Turtle Bay Exploration Park and Museum

Recently we went to the Turtle Bay Exploration Park.  It had been some time since I had visited and I missed it.  I went with my cousins kids.  They really enjoyed it.  The Dr. Seuss Art exhibit is going on thru April 15th, and I highly recommend it.  The exhibit is interesting, fun for the children and his art work is amazing.  There is a reading area for the children.

In addition there is a fly fishing expedition going on thru April 15, 2012 also.  That was not my favorite part of the exhibit, but none the less interesting, and the children seemed to enjoy that one more than me.  Perhaps they enjoy fishing, more than I.  Or perhaps they never had a fish hook caught in their neck, like me, when I was a kid.  Yes, that could be it. :-) There is so much to do at turtle bay I could write an essay here about it.

You should visit the site yourself and see what they have to offer.  The museum and exploration park are right next to the Sundial bridge. Don't expect there to be refreshments besides a drinking fountain. There used to be a cafe there also, but is out of business AGAIN.  That should be the most successful cafe in town, but for some reason or another, every owner has failed to make it profitable.  Big changed coming to the museum and the cafe when the Sheraton comes to town so you might visit the museum now, while it's in it's original state.  

Here are a few pictures from our trip.   Enjoy!

Bird Exhibit, feed and interact with birds.

Dr. Seuss Art Exhibit ends April 15.

Dr. Seuss Art Exhibit, Turtle Bay Exploration Park.

Dr. Seuss Classic.

Fresh water fish at the aquarium at Turtle Bay Exploration Park.

Fresh water fish in the aquarium, Turtle Bay Exploration Park.

Dr. Seuss Art Exhibit.

The fox at the Turtle Bay Exploration Park.

Little hand and more Dr. Seuss writings.

Here is  a link to Turtle Bay Exploration Park's website.

They have events and all kinds of activities for children.  It's a wonderful place for people of all ages.

Turtle Bay Exploration Park and Museum

Grapes, vineyards, and grape growers in Sonoma county.

Rows and rows of grapes.

Sonoma County Wine Grape Grower.

Beautiful bright red colored grape leaves.

Green grape leaves, black grapes, and red grape leaves.

As a child I lived for a short time, in Sonoma county, and still have family there.  I love this area of California.   The days can be hot, but for the most part, it always cools down at night due to it's proximity to the ocean and the bays.  Sonoma county and the surrounding counties have lots of water, rivers, creeks, and lakes nearby, in addition, there are grape growers, and wine productions everywhere. 

Beautiful symmetrical rows of grapes.

Green grass, and beautiful rows of grapes, Sonoma county.

Beautiful grapes in Healdsburg, California.

These are not young grape vines, these are very old. :-)  Well taken care of also.  The area I was in was pristine, clean, and very well manicured especially the grapes.  

Red Hot Poker, Weaverville, California

This flower is so distinctive and different from ther flowers.

Red hot poker is the name and it looks exactly as it sounds.  As if you were to poke it into the fire.

Hibiscus in Redding and Shasta County

  

Hibiscus is a beautiful flower and plant.  I love the white ones, and the purple ones for that matter.  The neighbor has a bush which has been formed into a tree, and the flowers are up above.  My mother's is more like a bush.  Not quite as old as the neighbors, his tree must be 30+ years old.

Hibiscus is popular because it attracts bees and butterflies, also you may be more familiar with hibiscus as a tea.  There are hundreds of varieties of the hibiscus flowers, and bush.

The hibiscus prefers a warmer climate.  This is the technical name for this type of hibiscus, Hibiscus syriacus.

 

 

Hibiscus in Redding, California.

This year, right before the purple hibiscus bloomed, I stepped out the door, and I smelled coconut.   I could not figure out where the scent was coming from.  As it turns out it was the Hibiscus!  

Hibiscus syriacus and Tonka truck.

Handmade Chocolate, Barry Pistoles and Callebaut Milk Chocolate

I really like chocolate.  Recently I decided that dark chocolate was indeed "healthy chocolate".  :-)  Ok, maybe that was just an excuse for me to eat chocolate.  

Rocky Road, marshmallows, chocolate, and walnuts.

Handmade Rocky Road

Chocolates handmade Rocky Road, and Almond chocolates.

Handmade Chocolates

Beautiful Mt. Soledad and La Jolla Shores in San Diego

Starting the new year 2011, in San Diego.  Beautiful beaches, sunny weather, and lot's of fun activities.  We are having a blast.   The pictures here are from Mt. Soledad in La Jolla, looking down at the La Jolla shores.  The top of Mt. Soledad is a Korean War Memorial and is a very nice dedication to the Korean war veterans who served. I lived here year's ago, so much has changed. 

La Jolla shores, from the top of Mt. Soledad.

La Jolla shores.

Korean War Memorial on Mt. Soledad.

Flag at the top of Mt. Soledad.

Beautiful cross at the top of Mt. Soledad.

War memorial surrounding the cross at the top of Mt. Soledad.

Sunflowers, Trinity County,

It's always lovely to see pretty sunflowers.  Another bonus, sunflower seeds!  A wonderful addition to salads, perfect for snacking, and a vital ingredient in hummus, which is tahini, ground sunflower seeds. 

Full Moon Rising over Mt. Lassen, Shasta County

The moon was beautiful rising up from the east behind Mt. Lassen.  A little hazy and foggy today I noticed.  Probably due to the heat, I think most of California was scorching today.

 

Pomegranate, A Delicious and Nutritious Fruit

A pomegranate fruit was one of my favorites as a child and still is. It is so delicious, worth the effort it takes to peel.I f you put one in a bowl or sink of water, it is less messy and also easier to peel. You can thank my aunt for that piece of advice. She uses them in a particular salad that she serves. I like to eat them alone.










Recently I read something about the pomegranate seeds being very good for you. They have large quantities of antioxidants also. I found this site which I found to be very well made. If you have never had a pomegranate, this would be a very helpful site.

http://www.pomegranates.org

Sundial Bridge, Sacramento River, Shasta County

This bridge is fantastic! I think that it was one of the greatest structures to be built in California. I have visited it numerous time and it is just wonderful to visit. My grandpa will argue with you till the sun comes up about what a waste of money it was. If you want to get him riled up just mention the Sundial Bridge. :-)

"Spanish architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava conceived the Sundial Bridge’s unusual design, his first free-standing bridge in the United States."