HARBIN HOT SPRINGS 2001
Harbin Hot Springs was part of our first honeymoon, a honeymoon trip we took by motorcycle from Los Angeles to Northern California. We spent two days at Harbin Hot Springs, a favorite hangout of mine from the 1980’s. We just heard that it has likely burned to the ground in the wake of fires spreading through the area. While we know people have lost much more (homes, pets, etc.), we will certainly miss this idyllic place in the mountains of NorCal.
Last weekend, Daniel (12), Aaron (7), Camilla (10) and I went to see this movie. Despite being PG-13, Gabi and I determined that these three could see the movie, Nika (6) was too young. Mind you, the kids harangued us all summer to see this; it was popular enough that it was still in theaters three months after the opening. Not only have the kids seen all three movies from the 1990’s, but I’ve been reading them the original novel at bedtime … and they’ve loved it.
I’m writing since this was probably the most enjoyable movie experience I ever had. The movie was just fine, but the kids’ reactions were even better. Camilla was hiding behind a seat for parts of the movie, bobbing her head out to look every few seconds. Aaron had a different reaction. Just as the dinosaur attacks a pair of kids in a spherical plastic golf cart, Aaron looks at me and says, “I need to go to the bathroom.” He does this three times during the movie; I’ll have to wait until we rent it at home to find out what happened then.
The experience brought me back to Michael Crichton, one of my favorite authors. I read Pirate Latitudes for the first time (quite good, very much like playing Sid Meier’s Pirates in book form); I re-read Sphere, a book that does not do well on a second reading. Very much in the Michael Crichton vein is the new book, the Martian, by Andy Weir. Solid, well-researched, informative. I miss Crichton.
