Category Archives: things to do

Places to visit in Kauai, Hawaii

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Kauai is one of 137 islands in the state of Hawaii. Also known as the Garden Island, Kauai is revered for its lush landscape with steep cliffs that meet aqua-blue water. I had the privilege of visiting this island last June for about a week. Prior to going on this vacation, I researched this island and found it to be extremely helpful when wondering what to do or see. When going to Hawaii, most people flock to Oahu; and while this island is pretty and has amazing food, Kauai is remote and prettier (in my opinion). Below are places and things to do if visiting Kauai.

Beaches

  1. Tunnels Beach – This was my favorite beach on my visit to Kauai. If you are looking for a place to snorkel, Tunnels is the place to go. At Tunnels, the coral was huge and there was a large variety of sea life. The best part of this beach is the view of the mountains in the background with the beach at your feet.
  2. Anini Beach – Located in the northern part of Kauai, Anini Beach is known for being a family-friendly beach. The water at this beach remains shallow for about 30 feet out. However, the best part about this beach was the amount of turtles. When I was snorkeling, I believe I saw turtles 15-20 times. Another pro about this beach is that there is a lot of shade so beach umbrellas aren’t needed.
  3. Hanalei Bay – Hanalei Bay is one of the most popular beaches in Kauai to visit–and for good reason. At this beach, you are surrounded by panoramic views of golden-sand beaches and a range of mountains. Also, there is a pier that you can jump off of for fun.
  4. Poipu Beach – This is another family-friendly beach on the south shore of Kauai. Poipu Beach is great for snorkeling and relaxing. A con of this beach is that it is always crowded. However, if you are in the area of Poipu, stop by this beach.

Hikes/Other Activities

  1. Kalalau Trail – Hiking is a major activity that you HAVE to do in Kauai. This particular trail stretches 22 miles in length (you have to have a permit to do all of it). I only hiked to Hanakāpīʻai Beach which was 4 miles round-trip. This hike was so beautiful and the views along the coast were gorgeous. After the beach, you can hike to Hanakāpīʻai Falls (8 miles roundtrip). Overall, Kalalau Trail is a must-do when visiting Kauai.
  2. Waimea Canyon – Waimea Canyon is named the Grand Canyon of the Pacific and was formed from the collapse of a volcano. The unique terrain of this canyon is an attraction you should see. I believe that you can hike this, but my family and I just drove to different lookouts to see the Canyon.
  3. Lydgate Farms Chocolate Tour – As a chocolate fanatic, I was so excited to visit this Chocolate Farm. While you can book a tour to explore the farm, I just went to the gift shop. At the gift shop, an employee gives you a chocolate lecture where you learn about the origins of the cacao and try the products. I’ve tried a bunch of chocolate in my life and I can confidently say this was the best chocolate I’ve ever had. Lydgate Farms makes their chocolate in small batches which was evident considering how delicious the chocolate was.
  4. Na Pali Coast Boat Tour – Last but not least, you NEED to go on a Boat Tour (or helicopter tour) to see the Na Pali coast. I would recommend going with the company Captain Andy’s and booking the “Na Pali Raft Day Expedition.” On this boat tour, we went through sea caves, snorkeled, ate lunch at an ancient fishing town, and saw the Na Pali coast. This was hands down my favorite memory from the trip. The Na Pali coast is breathtaking and the water was the color of blue Gatorade. In addition to doing cool activities on this tour, you’ll learn much about the history of Kauai and its people.

Places to Eat

  1. Wishing Well Shave Ice
  2. Kenji Burger
  3. Wailua Drive-In

Photos

Tunnels Beach

Na Pali Coast

Wishing Well Shave Ice

STEAM Stations: Engineering Day

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At the beginning of February, the youth team of the library hosted our 2nd STEAM Stations event! What are STEAM Stations? For those who don’t know, STEAM Stations is the monthly library youth event that the Teen Advisory Board organizes that focuses on various aspects of STEAM (Science, Technology, Art, Mathematics). Last month, we focused on binary coding which was a super fun experience. This month, we focused on engineering which was very exciting!

