NPS #8: Adams National Historical Park

Where can you teach your children about two Presidents at the same time?  Take your kids to the Adams National Historical Park in Massachusetts.  Part of the National Park Service, this historical site is located 10 miles south of Boston in Quincy, MA.  You can enter the buildings only through a guided tour, so go to the Visitor Center (1250 Hancock Street) early.  Tours are based upon on a first come, first serve basis between May 18 and Nov. 10th.  First tour begins 9:15AM and last tour leaves at 3:15PM.  No big bags or backpacks allowed.  The visitor center also provides an approximately 30 min. orientation film Enduring Legacy:  Four Generations of the Adams Family.  Allow up to three hours for the tour.

 The first tour stop takes you to two homes declared a National Historic Landmark: 1) John Adams Birthplace, and 2) John Quincy Adams Birthplace.  You will learn the history of our 2nd U.S. President and 6th U.S. President.  The stories are full of love and patriotism.  After marrying Abigail Smith, John Adams settled the family in a house less than 75 yards away from his birthplace.  You'll see where Abigail wrote John letters and the fireplace where her son John Quincy helped make musket balls for the war.  You can imagine Abigail and her son watching the battle on Breeds Hill from another nearby hill.  John Adams served as a leader in the American Revolution, assisted in the Declaration of Independence, served two terms and Vice President, and elected President.  His son John Quincy joined John Adams in Europe and John Quincy learned seven languages.  Both John and his son began practicing law and served as U.S. Presidents.

Stone Library   Photo by Krenda Frushour

   You'll board the trolley again to transport to the next Adams family home.  The Old House or Peacefield has a Georgian-style estate.  The Adams family made numerous additions over the 140 years.  My favorite were the English-style garden and the Stone Library.  John Adams constructed the garden and pond.  The grounds still hold a yellowood and black walnut that John Adams planted.  John Quincy Adam's son Charles Francis Adams, an ambassador to the Great Britain during the Civil War, added the library, greenhouse, and carriage house.  The library is stunning and holds 14,000 historic volumes and believed to be the first presidential library. It also served as the location for Charle's sons Henry and Brook Adams to serve as historians and write.  We visited on a beautiful day in which bright flowers bloomed, the sun shined, and we ended the tour on the vine covered porch.

Peacefield or Old House

History Lesson #6: Jonathan Young & 7 Historical Windmills

Windmill, Photo by Krenda

Admiring the De Gooyer Windmill in Amsterdam, the tallest wooden mill in the Netherlands and a registered National Monument, I hoped I could share the experience of admiring historical windmills with my kids.  The Dutch refined the windmill to adapt for draining lakes and marshes.  However, the De Gooyer Windmill ground corn during WWII.  Farmers began using windmills to pump water, grind wheat and corn, and cut wood at sawmills.  

I took my kids to visit the Jonathan Young Windmill, one of the oldest or the oldest windmill in the US, built approximately 1720, moved in 1839, and moved again in 1897.  It's now located near the highway in Town Cove Park (41 Old King's Highway, Orleans, MA).  Look for when the mill opens to the public; the resident miller told historical stories and pointed out parts including the windshaft (center pole), brake wheel/bull wheel (wooden gears), drive shaft or spindle, hopper, and shoe. 

Massachusetts has a long list of windmills.  If you live outside of the east coast, here's eight windmills you can show your family:

1.  Murphy Mill, San Francisco, California:  Smock 1905 windmill appeared in the film A Jitney Elopement starring Charlie Chaplin

2.  Vermeer Mill, Pella, Iowa:  Smock windmill designed by Lukas Verbijin in the Netherlands, now the tallest working windmill in North America; visit the museum ($10 adults) or Tulip Time festival

3.  Danish Mill:  Elk Horn, Iowa:  Smock windmill built in 1848 at Norre-Snede Denmark, dismantled 1957 and re-erected at Elk Horn in 1976

4.  De Zwaan Windmill, Holland, Michigan:  Smock windmill first erected in 1761 in the Netherlands

5.  Bevo Mill, St. Louis:  After $1 million in renovations, it's open again as a restaurant Das Bevo Bierhall
6.  Millbank Holland Grist Windmill:  South Dakota, smock 1882 windmill, one of only 50 working windmills in the country, visit during Farley Fest for tour

7.  Mankato Seppman Mill, MN:  Tower mill 1864, repaired by Blue Earth County Historical Society and transitioned to state, now preserved at the Minneopa State Park

Thinking Global in the USA #1: 8 Chinese Dragon Boat Races

Dragon Boat Races, Photo by Krenda

Dragon boat races, an ancient Chinese sport, began over 2,000 years ago.  Today it's an international sport.  Your kids can learn about a unique sport and culture at one event by taking them to a Chinese Dragon Boat race.  Before the race, get out the globe and talk about different type of boat races around the world including swan boat racing in Thailand and snake boat racing in India.  In the US, Dragon Boat races often provide free admission, so take all your family & friends!

