Art & Sculpture #3: International Snow Sculpture Championship (Lake Geneva, WI)

What kid doesn't like to play with snow?  When kids go to the beach, they can't wait to sculpt the sand.  Why not try sculpting snow?  You can do more than build a snowman.  If you want to see the professional art, inspire your kids at the International Snow Sculpture Championship in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.  Lake Geneva has hosted the event for 26 years.

Winterfest in Wisconsin, Photo by Krenda

Sculptors tend to dream a theme, draw it, and begin with a blank 8 feet or 12 feet blocks of snow.  It takes days to create the sculpture.  If you go to the competition early in the festival, you can see their drawings and watch them work with shovels, hand saws, and wooden spoons.  I like to return to see their finished art.  I timed it right to stay for the award ceremony and cheering.

Sculptors hope for quality snow block and the right temperature.  They wish for snow without dirt, ice, or rocks.  They hope for Goldilocks weather, not too frigid and not too warm.  Too cold makes it hard to carve and melting, slushy snow makes it difficult to keep the details crisp.

Some sculptures look so smooth.  Other sculptures so intricate.  Some had humor.  Others tried to convey deep meaning.  With approximately 15 teams and 15 sculptures, everyone strolls along the pathways finding their favorite. 

If you go to Lake Geneva, just pay for parking.  One year people decided to park on the lake, but the lake didn't totally freeze and cars and trucks sank.  With a free event, paid parking doesn't seem too much.

What if you don't live close to Lake Geneva?  Find earlier events, ones that may decide which sculptors participate in the National competition or just bring joy at winter festivals.  Here's seven other snow sculpting events:

1.  Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition - Rockford, IL, Sinnissippi Park, 10 sculptures

2.  Minnesota State Snow Sculpting Competition - St. Paul, Vulcan Snow Park

3.  Wisconsin Snow Sculpting Competition - Fond du Lac, WI, compete and possibly win a trip to the U.S. Championship

4.  Ely's Snow Sculpting Symposium - Ely, MN, Ely's winter Festival at Whiteside Park, lit by candles at nigh

5.  Zehnder's Snowfest - Frankenmuth, Michigan, fireworks every night

6.  Woodstock Flurry - Vermont, state contest, free

7.  Winter Arts Snow Sculpting Festival - Dubuque, Iowa, Washington Park

If you want to go beyond U.S. competitions, consider a trip to Breckenridge, Colorado for the International Snow Sculpture Championships.  Often combined with the Viking inspired week of winter games called Ullr Fest, you can see approximately 16 teams hand-carve 20-ton bricks.

Music Lesson #3: Summerfest, The World’s Largest Music Festival

 If you love music and want to share the love, take your family to Summerfest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  This festival features a wide variety of music and spans generations.  You will see fans of all ages. 

This festival offers such a memorable experience that author Patricia Schultz include Summerfest in 1,000 Places to See Before You Die book.  She describes the history: “It all began in 1961 with Summerfest, an 11-day celebration of music and food that gets bigger and better every year.  Yesterday’s tents have been replaced by a dozen permanent stages…”

I’m old enough to reflect on attending concerts as a child and bringing my kids to the festival.  When I was a kid, we spent most of our time at one big stage.  We had one concert to target.  I still remember fondly the excitement of seeing Tina Turner singing and dancing at high energy, Janet Jackson’s showmanship, and my mom’s excitement over hearing Julio Iglesias sing live.  Now you don’t even need to visit the biggest stage; you can hop from one stage to another.

With concerts overlapping at multiple stages, deciding which concert to attend can be a challenge.  You’ll want to check out the Summerfest website and map out the concerts you want to see.  Map out the timing and stage locations.  We walked quickly walked from one stage to another to see four concerts in one night.  We danced and sang with the Village People, KC and The Sunshine Band, The Commodores, and Third Eye Blind, all in one night.  Even our kids had spelled out YMCA at so many wedding receptions that it felt surreal to do it with the band.  We had great conversations about early decades, especially the 1970s.

Single day tickets cost $26, 3-day pass $62 (any 3 days), or 9-day pass ($130).  None of these entry tickets include concerts at the American Family Amphitheater.  You can enter with a purse, tote, or cinch bag 9”x 10” x 12” or smaller.  Don’t try to enter with a backpack or cooler.

