Halloween Events in Orange County and surrounding areas.

Trick or Treat!!!! Halloween is the biggest holiday season for fun and candy. To help you celebrate the fall season we are sharing some of our favorite places and other events happening in Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego cities.  These events are great opportunities to make family field trip memories. 

Orange County

Discovery Cube OrangeCounty - Spooky Science Discovery Cube will enchant everyone with  chemistry in the “Wizard of Ooze” stage show, observe and analyze characteristics of real and mythical creatures, and join in on the costume parade. Along with the programming above, the Cube will host five special costume themed weekends. You can purchase tickets online or at the door. Arrive early because it gets very busy. 
https://oc.discoverycube.org/exhibits/spooky-science/

Disneyland - Who doesn't love the beautiful decorated palace in Anaheim. Enjoy rides and characters through out the park. Purchase tickets online or at the park. Wear comfortable shoes and sunscreen. 
https://disneyland.disney.go.com/events-tours/halloween-time-at-the-disneyland-resort/

Knott’s Berry Farm -   The scariest Haunting Halloween experience in Southern California with innovative thrills that can't be found anywhere else. With 14 haunted attractions and over 1,000 monsters lurking in the fog, Knott's Scary Farm is Where Nightmares Never End! 
https://www.knotts.com/play/scary-farm

OC Libraries - Orange County libraries are hosting many fun harvest and Halloween events during the week and weekend. Find a library near you by going to their website and attend their fun activities with your family.
http://www.ocpl.org/calendar

Emmanuel Episcopal Church of Fullerton -Trunk or Treat event. The community is invited to attend. We invite your family to join us from 6:00-8:00 pm, Saturday October 27th. Address is 1145 West Valencia Mesa Drive, Fullerton, CA 92833. Dress up and bring your family to this great event.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/neighborhood-trunk-or-treat-tickets-51307357688

Boot Hill 2018 - A neighborhood home is turned into a haunted house. They are extremely busy up until Halloween. Closed on Halloween day. Donations accepted that benefit CHOC. It is great for Teenagers and young adults. Parking is super limited, so prepare to walk to get to the haunted house. Boot Hill is located at 16 Goldenrod in Irvine. Just off of E. Yale Loop and Springbrook. 
http://www.legendofboothill.com/pages/map.html

Boo at the Santa Ana Zoo - A "Merry not Scary" family friendly event where everyone is encouraged to come in costume (no balloons)! One of the safest places for children (ages 2-12) to trick-or-treat for Halloween enjoying goodies from 10 Stations. https://www.santaanazoo.org/boo.htm

Night at the Surfing Museum- October 26th, 2018 Hear local ghost stories and lore including eye witness accounts of locals who claim to have witnessed the spirit of Duke Kahanamoko body surfing near the HB pier, plus unexplained events at the haunted Surfing Museum, as well as ghostly sightings at the nearby Shorebreak Hotel. Tickets $25 pre-sale / $30 at the door if available

https://hauntedorange.webs.com/night-at-the-surfing-museum

Los Angeles 

BOO AT THE L.A. ZOO October 27 and 28 - Trick-or-treating – Find treat stations throughout the Zoo, with treats and bags courtesy of 99 Cents Only Stores! Available while supplies last!!! 

https://www.lazoo.org/boo/

HORROR MADE HERE - WARNER BROS.- HORROR MADE HERE: A FESTIVAL OF FRIGHTS -This Halloween season The Conjuring, Freddy vs. Jason, The Exorcist, and from the DC Universe, Batman: Arkham Asylum. https://www.wbstudiotour.com/horror-made-here

Universal Studios – Movie Studio that invented the horror genre brings to life the most twisted scary experience ever. You will face your scariest moments. HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS (Now through Nov. 3, 2018) https://www.halloweenhorrornights.com/

Six Flags Magic Mountain – Super Scary!!! https://www.sixflags.com/magicmountain/special-events/fright-fest-night#ref42946

LOS ANGELES HAUNTED HAYRIDE - THE OLD ZOO (through OCT. 31, 2018)

https://www.losangeleshauntedhayride.com/

DARK HARBOR - QUEEN MARY (through Nov. 2, 2018) - Scary and haunted!!!!  

https://www.queenmary.com/calendar-of-events/dark-harbor/home/

OLVERA STREET - October 25 thru November 2 at 7:00pm

Traditional Mayan Blessing/Soul Cleansing takes place before and after the procession. Procession includes: Grupo Tartalejos – an indigenous Aztec group leading the procession with incense and ceremonial blessing.  Parade of “Living Muertos” – particpants dress up as skeletons in colorful traditional, and not-so-traditional costumes. Procession leads to nightly ceremony in the Kiosko, where the loved ones of a merchant family or special community member is chosen to be honored. Free sweet bread and champurrado are given to all in attendance

https://www.olveraevents.com/day-of-the-dead-olvera-street 

San Diego 

Legoland - offers party nights. Candy Stations, costume contest and meet and greet characters. Kids will love this fun Halloween Brick or Treat Nights. 
https://www.legoland.com/california/legoland-california/buy-tickets/tickets/tickets-page/

