Presidential Libraries and Museum in Southern California.

Presidents' Day 2018 is coming February 19th. It is a great time to go and visit the local Presidential museum and library. Southern California is home the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda, CA.  Home and birthplace to our former President. It is a great way to learn about history, politics and our government process. At the Richard Nixon Library and Museum, you will find the historical home where President Nixon grew-up, a retired Marine One helicopter, political advertisement of the 1960's and more. 

American history is in every room of this Presidential Library and Museum. As you walk through the halls, it is like walking back in time. Exhibits with fashion, a piece of the Berlin Wall, dishes from the personal kitchen of the first lady, black and white photographs and posters that were used in the political race back in the 1960's, all line the rooms. It all reminds us that time does not stop for us and change is just around the corner. 

Simi Valley is home to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum. This elegant museum provides the opportunity to board Air Force One. Once you enter the retired Air Force One, the feeling of excitement will take over. We stood there saying, "This is where our President walked, sat down & ran our country. Our imagination runs to those Presidential moments. Inside the library, you and your family will discover private photos that uncover intimate moments with Mother Teresa and other important world leaders. Outside, there is a piece of the Berlin Wall that reminds you that peace is stronger than war. We recommend this museum for kids 12 years and older. A basic understanding of culture, politics, and government is recommended to enjoy the museum.

The Richard Nixon Library and Museum and The Ronald Reagan Library and Museum are both located right here in Southern California. They are both great places to visit history, politics and the past American culture. Seeing history and touching it makes for a better experience than just reading about it.
Please check with the museums for times and dates of operation. They are sometimes closed for special events. 

You can also visit other presidential libraries and museums throughout the United States. Here is a list of places you may want to visit this year:

Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum  - Kansas

George Bush Presidential Library and Museum  - Texas

William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum - Arkansas

Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum   - Iowa

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum   - Massachusetts

Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum -  Illinois

William McKinley Museum and Presidential Library - Ohio

Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum   - New York

Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum - Missouri

How Field Trips Boost Students’ Lifelong Success

Fostering lifelong success in education is as easy as visiting a local museum, library or cultural center. Family field trips are so important to a child's education because it's a hands-on activity that will remain in their minds forever. It is a bridge that helps young minds to understand what they are being taught in school. The family field trip is crucial in supporting history, math, reading and socializing. Benjamin Franklin said it best, "Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn." This year foster more family field trips that will help your child better understand what he/she is reading at school. The NEA supports field trips and encourages them as part of a child's education. Please take a minute to read what they have to say on the matter.

National Education Association - NEA 

Margy Natalie, acting onsite learning manager at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum, agrees: “Field trips give students the opportunity to learn in a natural environment and experience things first-hand and from primary resources, rather than texts; real objects rather than photos.” Carylann Assante, executive director for Student & Youth Travel Association (SYTA) and SYTA Youth Foundation, seconds that notion. “Today's students are visual learners and a field trip lets them touch, feel, and listen to what they’re learning about, [which helps them] build on classroom instruction, gain a better understanding of topics, build cultural understanding and tolerance, and expose them to worlds outside their own.”

Read the entire article here: How Field Trips Boost Students’ Lifelong Success | NEA Member Benefits

Find a Lunar Celebration in Southern California 2018

Southern California offers many family field trip opportunities that help you learn about different cultures and traditions. January through February, Southern California will be filled with lots of Lunar Celebrations the year of the Dog 2018. Shopping malls, libraries, cities, and fairgrounds will decorate with large lanterns and red decorations to bring good luck into the new year.  We share a personal story of our experience along with places where you can go to celebrate this great holiday. 

Our first time attending a Lunar celebration was so many years ago at our local library. There was about a handful of people in the community room. The lion dance performers had traveled from Santa Barabara to Rancho Cucamonga(very far). With toddlers, we sat up front to make sure we were able to see. As the drums began to play the noise of people talking went dead listen and all you could hear was the drums. The lion/dragon stepped out and interacted with all the guests. It was impactful to be so close to the dragon. The experience left us speechless and interested in culture.  

The Lunar celebration, we attended, enriched our learning experience. We spring clean our home and give money to our kids. Of course, each family has their own way of celebrating with food and family gatherings. During the month of February, we will travel to the Asian Markets to buy tropical fruits. There are these yummy tropical fruits that we buy at our local Vietnamese market: Dragon Fruit, Rambutan, Jackfruit, and Lychee. All of these fruits are delicious and abundant here in California.

