Positive Press

We trekked last weekend to the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, a fun and edifying destination.

I enjoyed the outstanding aquatic exhibition, which has some incredible tanks and displays comparable with some of the tanks at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, though that facility is totally devoted to marine life.

We also toured the rain forest facility, which is accessed by an upward-ramped pathway circling the environment. There are beautiful trees, birds and butterflies, the latter fluttering freely around the area.

I was tired early on, so we had an early lunch at the cafe, which is cheaper than the pricey restaurant we enjoyed on our previous visit. I had cauliflower soup, with sunflower butter & jam sandwich and a fig bar with iced tea to drink.

I mentioned the cafe was cheaper, but I spent $37 for my lunch alone, and I imagine my wife’s lunch was around the same price. The bread for my sandwich was great, the fixins a little light and the soup was quite good. I felt I wanted something more substantive, but the quality and healthiness were exemplary.

The experience of the forest was great if somewhat tiring, not that it was boring, but the elevation and humidity slowed this 57 year old down considerably. I enjoyed it, nonetheless, and got some good photos of birds, butterfly that paused and a rare looking moth which posed for a portrait at its’ dinner table.

Following the forest, we sat in a play area outfitted with an animatronic dinosaur and other fun items. Children romped freely and looked to be enjoying themselves a lot. We got a rest in and headed over to the Planetarium for a show we’d reserved tickets for (included in the price of admission).

The show, Life: A Cosmic Story, was a disappointment to me. But I was not feeling great, so sitting back with a sore neck and watching life form at a cellular level was not great for me. I think part of that is on me, but the show was well-produced but not great.

I think what was lacking was not my physical discomfort or the visuals. The problem I had with it was that there was no wonder at what or whom had created our incredible universe.

I get that the place is not a Christian destination, but the variety of life that is represented there: the biology, animals, sea-life, plant life and other phenomenon, are so amazing and diverse, that I longed for someone to say, “WOW, God is incredible!!!“

But that moment never came, other than in my brain, at the point that it was so desperately needed by me in the planetarium. I will say that the staff and guests were outstanding; all being considerate and wondering at the beauty of our world, and the place was well-curated, attractive and pleasant.

Despite my misgivings, I would recommend this as a great destination for the whole family, and if you do go, don’t miss a visit to the living roof!

I think we are older and had physical fatigue at the time, so the lackluster review might partly be subjective and not the museum’s fault, but I do wish they’d look further than the awe of creation, to the wondrous Maker behind it. 🙂