Transportation Lesson #9: U.S. Largest Wooden Passenger Collection at Mid-Continent Railway Museum

One of the thrills of traveling in China was the opportunity to take the Shanghai Maglev (magnetic levitation train), which we called to bullet train, from the Shanghai Pudong International airport to Longyang Road Station.  We could have take a taxi, but the $13 round-trip ride on the fastest commercial electric train in the world offered an adventure.  It has a maximum speed of 430 kmph.  The passenger train had an electric sign that announced the train speed, so we had fun just watching the speed climb.  It began service in 2007 and my co-workers and I took a ride in 2011.  The train has transported over 50 million passengers, so there's many people around the world sharing the story of adventure this high-speed passenger train.

You don't need to travel to China to teach your kids about the Golden Age of U.S. train travel (1900-1940's).  You can travel to the Mid-Continent Railway Museum in North Freedom, Wisconsin.  Owning 34 passenger cars, this museum earns the title of the United States largest wooden passenger museum collection.  The museum offers public visitation May thru October on weekends with no admission (donations appreciated).  They also offer train rides for a fee, three times a day.

The indoor/outdoor museum has two coach sheds.  In these sheds, I appreciated the historical stories and ability to peek into the glamorous interiors.  I found three passenger cars especially interesting:

1) Copper Range 

Difficult to miss this train with it's orange color.  The museum restored the car to the standard Milwaukee Road orange paint, the color it would have donned in 1911.  The American Car & Foundary (Jeffersonville, Indiana) built the train in 1903.  The train transported people during the Golden Age in Copper Country of Upper Michigan and operated until 1946.  Peek inside and see the restored gold leaf striping and oak veneer ceiling.

2) Milwaukee Lake Shore & Western Railway

Built by the Barney & Smith Co. in Dayton, Ohio, this train first served the northeast regions of Wisconsin (1872-1893).  The Chicago & North Western Railway purchased the train and the train retired in 1930.  Peek inside to see the polished cherry wood and curved panels.  Since I worked in Dayton and traveled by train into Chicago for work years later, I found this train story feeling close to home.

3) Wisconsin Fish Commission (labeled Badger #2)

The sign for this train especially caught my attention, connecting trains, fish, and the World's Fair.  The introduction explained need that led to the combination of passenger transportation with fish transportation, using steel under frames to carry fish.  The story begins with the problem "In 1873 the U.S. Fish Commission began experimenting with shipping live fish across the country by rail.  Like many other states, Wisconsin began hauling eggs, fry and fingerlings in milk cans stacked in baggage cars hauled by local railways.  It was an expensive and labor-intensive journey often complicated by heat, cramped conditions, and missed connections.  A better means to safely transport more fish, greater distances, was needed..."  The restoration of the car cost nearly $1 million and you can see it for free.

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

Business Lesson #1: Jelly Belly WI tour and 10 other Candy Factory Tours

What kid doesn't love candy?  Show him or her how it is made by taking a factory tour.  The Jelly Belly company offers tours at two locations - Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin and Fairfield, California.  I've taken my kids to both locations.  I usually highly recommend factory tours.  In this case, I'd like to give warning that the Wisconsin location is mostly a trolly tour around a warehouse.  You don't see major production lines.  The trolley stops at stations with video screens explaining the process of making taffy, gummies and the famous jelly beans.  The most action we saw was a small area of employees assembling shipments for online sales.

At the time, the tour ended at the shop which made it worth the visit.  However, please check their website for status of the shop.  Laura Sutherland, author of Amazing Places to Take Your Kids, also highlights the store as most exciting, "The Jelly Belly tasting bar is definitely the highlight of this sweet-smelling, family-oriented factory tour, which offers visitors samples of many of the 100 candies the Pleasant Prairie Wisconsin, company makes, including a wide variety of Jelly Bellies."  The tasting does give you an opportunity to try new flavors you might not normally gravitate towards.  I think they know their pre-teen and teen audience think the bad smelling flavors (rotten egg, dirt, earthworm, stinky socks, lawn clippings, moldy cheese) or mystery flavors are hilarious.  I'll stick to the fruit flavors like pear, coconut, cherry, and pineapple and sometimes search for buttered popcorn.  Another bonus in-store was the discounted bags of Belly Flops.  The misshapen jelly beans tasted just as good to me.

