Letter Art- Camden, Maine

While waiting on lobster rolls (YUM!) at a sidewalk cafe called Fresh in Camden, Maine, we played a street art game with our kids.  We tried to find as many letters as we could capture with our camera using only the objects we could see from our table. (This was one of the many travel games we played to entertain the troops last year.)

Needless to say, the beautiful fall day inspired our imaginations.

Here is one of our compositions from our Letter Art: Can you guess what it spells?

The Ben Franklin Institute - Ultimate Field Trip

Flashback Friday!  Fridays are for remembering people and places I forgot...

 The Ben Franklin Institute was hands-down the best museum we visited all year (and we visited a lot!)  Parents and kids alike agreed it had the most interesting hands-on exhibits and experiments.

We began in the Earth room (not sure if this was the official name of this room, but its exhibits were all about the Earth so...).  We tried experiments with global warming, erosion, the atmosphere, and weather, which led us to Franklin's famous investigations with lightning and electricity.

Greg shocked at the many hands on experiments.

Ben, ever curious, stood in the rain with a kite and key on a string and shocked himself and his son repeatedly for science.  His discovery of the electrical relationship between lightning and the earth led to one of his inventions, the lightning rod.  At the Institute, they have recreations of his famous electricity work and even have a tool that allowed us to shock ourselves just like Ben.  Turned out, being shocked hurt just like I remembered.  Thanks, Ben.

Coincidentally, the room next to the electricity room was the human body room.  We went straight through the gigantic heart to see the damage we might have done with our repeated shocks.  (Luckily, no permanent damage was found.)  We did test every part of our bodies from stamina and muscle function to brain challenges and sensory skills.  We loved this room!  The Institute further enhanced our visit with scientists and teachers set up throughout the room assisting and explaining each area of the body.  Wyatt loved the brain studies and Anabel loved the emergency room doctor simulation.  Emma's favorite was the open heart surgery demonstration... there was a patient laid out on a operating table with his chest open to a video screen showing an actual heart surgery.  Pretty cool!

The aeronautics room contained demonstrations of flight with simulators available for an additional fee. The experiments with air showed us how lift and thrust affect flight.

This ultimate family field trip museum offered IMAX movies, planetarium shows and many classes to further your education and enjoyment of science- the exact things Ben Franklin loved.  Our only problem with our visit was there wasn't enough time to do it all.  As we left the museum for our walk to Independence Hall on a beautiful fall day in Philadelphia, Wyatt begged to return to the Institute.  That was an easy promise to make.  We can't wait to return to Philadelphia and the Franklin Institute.

Lieutenant Dan Weekend- Beaufort, SC

Before embarking on our east coast journey last year, we had the privilege of honoring our nation's wounded warriors during Beaufort's Lt. Dan Weekend with Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band.  This annual event raises money for the Independence Fund, which helps severely wounded veterans purchase equipment to make their lives a little easier. Gary Sinise participates in special events all weekend ranging from the Lt. Dan 5K run to a Veteran's Parade with all events culminating with the Lt. Dan Band Concert on Saturday night.

The concert at Beaufort's Waterfront Park was the perfect first live music experience for the kids.  All three rocked it out.  The concert opened with local scenes from the 1994 movie Forrest Gump.  Beaufort's streets and waterways are shown throughout the film with the Vietnam scenes with Gary Sinise as Lt. Dan shot on our own Fripp Island. The character of Lt. Dan was severely wounded in Vietnam and after playing the role, Gary Sinise has felt a strong commitment to raising money and awareness for veterans like Lt. Dan. “The role [of Lt. Dan] means something to people. It means something to disabled veterans,” said Sinise. “It’s a good feeling to know you can play a part in a movie and have it make a difference. I have great respect for our veterans. We don’t want our warriors to fall through the cracks.”  Read more: http://www.dvidshub.net/news/95053/lt-dan-weekend-wounded-veterans#.UF0zikKYXWE#ixzz27AOXRYeL  Then, Sinise and his band took the stage and jammed for two hours.  During the show, he brought injured veterans and their families on the stage to recognize for their bravery and award them with special vacations to relax and get to know each other again after their recovery.  It was a beautiful night.

Worn out from her first concert

iBot Chair in action on the golf course.

