The Old LA Zoo

We love going to Griffith Park and though it is a huge park with tons to do we tend to go to the same places over and over. Weekdays we usually head over to Travel Town for train rides and on the weekends we typically have brunch at Trails Cafe followed by a hike up to the observatory.  We never manage to make it to the carousel, the pony rides, the bat cave,  Shane's Inspiration , etc.  So a few weekends ago we decided to mix it up.  We still had brunch at the Trails Cafe (I cannot pass up their granola and coffee) and then we took a short drive to the other side of the park to check out the Old LA Zoo.

The original LA zoo was built in 1912 and closed in 1965 when the new zoo, also in Griffith Park, opened . The cages and enclosures from the old zoo are still in place and it's fun to hike around and let your kids pretend to be zoo animals.  They can growl in the bear enclosure and rattle the bars of the old iron cages animals were kept in before we knew better.  Although many people talk about the area being secluded and hard to find, it's actually just a short walk from the parking lot and right next to a big grassy picnic area.  In fact, in an inspired bit of party planning, there was an animal themed birthday party going on with a bunch of 3 year olds with painted faces running around in the cages.  I'm sure the parents ended up with some very cute pictures.  And further up the path, in some creepier looking abandoned cages we found a local band taking some promotional photos.

The Old LA Zoo is near Shane's Inspiration Playground.  Drive past the playground so that it is on your left.  A parking lot will be on your right. Keep following the road until it dead ends.  You can park for free at the end of the road and then off to your left (facing the barricade) are the stairs to where the old zoo is.

Underwood Family Farms

So, it's been awhile since my last blog post.  I got into a tussle with an avocado and a chef's knife and I lost.  I cut my hand, severed a nerve,  ended up in surgery and have been recuperating ever since.  I'm still typing with one hand, but hopefully I will get full motion back in a few weeks, although I was told to expect the numbness to persist for a few months.

After surgery I went and stayed with my in-laws for a few days so that they could help out with Baby M.  While we were there we had a chance to go to Underwood Family Farms in Moorpark.  What a great place for kids!  The farm has animals to feed, mini tractors to ride on and fields where you can pick your own produce (not certified organic, but pesticide free).  It's beautifully landscaped and not nearly as dusty as you'd expect a farm to be.  We went on a Tuesday afternoon and the farm was not crowded at all.

Tickets are $3 to get in (under 2 is free) and you can purchase tickets to ride ponies, pan for gold or ride the little train.    We skipped the rides, but did spend a dollar to buy food to feed the goats, alpacas and chickens.  We brought a picnic lunch which we ate in the grassy play area while Baby M enjoyed digging in the sand and riding the tiny toy tractors.  Then we took a walk around the animal pens, stopping to feed a few animals and to watch the biggest pig I have ever seen have a bath.  We also stopped to play on the big wooden train across from the pig pen.

Finally, we headed out to the fields to pick some strawberries.  It was a bit of a trek to the strawberry fields and luckily we had the foresight to grab one of the wagons provided by the farm.  Baby M was happy riding in the wagon, but I don't think he would have made it if he had to walk the whole way.  The vegetables (beans, lettuce, broccoli) were much closer to the entrance.  Fresh picked strawberries are delicious and these were no exception.  They were big, bright red and juicy.  Baby M really loved looking for the berries and helping his Lola find the biggest ones.  We paid $1.99 a pound for a nice big basket.  If you don't want to pick your own, you can buy the farm's produce from their stand near the entrance, for a slightly higher price.  But why miss out on the fun of running around the fields?

We spent 2 hours at the farm, a good length of time for Baby M.  Moorpark is about an hour's drive from West LA, so I can't see us going back often, but I will definitely try to incorporate a trip to the farm the next time we visit my in-laws.  Underwood Farms also does birthday parties which I would totally consider if we lived a little closer.  If you're looking for a fun, educational experience I definitely recommend Underwood Farms.