Don't Anger the Orangutans

When we visited Borneo, seeing semi-wild orangutans at the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre was at the top of my list. My kids and hubby found this mighty peculiar since I have developed a love/hate relationship with the marauding monkeys at our local park in Penang. Imagine squirrels at any American park. Now, imagine that they have opposable thumbs and a yearning to steal your stuff. "So, you want to pay to see monkeys?" my kids asked. "Because, you know, you can see them for FREE at home." True, but these orangutans are definitely in a different league. For the record, they're also not monkeys since they don't have tails.

The Centre is a halfway house for orangutans. After a hard life of partying with humans or injuring themselves living it up in the jungle, the rescued apes end up in rehab at the Sarawak Forestry Corporation. After they've been nursed back to health and taught to fend for themselves, they're released into the surrounding rainforest preserve.  Twice a day, wardens leave out heaps of fruit on platforms to supplement whatever nourishment the orangutan have been able to forage for themselves in the jungle. As they become more self-sufficient, their visits to the Wildlife Centre start decreasing.

This guy stuffed the entire bunch of bananas in his mouth at one time.

When we arrived for feeding time, the staff told us a little bit about their rehabilitation program and orangutans in general. But much of their talk focused on warning us to keep our distance, a minimum of 6 yards, from the orangutans. This isn't one of those up-close interaction, hug and hold, petting zoo type of places. They are firmly committed to making these animals fully independent. Humans are the "intruders" in the jungle, and it's up to the humans to keep out of the way of the orangutans freely wandering around the centre.  Not destroying their habitat would also be a step in the right direction.

The sign with prohibited items gave some clues to how previous human interaction had gone. No tripods are allowed because the orangutans may mistake them for blowguns. Bringing food and drinks is prohibited so that the orangutans won't be tempted to come and grab them from you, whether you invite it or not. I know how I feel when a little macaque monkey comes after my snack, and I certainly didn't want to bait an ape that outweighed me. The lack of primate toilet training is the reason why you don't want to stand underneath a tree with an orangutan. Luckily, we escaped being used as target practice.

As the crowd stood around listening to the wardens, the outlying trees began to shake. You could hear the rustling in the branches get louder and louder as the orangutan approached the feeding platforms. Suddenly, there they were swinging through the trees. From high up in the canopy, they gradually made their way down to the bounteous feast. The orangutans delved into the fruit laid out on the platform. I think that my kids may have been a little jealous that the apes could stuff huge amounts of food into their mouths and use their hands without being reprimanded by the Table Manners Squad (a.k.a. Mom). Some of them just sat on the platform to eat while others took their food up into the trees. That's when the biggest orangutan of them all appeared, and the others cleared out so he could have the platform to himself.

Ritchie the Alpha Male

Ritchie is clearly the Alpha Male in this group. Weighing close to 300 pounds with large cheek pads, he easily smashed coconuts against the tree trunk to get at the meat. The wardens warned us the he may look slow but could easily reach us in two leaps. So don't anger him! Don't make sudden movements or talk too loudly.

Hot Mama and her little one

Also watch out for Hot Mama. Her much deserved nickname comes from her quick temper. Apparently, she has no qualms about defending her kids from humans or other orangutans. Come to think of it, I totally get where she's coming from. I think I might be this way, too. No one messes with my kids.  At one point, she started walking along the path straight towards me. One part of me wanted to get a really great closeup shot of Hot Mama, but the other part of me had scenes from Rise of the Planet of the Apes running through my mind. Did I want my last picture to be of a great big orangutan mouth opening wide to chomp on me? No, so I backed away.

The crowds keep their distance from Hot Mama while she gives a piggy back ride.

In reality, it was all a very calm experience. People murmured to each other as the orangutans made their way around in the trees. If they were down on the ground, we made sure to give them plenty of clearance. Some of the orangutans ambled along the trail to the next feeding station while the others took to the trees to get there. The wardens made sure that everyone kept a safe distance away.

After about an hour, it was time for us to leave. We stopped at the small gift shop and snack bar to make a donation to the Wildlife Centre and buy a few drinks. Seeing animals held captive in a zoo is one thing. Seeing them in their natural habitat and being reminded that we humans are both the outsiders and the ones who can either practice conservation or selfishness was something else.

This post is part of Friday Daydreamin' at R We There Yet Mom? and part of Photo Friday at Delicious Baby.

