Mill City Museum

• 704 South Second Street
  Minneapolis, MN 55401
• 612-341-7555
• www.millcitymuseum.org
• $10 adults, $8 seniors and college students, $5 children ages 6-17. Free for children age 5 and under and MHS members.
• Cafe on site.
• Restrooms available.
• Stroller accessible (except for Flour Tower ride).

After our visit to the American Swedish Institute, we had a couple of hours before supper time, but not enough time to go across to town to the Children’s Museum as the kids requested.  Mill City Museum, however, was only a few minutes away.  Since we have a membership to the Minnesota Historical Society, the stop cost us only $1.50 for the parking meter.  One of our children protested the stop until we reminded him of the water area.  After that, he was the first one unbuckled and out of the car.

We’ve been to Mill City before.  It’s an interesting place for adults, but there’s plenty of hands-on activities for the kids as well.  We didn’t go on the Flour Tower segment this time, but we did get to taste some cookies in the baking lab.

We stayed almost until closing time, and the kids had fun all the while. 

The American Swedish Institute

• 2600 Park Ave. S, Minneapolis, MN
• 612-871-4907
• www.americanswedishinst.org
• $6 for adults, $5 ages 62 and above, $4 ages 6-18.  Children under six are admitted free when accompanied by an adult.
• Restrooms with changing tables available.

I wasn’t sure the kids would be excited about a trip to the American Swedish Institute, but when I billed it as a castle (as the Museum Adventure Pass page described it), they were excited to go.

We arrived on a Sunday afternoon and the volunteer at the desk mentioned that they had a kids’ guide in the gift shop. $2 later, we were on our way with little “Tomte” to explore the mansion. The guide was very well written, taking us turn by turn through the estate, and telling us what to look for in the rooms. The kids love scavenger hunts, so this was right up their alley. At the end of the tour, there was an alcove where kids could write letters to Tomte and try to catch a glimpse of him outside. The guidebook also has plenty of activities for the kids to do at home.

In the basement, there is a small hands-on children’s area, but the rest of the place is look-don’t-touch. There is a small elevator, but the place is not particularly stroller-friendly so we left ours in the car.

There was a free concert with refreshments in the lower level, which the older kids enjoyed. The gift shop has a variety of items, including Swedish treats to eat. (I’m saving my chocolate bar for a rainy day.)

No photography is allowed in the mansion, so I don’t have pictures to show you of the intricate woodwork and other pieces that are found throughout the house.

Without the children’s guidebook, this would not have been a great stop with children, but Tomte’s tour made it interesting for them and educational as well.

Gale Woods Farm

• 7210 CR-110 W · Minnetrista, MN · 55364
• 763/694-2001
• www.galewoodsfarm.com
• Fees vary for different programs.
• Restrooms with changing tables available.
• Concessions available at certain times.

A listing on GoCityKids for “Spring into Farming” caught my attention, so the kids and I headed up to Minnetrista to check it out last Saturday.  What a great place to visit!  It reminded me of a modern-day version of the Oliver Kelley Farm.

Staff were on hand to greet us and explain the various things we could see and do after paying our admission.  First we headed into the craft room, where we each got to make a creation out of raw, but washed wool.  After that, we looked at the information in the hallway to help with the completion of our scavenger hunts, and then went to the kitchen area for a taste of French Toast, prepared with eggs, butter, and maple syrup made at the farm. 

Outdoors, there were pedal tractors and a beanbag toss for the kids to play with.  We went into the greenhouse, where the kids declined making their own salads from the lettuce that was growing, but eagerly planted some seeds.  From there, we caught the tractor-pulled wagon ride so that we could see more of the farm. 

After our ride was complete, we went into the barn area, where the boys were happy to hold baby chicks and the girls were brave enough to pet the little lambs.  We went out to the pasture to fly kites and looked at the calf on the way in.

All through the farm, there were volunteers and staff to guide us along.  Some were children, and others adults, but all made us feel welcome and did an excellent job of explaining their stations and inviting us to participate.

Throughout the farm, handwashing stations and hand sanitizer were available.  The restrooms were nice and included a changing station. 

As we collected our scavenger hunt prizes, I inquired about field trips and learned that they have an extensive program set up for various ages of children.

What a fun way to spend a morning!  Even though we live on a farm, the kids are always interested to learn more and see different things.  This was definitely a family-friendly stop.

Our local library has always been one of our favorite adventure stops. From story time to the summer reading program to finding fun new books and videos to check out, there’s always something interesting to do at the library.

We don’t limit our library visits to just our own library, however. If we have extra time in another town, we love to stop in and see the library.

Last weekend, we had some extra time in Mankato, so we stopped in at their downtown library. What a fun place for kids! They have computers for tiny kids, little kids, and big kids; lots of puzzles for toddlers to do; and stuffed animals and other quiet toys. After a while, I was able to pull the boys away from the computers to look for some books. My first-grader found some new chapter book series to try, and my 5-year-old loved the selection of kids’ nonfiction books.

The great thing about our library system is that we can check out books at any of the Traverse des Sioux member libraries with our home library card, and return them at our home library. This makes the out-of-town library trips even more fun because we can actually check out some of the interesting things we see on the shelves.

If you’re looking for a nice adventure that won’t cost a thing, check out a library!

Last Saturday, the ECFE program in Sleepy Eye sponsored a “Junior Olympics” program for children age 0 through 2nd grade. My friend and I loaded up our kids and took off to explore, and had a great time.

The event was very well organized. After we had signed in, they took digital photos of each of the kids for a project they could do later. Then we headed to the gym and took off our shoes to explore the run-and-jump activities. There were activities for all ages, starting with a small slide and ball pit for the youngest kids. My toddler loved the miniature hurdles and the “ice skating” (sliding on carpet with wax-paper “skates”). The boys had a great time with the tricyle course and hockey area, and my four-year-old liked walking on the balance beam.

We went into the cafeteria for a well-organized, healthy snack (crackers, pretzels, and cheese pre-portioned in coffee filters, bananas, and water bottles) and then started on the craft activities. The older kids made Olympic torches, name tags with their pictures, and even their own Olympic medals, while there were toys for the younger children to play with.

