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California
Zoos & Aquariums
San
Mateo County Vacation
- Continued Page 2
- pg 1 /pg 3
"Spare
no expense" construction utilized rare woods, massive scale and design elements
considered too costly by today's standards. The mansion is filled with
estate artifacts and collector furnishings, while the garden (one of America's
finest and most historic,) reflects European influences with its succession of
garden rooms containing parterres, terraces, lawns and pools arranged between
two parallel north-south walks. With 14 full-time horticulturalists, 100
volunteers and student interns needed to care for over 200,000 plantings and
trees, an esteemed list of retired executives and well-to-do residents of
upscale Woodside roll up their sleeves to dig in and help. "You
wouldn't know it but many of the volunteers are quite wealthy," one person in
our tour group whispered.
Maintenance
of this
private property of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, requires large
sums of money and commitment from the local community. Guided and self-guided tours of the
mansion & gardens,
plus special events such as Easter Hunt, Jazz at Filoli and Autumn Celebration,
make Filoli a treasure to enjoy and and visit more than once. Admission: $12 (approx.) for adult. This "must see" attraction
is open February through October. Address: 86 Caņada
Road, Woodside, California 94062. Directions: Approx. 30 miles south of San
Francisco in Woodside, south of Highways 92 and 280 Junction. Call for hours, schedule changes and
restrictions: (650) 364.8300 x507. www.filoli.org.
Other fantastic museums in the county include Hiller Aviation Institute &
Museum, showcasing the past, present and future of aviation with one-of-a-kind
prototype helicopters and aircraft spanning the development of aviation since
the early 1800's. Founded by the late, great helicopter pioneer Stanley Hiller
Jr. in June 1998, this facility provides one of the finest aircraft collections
anywhere. The adjoining gift shop sells unique, hard-to-find memorabilia and
collector items sought by aviation buffs. When asked if Howard Hughes and the
museum founder were associates, a tour guide replied, "Howard Hughes knew
Stanley Hiller, and he put him out of business!" It didn't take much time
for enterprising inventor Stanley Hiller to rebound and soar to new
heights, however. Hiller
Aircraft now produces and sells the most versatile line of helicopters in existence,
used for military training, farming and a variety of commercial and private
endeavors. The museum is located at 601 Skyway Road, San Carlos, CA94070. Cost:
$9 for adult (approx.) Phone: (650) 654-0200. www.hiller.org
Pirates may hear the call of the wild on a visit to Coyote Point Museum for
Environmental Education. Located next to the Coyote Point Marina where ships are secured, coyotes were not endemic to the area when
it was named,
though the museum includes one captured in a local neighborhood who was far too
friendly to survive in its natural habitat. In
addition, you'll see owls, badgers, snakes, a bobcat, ringtail and world famous
banana slugs, beloved by the students at nearby UC Santa Cruz. When asked if
banana slugs eat bananas, our tour guide responded, "No, they look like bananas." The museum includes aquariums, computers, games, films and a
wildlife habitat which features native Bay Area live animals and plants. Cost:
$6 for adult (approx.). Location: 1651 Coyote Point Drive, San Mateo,
CA94401-1097. Phone:(650) 342-7755. www.coyoteptmuseum.org >
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