Blog for adaysouting.com

My visit to the Art Institute of Chicago reminded me how wonderful volunteers are.  As I walked into the museum, a smiling woman greeted me.  She waved me over to the front desk and asked if I had ever visited the Art Institute before.  I clearly had the — this museum is huge and don’t know where to begin — look on my face.  When I said it was my first visit, the volunteer pulled out a map and started showing me all the wonderful exhibits the museum had to offer.  This amazing volunteer had been with the Art Institute for more than twenty years.  She knew each collection and offered different ideas on how I could enjoy the museum and where some of their signature pieces were to be found.

As I made my way around the museum, I saw other volunteers with huge stickers on their shirts that read “ASK ME”.  This was a simple reminder that volunteers are waiting to answer any question that you may have about the art and to guide you to the galleries you are looking for.

My favorite question to ask a volunteer in a museum is “What is your favorite piece of art?”  I enjoy seeing their face light up as they share their passion for their institution and a special piece of the collection that they adore.  The wonderful volunteer that greeted me as I entered the Art Institute of Chicago told me about the gallery with the Miniature Rooms. I too fell in love with these wonderful pieces and I may never have found them without the help of a volunteer.

Find museums on A Day’s Outing…. and don’t forget to download the iPhone app so you can find new places to visit while you’re out and about.

I was at a Huntington Beach State Park last year for an early morning walk with family and friends.  We were out looking for seashells when we came across an amazing pattern in the sand that led from the waterline to the dunes.  I confess that it took me a few moments to realize that the patterns in the sand were tracks and then another moment or two more to realize that they were from a sea turtle.  Since I hadn’t seen tracks like this before, my mind went through all sorts of possibilities.  When we went to the dunes to look, we could see that a volunteer from a local rescue group had already come along to mark the nest and create a barrier around it for protection.

I have seen many types of animal tracks on walks in the woods, by the water’s edge and even around my own garden.  I am the most fascinated by the different sizes of bird tracks that I see in the soft ground at the base of a bird feeder, around a pond or at the ocean’s edge.  Each bird’s foot reveals whether they are a water bird that needs support with long toes on the soft sand or a small bird with feet that help it grip a branch on a tree. Of course, I can’t identify a bird from its tracks but some really good birdwatchers can.

If you want a book to carry along on your next adventure to help you identify tracks, Peterson Field Guide to Animal Tracks is the one I have.  I keep it right beside my copy National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America where I have written notes in the margin of the first time I saw a bird, where I was and who I was with. It’s a lot of fun to read a note and remember the first snowy egret or sea turtle tracks you ever saw.

Find fun places to look for animal tracks on A Day’s Outing…. and don’t forget to download the iPhone app so you can find new places to visit while you’re out and about.

I didn’t know what to expect.  I was visiting the Washington National Cathedral without knowing its history or just how amazing it was going to be.  I know I should have done a little research before our outing, but I have been so busy that I didn’t.  I made up for it by I learning a ton while I was there.

After 83 years of construction, the cathedral was completed in 1990.  Formally named the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, the Washington National Cathedral is the second largest cathedral in the country and the sixth largest in the world.  Built, as it would have been in the 14th century as a Gothic cathedral, the Washington National Cathedral extends almost the length of two football fields.  It stands as one of Washington D.C.’s highest points, this soaring Gothic cathedral rivals the Washington Monument and the Capitol.

The aspect of the cathedral that amazed me was the juxtaposition of the immense 14th century Gothic architecture and the contemporary elements in the stained glass windows.  There are many small chapels in the cathedral with themed stained glass.  The War Memorial Chapel honors men and women who have dedicated their lives to the service of our country.  The central alter window in this chapel is of Jesus dressed in camouflage upon the cross.  Surrounding this are images depicted in stained glass of women and men who fought in wars from the Revolutionary War to World War II.  There is another chapel that displays kneeling cushions that volunteers have needlepoint.  Harriet Tubman, an African-American abolitionist, humanitarian, and Union spy during the American Civil War, has an ornate prayer cushion in her honor.

While I was mesmerized by the inside of the cathedral, all my son could talk about were the gargoyles on the outside.  A gargoyle is a carved stone grotesque (from the Latin root of “Grotto”, meaning a small cave or hollow). A gargoyle is a spout designed to move water on a roof away from the side of a building.  The Washington National Cathedral has 112 gargoyles. The different designs are amazing, and the gargoyle my son was excited to see was the one of Darth Vader.  You have to search for it, but here’s a hint… it is on the “dark side” of the building.  A wonderful book that we read before our trip is the Guide to Gargoyles and Other Grotesques.

