pull over and take pictures all the time, it’s just so darn beautiful.

Unfortunately, I’m usually late to some very important date, so I don’t have many photos to share. But when the weekends come, I have managed to get out for some hiking on those green, green hills. So I snapped this photo in Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont. I hope to get out there for some more hikes before all this green goes away.

I’m linking up to Delicious Baby’s Photo Friday. Go check out all the other photos of life’s fleeting moments.

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Posted in Family Travel, NorCal, The Mush Pot

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Day Trip Ideas for Spring

Posted on March 23, 2010 | 5 Comments

Warmer days are here, so we’re all heading outdoors. I can’t stay all cooped up with the birds chirping and the flowers blooming. And since I’m always looking for a good excuse to get out of the house-avoiding all housework in the process-here are our three favorite day trip ideas. Get out and enjoy all of spring’s bounties, they’ll be gone before you know it. 

1. We visit a garden (duh!). This may seem like a no-brainer, but it does take a bit of planning, when you want to see a garden in full bloom. Do you like tulips? Go in April. Are you looking for cherry blossoms? Better go before March. Visit different gardens, throughout the season, to see the wide spectrum of blooming colors. I’m constantly amazed by how much my son enjoys a trip to the garden, but I have a feeling that he may feel a bit differently about daffodils when he’s sixteen. So I’m going to get as many cute garden photos of him, while the gettin’ is good. Our favorite garden is Filoli Gardens, you can read more about it here.

2. We visit a farm. It’s all about the baby animals in the spring. I like to squeal and coo when I see the cute lambs, chicks, and-if I’m lucky-piglets. Now we love to visit Hidden Villa Farm, but there are plenty of other farms within day trip distance of our house. Chances are, you also have dozens of farms near your home as well. Find one and call them to see which baby animals they expect to be born soon. Don’t forget about petting zoos, we were surprised by the adorable eight-day-old lambs at Happy Hollow Park and Zoo on a recent visit.

3. We take a wildflower hike. I’m excited by the upcoming wildflower season in California (a bit nerdy, I know). The rainy winter has made the hillsides extra green in Northern California and the colors are beginning to pop out all over the place. The best part about the wildflower hike is the exercise. Or at least it is, if you’re doing a bit of spring training like I am. The California State Park website has some notes about some of the best parks to see wildflowers in the state. But you don’t have limit yourself to these places, just head to some open space and you’ll find the wildflowers. Heck, I can even see them on the side of the freeway nowadays. But that kind of of drive-by viewing doesn’t count, you can’t smell the flowers zooming past them at the legal speed of 65 mph. So I’m getting out this spring and climbing some hills in search of wildflowers.

Other wildflower resources:

What’s blooming when: California Bureau of Land Management.

Desert Wildflower Report at Desert U.S.A.

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Posted in Family Travel, Great Outdoors, NorCal, SoCal

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Some Notes on Happy Hollow Park and Zoo

Posted on March 18, 2010 | 6 Comments

Happy Hollow Park and Zoo in San Jose is reopening after it’s 20-month renovation. Now, I know that this isn’t news to the San Francisco Bay Area families, because I think most of them were there with us for the member preview day this Sunday. It was reported that the park saw 8,000 visitors that day alone. Like most newly renovated attractions, this one is sure to be crowded its first year.

I’ve only visited the new and improved Happy Hollow once, so I’m not an expert. But I do have a few sanity-saving tips I can pass on. I’ll keep updating the tips on this post after I’ve made a few more visits.

1. Know your parking options. Arrive 20-30 minutes before opening time. There is a new parking lot, so check the website beforehand. On the preview day, there were four lots available and all had at least a ten-minute line to get in, even early in the day. Although the website says parking is six dollars, the parking lot nearest to the entrance is actually ten dollars; the other lots are six.

2. Take a picnic or eat an early lunch. We opted to eat an early lunch around eleven. This was the best move we made all day. By 1 o’clock the line was out the door. Others reported that they waited an hour and a half to get their food. I think that the lines may begin to move faster, once the staff works out some of the kinks. There were no other snack carts in the park, so the cafe is the only option. Luckily there are plenty of picnic tables and grassy areas for a picnic.

