This little cutie is currently named “Tiny Tiny” but she will be growing soon so the is in search of a new name. Stop by their 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
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 . Gates open at 5:30 curtain goes up at 5pm.
Hope to see you there!
Tags: Family Bargain, Max and Ruby, Moonlight Theater, Oceanside
We have been San Diego Zoo and members on and off for the last three years, and I have never attended annual “” 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!
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!
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 Blog Roundup.
Tags: Butterfly Jungle, San Diego Family Travel, San Diego Wild Animal Park
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:
Hope your spring break Adventures are just as fun.
Happy Trails,
Bridget
Tags: Elfin Forest, San Diego Family Travel, San Diego Wild Animal Park, San Diego Zoo
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 is more information about this beautiful, kid friendly place to get outdoors and enjoy an adventure.
Happy Trails,
Bridget
Tags: Batiquitos Lagoon, Family Travel Tip, Family Travel Tip Tuesday, San Diego Family Travel, Travel Tips
The graciously invited me to attend the preview for the revamped Polar Bear Plunge exhibit at the San Diego Zoo. Little did I know I would be attending a star studded event. Tori Spelling also attended with her family. I caught glimpses of Denise Richards and the cast of The Modern Family.
I dined on delicious finger sandwiches and nibbled on delectable polar bear cookies. Tomorrow morning I will be enjoying the fancy “Zoo Brew” organic coffee that was included in the swag bag. The Zoo is starting a coffee club where you can help the environment and have your daily cup of joe. For more information click .
Of course the real stars of the show, weren’t the sophisticated travel bloggers like myself or the tabloid celebrities like Denise and Tori. The real stars were the majestic polar bears who grace the exhibit. One of our polar bear friends had fun observing the kids observing her.
I was lucky enough to meet some members of the polar bear’s supporting cast who work hard to promote conservation and make a visit to the exhibit memorable. First I introduced myself to Daniel Straub, the Zoo’s Teen Arctic Ambassador who shared with me his experiences helping researchers with Polar Bear International. He described waking up in the morning during his research and peeking out his tent at the polar bears. Daniel also explained the differences between the kelp and beaches of San Diego and the kelp and beaches of the Arctic. Apparently in the arctic the kelp leaves are shaped like maple leaves! If you know a teenager who would be interested in becoming an arctic ambassador click .
I also had fun watching the zoo staff, spread out some kelp for the polar bears to enjoy.
Finally I was privileged to meet some of the enthusiastic volunteers who will be sharing what they their extensive polar bear knowledge when your family visits the exhibit. They did an amazing job of explaining to me how we can make lifestyle changes that can slow global warming and improve the conservation outlook for our polar bear friends. Even if you won’t be visiting the San Diego Zoo in the future, be sure to check the Polar Bear Plunge . It contains lots of great information that was shared at the exhibit today.
For those of you who think every blog post should include a picture of a celebrity, here you go. Enjoy my not so great shot of Tori, Dean, and the kids enjoying a day at the zoo (while being photographed constantly by the paparazzi). So glad I am not a celebrity!
Thanks to the San Diego Zoo for the invite! I had a wonderful time and can’t wait to bring my kids back to enjoy this amazing exhibit.
Happy Trails,
Bridget
P.S. Family Adventure Guidebooks participates in Delicious Baby’s Photo Friday. Click to see what my fellow travel bloggers have been up to.
Tags: Polar Bear Plunge, San Diego Family Travel, San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo Polar Bears, Tori Spelling
As my cub scout den was working on their Webelo Forester Badge, I set out to find a forest in close proximity to Northern San Diego. Good luck…we are blessed to experience a wide variety of ecosystems, but forests are not one of them. Still, just a few miles away from our house I discovered which is run by the Olivenhain water district. The rangers kindly agreed to lead the boys on a hike and educate our scouts about the plants and animals of the reserve.
When we arrived on site, I immediately felt like I was home. I love San Diego, but I really miss access to wild spaces for hiking and exploring. So much of San Diego is about palm trees and immaculately landscaped yards, it was nice to discover a place with a rushing stream and plenty of oak trees.
Two of my favorite things about this hike: dogs can hike with you as long as they are on a leash and there is a “hiking stick loaner box” at the foot of the trail. I have found that my kids will go almost anywhere as long as they can have a stick to help them along the journey.
Elfin Forest is the perfect place for a spring outing. Pack a picnic, wear your hiking shoes, and get ready for adventure.
Happy Trails,
Bridget
P.S. Family Adventure Guidebooks participates in Delicious Baby’s Photo Friday Blog Roundup. Click to enjoy more great travel adventures.
Tags: Elfin Forest, Family Fun San Diego, San Diego Day Trips, San Diego Family Travel
Until now Quail Botanical Gardens has been one of the best kept secrets of San Diego. Located in picturesque Encinitas, this is a gorgeous botanical garden. It includes two children’s gardens and plenty of other beautiful gardens to explore. On our last visit, we had to park in overflow parking and discovered a breathtaking Monet lilypond complete with resident frogs. I will post more about my Quail Garden adventures at a later date, but I wanted to share this moment that my ten year old Justin captured, by sneaking a shot from the bushes at the edge of the pond. It was the highlight of our August visit.
Quail Gardens has changed its name to San Diego Botanic Garden, hopefully it’s new name will attract more visitors and donors to this San Diego treasure. You can learn more about the garden .
Happy Trails,
Bridget
P.S. Family Adventure Guidbooks participates in Delicious Baby’s Photo Friday. Read more travel adventures .
Tags: botanical garden San Diego, Quail Gardens, San Diego Botanic Garden, San Diego Family Travel, San Diego Travel
Recently, my friend and I took the Coaster Train from Carlsbad to Old Town San Diego. Between us we had five kids ranging in age from 13 months to 10 years old. If you have taken that length of train ride you know, that the ride down is easy. Everyone is filled with anticipation about the adventure ahead. The ride home is another story however, everyone is tired and grouchy. My solution to this thorny problem is Cousin’s Candy Shop in Old Town San Diego. Take the kids to this marvelous store full of sweet delights, let them pick out one item, give them an opportunity to savor it on the train ride home.
My ten year old made an impressive photo essay out of his candy store visit. Enjoy!
Happy Trails!
Bridget
P.S. Family Adventure Guidebooks is happy to participate in Delicious Baby’s Photo Friday Blog Roundup. For some delicious travel photos click .
P.P.S. For information on San Diego Old Town Ghost Tours and other fun Halloween activities in San Diego check out my post on
Tags: Cousin's Candy Store, Delicious Baby, Family Travel, Old Town San Diego, Photo Friday, San Diego Family Travel
Anyone who followed me on Twitter early this August may have noted my increasingly desperate posts about grunion ( a little fish that comes up to breed on Southern California beaches) . I had organized a Cub Scout Grunion Run, only to discover that the grunion were not running anywhere in the San Diego area. When I desperately contacted the leading grunion experts, they informed me that grunion are very sporadic by August. Optimal conditions to spot grunion occur in late April/early June.
The hard lesson I took away from my quixotic search for grunion is this, do your research! If I had contacted the grunion experts before I planned the outing, my scouts would have been alot happier and surrounded by fish. Instead, as you see above, we had a blast walking up the beach at 10:30 at night, eating brownies and juice, and heading home to our beds.
Which brings me to the second lesson of the evening. Even failed adventures can be fun!
Happy Trails,
Bridget
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