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Archive for the ‘San Diego Adventures’ Category

Photo Friday: San Diego Zoo Elephant Pool Party

July 2nd, 2010 by bsmith | 1 Comment | Filed in San Diego Adventures, San Diego Zoo

 

Elephant Enjoys a Snack at the Elephant Beach Party

The kids and I were invited to the media preview of the Elephant Pool Party  at the San Diego Zoo.  This fun and mellow event is free with the price of  zoo admission. It  takes place July 1-4, then every Saturday through September 4th.  If you find yourself at the San Diego Zoo on any of those dates, head to the Elephant Odyssey exhibit between 11 am and noon.

During the pool party the zoo provides special enrichment activities for the elephants  including giant elephant sized beach balls and fresh fruit floating in the water.  The day we were there the elephant rejected the beach balls in favor of the floating treats.  She enjoyed apples, oranges, and pineapples.  Surprisingly  her favorite treat appeared to be the lettuce.  She set a great example for my little animals by eating plenty of fruits and veggies!

Watching the Elephant Beach Party, San Diego Zoo

 Hopefully  their curiosity will get the best of them and they’ll  eventually they will start exploring the balls.  During a recent interview with Zoo Ambassador Rick Schwartz, he explained to me that although the zoo keepers supply plenty of enrichment, they give the animals the opportunity to choose whether or not to participate.

Hula Hoop Diva, San Diego Zoo

 The zoo was kind enough to provide enrichment activities for their young visitors.  Destiny loved hula hooping and visiting with Dr. Zoolittle.  Jared had fun cuddling up to the life sized statue of an elephant baby.

Jared's New Buddy, San Diego Zoo

 Dr. Zoolittle was a very friendly guy and once again proved that San Diego Zoo volunteers are some of the nicest around!

Destiny and Dr. Zoolittle, San Diego Zoo Elephant Beach Party

 Hope you have a little beach party in your  4th of July weekend plans!

Happy Trails,

Bridget

P.S. Family Adventure Guidebooks participates in Delicious Baby’s Photo Friday Blog Roundup.  Stop by to read exciting travel adventures throughout the world.

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Photo Friday: Celebrate World Ocean’s Day at the Sealife Aquarium and Beyond!

June 4th, 2010 by bsmith | 1 Comment | Filed in San Diego Adventures, Sea Life Aquarium, Uncategorized

Jared enjoys the wonders of the Sealife Aquarium

This year it is more important than ever to celebrate World Ocean’s Day.  The devastating oil spill off of the coast of the US could have been prevented. If we give our children an appreciation of our world’s oceans, they will be better policy makers and protectors of this fragile marine ecosystem.

Living in a tourist town I can tell you that a clean healthy ocean creates a thriving local economy .  People come to enjoy clean beaches and to swim in clean water.  This is what is making the effects of the current oil spill particularly devastating for southern economies.

It is easy to overlook that the mission of many local aquariums includes a conservation component.  These are not just glorified theme parks, but organizations that are dedicated to educating the public about respecting marine life and making decisions that have a positive impact on our oceans.  A child who has a chance to learn how to touch    creatures gently under the watchful eye of a docent, will take that knowledge on their family tide pool excursions and hopefully know to leave those critters in their native habitat .  The child who sees the exhibit on global warming will start shutting off lights and encouraging their parents to carpool.  The child who sees a giant mural made out of beach trash will think twice before discarding a gum wrapper in the sand. 

Growing up I spent many days at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and those visits inspire a life long fascination with the marine world.  At seventeen,  I proposed a bill that banned off shore oil drilling at the Youth and Government Model Legislature and Court program.  As a teacher, I took classes at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and shared the knowledge I gained with my students.  Many of those students lived very close to the beach but had never been there.  A fieldtrip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium opened up a whole new world for them.  As a parent , I join my kids for beach cleanups. We are always amazed at the trash we find.

In Carlsbad we are lucky to have the Sea Life Aquarium just down the street from us.  I must confess that when it was first constructed I wondered if it was really a worthwhile addition to Legoland.  After all the Birch Aquarium at UC San Diego and Sea World are both  just a half hour away.  After I did some research into the Sea Life organization and paid a second visit to Sea Life on a less crowded day, I started to gain a deeper appreciation for this little kid friendly aquarium.   Sealife sponsors cleanups of local beaches.  They have proudly displayed a mosaic entitled, “Beach Trash, a Whale of a Problem” constructed by local school children.  Visitors are asked to make a clean oceans pledge before leaving the aquarium.  If you have preschoolers,  the smaller size of this aquarium and the specially designed peep holes that put kids in the middle of the tank make this an ideal introduction to the marine world.

