Art Lesson #13: Six Giant Troll Statues at Morton Arboretum

 Joe the Guardian, trail up the hill and overlooking the highway

The Six Forgotten Giants in Copenhagen, Denmark, designed by artist Thomas Dambo, is celebrated art in Europe.  Travel is restricted to Europe, but you can find the artist's work in the United States.  The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois is home to Thomas Dambo's first large-scale exhibit in the United States.  Since Thomas is known for using recycled materials and promoting sustainability, it's fitting that an arboretum combines such art with nature.

I've visited the Morton Arboretum before the pandemic.  My friend had a membership and invited me to Passport Europe Festival one September afternoon.  The festival is so big that the event holds multiple stages simultaneously.  You have to choose between dancing and musical performances.  Often lots of audience interaction, joy, and laughter.  My friend certainly giggled when successfully volunteering me to learn Polish dancing in front of an audience.  I was so impressed with the park.  It's much larger than I expected.  I later learned it covers 1,700 acres and has 222,000 live plants combined with scientific research, making it internationally known.

During the pandemic, it's still a great place to visit.  The crowd is limited by timed-entry with non-refundable tickets.  With such wide, open spaces, social distancing feels so easy.  While more expensive than local or state parks ($15 per adult, $10 child ages 2-17), you also contribute to a great cause.  Joy Morton, son of the founder of Arbor Day and founder of Morton Salt Company, created the arboretum after studying botanical gardens in Europe.  The non-profit organization collects and studies plants from around the world.  From your ride through the forest, you can visit the East Loop and West Loop and see distinct outdoor exhibits of Asian, European, and North American Collections.

Tip #1:  Use the App to Help Find the Six Giant Trolls

Without the map, it could be a challenge to find all six trolls, some hidden in the woods after a trail.  Even with the map and signs with arrows, it still feels like a hunt.

Tip #2:  Drive the Troll Hunt

If you don't drive, finding the trolls would take a six to seven mile hike.  From a parking lot, the hike does not feel strenuous.  It takes a two feet to three-quarters of a mile hike from the nearest parking lot.  You'll still get your family moving.  One hike took you up a hill and you could look over both the arboretum and the highway, along with the super tall troll.  Rocky Bardur:  visible from road, easy walk from parking lot #1

Tip #3:  Plan for a Couple Hours

Once we started the hunt, my daughter insisted we find all six sculptures.  Kids enjoy finding the cute trolls and parents admire the details of reclaimed wood with different natural colors, twigs, and pincones combining for character.  Due to the pandemic, trolls are now fenced off.  You can still get great photos of Rocky Bardur, Sneaky Socks Alexa, Joe the Guardian, Furry Ema, Niels Bragger, and Little Arturs.  I've placed Destination Asia Festival my wish list for post-pandemic entertainment in August.  Culture, nature, and art come together at the Morton Arboretum.

Nature: Loving Strong Trees at Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Preserve

Parson Jones Tree

Show your kids the strength of trees and nature by taking them to a redwood forest located in Northern California to Southern Oregon.  Redwoods extend their roots more than 50 feet from the trunk to create strength to withstand powerful winds and floods.  Redwood forests thrive in temperate rainforests, the dense dripping fog environment with moist, well drained soil.  So strong in nature, but weak to humans who logged approximately 95% of the California local redwood forests since the California Gold Rush.  Fortunately parks protect these majestic trees now.

Redwoods exist in other countries, but none like the coast redwood known as the tallest trees in the world.  The dawn redwood grows only in a remote area of central China, but it grows to only about one-third the height of Coast Redwood.  Coast Redwood typically grow 200-250 feet and live 500 to 1,000 years. 

If you visit the Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve just north of Guerneville, CA, you will find examples of older and taller redwoods.  The Parson Jones tree measures as the tallest tree in the grove at 310 feet in height, longer than the length of a football field.  Colonel Armstrong stakes claim to the oldest tree in the grove, estimated to be over 1,400 years old.  Colonel Armstrong tree was named after a lumberman who chose to preserve this portion of the park.

According to WWF (World Wildlife Fund), the United Nations designated Redwood National and State Parks a World Heritage Site in 1980.  From postcards sent to me from around the world thanks to postcrossing.com, people are proud to send UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) site postcards.  Intrigued, I looked up the UNESCO sites.  You can find 1,092 results worldwide, but only 23 sites in the United States.  UNESCO doesn't list all national parks, just select parks like the Great Smoky Mountains National Parks and lesser known places like Monumental Earthworks of Poverty Point in Louisiana.  You may note that Armstrong Redwoods classifies as a reserve.  It changed from a State Park to reserve to recognize it's ecological significance and gain increased protection.

Coast Redwoods are also known as Sequio Sempervirens; sempervirens means "always green".  A non-profit called Sempervirens Fund cares for redwood forests of the Santa Cruz Mountains.  This organization created the Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail, a 31 mile trail.  You can show your support by visiting their website and purchasing a trail patch.

 If you visit the Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve, bring your hiking shoes and water and no worries.  The Colonel Armstrong Loop covers 1.3 miles and as a flat trail, you'll find it easy to cover... even your little girl wearing a dress.  Besides the impressive trees, you'll find peace in the fern covered ground and look above at the beautiful sky.  Go early in the day to avoid the crowds.

TripSavvy recommends other forests in CA including 1) Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, 2) Redwood National Park, 3) Muir Woods National Park, 4) Yosemite National Park, 5) Big Basin Redwoods State Park, 6) Petrified Redwood Forests, and 7) Sequoia National Park.  I hiked Muir Woods with college friends and Yosemite National Park with cousins.  I'd recommend these parks too.

Agriculture Lesson #1: Tulip Time in Holland, MI & 11 More Flower Events

Oh Volksparade, the sound of wooden shoes on pavement

The costumes in a row, the friendly waves and smiles

Oh, how the tulips bloom in never ending rows

The wooden shoe factory still operates

How I want a pair, but don't need one

Why not celebrate what you grow? May you also experience the delightful Holland Michigan with it's Tulip Time Festival in May. Rated as the "Best Small Town Festival" by Reader's Digest"; 2009 marked the 80th Anniversary. 

My family also celebrated flowers by traveling to the Lilac Festival in Mackinac Island, MI.  Here's 11 other flower festivals to attend:

1. North Carolina Azalea Festival
Wilmington, NC, April, circus, garden tour with Southern Belles

2.  Azalea Festival
Muskogee, OK, April, chili cook-off and BBQ contest

3.  Azalea & Spring Flower Trail
Tyler, TX, historic home tours in the Azalea City 

4.  Waimea Cherry Blossom Heritage Festival
Waimea, The Big Island Hawaii, Feb, taiko drumming, Japanese tea ceremony

5.  National Cherry Blossom Festival
Washington D.C., kimono fashion show, sushi

6.  International Cherry Blossom Festival
Macon, CA, March, "IFEA World Festival & Event" city award

7. Lilac Festival
Rochester, NY; 5K family fun run, wine and farmer's market

8.  Daffodil Festival
Tacoma & Puyallup, WA; crowns 24 daffodil princesses, watch the parade

9.  Daffodil Festival
Meriden, CT, bands, boxing, and Little Miss Daffodil

10.  Bluebonnet Festival
Chappell Hill, TX; arts and crafts and southern cooking

11.  Biltmore Festival of Flowers
Asheville, NC, April/May, it's a day trip from the Smoky Mountains, if you are looking for a cabin rental, check out our cabins Lightning Bug Lodge and Indigo Moon Lodge