Last Spring, Greg took the kids to see some of the good work the Lt. Dan Weekend and other fundraisers provided.  The Independence Fund held the Wounded Warriors Golf Week in the Beaufort area demonstrating the wonderful capabilities of the iBot chair, which enables people who no longer have use of their legs to stand and perform many actions including playing golf.  Greg and the kids applauded as the wounded veteran hit a gorgeous tee shot down the middle of the fairway.  How often do you get to attend a fun fundraiser and see a demonstration of funds at work in the same year?

Back in Beaufort County this week, we saw all the preparations for the Independence Fund's local shindig.  I am so pleased that our adopted hometown folks rally around such a great cause! If you're planning a getaway for next year, plan on a great time with great folks and music in Beaufort for Lt. Dan Weekend 4.  If you are interested in the work of the Independence Fund, please visit their website: Independence Fund.

Disney's Epcot- The World in a Nutshell

Disney exhaustion crept into our room while we slept leaving swollen feet, creaks in our bones and sleep in our eyes that water couldn't wash away.  We paid more than ninety bucks each for our long day at the Magic Kingdom.  We paid in blisters, bruises and general crankiness from lack of sleep.  After a couple of short tempered comments between the kids, I rallied the troops, "We're at Disney World!  This is our last day here!  We'll have plenty of time to sleep tonight and the night after that...  Let's not ruin the wonderful place by being in a bad mood.  Let's go have some fun at Epcot!"  One of the greatest qualities about our children is that usually if we reason with them - take the time to explain the situation or the whys about something- they are with us.  As we bustle along through life, I sometimes forget this and just drag them behind me without explaining things to them.  Our constant companionship this year has taught me the benefits of stopping and explaining to our kids.


With a new outlook on our last day, we marched out of our room and headed for the Epcot bus. (Another benefit of staying at a Disney Resort is the transport system.  Once you check-in you need not drive again until check-out.  Disney's buses and trains will take you anywhere you need to be.)  


Epcot was one of Walt Disney's last projects and held many of his hopes and dreams for the future.  EPCOT stands for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow.  Disney essentially wanted a permanent world's fair that showcased all the latest in technology and science along with introducing people to cultures from around the world.  Perusing a map of Epcot as we walked in the gates, I could see he succeeded: Divided into two main sections, Future World and World Showcase, a walk around the entire park took us from learning of our human past in the giant iconic center globe, to understanding the world of energy with Ellen Degeneras and Bill Nye the Science Guy, to innovations in technology with hands-on experiments for kids to try.  

Crossing over the lagoon to the World Showcase area we entered our southern neighbor, Mexico.  Our stomachs began to rumble as we passed stand after stand of each country's authentic food- Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy.  We sampled a little taste in each country: an egg roll and tea in China, a frankfurter, kraut and beer in Germany.  By the time we made it to America's replica of Independence Hall at the center of the lagoon, we were really hungry and headed for the Japanese counter service.  Each country in the world showcase has at least two restaurants: one formal, table service and one counter service.  Both serve fantastic food, but the table service will be more expensive but refined, quiet, and relaxing- greatly needed after a day of walking the park.  I always make a reservation for one table service meal while at Disney so that our family is guaranteed one hour of air-conditioned rest, but we were saving that for later in the evening.  We had a fantastic lunch at Japan's counter service restaurant enjoying sushi, teriyaki chicken and some kind of udon pie with onions and a delicious plum sauce.  


When I was a child the world showcase area had little to offer children.  My brother and I would walk through and listen to our parents oooh and aaahhh over the recreations of places they had traveled in Europe or North America.  We would quickly discover that there were no rides (Norway's Maelstrom wasn't there yet), get bored, and want to go back to Future World, or better yet, the Magic Kingdom.

Luckily, Disney's Imagineers stepped in and created activities for the kids to have fun and learn about the different cultures in world showcase at the same time.  Kidcot, geared for kids ages 3-10, are stops within each country that kids have to locate and get a stamp on Mickey's travel bear,  Duffy, whom they are given at the first Kidcot Fun Stop.  There are also arts and crafts from that country to tryout and a place to sit and talk to someone from another culture.  Kidcots are usually located in a corner of the gift shop so parents can shop while the kids craft.

