take the kids Archives - Page 7 of 27

Admire Butterfly Art at the Bohart Museum, Davis

January 6, 2023Silvia

I have to admit I’m not a big fan of insects; only butterflies make me smile. The Bohart Museum of Entomology on the UC Davis campus must have known the appeal of butterflies because it uses the California dogface butterfly as its logo. This museum holds the 7th largest collection of insects in North America and the 3rd largest university collection. If you are a fan of creepy critters I saw them advertise an insect zoo. I profess I did not pursue it.

On my visit I was most enchanted with the butterfly artwork. In the Spiral Galaxy of Butterflies Francisco Basso and Brittany L. Kohler arranged tropical butterflies in a swirl and floral patterns. These butterflies are from a donation that did not include collection data and therefore can’t be used for research purposes. As a fun scavenger fact, they also added a fly. Can you find it?

While the first artwork by Basso and Kohler has multiple species, the second, Birdwing Butterfly, is composed of 112 birdwing butterflies into a nymphalid. These were also donated without collection data.

For your instagramable moment you can pose as a butterfly between two adjacent pillars with painted wings or ride on a sculpture of a Tardigrade at the entrance to the museum.

The Bohart Museum of Entomology is located at 455 Crocker Lane in Davis. Opening hours are Monday-Thursday: 9:00 am – noon and 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm. Admission is free. Or you can tour them virtually here.

Are you an insect fan?

Visit the Secret Redwood Grove, Jack Hume Grove, Vacaville

December 30, 2022Silvia

If you are looking for inspiration for a short hike near Vacaville to start the New Year, I can recommend the Jack Hume Grove as a very attractive destination. A part of Lagoon Valley Park, the Jack Hume Grove, is surprisingly quiet and calm. We walked by some disc golfers to reach the grove. The road that goes by it is being newly paved.

The grove is a tribute to Jack Hume, a conservative philanthropist and co-founder of Basic American Foods. He was best known as the world’s largest producer of dried onion and garlic.

The grove itself is not large but conveys the calmness one feels among redwoods. A few nicely constructed walkways give you a bit of an elevation change. The augmented waterwise plants on the rim of the grove and the dried up stream are interesting additions.

Overall this is more of a picnic destination than a workout place. Unless you decide to venture out of the grove and enjoy the mountainous paths or spend some time along the lagoon.

Lagoon Valley Park is located at 1 Peña Adobe Rd, Vacaville, near the I-80 exit of Peña Adobe Rd. Parking is $5 per day with options for a 6 month or year pass. You can use the Park Mobile app or use one of two pay stations, which accept exact cash or credit card payment.

There is currently construction on the way to improve the park. Please check the city’s website for updates.

If you are interested in seeing larger redwoods I highly recommend the Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park in Felton.

Where will you hike on your First Day Hikes?

Purchase Plants at Cactus Jungle, Berkeley

December 9, 2022Silvia

If you are planning to go see the Berkeley Potters Guild please consider stopping by Cactus Jungle afterwards. They have a great selection of not only cactus, but succulents, carnivorous plants, airplants, and perennials. Plus interesting pots and other plant related gift items, like living ornaments.

It was fun to discover Micah, the red foot tortoise. She is not for sale, but feels right at home. If you have little kids they might enjoy learning about Micah. I was told the Marin Cactus Jungle has baby tortoises!

Cactus Jungle in Berkeley is located one block from the Berkeley Potters Guild at 1509 4th Street. They are open Tuesdays to Sundays from 9:30 am to 5 pm. From December 25th to Jan 2nd they are on their Winter Break.

Have you gathered all your gifts yet?

For another experience while plant shopping I suggest going to Shelldance Orchid Gardens in Pacifica.

*I’m not affiliated with Cactus Jungle (or anyone else).

Entrance to the UC Bicycle Hall of Fame, Davis

Commemorate Bike Riders, U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame, Davis

November 19, 2022November 19, 2022Silvia

Since Davis is the bike capital of the US it makes sense that they host the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame.

