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.

Animal Lesson #14: Winter the Dolphin at Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Florida

Winter, the dolphin movie star

 If your kids grew up watching Dolphin Tale movie (2011)  about a boy and a dolphin whose tail was lost in a crab trap, they likely have special interest in visiting Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Florida.  The authors wrote the story based upon Winter the bottlenose dolphin and the Clearwater Marine Aquarium acted as the hero in creating a prosthetic so she could swim well.  The movie had such success that producers made a sequel called Dolphin Tale 2 (2014).  This sequel introduces a new dolphin superstar named Hope.  There's two other movie charters that live at the aquarium in real life - 1) Nicholas, a stranded dolphin briefly featured in Dolphin Tale and filmed in Dolphin Tale 2, 2) Rufus, a great white pelican trained for both movies and lives with 3 other great white pelicans.  Winter passed away in Nov. 2021, but you can still visit Hope at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.

We visited during Spring Break and the place had quite the crowd.  My daughter even found a classmate from Illinois!  However, the facility significantly expanded since our trip, so enjoy the space.  There's no doubt that Winter was the star of the show and handlers showed the prosthetic and how well she could swim.  However, the aquarium offered other shows too and the animals showed off impressive stunts.  Kids will learn about conservation too.  The facility hosts many free talks throughout the day including 

Turtle Talk, Otter Talk, Resident Dolphin Talk, 

Stingray Talk, and Shark Talk.  

Turtle photo by Krenda

We listened to most of them and visited all the exhibits which included river otters, turtles, stingrays, sharks, and pelicans.

If you want to extend your experience, the aquarium offers a stingray feeding experience in which you can feed fish to stingray for $10 extra fee.  You can also purchase a 60-minute dolphin and wildlife tour boat ride, $20 for child or adult, which travels around a bird sanctuary island while the crew discusses local wildlife.

Aquarium entrance fee cost nearly $40 for adults and $30 for kids, but the fee supports a good cause.  The aquarium is run by a non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of sick and injured marine animals.  Marine animals not fit to release remain at the aquarium.  Hats off to the aquarium employees, real heroes of the marine world.

Clearwater Marin Aquarium lists as a dolphinarium in wikipedia.  I didn't realize the special term for an aquarium for dolphins at marine parks, zoos, or theme parks.  I realized we have visited many other dolphinariums including Sea World, Georgia Aquarium, Indianapolis Zoo, Brookfield Zoo, Shedd Aquarium, and Texas State Aquarium.  See also my blog article about a dolphin encounter in Honduras.  Our family just can't get enough of these smart creatures.

 

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.

Geography Lesson #4: Stingray Encounter in Cozumel, Mexico

I've always found stingrays fascinating.  If an aquarium has a stingray exhibit, I know I'll spend extra time just watching their graceful movement.  Often the aquariums will make the stingray section a hands-on exhibit and you can feel their softness.  

Stingrays at Singray Beach, photo by Krenda

Stingrays have existed since the Jurassic period 150 million years ago.  They belong to the cartilaginous fish family like sharks because they have cartilage skeletons rather than bones.  Also similar to sharks, they have Lorenzeni sensors to pick up electrical signals from their prey.  Stingray prey include bivalves, worms, and crustaceans.  The stingray defend themselves with camouflage light colored bellies that reflect the ocean floor, barbs at the base of their tail, and venom.  Stingrays classify as dangerous sea creatures and thousands of injuries occur each year, so pay attention to the safety talks of the experts.  We learned that you should shuffle your feet in the sand, so you don't accidently step on a resting stingray.  Stingrays are bottom dwelling sea animals, bury themselves in sand, and like the shallow warm water.

We took a Spring Break cruise and I felt excitement about the Stingray Beach excursion which allows you to feed stingray in the ocean. In researching the facility, they take care of their animal health, especially watching for healthy babies or 'pups' each year.  The Ray Encounter excursion includes 30 minutes for an educational orientation and feeding.  The employees break the group into smaller groups and you enter a shallow area.  Tourists take turn feeding stingrays, feeling their mouth suck up food.  Kids may even giggle or squeal to feel the stingrays.  One of the stingrays even gave me a kiss.  After the feeding, the excursion includes 30 minutes for snorkeling in the deeper portion of the fenced ocean section.  After the guided snorkeling, the instructor let us stay longer in this section.  At up to 18 feet deep, we enjoyed both observing stingrays and fish.  The kids also liked the inflatable trampoline and the resident iguana.

