Socal Mom by Donna Schwartz Mills

Things to Do This Summer: The Getty Center

Thanks to the ongoing construction zone that is my home, we did not take my mum-in-law on as many sightseeing jaunts as we'd planned for her recent visit. But I did manage the drive down the 405 to the Getty Center.

Aside from being the best-endowed art museum in the world, the Getty offers great value for harried moms trying to figure out what to do with their bored kids this summer: For one thing, admission to the museum and grounds is ALWAYS FREE. (Note: That goes for the Center's sister facility in Malibu.)

Yes, you do have to pay $10* to park -- but you can spend that same ten bucks whether you are arriving solo or carrying a mini-van full of kids -- who will enjoy the tram ride up the hill to the museum complex. It may not be Disneyland... but it's a heckuva lot cheaper! 

The museum curators have come up with a full program of events and activities tailored for families, sure to entertain your young ones while giving them a taste for fine art. These include a "Family Room" with hands-on art activities, family tours, "art cards" which challenge your kids to solve a "mystery" as they explore the galleries and more.

This summer, the museum is scheduling "Family Art Stops" (described as "a half hour hands on gallery experience geared for families with children ages 5 and up)"  "Tuesday through Friday at 2:00 p.m.

Weekends are especially heavy with family events at the Getty, with gallery tours every Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 p.m., "Art Lab" workshops running from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and Garden Concerts for Kids from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.

My mother-in-law was actually kind of bored with the paintings - but she loves a good garden, and the one at the Getty was commissioned as a work of art. There's a nice, rolling lawn where the kids can let loose a little, while you can relax and enjoy the gorgeous flowers and city view.

There are plenty of spaces to dine outdoors. You are free to bring your own lunch and set up in the picnic area outside the tram station, or you can take advantage of healthy offerings in The Cafe. And if you feel like splurging with all that money you saved on Disneyland admissions, you can enjoy a gourmet meal in The Restaurant. (If you do choose the latter, be sure to ask the maitre'd for the kids' menu. It's not listed on the website nor displayed in the dining room, but they DO have one!)

Now that my daughter will NOT be spending all of her time at the gym, I have a feeling we'll be taking advantage of more cultural activities like the ones at the Getty. After all, the price is right...

*NOTE: ONE HOUR AFTER PUBLISHING THIS POST, I WAS FORWARDED THE FOLLOWING PRESS RELEASE FROM THE GETTY:

GETTY ANNOUNCES NEW PARKING FEES

LOS ANGELES-The J. Paul Getty Trust today announced parking rates at both the Getty Center and Getty Villa will increase to $15 effective July 1, but parking at both sites will be free for evening programs after 5pm. Admission remains free. [STILL A BARGAIN, IN MY OPINION.]

Visitors attending evening events throughout the week, including theater, music, film, lectures, and other special programs at both the Getty Center and Getty Villa, will be able to park free after 5pm.

Museum visitors also can take advantage of free parking after 5pm on Saturdays at the Getty Center, when the Museum remains open until 9pm.

The Getty Center is open Tuesday-Sunday, 10am to 5:30pm, except for Saturday, when the Museum and the Restaurant are open until 9pm. No parking reservations are necessary. Museum admission is always free.

The Getty Villa is open Thursday-Monday, 10am to 5pm. Admission is free, but advance timed tickets are required. Tickets are available at www.getty.edu or (310) 440-7300. Same day tickets are frequently available.

For an up-to-date calendar of events, and complete information on visiting the Getty Center or Getty Villa, visit www.getty.edu.

It's A Small World After All

 A couple of posts ago, I mentioned that I'd spent Saturday at Disneyland. The occasion was an opportunity to preview the update of the classic ride, "It's a Small World," which reopened today after a renovation that took nearly a year.

Several folks (including writers and bloggers for family websites) were invited to check out the changes... and potentially appear in a Disney promotional video.

"We're going to have to go on the ride three or four times in a row," I warned my 12-year-old. "Are you OK with that?"

She nodded. She figured it was a small price to pay for a shot at fame and fortune on TV... and a day at the park.

"And you need to look like you're enjoying it!" I added.

"Will I be on Disney Channel?" she asked. I indicated it was possible (after all - ANYTHING is possible).

