Playing in the Desert: Day 1

Our younger son's family has never experienced Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. With daytime temps in the low 80s, now was the time to go.

This is our favorite and closest desert. It encompasses some of the most diverse desert landscape in the world. Covering more than 600,000 acres, Anza-Borrego can't fully be explored. Nearly two-thirds of the Park is pristine wilderness, sheltering an astonishing proliferation of plant and animal life, including the endangered Peninsular bighorn sheep (which we missed seeing this trip).

We began at the Park Visitors Center which houses award-winning exhibits on the paleontology, archaeology, geology, and wildlife of this desert region. Its informational film, A Year in the Desert, gave us a wonderful overview of what we were to discover.
One of our goals is always to discover wildflowers. After reading this announcement, "Rain since July 1 ZERO inches" we knew what to expect. While blooms were scarce, a burst of color was glimpsed every now and then.



There is not only natural history here. Anza-Borrego lies at the crossroads of early California history. Its pathways were shared by explorer Juan Bautista de Anza, the Southern Emigrant Trail, the Butterfield Stage and the Mormon Battalion. Much earlier, ancient artists began to leave their enigmatic traces at thousands of sites throughout the Park. These Native Americans hunted and gathered here as long as 5,000 years ago. Earlier still, Anza-Borrego's plains were roamed by herds of mammoths and camels. These huge animals became extinct around 8,000 B.C, leaving behind what maybe the greatest repository of Pliocene/Pleistocene megafauna in the United States.


After learning as much as we could about the natural history here, and before the temperatures reached their max, we went on an art explore.
We visited the numerous Galleta Meadows locations to view the art and metal sculptures dispersed throughout the Borrego Valley. Some of these sculptures depict mammoths, gomphotheres, and other animals that once lived here. Scattered around the town of Borrego Springs, these meadows are privately owned desert estate land which features over 130 large metal art sculptures, created by artist Ricardo Breceda. This menagerie of metal masterpieces was commissioned by the estate owner, Dennis Avery (heir to the Avery label fortune).



Elephants, raptors, sloths, and saber-toothed tigers prowl the desert just waiting to be discovered. From ground-hugging desert tortoises to rearing horses, each rust-colored sculpture is filled with intricate detail–from the curling eyelashes of 10-foot high elephants to the shaved metal fur of the equally imposing sloths.




We boondocked on park land, up above it all. Our grands slept with us in our camper while their parents broke in their new, awesome tent.

We stargazed and watched the sun set.
While we laid in bed, in the complete darkness only a desert can provide, we reminisced about all the wonders we experienced in our first Borrego day.
"The desert wears... a veil of mystery.
Motionless and silent it evokes in us
an elusive hint of something unknown,
unknowable, about to be revealed.
Since the desert does not act it seems to be waiting --
but waiting for what?"
-Edward Abbey

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Another Trip to the Safari Park!

Since arriving last Sunday, we have hit the ground running with our younger son and his little family.

Today, we left the men at home working while we explored the Park with the little ones. Since I can't share them with you, I'm sure you can picture how much fun we all had on this, the last day of January!
We began on the colorful Conservation Carousel which features 60 ride elements to choose from, many depicting rare and endangered wildlife.

For the best view of the most animals, we boarded the Africa Tram for an exciting expedition, with safari tour vehicles and a diverse wildlife creating a relaxing adventure. The path traversed some of the savanna habitats, giving us a chance to connect with wildlife on a closer level. Our guide, Sofie, was the best I've had in the all the years we've been coming here. I love that each tram ride offers different perspectives and animal facts... plus the 25-minute ride really is a relaxing adventure.



What perfect timing! We were invited to "Celebrate International Zebra Day at the Safari Park. Join us on-grounds to learn how you can help support Grevy's zebra conservation efforts in Kenya while learning pinstripe pony fun facts from our team of wildlife care experts." It's always good to learn something new. Did you know that a group of Zebras is called a Dazzle? I love that!
Lunch was at the always delightful Watering Hole Restaurant.

Like the African Tram narration, the Journey into the Wild show is different each time we see it. Wildlife Care Specialists introduced us to animal ambassadors representing San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s worldwide conservation work. We learned about amazing wildlife—from South America's Amazon and right here in our own backyard—and we were taught what can do to be good stewards of the planet and help conserve wildlife.


We spent a lot of time at Kangaroo Walk in Walkabout Australia, strolling among western gray kangaroos in their grassland habitat. We even eyed Everest, an albino wallaby. Only about one in 100,000 wallabies have the genetic trait for albinism and this rare guy is absolutely adorable.


