Summer of Intentionality is really starting to kick into high gear has seriously taken on new meaning since we found out we’ll be traveling abroad in six WEEKS. Local travel and visiting museums sans baby is one of my top priorities this summer and the first really hot day in Sacramento made for an excellent escape to the Academy of Sciences in San Francisco.

Travel tips from Sacramento to the Academy of Sciences (many thanks to Leili for her inspiration and itinerary}:

1. Get to BART after 10am in order to park in the lot. Spots open up at 10 – don’t forget your parking spot number – and to pay $1.00 for your space after you enter the station {you can take it off your BART card if you have enough money on the card}. There is a machine before you get to the platform inside the station.

2. Get off BART at any of the downtown SF stations and take Muni -the N- Judah ($4.00 round trip) and get off at 9th Avenue and follow the signs to Golden Gate Park. It takes about 20 minutes to stroll over.

{Or stay on the train and go visit Ocean Beach. Who knew? Oh San Francisco, I love you even more than I did before.}

3. Bring your Muni card to the ticket counter for a $3.00 discount on your admission fee. {every little bit helps or it almost pays for itself}.

4. We brought a lunch and picnicked in the grove in front of the museum where my sweetheart tried to scare me with tales of The Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

5. Bring a jacket.

And a scarf.

And a hat.

Did I mention we were escaping the heat? 40 degrees “cooler” in SF. Otherwise known as cold.

Or awesome.

Whatevs.

6. Not a museum tip, a post tip: These photos are all straight from my camera since I have not yet mastered the art of photo editing {and I may never}. That being said, please leave really nice comments about their professional quality and the witty captions you can only see if you roll your cursor over the photo.

7. Roll you cursor over the photos and laugh. A lot. At the awesomeness.

+++++

First stop:

Rain forests of the Americas

While I took that photo above, this was happening right behind me. {It’s because he’s so sweet}.

How cool would it be if we all had backsides like this guy?

No, not that guy.

The butterfly!

Next up:

Down to the aquarium.

Did I ever tell you about the dream I had about walking through the Shark Experience tube-thingy where it broke and suddenly I was swimming with sharks? I didn’t? Dude, it was scary.

Guess who took 10,721 pictures of the jelly fish? I shall only share one. You’re welcome.

Not only do I want a pet jelly fish so I can take its picture, I’d really like this guy.

Well, not this guy, but one of his living friends.

Birds of Prey? Yes, please!

Ever since I started teaching third grade and studying city wildlife, I’ve been noticing and appreciating birds and their adaptations.

Have I ever mentioned how much I love third grade science?

It’s true.

What about you? Do you love science? Third grade or otherwise?