Nightmare on Normal Street -This event is 21+ and attendees must present a valid ID upon entry.https://www.fabuloushillcrest.com/nightmare-on-normal

Balboa Park Halloween Family Day -The Balboa Park Halloween Family Day on October 27, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., features dozens of free craft projects for kids, Day of the Dead-themed displays and activities, costume contests and parades, carnival games with prizes, live entertainment, and food trucks. Participating museums also offer free admission to children 12 and under with paying adult.
https://balboaparkconservancy.org/project/halloween/

Trick-or-Treat on India Street- FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2018 FROM 5:30PM TO 7:30PM -Little ghouls, witches and goblins storm through the streets at Little Italy’s annual Trick-or-Treat on India Street, taking place this year on Friday, October 26th from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Piazza della Famiglia.

Families are encouraged to bring their little monsters out in costume attire to this fun and safe Halloween event to enjoy traditional trick-or-treating, as Little Italy businesses along historic India Street open their doors to give out candy and Halloween treats. Sweet and spooky fun will be had by kids of all ages at this beloved Halloween tradition!

Maps of participating businesses will be available as the trick-or-treat fun happens at the Piazza della Famiglia on India and W. Date Streets.

https://www.littleitalysd.com/events/trick-or-treat-on-india-street

Halloween around San Diego - Find more activities in San Diego
https://www.sandiego.org/search/site.aspx?q=halloween

Orange County Park is hosting fun activities.

Orange County is full of fun and sometimes free activities. Today, we are sharing a few of the upcoming events. To see more fun events, please visit our Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/FieldtripmomFTM/

Kream Kong Ice Cream is making people happy one scoop at a time.

This summer was filled with adventure and lots of great food. Recently, we were invited to a media event for Kream Kong Ice Cream, an organic ice cream truck.  My family and I were so excited to attend the event's secret location because we had heard so many great things about this organic ice cream.  We jumped in the car and fought through rush hour traffic to enjoy this fantastic treat! 

When we arrived, the ice cream flavors available included vanilla, cookies & cream, and strawberry. Kreme Kong offers other flavors on a rotating schedule. Some of these flavors include Ube, Peanut Butter and Jelly, Red Velvet, Avocado, Cookie Butter, Matcha, and Banana Cream Pie. 

For our visit, we chose the Organic Strawberry and Cookies & Cream ice cream.  Kream Kong hosts some incredibly yummy toppings.  Our cream included Cinnamon Toast Crunch, crushed Oreos, Fruity Pebbles, and chocolate sauce.  Delicious ice cream with amazing toppings will bring the kid out in everyone.

To find out more information on where to find them, follow them on Facebook.  Look under their events page for their scheduled locations.  Check out these upcoming events:  

Halloween Fest in Villa Park on October 27th from 4 PM to 7:30 PM.  Location: Villa Park Towncenter 17801 Santiago Blvd. Villa Park, CA.

Also, Come out for Street Food Tuesday, Oct 30th from 5 - 9:30 PM.  Kream Kong will be located at 5800 Lincoln Ave. Cypress, CA.

Arrive early to ensure you get the best selection of flavor combinations!

Facebook: /KreamKongIceCream
Instagram: @kreamkongicecream
Twitter: @KreamKongIC

Borrego Springs Serpent Sculpture road trip.

Artistst, Ricardo Breceda, has brought to life giant metal sculptures that reside in the open land of Borrego Springs. These works of art are giant size. Some are about 350-feet long and approximately 40-feet tall. They are impressive to see first-hand. Photos do not do just to the art pieces just sitting in the middle of sand. A well planned road trip is necessary to visit all 130 full-sized metal sculptures.  We visited a few on a one trip. After the trip, we were left with wanting to visit again. Continue reading to get more information on how to plan your road trip. 

Borrego Springs Chamber of Commerce and visitor center offers information these beautiful works of art. Make sure to stop by their office to get information on where to eat and a map of the 130 free standing steel sculptures. 

Borrego Springs at night is beautiful.  Just look at these beautiful images that were captured this past spring. 

Directions to Borrego Springs Dragon/ Serpent location: 

1624 Borrego Springs Rd, Borrego Springs, CA 92004

Sky Art Desert Sculpture Garden Galleta Meadows Estate, location:

1299 Borrego Springs Rd, Borrego Springs, CA 92004

Borrego Springs Scorpion Sculpture location:

700-898 Big Horn Rd, Borrego Springs, CA 92004

Giant Eagle sculpture location:

3800-3898 Anzio Dr, Borrego Springs, CA 92004

Make sure to check weather conditions before traveling to Anza Borrego Desert.