The non profit charges $5 admission. If you believe that this is just for bike enthusiasts that religiously follow all the main races you might be as surprised as I was to find out it is not.

On the lower level is an exhibit on the history of bikes. I loved the inventiveness of the bike; from the tall wheels with little wheels in the back to the modern race bike, people tried all sorts of ways to upgrade their wheels. The photographs of child messengers by Lewis Hines became the face of the child labor reform movement.

The upper level hosts the Hall of Fame. You won’t find America’s most known cyclist, Lance Armstrong. Due to his admittance of drug use he won’t be inducted into the Hall of Fame. The cyclists they are highlighting have fascinating stories, like Mayor Taylor, the world’s first black superstar, or five-time national champion Nancy Burghart.

The U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame is only open Wednesdays from 4 pm – 6 pm and Saturdays from 10 am – 2 pm. It is right next to the Farmers Market, so a perfect combination on a Saturday while exploring Davis.

Do you have a favorite cyclist?

The U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame is located on 303 3rd St in downtown Davis. Hours are Wednesday from 4 pm – 6 pm and Saturdays from 10 am – 2 pm. General admission is $5, seniors and students pay $3.

Inside the Manetti Shrem Museum at UC Davis

Traverse the Manetti Shrem Museum, Davis

November 11, 2022Silvia

Even before you enter the Manetti Shrem Museum on the UC Davis campus the building itself gives out an artistic vibe. The metal roof hanging over the entrance with its lined patches is an homage to the surrounding agriculture fields. This stunning building is one of the top 25 Best Museum Buildings of the Past 100 Years by ARTnews.

Currently there are three exhibits at the Manetti Shrem Museum. Young, Gifted, and Black will be on view until December 19th, 2022. The other two, Roy De Forest: Habitats for Travelers and Loie Hollowell: Tick Tock Belly Clock, are open until May, 2023.

The free art experience comes with few instructions that are quite standard museum goer rules: Stay an arms distance away from the art and don’t touch anything. If you have questions you can ask anyone wearing a colorful lab coat.

I have to admit some of Loie Hollowell’s pieces made it tempting to break the do-not-touch-role. Big 3-D shaped bellies made me remember the feel of a pregnant belly and the connection with the life growing within you.

My favorite piece,Wimer Wilson’s Pres, was from Young, Gifted, and Black. An enlarged flyer stapled on a piece of plywood with over 10.000 staples, truly spectacular, as the shimmer of the metal draws new life into the persons hidden underneath.

Parking

A word of advice, I should have looked up the Manetti Shrem Museum before taking off. I ended up paying $15 for a day pass on the UC Davis campus. When I got out of the car I saw the sign for hourly parking for museum visitors, too late, I had already paid using the ParkMobile app.

You can purchase hourly parking for C Zone lots from the gray permit dispensers located at the entrances of the museum’s Visitor Parking Lot 1 and at the Gateway Garage parking structure. Rates are: $1.75 for 1 hour, $2.75 for the second hour, $3.75 for the third hour.

Have you been able to admire the Manetti Shrem Museum?

Historical Landmark sign with the Pena Adobe house in the back

Admire the Adobe Peña, Vacaville

November 5, 2022Silvia

If you are looking for a pitstop with a roadside attraction you should stop at the rest area on route 80 near Vacaville, Peña Adobe Park. The bathrooms are okay for a public park, but the location holds the oldest structure in Solano County!

The first settlers in the Lagoon Valley were the Vaca and the Peña family. Both houses were built in 1842, but only the Peña house remains. Vaca’s house was destroyed in an earthquake in 1892.

Next to the Peña house is an adobe oven, an early open air kitchen. In 1880 another kitchen was added. This little house is now the Mowers-Goheen Museum, showing off artifacts of the archeological dig that occurred in the 1960s. On the first Saturdays of each month February thru December from 11:00am – 2:00 pm, the Mowers-Goheen Museum is open and volunteers offer tours of the historical park.

