GO GREEN ADVENTURE

We were having a relaxing morning at home enjoying our oatmeal, scrambled eggs, coffee and orange juice. There were really no plans for the day. We just wanted to see how the day progressed. Spontaneity usually prevails for us as we are not the best planners. It occurred to us that this was the last day of the Go Green Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center and it was something that we wanted to check out. We have been working on The Green Room for awhile and we felt this might give us some fresh ides.

I was hoping it would be entertaining enough for our four-year old, if not we would move on to something else. After all, we have been exploring downtown enough to find something interesting to do. So, off we went. Now if we truly wanted to be “green” as the theme for the day, we would have parked the car at the local metro station and hoped onto the subway. Or, might have logged onto Rideamigos.com and hooked up with other convention goers for a ride-share. But like so many here in L.A. we are going to have to re-program ourselves to do things differently.

After piling into the mini SUV it was a surprisingly easy drive downtown on a Sunday afternoon. Parking was fairly easy. We entered the parking garage off Venice Blvd next to the South Hall and found a parking space within five minutes.

The Los Angeles Convention Center is always an adventure for us. We like going there because it has such a worldly feel. There is always a sense of excitement in the air with a buzz around whatever events are happening. You can feel it. Entering the South Hall from the parking garage you come down the escalator to a vast Lobby with a massive polished floor. The natural light spilling in brightens the open beams and gives you an appreciation of how huge the place is.

Once we purchased our tickets and obtained our “Green” wrist bands, we ventured into the convention. Not surprising it was abuzz with people moving from one exhibit to the next; each booth enthusiastically pedaling their eco-friendly wares. Now remember, spontaneity is our style and we never know what to expect. While the convention center is cool, you never know what the event will bring. As we walked into the event hall I was struck by the feeling of excitement that seemed to be present. For me the first few things I wanted to see were the latest in electric vehicle and solar panel technology. It was all there from toys to grass. You name it. But the first thing that caught our eye, especially our daughter, was The Earth Dome. It literally looked like a giant globe sitting on the convention floor. Walking inside the dome we discovered that there was a giant video screen and a stage set for a concert of some type. There were musical instruments, guitars and drums. The floor was lined with artificial turf that actually felt like grass. The furniture was obviously made from some sort of recycled material. Later we discovered the chairs, tables and easels were created by AoSA. The intention here to create things with no waste left over. All of the products are by products of each other.

As luck would have it we walked in minutes before an amazing show of musicianship was about to begin. It turned out to be a beautiful artistic show with cutting edge live music celebrating the beauty of the earth. The documentary film featured inside showed us the detrimental impact that plastic has had on the earth. The Earth Dome experience was unique and different; definitely the highlight of the day.

Of course we couldn’t leave without seeing as much as possible even though it was late in the afternoon. We walked the isles and lightly investigated the various vendors around the event. We did get to see the electric cars and solar panels eventually. It was especially fun seeing all of the eco-friendly kid stuff. From stuffed animals, organic cotton clothes, finger paints and games here is a list of some of the vendors providing environmentally friendly products for the kids.

Bamboohugs.com
Towels and linens made from bamboo.

Clamorhouse Kids
Stories and songs for a young century delivering positive, appropriate peace promoting messages for kids.

Dimpleskins Naturals
Pure organic skin care products for children

Eco-kids USA
Eco-Dough and Finger paint made from natural organic fruits and vegtables

For a complete list click here