A family field trip to a camel farm in Southern California.

A month ago, we drove to Julian for a family field trip to go apple picking. As we drove away from our field trip and pie eating, we saw a large sign that read, ”Oasis Camel Farm.” Camels in Southern California are extremely rare. My husband and I looked at each other and decided we would return for the open house scheduled in October. It was only a few weeks away and the Julian pie store was near the camel farm so a great reason to attend both. The trip seemed to promise a fun family day. A few weeks later, we returned to San Diego County and the weather was hot. Traffic was horrendous on our way to the farm and we arrive a little late to the Camel open house. The farm presentation had just started as we walked in. Camels could be seen in the distance. One young camel was being walked by his trainer towards the crowd. This camel was a little shy. He did not want to do the show and tell so stopped firmly and would not move. With a little help from another trainer and some treats, the camel finally began to cooperate and show us all of his tricks. He had many tricks to show us but what stood out the most was that he was a gentle animal and a little shy. It was a hands-on moment for all of us.

After the presentation ended, visitors were invited to purchase sliced apples to feed the camels. My family ran to feed the camels. We were second in line and quickly purchased our apples. The kids were happy to feed the gentle giants. They smiled the entire time they fed apples to the friendly residents of Oasis Camel Farm. The moment was so comfortable that I decided to join in and feed a camel too. That is until I turned from one camel to feed another. As I turned, he could see our happiness and began to put his chin on my shoulder. He was so close that I got camel saliva on my shoulder and arm. It was so incredibly uncomfortable for me that I screamed and ran way. The crowd that was behind me began to laugh while video-taping my escape from my new friend. Looking back, I can now say it was funny to be face to face with a camel. My kids teased me and said that the camel blessed me with his kisses. Camel rides were next on the schedule. The kids rode the camel together, laughing and hanging on. My husband felt like he was on top of the world. The ride was short however it was long enough for the kids and my husband to get a hands-on experience. They said that with it being so hot that it was easy to image riding in the Sahara Desert. For a few moments all of us were transported to a different country. While I did not ride the camels because my back and legs were hurting, the experience was not lost on me. I took pictures and enjoyed watching my family have fun. It was something we will never forget. We ended our family field trip by going to the gift shop and purchasing lip balm made with camel milk and a few post cards. The whole day was great for us. Family field trips are an important part of our lives and it helps to bring us closer together.

NEXT OPEN FARM DAYS: October 29 & 30, 2016
Animal Show starts at 1:30... don't miss it!
(2:15 to 3:00: extra apple feeding available with the camels.)

POMEGRANTE DAYS: November 25 - 27, 2016

Contact information: http://www.cameldairy.com/

Telephone: 760-787-0983
Email: contactus@cameldairy.com

Location: 26757 CA-78, Ramona, CA 92065

ADMISSION: CAMEL RIDE:
$15 GENERAL $10.00 GENERAL
$12 SENIOR AND MILITARY $5.00 KIDS 3 to14
$10 KIDS 4 - 14 Toddlers and babies are not able to ride the camels for their safety. Camel Ride weight limit: 200 lbs.

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. All thoughts and ideas are all my own. Make sure to call ahead to confirm times and dates.

Los Angeles Zoo is hosting spooktacular events in October.

Tigers, bears and snow cones, oh my goodness. October in Southern California is usually hot and snow cones are very much needed when visiting Boo at the Los Angeles Zoo spooktacular. The 133-acre Zoo is filled with wild animals and plants. During October, expect to find the corn stalk maze, pumpkin carving demonstrations, spooky caves, Mad Science fire and Ice show and so much more. We visited the LA Zoo this past weekend to get the scoop on the activities. 

The park has many wonderful creatures. We got a chance to see the giraffes gracefully walking around posing for pictures. It felt as though they knew where to stand and when to turn their heads. They are like the super models of the zoo, extremely well dressed and amazingly tall. The hippos were a different story. It looked like the hippo family was just relaxing by cuddling together. They did not move or look our way, sleeping lazily in their pond. Both wild animals were fun to visit and photograph.  