Kidcots are fun, but the greatest activity Epcot created to engage children within the countries is Agent P's Secret Missions.  Formerly, Kim Possible Missions, the new missions of Phineas and Ferb's Perry the Platypus take children of all ages around one country searching for clues to end Doctor Doofenschmirtz's evil plan.  Speaking as a big kid myself, these are the coolest things to help kids have fun exploring the different nations.  The Imagineers incorporated monuments or icons from each country to help the kids learn while saving the world.

"Karl! He works the camera!
Karl! He knows what all these buttons do!

Our kids picked up their first mission at a little cart stand outside of Germany.  They scanned our park ticket and handed us a cell phone.  Opening the phone, we were greeted by Major Monogram telling us about our mission, then Karl took over to direct us to our first assignment: finding a particular building in Germany.  Our kids were in hot pursuit.  Greg and I relaxed outside on the not too crowded nor too hot day and watched the kids run from spot to spot in Germany only to stop, look, listen and then run searching for the next German artifact.  These missions were phenomenal ways to engage the kids by using teamwork and critical thinking skill to solve a problem.  Having taught critical thinking skills for fifteen years and just published a book with the Critical Thinking Company, I felt qualified to recognize a wonderful, educational activity.  Great Work, Disney!  Our kids came back to us laughing about having thwarted Doofenschmirtz once again...and they got to see a woman chasing him around a coo-coo clock!  Before these missions, our kids had an "intense, burning indifference" to Epcot much like Dr. Doofenschmirz's feelings toward Christmas, but now it is their second favorite park.

After successfully completing another mission in Japan, it was time to head to Soarin' to use our fast pass tickets I had snagged upon entering the park.  Soarin', in the Land section of Future World, is a high flying simulated ride over California.  While tons of fun, there is always a long line.  I highly recommend getting fast passes for this as soon as you get to the park.  While in the Land, we also rode the Through the Land.  This boat ride took us through different regions of the world and showed how farmers plant and grow food for our world.  The ride ends with a trip through the experimental greenhouses of Disney's scientists.  You can see pumpkins growing in the air, tomatoes growing on trees, hydroponic systems and sand used for soil.  The ride was a great learning experience for our kids to see ways food go from farm to table.  Most of the food grown in the greenhouses were used in the Land's restaurant, The Garden Grill.

We enjoyed visiting Nemo and Friends in the Sea and checked out Figment in the Land of Imagination, but I experienced my first Disney disappointment in Imagination's theater.  For some unfathomable reason, Disney brought back Michael Jackson's ridiculous short film, Captain Eo.  It is supposed to be in the future in some outer space world, but it is so stuck in the Eighties it is painful to watch.  In the interest of full disclosure, I am from the Eighties.  I still love big hair, spandex and rock music.  I even like synchronized dancing, but this went beyond my tolerance limits.  Michael Jackson's bad acting while screaming at bad special effects' creatures put me over the edge.  I hate to admit it, but I got my girls and left.  We didn't want to miss meeting Belle in France to see Michael Jackson grab his crotch to romance an alien princess.  Sorry, Michael, wherever you are.

Happily in France, we sipped wine and sampled pastries while the kids completed another Agent P mission.  We sauntered down to Great Britain to hear great British music and laughed at the scaled down version of London.  We decided Disney needed to add more fake dirt and coal dust to make it look more authentic.

We ended our evening with a delicious authentic Mexican meal at the San Angel Hacienda inside the giant Mayan temple.  If the Mayan predictions of the world ending in 2012 come true, our family could not have spent our final months any better.  We toasted to our last night at Disney, to the end of our incredible family sabbatical and finally, to our return home.  All was well...

Disney's Magic Kingdom- My Magical Secret Tips

A Man with a Dream

The Magic Kingdom really is the "Happiest Place on Earth."  I say that without ceremony or fanfare because I am just stating a fact.  No other place can you see smiling faces while waiting in line with thousands of people in one hundred degree heat.  No other location has patrons spending hundreds of dollars for stuffed animals, princess costumes or mouse ears with wide-toothed grins.  The magic of the Magic Kingdom is, as corny as it sounds, that everyone feels like a kid.  You forget your troubles and worries.  All thoughts of budgets, bills and balancing checkbooks fly out the window while riding Peter Pan's flight.  Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom is a real world manifestation of J.M. Barrie's Neverland.  Inside the park, no one ever grows up.  I know there are those who would beg to differ, but I think even the most hard-nosed adult must admit to the rush of adrenaline at the first site of the castle as he enters Main Street, USA.