The adjacent Willis Linn Jepson Garden is being restored by UC Davis. There are a lot of native plants in their beginning stages, and the signage promises a wide variety of plants.

Not surprisingly the archeology digs in the 1960s also found remains of indigenous peoples, who were buried in the Burial Grounds nearby.

If you can’t make it to the public tours you should check out the YouTube channel for the Peña Adobe Historical Society. While the house and the museum are only open on the first Saturday of the month, you can still peek into the windows on the first floor.

The nearby Lagoon Park charges $5 for parking; there is no charge or admission to see the historic park.

Resources

Peña Adobe Historical Society

https://www.penaadobe.org/

Eagle Scout Project by Jason Hanson, 2006

https://www.penaadobe.org/images/2017/eaglescoutpena.pdf

City of Vacaville

https://www.ci.vacaville.ca.us/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/20/991?locale=en

Learn about the Paradox Walnut, Woodland

October 29, 2022Silvia

Last week I wrote about the UC Davis Arboretum. 15 minutes north of Davis is Woodland, named by Gertrude Freeman in 1861 for the “wooded country about”.

Two weeks ago we did the landmark trees bike tour that was part of the annual Stroll Through History. Each September Woodland offers tours about historic buildings and has open houses. This historic rich city started their architecture oriented tours in 1989.

The bike tour, a new addition to the event, began at 10 am at City Park on the corner of Oak and Walnut. This is when we got to meet the Paradox walnut and learned about Luther Burbank’s gift to the city on Arbor Day in 1925.

In the late nineteenth century Luther Burbank, the renowned horticulturist and botanist from Santa Rosa, began his controlled crosses between walnuts. The Paradox walnut is a cross between the northern California Black walnut and the Persian walnut. He named it Paradox “because of the extremely fast growth and other ‘anomalies.’” (https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=301125)

In Burbank’s own words:

“As compared with seedlings of either the California or the Persian walnut, they manifested an enormously enhanced capacity for growth. Indeed they sprang forward at such a rate as presently to dwarf their pure breed relatives. The phenomenal growth of these hybrid trees continued year after year. The tree so far out-stripped all competitors in the matter of growth that it might fairly be said to represent a new type of vegetation. On this account, and in recognition of sundry other anomalies, I named them Paradox.” (http://www.lutherburbankonline.com/V2-C5.html) Burbank noted further the curious apple-like fragrance. The wood of the Paradox walnut is extremely hard and close grained, which is a further anomaly since it is such a fast growing tree.

In further research I learned that the Paradox walnut is now the most popular rootstock in California.

Do you know about any landmark trees in your area?

Resources:

Stroll Through History

https://strollthroughhistory.com/about-us/history/

Woodland Tree Foundation

www.woodlandtree.org

USDA Luther Burbank’s contributions to walnuts

https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=301125

Luther Burbank Online – The Royal Walnut

http://www.lutherburbankonline.com/V2-C5.html

Shovel Gateway, a public art installation marking the entrance to the Arboretum GATEway garden

Walk Among Trees, UC Davis Arboretum

October 21, 2022Silvia

The University of California Davis is well known as an agricultural university. The small city of Davis offers many things for students, locals, and visitors. The arboretum is one of the best places to hike within the city limits. It features a 3.5 mile loop passing California natives, Australian and East Asian collections and other gardens. In fact the UC arboretum website promises you over 20 places to explore!

Our exploration started at the UC parking lot 55, which is free on the weekends. If you plan to go during the week you have to download the parking app and daily parking is $15. The trail entrance has a nice garden with information signage and restrooms. If you are hiking the large loop like we did I found it convenient to break up the hike and have lunch downtown. The entrance to downtown is at the top of the trail, perfect for a halfway mark.

On our way back to the car we saw the barn. A restless stallion was watching over some young horses. A donkey with his eyes covered so the flies could not bother him was the closest animal we were able to observe.