Kid-friendly History at Tokyo's Fukagawa Edo Museum

Boathouse, small Yakitori Stall and Fire Watch Tower

Where do you go in Tokyo to explore Japanese history without your kids being bored to tears? Take them to the Koto-City Fukagawa Edo museum. We spent an hour wandering around the small alleyways of this recreated Edo period town. What's best about this place is that you can pick up and touch items. We could let the kids loose to freely explore. If you actually want to know what you're looking at, grab an English language map after you enter as there are no signs or docents inside.

Just getting to the museum was interesting. The surrounding area is a quiet little neighborhood without all the hustle and bustle that we found elsewhere in Tokyo. As we were walking from the subway station, a fire truck pulled up and firefighters jumped out. Since the side streets in this area are quite narrow, they had to unroll the long hose and pull it the few blocks where the truck could not fit.

The meowing of a small cat perched on a rooftop greeted us as we walked down the stairs to the main room of the museum. Her hame is Mame-suke, and she's here to play host. It was "night time" when we entered, but the lights gradually brightened, transforming the room into day. A cherry tree bloomed in one corner, and you could hear chickens and a temple bell. Before we left, the sun set and it became night once again.

"Yao-shin" Vegetable store

 

Rain barrel in the public space

The original platform shoe

Single room home in a row house

Pretending to cook over the wood stove

Two-story boathouse doubles as an eatery and gathering place

Choki-bune canal boats also serve as water taxis.

Milling brown rice at the Rice Store was a bit of a workout. You hang onto a bar in front of you and step onto a see-saw lever. As you move up and down, the other side smashes into the rice, breaking it free of the husk and bran. The kids really enjoyed this bit of hands-on history.

In fact, I think they liked everything about this place. Hubby and I liked it, too. Score! Everyone was satisfied. You can't beat that.



This post is part of Friday Daydreamin' at R We There Yet Mom?

Signs from a Japanese Subway

I really should be doing other stuff right now instead of blogging. Like planning for my daughter's birthday party. (Or licking the empty bowl of hot fudge sauce I just made for her ice cream birthday cake.)  I've invited a bunch of girls over this weekend and still have not planned exactly what I'm going to do with them. Perhaps I'll make them write clever captions for all the signs I saw in Japan. Because that is EXACTLY how little girls want to spend their time.

My favorite part of this Tokyo sign is the little bubbles floating up from the yellow man's head. Or maybe it's the expressions on everyone's face. I'm not quite sure what pushing the button will do because Yellow Man looks like a goner if the train is that close. (By the way, the one-eyed son is a motif you'll find in many of my Japanese photos.)

I didn't have a chance to take a photo of a great instructional sign we saw in Kyoto. It showed that the passenger platform at the train station is a ledge. If you fall down on the tracks and a train is approaching, roll over into the empty space under the ledge. It was bona fide useful information.

Woe is the person who is so busy texting he loses his arm (or worse) to an incoming train.

The most fabulous thing about this sign from the Kyoto subway is that girls actually wear adorable hats like this one. We happened to get on a train at the same time as primary schoolchildren going home for the day. They had on the cutest school uniforms I've ever seen. The girls wore hats straight out of Madeleine, and the boys had on Eton suits. Everyone matched, down to their socks and shoes. Even their leather and plaid book bags matched. They could be in a little fashion show. If The Gap copied the look for a Preppy Classics line, they would make a fortune.

Apparently, Thomas the Tank Engine is big in Japan, too. There's even a Thomas Land amusement park somewhere. Here, Thomas gives little ones directions for "Station Safety for Children." The only words I recognize are "SOS!" and "HELP!" So, now you know what to do if Percy is up to his old mischievous tricks.

Epic Day at Tokyo DisneySea

There was definitely a sense of anticipation at exploring DisneySea (as opposed to DisneyLand, clever) for the first time, and and it turned out to be quite exciting in more ways than planned. This park was originally conceptualized for Long Beach, California but ended up being built in Tokyo instead. Other than two rides — Tower of Terror and Indiana Jones — the rest of the rides and shows were new to this very experienced Disney family.

The first thing I noticed is that, unlike in America, visitors here are eager to get an early start. We're one of those "crazy" types that always gets to the park super early to beat the crowd. We were once the very first family through Sleeping Beauty's Castle! We underestimated Tokyo. A full hour before opening, hundreds of people were already waiting, and hordes more poured out of each local commuter train that pulled up at the station. It was going to be a crowded day.

