I promised you one last post from the road, this time from the City Museum, arguably what inspired our whole trip here in the first place. (That National Park visit was simply a bonus. Sorry Mather, Albright, Roosevelt, et. all.)

A childhood friend tipped us off to the City Museum years ago when we were embarking on a different road trip, and although it was not on our route, we knew we needed to plan a detour soon.

This visit–our first with St. Louis as our final destination–was our third trip to the City Museum.

The City Museum defies explanation, so I’m not sure I should even try.

But since this blog post would be rather thin without at least some framework, here goes:

In essence, the City Museum is a theme park of architectural salvage pieces, created by an artistic genius. There is not a wall, an inch of floor, or a passageway here that is not also a brilliantly conceived and artfully built masterpiece.

Pictured above? A full-sized, full-on school bus, that extends precariously off of one corner of the building, 11 stories up. (Homeschool bus!)

From the 10 story twisting metal slides to the rebar tunnels crawling with kids winding through the ceilings overhead, this is the sort of place where no matter how long you explore you will never see it all.

My tips if you come here are many. I’m sure the locals have many more tips to offer, but as an outsider, these are the things that have worked for us.

For those who might have a visit, read on for our family’s top 10 tips to make the most of your visit. For the rest of you, just scroll and take in the pictures.

1. Pick the right mindset

This is not a place to visit expecting a serene and restful day. Come with a sense of adventure, unbridled curiosity, and a healthy dose of allowing, and you’re bound to have an amazing time.

2. Plan for a full day

The first time we came we had only 1 1/2 hours to explore. They kindly slipped us in for free because they knew how futile our mission was, but that brief visit sealed the deal on us needing to come back. 1 1/2 hours barely touched our ability to explore this wonderland.

Our experience has been that at the end of the school year this place is crawling with kids (end of year school field trips), but by around 2:00 PM the crowds drop off as the busses leave. Come early, but brace for the chaos of so many children.

3. Dress for it

This place is rough-and-tumble defined. Delicate, flowing fabrics are not your wisest move. Sturdy clothing that you’re not supper bonded with is a good choice. (We’ve snagged and torn clothes here squeezing through narrow passageways or zipping down industrial metal slides.) Supportive, grippy, shoes are smart, too, like sneakers or hiking boots.

4. Food and Drink

There are drinking fountains everywhere, but we bring water bottles inside so that we have water whenever we need it. If you’re traveling with younger kids (god help you), bring snacks. If you park in the paid lot outside the door ($10), you can head out to your car for lunch. It’s also a welcome break from the chaos, that all four of us needed. (Vending options also abound, but we prefer bringing our own.)

5. Other things to bring

Nice-to-have additions include a headlamp and (if you’re tender) some knee pads. Sage brought armor which proved helpful, but I’m assuming leather shin and forearm protection won’t be found in most of your closets.

Pete and I have used our cell phones to find each other when lost, but honestly, it’s so loud in there they’re almost impossible to hear. And if you’re stories underground in the cave systems when you’re separated, yelling to one another might be more effective anyhow.

Pack light, since the real estate of your backpack can limit your ability to move through some of the tunnels.

On more than one occasion, we wished we had thrown in a bottle of Arnica 30C.

6. Establish a meeting place

Never has a space been more brilliantly designed to separate parents from children. Set up a meeting place on the main floor that is easy to get to where you’ll meet up if you get separated. It’s not uncommon for a slide or tunnel to come out in a different room or on a different floor than where you expect, so a meeting place is a must.

7. Adult-child ratio

This depends on so much, from your kids’ ages to their temperaments to your own constitution. My kids, at 11 and 15 could roll with just one adult here, though having 2 is nicer. The first time we came, when they were 8 and 12 I was so glad to have both Pete and I along.

We met two little boys in the underground tunnels this visit who were having the time of their life. “Are you looking for your adult?” I asked. “No, we’re fine!!!” they squealed – and then they were gone. A few minutes later, after they would out of site I heard a mom calling for her boys. (They were reunited later one floor up, but our whole family was trying to find them in the meantime.)

The upshot is, I don’t recommend one adult bringing a lot of kids here. Even 2 to 1 can be tricky, so bring as many grown ups as you can. At least for how I’m wired, doing it otherwise would just be more stress than I could integrate.

