Arianna and Olivia boarded the bus at South Station, Boston, and rode to New York City, with their mommy and daddy last week for a quick 2-day visit of the Big Apple.
I can't even imagine the number of highlights on that trip, but their daddy took them to the top of the Empire State Building, something I could never do (because of my severe fear of heights).
Throughout the visit, for some reason, Olivia maintained she was visiting London. She just knew that the city she was in was London. She did not say whether she saw the Queen.
Monday, August 1, 2011
San Pedro, California, Area Aquariums -- The Cabrillo Marine Aquarium and the Long Beach Aquarium
Arianna and Olivia visited two fantastic aquariums while visiting San Pedro, California, July, 2011.
The first aquarium was the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. This aquarium has changed remarkably over the years, and is now one of the nicer aquariums in the country, comparing favorably, though much smaller, with the Boston Aquarium and the Long Beach aquarium.
Two nice things about the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium: it is not as crowded as other larger, more well-known aquariums; and, it is free.
It is very, very accessible. Parking is available, and reasonable, for big city rates, but one might be able to find parking on a side street for free (which we did) and then walk down the hill to the beach, the park, and the aquarium.
Compared to the Boston Aquarium, the Cabrillo has some of the most unique sea creatures, and they are often showcased in a smaller aquarium right at eye-level and more easily accessible for very young children.
Like most aquariums these days, the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium does have a touch tank.
Most surprising, and something very, very unique was a brand new, state-of-the-art marine library at the Cabrillo aquarium. It has a huge window overlooking the park and the harbor; it has several new internet-connected computers free for use by the public, and a very extensive library. For those visiting the San Pedro area for an extended period, this library is a great place to relax, read, and enjoy the scenery. And again, free, with a very, very inviting librarian.
Of course, if one loves aquariums, one is not about to miss the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific when in the San Pedro area. We have not visited the aquarium in Baltimore but it is said that the Boston, Baltimore, and Long Beach are three of the best aquariums in the United States. We fell in love with the Long Beach Aquarium. Folks spending more than a few months in the San Pedro area consider buying an annual family or annual grandparents pass to the aquarium. It will pay for itself with the second visit; the grandparent package includes four guest tickets and opportunity to bring up to four grandchildren on any visit.
The Long Beach Aquarium has three touch tanks which I think is the most of any aquarium. Two of them are with sharks and mantas. The third is a jellyfish touch pool, which I think, may be unique among aquariums.
The first aquarium was the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. This aquarium has changed remarkably over the years, and is now one of the nicer aquariums in the country, comparing favorably, though much smaller, with the Boston Aquarium and the Long Beach aquarium.
Two nice things about the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium: it is not as crowded as other larger, more well-known aquariums; and, it is free.
It is very, very accessible. Parking is available, and reasonable, for big city rates, but one might be able to find parking on a side street for free (which we did) and then walk down the hill to the beach, the park, and the aquarium.
Compared to the Boston Aquarium, the Cabrillo has some of the most unique sea creatures, and they are often showcased in a smaller aquarium right at eye-level and more easily accessible for very young children.
Like most aquariums these days, the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium does have a touch tank.
Most surprising, and something very, very unique was a brand new, state-of-the-art marine library at the Cabrillo aquarium. It has a huge window overlooking the park and the harbor; it has several new internet-connected computers free for use by the public, and a very extensive library. For those visiting the San Pedro area for an extended period, this library is a great place to relax, read, and enjoy the scenery. And again, free, with a very, very inviting librarian.
Of course, if one loves aquariums, one is not about to miss the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific when in the San Pedro area. We have not visited the aquarium in Baltimore but it is said that the Boston, Baltimore, and Long Beach are three of the best aquariums in the United States. We fell in love with the Long Beach Aquarium. Folks spending more than a few months in the San Pedro area consider buying an annual family or annual grandparents pass to the aquarium. It will pay for itself with the second visit; the grandparent package includes four guest tickets and opportunity to bring up to four grandchildren on any visit.
The Long Beach Aquarium has three touch tanks which I think is the most of any aquarium. Two of them are with sharks and mantas. The third is a jellyfish touch pool, which I think, may be unique among aquariums.
Lighthouses and the Vicente Interpretive Center Near San Pedro, California -- July, 2011
Olivia and Arianna visited two lighthouses while in southern California: Point Firmin and Point Vicente.
Point Firmin is at the south end of San Pedro: just take Gaffey Street as far south as it will take you and then turn right or left, find a parking spot and walk across the grassy park to the Point Firmin lighthouse.
It is open almost every day. It has a wonderful staff who will give you a tour of the living quarters and the beacon itself, the Fresnel lens. Interestingly enough, there is another Fresnel lens at the Griffith Observatory in Griffith Park, Los Angeles, CA.
It looks like the "official" Point Fermin lighthouse website is no longer up (at least not today), but here is one source.
Of course, it never fails, here is another source at Wikipedia.
A second lighthouse Olivia and Arianna visited was the lighthouse at Point Vicente. From downtown San Pedro, the easiest and most scenic route is to take Gaffey Street to its end at Point Firmin, and then turn right (north) on Palos Verdes Drive toward Palos Verdes Peninsula. Hugging the scenic coast for a mile or two, one will see the lighthouse on the left. This is still an active military station, albeit very small, and is open to the public only one day of the month: the second Saturday of every month.
There are numerous sites where one can visit the lighthouse on the web:
While visiting the lighthouse be sure to stop at the Vicente Interpretive Center for an opportunity to watch whales migrating along the coast. The best time to see the whales are in the spring and the autumn, but they are known to be in the area throughout the year.
We did not get a chance to visit the third lighthouse in the immediate vicinity of San Pedro: Angel's Gate lighthouse marking the Los Angeles Harbor.
Point Firmin is at the south end of San Pedro: just take Gaffey Street as far south as it will take you and then turn right or left, find a parking spot and walk across the grassy park to the Point Firmin lighthouse.
It is open almost every day. It has a wonderful staff who will give you a tour of the living quarters and the beacon itself, the Fresnel lens. Interestingly enough, there is another Fresnel lens at the Griffith Observatory in Griffith Park, Los Angeles, CA.
It looks like the "official" Point Fermin lighthouse website is no longer up (at least not today), but here is one source.
Of course, it never fails, here is another source at Wikipedia.
A second lighthouse Olivia and Arianna visited was the lighthouse at Point Vicente. From downtown San Pedro, the easiest and most scenic route is to take Gaffey Street to its end at Point Firmin, and then turn right (north) on Palos Verdes Drive toward Palos Verdes Peninsula. Hugging the scenic coast for a mile or two, one will see the lighthouse on the left. This is still an active military station, albeit very small, and is open to the public only one day of the month: the second Saturday of every month.
There are numerous sites where one can visit the lighthouse on the web:
- Al's Lighthouses
- Photo Blog by Richard Wong
- California's Majestic Lighthouses (perhaps some of the best photo)
While visiting the lighthouse be sure to stop at the Vicente Interpretive Center for an opportunity to watch whales migrating along the coast. The best time to see the whales are in the spring and the autumn, but they are known to be in the area throughout the year.
We did not get a chance to visit the third lighthouse in the immediate vicinity of San Pedro: Angel's Gate lighthouse marking the Los Angeles Harbor.
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