Art Lesson #11: Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg Florida

Salvador Dali Museum, Photo by Krenda

Before you even enter the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, you are looking at art.  The 75 foot tall building built in 2011 has a geodesic glass bubble known as the "enigma".  Ask your kids to guess the number of triangles! Answer equals 1,062.  With gardens and a waterfront location on Tampa Bay, it's a nice place to stroll too.  With the long line to enter the museum, I was glad we had architecture and nature to admire.  Entry fee is $25 adults, $10 kids age 6-12.  Time it right for discounted Thursday after 5PM ($12.50 adults, $8 kids).  The evening also gives you a cool interior lighted view.

Go to the third floor for a cool view over the garden and waterfront and admire the helical staircase celebrating spirals too.  While I have a preference from Impressionist art, this museum boasts of having the most Dali masterworks in any one location, 8 of the 18 masterworks.  The museum also impresses you with the breadth of Salvador Dali art with landscapes, portraits, still lifes, and religious paintings.  Totaling over 2,400 works by Dali, you should budget a few hours.  Patricia Schultz's book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die breaks down the articles, "Today the museum's collection encompasses works from every major period of Dali's long career, spanning the years 1917 through 1976 including 95 oil paintings; more than 100 watercolors and drawings, 1,300 sketches, sculptures, photographs and objects d'art: and a large archival library.

The kids surprised me at the amount of attention that they paid to each painting.  I think the Dali app with history stories really helped them understand the significance.  During high school, I studied Dali prior to being an exchange student to Spain.  Dali grew up in Figueras Spain, studied in Barcelona and Madrid, and became the world's best known Surrealist painter.  Surrealists, inspired by Sigmund Freud, explore subconscious images.  They can place common place objects in juxtaposed or deformed positions, use optical illusions, and symbolisms.  Some paintings had big crowds and others had peace.  Many gathered and stared at The Hallucingenic Toreador, inspired by Dali's wife's dislike for bullfighting.

We had the fortune of visiting while the museum also offered the Dali & Schiaparelli Paris special exhibition.  As a friend, Dali influenced fashion designer Elisa Schiaparelli (1890-1973).  Elsa was born in Rome, Italy and lived in the UK, France, and United States and became one of the most prominent figures in fashion between the two World Wars.  Challenging the status quo, she used dream-based designs, imagery, fantasy, vibrant colors, experimental fabrics, and handmade decorations.  Some described her art as elegant, brazen, and unrestrained.  The exhibit featured haute couture gowns and new designs by Bertrand Guyon for Maison Schiaparelli.  

Transportation Lesson #4: Iowa 80 Trucking Museum & 3 Other Truck Museums

Iowa 80 Trucking Museum, Photo by Krenda

If you love to travel within the United States, odds are you have shared the road with a lot of truck drivers and know commercial transportation is big business.  The highway serves as a network, enabling food, clothing, and other items to move from port to store.  In the majority of states, truck driving is the most common profession.  It employs nearly 4 million truck drivers who transport approximately 70% of all freight tonnage and drive approximately 140 billion miles each year.  The average driver will drive over 100,000 miles per year.  The industry consists of mostly small businesses.  Many truck drivers are owner operators.

Living in the Midwest, I've traveled many times on Interstate 80 (I-80) with trucks.  It's the second longest highway covering 2,899 miles.  You can go east-west from New Jersey to San Francisco, California.  US20 take claim for the longest highway, stretching from Boston to Newport, Oregon.  It's fitting that I-80 has the world's largest truck stop and the Iowa 80 Trucking Museum.

While driving from Davenport, Iowa or another of the Quad Cities to Des Moines, take a stop in Walcott, Iowa and admire the truck stop.  While it targets truck drivers with 900 truck parking spaces, there's room for your car too, considering the 200 car parking spaces.  The facility includes 36 fuel pumps, 10 restaurants, 24 private shower rooms, RV wash, and pet wash.

