...
Discovering
Rnaheim, California
PAULS. COHEN BRENDA H. COHEN Trenton Slate College Trenton, NJ
Anaheim, home by the Santa Ana Riuer, received its name from the early German settlers who came to the banks of the river i n 1857 to grow grapes and make wine. The new settlers brought cuttings of grape vines from Rhineland vinevards. and these ~ l a n t smew verv well. T h ~ success s made A n a h t h a major center of California's exoandinewine industn: Unfortunatelv a hlicht destroved the vinesand the wine &king industry i n the 1880's. The fanners of the region then invested in orange groves and a new industry prospered. In 1955 a new industry came to Anaheim once againWalt Disney's Magic Kingdom of Disneyland opened. Today, recreation and tourism are the major economic forces i n the region. How lucky for the ACS that the Convention Center is situated directly across the road from The Magic Kingdom! Besides this fantasy land there are many other sites i n this part of southern California, some of which are of interest to scientists.
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Local History For those who wish to understand the history of Anaheim, its early economic activities related to wine and citrus, and the history of Disneyland, a visit to the A n a h e i m M u s e u m i s i n order. T h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l P r i n t i n g Mus e u m exhibits illustrate the evolution of the printed word using artifacts like hand-carved wooden type and a linotype typesetter. Early California architecture is a theme of the S h e r m a n L i b r a r y & G a r d e n s . The botanical collection includes specimens ranging from rare c a d i to tropical plants. Orange County Orange County, i n which Anaheim is located, has several nature preserves, providing the public with a chance to study the local ecology and to watch many bird species. At the Bolsa C h i c a Ecological R e s e r v e visitors can see the endangered Belding Savannah sparrow, brown pelican, and California least ern. C r y s t a l Cove State Park, sitting along t h e coastline, has guided nature walks and talks. Here visitors may see many varieties of birds along the shore and gray whales off the Pacific coast. Doheny State B e a c h has a n Interpretive Center with a n indoor, 400-gal. simulated tidepool, and a 3000-gal. marine aquarium svstem. Oranee Countv has two small zoos. The Orange.county ZO; contain"^ 130 animals and the Santa Ana Zoo houses 250 animals. T u c k e r Wildlife Sanctuary 1s a 12-arre wilderness and refuge for natlve plants and wildlife. Aviait to U p p e r Newport Ray Ecology Hes e r v e revcals a natural area with wid birds and animals. Not far from Anaheim. south of thc citv, arc the five domes of M o u n t P a l o m a r ~ b s e r v a t o r y . his site, nearly a mile high, is reached by a 4.5-mi drive u p a winding road a t a 7% grade. Visitors see the 200-in. Hale Telescope and a small museum with a model of the telescope lens. Arcadia North and wejt of Anahtrim, in Arcadia, at the base ofthe San Gabriel Mountains, is The Los Aneeles S t a t e a n d C o u n t y A r b o r e t u m . v his lovely facility has a n ecosystem A46
Journal of Chemical Education
From 1917 to 1948 this, the 100-inch reflecting telescope installed by Hale in 1917 at the Mount Wilson Observatory was the world's largest telescope. The Mount Wilson Observatory was also the site of Alberl Michaelson's measurement of the speed of light. in which a wide range of plants flourish. Rare and exotic trees and shrubs from around the world are set in an informal landscape based on geographic regions. The arboretum is organized into specialized gardens with a variety of displays. The Historic Section describes life among the Gabrielino Indians and life during the Rancho Santa Ana period. Many movie and television productions have used the arboretum as their set over the years. Visitors may recoenize the Queen Anne Cottace. - . built bv Elias Jackson "Lucky" ~ a l d w i na t the end of the nineteeith century, from the telev~sionseries Fantasy Island. Descanso G a r d e n s in La Canada ourchased aooroximately 50,000 camellia plants from Japanese-American nurserymen who were moved into relocation camps during World War 11. These plants augmented the extensive camellia collection in a live oak forest. Today there are over six hundred varieties of camellias from all over the world, making this collection one of the largest in the world. A .A
5-acre Rose Garden chronicles the history of the rose. Other gardens include the Iris Garden with many prize winning plants and a California Native Plant Garden displaying dryclimate plants in a natural chaparral setting. Mount Wilson I n 1904 astronomer George Ellery Hale built the M o u n t Wilson O b s e r v a t o r y and installed a W i n . reflecting telescope. From 1917 to 1948 i t was the world's largest telescope. I n the years following the opening of the observatory, many firsts happened here. This was the first observatory to compare the sun to other stars, the first to discover the magnetic nature of sunspots, among others. In the 1920's Albert Michaelson reflected a beam of light from this mountain top to Mount San Antonio and measured the speed of light. The Visitor Center contains a small museum with many historic artifacts. A tour of the site includes t h e olaces where manv " great discoveries were made, stops at several important telescopes, end includcs olaoue. the soot.. marked with a . where the Michaelson experiment took place.
