I shall, my friend. I shall.
Both the fraternal unit and I wanted to save the dinosaurs for later in the day, so we explored the African Mammal Hall. The diaramas look very realistic. Perhaps the most eye catching one contained the elephants.
Don't mind me
Outside the hall was an enormous vat of preservatives displaying an oarfish. The living fish are bright blue-silver with red fins and crests, but age and preservation drained the sample of most of its color. Still, it shows a remarkable animal rumored to be the origin of sea serpents.
You soooo ugly
One of the nice things about the museum is its unlisted exhibits. The fraternal unit noticed this skeleton across from the California History Hall. Apparently, it comes from a Galapagos tortoise, one of the longest-lived of all turtles.
Ever feel like defying gravity for a little while?
Eventually, we migrated to the Rocks & Minerals display. While many of the gems and crystals stun visitors, I really liked the touchable items, like this meteor.
An ancient reptile under a meteor. Never happened before (*sarcasm*)
Both of us were hungry at this point, but the museum's restaurant was pretty expensive. So, we went outside for lunch. Unfortunately, we ended up in a very, very bad neighborhood.
We shouldn't be here!
For those who do not know my family very well, our fears may appear confusing. Rest assured, they are completely justified.
Fortunately, the fraternal unit provided much-needed stability through her mature, restrained, thoughtful response.
Make him fear us!!!
After subduing the ne'r do well, we decided to relax with a little horseback riding.
Whee!
After lunch, we gratefully returned to the museum, where another powerful woman greeted us with the pelt of her most resent trophy...or she was a very nice volunteer who let us touch some coyote fur.
The mighty huntress
Much to my delight, the museum still had a show with the life-size t-rex puppet. It scared some of the little kids in the audience, but everyone else loved it.
You tell him who's boss!
Another surprise waited at the top floor. The Dino Lab was still open for public viewing. This time, however, real live scientists were working on specimens.
I can see there secrets!
I could not handle the suspense any longer. We went to see the new Dinosaur Hall. It was awesome.
The hall included replicas, artistic models, life-size paintings, and genuine fossils.
It's a pleasure to meet you!
Usually, I try to favor less popular animals, but I think I will always have a special spot for triceratops.
The museum, however, seems to greatly favor t-rex. It sported three skeletons, besides the Dueling Dinos display and a random skull.
I feel small...
Of course, not all displays show spiky/toothy dinosaurs. Other displays include the sauropods, or long-necked dinosaurs.
This is the sucker's backbone. I feel really, really small. Thanks (*sarcasm*)
Like other areas of the museum, the gallery included some hands-on items, including casts and fossils.
I haz a bone
They also had non-dinosaurs in the Dinosaur Hall. One of the nicest ones was their mosasaur, which is apparently one of the largest of its kind.
Just like brothers...
Actually, the skeleton itself was very pretty, so here is a better shot of it.
After seeing the dinosaurs, we rushed out to get the free tour. We where the only ones on it besides the guides, but it was really, really fun.
The last shot before my camera's batteries died
On the tour, we learned how the museum got and showed its items. Many of the larger dinosaur bones, the guide explained, are casts, since the sheer weight of the larger fossils makes them almost impossible to set up in a display. They also discussed how the museum prepares skins for dioramas. Finally, they took us to their fin whale skeleton. While the bones are over 50 years old, they apparently still secrete oil. Since whales have so much blubber, the fat permeates the bones, causing oil to occasionally drip out of the display (the floor is arranged to prevent people from slipping on it).
The trip was wonderful, but expect another update soon...
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