I took this picture. Isn't it gorgeous?

Or at least re-touched. 

Star of India, the world’s oldest active sailing ship, spent three weeks in dry dock this summer for its decennial maintenance and came back looking better than ever in time to celebrate her 146^th birthday this Saturday, November 14.  The Maritime Museum of San Diego will give her a proper birthday party that day, complete with cake — and everyone is invited!

Built in 1863, Star of India sailed around the world 21 times before retiring when steam ships began to rule the seas.  After three decades of dilapidation, she was restored to her former glory through the efforts of San Diegans who donated their nickles and dimes as well as shipbuilding skills and man-hours.  Such a history of goodwill makes this landmark all the richer.

This ship is another reason why I love this town.  San Diego has such an impressive pantheon of cultural symbols for a west coast city, as well as a history of saving them from returning to dust.

And now we’re throwing them birthday parties!  Along with birthday cake to celebrate the Star’s 146^th. . .

• It’s Family Days at the Maritime Museum on both Saturday the 14^th and Sunday the 15^th.  Kids 12 and under will be admitted free.
  

  Insider Tip: Cover your ears!

• Making the Star’s birthday celebration even wilder, the Maritime Museum will stage more of its famous cannon battles on Saturday and Sunday.  You’ll get your chance to climb aboard our official state ship the Californian, or the Privateer Lynx and witness realistic cannon fights up close.  (Don’t worry, they forget to load the cannon balls every time!)

• If you prefer to have a bit more involvement in your ship battles, how about getting into one of the museum’s two decommissioned naval submarines for a life-size game of Battleship?  Would I make that up?  Sink or be sunk as you call your shots using radio communication.  And may the best sub commander win!

Star of India lives out her retirement alongside other historic beauties of the sea such as the steam yacht Medea and the steam ferryboat Berkeley, which houses most of the museum’s exhibits and displays, and you can go aboard and explore every one of them.  For an extra $3 you’ll be able to take a historic harbor tour aboard the 95-year-old Pilot.  What a party!

Be sure to hit up the International Visitor Information Center across the street (corner of Broadway & Harbor) for your discounted museum tickets.  For prices and details on the special programs and charters (which happen all year round) contact the Maritime Museum at (619) 234-9153 or visit www.sdmaritime.org.

Tags: downtown, fun, kids, maritime museum, museum, outdoors, san diego bay, things to do, what to do

(4 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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This was a big year for Charles Darwin.  First he was remembered on his 200^th birthday, then he went and got a whole genus and newly discovered species named after him, and now, on the 150^th anniversary of the publication of his paradigm-shifting book On the Origin of Species, he’s headlining here in town at the San Diego Natural History Museum in Balboa Park.  Darwin: Evolution|Revolution, which opened this weekend on November 7, is the most comprehensive exhibition on Darwin and his contribution to science ever assembled.

Darwin's study - a cozy place to revolutionize science

Exhibiting some of Darwin’s own original artifacts — notebooks, specimens — and re-creating some sights and sounds from his eye-opening voyage aboard HMS Beagle as well as the study and lab he spent 40 years working in, the exhibit tells the story of the life and times of Charles Darwin and how he came to hit upon his big idea [SPOILER ALERT]: natural selection, the theory that explains evolution and one that, 150 years later, remains central to all life sciences.

You’ll get all the primer you need to appreciate this advancement in our understanding of the natural world; no background in biology required.  I’ll let you discover the details for yourself, but you’ll find that, for such a big idea, natural selection isn’t very difficult to follow; certainly not compared to other great scientific theories we could mention . . . relatively speaking.  In fact, you’ll learn that many of Darwin’s peers were slapping their foreheads and saying, “Why didn’t I think of it first?”  And some almost did.  It was only a matter of time before someone would drop that bomb on science, and if it hadn’t been Darwin’s theory, it would eventually have been someone else’s.  But it’s a good thing it was Darwin who sent the memo because he was also a gifted interpreter of science; expressive and concise, like his new exhibit.  He would have turned in the best blogs here.

