We were originally planning to take the train up to to Santa Barbara for the day, but in our haste to depart, we forgot the discount tickets that would have made the trip affordable. So, given that we were already almost at Union Station, we just stayed on the 720 bus, and got off at the George C. Page Museum of La Brea Discoveries (a.k.a., the La Brea Tar Pits). ^_^
We've been there once before, and we very much enjoyed the experience. The last time we went, the pits were fairly active, with large amounts of tar and methane bubbling up to the surface. This time, the geology was a little more subdued, but we still had a wonderful time.
In the main water-filled pit, near the front entrance, a statue was erected to depict a wooly mammoth caught in the tar, slowing sinking to her death. This time, we noticed a subtle detail that had escaped us on our first visit: The statue actually moves back and forth over time. It's a neat effect, one that makes you wonder until you look closely and line everything up to prove to yourself that it is indeed moving.
Despite the lack of activity, the tar slicks on the surface of the water were beautiful, and we took many photographs of the diffraction patterns. Quantum Physics in Action!
Inside the museum, there was a very cute statue of a dire wolf. ^_^
A tree in the inner courtyard at the museum is beginning to seed.
While walking across the grass, we noticed a fair number of tar seeps. One has to be quite careful walking around the grounds and surrounding neighbourhood to avoid sticky shoes.
Finally, we visited Pit 91, and were able to see some of the palaeontologists working on preparing the excavation for the 2008 working year. Wow — That's a dirty job.
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