Every year Cub Scout Camp is held at the Antique Steam Engine Museum in Vista, California. As you will see, it’s not exactly a museum, more like a collection of old steam engines, farm equipment, model trains, etc.  Visiting always reminds me of  long quiet summer days visiting my uncle in Minnesota.  Old farm tractors and combines were scattered at the edge of the fields throughout his farm.  I loved to find a good book, and sit for a while just enjoying the peace and quiet.  Unfortunately at the Antique Steam Engine Museum you are not allowed to sit on the machines, but city kids won’t know what they’re missing.

Other features of this unique museum:

• One of those fun metal merry go rounds that we enjoyed at the park when we were kids.  Jared spun on this for hours.

Old Fashioned Merry Go Round, Vista, Ca

• A short track  miniature railroad and an excellent model railroad museum

• A one room school house.
• A blacksmith shop.

Call to find out about special events.  Not every part of the museum is open every day.

Family Adventure Guidebooks participates in Delicious Baby’s Photo Friday Blog Roundup.  Check out some more great travel posts here.

Happy Trails,

Bridget

Destiny, Jared, and Justin Climb the Steps at the Lavandaria at Mission San Luis Rey, Oceanside California

I have a lovely blog entry in my head about a weekend pilgrimage that Justin and I did right before Lent here in San Diego.  Now is not the time to write it however!  In the mean time enjoy this picture of the beautiful lavandaria (laundry area) at the Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside California.  I really enjoyed visiting this mission.  It had a great little museum, beautiful church, and this fun outside area to explore.  Justin particularly enjoyed the gargoyles and we had fun trying to figure out why the water spouts had these Incan looking gargoyles at a Catholic Mission.  If anyone has the answer let me know.

Since this is one of my more aesthetically pleasing pictures, I am entering in in my friend Debbie’s Photo Friday Roundup at Delicious Baby.  If you want to see travel photos by bloggers more skillful than I, please check it out at http://www.deliciousbaby.com/journal/2009/mar/12/photo-friday-home-food-rome/ .

Happy Trails,

Bridget

Jared Takes a Risk at Mission Bay Park, San Diego

This was my second adventure, solo with preschoolers to Sea World, San Diego.  Our preschool makes this fun attraction a yearly educational fieldtrip.  I needed to be at the gate by 9:30 in order to take advantage of the school rate tickets we had purchased.  For those of you who know San Diego traffic, you realize we left EARLY!  Never know what’s gonna happen on that freeway.  I hit the exit to Sea World at around 8:45 and had a moment of inspiration.  Why not check out one of those cool Mission Bay Parks that you pass by on the freeway?

Destiny, Jared and I stretched our legs at the park nearest to the Sea World turn off.  I have heard there are others still to explore.  Love this park!!! Very old school park with play structures, clearly from many different decades, but everything was so creative and fun!  There were animals to ride and trucks to drive.  Five year old Destiny loved climbing the spiderweb.  Four year old Jared was challenged by the climbing structure as you can see above.  I loved the gorgeous scenic location right on Mission Bay! I can hardly wait to bring my nine year old and watch him explore.

Spider Girl Destiny Climbs Her Web at Mission Bay Park, San Diego

Honestly this adventure was almost as fun as the trip to Sea World and much much cheaper!  I plan to return with all the kids and a picnic or maybe make it a stop after taking Daddy to the airport.  A San Diego jewel close to Sea World.  Who could ask for more?

P.S. This park stop was much more fun than waiting for the gate to the parking area to open at Sea World .  Sorry I didn’t think of it last year Inga.

Happy Trails,

Bridget

Justin whispers to a friend

My husband and I are reluctant cub scout leaders.  Ken travels for business ALOT, and I try to juggle my responsibilities as the informal assistant leader for Justin’s den in addition to my role as business owner, mother of preschoolers…you get the picture.  We serve our den as best we can, but we are blessed with alot of parent support.

As we entered into a busy year of Webelos this year, we called upon the parents to each help the den complete on badge activity.  The results have been spectacular and the source of some great family adventures.  So far the boys have toured a working construction site, City Hall, and the Gemological Institute of America.  In order to earn our Science badge, Den 7 headed to the Fleet Science Museum last weekend.  They present a wonderful comprehensive science badge workshop with fun hands on activities.  It was lead by a spirited young graduate student.  The boys did an amazing array of very simple experiments to learn more about the scientific laws discussed in the Boy Scout book.  The boys blew ping pong balls with straws and launched film cannister rockets.  The day reminded me of just how fun science can be, and how sad it is that this kind of interactive science seldom seems to make it into the public school classroom.

Other information about the Fleet Science Museum:

The Cafeteria food is overpriced like most tourist destinations, but at least it is high quality and yummy.  They have a wide variety of kid friendly choices including hot dogs and cereal.  Justin ordered a Greek salad and a hot dog.  That’s my boy .  I had the Tortellini salad.  With drinks lunch was about $17.

If you pack your own lunch or snack, you can’t eat it in the museum, but there is a beautiful plaza with a fountain right outside.

The museum is small, with some very fun hands on exhibits.  Plan to spend about 2-3 hours exploring.  Is it worth full admission?  That’s a hard one.  You might want to try to visit on a free Tuesday or combine your visit with an IMAX show.