8. The rooftop is optional

This was the first time we visited when the roof was open. It costs a bit extra, but there is a pretty sweet old-school ferris wheel up there that’s included in the price. Which Pete and I happily rode.

The roof was fun, to be sure, but if you’re already breaking your budget it is by no means necessary.

9. Take a break

Make time to wander through the more quiet, restful parts of the City Museum. There are sections that are unexpectedly museum-like. Make time to find them, to catch your breath, to check in with your crew.

10. Find your inner child

I won’t lie. This place is overstimulating. But when you view it through the eyes of your kids (or the eyes of an artist) it’s a wonderland. Sit and rest and just watch some of the time, sure, but make sure you do more than just that.

Crawl through the tunnels and climb the treehouse and ride the ferris wheel, and take a trip down the 10 story slide. And laugh with your kids at the insanity of it all.

Because all overstim aside, this place is absolutely delightful.

Has your family visited the City Museum? What tips would you add to the list?

Last weekend we loaded up the car and set out on a mini road trip. All four of us!

We intended to take this trip in April, over my birthday, but the weather was uncooperative so we decided to delay by a few weeks in order to snag more sunshine and blue skies along the way.

For our time away, I packed knitting, Pete packed books, Lupine packed art supplies, and Sage packed medieval armor.

What you prioritize when packing says a lot about you, don’t you think?

Our first stop was Cahokia, a fascinating place that Sage first introduced us to after reading about it in a book years ago. We’ve been here before, but it never ceases to fill us all with wonder.

How I spent my entire life only one state away from this historic site and only found out about it from my kid baffles me still. This ancient First Nations site is comprised of earthen mounds dating back to the 1100s. It’s worth a detour if you find yourself in the area.

Unfortunately, I neglected to bring my camera along, so you’ll have to take my word for it.

Our next stop? A day in the city, working our way toward (and up!) the St. Louis Arch.

Why St. Louis?

As cities go, the kids are a little obsessed with this one. Our visits have always been hasty overnights on our way further south, and we have all wanted to make a trip just to visit without another destination on our agenda.

What do we love (aside from Cahokia)?

Let’s start with dessert, because: vacation. Our favorite ice cream shop on the planet is here (it’s possible that we visited twice in as many days). And of all the places our family has traveled, our all-time favorite attraction-that-denies-explanation, the City Museum, is here as well. (More on that later this week. Because the City Museum deserves its own post.)

This day though? It was all about the arch.

After two previous visits to St. Louis through the years, two attempts to go in and up the arch but both times finding it closed for construction or other NPS to-dos, we finally made it to the top.

Which, in case you were wondering, feels exactly like this:

I’ll share another post from the road later this week, as well as a peek at how we pack food and eat on a budget when traveling!

 

Before our trip I stumbled upon a comment on an Ireland travel forum that made mention of touring canals in a rented barge (basically a tiny houseboat designed for navigating canals). I dug a little deeper and found a family owned barge rental company with an opening during our stay in Ireland. As it happened, their vacancy aligned with the last four days of our trip. 

We went for it.

Four days, four people, one fabulous little boat. What could be better?

Of course, as I am prone to be, I was anxious when we arrived. (The boat looked SO small! Too small to sleep four, certainly!) I paced about nervously waiting for the owner to arrive and walk us through. I had told him there were four of us, hadn't I? I had.

My stomach kept flipping.

We were early, so I had plenty of time to fret while we waited.

Finally he arrived and my fears melted. There were three beds! Of course. And a full kitchen! And everything we could possibly need for four days on the water. My nerves turned to excitement as he walked us through the how-to's of steering, operating, and maintaining the boat. 

And then we were off! 

The barge is equipped with a full sized bed and two twin-or-smaller bunks, a full galley kitchen, a bathroom and a cozy little peat stove.

Operating the barge also meant operating the locks that line the canal, something Sage in particular couldn't wait to get to work on. Built in the 1700's the locks have operated the same way since the boats using them were pulled by donkeys or horses from the trail alongside. How amazing is that? 

And for four days and four nights, this was home. Our last hurrah in Ireland, at just the perfect pace.

