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Always Packed for Adventure!

It's the destination and the journey.

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San Diego Zoo- 2019

In our last months of living in California, we went on several weekend trips to make it easier for our realtors to sell our house. In reality, it was easier for us, because we didn’t want to live in a constant state of “keeping everything perfect” as we waited for prospective buyers, so we hit the road and made the most of our time in California.

One of our weekends was to San Diego, where Dan splurged on annual passes to the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park. At that point, we thought that we would be moving from Big Bear Lake, back to the Los Angeles area. We had no idea that life would soon take us to Colorado and that it would be the only weekend that we would use our passes.

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I have fond childhood memories of visiting the San Diego Zoo with my amazing Godparents ( Aunt Lee and Uncle George), who lived in San Diego for many years. Among my most cherished possessions are the Christmas ornaments that Uncle George used to send to me every year, and among those are two from the San Diego Zoo Association, which he specifically sought out when I started volunteering at the Los Angeles Zoo as a teen.

We arrived when the zoo opened, on a cloudy, humid day in late September.

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The San Diego Zoo is massive, but we didn’t encounter huge crowds during our visit. We able to really enjoy the animals without excessive noise, which is always better for both visitors and the residents. One of my biggest pet peeves is noise at the zoo, as a child I was always taught that visiting a zoo is like visiting a library, whispers only.

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Our first stop was the koalas. In my experience, usually the koalas ( or as Dan calls them “drop bears” from his years of living in Australia) are usually in the trees resting. Like this…

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But we encountered one very active koala. He was racing around his enclosure and scratching on the door, all in anticipation of food from his keeper. We had a nice chat with his keeper as she was prepping his food. Apparently, this guy is the only koala who is extra eager in the mornings.

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It was early and I had not had any coffee yet, so a nap was in order.

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On the African Rocks we saw Hamadryas Baboons.

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We continued around the zoo to see several smaller exhibits, including our favorite animal and world’s largest rodent, the Cabybara!

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Elephant Odyssey is one of the most popular areas of the San Diego Zoo.

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The llamas provided the crazy moment of the day. They were all very calm until a visitor walked by with a service dog, which caused them to respond aggressively, bucking, growling, and running wild. The dog, a sweet golden retriever, was clueless at the chaos that it was causing. We researched and learned that llamas are very territorial, guard animals with regard to perceived threats, including dogs.

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Next, it was on to big cat territory.

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The last time that I visited the San Diego Zoo was back in the late 90’s, when I was taking an animal biology class and I had to complete an animal observation project. I really wanted to study Bonobos, which are a species of great apes that we did not have at our local Greater Los Angeles Zoo. Bonobos are the closest living relatives to humans and they walk upright, on two legs for sustained periods. They are incredible to watch. My mom, who was always very supportive, drove with me to San Diego ( 4 hours each way) and read a book, while I spent the entire day with the bonobos. It was a long day and one of many memories of my mom always supporting my goals and education.

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I was absolutely delighted to discover that the zoo has a popular orangutan named Karen! Coincidentally, I also love to twirl on bamboo polls and roll around on the ground.

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One of my all-time favorite zoo encounters was with the hippos at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. I was scheduled to take a behind the scenes tour and employees allowed me to enter the park prior to opening. I had about an hour before my tour/ park opening, to observe the hippos, watching a mother and baby play in the water. They were so active, including the baby giving me curious looks through the glass. I was alone with them. A truly magical moment on my Disney vacation. The hippos are always a favorite stop, even when they are napping.

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When I was part of the behavioral research department at the Los Angeles Zoo, I had the privilege of contributing observation hours towards an international polar bear study, which the San Diego Zoo and Sea World, were also participants. Visiting the polar bears is always a must.

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One of the non-animal highlights was a ride on the skyway. The zoo is vast. It has both the skyway and a tram system to help visitors navigate the terrain. Of course, these both come with a small extra fee. The skyway has beautiful views of both the zoo and San Diego.

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This sign feels very personal.

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And finally, those damn flamingos. For those not in the know, I spent over 2000 hours observing flamingos at the LA Zoo and I have a love/hate relationship with the birds.