Photos courtesy of San Diego Natural History Museum

The exhibit is filled with artifacts and displays that put you in Darwin’s world, but it also uses modern-day tools to bring it all home for us – looping videos of scientists giving perspective on the subject and interactive computer stations demonstrating basic principles of biology and evolution that even a 3½-year-old can grasp.  I know because I was accompanied by a 3½-year-old who spent half the time separating vertebrates from invertebrates on the touchscreen and, after helping some virtual bugs adapt to their changing environment, he explained to me, “If a bird can’t see a bug, then he can’t eat it.”  My boy.  He’s catching on.

I promise you that if you can read this blog post, you’ll get even more out of Darwin than he did and, like me, you might come away looking at the world with more wonder and appreciation.

Of his theory, Darwin said, “There is grandeur in this view of life.”  You said it, Chuck.

This one's live!

For those of us left wanting more, Darwin: Evolution|Revolution is complimented by public programs, including lectures by experts in evolutionary science and even overnight camp-ins for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, among other extra credit events, as the museum works overtime to promote public understanding of the natural world.

I was interested to learn that the San Diego Natural History Museum, now in its 135^th year, is the second-oldest scientific institution in California.

San Diego, you continue to surprise me.

With distinguished major exhibits like Body Worlds and The Dead Sea Scrolls under its belt, the San Diego Natural History Museum outdoes itself by bringing another outstanding and illuminating exhibit to town.

Darwin will be around until his 201^st birthday in February, and I highly recommend paying him a visit.  See the website for prices and hours as well as related public programs.  And why not take a walk down the prado to the San Diego Museum of Man and take a look at some of the discoveries Darwin’s theory predicted?

Tags: balboa park, exhibit, museum, san diego natural history museum, things to do, what to do

(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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He's eagerly awaiting your visit to the Zoo

Today is October 1, which means for the next 30 days kids and families can enjoy:

Free admission into the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park during Kid Free Days. All children ages 3 – 11 will receive complimentary admission into both parks for the entire month.

Free admission on any one- or two-hour Harbor Cruise of San Diego Bay with Hornblower Cruises & Events. Complimentary tickets will be provided for up to two children, ages 12 and under, per each paying adult for the entire month.

Half-priced admission into four museums in Balboa Park: the Mingei International Museum, the Museum of Man, the Museum of San Diego History and the Museum of Photographic Arts (MoPA) will offer half-priced admission every Saturday and Sunday morning from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.  Note: this offer is actually valid through May 31, 2010 with some blackout days effective after October 31; please check museums to verify for half-priced admission days.

Tags: balboa park, cruise, deals, free, harbor, museum, san diego bay, wild animal park, zoo

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For those of us who didn’t score tickets to see Kathy Griffin at the San Diego Civic Center this weekend (tear), here’s a list of other weekend happenings to keep us occupied:

• Yes!! This Saturday and Sunday is the Adams Avenue Street Fair, California’s largest free music festival and one of my
  

  Adams Avenue here I come...

  favorite annual events. Set along Adams Avenue (between 35th Avenue and Bancroft Street) in Normal Heights, the event features 70 musical acts on six different stages, carnival rides, over 300 arts and craft vendors, beer gardens and yummy food galore! The fun goes down from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Sunday.  Insider Tip: I suggest pulling out some mullah because a lot of the vendors are “cash only.”

