Chomp!

The Conservatory of Flowers has banners around the city with the name of its new exhibit on carnivorous plants in large print: Chomp! Last week I finally had a chance to see this display of exotic plants.

I always find the Conservatory a peaceful respite from the hustle of the city. It's nice to walk around the Victorian-era greenhouse and see what flowers are in bloom and to view the many unusual plants.

As for "Chomp," I found it disappointing. The exhibit is much smaller than I expected. I also imagined that I would see plants devouring bugs as I walked by, but this was not to be.

The lighthearted displays describe how the plants attract and digest bugs and small animals and make the plants seem almost ferocious. However, the plants are quite tame. Most do not move. Rather, they attract the insects into a tube where the bugs get stuck and are then dissolved by enzymes secreted by the plant. Then the plant absorbs the nutrients from the remains of the insect. The only exception is the Venus Fly Trap, but no bug landed on any of these plants as I strolled by.

A visit to the Conservatory is always worthwhile if you enjoy flowers and plants. Just don't make a special trip just to see Chomp! The Conservatory is located on John F. Kennedy Drive in the eastern end of Golden Gate Park. It is open Tuesday - Sunday from 9:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.

If you would like to take a private tour of San Francisco that includes a visit to the Conservatory of Flowers and perhaps the nearby Japanese Tea Garden and/or the Arboretum, please call me at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or e-mail me by clicking here.

Angel Island

Angel Island is a locals place. Visitors to San Francisco flock to Alcatraz Island, but far fewer visit Angel Island. Angel Island never captured the public's imagination like Alcatraz did when it housed notorious prisoners like Al Capone and the Birdman (Robert Stroud).

Today Angel Island is a state park. However, it's rich history includes periods when it was a military base, home to a quarantine station, and home to an immigration station where thousands of Chinese were detained for weeks and months between 1910 and 1940.

Cars are prohibited on Angel Island, so the park is a peaceful place for biking, hiking, and picnicking. If you chose to picnic, you may want to bring food with you as options are limited on the island.

If you walk the perimeter road, you will pass many of the island's historical sights including the immigration station. You can also hike to the top of Mt. Livermore for a 360 degree view of San Francisco Bay.

The Angel Island Immigration Station is currently being renovated. When the Immigration Station reopens in 2008, visitors will be able to learn more about the lives of those whose first home in America was Angel Island.

Angel Island is accessible by ferry from both San Francisco and Tiburon. More information about the island is available from the Angel Island association's excellent website: www.angelisland.org. More information on the Angel Island Immigration Station is available at www.aiisf.org.