Ready to have fun at the local Lunar New Year celebration? We have a list of some locations that will be ringing in the Lunar New Year 2018:

Newport Beach - Fashion Island Shopping Center
Feb 17, 2018 • 1pm - 3pm • (949) 721-2000

Neiman Marcus/Bloomingdale's Courtyard
https://www.shopfashionisland.com/events/lunar-new-year-celebration-2018/

Orange County - Costa Mesa
Orange County Fair Grounds
February 16, 17, and 18th at the OC Fair Grounds. Tickets are $5-$12 depending on how many days you want to attend. 
https://tetfestival.org/

Bowers Museum - Santa Ana, CA 

February 4, 2018 11:00 am - 1:30 pm

Tickets: $25 Adults $20 kids 12 and older weekend 

Celebrate the Year of the Dog with exciting music, dance, and art of Asia. Fun activities for the entire family. Lion and dragon dances and Changing Faces master are featured.
Sponsored by The Nicholas Endowment

Location: Bowers Key Courtyard and Bowers Kidseum 
Ticket Info: FREE festival. 

General admission to Bowers Museum and Kidseum is free on Festival Sundays for Members and Santa Ana residents only.

Bowers Museum

2002 North Main Street
Santa Ana, CA 92706
714-567-3600
Website@bowers.org
www.bowers.org

Los Angeles

January 28th, 2018
Lunar Celebration Year of the Dog.
The Grove 

Join us to celebrate the Year of the Dog at The Grove and The Original Farmers Market. Enjoy traditional festivities like Lion and Dragon Dances as well as musical performances, culinary demonstrations, arts & crafts, pet-friendly activities and so much more! Don’t miss this fantastic cultural experience for the whole family. 

https://thegrovela.com/events/lunar-new-year-celebration/

Chinatown Los Angeles February 17th, 2018 Downtown Golden Dragon Parade
http://www.lachinesechamber.org/calendar/2017/2/4/2017-la-golden-dragon-parade

City of Commerce 
Citadel Outlets 
During the month of February, shoppers will have the chance to enjoy festive red and gold lanterns, twinkling lights and an authentic 17-ft Chinese pagoda decorating Center Court.
Friday, February 16, and Saturday, February 17, from 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM, live dancers, and artists from the Los Angeles Chinese Cultural Center will perform Chinese dragon dances, folk dances and traditional songs and drum ceremonies.

https://www.citadeloutlets.com/event/7th-annual-lunar-new-year-celebration/2145501484/

Monterey Park

http://www.montereypark.ca.gov/669/Lunar-New-Year-Festival

Time:

2/3/2018 (Sat.) 10:00 am-9:00 pm
2/4/2018 (Sun.) 10:00 am-7:00 pm

Location: Los Angeles County

5 blocks along Garvey Avenue, Monterey Park, CA.

(Between Garfield Ave. & Alhambra Ave.)

http://lunarnewyears.com/activities/

PERFORMANCES & ENTERTAINMENT ON FEB 3, 2018

LION DANCE/秉公堂舞獅表演

GREETING FROM DISNEY MYSTERY GUEST 迪士尼神秘嘉賓

MARIACHI LOS PLATEADOS 墨西哥異國演奏

COOKING TIME 美食家林慧懿時間

PERFORMANCES & ENTERTAINMENT ON FEB 4, 2018

TINY TOTS DANCING ACTS (FAIRWAY EDUCATION CENTER 惠兒園兒童表演)

KIDS DANCE (GRACE DANCING STUDIO)

LION DANCE(秉公堂舞獅表演)

LA CLASSIC CHINESE ORCHESTRA (洛杉磯古箏國樂社)

GREETING FROM DISNEY MYSTERY GUEST 迪士尼神秘嘉賓

CHINESE TRADITIONAL DANCE (張肇壯華裔樂舞)

LINE DANCE (金龄排舞)

FOLK DANCE (土風舞社年節舞)

YOUNG GENERATION DANCING ARTS (DANCERS WORLD PRODUCTION DWP即興創作舞蹈)

SAXOPHONE SOLO (薩克斯風獨奏)

SPONSORTIME (US BANK)

CHINESE MUSIC (唐生國樂社)

ADVANCE MARTIAL ARTS (精武堂中國武術訓練中心)

MIDDLE EASTERN DANCE PERFORMANCE (中東舞表演)

THE YEAR OF THE DOG'S SPECIAL (PET'S SHOWTIME 寵物大比拼)

DIABOLO ACTS (神奇扯鈴)

LITTLE STAR DANCING ARTS (STAR FACTORY ACTING & MUSIC ACADEMY 星工廠藝術學院)

SINGER'S LIVE BAND FROM LA VOICE (尹星智樂隊表演)