• Beat the heat and catch a flick during the annual San Diego Film Festival this weekend at the Gaslamp Theater. Showcasing a number of American and international full-length films, documentaries and short films, you can also catch Q & A sessions with directors and maybe even a star sighting or two. Individual passes are available, but day passes are recommended. Plus, with the purchase of a day pass you can get into the special workshops, panels and fabulous after parties. Click here for a complete list of showings.
• Long before there was a sponge that lived in a pineapple under the sea, there was a famous explorer that sailed the sea; in fact, that explorer, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, discovered San Diego in 1542. In honor of his discovery, we’re celebrating the annual Cabrillo Festival this Saturday and Sunday. This free event includes cultural festivities, educational activities, music, food, dancing and a wonderful reenactment of the famous explorer landing on the shores of San Diego Bay.
• This Saturday, Smithsonian Magazine presents national Museum Day, which means a number of museums all over the country are providing free general admission. More than a dozen of San Diego’s museums are participating in this event, including San Diego Botanic Garden, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, Birch Aquarium at Scripps and California Center for Arts, Escondido Museum. To take advantage of this offer, you must click here to register for and print out a Smithsonian Museum Day Card. I just registered for mine and it takes less than a minute!
• Enjoy the cultures and customs of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia during the 15th Annual Pacific Islander Festival this Saturday and Sunday at Mission Bay’s Ski Beach. This free event will have continuous entertainment, food, music and unique crafts.

Tags: 5 to try, cabrillo national monument, festival, film, free, live music, mission bay, museum, normal heights

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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If you have spent any time driving near the Marine Corps Air Station on Miramar Road, you probably have driven past a collection of vintage military aircraft.  That collection is the pride of the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum, the only museum dedicated to Marine Corps aviation.

Visitor Services Squadron with a restored TMB 3-E

I joined a group of Visitor Services volunteers on the trip up to Miramar to tour the museum and get a little history on the landmarks – a lot of history, actually.  With some notice to the museum you can request a tour from a docent, and we scored one of their major docents — a Sergeant Major docent, in fact.  Sergeant Major Mike Zacker, USMC (Retired), was there to take us through nearly one hundred years of Marine Corps aviation.  He gave an entertaining tour filled with military zeal and plenty of harrowing personal accounts, as one would expect from a four-decade veteran.

Aside from the impressive collection of aircraft and service vehicles, the exhibits housed within the museum building were extensive, with military artifacts dating back to 1918.  The stuff here is neat enough on its own, but listen to old uncle Alex: get one of the docents to show you around! They’re all retired military of some ilk, and it’ll be your very own interactive History Channel — with no commercials.

The newest addition to the collection: the T-34B “Mentor”

This attraction is about 20-30 minutes from downtown, and it’s a treasure for San Diego’s military presence, which includes the families who come to town to see their sons and daughters graduated, promoted or deployed.  Folks in uniform as well as their families are welcomed with open arms (the kind on your body, not the shooting kind).

Museum entry and docent-led tours are free but donations are accepted.  All donations are applied toward the planned construction of the new, world-class Marine Corps Aviation Museum.  When completed, the museum will house extensive, permanent aviation exhibits as well as an on-site restoration facility.  Hopefully, I’ll get to let you know when it’s done.

This weekend, September 5 & 6, will be your opportunity to climb inside the cockpits of four fighter jets on display during Open Cockpit Days!

Tags: free, military, museum, things to do, what to do

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Pop in here when you visit and get the real scoop on Carlsbad!

I thought I did.  Legos, flowers, strawberries and surfing, right?

Actually, yes.  But there’s so much more!

On a recent visit, I found out there’s also a charming, walkable downtown full of cute shops, an awesome slice of Hollywood history meets hacienda, a museum dedicated to rocking out (debuting the first ever MOOG exhibit on Aug. 29) and a thriving, dare-I-say urban, theater scene.  

During my explorations, I got to meet Kristianne Kurner, actor, director, producer and one of the founders of the New Village Arts Theater (yep, I feel like an underachiever!), located just steps from the Coaster stop in downtown Carlsbad, and I was totally charmed by both her and the 99-seat theater. 

When I was there, NVA’s professional ensemble was busy rehearsing and just about to open their Summer Comedy Festival (running through Aug. 16) but they were kind enough to give me a backstage tour of the show and their brand-new on-site art studios.  

