When Michelle was here we visited the CA Academy of Science in SF on the day after Thanksgiving. It was truly, wildly, crazily, insanely crowded. The line to get in was forever long so we got into the membership line and had a mere 1.5 hr wait. At et voila! we were members. So we decided to go back during winter break and try to see the rain forest exhibit and the planetarium. Catey was desparate for a play date so we convinced a classmate and family to come along. We figured that if we went first thing in the morning, we’d beat the crowds. Apparently, everyone else in the bay area had the same idea.
We did manage to park in the museum parking lot (which unfortunately is not free for members – there went $18) which saved us a long, windy walk. We got into the museum 30 min after opening and found the line for the rainforest already 45 min long and almost all the planetarium tix for the entire day distributed. We got in big trouble for “cutting” the line – areas that had been open when we went with Michelle were closed to hold the line and not noticing this I led our group across the coral reef walkway to get trough the crowds hoping to end up at the African hall. An official dude came up to us and shooed us away. But! We made it to the African hall. So that was really loud!
It was miserably crowded in the morning and got less and less so as the day went on. We did manage to get into the rain forest exhibit with me standing in line for 35 min or so while and the girls and other mom darting in to join me at the last minute. I warned the folks behind me that I was a stand-in for a group and not to be surprised when a wave of girls showed up. The rain forest exhibit was very very cool and we would have explored it thourghly except for the small problem of Catey’s bladder.
You might know that Catey has a *very* active bladder. As soon as we got inside the exhibit (thorough multiple doors and curtains because of the tropical butterflies that are flitting freely about) Catey announced that she had to pee. And of course there is no way to get out except up to the very top of the exhibit, then down the elevator, and no way to get back in once you’ve left. So we had to hurry straight through this wonderful exhibit to the bathroom. Sigh. I did not display the grace or patience one might want from their mother. We’ll have to go back.
After four hours, the other family wanted to leave, but Catey was still going strong. We continued on after saying goodbye and the challenging behavior I’d been dealing with all day from Catey suddenly dissappeared. It was so pleasant and lovely to have her sweet for a while. We piddled around for another 1.5 hrs before Becky was really, really through. They both passed out on the way home.
Jan 8, 2009 at 12:39 pm
How fun that you are using the membership. Even with the crowds (and taking Olive to and from the car and her potty break) we had great time with you that day!