"It's a Small World" is the kind of Disneyland attraction you tend to either love or hate -- with no in-between. You can't argue with its message: that we are all family together on this earth and as such, we need to learn to understand one another and all get along. I know I got that message back in 1965, when I first saw this ride at the New York World's Fair (where it debuted the previous year -- it was transplanted to Disneyland in '66).

But by the time I was my daughter's age, I'd decided that enjoying "It's a Small World" simply wasn't cool. For one thing, there was that song: the mother of all earworms, written by the Sherman Brothers, who are masters of catchy tunes you can't get out of your head. (Listen to a number of 1960's era Disney soundtracks - like "Mary Poppins," "Jungle Book" and "Winnie the Pooh" and you'll know what I mean. If you have small children at home, you likely already do.)

And then there was my mom.

My mom LOVES "It's a Small World," and would have a fit if anyone suggested we skip it one trip. And when you're a teenager, anything your mom loves is AUTOMATICALLY uncool.

I carried those feelings well into adulthood... until I had a child of my own.

Megan was just 18 months old the first time I took her to Disneyland, on a Sunday after I'd finished a particularly grueling week at work. She was still in a stroller, and so young that she got in free... but she was also too little to get much out of any of the rides...

...except for "It's a Small World." I left her stroller outside the attraction, carried her into the little boat, and watched her eyes grow wide as we floated through the gentle ride with the happy music and doll-like figures. She was delighted by it -- and so was I. I was able to experience it with new appreciation.

As the years went by, I discovered something else about "It's a Small World," and this is one of those insider secrets that is the reason people read blogs like mine, so listen closely: The attraction is on the lengthy side, and it's got great air conditioning. So if you've been at the park for hours, and your feet are getting tired and it's a REALLY HOT summer day... "It's a Small World" will allow you to rest in cool, cool comfort for a full 12 minutes (or longer!)

Other rest-your-feet attractions are the Disneyland Railroad that will take you from one land to another around the park... "Honey, I Shrunk the Audience"... and Star Tours.

But I digress. The point of this post is to tell you about the ride.

One of the first things we noticed was that the old fiberglass boats have been replaced by ones of molded plastic (think of the Little Tikes line of backyard play equipment). While I miss the old boats, these are apparently sturdier and easier to maintain. (I saw a post online where someone speculated that the new boats are also bigger to accommodate the fact that Americans on average weigh more than they did in the 1960's. Disney denies that rumor -- but it would make sense.)

The next thing we noticed was that Disney characters now appear among the ride's children of the world: Peter Pan and Tinkerbell in London, Pinocchio in Italy, Lilo and Stich in the South Pacific, etc. Disney says the ride features a total of 29 Disney and Disney Pixar characters. I don't remember seeing nearly that number -- so I suppose that will be my challenge on my next visit to the park.

It is possible that some of the characters had not been placed yet when we saw our preview, as it was obvious that park employees were still putting finishing touches on it... there were cans of paint and brushes, ladders, bubble wrap and other debris scattered in corners around the ride (which I began noticing during the second go-round).

The other huge change is the addition of the United States as one of the countries of the world. In the original version of the ride, the US was represented at the end with (in 1964 vernacular) a little cowboy and Indian. Now, there is a nicely sized representation of a cornfield (I guess they chose the Midwest), as well as a depiction of Hollywood. You can get a feel for how it looks in the video below:

I know people who don't like it when you mess with the classics. Some are complaining that the new configuration negates the original "peace on earth/let's all understand one another" message of the attraction, and accusing Disney of injecting marketing into it by the inclusion of the characters.

I really think folks should lighten up. It's a theme park. It's entertainment. Does Disney integrate the rides with all their other products and market to its guests? Yeah. That's just good business, and the company would be crazy NOT to do that. There is a reason why my parents introduced me to the classic Disney films and that I in turn did the same with my daughter.

That does not mean that I enjoy finding myself in a gift shop before I can exit every attraction, or that I'm being tempted to purchase family photographs whenever we get off a thrill ride... but I'm pretty good at saying "no." Lately, I tell my daughter that she can purchase any souvenirs with her own money, and that works like a charm.

When we'd finished the ride, one of the Disney crew asked my daughter if she wanted to appear on camera for an interview... and she came down with a sudden case of shyness. "I thought you wanted to be on Disney Channel," I coaxed. She changed her mind.