While your kids might like the food and shopping, they'll learn more about the truck industry by visiting the nearby Iowa 80 Trucking Museum.  No admission fee - although we bought souvenirs and gave a donations at the exit.  This museum is highly organized and clean with an impressive amount of trucks - over 100 on display.  Besides trucks, look up and around for antique metal signs, gas pumps, and vintage toys.  I always like to hear personal stories, so stop a moment and take a seat to watch a short film about the industry.

Art & Sculpture #4: International Sculpture Park and 4 More Sculpture Parks in IL

Smithsonian Magazine lists "Six of the World's Most Spectacular Sculpture Parks...from New York to Norway". (Jennifeer Nalewicki, May, 6, 2019) and I've only been to one of them, twice (Olympic Sculpture Park, Seattle, Washington).

Even with travel restrictions, if you live in Illinois, you can share the joy of sculpture art with your kids.  For our staycation, we planned visits to places that felt connected to other countries.  We chose the International Sculpture Park in Schaumburg, IL.  A partnership between The Chicago Anthenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design and the Village of Schumburg turned this 20 acres of meadow, forest, and prairies into a park for art lovers.  Then we connect to Greece.  Ioannis Karalias, a Greek architect, planned the garden.

Here's good news for moms - no admission fee, no parking fee, open from sunset to sunrise, and the open space makes it easy to socially distance.

You'll enter the grounds of the Robert O. Atcher Municipal Center with free parking at the Prairie Center for the Arts.  You likely won't see the sculpture garden entry sign from the lot.  Take the prairie trail back towards the entrance.  You will see the entrance sign and "Together", an 18 foot sculpture by Jerry S. Kenar.

You can connect back to Greece with "Chairs" sculpture by Argyro Konstantinidou showcasing Greek themes and images from the history of Mexico, Egypt, and Greece.  "Athys" by Charles de Montaigu provides another connection to Europe since it represents contemporary art in Switzerland.  "Touch Heaven" connects you to Israel designed by Oded Italahmy and inspired by Judaic culture and iconography.  "Vinland" intrigued us so much that we looked up more about the sculpture by Jarle Rosseland of Oslo, Norway.  The sculpture commemorates the 1,000 year anniversary of the Viking explorer, Leif Eriksson and his discoveries of the Americas.  With that background, we could see the ship form.  Another favorite was "Thought Rise in Vacuum" by Hans-Christian Berg, combining the numbers "zero" and "ones" in a cloud-like pattern.

Fortunately we researched the park ahead.  My daughter knew we missed sculptures, even though the path seemed to end near a road.  Trace back to the parking lot and walk across the street for other sculptures.  We had a picnic lunch near the prairie and now we found lots of other picnics near the small lake.

My daughter particularly wanted to see "Awaking Muse" by Don Lawler.  It takes a lot of horizontal space at 40 feet across.  The female figure inspired by Greek mythology appears to awaken from her sleep.  Keep walking and you'll find the colorful "Ecceltora" meaning "Behold the Hour".  May you enjoy your hour at the sculpture park.

Here's four additional sculpture parks to consider visiting in Illinois:

1) West Street Sculpture Park, Galena, IL, 2 acres

2) Goldman-Kuenz Sculpture Park at Cedarhurst in Mount Vernon, IL (Southern IL)

3) Scovill Sculpture Park in Decatur, IL near zoo and museum

4) Koehnline Sculpture Park, part of Koehnline Museum of Art on Oakton Community College campus- Des Plaines, IL (north of O'Hare airport), 25 sculptures

For more sculpture parks in the Midwest, visit my article "Pyramid Hill and 4 More Sculpture Parks in the Midwest".

Agriculture Lesson #7: From France to US, Lavender Farms and 4 Festivals

Photo by Krenda

A friend of mine visited Provence, France and raved about the lavender fields.  The Mediterranean mountains and Africa are known as lavender locations.  I imagined her strolling through the fields and visiting cute gift shops.  She brought me back lavender soap which I treasured.  The perennial flowering shrub smells so fragrant.  It's often found in beauty care items, sometimes with a claim to help relaxation and sleep.  This began my research in how to visit a lavender farm a little closer to home.

