until suburbia!

foot prints of an animal, at the Junior Museum and Zoo, Palo Alto

Visit a Little People Museum and Zoo, Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo

April 2, 2016February 3, 2025Silvia

The Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo is probably something for the younger generation (toddler to about eight), my 11 year old felt for most of this like been there – done that. The suggested donation is $5 per person, which I think is very reasonable.

You first walk thru the touch and learn exhibit, where the little ones can turn and twist and move things. Next are the insects. I have to admit I am not usually a fan of creatures with more than four legs but here they are mostly in the height for your two year old to inspect.

Outside there are some local animals from snakes to bunnies (not in the same pen) to a giant turtle.

I think my 11 year old appreciated the climbing and balancing things best. But for younger kids this is a real cool place to hang and learn.

Do you have a favorite zoo?

Get in Shape for Free, Adult Fitness Playgrounds

March 27, 2016February 3, 2025Silvia

Well, you only have to invest your time, of course. I found there are many adult fitness playgrounds in public parks around where I live. Rengstorff Park in Mountain View has some gym type equipment, for example a chest press or an exercise bike. If you are feeling young and spirited you might even consider the skate park near the pool. Or the tennis and racquetball courts. In fact, the park is so large that a pick up soccer or basketball game would be possible, even on crowded days.

The exercise options of Sylvan Park, also in Mountain View, and of the Hillview Community Center (Los Altos) are more old school.

With places in both to do sit-ups and pull-ups, here your choice would be which location you prefer and which material. While in Los Altos the bars are blue and steel, in Sylvan Park they went with wood.

Do you have a favorite outdoor gym?

Be a Pinball Wizard, Pacific Pinball Museum

March 18, 2016February 3, 2025Silvia

All the way in Alameda is the Pacific Pinball Museum. For $15 for adults and $7.50 for kids under 16 you can play all day, yes even get yourself lunch and/or dinner and return to play some more.

This is great for an all ages fun. You can learn something about the history while you wait for your turn or if you are feeling like taking a break stroll back to room one (of 4) to see the oldest pinball machines ever made.

They also rent out one room for birthday parties. In fact we saw some kids coming out with a pinball related goodie bag.

I so glad that I did wander around and explore, because I found a tiny pinball art exhibit and also the Addams family pinball: the best game ever!

Which one is your favorite pinball machine?

Frisbee + Being in the Woods = Disc Golf

March 13, 2016February 3, 2025Silvia

It is a simple equation, but needs a bit of prep work. Go to your favorite sport store and get yourself a starter kit for disc golf. They run at about $20. It will usually contain a driver, a midrange and a putter frisbee.

Then go to a disc golf course, there are a few courses in the Bay Area, and throw your frisbees around. To find one course near you go to http://www.dgcoursereview.com/browse.php.

We recently went to Hellyer Park again, a well maintained 9-hole course.

You can play for free the first times, but should consider dashing out the $25 yearly fee to the Silicon Valley Disc Golf Club: http://svdgc.org, which pays for a yearly membership that is tax deductible. Other courses might charge you a Green Fee, so this is a pretty good deal!

Disc golf basket — In this basket you shall throw.

You are still wondering what it is? Well, disc golf is similar to golf as an advancement through a course with different baskets to reach. It is much easier than golf and a lot of fun.

If you are looking for a casual sport that is not too strenuous but gets you out to have some fun with friends you might want to consider disc golf.

Have you ever played disc golf before?

Immerse Yourself in an Art Experience, teamLab

March 5, 2016February 3, 2025Silvia

Recently I went to see the teamLab exhibition Living Digital Space and Future Parks at the Pace Art + Technology pop-up gallery in Menlo Park.

20 installations by teamLab, a Japanese new media arts collective, let you truly interact with art. Some objects react to your touch; in one you can download a web site app to control multiple plant inspired lights and another one creates a room magically filled with flowers and butterflies that surround you. But my personal highlight was the kids’ section. There are five truly interactive installations. For example your fish drawings, once scanned in, swim away. Try to touch the screen aquarium, it’s interplay!

The exhibit will run thru July 1st 2016 and is open Tuesdays – Sundays 11-7.

A great new approach to art and very fitting for Silicon Valley.

Have you seen other examples of interactive art?