I hadn’t seen such big smiles on my kids’ faces for quite a while. They were each able to find something they enjoyed and work at their own pace. The morning flew by, and the kids were disappointed when it was closing time and we had to go.

Best of all, the event was free. It was very well planned and a lot of fun for all the little Olympians.

We’re fortunate to have ECFE (Early Childhood Family Education) programs here in Minnesota, and they always come up with some clever–and fun–activities for kids.

On Saturday, I had plans to take my four kids to a “Junior Olympics” event in a nearby town.  I mentioned the event to a friend, and she was interested in going with her two daughters, so I offered to swing by and pick them up and we’d make a day of it.

Since I’m a Child Passenger Safety Technician, you can bet that any children riding in my vehicle will be appropriately secured in carseats.  I did a little rearranging of our collection of carseats, and here’s what I was able to do in the 8-passenger Sienna.

Middle row:  (The middle row in a Sienna will allow practically any combination of seats, including two Husky/Regents and a Marathon, but this was Saturday’s setup.)

• 5-year-old, forward facing in Britax Marathon
• 2-year-old, rear facing in Britax Marathon
• 7-year-old, in high-back booster (we removed the booster at each stop to enable third-row access)

Third row:  (This is the fun one, because in 48″-width minivan 3rd rows, it is possible to do 3-across only with the narrowest of seats.  The Sienna has 52″ and two sets of LATCH anchors, which makes more scenarios possible.)

• Almost-3-year-old, forward facing in a Cosco Touriva (installed with seatbelt in the non-LATCH position)
• 4-year-old, forward facing in a Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe (installed with LATCH)
• 5-year-old, forward facing in a Britax Husky (installed with Long Belt Path)

The third row seats were a tight fit, but all had good independent installs.

If you’re not a carseat nut like me, this may not mean a lot to you, but I think it’s great that I can fit six carseats in a vehicle that gets 24 miles to the gallon. 

The day was a lot more fun when shared with friends!

The good thing about snow in April in Minnesota (if there’s anything good to be found) is that it doesn’t last long.  By Thursday, Monday’s white blanket seemed a distant memory.  The sun was shining and the temperature was over 50 degrees.

One son had gone on a half-day errand with my husband, so after school the other three and I hit the road on an information-gathering/shopping mission.  After our errands were completed, we drove through Redwood Falls’ Alexander Ramsey Park.  We did a drive-by of the small zoo (with the windows open) and then noticed children playing at the playground.  What a sight to see!  Not only was the snow gone, but it wasn’t muddy there either.  I let the kids out — without jackets (gasp!) — to run and play for a while.  This didn’t last too long, because 2-year-olds don’t like to stay on the little-kids end of playground equipment for long, so we headed for supper when trouble started.  It was fun while it lasted.

Since it was the warmest day in about six months, it seemed appropriate to head to the Dairy Queen.  Our real impetus was the fact that our allergic-to-peanuts child was with Dad, so we were safe to step inside, past the allergy warning posted on the door.  We treated ourselves to supper and an ice cream treat, just like it was a hot summer day.

I’m not sure I believe it entirely, but spring may actually be on its way.

April Fool’s Barn

Originally uploaded by minnemom

We haven’t been anywhere fun in a long time. There are a number of reasons for this, and most have to do with the weather. We’re accustomed to long winters here in Minnesota, but for some reason, this year has been particularly trying. After our Good Friday snow, I thought it was safe to finally wash the kids’ snowpants and put them away. I was wrong. On Monday morning, it started snowing again, and this is what we woke up to on April 1.

I am really looking forward to spring. Having room in the trunk again after removing the winter survival gear. Getting the kids buckled into their carseats without the concern of winter coats. Places that were closed for the winter opening up again. Being able to go to parks and other outdoor areas. Outings in the warmer months are just a lot more fun and easier on the mom, it seems.

Some people who’ve read about our adventures have sent me additional suggestions, and I’m eager to get out and see some new places.

If it ever stops snowing, that is.

We’ve thought about getting passports for the family for a while, 1) just in case we ever decide to go out of the country again (Canada’s not that far away), and 2) to establish an identification piece for the kids.  The cost had always stopped us.  The new Passport Cards, however, are not as expensive and allow land or sea travel to Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.  (The office reminded us that we wouldn’t be able to fly outside the country with the passport cards.  We assured them that we were not planning to fly with four young children anytime soon, especially out of the USA.)  We decided to take the plunge and packed up everyone to head to the County Recorder’s office to get our passports. 

I had used the Passport Application Wizard to fill out the paperwork online and had it printed and ready to take with us, along with the necessary documentation and enough blank checks to pay for the six passports.  Having the paperwork done saved us a lot of time, so while I went over everything with the clerk, my husband and the kids had their pictures taken.  In all, the process only took 30-45 minutes, which is a manageable amount of time with the kids in tow.

It also gave the kids a chance to see the rotunda of our historic county courthouse, and to see some old maps and documents that gave the history of our farmsite. 

While our adventures will still primarily be close to home, it’s kind of exciting to know that our passports are on their way.

Because our summer schedule is shaping up to be quite hectic, and it’s hard for my husband to get away in the summer as it is, we seriously considered taking our “summer” vacation during the kids’ 6-day Easter break.  I had put quite a bit of time and planning into it, even making motel reservations, before we decided against the trip.

Here’s what it would have looked like:

Six-day trip to Saint Louis

• 10-11 hour drive to St. Louis, one day there, one day back
• Five-night stay at Comfort Inn and Suites, St. Charles, MO (20-30 minutes from downtown St. Louis, but we had a suite for the six of us booked for under $100 a night and it had very good Tripadvisor reviews)
• Gateway Arch (probably the only thing for which we would have paid significant admission)
• St. Louis Zoo
• St. Louis Science Center
• Union Station
• The Magic House, St. Louis Children’s Museum
• Art Museum
• Missouri History Museum
• Transportation Museum

Do you think that would have kept us busy for four days?  Many of the attractions were open on Easter Sunday, which might have been a nice, quiet time to visit while others spent the day with their families.

