Sea Otters Return to the Monterey Bay Aquarium

Photo Credit: U.S. Geological Survey 
Department of the Interior/USGS
U.S. Geological Survey/photo by Don Becker

March 23 marks the return of the Monterey Bay Aquarium's most popular exhibit, the sea otters. More than 50 million visitors have enjoyed the sea otters at the aquarium. The two-story exhibit has been upgraded to include new interactive features where visitors can learn more about the adorable animals and the efforts undertaken by the aquarium to bring them back from the brink of extinction.

The aquarium's Sea Otter Research and Conservation program is home to the only center that rescues and releases California sea otters. The program has aided more than 600 ill, injured and orphaned sea otters since 1984.

The exhibit otters have helped Monterey Bay Aquarium researchers learn more in depth information about the animals, gathering baseline data about otter growth and development.

The current sea otters who will share exhibit time at the Monterey Bay Aquarium are Rosa, Abby, Kit, Gidget, and Ivy. Rosa is the oldest at almost 14 years and Ivy is the youngest at just 1-1/2 years old.

Official Logo

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Oakland Zoo Family Deal Alert

Flamingos hang out near the entrance to the Oakland Zoo.

Living Social is featuring a great deal for a family of four to visit the Oakland Zoo. The deal offers a 51% discount on a one-day family pass to the zoo, covering admissions for two adults and two children for only $27. General zoo admission for one adult is $15.75, so you can see the savings this deal offers. The Oakland Zoo is smaller than the San Francisco Zoo, but is still a pleasurable outing for a family. It is located in the 525-acre Knowland Park just off highway 580 in Oakland. Currently, there are four days left to purchase the deal, which is good through August 5, 2013. 

Girl with a Pearl Earring visits San Francisco

Starting this past Saturday, January 26, and going through Sunday, June 2, 2013, you can see Johannes (Jan) Vermeer's masterpiece, Girl with a Pearl Earring. Along with Vermeer's masterpiece, more than 30 works from other Dutch masters will be shown in this special exhibit at the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park. The exhibit Girl with a Pearl Earring: Dutch Paintings from the Mauritshuis will be running in conjunction with Rembrandt's Century, and exhibit featuring 17th century works on paper from graphic artists and print makers in the time of Rembrandt. The exhibit is anchored by a large number of etchings by Rembrandt van Rijn.

The Girl with a Pearl Earring exhibit is the first American stop on the tour of these famous painting from the Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis, The Hague; the Dutch museum features one of the world's greatest collection of works from the Dutch Golden Age (1584-1702). The museum has not lent such a large group of works from its collection in nearly 30 years; however, a major renovation to the museum allows this exhibit to be possible. The Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis is closed to the public during renovations and is expected to reopen in mid-2014.

Timed tickets for this special exhibit are $25 for adults, $22 for seniors 65 or older, $21 for students with current ID, $15 for youths ages 6-17, and free to members and children under 5. Included in admission is the adjacent exhibit, Rembrandt's Century, as well as general museum admission. The de Young Museum is located at 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive in Golden Gate Park; the museum is closed Mondays.

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Groupon Deal Alert: deYoung Museum

The deYoung Museum in Golden Gate Park.

Act quickly to take advantage of this Groupon for admission to the "Rudolf Nureyev: A Life in Dance" exhibit at the deYoung Museum located in Golden Gate Park. This exclusive exhibit runs through February 17, 2013 and there are three days left to purchase this deal on Groupon. The deal is for a 50% discount on admission to the exhibit and general museum admission. If you redeem your admission this month (January), you also get a 20% discount at the museum store.

Rudolf Nureyev in 1973 by Allan Warren

Rudolf Nureyev (1938-1993) was a Soviet-born dancer and choreographer who defected to the West from the Soviet Union in 1961. He was a hugely popular international performer appearing on stages around the globe; he also appeared in a number of television programs and films. The deYoung's exhibit features more than 80 costumes and 50 photographs from Nureyev's personal collection, among other items.

The deYoung Museum is part of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, along with the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park. The deYoung museum is the fourth most visited art museum in North America. The museum features permanent exhibits concentrating on art of the ancient Americas, Oceania and Africa, as well as American art and international textiles and costumes. There are also frequently changing temporary and traveling exhibits from museums around the world.

The deYoung Museum is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 9:30 a.m.-5:15 p.m. General admission to the museum for adults is $10. Admission is free the first Tuesday of every month. Special exhibits may have additional admission charges. Tickets for "Rudolf Nureyev: A Life in Dance" are $20 for adults. The museum is located at 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.

January is California restaurant month

California is hosting a statewide celebration of food during the month of January. They have a website and Facebook page dedicated to the event. They have a whole host of events going on across the state, online and through various social media outlets. The are running a photo contest with entries uploaded to Instagram and Facebook. They will also be hosting weekly Q&A sessions with various California-based chefs on Facebook.

To enter the Foodie Photo Contest, you'll need to snap a picture of your favorite "California inspired" meal and post on Instagram or their Facebook page with the tag #DineInCA. You'll need to have your friends and family vote for your picture to help you get to the Top 10. Those photos making the Top 10 will be judged by a panel of experts on quality, style, and creativity. The grand prize in the contest is a 7-day deluxe foodie trip to California for two. There will also be three runner-up prizes awarded. The contest is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada ages 21 and over. For more details on the contest, check out the complete rules.

The "Knife Point Interviews" will be hosted live every Wednesday in January on Facebook. If you miss the life session on Facebook, the transcripts will be posted to the Visit California website. I'm excited for the last interview in the series with Roy Choi, of Kogi Korean BBQ food truck fame. Chef Choi and the Kogi food truck started a trend that has exploded across the country, inspiring other chefs to open their cafes on wheels.

Many restaurants across the state will be participating in California Restaurant Month or with a resturant week celebration in their own city. There will be restaurant week/month specials, so check with participating restaurants for their offerings. Another source for information, as well as reservations, for the upcoming foodie celebrations is Open Table. Open Table, if you're not familiar with it, is an online reservation system where you can earn points for dining at participating restaurants. If you want to dine at any of the restaurant week/month participants, you might want to make your reservations early as seatings can fill up quickly.

California Restaurant Month Schedules*:

Napa Valley Restaurant Month, January 1-31
San Luis Obispo County Restaurant Month, January 1-31
Berkeley Restaurant Week, January 13-20
San Francisco Dine About Town, January 15-31
Oakland Restaurant Week, January 18-27
Newport Beach Restaurant Week, January 21-27
Dine LA Restaurant Week, January 21-February 1

*Check out the California Restaurant Month website for more celebrations around the state.