Sealife Aquarium

They are the most feared creatures of the deep. While they are sleek predators with mouths full of forever regenerating teeth, they are also some of the most misunderstood creatures in the ocean. Most sharks pose no threat to humans, but “Jaws” has left so many of us with a tremendous fear of a giant carnivorous fish slinking beneath us as we swim. At Sealife Aquarium (on the LEGOLAND California Resort property), they are helping to dispel some of those myths and educate families on the many wonders of the deep.

Recently, Mari and I were invited to spend the morning at Sealife Aquarium and get a look at some of the new shows that have recently debuted. As we walked through the aquarium and over to the Lost City of Atlantis where the Daily Dive was held, Mari peered in at fish, seahorses, and rays through kid sized peep holes. Its details like height appropriate viewing areas which make educating children about our oceans that much more practical. When children can explore things at their level, they are much more likely to absorb what’s going on around them.

The Daily Dive was a great way for kids to be able to ask questions about sharks, sea life, and marine biology to an actual diver inside the tank with the sharks. The newest star of the Lost City of Atlantis tank is a hammerhead shark. Little ones inquisitively asked why the hammerheads eyes were so far apart (so he can see all around him) and what types of food these unusual creatures ate. There were also silly question such as “Can you eat underwater?” (the surprising answer was yes!) and if sharks liked pizza (which I think would depend on the shark.), but the point was that children were actively engaged in being educated and they were having too much fun to notice it!

The next show we watched was the Shark Talk puppet show. It was a comical talk show involving a octopus interviewing a hammerhead shark. It was geared towards younger children but I certainly saw older kids with smiles on their faces. Mari was enthralled throughout the show and I have to admit, I was pretty entertained as well. There was just enough adult friendly humor thrown in there to keep things interesting.

With all this shark talk I do want to let you know that there is more to Sea Life Aquarium than just sharks. The California Coast exhibit demonstrates the ebb and flow of tidal life.  Ray Lagoon is a wonderful place to check out those ever smiling flat fish. The Kingdom of the Seahorse with especially popular with Mari who holds a soft spot in her heart for those delicate little creatures. And of course no self respecting aquarium is complete without a touch pool. Luckily, Sea Life Aquarium has two.

 

In honor of last week’s Earth Day festivities, here are nine great tips on how you and your family can help save our seas. The people at Sealife Aquarium gave to me on a Grow a Note; a note card with wildflowers seeds in the paper that you can plant!

1. Ban the Bag- Bring your own bag to carry your things.

2. Scoop the Poop- Clean up after your pet.

3. Pick Up Three- Pick up three pieces of trash (that you didn’t create) per day.

4. Shorten the Shower- Make a game out of taking shorter showers.

5. Turn the Tap- Turn off the water when you’re brushing your teeth.

6. Keep it Real- Limit your use of disposable cups, plates, and utensils.

7. Trash to Treasure- Find new uses for old things.

8. Limit the Landfills- Put recyclable items in the right bin.

9. Spread the Word- Tell a friend how they can help.

Family Vacation
Carlsbad

Cabrillo National Monument

I love that end of the earth feeling. It usually involves standing at the edge of a cliff that drops off into a never ending sea full of churning blue water. I can’t help but imagine what it must have felt like to think that the earth was flat and the drop into oblivion was just on the edge of the horizon. What a scary and finite concept.  Cabrillo National Monument is a great place to let your mind get swept back to the days of conquistadores, Spanish occupation, and early exploration.

 

We decided to head over to the tide pools for the first part of our Cabrillo NM tour. I had planned our day around low tide so we would have the best opportunity to view sea life. Unfortunately, and tragically, the Chilean earthquake had hit the day before. Between the tsunami warning and the massive storm that had hit the day prior, the minus tide ceased to exist. The seas were incredibly rough and most of the tide pools were inaccessible. That being said, I felt the rough seas added to the rugged feel that Point Loma possesses.

 

We followed the trail that hugs the cliffs and stood at cliffs edge, admiring the swirling waters below. The scenery reminded me a bit of Point Reyes in Northern California and served as a nice reminder of what the San Diego coast once was.