I've also visited The Hershey Company, Jelly Belly Candy Company in California, and Long Grove Confectionery Co.  These companies made the Fodor's Travel Top 10 Candy Tours list.  The article by Kristine Hansen gives you more tours to consider:
1.  Jelly Belly Candy Company:  Fairfield, CA, self-guided free tours
2.  The Hershey Company:  Hershey, Pennsylvania, free tours
3.  Long Grove Confectionery Co.:  Long Grove, IL, tour by appointment
4.  Hammond's Candies:  Denver, Colorado, free tour
5.  Pez Candy:  Orange, Connecticut, $5 self-guided tour
6.  Raaka Chocolate:  Brooklyn, NY, book a tasting tour or chocolate-making class
7.  Theo Chocolate:  Seattle, Washington, weekday tours
8.  Kimmie Candy (Sunbursts):  Reno, NY, weekday tours by appointment
9.  Sweet Candy Company:  Salt Lake City, Utah, free weekday tours
10.  Spangler (Dum Dum, Smarties):  Bryan, Ohio, trolley tour

History Lesson #7: Renaissance and 14 Fun Festivals

Where can your kids dress up in a period costume other than Halloween?  Renaissance festivals across the nation not only enable dressing up, but also learning a little European 14th to 17th century history while having fun watching shows and buying crafts.

Many festivals have multiple stages including music, comedy, and drama.  I believe the most dramatic shows are the fire whip show and the jousting competitions.  Read the show descriptions carefully.  Some shows like trunk shows using props and audience participation may be family friendly and make the kids laugh.  Other acts are meant for adults only with adult humor.

Plan for the cost to go beyond the typical $20 entrance fee per person because your kids will want to try the unique food and drinks.  My son begged for a turkey leg and opportunity to eat with his fingers.  We also liked the sassafras drink, a mixture of root beer and licorice taste.  Plus there's games and crafts to buy.  My daughter could not resist the archery.

The shows and craftsmanship demonstrations get included in the entrance fee.  Look for blacksmiths, glass blowing, and pottery making.

We've taken our kids to both the Bristol Renaissance Faire in Kenosha, WI and Ohio Renaissance Faire in Harveysburg, OH (located between Cincinnati and Columbus Ohio); both rated as best renaissance festivals in the US by the Travel Channel.  Photos taken at the Kenosha festival.  However, you don't need to live in the Midwest for the festivities.  The first one began in Agoura, CA in 1966.  Festivals occur throughout the US today:

1.  Minnesota Renaissance Festival; Shakopee, MN; Aug.-Labor Day
Claimed as the largest in the US with 300,000 attendees

2.  Florida Renaissance Festival; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Feb., March
Large fair with world's largest rocking horse and 12 stages

3.  Georgia Renaissance Festival; Spring
Squire of the wire, hypnotist, acrobatic daredevils, wheel of death

4.  Carolina Renaissance Festival; Charlotte, NC; early Oct. to late Dec.
Fairhaven villagers in charming cottages

5.  Maryland Renaissance Festival; Aug.-early Sept.
Village of Revel Grove, 43rd year of comedy sword fighting show, pirate ship

6.  King Richard's Fair; Carver, MA; Aug.-Oct.
80 acre with royal zoo; vow renewal and Bachlorette Ball

7.  Pennsylvania Renaissance Fair; Mount Hope, PA; Aug.-Sept.
Kings Court, tournament joust, human chess, and trunk shows

8.  New York Renaissance Faire; Tuxedo Park, NY; Aug.-Labor Day
Theme weekends include Time Travelers Weekend and Masquerade Weekend and Ball

9.  Texas Renaissance Festival; Todd Mission, TX; late Oct to Dec.
55 acre theater, polka dancing, and holiday themes such as Oktobersfest and Celtic Christmas

10.  Scarborough Renaissance Festival; Warahachie, TX (south of Dallas)
Wedding packages available

11.  Sherwood Forest Faire; McDade, TX; Feb. to March
All you can eat dining, parade and 40 stage acts

12.  Arizonia Renaissance Festival; Apache Junction, AZ;
250,000 attendees, 2,000 actors, over 200 craft shops

13.  Northern California Renaissance Faire; Hollister, CA; October
Concert series every Saturday; costume contest

14.  Valhalla Renaissance Faire; South Lake Tahoe, CA; two weekends in June
Shakespearean bignettes

Agriculture Lesson #8: Frankfurt Germany's Market Hall & 15 U.S. Farmers' Markets

When my business partners take me to local sites, it's a real treat to learn about the culture, history, and local agriculture.  I appreciated my business partners taking me to the Klein Market Halle in Frankfurt, Germany.  The market had a building built in the early 19th century, but it World War II destroyed it.  Reconstructed in the mid-Fifties, you can now appreciate the European art deco style.  With over 1,200 sq m of space and 156 market stalls, you can find a wide variety of fresh produce and flowers including wurst, mustard, dried fruit, and Frankfurt's famous green sauce.  The fishmonger resides downstairs and we treated ourselves to fresh oysters upstairs, overlooking the market.

