{travel} Amicalola Falls, GA

We headed back up north for a hike through the Amicalola Falls State Park. We decided on a 2-3 mile loop hike that would take us to the top of the falls and thought it would be a breeze. We normally hike our local 3 mile nature preserve loop in about 45 minutes. 

Apparently, walking up and down a mountain is not really the same. In fact, when we returned to the gift shop we saw that you could buy shirts heralding the fact that you made the trek. That should have been a sign. Our legs were independently shaking on the way down. Is that a thing? Does that have a name? Jiggly mountain leg? Lame-o Floridian limbs? Whatever our weakness, it was worth it!

Seriously, the hike was beautiful and challenging but comfortable too. At the top, near the falls, hikers can visit the lodge which is a hotel but also has a row of comfortable chairs overlooking the valley. There is a sandwich buffet, a gift shop with snacks, bathrooms and water fountains. We lucked out and arrived in time to take in a presentation on owls and birds of prey. We were up close with a barred owl, great horned owl, screech owl, red tailed hawk and black vulture. All of the birds were rescued for various reasons and their stories were fascinating. I especially liked the story of the red tailed hawk who was raised with a flock of ducks and still made duck noises. 

This hike was well worth the morning spent. Afterwards, I wished that we lived closer, as the workout was so great, I could imagine scheduling it into my weekly hiking routine. 

Next time we are going to give the Hike Inn a try. 

There are many waterfall hikes in North Georgia. Do you have a favorite?

{travel} a morning in Dahlonega, Georgia

Today we headed to one of my favorite small, southern, historic towns. Dahlonega , Ga is about an hour north of Atlanta. It was the site of a big gold rush that preceded the more famous ones in California and Alaska. There was even a mint here for a short time. It is also near Amicalola Falls and the head of the Appalachian Trail. The drive in was beautiful with windy roads, lush forests, rolling hills and distant mountains. 

We stopped in town to see a rare river diving bell that was used in gold mining. It was fascinating and made us think about diving bells we have read about when studying Da Vinci and the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge. 

We then continued on to a surprisingly good tour at Consolidated Mines. For $16 for adults and $11 for kids, we were able to pan for gold and go 200 feet into the biggest mine east of the Mississippi. Our tour was so interesting. We learned about the short history of this particular mine and the usually high purity and beauty of Georgia gold. But the most compelling information was about the constant danger that miners faced for wages of about $1 a day. The uninsulated electricity, deafening noise of round the clock drilling and explosives, and toxic exposure to chemicals and dust made me wonder how anyone could do this job. If you did not die from an accident, your health would certainly suffer tremendously. I already had a sense of this with coal miners and had never really thought about gold mining. 

We also learned about the devastating effect that mining has on the earth. Early on, gold nuggets were found laying in the river beds and in the forest. As the mountain eroded over millions of years, the heavy gold worked its way down the mountain. Eventually, the all obvious gold was found and the mining companies decided they could just erode the mountain themselves! They would mimic a process that nature took eons to complete and with a huge hydraulic hose wore down mountains on their own. It was ruinous (and is heavily regulated or banned now).

Later in the day we stopped in the center of town at the Dahlonega Gold Museum which is housed in the oldest courthouse in Georgia. The museum had a few rooms of artifacts related to the gold mining history of the town. To be honest it was a little under impressive until we watched  the 17 minute documentary included the admission. It was well done and included oral histories from old miners who remembered when the mines were a central part of the town's economy.

The downtown of Dahlonega is filled with gift shops, antique stores, outfitters, and cafes. We had a nice lunch at the Crimson Moon Cafe. I ordered an angus burger with a fried green tomato on top and it filled me up for the rest of the day. If I was in town longer I would definitely check out some of the live performances at the Crimson Moon as their programing schedule is impressive. 

If you are in Atlanta or just looking for a southern getaway, I highly recommend Dahlonega. It is quaint, historic, arty and walkable.

Have you spent time in Dahlonega? What was your favorite aspect?

Paris :: Berthillon Glace {best ice cream in the world}

more bits from my time in paris. 

this is the place to get your ice cream. it is world renowned and right behind notre dame. i have been eating ice cream there for nearly 20 years and love the fact that i was able to share it with my children. 

you can sit by the river or on the bridge and watch jazz bands and dogs. just writing about it makes me want to cry and immediately hop back on a plane. 

i can not even muster the energy to capitalize, i am so sad. 

it is magic.

Paris :: marché aux timbres {stamp market}

A big part of the fun of traveling with your kids is that they bring their interests to the voyage and take you to places you might have otherwise overlooked. My daughter collects stamps and one of the first places she wanted to check out was the stamp market right off the Champs Élysées on rue Gabriel (metro :: Franklin Roosevelt or Champs Élysées-Clemenceau). 