In the wild, I don't think you'd likely see so many stingray gathered.  Stingray tend to have solitary behavior and then they gather for breeding and migration.  Their dark brown or gray flattened topside and sand burying behavior could make them undetected if not looking carefully.  Plus they are nocturnal.  Many other cruise ports offer stingray experiences including Antigua, Balmoral Islands Bahamas, Discover Cove Jamaica, Shark Alley in Belize, and the most visited stingray city in Cayman Islands.

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.

State Park #8: Wekiwa Spring State Park & 10 Other Florida Natural Springs

Florida has more to offer than just theme parks.  While the theme parks create a lot of excitement, your family may want a break from the crowds and high costs.  Save a day from your vacation for some natural entertainment.  You don't need to drive far from Orlando.  Only 20 miles from Orlando, Wekiwa Springs State Park has an amazing emerald green spring fed freshwater pool for old time fun.

Patricia Schultz's book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die features Wekiwa Springs State Park as part of Florida's Natural Springs, "In Apopka, 7,800 Wekiwa Springs State Park is located at the headwaters of the Wekiva River, only 20 minutes northwest Orlando, but 1,000 miles away in spirit.  The Wekiwa spring ("bubbling water" in Creek) offers swimming and snorkeling, while the river it feeds is popular for canoeing and kayaking below a lush canopy of trees."

No matter the time of year, you'll cool down at the freshwater pool.  The spring expels approximately 43 million gallons of water per day.  The water temperature measures at approximately 72 degrees year-round.  Despite the popularity, you'll find plenty of room to swim.  The pool has over a half-acre area for swimming.

You'll also find space around the pool for your family to relax.  If you plan ahead, bring a picnic.  Otherwise, the park has a concession stand open 9AM-5PM.

I could only relax for so long, so I took up hiking.  Considered the most diverse parks in Florida, I easily saw many types of trees and animals.  The park has 25 miles of trails.  I took a boardwalk trail which led me to their canoe rental station.  

You can rent canoes, kayaks, or SUPs for a reasonable cost (respectively $35, $35-40, $40, per two hours).  The short trip to Wekiva Island takes 1.5 hours round-trip.  However, the island has a bar (Tooting Otter) and other amusements such as volleyball, so factor that into your time.  Wekiva River is 16 miles.  You can take longer trips such as the Otter camp and back.  The National Wild and Scenic River System created by Congress in 1968 and signed into law by Lyndon Johnson protects these rivers.  Wekiva River is one of only two Florida rivers Federally designated 'Wild and Scenic Rivers'.  Enjoy the beauty!

I've heard some campers choose to drive outside Wekiwa Springs State Park and begin their canoe trip from Weikiva Island to the State Park.  This begins the trip paddling with the current.  Weikiva Island is privately owned and charges $2/person entry fee.  Their watercraft rents by the day and varies (canoes $50, kayak $45-55, and paddlebaord $55).  If you time it right, you could paddle during the day and listen to live music at a Friday or Saturday night at Tooting Otter.

A few tips:

- The pool does not have a lifeguard.  It also has signs to watch for alligators.  There's been no recorded attacks - yet.

- You should not swim in the river.  It's known for alligator sightings.  Otters are also active in the morning.  I'd rather see the otters.

- You should arrive early.  It opens at 8AM.  Given the proximity to Orlando and low cost ($6/vehicle), you could encounter long lines just to enter the park.  Plus, if you want to camp, the policy is first come, first serve.

- You can rent a locker near the pool.