The locks set the rhythm of our days, breaking up the steady travel with plentiful problem-solving and teamwork. It suited us that since we had no phone we couldn't call ahead to arrange for for a lock-keeper to assist. (Amazingly, this job has been handed down from generation to generation since the 1700's, and often the lock-keeper who meets you bears the same name as the lock. And the lock-keepers we did meet were a wealth of information and conversation.)

Twice a keeper happened to find us moving through and happily lent a hand, but for the rest of our travels we were on our own.

To be sure, there were mishaps along the way. (Please don't ask me about the shore-to-boat jump that went awry, leaving Sage and I both icing our legs and applying comfrey and yarrow poultices, nor that unfortunate incident that left us fishing the chimney out of the canal with the barge pole!) But truly I think our time on the boat was easily the most memorable part of the trip.

Four magical days that none of us will likely ever forget.

And with that, we're heading home. Home! To the States, to Wisconsin, to the Driftless, to our favorite hills just beyond our favorite creek.

As we depart, I'll quote one of our favorite B&B hosts with his modified version of a traditional Irish farewell –

"Slán, Agus Beannacht de leath – Goodbye and God bless… any god!"

See you stateside, friends. So soon!

Love,

Rachel

 

P.S. I nearly forgot! Several of you emailed for details on our rental. You can find them here. I can't recommend it enough.

It's hard to believe that three weeks have already elapsed since we boarded a plane in Chicago bound for Ireland.

Three weeks together as we have explored the country from east to west, south to north, then southward once more.

And what a few weeks it has been! During our travels we've steeled our courage for the dodgy roads, flattened a tire on a stone wall, endured countless rounds of normal (but tiring) button-pushing self-amusement between the kids, and worked our way through a touch of homesickness.

At the same time we've also gelled as a family in ways you only can on a trip like this.

We've pulled peat from the earth with our bare hands, talked politics with an old farmer as classical music played softly in the background from his barn, hiked beneath rainbows across boglands and heather, and developed dozens of family inside jokes from misunderstood road signs, travel mishaps, and our pathetic attempts at speaking Gaelic. 

And looking ahead to one week from now, we know that returning home again will be so sweet. Home to our own beds, our own pillows, our own house and hills. (Oh also good coffee, cast iron pans, and unscented dish soap – but who's keeping track?) Home will be sweet once after these four weeks away.

But first… the boat! 

The last leg of our journey – the most anticipated part of our trip – we'll spend on a small narrow houseboat (called a barge) navigating the canals and the 200 year old locks that pepper its length. I'll post again before we head home with , but until then, wish us luck on the barge! (I'll post photos on Instagram in the meantime.)

 

See you soon!

Rachel

 

I wonder what it says about us that after circumnavigating this entire country, our two favorite destinations have been a day spent on a quiet, magical back road in Southern Ireland (rolling uphill, hanging gifts on a fairy tree, and hiking off trail to a waterfall) and another spent at the northernmost part of Ireland, picking polished rocks alone on a secluded beach.

I suppose it says that – in our world anyway – simple is best.

It's not the big tourist attractions that speak to us, nor the bustling city streets, not the fancy meals or frothy pints out on the town, but the quiet out-of-the-way surprises that this trip has delivered, day after day since we set out.

Indeed, the day we first visited the pebble beach we also headed to the Giant's Causeway (shown above). There was no competition. The beach won by miles in our hearts and memories.

Yes, the Giant's Causeway was pretty incredible. (Also pretty crowded, as we planned poorly and accidentally rolled in on a Saturday!) And yes, it was also a good homeschooling opportunity learning about columnar basalt and Finn McCool stories. But there was so much more for our hearts and minds waiting for us on the beach at this quiet, solitary, magical spot at the end of a two-track dirt road.

"The pebble beach", as we call it, lies beside Malin Head, the most northernly point in all of Ireland. I'm not sure we would even have taken the detour, but our host encouraged us to have a look. On the drive there I happened to check our guidebook and read a small sidebar about the beach.

The directions in our book included "turn left on the unmarked lane toward the terra cotta colored cottage. Climb over the ladder style into the pasture." How could we resist? The cottage had been repainted somewhere along the way, but we still found our way. We parked and headed to the style, keeping one eye on the bull as we headed across the pasture and down to the sea.