The cathedral sits a top 59 acres.  The grounds include the Bishop’s Garden.  I was only able to snap a photo of its welcoming twelfth century Norman arch.  The Bishop’s Garden is on the south side of the Cathedral. Inside its stone walls are two herb gardens, a rose garden, two perennial borders, a Shadow House and winding stone paths.

The next time we visit, I will make sure we have more time to enjoy the Washington National Cathedral.  We’ll also bring a pair or two of binoculars so that we can really see the gargoyles.  I think we will also pack a lunch and enjoy the Bishop’s Garden from inside its stone walls.

Here are a few fun facts to know before you visit (I learned these while I was there):
Height of Cathedral’s center tower: 30 stories tall
Total cost of building the Cathedral: $65 million
Total years of construction: 83
Number of stained glass windows: 231
Number of gargoyles: 112
Number of angels: 288
Weight of the entire Cathedral: 150,000 tons
Heaviest single stone: 5.5 tons

Find other great things-to-do on A Day’s Outing…. and don’t forget to download the iPhone app so you can find new places to visit while you’re out and about.

Railroads have a long and illustrious history dating back 500 years.  Early railways were created on wood and stone rails - and were powered by people and horses.  The first commercial steam engine was introduced in 1812 in England.  In the 1830s-1860s there was an enormous railroad-building boom in the U.S.  President Lincoln signed the Pacific Railway Act in 1862 authorizing the construction of the first transcontinental railroad.

Today, you can visit railroad museums all across the country.  You can learn about the history of rail transportation, see how railroad technologies have changed over the years and climb aboard some of the retired engines, cars and cabooses that made rail travel possible.  If you really love trains, there are also miniature railroad museums that highlight the amazing toys that have been created.

You can also take a ride on a train yourself.  While passenger train travel isn’t as popular now, I really enjoy it. My family took a train from Charlottesville to Philadelphia during spring break.  My husband and I loved not driving and the kids thought it was an adventure.  Cathy wrote about her family’s trip on the Auto Train from Virginia to Florida. Whether you are riding on a train or visiting a museum, you are sure to have fun.

Elizabeth’s post on hiking in the winter made me start to think about all the things we can do to get outside in the winter. After watching many of my neighbors out walking and running on a freezing cold New Year’s Day, I also decided that it’s really just about dressing for the weather.

My kids and I spent a great birthday weekend with my sister and nephew snow tubing at a ski resort near my house. We bought a family season pass this winter to go skiing and snowboarding there, but tubing was something we all (and virtually anyone else) could easily do. We had a blast. As you can hear in the video below, on of the littlest in our group thought it was “awesome”.

A few tips for snow tubing -

-Make sure you are dressed to be outside in the cold for about 2 hours and the for brief periods you will be going up to 25 miles an hour.

-If you do not have reservations (many of the sessions at some resorts sell out on weekends and holidays), get there a few minutes early to purchase the tickets and make the most of your time slot.

-Remember, like anything, it can be dangerous. Make sure the heaviest person is in the front when making a train, keep your feet from hitting the berms, and make sure you look before stepping into other lanes after your trip down.

Here are a few of the things I found on A Day’s Outing -

Candlelight Ski & Snowshoe Hike Winter, WI  February 5th, 2011

Turtle Fambeau Flowage Ice Fishing Jamboree Mercer, WI  February 26th, 2011

Ice Fishing Rumble Phillips, WI  March 5th, 2011

Cross Country Ski & Snowshoe at Bristol Mountain Nordic Center Canandaigua, NY

Utah Olympic Oval Ice Skating Salt Lake City, UT

Wenatchee River Road Snowshoe Trail Leavenworth, WA

I fell in love with miniature rooms at the Art Institute of Chicago. I have seen miniature portraits before at the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, S.C. but never an entire miniature room. You might think that a miniature room is simply a type of dollhouse, but they are so much more.

