Sticky, Gooey, Stinky, La Brea Tar Pits

This past weekend Dan, Erin, Ethan and Elliot arrived around four o'clock on Friday for guacamole and chips, appetizers, a pizza party and home made lemon bars. We had a great time catching up, they told Annie and me of their California Condor sighting at Zion National Park (for those bird enthusiasts out there - it was one of three that live in Zion) and apparently one of 463 living in the world! Some were more exhausted than others and fell promptly to sleep before the sun set over the mountains.

Elliot can hardly contain his excitement for the Tar Pits

The next morning after a hearty breakfast (including açaí berry bowls) we jetted off to downtown LA's Wilshire Boulevard where we smelled the tar pits before we happened upon them. We had a grand time learning about the excavation work they have done there, the shear number of dire wolf skulls they have on display is extraordinary! The gang was excited to see the bones of a Condor (not the Cali Condor but a different, extinct Condor).

A Wall of Dire Wolf Skulls Photo Credit: Tar Pits Instagram account

Elliot and a giant (extinct) ground sloth statue

The La Brea Tar Pits are essentially a gold bone mine for scientists looking for bones. The tar preserves bones of animals that suffered the fate of succumbing to the sticky, hot, ooey, gooey, mess. These pits still actively destroy animals (such as birds and small rodents) for future preservation.

This Saber Tooth Tiger had no problem getting its teeth around lil E

Battle of the mini Woolly Mammoths

Observation pit where Elliot was freaked out by the bones

Conquered the Museum and Tar Pits

We had a terrific visit and then continued our outing with a stroll through the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) sculpture gardens en route to the Grove where we had lunch at the Farmer's Market before we jetted off to the Santa Monica Pier and beach! 

For those of you curious if any caveman bones were ever found, the answer is no: cavemen did not exist during the ice age, but there is one woman the "La Brea Woman" that was found in the Tar Pits but she is only around 9,000 years old and they have no idea how she came to rest in the pit.