3. Check the scheduled events. The puppet show has new times, and the new Leaping Lemur area and Barn Area have zookeepers that do some training sessions with the animals. We saw the trainer and the lemurs, and it was a nice treat. The times are posted on the exhibits.

4. Go Play First. Because the park is so crowded, it pays off to get there early. If you’re there early, then go the park area first. It’s the old, trusty amusement park rule: popular rides first. I also noticed that the new Leaping Lemur area, Double-H Ranch area, and Redwood Lookout Play area were all very crowded, so you may want to let your little ones explore these parts early in the morning. Check the height requirements for the rides before you get in line.

5. Save some time for the fossil hunting. There were few changes to the lower zoo area, with the notable exception of the new fossil dig sand area. Even my older, more world weary child was engrossed in the dig for a while. Toddlers and preschool dinosaur fans were in sandy dino heaven.

* Bonus Tip * If you go this spring, take a peek inside the barnyard. I went all ga-ga when I saw these eight-day-old lambs. So cute.

If you have any tips to share, please leave them in the comments. You may also want to check out the Happy Hollow Facebook fan page; visitors are leaving comments, and tips there all the time.

I hope to have another more detailed post on the renovations in the park later on.

San Jose Family Vacation

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Posted in Family Travel, NorCal, Something Actually Useful

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San Francisco Cable Car Museum

Posted on March 1, 2010 | 4 Comments

What: The San Francisco Cable Car Museum

Where: It’s located high up in the Mason and Washington cable car barn in (you guessed it) San Francisco, California.

Why: We wanted to learn more about those famous cable cars, without having to actually stand in one of the long lines to board one.

My Kid’s Picks: The penny machine. Yes, there seems to be one of those wherever we go. He also enjoyed seeing the wheels that turn the cables and checking out all of the maps and grids for each cable car line. In the downstairs viewing area, he checked out the cables that entered the building from the channels under the street. This is a trip underground.

Mom’s Verdict: The museum is often overlooked, mostly because it is not near any other major attraction. You can, of course, ride up in a cable car and then back down. In addition to the behind-the-scenes look at the machinery that keeps those cable cars moving, there are a few antique cars on display. It is worth a stop if your kids are into learning about modes of transport, and if you’ve already seen many of the other attractions in San Francisco. School-aged children will get the most of out of the visit. Oh, and if you can’t guess from watching the video: it’s loud.

Useful Tidbits: Admission is free. There is only street parking so we parked in a garage on California Street (a few blocks away). The whole tour of the museum took less than twenty minutes (including a bathroom break and penny machine session). There is also a small, inexpensive cafe across the street. We stopped there for a panini and Italian soda for lunch.


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San Francisco Family Vacation

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Posted in Geek Stops, NorCal

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Video Zen: View From the Top

Posted on February 15, 2010 | 3 Comments

This weekend I remembered that I don’t like to sit out, when there is fun to be had. If you’ve been reading the posts of this past week, you know that I haven’t been skiing since before my son was born. You also know that my son had a small triumph of sorts this past weekend: he got on skis for the first time.

The problem is that I only got to share in his skiing debut, from the bottom of the hill. That’s no place for me to be. I want to take him all the way to the top of the run, chatting on the chair lifts as we get there, and then race him down to the bottom.

I’ve always been there to share all of the adventures with him, so I’m determined to make it up the hill with him soon. It’s time to tune up those skis, buy some new ski pants, and work out those lazy muscles of mine.

Today I’m dreaming of hitting the slopes again. And just in case I try to talk myself out of it, I put together this little video of my son shredding down the hill (filmed courtesy of his very patient, snowboarding aunt). This is the view I want of my son skiing.

This post is dedicated to those Monday Dreamers-Backpack to Buggy and Mother of All Trips-who have also been chronicling their skiing dreams and adventures this past month.

Go check the new Monday Dreams this week at Mother of all Trips.

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Posted in Family Travel, Kids Go West Videos, NorCal

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