Watching a race provides a feast for the eyes and ears with 40 foot boats, 20 paddlers per boat, and a drummer leading the pace and sychronizing the strokes.  The dragon head and tail attach just for the races.  The steersmans located in the back of the boat added fun and humor by wearing fancy and/or funny hats at the Evansville, IN race our family attended.  Dragon boats may be relatively rare, but all the paddling could inspire your family to try canoeing.
You don't need a passport to watch a race.  Races are held across the US in Spring, Summer, and Fall.  Here's 8 other Dragon Boat Races in the US:

1.  Dragon Boat Festival - Tempe, AZ, March - watch the lake light up at night when nearly 50 boats create the fantasy of lights boat parade
 http://azdba.com/Festival/

2.  Long Beach Dragon Boat Spring Race - Long Beach, CA - Marine Stadium also hosts martial arts and acrobat performances

3.  Charleston Dragon Boat Festival - Charleston, SC; May - celebrates cancer survivors and raised an impressive $150,000 for cancer survivors

4.  Portland Rose Festival Boat Race - Portland, OR, June - parade held same weekend

5.  Boston Dragon Boat Festival - Boston, Massachusetts, June - North America's longest running Dragon Boat festival, now hosting 60 teams and craft workshops including orgami and mask making.

6.  Colorado Dragon Boat Festival - Denver, CO, July- arrive early for the welcoming event "Awakening the Dragon Ceremony" including Buddhist monk chants and a 75 foot dragon

7.  Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival - Queens, New York, Aug. - a large race with 170 teams, opening day parade, dancing, music, and food

8.  San Francisco International Dragon Boat Festival - San Francisco, CA, Sept. - events on Treasure Island include taiko druming, Tahitian dancing, and acrobat show

Art Lesson #1: Chihuly at Indianapolis Children's Museum

I've met many famous people, but never Dale Chihuly. Yet, everytime I see his art, I feel connected.  The University of Wisconsin Madison's Art Center held his first solo exhibit in 1968. It was earlier than my time, but a special school to me too as my alma mater.

Everytime I see his artwork, I feel inspired. Dale took glassblowing to a whole new level, making it a fine art, a contemporary art full of imagination and a kalediscope of color.   

You can find Chihuly's art on permanent display:
While visiting the Indianapolis Children's Museum, the largest children's museum in the world, I photographed his glass displayed in the ceiling. The kids looked up in awe at the bright colors and seashell-like shapes.

The Chihuly Garden and Glass In Seattle Center opened in 2012.  This center provides a much bigger collection of his art with both indoor and outdoor exhibits.  I was fortunate to visit at time which included local artists demonstrating glass blowing.  Visit my blog article to read about my visit and experience.

Also, look online for Chihuly's traveling art:
Cactus flowers bloomed, the sun set over the horizon, and I thoroughly enjoyed strolling past Chihuly art in sun and darkness at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona.

You may find his art at other botanical gardens or museums such as Chihuly Catalina Island Museum (Avalon, CA), New York Botanical Garden (The Bronx, NY), Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art (Bentonville, Arkansas).

There's so many artists creating beautiful glass art.  If you'd like to inspire your children's creativity by viewing glass art, here's 6 other museums to explore:
1.  Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art (Winter Park, FL), the most comprehensive collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany http://morsemuseum.org/
3.  Musuem of Glass (Tacoma, WA) focusing on contemporary and Pacific Northwest glass art http://museumofglass.org/
4.  National Heisey Glass Museum, (Veterans Park, Newark, OH)
http://heiseymuseum.org/
5.  The New Bedford Museum of Glass (New Bedford, Massachusetts) opened 2010 in former textile building  http://www.nbmog.org/
6.  Toledo Museum of Art including The Glass Pavilion, (Toledo, OH) The Glass Pavilion with curved glass walls and a Dale Chihuly sculpture opened in 2006 http://www.toledomuseum.org/glass-pavilion/
7.  Corning Museum of Art, (Corning, NY) Finger Lake area, $15 adult, free for kids
http://www.cmog.org/visit/hours-and-admission

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