What a wonderful little market! There were, of course, stamps that were very expensive and out of reach, but the relaxed atmosphere and displays allowed much browsing. And there were bins of "junk" stamps that could be had 10 or 20 for a euro. A perfect souvenir. 

There were also many old postcards and letters with faded inky script that would be fun to pick up and use to create stories of forgotten lives with. 

From the market we spend some time in a nearby park and then headed up the Champs Élysées, window shopping and macaron eating here. We ended up at the Arc de Triomphe and gave it a climb which was strengthening and worth the 284 steps for the view (which was nothing compared to the 710 steps we hoofed it up on the Eiffel Tower). A perfect little little weekend itinerary!

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Markets of Paris is a wonderful book that I used many times last month. A complete listing of food markets as well as marches aux puces and other interesting markets make this an essential book to bring if you like to wander through stalls. 

{announcing} dispatches from Paris - real mail, from far away

My word this year is FLY and this May we are literally flying to Paris for the month. 

All five of us. 

I worked in Paris several summers and have visited on my own as much as I could, so it is a place I love deeply and yearn for achingly. I can not wait to share some of its quiet secrets with our children. 

I am also "flying" with my ideas, no matter how crazy or off the wall they seem. So, I have decided to offer a letter subscription while I am there. Why? Because I love getting mail and thought you might too! 

What am I offering? A handwritten, photocopied letter from me each week, tucked into a French envelope with a stamp and mailed all the way across the ocean to your mailbox.

I am drawn to low tech forms of communication the more time I spend on the computer. I want to experiment more with mail trades, zine publishing and public art.

I will fill you in on the adventures of my creative family, share some ideas, recipes, resources and probably a few funny stories. You can be sure there will be at least a few bits of ephemera tucked in the letters too. A leaf or feather, maybe a metro ticket or found grocery list - what ever presents itself on my wanderings.

This project is like a DIY Kickstarter project. It will help fund everything (food, museums, metro tickets) times FIVE! And it will help keep me accountable to you and my own heart about the trip. I will notice more details because I will feel like I am bringing you along with me. I will share about the grocery stores and the old women, about how much things cost, what is in bloom, and what the honey shop is like. 

Are you game? 


$20 for a weekly letter from Paris, all May 2013.

Subscribe here.

our sundays travel with us + a recipe

Over the last few years, as we have traveled, one of the most memorable things we have done is not necessarily the sites we visited and explored, but what we brought with us. 

Our Sundays.

By bringing some of the elements that make up our typical Sunday, we are able to maintain a sense of familial rhythm that is cherished by us and particularly important for young children when far out of their element. 

When away from home there seems to be a little more of everything: fun food, TV, stimulation, shopping, and adventure. It is so useful to have a scheduled day of less.

An ideal Sunday for us includes a long leisurely morning with really good coffee, a substantial breakfast, a fat newspaper and sometimes some PBS cartoons (so the adults can read that fat newspaper).

In the early afternoon we need a long walk, either into town to see some art or in the country to connect with nature. 

And the evening meal is my favorite. A very simple yet completely satisfying roast chicken and vegetables, with a huge salad, and some wine fills our stomachs and hearts. (We use the chicken to make stock to use through out the week too).

When travelling, maybe especially when travelling, we seek to create the same atmosphere that allows for calm and reflection at home. Breaking bread as a family is one of the ways that we sustain and fortify ourselves when we are on the road.

When in Paris with our very young children, we loved our Sunday suppers of rotisserie chicken from a street vendor, complete with the little potatoes and olives that sat under the chicken roasting all day. Paired with a salad, baguette, and a pastry carefully chosen by the children, we were in heaven, and yet felt completely at home.

Last fall in NYC, we had one of the best Sundays yet. We spent the morning walking through Central Park, collecting leaves and acorns so different from the ones at home. We checked out a local street market and bought goodies for dinner. The afternoon was spent at the Natural History museum looking at the haunting dioramas of nature captured, imagined and preserved. Tired but happy, we wandered back to our rental apartment for our Sunday supper of roast chicken. Adventure and comfort all together. 

Whether at home or on the road, the simple Sunday supper that we have made our own, connects us to each other and the traditions we are building as a family. It is fun to watch each kid jockey for whatever is the favorite piece du jour (it was legs, now it is breasts and skin), negotiate who gets the wish bone and smell the familiar smell of crock pot stock each Monday morning, no matter where we are.


Roast Chicken

1 happy chicken (free range, organic if possible)
lemon, butter, salt, pepper, tarragon

Make sure to remove the organ meat from the cavity, give the chicken a quick rinse with water and pat dry with a paper towel.

Squirt the outside with a lemon and then put the rind into the cavity. Rub the chicken all over with a few tablespoons of softened butter (you can also use olive oil), and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put a bunch of tarragon in the cavity (or under the skin). 

