Vacations Blog

[photo courtesy of the Skirball Center]

Big Bear Lake, CA

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We were driving back from Yosemite to Los Angeles after three days of dusty cabin camping.  You know the experience:  a car full of dirty laundry, hastily packed supplies, garbage, empty soda cans, exhausted parents and restless children.  The trip was only 5 hours long, and we were test-roadtripping a luxuriously enormous Ford Flex, so this return journey wasn’t as awful as some of them have been in the past.  Still, the 4-year-old’s frequent need to use a restroom, and the 2-year-old’s incessant cry for “Mo’ feesh!” (translation, “More goldfish!”) made for a typically nerve wracking ride.

At one point the children’s cries reached a fever pitch and we knew we had to stop and let them run around, like puppies released from a pen.  Trouble was, we were driving through…Bakersfield, CA, which we had always considered a place to get through on your way to somewhere else.  I’m sure it’s a lovely town, but from I-99, Bakersfield is one giant dusty truckstop.  We looked for any flash of color to be found along the roadside, and pulled over where we saw a gas station and farm stand.  We thought, okay a farm stand might be a good place for the kids to run around.

The Flex

Roadside stand

Little did we know we had stumbled upon a lovely little experience.  Orozco’s Watermelons were out in full supply, and our children ran gleefully up and down the rows of watermelon bins.  Sold by the size, I nabbed a head-shaped melon for $2, and picked up two pints of strawberries as well.

Melons, melons, melons!

I saw Orozco himself reach over to pick up our 2-year-old from one of the rows, and I thought he was going to scold us for letting the kids run around.  Instead, he plopped the kid on top of the watermelons, gave him a huge slice, and beckoned for me to point and shoot:

Now what do I do?

Melons as big as your head

Sharing is caring

Sticky but happy

He ate the WHOLE THING

We spent at least 20 minutes frolicking at the watermelon stand.  Back in the car, the kids were sticky but satisfied, and happily submitted to a hypnotizing DVD for the rest of the ride.  Thank you, Bakersfield.

Orozco’s Watermelons: 1901 Frontage West Road, Mettler, CA 93313 (seasonal, ending June 30)

No, this is not a post about springing Gwen Stefani’s kid from an unfair incarceration.  This is about the beach.

I have lived within a short driving distance of the beach most of my life, except for a 4-year landlocked period in South Bend, Indiana.  One might think that going to the beach for a day is no big deal to me, but one would be very, very wrong.  Because I love the experience of spending hours at the shore so much, I build it up in my mind so that my expectations are so high that anything less than a perfect excursion disappoints me greatly.  Not enough ice in the cooler?  Run out of snacks too soon?  Sand in all the wrong crevices?  Too windy/chilly/hot/smelly/noisy/crowded…etc?  Any one of those can spell Beach Day FAIL*.

Sandy snacks, pre-meltdown

In Southern California, unless you live within walking distance of a beach, you have to add the dangers of parking, paying for parking, and walking from your parking space to the list of potential Beach Day hazards.  And add some children into the mix, well…the treachery is endless and may make you give up altogether.  No need for Beach Day!  There is a tiny little frog pool we can play in right in our own backyard!

Periodically, I fight to overcome this futility because I do love the beach so, and I wish to impart its beauties and wonders upon my boy children, who are showing signs of loving it as much I as do.  During perfect moments, they run and scream unabashedly, hopping in the waves breaking on shore, digging in the sand, chasing after beach balls, making new friends, gobbling snacks and sand without caring which is which.  Inevitably, however, there have been child-related Beach Day disasters of epic proportions, mostly involving poop, and in one incident, a seawaterlogged peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  I will spare you the gore at this time.

The best I can do is learn from these incidents and move on, making minor adjustments each time we head on out for possible ill-fated Beach Days.  The best discovery I have made to date was Free Zuma, which is what my friends call Westward Beach, just north of Point Dume State Beach with its southern cliff boundary, rocky tidepools, and breathtaking scenic hikes.  With the kids this little I don’t care about any of that – all I know is that this stretch of beach offers the chance of a successful frolic in the surf and sand for hours on end.

Zuma Beach itself is a 2-mile-long stretch of unbroken beautiful white sandy beach with no rocks or points to break the surf, which means the waves can get huge.  It also means that when the winds come in off the shore you are in for quite a sand storm.  Along most of this beach there is an enormous parking lot which costs $6 per day.  Walking from the car to the sand is not a terribly long walk, but it’s even shorter if you forgo the lots and turn in the other direction – south – to Free Zuma.

Free Zuma is known as such because you just park on the side of the road right up against the sand where there are no parking lots at all.  On busy beach days the roadside spots fill up by 10AM.  That limits the number of people who land on this part of the beach, so it’s never as crowded as its northern counterpart.  To get there from the city parts, take 101N to Kanan Rd, turn left and follow that 12 miles to Pacific Coast Highway and turn right.  Just over the hill at the bottom of the slope, turn left on Westward Beach road.  There is no stop sign or light there, so look carefully.