For those who missed it, we had three different stations that focused on simple aspects of engineering:

Our first station was our spaghetti and marshmallow towers. Participants would use their spaghetti sticks and mini marshmallows in order to build a tower as tall as they can. Once they had their tower built, their challenge was to balance one large marshmallow on top. They were all able to test their structures and building skills with a super fun activity.

The second station was our pom-pom catapults. Another activity focused on building but also trajectory! Participants would follow the directions using popsicle sticks, rubber bands, and a plastic spoon in order to create their own catapult that they could test out with fun, colorful pom-poms. It was an entertaining activity that tested more of their building skills and challenged them to launch their pom-poms the farthest they could with their craft. 

Finally, we had our paper-airplane station. A nice, simple station that allowed participants to test what kind of design created the best working paper airplane. Participants could create their own design or follow given directions to try and create the best paper airplane that would be able to soar as far as possible. 

Our February STEAM Stations was another success! It was super popular with people of all ages coming around combined with a mix of returners and newcomers. We had people who knew the event was happening and people who had no idea what STEAM Stations were come to participate. Our participants had a lot of fun experimenting the best ways to build their spaghetti towers, some even working together to build one giant one. They also had a great time launching pom-poms into the air and throwing paper airplanes around the Children’s Center. All of our stations focused on an aspect of building and required everyone to really think about how to create the most efficient design and model while also having fun.

Our third and final STEAM Stations event will be held on March 8 at the Potocki Center for the Arts and will be centered around Biology! We will have even more fun and creative activities ready for everyone who wants to attend. We hope to see you all there!

-Nicole R.

How to Reorganize and Decorate Your Desk

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Most of us use a desk for…everything. Watching videos, playing games, doing hobbies, finishing homework. Desks tend to get cluttered easy, but with some good organization and decoration it becomes easier to direct your focus to the right things!

Cleaning

When cleaning, it helps to start with one place at a time. Try just doing one desk drawer or picking up one type of supply. You don’t even have to clean everything up in one sitting, you can do it over a day, over a week, etc.

Putting markers back in boxes, stacking papers, and throwing away scraps are good ways to start that aren’t too overwhelming. Do whatever works for you!

When deciding whether something should be thrown away, consider whether you might need it later or if it has sentimental value to you. Loose papers and plastics should be recycled, if possible.

Now for the redecorating!

Storage

Desk drawers get easily cluttered. It helps to divide them with trays so you can easily sort, say, pencils from pens, or highlighters from erasers. If your desk doesn’t have drawers, keep your supplies in a bag or container that’s nearby and in view. If your supply storage is somewhere harder to reach, you might get lazy and just leave things out on the table!

If you have a lot of cables to your devices, try separating them using a cable organizer to avoid tangles.

Desktop

If you find that your desk gets a lot of scratches or marks, you can try getting a protective deskmat that can withstand some blows.

Lighting

Lighting is a great way to enhance the mood of your work area. Maybe you want to try hanging fairy lights for something cozier, or desk lamps. Different colors can also change the feel of your desk, so try them out!

Wall Decor

Besides just the area on your desk, the walls around or behind it can be decorated! Try hanging up posters, prints, or if you dabble in art, even drawings of your own. Just make sure that whatever you use to hang them off won’t damage your walls, and you’re good! You can also hang up objects or props you love, as well as plants (real or fake!).

Habits

Cleaning your desk one time won’t solve the problem forever. When you take something out, put it back when you’re done. Plus, doing small sweeps regularly to rid your desk of trash is easier than letting it pile up.

And that’s it! Redoing your desk can help motivate you to finish work and make the space feel more comfortable. If you want more ideas, try looking up references, as they’re a great place to start. Good luck!

Ways to Decorate Your Bookshelf at Home

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  • Sculptures and figurines: This is a really great way to theme your bookshelf if you want to relate it to a certain genre or character such as dragons. They can also simply be mini replicas or figurines of characters that don’t neccessarily belong to a book you’re reading but fit a similar aesthetic.
  • Vases and plants: They don’t have to be real, but sometimes adding a little color can make it more aesthetically pleasing and bring a pop of life onto the shelves.
  • LED and fairy lights: These can help give a warmer atmosphere to your reading nook, creating an almost mystical vibe as you dive into your next book. It espescially helps on cold or dark nights.
  • Artwork: It could be something simple like a quote from your favorite character or book. You could also put up a picture of your favorite scene or city from a book. Either way, adding artwork can really make the space feel more personal and related to what you’re interested in.
  • Color gradients: Some people like rainbows while others like organizing their books based on series or creating a fading gradient across the shelves. Based on your own personal preference, this could be the perfect chance to experiment with what works for you.
  • Themes: Sometimes changing up the decor on your bookshelf can also make it more refreshing or relaxing. Some themes you could choose from are seasonal or even genre-related.