Our whole family was fit to be tied as we caught our first glimpse of Cinderella's Castle.  Though Disney has many photographers stationed along the main street to capture that moment for each family, we opted to take our own photo of just the kids.  As I was positioning the children on the crowded street, a kind Disney cast member offered to take our whole family's picture.  If this isn't a picture of happiness, I don't know what is:

The secret to staying happy while at Disney World is to have a plan. So many times I have been there and witnessed families aimlessly strolling through the streets.  You can't do that and accomplish much!  We entered with our game on!  For example, Greg and the kids caught the end of a parade while I rushed to Peter Pan's Flight to get our first fast passes of the day. After shooting our five park tickets into the machine and getting five timed entries for later,  I met a lady attempting to get a fast pass who had no idea how they worked.  I explained, "You place your park ticket in the fast pass machine and it gives you a timed ticket for entry to that ride. It is like the ticket is holding your place in line. You may not get another fast pass until the time marked on the pass.  If your return time is over two hours away, it will usually give you an earlier time to get another fast pass."  She stood and stared at me, then asked, "What am I supposed to do until time for me to ride?"  Now it was my time to stare.  I was thinking, "How did you manage to get here in the first place if you don't have more sense than that?"  But I said, with as little sarcasm as I could, "There are many rides that do not have fast passes.  While you are waiting for your time, go ride one of those."  Again, she stared.  With a look that said, "Good Luck!" (I mean, come on!  It's a fast pass not brain surgery!) I left and hurried to meet my family down the hill at the Haunted Mansion where everyone must wait in line... no fast pass entry, but they had a cool, new interactive graveyard to entertain all while waiting in line.

And so our magical day went... Greg and the kids would maneuver to a ride where we had to wait while I ran to get our next fast passes.  By working together and having a plan, we managed to see and do all the major rides and keep our cool, if not stay cool, at the same time.  Emma rode Space Mountain for her first time and lived to brag about it!  (Although she may still be a little hoarse from all her screaming; I know I am still a little deaf from sitting in front of her.)  When we were hot, we ducked in for a show or a cool water ride.  (Pirates of the Caribbean and It's a Small World rides are always refreshing.)

Getting their sassiness on with Tink

Another secret for a fun day at the park is to be flexible.  Don't feel you must all do the same thing.  Case in point: the girls wanted to meet Tinker Bell at the new Pixie Hollow, but Wyatt and Greg had no interest in seeing fairies so they went to ride something while I waited with Anabel and Emma.  Other times, we felt it important to all try something another suggested.  We had never been to the Monster's Inc. Laugh Floor, but Wyatt really wanted to go so we all popped in after the fireworks and laughed till our cheeks hurt.

If you are staying at one of the twenty-one Disney resorts, my final secret tip is to plan your day at the Magic Kingdom for the day with the late night extra magic hours.  During the summer, the Magic Kingdom closes at eleven p.m., but on special nights, it stays open for guests with resort room keys until two in the morning.  We couldn't hang that late, but we did stay until 12:30 to ride several of our favorite rides one more time without any wait.  No fast passes were needed; we just flashed our room keys and hopped in the very short lines.  And the weather was cooler, too!

Tired, but happy kids

With our day in Neverland coming to an end, I began to hear the tick-tock of time chasing us like the alligator stalking Captain Hook.  There is no tired like Disney tired, but even as I fought to put one foot in front of the other to make it back to the hotel I was thinking, "I can't wait to do it all again!" Time to start saving our reward dollars for when the new Fantasyland opens next year... Thank you, Walt Disney, for creating this huge fantasy land for all kids- big and small.  No matter how old we get, we can always be young at heart at the Magic Kingdom.

Disney's Typhoon Lagoon

At Disney World, entertainment surrounds you.  This is true in all four theme parks and in the two water parks.  I can't believe I'm writing this, but Disney even makes waiting in line fun with intricate details layered in the lines as well as the rides.  Every park is a treat to the eyes, if not the feet.

Since we were on a tight budget, we decided to try a water park instead of a third theme park with a one-day ticket being $35 cheaper. (Disney theme parks are $90 and water parks are $55 per adult ticket.)  While Blizzard Beach was the newer of the two water parks, we chose to visit the older Typhoon Lagoon for its tropical ambiance.  (We had been wet and cold in Scotland for three weeks so we did not need nor want the surreal feel of snow at Blizzard Beach in our bathing suits.)