How to get to Free Zuma

You’ll drive through some vegetation and then you emerge here:

Westward Beach

Point Dume

Park on the side of the road and enjoy a sandy day of fun, or venture farther south to Point Dume for exploring, hiking, tide pool inspecting, or any of the other many beach activities that one can do when one is not chasing a toddler.  My day at “Free Zuma” did not include a camera, so these pictures appear courtesy of Malibu Complete and Wikipedia.

*Yes, you are seeing that correctly.  There is a USC Trojans logo on the blanket in the background.  I blame its owner for cursing our otherwise perfect Beach Day.

Lake Balboa, of the Encino Balboas

You’ve traveled to a famous city with your children.  You’ve hit the amusement park, the museums, the beach, the snow, the slopes, whatever that city is famous for.  You’ve driven, shopped, eaten, and listened to the whining, and done some yourself.  You’re tapped – physically and financially…but you still have a day or two of vacation to kill.

I humbly suggest going to the park.

Every city has parks.  Some are decent and well-run and some are downright scary.  A little research ahead of time will help you find some diamonds in the rough, however.  Talk to the locals, do a keyword search on the internet, and don’t forget the city or county’s parks and recreation department.  Many municipalities have very well-developed websites that catalogue and offer contact information for their network of parks and facilities, so you can find a park close to where you are staying or one that is accessible by mass transit.

Los Angeles is home to a great number of parks, Griffith Park being its most famous.  But don’t let that big brother make you think he’s the only show in town:  there are so many local parks that are well-maintained and safe and offer the exact same thing:  a place for your children to run around and tire themselves out so you can get some rest.  In the San Fernando Valley, one of the most popular is Lake Balboa/Anthony C. Beilenson Park.

The fancy upgraded park at Lake Balboa

Lake Balboa is a man-made home for ducks and geese and all manner of local water fowl.  Surrounding the lake is a network of paved paths for walking, running, biking, and scootering.  Two play areas host universal playground equipment that was just installed this year.  Several pavilions dot the grounds for parties and barbeques.  Families congregate, children play, dogs frolic, horses trot.

Universally accessible playground equipment

Separate areas for big and little kids

It's educational, too!

Inexpensive treats and activities are available – ice cream trucks are ever-present on weekends.  On the far side of the lake there is a dock where pedal boats can be rented:  $9 per 30 minutes for a family of four (kids must be 3 feet tall) and payment is cash only with picture ID.

Pedal boats for rent

Just across the parking lot from the dock, a company rents out quadracycles – cycling vehicles that look like this:

Quadracycle, courtesy of SurreyCompany.com

True, you can probably go to a park at home.  But when you are in a new city, the kids need something familiar to ground them, and what is more second-nature to a child than running free at a park?  Plus, you get a better feeling for the nature of a city when you’re doing something as simple as playing.

Playing!

When people come to Southern California, they think Disney, the beach, Universal Studios, and Hollywood.  That’s four good solid days or more of stuff to do, but you’ll be exhausted and broke afterwards.  If you still have time to kill and little ones to entertain, there are educational and fun options that won’t break the bank.  Kidspace Children’s Museum is one of those options.

Located near the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Kidspace is hot with the 10 and under set (and kids over 10 will pretend it’s not “cool” but will secretly love a visit).  The outdoor facilities have climbing features, water play, a special playground for little ones under 4, a trike track (must wear helmet to ride, but you ride!), and beautiful gardens to explore.

Trike track: no pants required!

Indoors, you are greeted by the cool kaleidescope entry tunnel which gives way to numerous interactive exhibits.

Safari

Discovering fossils

Earthquake exhibit

Learning how to earthquake-proof the house

During the summer the museum is open 7 days a week. A non-profit entity, the museum has been there for 30 years, and enjoys substantial support from local organizations.  It opened in its current location in 2004, which means all of its facilities are new and fresh, including the Wolfgang Puck Nestle Cafe and the cool little gift store.  Admission is only $9 per person for anyone over 1 year old, so you can still have some leftover dough for snacks and souvenirs.

Hot dog by Wolfgang Puck

This is also the perfect place to send your children with visiting relatives.  My parents took our son to visit when he was 3.5, and now that he is 4 he is begging to be taken back.  Here is a quick grandparent’s review of Kidspace:

• Friendly staff
• Inside is very clean (there was a worker actually wiping down a climbing structure)
• Staff is there for arts & crafts
• Trike tracks – fun for kids. Try to get kids to follow the arrows on the road and stop at the STOP sign! They have a smaller easier version for toddlers
• Ant hole – great fun in the dark, but make sure the parent knows the exit is on the next level (our kid entered, never came out.  Yikes!  They found him upstairs)
  
• Good science learning experience with a working computer
• Our boy loved the earthquake shaker, the “safari” vehicle, ant hole, not so much climbing stuff, I think he was just too engaged with “brain” stuff.
• Food was good! and affordable!  (Wolfgang Puck, no less)

Looking for a kid in an anthole

Kid in the anthole

Find the kid upstairs!