STEAM Stations: Coding Day

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Previously in January, the library held their first STEAM Station to begin the new year. What is STEAM Stations? STEAM Stations is a library program that the Teen Advisory Board organizes that prioritize different aspects of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math). The library’s first STEAM Station was Coding Day; a station concentrated around coding.

For those who missed it, Coding Day had three mini stations all centralized around binary code:

The first station was our name activity. Essentially, it taught all participants how to write their name in binary code in a fun, artistic way. The activity was an art based project where participants would choose two colors (one to represent 1s and one to represent 0s)  so they could create their name in binary code. By coloring in specific squares to fill in the ones and zeroes, they were able to create their own, unique binary block that spelled out their name.

At the second station, participants created a binary code bracelet. Using binary code, they could match the numbers to the three colors of their choosing to create a beaded bracelet with their initials. Each color would represent one letter of their initial which they would then thread through colorful pipe cleaners that could tie around the participant’s wrist. Not only was it fun, but it provided another opportunity to try spelling using binary code. 

Finally, at the third station, participants created a paper binary calculator that could create the binary code for numbers all the way from 0 to 31. While the other two activities focused solely on spelling and creating letters with binary code, the binary calculator focused on creating numbers instead. It was a fun but easy math challenge that got participants thinking and learning numbers in binary code. 

Coding Day was a great success and had a very good turnout. While the event welcomed everyone 6 years old and up, plenty of young kids came and had a fun time creating art while also learning about how create numbers and letters using binary code. I had a fun time seeing their beautiful bracelets and unique binary names as I quizzed them with math problems using the binary calculator. While the event had many young kids, it was open for all ages to enjoy. All the crafts and activities are simple enough for everyone to try out but still fun to do and you get to leave with your own creations. 

While Coding Day was only a one day event, if you are interested in coding, check out the coding program at the Mission Viejo Library for availability. It is open for everyone so do not hesitate to try it out! Furthermore, there are two more STEAM Stations coming up. On February 8th, there will be Engineering Day and our final one on March 8th will be Biology Day. Each will be solely focused on their individual topics with fun and interactive stations for everyone to enjoy. It’s a fun experience that I hope more people come and check it out! Hope to see you all there!

-Nicole R.

Hamilton

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Hamilton a musical written by Lin-Manuel Miranda explores Hamilton’s experiences and what rose him to power, his role in the American Revolution, and more. Alexander Hamilton was one of the Founding Fathers and contributed dearly to what America is today. This musical is known for its unique blend of hip-hop, R&B, and traditional musical theater styles.

The musical covers Hamilton’s life from his early days as an immigrant from the Caribbean, through his role in the American Revolution, to his work as the first Secretary of the Treasury. It also explores some of his personal relationships, such as his wife, Eliza Schuyler, and his friendships and rivalries with Aaron Burr, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson.

Although it’s a musical, it teaches in a really engaging way by blending historical facts with music and story-telling techniques. The use of hip-hop and R&B makes the information more appealing, especially to younger audiences.

The lyrics are packed with historical references and complex themes, which encourages listeners to pay attention and learn. The lyrics are also very amusing and the songs will be stuck in your head! One of my favorites is “Wait for It” sung by Aaron Burr, who is played by Leslie Odom Jr. in the original Broadway cast. It captures the struggle and resilience of Aaron Burr and the way he reflects on ambition, timing, and patience can be very relatable to listeners. Plus, the melody and delivery make it so emotional and tense.

Hamilton highlights the themes of legacy, ambition, and the complexities of the American dream. It’s both educational and entertaining, making the history of the musical vibrant and relevant. Lin-Manuel Miranda composed the most lyrical and amazing soundtrack for this musical and it’s incredible how he managed to write the musical and star as Alexander Hamilton himself. Even if musicals are not your cup of tea, I would highly recommend watching it as it is so amusing and the characters are so interesting to watch.

