Lighthouse Lesson #9: Assateague Lighthouse in Virginia

Looking for a small workout while traveling and learning with the kids?  Climb the 175 steps of the Assateague Lighthouse in Virginia.  The steep stairs seemed like no challenge going up.  On the way down, the cast-iron spiral staircase challenged a few muscles going down.  Can you imagine the keeper taking oil up on an hourly basis?  Of course, our kids bounded down in fast fashion with seemingly no effort at all.

The view certainly makes the climb worth the effort.  You will get a view of Assateague and Chincoteague Islands and the Atlantic Ocean.  Look up at the light.  The lamp flash every five seconds and still brings safety to vessels between the Atlantic Coast and Cape Henlopen.  A nearby museum exhibits the original Fresnel light.

The view from the ground is also delightful.  The tall red-and-white striped lighthouse looks iconic.  At 142 feet high, the lighthouse is easy to see.  Noah Porter, who also built Ocracoke Lighthouse, constructed the original lighthouse in 1833.  The original stood only 45-feet tall and deemed not effective enough at that height.  The current lighthouse, constructed in 1867, took the light to a higher level.  The lights could then be seen 19 miles out to sea.  The red-and-white painting of the conical lighthouse didn't happen until 1968.

The lighthouse has connections to multiple organizations.  Your $5 fee will help support the lighthouse.  While the Coast Guard transferred the lighthouse to the Fish & Wildlife Service in 2002, the U.S. Coast Guard still maintains the active navigational light.  The Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuse takes responsibility for preserving the lighthouse.  The non-profit Chincoteague National Historic Association restores the lighthouse and makes the lighthouse accessible to the public.  The lighthouse made the National Register of Historic Places list.

You can only tour the lighthouse between April and November.  Check the timing.  While open throughout the week during the summer, visits are limited to weekends in Spring and Fall.  Also, it closes during their lunch hour.  The Old Keepers Quarters moved offsite and not open to the public.

State Park #4: Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, Fort Lauderdale - kayak & water sports

One of my favorite classes in high school was water sports.  It's difficult to decide which offered more fun - scuba diving in the deep end of our high school pool or learning the eskimo roll and doing it over and over in my kayak.

People began using kayaks, otherwise known as "man's boat" or "hunter's boat", approximately 4,000 years ago.  If you want to tie in a geography/history lesson combination, look for the locations of the people who first developed and used the kayaks:  Inuit (Greenland, Canada, Alaska) and Aluet (Russia, Alaska).

While most people today don't use a kayak to hunt seals and whales, kayaking provides great exercise, especially building arm muscle.  Plus, kayaking on lakes, rivers, and along ocean shores provides an opportunity to experience nature from a different viewpoint.

How might you inspire a paddling interest?  Perhaps watching a film or paddling festival.

Film festivals:  1) Reel Paddling Film Festival (Portland, ME, Hadley, MA, Alexandria, VA, Lake Placid, NY and more cities)
2) National Paddling Film Festival (Frankfort, KY) $25 ticket and silent auction

I've enjoyed watching the paddling competition at the Teva Mountain Games in Vail, Colorado.  Here's 3 other festivals:
1.  Gauley Fest (Summersville, WV), proceeds support American Whitewater's river conservation
music acts, first come first serve camping; 3rd Sat. in Sept., $20-40 tickets
2.  Reno River Festival (Reno, NV, Wingfield Park Whitewater Park), 35,000 visitors; USA freestyle National Championship, kayak and fishing clinics, yoga, bike ride and costume contest, music; May
3.  Upper Klamath Festival (Klamath, OR) $30 participant fee includes shuttle, free camping; 2nd weekend in April

Renting a kayak at a state park gives you an opportunity to try the adventure.  My husband took these photos at Hugh Taylor Birch State Park in Fort Lauderdale, FL.  By kayaking, my son and I entered shallow areas that big boats couldn't access and we got close to birds.

