Kids and Climbs and Happy Hour Too
February is supposed to be a slow month. The holidays are long past and summer is far away, but our temperate climate lets us forget we are in the throes of winter. So this might be a good time to share my recent discoveries with all of you readers.
If you have not had the opportunity yet, and you have a child or grandchild around or visiting, check out the New Children’s Museum downtown on West Island Ave between Union and Front streets. I took my four-year old grandchild there just recently and we both had a wonderful time. This hands on museum is an arts based program that features a touch, feel, and create experience that, from my perspective, best suits kids under the age of 10. We spent almost four hours there, which is quite a lot considering the attention span of a four-year old. Never the less we had something to do the entire time.
She played with clay, made giant bubbles, jumped in the bouncy house, painted, made chalk drawings and all kinds of other things. We ate in the little café there while being serenaded by a junior group from Mainly Mozart who let the kids try out the feel of a tiny violin after their performance ended. The children were all mesmerized by the music and no one was looking down at a phone or tablet. They also are a venue for events and birthday parties with an experienced staff to help. This place is another downtown San Diego treasure like our new library. Visit their site for more information at www.thinkplaycreate.org
For the older set, I just found out that my Medicare plan provides me with free membership at participating health club and fitness centers. The program, called Silver Sneakers, allows for seniors to get fit without costing them anything. This leaves us with no excuses, at least not monetary ones. Once we are exercising we can excuse the occasional splurge. I like to splurge at Pappalecco on Fifth. This terrific gelato place also has a hidden gem inside. They have a happy hour where they put out a little buffet of Italian hors d’oeuvres which for $10 also gets you a glass of wine. This is a wonderful light way of having dinner and maybe a gelato, which you justify with your free fitness regime at the health club.
Once you are fit, and I mean really fit, you can take the steps inside the tower at the San Diego Museum of Man. The tower has been hidden from the public for decades. Now this opportunity to climb to the top and gaze out at a 360 degree panorama is available. It is quite a climb walking seven floors up to a spiral stairway that takes you to the top. Tickets should be purchased in advance even on free Tuesdays at the museum. It sounds like a great experience (for others that is), to be honest, I have not gotten that fit yet. It sounds good though.
Another thing I love to do is play tourist in my own city. A ride on the Gaslamp trolley with a friend from the east got me started on doing some touristy things. We live in a destination city and may forget to use our city’s resources. The very features offered to a tourist are there for a reason. Some are educational, some are great fun and some are just a sample of the San Diego lifestyle. I first fell in love with our city on a visit 39 years ago, now I am revisiting every time I pick a museum to visit, a restaurant to savor great food or a trolley to ride. And if and when I get in shape… a tower to climb.
Category: Local News