You don't need to fly to Germany to give your kids the experience of buying fresh produce from farmers.  Visit your local farmers' market.  When you plan a vacation, look up the dates and places of farmers' markets.

As a college student at the University of Wisconsin, I enjoyed beautiful summer and fall days at the Dane County Farmers' Market on the Square.  Located on the sidewalks surrounding the State Capitol, the smells, bright colors, and sounds was like a weekly celebration.  Instruments played, people laughed and ate on the lawn.  Who can resist bread full of melted cheese?  I'm not the only one who enjoyed the experience.  I met Peter Greenberg, New York Times Bestselling Author and fellow UW-grad, and he included Madison in "Best Places to Visit Food Markets" within his book The Best Places for Everything:  "Guess where my favorite farmers' market in the country is located.  Napa Valley?  New York City?  Nope.  It's in Madison, Wisconsin.  The Dane County Farmers' market is the largest producer-only farmers' market in the United States.  The "no resale" rule means that the person behind the tables is the same person who grew or made the product."

I've sold behind the table a few times, invited by my aunts, uncles, and cousin who are the farmers growing the produce.  It's healthy to buy local and fresh.  If you visit the Quad Cities (Davenport, Bettendorf, Rock Island, Moline), stop by the farmers' market say "hi" to the farmers and purchase vegetables or flower. 

The 2014 Fodor "America's 15 Best Farmers' Markets" includes the Dane County Farmers' Market and these 14 other markets:
1.  Portland Farmers' Market on Portland State University's campus (WA) - 140 vendors
2.  Union Square Greenmarket (NY) - 140 farmers, open year-round
3.  Pike Place Market (Seattle,WA) - 80 farmers
4.  Santa Fe Farmers (NM) - 150 vendors
5.  Charleston Farmer's Market (SC)
6.  Davis Farmer's Market (CA)
7.  Green City Market (Chicago, IL) near Lincoln Park - 55 vendors
8.  Ferry Plaza Farmers Market (San Francisco, CA)
9.  Eastern Market at D.C.'s historic Capitol Hill
10.  St. Paul Farmers' Market (MN)
11.  Santa Monica Farmers' Market (CA)- 75 farmers
12.  Sweet Auburn Market near Atlanta (GA) - 20 vendors
13. Crescent City Farmer's Market New Orleans (LA)
14.  Burlington Farmers' Market (VT) - 40 vendors, Sat. May to Oct. since 1980

Transportation Lesson #2: Mail Boat Delivery Jump Tour (Lake Geneva, WI)

Lake Geneva, Photo by Krenda

"Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat...", we all hear about how the United States Post Office employees deliver mail despite bad weather.  We also hear about the many different transportation methods needed throughout history to transport the mail - horse drawn wagons, airplanes, trucks, etc.  There's stories about mail delivered by bush pilots in Alaska and mule train to the Havasupai Indians at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.  To learn more, you can take your kids to the Smithsonian National Postal Museum.  

The museum includes an exhibit about the relationship between mail and our national parks "Trailblazing 100 Years of Our National Parks."

Then I heard about an experiential learning opportunity on CBS News Sunday Morning segment in which Bill Geist describes a timeless place where the arrival of summer is announced by the first mailboat.  In Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, mail still gets delivered by boat daily from June to September.  It began approximately 100 years ago before the government built roads around the lake.  Before the summer season, Gage boat company holds tryouts for mail jumpers who will ride the boat, jump onto the pier, put mail in and out of the mailbox, and jump back on the boat.

You can take your kids on the Gage boat tour "U.S. Mailboat Tour".  The 2.5 hour tour takes you on a cruise around Lake Geneva to watch a mail jumper in action.  He or she delivers the mail to about 75 homes on the lake with approximately 160 tourists watching.  The service continues as a free service.  To watch the action on Wadsworth 11, the only mail jumping boat in the U.S., you'll need to pay $38 for adults and $22 for children.

