Category: North America

Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles’ Griffith Park, California, USA

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Griffith Observatory is in Los Angeles’ Griffith Park, California, sitting on the south-facing slope of Mount Hollywood. It opened in 1935 with a free admission, according with Griffith’s will because he wanted to make astronomy accessible to the public and it included a planetarium under the large central dome. During World War II the planetarium was used to train pilots in celestial navigation and it was again used for this purpose in the 1960s to train Apollo program astronauts for the first lunar missions. They renovated it in 2002 and it was closes for 4 years. They built an underground expansion too with a café, a gift shop and a theater. One wall inside the building is covered with the largest astronomically accurate image ever constructed “The Big Picture” 150 feet (46 m) by 20 feet (6.1 m) depicting the Virgo Cluster of galaxies; visitors can explore the highly detailed image from within arm’s reach or through telescopes 60 feet (18 m) away. The observatory has six sections: The Wilder Hall of the Eye, the Ahmanson Hall of the Sky, the W.M. Keck Foundation Central Rotunda, the Cosmic Connection, the Gunther Depths of Space Hall, and the Edge of Space Mezzanine and you can see different exhibitions in each part.

Tips

The observatory is closed on Mondays. The entrance is free but you must pay the shows in the planetarium.
There’s a small free parking next to the Observatory, but you can also leave your car along the steep road leading up to the observatory.
You also have a public bus leaving from the Vermont-Sunset Metro station at weekends.
It’s a very good spot to make photos of the Pacific Ocean, the Hollywood Sign and Downtown Los Angeles.

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Canadian Tulip Festival, Ottawa, Canada

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The Canadian Tulip Festival was born with the gift of 100,000 tulip bulbs done by Princess Juliana of the Netherlands in 1945 in Ottawa to thank the role Canada played in the liberation of the Netherlands, and they offered refuge in Ottawa, to the members of the royal family during the Second World War. It is the largest of its kind in North America and it also celebrates the arrival of spring flowering public places in Ottawa with a million of tulips of 50 varieties. The greater presence of tulips is in the gardens of Commissioners Park, at Lake Dow but you can also find various appearances of the festival throughout the city. The tulip is the official flower of Ottawa and it also became the floral symbol of international friendship. The international community adds shows to the festival; exhibitions and cultural performances reflecting cultural diversity in the city. This year there is a new covered area, the Aberdeen Pavilion, with a tulip garden and sculptures inside, located at Lansdowne Park.

Tips

Spend 2 days in town, it’s worth it, you can enjoy the day to visit the park and see some shows or just know the city in the evening. There are free concerts, shows, children’s activities, etc.
There is an official opening ceremony with a parade of vintage cars and a closing ceremony with fireworks at Dow’s Lake.

It will be held from May, 10th to May, 20th  2018

Willows Beach, Oak Bay, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

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Willows Beach, is a beautiful sandy beach in the Municipality of Oak Bay, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, on Vancouver Island. Along the beach we find Willows Park, where a tea-room is run by the Kiwanis Club (volunteer-led organization) in spring and summer. On summer days the public areas are usually full of people. Various clubs and organizations often hold gatherings in Willows Park, including rallies, club meetings, poetry readings, barbecues and family gatherings. A part of the park is on the rocks. There are some trails in the area. It has change rooms, toilets, day use picnic sites, concession (summer only) sightseeing benches, playground, grass lawns and a paved walking trail.
Tips

If you like walking, there’s a walking path that connects Willows Beach to another popular oceanside park called Cattle Point which is part of Uplands Park.
In summer, you must try to arrive early to find a good spot on the beach cause it’s usually crowded.
It’s a good place to go with children and also a good place for the kayaks.

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