Growing up, I spent many summers with my grandparents' in their vacation home in Cumberland, Ohio. Don't misunderstand me, when I say vacation home, I'm not talking about a lake house or mountain retreat.   Just a quaint home, in a small town, two hours south of their home, but near my aunt and cousins so they could relax and visit family.  Much of their time was spent tinkering around the house, hunting for bargains at garage sales or fishing.  In the evenings, we'd sit on the front porch and watch the rise and fall of "The Big Muskie" across the hillside.  Once it was dark, we'd sit on the upstairs porch and watch for shooting stars.  The Big Muskie, the largest dragline ever made and one of the seven engineering wonders of the world, was a famous landmark in those parts for nearly 30 years and still is, even though it's no longer operational and dismantled.  The Muskie would run around the clock, scooping thousands of pounds of earth with each scoop.  The land that the Big Muskie mined is owned by AEP Ohio, and in an effort to reclaim the land, the power company donated nearly 10,000 acres of land to waht is now called, The Wilds. 

Today, that land has been transformed into North America's larges animal conservation center for endangered species!  Visitors to The Wilds can choose from several tour options that will take you on a guided 'safari' bus that will entertain and educate all members of your family, young and old.  You may see over 25 species of rare and endangered animals native to Africa, Asia and Northern America which include Rhinos, Giraffes, Zebras, Oryx, Bactrain camels, Pizewalskis Horse, Onager, Bison, Red-crowned Crane and more.  We last visited two years ago and they were completing a new carnivore section that I can't wait to tour!  The tour guides are all friendly and knowledgeable and make frequent stops for you to view the animals and snap photos from the safety of the bus. 

After you've enjoyed a leisurely tour on the busy, viewed the educational displays, and strolled throught the gift shop, you may be hungry and chose to eat at the on-site restaurant or travel to the nearby Miner's Memorial Park for a picnic lunch.  Here you will see all that remains of the Big Muskie, the enormous bucket that in the course of service, moved twice the amount of earth that was moved when constructing the Panama Canal.  You can see up close why it was such an impressive feature to the landscape for so many years.  You'll be astaounded at the massive size of the bucket, nearly as large as a 12 car garage.  An entire school marching band once posed inside for a photograph.  You will also understand how I could watch it night after night from miles away when I was young.               

© 2009 Tonya Prater/Homeschooling…Live the Adventure

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Nestled just east of the Columbus Metropolitan Library in downtown Columbus is the one of a kind, unique interpretation of Georges Seurat’s post impressionist painting, A Sunday Afternoon on the Isle of La Grand Jatte, located in the Topiary Park in Old Deaf School Park. This unique park boasts the only known topiary garden that is based on a work of art. As you stroll through the park, you will find yourself stepping directly into a beautiful landscape that is comprised of meticulously cared for living sculptures that consist of 54 people, eight boats, three dogs, a cat and even a monkey.

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It's hard to believe that winter is coming to an end and March is just around the corner!  The temperatures outside today nearly felt like spring.  Though the sky was a bit overcast, and it appeared rain was on the horizon, we couldn't resist taking a break from packing to enjoy a quick walk through Fowler Woods State Nature Preserve.

Located about 20 minutes north of Mansfield, Fowler Woods is one destination that you won't want to miss when the wildflowers begin to bloom.  It is said to be one of the best places in Ohio to view the spring wildflowers.  But no matter what time of year you choose to visit, if you look closely, your walk is sure to be full of surprises! 

We briefly experienced a pang of disappointment when we pulled into the parking lot and read the sign that said No Pets!  We were looking forward to walking with our puppy and felt so terrible leaving him behind!  I tried to convince myself that No Pets really meant, only if other people were there.  Since our vehicle was the only one, I reasoned that it would be okay to take him with us. My husband encouraged me to read the sign again and put the dog in the car.  So, we put our disappointed puppy back in the car and knew that was the right thing.  Rules are rules. 

One thing we love about this nature preserve, is that the entire 1 1/4 mile trail is a broadwalk so it is easily accecessible for strollers and wheelchairs. The only problem with the broadwalk is that it has become slightly moss covered which leads to some really treacherous, slippery conditions when damp or wet.  The kiosk does have a sign warning visitors of the slippery walkway.

We hadn't been on the trail long when my son spotted a possum!  It took our eyes a bit to find him in the woods, so by the time I was ready to snap a picture, the little guy had already scampered away.  The kids wanted to chase him so they could watch him play dead, but lucky for him he had already disappeared by the time they had that bright idea...

We continued to the observation tower that overlooked a swampy area. After we had spotted one forest dweller, I was hopeful that we would see more.  I really didn't need to be optimistic about that prospect, my daughter hasn't really learned how to be quiet while we're hiking yet. We tease her that instead of allowing us to enjoy nature, she scares it all away! 

On a final note, you should be aware that the nature preserve does not have any restroom facilities on the premises, so go before you go!  Also, remember that I mentioned the walkway can be slippery in damp conditions? It began to rain while we were on the last leg of the trail, so my husband decided to race my boys back to the vehicle.  Boy2 had no desire to let his "old man" beat him, so he turned a corner without slowing down and wiped out!  Determined to win, he was up in a flash, back on his feet and passed his Dad just in the nick of time! After winning, he sat down to nurse his wounds! So, just remember, Slippery When Wet and be cautious! 

