Wonders with Bricks

When our daughter was big enough to take the adventure park rides, we decided to visit Legoland. We thought, even if she disliked the rides, she would have many other things to do at Legoland, given that she has enjoyed collecting and building with Duplo and later with Lego bricks. I remember she was fascinated when I got her a book from her library that explained how things are made at Lego factory. At that time, she had dreamt of working there when she grew up. So, a trip to Legoland was not only justified but it had become a must.

Taj made with Lego bricks

We visited the Legoland located at Carlsbad, California and decided to spend the entire day there even before the gates had opened. As soon as we stepped in, we knew that we were going to stand in front of every model that was on display and say ‘Wow, amazing how they’ve made it’. We got into a boat that took us for a ride through various models that have been constructed of the world’s different architectural wonders. We also walked through an area where they have recreated The Strip of Las Vegas, the swearing-in ceremony of President Obama, and other elaborate scenes like the opera, New York downtown, etc. There was a ride that took us through a safari where animals and birds were made with Lego bricks. Also on display were replicas of famous paintings made with small bricks.

Our daughter was anxious to experience some action. So we took her on her first roller coaster ride and then there was no looking back. She enjoyed it so much, that she wanted to experience the thrill again and again. The rides at Legoland are much easier than the ones at Six Flags or Disneyworld but they are just right for the uninitiated. While waiting for some rides, I remember her looking around and finding comfort in the fact that there were children who were a lot younger than her but were completely cool about taking the rides. That’s how our minds work, I thought. We draw comfort from looking at those who appear to be completely self-assured although we may not know if they indeed are and what makes them so. Unfortunately, our daughter could not take one ride, Knight’s Tournament, because it required her to take off her earrings which were sealed. But hubby and I took the ride in which a robotic arm stretches out over a moat and twists and turns at high speed. We had our insides completely shaken up.

The 3D movies screened were a big hit with kids, especially the one featuring Bob the Builder. There was a small exhibit displaying how the Lego bricks are actually built with total precision so that the inter-locking system is guaranteed for every single piece. It is claimed that only 18 bricks per one million do not meet their quality norms.

Outside the Imagination Zone, there was a huge model of Einstein. Inside, children were free to imagine and construct. Manufacturing these bricks is indeed a highly sophisticated process, but the process by which a child discovers the wonders that can be created using the inter-locking bricks and the process of actually creating meaningful models out of the bricks is no less sophisticated.

The Salad Bowl

No wonder Salinas is called the Salad Bowl of America. It is claimed that over three-fourth of all the lettuce is grown in the Salinas Valley which is located in Monterey County, California. Driving from Monterrey Bay toward Salinas, one can see large tracts of farm lands growing lettuce, fresh fruits, vegetables and vineyards. Farming is largely mechanized and it was interesting to see a few farmers ably managing large fields through automation and technology.

We enjoyed watching the sprinklers programmed to start watering specific patches of the farm on rotation and my husband could not get enough pictures of these. After going around downtown Salinas and checking out the National Steinbeck Centre and Steinbeck House where the author once lived, we decided to experience the farm life and headed towards The Farm. 

Cutouts outside The Farm

Strawberry farm

Lettuce Farm

In fact, while driving on Highway 68, we had spotted the large sculptures/ cut-outs of farmers erected outside The Farm and this had really made us curious. We reached the place just as it had started pouring so we could neither go on a farm tour nor do anything in the petting area which had a few farm animals. We were bound indoors- mainly in the area where fresh produce was on sale. Suddenly, a few more families with children trickled in and the entire place got ready to stage a puppet theatre show. It was magical to see the place transform completely and recreate the life which was actually being lived outside. The story was simple and revolved around the farmer’s life. Our daughter was completely immersed in the make-believe world created by the puppets and somewhere along the line I actually felt disappointed because I thought I had lost the child-like ability to get immersed in make-believe worlds. At the end of the show, fresh-cut fruit was offered to all on the house. Being a small town, most people who had assembled there knew each other and they quickly started socializing and were quite surprised to hear how far we had come from. The heavy downpour by then had reduced to just a drizzle and we went out for a walk on the slushy farm. For dinner, we picked up a veggie sub and without thinking too much just ordered for LOTS and LOTS of lettuce. Could we get enough?