We usually cook ours in a 425 degree preheated oven for about an hour. It depends on the size of the bird. In the summer when it is scorching hot, we cook our chicken on a rotisserie outside. 

You can experiment with whatever you have knocking around your kitchen. Sometimes, I put lemon slices under the skin, or garlic cloves in the cavity. There are no rules and it is fun to develop a favorite "house" recipe for your family.

5 reasons to visit the dali museum

1. The architecture is beautiful. If you have an affinity for the pyramids at the Louvre, you will love this building. (Apparently, the Dali Museum's architect worked with I.M. Pei on the Louvre's renovation).The bulbous glass-fronted site overlooks the water and makes the center atrium feel light and spacious. The central spiral staircase, referencing the golden spiral (and some snails and shells) you will spot through out the museum, makes kids excitedly anticipate the visit. In fact, I can not think of a child who would not react to the "wow" factor of this building.

2. The outdoor space is great. On the water, even in hot weather there is a breeze, so you can let kids blow off some steam before you head inside. A tree festooned with old wrist bands fashioned into garlands, a hedged labyrinth, a huge mustache sculpture and physical representations of Fibonacci numbers and Pi piques interest and offers a preview of Dali's integration of science, art, nature and theatricality that awaits the visitor indoors.

3. The art.  Dali's surrealist art is fascinating and can lead to interesting observations and connections from kids. My one son loved looking for the bugs that are present in much of his art, my daughter really liked the hologram and sculptural work he did, and my other son enjoyed the amusing mustache photographs by Phillipe Halsman. There are small intimate portraits, detailed still lifes, massive, room-sized paintings with optical illusions, and films. The wide variety of Dali's oeuvre ensures that each visitor will find something to connect with and enjoy.

4. The food in the cafe is really good. Reasonably priced wine, tapas plates, and wonderful gazpacho made this a hit with our family. And as superfluous as it might seem, a great cafe can really make the visit so much more pleasant with children. One can fuel up before taking in the exhibitions or stop for a little break and let it all soak in between galleries.

5. The Dali Museum is very kid friendly. Perfect for a morning or afternoon museum jaunt, the Dali more than meets the needs of children museum goers. In addition to the above mentioned points, we were offered a fun scavenger hunt project that was just silly enough (with funny poems to solve) and easy enough (with generous hints and help from the friendly security guards) to keep my kids enthralled. The little prize they were offered at the end was good move too. 


If you are in the central Florida area visiting the beach or a big mouse, you might consider taking a day for some cultural enrichment at the Dali. I highly recommend not only the museum, but the downtown St. Petersburg area in general. There are several other great museums and lots of fun places to grab some food. 


If you are unsure about visiting museums with kids, I wrote a little guide here. 

mini maker faire

This last weekend we excitedly attended the mini Maker Faire in Orlando and thoroughly enjoyed it. My kids were entranced by the R2D2 builder's club display, robotics demonstrations, Lego creations, traditional book binding demonstrations and some wild hacked musical instruments. 

The highlight for them was the learn to solder workshop. My 6 year old is really interested in electronics and robotics and has soldered a bit at home, but this little lesson helped build his confidence and skills. The facilitator was really great in empowering and encouraging him.

Outside we looked through an electric (and solar) car display, watched a mini racer demonstration and met a 16 year old student who was building a huge model of this sculptor/engineer's work. 

Mini Maker Faires are popping up all over the country. If you have not attend one - GO! The projects, displays, demonstrations and products highlighted are all wonderful, but the best part is being surrounded by a community of passionate do-ers, builders, and makers. 


Mainstream education should be studying multi-generational community events like this when planning STEM education. The open, playful, celebratory environment is fertile ground for inspiring 
new creators and inventors.

how to visit art museums with kids

My background is in art history, so when I had kids, I thought they would be little art historians - enthralled with the stories of the great masters and highly sensitive to the formal elements of art. They would certainly be able to have conversations with me about how line affects mood. And they would never giggle at naked bodies in art.  Yeah, so anyway - I had kids and of course our relationship with art turned out not to be so tidy. BUT, I have discovered how to enjoy experiencing art with children and we (usually) love spending an afternoon in a museum together. 

Here are some ideas that have made it all a bit more manageable.

1. Be prepared. Well, of course. It should go with out saying that kids should be well rested with full bellies. I have tried it otherwise and it was not worth it. It is good to remind them of the rules in a positive way (no running, yelling or touching). And it might be useful for you to brush up on the artist and time period, however that leads to the next point. Which is...

2. Lower your expectations. Do not expect to lecture your kids on what you know about the art. Do not expect to get to read each didactic label or even to see every piece of art. When museum going with kids, it is much better to have an open ended agenda. Wandering through the exhibits with out a definite plan allows for surprises and more immediate reactions and connections to the art work. Instead of looking for the famous pieces, adopt an attitude of adventure and discovery. Tell your kids (and yourself), "Let's see what we find."

