Family Field Trips, Sponsored

Escape Into Color With The Flower Fields In Carlsbad

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Disclosure: Thank you to The Flower Fields, for hosting our visit in order to facilitate this review.

Have you ever visited The Flower Fields in Carlsbad, California? My husband and I went a few years ago during an anniversary trip, but this year we brought the kids along. This 50 acre working ranch is conveniently located just off the 5 freeway in between Orange County and San Diego.

The main attraction of The Flower Fields is the millions of beautiful ranunculuses (or is it ranunculi?) that stretch as far as the eye can see. However, there are many different attractions at The Flower Fields, so I will take you along on our recent outing.

Arriving At The Flower Fields

My first tip is to try to arrive early in the day. We went on a Sunday, and arrived about five minutes before The Flower Fields opened at 9 a.m. Parking at that time was plentiful, and it is free! All tickets must be purchased in advance online here. Have your tickets ready (either printed out or on your phone).

Fountain Garden

If you head towards the right after going through the entrance, you will come across the aptly named Fountain Garden. We made this our first photo stop. This is also where you will find the restrooms.

Historical Poinsettia Display

Who knew there were so many types of poinsettias? Here you can see over twenty varieties. I always associate poinsettias with Christmas, but the yellow ones are also quite striking.

Cymbidium Orchid Greenhouse

I have always admired orchids and anyone who is able to keep them blooming. The orchids on display in the greenhouse are truly magnificent.

Tractor Wagon Ride

Tickets for the Tractor Wagon Ride are $6 for adults and $3 for children. The ride around the fields includes an audio commentary of the history of The Flower Fields. We did not go on this ride, but it looked like fun. Click here for more information.

Sweet Pea Maze

We arrived a little too early in the season to full appreciate the Sweet Pea Maze in all its glory. However, it was still fun to walk the maze, and we did not even make it through the proper exit!

Right around the corner from the Sweet Pea Maze there are a couple of fun photo opps:

Ranunculus Fields

Of course, the spectacularly vast fields of ranunculi steal the show!

Isn’t this ranunculus gorgeous?

I have read that they expect the peak bloom period to be between mid-March and mid-April. While many of the beds were just starting to bloom while we were there last weekend, there were still more than plenty of flowers to admire!

There are so many great photo opportunities here. It seemed like everyone was doing mini photo shoots! Another tip would be to be careful of what shoes you wear. There is naturally a lot of dirt, so plan accordingly. Also, do not forget the sunscreen, as there is not much shade.

Purchase Tickets Today!

The Flower Fields are open from now until May 8, 2022. Advanced tickets must be purchased through The Flower Fields’ website before you arrive.

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Family Field Trips, Vacation

Seattle Sightseeing: MoPop Museum

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MoPop Museum

The next stop on our CityPass tour of Seattle was the Museum of Pop Culture.

The shiny iridescent walls give a hint of the interesting exhibits that are inside.

This huge display of guitars will stop you in your tracks. D took the opportunity to display his air guitar skills.

When I met D in college, he was in the middle of his grunge music phase. This museum contains a lot of artifacts and memorabilia from that era.

The Pearl Jam exhibit was particularly impressive.

There were several small video booths with concert footage. The kids were not familiar with any of the music, but we obliged D and listened to a few songs.

This video screen was massive. It felt like were at a live concert!

MoPop appears to be trying to add more pop culture outside of music, but it feels a bit disjointed. This Super Mario wall was kind of random, but it was a fun photo opp.

The same goes for the storybook exhibit. It was interesting to see some famous costumes though. Apparently we just missed the Disney Heroes and Villains exhibit, which I think I would have enjoyed.

Can you imagine working this sound board?

I appreciated all of the artistic details.

We tried to walk through the horror film section as quickly as possible since we’re not into that type of thing.

Overall, I would say this museum is worth it for Gen Z’ers who were fans of grunge music in the 90’s-00’s. There is no doubt that the Pacific Northwest played a critical role in developing that music scene and this museum does an exceptional job of documenting it.

Artists At Play Playground

If you have younger kids, they might be more interested in the Artists At Play Playground located just outside of the MoPop museum.

This playground is unlike any playground we have ever seen. n had fun climbing the ropes and going through the long slides.

D and I found a place to sit in the shade while the kids played. I know we missed the actual Pacific Northwest heat wave, but we could not help wish the weather was about ten degrees cooler.

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Family Field Trips, Vacation

Seattle Sightseeing: Chihuly Garden & Glass

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After visiting the Space Needle, we went to Chihuly Garden and Glass which is right next door. This is definitely one of the places that you should choose as part of your Seattle CityPass. Again, they let us in earlier than our reserved time since it was not crowded.