Born in the south of France, Martine Anderson became the founder of the Fragrant Isle Lavender Farm in Washington Island, Wisconsin.  Martine
began growing lavender gardens with her husband Edgar.  In 2013, the farm staff planted 9,000 plants and now there's 30,000 lavender plants.  So I scheduled our Door County Wisconsin vacation around the July timing of the Lavender Festival at the Fragrant Isle Lavender Farm.  It took all of us boarding a ferry to Washington Island.  We strolled through the fields, saw freshly harvested lavender hanging in the working barn, watched demonstrations, listened to live music, and tasted samples of food containing lavender.  The festival offered painting classes near the fields too.  While lavender for culinary and aromatic purposes, I prefer the scent versus the taste.  My sister doesn't appreciate the scent as much as me, so she gladly gave me her lavender organza sachet.

France inspired other growers.  In 1999, Rob Kendrick and his wife Jeannie Ralston shot a story for national Geographic about lavender farming and perfume-making in Provence.  In 1999, they planted 2,000 plants and now you can visit their farm Hill Country Farm in Texas, near San Antonio and Austin.  Visit the farm May to July or you can buy their lavender-lemon tea cookies online.

You can find lavender farms coast to coast in the United States.  Here's three more lavender festivals for you and your family to consider:
1.  Sequim Lavender Festival, Sequim, Washington; June-Labor Day
Considered the "Lavender Capital" of North America, Sequim celebrates with a street fair of craft booths, LavenderStock music stage, free self-guided farm tours at eight farms
Kids can stay active in the KidsZone including a dance party, quick golf, obstacle course, and minute to win it challenges
2.  Michigan Lavender Festival; Imlay City, MI; Eastern Michigan Fairgrounds (North of Detroit); July
Admission includes shuttle, educational classes and demos, 5-minute mini massage, daily yoga sessions at 11AM and 2PM, and many demos (knitting, pottery, broom making, spinning & weaving), pamper yourself with an express lavender facial for $20 or listen to live music
Kid's activity barn includes crafts such as DIY lavender play dough demo for age 12 and under
3.  Ojai Valley Lavender Festival; Ojai, California; June
Ojai declared June as Lavender Month.  Take advantage of free parking and shuttle; learn from talks such as "growing lavender" and "cooking with lavender" at Lavender Inn, listen to live music and expect a crowd as the festival has attracted over 4,500 attendees
 4.  Blanco Lavender Festival, Blanco, TX; June
Free admission to the festival and farm, live music, listen to speakers at the courthouse on horticulture and bee keeping

If you can't time your visit just right for a festival, visit a farm in the summer:
1.  Ali' Kula Lavender Farm; Maui, Hawaii; June to Aug.
2.  Mt. Shasta Lavender Farms; Montague, California
3.  Pelindaba Lavender Farm; Washington State's San Juan Island; April to Oct.
4.  Hood River Lavender Farm; Oregon; May to Oct.
5.  Red Rock Randeh & Farm Growers of High Altitude Lavender; Concho, Arizona
6.  Los Poblanos Lavender Farm; Albuquerque, New Mexico
7.  Sprigs and Sprouts; Palisade, Colorado
8.  White Oak Lavender Farm; Harrisburg, Virginia; open year-round
9.  Lavender by the Bay; East Marion, NY; June - Oct.
10.  Peace Valley Lavender Farms; Bucks County, PA;  open year-round

History Lesson #10: Fort Mackinac in Michigan

Cannons ready at Fort Mackinac

If you want to visit one of the best-preserved military forts in the country, you need to take a ferry to an island and walk, bike, or hike to the fort.  You can't drive a car on Mackinac Island.  Every aspect will take you back in time.  It sounds like a travel challenge, but the nature, views, and history make it worth the effort.  Besides learning history at Fort Mackinac, you can't beat the views.  Located on 150 foot bluffs, you look over the idyllic island and beautiful blue water.  I don't often repeat vacation spots, but this one I've visited three times - as a child, a couple, and a parent.  Each time I learn more.