3. But you can still check out any kid resources the museum has to offer. Sometimes they are simply awful - like worksheets that the kid would be so busy filling out they would not even get to interact with the art. Or, they lead the child around from piece to piece, not allowing the viewer to discover anything on their own. But every once in awhile you might just run across a real gem. 

For several summers, the Orlando Museum of Art has exhibited some great children's book illustrators and has set up a reading center with couches and bean bags and books right in the middle of the gallery. It encouraged us to look at the art, hangout, and look at the art some more. It was a great concept that served families well. 

Two summers ago, while in Washington, D.C. we visited the National Gallery Art. I thought my kids would not last long, but I really wanted to try to at least stroll through. The guard offered us some automated phone device guides. I was reluctant - because usually they are too wordy and work against the group dynamic by separating each person with their electronic device. But he insisted, saying they were new and really good for kids. So, we tried them and they were amazing. We were all so impressed we ended up staying for hours and it was one of the best museum trips of the entire vacation. (The short recordings would play the instruments that were featured in an art work or recreate the scene with background noise and a simple narrative. My kids were drawn in immediately.)

4. Learn how to ask big, open ended questions to get a conversation flowing. 

Which is your favorite? Why? (especially good in a room full of abstract art)

What do you see?

What story/feeling/idea do you think the artist is trying to communicate/tell us?

How do you think this was made? (my kids love this question - especially with sculpture).

Play ISPY to encourage close looking (my youngest son loves this and it works well with both abstract and representational art)

How does this painting/sculpture make you feel?

And do not be silent about sharing your feelings and thoughts on what you like or are confused about. Kids really benefit from listening to adults "think out loud" and demonstrate the process of figuring out complicated material.

5. To seal the deal of this great art adventure, if at all possible, have a drink or snack in the museum cafe. This is an important part of museum going. It allows your mind to soak in all you have seen, and very often in a nice surrounding. I usually have small journals with me, because my kids always want to draw immediately after they have been through an exhibition. Also, if you can, enjoy the museum store.  You can buy cool little trinkets or postcards to remember the visit by. 

*bonus idea

A membership to a local museum makes it easier to stop in for short visits so that going to see art becomes a normal part of your routine. Besides supporting the arts, usually a membership gives reciprocal benefits to other museums. We recently realized that when we upped our museum membership to a higher level, the reciprocals were amazing and paid for the membership quickly. It is definitely worth investigating.  

Do you go to museums with your kids? Any other tricks you have to make the experience fun for everyone?

merit badge tale :: Shawn

Have you ever taken a road trip with toddlers? Well, I have and it was not pretty! Shawn from Awesomely Awake (one of my favorite new blogs) tells the story of traveling from Pennsylvania to Georgia with 2 1/2 year old twins. Yikes! 

Shawn, you earned a merit badge! It is in the mail!

The Goal: Pennsylvania to the Northern Georgia mountains.

The Problem: 750 miles one way with 2 1/2-year-old twins.

I remember the day clearly. Our SUV was literally filled to the ceiling with the whole house needed for a week's vacation with twin toddlers. It was an exciting time because it was our first major vacation and first time visiting my mom's new home. She moved to Georgia from Maryland the year our girls were born.

We had everything under the sun to keep them occupied. Goody bags to offer every hour. Toys. Games. Trays. Pillows. A million snacks, lollipops and treats.

And, DVD players that I had borrowed, just in case. We probably wouldn't need them!

We chose to drive during the day and spend the night half way.

{So, in other words, we had two torturous days of travel rather than just one.}

Still in diapers, the girls were surrounded by the worlds greatest things.

I think the fussing began around the 20 minute mark.

By the time we had reached Gettysburg, PA -- not even an hour from our house -- they were completely done.

D.O.N.E

"There, there. All will be well," I told myself.

We set up on the battlefield with a picnic blanket and some lunch. We changed diapers and let them run and play.

And then, back on the road, we popped in a brand new Elmo DVD and all else was calm as calm can be. I still hear those songs in my head from the many times it played.

Two days later -- after some of the longest hours of my life -- we arrived safe and sound in the beautiful Georgia mountains.

I sobbed as we pulled in the driveway, relieved for our road trip to be over.

And then, a week later, we turned ourselves around and did it all over again.

This summer, we're going to do it again for the first time since. But, our girls are older now. And I'm wiser. We'll leave earlier. We may even drive straight through.

It won't be easy but it never is. I mean, some days just getting to school is difficult enough.

We'll do our best. We always do.

Will we bring the DVD players?

Absolutely.

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Shawn Fink is a writer and blogger but is always a Mama first. She is the author of Awesomely Awake, a village that promotes living an intentional, creative and fun life -- with children.