From the front, only the tip of the Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse is visible above the lightkeeper's cottage

Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse stands only 32 feet high, but its light is 56 feet above sea level, thanks to the bluff on which it sits. Originally outfitted with a fifth-order Fresnel lens, in 1902 the light was upgraded to a fourth-order lens and a red chimney was placed over the lamp inside the lens to produce a colored that that was visible for thirteen nautical miles. The lighthouse was automated in 1974 and is still today an active aid to navigation.

Follow the path down the cliff for a good view of the light

From the very beginning, Bass Harbor Head was home to single keeper and his family. The first keeper was John Thurston, who was paid $350 per year for his services. The last civilian keeper was Morton M. Dyer, who came to the station in in 1955. Dyer retired two years later at the age of 70 and the station became home to a Coast Guard keeper and his family. Tourists are welcome to roam the grounds. however the inside of the lighthouse is not open to the public and the house is private, as it is the quarters for the Commander of the Coast Guard Group Southwest Harbor. The facility is located at the end of Lighthouse Road off route 102A in Bass Harbor, on land that is today part of Acadia National Park. The grounds are open all year, seven days a week, from 9:00 a.m. to sunset.

Photo credit: Barbara Weibel

Article by Barbara Weibel at Hole In The Donut Travels

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum

While many of us are busy making plans to celebrate Thanksgiving with our families, a great number are also taking pause to remember the anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s death which falls on November 22nd. If you are in the Boston area, a visit to his Presidential Library & Museum will go a long way in educating those new to his accomplishments while reminding those already familiar of one President’s role during an impressive part of U.S. history.

His museum is located on Columbia Point behind the Boston campus of the University of Massachusetts at the edge of the water overlooking the city. It was designed by acclaimed architect I.M. Pei and provides impressive views in a somber pavilion at the completion of your visit. But the information on which to reflect begins above with a look at the man before he was President.

A current temporary exhibit entitled “The Making of A President” runs through September 2010 and gives an inside look at JFK’s journals growing up in the political world, notes from his days as a journalist covering events, reports from his Naval service, and drafts of his book, “A Profile In Courage,” which won him the Pulitzer. Just as you are getting immersed in his artifacts it is time to step in and view a film about much of this same pre-Presidential period of his lifetime.

A Feel for the Campaign

The theater opens out into a festive display of what the campaign environment was like in 1960 when he won the Presidential nomination. It focuses on how the landscape was changing by having debates and elections carried out in the media and brought to a television audience. There are exhibits reproducing the feel of the debate stages along with sets of the TV networks as the election results came in. Video clips of the action run throughout on loops.

Sticking with the chronological progression, the museum leads you into an elaborate section designed to represent the hallways of the White House, off of which lie rooms with displays covering varying aspects during his time there such as the Cuban Missile Crisis and his efforts internationally with the Peace Corps. In addition to the thorough information available in these rooms there is a fascinating temporary exhibit on the writing of his famous Inaugural Address called “Poetry & Power” which is only around through the end of January 2010.

White House Corridor

There is also a nod to his interest in the Space Program as well as a focus on his brother, Attorney General Robert Kennedy. Bobby’s office is one that you can walk around in and view letters and clippings regarding his efforts in support of Civil Rights, all the while feeling that he just left the room for a moment. The Oval Office is one you view from afar while watching clips addressing those turbulent times.

The rest of JFK’s family is given their due by spending time with First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s childhood, courtship and marriage to JFK and the inspiring work she did to preserve the White House during her residence there. While the men in JFK’s family are known for their overall political presence, his sister Eunice Shriver is given a prominent display for her creation of the Special Olympics.

The museum leads you around a corner to a dark hallway in which there are a series of small video screens. No assassination footage is shown, but rather the shocking words of that moment’s events are delivered by Walter Cronkite. A bright and peaceful room of photos showing memorial monuments throughout the world in JFK’s honor complete the exhibits.

Your journey spills out into the vast pavilion that is the crown of Pei’s design – with an enormous American Flag hanging proudly from the ceiling and views of the city, harbor and ocean through mammoth glass walls. The sound and images of planes flying overhead from the airport break the contemplative quiet here and there while visitors take in the President’s famous words etched into the back wall or try to picture him out for a sail in his boat which stands outside during non-winter months.

