Month: April 2014

National Park Week April 19-27, 2014

I recently received an email from the National Parks Foundation reminding me about the upcoming week celebrating our nation’s National Parks. As if I could forget. It had such great information I thought I’d post it here for all of you as well. Leave a comment and let me know how you’ll be celebrating National Park Week this year!

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE AND NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION INVITE YOU TO “GO WILD” FOR AMERICA’S NATIONAL PARKS APRIL 19-27

Washington, D.C. (April 15, 2014) From April 19 – 27, the National Park Service and the National ParkFoundation will host National Park Week, featuring special events in parks nationwide. This year’s theme, “National Park Week: Go Wild!” invites visitors to celebrate all that America’s 401 national parks have to offer. With free admission to all parks on April 19 and 20, and exciting activities and programs scheduled throughout the week, National Park Week is the perfect time to discover the diverse wildlife, iconic landscapes, vibrant culture, and rich history found in America’s national parks.

There are countless ways to enjoy National Park Week. Below are nine great suggestions happening April 19 – 27 in national parks.  A complete list of National Park Week events taking place across the country is available at www.nationalparkweek.org.


Go wild for bears. This year the National Park Foundation has teamed with Disney on the new Disneynature film, “Bears,” premiering just in time for Earth Day and National Park Week on Friday, April 18. For every ticket sold during “Bears” opening week, April 18-24, Disneynature will make a contribution to the National Park Foundation to protect wildlife and wild places across America’s National Park System.

Go wild for Junior Ranger Day.  On April 26, young visitors can celebrate National Junior Ranger Day by taking part in special family-friendly activities.

Go wild for a walk in a park. More than 100 free, ranger-led walks are offered during National Park Week. Hike to a cloud forest, take a sunset stroll, wander through John F. Kennedy’s neighborhood, and more.

Go wild for Earth Day. Tour John Muir’s house in California and take part in a combined John Muir Birthday/Earth Day Celebration with music, food, and family-friendly events.

Go wild for Hawaiian culture. Experience first-hand the traditions of Hawaiian sailing and Hawaiian crafts! Join a sailing expert guide for a ride on a double-hulled canoe and learn interesting tidbits about Hawaiian sailing techniques, history, and culture. Immerse yourself in Hawaiian crafts such as lauhala weaving, coconut leaf weaving, and lei making.

Go wild for Patriot’s Day. Commemorate the opening battle of the American Revolutionary War with parades, reenactments, and specialceremonies in Massachusetts.

Go wild for waterfalls. Take the Whiskeytown Waterfall Challenge at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area in beautiful northern California and hike to Brandy Creek, Boulder Creek, Crystal Creek and Whiskeytown Falls!

Go wild for national park road trips. Enjoy a self-guided tour to historic places, most of which are listed in the National Register of HistoricPlaces. Each trip takes you to a variety of places significant in American history, architecture, archeology, engineering, and culture.

Go wild for wildflowers. Spring has sprung and it is the perfect time to see nature in all of its colorful glory in parks across the country. Parks including the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee and Cumberland Gap and Mammoth Cave in Kentucky will have wildflower walks and talks.

Using the resources on the National Park Week website, visitors can plan adventures, share national park photos, videos, and tips, and learn about all the ways to help support national parks.

National Park Week also offers many opportunities for the public to explore local parks, trails, and architectural gems sustained by National Park Service programs such as the Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance program and the National Register of Historic Places.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 401 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION
The National Park Foundation is the official charity of America’s national parks and nonprofit partner to the National Park Service.  Chartered by Congress in 1967, the National Park Foundation raises private funds to help PROTECT more than 84 million acres of national parks through critical conservation and preservation efforts, CONNECT all Americans with their incomparable natural landscapes, vibrant culture and rich history, and INSPIRE the next generation of park stewards.  Find out more and become a part of the national park community at www.nationalparks.org.

Discovery Gateway Museum, Salt Lake City, Utah

Big E’s preschool planned a fun field trip to the Discovery Gateway Museum located at the Gateway mall in downtown Salt Lake City. I had never been here before, but as a teenager I volunteered at a Children’s Museum in Wisconsin so I’m a big fan of teaching kids through play.
We started on the upper level of the museum where lots of hands on exhibits let kids play with science. Gears, magnets, wind tunnels, and life size marble races had Big E and little g exploring, building and engineering in no time. 

The main floor of the museum housed a massive beehive where kids can feed the pollen (brightly colored plastic balls) through tubes, wheels and vacuum suction hoses and watch their progress through an interconnected two story maze.

After that was the kid’s village where a construction site, gas station, grocery store, farm and water works let Big E and little g play imaginatively on their scale. Little g’s favorite activity was to carry around a black baby doll, which reminded me of the Brown v Board of Education court case I learned about in college and the experiments involving presenting children with cross racial dolls. That’s a side note, I know but it felt good to use my brain for something other than explaining basic concepts like how to use a bathroom to my tots.

The Discovery Gateway Museum was a great outing with my kids. They loved to explore and play, and hopefully they learned something along the way. Right now the museum is offering $5 Fun Day admission for Friday and Saturday nights and all day Sunday. Check it out at www.discoverygateway.org.

INFO:
Discovery Gateway Museum
444 West 100 South, Salt Lake City, UT
801-456-5437
HOURS:
Mon – Thurs 10 am – 6 pm
Fri and Sat 10 am – 8 pm
Sunday Noon – 6 pm

Snowboard Season is at an end.

It’s time to say goodbye to my favorite past time – snowboarding. Sundance Resort – my home mountain closed for the season last Sunday but I got to go with my tots one last time before the lifts stopped running. Unfortunately this happened.

Little g is only two and half, and unfortunately her little feet are smaller than the smallest boot at the rental shop. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem since she just glides between my skis anyway, just cinch it up tight and wear big socks. Too bad I left this ski on the loosest notch and when Big E and little g started knocking their skis together on the lift, it was too much for the tiny boot.

Thankfully the ski dropped in a relatively easy to reach place, just off the main drag so nobody was in danger of being impaled from above. Also on the list of things to be grateful for – her favorite bow shoes were in the backpack, she doesn’t weigh much, and Big E was a big help.

Our last time on the slopes was an adventure all its own. Now it’s time to look forward to warm weather adventures – planting a garden (my tots love to help with this), visiting National Parks during National Park Week, maybe even going on an epic trip. Whatever our upcoming adventures may be, I’m glad to share them all with you.