No Need to Travel Far for Fun

Back-yard vacations have some real advantages: they don’t cost much money and they don’t take a lot of time.

“We’re afraid to spend too much money these days, and we can’t go too far because of horrendous gas prices,” said Martha McDonough, an Escondido housewife with three children under the age of 12.

McDonough and her husband, a computer programmer, say the family will take day trips during the Christmas holiday. “We’ll finally see what’s in our own back yard,” said Jim McDonough.

Community attractions--such as museums--are sometimes slow to be discovered by the people who live near them.

“Locals take all this for granted,” said Guy Woodward, curator of the Guy B. Woodward Museum in Ramona. Woodward, 81, is referring to the turn-of-the-century museum that carries his name and is considered tops by historical societies in the state. “We’ve been judged twice as the best backcountry museum in California.”

Up the road a bit is the Julian Pioneer Museum, visited by more than 75,000 people a year, most from outside the area. “Not a day goes by that we don’t see somebody from a foreign country,” said curator Mabel Carlson.

The typical North County museum differs from the larger, more traditional museum where the atmosphere is formal and collections are perfectly arranged, enshrined and guarded. Hometown museums are family-oriented, educational and lively places that offer something for young and old.

For instance, at the Quail Botanical Gardens in Encinitas, there is a tour for 3- and 4-year-old children, designed to teach young minds how early man survived off the land; the Anza-Borrego Visitor Center in Borrego Springs has an audio tape of sounds and conversations recorded during the 1968 Borrego earthquake; and at the Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum in Vista, mechanical buffs examine restored, operational farm equipment, such as a hillside harvester built in 1917 with gears that cranked manually and required a crew of 5 to run.

No rules or regulations govern the formation of a museum, community-based or otherwise, although most have nonprofit status and are affiliated with a historical society. Some receive support from local, state or federal agencies. On a day-to-day basis, they tend to be managed and staffed by dedicated, knowledgeable volunteers.

There are a number of good museums in North County that cost little, if anything, to enjoy. Most request donations, though. The museums that aren’t right in your neighborhood are probably within a 60-minute drive from home.

GUY B. WOODWARD MUSEUM

645 Main St., Ramona

(619) 789-7644 Open 1-4 p.m., Thursday through Sunday; c losed holidays.

When Guy Woodward and his wife were vacationing in Hawaii some years ago, members of the Ramona Historical Society took a vote and changed the name of their museum. “Darned if I didn’t come home to find they’d named the museum after me,” said Woodward, who dresses in Western attire, looks every bit the cowboy part, and is undoubtedly the perfect volunteer.

Although several wooden structures dot the museum property, the centerpiece is a beautifully restored 1886 French Provincial home called the Verlaque house, named after its original owner. Authentic interior furnishings include a baby grand piano made in Austria in 1870 for the king of Austria. The library serves as an ongoing historical data center and is used by faculty and students from several area universities. A gift shop is in the basement, along with memorabilia from famed cowboy Casey Tibbs.

Outside are authentic Western buildings that were relocated and restored with help from the California Conservation Corps. An 1880 medicine wagon, once pulled by a team of horses, now has a 1926 Chevrolet engine and is fully operational. According to Woodward, children love the 7-ton jail where prisoners were once kept. “If they were like that today, these people wouldn’t be so anxious to get back into them,” said Woodward, a former agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

JULIAN PIONEER MUSEUM

2811 Washington St., Julian (619) 765-0227 Open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Sunday, legal holidays (except Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Year’s Day). Open daily from April 1 through November. May be closed due to snow. Inspired by the Julian Woman’s Club and a large number of civic and political organizations, the Julian Pioneer Museum opened its doors in 1952.

The building was originally a brewery and later a blacksmith shop. After two restorations, it has now been restored to its original turn-of-the-century configuration. Bursting with artifacts donated by local Julian pioneer families, the museum consists of a three-room structure.

The oldest artifact is a small wall sampler from the 1700s. Carlson said the Weber square piano dating back to the 1880s is a favorite and catches everyone’s eye. And the museum’s collection of lace is “one of the best around.”

Julian’s first pool table is one of the larger exhibits. On the smaller side, but no less intriguing, are a pair of thick, uncomfortable looking contact lenses, circa 1940.

ANZA-BORREGO DESERT VISITOR CENTER

Anza-Borrego State Park

Borrego Springs

(619) 767-4684 (recorded message) Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, October through May; 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and holidays, June through September. Park rangers and volunteers say a day trip will “whet your appetite” for exploring the Anza-Borrego Desert Park, the largest state park in California. This 600,000-acre retreat encompasses one of the richest living museums in the country. To understand what the desert is all about, a visit to the 7,000-square-foot Visitor Center is a good place to start.

After 10 years and $1 million, this subterranean structure emerged in 1979. Through use of native rock and desert landscaping, the building blends nicely into the environment.

A 24-minute video runs every half hour and provides commentary and slides about camping sites in Palm Canyon, nature trails with self-guided maps, and canyon trails that are perfect for horseback riders and people with four-wheel-drive vehicles.

After watching the video, you’ll want to proceed to the room where artifacts and pictorial exhibits are displayed. One of the first displays is an Imperial Mammoth fossil found in the desert and believed to be from the Pleistocene age.

If your visit coincides with a tour of the “back room,” you will see fascinating artifacts of preserved animals, pelts, pottery and even a large oyster shell dating back millions of years when the area was under water.

The center has a large gift shop with an extensive book inventory. Ask for a complimentary copy of the Anza-Borrego Desert newspaper, which is published annually. This contains a calendar of events that lists special seminars dealing with the fossil life of Anza Borrego, animals of the desert, tours of the paleontology lab and numerous other regularly scheduled events.

Brochures and maps are available for those who want to take any one of the several self-guided hikes.