Road trips can sometimes have a few surprises. We suggest to pack a lunch and snacks as well as making sure you have enough gasoline in your vehicle. Have fun exploring Southern California this holiday season. 

Solvang, Old Mission Santa Inez and one Ostrich farm.

Solvang, California located north of Santa Barbara is a beautiful weekend trip to take your family. The city is well-known for their Danish-style architecture, food, and shops.  It is also host to a beautiful Spanish mission.

The Old Mission Santa Ines was built in the early 1800's Franciscan Church and welcomes all. Besides having great architecture and rich history, Solvang is home to an Emu and Ostrich farm which is a must see. Your kids will love this place but it is great fun for the whole family.

Located at: OSTRICHLAND USA

610 E Highway 246

Solvang, CA 93463

(805) 686-9696

The farm is host to Ostriches & Emus which will reach out to you for food. In the shop, you can purchase a bowl of feed for the feeding.  I do not recommend kids younger than 10 years old to feed the birds because Ostriches do bite.  They are also very aggressive eaters. Make sure you follow the rules and watch your children at all times. Warning: Kids will not want to leave.

The Emus are slightly smaller birds but have a Jurassic Park / Dinosaur quality to them.  These birds have a signature growl and can run extremely fast!  Listen for their signature call.  If you have ever been to a chicken or turkey farm, you can tell by the signature smell in the air.  This farm was very clean, no odor and very fun to feed the birds.

Ostriches lay eggs the size of cantaloupe melon.  These eggs are full of protein, have more egg whites than chicken eggs and hold the equivalent of 20 large eggs.  The shell is very thick and hard to crack, unlike a chicken egg. We spoke to the farm owners who tell us how healthy and delicious Ostrich eggs are.  Take a trip to the City of Solvang and make sure to visit the Ostrichland USA Ostrich Farm.

For more information:https://www.solvangusa.com/

Homemade Hummus Summer Recipe.

It is hot this summer and dips and salads are a welcome meal. PBS Foods has this easy recipe for hummus. When I look for easy to do recipes, I usually go to PBS Foods. I wanted to share this easy recipe. Click to get the full instructions: Homemade Hummus: Make a big batch of homemade hummus to share with friends and family. 

Ingredients you will need and might already have in your kitchen.

1 pound garbanzo beans, soaked overnight in cool water

3 small garlic cloves, peeled 

1/2 cup water 

1/4 cup tahini 

Juice from 1 1/2 lemons

Salt to taste (about 1 tablespoons) 

1/4 cup olive oil, plus more as a garnish

food processor or blender

 See the complete receipe at PBS Food.

Disclosure: This is from PBS Foods. The ingredients are different than the original recipe less salt and garlic. Please visit PBS Foods to get the complete process. 

California Citrus State Historic Park family field trip.

Our family field trip to the California Citrus State Historic Park proved to be very informative. Did you know that citrus has a rich history and its origin is Asia? Citrus traveled by boat to Brazil, California, Florida, and even parts of Europe during the seventeen hundreds (1700-1799 AD). Two rare citrus finds include species named Buddha's Hand and the Yellow Tiger Lemon. At this historic park, you will find these rare types of citrus. The parks' museum and visitor's center offers citrus history as well as samples of the different types of fruit. 

California is great for growing Buddha Hand Citrus. The park has a few trees that are located near the front of the museum. The fruit cannot be found in local groceries stores.  

While in the museum, volunteers share slices of the oranges, lemons, and grapefruit that grow on the grounds. Make sure to stop by the sampling table and taste all of them. They are sweet and very yummy. It is best you stop there first before walking around the orange groves because picking the fruit is not allowed. So get your fill of citrus inside at the museum. 

The park is about 240 acres big and perfect to hike, picnic and just relax. It is recommended that you check the weather as it can get very hot. When we visited it was 91 degrees and it was a little warm. We drove to the corner to buy oranges and water to stay cool.

California Citrus State Historic Park is located at:
9400 Dufferin Ave Riverside, CA 92503
Tip: Bring cash for entrance fee $5.00. Across the street, they sell oranges and beverages but is cash only. Wear comfortable shoes and check the weather before traveling. 
You can visit their website at http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=649 or call them at 951-780-6222. For more information on booking their facility for Weddings and parties, call 951-515-6689.  More information can be found on their website.
Source: 
https://californiacitruspark.com/
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=649
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2017/02/explore-food-citrus-genetics/

Ongoing research - https://ucrtoday.ucr.edu/46428