We did manage to make it down to beach level and spot a few critters that had washed ashore. Since it was the weekend (and the first warm day in over a week), there were crowds down around the tide pools. I think if the tide was lower and people were able to spread out a bit more, it would have had a much more intimate feel.

 

Next we headed over to the visitor’s center to get our National Park passport book stamped and learn about Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo. Cabrillo was the first European to set foot on the West Coast way back in 1542, and historians believe those first footsteps were made on Point Loma.

The views from this area, including the actual Cabrillo monument are filled with vistas of the San Diego Bay and the city beyond. 

 

The visitor center provides educational videos, a small museum, and replicas of 16th century armor for children of all ages to try. My son thought the 16th century sword was particularly cool and wasted no time knocking his sister in the head with it. Luckily, she was wearing a 16th century replica helmet…

 

If you would like to visit Cabrillo National Monument (and you should) check out the park’s website here. We didn’t have time to visit the Old Point Loma Lighthouse (the park closes at 5PM due to it proximity to the naval base at Point Loma) but tours are offered frequently. It will be high on my priority list for our next visit.

For more fantastic travel photos, check out Delicious Baby’s Photo Friday here.

Family Vacation
San Diego

Soaring Above Torrey Pines

 

I think we have all wondered what it must be like to fly like an eagle. There is just something so peaceful about a bird gliding silently above the world. Most of us dream about being a bird. A few of us actually soar.

There is no better place to watch wanna be birds than at the Torrey Pines Gliderport. Its perched on a cliffside overlooking the ocean in La Jolla and watching dare devils take their shot at the sky is absolutely free! If I ever had the guts to fly, this is where I would want to do it. I mean with a view like this, how could you go wrong?

We arrived late in the day so we were only able to see people practice getting their parachute up in the sky while keeping their feet firmly planted on the ground. I have seen paragliders flying in the area before and its such a beautiful sight.

We walked the trails along the cliffs and saw surfers carry their boards down steep stairways to catch the sunset swell. Even without paragliders in the sky, it was impossible to walk away disappointed from a place like this.

Just as we got to our car, we saw a man with a motor and a parachute running along the bluff. It was long before he was up, up, and away. I bet he had an amazing sunset.

If you would like to visit the Torrey Pines Gliderport, check out their website here for directions and more information.

For more great travel photos check out Delicious Baby's Photo Friday here.

Family Vacation
La Jolla

Birch Aquarium

You know what one of my favorite things about Southern California is? That it can be 75  at the beach in February. This past weekend was filled with absolutely perfect weather. We knew that we had to get in the car and head west (well technically south west…)! We decided to spend the day in La Jolla, a gorgeous seaside community just north of San Diego. In addition to being home to world class beaches and upscale living, it is also home to the Scripps Institute of Oceanography and Birch Aquarium.

Birch Aquarium is a small but wonderful aquarium run by Scripps. What this aquarium lacks in size, it makes up for with quality exhibits and plenty of hands on educational opportunities. The tanks in the Hall of Fishes are filled with plenty of beautiful examples of the wonders of the ocean. Here, your kids can get eye to eye with clownfish (if Nemo is as popular in your house as it is in mine, this is a BIG deal), various small sharks, eels, creatures of the kelp forest, along with many more inhabitants of the sea.  If you plan your visit right, you can  watch a good old fashion feeding  at the huge kelp forest tank.  There is also a cute little fish nursery where you can see some aquatic life in their most infantile state.

Outside, there is a nice tide pool exhibit where kids can get hands on with some creatures that call the intertidal zone their home. As beautiful as the tide pools are, it is hard not to be distracted by the incredible views from the deck. Birch Aquarium is perched on the cliffs above the beach and the view is just amazing. I could spend all day just gazing out at the never ending expanse of ocean. Unfortunately, my three year olds don’t exactly have the same attention span so we had to head back inside to check out the rest of the exhibits.