I'm mesmerized by the crystal clear water and I've been to other springs in Florida including Homosassa Springs, Weeki Wachee SpringsPark, and Crystal River.  Here's 10 places to visit Florida springs other than Wekiwa Spring State Park:

1.  Wakulla Spring State Park

2.  Juniper Springs Silver Springs

3.  Rainbow Spring State Park 

4.  Madison Blue Springs State Park

5.  Ichetucknee Springs & River State Park (Fort White, FL)

6.  Ginnie Springs High Springs

7.  Fanning Springs

8.  Devil's Den Willison

9.  Blue Springs (Gilchrist) High Springs

10.  Blue Spring State Park (north of Orlando)

NPS #11: Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site in St. Louis, Missouri

Ulysses S. Grant Home

When you think of National Park Service (NPS) operated sites within or near St. Louis, you likely think of The Gateway Arch.  Build in extra time for another site near the city - the Ulysses S Grant National Historic Site, also operated by NPS.  Ulysses S. Grant was known as a victorious Civil War general who saved the Union and the 18th President of the United States, serving two terms.  Grant's military career helped him find his love on a plantation called the White Haven.  Grant's former West Point roommate, Frederick T. Dent, invited him to the 850 acre plantation.  It's where Grant met Fred's sister Julia.

Taking the tour

After serving in the Mexican-American War, Grant returned to marry Julia.  You can step onto the porch where he proposed.  Grant lived with his wife Julia and their four children, Julia's parents and siblings, and enslaved African Americans who lived in separate cabins in the 1850s.  They also worked on the farm, growing fruits and vegetables.  The home has been many shades from beige to gray to green to white and returned to green, the color chosen by the Grant family.  Green was a popular color during the Victorian Era.

Photo by Krenda

President Abraham Lincoln appointed Grant as Commanding General of the U.S. Army.  After the Civil War, the Grants began purchasing the property and had a dream of making it a horse-breeding operation.  Julia was an equestrian, enjoyed nature, and had fond memories of the home.  

Time your visit right for a guided tour (offered every 30 minutes or hour), the only way to enter the home.  Budget approximately 45 minutes for the tour.  After the official tour, you can also see the other remaining structures which include the ice house, chicken house, summer kitchen, and horse stable.  It's the horse stable where you will find the park museum with multiple exhibits.  Before or after the tour, consider learning more through a 22-minute orientation film.

Years prior we had also learned about Grant by visiting Grant's birthplace in Point Pleasant, Ohio (located Southeast of Cincinnati).  It's operated locally and admission is only $3.  The house was donated to the State of Ohio and the state invested over a million dollars to restore the house in 2013.  Nearby, you will also see his schoolhouse.  In his later years, Grant lived in New York.  Grant Cottage in Mt. McGregor, New York is a national historic landmark and you can tour for $9.

 

NPS #10: De Soto National Memorial and Florida History

History and nature come together at the Hernando De Soto National Memorial in Brandenton, FL.  Don't confuse this site with the Fort De Soto Park in St. Petersburg, Florida.  The National Park Service (NPS) operates this memorial.  The government authorized the memorial in 1948 to keep the story of Spanish conquistador and exploration.  

When we travel to new regions, we like to talk about the unique plants to the area.  Just getting out of the car, you will see a Gumbo Limbo tree, native to Southern Floridan and the Caribbean.  When you go into the visitors center, you can dress up in armor and watch a short film about the Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto.  You'll appreciate the no cost entrance.

He began exploring at an early age of 14, taking a trip from Spain to Panama.  He served Balboa and partnered with Hernan Ponce de Leon.  De Soto traveled from Spain to Cuba to Florida with nine ships and 600 soldiers.  As one of the earliest European explorers of North America, his expedition landed on Florida's west coast in 1539.

Fortunate timing allowed us to visit Camp Uzita, the living history camp operating December to April.  Men in period costumes provided in-depth demonstrations, taking us through time while demonstrating different weapons.

After hearing the history, we took the half-mile trail on the south shore of the Manatee River.  NPS places history stories along the trail.  You might also see animals such as birds, fiddler crabs, pelicans and gulls, egrets, and herons.  Beyond the mangroves, you will see the water.  The park includes a small beach called Cove Beach.  We had good timing.  During the week, we walked along the shore as the only family exploring.  Another great time to visit is during one of their fishing clinics (age 7 and up) or a 1.5 hour ranger led kayak tour. Visit the NPS website for event information and keep exploring.

Literature Lesson: Hemingway in Key West, Florida

Docked at the furthest of the Florida Key Islands, we finally made it to Key West.  Key West has a reputation for attracting artists, including the famous American novelist and journalist Ernest Hemingway.  I traveled to Florida many times, but never that far south.  We took the Key West Conch Train for the transportation purpose of getting to the Hemingway House.  We visited during the summer and the sweltering heat surrounded us.  Bring water, sunglasses, and cash – the museum entrance only takes cash.  It takes patience while the train fills up and starts moving.

