The Children’s Museum of the Treasure Coast

The Children’s Museum of the Treasure Coast is located in Indian Riverside Park. You can easily spend a day at the museum, then play on the beach and in the fountains.

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The kids loved the pet vet exhibit.

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The building room.

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The body exhibit.

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The giant play ship!

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Publix shopping exhibit.

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They played for hours and then some. Another day well spent.

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Children’s Museum of Atlanta

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The Atlanta Children’s Museum is located in downtown Atlanta just down the street from the Georgia Aquarium and Coca Cola. We parked in a parking garage across the street and walked our way in and then purchased tickets for about $14 each. There are many permanent exhibits as well as an array of hands on programs throughout the day. One program we were able to participate in was a science class where they demonstrated how electricity moves through circuits using a van de graafft generator.

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You know, that machine that makes your hair stand up? IMG_0056_3

Next we visited the Let Your Creativity Flow exhibit where you can build sand scupltures and put them on display.

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Here you can even paint on the walls!

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In the Leaping Into Learning exhibit, children enter a forest where they can cast their rods and catch colorful fish and even go under a waterfall without getting wet.  My nephew loved catching fish and playing with nets in the water.

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The overall favorite was definitely the Tools for Solutions exhibit.

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20140317-122501.jpg We spent a lot of time working the crane.IMG_0043_3 IMG_0048_2They had to move the balls through the unit with simple machines using creative thinking and teamwork. They played here for hours. Other programming includes story time, music and motion, and crafts shown here below.

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Another fun area was the Publix delivery truck, loading dock and store.IMG_0005_3 IMG_0006_2Options for play seemed endless.The Museum also hosts special programs such as Home School Days, Summer Camps, Meet the Holidays (events where kids celebrate holidays from around the world), as well as opportunities for children on the Autism Spectrum during early hours and rental rooms and packages for birthday parties.

20140317-122129.jpgWe will definitely be making a return trip next time we’re in town.

Children’s Museum of Atlanta

childrens museum entrancechildrens museum interior cropped

The Atlanta Children’s Museum is located in downtown Atlanta just down the street from the Georgia Aquarium and Coca Cola. We parked in a parking garage across the street and walked our way in and then purchased tickets for about $14 each. There are many permanent exhibits as well as an array of hands on programs throughout the day. One program we were able to participate in was a science class where they demonstrated how electricity moves through circuits using a van de graafft generator.

20140317-122335.jpg

You know, that machine that makes your hair stand up? IMG_0056_3

Next we visited the Let Your Creativity Flow exhibit where you can build sand scupltures and put them on display.

IMG_0064_3IMG_0034

20140317-122526.jpg 20140317-122543.jpg

IMG_0066

IMG_0032_2

Here you can even paint on the walls!

20140317-122001.jpg 20140317-121923.jpg

In the Leaping Into Learning exhibit, children enter a forest where they can cast their rods and catch colorful fish and even go under a waterfall without getting wet.  My nephew loved catching fish and playing with nets in the water.

20140317-122431.jpg 20140317-122413.jpg

The overall favorite was definitely the Tools for Solutions exhibit.

20140317-122353.jpg

20140317-122501.jpg We spent a lot of time working the crane.IMG_0043_3 IMG_0048_2They had to move the balls through the unit with simple machines using creative thinking and teamwork. They played here for hours. Other programming includes story time, music and motion, and crafts shown here below.

IMG_0050_2

Another fun area was the Publix delivery truck, loading dock and store.IMG_0005_3 IMG_0006_2Options for play seemed endless.The Museum also hosts special programs such as Home School Days, Summer Camps, Meet the Holidays (events where kids celebrate holidays from around the world), as well as opportunities for children on the Autism Spectrum during early hours and rental rooms and packages for birthday parties.

20140317-122129.jpgWe will definitely be making a return trip next time we’re in town.

The Wonder of Cupcakes

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I love pouring over beautiful images on glossy screens, don’t get me wrong, but rolling out colorful fondant, calmly pinching up sanding sugar and dusting it keenly atop my own confectionary creation was a much needed escape from my keyboards. I traveled away from my ordinary day just down the road to this magical place, the county fair, and I met wonder there.