Looking across Mediterranean Harbor to the entrance of DisneySea

I also noticed that the Japanese weren't going to compromise their fashion style just because they were spending the day at a theme park. To make some broad, sweeping generalizations, the Walt Disney World crowd in Florida tends to be populated with people wearing family reunion Tshirt uniforms. Disneyland in California has the SoCal look with lots of girls in spaghetti strap tank tops and cut offs. Hong Kong Disneyland was filled with people wearing heavy winter coats worthy of a ski slope even though the temperature hovered around 62°F. In Tokyo, I was freezing my bum off in a microfleece shirt, jacket and jeans. All the ladies around me were dolled up in short shorts, thigh high stockings and platform shoes with a cute jacket on top. Many were munching on the numerous popcorn flavors offered — caramel, strawberry, black pepper, and curry.

I wished that I had more time to admire the grand Mediterranean Harbor at the entrance, but I knew we had to head quickly to the rides if we wanted to cut down on waiting in line. Plus, I think I would have been run over by the stampede of people if I had stopped. As usual, the family split up for part of the time with my hubby taking my older son on the high thrill rides while I escorted the younger two on the kiddie rides.

Steampunk at its best — a retro-style view of the future

Mount Prometheus is the centerpiece of the park and the biggest steampunk display I've ever seen. It's part of Mysterious Island which is based on the stories of Jules Verne and held what my kids declared to be some of the best rides at DisneySea. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea may share a name with the now closed ride in the U.S. parks, but that's where the similarity ends. In this much more exciting version, we climbed into a diving bell and dipped down "under water" to explore the deep sea. All three kids really enjoyed the joystick-controlled searchlight. Be forewarned that taller folks, like my husband, will have to practically lie down on the bench in order to see out the window. The best original ride in the park has to be Journey to the Center of the Earth. It has it all — detailed theming (decorations that set the mood), great storyline, surprises, and a high thrill factor. If the U.S. parks are looking to expand, they should strongly consider adding Mysterious Island stateside.

Unbelievable sights, Indescribable feelings

Despite DisneySea being positioned as oriented for adults and older kids, there is plenty for the younger set to do at Arabian Coast and Mermaid Lagoon. Arabian Coast has Jasmine's Flying Carpets which is a Dumbo-style ride. There's a two-story carousel, and of course, my kids wanted to ride on the top level. Sinbad's Storybook Voyage is a relaxing boat ride that would have made a lot more sense if we had remembered to pick up the handheld English translator unit.

If I understood Japanese, I could tell you what's happening on Sinbad's Storybook Voyage.

The Magic Lamp Theater has a fun 4D movie mixed with live action on stage. This time, we remembered to ask for the translator. It's the story of Genie and one of his other masters not featured in the Aladdin movie. The bucking seats accidentally knocked my iPhone out of my pocket, and I didn't realize it until after we'd exited. Imagine describing your iPhone to someone. "Um, it's black. It's an iPhone." I don't know if I was sadder at the prospect of losing a pricey item or the numerous pictures that hadn't been uploaded to the cloud. Luckily, they found it!

Up where they walk, Up where they run, Up where they stay all day in the sun...

The fantastical, Gaudi-inspired spires of Mermaid Lagoon beckoned us to cross over to this port-of-call. A kiddie roller coaster and another ride are at surface level. Then, you descend down into Triton's Kingdom which, joy of joys, is located entirely indoors. Disney was wise to plan a section which would be enjoyable no matter what the weather was like outside. Our first stop was the Mermaid Lagoon Theater where we once again remembered to get translator devices. It's a good thing because this version of Ariel and Ursula's story is different from the movie. The show involves a lot of dangling from a harness on Ariel's part (an aerial Ariel) as well as ginormous lever-controlled puppets. It's not to be missed, even if you've seen the one in Florida a thousand times. Triton's Kingdom also has three other kiddie rides, an indoor playground, a restaurant, ice cream cart, and a few shops. You could spend HOURS down here as we later discovered.

Jumpin' Jellyfish! This place is deceptively huge.