National forests provide wonderful waterways for kayaking and canoeing.  Check out nationalforest.org for a full list including these 3 forests with varied views:
1.  Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (Superior National Forest, MN) 1,200 miles of routes
2.  Indian River Canoe Trail (Hiawatha National Forest, MI) canyon like banks
3.  Clearwater Canoe Trail (Lolo National Forest, Montana), mountain views

If you get more serious and want to learn whitewater kayaking, Nantahala Outdoor Center paddling school has classes ($130-$150/day; Bryson City, NC).  It's less than 2 hours from the popular Smoky Mountain vacation rentals, including our luxury cabin rentals Lightning Bug Lodge (Sevierville, TN) www.lightningbuglodge.blogspot.com and Indigo Moon Lodge (Pigeon Forge, TN) www.indigomoonlodge.blogspot.com.

Gym Class #5: Kids Sailing Camps from High to Lower Cost

Hoofer Sailing Club

UW Madison, Photo by Krenda

Before classes at University of Wisconsin Madison even begun, I took the Hoofer sailing club up for a deal to sail for free as part of orientation.  Not only did I love the sport, I met lifelong friends.  Now when strolling outside Memorial Union, I always admire the sailboats and imagine having a little more time to sail on the water.

Sailing may seem unobtainable for kids to begin due to lesson prices.  I've done a bit of research for you to show that sailing can cost thousands of dollars to begin, but it does not have to be so expensive.  Look beyond the yacht club and search park programs or YMCA camps.  In descending order from most to least expensive, here's eleven options:

1.  Adriondack Camp (Putnam Station, NY) offers a diverse sailboat fleet including Mercury Sloop, Capri Sloop, Lasers, Sunfish, JV Sloop, Classic 420, and 6 Flying Juniors; 2 week session $4,600

2.  Coral Reef Yacht Club (Miami, FL) teaches 8 to 17 year olds $750

3.  Coconut Grove Sailing Club (Miami, FL), learn how to rig, launch a boat, basic knots, and develop wind awareness; age 6-17 9AM-4PM $600

4.  San Diego Yacht Club (San Diego, CA) host of the Junior Olympic festival, fleet of 24 new CFJ sailboats; $590 for Junior Summer sailing

5.  Northwestern University Sailing Center (Chicago, IL), 420s and lasers, 9AM-noon $575

6.  Premier Sailing (The Tides, Irvington, VA), founded in 1998 by Irish sailors, one week young sailors course for age 6-17 $445

7.  Sail Sand Point (Seattle, WA), non-profit community boating center, separated by age such as youth beginner (8-12 year olds), teen beginner (12-17 yr olds) $410; same pricing at the Corinthian Yacht Club in Seattle

8.  The Watersports Camp (San Diego, CA), sponsored by the YMCA, basic sailing morning camp and option to upgrade to afternoon activity for only $50 incremental; $370

9.  St. Petersburg sailing (Florida), Learn to Sail Camp for age 7 to 12 teaches rigging, steering, and maneuvering around docks 8:30-4:30PM; $321

10.  Sail Buffalo Sailing School (Buffalo, NY), Junior Sailing Camp Nautical Day Camp 9AM-4PM age 8 to 18; full week $294

11.  Hoofer Youth Program (UW Madison, Madison, WI); sailing day camp 10AM-4PM or beginner racing (3 hours) for $265; also offers windsurfing lessons

12.  Wilmette Park (Chicago suburbs, IL) group sailing lessons age 9-15, 8 lessons 12:30-2:30 or 3-5PM, learn on Lake Michigan; 12 students max. per class; $196 each

Before the kids begin lessons, give them a head start by teaching them the terms:  rudder, centerboard, tack, stern, boom, head mast, jib, jibstay, jibsheet, bow, etc.

Agriculture Lesson #3: 5 Cool Pumpkin Sites to Visit

Pumpkins, just the thought of these orange colored gourd-like squash takes you back to childhood.  Create a fall tradition with your child to pick pumpkins in the field and learn about agriculture at the same time. 

You can inspire their love for reading by reading about pumpkins.  One year I read the story Backyard Giants by Susan Warren outloud to my kids, a couple chapters at a time, following the adventures of Ron and Dick Wallace.  It not only teaches about giant pumpkins, but also lessons about the importance of setting a goal and values of determination and sharing knowledge with others.  It was published in 2007.  When we heard Ron & Dick broke the world record growing a 2,009 pound giant pumpkin in 2012, we cheered for them. 