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Fair! - 42

Revisiting St Augustine

We are a family who homeschooled for 20 years. Though both my girls have now graduated High School and are in college, I have never outgrown the lure of adventure that awaits someplace that we haven’t yet explored. I also enjoy revisiting places that held great memories, either by taking a return trip or via a walk down memory lane in photos.

Today is a photo trip : )

Castillo De San Marcos

Did you know that St. Augustine is the oldest city in the nation? It was founded on September 8th,1565 which was 42 years before Jamestown and 55 years before Plymouth. Next year, 2015, will mark the 450th anniversary of this Spanish settlement. The city is already gearing up for a big celebration.20140302-173130.jpgThe “Old City” is home to the national monument of Castillo De SanMarco. It also boasts the oldest wood school house in the USA, now conveniently located near an ice cream shop.

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The St. Augustine Light Station tour included a trip to the top of the lighthouse and some nautical hands-on exhibits on the grounds around the lighthouse.

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Mostly though, we just enjoyed time away with the family that weekend.

20140303-120713.jpgJeff and girls st augustine

Throwback Thursday: Revisiting St Augustine

We are a family who homeschooled for 20 years. Though both my girls have now graduated High School and are in college, I have never outgrown the lure of adventure that awaits someplace that we haven’t yet explored. I also enjoy revisiting places that held great memories, either by taking a return trip or via a walk down memory lane in photos.

Today is a photo trip : )

Castillo De San Marcos

Did you know that St. Augustine is the oldest city in the nation? It was founded on September 8th,1565 which was 42 years before Jamestown and 55 years before Plymouth. Next year, 2015, will mark the 450th anniversary of this Spanish settlement. The city is already gearing up for a big celebration.20140302-173130.jpgThe “Old City” is home to the national monument of Castillo De SanMarco. It also boasts the oldest wood school house in the USA, now conveniently located near an ice cream shop.

20140303-120536.jpg

The St. Augustine Light Station tour included a trip to the top of the lighthouse and some nautical hands-on exhibits on the grounds around the lighthouse.

St Augustine Light House20140303-120919.jpg

Mostly though, we just enjoyed time away with the family that weekend.

20140303-120713.jpgJeff and girls st augustine

Life Aboard the Nina and Pinta

What was life like on Columbus’s ships?

One of these things is not like the other. Clearly this vessel stands out in the marina and so it should. It is a replica of Christopher Columbus’ vessel the Nina. In 1492, as you may recall, the Nina was one of the three famed sister ships that lay claim to the discovery of the Americas over 500 years ago.

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Where can you visit a replica of Nina and Pinta?

Replicas of the Nina and Pinta tour the country 11 months out of the year and draw a crowd wherever they are in port. This month, we were fortunate to have them dock on our coast in Stuart, Fl.

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There is an entrance fee of $8 for adults. For children aged 4 – 16, the cost is $6, and children aged 4 and under are free. We found parking was limited in the marina, especially on the weekends, so we parked across the street in Downtown Stuart by the Pelican Restaurant. From there we walked under the bridge via Stuart’s Riverwalk and went across to the Sunset Bay Marina.

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What ship did Columbus return home on?

The Nina is the most historically accurate Columbus replica ship ever built. The original Nina made the entire voyage and was the ship that carried Columbus safely home.

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How big were Columbus’s ships?

One of the things that struck us the most was how SMALL these ships were compared to modern ships. You can see how they sized up compared to a yacht and tug boat docked next door. The originals were 15 feet longer and 6 feet wider, but still nothing compared to the size of a modern day cruise ship. A lot has changed in 500 years!

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The Pinta returned home from the original voyage and disappeared from history without a trace until she was revived through her replica by The Columbus Foundation. She was 85 feet long and weighed 100 tons.

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You can view the port schedule to see when and where they will visit throughout the year.

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For us, an afternoon spent aboard the Nina and Pinta,

and exploring a nearby park

followed by a walk on the dock

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and some ice-cream at Kilwins, was definitely a day well spent.

Tara and Mama at Kilwins