San Diego Camp Out - Day 1 - Fleet Science Center

Every year the Signs family plans a beach camp out for a week. This year we decided to do it the city we all consider our home away from home - San Diego. We couldn't exactly get a campsite at the beach so we settled for a KOA in the city. Close enough, I guess.

We spend all of the first day - Monday - packing and driving to SD. By the time we finally got there it was dinnertime, and then we had to put up our tent in the dark. So Tuesday we spent most of the day setting up camp and shopping for groceries, etc. We had intended to spend the whole day at Balboa Park, but the way that things always seem to go for us, by the time we actually got there it was late afternoon and we only had time for one museum - the Ruben H. Fleet Science Center. When we got there we realized that Tuesday was a mistake because it is free admission day for locals - and since we are not locals, we had to pay full price to be in a museum that was super crowded with all the folks who got in free. The joint was packed! It really made me nervous.

In the pics above, while we were waiting for the dads to find a parking spot, the kids found that the fountain was just too tempting on a hot day.

Despite the crowds in the science center, the kids managed to see and do a ton of cool science stuff.

Caleb loved watching his funky tri-colored shadows as he got his groove on. And the kids could talk to each other clear across the room by whispering into the huge red dishes. Cool

Everything was interactive. On the lower left is my mom, Witch Hazel, and I stirring up our witch's cauldron. Boil, boil, toil and trouble. Where did I put that eye of newt, anyway?

Amazingly, in the crazy crowd, we actually ran into so old friends from our newlywed years in SD - Ben and Joie Riddle. It was so fun to run into them, and meet their 4 1/2 children. We went to their wedding and it was so fun to see them with a whole family. I'm sure they were even more surprised to see our crew. Where does the time go?

More interactive displays. They all REALLY loved the one on the upper right where they had to throw different sized circular weights onto a large spinning platform to the trajectory of objects spinning around each other. They just loved making things crash, of course. The whole thing reminded me of the crazy traffic around the Arch de Triumphe in Paris. Nuts.

But, by far, the kids very favorite thing in the whole place was simply a big room full of blocks. Planks actually. There were thousands and thousands of these identical building planks and people everywhere building with them! It was really quite cool, and people had made some amazing things. There were several towers being built, and even people standing on tables trying to reach high enough to get just one more plank up there. Every now and then you would hear a big crash as someone's project that they had been working on for over an hour would come crashing ungloriously down. Crazy.

One such crazy soul was Alex who was standing tip toe on a step stool to finish off his very ambitious tower. It was over 7 feet tall when it came crashing down!

Perhaps even more ambitious was this pyramid/Greek temple that several of our kids worked on. It was not tall, but it was massive! Look how many planks are in that thing! We had a lot of folks come by and say, "Now THAT is cool!'

Look at Luke working his tongue. He was trying to make a tall wall by setting one plank on its side on top of the next, and he was getting really frustrated that it kept falling over. Poor kid.

Dylan also works his tongue big time. I think it is a family trait.

They all really loved those planks. I was amazed. I mean, what a simple toy. Who would have thought? I think they would have stayed there all day if they could have! I think Santa might have to get those elves to manufacture some planks for us for Christmas.

Back at the camp we enjoyed family and a warm campfire.

Caleb fell asleep by the fire and his chair started folding up on him. So cute. I had to snap a picture.

Then I found Nathan and Uncle Ossil hiding in the van eating ice cream. They called it their man-cave. Understood, gentlemen. I will venture no further.

Luke and my brother's son Jon are great buddies. Above they are showing us their banana happy and sad faces. So cute!

It is so fun to get together with my family!