If you read my article on Fort Michilmackinac, this article moves you forward in history.  You also know that you can buy a season pass that covers admission to both sites.  As a recap, the British felt threatened by having a vulnerable fort location in Mackinac along the shore, so they dismantled their buildings and reassembled the buildings on Mackinac Island.  Although the location change, the name remained the same.  

The British only relinquished the fort 15 years after Americans won the Revolutionary War.  The British captured the fort during the War of 1812.  The Americans tried to regain the fort during the 1814 Battle of Mackinac Island, but the British defeated them.  The Americans successfully occupied the fort in 1815 aft the Treaty of Ghent.

Kids enjoy view 

In the move from the fur trading to tourist island, the military changed duties and became park rangers of the second U.S. National Park after Yellowstone.  In 1895, ownership transferred from the U.S. government to Michigan State property and it became part of Mackinac Island State Park.

When you arrive, make sure to check out the schedule and give yourself a couple hours.  It's some of the interactive demonstrations and interpreter stories that make it most interesting for kids.  Take the tour.  You'll stroll along and hear new stories.  For example, internet stories tell you the government built the canteen to make the fort desirable.  Our guide told us the soldiers caused too much trouble drinking in town and the canteen kept the loud entertainment within the walls.  Besides watching riffles fire and music play, interpreters taught our entire family old fashioned games in the lawn.

I also recommend eating at the Tea Room within the fort for added historical experience and possibly the best views on the island.  The Tea Room utilizes the Officers Stone Quarters, the oldest public building in Michigan, which workers restored as part of the WPA program.  While you'll likely pay more than normal for a sandwich, part of the profit supports the Mackinac State Historic Parks.  Since the restaurant was operated by the Grand Hotel, we also gained admission to the Grand Hotel.  Grand Hotel entrance prices rose, so this deal may not still hold - check when entering.

Photo by Krenda

Teaching games in the lawn

History Lesson #9: Archaeology and Colonial Michilmackinac in Michigan

Gun demonstration at the fort

 When you think of archaeology sites, you might think of Egypt, Cambodia, or Peru.  In the United States, you'd likely think of sites in the West.  Did you know that the longest-running archaeological dig is actually in the Midwest?  It's Colonial Michilmackinac in Mackinac, Michigan and it's open to tour. 

I had visited the Mackinac historical sites as a child and recall the place as loud and exciting.  I realize now that my parents timed the visit to a special event with a reenactment.  This time we took our kids to Colonial Michilmackinac and heard a few loud bangs from gun demonstrations, but not the flurry of costumed soldiers running.  Costumed interpreters showed off their gardens and talked about crafts and trade.  The site not only has stories of fighting, it served as a transhipment center and refueling post for upper great lakes fur trade.

Photo by Krenda

The National Historic Landmark acts as a reconstructed 18th-century fort and fur trading village, taking visitors back in time to 1779 during the American Revolution.  Since my spouse has an ancestor who fought in the American Revolution with George Washington, it makes the stories even more interesting.  French soldiers constructed the fort in 1715 and they fought the Fox and later Chicksaw.  The American Indian later attack the French at he fort.  British take control of the fort in 1761, but they moved the buildings to Mackinac Island.  The British feared an attack by American rebels and the island was more secure.  They burnt remaining buildings, but archaeologists discovered well preserved walls of the underground ammunition building called the Powder Magazine.  Archaeologists have found over 1 million artifacts such as ceramics, silver, and gun parts in the past 60 years.  The dig continues and you may see archaeologists working in the summer.