Our mail jumper had skills.  He'd sprint to the mailbox.  At one point, he had to jump off the boat and put mail in an entire row of mailboxes, run about a mile, and time it right to jump back on the moving boat.  He really showed off by jumping off a dock and then doing a cartwheel before placing mail into the box.  Everyone cheered for him.  The residents also seem to enjoy the service.  Some would sit on their pier in big wooden chairs waiting for the mail delivery and waving to the tourists.  Another resident waited by his box for a hand delivery.

Besides the entertainment, the boat emcee provides history lessons about the mansions surrounding the lakes and the famous business families like Wrigley owning them.

Today email works fast.  But think about the years of news delivered by the mailman.  Letters from soldiers, love letters, holiday cards, postcards giving you a glimpse of a place far away.  I still find joy in sending and receiving postcards.  Thanks to the U.S. Postal Service employees for delivering through difficult weather or taking a risk to fall in the lake so residents can open a envelope of joy.

Lighthouse Lesson #8: Eagle Bluff in Fish Creek, Wisconsin (Door County)

Eagle Bluff Lighthouse in Fish Creek, Wisconsin tells the story of three different keepers and their families that helped protect sailors passing through the Strawberry Channel.  The light helped sailors pass between the Strawberry Islands and Door County Peninsula.

Henry Stanley served as the first keeper, beginning in 1868.  An immigrant from Norway, he had an adventurous spirit, looking for gold in California, sailing the Great Lakes, and then raising two kids with his wife in the lighthouse.  The Fresnel lens at this time shone 16 miles out.

The second keeper story continues since the youngest son helped Door County Historical Society in restoring the lighthouse and donating items for the interior.  William Dulcon served for 35 years and raised seven sons with his wife.  The boys formed a band, making them known in the community.

The third and final keeper, Peter Coughlin, served until the light was automated in 1926.  If you take the $8 tour, you'll learn more about the families.  You need to arrive between 10AM and 3:30PM during the season.  Tours happen every 30 minutes.

The lighthouse has stories of change and survival like others.  The rock wall was built in 1877, barn added in 1893, and oil house in 1890.  Twice the lighthouse went vacant (1906 to 1930).  Then the Fruit Growers Union Cooperative leased the place as an office.  After the Wisconsin State Conservation Commission gained the lighthouse, park employees lived in it.  It went vacant again in the 1950s.  Fortunately, the Door County Historical Society made restorations beginning in 1961.

If you miss the tour, you'll still want to see the grounds and view.  The lighthouse stands on a bluff 76 feet above water.  The cream-colored brick two-story dwelling looks like the Chambers Islands lighthouse, but purposely has a different shaped tower to help sailors differentiate them.  The Eagle Bluff lighthouse tower stands 9 feet and 4 inches.  Since the lighthouse is located within the State Park, you'll need an admission sticker.

 

Lighthouse History Lesson #7: Cana Island Lighthouse

The kids get wet.  The parents have an opportunity to hike and climb a lighthouse.  What a great combination!

If you want this experience, drive up northeast of Bailey's Harbor in Door County, Wisconsin.  Park the car and take a complementary hayride to the island.  Note that while the lighthouse remains open 10AM to 5 PM during the season (May to October), the last tractor hay-wagon leaves the parking lot at 4:15PM and the last tower climb begins at 8:30PM.  You'll see the lighthouse from afar as the tower stands 89 feet tall.  

The peninsula separates Moonlight Bay and North Bay.  We took the hayride to the lighthouse, but the kids begged to walk across the lake on the way back.  So guess who waded in two feet of cold lake water?!?

The triangular island spans across 8.7 acres.  When you arrive at the island, you buy your ticket to climb the tower ($12 adults, $10 kids age 5 to 17 years old).  To climb, you must be at least 5 years old and 42 inches tall.  Take a short hike to the lighthouse and climb the 97 cast iron steps up a spiral staircase.  At the top, step onto the balcony and admire the view.  You'll also notice the

Fresnel lens made in France and once fueled by lard.