Run by world-class artists (Kristianne and the other founders are alums of The Actors Studio - yes, that one), NVA has been producing critically-acclaimed plays for 8 seasons up in Carlsbad and they’re just about to kick off season 9 with a couple of regional premieres, some Tennessee Williams, a Pulitzer Prize winner and a smart comedy by none other than The Jerk (I love that he’s a writer!) about Picasso and Einstein in Belle Epoque Paris.

I thought I knew Carlsbad but turns out, it’s full of surprises.  If you head up there, I’d recommend stopping at their visitor center (in the gorgeous, historic Santa Fe train depot) and letting them point you in the right direction.

Tags: Carlsbad, flower fields, legoland, museum, strawberries, surfing, theater

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Downtown’s Gaslamp Quarter is well known as a nightlife destination as well as home to many of San Diego’s signature restaurants and boutiques, but those 16 square blocks south of Broadway also hold the key to the city’s fascinating history.

Like any Wild West town, the story of San Diego is rich with sensational stories of heroism and infamy – from its origins as “New Town” to its era as the red light district, through its time of decay into its renaissance – and you can relive it all through these unique and entertaining sightseeing tours.

• The Gaslamp Quarter Historical Foundation’s historical walking tour leaves every Saturday at 11:00 A.M. from the William Heath Davis House on 4th & Island Ave.  The house itself is the oldest surviving structure in downtown San Diego – each of its rooms showcasing a unique period in San Diego’s history – and it only gets more interesting from there.  On this tour, you’ll get to see the Gaslamp Quarter with new eyes as you retrace the steps of many colorful residents (including former San Diego “capitalist” Wyatt Earp), visit historic Victorian-style buildings, and walk the streets of the former red light district.
  The tour costs $10.00 for adults, and $8.00 for seniors, students and military.  Kids’ tours and private group tours are also available.

• Back Alley Tours focuses on the Gaslamp Quarter’s risqué history as our original red light district.  Here you will travel back in time to the more lawless days and nights of the ”Stingaree,” as it was known then.  Owner and tour guide Melanie Young prepared this unique and unusual tour by spending a year digging through the archives at the Museum of San Diego History reading periodicals and journals, studying historic photographs and absorbing every bit of historical information she could get her hands on.  The result is a unique and thoroughly entertaining look at old San Diego.
  Back Alley Tours take place in the evenings Wednesdays through Saturdays.  Tickets cost $20 each, or $35 for a pair. Seniors, students and military tickets are $18.
• Haunted San Diego Ghost Tours and Ghostly Tours In History provide a different kind of thrill after dark.  Hear macabre tales of San Diego’s history, explore its mysteries, and walk in the footsteps of some historical figures who met untimely or unjust demises in the streets of “New Town.”  Yup, they’re still hanging around, waiting for some resolution or perhaps just enjoying the San Diego weather.  Both tours also visit other historic districts of San Diego such as Old Town and Coronado. The tours are billed as “PG-13″ but don’t worry – it’s an Edgar Allen Poe spooky, not a Rosemary’s Baby spooky.
  Tour pricing varies by type of tour.  Check out their websites for details.

Will you ever look at downtown San Diego the same way again?  I quote the raven: “Nevermore!”

Tags: downtown, fun, Gaslamp Quarter, ghosts, history, museum, outdoors, things to do, tour, what to do

(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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Looking for something to do this weekend?  Consider these activities and events:

1. This Saturday, check out the grand opening of the new Hamilton Children’s Garden at the Quail Botanical Gardens in Encinitas.  This extraordinary garden will be the largest children’s garden on the West Coast, featuring 14 different interactive areas for exploring and educating children about nature.  The free, grand opening event takes place from noon to 4 p.m. and will include live music, storytelling, arts and crafts, light refreshments and more.

2. The 13th Annual Inter-Tribal Pow Wow takes place this Saturday, 9 a.m. – 11 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.,  at the historic Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside.  This event draws tribal members from all over the United States and features dancing, Native American arts and crafts, games and food.