Dogs on leash allowed

You can see from my photos that we had no crowd at the site.  Possibly our late afternoon/evening timing helped.  The fort stays open later during the summer, until 7PM.  You still need to arrive by 6PM.  You'll want to arrive earlier anyway.  With 16 buildings to tour and interpreter talks, you could easily spend two hours at the fort.

16 buildings to tour

Costumed Interpreters

You can follow the history tour by next visiting the reconstructed fort on the island.  We bought the Mackinac Family Heritage Pass, approximately $85 family season pass, even though we only had a week vacation in Michigan.  The pass is worth the price because it gives you admission to multiple sites and we visited 5 of them:  1) Fort Mackinac (island), 2) Colonial Michilmackinac, 3) Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park, 4) Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse, and 5) Mackinac Art Museum (island).  Search my blog for stories about the other sites.

The Kings Garden

State Park #7: Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park - Mackinaw City, Michigan

Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park

Demonstration

Timber can help build and rebuild.  For history and adventure, visit the Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park in Mackinaw City Michigan.  Formerly called the Historic Mill Creek State Park, this park has rebuilt historical buildings and more.  Knowing that the rest of my Michigan itinerary listed multiple Mackinac State Historic Parks, my first task was to buy the Mackinac Family Heritage Pass for $85 at the visitor center.  The pass covers entrance fees for the entire family for one season.  I also paid the extra $9.50 per person for the Adventure Tour.  It includes zipline and if you compare prices vs. commercial ziplines, the park offers quite the deal.  If you don't buy the season pass, you'll also need to pay a $9 admission fee for the park per person.  The visitor center also provides a gift shop and short film "The Power of Water."

We arrived at the right time and season.  From May to September, you may see costumed interpreters who tell the history lessons.  Mill Creek established in 1790 to provide timber.  It operated as a farm and orchard too.  In 1984, the creek dam and sawmill was rebuilt and the park opened to the public.  The British workshop was rebuilt in 1994.  The Millwrights house was rebuilt in 2005.  We also timed the visit to see the pit saw method of cutting timber.  The speaker's enthusiasm and engagement of his audience made everyone want to listen and follow him.  We followed him right into the reconstructed sawmill and watched timber cutting using the power of water.

Educational Talk

The "more" refers to the adventure component of the park.  We all suited up for the bridge and zipline.  You'll see nature from up high as you walk across the Forest Canopy Bridge.  The bridge gives you a good view of others on the zipline too.  At 425 foot high, the Eagle Flight Zip Line provides a good thrill for teens and big kids too.  If your kids have not experienced a zip line, this provides a good introduction too.  You can watch your kids fly over the water from a viewing deck.  We heard a lot of laughter over the water too.

Zipline Survivor

The bridge to Zipline fun

The kids also wanted to climb the climbing wall.  The five-story Treetop Discovery Tower stands close to the zipline.  The kids raced to the top.  Before promising a climb up the wall, note the minimum 4 feet tall requirement and 50-250 pound requirement.

Don't stop walking once at the tower.  Hit the trails and you will gain the reward of an amazing view of Mackinac Bridge and Mackinac Island.  You can even see the Grand Hotel from the wooden deck.

 

Industrial Arts - Woodworking & Factory Tour

 If you visit the Netherlands, you will see a lot of wooden shoe gifts to purchase.  The citizens wore wooden shoes for centuries.  Wooden shoes had many advantages for gardening and outdoor wear - less expensive than leather at the time, insulated to keep feet cool in summer and warm and winter, protective if tool dropped, and water resistant.  When we visited Michigan with young kids, we visited a wooden shoe factory and watched the woodworking.  A later trip took us to another woodworking factory tour.

