Olympic Game Farm - Originally Published 2009

I suppose it just wouldn’t be a vacation for Mai and I if we didn’t stop and take a look at some animals.  If you ever find yourself in Sequim, I recommend stopping and taking a look at the Olympic Game Farm.

The Olympic Game Farm is a refuge for formerly professional animals that have been retired.  For a few dollars, you get a bag of bread and the opportunity to drive around and feed the animals.

Some of these critters were particularly aggressive.  They have learned that cars mean people and people mean slices of bread.

This old bear figured out how to wave.  We would wave at him.  He would wave at us.  We would throw him some bread.  He would wave at us again.  We would wave back at him and throw more bread.  This went on for about five minutes.

The Roosevelt elk and the buffalo were particularly imposing.  Before we drive though, we were warned that they had a tendency to bump into cars.

Jefferson County Fair -Originally Published 2009

The Jefferson County Fair is exactly that, a real county fair.  It’s small to the point that it feels so intimate it almost seems as though we were invading someone’s family reunion. 

The 4H is unbelievably active in Jefferson County.  There were several buildings dedicated to displaying the work of local kids. 

 There were plenty fine examples of little kid art.  I would like to one day put together a display in New York or Los Angeles to see what the art world would have to say about them. 

Somehow, Mai and I always manage to end up at places that have goats. 

 One of the highlights of the Jefferson County Fair is something called an Elephant Ear.  An Elephant Ear is a piece of rolled dough that is lovingly fried by a bunch of women with big bazooms.  Then, they cover it in sugar.  Not much to it, but it’s delicious. 

They had a Johnny Cash tribute performer that was actually pretty good.  We were lucky enough to have backstage seats.

San Diego Zoo - Originally Published 2010

Dear Reader, are you ready to hear about a theory I’ve been working on?  Seeing how this is America’s foremost peer-reviewed scientific journal, I think that this would be an appropriate forum to share it.  I must caution you that there is no data to back up the theory.  And I should also inform you that I have sculpted it in drives to and from work.  A nonconventional laboratory to say the least but it’s probably a nonconventional theory.

The theory revolves around the planet.  Our planet.  Moreover, it concerns us and our place within the hierarchy of the planet. 

Watch animals for a while.  They know their place.  They eat when it’s time to eat.  They sleep when it’s time to sleep.  It all seems to work.  Do you realize that there is even something called a Dung Beetle?  You know how it got that name?  It eats dung.  Why?  Because someone has to.

But let’s go back to the human animal for a minute.  We are a self-centered lot.  Even our theology reeks of it.  Think about the teachings of some of the more popular institutions.  This place is a test?  And how we perform here determines where we go when we’re done?  Really?

So here’s the theory.  It’s not our planet.  It was never supposed to be.  Before I delve deeper, I would recommend throwing on some music.  Try out Vangelis’ “Heaven and Hell: Part I”.  I find that it clears the receptors.  Carl Sagan was aware of the power of this particular tune.

If you’re still with me, you probably have a few questions.  We have grasped the power of ones and zeroes in order to communicate out here in cyberspace.  How in the world could this not be our planet?

Because, biologically speaking, we are a mutation.  That’s it.  We were a group of wandering primates that started eating fish.  The Omega-3 helped to develop an oversized brain.  We use language in order to communicate our anxieties and tools to turn on our television sets.  However, at the end of the day, we are just a small group of apes that were run out of central Africa.  This could explain the feeling of being lost that we all seem to share.

So whom was the planet intended for?  From what I’ve seen, I think it was supposed to be for the elephants and the whales.  As for us, our role better change to that of the custodian.  We need to do a better job of cleaning up after ourselves.

Sea Lion Caves - Originally Published 2008

The Sea Lion Caves is what traveling along one of America’s highways is all about.  Somewhere around the next bend is a little business that celebrates some miracle that visitors just can’t see anywhere else.  The caves are home to several hundred Steller Sea Lions and off a pretty remarkable vantage point without being exploitive.  

There are actually two spots to check out the sea lions.  The first is from the top of a cliff.  After a ride in an elevator, you arrive at the second, a spot deep inside the cliff itself.

The Sea Lion Caves makes for a perfect wide spot in the road.  All totaled, we spent maybe about an hour there.  We were back on the road and off to our next destination before we knew it.

Oregon Coast Aquarium - Originally Published 2008

Oregon is doing a lot of things right.  As a result, it’s probably not the place for everyone.  During the trips through the state, I have been impressed by their emphasis on pride in all things local.  Oregon is not trying to be anything other than Oregon.  This same spirit is carried over in the Oregon Coast Aquarium.

The Pacific Northwest is home to a glass blowing movement spearheaded by artists such as Dale Chihuly.  In a display called Oddwater, the aquarium manages to successfully compliment unique looking fish along with locally created glass sculptures from The Edge Art Gallery in South Beach.

Even the critters that call the Coast Aquarium home are largely local to the Pacific Northwest.  Instead of committing resources to gather exotic creatures, the aquarium displays native species with pride.

If you plan on making the trip down the Oregon coast, make sure to stop here.It shouldn’t be missed.