A Must Do: The Endeavour Exhibit at the California Science Center

It was Awesome!

My son’s had a rough time since he’s fractured his arm. He loves to play in the water, ride his bike, and hit the beach. He’s been unable to do any, and we’ve been looking for things for him to do that he can actually enjoy. We had talked about visiting the Endeavour Exhibit at the California Science Center and finally decided to do it last week. It was an amazing exhibit and I can’t recommend it enough!

First off a visit to the California Science Center is so much fun. It is one of my favorite museums of all time. It is amazing and you can spend hours and hours there. I also love that it offers Free Admission every day of the year! Honestly I can’t rave enough about this fantastic place. For those of you that have been there, I know you can relate.

We finally made our way back last week and it was worth every minute of traffic we encountered on our way there. To visit The Endeavor Exhibit, you need tickets. It is highly recommended that you purchase them online. You can take a chance and buy them on site, but I really recommend buying them before you make your trip. We didn’t have much of a wait and were able to tour the exhibit without really waiting longer than a minute or two. Wow were we blown away. The kiddos loved it, as well as grandma and aunties. It was surreal to be able to stand underneath the shuttle and check out each individual tile. I can’t even begin to describe it, you have to check it out for yourself.

Tickets are $2 each, and $1 extra for a convenience free if purchased online. Admission to the Museum is Free. The California Science Center is open 7 days a week from 1o am to 5 pm. Parking is $10 and is cash only. For additional info and to purchase your tickets head here.

Go Further with Ford Trends Conference 2013

Daytripping Dad, Mike, had another great time at Ford headquarters last month for the 2013 Ford Trends Conference in Dearborn, Michigan. This year was better than over, beginning with opening night held at the Henry Ford auto museum, where there is the ultimate history of the automobile on display, from the earliest buggies, to the first year Prius hybrid, to trucks, trains and everything in between. Highlights include the bus that Rosa Parks made history with and the chair that President Lincoln was sitting in at the time he was shot. The Ford CEO, Alan Mulally spoke during the dinner to discuss many of the initiatives that Ford is pursuing currently. These include more hybrids, better fuel economy and making safer, reliable, and more relevant transportation.

57 Chevy convertible under an original McDonald’s sign at the Henry Ford Museum

The second day of the conference included several breakout sessions with experts from various fields speaking on topics of their expertise. One of Mike’s favorites was the Ford Tech trends session featuring Steve Wozniak. Woz loves technology and is really excited out how much electronics are being incorporated into today’s vehicles. He wants the trend to continue of electronics knowing what we want or would like to have before we ask for it. The move towards driverless cars is a huge one and Woz definitely sees this as the future of the automobile.

Another interesting topic was the Greentopia panel. Experts were on hand from WWF, Coke and the University of Michigan to discuss the direction of consumer’s drive for green products. Ford is no exception in the move toward sourcing more sustainable and recycled resources to use in their manufacturing. Ford’s commitment to sustainability goes back to Henry Ford’s innovative use of soybeans. Did you know that old U.S. paper currency retired from service and shredded is being tested for potential use in select Ford components for some vehicles?

During the last day, Mike got to spend some time on the Ford test track trying out vehicles like the new Ford Fiesta sport model and the Fusion “Energi” hybrid. Mike raced for the fasted time in the Fiesta. He came in the top ten, but not enough to win. The Fusion “Energi” was his first time driving a hybrid. It’s a full size vehicle and extremely comfortable. It also captures energy from braking and uses that for additional power for the vehicle. It’s a pretty amazing new car.

Mike then drove with Jason Bailey, Mr. RockinMama.net and took a tour through architectural highlights in Detroit, while driving a 2014 Ford Escape and using FordSync to navigate around. They made some stops like at the Detroit Institute of Art, which features work by Van Gogh and Diego Rivera. They also visited some of the urban ruins, like the famous Michigan Central Train station.

Detroit Institute of Art

Michigan Central Station

It was a dream come true for Mike to actually get to visit the urban ruins around Detroit. It’s a unique American experience. It is sad, inspiring, fascinating and living history all at once. Ford is America.

*I was invited by Ford for the Trends Conference. Compensation was limited to travel and lodging expenses. All opinions are my own.

A Day at The San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum

The San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum is a fun little place to visit!

Last month before my son was hurt, we had the opportunity to check out the San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum. This fun little museum is located in Escondido and one that we will make sure to visit again and again(so much that we are members!) It’s the kind of place that although very small allows your children’s imagination to really come into play. We were at the museum for only two hours but could have definitely stayed for more.

My son loved this area!

The museum is home to the Explorer Discovery Sailboat which takes kiddos imaginations on a magical journey. They can learn, play, and set sail! They are also home to the Kids Global Area. My children absolutely loved playing in this area. It is home to a global market, and kiddos take turns playing grocery store, and learning about other culture.

There is a separate toddler area that is designed just for the itty bitties.

There is also a separate area for the itty bitty ones. The little ones can play in an enclosed area geared just for them.

The Children’s Discovery Garden was also a favorite area!

The museum is also home to other cute exhibits, including the Children’s Discovery Garden, which was a huge hit with our kiddos. They had a blast playing, blowing bubbles, and investigating.

The Children’s Discovery Museum is a cute little place to visit. It is a really small museum. However, we had a great time. I know some people complain that it is small, but my kiddos loved it and we can’t wait to go back. I would also suggest visiting in the afternoon. We arrived around 2ish and it was not crowded at all. I’ve been to museums that are crowded to the brim, and I loved that it was not chaotic. I know that it can be busy in the weekends and mornings. They also have tables for you to sit on, and I watched a couple of moms bring their laptops and chat, while their kiddos played.

The museum is open Monday to Sunday from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. Admission is $6 and Military Families are $3.00. During the Summer, military families can get in for FREE! This Saturday, July 20th, the museum will host an event featuring Latin American traditions from 2pm to 5pm. The event and museum admission is Free in the afternoon. To learn more about this event and about the museum, head here.