Our family enjoys the tradition of visiting a pumpkin patch and then carving a pumpkin to use as a Halloween decoration. Get ready for messy fun. Getting out the seed is just part of the reward. You can roast them in the oven as a treat. These seed are good for kids, theyhave protein, magnesium, copper, and zinc. Kids just love the bite sized crunch.

I took this photo at Barn N Bunk farm in Trenton, OH.  We've found many of such large farms offer fun family entertainment.  We've enjoyed hay rides and corn mazes.  I've learned that the Midwest is central to pumpkins with 95% of pumpkins intended for processing grown in Illinois.  Here's 4 key places to discover pumpkins with your family:

1.  Art and Pumpkin Festival, Half Moon Bay, CA - 42 year tradition, world champion pumpkin weigh off, parade, pumpkin sculptures, crafts, so many events, there's an app for it http://www.miramarevents.com/pumpkinfest/about_show.html

2.  Vala's Pumpkin Patch, Gretna, Nebraska (NE) - $13.29 per person admission, even sells seasons passes which makes sense when you see their entertainment schedule- stunt dog show, 4-H day, dance show, Scarecrow band, monster dash run, pig races, and s'mores at the fire http://www.valaspumpkinpatch.com/

3. Papa's Pumpkin Patch, Bismark, North Dakota (ND) attracts 50,000 visitors per year, enjoying bale mazes and a crib sandbox or buying pumpkin cookies and pumpkin pie, mid Sept. to late Oct.
https://papaspumpkinpatch.wordpress.com/

4. Morton Pumpkin Festival, Morton, Illinois (IL) home of Libby's canned pumpkin where 80% of the world's pumpkin is processed, pumpkin idol, recipe challenge, tennis tournament http://www.mortonpumpkinfestival.org/

5.  Cox Farms, Centreville, Virginia (VA) - 40 year tradition, watch for their Nov. Pumpkin Madness event where you can recycle your used pumpkin for some smashing fun http://www.coxfarms.com/fallfestival.aspx

Science Lesson #1: Ohio Caverns & 9 Others to Tour

Once upon a time my mother taught science and math, so we learned science no matter where we walked, above the ground or below the ground.  I have vivid memories of touring Mammoth Cave as a child.  Now I take my kids on cave tours.

You can try memory tricks to learn scientific terms.  For example, stalagmites and stalactites are both speleothems or deposits of mineral.  One trick to remember stalactites as above and stalagmites as below is to tell yourself "stalactites need to hold on tight".  Another trick is think of the letters in the words - stalagmite's G for ground, stalactite's C for ceiling.

Ohio Caverns

However, you can bring such a lesson alive by taking your children on a cave tour.

For my daughter's birthday, we took both our kids and their cousins to Ohio Caverns in West Liberty, OH.  It's the largest cave in Ohio and has many formations including one shaped like a water pump.  The formations exist in all directions, in front and above you, so we kept physically close to the kids, watching their head and hands.

Lesson Idea

Read about cave biology before you go on a trip beneath the ground.  According to traveladvisortips website, Ohio Caverns made the list "Top 10 Most Amazing Caves & Caverns in USA".  Here's the other 9 caves listed you could visit with your kids:
1.  Meramec Caverns - near St. Louis, MO
2.  Kartchner Caverns - AZ (by guide only)
3.  Luray Caverns - Shenandoah Valley, VA
4.  Carlsbad Caverns - New Mexico
5.  Blanchard Springs Caverns - Arkansas
6.  Mammoth Cave - Kentucky (KY)
7.  Lost Seas Caverns - Tennessee (TN)
8.  Shenandoah Caverns - Virginia
9.  Natural Bridge Caverns - TX

I've also been to Natural Bridge Caverns and Mammoth Cave and I would recommend these sites for families with kids.  If you have been to any of the other caves, please leave a comment and let us know whether you would recommend the tour for kids.

Ohio Caverns Fun Fact

Family owned, passed down from one generation to the next
Learn more at http://www.ohiocaverns.com/ or visit the cave in West Liberty, Ohio, just 2 hours North of Cincinnati

Ohio Caverns Tips

You will feel like you are driving out in no where and perhaps no one else is visiting, is it even open? Very cute entrance sign "yes, we are open". Apparently the owners can hear us thinking.  Bring a picnic basket, there's a picnic shelter on site. 

