The Great Big Wonder

Hello April, Hello Spring! Well, I suppose it’s more like goodbye April hello May! I’ve still been up to all my new things, although I haven’t been posting about it as often as I had at the beginning of the year. This month (April) I hiked, made jewelry, went to two food festivals and visited a museum. I’m still loving this challenge. Here are my April New Things.

#13: Pismo Beach Hike (Outside)

My friends and I regularly visit Pismo Beach and I usually try and get them to go on a hike with me. The area that surrounds Pismo is ripe with wonderful hikes and there is no way I can turn down exploring at least a few trails. For the first week in April we ventured out for a short hike called Clover Ridge Trail. Because of the rain the hillside was lush with flowers in a beautiful array of colors. The hike was only about a mile but it was so lovely. We enjoyed some nature and a nice wake up walk before grabbing donuts and spending the day in the sun.

#14: Knotts Berry Farm Boysenberry Festival Tasting Card (Food)

Knotts Berry Farm is one of my favorite places. Every spring they celebrate the Boysenberry Festival and it has evolved and become better and better every year! This year, I decided to buy a tasting card which offered me the chance to try many of the food items around the park showcasing boysenberries. For 35 bucks I recieved 8 ‘tastes’, although each item was full sized. Everything was so delicious. Aside from the Boysenberry Elote which could have been better. The boysenberry sausage and ketchup was on the top of the list for my brother and I. The boysenberry sausage was juicy and flavorful and the boysenberry ketchup was something we actually searched around the park for. Pictured, is the boysenberry Chili in a Boysenberry Bread Bow (How many times can I say Boysenberry). The bread bowl had an interesting flavor. Overall, it was such a fun event. The card was well worth the money you pay, in fact it’s probably worth more. I had so much fun and since they change the flavors and food items up every year I’ll most definitely get the card again.

#15: Making Earrings (Activity)

Earlier this year my friends and I had a ‘crafternoon’. We made rings and necklaces and ate lemon cake in the sun. For April, I wanted to use some of the material we had leftover like the wire and beads. I had a few ideas saved on my Pinterest board so I spent an afternoon in front of the TV making earrings. I’ve actually been complimented three on these earrings, people are surprised that I made them, or they’re just being nice! I’m pretty proud of how they came out and It makes me want to continue to create and play. Plus they are unique to me which makes them so much better.

#16: The Broad (Things to See)

The Broad, a coveted Los Angeles Museum that has a waitlist to get into. I had been wanting to visit the Broad for a long time, so I finally wrangled all my friends and waited by the computer until the tickets went on sale. The Broad is a free contemporary art museum, that opened in in 2015, so it’s still pretty new. People line up and wait in a standby line outside just to visit without reservations. I’m not wildly into contemporary art, but I’m glad we visited. Some of the installations are amazing and others shocking. I enjoyed walking around and taking in all the strange and wonderful pieces. Unfortunately, we didn’t get tickets to the special exhibit and I wish we would have but it was still so much fun!

Additional New Things!

• Hearst’s Castle Night Time Tour! Docents and actors dressed up in period clothing and walked around the castle interacting with guests and creating an immersive atmosphere for a night time tour of the castle.
• Morro Bay it’s been awhile since I’ve visited Morro Bay and I don’t remember ever visiting the downtown. My friends and I had the chance to explore and shop. It’s such a sweet town with so many amazing people.
• Saw Fiddler on the Roof at the Pantages. I’ve been to the Pantages so many times and I’ve watched Fiddler (the movie) before but I got to see the live show with my mom and grandmother and it was so good. Such an amazing performance.
• Out Under the Stars, I attended Out Under the Stars with my friends for an evening of music and food and drinks and had SUCH an amazing time for a good cause.