The largest wooden bowl factory actually resides in the United States, not the Netherlands.  I recommend you visit the Holland Bowl Mill in Holland, Michigan.  It first began as the Wooden Shoe Factory by Chester.  HBM began in 1984 and now led by Chester's great grandson.  It's now the largest commercial wooden bowl manufacturer in the country and you can take a tour.  We began by watching the Discover and Science Channels 'How It's Made" 2007 episode for background.  In the factory, we saw all the steps from cutting the fresh log wood to bowl blanks to bowl turning to smoothing.  Factory employees answered questions and we marveled at how one log could turn into multiple nested bowls.  It looked like a process minimizing waste.  Later research confirmed their zero waste philosophy.  The company demands select cutting, choosing larger trees (min. 16" diameter) to leave smaller trees to grow.  Hardwoods including cherry, walnut, beech, maple, and red oak grow and harvest from Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio.  Leftover wood from bowls turn into other wood products such as cutting boards and utensils.  Shavings have a use as horse bedding.

After the tour, you can browse the company store.  While some discounts exist, don't expect cheap products.  These bowls are handmade with no seams or glue and protected with a mineral and bees oil preserver.  You can take care of your bowl with coconut oil.  Don't place your bowl in the dishwasher.  With so many unique bowls with different colors and grain patterns, it took time to choose just one.  They serve as heirloom gifts.  At no extra cost, I had a bowl engraved as a gift to my husband with our wedding date.  Holland Bowl Mill provides a lifetime guarantee for their products.

Thinking Global in the USA #6: Korean Spa (Niles, Illinois)

 

Korean Spa Entrance, Photo by Krenda

Where can you find a Korean experience in Chicago and also leave feeling relaxed?  Take a day to rejuvenate at the King Spa & Sauna in Niles, Illinois (Chicago suburbs).  I've been to Korea twice and not had time to visit a sauna.  You can do it in the United States and the largest Asian sauna resides in Niles.  

In Korea, I did learn that you need a swim cap to swim in the hotel pool and you should not wear your bathing suit in the communal bath within the locker room of your gender.  The spa section of King Spa & Sauna has access through your gender locker room.  It also does not allow you to wear your swimsuit.  You'll find multiple pools with varying water temperature from hot to warm to very cold.  If you visit with your kids, you may choose to skip the spa section, use the locker room to change to the spa uniform, and venture into the 9 sauna sections and/or movie theater.  The experience does not come cheap.  I recommend you look on Groupon for discounted price or H-Mart grocery store nearby.  Massage has additional cost and Base Rock room has an additional $5 fee.

Base Rock room is unique, but has an extra fee.  You can find such patented room by Mr. Ono only in Chicago, Dallas, and Japan.  You lie down on a bed made of special hot stone slab.  The mineral stone Siraka comes from Japan and said to help heal.  You'll also notice amethyst crystal and coal in the room design.  The heat, lights, and quiet atmosphere made it a relaxing place.  The rock is quite hot, so keep on your thick cloth mat or it may not feel so relaxing.

The Pyramid Room, shaped like a pyramid, gives you another way to experience heat healing.  At approximately 90 degrees, I did not find the heat too hot, so it felt relaxing to me.  In contrast, I dared to enter and quickly exited the Fire Sudatorium.  I should have noticed all the other patron's eyes on me when I voluntarily entered and that no one else sat in the room.  At a 165-170 degrees, I think most pass on this room.

At the other extreme, try the Ice Room.  While you may not spend significant time chilling, it does provide a refreshing contrast after the heat.

Bul Ga Ma, the room I repeatedly visited, intrigued me with the wall patterns and pile of hot bricks that move from an oven and into the room.

The Charcoal Room aesthetics also has beauty.  Besides the charcoal, it has many amethysts geodes displayed along the wall.  The purple, white, and black colors have a regal feel.

In case you haven't surrounded yourself with enough amethysts, go to the Amethyst Room which combines the stones known for healing with yellow soil. 

If searching for more baked dirt, head to the Ocher Room which also utilizes infrared rays.  The moderate temperature makes it easy to linger. 

To surround yourself with minerals, enter the Salt Room.  The facility claims the salt blocks are 350 million year old base rocks.

Animal Lesson #13: Wolf Park Howl Night in Indiana

Wolves have been featured as the bad character in children's stories, but kids certainly enjoy seeing the ancestors of domestic dogs.  Why not let them howl with the wolves?  You can make it happen by signing up for a Howl Night at Wolf Park in Lafayette, Indiana.  