I ended up doing the interview, but I'm pretty sure they won't use it. I told them about thinking the ride was uncool when I was a kid. Somehow, I don't think that's the message they want out there.

All's Fair for Wine Tasting in Fair Play

I kid my sister for moving to a hick town near Sacramento -- although in the last decade, her Sierra foothills suburb has become a lot more upscale than the one I occupy in the San Fernando Valley.

I kid her anyway. I am, after all, a resident of Los Angeles and therefore, a sophisticate (before you protest, please note the tongue placed firmly in my cheek.)

The majority of the population of her town are conservative white people, both politically and culturally, and it's still just a tiny bastion of civilization in the middle of farmland. (Look - tongue still in cheek.)

But there are some advantages to living in the agriculture capital of California: a lot of those farms are planted with one of our state's most popular crops -- GRAPES.

My sister's home is just a one or two hour drive to some of the best wine regions in the world: Napa and Sonoma, and we often try to squeeze a tasting trip into our holiday visits up there. So I was enthusiastic when Linda suggested it over Thanksgiving weekend, pointing out that Friday was my husband's birthday -- and that it would also be her first opportunity to engage in this little family tradition with her eldest daughter, who had turned 21 a couple of weeks ago.

But with the current state of the economy, Linda suggested we skip Napa and Sonoma this time around, as the tasting rooms there charge as much as $10 (or more!) to sample their offerings. She thought we might enjoy checking out one of the newer wine regions in the area: El Dorado County.

El Dorado County is located to the east of Sacramento and stretches out to Lake Tahoe (as do some of the adjacent state counties). It boasts some of the oldest vineyards in the state and is home to 50 wineries in two different appellations: El Dorado County and Fair Play.

Our visit was to the latter, which had been an appellation only since 2001. As it turns out, my sister has wine club memberships there ("Gives me an excuse to go every quarter to pick up my wine," she says) and there were some bottles waiting for them. 

There are around 20 boutique (mostly family-owned) wineries in Fair Play, and as we did not arrive there until after noon, I think we fared really well by hitting five of them (that's 20% of the total in just four hours!)

Our first stop was the winery at Toogood Estate. Owner Paul Toogood (yes, that's his real name) was a successful veterinarian with a passion for wine. He started building his winery by excavating a huge cave and put the entire operation inside, including the tasting room and a unique Flintstone-style dining room. You enter the winery through a corridor lined with oaken barrels of aging wine (which were merrily decorated for the holidays with cheery Christmas lights).

This is one of the wine clubs my sister belongs to, and she had arranged for our use of the dining area. As long as we were there, we uncorked one of her wine club bottles and enjoyed it with our picnic lunch.

The tasting room at Toogood was packed that day. There must have been close to a hundred people crammed next to the wine bar, all enjoying wine with names like Foreplay, Red Mutt and Who's Your Daddy? I have to hand it to them - they have a great sense of style and humor. I just wish their wine was as much fun as their winery. The ones we sampled were not "too good" -- just OK. We did not buy any bottles to take home.

The next stop was more promising. Shadow Ranch Winery is a gem, in a restored homestead built in 1888 (on one of the state's original land grants). The young owner, Sam Patterson, comes from a winemaking family. Like many vintners in the area, he has a degree in Enology and Viticulture from UC Davis (as well as a degree in business).

Sam is assisted n the tasting room by his sister (drat! I didn't get her name!). Both originally hail from Chatsworth (here in the San Fernando Valley), and we had a lively discussion about how different it is down here.

But as pleasant as it is to hang out with the Pattersons, the real joy is the taste of their wines. Sam is good at what he does. I especially liked the Shadow Ranch Zinfandel -- which is weird, because I'm not usually a big fan of Zins. Sam explained the process he uses that results in fewer tannins in the fruit.

I wish I could remember what that was; by this time I was a little snockered. I had been pretty free about using the spill bucket over at Toogood - but I didn't want to waste a drop of the wines served at Shadow Ranch.

Unfortunately, the winery's website is being overhauled so as of this post, there isn't a lot of information there. I did find an article about them at California Wine Magazine -- and you can email Sam about the Shadow Ranch wine club at wineclub@shadowranchwinery.com.

