GLOWFARI AT THE OAKLAND ZOO: Panorama of Larger Than Life Animal Lanterns

 

Glowfari, Lantern Festival at the Oakland Zoo, Oakland, CA

Lighting up the winter night at the Oakland Zoo in California are hundreds of larger-than-life animal lanterns, ranging from dinosaurs, mammoths and other extinct creatures, to butterflies, flowers, monkeys, koalas and a host of other animals. The themes of this year's Glowfari are Land of Extinction, California Coastline, Wonders from Down Under, Neon-Tropics and Mythical Odyssey. 

Giant Sea Reptile in Land of Extinction

The Glowfari Lantern Festival is open evenings at the Oakland Zoo (5:00-9:00 pm) and has been extended to March 4th. (The zoo was closed in January due to damage by heavy rain.) Tickets with timed entry are available online and sell out fast. (Tickets are not exchangeable.) Whatever the weather, Glowfari is open. 

For scale, note silhouettes of people carrying umbrellas.

As it happened, after a week of dry weather, on the night of our visit in late December it began to rain just as we arrived, so we put on our raincoats and got our umbrellas. Even in the rain, the lanterns were impressive. Here are some of my favorites:

Baby dinosaur hatching out of its egg.

Chambered Nautilus.

Capybara from South America.

Dingoes from Australia.

Lighted paths lead from one exhibit area to the next, ending at the gondola station which takes you to the upper level and the section featuring the California coastline, with lanterns ranging from whales to microscopic plankton.  The only real animals visible during Glowfari are the snakes and lizards in the reptile house. The rest of the zoo animals are all out of sight in their nighttime enclosures. 

Because of the weather and the long line of people waiting for the gondola, we skipped that part of Glowfari. We were sorry to miss it because we had enjoyed the gondola ride last year. The view from the top across San Francisco Bay is impressive. We’ll hope for better weather next year!

Under the sea.

 

EUREKA, CALIFORNIA: The Heart of Humboldt County

Bald Eagle at the Sequoia Park Zoo, Eureka, CA. 

Every two years in October, I go to Eureka, California, in Humboldt County, for a children's book author festival. While my focus is work, there is also time to enjoy the beautiful northern California coast, the surrounding hills and forests, and to explore the shops, parks and restaurants of historic Eureka.

Coast near Trinidad, CA, north of Eureka in Humboldt County

Eureka is Humboldt's county seat and has a population of about 27,000. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries it was a booming port city, transporting lumber from the surrounding forests all over the world. Many of the downtown buildings date from that time. A number of them are covered with colorful murals painted more recently.

Mural on building in historic downtown Eureka

During my visit I stayed at the historic Eureka Inn, originally built in 1922. (The rooms have recently been renovated.) The walls of the spacious lobby are lined with portraits of some of its famous visitors through the years such as Sir Winston Churchill and past president Ronald Reagan making one feel a part of history. The hotel is a short walk from downtown Eureka, which is filled with restaurants, craft shops, a bookstore, an art and historical museum and more. One of my favorite restaurants is the Waterfront Cafe, featuring fresh seafood caught locally, across the street from the boardwalk by the water.

Boardwalk in Eureka

From the boardwalk one can view the boats moored in Woodley Marina, which include both fishing and pleasure boats as well as commercial vessels.

Woodley Marina, Eureka

Not far from the center of town, in a beautiful redwood grove, is The Sequoia Park Zoo. It has a small but interesting and varied collection of animals, including a rescued bald eagle, red pandas, orangutans, musk oxen, ostriches and much more.

Red Panda, Sequoia Park Zoo

Arcata, California, just north of Eureka, is home to Humboldt State University and a variety of businesses including  Fire and Light Handmade Glass, a company that makes colorful glassware from recycled bottles. I came home with one of their beautiful glass redwood trees, now propped in a window to let the light shine through and remind me of my trip.

I always enjoy my visit to Eureka, discovering something new each time!

Tree from Fire and Light Handmade Glass