Pink flamingos, black bears and giant insects were all part of our experience when we visited the Los Angeles Zoo. Our entire family enjoyed mapping out which zoo resident to discover next. The journey was filled with jungle noises and birds singing. As we looked for the tiger exhibit something interesting occurred. The monkeys could be heard talking to one another. We all laughed and giggled when we heard them because it was so surreal.  Their voices could be heard near the tiger exhibit. The kids were fascinated with the monkey chatter so we sat down to listen them carefully while enjoying a snow cone. All of us were happy to sit for a minute and rest our feet. 

After visiting with the zoo residents we stopped by the weekend Boo adventures. Pumpkin Carving by Gene from Masterpiece Pumpkins was engaging. The Corn Maze was a great photo opportunity for fun pictures with the family. Finally, we enjoyed the "Mad Science fire and ice show".  Spending the day with the family at the zoo was memorable.   This fall make time to visit the LA Zoo with family and friends. 

List of Weekend Boo Adventures offered at the Los Angeles Zoo. These activities are included with the price of admission. Address: 5333 Zoo Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90027

• Spooky Crafts – Create bat and spider web masterpieces from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Musical Monster Mash-Up – Laugh and sing along with Swazzle’s sweet-and-spooky Halloween puppet show at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
• Fire & Ice Science Show – Enter a mad scientists lab and witness jaw-dropping demonstrations at 2:30 p.m.
• Halloween Dance Party with the GEC Street Team – Dance and play fun family games (with prizes!) from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Masterpiece Pumpkins – Marvel at expert carving demonstrations from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Strolling Characters – Meet and take pictures with spooky and fanciful characters from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Fearsome Feedings & Creature Treats – Watch as our animal residents enjoy seasonal treats all their own. See schedule below. Warning: Includes carcass feedings. Parental discretion is advised.

*** Dinosaurs Unextinct at the LA Zoo is offered for an additional $5.00. Prepare to get sprayed by one of the dinosaurs as you walk through the exhibit. It is being offered for a limited time. 

General Admission Prices

Rates and fees are subject to change at any time.

Adults (age 13 and up): $20

Seniors (age 62 and up): $17

Children (ages 2 to 12): $15

Children (under 2): FREE

Disclaimer: Media event. All thoughts and opinions are all my own.

Fun things to do with kids in Southern California.

California is beautiful during the month of October. We see pumpkin patches, corn mazes and festivals popping up in the community. Outdoor activities become more popular in the summer time because of the weather. San Diego County offers discounted or free admission to museums, park and the zoo. You could say October is California resident month to celebrate all of the wonderful things we have to offer in entertainment and culture. Keep reading to find out more....

This week we have lots of fun opportunities for you and your family to experience. Just go to our Fieldtripmom Facebook page to get a list of fun festivals, rodeo's, and science activities for everyone in the family. 

https://www.facebook.com/FieldtripmomFTM/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

Best regards,

Fieldtripmom.com 

Apple picking in San Diego County.

Apple Season in Southern California is from August to September. Our family has been apple picking for almost (6) years.  We usually drive to Oak Glen, California to pick our apples.  This year, we changed our family field trip and visited Volcan Valley Apple Farm in the city of Julian.  The drive seemed shorter and we tried something new as a family.  It was a success with everyone in our family.  Let me share with you our family experience and our family photos. 

We arrived in the afternoon, just in time to pick the best apples of the season. We were a little surprised that the apples were small.  We asked the farmer about the apples and he told us that it was because of the drought.  As you know, California agriculture is going through hard times as a result of the water shortage.  It was very evident on the drive to the orchard.  The hills are brown and the roads have little or no plants at all.  The farmer made lots of sense in explaining the crop size.  The size of the apples did not matter to us because they still tasted delicious.  We still found joy in picking and eating fresh apples.  

