Science Center and BBQ

On Saturday, we took the kids to the Orange County Discovery Science Center to see the Clifford exhibit which, naturally, although that's what they'd requested to see, they liked the least. They enjoyed the Dino Quest area and all the other cool science experiments like the pulleys, the tornado, etc. We were able to save some money by using our AAA membership for the admission price. We've been working on their table manners/restaurant manners so we went to Denny's for breakfast to start the day and they were remarkably well-behaved. We took our lunch with us so that was a good savings since the other option was Taco Bell or Pizza Hut in the center. Afterward, we had an early dinner at Lucille's Smokehouse BBQ which was not a frugal meal by any means. Sandwiches start around $9 or $10 and most are $12. Most entrees start at $12. DH and I split the BBQ Porch Platter with 3 types of BBQ meat and two sides for $25. The boys split a kids' meal. We all had drinks and dessert and DH bought two bottles of BBQ sauce, $4 each. I should be happy it ended up just under $70. However, by this time, the kids' behavior had deteriorated to a large degree so it was not a pleasant, relaxed meal like in the morning. So, while I'd say that $20 for breakfast, $35 for admission to the Discover Center and $70 for dinner is pricey, it's still far less than a day at Disneyland or Legoland!

Fun Day Trip to San Pedro - Free, Almost Free, and Not Free!

A special thanks to Nicole Radoumis who wrote this post below on Peachhead:
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There are several places in San Pedro I used to take my kids when they were
little. Most are free or cost VERY LITTLE!!!

The Cabrillo Aquarium _www.cabrilloaq.org_ (http://www.cabrilloaq.org) is
very nice and has a wonderful touch tank. From there you can hang out on the
beach for a while and have a nice picnic.

Not too far from there is the Maritime Museum. _www.lamaritimemuseum.org_
(http://www.lamaritimemuseum.org)
It has replicas of many battleships and passenger ships throughout history.
The docks are right there and huge boats dock. The kids loved to see them
up close.

Right across the parking lot from the Maritime Museum is the San Pedro Port
of LA Red Car Line Trolly. _www.railwaypreservation.com_
(http://www.railwaypreservation.com) This is the old railway that used to connect to the
trolly/trains running from LA to the Harbor back in the 40's and 50's. It's only
$1 per person and the kids get a fun little coloring book!!! the trolly
/train only runs Fri/Sat/Sun....

From there, you can go to Ports O Call Village
_www.parkhurstartgalleries.com_ (http://www.parkhurstartgalleries.com)
and walk around the little shops. There is a little ice cream shop the kids
loved. There is also Fisherman's Wharf where you can go on Friday or
Saturday nights during the summer and get a wonderful lobster, shrimp or other fish
dinner pretty cheap. (Ok, it's not the BEST lobster in town, but it is fun)
The meal is huge so beware - one meal can feed a couple kids! You pick out
your fish item and they cook it up for you. They add some potatoes and
veggies and pour it out on a tray - fun stuff and VERY messy! My kids used to
love this place.

Another fun place in San Pedro is the Marine Mammal Rescue Center
_www.marinemammalcenter.org_ (http://www.marinemammalcenter.org) it is free to the
public and you can see the animals, take a quick tour and watch feeding times!!!

Right next to the Marine Mammal Rescue Center is Fort MacArthur museum and
Osgood Battery. (Walking distance) _http://www.ftmac.org/_
(http://www.ftmac.org/) You can walk through the old armory battery and take a tour with a
guide talking about San Pedro during WW2. Very interesting stuff. Kids have a
lot of room to run around and get to see things that might spark their
interest (Especially school age kids!)

Not too far from Fort MacArthur is Angels Gate Park with the Korean Bell of
Friendship and Pagoda. _http://www.sanpedrochamber.com/champint/korenbel.htm_
(http://www.sanpedrochamber.com/champint/korenbel.htm) This is one of the
most beautiful parks overlooking the ocean. You can even do whale watching
from this high vantage point, or just have a nice picnic and fly some kites
(or watch others fly theirs!!!)


Last but certainly not least..... Schedule in advance a reservation for
Papadakis Taverna in San Pedro _www.papadakistaverna.com_
(http://www.papadakistaverna.com) . Very Fun Greek Restaurant walking distance from the Maritime
Museum. Tell them that Nicole RADOUMIS sent you (the magic word is Radoumis...)
they know my family well and will treat you very well!!!

Have fun!!!!

Visiting the Museum

In LA, there are a row of museums in Exposition Park right by the Coliseum and USC. We decided to go to the Natural History Museum to view the extinct animals, the dinosaur bones and the new Thomas the T-Rex Lab which allows visitors watch the paleontologists work with the dinosaur bones. My husband, who took time off from the business on Friday afternoon, came with us. This was partly due to the fact that I couldn't handle both boys on my own. I could see my 2 year old heading into the display areas while my 5 year old stood mesmerized in front of T-Rex. In any event, the normal 45 min - 1 hr drive turned into 1 and 1/2 hours of LA traffic--typical but frustrating. We finally arrived at the museum only to discover the dinosaur exhibits were closed and Thomas the T-Rex Lab wouldn't open until March 30! So, off we went to the California Science Center (which happens to be free whereas the Natural History Museum is not). Even though the boys were young, the museum was interactive and had plenty of things for them to do. They did some sound experiments, some building, and some study of light. We opted against the Earthquake Experience. There was even an indoor play area at the top floor which was a nice break. In the end, I'd recommend the museum for the 7 and older crowd.