ENTERTAINMENT

Whoever said "nothing is free" hadn't paid a visit to the Pacific Marine
Mammal Center. It's a quick and interesting stop on the way to or from
Laguna Beach, and it's free!

This small center plays nurse to sick and injured sea mammals that strand
along the Orange County Coastline. The objective; rescue, medically treat,
and rehabilitate Pinnipeds (seals, sea lions and walruses) and Cetaceans
(whales and dolphins). Only when a healthy body weight is restored and
they can compete for food independently can they return to the wild.

Several cages have animals separated until they are well enough to join
the others in the pool, that's where they love to play and are fun to watch.
A grassy area is a great place to relax and prolong your visit. If your
timing is right you might even see volunteers weigh or feed an animal.

Though a visit here is free they rely on donations which are tax deductible.
If you are 18 years or older, live in Orange County and can commit to one
half-day per week for at least a full year you can become a volunteer
caring for patients and helping to maintain the facility.

The Pacific Marine Mammal Center also has a gift shop to purchase cards,
books and stuffed animals. All proceeds help fund the cause.

Open daily 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Located at 20612 Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach.

Telephone (949) 494-3050

Wine and friends just seem to go together, and what a lovely day it was. A
group of us split the cost of a limousine and enjoyed the day without worry.
Our first stop before lunch was the Boorman Winery. The Boorman's, Todd and
Rose, were lovely hosts. They literally live wine, with the vines a view from
their home and wine fermenting on the premises.

They started out as collectors in the 1980's. With a license in pest control and
vineyard management classes under their belt they took their passion a giant
leap forward. They are a small producer growing premium Cabernet Sauvignon
and Cabernet Franc grapes and yielding 1500 cases of wine per year. Group
tastings are held by appointment and what hospitable hosts they are.

We gathered around a burgundy draped table in a structure with barrels and
vats keeping secret nearby. I was impressed with the time Rose had put into
preparing wonderful appetizers for us. Toasted baguette slices brushed with
olive oil had been divided; one half was topped with filet and gorgonzola before
broiling rare and the other with a chopped tomato, basil and balsamic mixture
and a slice of fresh buffalo mozzarella. There was a bowl of garlic stuffed olives
as well. The offerings got us through more wines than we could have otherwise
while Todd guided us through our journey.

A good Cabernet has been a struggle for me to find without spending the big
bucks, but the Boorman winery did some good ones. The 2003 Cabernet Franc
wooed me with hints of raspberry, plum and cherry. The others thought it was
too strong, while I thought they were weak. The 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon was
another fantastic wine bursting with berries and subdued oak .

We all had our favorites which we had opportunity to purchase. I especially
liked the personal attention that you get at Boorman. Group tastings are $5
per person which is a bargain considering we tried a good variety wines and the
glasses were generous. It's a good way to get acquainted with these wines
and meet their maker. Have the Boorman's sign a bottle for a unique gift.

Located at 21630 Ave De Arboles in Murietta.

Telephone (951) 600-9333

San Diego's Balboa is the largest urban cultural park in the nation. Here you'll
find various performing arts, international cultural organizations and the San
Diego Zoo. It's home to 15 museums as well, the most visited of these is the
Reuben H. Fleet Science Center.

The Reuben H. Fleet Science Center is hands on education for the young and
young at heart. With more than 100 science exhibits one can take away from
here a better understanding of our planet. Draw random pictures with sand,
watch a tornado form, or make conversation to another across the room by
just by talking into a big dish. It's some pretty interesting stuff.

The Virtual Zone had some photo opportunities as well as the DO-UNDO exhibit
where your movements are recorded and played forward, backwards and fast
forward. We were coming up with some funny stuff. There is also a 23-
passenger motion simulator ride at the Virtual Zone, but tickets ($4) must be
purchased separately for this ride and passengers must be 40" or taller.

Kid City is for the very young. It's here that those 6 years and under can play
on computers, in miniature houses, at a grocery store and at the Power Plant
inserting balls into vertical air shoots and watching them pop out.

The Fleet hosts major national traveling exhibitions several times a year such
as GROSS OLOGY "The (impolite) science of the body". It's the only place
where burping, boogers and puke are fun. Identify foul odors (and I mean
REALLY foul), crawl across skin and play "URINE The Game".

The Science Center is also home to the world's first IMAX Dome Theater
showing the biggest films on the planet. The screen wraps around the sides of
the theater, filling the viewers peripheral vision making it feels as if they were
really there. Film topics take audiences to fascinating places to learn about
the "Mystery Of The Nile" , "Volcanos Of The Deep Sea" and "Hurricane On The
Bayou". Classic IMAX films play every Friday at a discount.

Stop in for soup, a sandwich, a slice of pizza or a latte at Galileo's Caf�.
Seating is outdoors at a table on the patio or around the Bea Evanson
Fountain. Food and drinks may not be taken into the museum.

The last stop is the North Star Science Store where $.51 will get you a souvenir
from their penny press. It's also a great place to do a little birthday or
Christmas shopping for educational toys, books and videos.

Other Sky Tonight, a live planetarium show, covers visible objects in the sky
and information on a different astronomy topic each month. This is held the
first Wednesday of every month at 7:00 P.M. There's always something new
and interesting at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center.

This is a great place for science freaks. For those that aren't it does takes a bit
of patience and willingness to read to really soak it in. To get the most from
the Fleet Center check their website for new exhibits and show times so you
don't miss the big stuff, which is the most fun.

Prices to access all exhibit galleries is $7 for adults 13+/juniors (3-12) and
seniors (65+) $6.25

To add one IMAX film is $11.75/$9.75

Yearly memberships are available to individuals as well as families and can be
a great bargain for those who can frequent the place.

Buy a 7 day passport to see 13 of the museums in Balboa Park for $35 adults/
$19 children, add the San Diego Zoo and it's only $59 adult/$33 children

Open every day at 9:30 A.M.

Parking is free.

Located at 1875 El Prado in San Diego.

Telephone (619) 238-1233

Website: www.rhfleet.org

Since teaming up in 1975, Penn & Teller's off-beat comedy routine has
found success on stage and television. It was several of their
television appearances that intrigued my husband, who decided he'd
like to see them while we were in Vegas for his birthday.

Penn's political satire combines stunts and magic, while divulging
secrets of the trade. As a mime, Teller gets the obvious laughs with
mischief and mishaps. Penn on the other hand is the brain and does
more than enough talking for the both of them. The show drug on
endlessly with Penn spending way too much time explaining his trick
and getting sidetracked, ultimately losing the audience's attention. I
struggled to stay awake as the show came to the finale. Penn spent
more than 20 minutes of technical rambling before firing a gun leaving
me no idea what had happened.

The curtain went down and the lights went up. I felt like I barely made
it through a bad sermon. I thought for sure it was just me, but my
husband was upset. I was so bewildered by it all that while my
husband was in the restroom I walked around interviewing strangers
as to their opinions. Many admitted being Penn & Teller fans, but they
too were in dismay as to what happened to this famous duo.

I don't know if they were having a bad night or were trying out a new
show, but they had no business charging $75 a person for that flop.

Located at the Rio in Las Vegas.

Telephone (702) 777-7776