The premise of Typhoon Lagoon is that a massive storm has just blown through the island leaving a boat stranded on top of a volcano and lots of dangerous water rushing down the hillsides.  Every thirty minutes, a whistle blows and the volcano explodes with water spouting through the ship and every ninety seconds, a giant wave crashes in the enormous wave pool.  When we arrived, all the bathers in the wave pool were shouting, "Wave, Wave, Wave!"  Suddenly, a loud boom sounded, followed by a surge of water making the delighted bathers squeal in unison.

Though the pool looked fun, we wanted to get wet with some sharks.  At the Shark Reef, we snorkeled (with sanitized Disney gear) across a 50-foot reef created around an overturned submarine.  The pool contained leopard and bonnet head sharks, stingrays, and other tropical fish.  Emma was a little frightened at first, but once in the water she relaxed and became mesmerized with the fish.  The Shark Reef was a great way to safely introduce our kids to the wonders of underwater life and the thrill of seeing them first hand.  

It was hard to beat swimming with sharks, but we searched for bigger thrills and headed for the water slides.  Greg and Wyatt started with the biggest- HUMUNGA KOWABUNGA!  The two big boys rushed down one of three, 5 story tall, enclosed water slides.  Can you say wedgie?  The girls opted for a smaller start at the three Storm Slides.  These were body slides that twisted and turned through rocky canyons and caves.  Next, we tried the water roller coaster called the Crush-N-Gusher where water actually pushes your raft up hills so you can shoot down another hill.  We took turns riding together and separate so we could experience all three runs.  It was awesome!  Full of thrills, we hopped on a inner tube and floated Castaway Creek, a gentle stream that flows through the park.

After a meal of mediocre amusement park food (hot dogs, BBQ and chicken wraps), we ventured to the other side of the park.  Our kids were too big for Ketchakiddee Creek (a water play area for kids under 48") so we jumped in line for Gang Plank Falls.  This water slide is a family ride with room for four on one float.  Of course, we have five in our family so we had to ride three and two to a raft, but it was still fun.  We quickly rode the next two slides, Mayday Falls and Keelhaul Falls, which were both single person raft rides.  With time to spare before the park closed we returned to the body slides and the water coaster.  Anabel even braved the Humuga Kowabunga!  The whole family voted these the best rides in the park.  We ended our day in the wave pool and squealed with delight when the waves hit just like the first bunch we heard when we arrived.  There's something about big waves that makes everyone scream like a little girl.

To be honest, I was not looking forward to a day of standing in line in a wet bathing suit (I don't know a forty-something woman who would.)  However, I was pleasantly surprised by how much fun we had and I was again thankful that we had taken this retirement year with our kids.  Running up stairs after Emma to our third water slide in a row (where were the lines now so I could stop and breathe?), it hit me that there would be very little chance of me enjoying Typhoon Lagoon in my sixties (or fifties, if I can be really honest.)   Thankfully, I was still in my forties and I had a ball!

A Queen's Life

Is it good to be queen?  I asked the kids this question as we toured two of her royal palaces: Holyroodhouse, her official residence in Scotland and Windsor Castle, her weekend retreat.  Their first response upon seeing the entrances of each was a resounding, YES! 

We visited Holyroodhouse on our last day in Edinburgh.  Beginning with the Queen’s Gallery, we viewed a tiny portion of the Queen’s royal art collection.  From Faberge eggs to Rembrandt portraits, the priceless display boggled the mind.  And this was only a fraction of her treasures!  The audio guide included in the tour gave much detail on each piece making the gallery an excellent art history lesson for all of us.  The tour also had a family activity pack for the children to search the collection for specific pieces like ISpy.  The kids stayed engaged the entire time!

Wyatt on Guard

Next, we entered the palace.  Queen Elizabeth was not in residence at the time so we were allowed in a couple of private quarters, as well as, the formal staterooms.  Room after room, we were amazed at the splendor.  The Grand Gallery, where awards and honors are presented, contained more priceless works of art with portraits of all the Stuart Royal Family, including the most famous Stuart, Mary, Queen of Scots.  But I preferred the personal touch of a little room Emma discovered.  Just off the Grand Gallery, the palace had a small family activity room.  Outfitted like a nursery or playroom, there were royal dress-up clothes, a wooden castle with dolls and furniture, and a large drawing table with coloring sheets of the Queen and her dogs and royal word search puzzles.  I thought this a very nice touch for visiting children and was surprised they thought of such things.  It’s something I would imagine Princess Diana would have done, not the Queen.  Emma tried on clothes while Wyatt and Anabel took a word search for the train ride to Glasgow.