Once inside, we discovered an interesting exhibit about CO2 levels and the effects of climate change on our oceans. I believe it is an important exhibit because it provides some nice evidence for climate change skeptics and helps educate children about the importance of conservation and environmentalism. My kids had a blast turning the crank and finding out how much more energy it takes to power a traditional light bulb as opposed to a compact fluorescent.  Another fun exhibit was the Wonders of Water which allowed kids to send plastic boats down a track of their creation and learn about the force of ocean currents.  I think my kids could have played there for hours.

We ended our visit in the sea horse exhibit. I don’t know what it is about those delicate little animals but they do seem to peak the interest of everyone who walks by their tanks. I especially enjoyed the video of the male sea horse expelling hatched sea horses from his abdomen. It was satisfying to finally see a man experience some labor pains.

The Birch Aquarium is located at 2300 Expedition Way in La Jolla, CA. Adult admission is $12.00 and child admission is $8.50. Children under 3 are free. This month is Museum Month in San Diego. If you visit any Macy’s in San Diego County, you can pick up (at the cash register) a free museum pass good for half off ALL participating museums (listed here) in San Diego County for the entire month of February. Each pass is valid for up to four people so if you have more than four people in your party, just ask for more passes. Its that easy. We are planning on using our pass as much as possible to explore some of the fantastic museums San Diego has to offer. I hope you pick yours up too!

Family Travel Tips
San Diego

Legoland- My take

Last week for Mari and Ben's third birthday we decided to had over to Legoland. We live less than an hour away from the park and had never been, mostly because of the cost. I figured that we better go while I could get the kids in for free or else we might never go.  I searched the web for cheaper tickets (which were still expensive) and found a deal at Costco that allowed us to go to the park and the aquarium for $55 per person. I cringed and made the purchase. At least I was getting a separate trip to  the aquarium out of it, right?

Lucky for us, the day we went the park was not very crowded. We were able to wait less than 5 minutes for most rides. The rides seemed to be mostly geared towards kids 6 and under. They were cute but I wouldn't say they were anywhere close to the caliber of rides available at Disneyland. The Lego creations were very impressive and truly the highlight of most rides.

  

I absolutely loved Miniland. Seeing an accurate portrayal of San Francisco in Lego block form was such a treat. It made me feel homesick for one of my favorite cities.

 

The kids loved racing the cars on the miniature Daytona racetrack. I loved all the details from the RVs camped out in the center of the track to the crowd full of onlookers.

There were so many incredible places created with Legos, from the New York City skyline to Las Vegas theme hotels to a Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans.

The water play areas were a highlight of our visit as well. Legoland does a great job at providing a variety of water attractions that appealed to every age group.

  Overall, we had a fun time at Legoland but I am not sure that we will be returning if we have to pay $55 per person. That is over $200 for a family of four and a bit too rich for my blood. I personally feel Legoland is overpriced and with an annual pass to Disneyland in my pocket, I am much more likely to spend my theme park time there.

Family Travel Tips
Oceanside

Torrey Pines State Beach

As many of you know, the California's State Parks are in serious trouble due to budget cuts. In an attempt to bring attention to all the wonderful state parks California has to offer, I will be featuring a different CA State Park every Saturday (used to be every Saturday but I haven't been able to get my act together lately.) . I hope to bring attention to these treasures to increase awareness of what the state park system has to offer and encourage others to stand up and help protect these important places .

Torrey Pines is a place known for its, well, pine trees. They are the rarest pine trees in the world and their beauty provides a stark contrast between the forest on the bluffs and the sandy beach below. We visited Torrey Pines State Reserve this past Father's Day and enjoyed the trails and scenery the reserve had to offer. Then we walked down to hill and over to the beach. I had never been to Torrey Pines State Beach and I wasn't disappointed. It was just another example of the little pockets of paradise that can be found  all the way down the Southern Californian Coast.  Gorgeous surf, sand, and sky to enjoy with family and friends. Weather in the mid seventies with a slight ocean breeze. A flock of pelicans flying overhead. Ahh yes, this is the life.

