scenes from the weekend

 

 

 

 

we got to fly a kite finally (a check on my life list). my husband brought home all sorts of kites a couple of years ago; a rocket, a fighter plane, an eagle.  we have been looking forward to see those fly but they are about 5-6 feet wide so it is difficult to find the place and good wind conditions to fly them.   this week a friend gifted sophia a smaller one, one with brobee on it, my daughter's favorite yogabba gabba character.  she couldn't wait for the weekend to go to the park to fly it.  saturday was hot and humid, and there was barely any wind but we managed to fly it successfully at the top of the hill at the tar pit. 

the museum of flying

last weekend was full of activities.  saturday i joined sophia for parent and child swimming class. terror in the shallows (both me and her) i tell you, but we made it.

we then had a quick lunch at spitfire grill with my mother-in-law, followed by an impromptu visit to the museum of flying right next door. the museum reopened in february at its new location at the santa monica airport.  the museum's main features are : a replica of the wright flyer, the fedex boeing 727 nose section, the yak-3 world war 2 soviet fighter aircraft, a mini flight simulator for children to learn about pitch, yaw and roll, and  a T-33 cockpit trainer. entrance fee is $10 which is a bit overpriced in my opinion but i just think of it as a small donation for the museum's expansion project  :)

{my favorite. the yakovlev yak-3 was a world war ii soviet fighter aircraft. this beauty registered 14 victories.}

Los Angeles Zoo

last weekend was full and good!  we got to visit the LA zoo one last time before our annual membership expires.  we are not planning to renew this year.  membership at the LA zoo is worth it, but we figure it would be nice to use the money for something different this year. we will go back eventually, we are just taking a little break :)


some tips for visiting the zoo:

1.  don't have high expectations, this is far from the caliber of san diego zoo. however it is big and good enough for the price.

2.  buy tickets online as the lines could get long on the weekends and holidays. prices are: $16 adults, $13 senior, $11 children

3.  go in the morning when it opens at 10am. the animals are awake and active, you beat the crowd, and it's much cooler.  it gets hot and quite crowded in the afternoons specially on weekends and holidays.

4.  byof (food) and drinks.  food there is expensive and mediocre.  example, they call "2 Churros + 2 Drinks = $15" a deal. the churro and popcorn are pretty good though.

5. parking is free! that's very rare in los angeles. in case the zoo parking is full, you can also park on the lot across the street (free too).

6. get the family membership if you live in l.a. and have at least two children to bring (your own kids, nieces, cousins, etc.)

7. on warm days, wear shorts, sleeveless shirts and hats.  also wear sunscreen, it gets hot out there.

8. grab a map at the entrance.  the lay out of the place is a bit confusing and quite a hike so you don't want to get lost.

9.  the tram is a rip off. wear comfortable shoes and walk! and bring a stroller for your kids.

10. there's a playground at the top where kids can play (while you rest).

11. if you must buy drinks, buy the refillable cups and save it.  you can bring it again to use on the next visit. just bring the cup to the register and pay for the refill. cheap and green! 


12. plan to see the elephant training demonstration, daily at 11am.


13. allow some time to just sit and watch the chimp exhibit.


14.  speak with the workers, they are helpful and offer good information about the animals.


15. good to know. some of the animal exhibits there are rescued from traffickers and collectors from illegal animal trade.  these rescued animals cannot be returned back into the wild due to possible exposure to new virus contracted in the city so the zoo keeps them.  example, reggie the alligator. 


some photos from our visit.

la brea tar pits and museums

museums, tar pits, park area.  we love this place! 

lacma is a special place for our family.  the husband and i had most of our first dates there.  after a while we stopped going there but this year we found our way back.  there were a lot of remodeling and improvements done over the years.  it is a much more fun place to go now than it was back then.  it has been sophia's first choice when we ask her where she wants to go on the weekends.  she loves rolling down the hill by the page museum.  

we have not explored the exhibits at the lacma, but we have managed to go see the fossils displayed at the page museum twice. our daughter is currently fond of the saber toothed cats, mammoths and dire wolves fossils there... i find myself amused too!

one thing we like about the place too is that you can buy lunches at the different food trucks parked on wilshire blvd. and eat it either at the tables at lacma or under the trees at the park.  an impromtu picnic!