The oldest section of the palace housed the rooms that Mary, Queen of Scots inhabited during her brief stay.  Much to the delight of many, the audio guide described in detail the stabbing of Mary’s secretary in the corner of her antechamber.  A plaque in the room noted the specific location of the killing and the number of stab wounds.  Yikes! Nothing like a brutal murder to get the attention of tourists!  People have been paying to see these rooms for almost 400 years.  Viewing executions and touring murder sites was hot ticket entertainment before horror movies.

We ended our tour with a walk through the gardens.  With the beautiful flowers and the incredible view of Arthur’s Seat, I would have tea in the garden with the Queen daily.

The Royal Standard

From our base in Bath, England, we journeyed to Windsor for the day to tour Windsor Castle; the Queen’s retreat- The oldest inhabited castle is a weekend getaway.  As fantastic as the Palace at Holyroodhouse was, Windsor Castle made it look like the redheaded stepchild (no ginger joke intended.)  At least twice the size and scope of the Scottish palace, Windsor reminded me of the grand old dame, Queen Elizabeth, herself; older, wiser, commanding, and more beautiful with age.  (And her flag was flying showing she was in residence while we were there!)

We began in the castle’s church: St. George’s Cathedral…Another gorgeous Catholic to Anglican cathedral.  How many amazing examples of great architecture can one process during one trip?  I know it sounds awful, but I started going, “Yeah, yeah.  Lovely buttresses.  Yeah, yeah.  More masterfully, stained glass.  Yeah, yeah.”  I was at my art intake limit, but not my limit for history.  Buried here are the great monarchs from Henry VIII, the lady-killer, to King George V who reigned during WWI, the war to end all wars (if only!)  Two tombs fascinated me.  First, the saddest place in the cathedral was Princess Charlotte’s tomb with its shrine to King George IV’s only child who died in childbirth.  The marble monument showed a corpse with one hand extended out from the draped sheet.  Above the dead princess was her soul and stillborn child being carried to heaven by two angels.  Her shrine materialized the pain even a royal family would feel in  the very sad, but very common cause of death in the 19^th century.   Out of a horrible situation came Great Britain’s longest reigning monarch, Queen Victoria, who was next in line after Princess Charlotte’s death.  The second moving crypt was that of Queen Elizabeth II’s family: King George VI, Queen Elizabeth (the queen mum) and Princess Margaret, her party-loving sister.  The tomb moved me because I fell in love with Bertie, her father’s nickname, in The King’s Speech.  (Maybe I just fell for Colin Firth, again.  I don’t know if you noticed this, but I relate my world to the cinema; A casualty of being a film major, I’m afraid.)

Next, we found our way around the cold and windy North Terrace, which we’re told Queen Elizabeth the first added to the castle so she had a sun-proof place to walk.  From here, we entered the official staterooms, after viewing Queen Mary’s mammoth dollhouse.  Anabel and Emma lit up at the sight of the tiny palace rooms and furniture.  All pieces were the real deal.  Artists made tiny copies of their paintings, tables, vases, and silverware. 

The official entrance, where heads of state are greeted, reminded me of the Governor’s Palace in Williamsburg with the massive show of weaponry- guns, swords and knights in armored suits surrounded the room.  We wandered from grandeur to splendor.  And that’s when Anabel said something amazing, “I don’t think I’d want to be queen.  You have all this stuff, but you can never be alone or have a pajama day or go shopping at Harrod’s.”  Well said, daughter.

Maybe it’s not so good to be queen.  I thought about all the regimentation of the Queen’s life.  My over scheduled life was nothing compared to hers over the past 60 years.  I bet she would have liked to take one year off to spend with her kids.  While I would love to be queen for a day, I don’t think I’d take the job permanently.