Fortress Explorations is a Renaissance-era citadel that reminds me somewhat of EPCOT and its numerous hands-on activites. If EPCOT is focused on the future, Fortress Explorations is firmly rooted in the past. Guests joined the Society of Explorers and Adventurers (S.E.A.) to "witness first-hand the progression of our explorations and research." No rides here, but there was still plenty to capture our attention. Plus, what had started as a windy day was getting even more blustery, and this was a wonderful way to take shelter. It was too dark outside for the Camera Obscura to work properly, but I will admit that the life-size Flying Machine was a sight to behold (and climb on).

Come Josephine in my Flying Machine

At this point, the weather stopped holding back and really let loose. People made beelines for stores selling rain gear. I utilized my pushy American attitude to grab some instead of politely waiting while the lady in front of me took her time figuring out exactly which knee-length, white, semi-transparent, plastic raincoat she wanted. Even though we were in Port Discovery, we didn't do the rides. Aquatopia was outdoors and looked miserable in the lashing rain. We seemed to have missed StormRider, too. This Fast Pass-category simulator ride takes you into the middle of a typhoon. With the wind and the rain whipping around in real life, we wished it was all just a ride and we could get off.

My little girl is absolutely terrified of storms. More than one person has commented to me, "That's how my dog is around thunder." So, the younger two kids and I made our way back to Triton's Kingdom. Lots of people were streaming towards the park exit even though it was only mid-afternoon. My guess is that if people had a season pass or a multi-day pass, they were calling it quits for the day. I only saw half of DisneySea, so you'll have to rely on my hubby and son's report for the remaining ports-of-call. No pictures after this point because we were worried that our cameras would either be soaked or blown out of our hands. So much for my plan to go back and take a picture at the entrance.

Do not anger the Raging Spirits roller coaster.

The Lost River Delta evokes an ancient Central American civilization deep in a remote jungle. Like any good movie archaeologist, the rides explore ruins and anger the gods. Will they never learn? The Raging Spirits roller coaster was rated "medium thrill" by hubby despite its tight, 360 degree loop. Hubby actually exceeded the maximum rider height limit, so he slouched down and snuck on. I'm glad the gods didn't make him lose his head over it! The Indiana Jones ride is very similar to the one in California. But since this is one of his favorite non-rollercoaster rides, hubby didn't mind. Indiana Jones is the one DisneySea ride I really regret missing out on.

The sea was angry that day my friends.

American Waterfront has both the Tower of Terror and the S.S. Columbia which looks amazingly like the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California. My hubby joked that Disney really went all out making the seas look stormy that day. Tower of Terror is my son's favorite ride at any Disney park, and he enjoyed the Tokyo version immensely. It has a different story but keeps the exhilarating, full-shaft drops.

The family reunited and decided to head to dinner during a lull in the storm even though it wasn't quite 6 p.m. We made our way to Zambini Brother's Ristorante in Mediterranean Harbor. While we were huddled down and walking, an announcement in Japanese started broadcasting over the entire park. That can't be good. I'm glad they repeated it in English afterwards. The Fantasmic show that evening was cancelled, and they may have announced that some of the outdoor rides were halted too. The part that took me by surprise was that all commuter trains back into Tokyo were shut down. Remember all those hordes of people streaming out of the train station that morning? How were they all getting home? Hopefully, most of them had already left. Otherwise, the taxi stand was going to be a mob scene.

So, we decided to while away our time at the restaurant. After eating, I stayed there with little girl while hubby took the boys back to Mysterious Island for one last go at the rides there. My younger boy commented that you could lean backwards, and the wind would completely support you. Also, wait times at rides were practically nothing.

At 8 p.m., a full 2 hours before park closing, we decided to leave. This should give you a clue to how bad the weather was at this point. I thought the best chance for us to comfortably hail a taxi was from the MiraCosta hotel. So, we donned our rain gear and headed back outside. By now, we couldn't even walk straight since the wind was blowing so hard. In the next day's newspaper, they printed a picture of semi-trucks on the road which had blown over on their sides. Flights into Haneda Airport had stopped, too. The MiraCosta was beautiful inside. Even if it's not storming, you should take a moment to explore it. The kids settled down in front of a TV showing The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (in Japanese) while we waited for our taxi to arrive. Much better than waiting outside at the park's taxi stand! On our way home, we had to take a detour since the iconic Rainbow Bridge was closed as well. All in all, it was an epic day in more ways than one.