We hit three more wineries that day: Single Leaf, Oakstone and Iverson -- where we spent a long time chatting with friendly owners Mike and Melodie Iverson, the hospitable tasting room hosts. The Iverson wines were really easy to drink - and Mike was happy to pour us a sample of everything he had (including vintages that were NOT on the tasting menu - yeah, we bought a few of those).

Tasting in Fair Play reminded me of our first forays into this activity -- before it became big business. The wineries were small and the owners themselves poured the wine in the tasting rooms. We didn't have to pay for the privilege of tasting, which left us more cash we could use to buy wines to take home.

It's true that the wine in Fair Play is not as fine as the product they serve in Napa and Sonoma... but it's also a lot more affordable, and you're bringing home vintages that you can drink every day. And ultimately, that makes it a lot more fun.

What's On My Mind Today

I have 250 messages in my Inbox - and that's AFTER I pared down everything that came in overnight.

Can you say "over-stimulated"?

I'm taking the day to go through my messages, follow up on those that need a response and delete the ones that are no longer relevant.

One reason it's so full is that we had a gymnastics meet over the weekend that required an overnight stay.

Correction: We COULD have driven back home afterwards (in fact, most of the other families did that). But the meet ended around 6:30 and Megan was famished - as she usually is after four hours of physical activity. Actually, the entire family is hungry after these events, and I've learned the hard way that when it's over, we need to have a meal AS SOON AS POSSIBLE - or I'll get battered in the ensuing battle of low blood sugar between my husband and daughter.

We had a nice dinner with one of the other families (who decided to eat before they embarked on their own long drive home) and a good night's sleep in our hotel.

But here's the part that I can't shake. I had been shocked at booking the room that even a two-star hotel in this community was going for over $150 a night. I thought about that yesterday morning, while watching Treasury Secretary Henry Poulson on Meet the Press. Our economic sky is falling, and we shelled out $150+ to stay overnight in a community two hours away; living our lives as if nothing is happening.

And we're doing the same thing next week.

I have very real fears about the future. This is bound to impact the lifestyle of our family and that of everyone we know. It already has impacted us; my husband works for a geotech firm which, until this year, was working on a huge slate of housing developments, all of which have dried up. I am even worried for my wealthier friends; I have no idea what kind of investments are in their portfolios or how leveraged they might be.

I'm afraid to sign the catering contract for my daughter's Bat Mitzvah in April. I'm afraid that after all this hard work to keep her in gymnastics, that in the near future we might have to eliminate it from our budget. I worry that our wonderful new gym might go out of business in the near future; not because of any mistakes the owners make but just as fallout from the mess on Wall Street.

But worrying about every possible bad outcome isn't going to prevent it and all it can really do is make ME crazy. If there is one thing I've learned in my 52 years, it's that it is better and healthier to go through life with a positive attitude.

So I'm going to try to put the storm clouds out of my mind. I'm going to continue to live my life. And I'm going to continue doing what I think I can to make the world a better place.

That's why last night's Emmy broadcast was such a welcome diversion. Even though the five reality hosts bit didn't really work, I think the show was a lot better than last year's disaster-in-the-round. I love the look of the Nokia Theatre LA Live (it seems way nicer than Pasadena Civic, the site of the Emmy telecasts I used to attend, back in the day). I loved the way they evoked the sets from the classic programs of the past. And I even liked Josh Groban's manic medley of classic TV theme songs.

And I agreed with the Academy on many of the winners this year (for a change). I was disappointed that Jeremy Piven won again for "Entourage" - NOT that he doesn't deserve all the awards he's received for his work as Ari Gold - I think he's brilliant. But it would have been nice to see Kevin Dillon win for the same show. Or Rainn Wilson for "The Office." Or Neil Patrick Harris for his legendary work on "How I Met Your Mother." And as much as I dislike "Two and a Half Men," I've always been a fan of Jon Cryer. So they are all winners in my book.

I was pleased to see both "The Colbert Report" and "The Daily Show" honored with Emmys. I swear, Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert and their staffs are doing a better job of reporting the news than the news organizations themselves.