The farm was full of families picking apples and enjoying the day.  It was great to see so many people with their families field tripping.  After apple picking we headed to Julian Apple Pie Shop down the road.  Picking apple was hard work and all of us were super hungry. Carmel apple pie was with a small cup of coffee was the cure for this problem. Mmmmmmmmmm. The kids had milk instead of the coffee with their slice of pie.  Our pie was gone before we arrived home.  The pies are small...(wink, wink).  OK, really our slices were quite generous.

The family field trip adventure was full of delicious treats and new finds.  As we exited out of town, we noticed a sign for Camel Farm offering an open house next month.  Camel farm, huh?  We are coming back to Julian to see the camels.  Can't say no to an open house with camels. 

Now, let's get back to the family field trip.  The pick was very fruitful and tasty.  We highly recommend that you plan a trip to the apple orchards next year because this year the season is just about over in Julian.  We called around to find out who was still open for picking in the Julian area and everyone that we contacted was closed.  The Chamber of Commerce for Julian responded by saying that one or two orchards are still open by appointment only.  They did not offer any contact information or links to apple farms.  It is safe to say that the best pick for apples in Julian will be next August or September.  Fresh fruit doesn't keep a long schedule.  Keep that in mind when planning a trip to the local farms.

Disclaimer: Not a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are all my own. 

Rafflecopter giveaway, "The I heart naptime cookbook."

A few weeks ago, I received "The I Heart Naptime" cookbook, for review.  It is filled with bright, colorful pictures that invite you to make a meal.  The book offers over 200 pages of inspiring and helpful meal ideas.  Our family put it to the test the other day with great results.  Keep reading to find out how this cookbook inspired a great family moment. 

There is truth in the saying, "We eat with our eyes first."  When I shared "The I Heart Naptime" cookbook with the kids, their first reaction was go to the most delicious picture in the book.  What they found was this delicious hamburger recipe that made their little tummies growl as soon as they saw it.  The directions looked easy and we were all inspire to make our dinner look just like the picture in the cookbook.  (See Below - Right side shows our homemade hamburger.)

The adventure began at the local grocery store while shopping for hamburger ingredients.  First, we headed to the meat isle.  Standing there, the kids decided turkey meat was better for the burger recipe instead of the recommended beef.  The discussion over the type of meat to use for the burgers was funny because I would point to the recipe and remind them it called for beef.  After several minutes of going back and forth, we agreed to substitute turkey for the beef.

Then, we headed toward the bread isle to pick-up hamburger buns.  Picking-up the sesame seed bun package would present another decision crossroad for my young chefs.  Sesame seed bun or NO sesame seeds for our burger?  The answer would be, "No".  Plain hamburger buns were immediately put in our shopping cart.  The final stop for this shopping trip would be the produce isle. Here we would all grab one ingredient that would help make the hamburger tasty.  By the time we got to the check out line all of us were starving and eager to get home to cook our burgers.
Thank goodness we all agreed to work together to quickly put dinner on the table.  We spent more time shopping for the ingredients than actually cooking dinner.  The experience taught us that dinner is easier with all hands on deck. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This cookbook was easy to explore for both myself and my young kids. The recipes do not require special ingredients or special machines. Overall, this cookbook screams happy, colorful and very uplifting. 

Disclosure: Received book for review only. All thoughts and ideas are all my own. 

Graber Olive canning family field trip.

Family field trip alert: We are regular visitors to the Graber Olive House in Ontario. Their canning season is coming up soon and they open their doors to the public. We wanted to give you a heads-up. Mid-October is the best time to schedule a family field trip. Stay tune for best times and dates to visit Graber House. 

Location: 315 E 4th St, Ontario, CA 91764

Happiness is an important part of education.

Education is an important part of life. Kids learn from their surroundings and the people that care for them. Happiness is something that can be cultivated and taught through love and compassion. Remember that happiness is more important than things you can buy.