 

 

Family Travel Tips
La Jolla

Torrey Pines State Reserve

As many of you know, California's State Parks are currently being threatened with closures due to California's fiscal crisis. In an attempt to bring attention to all the wonderful state parks California has to offer, my blogging friend Bridget at Family Adventure Guidebooks and I are participating in  State Park Saturdays. We will be featuring a different CA State Park every Saturday (or Sunday like today)  and we encourage you to do the same. If you don't live in CA then feature a state park in your home state. Let's bring attention to these treasures to increase awareness of what the state park system has to offer and encourage others to stand up and help protect these important places Last Sunday was Father's Day. It was also Save Our State Parks weekend. I felt it was important to participate in both so we combined the two and celebrated Father's Day in a place we had never been before, Torrey Pines State Reserve.

There are native pine trees along the coast of San Diego. For anyone who has visited the area, the concept is a bit bizarre. San Diego has a Mediterranean climate. Pine forests aren't exactly what typically come to mind. But there it is, perched on the bluffs of La Jolla. A pine forest. Torrey Pines are some of the most rare pines in the entire world. They only grow in and around the reserve  in San Diego and on Santa Rosa Island which is part of the Channel Islands off the coast of California.  Given the rarity and the beauty of these forests, protecting them is a no brainer. Especially since so many trees had been killed by an non-native beetle infestation in the 1960s. The remnants of the infestation remain along the trails and add a stark contrast to all the life that surrounds them. 

The Guy Fleming Trail is the perfect introduction to what Torrey Pines has to offer. Its a one mile loop trail that takes allows you to walk amongst the pines and enjoy amazing views of the great blue yonder from bluffside viewpoints.

 

Its a place where you can watch birds having a blast surfing the updrafts while parasailers make their best attempts at being birds themselves.

Its a place to enjoy wildflowers and the tiny forms of wildlife that come along with them.

But most of all its a place to enjoy the trees.

    

Family Travel Tips
La Jolla

A day at the San Diego Zoo

This year I realized a childhood dream. I became a member of the San Diego Zoological Society. I have always loved the San Diego Zoo and especially enjoyed the San Diego Wild Animal Park. The zoos are world class and their breeding programs for endangered species are spectacular. Best of all they provide the opportunity for children and adults to get up close and personal with animals they would otherwise never see while giving them an education on why every species is important and worth protecting. Or ecosystems are such delicate balances of life and one hole in the food chain can be catastrophic. But this isn't meant to be lecture on conservation. This is a post on why you should grab your kids and get to the zoo!

My mom and I took the kids on a lovely fall day in January (fall in January? Yes! Or so it seemed). The weather was perfect for walking around the massive, hilly zoo without breaking too much of a sweat. The animals seemed to be enjoying the weather as well because they were out in full force! The gorillas came right up to the glass and were interacting with the guests. The orangutans were putting on a fabulous show during feeding time (Unfortunately so was Ben. Nothing like a massive tantrum in front of 40 people and a troop of Orangutans.I should also mention that Ben was most fascinated by the electrical outlets the zoo had in ground. I swear that boy is a piece of work) We got to catch a rare glimpse of the the snow leopard, an animal almost never seen in the wild. The river otters were basking in the sun and the polar bear was doing his best to make you believe he was a cuddly snuggle bear instead of a killing machine.

 

We saw a duck with a blue bill and flamingos with bright pink foliage (did you know flamingos are pink because of the shrimp that they eat). The panda bear decided to climb up high in the trees to take in the view (according to the docent this was a first for this panda).

 

My favorite part of the day was when we got to see the baby koala cuddled up and snuggling with its mama. I swear it was one of the cutest things I had ever seen. This weekend was Koalapalooza in honor of the baby koala. They had a number of Australian themed activities and a name the baby koala contest.  It seems there is always something special happening at the zoo.

 

The new Elephant Odyssey exhibit will be opening in the late spring. According to the Zoonooz Magazine, "Elephant Odyssey will take you on a journey through time, from when mammoths and saber-toothed cats roamed Southern California to their relatives and counterparts living today."   I can't wait!

 

The San Diego Zoo is a perfect example of what all zoos should strive to be. Fantastic exhibits full of enrichment for the animals, activities and education for the visitors, and hope for the so many endangered species that might not otherwise have a chance.