Pei's Pavilion

The Library portion of the building is where all the archival reference material is contained and appointments and procedures are in place in order to access it. However, a large amount of information can be researched and viewed at the museum’s website through their online Reference Desk.

In His Own Words

A visit to JFK’s museum can make you sad about the tragic ending to a President’s life, make you wonder how differently our country might have been, and give you a greater appreciation for the world he took on as a young man. Somewhere in all of that are reasons to be thankful for the work he set in motion.

QUICK HITS:

• COST = Adults: $12, Seniors & Students: $10, Youth: $9, Under 13: Free, Group rates available, New England school groups free.
• DURATION = Allow 1 – 2 hours.
• HOURS = 9AM – 5PM daily, closed Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Year’s Day.
• ENVIRONMENT = All ages welcome. Children over age 5 should find enough to be interested. Wheelchairs available, strollers allowed. Video is Closed Captioned.
• ACCESSIBILITY = By car – free parking on site. By subway – JFK/UMASS stop on Red Line provides free shuttles to museum every 20 minutes.
• WEBSITE = www.jfklibrary.org
• FUN FACTS = The original location for the museum was to be in Cambridge on the banks of the Charles River. During years of financial fundraising that location was nixed due to a railyard not wishing to relinquish land and uproar from the community about infrastructure due to expected tourist traffic. It was instead built on a picturesque landfill site where it was welcomed.

By Molly G. @ The Bumbles Blog

All photos credited to Molly G. @The Bumbles Blog

Please Touch Museum

Children’s Museums can be found all around the United States, and our family has visited many of them. Unfortunately, we’ll probably never return to the one that tops our list of favorites because it’s half a country away, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Please Touch Museum is located on one of the halls of the 1876 Philadelphia Museum.  Its historic building may be deceiving, but it’s name tells it all:  kids love going to a museum where they can explore anything and everything.

While a few of the exhibits at the Please Touch Museum are similar to those we’ve seen at other museums, most things there are unique.  Our kids loved testing their handmade foam airplanes and pedaling a flying machine, as well as entering the world of Alice in Wonderland.  It didn’t matter which section of the museum we were in, they found something they loved to do and it was hard to tear them away.

The museum is large, and although there were many people there on the Sunday we visited during the Christmas holidays, it did not seem too crowded.  We got lunch at the museum cafe, which is peanut-free and serves healthier-than-usual fare.  The only downside to our visit was the difficulty we had in finding a place to eat.

The Please Touch Museum is not cheap–admission is $15 a person age 1 and up–but there is a lot to see and do there.  The Please Touch Museum participates in the ACM reciprocity program, so that families visiting from out of town may be able to visit at little or no charge.

Our stop at the Please Touch Museum was one of the highlights of our Philadelphia trip; although we enjoyed the history we saw along the way, it was nice for the kids to have a day to just stop and play at a high-quality children’s museum.  If you’re in Philadelphia with kids, I highly recommend the Please Touch Museum.

Please Touch Museum

Memorial Hall in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, PA
See website for directions.

Photo credit:  minnemom on flickr

Linda (minnemom) writes about family travel at Travels with Children.

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CN Tower in Toronto, Canada

I visited Toronto, Canada last week, and I was so busy with work that I didn’t actually have a chance to go up the CN Tower. The view from the ground was impressive though! I’ll definitely go up the tower on my next trip, especially since it’s not as expensive as I thought. It’s $28 to go up the tower, test out your fear of heights on the glass floor and then zoom up 34 more stories in Sky Pod to the tallest level on the tower – yikes. It’s only $23 if you want to skip the Sky Pod. (Don’t worry about that glass floor – it can apparently take on 14 large hippos without breaking. Good to know!)

And, if you’re in the mood to spend some money on a lovely lunch or dinner, check out 360 The Restaurant, which offers, as you might guess, 360 degree views of Toronto – and the restaurant revolves, too!  The site says that “elevation is complimentary with the purchase of a main course,” which I assume means that your ticket price is comped.

If you’ve got kids with you, they might enjoy seeing one of the movies offered or the Himalamazon motion theater ride.

Be sure to check out the tower at night – it’s beautifully lit up!

