So, Dan and I got to take an amazing trip this month! Almost a year ago, Dan won a raffle that had 2 free round-trip airline tickets to anywhere in the lower 48 states. Initially, we were wanting to do something along the East Coast, either Florida or New York, but due to budget, we had to choose something a little less costly. So, we ended up going to California! While there we were able to stay with family, which was a great bonus to the travel.
We flew to LAX on Tuesday the 16th. Our flight got delayed like three times, but we finally made it! I got a window seat, which I love! I watched the sunset from the window, until it was too dark to see much else. I did see Las Vegas as we flew over it. So many lights!
After landing, we got our rental car and then drove to my Grandma Wilson's house in South Pasadena. She was so great to to let us stay with her! We enjoyed talking with her, eating with her, and just spending time with her. I have the best memories of her house, spending holidays and vacations there, and reading all the cool books that she has! Thanks, Grandma!
The first day, we it took kind of easy. We did a little grocery shopping to get the stuff I needed for eating gluten free (like pasta and bread) for our trip. We helped my grandma with some stuff in her garden, had lunch and then napped! Yes, rebellious little kids! Adults take naps, if they can!
After we woke up, we decided to go to the Griffith Observatory. I have been there several times as a kid, but hadn't made it in years. We missed evening traffic (yes!) and got there about 4 o'clock. The Griffith Observatory is dedicated to science, especially understanding the universe. Upstairs is pretty much as I remembered it- several different exhibits including everything from why we get solar and lunar eclipses to the history of astronomy to a table of elements with examples of each element! Really cool stuff! They also have a domed theater where they do light shows and star parties and other fun stuff. On the roof, they have a few different telescopes for viewing. We tried to stand in line, but gave up after it looked like they were having technical issues.
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| Dan and Einstein |
Downstairs was completely new! To get down there, you follow a sloping, curving ramp. Along it is a timeline of the universe. To decorate it, they have a collection of jewelry all related to astronomy. Anything with stars, moon, sun, and even comets! Two specific places I loved: they had several together that had a cow jumping over a moon, and then one piece that was a woman's head with stars and moons in her hair. Beautiful! Once downstairs, you could see models of the planets relatively sized to each other. So you can see how small earth is compared to Jupiter and Saturn. It also has a station for each one, including a scale that shows how much you weigh on each planet. Dan was like 700 lbs on Jupiter! I rather liked some of the lighter ones! ;) All the new stuff was sponsored by Leonard Nemoy. They named the little auditorium down there after him. I really enjoyed all the new changes they have made!
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| Leafy Sea Dragons! |
Day two! We woke up and decided to go to the Aquarium of the Pacific located in Long Beach. Drive down and back wasn't too bad, especially since we purposely timed it to NOT coincide with rush hour. Only way to drive in L.A.! The Aquarium was amazing! Probably one of my favorite things we did this trip! I loved seeing all the different aquatic life. They have done such a great job with not only having the creatures, but also staging them in appropriate settings. There were a few pools that showed off tidal areas, and they actually generated the flow of the water, the push and pull of the water. Very soothing to stand and watch that. They also had tunnels you could walk under so you could see various fish and sharks swimming around and above you.
One of my favorite things there was all the touch pools they had. They had everything from star fish, sea urchins and sea cucumbers to sharks, sting rays and jelly fish! It was so fascinating to feel the different textures of all the different animals. I'm used to feeling trout and other fish like that, sharks are a little leathery, but not really rough. Jelly fish feel like, well, jelly in a zip lock baggie. Sting rays were the most fun- they felt like wet velvet. Smooth, not scaly at all.
Dan and I were thinking as we walked through all of it- there is no way that all of this beauty came about randomly- no way that this all happened by chance without some direction. The more I learn about nature, the more I see around me, the more I understand how vast the universe is, the more I know there must be a God. And He created such a beautiful world for us to live in!
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| Getty Gardens and Museum |
So, third day we went to the Getty Museum and Gardens that my Grandma recommended. We had been thinking about it for day two, but decided to do the aquarium instead. Short drive past Griffith Park and Hollywood area, just up a canyon is the Getty! Ended up being a really cool day. We went to the gardens first, to try and avoid the heat later in the afternoon. It was beautiful! It's got a pond in the middle with maze-shaped hedges growing in it, then all sorts of flowers everywhere! While we were there, the Dahlias were in blood. Gorgeous! Whenever we have a garden, I think I will grow dahlias. I got some great pictures of them, at least, to have inside the home. :)
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| Enormous bed! |
After spending some time in the gardens, we went inside to escape the building heat. We started with some paintings, but Dan was like, ehh. We found the illuminated books which I loved! But Dan really enjoyed the area that had furniture from the 1600's through the 1800's. He likes it because it was useful, not just decorative, not just something to hang on the wall and look at. His favorite pieces: these super ornate beds! They were like sleeping on a throne! One of the notes on the beds talked about how they would put the beds on wheels, except the headboard which would be mounted on the wall, and then when it came time to make the bed, the servants would just wheel the bed out! So much easier than trying to reach across to do it!
After the museum, we were ready to go back. Instead of going back directly on the freeway, we decided to take a round about route and see some of the Hollywood houses! We drove up Beverly Drive through a shopping area (talk about traffic. Bleh!) and saw the Beverly Hills Hotel and things in that area. Then it changed to Coldwater Canyon through some of the mountainous area with some super spiffy houses. Took a little longer than the freeway, but worth the time!
Overall, it was a great time in L.A. Very relaxing, got to sit and talk with my Grandma, see things that we hadn't seen before and just slow down a little. Very nice!
On Saturday (Day 4), we drove from L.A. to Ukiah, north of San Francisco a couple hours. Boring drive since we went up the 5 freeway. Dry land since they're in a drought. Tried to avoid as much of the madness of the Bay area as possible. Got a little traffic just north of San Francisco, but other than that, smooth sailing!
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here for the second half of our trip in Northern California! Redwoods, coast and San Francisco, here we come!
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