The Benefits of Norovirus

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Currently, Americans are experiencing a huge outbreak of Norovirus (also known as the Winter Vomiting Disease). This means that many of us may be experiencing the effects of this virus now, recently, or in the near future. If you are sick at home like me, it can be tough to miss school or other activities. However, I have managed to scrape up a list of a few minor benefits* of having Norovirus.

Try New Things

When you have Norovirus, you can use the times you aren’t curled up in a ball to try new shows, books, movies, or games. This can be a great way to alleviate boredom and distract from how terrible you feel. You may even discover some new interests!

Get Work Done

Even though you can’t go to school, you can use your off time to catch up on some of the things on your “to do” list. For example, I’m writing this article while home sick with Norovirus! This might sound counter-intuitive since by missing school, you are guaranteeing yourself some make up work later. But if you dont want to be playing catch-up when you get back to school, try emailing your teachers asking for missed work ahead of time. This way, you can work on it at home.

Spend Time With Family

Chances are, if you have Norovirus, your family has it too (Norovirus is highly contagious). This means that you can spend time with them while you are all at home. Just make sure to keep a little distance– Norovirus mutates and you could re-infect them or yourself! 

Practice Positivity.

I admit, this one may be harder to accomplish while you are puking your guts out, but there are still ways to keep positive. Remember that the symptoms of Norovirus typically only last 1-3 days, so in 72 hours, you will most likely be feeling better.

In the end, life is full of ups and downs. Even in a situation like this, we can see how every cloud has a (however small) silver lining. I hope you enjoyed this article. To those who are sick right now: I hope you feel better!

*Take this advice with a grain of salt.

Cryptics: The Hardest Puzzles and How to Solve Them

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Be warned- cryptics are not for the faint of heart. These puzzles are confusing, convoluted, frustrating, and absolutely mind-boggling, to beginner and veteran puzzlers alike. There so many different ways to interpret and solve these puzzles; even after you’re told the answer to a particularly difficult cryptic, you still might stare at the clues wondering, “how on earth did they get that from that?” Intrigued? Me too.

At first glance, the British cryptic looks a lot like the American crossword. However, all of the clues are like riddles, with more than nine different ways to interpret them. There are typically two parts to a given clue: the “cryptic” (the riddle and answer) and the “straight” (a synonym for the riddle’s solution). The straight always includes either the first or the last word of the clue, but you don’t know which one. Here are some of the many ways to solve cryptics, with examples from The New Yorker:

  1. Anagrams– indicator words usually connote violence (ruined, shattered), altered states (crazy, drunk), or reconfiguration (mixed, remade, new). EX: in the cryptic “Honestly crazy, in secret”, the word “crazy” suggests the word “honestly” should be anagrammed. This means that “in secret” must be the straight: a synonym for an anagram of honestly. In this case, the answer is “on the sly” (an anagram of “honestly” and a synonym for “in secret”).
  2. Hidden Word– words like “includes”, “hidden”, or “has” indicate that the answer is a sequence of letters hidden inside the clue. EX: in the cryptic “Error concealed by city police”, the word “error” is the straight. Another word for “error” is “typo”, which can be found in the middle of “city police” (ciTY POlice).
  3. Homophones: indicator words usually relate to sound and speech, like “heard” or “said”. EX: in the cryptic “Stringed instrument untruthful person heard”, another word for an untruthful person is a “liar”, and a homophone of liar is “lyre”, or in other words, a stringed instrument. So “lyre” is the answer.
  4. Double Definition: instead of having both a cryptic and a straight part, this type of clue has two straights, both definitions of the same answer. These are the only types of clues that are never combined with other wordplay. EX: In “Wear out an important part of a car”, a synonym for “wear out” is the verb “tire”, and “an important part of a car” is also a “tire”.
  5. Assemblage: this is a tricky one; there aren’t usually any indicator words for these clues. You have to break the answer into chunks and piece them together for your answer. EX: In the cryptic “Put down prosecutor’s animals”, “put down” is swapped out for “pan” and “prosecutor’s” is swapped out for “DAs” (as in district attorneys). Putting “pan” and “DAs” together gets you “pandas”, or another word for “animals”, this clue’s straight.
  6. Deletion: indicators include words like “headless”, “endlessly”, “first”, or “half”- a prompt to remove the start or end of a word. EX: In “A Creed of Christianity is 75% niceness”, 75% of the word “niceness” (6 of the 8 letters) is “nicene”, which is a creed of Christianity, the straight.
  7. Reversals: indicated by words like “turned back” or “reversed”, these clues are exactly what they sound like- just words in reverse. EX: In “Returned beer of kings”, “of kings” is the straight and “returned beer” is the cryptic. A type of beer is called lager, which, when reversed, becomes “regal”, a word meaning “of kings”.
  8. Container: another especially confusing type of clue. Indicators like “within” or “surrounding” prompt you to put one word inside another. EX: In “Horse in South Dakota is covered with spangles”, another word for “horse” is “equine”, and an abbreviation for “South Dakota” is “SD”. If you put “equine” in “SD”, you get the word “sequined” (SequineD), which is a synonym for the straight “with spangles”.
  9. Bits and Pieces: this type of clue has you select the first letters from a series of words. EX: In “House of Pain debuts ‘Jump Around'”, the first letters of “house of pain” are h, o, and p, which form “hop”. Hop is a synonym for “jump around”, which is the straight. So the answer is “hop”.

