Grandpa Ron calls it a grandparent’s book. I call it a children’s book. Read it and decide for yourself! The kids enjoy talking about the activities and details in the pictures. The adults remember their own special moments – either as kids with their grandparents or as grandparents with their grandkids. Dads and moms get their own flashbacks, too!
The Marble Bluff Fish Passage Facility is located near Nixon, NV at Marble Bluff Dam, on the delta of the Truckee River where it ends at Pyramid Lake. The Cui-ui are spawning in large numbers this year. This endangered sucker fish is found only in Pyramid Lake in Nevada. There is a series of locks, ladders and bypasses to help the fish get up the Truckee River to lay their eggs. Jeff Delong of the Reno Gazette-Journal has a front page article With cui-ui thriving, the whole river teems with several great photos – one with a whole flock of white pelicans waiting for the fish to fly out of the water right into their mouths…well, almost! This year may be a record run thanks to all the winter snow we had.
There are several you-tube videos of the fish ladders from last year’s run. Here’s one. When it is done it will show you more choices as well.
One fun weekend project you could have with your young family members – if you are in the Reno/Sparks, NV area – is to make a bird house from an ‘easy’ (or a ‘more complex’) bird house kit available for purchase at Rail City Garden Center at 1720 Brierley Way in Sparks. They also had a blog post on building bird houses. Here is some on-line help from Birdwatching-Bliss and kits from Bird Watching Now.
Grandpa Ron and I really had a great time working the stands and greeting lots of people at the Toyota Grand Prix in Long Beach this last weekend. As volunteers and members of the Committee of 300, we stamped people’s tickets and hands as they entered Grandstand 30 – the grandstand at the start/finish line. We were so busy helping people get to their seats we missed the transition from driver intros to the actual race!
On Saturday, Grandpa Ron’s favorite story was about a 9 year old boy who wanted to see the race cars up close because he painted them and he loves the race cars. So Grandpa Ron directed him to where he could go see them up close in the convention center at the Lifestyle Expo. A couple hours later the family came back and the Dad with a BIG smile gave Grandpa Ron the thumbs up. So they had clearly found the race cars!
Here’s a description of the Lifestyle Expo from the Visit Long Beach Calendar:
“Those looking to take a pit stop between races over Grand Prix weekend can check out the Lifestyle Expo for a variety of family-friendly activities. The expo, which runs April 16-18, features 270,000 square feet of exhibit space and more than 150 displays with the latest in automotive, home, recreation and travel products. At the Expo Arena, action sports fans can get an up-close encounter with race cars and motorcycles, operate remote control drift cars and see high-speed bikes and skateboarding demonstrations. Children can check out the Family Fun Zone for interactive games, race car simulators, a video arcade and more. Music lovers might enjoy a new addition to this year’s festivities. The Arena Jamm, a three-day music fest, will kick off inside the Long Beach Arena with about 20 Southern California bands. Each day will feature eight 30-minute concerts. …. The Green Power Prix View will feature weekend-long displays of the latest alternative energy vehicles including the Toyota Prius, Smart car, K1 Electric go-karts and the Novakinetics Electronic Performance Motorcycle. From a tankless water heater to energy efficient windows, those interested in green technology can see dozens of examples of renewable energy sources. The Lifestyle Expo is free to all Grand Prix ticket holders.”
Here are some fun Facebook photos from the Committee of 300 page.
Whew! What a day at the track! It was great fun checking it all out. Tomorrow will be harder because we’ll be actually working in the grandstands for half a day – actually for both Saturday and Sunday. We escaped the warm weather and cooled down a bit by going through the Lifestyle Expo in the convention center. Then we were back in the sun for the rest of the day. Watching the cars is great but noisy! Here is a great video of what it’s like from inside a car going around the track!
If you are in the area and want to check it out, here is the schedule (although it is noted that it is subject to change). PDF version is here.
Saturday from 8:55 – 9:20 a.m. Team Drifting Demonstration will be held. Grandpa Ron and I like to watch the drifting because we met some of the drivers two years ago. The Celebrity Race is also tomorrow from 11:40-12:40.