Tips for Handling Grumpy Junior Travelers

I need to make a confession. Reading over my trip reports with my kids, you may have formed the impression that they are enthusiastic, willing participants on all our travels. Perhaps you picture them happily donning their backpacks and eager to explore. You are mistaken. When I was visiting Austin a few months ago, one of my friends commented about how much her kids complained when they traveled, even on an overnight getaway. She was envious of all the trips I was taking with my kids. And then I explained that my kids' attitudes were pretty much just like her children's.

The key is that I've built up a very high tolerance to whining, pouty faces, and even calmly conveyed protests. I alternate between chirpily restating how much fun we're going to have, grouchily muttering, "Because I said so," and silently ignoring the cloud of grumpiness hovering around us.

So, why do we keep going? Because ultimately, the good outweighs the bad. Like much of parenting, just when I'm ready to throw in the towel (e.g. potty training, separation anxiety at school drop off, learning to sleep alone, etc.), something happens that gives me encouragement. A few happy moments of my kids' appreciation are all I need to keep me going. Plus, I am certain that at some point, probably a few decades from now, they'll look back fondly at all the journeys we take.

Here are some tips, some of which may only apply to my family:

1. Quote Lilo & Stitch
As Lilo says, " 'Ohana' means family. Family means no one gets left behind." I bring this up whenever the kids ask, "Why do we have to come along?" Hubby and I want to travel. We're taking the family with us. No one gets left behind.

2. Let them have input on trip planning
For our trip to Japan, I asked all the kids what they really wanted to do while we were there. Letting them have some control has cut down on resistance. I made sure I incorporated all the reasonable requests. Staking out the Nintendo office building which is closed to the public is not a reasonable request.

Can you guess if an adult or child put Pokemon Center on the itinerary?

3. Give kids their turn at picking restaurants
I will readily admit that we eat at McDonald's while traveling. I claim that we go too much. My kids claim that we go too little (3 times a day being just right in their eyes). So, I guess we're at some sort of happy medium. We'll also do the "acceptable choices" routine. I'll appoint one child to pick the restaurant but limit his choices to, for example, three restaurants that serve either teppanyaki, sushi, or ramen. Note that McDonald's is not a choice.

Plastic food displays outside Japanese restaurants helped the kids decide where to eat.

4. Figure out why they're reluctant
My kids don't get out of doing the day's activity just because of a bad attitude. But if someone is scared, I've learned not to push it. Who knew that The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh at Disneyland would traumatize my then 4-year-old so much that we weren't able to go on most rides for the rest of the day? I honestly thought that if I just got her on it, she would be so enchanted by the storybook images that she'd forget her fears. Wrong! On the other hand, we assumed my son refused to go back into the Magic Kingdom's Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor show because he thought it was too scary. It turned out that he just thought the Roz character spoke to the audience rudely. We went back in.

5. Bribe them
Put the kiddie fun activity after the boring adult one. "If you behave while we are at this Buddhist temple, then we can go to the children's science museum." Also, offering an ice cream break will do wonders to rejuvenate tired children — just remember to tour quickly before the sugar crash hits.

6. Accept that everyone may not be happy
Of course, I would be overjoyed if everyone were happy! With two adults and three kids, all five of whom have very different personalities and interests, the chances of everyone being happy are slim. I try to split the difference so that everyone at least has a few chances to be happy. If one adult and 2 of the 3 kids are satisfied, I consider it a huge success.

How many children are happy in this picture?

7. Be willing to split up
Sometimes the best way to increase the odds of numerous happy travelers is to split up. There's a five year age difference between my oldest and youngest kids, and they are definitely at different developmental points, both physically and psychologically. In Maine a few summers ago, the two older kids went with their dad on Diver Ed's Dive-In Theater Boat Cruise, an amazingly way cool excursion to get an up close look at marine life both above and under the water. My girl was leery of boats, so we stayed on shore to visit the aquatic touch tanks and play with DNA replication LEGOs at Mount Desert Island Biological Lab.

Diver Ed uses an underwater camera to give kids a peep at life beneath the waves.

8. Know when to stop
Sometimes, I will have the most amazing, action packed day of sightseeing planned, but tired feet and hungry stomachs get in the way. I'm slowly, v-e-r-y slowly, learning to be flexible and figuring out when to call it quits and head back to the hotel. It's the same planning that goes into a day of running errands with a toddler and baby. As much as is logistically possible, load the most important stuff at the beginning so that you minimize your losses if you have to stop before the end of the list.