Photo: Jenny Bengen

Trail of Florida's Indian Heritage

When the Spanish arrived in the early 1500’s, it is estimated that up to 300,000 indigenous people occupied Florida. These Indian cultures were powerful chiefdom societies that built villages characterized by temple mounds, burial mounds, and middens (trash heaps). After contact by Ponce de Leon, Hernando de Soto, and other explorers, the natives endured decades of stress from warfare, starvation, and diseases such as smallpox and measles. With no natural immunity, disease initially wiped out up to 95% of the native population; within 150 years, virtually all indigenous people were gone from Florida. The few remaining Native Americans eventually merged to become the present day Seminole and Miccosukee Tribes.

Although long gone, the original natives left behind a wealth of evidence that their civilizations flourished. Today, the non-profit Trail of Florida’s Indian Heritage has created a network of archaeological sites, museums and heritage interpreters committed to responsible site visitation and public education of Florida’s Indian heritage. This network encompasses 28 sites across the State, including the following:

The Museum of Florida History, Tallahassee (panhandle)

Collections include 19th century lithographic prints of Native America leaders in Florida, Seminole and Miccosukee patchwork clothing, traditional arts and crafts such as dolls and wood carvings, and 20th century ceremonial artifacts.

Mount Royal Mound

Mount Royal Archaeological Site, Welaka (NE Florida)

Site of native American burial ground, earthworks, a village, and evidence of a Spanish mission. Excavations have turned up embossed copper breast plate, polished stone tools, pearl and shell beads, and decorated ceramic vessels.

Silver River Museum and Environmental Education Center, Ocala (north central)

Highlights are the full-size skeletons of the Pleistocene Short Faced Bear and Mastodon, as well as ancient Indian canoes and artifacts.

Weedon Island Preserve Cultural and Natural History Center

Weedon Island Preserve Cultural and Natural History Center, St. Petersburg (Tampa Bay)

A 3,700-acre nature preserve on Old Tampa Bay that was home to at least four prehistoric cultures, including the Weeden Island Culture, which was known for its distinctive ornate pottery. Public programs, guided hikes, and exhibits interpret the archeological history of the preserve.

Polk County Historical Museum, Bartow (central Florida)

Native American heritage exhibits include a dugout canoe and projectile point specimens in the Paleo-Indian Gallery and Seminole Tribe history.

De Soto National Memorial, Bradenton (south of Tampa Bay)

A film and daily living history presentations, held from two weeks before Christmas through Easter Sunday, inform about Native American culture and the effects of early European contact.

Historic Spanish Point

Historic Spanish Point, Osprey, Sarasota County (central Gulf Coast, south of Tampa Bay)

Enter “A Window To The Past,” a 15-foot shell midden, and be surrounded by the evidence of thousands of years of human occupation.

Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and Museum, Jupiter (SE coastal Florida)

Exhibits interpret 5,000 years of prehistoric life on the Loxahatchee River and feature ancient Native American mounds and artifacts including shell and stone tools, points, potsherds, and ornamentation and ceremonial objects.

Mound House, Fort Myers Beach (SW coastal Florida)

The oldest standing structure on Estero Island, the Mound House sits atop a Calusa Indian shell mound constructed between 1,400 and 2,000 years ago. View or participate in an ongoing archeological excavation to create a walk-in exhibit inside the shell mound.

Collier County Museum

Collier County Museum, Naples (SW coastal Florida)

Learn about Mastodons and fierce Saber cats, Calusa and Seminole Indians, and the rugged pioneers who settled one of America’s last frontiers.

Historical Museum of Southern Florida, Miami

Collection holds 6,830 archeological artifacts from ancient Florida and the Caribbean, and the museum is the sole repository and exhibition venue for artifacts from the famous Miami Circle.

Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum at Okalee, Hollywood (SE coastal Florida)

Museum highlights the history, art, and culture of the Seminole Tribe of Florida.

Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum on Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation (so. central Florida)

Dioramas depicting Seminole life at the turn of the century; features a one-mile raised boardwalk that winds through a 66-acre cypress dome.

For more information, or to request a brochure listing all 30 sites, visit Trail of Florida’s Indian Heritage.

