Have you tried cheese curds? A Wisconsin classic.

These are cattle for beef, not dairy.  No, this wasn't another photo from Wisconsin.  I took the photo near Kansas City on my Dad's farm. However, it reminded me of growing up in Wisconsin and having great pride in living in the dairy state and buying cheese at local shops.

I try to support local businesses, in my case the Midwest.  It's been a few years since I lived in Wisconsin, but I still look for the "made in Wisconsin label".   This week I shopped at Meijer (another Midwest company, headquartered in Michigan) and bought Maple Leaf cheese ("handcrafted with pride since 1910" from Monroe, Wisconsin).

In Wisconsin, there's aisles and aisles of cheese, so many varieties.  A favorite treat was cheese curds.  Have you tried them?  What's your favorite cheese.

I found the inside of the label interesting because it gave a history of the cheese curds, so I thought I'd share "Long ago, a lone man saddled up his camel for an ominous trek across a Middle East desert.  For nourishment, he also poured an abundance of milk into his saddlebag.  To his astonishment, when he opened his bag for a drink, he found white curds and liquid.  What a monumental discovery!  How do you explain this metamorphosis?  The science behind the curdling of the milk lies within this adventurer's saddlebag.  this saddlebag was made from the stomach of the goat."

What foods are famous in your state?

4-H Leadership

Leadership, the traits may feel natural, but it never hurts to practice early and often

As a Brand Manager, parents often ask me how they can help their children prepare for leadership. Of course school and sport leadership positions are great, but I am also thankful for my experience in 4-H. The 4-H pledge =

Head (think clear)
Heart (be loyal)
Hands (give service)
Health (live healthy lifestyle)

It's a national club for boys and girls age 8 to 18. There's a local, county, state, and national level and many choices in projects. For example, over 10 years I learned and demonstrated in photography, stencil painting, creative stitchery, drawing and painting, cooking, gardening, recycling, child development, and more.
Others showed animals, wood working, etc.

Every year you set and write your own goals, you learn, show results at the fair, get judged, teach others through demonstrations, record results, and get rewarded if you have above average results. Senior members are expected to coach younger members. Senior members get elected or chosen for leadership positions based upon past performance. Business friends, is this process sounding familiar???

Ask me about being a camp counselor, the "I Dare You Award", and the leadership conference at the White House/National Congress. And for your kids, check out the 4-H club near you.

Animal Lesson #1: 7 Whale Watching Tours

Ohana, it means family in the Hawaiian language. I visited Hawaii to see family and more – waterfalls, rainbows, whales, canyons, volcanic rock, canyons and mountains, and more fish than I can count.  This is a photo taken from our cruise ship touring from one Hawaiian island to another.  We also enjoyed seeing whales from a cruise deck in Glacier Bay, Alaska.  We were the first set of cruise ships in the season, early June.  Tourists see whales through August.

You don't need to fly to an island or take a large cruise ship to show your kids whales.  Here's seven options in descending order from most expensive to least:

1.   Kodiak Island, Alaska, gray whales in April, humpback whales in June to Nov.
Kodiak Adventures Unlimited requires minimum number of passengers and $180 each (approx. $720 for family of four) for 3 hour tour or $240 for 5 hours; at this price, consider a major cruise.  We sailed on Holland America and loved watching for marine animals for seven days.

2.  San Juan Islands, Washington, orcas (killer whales & technically dolphins)
San Juan Safaris in Harbor, WA, - family of 4 approx. $262: $79 adult, $52 children, April to Oct.

3.  Long Island, NY, fin, humpback, minke, sperm, blue and sei whales, July through Labor Day
American Princess Cruises (Rockaway Queens NY), Riis Landing only on specific dates; $48 adult and $33 child - family of 4 approx. $162

4.  Santa Barbara, CA, gray whales and 26 other types of whales and dolphins, Feb. to April
Condor Express early spring coast cruise for 2.5 hours - family of 4 approx. $160; $50 adult, $30 children, more expensive longer cruises (4.5 hours) in fall and winter for $99

5.  Provincetown, Massachusetts, critically endangered North Atlantic right whale, March to Oct.

Captain John Boats (Provincetown) includes marine biologist giving talks on 4 hour tour; $47 adult, $31 child - family of four approx. $156

6.   Cape May, NJ, humpback and finback in March
Cape May Whale Watcher (Cape May, NY); 2.5 hour whale and dolphin watch $35 adult and $25 child includes comp continental breakfast - family of 4 approx. $120; 3 hour tour with no food $40 adult

7.  Virginia, VA, fin whales during winter
Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center; aquarium experts share research and conservation stories while watching for whales on the Atlantic Explorer; 2-2.5 hour trip $28 adult and $24 child - family of 4 approx. $104

State Park #2: Hocking Hills State Park, Logan Ohio - geology lessons

Get out of the house and go explore and you will see majestic cliffs, waterfalls, gorges, and more. Especially if you drive to Hocking Hills State Park. I've been to a lot of State Parks, but none like this one in Ohio.  While hiking, you have time to discuss geological processes.  Gorges are mainly formed because of the flow of water or lava.  Smaller than canyons, gorges still have deep, narrow valleys with a river or stream running.  Even easier than creating your own science lesson, check out the park schedule for educational talks hosted by naturalists. 

Besides admiring the rocks, go on a hunt for waterfalls.  This photo shows Cedar Falls, the largest in terms of water volume.  From the photo, it's difficult to tell size.  It spans 50 feet with water cascading between limestone and ending in a pool.  I'd also recommend the waterfall at Ash Cave.  You'll be impressed with the size of the 700-foot long cave.

Gorges make beautiful scenery for a hike with your family.  Two of the top three parks winning the USA Today 10 Best Readers' Choice Award Best State Park rating have well known gorges:

1) Letchworth State Park (Castile, New York) rated #1:  includes Genesee River Gorge, sometimes referred as "Grand Canyon of the East"
2) Watkins Glen State Park (New York) rated #3:  includes Gorges of Finger Lakes, 200 foot cliffs, 19 waterfalls, part of the Finger Lake State Parks

Readers rated Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in Michigan as the #2 state park.

Here's 9 Other gorges you could visit with your family:
1.  Quechee Gorge, Vermont: (Quechee State Park):  deepest gorge in Vermont, view from US Route 4 bridge
2.  Bluestone River Gorge, West Virginia: canyon land around the Bluestone National Scenic River and protected by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (est. 1988)
3.  Rio Grande Gorge, New Mexico: approx. 50 mile gorge beginning near the Colorado border, part of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument (designated 2013)
4.  Avalance Gorge, Avalanche Cree, Montana:  narrow chasms near the falls within Glacier National Park
5.  Linville Gorge, North Carolina: part of the Pisgah National Forest and sourced by Linville River, also claims "Grand Canyon of the East"
6.  Bad River Gorge, Wisconsin (Copper Falls State Park): walls can tower up to 100 feet above the river bed, watch for flash floods
7.  Cathedral Gorge, Nevada near Panaca, Nevada: (Cathedral Gorge State Park) established 1935, early construction included picnicking facilities built by the Civilian Conservation Corps
8.  Malad Gorge, Idaho; (Malad Gorge State Park):  narrow steel walk way across the gorge
9.  Columbia Gorge, Oregon Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area: managed by the Columbia River Gorge Commission and the US Forest Service, 80 mile canyon up to 4,000 feet deep and spans Oregon and Washington