After settling in and beginning our search for treasures, I wasn't sure we'd ever want to leave. Agates and jaspers and chert as far as you can see, and all perfectly polished by the sea. It was paradise. Games were played, art was made, and treasures were found.

In the end, we headed home with lighter hearts and heavier pockets as the sun slipped low over the Atlantic.

The next day we came back again – for one more chance to sit on these stones, search for treasures, and quietly look out over the sea. 

 

How behind I am on sharing postcards from the road! It's been a full few days, and internet has been spotty. But we're still at it, working our way slowly around the island. 

For the past week or so we've been moving to a new destination every two days. While at the beginning of our journey we sometimes moved day after day, we found that consecutive driving days meant we did little else, and had few opportunities to explore the landscape and community we were passing through. Since hitting this new 2-day groove we're all feeling more satisfied in what we've been able to see and do, as well as the balance of travel time, sightseeing, and downtime. 

A recent two day layover was in western Ireland near the Cliffs of Moher. We took plenty of detours on the way to see historic sites, shrines, and surfing, but still made it to this can't miss destination.

Thanks to a great tip from our B&B host that tipped us off to a "side door" into the Cliffs of Moher, we managed to miss most of the crowds and save a few euros, all while taking in the best views.

And what views they were!  

(Above photo by Lupine.)

(Above photo by Sage.)

The next day we landed at a very different landscape, with with none of the crowds of the first. The Burren. A strange moonscape of rocks, water, and fossils, it dramatically appears, then rises from the otherwise green landscape. (A bit of homeschooling research revealed that the Burren, like our Driftless Wisconsin home, is a karst landscape.)

While there were a few other groups of hikers out on the uneven trails (most notably two groups of octogenarians who were far more fit that I), we had it largely to ourselves, a treat after the busy days before.

Finally, after these two full days of fresh air and sightseeing, the kids requested a day or two of down-time. A couple of days devoted to books and art and tea.

This plan sounded great to us all.

We rearranged our plans for the next two days and there was knitting, reading, and drawing to attend to. And – thanks to a well equipped B&B – Pete even taught the kids to play pool. Of course being in Ireland, we also drank an unreasonable amount of tea (with biscuits, of course) all day long. 

It's all about balance, after all.  

More soon my friends! 

Love,

Rachel

 

Whether in life or in travel, it's easy to get caught up in our heads and focus only on our agenda, expecting things to unfold in the way we've scripted in our minds. Our destination in mind, rather than the journey.

Before our trip, as I asked around for suggestions of things to see and places to go, a friend of a friend told me this: "The thing about Ireland is that you can go practically anywhere and find something interesting. There are literally thousands of ancient sites, stones, castles, churches, cathedrals, ruins, and interesting places to go."

And he was right.

Throughout this journey, no matter what I've put on our agenda for that day, a ruin or seashore or other adventure calls to us. Before we know it we've spent hours lost in the exploration. These perhaps, are the most authentic moments in our journey. Not the big pinnacle events, but the small and unexpected detours. The surprise gifts that are always waiting just beyond the next bend.

And that was how, while our way to the Cliffs of Mohr (one of the busiest tourist destinations in all of Ireland), we found this…

This chilling, fascinating, sad, yet hopeful shrine tucked away just off the road is one of many St. Brigid's wells found in Ireland.

As we walked through, I couldn't decide if it was a Pagan or Christian sacred site. 

It turns out it (as well as Brigid) is both.

I am fascinated by St. Brigid and the melding she seems to represent of Ireland's Pagan history and modern day Christian beliefs, one foot in each world. Honestly, I was enamored. This, of course, is not what we set of to find. But there it was, a detour inviting us off the beaten path and onto another adventure. 

The well was fascinating. And, as it turned out, even more captivating than the cliffs we set off to explore.

So if I were to offer you some simple advice it would be this: take that next detour. Because you never know what you might discover. No matter where your journey leads.

 * * * 

More fun Brigid facts!

The Pagan holiday of Imbolc, or Brigid, is a mid-winter celebration marking the halfway point between winter and spring. It is a fire celebration that centers around the growing strength of the winter sun. (We celebrate it each year with a fire in the wood stove and a treat of flaming bananas.)

Brigid occurs on February 2, and today is known by most people only as Groundhog's Day. Pagan, Christian, and secular traditions. Fascinating!