Patricia Schultz’s book 1,000 Places To See Before You Die recognizes Hemingway’s Home & Museum as a key attraction, “Visitors interested in the real deal can tour the house and studio where Hemingway completed A Farewell to Arms and For Whom the Bell Tolls.  Many of his possessions are on display, presided over by some 60 polydactyl (many-toed) cats, about the same number that Hemingway kept on the property between 1931 and 1939.”

We found the Hemingway Cats immediately.  They roam the grounds and don’t seem bothered by the many tourists, even people like me taking photos of their toes.  We also found the cats in the house, seemingly posing on a bed. 

The tour guide keeps the tour family-friendly, but our guide definitely told some jokes aimed at the adult visitor group.  You’ll learn about Hemingway’s wife Pauline who also lived at the house and you’ll hear about other women too.  The guide did a great job explaining the history and how it connected to the items in each room.  Typewriters and photographs made you think of both his career and his adventures.  After touring inside the house, we saw the famous expensive in-ground pool.  Look for the penny embedded in the cement.

The visit inspired me to learn more about Hemingway’s life.  I like Ken Burn’s documentaries, so I looked forward to the release of “Hemingway” show in 2021.  The six-hour series gave more depth and interesting stories.

If you want to learn about Hemingway’s earlier life, visit his birthplace in Oak Park, Illinois.

Hemingway’s Home & Museum in Key West tickets cost approximately $17 for adults and $7 for kids.  Tours offered everyday and last approximately 30 minutes. 

Hemingway’s Birthplace tickets cost approximately $20 for adults and $18 for youth.  Tours last approximately 50 minutes.

 

Transportation Lesson #5: Drive-It Yourself Carriage Tour (Mackinac Island, Michigan)

Selfie View, Photo by Krenda

If you enjoy horses, Mackinac Island feels like a dream location.  You step back in time, including transportation.  No cars allowed.  Everyone walks, bikes, or gets transportation via horse.  In the winter, residents can use snowmobiles.  However, as a tourist, you will likely visit in the Spring, Summer, or Fall, and enjoy the clip-clop sound in surround sound.

Back View

In planning our third trip to Mackinac Island, I wanted to find a unique experience.  Most people likely take the Mackinac Island Carriage Tours sightseeing tour that covers a lot of ground (Surrey Hills Museum, Arch Rock, Fort Mackinac, and Grand Hotel) in approximately 2 hours and $34 fee per person.  You might take a horse taxi to your hotel.  I wondered whether we could ride a horse or drive a carriage.  You can do both on Mackinac Island.

Side View - Driver

Four generations of the Gough family have operated such service.  It began with Taylor Gough who rented drive-yourself horse and buggies.  In 1953, Taylor's sons Jack and Burton established Jack's Livery Stable.  The family expanded the business to include Cindy's Riding Stable too.  Both Jack's and Cindy's rent horses ($50 per hour) for passengers up to 250 pounds.  Jack's rents carriages ($80/hour 2 passengers, $100/hour 4 passengers, and $120/hour for 6 passengers.  You'll figure out the time you need by looking at the maps with estimated timing.  We chose a path to go through woods and past the Grand Hotel.

Island Traffic

You don't need experience to drive the carriage.  They give you instructions.  Here's your opportunity to use the terms "Giddy up" and "Whoa".  You do need one designated driver.  Also, you should think about the age of your passengers.  One of the rules states "parents are asked to hold on to their small children to keep them from falling out of the buggy."  With teenagers, we didn't need to worry.

Reservations taken one day in advance.  You can also see whether available on the same day.  If you don't want to drive the carriage, but you want a private tour, both Mackinac Island Carriage Tours and Gough Carriages offer for $160/hour for up to 4 guests.

If we had more time, horse riding lessons or carriage driving lessons would also provide a memorable learning experience.  Check out the Mackinac Horsemen's Association lessons, including intro to riding (2 hours $110), private lessons ($55/hour), and semi-private 2 person ($45/hour each).  I learned about their programs through the tv show Best of America by Horseback.  They had a special two part episode featuring Mackinac Island.  Giddy up to Mackinac Island and appreciate the horses.

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.

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