What Happened?

Dates: Tuesday, January 13th OR Thursday, January 15th

Location: Online - see your e-mail for details

The end (of the semester) is near! It’s been 16 lovely weeks, so let’s take a short stroll down memory lane! Remember, questions this week come from class and the readings! 

• Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (Thursday only!)

A Thursday-only start to the semester, we visited a National Lakeshore - even though many of us didn’t realize we even HAD national lake shores. It was especially fun to see the videos of kids sledding down snow covered dunes right next to the lake. 

• Registrar of Voters

While we cover voting information every election year, this time we got to talk to the actual office that helps manage and run our elections! The number of languages, interpreters, and information they put out was truly stunning! It takes a very dedicated team of people to make sure our elections run smoothly and fairly.  

• National Mustard Museum

A combined class with Tara, we got to visit this tangy, tasty museum! What started as a silly good luck charm turned into an entire museum dedicated to this versatile and fun condiment!

• San Diego Chinese Historical Museum

So many of us got to discover this delightful downtown gem (at least after we navigated downtown parking). Comprising multiple buildings in the historical district, we were able to see and trace the history of Chinese Americans in San Diego and even cover some WWII history. 

• Monterey Bay Aquarium (instead of Joshua Tree)

Oops! We were supposed to visit Joshua Tree National Park this week but a government shutdown changed our plans rather suddenly. We got a chance to take a great virtual tour of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, including some very adorable otter cams. But the kelp cam always seems the most calming. 

• Sweet Treats (instead of the Army Museum)

Strike 2! Instead of learning about the U.S. Army museum and the women who learned computers, we talked about lots of candy history just in time for Halloween parties! It turns out, peanuts feature in a few of our favorite sweet treats, but it’s a very particular process! We got to see how many steps it takes to make a Reese’s cup and just how M&Ms get that crunchy candy coating. 

• Leo Carrillo Park

North County has some beautiful and interesting spots to offer, including this amazing park and preserved home of actor Leo Carrillo. We were able to tour his adobe house, see the party pool, and more than a few of us fell for the statue of his horse in the barn! (It did look VERY real!)

• Nebraska State Historical Society (instead of Veyageurs National Park)

One more cancellation, so pivot we must! We got to visit with a state historic park this time, to talk about Nebraska, Chimney Rock, and the timeless Oregon Trail game. My favorite part of this trip was how much they incorporated the 1980s classic game, but that could be my childhood talking!

• Solana Center

This was such an informative class about food waste! I learned so much about where and how to store my veggies and fruits to keep them fresher longer. And a lot of us felt justified in ignoring the ‘sell by’ date in order to trust our noses and eyes with food that’s still good. 

• National Constitution Center (Thursday only)

While Tuesday was a holiday, Thursday was not! So we chatted with the National Constitution Center about the First Amendment, how it is applied, and the implications in modern media. It was such an interesting conversation!

• La Mesa Police - RSVP

This was such a great trip! We got to learn about the Retired Senior Volunteer Patrol in La Mesa and get a La Mesa Police Department tour! AND there was swag! 

• National Museum of Asian Art (instead of TRACON)

This change hurt my heart quite a bit. But, like a crazed Captain Ahab, I continue to hunt the elusive field trip. In the meantime, we got to go behind the scenes at the National Musuem of Asian Art and learn how artifacts are preserved and prepared for display. 

• Project Wildlife

All things animal! We got a chance to talk to talk to an expert from the Humane Society and even walk around the back rooms to see where they care for our local, injured, wildlife. I especially loved the step by step guide on their website to figure out how to care or respond to injured wildlife. 

• Homestead National Historic Park

A little musical interlude before our winter break! We got to talk about the connections between The Wizard of Oz, homesteading, and women’s suffrage! And we also talked about how for many people, The Wizard of Oz was all black and white on a non-color TV set! 

• Horseless Carriage Club

A vintage road race, right in our own backyard! We got to talk to some fabulous folks (one of our own RSD students included) about how they faithfully honor the Panama Exposition road race by retracing the route and showing off some very vintage vehicles! I honestly can’t help but smile every time one of those old horns honks!

I hope the review has helped!