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The Huntington Complex T h e H u n t i n g t o n Library, Art Collection, and Bot a n i c a l G a r d e n in San Marino has extraordinary collections i n all three departments. The Library emphasizes British and American history, literature, and a r t from the 11th century to the present. Included i n the collections are European science and technology works dating from the 15th throueh the 19th centuries. The medieval material is heavily mekcinal. The 150-acre Botanical Garden contains 15 specialized gardens organized around several themes. Of special note is the Desert Garden, a 12-acre collection with 2,500 species arranged in geographic groups. This section contains the world's largest outdoor mature cacti and succulent collection. The Art Collection presents British, American, and European pieces of importance. Griffith Park Griffith Park i s a t the east end of the Santa Monica Mountains on the slopes of Mount Hollywood. The park
includes The Griffith Observatory and Planetarium, a facility that provides regular shows and, on clear evenings, uses its twin refracting telescopes for public viewing. Exhibits in the Hall of Science e x ~ l o r ethe relationshio between humans and the universi. The L o s ~ n ~ e l e s ' z o o disolavs over 2.000 animals from five continents in natural ha&t settings. Griffith Park also has Travel Town, a transoortation museum where visitors see steam locomotives and other railroad equipment in an outdoor setting, and waeons.. .oeriod automobiles. and fire fiehtine eaui-o.. ment, in the indoor facility.
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Downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Aneeles i s 28 mi from Anaheim. Both T h e California ~ u & u mof Science a n d I n d u s t r y and T h e N a t u r a l Historv Museum of Los Ancclcs C o u n t v are in Exposition ~ k k The . Science andU1ndustry M;seum i s a familv-directed comolex with exhibits t h a t merge science and social issues, such a s environmental concerns. In the Aerosoace Hall. the Earth is examined from space, the evolution of flight is studied, and the principles of flight explained. Other halls include Hall of Health, Technology Hall, and Hall of Economics a n d Finance. The N a t u r a l H i s t o r y M u s e u m has the third largest natural history collection i n the United States. Highlights of this institution include the four habitat halls displaying African, North American, and exotic mammals in naturalistic dioramas; Marine Biology Hall with one of the largest collections of mammals in the world; Gem a n d Mineral Hall with a stylized gold mine; and Hall ofBirds with 27 learning areas and walk-through habitats. The anthropology and history collections include such pieces a s a Paul Revere bell, one of the oldest banjos, vehicles, textiles, and scientific instruments. The world-famous G e o r g e C. Page M u s e u m of L a B r e a Discoveries is a satellite facility of the Natural History Museum. This museum, and the adjacent tar pits, are located on the west side of Los Angeles. Over 100 years of excavations a t the site revealed a remarkable number of specimens, many of which are on display in the museum. The pit, open to public inspection, is a working excavation site during the summer months,
Where To Find It Anaheim Museum, 241 South Anaheim Blvd., Anaheim CA 92805, (714)778-3301 Bolsa Chica Ecology Reserve, Warner Ave. and Golden West Street, Huntington Beach CA. (714)897-7003 California Museum of Science and Industry, 700 State Dr., Lo8 Angeles CA, (213)744-7400 Crystal Cove State Park, Corona del Mar and Laguna Beach, Anaheim CA. 1714\494-3539 , ~esCa&oGardens, 1418 Descanso Drive, La Canada CA 91 011, (818)952-4400 Doheny State Beach, Dana Point Harbor Drive and Point Lantern, Dana Point CA92629. (714)496-6172 George C. Page La Brea Museum of La Brea Discoveries, 5801 Wiishire Blvd, Los Angeles CA 90036, (213)936-2230 ~l'iffith Observatory and Planetarium, 4730 Crystal Springs Dr., Los Angeles CA, (213)664-I191 Hall of Science. GriffithPark. 4730 Cwstal Sprinas . - Dr.. Los Angeles CA, (213)663-8171 The Huntington, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino CA91108, (818)405-2100 ~
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(714)63320f2 Los Anoeles State & Countv Arboretum. 301 North Baldwin Ave., ircadia CA91007-2667, (818)821-3222 Mount Wilson Institute, PO. Box 60947. Pasadena CA9H02, iflifl1791-3100 ~. ., ... .. Natural Hlstory Museum 01 Los Angeles County, 900 Exposlton B vo . Los Angees CA90007, 213 744-3414 Santa Ana Zoo, 1801 East Chesln~lAve Sanla Ana CA 92701, (714)835-7484 Sherman Library & Gardens, 2647 East Coast Highway, Newport Beach CA 92660, (714)673-2261 Travel Town, Griffith Park, Zoo Drive, 4730 Crystal Springs Dr., Los Angeles CA, (213)662-5874
Volume 72 Number 3 March 1995
A47