Wolf Park employee at Howl Night

The program now costs approximately $12 per adult and $10 per child.  We may have paid more because our program also included a hot dog campfire dinner.  Our event occurred pre-COVID, so programs can change.  The 1.5 hour program now includes 30 minutes to walk the grounds and see all the animals in enclosures, followed by a one hour howl program with an educational talk and staff demonstrating how they communicate with wolves.  Everyone has an opportunity to howl from the stands.  All fees and gift shop purchases go to a good cause.  The Wolf Park operates as a non-profit and has a mission, dedicating the organization to behavioral research, education, and conservation.

Photo by Krenda

The park effort began back in the 1970's when Erich Klinghammer, Purdue University Professor, received wolves from the Brookfield Zoo to study communication and behavior.  Brookfield Zoo is another great place we've taken the kids for conservation education.

Wolves were once viewed as dangerous pesky predator and killed by humans.  A National Park Service employee thought he shot the last wolf in Yellowstone in 1926.  Adolph Murie did research on wolves and concluded that they played an important role in the ecosystem.  He note that wolves reduced the moose population and saved vegetation in Mount McKinley National Park.  In 1963, Starker Leopold wrote the Leopold Report recommending that predators and national processes play essential roles.  The government placed wolves under the protection of the Endangered Species Act in 1995.  Yellowstone National Park reintroduced wolves in 1995 and now the park has over 100 wolves.  Gray wolves increased elsewhere too.  The government delisted gray wolves from the list in 2020, but red wolves remain in smaller numbers and listed.

You don't need a full moon to hear wolves howl.  If you want to increase your odds of hearing the howl, visit at dawn or dusk.  That's likely why Wolf Park hosts Howl Night at dusk.  When the air cools, wolves increase their activity.  

Admiring the wolves

North America has two species of wolves - gray wolves with thick fur and found in the north and smaller red wolves with shorter fur found in the southeast.  Wolf Park has many gray wolves - 3 gray males named Mani, Aspen, and Niko, and 3 gray female wolves named Khewa, Sparow, and Timber.  Gray wolves could be gray in color or they could be black or white.  The gray wolf fur looked gorgeous and full when we visited in cool temperature.  These wolves could look different in the summer when wolves shed fur to keep cool.  Considering the multiple wolves at Wolf Park, you might hear a duet howl (two wolves) or chorus howl (three or more wolves).  In any case, you'll likely hear children howl.

Wolves live in packs.  Alpha males can be male or female and act as the leader of the pack.  If you want to see wolves in the wild, wolves also live at Isle Royale National Park (MN), Michigan Upper Peninsula, northern Rocky Mountains, and Wisconsin.  The United States will host the International Wolf Symposium in 2022 (Minneapolis, MN).

More than wolves at Wolf Park

We visited the Wolf Park to see wolves.  In touring the grounds, we delighting to discover other animals too including Jaker and Scarlette the red foxes, Lark and Kestrel the gray foxes, and 13 bison.  If your kids have interest in seeing more bison, search for my Bison article.

Big kids had fun too

Thinking Global in the USA #5: Korean Friendship Bell (San Pedro California)

Korean Friendship Bell, Photo by Krenda

Viewed by some Koreans as the West Coast Statue of Liberty, the Korean Friendship Bell in San Pedro California is a good place to talk to kids about the friendship between Korean and the United States. Korean bells were believed to have the power to restore peace.  It is fitting that the Korean Friendship Bell has an inscription "May this bell ring and sound forth the hope and resolve of our two nations in their common devotion to enduring prosperity, liberty, and peace."