Ticket info is here. Almost all (if not all) the special value-added tickets have been sold out except for the Paddock Club, which is operated by the Committee of 300. Once fans are inside the circuit, they can get day tickets for the Paddock Club.
It’s time to get to sleep in preparation for the rest of the weekend! What fun!
Ten places every kid should see – a list put together by Budget Travel for 2011 – I think it’s a great list, too! Check it out here. The yahoo website has a lot of other “Best of” lists for family dreaming and doing!
At the Maidu Museum and Historic Site in Roseville, CA, the last days (until the end of March) of the exhibit Empowering Our People, Artistic Expressions of Native American Children are fast approaching. The exhibit showcases the colorful artwork of Native American Children ages 5-18 from the American Education Program of the Sacramento City Unified School District.
Show Dates: September 20, 2010 – March 31, 2011.
Maidu Museum & Historic Site
1970 Johnson Ranch Drive
Roseville, CA 95661
(916) 774-5934
(916) 772-6161 [Fax]
maidumuseum@roseville.ca.us
Hours
Tuesday – Saturday:
9 am – 4 pm
Third Saturday evening:
6:30pm-8:30pm
Weekend Tours
Saturday 10 am & 1pm
Fees
$4.50/ Adult
$4.00/ Child & Senior
$16/ Family of Four
The Grandparents.com website has a great article called A River Runs Through Us that I have to share with you. It also has some of the feelings that I tried to depict in my picture book.
The National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. will present The ECHO Project (Education through Cultural and Historical Organizations) performance of Celebrate – Song, Dance and Story! It takes us on a journey down life’s paths – from childhood to love and marriage and beyond. “Through these songs, dances, and stories of challenges and triumphs, we learn the cultural values of these communities – whether about respect for ancestral ways or the dangers of jealousy and vanity.”
Dates: Feb 25 & 26
Time: 11 a.m. -12 noon
Categories: Celebrations, Demonstrations, Kids & Families, Lectures & Discussions, Performances
Co-sponsor: Presented in partnership with The Peabody Essex Museum, The Bishop Museum, The Alaska Native Heritage Center, The Inupiat Heritage Center, and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians
Venue: American Indian Museum
Event Location: Rasmuson Theater
Cost: Free.
For reservations for student groups, please call 202-633-6644 or
TTY 202-633-6751.
Visit Echospace for more info. This page has several videos of musical instruments from several different cultures. Personal and family values are illustrated and learned through cultural stories. Do take the family to experience this special performance if you are in the D.C. area this weekend!
Even though the 2011 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach is two months away (April 15-17), the City Council will talk about the course this coming Tuesday and the Committee of 300 will host the annual Kickoff Party this Wednesday. Harry Saltzgaver reports the details at gazettes.com.
Time: Wednesday, February 16 · 6:00pm – 9:00pm Location:
Hotel Maya
700 Queensway Drive
Long Beach, CA 90802 map Facebook Event Created By: Kelly Stortz More Info:
The Committee of 300* invites you to an evening of fun as we celebrate the kick off to the 37th Annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach!
Bring your friends and business associates to the gorgeous Hotel Maya. Situated just feet from the water and with a breathtaking view of the city’s coastline, this venue is the perfect location to appreciate why the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach is the must-attend event each year.
Enjoy Complimentary Hors d’Oeuvres, live band, silent auction & no host bar. Proceeds from this event benefit this year’s charity, the Historical Society of Long Beach!
For more information about this event or the Committee of 300, please call the C300 office at (562) 981-9200 or visit us on the web at http://www.redcoat.com.
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* The Committee of 300 is a registered non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach and the City of Long Beach, CA. Known as “Redcoats” for the attire they wear, the C300 staffs and participates in community events, the Los Angeles, Orange County and Belmont Shore Car Shows. Participation in non-race community services events is encouraged and members are known to show up in force all over Long Beach to lend a hand!
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