9. Find some Me Time
For some of my friends, this means a spa treatment or a quiet date night while the children are at the resort's Kids Club. In my case, Me Time usually involves barricading myself in the hotel bathroom and reading a book while perched on the counter after the children and my early bird hubby have fallen asleep.

Also be on the lookout for any Me Time opportunities that come your way.  Flying from Hong Kong to Tokyo, my hubby — but only my hubby — was bumped up to business class. He was all ready to decline when I piped up, "I'll take it. You can sit with the kids." See how nice I am to let the kids have quality time with their even keeled dad without buggy, ole mom hanging around? I was in a better mood, so I was more able to deflect my kids' grumpiness. Hats off to hubby for being totally fine with this arrangement.

I enjoyed a selection of goodies from the Business Class Fruit and Cheese cart.
Hubby snacked on peanuts while caring for 3 kids in Steerage Coach.

And if you find that magic moment when everyone is happy and content, cherish it!
(Then take a picture so you have proof.)



This post is part of Travel Tips Tuesday at Suitcases and Sippy Cups.

Japanese Vending Machines

My cousin, Sandra, told me that the Japanese loved vending machines. She said they were everywhere, on sidewalks and down tiny alleys. Well, she was right. My kids are still hoping that in a fog of jetlag, I'll land at a U.S. airport, walk up to a Best Buy vending machine, swipe my credit card and declare, "You were so good on that flight, I'm going to buy you a Nintendo DSi." In the meantime, they got to enjoy the numerous vending machines we encountered in Japan.

Most of the machines served beverages. If you got thirsty walking down the street or standing on a train station platform, there'd surely be a machine nearby so you could quench your thirst. The one in the hallways of the Hilton Tokyo Narita Airport hotel even dispensed beer. No I.D. required.

Cigarette vending machines were also popular.  I haven't seen those in America since I was a kid. Back then, you had to pull out the lever to get it to come out. Or so I thought. I never actually bought any. In Japan, there were public smoking areas with rows of cigarette machines all along the back.

Was it coincidence that this cigarette machine
was next to an Automated External Difibrillator (AED)?

You could buy small toys in plastic bubbles, too. However, machines dispensing Nintendo DSi's were no where to be found.

She had a yen for LEGO minifigures.

But the best machines gave you food. At the Kyoto International Manga Museum Cafe, we came across a Ticket Vender. After perusing the numbered menu, you used the machine to place your order. Just insert the appropriate amount of money and push the button for the food item you want. The machine gives you back both change and a printed ticket with your order. Hand the ticket to the person at the counter and find a table. When the food is cooked and ready, a waitress brings it out to you. For drinks, entrees and side dishes for the five of us, we handed over 12 tickets.

The menu is the red-bordered page at the top right of the machine.
Push the button corresponding to the menu item you want.

The most amazing vending machine is the one that gave you HOT food. No kitchen or cook required at this one! My younger boy was feeling a bit peckish one afternoon when we came across it. Other people crowded around eager to watch, but we were the only ones willing to actually pay money to see it in action.

Come and get it while it's hot!

The menu was in Japanese, so I was glad there were pictures. It offered both Western foods like hot dogs or french fries as well as Asian foods such as fried rice or noodles. Everything was priced at 350 yen, or US$4.30. Insert your money and make your selection. A timer lights up, telling you how long to wait to have your hunger sated. My boy chose french fries which took about 90 seconds to cook. As we waited, I joked about Wallace and Gromit-worthy contraptions housed inside the machine that would peel and slice potatoes, heat the oil, fry everything up, drain it, and plate the food. Ding! The machine was done.

Yum, yum! French fries from a vending machine.

He peeled open the box to find a pile of steamy, soft, microwaved french fries. It turns out that a packet of salt was included, but we didn't discover that until the fries were consumed. Were they good? Not in my opinion. Did my boy eat it? Yes, and even had to be strong armed to part with some to share with his siblings.

U.S. National Park Week: Part 2

From April 21-29, 2012, it's National Park Week in the U.S.A. That means you get free admission at all national parks plus special discounts at selected parks.

We had planned to visit one of the most famous national parks, Yellowstone, last summer. I even made reservations a whole year in advance for hotel rooms with a view of Old Faithful. But fate stepped in and sent us packing halfway around the world instead. Thank goodness the lodge had a very generous cancellation policy. In Part 1, I covered our visits to parks in Washington State, Colorado and Maine. Now, on to the rest!


Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park, Big Island, Hawaii - 2010
This was a place of refuge for the ancient Hawaiians who broke sacred laws. It is an amazingly way cool historical place.

My favorite memory is asking my then 5-year-old how did she think they lifted up the massive rocks to build the tall wall. I thought she'd reply, "Magic," or "Fairies." Instead, she said, "An inclined plane." Thank you Sid the Science Kid!


Ki'i (carved wooden images) made out of ohia wood

Volcanoes National Park, Big Island, Hawaii - 2010
Here's your chance to visit a live volcano. See the red glow and gasses coming out of Halema'uma'u Crater while standing on the deck of the Jaggar Museum. At night, view lava flowing down the mountain. Explore the cavelike Thurston Lava Tube hidden under the jungle growth and hike the aptly named Devastation Trail where you can observe plant life reestablishing itself after a 1959 eruption.

Visiting the home of Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire, lightning, wind, and volcanoes

Modern day lava flows across the old Chain of Craters Road.

Haleakala National Park, Maui, Hawaii - 2010
The landscape changes as you start at sea level, pass Hosmer Grove, and drive up to an elevation of 10,023 feet at the top of Haleakala. Some people even watch the sun rise at the summit then bike down the twisting road.

Missing summit near the top of Haleakala

Alien forest in Hosmer Grove gives way to
native Hawaiian shrubland

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park, California - 2011

I spent many childhood summers nearby in Lake Isabella, but I somehow never made it to this park until last year. Giant trees, the Crystal Cave, and a canyon that's about 8,200 feet deep (2200 feet deeper than the Grand Canyon) all call for your attention.

Pausing for a moment before descending to the bottom of Kings Canyon
to hike Zumwalt Meadow

Driving through Tunnel Log — How much more touristy can you get?

U.S. National Park Week: Part 1

From April 21-29, 2012, it's National Park Week in the U.S.A. That means you get free admission at all national parks plus special discounts at selected parks. We're a family that visited National Parks every summer until we ended up moving to Malaysia (where we happen to live just 20 minutes away from the smallest Malaysian National Park).

In some ways, I always thought our park visits were a little strange. We are not folks who normally go out on weekend family hikes. We typically spend our free time baking in the kitchen or maybe tinkering with LEGO robotics. But our big vacations always seem to lead us to National Parks.

Over time, I have figured out that even though the kids were small when we started, we've created lasting memories. When my oldest boy studied ancient American civilizations in Social Studies, he couldn't wait to bring in some photos from our trip to Mesa Verde National Park which was home to the Pueblo Cliff Dwellers in Colorado. My younger boy once started babbling on about riding on a boat, eating a hamburger, watching whales, sleeping in a log cabin and eating pancakes. At first (only halfway listening), I thought he was telling me about a dream. He insisted it was real. Then, I realized he was describing our trip from Canada's Victoria Island to Olympic National Park in Washington state that we took when he was only 4-years-old. He made it sound so magical. What kid couldn't love it?

Here are some of my favorite pictures from past trips to U.S. National Parks. I hope that one day, you'll make some time to see some, too.

Olympic National Park, Washington - 2007
With Pacific coast beaches, temperate rainforest, and alpine areas, this place is like three parks in one. Twilight fans have an extra bonus since Forks is reached by driving through the park.




Rialto Beach



Easy alpine trail on Hurricane Ridge

Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado - 2008
This park is best known for the cliff dwellings of the ancestral Pueblo people. It has everything from hikes so easy a 3-year-old can do it, to more challenging ones that involve climbing ladders up to the cliff side condos.



Spruce Tree House

Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado - 2008
This is the home of the tallest sand dunes in North America. The sand gets blazing hot by midday in the summer, so plan on visiting early in the morning. Afterwards, cool off in Medano Creek that runs by the Visitor's Parking.



Can you see that tiny speck of a person just right of center
on the Great Sand Dunes?

Acadia National Park, Maine - 2009
On top of Cadillac Mountain, be one of the first people in America to watch the sun rise for the day. Enjoy popovers and tea at Jordan Pond House. See the rugged Maine coastline and eat lobster. Ahh....



Grabbing some sun on Cadillac Mountain

Post-prandial stroll around Jordan Pond

Stay tuned for Part 2 where I'll cover a few parks in Hawaii and Sequoia National Park in California.


This post is part of Friday DayDreamin at R We There Yet Mom?