This is so cool! Watch this video of a kayaker getting an up close and personal view of a curious blue whale! Link – You may have seen this already as I think it went viral, but the whale really seems to be checking out the kayaker!
Check out other ideas and activities to do with kids on https://mygrandmasue.wordpress.com by the author of the award-winning children’s book Grandpa, Do It! I Do It, Too!
🙂
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Nature Activities | Tagged: blue whale, Blue Whale Watching, kayaking, nature, nature study | 
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Posted by mygrandmasue
The last several years we’ve been here in Alamitos Bay we have had a visiting sea lion every now and then. My mom in Arizona calls him “her seal” because we first saw him when she was visiting us. She always asks if we’ve seen him lately. We went for a long time without seeing him – once or twice a year. Today he was sunning himself on the breakwater. He didn’t seem to care at all that boaters were going by him all the time. This Google map has a red star in the center – the sea lion was on the breakwater just below the star – on the thin line jutting in the water. You can drag the map up and around so you can see how he made his way up to the houses from the ocean near Seal Beach. Here are some pictures I took of him this morning.
The Houses are all around this area of the Alamitos Bay. The sea lion is on the breakwater in the middle of the photo.
A dragon boat crew practices their rowing while the sea lion stretches out on the breakwater.
The sea lion sits up to watch the jetskier as the jetskier watches him.
This dragon boat crew is also so intent on rowing that they don’t see the sea lion either. But he’s laid back down again.
Kayakers go in for a closer look.
Time for him to check out what is going on.
The sea lion turns over on his side.
He stayed and napped for quite a while. Then he quietly slipped back into the water. Later this evening he was back on the breakwater. One of the boat owners we talked to when we took the photos this morning said the sea lion has been hanging around more in the last five days…..
Leave a Comment » | Places to Explore | Tagged: Alamitos Bay, breakwater, Dragon Boats, family, fun, Jet Ski Adventure, kayaking, Long Beach, nature, sea lion, Seal Beach | Permalink
Posted by mygrandmasue
Summer days at the lake were always memorable! The August 2009 Sunset Magazine has two articles about lakes: Lake Tahoe – where Sand Harbor is the place to swim – and then the Top 10 Lakeside Camps – the on-line article has 15, including the best photo ops, sunsets, fun, small town feel, and four-star food!
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Posted by mygrandmasue
The August 2009 Sunset Magazine has a great article by Peter Fish and photographed by Ian Shive on National Parks With Amazing Views: Grand Teton National Park, Yosemite National Park, Channel Islands National Park, Canyonlands National Park and Yellowstone National Park. It has an on-line link to an interactive page with lots of information on Glacier National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Olympic National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park, and Zion National Park. Watch the video of Sunset editor-in-chief Katie Tamony interviewing Ken Burns, who is the filmmaker of “National Parks: America’s Best Idea” – PBS will show it on September 27. The other videos are also very good. There are suggestions, photos and a map where you click on the park for even more info on activities, accommodations, campgrounds, and “top wow spots” from Sunset. I found it quite awesome!
Leave a Comment » | Nature Activities, Places to Explore | Tagged: camping, Canyonlands, Channel Islands, child, children, family, fishing, fun, Glacier National Park, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, grandchild, grandchildren, grandma, grandpa, grandparent, Green Hour, hiking, Ian Shive, kayaking, kids, National Parks, nature, Olympic National Park, Outdoor Adventures, Peter Fish, Places to Go, playing, rafting, relaxing, river rafting, snorkeling, Sunset Magazine, trails, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Zion | Permalink
Posted by mygrandmasue
I haven’t had a non-western blog in a while. A very long time ago we visited the awesome Mammoth Cave National Park in Cave City, Kentucky. It is a totally fun spot for the family to explore.
There are the cave tours. There are more than 70 miles of backcountry trails through forested hills for hikers and bicyclists. There is canoeing, kayaking, swimming and fishing on the Green River. There is horseback riding on 60 miles of trails. Also possible is camping and backcountry camping. Special family and children’s activities are available, as well – like Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park! These pages from the Mammoth Cave National Park website provide everything you need to plan an expedition in and around the world’s longest known cave.
Then there is a lot more commercialized stuff, too.
Hey, you corvette lovers! The National Corvette Museum is in nearby Bowling Green. Of course, you knew that already…it’s for the rest of us to find!
Leave a Comment » | Nature Activities, Places to Explore, Sport Activity | Tagged: backcountry hikes, Backcountry Hiking, biking, biking trails, Bowling Green, camping, caving, child, children, Corvette Museum, family, fishing, fun, grandchild, grandchildren, grandma, grandpa, grandparent, Green Hour, Green River, hiking, hiking trails, horse, horseback riding, Jellystone Park, kayaking, Kentucky, kids, Mammoth Cave, Mammoth Cave National Park, National Corvette Museum, Places to Go, swimming, world's longest cave, Yogi Bear | Permalink
Posted by mygrandmasue
Long Beach Marine Institute has two series of camps this summer. Ocean Adventure Camp is for ages 5-12 and Junior Oceanographer is for ages 13-16. The following information is from their poster:
Ocean Adventure Camp for Ages 5-12
Unique experience with hands-on marine science
Available June 22-August 21
$180/week or $680 for four weeks
Prices include all field trips
Each week has a different ocean related theme and is filled with projects, crafts, and aquatic fun designed to promote ocean sciences and conservation. Campers will enjoy weekly field trips, kayaking, snorkeling, an expedition aboard the Long Beach Marine Institute research vessel and lots more!