When it came down to it, we decided against the trip for the following reasons:

• Work.  My husband says he has to do some once in a while, and going into the busy season, this wasn’t a good time to get away.
• Family.  We would have missed being away from our own extended families for Easter.
• Money.  Even though we had money budgeted for a vacation this year, and our trip would have been relatively inexpensive, it was still a substantial cost.
• Family sanity.  Our kids really travel well in the car for the most part, but those would have been two very long driving days for both us and the kids.

Maybe we’ll be able to sneak away unexpectedly this summer, or maybe we’ll save our summer vacation for sometime next winter.  Still, it was fun to make some plans, see if I could find a hotel room, and meet our vacation budget even if we ultimately didn’t get to go.

When I have a free day with the kids, I usually want to go somewhere.  But where to go?  Sure, some of the places are well-known and popular, but when I want to go somewhere different, I have an arsenal of sources to give me ideas.

I have seven or eight local interest/travel books that live in the car (until my husband cleans a little too well, at least).  Books like “Oddball Minnesota,” “Minnesota Museums,” and ”Off the Beaten Path” are great to keep in the car so I can plan a great adventure while we’re on the way.  Going to the Kelley Farm in Elk River?  I check the books to see if there’s anything else interesting nearby.

Our local paper has a weekend calendar that it publishes each Friday.  Plays, concerts, community festivals, and more are included in the calendar.  It’s a nice way to find things to do that are close to home.  Likewise, there are segments on news stations like “Finding Minnesota” and “Trip on a Tankful” that point out interesting destinations.

I have memberships to the Minnesota Children’s Museum and the Minnesota Historical Society, and their membership mailings include special events.  I mark any that look interesting on my calendar, just in case we’re free to take advantage of them.

Online, I check out a few websites regularly.  The Museum Adventure Pass website has led me to some new places, with the advantage of free admissions from the library.  Playtime Plan-It has ideas for outings and more in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Area.  My favorite is GoCityKids, where I can enter a date on their events calendar and have a list of family-friendly happenings, complete with age recommendations, that range from storytimes to museum exhibits to theater productions.  I use the Minneapolis/St. Paul GoCityKids site, but it’s also available for several other metropolitan areas. 

Generic searches, such as “free museums Minnesota” have turned up some gems.

If we’re traveling farther from home, I try to plan ahead enough to request a visitor’s information packet from the local convention and visitor’s bureau, which can take 3-6 weeks to arrive.  I visit as many websites as I can before we go, and take printouts from locations on our “might-do” list.  I browse brochure racks at museums and hotels.  If possible, I take a laptop computer so I can get additional information at our destination.

My latest tool is a portable GPS unit for the car.  It’s been helpful in navigating to new places, especially when I’m without a human navigator in the vehicle, and it also includes phone numbers for many points of interest so I can call to check on hours, admission rates, etc.

Do you have any ideas for finding places to visit with your kids?  Please leave a comment!

The Edge: Edgewater Resort and Waterpark

• 2400 London Rd, Duluth, MN
• 800-777-7925
• www.duluthwaterpark.com

Our trip to The Edge was our first waterpark experience with the kids.  We booked a nice-sized room for the six of us, and it included our waterpark admission.   

The lobby is not huge, but it does have a nice window overlooking the waterpark to keep the kids occupied during check-in. Our room was huge.  A waterpark view “suite,” it had two queen beds, a pull-out sofa, a table with four chairs, large dorm fridge, and microwave.  Our room overlooked the waterpark; in fact, all of the pictures below were taken from our room.  I have heard that not all of the rooms are as nice as ours was; we were in the newer section, I believe, and the room was very nice.

Parking is not ideal–the lot was usually full and many cars parked on the street. 

Board games are available for free check-out from the front desk, which is a nice touch for families.  They also had daily coloring contests and weekend craft activities for kids.

The breakfast area is a large room with double lines, lots of tables, and plenty of high chairs. The usual cereal/pastry/fruit fare was available; nothing fancy but not a disappointment. The cereals were kid-friendly.

Lifeguards are on duty in the waterpark, and life preservers are available for check-out.  There are several different pools, a zero-entry splash/small slide area, and the big slide which empties into the lazy river. I took a ride on the lazy river in a tube with the 1-year-old, who enjoyed it except for the three spots where you can’t avoid the “rainfall” from above. This river is really lazy–we stalled out a few times and had to paddle our way along at times. Stairs at various points make entry and exit easy.

No outside food or drinks are allowed in the pool area, but they have pizza and short-order items available for purchase.  Towel carts are located throughout the waterpark, and there are locker rooms with showers as well.

Although there was a lot of pool noise when the waterpark was open, our room was quiet when the waterpark was closed. The beds were comfortable, and the pillows were good.

There is also an outdoor pool, play area, and basketball court that are open in the summer.

Bill & Bonnie Daniels Firefighters Hall and Museum

• 664 22nd Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN
• 612-623-3817
• www.firehallmuseum.org
• $6 adults, $5 seniors, $3 ages 3-12, 2 and under free
• Free parking
• Participates in Museum Adventure Pass program
• Stroller accessible
• Restrooms available; no changing tables

I had noticed the Firefighters Museum as part of the Museum Adventure Pass “Sirens, Whistles, and Signals” adventure, but since it’s only open on Saturdays, we hadn’t fit it into our schedule yet. We finally got a free Saturday and headed to Minneapolis. We were greeted by a man who showed us where the restrooms and coat racks were located, and then talked to the kids about the museum. He explained that although much of the museum is hands-off, there are several activities that the children can do. Then he brought them each their own fire hat (complete with elastic band to keep it from falling off).

There is one fire truck that kids can climb on and pretend to drive, complete with lights and sirens. There is a fire safety video they can watch. They can work an old hand pump that actually pumps water. There are two stations set up with TV’s so they can pretend to drive the back end of a hook-and-ladder truck. They can dress up in gear, pull the fire alarm, and slide down a fire pole. And if they get bored with all of that, there are two train tables set up so they can play. In the summer, fire truck rides are offered as well. There’s also a birthday party room that can be rented for $25.