I especially enjoyed tributes to some of my favorite programs of my youth: "Laugh In" was a must-see when I was Megan's age, as was "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour." I don't think I got what was happening in Viet Nam back then until Tom and Dick Smothers used the war in their edgy comedy bits on that show. They were brilliant, and it really was a big deal when CBS abruptly pulled the plug on them. For years afterwards, there was a billboard across the street from Television City that translated the network's acronym as "Cancelled Brothers Smothers."

I got a little bit teary seeing Tommy accept his delayed award from 40 years ago. He's a funny guy - when I worked at the Tonight Show in the 1980's, I watched him backstage as he did a perfect impression of Johnny doing his monologue.

I got teary again when Mary Tyler Moore introduced Betty White. Again, in my Tonight Show days, the staff would rejoice whenever we booked her for a guest spot (she sometimes participated in sketches, too). Everyone loved her because she was such a delight to work with. She deserves all the recognition of her peers.

Finally, hooray for Tina Fey! I think Alec Baldwin got it right when he compared her with Elaine May. Tina is brilliant and I'm so happy NBC allowed "30 Rock" to stay on the air. Did you notice that most of SNL's nominations were for the episode Fey hosted - which was one of the few really FUNNY ones from last season? Or that nearly all of the guest performance nominations for a comedy were from episodes of "30 Rock"? Baldwin's own Best Actor win was gratifying too - he may have issues in his personal life, but the man is a brilliant actor, in both drama and comedy.

Finally - I'm jazzed that Mad Men was named Best Drama. Although it was a disappointment to discover that last night AMC aired a rerun (I guess they didn't want to compete for Emmy viewers).

All in all, a good night for the TV Academy. And a decent distraction for me, as I'm already feeling better by thinking about something so frivolous. As if nothing has happened.

Cabazon: Desert Shopping and Swimming

My plan for today's post was to write about the Palm Springs area and what a bargain it is for travelers in the summer months (when demand for desert uh, warmth is on the low side).

Megan and I were going to leave the house early, check in to our Rancho Mirage hotel and then check out the local sights, like the Aerial Tramway and...

...well, that was the only activity I was aware of here. I figured we woud spend the rest of the day shopping at the River complex, and hanging out at the pool.

That was before Megan turned on her newly charged cell phone and found a text message from a friend, who happened to be staying at the Morongo Casino and Resort, out in Cabazon... which we would be passing by on our way to Palm Springs. The Desert Hills Premium Outlet mall is located right next to the resort... I had always wanted to check it out (for some reason, my husband never seems to want to stop and shop when we're traveling) and Leesa and her family were planning on having lunch there. So why not?

While there, Leesa's family invited us to come and hang out with them at the resort's fabulous pool. So instead of an awesome aerial view, we ended up spending the afternoon at an Indian casino... and it was good.

Fun in Long Beach

My university student niece and nephew were visiting us this weekend. Rather than just sit around and hang for two days, we decided to take advantage of a brief moment of sunshine Saturday to visit the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach.

Our family could be classified as "Aquarium People." My sister's in-laws (Carly and Alex's grandparents) have long been involved with San Pedro's Cabrillo Marine Museum. This is the oldest marine education facility in Southern California; in operation for over 70 years, and their innovative programs have served as a model for many of the public aquariums that have opened since, including the larger, more famous ones in Monterey and California's newest one in Long Beach. One of the best things about Cabrillo is that it is owned by the City of Los Angeles and is FREE to the public (they do request that visitors consider leaving a discretionary donation).

"Don't tell Grammy we're going to Long Beach," my niece admonished her brother.

The Aquarium of the Pacific IS bigger, more modern and has a location advantage: downtown Long Beach has become a really happening place, with restaurants, shopping and nice hotels.

That's a good thing, because the moment we got there, my husband announced he was hungry (which usually means we must drop everything and feed the beast -- he has low blood sugar or something, so these things must be taken care of quickly). It was warm and sunny, so we walked along the pier to the Shoreline Village restaurant development and ended up at the YardHouse: Great salads, sandwiches and a huge beer menu (which we did not partake of -- will have to save that for another visit).

Lunch done, it was time to head back to the Aquarium.

(Oops! The 15 minutes I've allocated for writing posts on my main blog is up... this post continues over on my Review Blog, Socal Stuff. View more photos of our day in Long Beach at Flickr.)

