Time well spent

My wife and I took a couple of badly needed days off. It did us a world of good. We set a critical ground rule: we would not talk about or do anything having to do with work.

It worked.

We acted like a pair of middle-aged tourists from Des Moines (even though we live here) and visited two great Southern California destinations: Disney's California Adventure and the San Diego Wild Animal Park. For a sappy couple like ourselves, it was fun. California Adventure is a bit lame in some areas, and in others, done in a way only Disney can do. It's not exactly bleeding edge, in that many of the best attractions have been at DisneyWorld for quite some time. Just when I thought that A Bug's Land was a fun new idea, I found out that Florida got it first. And so on. The Golden State and Paradise Pier sections fall short of what could have been, and no doubt will get ripped apart in a few years. Soarin' Over California in Condor Flats is highly recommended though. You sit in a suspended hang glider of sorts and fly through and over some of the best views in California. The effects are worth the trip. But overall, California Adventure falls short of what we've come to expect, especially when compared to some of Disney's other parks. A shame. But it was still a lot of fun.

The San Diego Wild Animal Park was worth the drive. For the first time in my life, I got up close and personal with a giraffe. I saw cheetahs at close range. I petted deer. And met a rare desert fox. And more. For animal lovers like ourselves, this vast park is worth the drive. It's sad to think that if we keep going the way we have as a civilization, preserves like this might soon be the only place where these magnificent animals can live. At least I know they are in good care.

The most sickening thing is that I returned to work rested in a really good and productive mood. That tells me something: we were overdue for this.