I do not believe this place was here when D and I first visited Seattle. According to something I read (can’t remember where), it replaced an old arcade/carnival space. I would say this is quite an upgrade!

I did not know much about Dale Chihuly prior to visiting this museum. My only previous exposure to his artwork was in the Bellagio hotel lobby in Las Vegas.

Chihuly’s glass creations are truly breathtaking. The vibrant colors and incredible designs are a sight to behold.

I would recommend stopping by the screening room where they show short clips about Chihuly’s work and process on a continuous loop. Watching the glass-making process makes you appreciate his work even more.

This garden picture shows just how close it is to the Space Needle.

It is so cool how this glass sculpture blends in with the surrounding plants.

Here are a few of Chihuly’s famous “Chandeliers”.

Chihuly’s work goes beyond glass. These textiles show some of his other types of work.

We always like to browse museum gift shops, although we usually do not buy anything. This time I did pick out a print of the Glasshouse to remind us of our time together in this beautiful place.

#MOLDIV
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Family Field Trips

A Visit To The Korean Friendship Bell

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I have been meaning to visit the Korean Friendship Bell in San Pedro, CA for a while now. My mom sent me an article about its restoration in 2013, and I made a mental note of it. Earlier this month, we finally found the time to check it out.

Getting There

I typed in Korean Friendship Bell in Google Maps and we headed for San Pedro. After crossing two bridges (no tolls) we could see the bell tower up on a hill. However, the park had a chain link fence around it, and there was no visible entrance. My tip is to keep driving around the perimeter of the park and you will come upon the open (and free!) Angels Gate Park parking lot.

Korean Friendship Bell History

According to the city of San Pedro website, Korea donated the bell in 1976 to the people of Los Angeles “to celebrate the bicentennial of the U.S. independence, honor veterans of the Korean War, and to consolidate traditional friendship between the two countries.”

As we approached the bell, the immense size of the bell was immediately impressive. The bell itself weighs 17 tons, is twelve feet tall, and has a diameter of 7.5 feet. Upon closer inspection, the amazing craftmanship and intricate designs become apparent. As you can see, the pavilion also offers a magnificent view of the Pacific as well.

I am not sure what this says in Korean, but I am guessing it says “Korean Friendship Bell”?

I was expecting to see more signage with information about the monument, but the only thing we spotted was this plaque. While unification seems highly unlikely, there is always hope.

This is the hill we hiked up in order to see the bell. When we returned to our car, k started running downhill and almost couldn’t stop.

Our visit to the Korean Friendship Bell made for a nice family outing. We were able to enjoy some fresh air, take in a beautiful ocean view and marvel at a stunning cultural monument up close. Since there was only one other group on the Saturday morning that we went, it was easy to socially distance. If you are in the area, I would recommend that you stop by!

Korean Friendship Bell 3601 S Gaffey St San Pedro, CA 90731

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Family Field Trips, National Parks

Three Easy Stops For A Joshua Tree Day Trip

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The highlight of our winter break was visiting Joshua Tree National Park. This was only the second time we have visited a national park more than once (the other being Hawaii Volcanoes National Park). Joshua Tree is the closest national park for those of us living in Southern California. I have to say, our second visit left much more of an impression on me. We went the day after a rare rainstorm, and the clouds were magnificent. I could not stop taking pictures of the beautiful desert landscape.

I understand that some people might be weary of visiting a national park right now. However, I felt quite comfortable with the precautions that we took. We left our house at 6:30 in an effort to avoid the crowds as much as possible. I bought the entrance pass online beforehand. This made entry “contactless” since we just had to show the pass on my phone to the park ranger. We wore masks during our hikes, as did our fellow hikers. Everyone was courteous in giving each other personal space. The park is so vast, that it never felt crowded. I did note that the line of cars to enter the park was quite long by the time we left. Like many other places, the key to avoiding crowds is to arrive early!

I would have loved to camp overnight like during our first visit, but campgrounds are currently closed due to the pandemic. Also, it would have probably been too chilly for tent camping anyway. The three stops that we made are all family-friendly hikes that provide a good taste of the park in a few hours.

Barker Dam Trail

Our first stop was Barker Dam, which is a popular destination in the park. I think it is a good idea to go here first so that you can nab a parking space. There is an easy and scenic 1.1 mile trail.

Hidden Valley Trail

Our next stop was Hidden Valley. This is another easy, 1.0 mile trail.

We came upon a small patch of ice.

k pretended to go ice skating.

There are several picnic benches set up near the Hidden Valley parking lot. We packed sandwiches and had a nice lunch, although the wind did start to pick up.