 Many years ago, President Andrew Jackson reserved Cana Island in Wisconsin for the light, but only in the last decade can visitors climb the tower.   The lighthouse was built in 1870.  The tower stood as the tallest brick structure in Door County when it was completed.  In 1970, control of the island and lighthouse was given to Door County Maritime Museum.  In 1976, the lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historical Places.  In 2008, visitors were allowed to climb the tower and gain a spectacular view from the lantern room.

If you want to visit Cana Island through a tour, consider attending the Spring Door County Lighthouse Festival (early June) or Fall Door County Lighthouse Festival.  Tickets become available months earlier, so plan ahead.  Here's five tours:

1) Door County Trolley Lighthouse 7.5 hour Tour:  $82 to see 5 lighhouses including Cana Island, lunch included
2) Narrated Naturalist 6.5 hour Tour:  $87 to see 5 lighthouses including Cana Island and lunch
3) Lakeshore Lighthouse 2 hour Cruise:  $52 to see 3 lighthouses including Cana Island
4) Cana Island Kayak 4 hour Expedition:  $80 for kayak and climb Cana tower
5) Bailey's Harbor Kayak 3 hour Expedition:  $80 see 3 lighthouses including Cana

Lighthouse Lesson #5: Sturgeon Bay Canal Lighthouse & North Pierhead Lighthouse

Sturgeon Bay Canal, Photo by Krenda

Walk the breakwall

If you want a quick stop to discuss the history of transportation, stop at the U.S. Coast Guard Station.  Considering my passion for lighthouses, the kids can wonder how much time could get spent at a lighthouse.  You have to consider the tour, walking up the stairs, and taking time for the view.  In this case, you can't wander on the grounds and the government offers no tour (except during annual lighthouse festival).  It's an active Coast Guard station.  You have a quick stop, walking from the parking lot to the north breakwall.  It does give you a nice view of two lighthouses.  The first lighthouse, Sturgeon Bay Canal Lighthouse, has a cylindrical design and stands tall at 78 feet.  Originally painted a reddish brown, it was repainted white in 1900.  The second lighthouse, Ship Canal North Pierhead Lighthouse, originally had white paint and later painted red.  It stands 35 feet above water at the end of the jetty.

Ship Canal North Pierhead

You also have a waterfront view.  The Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal connects Sturgeon Bay with Lake Peninsula. The approximately 7 mile canal provides a shortcut to the southern end of Green Bay.  It allows ships to avoid the dangerous "Death's Door" passage at the northern tip of the Door Peninsula.  At the end of the jetty when you are close to the Pierhead Lighthouse, turn around and take a photos of the Sturgeon Bay Canal Lighthouse too.

The lighthouses evolved over time to solve problems, whether adding a fog horn, better light, electricity, or larger keeper house, the government invested for marine safety.  The Sturgeon Bay Canal Lighthouse had structural issues from the wind vibration, so a steel framework was added.

Gym Class #12: Free or Pay, 5 Free Water Ski Shows

Audience, Photo by Krenda

Waterskiing takes me back to childhood memories growing up in Wisconsin, surrounded by lakes.  My family moved north from the Quad Cities (Iowa/Illinois) to Wisconsin.  I thought we lived quite far north.  However, we would ask neighbors and friends about weekend plans and they would most likely respond "we are going Up North".  It seemed like everyone owned a cabin and boat further north.  I always appreciated invites to a cabin weekend, especially when the family had a boat that could take us water skiing.

Waterskiing has many categories including 1) show skiing, 2) wakeboarding, 3) barefooting, 4) ski racing, 5) hydrofoiling, 6) kneeboarding, 7) slalom, trick, and jump skiing, and 8) adaptive skiing.  My parents took us to the Tommy Bartlett show to see the professional water ski show.  If you have tried skiing, it gives even more appreciation for those who can do tricks.  It felt difficult enough to have the muscle to hold on and stay standing.

I grew up in the right place to appreciate skiing.  The United States has strong show teams.  The USA Water Ski Show Team won the Show Ski World Championships.  Wisconsin earns the title "Show Ski Capital of the World" and holds the largest water ski tournament in the world "Wisconsin State Water Ski Championship."

Some ski shows such as those at Sea World and Cypress Gardens disappeared.  However, the Tommy Bartlett Show still impresses audiences today with it's high energy, high skill shows.  It will cost your family to attend.  Adult tickets cost approximately $21.50 and child tickets cost approximately $12.50.