Trash, A Whale of a Problem, Sealife Aquarium Carlsbad

This Saturday my family will be honoring World Ocean’s Day with a visit to the Sea Life Aquarium.  They are sponsoring a fun Dr. Seuss themed day with plenty of conservation information snuck into  the Seussian silliness of One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. More information about their World Oceans Day Celebration is included on the Sealife Aquarium website.

World Ocean’s Day Celebrations are being held world wide.  If you have some free time this Saturday or next week on June 8, the actual World Ocean’s Day, visit the Ocean Project’s website to find a place to celebrate.

Family Adventure Guidebooks participates in the Delicious Baby Photo Friday Blog Roundup.

Happy Trails,

Bridget

Five Family Fun California Vacation Activities That Your Kids Will Love

May 18th, 2010 by bsmith | 4 Comments | Filed in Family Travel, San Diego Adventures, San Diego Zoo, Santa Cruz County Adventures

With three kids and the price of airfare,  we tend to stick close  to home for many of our vacations.  That doesn’t mean we spend all our time at Disneyland, however.  There are lots of fun ways for families to enjoy their California vacations.  Here are some of our favorites from North to South.

View from the Train, Train Town Sonoma
View from the Train, Train Town Sonoma

Sonoma Adventures

  • Picnic in the Sonoma Plaza: This was one of my family’s favorite day trips as a child.  Last summer I returned with my kids and am happy to say it continues to be very fun.  Grab a picnic from a local gourmet deli and play at the Children’s Playground.

Ride a train at Train Town: Admission is affordable and the ride on the miniature train is perfect for all ages.  You stop to take on water at a kid sized town that the little ones enjoy exploring.

 

 

US Pampanito, Fisherman's Wharf San Francisco California

San Francisco Adventures

 

  • Visit Fisherman’s Wharf  Play vintage games at the Musee Mechanique and take an audio tour of the USS Pampanito Submarine.
  • Explore the San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park This National Historic Park has a cheap entrance fee and plenty of big vessels to explore.  They also have a wide assortment of tours and kids programs.

 

Roaring Camp Railroads, Santa Cruz, California

Santa Cruz Adventures

  • Ride a Train Through the Redwoods  Roaring Camp provides old fashioned family fun.  You can ride a steam train through the redwoods or catch a diesel down to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.
  • Ride the Giant Dipper  at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk This is my favorite roller coaster in the world.  It’s more than 100 years old and you can catch a glimpse off the ocean and the town of Santa Cruz as you zoom along.

Carlsbad Adventures

  • Build and Test at LEGOLAND California Carlsbad, California is a charming family oriented beach town with a great family attraction.  Legoland California is an interactive theme park for young children.  The Sea Life Aquarium and the new LEGO themed Water Park give families more reasons to visit.
  • Play at the Flower Fields. Unfortunately the Flower Fields have finished their season, but if you return next spring, you will be awed by the fields of flowers.  Kid’s enjoy a quaint Santa’s Village themed playground.

 

 

Soar Over the San Diego Zoo

San Diego Adventures

  • Go on Safari at the San Diego Zoo.  It may be clique, but a visit to the world famous San Diego Zoo is a must see for family travelers.  Keep an eye out for The Unauthorized Guide to the San Diego Zoo releasing later this year.
  • Stop by Cousin’s Candy in Old Town.  Old Town San Diego is a great location for family adventure.  Kids enjoy visiting the old buildings and learning about life in old San Diego.  The highlight of your trip will be the trip to this old fashioned candy store- trust me ;) .

Happy Trails,

Bridget

PS “I wrote this blog post while participating in the Williamsburg Tourism and TwitterMoms blogging program for a chance to get a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here .

Photo Friday: San Diego Cityscape, Porto Vista Hotel

May 7th, 2010 by bsmith | 4 Comments | Filed in Family Travel, Photo Friday, San Diego Adventures, San Diego Zoo

Boats Sail by Porto Vista Hotel, San Diego

Living up in Carlsbad, a tony suburb in Northern San Diego county, sometimes it’s easy to forget that I’m minutes away from a metropolitan city.  Last night I ventured down town to Little Italy for a Mom’s Night Out event at the elegant Porto Vista Hotel.  We met at the Porto Vista’s rooftop bar which offers  a stunning view of the San Diego Harbor and downtown.

San Diego Cityscape from Porto Vista Rooftop Bar

This hotel has a very distinctive vibe of retro urban chic.  Step into the lobby and you are greeted by a bright yellow vintage vespa.  Everything is sleek and post modern.  I stopped by The Glass Door Restaurant, which offers city views through wall length windows or share an intimate cocktail with  your  love out on the balcony.