What a perfect parting shot. The gorillas always leave me happy!
It was the second day this week where we clocked a lot of miles. My little grands have been trained to walk distances without complaints. This grandma could barely keep up. What a fantastic day!

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Kissed by a Walrus and MORE!

Our third visit to SeaWorld was one that was the most unique.

Both sons and their families were promised a day at our new favorite park. Today was spent with our younger son and his sweet family. We could not have chosen a better day, one of no crowds, warm sunshine, and unforgettable opportunities.
We were given the very incredible pinch me opportunity to go behind-the-scenes for three once-in-a-lifetime up-close encounters. The first being with this big guy, Dozer.
"Come face-to-whiskers with one of the largest members of the pinniped family, the walrus. During this one-of-a-kind experience, an animal care specialist will teach you about each walrus, their unique personalities, and how they are cared for each day."
Walruses inhabit the Arctic Sea, both Pacific and Atlantic. Most walruses live where the air temperature is about 5° to 41°F. They are very distinctive having a large body that is usually reddish-brown in color. On their head region, walruses lack external ear flaps, have hundreds of short, vibrissae (whiskers) and possess large tusks. They feed mostly on clams, but also enjoy sea snails, sea cucumbers, squids, and crabs.
We were given the opportunity to actually feed Dozer and truly get up-close.
Yes, he was a true gentleman and kissed my hand. The suction from the kiss is really difficult to describe. I'm so glad I didn't miss this.
We were all so surprised at his sweet disposition. We learned so much.
Next we found ourselves in the Beluga habitat with the gentle Oliver. Not only did we get to feed and pet him but my granddaughter was taught commands that showcased his many talents... one of which was quacking just like a duck. Magical.
Beluga whales are entirely arctic and subarctic. They inhabit the Arctic Ocean and its adjoining seas. During certain times of the year they are also found in large rivers. A beluga’s melon is a rounded structure on the dorsal surface of a whale's head, just in front of the blowhole. The melon probably facilitates sound production. It changes shape when the whale is producing sounds. Aside from the narwhal (another arctic species), beluga whales are the only other member of the Monodontidae whale family.
Our final up-close encounter was at the Wild Arctic home to playful southern sea otters rescued and rehabilitated by the team at SeaWorld. The California population of sea otters is less than 2,800 animals and is listed as Threatened by the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service. SeaWorld has a long history of helping otters in distress. These sea otters were initially stranded and rescued as part of the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Sea Otter Research and Conservation program.
California sea otters are found exclusively along the coast of central California. Lacking an insulating blubber layer, these otters are covered in dense, luxurious fur that keeps them warm. In fact, they have the densest fur of any mammal with up to 1,000,000 hairs per square inch. Playful and adorable... the perfect intimate encounter conclusion.
We paused briefly for a manicure at Explorer’s Reef, a series of touch pools. I so wanted to take my boots off and get a pedicure, too, but the Animal Care Ambassador said no!
I am always intrigued by the sharks and what a better way to experience them than being surrounded. What a rare, fascinating, up-close look at prehistoric predators whose ancestors dominated the sea more than a hundred million years before dinosaurs walked the earth.
A first for me was a visit to Turtle Reef. WOW.
Various species of sea turtles are found in warm and temperate seas throughout the world. Six of the seven species of sea turtles found in the world are classified as threatened or endangered, mostly due to human actions such as entanglement, coastal development and pollution.  Adults of most species are found in shallow, coastal waters, bays, lagoons, and estuaries. Some also venture into the open sea. Juveniles of some species may be found in bays and estuaries, as well as at sea. The largest sea turtle is the leatherback, which can grow up to six feet long.

We ended our day at the Orca Encounter to "connect in a whole new way with the ocean's most powerful predator. See orcas in the first experience of its kind. Dive deeper into the orcas masterful hunting techniques and complex communication codes. Learn about the role of family, the importance of play and what we learn from the whales in our care every day is actively helping whales in the wild survive. Witness natural orca behaviors while an expansive infinity screen brings their story to life. Leave with a deeper connection to one of the sea’s mightiest, most magnificent animals."


We were at the park for 7 hours, walking 5.57 miles (which is astonishing for a 3 and 5 year old). We went on every ride where the height requirement was met... multiple times. Steve and his boy rode amazing rollercoasters and ended up hoarse from all the screaming. We saw every show and visited most of the exhibits. We did all we could do in the time that we had. It was a truly perfect first visit for our daughter-in-law and our grandchildren. I'm really loving SeaWorld.

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