Most clues don’t just have one of these; they include multiple aspects combined! And it never tells you upfront which types it involves, nor does it tell you which part of the clue the straight is. If this brief explanation wasn’t too convoluted and confusing, and you find yourself intrigued by this boggling little puzzles, then I highly recommend trying out some of the New Yorker’s beginner friendly puzzles. Good luck, and happy puzzling!

Christmas in Julian

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Over the winter break, my family and I went on a weekend getaway to a small town called Julian, which is near San Diego and has a population of about 1,300 people. It’s a cute little town with really pretty Christmas decorations and delicious pie!

My family and I went on a goldmine tour in Julian, and it was a lot of fun. I learned many new things about the miners and how they dug up gold. The miners’ 1800s version of a head flashlight was a singular candle perched on nook in their mining caps. The gold diggers weren’t allowed to bring matches into the mine, so if his candle extinguished, he had to find his way out of the mine by groping in the darkness. IN PITCH-BLACK DARKNESS. When our guide turned off the lamps, we literally couldn’t see our hands an inch away from our faces.

At the end of the tour, we went to pan for gold. Our guide showed us how to get the gold dust and flakes to the bottom of the pan and get rid of the sand and water. I highly recommend going on the Eagle Gold Mine Tour if you ever go to Julian!

For the pie-lovers out there, the Julian Pie Company has the best pie ever. I myself am not even a pie person, but their pies are magical. My favorite is the mountain berry pie because it’s sweet, but also has that tart flavor. It has apples and mixed berries in it. Their original apple pie is sweeter than the mountain berry one and is absolutely delicious with vanilla ice cream. If you ever see a Julian Pie Company pie at a farmer’s market or grocery store, definitely add it to your shopping cart.

Going to Julian over the winter break was really chill and relaxing. Here are some pictures to really bring you to this charming town!

Activities to Try in 2025

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2024 was full of amazing different adventures and ups and downs, so here’s 5 activities that I enjoyed and that you can consider trying in 2025!

  • Bullet Journaling – You can keep a daily log of different events such in your life such as rating your day, a dream tracker, anxiety tracker, the best part of your day, etc. and then see your progress throughout the year. You can also be more creative with it such as creating and decorating pages for each month or major event in your life.
  • Create fun challenges/goals for yourself – Maybe it’s completing a puzzle or reading more books this year. Finding a new challenge or goal to achieve can help motivativate you in the new year.
  • Yoga – It’s always important to stay active, but prioritizing your mental health and relaxing is also important. Yoga can help you achieve both, as a calming form of exercise for all ages. Additionally, you can also consider other calming forms of exercise such as Tai Chi.
  • Escape Rooms – Escape rooms can be a fun place for you to enjoy hanging out with your friends and family as you work to solve puzzles and analyze different clues.
  • DIY Crafts – This can be hobbies like crocheting, making jewelry, knitting, photography, or whatever you like to express your creativity.