LUCKY DRAWING (世界日報大抽獎)

Exotic Food

48 food booths featuring food from Taiwan, China, Japan, Korea, Thailand and other countries

Lunar New Year Festival 2018 -San Diego

Tết Festival 狗年春节游园会
@ SDCCU Stadium
9449 Friars Rd, San Diego, CA 92108
FRI FEB 9 * 5 PM – 10 PM
SAT FEB 10 * 11 AM – 10 PM
SUN FEB 11 * 11 AM – 8 PM
Opening ceremony – Saturday FEB 10th
Lion dance troupes are on-site throughout the day, every day.
FREE PARKING
FREE ADMISSION for anyone wearing a *complete* military uniform!!
FREE carnival ride with every admission ticket purchases
FREE entry for everyone who born in the year of the Dog…bring your ID
30,000 zodiac charms giveaway while supplies last!
http://lunarnewyearfestival.org/

Find More fun things to do on our Facebook page, Instagram and Twitter.

More about the celebration... The Huffington Post: Lunar New Year is not just for the Chinese. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/lunar-new-year-explained_us_588bde8de4b0b065cbbc13db

Chinese New Year Tale by Panda Express

Visiting Museums in Los Angeles in one weekend.

Let's go and explore Los Angeles in one weekend. You will be surprised to find out you can museum hop fairly quickly. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, La Brea Tar Pits and Museum, Craft and Folk Art Museum, Art of America's Building, MOCA Pacific Design Center, Peterson Automotive Museum, and Zimmer Children's Museum are just a few museums that are located a short distance from each other in Los Angeles. 

You can take the bus, a train or just drive to these amazing places. Food can be found on Trucks outside the museums or cafe shops inside the venues. We recommend packing your own lunch, then, going for a bite to eat for a fancy dinner at a local diner. 

The 101 Coffee Shop

https://www.101coffeeshop.com/


Mel's Drive-in Hollywood
http://melsdrive-in.com/menus

Find your next adventure on our Facebook.

Field Trip Mom offers a calendar of events on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and our blog. We are a great resource for parents, teachers, caregivers and anyone who loves adventure. The Facebook calendar is updated every week with free and non-free events. 

All of the events are local.  Join our Facebook page and get free notices on local activities. Field Trip Mom Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/pg/FieldtripmomFTM/events/

Upcoming events:

Lunar Festival 

Temple City Camellia Festival 

Bug and Insect  Fair at the NHM 

Find more great information on our Instagram and Twitter accounts: 
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/fieldtripmom/

Twitter https://twitter.com/FieldTripMom

Go ahead and visit our social media channels to help you have a wonderful 2018!

Disclaimer: We are PR friendly, please contact us if you have any questions. 

Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens

Family field trip to San Clemente's famous, "Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens."  Casa Romantica was built in 1927 as a beach club by Ole Hanson. Mr. Hanson founded the City of San Clemente because he thought it would be a great place to rest while on travel from Los Angeles to San Diego. 

This historical place overlooks the beach providing a gorgeous view for visitors. This is a great place to feel and see a little of "Early California History." 

Casa Romantica Early California History

We had a great experience taking photos of their beautiful gardens. The kids enjoyed sitting by the fireplace and running through the grounds playing as they listened to the ocean. There a great place that you can sit and look out into the Pacific watching for sea life to swim by. We enjoyed the serenity of the place. We are looking forward to returning soon. 

Information:

Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens

415 Avenida Granada
San Clemente, CA 92672
(949) 498-2139
info@casaromantica.org

Hours:
Tuesday – Thursday 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Friday – Sunday 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Closed Monday
Casa Romantica is closed on all federal holidays.

Tickets:

General admission: $5.00
Ages 12 and under: FREE
Casa Romantica Members: FREE
FREE general admission for all ages on the first Sunday of every month

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!!! Free Valentine's Day Printable. This is a free gift for you. Use them to make cards, wrapping paper or use your own craft touch. February is friendship month and it is one of my favorite holidays. I love to see someone smile when I hand them a handmade gift with a personalized paper or tags. Valentine's day is only a few weeks away and I hope you get to make lots of fun things with these great designs. "A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow." – William Shakespeare

I am using these as tags for my homemade gifts. I will add pink and red paper to the back of this design and make it a three-dimensional card to go with my handwritten message on the back.
Click here to get print this cute design: Printable Many hearts

I will cut this and glue a candy kiss (Hersey) to the paper and secretly make a delivery to my friends. I want to see brighten up their day. I will put a few of them in my child's school bag to surprise them. Click here to print the above design: Happy Valentine's Day Printable

Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one. ― C.S. Lewis

This could be a great background for your favorite photo. Get creative and use the printables to send messages of love and friendship. Make this year full of love!!! Click here to print these beautiful hearts: Design Hearts

"The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, not the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when you discover that someone else believes in you and is willing to trust you with a friendship." – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Family field trip: Orange picking in the city of La Verne.

