EVER TRIED TO FOLLOW A FRIEND... to a party? First come the directions, and then come the directions again, after you've asked your pal to repeat them, and then you're off, over the hills and through the roundabouts, to the bash in question. This method for reaching a party has worked in the past, for many people, though we're not sure we'd recommend it for the upcoming Migration Festival at Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz. After all, if you stop a busy Monarch butterfly on the way to the Saturday, Feb. 10 happening, or a grey whale, and you ask if you can just follow them, well, you might soon find yourself flitting through eucalyptus groves or enjoying a deep dive in the ocean in search of krill. Actually, that sounds pretty marvelous, but we'd never want to slow a butterfly's roll or keep a whale from getting to where it needed to be. And, really, neither is expected to attend the festival, for it is a place for humans to learn...
ALL ABOUT MIGRATION, about "...the many creatures that travel" like "whales, butterflies, birds." While the migratory beasties are busy with those all-important travels, you'll be listening to live tunes, watching skits, participating in crafts, visiting educational booths, and perhaps savoring a few bites of "...the now-famous free habitat-cake served at the end of the event." The cost to attend? It's as free as a bird flitting up high (so, yeah, very free). But parking? Have a ten spot on you for that, and a picnic, too, if you want to eat lunch there. The hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the setting is sublime, and while migratory animals may not make cameos — they're migrating, after all — we non-flying, non-blowhole-y animal enthusiasts can find quite the fascinating fun.