Miniature rooms are created on a scale of 1 inch in miniature to 1 foot in real life (or 1:12). Everything is precisely represented in this scale, from lighting fixtures to the minute decorations on dining room chairs. One of the most famous collections, created by Mrs. James Ward Thorne, is housed at the Art Institute of Chicago. Mrs. Thorne began creating the rooms in the 1930’s using a collection of English and French miniature furniture pieces she had purchased during her travels abroad. Mrs. Thorne employed craftsmen during the depression to create and furnish more than 100 rooms. Many are exact replicas from houses in the United States and Europe. The rooms faithfully depict the architecture and interior design of their periods and countries, including rugs that she had specifically woven for each room.

English Reception Room of the Jacobean Period, 1625-1655

After you marvel at the craftsmanship in the Thorne Miniature Rooms gallery, there’s still so much more to see at the Art Institute of Chicago. There are famous French paintings, iconic American works, modern collections and Asian ceramics to enjoy. Whether you live nearby or are visiting Chicago for a few days, make sure you spend time at the Institute. You’ll be glad you did.

French Boudoir of the Louis XV Period, 1740- 1760

Recently we got this great review submitted to us by Debbie an A Day’s Outing fan.  We love fan submitted tales of their day trips!

The Museum of Life and Science in Durham is a great place for children and adults alike. There are lots of outside activities like climbing stations, a real caboose, a sound area with drums and other percussion instruments. The butterfly house is wonderful. There are two areas, a large tropical rainforest with butterflies from around the world and a smaller domestic butterfly section. Children can watch the butterflies as they emerge and take flight.

There is also an insectarium with a variety of unusual living bugs, even live black widow spiders. Exhibits are carefully arranged so that the insects and be viewed up close. There are tropical frogs in a variety of colors. There is also a dinosaur exhibit, but I didn’t get a chance to go through it.

Prepare to spend several hours when visiting- there are lots of hands on activities both inside and out.

Our whole family loves the Florida Keys, I hope to retire there one day with a boat. We have travel down at least once a year. Usually we drive and that way we can take all of our gear, fishing stuff, skim boards, etc. We have also taken the Autotrain down from Washington D.C. and you can read a review of that here. In the past, we have helped many of our friends with their vacation planning to the Keys and so I decided to finally go on and post my list of favorite places.  I would also like to say that I am not affiliated in any way with the places I am recommending.

These are as you drive down from Miami -

Sunshine Market on Tavernier Key - This Cuban gem is on the left as you are driving down to Key West in a yellow building. The coffee is wonderful and the to-go foods are great.

Home Away Islamorada/Tavernier Vacation House - We loved renting this house, it was beautifully decorated, had an amazing kitchen, we could park our boat right out front and the owner is a delight. We have rented several times through both Home Away and VRBO and we have had a great experience each time.

Islamorada Fish Company Restaurant at the huge Bass Pro Shop on Islamorada - The food is very good and it is a beautiful location to take photos at sunset. It is also fun when they feed the tarpon, grouper, and HUGE lemon sharks that come right up in the middle of the dockside restaurant to eat. The Bass Pro Shop is also amazing and they give great fishing advice.

Robbies of Islamorada- It is great spot to hire a fishing charter, go out on their night time party boat, and their largest attraction is allowing people to feed GIANT tarpon from their dock. There are also cute little open-air shops.

Indigo Reef and Coral Lagoon on Marathon- We love staying here too. You can park your boat right out in front of your townhouse, they are beautifully decorated, have wonderful linens and great kitchens. If you sign up for their emails you can get significantly discounted rates.

Bahia Honda State Park - This my daughter’s favorite place on earth! The beach is beautiful and one of the only real beaches in the Keys. It is perfect for skim boarding. The fishing from the jetty under the Seven-Mile Bridge is also fabulous!

Big Pine Key Deer Watching - You can almost always find some of the endangered tiny Key Deer on back roads at dusk.

On Key West -

Mangia Mangia - A restaurant with great Italian food that has been there since we honeymooned in 1993. It seems to be a little more of a local place and away from the craziness of Duval Street.

Fort Zachary Taylor State Park Beach - This another gem of a beach in the Keys. It is very clean and you can snorkel right from the beach.

Mel Fisher Treasure Museum - Who doesn’t love treasure? The Mel Fisher story is wonderful and well worth going to see first hand.

Truman Annex - The homes in the Truman Annex are the epitome of the Florida Keys to me. It is one of the most charming neighborhoods in the U.S.

Parrot Key Resort - These are great townhouse style vacation rentals that also have wonderful linens, great kitchens and are beautifully decorated.