Family field trip - Orange picking in the city of La Verne will transport you to the "Citrus Era" of Southern California dating back to the 1800's. La Verne Heritage Park is open from January 6th through March 2018 (while supplies last). The park is open only on weekends. There is no fee to enter and anyone can walk around or enjoy a picnic lunch. Bags of oranges are $5.00, the mesh bags and the picking poles are supplied at the entrance of the park. They also offer a small sample of the current crop. 

The facility offers picnic tables to sit to enjoy the surroundings. We sat down for a bit and marveled at the beauty of the place. The orange trees are beautiful. It is evident that the crop is delicate and strong at the same time because of the age of the trees and delicious fruit. When you visit the farm, you will notice the tree trunks have a smooth, soft look to them. We are astonished at all the history they carry with them. Just beautiful and amazing orange trees that have been feeding the community for many years. 

Our family has been visiting the park for the last (9) years. It is a family tradition to go on opening day. We go to rest our minds and take in the beauty of the grove. It is not a very large farm. There is a 100 plus-year-old home on site to tour by appointment only and a few farm animals. The best, of course, is the delicious oranges, grapefruit, and splendor of the place. 

We recommend you call before you plan your visit. The farm is small, opens only on weekends, and they close once they run out of oranges. 

For only $5.00 per bag, you can pick oranges and grapefruit. It is recommended that you purchase several for a family of four. We ate (5) oranges just sitting in the car and another (4) at breakfast the next morning.  The bags hold 18 to 24 oranges dependent on the size you pick and how you pack the bag. This years orange crop is delicious.  We don't think that the season on this farm will last all the way until March. (Go before March.)

La Verne

Location:
Heritage Park
5001 Vía De Mansion, La Verne, CA 91750
View a Map

Date/Time: 10:00am until 2:00pm Call ahead
Saturdays only beginning January 6, 2018, and continuing approximately until the beginning of March.

Contact Information:
For more information call (909) 293-9005

Fees/Admission: Bags of oranges are $5, and mesh bags and the picking poles are supplied.

Free admission to popular Los Angeles Museums.

Free for the public museum day event is coming up January 27th and 28th, 2018. Mark your calendars and enjoy free admission to several Los Angeles Museums. Because some museums close on the 28th, the free admission offer can be redeemed on the January 27th, 2018. Some museums require advance sign-up while others will take people until they reach capacity. Please contact your favorite museum to get your ticket.

List of the 2018 Participating Museums:

Annenberg Space for Photography

Autry Museum of the American West

The Broad

California African American Museum

California Science CenterGeneral admission only. A timed reservation with a convenience fee is required for Space Shuttle Endeavour.

Columbia Memorial Space Center

Craft & Folk Art Museum

Descanso Gardens

Forest Lawn Museum

Fowler Museum at UCLA

Getty Center

Getty Villa
Free, timed tickets are required. Visit getty.edu.

GRAMMY Museum

Hammer Museum

Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles

Japanese American National Museum
Free tickets available at janm.org/freeforall.

Kidspace Children’s Museum

La Brea Tar Pits and Museum
General admission only; free tickets available at tarpits.org/freeforall.

LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes

Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)

The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA)

Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA)

Museum of Tolerance

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
General admission only; free tickets available at nhm.org/freeforall.

Orange County Museum of Art

The Paley Center for Media

Palm Springs Art Museum

Pasadena Museum of California Art

Petersen Automotive Museum
Tickets must be reserved in advance at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/museum-free-for-all-day-tickets-41631960314#tickets. 

Pomona College Museum of Art

Riverside Art Museum

Santa Barbara Museum of Art

Skirball Cultural Center
Noah’s Ark timed-entry, one-hour tickets are limited and distributed first-come, first-served.

Sunnylands Center & Gardens
Excludes tours of the historic house and grounds.

University Art Museum, CSU Long BeachJoin us for opening reception of Robert Irwin: Site Determined 4-6 pm, January 28. Closed January 27.

USC Fisher MuseumOffering free admission on Saturday, January 27, instead of Sunday, January 28.

USC Pacific Asia Museum

Zimmer Children’s Museum

http://www.socalmuseums.org/free-for-all/

Free admission to popular Los Angeles Museums.

http://www.socalmuseums.org/free-for-all/