Fullerton

I spent a few hours a couple weekends ago checking out the city of Fullerton, a city whose proximity--as I live somewhat close--invited exploration.  It was long overdue; though I'd occasionally pass through Fullerton to dine at a choice restaurant, I hadn't spent any substantial time in the city.

I started out late on a Sunday morning, destined for Tranquil Tea Lounge located in "historic" (self-proclaimed) downtown Fullerton for an energizing brunch with which to fortify myself for the day's excursion.  Tranquil Tea Lounge has a high Yelp rating, and I love tea so it was a win-win prospect.  I wasn't disappointed.  It's a great little eatery with an extensive tea selection and delicious food.  I ordered from their Tranquil Tea Trio option after which I indulged in their scrumptious flourless chocolate cake for dessert.  SO good.  I definitely plan on returning.

roast beef sandwich, organic greens, and lychee black tea

dark chocolate flourless cake w/ ganache & ice cream!

After my meal, I walked around the neighborhood a bit.  Fullerton is a university town, being home to CSU Fullerton as well as Fullerton College, so it has that college vibe, with eateries and bars abounding.  Yet downtown wasn't that bustling that morning; in fact, it was fairly dead.  Not that I minded.

I hung out a short while, and then I drove over to nearby Fullerton Museum.  The museum is part of the Fullerton Museum Center, a plaza with a park and a children's playground.  When I arrived at the museum center, I saw that it was likewise pretty subdued.  There were a dozen or so people in the park and playground, but I was the sole patron in the museum while I was there.

Fullerton Museum Center park

 

The museum's featured exhibition is Citrus: California's Golden Dream, an interesting retrospection on the "2nd California Gold Rush" which refers to the citris boom that dominated California's economy from the 1880s till the 1950s in which Fullerton played a part.

 

The museum isn't large, but in addition to the featured exhibit, there is a permanent exhibition in the Leo Fender Gallery, which features the life and career of Leo Fender, a lifelong Fullerton resident and the founder of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.  I'd heard of Fender guitars but know nothing about them, yet I found the gallery pretty cool.  I can imagine that a guitar enthusiast would find it much more so.

Creepy Keith Richards poster greets visitors at the Fender Gallery.

 

A few fascinating factoids I learned about Mr. Fender:  1) he himself did not know how to play the guitar despite his name being synonymous with the instrument; and 2) the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted Fender in a non-performing capacity, PLUS he was awarded a Grammy for his technological contributions to the music and recording industry.

My next stop after the museum was the Fullerton Arboretum.  This 26 acre botanical garden is in fact part of CSU Fullerton.  It's a wonderful park in which to stroll and picnic.  Streams and ponds dot the landscape, and I spotted cranes, ducks, and turtles.  Best of all, the arboretum is free to the public, though donations are welcome.

nasturtiums!

 

Mr. Turtle

 

 

It had been a tad too uncomfortably sunny when I was downtown, but the arboretum's lush landscape suited the day's weather.  I lolled at the park for about an hour, meandering through the verge and lounging on choicely located benches on occasion.  It was super relaxing.

Bodhi Tree planted in honor of the Dalai Lama's visit in 2000.

sitting under the Bodhi Tree, waiting for enlightenment

I slowly made my way to the pictured bench where I had the chance to observe this gorgeous crane.

When at last I left Fullerton Arboretum, I hunted down what I'd been anticipating all week, Oahu Shave Ice!  To preface, I've lately become slightly obsessed with Hawaiian shaved ice, ever since my day at OC Great Park, when I had the glorious shaved ice from the Tropical Shaved Ice truck.  Since that day, I found a couple of other great shaved ice joints so I had high hopes for Oahu Shave Ice.

Alas, unlike the tea lounge, this was a disappointment.  My ideal shaved ice treat has ice shaved so finely that it has a powdery consistency.  This day's example was not like that.  Though tasty, the ice was coarse and clumped together as it melted.  Thumbs down and not worth a trip back.

I headed home after my dessert.  It wasn't a heavy day of exploration, but I got a decent feel for Fullerton, and I plan on returning for Tranquil Tea Lounge and Fullerton Arboretum.

All I care about the Superbowl is how much I will win in the pools.

It's my conclusion that the best day to go somewhere in SoCal is on Superbowl Sunday.  With the exception of Disneyland (I'm told), most attractions, parks, and shopping centers are eerily devoid of crowds.  Traffic is gloriously light, and no one has to queue for anything.

Thus, I set off for the Orange Country Great Park, the as yet unfinished park in Irvine, CA that resides where decommissioned Marine Corps Air Station El Toro used to be.  When Great Park is completed, it will the be the largest municipal park in Orange County and will be larger than New York's Central Park, San Francisco's Golden Gate Park and San Diego's Balboa Park.

Though unfinished, Great Park drew me because of the free tethered hot air balloon ride that it offers.  Let me repeat that--Great Park offers FREE hot air balloon rides. 

hot air balloon in distance

One just needs to register and sign a waiver for a balloon ride at the Great Park visitor center and then wait for one's assigned flight appointment.  Because they are free, the rides are first come, first served basis so my thought was that Superbowl Sunday, of all days, would be ideally suited for guaranteeing a berth in the balloon basket.

However, when I arrived at 1:00pm, I was sad to learn that the day flights were all booked up.  The hours for balloon rides are 9:00am-3:00pm and 7:00pm-10:00pm.  For day flights, I was told that that I should register no later than 11:00am because the rides book up that quickly.  And one cannot book a ride the day before, either.  Nor can one register in the morning for a ride in the evening--registration for evening rides starts at 6:00pm.

Alas, I was very disappointed.  I should have called the visitor center prior to my visit to find out how early I needed to be there to ensure a ride, so it was my fault that I drove all the way to Irvine just to be thwarted.

I should have been up there.

Besides the hot air balloon, Great Park has a free carousel ride that is likewise on a first come, first served basis.  There is also an arts complex that consists of a few art galleries and studios.  Furthermore, Great Park hosts a farmers market every Sunday as well as an antiques flea market on the first Sunday of every month.

Neither the carousel nor the galleries interested me on this day, so I eventually wandered over to the markets to check them out.  I quickly grew bored with the antiques but the farmers market perked me up when I saw that there was a bunch of gourmet food trucks stationed there.  The temperature was very hot and dry so I especially zeroed in on the shaved ice truck.  This hit the spot big time:

coconut & melona flavor with snow cap, ice cream, and red beans!

The shaved ice was in fact my dessert.  Before that, I enjoyed lunch from Rancho A Go Go truck.  There is no photo of my pulled pork grilled cheese sandwich because I forgot to snap a pic prior to my wolfing it down, but take my word for it that it was VERY GOOD.

Rancho A Go Go menu

I left Great Park after lunch.  I spent about an hour there, including the time spent eating.  Despite my disappointment on this trip, I definitely want to return for the balloon ride, and I can't wait to check out Great Park when it is finally completed.

P.S.  I didn't win anything on any of my Superbowl pools.