It’s been two years since the Folk Music Center displayed ceramic art by Claremont High School students, but here is a glimpse of this year’s window exhibit.
CHS Ceramics
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Monthly Archives: May 2021
South Park Murals
Here are just a few of the murals which give South Park a colorful vibe.
South Park, San Diego
Our daughter and son-in-law moved to the San Diego neighborhood of South Park during the pandemic, and we finally got a chance to see their new home and neighborhood this weekend. The best part, of course, was being able to hug them and catch up in person.
The neighborhood is just to the east of the south end of Balboa Park, and I had never seen this part of the city. All I know of San Diego are the tourist areas. The weather was cool and breezy, but sunny enough to enjoy a few walks. I didn’t take many photos, but I plan to take more in the coming months and years.
South Park has a very cool vibe with lots of cute shops and restaurants and people out walking.
A day trip to San Diego means 4 hours round-trip, but it was worth it, and we look forward to more!
Benton Museum Opens
As we slowly peer to the outside world from inside our pandemic bubble, places are opening up. The Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College was supposed to open last fall, but, you know, Covid. I have enjoyed taking photos of the outside of the building, but on Tuesday we made a reservation and got a chance to go inside the first day it opened to the public.
In addition to enjoying the art in a museum, I like to notice the architectural details and shadows. Our timed arrival was at 5 p.m., so we saw some good shadows.
Santa Ana River Bike Trail
I have started one of my purges of all the stuff I want to get rid of, and I rediscovered a book we’ve had for years called Cycling Orange County. After perusing trails designated as Flat, I found one that starts in Yorba Linda and goes along the Santa Ana River to Anaheim. It’s an out-and-back 10 mile ride. We’ve ridden part of this 30-mile trail close to the ocean.
On Saturday’s overcast morning we took our completely-vaccinated selves (thanks, science!) to Yorba Regional Park and hopped on the paved trail. This part of the river actually has water in it, as well as many different kinds of birds. The trail is mostly flat and well-used by bikers with some walkers, too.
We rode about 6 ½ miles one way, looked at the Honda Center and the big A at Angels Stadium in the distance and turned around. Our plan is to always go until we are “halfway tired”. However, I have determined that it is not my pedaling that limits how far I go, but how my butt feels. An hour and a half is about as long as I can go until I must dismount.
I think I’ll keep this book around for awhile and see what other trails await.
Laura Ingalls Wilder Touring
Being big fans of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, we had to leave I-90 and drive north to the town of De Smet, South Dakota. It’s here where By the Shores of Silver Lake, The Long Winter, Little Town on the Prairie, These Happy Golden Years, and The First Four Years took place.
Today you can tour the Surveyors’ House where the Ingalls Family spent one winter, as well as the house that Pa built in town.
You can also drive out to the homestead just outside of town and see the five cottonwood trees that Pa planted for Ma and his four daughters.
After this tour, we took the Laura Ingalls Highway (#14) from De Smet to Walnut Creek in Minnesota to see Plum Creek where the Ingalls family had lived in a dugout. It is on a private farm these days, but you can pay your entrance fee in a little box and drive out to the site and even picnic there, if you wish.
This was my favorite day of our Dakota adventure, as I remember so distinctly reading about these places.
South Dakota Tourist Attractions
Most Americans have heard of Wall Drug in Wall, South Dakota. It used to be that you might see Wall Drug bumper stickers fairly often, but I have not seen one in many years. When driving through the rolling green hills along I-90, the occasional billboard advertises this tourist attraction. And yes, they had free ice water, although the day we drove across South Dakota it was cool and rainy, and coffee sounded better.
The other famous attraction is Mitchell’s Corn Palace. It, too, is conveniently on I-90. Every year the building is decorated with corn in various themes. In 2007 the theme was Rodeo.
Although I would not plan a trip to South Dakota to see these two stops, they are nice distractions from interstate driving.
South Dakota Scenery
Crossing over into South Dakota, I checked off state number 50!
We enjoyed scenery in parks in this state. Our daughter had once been to Mount Rushmore and told us that we didn’t need to pay money to see it since she thought it underwhelming. So we gave our tourist dollars to Custer State Park instead.
From Custer State Park, you can see Mount Rushmore through the trees.
Of course, we had to make a stop at Badlands National Park, as well.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Our second and final stop in North Dakota ended at Teddy Roosevelt National Park. My trusty little Canon PowerShot S410 did its best to capture the wide vistas, but I’m sure a wide angle lens with more pixels at sunrise or sunset would have made for better photos. Nonetheless, we enjoyed our time in this National Park.
North Dakota: 2007
It’s time to start buying plane tickets again, but this week I am remembering past trips while anticipating future ones. Also, if foreign travel is not in the cards this year, this diverse country of ours offers many places to visit.
After our attending our daughter’s college graduation in Minnesota, I knew that this was my best opportunity to visit my last two states. We rented a PT Cruiser and headed to North Dakota.
Our first tourist stop landed us in the middle of the state on I-94 in Mandan. Here we visited Fort Abraham Lincoln. Visitors can view a replica Mandan Village called On-A-Slant, named because the land sloped toward the river.
Also in this park is the last house where Custer lived before his infamous defeat.
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