Month: August 2009

California Science Center- revisited and yes it’s free!



If you grew up in Southern California, you might recall the commercials for the Museum of Science and Industry. I have fond memories of visiting with my family as a child. Well time has been very kind to the museum and it’s now called the California Science Center. I’ve been meaning to visit with the kids for quite some time now and was finally able to make the trip this weekend. We packed a bag Saturday afternoon and headed off for a visit to the Science Center.

The Science is Center is located in Exposition Park and is the West Coast’s largest hands on science center. It boasts 3 floors, which holds 4 permanent exhibits and a special exhibit gallery which showcases popular exhibits from museums around the world. The four permanent exhibits are The Creative World Exhibit, The World of Life Exhibit, Air and Space Exhibit and the Science court.
The first exhibit we toured was The Creative World , which showcases advances humans have made in communication, architecture and transportation. My kids loved the exhibit. My daughter was fascinated with the communication section of the exhibit. The second and final exhibit we toured was the World of Life exhibit. My kids were in heaven. They did not want to budge from the gallery. They loved the the Life Source gallery which featured a chicken hatchery.

The absolute highlight of the trip for them was a visit to the Discovery Room. If you have kids under 5 this is probably where you will spend most of your time. Your children will be able to see frogs, spiders, crabs, turtles, birds and snakes close up. There is a fantastic toddler area. My son Michael who is only a year old was entertained for at least an hour. We had planned to visit the Air and Space Exhibit but we ran out of time. If you are planning a visit make sure you allow for plenty of time.

I can’t tell you enough how much we all loved the museum. I would arrive early to make the best of your visit. I would visit the second floor first and explore The Creative World Exhibit and The World of Life exhibit. I would then stop to have lunch at either McDonald’s or Taco Bell Express, which are located on the first floor of the museum. After lunch I would head out to explore the third floor and the Air and Space Wing. We will be heading out to explore the Air and Space exhibit next weekend and I can’t wait to share our experience with you. Trust me your family will love this place.

California Science Center – Exposition Park, 700 State Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90037
The California Science Center is open daily from 10am to 5pm- closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas and New Year’s Day
Admission to the Science Center’s permanent exhibit galleries is FREE!!
Parking is $8 per car- cash only!

For additional information click here

A Mission a month- Ventura Mission






This is the first of monthly posts where I will feature one of the twenty missions that line up our beautiful state. I have always wanted to visit all twenty one missions and this would be a great way to challenge myself to visit them all. I figured if I have to feature one a month on the blog, it would MAKE me get out and explore each one.

This month I wanted to feature the San Buenaventura Mission, also known informally as the Ventura Mission. We had the opportunity to visit last week as a family and wanted to share with you our experience.

The Ventura Mission is a smaller mission and one of the last missions to be founded by Father Junipero Serra. It was founded in 1782 and is located at the northern end of Main Street. You can ark on the street in front of the Mission or turn right on Palm and left into the parking lot area next to the Mission.

Donation for the Museum and a self-guided tour is $2.00 for adults and 50 cents for children.
You enter the museum through the gift shop, which is adjacent to the mission. We spent about thirty minutes exploring the museum and grounds as this is a pretty small mission. The kiddos loved playing in the courtyard and checking out the artifacts in the museum. My four year old loved everything about the church. She walked in with my husband and asked many questions about the mission, church and the grounds. My two year old was happy playing in the courtyard’s water fountain. I tried to take him inside but he is still a bit young to be interested in learning about the missions. He was however in love with the courtyard and the beautiful landscaping.

Next time you are heading up the coast or are in Ventura, make sure to take some time and explore the grounds. I would love for you to join in the challenge. If you take this challenge please email me your pictures! I would love to share.

Play Daily Giveaway

Could the first 4 people who commented under the last post please email me at mom@daytrippingmom.com. I have 2 4 packs of tickets to giveaway and two fun dvds. Your pick. Please email me. Thanks!