The fire pole was definitely the favorite of our troop. They went on it over and over and over and over again. In between, they drove the trucks, pumped the water, and pulled the alarm. The kids’ activities were centrally located so that adult could keep an eye on them all if necessary.

This was a fun museum, and perhaps one that’s not widely known. My girls were just as interested in things as they boys were.

Just save time for one last slide down the fire pole at the end of your visit.

I really liked the bell that they had.

My favorite thing was going down the pole.

I liked ringing the bell. I liked the whole place. It was cool. The bell had a typewriter which had patterns of the bells ringing which are triangles and the patterns that they go on there were some different things and that pattern gets to go to a place in Minneapolis or St. Paul. (5-year-old’s description of the fire alarm telegraph system)

I had to run some errands in New Ulm on a Saturday.  Normally I try to avoid shopping on Saturdays, especially with the kids in tow, but when we’re out of milk, a trip to the store is necessary.  And if I’m taking the kids to a store, I’m most certainly going to do something else with them along the way.

We started out in downtown New Ulm by ducking into Bookshelves and Coffeecups, at 123 N Minnesota, and swapping out some old books for some that were new-to-us.  This is something I like to do on occasions when I’m in New Ulm.  There’s a great selection of used books in the store, and once in a while I treat myself to a Chai Latte while we’re there. 

From the bookstore, we walked two blocks to Subway, on the corner of Center and Minnesota, for lunch.  The walk took a little longer than expected because the stroller was missing from the trunk of our vehicle and the 2-year-old had to walk.  Fortunately for us, the sidewalks weren’t busy so my chain of children didn’t get in the way of anyone.  We spent most of the walk back teaching my four-year-old how to pronounce the word “Glockenspiel” as we heard bells.

Then we were off to the New Ulm Civic Center  for the Farm-City Hub Club’s annual farm show.  The kids enjoy the farm show, because along with the usual booths from local businesses that may or may not be agriculture-oriented, the local Runnings Farm & Fleet store always has baby animals on display.  The kids love to look at, and sometimes hold, the baby chicks, ducklings, rabbits, and more.

From the upper level of the civic center, the kids had spotted people ice skating in the other half of the building.  Smart or not, I asked the kids if they wanted to try skating.  (Keep in mind that I was outnumbered 4 to 1, none of the kids have been on skates before, and I haven’t skated in 20 years or more.  Did I mention that I was outnumbered?)  For just under $20 we paid our entrance fee and rented skates, and after the 20 minutes it took me to lace up five pair, we hit the ice.

It was a blast!  They had little walker-type frames that the kids could hang onto as they skated.  At first it was pretty slow going, but it didn’t take long before the three older kids were trying to go fast, skate on one foot, turn in circles, and even go a few feet without the walker.  The little one wasn’t much of a fan of the walker, but her balance was pretty good, and mine was better than expected, so I held both of her hands and she skated along with me.  The ice even succeeded in helping defy the laws of gravity and friction so that sometimes she did the footwork and pulled me along behind her.

We had so much fun.  I only had two regrets:  1) that I didn’t have my camera along, and 2) that my husband wasn’t there to enjoy it with us.  (I had asked if he wanted to join us for the day, but he decied to go to a meeting and enjoy a nice free meal instead.)  I had fun watching the kids have fun.  We skated for about an hour before I dragged them away, and I actually enjoyed listening to them argue about who had the most fun.

After a quick stop for groceries, we headed for home, and my five-year-old lasted until the next morning before asking if we could go back again, this time with Dad.

We recently went to visit my parents in North Dakota, where they’ve had a real winter this year.  Mind you, it’s been plenty cold here in Minnesota, but the black fields are testament to our lack of snow.  As a result, the kids were happy to head to Grandma and Grandpa’s, where there was plenty of the white stuff.

My parents also have a nearly-perfect sledding setup.  There’s a small ravine beside/behind the house, and the top of the hill just happens to be where my dad piles the snow when he clears the yard.  Most years he backs the loader down the hill to make a nice smooth surface, but this year there was too much snow for that, so there was a good layer of white fluff to plow through with the sleds. 

When we got there, the hill-top pile was pretty primitive and the kids were having a hard time getting up it with their sleds.  My brother got the loader, shaved off the top of the hill so there would be a smooth loading zone, and then cut steps into the hill.  What more could you ask for?

The first day we were there, it was about 30 degrees and sunny, with no wind.  In my opinion, that’s perfect winter weather.  The kids (and adults) had fun sledding, we borrowed some snowmobiles for slow-speed rides in the “cat cutter” trailer, and it only took about 10 minutes to make a big snowman.

The next day, it had cooled off significantly, and due to the amount of sledding on Day 1, the snow was nicely packed and the sled rides were fast.  We warmed up the rosy cheeks with hot chocolate and cookies.  That’s the other benefit of sledding at Grandma’s house.

We’re contemplating a spring trip, possibly to St. Louis, but it’s not as easy as picking a location and having our choice of any motel. The problem is that once you have more than three (or sometimes two) children, motel rooms that will accommodate your family are pretty hard to find. I’m not a person who will lie about my family size in order to get us in somewhere; nor am I willing to split up my family into two separate rooms, so our choices are limited and I have to do my homework early.

On the Accommodations for Larger Families page of this site, I’ve listed a few places where we’ve found a room for our family of six. Today, while searching for a room online, I came across this article with some good pointers: Sneak ‘em, Save ‘em: Big Families and Motels. 7 Travel Tips for Large Families also offers some advice.

If you have a large family, how do you handle travel accommodations? I’d appreciate hearing any tips. Especially if you’ve found a room in St. Louis.

Mall of America

• Hwys 494 and 77, Bloomington, MN.
• 952-883-8800.
• www.mallofamerica.com.
• Free (except for shopping, eating, and rides in the amusement park!)
• Stroller accessible.
• Restrooms and family restrooms available.

Only when you live in Minnesota can you run into the country’s largest mall just for a few errands. Of course, the four places I needed to go were on each of the four different sides of the mall, so we got a workout just getting things done.

On this February Monday afternoon, the MOA was very, very quiet, which is a dream-come-true for me. I’ve lived all my life in rural areas and I don’t like crowds, so an uncrowded Mall of America is perfect. On the downside, I only had my five-year-old with me, so I didn’t have an excuse to bring in the stroller. That meant I actually had to carry my bags myself. (This has been a rare occurrence in the last seven years of my life.) We left our coats in the car, which is a benefit of the parking ramps at the mall, and headed North, South, East, and West to get what we needed.

We stopped at Legoland to get brick separators (I wish I’d have known about those tools when I was a kid! Much better than breaking fingernails and teeth in prying the Legos apart) but didn’t stay to play. The Lego play area has changed slightly since the last time we were there; now there’s one Lego table with a race track built in, and a Duplo area for the younger tots.

My son talked me into just one ride at the amusement park, and he chose the roller coaster. It wasn’t until we were seated in the cars that I remembered how much I dislike roller coasters. He had a great time, however, yelling “INERTIA….” as we rounded the bends. Some of the rides in the park were closed as it is transformed to a Nickoledeon theme. Walking through the park, I spotted new or remodeled rides featuring the Backyardigans, Blue’s Clues, Dora the Explorer, Rugrats, and other Nick and Nick Jr. characters.

We sat down for an early supper at Rainforest Cafe. It’s not my top choice because it’s expensive (the kids’ meals are $5.99), but it’s one of two restaurants at MOA that we consider to be allergy-friendly. (Famous Dave’s is my first choice, but we’d eaten there recently and needed a change of pace.) The entertainment at Rainforest is a factor, and we were seated right next to a fish tank, but the jungle “storm” no longer holds the interest of this five-year-old.

On the way out, we stopped in a few more stores before heading back to the car. I have a love/hate relationship with Mall of America. On the one hand, it’s just another mall, except bigger and usually more crowded. On the other hand, they do have some unique stores, and the kids love seeing the amusement park and begging for rides.

On very rare occasions, I have the opportunity to do something special with just one of my children. The Minnesota Historical Society sponsored a “History Matters” Day at the State Capitol, so I took my five-year-old, who prefers all of our outings to be historical in nature. When we arrived at the capitol, we took a few minutes to look around at the historical society’s displays and information, and then gathered for a tour of the building. The tour was very interesting and informative, and our tour guide, Jayne, did a great job of saying things so we could hear them amidst the commotion of the capitol. She was also great with the kids in the group.

After the tour, we bought a sandwich at a food stand on the second floor and sat on a bench to eat our lunch. This gave us an opportunity to talk about demonstrators and protesters, as there were people in the hallways with signs supporting various legislative items.

We then went to the House gallery to watch the legislature in action. Although we didn’t stay for the entire discussion and vote, we saw part of history being made as a motion to override a veto was introduced and debated. (It ended up being overridden by the House and Senate, which is a rare occurrence in this state.)

All in all, we spent almost four hours at the State Capitol, and my youngster enjoyed every minute of it. I enjoyed the time as well. It was nice to see the building in its busy legislative state after having visited previously on quiet Saturdays when the legislature was not in session.

Heritage Hjemkomst Center

• 202 1st Ave N, Moorhead, MN.
• 218-299-5511.
• www.hjemkomst-center.com
• $6 adults, $5 seniors and college students, $4 ages 5-17, Free for 4 and under.
• ASTC membership reciprocity.
• Family rate of $10 on Tuesdays from 5 to 8 p.m.
• Stroller accessible.
• Restrooms available.

I’d heard about the Hjemkomst when I was in elementary school, but although we’ve driven through Fargo-Moorhead many times we’d never stopped to see it. When I told the kids we were going to see a Viking ship, they were very excited.

The Hjemkomst is a replica of a real Viking ship, built by Robert Asp and his family in the 1970’s, and sailed from Duluth, MN, to Norway in 1982.

We started by watching a 30-minute movie on the building and voyage of the ship, and then went to look at the ship itself from both the main museum floor and the balcony area that allows you to see inside the ship.

A replica of a Norwegian Stave Church is also part of the museum, but it was closed for renovations.

After seeing the Hjemkomst, we went to other areas of the Heritage Center, including the Clay County museum which had a kids’ activity table, an exhibit on the Red River Valley with various furs that the kids could touch, and “Woman’s Perspective” Shoe Art exhibit that included a scavenger hunt for the kids.

We spent about an hour and a half at the Hjemkomst Center. The kids loved seeing the Viking ship, but the other exhibits held their interest as well.

I saw one of the guy’s life jackets. It was really fun. I liked getting the sticker and I liked watching the movie. The ship was HUGE. When my sister saw the building, she thought there was a castle in there.

Pizza Hut

Sometimes it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.  So although our family and friends aren’t rich or famous, we’re not below using their careers for our adventures.

In this case, my brother is a manager for Pizza Hut.  While that may not be the most glamorous career around, if you’ve got a 5-year-old who had a school field trip to a pizza place and was disappointed because he didn’t get to make his own pizza as promised, it’s perfect to have a brother in high pizza places.

We headed to the Hut just after 10 in the morning with seven kids, ages 2-7, and four parents, including the aforementioned pizza guy.  My brother helped the kids enter their orders in the computer and then allowed each of them to make their own personal pan pizza, and ended with a tour of the kitchen while the pizzas cooked. 

The kids had a great time, and the best part was eating the pizzas when they were done.

You may never have thought about it, but your family and friends’ careers may be an adventure waiting to happen!

I liked watching the pizzas go through the oven. 

Contrary to popular belief, we actually do stay home on occasion.  Since it’s been miserably cold here for the past few days weeks months, I took advantage of being indoors and changed the look of the site.  Please leave a comment to let me know what you think.

We’ll be on the road this weekend and I’m hoping to squeeze in a fun stop somewhere along the way.  Keep watching for our latest 2008 adventures!

Spam Museum

Just off I-90, Austin, MN. 800-LUV-SPAM. www.spam.com
Free admission. Free parking. Stroller accessible. Restrooms available.

Time for another admission: Before we visited the Spam Museum, I had never eaten Spam. (Not unless it was unknowingly hidden in something, that is.) I made fun of Spam. I wasn’t sure why people ate it. But I’d heard good things about the Spam Museum, and always being up for an outing, convinced my husband to make the drive to Austin on a winter afternoon.

I was impressed! The video shown was interesting and informative, the museum had a lot of Spam history and some great hands-on activities for the kids, and the gift shop contained more things Spam than I’d ever dreamed were possible. It was a fun place to visit, for both the kids and the adults. And the best part–it’s free!

So I dutifully ate a sample of Spam at the museum, and now I occasionally buy it for my family to eat. How many museums have introduced a new food into your life?

I wanted to go back to the Spam Museum on the way home from Iowa, but it’s closed on Sundays in the winter. I was disappointed. I guess there’s another day trip in our future.

It has lots of cool Spam stuff and my most favorite is when the empty cans go on the conveyor belt.

Oliver Kelley Farm

2.5 miles south of downtown on U.S. 10, Elk River, MN. 763-441-6896. http://www.mnhs.org/places/sites/ohkf/
$7 adults, $6 senior citizens, $4 children ages 6-17. Free parking. Some parts stroller accessible. Restrooms in visitors center.

On a hot summer day, we made the drive to Elk River to see the Oliver Kelley Farm historic site. It was well worth the drive.

The visitor’s center includes exhibits about Mr. Kelley and his place in Minnesota history, but the real part of the museum is the working 1800’s farm just down the trail. Costumed interpreters interact with the visitors, and were great with the kids. Our kids got to go down to the root cellar and help weed the 1-acre garden, make cornbread, feed the animals in the barns, pet the kittens, and learn about how farming was done in past times.

Because of the heat, we didn’t explore the trails around the farm and adjacent Mississippi River. We’ll have to save that for our next visit.

It has lots of old farm stuff. My most favorite was in the house and my very most favorite was when we got to go in with the sheep and cows and I also liked feeding the sheep. We got to see how the cows eat. It was so great!

Northwoods Children’s Museum

346 W Division St, Eagle River, WI. 715-479-4623. www.northwoodschildrensmuseum.com
$6 ages 1 to 100. ACM membership reciprocity. Free parking. Stroller accessible. Restrooms with changing tables.

Children’s museums are always fun with young children, but finding one in a small community is a special treat. While visiting family in northern Wisconsin, we were excited to check out the Northwoods Children’s Museum in Eagle River.

This is another museum that operates in one large area, with separate alcoves for certain exhibits, so a parent can easily keep track of several children as they each explore their own interests. Our boys liked the music area, the ranger station, and driving the ambulance, while the girls liked the story area, dress-up room, and fishing in the “stream.” Staff at the museum were very friendly, and laid out the ground rules for the kids (no running, pick up what you’ve played with) before the kids could enter the museum.

One of the things I enjoyed about the museum was that they had a great gift/toy shop, and many of the toys that were for sale in the shop were available for play on the museum floor so the kids could try them out.

If you’re in the north woods of Wisconsin, be sure to take time to visit the Northwoods Children’s Museum.

That place was so fun that I wanted to stay there forever. My most favorite thing was when we got to do the ranger tower.

I really liked the ranger tower. It was really good.

Twin City Model Railroad Museum

1021 Bandana Blvd E, St. Paul, MN. 651-647-9628. www.tcmrm.org
Ages 5 and older $4, under 5 free. Free parking. Stroller accessible. Restrooms available.

With young train-lovers in the house, this is one of our perpetually-requested stops. The kids love going to watch the trains at Bandana Square. The exhibit is large and depicts much of the Twin Cities landscape from days past. We especially like visiting on the days when Thomas the Tank engine is running. You can check the website for the schedule.

When not watching the trains, there are train tables for the kids to play on and a train video playing, but the real attraction here is watching the trains. There are elevated areas around the track for kids to stand on and get a better view, and a few buttons they can push to run a part of the railroad themselves.

If you have kids who like trains, this is a great place to take them. Just be warned that you’ll probably be begged to go back again and again!

That place was very fun. It had a hundred million trains. My most favoritist thing was ringing the bell and when we got to watch the trains. The trains were very colorful and also was the setup.

Sears Tower Skydeck

233 S Wacker Drive (enter on Jackson St.), Chicago, IL. 312-875-9447. www.the-skydeck.com
Adults $12.95, ages 3-11 $9.50, 2 and under free. Pay parking available nearby. Stroller accessible. Restrooms available.

After a day of walking around downtown Chicago, it seemed a shame to walk past the Sears Tower without a visit to the Skydeck. We calmed our 6-year-old’s fears that the elevator would be scary and headed in. First on the tour was an informative video about the history of the Sears Tower, and then we were ushered into the elevators for the ride to the 103rd floor. It was a clear day, and we had a good view of the city, suburbs, and Lake Michigan. When the kids got tired of the view, they could look at the child-sized Chicago exhibit painted on the interior walls.

Although it’s a little expensive, going up into a tall building is something we don’t get to do often, and it was a memorable stop for all of us on our Chicago trip.

My brother thought that the elevator would be as fast as a roller coaster. I liked the movie that we watched.

I really liked going on the elevator and looking out with our binoculars.

Valleyfair

Shakopee, MN.  800-386-7433.  www.valleyfair.com
Various price structures available.  Pay parking.  Stroller accessible.  Restrooms available.  Concessions on-site. 

I’ll start off by admitting it:  we’re cheap.  We don’t like spending a lot of money on attractions.  So when we headed to Shakopee to visit Historic Murphy’s Landing, we didn’t even think about going to Valleyfair.

The kids, however, spotted the roller coasters, and we started thinking about the possibility of going to the amusement park.  So, not wanting to spend a ton of money, here’s what we did.

After Murphy’s Landing closed, we stopped down the street to fill our tummies at Burger King so we wouldn’t have to buy food in the park.  Then we headed to Valleyfair at 5 p.m. when they have special starlight admissions.  That way, we could spend four or five hours in the park, which would be long enough for our little ones, without paying full price.

Our kids are still young enough that they all enjoy the young-kid rides for the most part.  We spent a lot of time in the tot park, although the boys got brave enough to ride with their dad on the white roller coaster and the swings.  The train ride around the park was a hit with everyone, and we always love a carousel ride (although we found out too late that not all the rows of horses go up and down on the Valleyfair carousel).

We didn’t venture to the waterpark or the adjacent mini-golf area since time and money were limited.

With young kids, we thought this was a pretty good way to see Valleyfair.  The crowds died down a lot as the evening progressed, and we didn’t spend a lot of money on tickets or concessions by eating an early supper and then entering the park.

It was very fun.  It was like a whole roller coaster with lots of rides on it.  I liked it at night when the lights were on.

I really liked the foam factory.  It was really fun.  I liked it.

Sibley House Historic Site

Downtown Mendota, MN.  651-452-1596.  http://www.mnhs.org/places/sites/shs/
$5 adults, $4 seniors, $3 ages 6-17, 5 and under free.  Free parking.  Not stroller accessible.  Restrooms available in gift shop building. 

The kids and I stopped at the Sibley House on a summer morning, just in time for a guided tour.  The tour started in the gift shop building and then continued down the hill to the fur-trade building, the Sibley House, and another building on the property.

Our tour guide was very good with the kids, asking them to sit on the rug in the center of a room so they wouldn’t be tempted to touch things, but the hour-long tour was still too long for our youngest, so we bowed out before the tour went to the third building.

Still, the kids learned some things about Henry Hastings Sibley, and we ended our day across the river at Fort Snelling to continue our adventure in Minnesota history.

It had three houses.

Even though we didn’t get to see the third house, it was ok, we didn’t mind.

Stearns History Museum

235 33rd Ave S, St. Cloud, MN.  866-253-8424.  www.stearns-museum.org
$5 adults, $2 children, under 5 free, $12 family.  Free parking.  Stroller accessible.  Restrooms available.

Aside from parks and the mall play area, we haven’t found a lot to do with the kids when outings take us to the St. Cloud area.  (If you know of kid-friendly venues in St. Cloud, please leave a comment!)  We were pleased when a friend recommended the Stearns History Museum.  The museum itself is nice enough, although not hands-on for kids, but the part we enjoy is the children’s room, which has a puppet theater, old-fashioned school desks and slates, and other toys and books for children.  We’ve visited a few times, each time taking a quick look at the exhibit area and then ending with some imaginative play time in the children’s area.

There are also paths and gardens outside the museum, which can be enjoyed if you visit on a day with cooperative weather.

I really liked it.  It was really fun.

Lake Superior Railroad Museum at The Duluth Depot

 St. Louis County Heritage and Art Center, 506 West Michigan St., Duluth, MN.  218-727-8025.  www. duluthdepot.org
Admission includes railroad museum, children’s museum, and two other museums:  $10 age 13+, $5.50 ages 3-13, 2 and under free.  AAA discount.  ACM membership reciprocity.  Stroller accessible.  Restrooms available.

As you may have gathered, I have a couple of boys who really like trains, so if we can find a train museum, they’re always happy to stop.  The benefit of the train museum in Duluth is that it’s in the same building as the children’s museum, so we could see two different things with one stop.

Although there are a few small model railroads on display, this museum has actual trains that you go on.  From engines to the mail car to the dining car to the snowplow, you can actually check out real trains.  This was a big deal to the kids, and my husband enjoyed seeing the real trains as well and learning the history of the railroads in Minnesota.

With the combination of trains and a children’s museum, the Depot is a must-see stop if you’re visiting Duluth with young kids.

I liked that place.  It was really fun.  It had a lot of trains and even some trains that people could ride on.  That place was so cool that I wanted to stay there until the season was done. 

I really liked the trains.

Minnesota Zoo

13000 Zoo Blvd, Apple Valley, MN.  800-366-7811.  www.mnzoo.com
Zoo only (IMAX additional):  Free 0-2, $8 3-12, $14 13-64, $9 Seniors 65+.  AZA membership reciprocity.  Parking $5.  Stroller accessible.  Restrooms with changing tables.  Cafe on-site.

If you go to the Minnesota Zoo, wear your walking shoes and bring your easiest-to-push stroller, because you’ll be putting on a lot of miles.  The zoo is spread out in an effort to provide a more natural habitat for the animals.  So while there are  bison, takin, tigers, and camels in the outdoor areas, you won’t see elephants, zebras, or giraffes.

One of our favorite parts of the Minnesota Zoo is the Family Farm exhibit.  Even though we live on a farm, the kids still like being able to feed the goats and see the cows and horses up close.  Along the way to the family farm exhibit, there’s a playground, restrooms, and concessions, which makes a nice little break if needed.

The kids also love riding the monorail around the zoo.  There is an additional charge for this, but it’s worth it for the narrated slow-speed tour of the zoo’s outdoor areas.

Even in the winter, there’s plenty to do at the zoo.  Indoors, there’s an aquarium exhibit that’s popular with the younger kids, and a large tropics area where you can spot various birds and other animals.

Several shows, depending on the season, allow some time to sit down and learn something about the animals.  This past summer, we were all excited to see a bald eagle at the bird show. 

There is also an Imax theater on the premises, a cafe area, and a workshop area that sometimes offers special programs for kids.

We’ve been to the Minnesota Zoo several times and we always find something new to see or do.

It was like there were 152 animals.  There were tons of them.  I liked the monkeys. 

I really liked the Minnesota Zoo because I liked the monorail.

Science Museum of Minnesota

120 W Kellogg Ave, St. Paul, MN.  800-221-9444.  www.smm.org
Exhibits only:  $11 adults, $8.50 Senior 60+ and Child 4-12, 3 and under free.  ASTC membership reciprocity.  Pay parking available.  Stroller accessible.  Restrooms available.  Cafe on site.

The Science Museum of Minnesota gets mixed reviews from us for being child-friendly.  The river exhibit on the main floor is good for kids, but a lot of the hands-on exhibits on the lower level are geared more to older students.  The traveling exhibits and Imax shows change often, and some are more child-friendly than others. 

We always learn something when we go to the science museum, but there are other places in the Twin Cities that we prefer to take our young children.

There is now a “preschool playdate” program on Mondays that we might try out, and it has reciprocity with Minnesota Children’s Museum members for that program.

I really liked the part with the pipes that go twirling up in the museum in one of the exhibits and it makes pipey music.

Museum of Science and Industry

57th and Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL.  773-684-1414.   www.msichicago.org
$13 adults, $9 ages 3-11, $12 seniors 65+, 2 and under free.  Discounts for Chicago residents.  ASTC membership reciprocity.  Pay parking available.  Stroller accessible.  Restrooms available.  Cafe on-site.

Our last visit to Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry had been two years ago, but when the kids heard we were going there again, they immediately asked to go to the children’s area–it had definitely made an impression on them. 

The Museum of Science and Industry has so many different exhibit areas that I sometimes forget it’s all one museum.  From the kids’ Idea Factory, to the U-505 submarine, to the Pioneer Zephyr train, to the farm exhibit complete with tractor and combine, to the model train exhibit, there’s something for everyone at the museum.  We were there from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and still hadn’t seen everything.  We’ll go back on our next trip to Chicago.

I liked the Idea Factory and I put a lot of balls through the pipe over to that place and then when it got full, the balls floated over there and it kept going in circles.  It was like the balls were overflowing.

I really liked the water part where you got to pedal.

The Notebaert Nature Museum 

2430 N Cannon Dr, Chicago, IL.  773-755-5100.  www.chias.org. 
$9 adults, $7 seniors 60+, $7 ages 13-22 with ID, $6 ages 3-12, 2 and under free.  Free on Thursdays (donation requested for adults).  ASTC membership reciprocity.  Parking (free or pay) available nearby.  Stroller accessible.  Restrooms with changing tables available. 

While in Chicago, we scheduled one day to spend in Lincoln Park, and our first stop was the Notebaert Nature Center.  We were fortunate to find a free on-street parking space right across the street.  Inside the museum, we found several child-friendly exhibits.  The water tables are always a hit with the kids, as are spiders and snakes that are appropriately contained.  A special preschool play area had a slide for the kids and a conveniently-located family restroom.  The “green” home exhibit was informational for me and also enjoyed by the kids, and we all liked the butterfly room.

I wasn’t sure exactly what we’d find at a “nature museum,” and was very pleasantly surprised at all the hands-on activities that were available on a wide range of topics.

Sertoma Butterfly House

4320 S Oxbow Ave, Sioux Falls, SD.  605-334-9466.  www.sertomabutterflyhouse.org
$6 adults, $4.50 seniors 60+, $4 ages 4-19, 3 and under free.   Free parking.  Best to leave stroller behind.  Restrooms available.

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. 

Walker Art Center

1750 Hennepin, Minneapolis, MN.  612-375-7600.  www.walkerart.org
Walker Art Center:  $10 adults, $8 seniors 65+, $6 students/teens with ID, under 12 free.  Free Thursday evenings and first Saturday of each month.  Minneapolis Sculpture Garden:  Free.  Pay parking available.  Stroller accessible.  Restrooms available.  Restaurant on-site.

We went to the Walker Art Center on one of its free family days, and it was an interesting trip.  I had never been there before, and I found the building to be confusing.  (We ended up carrying the stroller up some stairs because we didn’t find the right ramps and/or elevators when we needed them.)  Of course, artistically, I suppose this is a good thing, but if you’re trying to find your way with young children, it’s a little frustrating.

The free activities were a hit with the kids.  Volunteers were on hand to help them make kites, and they had fun doing it.  The kids also liked the performance artists who were positioned throughout the museum, which really surprised me.  All in all, I think it was great to take the kids to the Walker Art Center just to give them another taste of art while they’re young, and doing it on a day when there were special activities for kids made it more enjoyable for them.

When we left the building, we walked across the street to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden to see the cherry on a spoon.  Since this is depicted in a lot of children’s books about Minnesota, the kids were really excited to see it in person.

I liked the cherry on the spoon.  There were a lot of sculptures.

Traverse des Sioux Historic Site

1 mile north of St. Peter, MN, on Hwy 169.  507-934-2160.  http://www.mnhs.org/places/sites/tds/index.html
Outdoor site free.  Treaty Site History Center:  $3 adults, $.50 ages 13-18, 12 and under free.  Free parking.  Stroller accessible.  Restrooms available. 

On our journey of Minnesota historic sites, we stopped at the Traverse des Sioux museum in St. Peter.  This is another indoor-outdoor museum, with paths in the prairie grass outdoors and exhibits inside.  Inside the museum, there were a few things that the kids enjoyed looking at, but not a lot to keep their interest.  While some Minnesota historic sites are very hands-on, this one is not, so it’s best suited for when the kids are a little older.

Science Station

427 1st St. SE, Cedar Rapids, IA.  319-363-4629.  www.sciencestation.org
$6.75 adults, $5.50 seniors (62+) and students (ages 13-22), $4.50 ages 3-12, 2 and under free.  ASTC membership reciprocity.  Metered parking in front of building.  Stroller accessible.  Restrooms available. 

I had been to the Science Station with friends 12 years ago when I lived in Cedar Rapids, and I remember them saying what a neat place it was for their kids.  Now I’m the one with young kids so I was excited to take them there when we had the opportunity.  The Science Station has grown since I was last there, and I hardly recognized the place.  The exhibit area is enlarged, and there is an Imax theater as well.

While some of the exhibits are similar to those we’ve seen at other museums (we built another catenary arch, and pulleys are always popular), there are many unique things here.  Living in the quake-free Midwest, the diner booth that rocked with an earthquake was very interesting.  The boys liked the robotic arm and the bubble exhibit in the entrance hall.  Our four-year-old kept going back to the rock-climbing wall, and our toddler liked the slide in the toddler play area.

A great aspect of the museum was the unisex restroom in the first-floor exhibit area, which was very convenient for the potty-training kids.  On the downside, the girls and I didn’t spend much time on the second floor since our 2-year-old had her head and body under the rail by the stairs before I caught her.  It was just as well, since the basement area was very well suited to the younger kids.

The Science Station i