Memorial Day Weekend, Another Whirlwind Weekend

Lara, mom, dad and I had another whirlwind weekend last weekend; the San Diego Wild Animal Park, Oceanside Ale Works to celebrate their year anniversary, my flight got cancelled on Friday for no apparent reason, saw our priest for wedding planning in December, and we had scrumptious yummies throughout the weekend. It all happened so fast that I was back to work before you could say phoenix roebelenii.

The San Diego Wild Animal Park was the highlight of the trip, as I wanted to continue our Zoo Tour across the state. This is similar to our mission tour to see all the California Missions. Our journey to Africa, Baja, and other savanna climates was way cool. We had the opportunity to walk through palm trees offering a gentle mist, a sundae, and a wild way to cool off in the warm sun and through the vast park looking at plants and creatures.

The first part of our adventure was a journey into Africa. An exciting expedition, with brightly colored buildings, masks, an aviary, and a diverse animal collection created a new adventure for us. We didn’t take the Balloon Safari, as the line was long and the balloon too high for some. I suspect you can get a bird's-eye view of the entire Wild Animal Park on this expensive balloon in the sky. We had a good vantage point from the top of the panoramic point. We could see lions, rhinos, giraffes, wildebeest, and gazelle, as well as the beautiful San Pasqual Valley.

We also experienced the Wild Animal Park Gardens, A Garden in the Valley. Can you imagine greeting horticulturist Jim Gibbons as he drove up to the Nairobi Village construction area in early 1972 with not a plant in sight? Well, we saw, nestled among the hills of the San Pasqual Valley, the unique refuge for wildlife and a safe harbor for species which he envisioned thirty years later. From towering acacias and conifers swaying at lofty heights, to the prickly beauty of denizens of the desert, to the astonishing hues of blossoms vying for the attention of pollinators, the Wild Animal Park offers an array of plants for the curiosity and enjoyment of all. The Baja cactus garden was most impressive, and since it was so high into the park, few people wandered to the top. Whether you’re a horticulturist, a gardening buff or a novice to things green and leafy, or prickly for that matter, the Park displays plants that will intrigue and delight you. Botanical highlights await you in this extraordinary garden. Can we go again and take the land warrior vehicles next time, Lara?

Planting the Park

Just imagine: 1,800 acres, part chaparral, part bare dirt after construction, and it’s your job to turn it into an African and Asian paradise within a matter of months. This was the challenge facing the horticulture staff of the newly created Wild Animal Park in 1972. The remarkable job of planting, landscaping, irrigating, and designing this parcel of land in the San Pasqual Valley was one they threw themselves into with determination. All the planting had to be done from scratch that first year. The horticulture staff put some 500,000 trees, shrubs, flowering plants, and ground covers in the ground within only a few months. By working with local garden clubs, botanical societies, and specialty nurseries, as well as receiving plant specimens from other countries through special permits, over the years the Wild Animal Park has been able to maintain plants that represent geographical areas all over the world. The Park’s location, inland from the coast, and its varied elevations lend themselves to the establishment of a wide range of plants, creating a collection that few places in the world could duplicate.

The Wild Animal Park is a truly unique place, with one of the finest collections of herbaceous splendor to be found anywhere, and many rare and endangered plants and animals thrive in its safe surroundings in trust for the future. From here, the horticultural side of the Park can only continue to grow, as it branches out in new directions from its well-rooted foundation. The Park has some great animals too!

Lake Eleanor and Kibbie Creek the Following Weekend

Now Entering a Dog Free Zone (Pictures to Follow Soon)

This weekend the folks and I entered into the Yosemite National Park uninvited. We went through Cherry Lake, via the Stanislaus National Forest, so we could take Kosmo. Little did we know it was a dog free zone. But we went anyway and we enjoyed a day on Kibbie Creek. It took us over an hour to hike 1.5 miles into the Hecht Hechty Wilderness on a trail that hasn’t been used in ages. We truly enjoyed the weekend and so did Kosmo.