PALOMAR OBSERVATORY

Palomar Mountain

Cleveland National Forest (619) 742-2119 The dome and museum are open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. daily, except Dec. 24 and 25. The gift shop is open weekends during the winter, and daily from July 1-Aug. 31. Visitors are sometimes disappointed to learn they cannot peek through the 200-inch Hale telescope that is inside the 1,000-ton rotating dome atop Palomar Mountain. The telescope is owned and used for research by faculty and students at the California Institute of Technology.

However, a glassed-in viewing platform provides an awesome view of the telescope that has been in continual operation since 1948. Its movable parts weigh about 530 tons.

The mirror weighs 14.5 tons and has a range of well over 1 billion light-years, or 6,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 miles.

Just inside the entryway of the dome is a replica of a reflecting-type telescope built by Sir Isaac Newton in 1668. That telescope was the forerunner for the Hale telescope, built three centuries later.

Once you’ve had a chance to see the telescope, it is a short walk to the Greenway Museum where pictures and a video explain the telescope and how it is being used to unfold the mysteries of the universe.

Visitors learn that light pollution has seriously inhibited the effectiveness of the Palomar Observatory. The rapid urbanization of Southern California has increased the amount of sky glow. The observation capacity of the 200-inch lens has already been reduced to 140 inches.

Since the elevation of the observatory is 5,500 feet, it is wise to take along some warm clothing. Picnic tables are nearby.

QUAIL BOTANICAL GARDENS

230 Quail Gardens Drive, Encinitas (619) 436-3036 $1 parking fee is requested. Closed Dec. 17-Jan. 1 , but otherwise open daily 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; gift shop hours 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. The Quail Botanical Gardens includes a living museum where more than 5,000 plant species flourish. Gardeners and naturalists will enjoy trekking through 15 acres of plant life (another 15 acres are closed and designated a refuge for wildlife).

Originally a private residence, the property was deeded to the county in 1957.

Frost-free growing conditions provide a home away from home for tropical plants such as ferns, palms and uncommon fruit. You can see the West’s largest collection of hibiscus and the largest grouping of the bamboo species in the United States.

A demonstration garden has been created to educate homeowners about ways to use native plants in low water-use landscaping. Free tours are given every Saturday beginning at 10 a.m. The toddler’s tour takes place the first Tuesday of every month at 10:30 a.m.

Docents say the botanical gardens have become a favorite place for wedding ceremonies and family portraits. If interested, call the office for more information.

ANTIQUE GAS & STEAM ENGINE MUSEUM

240 N. Santa Fe Ave., Vista. (619) 941-1791 Open daily 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Closed Christmas and New Years. Situated in a rapidly diminishing rural neighborhood in Vista, the Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum is a find for anyone interested in farm life at the turn of the century or vintage machinery. About 1,100 members of the California Early Days Gas Engine & Tractor Assn. collect and restore artifacts on the 40-acre site.

Much of the machinery is in working condition and is put into action when the club stages two major Threshing Bee & Antique Engine shows during the third and fourth weekends of June and October.

Visitors can walk the grounds and see vintage tractors, thrashers, hand-cranked autos and horse-drawn carts. Be sure to notice a large piece of equipment, which is a Fairbanks Morse 25,000-kilowatt generator. This was the generator that powered Catalina during the 1920s and 1930s. Not far from the generator is a steam-operated saw mill and a one-third scale train.

The museum building houses most of the restored or valuable equipment, like an Foos gasoline engine and a 1930 Buick Master Six Tractor. Collectors will be interested in the large assortment of oil cans that have evolved over the years. Along these same lines are displays of barbed wire dating to the mid-1800s. Another building houses a blacksmith and wheelwright shop. Members gather on the first Saturday of each month for blacksmithing classes.

HERITAGE WALK

Grape Day Park, Escondido (619) 743-8207 Open 1 p.m.-4 p.m., Thursday through Saturday; Closed Dec. 22, 27, 28, 29.

Historic structures and artifacts were relocated to Grape Day Park initially as a local tribute to the nation’s Bicentennial in 1976. The effort was spearheaded by the Escondido Historical Society and supported by civic and community leaders. Today, the complex has grown and serves as a showcase for other heritage parks.

The heritage walk begins with a visit to Escondido’s first library, which dates to 1894 and retains its original facade. Escondido Historical Society Director Norm Syler has an office inside the library. The library also serves as a gift shop and storehouse for historical archives.

One of the popular attractions is the Victorian home, circa 1890. It has been restored through careful research and collaboration with the Hoffmann family, former residents of the home for many years. Most of the furnishings were donated by local residents. This year the historical society threw a 100th birthday party for the house, and Syler said three of the Hoffmann daughters attended.

Children enjoy the 1888 Santa Fe Depot best of all, according to Syler. It has been restored close to its original condition and even old graffiti remain on one of the walls. For many years the depot served as the communication center for Escondido residents. Today, children can try their hand at tapping out messages on a telegraph machine. Artifacts such as the original roll-front ticket cabinet, a huge safe and old typewriters serve as reminders of bygone days. Behind the depot is a railroad car, circa 1925.

OLD POWAY PARK

Midland Road, Poway Completion set for 1991 Construction coordinator/historian is Frank Lorey, (619) 486-4114.

Although the museum complex is still under construction, it is expected to be completed next year. The 5-acre complex will be similar to the Heritage Walk in Escondido.

Already visible are the railroad station and locomotive barn that will be fully functional when finished. The old Templar’s Hall, the Armstrong house and the Porter house have already been relocated to the property and are undergoing restoration.

The museum’s centerpiece will likely be the restored 1907 Baldwin-built steam engine that was originally used in the San Francisco area. Poway resident Col. Porter used to run it on weekends until his death in 1963.