© 2009 Tonya Prater/Homeschooling…Live the Adventure

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As spring approaches, it becomes very difficult for me to stay inside and stay focused on school.  I prefer to take advantage of all the awesome places we have around us to learn from and take an impromtu field trip every now and then. Today was one of the days when we just had to get out of the house and experience some of the world around us.  We chose to drive about an hour to the Cleveland Museum of Art and check out their newly reopened exhibits.  Located on University Drive, the museum is located near the Botanical Gardens, Museum of Natural History and Case Western Reserve University. Parking on the street can sometimes be a bit difficult to come by, so you may want to take advantage of the parking garage that adjoins the museum. The art museum has been undergoing major renovations for the past 3 1/2 years, with construction scheduled to continue until 2012.  However, they have reopened 19 galleries displaying over 900 objects of art for the public to enjoy.  One of the top art museums in the country, the museum offers free general admission everyday, so it is a very affordable outing for families.  There is a charge for special or traveling exhibits. Even though you won't be able to fully experience the museum until renovations are completed, each member of your family is sure to find some aspect of the collection intriguing and you won't be disappointed by the trip.  Both of my boys loved the Armor Court, my daughter, Chelsea, enjoyed viewing the pieces from the Chelsea Porcelain Factory- and now wants to become a collector, my husband enjoyed the European Art of Faberge' and I loved it all!   I was excited to see works from many of the artists we've studied in the past, including Joseph Mallord William Turner, Winslow Homer and Benjamin West. 

I don't really "teach" the kids while at the museum.  I may point out pieces of special interest or something that I see that I think they may enjoy.  I also may ask the kids for an opinion on a piece of art.  But primarily, I want them to experience the museum.  I want them to notice what appeals to them, I don't want to influence that decision by something I may say. When they were younger, I once prepared a scavenger hunt for them but I was disappointed by the outcome when I realized that they hunted just for the item on the list and seemed to glance over everything else. 

On the way home from the museum, we did discuss what they saw, we compared the subject matter between the American artists and European artists and how that changed over time. We discussed the size of the paintings and how large some of them are- you really don't realize that the artworks are not 8" x 10" or smaller as they appear when you look in a book. In the past we've used some wonderful books as resources during our art studies, which have helped to make my children and myself to become pretty observant.  These have included the Come Look With Me series by Gladys S. Blizzard, the Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists series by Mike Venezia, Linnea in Monet's Garden by Christina Bjork and more currently, What Makes a Degas a Degas and others in the series by Richard Muhlberger.

At home, my husband asked my chiildren to sketch someplace that we have traveled to and paint it on canvas with our oil paints.  They were also required to create a page for their notebooks about our day at the museum.  

The CMA was a great break for today, and I have a feeling I'll be ready for another break over the summer (yes, we school year round)  when the Impressionist pieces return to the museum. So, if you happen to live in or near Northeast Ohio and you've never discovered this treasure, you may want to plan your visit now! 

***Warning: No different from any other art museum, you will find some nudity sprinkled throughout CMA.  In the current exhibits, there were several paintings and sculptures that showed the naked or partially naked human body.  I do not like for my children to be exposed to nudity even in an "artistic" setting, but they are at the age now to turn there head and not continue looking if it is not appropriate.  That does not mean that I would turn them loose and allow them to roam the museum without me. If CMA were a contemporary art musuem, I would be much more inclined to peruse the exhibits before visiting with my children or calling the museum to inquire about the exhibits on display. Although there was some nudity at the CMA and I may not be thrilled by some of the art or sculptures that are on display, I didn't see anything in the galleries that truly offended me.      

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One of the places we often enjoy while we are home is Lowe Volk Park  near Galion, Ohio.  The Lowe Volk Park was once settled by Indians.  It may also have been where Colonel Crawford was captured by the Deleware during the Battle of Olentangy. He was tortured and burned at the stake in Wyandot County. You will be able to read briefly about the battle at the park.   Today, you will find walking trails, a lake to fish in, rivers to play in and a wonderful nature center to explore while visiting Lowe-Volk Park. 

While experiencing warm (almost 60 degree) February temperatures, we were tempted to get out of the house and into the outdoors.  We have had a ton of snow melt and quite a bit of rain over the past week, so we decided to go to Lowe-Volk Park because they have now built a broadwalk along some of the trails.  We didn't think it would be quite as muddy as some other locations we normally hike.  Not only is there a broadwalk along part of a trail, there is now a new sidewalk leading into the woods.  In warmer temperatures,  we would take a quick walk to the beginning of the Sandusky River and allow the kids to play in the water.  But not only was the water cold, the river was very swollen and the current was moving extremely quickly.  Even though our kids are or almost are teens, we did not allow them to get too close...too frightening for me.

Continuing along the path, and at the end of the broadwalk, it began to sprinkle on us and the trail became very muddy and slippery.  We had to slow down so we didn't slip and fall in the mud. At times the trail was completely covered with water so we had to walk around it or in my daughter's case, go through it. This walk reminded me or our first real tent camping trip with the kids.  They were all in Kindergarden or younger and we had gone to Deer Creek Park for several days.  It had been a very rainy week. We stayed inside our tent while listening to a  thunderstorm outside and water began to flow inside.  The kids couldn't walk anywhere without splattering mud all over themselves and each other, and at that point, they hated to be dirty!  Between trips to the bathhouse to clean off the mud and trying to keep the water out of the tent, we were exhausted.  We finally cut our trip short because we just couldn't stand the mess!  That poor tent never did come clean...to this day it's still splattered with mud stains!     

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