Hall of Horrors

This was an area recommended to us by a rock-climbing family that visits the park frequently. There is not one defined path, which makes it easy to socially distance. Even without a path, it is straightforward to navigate. If you make a loop around the “hall” you will end up back at the parking lot.

n looked like a mountain goat as he scrambled up the rocks.

If you are in Southern California, make sure to visit Joshua Tree National Park! Even if you only have a day, it is worth the trip.

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Family Field Trips, Movies

Movie Theater Alternatives During a Pandemic

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With movie theaters closed, we have been trying out different alternatives to have the movie-going experience here in Orange County.

The first one we did was a couple of weeks ago during Free Family Movie Night at The District at Tustin Legacy. Thy set up socially distant tables in the plaza in front of the movie theater and assign each household a different table. Tickets need to be reserved online. I signed us up for E.T., which would not have been my first choice of movie. However, the date just worked for us because it was the Thursday before the Fourth of July so D did not have work the next day. The movie started around 8:15, but we did not stay for the whole thing. (Although the kids had never seen this movie before, we have yet felt motivated to finish the movie on our own). Patrons are encouraged to pick up food at one of the nearby restaurants and dine while they watch the movie. n had soccer practice right before, and it was too late for us to wait to eat, so we just shared a couple of boba drinks as our movie snack.

There was a DJ playing music before the movie, and D was inspired to play the air flute.

Just last night we went to see Jurassic Park at a drive-in movie set up by Orange County Parks. They charged $10 per vehicle, and sold out three nights pretty quickly. I find that signing up as soon as you hear about something like this is best, because deliberation often leads to disappointment. None of us had ever been to a drive-in movie, so I thought it would be a fun thing to try out.

I really appreciated how they tried to make it an experience. The employees were quite enthusiastic, and they even had Jurassic Park jeeps lined up at the entrance. They also had the wonderful soundtrack playing as soon as you entered the parking lot.

We picked up dinner at Bunz, which was our first time. n declared the Western Bacon Cheeseburger (with onion rings) as the best he’s ever had! It was kind of fun to eat in the car.

We scored a primo spot in the center second row, mainly because we were one of the few sedans. They had SUVs and vans park in the back and to the side. I was worried about the sound situation since we did not have a reliable battery FM radio, and I did not want to keep our car engine running. However, the sound was just fine from where we were parked when we had the windows rolled down.

D and n started out watching the movie on lawn chairs in the front of our car, but came in when the mosquitoes started to bother them. Watching the movie from the back of a Mazda3 was not the most comfortable, but we had plenty of blankets and pillows to keep us cozy. The kids had never seen Jurassic Park, so it was a nice way to see it for the first time. It was a late night out for us (movie did not start until 8:30), but it made for a nice summer memory.

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Family Field Trips, Vacation

Visit Alta Vista Botanical Gardens

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Our stay in Vista, California felt like a real vacation even though we were only about an hour away from home. As I wrote in a previous post, we stayed in a tiny house. The next morning we picked up two El Grande breakfast burritos from Mi Asador Mexican and Seafood Restaurant.

Wow, these were the best breakfast burritos ever! The giant flour tortillas were stuffed with scrambled eggs, cheese, bacon and fries. One half a burrito per person was plenty. Be sure to ask for plenty of the red salsa, which we liked more than the green. We drove to Alta Vista Botanical Gardens and ate our burritos in the parking lot to avoid dining in.

Alta Vista Botanical Gardens

Admission is a requested donation of $5 for adults and $3 for kids (ages 3-12). There is a wooden box at the entrance.

There are several gardens with different themes that are connected by meandering paths.

Unique art sculptures are sprinkled throughout the gardens.

Something was REALLY funny!

We visited Alta Vista Botanical Gardens at 8:00 a.m. on a Monday morning and we pretty much had the entire place to ourselves. Wear comfortable walking shoes and have fun exploring!

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Family Field Trips, Sponsored

Fun With The Fam At Monster Jam

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Disclosure: I received tickets in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, Monster Jam is coming to Anaheim, California! We attended opening night last Saturday, and there are more shows coming January 25, February 8, 22 and 23.

This was our first time attending Monster Jam, so we were not quite sure what to expect. The Pit Party (additional ticket required) is held in the Angels Stadium parking lot during the afternoon before the show. The monster trucks are on display so you can see how big they actually are. As you can see, the tires were taller than my son! The Pit Party also provides fans the opportunity to meet the drivers and collect autographs. The drivers I saw all seemed very gracious and willing to pose for pictures with the fans. There were also long lines for special Monster Jam merchandise.

