Nov 03 2008
My latest entry at Uptake.com is about one of our all-time favorite museums. I’ve written about it here before, but if you want to read a more general review of it, see Uptake Attractions.
Oct 09 2008
Most of us have heard of the “Four Corners,” the only place in the United States where four states come together. Because that location is far, far away from Minnesota, I had to settle for the next best thing, a tri-state marker.
The idea for this little jaunt came from a site called North Star Highways, which pointed out that although three states come together in several places, many of them are under water or in jagged terrain. The intersection of Minnesota, Iowa, and South Dakota, however, is on flat land at the junction of two roads.
And so it was, as we were going to LeMars, Iowa, by way of Pipestone, Minnesota, that the tri-state marker was only a few miles out of our way. I read the map, while hubby did the honor of driving, and we told the kids what we were up to. (They were very excited about it, having watched kids at the Four Corners on the TripFLIX
We found the marker, which is on the northwest corner of the intersection, but decided that it would be best not to have four kids standing in the middle of the road where the actual point is. Instead, I got out to take a few pictures of the monument, and then we swung the mini-van around, making sure to drive over the exact location and shout out that we were indeed in three states at one time.
This is another one of those little adventures that will be memorable even though it cost nothing and no one else was there. If we ever make it to the Four Corners, that will be even more exciting, but for now, having been in three states at once is good enough.
Jan 30 2008
When we were in Sioux Falls for a meeting, my mother-in-law treated the kids and me to a stop at the Sertoma Butterfly House, which she had visited previously. We entered the butterfly area through double doors designed to keep the butterflies from escaping their home. Inside, we could see many different varieties of butterflies, being careful not to step on any that might have stopped on the path. Feeding stations allowed us to watch the butterflies as they ate, and we could see various cocoons with butterflies in different stages of emergence.
Although we didn’t spend a lot of time at the butterfly house, we all enjoyed the stop, and each of us had a favorite butterfly by the time we left.
I really liked looking for butterflies.
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Jan 28 2008
We managed an overnight trip to Sioux Falls with the family when the kids had a long weekend from school, and to our delight, the Kirby Discovery Science Center, although usually closed on Mondays, was open because of the school holiday. I had been there twice before with the kids, but my husband had been in meetings and wondered what I was raving about. We just had to step inside before he figured out why we liked it so much.
I’ve written about the Kirby before, but in the past year they’ve added a new exhibit on the top floor. Fit for Life is not only a great exhibit, but it’s a great way for kids (and adults) to run off energy without getting in trouble. We went back and forth from the running race to the virtual soccer game to the dance contest to the wheelchair race to the climbing wall again and again.
Right outside that area was another exhibit area with a giant piano (remember the movie Big?), a toddler play area, and various artistic stations.
We spent over three hours at the Kirby Center, and we would have stayed longer if snow and darkness weren’t ahead of us for the trip home. This is definitely a gem–it has as much to offer as museums in the Twin Cities but without the big crowds.
I really liked the thing where you had to pull the string and the colored sticks go round and round and twist and I liked all the exercise things that they had there.
There used to be K’nex in one room but now they made a new exercise exhibit so they would get stronger doing more exercises.
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Jan 28 2008
We needed a winter getaway so we found a last-minute room at the Best Western Ramkota in Sioux Falls, where they have a “Splash-tacular” waterpark. We arrived on a Sunday afternoon and had time to swim a while on Monday morning as well.
As far as accommodations go, the Ramkota is an ok place to stay. Although the website would not let me book a room for two adults and four children, I could get a room with two queen beds by calling directly. There was adequate room for a porta-crib and small cot in the room. There is a restaurant on-site, which also means no free continental breakfast, so we packed our own breakfast to eat in our room.
The waterpark was appropriate for young kids like ours, but I’m not sure it would be much fun in another five years. There’s a nice zero-entry pool area with small slides for the preschoolers, and a series of “lily pads” for kids to climb across. In the other pool, there’s a 3-foot area with basketball hoop, and one “big slide” that the boys enjoyed.
The water in both pools was very warm, so we didn’t have to worry about the little ones getting chilled. We had life preservers on our kids, and others had water wings or floating rings. On Sunday afternoon, the pools were pretty crowded, and we were surprised how many kids were in the pools without adults nearby. (There is an attendant at the top of the waterslide, but there are no lifeguards on duty.) Monday morning was quite a bit quieter in the pool area.
While the Ramkota isn’t as big or spectacular as other waterparks, it fit the bill for our young family.
I really liked going to the pool. It was really fun.
I liked the water slide. It was very wet. I liked it when I went under water.
Jan 02 2008
For the past two years, my husband and his dad had a conference to attend in Sioux Falls, so his mom and I tagged along and took the kids on outings while the guys were in their meetings. I almost had my room in Sioux Falls booked when I learned that the conference location has been changed and we won’t get our trip to Sioux Falls this winter. The main reason for my disappointment is that we’ll miss a repeat trip to the Kirby Science Discovery Center.
Although technically a science museum, the Kirby museum is really geared to children. It is located in the Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science in downtown Sioux Falls. With three floors of fun, the kids don’t even know how much they’re learning while they’re there. While having a good time, they learn about colors of light, earthquakes, sound and music, water, hot air balloons, space ships, crops and crop byproducts, and more. They can build a Lincoln-log type house that they can crawl in, play at the water table, or build with more K’nex than they ever dreamed of. There’s a special area for toddlers, and another room that’s for preschoolers. Even the hallways and stairs are fun, turning colors and playing music as you walk through.
Note to food-allergy families: There’s a popcorn stand next to the gift shop, and when we visited in January 2006, they were popping the popcorn in peanut oil.
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Nov 21 2007
A zoo in the winter in the northern states isn’t always a great idea, but the zoo in Sioux Falls has the benefit of having a museum attached, so even if you can’t brave the cold for long, you can learn something indoors. We visited on a quiet January day and had the place nearly to ourselves.
The Delbridge Museum consists of mounted animals in varying habitats; the kids liked going from the tundra to the desert and seeing the different animals that live in the different continents.
Then we headed outside to the zoo, where there weren’t a lot of animals in view due to the weather. We did make the rounds to see a few animals, but most were not on display because of the cold.
The zoo and museum were a nice stop to get the wiggles out of the kids before a long car ride, but it would have been a lot more fun in the summertime when more animals are there to see.
Oct 14 2007
On summer days, weekends, days off school, etc., I like to take my kids on “adventures.” Sometimes they’re close to home, and sometimes they become day trips, weekends, or even a vacation. Sometimes we go to only one place in a day, but often we piggy-back multiple places. Sometimes my husband comes along, but often the kids and I get out and have fun while he’s left behind to work.
People often think I’m crazy to go to museums and other locations with four young children (ages 6.5, 4.5, 3.5, and 1.5) in tow. Choosing the right stroller for the occasion is just part of the fun.
I plan ahead (look at guidebooks and websites), navigate the old-fashioned way (using a map and some good luck), and find a bargain when I can.
To give you an idea of the adventures we take, here’s where we’ve gone in 2007. In the future, I’ll try to catch up on the details of each trip, but for now, here’s the list.
More travel articles, some by me:
