Our last stop on our first loop was to the Twin Cities in Minnesota. We stayed at Lake Elmo Preserve (Which I would highly recommend) and this stop included a lot of family time as well as some sightseeing. It helped us start to wind down from our first loop and gave me some time to start planning our second loop to the Northeast. We enjoyed grilling out at my Uncle Jack's house and a few deliciously divine meals at my Aunt Linda's. We were also able to go to church with some friends we met this summer and enjoy brunch at their house while our kids played. Here are the few sightseeing things we did:
Science Museum of Minnesota
We met my friend Claudia here with her three boys first thing one morning. This museum was awesome (and was free because of our reciprocal membership with the Milwaukee Public Museum). There were so many interactive exhibits and things to do, we could have stayed there all day and come back every week. My favorite area was a giant room filled with those small plastic balls- you know, the ones that used to be in McDonalds play places in the 80s. There were giant tubes that you could use to suck up the balls, another where you could separate them by color to create a picture, and yet another where you could shoot the balls across the room. It was really dark in there so the pictures didn't really turn out or do the room justice. I think if adults could play in it, it would be super fun as well. There was also a portion of the museum with dinosaur fossils and extinct animals, so Avery really enjoyed that. The terrace where we ate lunch gave us great views of the Mississippi as well.
Science Museum of Minnesota
We met my friend Claudia here with her three boys first thing one morning. This museum was awesome (and was free because of our reciprocal membership with the Milwaukee Public Museum). There were so many interactive exhibits and things to do, we could have stayed there all day and come back every week. My favorite area was a giant room filled with those small plastic balls- you know, the ones that used to be in McDonalds play places in the 80s. There were giant tubes that you could use to suck up the balls, another where you could separate them by color to create a picture, and yet another where you could shoot the balls across the room. It was really dark in there so the pictures didn't really turn out or do the room justice. I think if adults could play in it, it would be super fun as well. There was also a portion of the museum with dinosaur fossils and extinct animals, so Avery really enjoyed that. The terrace where we ate lunch gave us great views of the Mississippi as well.
James J. Hill House
I have been really careful on this adventure to try to avoid going to things that only I will find interesting. It is one of the sacrifices we are making on this trip, to not just see things we are interested in, but to see things more for the kids. But when I saw that there was a house in St Paul called "The Downton Abbey of Minnesota," I had to go. I also knew that there was no way I was taking Gryffin on a 75 minute guided tour of a historical mansion. So my aunt watched him while I took Avery and Ophelia. I thought that while it might not be as exciting to them as a zoo or science museum, they could still get something out of it. Yeah. That was wishful thinking. To be fair, I have been to quite a few historical houses and this one, while immaculate and impressive, was on the boring side because almost every room was bare. Almost all of the original furnishings were passed down to Hill's descendants and the house is mostly used for weddings and events, making it easier to just leave the rooms bare. I imagine that if the house was furnished, it would have been much more interesting for the kids. The 36,000 sq ft house was built by railroad baron James J. Hill (he built the Great Northern Railway) and was the first house in Minnesota to have electricity. He had his own mini power plant in his backyard! The house boasts an art gallery and an organ. The dining room was the only room fully furnished with original furniture and table settings.
One of the nights we were there, my Uncle Jack took Avery and Ophelia fishing. Ophelia caught 9 fish and Avery caught 3. They had a great time but sadly, Avery left his camera on the dock and it's lost forever :(
Next up on the blog: Back in Wisconsin!
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