Good news that you can inspire your kids with a ski show and it might cost you nothing.  We went to the Backwater Gamblers show in Rock Island, IL (Quad Cities) on the Mississippi River.  The National Geographic book 100 Places That Can Change Your Child's Life lists Mississippi River as a must see place and claims waterskiing was invented on the Mississippi River in 1922.  We clapped loudly for the ramp tricks, boat tricks, and impressive human pyramids.  Plus we gave donations and bought concessions.  Here's four other free shows you should consider attending:

1.  Aquanut Water Shows; Lance Park in Twin Lakes, WI (close to IL border), Wed. & Sat. 6PM Memorial to Labor Day
Sponsored by Twin Lakes Marine and Gage Marine; show began in 1973 and now the 2018 National Show Ski Ballet Line Champions, contact them for Learn to Ski opportunities in July and August
2.  Chetek Hydroflites Water Ski Show Team; Chetek, WI (Northwest Wisconsin); Thur. & Sun summer shows
3.  Min-Aqua Bat Water Ski Shows; Minocqua, WI, Sun/Wed./Fri. night in summer
One of the oldest show teams in the U.S., club began in 1950
4.  Waterboard Warriors Water Ski Show; Wrightstown, WI (near Green Bay/Fox Valley); Tue & Thur. Memorial to Labor Day

If your child becomes so enthusiastic that they want to learn to ski, consider a ski school: 1) Bass Cove Ski School (Central Lake MI), 2) Barefoot Brothers Water Ski School (Alva, FL), 3) Collier County Water Ski Center (Naples, FL).

Agriculture Lesson #6: From Turkey to US, Cherry Picking Farms & 7 Festivals

Cherry Picking, Photo by Krenda

One of my favorite memories about spending time on my grandparent's farm was picking cherries with grandpa.  Peering from the farm house lace curtain decorated windows, I could see the cherry trees.  If I saw too many birds, I might jump up and run out to scare them away.  Grandpa's nets worked better, but I could help too.  Fresh, sweet, tart cherries meant cherry pie.  What a treat!

Turkey wins the title of the world's largest cherry producing country.  However, you don't need to travel to Turkey to experience cherry picking.  The United States ranks as the second highest producer with Washington, California, Oregon, Wisconsin, and Michigan as top sweet cherry producing states.  We chose to find a u-pick cherry farm in Wisconsin.  We visited Hyline Orchards in Fish Creek, Wisconsin (Door County).  Nothing too fancy.  You enter the shop, pay for an empty bucket, and begin picking.

Turkey celebrates cherry agriculture with festivals.  The traditional and well known Polonezkoy festival includes concerts and folk dancing in June.  In the US, many festivals also occur in June and your family can celebrate the harvest and try cherry food items.  I'll list a few options, beginning with Traverse City, Michigan because the city calls itself the "Cherry Capital of the World":

1.  National Cherry Festival; Traverse City, Michigan, June/July
Many competitions including turtle race, cherry pie eating contest, diaper derby, cherry pit contest, sand sculpture contest, art competition, and shuffleboard tournament.  Kids may like the cherry teddy bear tea and chalk art.  Everyone will learn at the orchard tour.

2.  Jacksonport Historical Society Annual Cherry Fest; Jacksonport, WI
Kids will enjoy the penny hunt on the beach, face painting, and horse drawn wagon rides.  Indulge your sweet tooth by purchasing cherry kolaches at the bakery booth.

3.  Leona Valley Cherry Parade and Festival; Leona, CA; June
Many choices because over 20 u-pick cherry orchards within driving distance.  Plus enjoy live music, pie eating contest, and crafts.

4.  Whitehouse Cherry Fest; Whitehouse, OH, June
Entertain friends and family at the carnival rides and 5 min. helicopter rides for $35

5.  Emmett Cherry Festival; Emmett, Idaho, June
Active event including fireman hose competition, softball tourney, and run/walk.  Also visit the train show and parade.  Free admission and free contest entry.

6.  Polson Main Street Flathead Cherry Festival; Polson, Montana
Buy from Montana Made Item vendors and listen to the steel drum band.  Traditional events including pit-spitting and pie eating contests.

7.  Paonia Cherry Days Festival; Paonia, CO
Interesting contests including coal shoveling contest and hula contest.  Get moving at the American Legion dance and Zumba event.  Treat yourself at the ice cream social.  Event also includes Church in the Park and Library Book Sale.