I played local tourist this past week and checked out two spots worth sharing. One is familiar and the other is brand new.
The familiar spot is the San Diego Botanical Gardens in Encinitas. Those of us who’ve lived for decades in North County San Diego still call it Quail Botanical Gardens. Since my last visit, they have moved the entrance. It was a bit confusing as you seem to be walking backwards through the garden now. Despite that, I saw a rainbow of beautiful plants and was able to capture every color except blue.
My favorite is the ghostly green trees.
The brand new spot is the EcoVivarium Living Museum in Escondido. Try saying EcoVivarium fast…try saying it correctly! Anyway, while searching online for info on bearded dragons, (my daughter recently adopted one), I found this educational nonprofit that rescues donated reptiles, amphibians, and arthropods.
Recalling this visit, I have to laugh. I walked in the lobby of the building and noticed a turtle roaming freely. At the front desk, a lady greeted me with a quizzical look on her face. She asked if she could help me as she tried to see if there was anyone else behind me. I told her I found the museum online and wanted to visit. She said sure and I paid the fee. But you don’t browse this museum, you are guided through it. She found my guide–a wonderful informative young woman–and off we went.
As the tour progressed, I realized that this museum is set up for children, not single adult visitors. I didn’t let that stop me and asked a ton of questions as I was shown spiders, scorpions, snakes and lizards. Curious about how my guide got involved in this field, I asked and found out that she’d gone through a tough time in her life. The reptiles helped her through and pretty much rescued her. Amazing!
Thirty minutes or so later, a mom and her two young daughters joined us and out came a bearded dragon. According to my guide, they are an extremely popular pet in the US right now. They are gentle, easy to care for, low cost, and interact well with humans (warmth).
If you get a chance to play tourist in San Diego this summer, I highly recommend both of these spots (and bearded dragons too.)
