Dinosaurs!

Jack & I, along with 8 trillion LA school students, visited the Natural History Museum a couple of weeks ago. The buses lined up outside could have filled a football stadium. My pre-mom self would have turned around and gone home or at least to a Starbucks to wait it out. But I had talked up the dinosaur museum to Jack that morning, in part to get him put his clothes on without a fight. So we had to go.

He didn’t mind all the kids at all. And we found one sanctuary – the Discover Center in the basement, where groups have to have a reservation and regular paying folks can sashay right in. So we spent a good hour there looking at fossils, snakes, spiders, and turtles, and reading books about fossils, snakes, spiders, and turtles. We didn’t even try to see the Dinosaur show since the entryway to it was packed. But we did take a quick tour of the “salt marsh” and the “rain forest”, which were pretty cool.

What did Jack talk most about after our visit? The turtle eating lettuce, and the wagons and stagecoaches on display in the California history section. Wheels still trump giant prehistoric creatures for this kid.

Frank Lloyd’s L.A.

The Place: Barnsdall Park, Hollywood.

The Scene: A quiet elevated park right off Hollywood Boulevard. It’s home to an arts center, indoor theater, and Hollyhock House, a temple-like home and garden designed by Frank Lloyd Wright (open for tours sometimes). We sat at one of the wrought-iron tables outside and had lunch, then checked out the metal sculptures. When I asked Jack what he thought each one looked like, he’d knit his brow and say “tools” or “a net.”

Time spent: 45 minutes, more if you bring a good book instead of a kid.

Kid-friendliness: OK. No playground, but lots of grass and things to look at.

Tip: Bring your camera for cool views of the Griffith Observatory and the Hollywood sign. And check out the free summer concerts and Shakespeare in the Park.

Weird connection: The man who once owned our house, the city’s former arts commissioner, led the effort to restore Hollyhock House in the 1940s. According to his daughters, he pursued Frank’s son by train across the mid-west to enlist his support.

Excuse of the day

John brought home a pile of books for Jack the other day, and he seized on the suitcase-like one with a handle and latch. He wanted me to read it to him just as I was trying to get dressed so we could leave the house. When I told him he should read it to himself for a few minutes, he replied:

“I can’t because….because I’m too short!”

Butterflies and “pointy oak”

Debs Park is a surprise burst of greenery in the middle of one of L.A.’s grayest, most congested corridors. It’s been around forever, but the Audubon Society came aboard a few years ago and really spiffed it up. We spent nearly two hours here (a week in toddler years). There’s a children’s garden with fountains, a water pump, drought-resistant plants, and lots of shovels and buckets for digging. There are well-maintained trails for all levels, but we opted for the half-mile path near the entrance. It’s mostly flat and fairly shady, with lots of poison oak warning signs. When I told Jack poison oak would give him a rash and be itchy, he spent half the hike saying, “Don’t touch the green, Mom. That’s pointy oak.”

This is truly a special place. The visitors center even lets you borrow jogging strollers, backpack carriers, and binoculars to use in the park. It’s open Wed.-Sun.

Fire Chief Jack

Fire Service Day in Los Angeles = free balloons, free hot dogs, unlimited access to fire engines and ambulances, and one elated 3-year-old boy.

Griffith Park West

We usually stick to the east side of Griffith Park, with its merry-go-round and trains, but we explored the Fern Dell area last week since we were driving past on our way back from the Hollywood Bowl. The playground is old and shadeless, so we abandoned it quickly and picked up a trail that follows an oasis of ferns and trees along a stream with a series of small waterfalls. It was an ideal half-mile hike for a 3-year-old – a rail kept him from falling in, he loved the waterfalls, and I loved the shade (it’s triple digits here now – welcome to fire season). This is an area of the park that was scorched by wildfires last spring, but it’s looking robust and leafy now.

After our “hike”, we stopped at The Trails, a little shack with an urban sophisticate’s menu – pear & goat cheese tarts, scones, vegan hot dogs – and joined a bunch of other moms with kids at the picnic tables.

p.s. One month until the Hollywood Bowl opens for the season. It’s one of my favorite things to do in L.A. in the summer!