Overall this is a pleasant 2 hour walk. The shady walkway is mostly paved, also inviting people on wheels. But there is an upper bike trail so bikes are a rare sight. Dogs are allowed on leash.

Have you been to the UC Davis Arboretum?

This Saturday, October 22nd and on November 5th, the Friends of the UC Davis Arboretum have their plant sale fundraiser. They call it a festival-like event, and I am very excited to check it out.

The UC Santa Cruz arboretum and botanical garden is also a great place to explore.

While this post is not technically in the Bay Area, I will expand my blog to include Yolo county due to a recent move.

Overview of the maze from one of the bridges. Sprayed on: Lost in da cornmaze

Don’t Get Lost in This Corn Maze in Dixon

October 14, 2022Silvia

Pumpkin patches and corn mazes are popping up all over the country. You’ll find Dixon’s corn maze at 6150 Dixon Ave West, near Interstate 80, in Dixon. Dixon’s Cool Patch Pumpkins holds the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest corn maze. Yes, this one is considered exercise. It took us about an hour and a half from start to finish. But let me start from the beginning.

They do offer other entertainment besides the corn maze, mostly for little kids, like a corn bath, think ball bath with corn kernels, a pumpkin patch, and some cool insta-worthy photo opps. The corn bath is $5 no matter how old you are.

Since we came for the maze we did not get distracted with the other fun things. The maze is $20 per person, but we are talking about the world’s largest corn maze, so I thought it was totally worth it. You’ll get a map and tickets and off you go!

There are five colorful bridges, which break up the walk and help you orient yourself. The first bridge is nicely done as a test-drive for this experience. They say you can’t really get lost. If you feel uncomfortable just walk through a row of corn and find the edge of the maze. You’ll be surrounded by, I would say, 8 feet high corn, and if you really needed to follow the emergency instructions it would not be as easy as it sounds. Luckily we made it through without a case of claustrophobia, or need for a bathroom break.

This brings me to my recommendations to enjoy the maze:

Find the little markers on the ground. Those give you a clue on where you are. Oh, and don’t lose your map, or better yet take a picture of the map.
There are no bathrooms within the maze, so you know what to do.
The pathway is uneven. Wear comfortable shoes and something that you don’t mind getting dirty. It is not wheelchair or stroller accessible.
The paths are half in the shade, but it is still good to wear a hat.
Come early, Dixon warms up to over 80 F later in the day.
Bring some water with you.
There are no trash cans in the maze, so please take any of your trash with you.

The last point was a bit upsetting, seeing all this trash that people tossed. This is still a corn field and the corn will get harvested later in the season. Please don’t leave any trash in the maze.

Cool Patch Pumpkins is open until October 31st everyday from 9:00am – 8:00pm.

On weekends there is food and coffee offered.

Have you conquered a corn maze before?

Play Chess in the Park, Santana Row

October 7, 2022Silvia

Have you all watched the Queen’s Gambit yet and were you obsessed with chess for a while? If you are looking for a public place to play chess or watch others scheming their next move, head out to Santana Row in San Jose. There is a large chess game set up on Santana Row’s Chess Plaza across from the Vintage Wine Bar. The chess pieces can be moved easily with two hands, even by tiny ones. The size of the pieces were knee-high for me. And while the board is a bit weathered I’m glad they made a comeback after being stored in quarantine because of COVID.

If you prefer a smaller scale set you can bring your own pieces and play on the tables lining their larger cousin; of chess sets that is. This way you’ll be able to order a drink while lounging in the wooden chairs pondering your next move.

By the way, Santana Row is an experience in itself. An outdoor shopping mall with some high-end stores, copious dining options, and outdoor experiences, like the upcoming Makers Market on October 8th, 2022. An inviting place to stroll and people watch.

Have you ever played chess at Santana Row?

If you like outdoor board games you can also play Senet at the Rosicrucian Museum; or get a group together and play the Guiness Record setting Monopoly.