Going Our Separate Ways

It wasn't too much togetherness that drove us apart; it was irreconcilable differences: Greg and Wyatt wanted to see The Beatles' Liverpool, and the girls and I wanted to see Beatrix Potter's home in the Lake District.  We made a good go of it, but with differences in taste like this we were bound to split up sooner or later.

Starting on the same train for the long day's journey, the girls disembarked at Lancaster to change trains for Windermere while the boys continued onward, to change trains at the next station for Liverpool.  (The National Rail service is amazing and extremely convenient for traveling.  I wish we had rail service like this in America.)  The trip for boys and the girls took around 3.5 hours each way.  We would have loved to share our separate interests with one another, but we only have 9 days of travel on our Brit-rail passes, so we divided and conquered to please all parties.

The girl party arrived in Windermere, England around noon and went directly to hire bikes for the day.  I thought we would have plenty of time to leisurely cycle around town, cross the lake and head up to Beatrix Potter's farm, but discovered that we must have the bikes back by five (so much for leisure.)  I also learned that much of the bike route was uphill and on main roads.  Yikes!  Greg wasn't there to help me decide.  Were the girls up for such a strenuous endeavor?  More unlikely, was I?  What won out was the argument that has guided me all year: when would we have this opportunity again?  On new bikes, we headed out of the train station.

The boy party arrived in Liverpool around one o'clock and headed straight for lunch.  Priorities, you know.  Next, they walked to the famous Cavern, where The Beatles got their start in Liverpool.  Greg felt as though he were on hallowed ground.

Meanwhile, the girls trekked through fields and pastures to the sound of sheep and cows happily grazing.  The UK has a fantastic public trail system that allows anyone the freedom to walk or bike through open pastures and lanes.  Our route took us through private lands that were open for public passage.  Most of the first leg of our journey was downhill and off road so I wasn't worried about Emma biking.  Just before the ferry, we entered the main road and chose to get off our bikes and walk as the cars whizzed by us.  Paying £1 each, we crossed England's largest lake, Windermere, by ferry.  Gorgeous!

After touring the Cavern Club, the boys climbed aboard the Magical Mystery Tour through Liverpool.  The bus ride took them past each Beatle's childhood home and the locations of many of their musical inspirations: Strawberry Fields, Eleanor Rigby's grave, and Penny Lane- complete with its roundabout, bank, and barber shop.  The National Trust now owns Sir Paul McCartney's and John Lennon's childhood homes where the first classic songs were written.

The girls via bikes made their way COMPLETELY UP HILL toward Hill Top Farm in Far Sawrey.  Honestly, I admit I hoped the name of the farm was a clever ruse to confuse tourists from visiting and thereby, preserving the beautiful, untouched countryside.  But alas, it was not.  As we climbed in first gear, only to finally get off and push our bikes up the hill, Anabel said, "She should have named the farm Mountain Top!"  We arrived at Miss Potter's next door pub, Tower Bank Arms, and refueled with an English lunch of soup, ham, and roast beef sandwiches with hot mustard.  Then, it was on to tour Hill Top.

I admit my eyes misted over (or was that more sweat?) when I spotted a rabbit nibbling on grass in the tiny meadow in front of her home.  Anabel was over the moon. She has been a fan since she was tiny and began writing her own Potteresque tales.  Anabel's story called Mrs. Miggins endeared me more to Beatrix Potter than any of Miss Potter's original works.  Any author that inspires a child to write is brilliant in my book!


When we entered the farmhouse, a curator handed each girl her own petite copy of The Tale of Samuel Whiskers and pointed out locations in the home Beatrix Potter had illustrated in the book.  The girls carried their books like they were treasure maps as we strolled from room to room, walking in Miss Potter's footsteps.

Speaking of footsteps, Greg and Wyatt completed their tour back at the Cavern Club where they imagined John, Paul, George and Ringo, young and full of excitement and dreams, playing their way into immortality.  Wyatt summed it up simply, "It was awesome!"

Even the camera was misty over the moving day in Miss Potter's world.

Funny, though we had separate days, that's exactly what the girls said about their outing.  When we compared notes, no one could out do the other to call a clear winner.  The boys felt their inspiring day of being in the birthplace of the greatest rock-n-roll band of all time was the best day any musician could dream.  The girls believed their day biking (over 15 miles!) and sauntering through the land of Peter Rabbit and Jemima Puddleduck was the best day writers could imagine.  Personally, I think we all won.