A Hike without Jack

Earlier this month, thanks to the generosity and patience of Jack’s grandparents, we snuck in a trip to the Caribbean and rented a villa with some friends on St. John. I was not looking forward to it in the way I usually look forward to vacation (too far away, too much to worry about, etc.), but we ended up having a splendid time. For the first time I can remember, I didn’t work a travel writing piece into the trip or try to see or do much. I read two books, slept 10 hours at a time, and gazed for long, meditative periods at the sea. I think we missed Jack more than he missed us. He was busy playing bulldozers with Granddad, eating gelato, and reveling in all the undivided attention.

Big Sur South

Day trip extraordinaire: Palos Verdes Peninsula. I had been to parts of it before, so I wasn’t expecting much besides a pretty drive, but it turned out to be a five-star experience for kids. We had to make a 5 pm airport run, so we left early and made a day trip of it. Palos Verdes is between LAX and Long Beach (sort of) and is known for its expensive ocean-view homes and large population of peacocks. But it also has a fabulous walking path that winds high above the ocean. You can pick it up near the Point Vicente Interpretive Center, which has a little marine-life museum and rest rooms. The path runs at least two miles and is no less than perfect for runners, kids, and just about anybody. The Point Vicente lighthouse is always in view; it was closed but Jack was fascinated by its siren calls.

After a picnic lunch of peanut butter sandwiches, we kept driving on Palos Verdes Blvd., which loops back to Pacific Coast Highway. I was looking for a real beach since we had brought sand toys, but the only one we passed seemed cordoned off. Instead we stopped at the Wayfarers Chapel, a gorgeous glass church designed by Lloyd Wright (Frank’s son). It overlooks the ocean and is surrounded by gardens, a fountain, and a shocking-green lawn. Jack was generally good all day (he even lowered his voice inside the church). It was a long day, but the change of scenery was energizing.

Gold Line to Olvera Street

 

One of the easiest things to do with a train-loving kid: take the subway to Union Station, walk over to Olvera Street, and have lunch at Philippe’s. There’s always something going on at the shady Olvera Street plaza, even on a Monday. The place was buzzing with tourists (their big buses parked nearby) and people waiting for some kind of radio-sponsored performance. We walked past the trinket sellers (but didn’t buy anything since it’s mostly overpriced junk), then headed to Philippe’s to share a French dip and lemonade (70 cents a glass). I think the last time I had a French dip was…the last time I went to Philippe’s. It’s that tasty. Jack gave the cole slaw a thumb’s up, too.

Before hopping on the train back to South Pasadena (where you can park for 4 hours for free), we checked out the Metrolink and Amtrak trains waiting to depart. It was like Christmas for Jack. He’s been so whiny and argumentative lately that I forgot what it’s like to have an angelic, obedient kid for more than 3 hours.

The Toy Playground

We discovered a great new playground today. It’s on the grounds of the Buena Vista Branch Library in Burbank. Its best assets are that it’s completely enclosed and it’s full of big plastic toys (trucks, buckets, shovels) donated by parents who are probably sick of tripping over them in their own yards. Besides the toys, there’s a toddler-friendly jungle gym, slides, etc., all surrounded by sand. Jack and his pals turned a toy truck upside down, pretended it was an oven, and proceeded to fill it with cake ingredients like “baking soda” and “chocolate”. The downsides: it’s on the small side (though in a way that makes it feel like you’re at a big birthday party where you don’t anyone well), and there is no shade in the sitting areas on the perimeter.

Another reason to come here: the library hosts a better-than-average preschool storybook time on Tuesdays. They run a bubblemaking machine for the kids before starting, then sing songs in between the storytelling to keep them engaged. For Jack, the best part is the short animated film they show at the end, which is followed by a crafts project. Maybe some day he’ll be excited by arts and crafts, but right now he’s showing my (low) level of talent and interest in that area!