The bell sits within a beautiful pavilion in a grassy area overlooking the Pacific Ocean and giving you a view of the Los Angeles harbor.  Drive to the Angel Gate Park in San Pedro.  You'll notice two totem poles with the artist name Jong-heung Kim.  After visiting, it inspired me to learn more.  Jong-heung Kim is a traditional Korean Totem Pole Master.  He presented his work to Queen Elizabeth II, President Bush, and President George W. Bush.  Korean traditional totem poles were meant to protect Korean villages against evil spirits or other disasters.  They don't tell stories, but also meant to bring good fortune.  One male with description 'Great General Under Heaven' and 'Great General Under Earth' make the park even more interesting.

The pagoda-like structure housing the bell was constructed by craftsmen in Korea.  The 12 columns represent the 12 designs of the Oriental Zodiac.  In 1976, both the pavilion and the bell were given to the people of Los Angeles from Korea for the U.S. Bicentennial.  By 1978, the bell was declared a Los Angeles Historic Monument.  The United States now has the second-largest Korean population living outside Korea.  China ranks #1.  Within the US, Los Angeles area has the highest population of Korean Americans, followed by New York City area.

When you approach the Belfry of Friendship Pavilion, the bell size will impress you at 7 feet high, 7.5 feet in diameter, and 17 tons in weight.  Patterned after the Bronze Bell of King Sondok which was cast in 1771 A.D, these bells are among the largest bells in the world.  In comparison, there's only one Korean Bell Pavilion on the East Coast, Korean Bell Garden in Virginia, and it weighs 3 tons.  The bell structure goes straight down versus curving outward and is rung by a log.  If you want to see the bell rung, you need to choose your visit to specific dates - 1) US Independence Day (July 4th), 2) National Liberation Day of Korea (August 15th), 3) New Year's Eve, 4) Constitution Week (September 17th), and Korean-American Day (January 13th).

Visiting this site won't take the entire day, so visit the nearby Marine Mammal Care Center and Point Fermin Lighthouse too.

World of Difference #3: Lambs Farm & Goat Yoga

Any age kids will enjoy Lambs Farm and your purchases will help a good cause.  Located in Libertyville, IL, Lambs Farm provides vocational and residential services for over 250 adults with developmental disabilities.  Founded in 1961, it already became the third most frequented visitor site in Lake County by the 1980s.  That's probably because of the good cause combined with family fun.  The site includes a petting zoo, small rides, and mini golf course perfect for the little kids.  The farm does include many animals including lambs, but that's not the origin of the farm name.  The name has religious meaning from John 21:15 in which Jesus tells St. Peter, "Feed my Lambs".

As a big kid, I find other ways to support this worthy cause.  I buy ice cream topping at the Sugar Maple Country Store, dog accessories at the Dogwood Pet Shop, donate to the Cedar Crest Thrift Shop, and enjoy lunch at the Magnolia Cafe & Bakery restaurant.  Yes, that's a lot of sites in one place.  It also has a greenhouse and store.  It's a 72 acre campus which also includes their housing.  Those living onsite are also the employees.  They have purpose and pride in their work and it shows.  I enjoy that I can visit with the same people weekend after weekend and see their smiles.

Lambs Farm also raises funds through events such as a golf outing.  I wanted to share my experience at a new event - Goat Yoga.  The instructor utilizes the Lambs Farm petting zoo location and class funds go to a good cause.  As a first time Goat Yoga participant, I was a little concerned that I've mastered no yoga pose.  No problem!  Our instructor made us all at ease, letting us know to have fun, play with the animals, and go ahead and laugh, it's all part of total wellness.  We all laughed at some point, usually when a goat tried to eat our yoga mat or get close to our face.  The Lambs Farm employees added more animals to the mix.  It was so fun to watch the young kids giggle.  According to the new brochures, Lambs Farm also added Puppy Yoga.  There's always something new at Lambs Farm.  

Check the Lambs Farm website for event schedule.  Take your whole family for the fun and support a great cause.  Who wouldn't want to hug a goat and give to a good cause?

If you are looking for more information about yoga, click on my article "Gym Class Little Yogis and 3 Yoga Festivals".