Apr
19
On yet another Spring weekend outing we drove to Westwood to drop off some photo gear I rented, and grab some Diddy Riese cookies. We got out of the house later than we had planned so we were all hungry for lunch before cookie time. So, we decided to grab some In-N-Out. To remind you, we are vegetarians, so we get the secret menu item, Grilled Cheese, which is just a cheeseburger without the meat. Eleanor is all about the french fries and ketchup.
While in Westwood I remember that we had been meaning to check out the La Brea Tar Pits. It’s just a few miles from Westwood and we get in free with our Natural History Museum membership. So, after lunch and cookies, we headed down Wilshire to the Tar Pits.
The museum was okay. It’s much smaller than I thought, so there wasn’t as much for Eleanor to run around and look at, like there is at the Natural History Museum. I think we would have enjoyed it more if we could have followed along on the tour and got to hear more information about the Ice Age Mega-Fauna and Mega-Flora in SoCal. But unfortunately, Eleanor just isn’t old enough to sit through that. Maybe we’ll go back in a few years and try again.
Apr
11
Continuing our weekly Spring weekend outings, a few weeks ago, we spent a Sunday morning at the Gentle Barn in Santa Clarita. I had heard of it years ago, but this was our first visit. The Gentle Barn is the home of more than 130 farm animals that were rescue from severe abuse, neglect or slaughter. They all have heartbreaking stories.
The Gentle Barn is open to visitors every Sunday from 10am-2pm and they also run programs for at-risk teens, special needs kids, and schools. They also have a lot of volunteering opportunities if you are interested in spending time with some super cute farm animals!
I have to say this was one of our most fun outings yet! We were able to get up-close to all the animals, and pet and feed most of them! I can’t wait to go back!
Eleanor was a little wary of the turkeys. This one kept gobbling and flapping his wings around, I would have kept my distance too!
She got a little braver when the volunteer showed her how to feed the turkeys. And then she wanted to feed every animal!
We even got to give the cows a brush and hugs! Everyone who hugs a cow gets a free bracelet that says, “I hugged a cow!” Pretty sweet!
And, just for Andrew, here’s a bonus beard shot:
It’s coming along pretty nicely!
Go visit The Gentle Barn SoCal readers! It’s such a nice way to spend a Sunday morning!
Apr
04
I have been such a terrible blogger lately! Sorry everyone! I am so behind in keeping you all up on what’s going on with the Keegan Gross family.
Well, now that it’s getting to be Spring timey and the weather is getting a little warmer, we decided to try to get out of the house and do something fun every weekend. We started with our trip to the Santa Barbara Zoo with Kristy, Andrew & Audrey. The weekend after that we took the train to downtown LA to the Chinese American Museum’s Lantern Festival to celebrate Chinese New Year.
Eleanor was so excited about the train ride!
I always love to get to visit Union Station, it’s one of my favorite places in Los Angeles.
The Festival itself was fun. There were traditional dancers, booths with a number a crafts for the kids: paper cutting, Chinese lettering, face painting, and kite making among others, some yummy food trucks, and all of the lovely lanterns.
And the street in front of the museum is the perfect place for portraits. I need to bring some clients back there!