Encinitas, CA

Famous for its poinsettias and surfers, Encinitas is a seaside community north of San Diego that is a short drive from Los Angeles and a perfect weekend destination.  We ventured down there recently for a wedding and some beach walking, but if we had more time we would have poked around at Legoland, SeaWorld, the San Diego Zoo, or any other of the attractive family activities located in the area.

The drive down from the San Fernando Valley was not bad on a Saturday at noon.  Apart from the blip of preserved nature you see driving through Camp Pendleton, the whole stretch feels like one long extension of Los Angeles.  Sign of the times:  without any pre-planning, we stopped for lunch when we got hungry, looking for the familiar signs of fast food eateries along an industrial stretch of road in Long Beach.  The beacon of a Quizno’s called us, but when we pulled up to the place we found it closed down.  That turned out to be a happy accident, because right across the street was a tiny shack called OK Burger that was deserted, so the cook whipped us up two delicious meals for the road in just a few minutes.

We stayed at the Best Western Encinitas which was the lodging of choice of the wedding party, so the deal was fantastic – $130 for the night for this balconied room with a view:

Balcony room at the Best Western, Encinitas

View of the pacific ocean in Encinitas

With a view like that who cares what the room was like?  Well, it was fine, but a word to the wise:  the coffee maker and cups are hidden in the dresser under the flat screen TV.  And once you lay down, you might not get back up.

Soft bed.

The wedding was held at the breathtaking Quail Botanical Gardens.  If you want to save money on your wedding flower budget, have it here.  I can’t imagine a more breathtaking backdrop for such a momentous and beautiful occasion. 

Quail Botanical Gardens

Wedding backdrop

The gardens were open for visitors while we were there, so we wandered among the different areas and found that everywhere the eye settled, there was something beautiful to photograph.

A pathway beckons at Quail Botanical Gardens

Quail Botanical Gardens is open every day from 9 to 5, and if you come with 4 people in your car they’ll waive the $10 parking fee.

I’ve been scolded in the past for not including local restaurants in my travel posts, and that will happen again;  if you have been out to eat in Encinitas please leave a comment with your favorite spots.  Like I said, we only had 24 hours for this little trip so we took part in the hotel’s continental breakfast – which, I might add, was actually quite good and included delicious breakfast burritos – before heading out to the beach.

The beach at Encinitas

"No having fun"

Long way down

There were surfers in the water as far as the eye could see, due to the incredibly long waves and seemingly polite nature of the crowds.  My husband, who is a surfer in Los Angeles, was surprised that multiple surfers could catch a single wave without getting in a fight.  Maybe it’s the local vibe, maybe it was the beautiful day, or maybe Los Angeles just needs some self-realization, Encinitas style.

Self-Realization Fellowship Temple

The clock was ticking on our daycare meter, so we had to settle for a morning walk and then head back north.  For parents of two young boys, we get our relaxation when we can, and Encinitas delivered nicely in even a small dose.

Relaxed mom.

by Eric Carle

If your travels find you in the Los Angeles area this weekend then you need to do yourself a favor and visit the annual Festival of Books on the UCLA campus.

The festival is sponsored by the Los Angeles Times and runs Saturday (10-6) and Sunday (10-5) with free admission (and  $9 parking).

Meet the authors!

Among the offerings are over 100 author panels, numerous readings and hundreds of book signings – including celebrities from Michael J. Fox to Tori Spelling (also, actual writers).  There will be tons of other events, including cultural and musical presentations and some pretty good eats.

There are two areas for children which feature storytelling, crafts and more.  According to the L.A. Times, DJ Lance Rock and Brobee from “Yo Gabba Gabba!” will be present, which excites me more than it probably should.

Things to know before you go:

It is supposed to be quite cool, relatively speaking, with highs in upper 60’s/lower 70’s, which means dress in layers or bring a sweater, but this is L.A. and plenty of water and sunscreen are still good bets.

Bring cash.  There are ATMs available, but not readily.

Directions to the UCLA campus from where you are! Yes, I see you.

Allow for distance and lines:

• Parking – Chances are you’re going to be a decent walk from the festival.  Shuttle available.
• Lines – Hard as it is to believe, you may not be the only person interested in meeting your favorite author.  Get to panels and signings early and be prepared to stand in line.  They can get ridiculous, but the front of the line is much more fun than the back.
• Overall area – The festival is HUGE and there is literally much ground to cover.  You will be walking.  A lot.

It’s definitely a good way to spend the day, expand your personal library and meet some of your favorite authors (if you see me, say hi!).  Support the arts, people!

While you’re out and about in the Los Angeles area check out the Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival or get some exercise for a good cause with the March of Dimes (not just in L.A.).

Happy reading!