Tide Pool group looking for swimming creatures

Look Who’s Swimming, Tide Pooling

February 27, 2016February 3, 2025Silvia

As a kid I once did a Wattwanderung (mud-flats walking) when we stayed on Sylt, a Northern Sea island. When I signed up for our tide pool walk with the Marine Science Institute I had the old images in my head of the creatures who appeared just as you pulled back the sand.

So, I was quite surprised to see the interesting rock formations that we walked on and explored. Not too rough a terrain, but you needed closed toe shoes, something that could get wet, and you needed to dress in layers.

Rules for tide pooling are: Always watch your kids, and NEVER turn your back on the waves! And of course: Take only memories, leave only footprints.

We saw sea stars (below), a little black crab, a shrimp, and of course hermit crabs.

Overall this was an exciting excursion. Our very knowledgeable tour guides from the Marine Science Institute brought buckets and nets and knew the names of the creatures and where to look. This made it a perfect day.

What was the coolest thing you’ve seen on the beach?

Go See the Donkeys, Bol Park

February 21, 2016February 3, 2025Silvia

One of my favorite movie quotes is: ”I’m a flying, talking donkey!”

I was very surprised to learn that the real donkey that ‘donkey’ was modeled after lives in Palo Alto!

There are currently two donkeys on the pasture behind Bol Park (http://www.barronparkdonkeys.org/):

Perry, a minuture donkey, was the model for ‘donkey’ in the movie Shrek. Niner, a standard donkey, came to greet us when we were visiting.

He has really soft fur and I think a beautiful smile.

I learned from their website that they take the donkeys each Sunday morning out to Bol Park where they can graze on the lawn.

If you have smaller children you might also enjoy the big playground in Bol Park.

Have you seen any other movie stars in the Bay Area lately?

The Maverick is Here!

February 11, 2016February 3, 2025Silvia

The date for the Titans of Mavericks competition has been set for February 12th. This means 24 of the best high wave surfers are invited to compete off Pillar Point Harbor near Half Moon Bay. Due to restrictions you might not be able to watch them close up, but there will be viewing parties all around Half Moon Bay, since redbull TV is covering the event.

Thanks to El Nino waves up to 38 feet (11,5m) are expected. Best to watch early in the morning. But I heard the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company is ready to serve you at 8 am and will show the event on TV.

Hanging out with Elephant Seals

February 2, 2016May 6, 2022Silvia

There are two options I am aware of to see elephant seals up close.
First is Año Nuevo State Park and also Piedras Bianca near San Simion.
In order to see the seals in Ano Nuevo you have to book a tour online that, if you want to pick times that suit you, you probably have to book about two weeks in advance. I think the $7 per person plus $10 for parking was well spent. On a 2 ½ hour hike we learned a lot about the seals and came up close to watch the little babies get nursed.

Piedras Bianca has a short, more accessible, walk up to a viewing point where a park ranger answers questions. Here no reservation is necessary but a donation is appreciated.

January/February are probably the most visited months for the state park to see the elephant seals. Breeding season is from late December till early February. In March the adults leave their pubs behind. Yes! Imagine that. The pubs tech themselves to swim and will depart in April to swim up north.

Mature females will be somewhat pregnant after about 24 days after giving birth, they do a delayed implantation which means the fertilized egg will not be implanted in the wall of the uterus for another four month.

Another unbelievable fact is that the females don’t eat anything while they give birth, nurse and breed, and the males go without food for up to three months while they are on land mating.

Do you know of any other places to watch elephant seals in the Bay Area?

Soups on!

January 27, 2016February 3, 2025Silvia

Wintertime is soup time – even here in Silicon Valley where the average temperature is rarely below 50F (10C), soup is on everyone’s mind.

While you can find a lot of great restaurants on Castro St. in Mountain View there are some that are particularly great for your soup fix.

Kirin Chinese Restaurant has a wonton soup to die for and everyone can share.

Sharing is also a big hit at the Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot (see photo). You order the broth, which can be spicy or original and whatever meat, vegetables and noodles, or tofu you would like in your soup. It cooks right in front of you. We went with the original, but asked our server for some chilies. There is also the option to have half and half broth, in what looks like a yin and yang pot.

Further options are two Ramen places, which is a Japanese noodle soup dish, and a Japanese Shabu Shabu restaurant, which offers a kind of meat fondue (which is high on our list to try out next).

What are your favorite winter dishes? Do you have a recommendation for a soup restaurant in the Bay Area?