Gym Class #3: Robbie Knievel & 4 AMA Motorcycle Events

Robbie Knievel, Photo by Krenda

 

Robbie's truck says "leaving a legend" with a photo of his father Robert Craig "Evel" Knievel and his photo.

At Kings Island amusement park in Ohio, we watched Robbie Knievel break the record, jumping more semis, breaking his own father's record that was set at the same exact place many years ago.

The kids loved the excitement and it gave us a great opportunity to discuss the importance of setting goals, achieving them, and setting even higher goals...a cycle of success. Sports can give you an opportunity to discuss risk taking and challenging yourself.

If you are looking to inspire your child with sports with speed, you may want to check out the AMA flat track motorcycle events.  Locations vary each year, but here's four classic locations:

1) Allen County Fairgrounds, Lima, OH, pea-gravel half mile track adds a challenge, late June
2) Peoria Race Park, Peoria, IL, a historic site with a high flying jump sending riders 140 ft. plus into the air, August
3) Indiana State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis, IN, AMA notes a high energy audience, July
4) Springfield Mile, Springfield Illinois (IL), known as the crown jewel of the AMA Pro Flat Track, it's a tradition both Memorial and Labor Day weekends

Here's the website with event dates and costs:  http://www.amaproracing.com/ft/events/
*Disclaimer:  A friend of mine owns a motorcycle team.

Music Lesson #1: Steve Martin and 8 Bluegrass Festivals

 Before your kids are teenagers, you have the opportunity to teach them that there's other music genres than just rap and R&B.  To widen their music appreciation, consider bluegrass - a genre invented in the United States by Bill Monroe.

Bring the lesson alive.  Take the kids to a concert, especially a festival with multiple acts.  We attended the Bill Monroe Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival in Morgantown, IN.  Besides recognition for having the world's oldest bluegrass festival, Morgantown is also the location of the International Bluegrass Music Museum.  Festival tickets ranged $20 to $30 per day.

Under the stars, sitting on the lawn, we experienced a real treat - watching Steve Martin play banjo.  Comedian, actor, writer, art collector, banjo player...what can't he do?  He won the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album in 2009 by releasing "The Crow:  New Songs for the 5-String Banjo."  A few jokes and a lot of amazing music, the whole family watched in awe.

Bluegrass festivals take place across the country every Summer and Fall.  Here's eight other bluegrass festivals:

1.  Joe Val Bluegrass Music Festival - Framingham, Massachusetts; Feb - indoor 3 day event at Sheraton in the Boston area, Kids Academy teaches kids age 5-17 to play and offers opportunity to perform on stage; early bird ticket $110
http://www.bbu.org/events/joe-val-festival/

2.  Graves Mountain Festival of Music - Syria, Virginia, May - $35 to $45 daily ticket, 3 day event at resort in Blue Ridge Mountains; take advantage of nearby fishing, biking, & hiking

3.  Telluride Bluegrass Festival - Telluride, Colorado; June - enjoy the San Juan Mountain setting, 3 to 4 stages, and 4 day event

4.  Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival - Oak Hill, NY; July - Catskill mountain farm, limit of 4,000 camping tickets ($170 adult, kids under 12 free, plus $20 parking fee)

5.  IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Festival) Fan Fest - Raleigh, NC - 3 day indoor festival, 60 acts, film festival, award show, supports charities like the Bluegrass Trust Fund; check location annually

6.  Walnut Valley Bluegrass Festival - Winfield, Kansas; Sept. - numerous contests including autoharp, madolin, banjo, flat-picking, dulcimer, and even camp decoration contest!, early purchase tickets (Dec. to Feb.) discounted to $75

7. Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival - San Francisco, CA; Oct. - over 100 artists on 7 stages at the Golden Gate Park; it's a bargain! free festival funded by gift

8.  Jerusalem Ridge Bluegrass Celebration - Rosine, KY; Oct. - on the site of Bill Monroe's birthplace, free tent camping, nearly 300 volunteers, includes gospel and square dance music

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