3. Come one, come all, the San Diego County Fair opens this weekend.  This year’s fair, themed “Music Mania,” features music of all types and genres in addition to top performing artists and popular attractions.  Check out the great music line ups this Saturday and Sunday, including Melissa Ethridge and MTV3’s Latin Battle of the Bands.  Of course, no visit to the fair would be complete without munching on the fabulous… uh, fare : )

a thought provoking exhibit at Ray at Night

4. This Sunday, The New Children’s Museum offers free admission to all, so come on by to explore and create innovative art.  The Museum will also host prize giveaways and special Sunday performances and activities.

5. This Saturday night, head over to North Park’s Ray Street for its monthly Ray at Night gallery art walk from from 7 – 10 p.m.  Enjoy music and light fare as the Ray Street galleries display fascinating works by local painters, photographers and sculptors.

Tags: 5 to try, art, encinitas, garden, museum, North Park, Oceanside

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You know you’re a big deal when museums choose to exhibit unrealized and discarded ideas from your doodle pads.  Much, much more than a “doodler,” Leonardo Da Vinci left behind some real feats of engineering, science and art, much of which are still being discovered and explored.  I got a chance to experience Da Vinci at the San Diego Air & Space Museum this week.  The Da Vinci Experience is a unique exhibition in that it showcases not his original works, but replicas of his inventions and mechanical designs as well as of some of the ideas he never got around to implimenting.

What do you think this thing is? Fascinating, that's what.

The exhibition houses quite a few hands-on pieces as well, such as Leonardo’s water screw, differential gear, and bicycle chain.  There is also a challenge to reproduce a small scale version of Leonardo’s military use, portable foot bridge - comprised only of slotted, wooden rods.  “Slotted, wooden rods,” you say, “How does this compete with Shamu?”  All I can tell you is that my son and I tried on our engineering hats with this one, and it was surprisingly engaging and fun.  It was a challenge, but when we did successfully reproduce the bridge, and he got to walk over it, we both felt quite accomplished.

Along with the replicas of some of Leonardo’s brainchildren, there also are videos playing which give background on Leonardo and his times, facsimile sketches on anatomy, and a gallery displaying reproductions of 11 of his paintings which highlight the outside-the-box viewpoint he expressed in his art.

San Diego Air & Space Museum will be home to The Da Vinci Experience until January, 2010.  Find details here.

Tags: balboa park, fun, museum

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 As a budding kidologist, I find the New Children’s Museum downtown to be fertile ground for study.  For me, the children themselves are the exhibits here.  There are interactive stations of all kinds in every corner of the three-story building, but it isn’t until the children come along and lay their hands on them that we know what we’re looking at.  For example, we see the older children transforming a pile of angular cushions into a scale model of the city block on which the museum rests, while the younger tots may use the cushions as mere stacking blocks and landing pads. 

 There are plenty of opportunities for youngsters to spend their ample energy, like the room made entirely of cushions and mattresses where kids can literally bounce off the walls – a sort of cage match for the kiddies.  If your little friend isn’t ready for a nap after ten minutes in there, have him climb the rock wall a few times, or throw a dance party inside the giant, walk-in iPod, or ride the leg-powered, wooden “Segway” scooters. 

But not all of the interactive stations require kids to get physical.  They are also encouraged to perform thought experiments and write creatively.  Kids can answer questions about their feelings and observations about art and leave their answers in a public file for others to read.

Even outside the museum, passersby can see kids slapping new layers of paint on the Volkswagon Beetle outside, or creating clay sculptures – like the piece pictured below – that sit outside on a ledge to dry.

"Snail Hamlet" by Noa's Dad, 2008

The museum also offers special programs, day camps, and school tours for all the different age groups – toddler through high school. 

Don’t miss the playground right across the street, on Island Avenue.

The New Children’s Museum is open every day except Wednesday.  Admission prices are $10 for adults and kids over 1 year, and $5 for seniors (65+) and active military (with ID).  Family memberships begin at $85.  Admission is free to all on the second Sunday of each month.

Tags: downtown, fun, kids, museum

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