Photo credit: Traail of Florida’s Indian Heritage

Article by Barbara Weibel at Hole In The Donut Travels

Ukrainian Cultural Institute, Dickinson, ND

In a former restaurant on the old main drag of Dickinson, North Dakota, you will find the humble yet interesting Ukrainian Cultural Institute.  The Ukrainian Cultural Institute preserves the history of the many Ukrainian people who settled in North Dakota and shares it with new generations.

When we visited, the woman on duty was happy to tell us about the Ukrainian people and explain to us the examples of her culture that were on display.  She let my children touch some of the objects, then showed us a video of how pysanky (Ukrainian Easter Eggs) are made.  The Ukrainian Cultural Institute has a beautiful collection of these eggs on display. 

The Ukrainian Cultural Institute works with local organizations to teach their heritage with classes and events that include traditional dancing. Their gift shop includes materials for making pysanky, as well as traditional Ukrainian foods such as pierogies.

Learning about another culture isn’t always about exploring current cultures from other lands; it can also be remembrance of heritage and the cultural practices that go along with our roots.  For that, the Ukrainian Cultural Institute is an excellent resource for those with Ukrainian heritage or those who would like to learn about some of their neighbors.

Ukrainian Cultural Institute

1221 W. Villard
Dickinson, ND
701-483-1486

Monday through Thursday, 9-12:30 and 1-4:30

Free admission

Photo credits: minnemom on flickr

Linda (minnemom) vacationed in North Dakota with her children this year.
She writes about their travels at Travels with Children.

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Fanshawe Pioneer Village in London, Ontario, Canada

London, Ontario is one of Canada’s most charming destinations. London has many worthwhile attractions and things to do year-round; the challenge is choosing between activities if you’re short on time! London, Ontario is smack in the middle of Ontario’s Shakespeare County, and as the name implies, you will find lovely, old-world style streets, quaint shops and a thriving performing arts and cultural scene. The next time you’re in London, Ontario, be sure to check out some of the following – if you’re a history buff, you’ll be especially thrilled:

Banting House National Historic Site

Dr. Banting was responsible for discovering insulin, and you can learn about this man and the discovery in the house where he practiced medicine from 1920-1921. Don’t forget about the apothecary next door!

Fanshawe Pioneer Village

Step back in time at this family-friendly attraction! History comes alive at this historic living history village which is open year-round. It might be fun to time your visit for some of the guest lectures.

London City Music Theater

This 600-seat live concert hall and movie theater features a 1930s organ. Enjoy ballets, opera and symphony performances from some of the greatest performers and composers in the world, both past and present.

Whatever your interests, there is undoubtedly something in London, Ontario for you to see and do. Enjoy!

San Gervasio Ruins

Most visitors don’t think about Mayan ruins in Cozumel but the island boasts the 2,000 year-old ruins of San Gervasio.  Located on 125 acres of rain forest in the middle of the island, San Gervasio is the biggest archeological site in Cozumel. Dedicated to Ixchel, the Mayan goddess of fertility and the moon, the structure was so important to ancient Mayan women that they made pilgrimages from as  far away as what is now Belize and Guatemala.  A visit to Ixchel’s shrine ensured that women would birth the average 18 children expected of Mayan women.

The structures of San Gervasio were created from a mixture of  stucco, honey, gum and crushed shells. The temples usually included a sauna and a steam bath with hot rocks so that worshipers could purify themselves by sweating,  praying and meditating.  The steps to the shrines are very tiny, with little room for the average adult  foot.  Historians believe that the steps are small so that the worshipers were forced to walk sideways and not look  the priest in the face, which is a sign of disrespect.  My favorite part of San Gervasio is the arched entrance which connects to the nine mile road called Sac Bey or white road.  The Maya walked the road to reach the shrine by moonlight, when it was cooler.  The arch is about five feet tall and dates from 1200-1650 AD.  Mexican women still visit Ixchel’s shrine today. You’ll find flowers, coins and incense left as offerings in a small box in front of the altar.

