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Jared's Favorite Painting @ Canon Art Gallery, Carlsbad California
Lately I have had several library adventures with and without preschoolers. At first, this may not seem like an unlikely subject for family travel. Usually travelers with children don’t head to the library when the reach their destination, but perhaps they should.
I became one of the most voracious readers the world has ever seen because a kind librarian in Hawaii. When my family spent a summer sabbatical in Hawaii the year after I finished second grade, she took the time to find interesting books at my reading level. I don’t rember too much about snorkeling or sandy beaches from my Hawaiian getaway. What I do remember are cracking coconuts with my Dad and the books about Blaze the valiant horse and his young owner that I read on my own summer.
Here in Carlsbad we are blessed with two great libraries. Year round they offer puppet shows and story times. The Dove Library also houses a small art gallery. In the summer there are fun special events including an overnight campout in the library , magic shows, and a visit from lots of crazy critters. Now that the kids are old enough to enjoy it all, I plan to spend the summer playing tourist in my own town and attending some of these events.
Last week I made three very different library visits. One day , I was able to sneak away to the library by myself. I took the opportunity to pop into the art gallery and take some photos . Later that week, I joined my two preschoolers for a preschool fieldtrip which included a guided tour of the Cole library located just east of downtown Carlsbad. Yesterday in a moment of foolishness, I attempted to take Destiny age 5 and Jared age 4 to the Cannon Art Gallery at the Dove Library.
Considering we arrived with 20 kids, the preschool library fieldtrip was somewhat successful. We arrived early, but the Cole library has a beautiful grassy area that invites running around as well as picnic benches and a little garden. Here are some fun photos of Destiny and Jared getting their energy out before settling down for the tour.
The tour was a bit challenging with that many kids, but they did surprisingly well. One of the highlights was the Carlsbad History Room . The librarian shared a letter written by Santa at the turn of the century. Seems at that time he delivered presents by motor car…hmm.
Cole Librarian Reads a Vintage Letter from Santa, Carlsbad California
Emboldened by the success of the Library fieldtrip, I decided to stop by the Cannon Art Gallery with Destiny and Jared later in the week. I have always been a big fan of Chicana Artist Carmen Lomas Garza. The kids have her children’s book Family Pictures . I knew that my preschoolers would enjoy the bright colors of Cardinal Points:Puntos Cardinales, the exhibit of Mexican and Chicano art on display at the Dove Library until May 8th. Well they did enjoy it…way too much! They loved the paintings so much that they wanted to touch them, much to my chagrin and that of the gallery employee who shadowed us throughout our visit. They were so enthralled by each work of art that they rushed from painting to painting. With one child I might have made it work. With two wiggly preschoolers, I gave up after a short visit. I have read that other travel bloggers prep their kids by role playing art gallery at home. We may give that a try before our next museum outing.
Off to Seattle on business next week, so you may not hear from me for a while, dear readers. Until then enjoy a few more beautiful works of art and be sure to check out Delicious Baby’s Photo Friday when you have a chance.
The Carmen Lomas Garza Work That Inspired Our Visit
The Kids Loved the Whimsical Shapes and Colors of the Houses and Trees
As you enjoy your summer, make sure you make some time for your own library adventures.
Happy Trails,
Bridget
Tags: Cannon Art Gallery, Carlsbad, Carlsbad California, Carlsbad Public Library, Carlsbad with Kids, Cole Library, Dove Library
LOVE THIS!!
What a library!!! We don’t have any libraries in Costa Rica. The problem is people borrow books and never return them because books are so expensive to buy. Every time I visit the states I spend days at the library just to feel it!!!
That’s very neat!! I am a frequent library customer as well. I love our library. It’s small but has great service and books selection.
Library time without kids is quite a treat! Nobody to chase after… no computers to pull toddlers away from… just you and all those books to browse through! Sigh…
I love Carmen Lomas Garza illustrations/books too, so I would have made a stop for sure. So funny about the little guys at the art gallery, I was trying to write a post about tips for the art gallery this week, and I started laughing because I don’t know if there’s anything I can offer as a tip for toddlers at an art gallery. I never had much luck.
I like visiting libraries in different places I’ve traveled. I made a special point to visit the Sandusky Library in Ohio because I’d read it was a beautiful Carnegie library…there’s also a great Carnegie Library in Benzonia, MI I’ve visited.
The gallery in Carlsbad looks a bit like one we’ve got in the Huntington Woods library in metro Detroit…great space for showing art.
Libraries and art look like a perfect combination. If there is one public institution that prevails throughout this economic downturn, I hope it is the library. Children’s sections saved me as a new mother, and are always there when we need a place to go.
[...] Ever since I was a child, my experiences with travel and reading have been intertwined. My children and I frequently ready Timothy and the Forest Folk, the that my family brought back from a month long trip to England when I was a preschooler. I chose to study at the Catholic University in Chile, because I was inspired by the books of Isabel Allende. For the story of how a Hawaiian librarian set me on the path to reading click here. [...]