Fun quirks of this sophisticated hotel are the fact that you can bring your dog to the Friday HappyHour or attend a free yoga class.  Although it’s not the first place you would think of when planning your family vacation, it’s proximity to the airport and down town as well as shuttles to many nearby attractions make it a destination to consider.

 

As twilight fell over the city and I headed home, I took a moment to reflect on my downtown San Diego adventure.  I plan to return with my children this summer.  It’s time that they get a taste of  life in the big city and see the world outside their sheltered corner of San Diego.  I’m looking forward to exploring the restaurants of Little Italy, and maybe going in search of the best gelato San Diego has to offer.

I enjoyed networking with other bloggers including  ,Meladramatic Mommy, Mommy of Many, Ali Starkey, Natalie at thebobbypin.com.   I had a chance to reconnect with my friend San Diego Momma.  I always turn to her blog when I need to laugh…and think, or maybe think…and laugh.  I also had a chance to talk with Charity Lacey, a San Diego Marketing expert with a new business venture  You + Me Marketing designed to connect bloggers and brands.

Family Adventure Guidebooks participates in Delicious Baby’s Photo Friday Blog Roundup.  Other places you could find me this week are Mother of All Trips Mondays are for Dreaming,  The Carnival of Cities currently visiting Travel Savvy Mom, and Trekaroos Spotlight Thursday .    My post about the new Polar Bear Plunge exhibit at the San Diego Zoo is now live at Uptake. Phew!  I’ve been busy this week.

Off for a well deserved rest ;) .  Have a great weekend!

Happy Trails,

Bridget

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Free Admission to the Reuben H Fleet Science Museum in San Diego This Saturday!

April 29th, 2010 by bsmith | No Comments | Filed in Free Stuff, San Diego Adventures, Travel Discounts

 

 Lunchables is sponsoring free admission to the Rueben H Fleet Science Museum this Saturday May 1st  for the first 1,500 people to visit. Those lucky few can also attend an IMAX film for five dollars on that day.  Doors open at 9:30 a.m.  See you there!

Happy Trails,

Bridget

P.S.  Thanks to my friend Deb at San Diego Momma.  She has a really funny and interesting blog about motherhood and life in general. 

 

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San Diego Zoo Fun: Name the Baby Langur

April 29th, 2010 by bsmith | No Comments | Filed in San Diego Adventures, San Diego Zoo

 

 

 

This little cutie is currently named “Tiny Tiny” but she will be growing soon so the San Diego Zoo is in search of a new name.  Stop by their blog  and vote for your favorite.  You can also read Tiny Tiny’s story.  The San Diego Zoo website has a dizzying array of fun animal facts and information and is worth a visit with your little ones.

Happy Trails,

Bridget

Family Adventure Bargain Alert: Max and Ruby by Moonlight

April 20th, 2010 by bsmith | 1 Comment | Filed in San Diego Adventures, San Diego Day Trips, Travel Discounts

Max and Ruby by Rosemary Wells

Lately here in Northern San Diego County it seems like we have been so blessed with fun kids events that it’s hard to choose.  On Saturday Jared, Destiny and I will be heading to a musical theatre production of Max and Ruby at the Moonlight Ampitheatre in Oceanside.  If you haven’t attended something at this performance venue , you must give it a chance.  It’s casual and outdoors atmosphere  makes  it the perfect place for an early theatre experience.  This particular production is by Theatreworks/USA a professional  New York Theatre group.

How much would you expect to pay for this spectacular production????  The unbelievable price is $5 a ticket.  Order yours here.  Gates open at 5:30 curtain goes up at 5pm. 

Hope to see you there!

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Photo Friday: Crunchy Meal Worms and Missed Butterfly Kisses, San Diego Wild Animal Park

April 16th, 2010 by bsmith | 5 Comments | Filed in San Diego Adventures, San Diego Day Trips, San Diego Wild Animal Park, Special Events, Spring Adventures

We have been San Diego Zoo and San Diego Wild Animal Park members on and off for the last three years, and I have never attended annual “Butterfly Jungle” exhibit.   This year Spring Break fell during the tail end of this fabulous event and nothing…not dishwasher deliveries or kids with colds was going to stop us!  So a bit sniffly we ventured out after lunch in search of some Wild Animal Park butterflies.

Silly Butterflies, SD Wild Animal Park

Upon our arrival we met some pretty amusing butterflies.  My kids were a bit skeptical and didn’t want to stop and dance with these unusal  creatures.  There were a bunch of two year olds boogying down with Latin American instruments however.  We followed the giant silken butterflies posted throughout the park until we came upon… a pretty substantial line!

