The Oakland Museum

Last week, I went to the Bay Area for a couple days to catch up with my pop. When we're looking for a good time, we head to the museum.

I grew up in Oakland until I was 12 and the Oakland Museum was one of my favorite places. This is my second visit since its undergone a huge facelift in the last couple years.

Thank goodness they still have the functional art piece that serves as a bench in the lobby. They don't let you climb on it anymore like I remember as a kid, but I am still stunned that it is all carved out of a single piece of redwood.

 The atrium still has its large, languid goldfish. I wouldn't be at all surprised if they were the same ones.

 We strolled around the sculpture garden to soak up as much of the beautiful day as we could.

 City Hall is right next door, and holds my birth certificate.

 I'm still in the sling, but happy to be out and about.

 My dad, doing his tourist pose.

 A sculpture from a reclaimed tractor.

My dad is a retired foundry man and explains the principles of welding to me as we admired the sculptures. Here he points out the hand cut edge of the metal verses using a machine.

Our lovely view, while he reminisced about Erector Sets from his childhood.

 I discovered that rosemary climbs.

We headed inside, with a bit of reluctance to leave the sun and steel.