The Mermaid & the Alligator B&B - This B&B is another great example of Key West architecture. We even stayed here on our honeymoon in 1993.

I went with my extended family May 13th-15th to the annual reenactment of the Raid on Martin’s Station. There are similar events at the park all summer long and almost every month throughout the year, but the this is the biggest. Wilderness Road State Park is in far southwest Virginia. The park is 310 acres that lie beside the Wilderness Road, a route carved by Daniel Boone in 1775 that followed a buffalo migration trail and opened America’s first western frontier. Martin’s Station is a replica of a colonial frontier fort that was on this site in 1775. Park officials brag that it is the most authentically reconstructed fort in the United States. The three-day event has more than 500 re-enactors, including Shawnee and Cherokee warriors (who were my kid’s favorite) and men, women and children (who were adorable) settlers.

I had never been to a reenactment and I wasn’t sure what I would think, but I knew my kids would love it. I think there is something for everyone. My father has a sincere appreciation for the authenticity the reactors strive for in everything they do and really enjoyed sharing that with us. Other than the other visitors to the site and the cars in the parking lot, there is nothing modern to be seen. It was a wonderful step back in time that brings history alive. Even the coffee shops and vendors in the 18th century Market Fair, serve on tin and there is no plastic anywhere.

My children and my nephew absolutely loved the Indians, their camp and watching them creep through the woods and across the field during the raid. They even told my dad, whom I think would enjoy being a re-enactor, they would dress up and come along to more of these if he would join the Indians. But, I don’t think he’s ready to join sides with the Indians just yet.

My mom, sister and I loved seeing how the re-enactors authentically prepare their meals in their camps. I think it’s a secret contest amongst them to see who can have the best food. A group of about 9 men had ribs, pies, greens, stuffing and salad. They were the winners in the secret contest that day! Although, I think there wives must have helped with a lot of prep before they got there.

I could also appreciate how authentic the camps were. There were no air mattresses, mosquito netting, or coolers anywhere. I have since found out that the coolers are hidden in crates. The men in the first picture below have an actual birch bark canoe they made.  One of the re-enactors told us how the night before that had to get cosy under a lean-to belonging to two people they had never met before during a sudden rain storm. I think I would only be happy camping in the actual fort, maybe!

The two reenactments of raids of the fort were enjoyed by everyone. You see the Indians sneak through the fields, capture the women caught outside the fort (of course!), fire original muskets and a cannon, burn down sections of the fort, and negotiate the return of the women.

I know there are reenactments in many places but the beauty of Wilderness Road State Park and Cumberland Gap is amazing. The town of Cumberland Gap is also very charming. There is only one restaurant, Webb’s Country Kitchen,  that serves great country cooked meals (we ate there 4 times that weekend) and it is quite funny to see the groups of re-enactors there having dinner. Early one morning, my four year-old nephew peeked out the window of our hotel only to see an Indian in the parking lot!

I love science museums. And, I can honestly say that I have never been to a museum and left without learning something fun and new. I didn’t expect to learn this from the Science Museum of Western Virginia, but I did.

How to make your own bouncy ball!

1 tablespoon Elmer’s Glue
1/2 teaspoon borax
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons warm water
2 disposable plastic cups
2 popsicle sticks
food coloring
rubber gloves

Instructions
1. Use a popsicle stick to mix the glue with food coloring in one of the disposable plastic cups.
2. Use the other popsicle stick to mix the water with the borax in the other cup. Stir until the borax has dissolved.
3. Add 1/2 teaspoon of borax water to the glue mixture. Add cornstarch. Wait 15 seconds.
4. Stir the mixture together until it stiffens. Put on the rubber gloves and mold the ball until it becomes a solid.

What’s Happening?
The white glue contains polyvinyl acetate, a strong and flexible polymer that gives the ball strength. Cornstarch contains amylopectin, a polymer whose shape is best described as “branched” - it sticks out like the branches of a tree - and gives the ball the property of elasticity. Elasticity allows the ball to return to its original shape after being compressed or stretched, such as hitting the floor. So instead of splattering everywhere, the ball bounces back up. The borax is needed to help the glue and the starch stick together. This connects the two polymers into a netlike formation, keeping the ball from crumbling or becoming slime when it is bounced.

Important-
-Store your homemade bouncy ball in a bag or other airtight container so it won’t dry out.
-Borax is considered poisonous and should not be ingested or directly inhaled. Supervise children around borax and store in a safe place.