In between the Pit Party and the show, we went back to our car to “tailgate”. (General parking is $25). Well, it was really more like we ate sandwiches, chips, carrots and fruit that I had packed from home.

Or seats were in the front row, but I think everyone had a pretty good view of the action. It might even be better to be a little higher up so that can you see the entire arena. It is amazing how they completely transformed the baseball stadium to a Monster Truck obstacle course of sorts.

The driver of Evolution was interviewed right next to us!

There were a few Motorcross riders to amp up the audience. I guess they have their own separate show.

There were three parts to the show. The first part consisted of head to head races. The second part required each truck to do two two-wheel tricks. The final part was a freestyle competition.

El Toro Loco, driven by a woman driver, did some crazy tricks!

The audience participates by rating each truck for parts two and three on a phone. Their scores are then totaled to determine the winner for the night. The kids liked this interactive aspect of the show.

One thing that kind of surprised me was how family-friendly the event was. There were a lot of families with small kids and I thought everything about the show was appropriate for all ages.

Be sure to bring earplugs and dress warmly. The ticket said Monster Jam is held rain or shine, so be prepared for that as well.

Purchase Tickets + Discount

Buy your tickets for Monster Jam here. Use discount code: MJMOM for $5 off per ticket.

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Family Field Trips, Sponsored

Roar Into 2020 With Monster Jam

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Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Monster Jam.

If you are looking for exciting family entertainment this new year, Monster Jam is coming to Angels Stadium in Anaheim, CA on January 11, 25, February 8, 22 and 23!

I have never been before, but I have seen clips and the stunts that the drivers do with the monster trucks look absolutely amazing. Where else can you see 12,000 pound trucks do high speed jumps and flips? The Monster Jam drivers are true athletes that compete in skills challenges and racing competitions, thrilling audiences across the nation.

At the Monster Jam ® Pit Party, you can see the massive trucks up close, meet your favorite drivers, get autographs, take pictures and enjoy other family-friendly activities. Also fans can enjoy an exclusive extra hour in
the Pit Party with the limited quantity Pit Party Early Access Pass that provides fans early entry to beat the crowds and have more time to experience all the Monster Jam fun!

We are especially looking forward to seeing Grave Digger® , Max-D™, and El Toro Loco®. Buy your tickets here. Use discount code: MJMOM for $5 off per ticket. See you there!

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A Walk Through The 80’s: Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

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Happy 2020! My blogging goal for this year is to have a better balance of sponsored vs. non-sponsored posts. To kick things off, here is a non-sponsored post about our visit to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.

Since I was born in the late 70’s, Ronald Reagan is the first president I can remember. Reagan is my “childhood president”, if you will. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library is located in Simi Valley, California. After receiving several recommendations, we added it to our winter break road trip itinerary.

First of all, the grounds are beautiful. The library is perched on a hilltop with a nice view. It was neat to see the flags with all of the past presidents along the road leading up to the library.

The fairly new Gold Star Families Memorial Monument was a nice tribute. It is important to remember the huge sacrifices that military families make.

There was also a Gold Star Memorial Christmas Tree. (We were able to see the Christmas decorations since we visited the day after Christmas.)

n is always willing to pose for the photo ops!
I told the kids they probably should not smile for this picture, but they could not help it.

The Cold War exhibit was eye-opening. It is hard to believe it happened not that long ago. (On another note, have you seen the movie, The Boy In The Striped Pajamas? n read the book for school so we watched the movie as a family. It is so sad and depressing, but does spark important conversations about history. Warning, it definitely deserves the PG-13 rating.)

A piece of the Berlin Wall is on display outside.

There is a replica of The Oval Office. A visit to Washington D.C. is on our list places to visit before the kids graduate from high school.

A definite highlight is walking through the Air Force One that served the presidents from 1973-2001. (We brought our lunch and ate at the tables below).

There was also an exhibit of Christmas Trees Around The World. I thought it appropriate to take a picture of the kids in between the trees from China and Japan-ha!

I also took a picture of D next to the Canada tree, since he was born there.

This portrait captures Reagan’s love of jelly beans. (It’s made from actual jelly beans!) There were a lot of jelly bean items for sale in the gift shop.

D resisted the urge to buy something a souvenir, including a $60 Presidential Tie.

Be sure to go around the side of the library to see the Stealth Fighter outside. We almost missed it.

There is also a rotation of temporary exhibits at the library. There were artifacts from Egypt when we went. However, I would save this part for the end so that you can avoid a long line at Air Force One.

It was pretty chilly that day!

This was our first visit to a Presidential Library and now I want to visit all of them! Next up: Nixon Library.

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