A Perfect Day in La Jolla

Megan's best friend in second grade was a girl named Rachel. That year, the two of them had weekly after school playdates -- often at Rachel's house. This gave my only child a taste of living with a lot of siblings, as she also got to play with Rachel's younger sister, little brother and the baby (also named Megan). My daughter was heartbroken when Rachel's dad got a new job down in San Diego. Strangely enough, so was my husband. "They are just the nicest family," he lamented.

So we have stayed in touch, and when I saw that we would have to go down south for Megan's last meet, I called Rachel's mom to see if we could arrange a get-together. Fortunately, they were available.

"What do you have in mind?" she asked. I suggested we meet in La Jolla. After all, who needs a plan when you have five kids and a beach?

I began to worry on Thursday when SoCal got hit by a winter storm. Fortunately, it passed quickly... and Saturday was about as glorious a February day as you could ask for.

I had never before been to La Jolla, which is a beachside community within the city of San Diego. It boasts Ellen Browning Scripps park, beautiful expanse of green lawns on a bluff overlooking a beach, with protected coves, lots of native wildlife. And it is adjacent to a lovely upscale "Village" with art galleries, expensive stores and good restaurants. In other words, something for everyone.

We began our day by crossing Scripps Park to Children's Pool Beach, which really was once a protected beach area designated for children, but several years ago, was overrun by harbor seals, who discovered that it was a nice, safe spot for their children, too. The seals won; it is now exclusively a nesting site for them and it is roped off during pupping season - as it was on Saturday. The good news is that we got to see a lot of mommy and baby seals swimming in the cove (when they weren't basking in the sunshine).

From there, we moved on to a beach designated for humans. I hadn't thought to pack swimsuits... or sunscreen (I was focused on gymnastics and besides, it's FEBRUARY). And as the kids played in the sand and climbed the rocks for what seemed like hours, I realized what a mistake it was to omit the latter! Fortunately, my friend was well-prepared (after all, she is mother to four children between the ages of 3 and 10) and we all got the protection we needed. (In my defense, Gareth usually keeps sunscreen in his car, which was in the shop for the week for repairs after our break-in last month -- so we drove to San Diego in an empty rental).

The kids never got tired of building sand forts and watching the waves knock them down, so it was up to the hungry parents to make the decision that a little lunch would be in order. Rachel's dad actually works in a building overlooking the park and has to live with that view every single day (we really do feel for him). He also knows where the best lunch spots are, and he led us to a beautiful little cafe with a patio facing the ocean. We were told that from 3:00 on, they were only serving coffee and pastries. It was 3:02.

"They probably saw five kids coming up the steps and hauled out the sign," my friend grumbled. So we went to Plan B - walking into the little Village to find a restaurant that served food both the kids and the adults could enjoy. We were having a little trouble with that - until he remembered that there was a nice Hard Rock Cafe with good hamburgers and fries and decent salads... as well as a large outdoor patio that would allow the kids to enjoy themselves without disturbing other diners.

It was just what the doctor ordered. We followed lunch by taking the kids upstairs to Cold Stone Creamery. We moms decided that was too sweet for us -- and not only that, but it was getting kind of chilly out -- so we left the kids with their fathers and walked down the block to Starbucks for our version of dessert.

We then walked back towards the beach to the Sunny Jim Cave Store, featuring an entrance to La Jolla's largest sea cave. The tunnel you enter through the store was dug out over 100 years ago, making this one of the area's oldest ongoing tourist attractions. The 145 steps leading down to the cave are somewhat uneven, and as you get closer to the bottom, they are slippery. It's a bit of a spooky trip down, but it's the kind of spooky that kids enjoy - and the destination is definitely worth it. There is an admission fee to enter the tunnel: $4 for adults and somewhat less for the kids (all eight of us entered for under $30).

The sun was setting when we emerged from the cave, but there were still plenty of beaches and coves to explore -- which we managed to do until it was too dark to play any longer. We'd had such a late lunch that no one was ready for dinner, which is a shame, because I wanted to explore more of the restaurants in the Village (probably just as well, as they didn't look to be very kid-friendly). We bid our friends good-bye and went back to our hotel -- satisfied and tired after a perfect winter day at the beach.