Here and There Blog

Last night's slim chance of rain actually happened and the dissolving clouds made for a great beach walk! Surfers were out and while you don't see them since I avoided them, vacationers and families were scattered about the sand. The weather was warming up which means summer is nearly upon us and it's looking like another hot one. For now, I'll continue to enjoy Spring in the Pacific.  

Continuing the January theme of staying close to home, I made the short drive to (finally) check out the Museum Of Making Music . The 5 exhibit rooms show case music from 1900 to today.  The stories of some of the instruments are told through their development and retail history. With a design for everyone it's part history and part learning. There is a room dedicated to hands-on, learn with a video instructor, via headset and a tablet.  As expected, that room is a big hit. Sadly, I did not come away as a skilled drummer in my 5 minute session. There are plenty of opportunities to listen to music samples in each room. Hang out in one of the acoustic rooms and press buttons away to your heart's content. I like music and music history. This small museum entertained me for about 55 minutes. If you have children, plan on spending most of your time in the hands-on room. If you have minimal interest in music you might breeze through here in 20 minutes. Parking is free, general...

Home long enough to enjoy two bouts of rain and one odd day of sun. The beach was nearly empty today.     Back on the road tomorrow. Next stop - St. Louis!

Slight loss of charged camera batteries led to the time delay in part 2 for Hosp Grove. Laziness has been corrected and the blog continues. The entrance to Hosp Grove West is marked by this sculpture of Mother Earth, Father Sky.    The trail even includes a fun little bridge.  And you do wander around some pretty large eucalyptus trees.

In 1908, F.P. Hosp & Partners planted 40,000 eucalyptus trees to create a grove as a way to meet lumber supplies for the railroad. In 1987 the grove was aqcuired by the City of Carlsbad as an open space with urban hiking and picnic areas. The main area of the playground and tables is accessible but the hiking is all dirt and does go up and down hilly terrain. For most people this is an easy loop. Across from Hosp Grove is the Batiquitos Lagoon which is currently closed for restoration. When the beach is foggy this small trail is a great exercise alternative.

Today is the perfect October day. The sun is warm, skies are clear, a slight Santa Ana wind is blowing. The tourists are gone and the locals have a beach town to themselves. Above the flower fields, the walls still remain full of color with the Pacific looking every bit a movie set back drop. The flowers know it's Oktoberfest and pumpkin leaves are the fall foliage of the coast.

When life is nothing but work and work what to post? After coming home from a fantastic Alaska cruise everyday life seems so....normal. Ah but the ocean is there and I answered the call. So from 5:00 pm here's the late afternoon look of Carlsbad.  The birds are calm, the military ship sails on and the surfers paddle out to wait on the water for one last ride before sunset. Normal in Carlsbad is good.

Some nice swells for the surfers, late summer sun for the tanners. Labor Day Weekend is set to hit Carlsbad fast. Locals - rise early and retreat! The tourists were out today to make a last weekend blast! But really, who can blame them on a day like this? It's the perfect place to be!  If I surfed, I'd be in the water but the waves seemed pretty random along the coast as to where the swell would occur. Even photo taking was a guess.  Enjoy your Labor Day Weekend!

Sun getting low, evening clouds moving in. Tourists disappearing. A good time to be at the beach!

In support of World Water Day, I decided to attend the exhibit at the Agua Hedionda Lagoon. I see the lagoon almost every single day but had never ventured tot he Discovery Center. The foundation is to support the natural ecosystem and the Center has exhibits geared mainly for children ages 8 - 10 although I saw younger ones having as much in the dirt and rocks so don't hesitate to bring them. The Discovery Center is free, there's a small donation box on the counter and the hours are mainly 10- 4, Saturday less so and Sunday closed but the trails are always open. Fans of the Torrey Pine will be happy to see plenty of them around the center. For more info go to:  http://www.aguahedionda.org/Default.aspx

Rain again? I woke up this morning to see rain drops randomly happening and another storm over the ocean waiting to roll on in. Still, a good start to the day!

Life besides the beach does exist in Carlsbad. Surprising but the city does have small parks and off-road hiking available. One such pocket is Veterans Park Trails near Legoland. I decided to go exercise here and this is the first thing you see at the trailhead. Since snake season isn't for a few more weeks and the day was perfect and the short trail inviting, I went in.  And found cactus and lots of mud, but no snakes.  Somehow the wildlife all knew to be on the other side of the fence.  At the top was the great Pacific view.

March madness has nothing to do with basketball but instead this time of year brings people in by the busload to Carsbad. The Flower Fields have started to bloom and the show goes on for the next few weeks. Best viewing place for free - up on the hill behind the fields, before 11:00 am. Forget the bus, some of the tourists prefer tractor-trailer tours!