Betty Brinn

Our children's museum tour continues as we finally visited one that we are so close to so often, but had forgotten to make the trip. Downtown Milwaukee on the Lake, there is a wonderful little place, The Betty Brinn Children't Museum. If you are in Milwaukee visiting or close by, it is definitely worth a stop with young kids. My boys loved it, so did Ben and I. So many things to explore and we only played in half of it. We will definitely return.

Veggies to plant
A banging wall, something I would love to make in our back yard.
Good ol assembly line. We worked hard making road signs, packing and shipping.
Plumbing in the bare bones home.
A loom to weave in.
Nice location and view.
Shape matching on a felt board.
And so much more. They had a pizza shop, grocery store, deli, bank, TV studio all linked with phone lines, so we could work the register and order a pizza for delivery- Asher loved this. Good thoughtful, playful exhibits and I love seeing a slightly home made touch that makes me feel that lots of thought went into it.

We will definitely return often.

Doing the Local Thing

Ah the dilemma of all travelers, how do you eat good food on the road? As folks that don’t eat at fast food restaurants, avoid processed foods and meat that wasn’t raised by someone we have met, but still requiring the caloric intake of busy on the go (nursing) folk, we seem to struggle a bit with on the go eating. I long sometimes to just give my kid candy to bribe him to behave in the car, small boxes of breakfast cereal on the go and other easy food, boxed mac and cheese, the conveniences of the road.

The benefits are so much more rewarding though and as we sought out local food for our family, we embraced our ethical eating and living and discovered common friends while we journeyed. A food coop in the oddest of places in our mind, down the road from Bubbie and Poppies home in New London CT provided us with local meats, cheeses and organic produce and beans for our camping trip. A young farming couple was inspiring and like minded.

And oh, some of the food, we ate high on the hog as they would say. It is awesome when the local menu serves up lobster, fish, mussels, clams, crabs and oysters. We typically abstain from seafood in here in the Midwest, and this trip only proved better reason for it, it isn't good. But wow, when the water is clear, the fish is fresh, the seafood is good.

Asher and River were thrilled with the new things on the menu.

Lobsters explored and given thanks to.
and then chomped in to.Mussels as the harbor from the fry shack.Crabs at the shore.And ice cream from as many local ice cream shops that serve the real deal as we could find.And we embraced the local culture- after being typical tourist and getting to much sun at the beach the first day. The Niantic Children's museum was perfect. I have been traveling to a lot of these lately, and don't get me wrong, I love them, i love the creative play my children and I enjoy, but from Bloomington, IL, Iowa City, IA, The Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia, they are all pretty much the same, cookie cutter though localized by local restaurant sponsors (in most cases, please touch was MCDONALDS, maybe another post) and other local sponsors. But this museum, they definitely have talented staff and volunteers that have great pride in their place. A fish market to play with, a boat and a place to rake clams. Not to mention the awesome tree house designed by kids, simple water elements and awesome music making.

Then there was the Carlise day, Ben was off fishing the LeTort Spring Run, we hit up the local coffee shop and found a great park to spend our time at. It made me truly realize that all the fun we need travels with us everywhere we go as a family.

And as far as coming back home, we are glad to be back. It is the place where our family belongs and while we dream of living in other places, our trip only led us back to this place. Ben summed things up well over here.

Island Beach State Park, NJ

Now a week ago, we welcomed summer appropriately with a day outside until the last ray of sun gave it's last glow and the moon took over lighting the world. Island Beach is our favorite location on the Jersey shore and it didn't disappoint.
Water really is an amazing thing, the power of the waves at the ocean really is incomparable to anything else. I didn't mess with a camera on the beach while the playing took place, but our evening walk was amazing. Asher enjoyed swimming in the real ocean (not the long island sound) for the first time, firmly gripping onto his mama, and laid on the beach to feel the waves crash on him with his papa. It was the most perfect sandy day.
The length of day was much appreciated and we tried to enjoy every bit of sunlight. The moon seemed to try and upstage the sun.
There is a reason the jersey shore is so over developed and over populated, it is such an amazing beautiful place. Just sad that a place that people love so much can be destroyed by all of their enjoyment. Island Beach State Park really is a gem of undeveloped shoreline. We saw osprey nesting and hunting in the ocean- pretty spectacular. This was my favorite day, happy kids, relaxed adults, hot sand, cold water and beach combing.

Hickory Run State Park, PA

We are home and I am still filtering through and remembering the fun of vacation. This was our first ever really long summer vacation, we typically travel in May, and the difference a month made was amazing. There is something about taking a long road trip during the summer- I don't know why but it just feels more like vacation. Hickory Run is always on our list and we missed it last year and hadn't had a chance to introduce River to his namesake. It was two years prior while camping that River first came to be and his papa, while fishing, knew that he would have a son named River.
Cool weather, no mosquitoes and this view from our campsite, oh I really love this park. Plus a playground in view for the active 3 yo.We explored the boulder field this year, a pretty remarkable geological feature.

Uncle Zak showed the boys some new jumping techniques.

Mud run's rocks were overturned, salamanders were found along with crayfish, caddis flies and others.
Brothers played.
Water was enjoyed.
Brook Trout were caught, experiences shared.
A dragonfly found, just emerging from the larval state, drying its wings, we got to watch it take its first flight, something pretty magical. You can see the shell below it.
A brook trout unlike any ever caught by Ben, so beautiful, in such a beautiful stream.

Bluff Point State Park, CT

This place was our jewel of a find this year for our Connecticut visit. Just 15 minutes from Bubbie and Poppie's house, you have to kayak or walk a mile to get to the beach and it was full of things to explore.There are so many rocks on this side of the country. I have been obsessed with finding a rock for our yard, we don't necessarily have the space or the ability to haul/lift such rock, but I want my kids to be able to perch on one regularly. While driving around Connecticut I realized how abundant rock outcroppings are, so many awesome yards with endless climbing opportunities. Granted, I can dig a garden bed without having to unearth any stone, and the soil is amazing, but I still need some rock- not little stones a boulder.
We could use a few of these guys too. And maybe a water feature that has clear water that you can see things crawling around on the bottom.

And a sandy beach to examine Egret tracks after they have flown off.and some rocks covered in barnacles.. Oh and tides that go out to reveal paths to island. Luckily, I have these kids where ever I am.

We are still soaking up all the salt water our bodies will let us. One thing that doesn't change as you grow up, vacations are still awesome.

Harkness State Park, CT

River's first trip to the ocean, technically the Long Island Sound, but we are just calling it the ocean. Oh how nice is has been to be close to such large bodies of water and the life that exists there. We are very land locked in the corn dessert and these trips and times really fill a need in our souls.

Combing the beach to find what we will.Enjoying the salt on our lips and the sand on our skin. Asher being a mama sea turtle, laying her eggs.

River wanting to be just like his brother (this phase has hit big time this past week)

Harkness is a park we have visited before and have enjoyed. No swimming is allowed, which suits our boys at this age just fine. Large picnic areas above the sandy area and lots of bouldering on the beach.