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We had a wonderful day at the San Diego Zoo. It’s a stunning park that does so much for conservation, education, and animal welfare. I was disappointed that we didn’t have the opportunity to use our passes more than once, but it was also a good feeling that the money spent on the passes went to a great organization.

tags: San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo 2019, Best Zoos in the United States, Best Zoos in the World, Selling Our House in California, Tips for Selling a House, Godparent Traditions, San Diego Zoo Koalas, San Diego Zoo Golden Lion, San Diego Zoo Statues, Our Visiti to the San Diego Zoo, Tips for Visiting the San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo Christmas Ornament, San Diego Zoo Annual Pass, Karen the Orangutan San Diego Zoo, San Diego Wild Animal Park, San Diego Zoo Flamingos, San Diego Zoo Elephants, San Diego Zoo Skyway, San Diego Zoo Arial Tram, San Diego Zoo Tram, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Polar Bear Research, San Diego Zoo Annual Passes, Koala Sculpture, elephant odyssey san diego zoo, Our Trip to San Diego, Things to do in San Diego, San Diego Attractions, Family Attractions in San Diego, Llamas and Dogs, Llamas hate dogs, Don't Feed the Squirrels, I Hate Flamingos, Best Views of San Diego
categories: Eat, Life, Visit
Tuesday 08.03.21
Posted by Karen Lea Germain
 

Late Summer Road Trip 2019: Sequoia National Park

When I had just turned five, I went on a weekend trip to Sequoia National Park with my paternal grandparents. It was summer and baking hot. I remember eating orange flavored popsicles and feeding peanuts to the friendly squirrels that visited our cabin in the woods. For a souvinier, my grandparents bought me a wooden jewelry box that I still own. I also lost my first tooth on that trip, and much to my mom’s dismay, the “tooth-fairy” left twenty-dollars under my pillow.

Other than pictures, I don’t actually remember seeing the massive redwood trees, especially the impressive “General Sherman",” which has the distinction of being the largest single-stem tree on earth.

Dan had not visited Sequoia, and my memories of it were hazy, so we added a quick visit to our 2019 road trip itinerary.

The drive up into the mountains took us through beautiful farmland and winding curves.

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We arrived at the entrance gate for park opening and paid our 35.00 car fee. The park was not crowded during our visit, which was on a Monday in early September.

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Sequoia National Park has several warning signs to remind visitors to be respectful of plants and wildlife. We did not see any bears, but we did see deer!

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We stopped at the Foothills Visitor’s Center to get our bearings and to make a plan for visiting the park, before heading off on the road to see General Sherman. Minutes into our drive we were surrounded by a canopy of enormous trees.

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The walk to General Sherman was relatively short, taking us about fifteen minutes at a leisurely pace. There were many warnings, because the climb down is at a steep grade and the altitude is high. We had already spent a few years living at a high altitude in Big Bear Lake and did not feel affected by it, but we did see other visitors that were clearly struggling. There are many beautiful spots to rest and the path is wide, not intimidating at all, but I’d recommend bringing water and sturdy shoes.

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That’s a tall tree!

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and a massive trunk!

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But not bigger than the star of Sequoia: General Sherman.

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Here are my less than spectacular Sequoia pictures from the early 80’s, where I rock the Dorothy Hamill cut and my grandparents cut the tree out of the picture.

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We briefly stopped at the Giant Forest Museum to see another enormous redwood named Sentinel, admire the cute stuffed animals for sale, and have a pee-break before driving back to Big Bear Lake.

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I wish we had been able to spend more time at Sequoia National Park. I wish we had brought hiking shoes and had been better prepared to explore. I also wish that we had been able to see the tree with a hole that you can drive through the middle. How cool is that? I mostly wish that I had taken advantage of our proximity when we lived in California to visit this enchanting land of giants. Sequoia National Park is truly a magical place.

tags: California Road Trip, California Road Trip Itinerary, California Road Trip Pictures, California to Oregon Road Trip, California National Parks, California Bucket-List, California Attractions, Squirrel Stuffed Animal, Sequoia National Park, Sequoia National Park Review, Sequoia National Park Pictures, Childhood Memories, First Tooth Money, How Much Does the Tooth Fairy Leave, Sentinel Tree, Sentinel Sequoia National Park, Giant Forest Museum Sequoia National Park, Things to do in Sequoia National Park, Tips for Visiting Sequoia National Park, General Sherman Tree Sequoia National ParkHike to General Sherman Tree, Hike to General Sherman Tree, Picture General Sherman Tree, Biggest Tree in the World, Redwood Trees, How to Visit General Sherman Tree, Sequoia National Park Altitude, Twin Redwood Trees Sequoia, Drive Through Tree Sequoia, Tree You Can Drive Through, Tree with a Hole in the Middle, Our Visit to Sequoia National Park, Wildlife in Sequoia National Park, Bears in Sequoia National Park, Deer Sequoia National Park, Sequoia National Park Fee, Foothills Visitors Center Sequoia National Park, Giant Rock Sequoia National Park, Bear Crossing Sign, Drive to Sequoia National Park, Map of Sequoia National Park, Biggest Trees in California, Sherman Tree Trail, largest single stem tree General Sherman, Sequoia National Park Sign, Dorothy Hamill Haircut, Living in Big Bear Lake
categories: Visit, Life
Thursday 07.01.21
Posted by Karen Lea Germain
 

Book Review- Nora Zelevansky's Competitive Grieving

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Thank you to Blackstone Publishing for providing me with a copy of Nora Zelevansky’s novel, Competitive Grieving, in exchange for an honest review.

Wren is devastated by the sudden loss of her childhood friend, Stewart. Wren and Stewart were neighbors, their friendship sealed since infancy, when both of their mother’s were pregnant at the same time. Their friendship endured, as Stewart’s family became wealthy and moved into a penthouse apartment in Manhattan, while Wren’s artsy parents struggled financially, creating a divide between Stewart and Wren’s families.

Stewart further changed, when his acting career began to take-off, soon, he was not simply Wren’s Stewart, but the famous Stewart Beasley. In the days following his death, it is revealed that Stewart left specific instructions to have Wren, along with Stewart’s lawyer (and friend) George, go through his apartment and help with the memorial plans. Wren is further devastated to have to contend with friends from other parts of Stewart’s life, who are also grieving. Wren sees them as vultures, desperate to grab pieces of the friend she loved, and sees their grief as “competitive,” each person trying to prove their connection to Stewart in a twisted game.

Wren is told that Stewart died of a brain aneurysm, but as she digs through his apartment and gains little pieces of information, such as a mysterious heartbroken woman at Stewart’s memorial service, she suspects that this is not the truth.

The premise of Competitive Grieving is strong. It made me reflect on the idea of how we have a special relationship with each person we know and that it is impossible to quantify the depth of those relationships. Just as Wren struggles with her identity of being Stewart’s “best friend,” I struggled with this when my mom passed away. It’s hard to see the grief of others, when you feel that your own grief is superior. Now, far removed from the situation, I have the perspective that grief is simply not like that. As Wren comes to realize, everyone is entitled to their own grieving and no one has a right to judge it. Just as my mom meant different things to different people, things that I have no way of understanding, Stewart had different relationships, different friendships, that did not concern Wren.

Wren is not an easy character. Through much of Competitive Grieving, she is reactionary and wallowing. The story only spans a few weeks, but it is hard to be in Wren’s shoes. It fits with the themes of the story and Wren’s character arc, but it’s not an easy place to be and as such, I did not find Competitive Grieving to be a quick read. I could only handle a few chapters at a time.

I don’t want to give anything away with this review, as the mystery of Stewart is a carefully crafted reveal to maximize an emotional punch. Zelevansky is masterful at handling a delicate topic with grace and humanity. This particular situation is a bit of a trigger for me and reading Competitive Grieving was one of the rare times that this subject made me feel less angry and more compassionate. I appreciate Zelevansky’s ability to change my perspective.

tags: Competitive Grieving Book Review, Competitive Grieving Nora Zelevansky, Nora Zelevansky Author, Brain Aneurysm, Novels About Grieving, Novels About Death, Novels About Suicide, Novels About Mental Health, Novels About Depression, Novels About Celebrities, Novels About Celebrity Deaths, Novels About Childhood Friendships, Trigger Warning Novels, Blackstone Publishing Group, Competitive Grieving Blackstone Publishing Group, Nora Zelevansky Blackstone Publishing Group, Netgalley, Stewart Beasley Character, 2021 Novels, 2021 Novels Competitive Grieving
categories: Read, Life
Tuesday 06.29.21
Posted by Karen Lea Germain
 
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