Archway entrance to Sac Bey

San Gervasio

77600 Cozumel QR

$6.75 entrance fee

Allow an hour for touring, bring water and bug repellent, don’t wear flip flops or unsturdy sandals

Photos by Rosalind Cummings-Yeates

The Dali Museum, on St. Petersburg's Bayboro Harbor

“The Dali” is home to the world’s most comprehensive collection of the renowned Spanish artist’s work. Compiled by the A. Reynolds Morse and Eleanor Morse over a 45-year period, it is celebrated for its 96 oil paintings, Impressionist and Cubist works from his early period, abstract work from his transition to Surrealism, the famous surrealist canvases for which he is best known, and examples from his classic period.

Salvadore Dali

Until 1971, the Morses displayed their entire Dali collection in their Cleveland home. When they agreed to loan over 200 pieces to a New York retrospective in 1965, they realized the collection deserved a home of its own. The first Dalí Museum was built adjacent to their Injection Molding Supply Company office building in Beachwood, Ohio. It opened amid great fanfare in 1971, with Dalí himself presiding over the opening, but the collection quickly outgrew its new home.

As they began a nationwide search for a permanent home, the Morses offered to donate the entire multi-million dollar collection to any museum willing to keep all of the artwork and archival material intact to preserve the collection’s historical integrity. Although several institutions were interested in receiving the works, no museum came forward to accept the gift on those terms.

The Wall Street Journal reported the unusual situation on January 18, 1980 in an article titled; “U.S. Art World Dillydallies Over Dalis.” A St. Petersburg, Florida attorney read the article and convinced community leaders to contact the Morses with the bold idea that the collection belonged in St. Petersburg. As a result, the Morses visited St. Petersburg and eventually agreed to donate the collection for benefit of the people of the State of Florida. The location on Bayboro Harbor was selected by Mr. Morse in part for its resemblance to Cadaqués, Dali’s childhood home on the Mediterranean Sea.

In "The Explosion," Dali applies the theory of nuclear physics to his concept of the relativity of time

The Dali Museum, located at 1000 Third Street South in St. Petersburg, is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and on Monday from noon to 5:30 p.m. Each Thursday, the museum stays open until 8 p.m. for “Dali After Dark” and charges only $5 admission after 5 p.m. Regular admission is $17 ($14.50 for seniors 65+, $12 for students, $4 for children ages 5 to 9, and free for children under 5).

Photo credits: Exterior by Barbara Weibel; Dali portrait and painting courtesy of The Dali Museum

Article by Barbara Weibel at Hole In The Donut Travels

Family Day at Minneapolis Institute of Arts

The biggest draw at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts currently may be its special exhibit, The Louvre and the Masterpiece, which features several pieces from the Louvre, but for families wishing to visit the museum, I’ll offer another reason to go to MIA: the free Family Day programs at the museum.

Held on one Sunday each month, each Family Day is based on a theme that incorporates art from the museum, arts and crafts projects, performances, and more that build a entire day of family-friendly activities upon the arts theme.  A few years ago, we attended the “Horses” Family Day and completed a scavenger hunt of horses hiding in the museum’s art as well as learning to gallop and canter, with a whole range of activities in between.

The most recent family day was entitled “Art Smart” and was related to the special Louvre exhibit at the museum.  Throughout the afternoon, my children engaged in a variety of activities that brought the Louvre exhibit to life.  They made projects like a model of the pyramid entrance to the Louvre and decorative plates like those found in the exhibit.  They listened to French cafe music as well as opera pieces that were related to the artwork in the exhibition.  They learned how to draw like the masters and to speak a nice little bit of French while learning that the Mona Lisa has another name in France.  All the while, we were wandering the halls of the museum, seeing Impressionist paintings and Chinese pieces, textiles and Arts and Crafts furnishings, and all of the other artwork that was in the Institute.

The best thing is that the Family Day made the Minneapolis Institute of Arts a fun place to visit.  My children didn’t realize how much they were learning about art on their visit; they merely thought that they were having a great time.  Family Day activities are well-thought-out to make art accessible to everyone, including children.

Minneapolis Institute of Arts

2400 Third Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN
888-MIA-ARTS

Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday 10-5; Thursday 10-9; Sunday 11-5.

Daily Admission and Family Days are free; there is a charge for the special Louvre exhibition.

Photo credits: minnemom on flickr

Linda (minnemom) explores Minnesota and beyond and writes about her family’s adventures at Travels with Children.

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