Luckily the Wild Animal Park made waiting in line both amusing and enjoyable.  There was a guy in butterfly wings giving out barbecue flavored meal worms and crickets for the guests to try.  It was fun to see people’s responses when they were offered real live bugs.  My ten year old, Justin and I tried these delicacies.  Justin was a little hesitant to eat the cricket, but in the end he found it delicious!  He made me eat the legs, however.

 

 

 

 

 

Bottoms Up!

Not So Sure About the Crickets!

Not So Sure About the Crickets!

The highlight of our wait in line was a visit with the Butterfly Queen who was giving out bookmarks.  Destiny and Jared thought she was delightful!

Butterfly Queen, San Diego Wild Animal Park

Once again I was amazed by the patience and creativity of the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park’s staff and volunteers.  They are truly a priceless gift to the visitors.

The kids were very bummed.  Despite being decked out in our most colorful threads, we didn’t have a single butterfly land on us.  Justin and I had fun taking pictures though.

Green Butterfly, Butterfly Jungle, SD Wild Animal Park

 

 

Taking Flight

 The kids had fun spinning for the volunteers as we left the exhibit.  They need to check to make sure that there aren’t any hitchhikers since the FDA prohibits these butterflies being released into the wild.

If you want to catch this colorful exhibit before it leaves, head to the San Diego Wild Animal Park this weekend.  Say hi to those silly butterfly folks from me!

Happy Trails,

Bridget

PS Family Adventure Guidebooks participates in Delicious Baby’s Photo Friday Blog Roundup.

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Easter Adventures Close to Home

April 2nd, 2010 by bsmith | 1 Comment | Filed in At Home Adventures, San Diego Adventures, San Diego Day Trips, Smith Family Adventures, Spring Adventures

OK, I admit it, this travel blogger will not be traveling during spring break this year.  We had considered a vacation, but have a lot going on right now and decided that it would be wiser to stay close to home.  My kids are actually quite happy about the prospect.  We will attend an annual Easter Egg hunt tommorrow morning and enjoy a quiet Easter luncheon with the Grandparents  and some neighbors on Sunday. 

We will be spending our spring break being tourists in our own home town.  Since I am starting a new guidebook there will be trips to the San Diego Zoo to check  out the polar bears and to the Wild Animal Park to visit with the butterflies.  I’m hoping for hike at Elfin Forest to or Mission Hills to see if the wildflowers are still out.  We might head North to ride in the big orange balloon in Irvine.

I’m a little disappointed that there won’t be a hotel stay and new places to explore in our near future, but on the other hand:

  • Everyone sleeps in their own bed
  • DH and I can spend private evenings alone instead of sharing a room with three kids.
  • No waiting for food in restaurants.
  • We still have a great (albeit cold) pool to swim in.

Hope your spring break Adventures are just as fun.

Happy Trails,

Bridget

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Family Travel Tip Tuesday: Choose Their Own Adventures

March 30th, 2010 by bsmith | No Comments | Filed in San Diego Adventures, San Diego Day Trips

 

Batiquitos Lagoon, Carlsbad

This morning I attemped to take the dog and a very reluctant preschooler on a walk at one of my favorite spots, Batiquitos Lagoon here  in Carlsbad.  Jared started out being unwilling to participate in our adventure, but  a promise that we might get to pet some dogs along the way allowed me to coax him out of the car.  Once at the lagoon, we listened for birds and spotted some bunny rabbits. Our adventure didn’t really get rolling however until I started to let Jared take the lead on our hike.

“Where do you want to go,”  I asked.  Surprisingly he pointed to a path thatwound up a steep hill.   So, off we went, up the hill and along a ridge overlooking the lagoon.  We listened to the bird calls and tried to interpret their messages.  Jared decided that they were saying it was a beautiful day or maybe they were in church.  We admired the brillant purples and yellows of the spring wild flowers.  Eventually it was time to head back.  Jared decided to return to the path another day with his brother, sister, and a picnic.

Unfortunately I forgot my camera so the picture above is of Jared on a Batiquitos lagoon hike almost precisely one year ago.  We will return within the next few days to capture those wild flowers in photos and share them with you in a future post.

I am a mom and a travel blogger.  I love to plan and execute elaborate adventures for my kids.  Time after time,  however, I find that the adventures that have the most success are the ones where the kids can take the lead.  The  power of choice is almost magical.  It makes the difference between an ordinary day trip and a true adventure that the kids remember long after their return home.

So this week have your kids lead you on a spring adventure.  Get out and enjoy the sunshine!   Until my Batiquitos Lagoon post is up here is more information about this beautiful, kid friendly place to get outdoors and enjoy an adventure.

Happy Trails,

Bridget

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