Week 1 & 6: Liquid Jungles
Kelp Forests and Coral Reefs
Session I: 6/22-6/26 & Session II: 7/27-7/31
Week 2: Mysteries of the Deep
Deep Sea Creatures and Habitats
Session I: 6/29-7/3
Week 3 & 7: Whales and Friends
Marine Mammels
Session I: 7/6-7/10, Session II: 8/3-8/7
Week 4 & 8: Invertebrate-A-Mania
Study of Invertebrates
Session I: 7/13-7/17, Session II: 8/10-8/14
Week 5 & 9: Shark Days
Study of Sharks
Session I: 7/20-7/24, Session II: 8/17-8/21
Junior Oceanographer Teen Camp for Ages 13-16
This oceanography and marine science camp is created for teens enthusiastic about learning and exploring our marine environment. Campers will have the opportunity to participate in oceanographic research and exploration while they live aboard the Research Vessel Conqueror. This week long excursion will allow campers to discover marine habitats along our coast and on Catalina Island. This camp will better acquaint students with the basic elements of geology, physics, chemistry, and biology. Hands-on activities such as snorkeling, kayaking and dissections are utilized to conduct investigations to re-enforce concepts learned. ** Inquire about school credit!
$1200/week
Price includes all room and board
Session I: July 13-17
Session II: August 10-14
Long Beach Marine Institute
6475 E Pacific Coast Highway #281
Long Beach, CA 90803
(562)431-7156
For more information, visit the Long Beach Marine Institute website.
Leave a Comment » | Nature Activities, Places to Explore | Tagged: biology, camping, chemistry, child, children, day camp, fun, grandchild, grandchildren, hands-on activities for kids, Junior Oceanographer, kayaking, kids, Long Beach, Long Beach Marine Institute, marine biology, Marine Science, Marine Science Adventure Camps, Ocean Study, oceanography, physics, Places to Go, shark, snorkeling, summer camp | Permalink
Posted by mygrandmasue
There is a new Whitewater Park at Rock Park in Sparks, NV. Now there is quite the rapids to get through if you start at Reno and float your way down to Sparks on the Truckee River! Overcoming early obstacles, the revamping of the river at Rock Park is the start of river restoration that’s taking place. More info is here.
Leave a Comment » | Nature Activities, Places to Explore, Sport Activity | Tagged: child, children, family, fun, grandchild, grandchildren, grandma, grandpa, grandparent, Green Hour, innertubiing, kayaking, kids, Places to Go, play, rapids, river rafting, whitewater rapids | Permalink
Posted by mygrandmasue
A friend wanted suggestions for a romantic getaway to celebrate a 1 year milestone and I thought but a minute before coming up with Snoqualmie Falls and Salish Lodge, located about 30 miles from Seattle, Washington. Grandpa Ron and I enjoyed a weekend there many years ago and we still talk about it! It is where we adopted Bear, our first of now very many bears. He was sitting in the middle of the pillows on our bed when we arrived. We paid his adoption fee in the Gift Shop and he has gone on almost every trip we’ve taken anywhere ever since!
Salish Lodge has many scheduled activities that you can participate in. Even if the lodge is too high end for yur budget, Snoqualmie has other hotels and there are other nearby cities to stay. There is hiking, biking, horseback riding, kayaking, whitewater rapids, fishing and golfing galore – and a Railroad Museum!! We loved the train ride and the informative interpretive tour.
Leave a Comment » | Nature Activities, Places to Explore | Tagged: biking, child, children, family, fishing, fun, golf, golfing, grandchild, grandchildren, grandma, grandpa, Green Hour, hiking, hiking trails, horseback riding, kayaking, kids, nature, Northwest Railway Museum, Places to Go, Salish Lodge, Snoqualmie Falls, train, train ride, waterfall, whitewater rapids | Permalink
Posted by mygrandmasue
There are all sorts of activities to do in the Sierra Nevada mountains. The Virtual Sierra Nevada website is quite exhaustive: gold panning, hiking, skiing, biking, horseback riding, backpacking, kayaking, river rafting and more. Then there is lots of sightseeing as well – Yes, there are LOTS of little towns: Reno (biggest little), Truckee, Virginia City, Lake Tahoe, Mammoth, Bishop, … and beautiful parks like Yosemite, Sequoia, Kings Canyon, oh, I’ll get myself in trouble by trying to list them all and forgetting some so I’ll stop while I’m ahead…..check out the linked websites!!
Leave a Comment » | Nature Activities, Places to Explore | Tagged: backpacking, biking, children, exercise, family, fun, gold, gold panning, grandchild, grandchildren, grandpa, grandparent, Green Hour, hiking, hiking trails, horseback riding, kayaking, kids, Kings Canyon, Mammoth, Mammoth Lake, nature, Places to Go, Reno, Reno-Tahoe, Reno/Tahoe, river rafting, Sequoia, Sierra Nevada, skiing, Tahoe, Truckee, Yosemite | Permalink
Posted by mygrandmasue
MyGrandmaSue 