Flat Katy on adventure

Are you traveling with the family? Are you going somewhere without the kids? Bring Flat Katy with and share her adventures via Instagram. It'll be fun!

Our Flat Katy is a fabric paper-doll sort of thing that Grandma found at a craft sale. Yours might be a paper drawing. It might be Flat Stanley or Flat Sarah. Get creative.

Flat Katy at Mount Rushmore

Flat Katy at West Yellowstone KOA

Flat Katy at the beach in Monterrey, CA

Flat Katy on a covered wagon in Nebraska (Great River Archway)

Indoor play at Edinborough Park

Winters in Minnesota can get long, and then it sure is nice to have an indoor play place like Edinborough Park in Edina to let the kids run wild.

The problem is when they get too wild, which does happen at Edinborough Park. Because it is so close to our house, however, Edinborough Park has been our Go-To place for an indoor playground. We like it, but there are some definite minuses (such as unruly kids).

The Edinborough Park Playpark is almost one acre of indoor fun, highlighted by Adventure Peak, one of the largest indoor play structures in the country, The "Peak" is a 44-by-44-by-37 foot high climbing, low crawling, slip sliding Northwoods adventure. Climb into the 30-foot tall oak tree, slide down one of the four giant tube slides or wash down the triple wave slide. Climb across a canyon, scale the climbing wall and venture to the 30-foot lookout to spy around the Park. From the lookout, slide down the very popular and very fast new super slide.

MINUS:  While the playpark is tons for fun for the kiddos, it's tough for parents to follow along in they myriad of tunnels. And when a kiddo is hurt or sad, it can be rough to navigate a way down.

Adventure Peak also features a small Tot Area that includes climbing, crawling, and sliding. The entire padded, netted and enclosed structure has over 45 events to keep kids challenged and entertained for hours.


MINUS: The area is small so kiddos can get bored after awhile (and the rest of the park looks like so much fun!) (If you're looking for more for the tots to do, head over to Eagle's Nest in New Brighton.)

One of the things we like best about Edinborough Park is the Great Hall, a 60-by-90 foot multipurpose space for kids to play with balls and other park-provided gym activities. There's a huge bounce house there. And great peddle-bikes, as well as a basketball net and tons of balls. With a 21-month-old and a 5-year-old, the Great Hall was the easiest place for me to keep track of both kiddos at the same time.

I also really appreciate the skylights and 6,000 plants inside.

IF YOU GO
- Don't forget your socks! Adventure Peak is a shoeless environment and socks are required.
- Admission is $7 for each kid, which is on the high side of indoor play areas.
- There is a cafe with some basic snacks upstairs. But if you want healthy food, you'll want to pack it yourself.
- If you're lucky, there will be a concert in the nearby amphitheater you can enjoy while dining.

LOCATION

7700 York Ave. S.

7700 York Ave. S.

7700 York Ave. S., Edina MN
 952-833-9540
 http://edinamn.gov//index.php?section=edinborough-park-adventure-peak#sthash.59IlYM0B.dpuf

Adventure Peak

The Edinborough Park Playpark is almost one acre of indoor fun, highlighted by Adventure Peak, one of the largest indoor play structures in the country.

Adventure Peak

   

The "Peak" is a 44-by-44-by-37 foot high climbing, low crawling, slip sliding Northwoods adventure. Climb into the 30-foot tall oak tree, slide down one of the four giant tube slides or wash down the triple wave slide. Climb across a canyon, scale the climbing wall and venture to the 30 foot lookout to spy around the Park. From the lookout, slide down the very popular and very fast new super slide. Adventure Peak also features great areas for toddlers to explore. The Tot Area includes climbing, crawling, sliding and even bouncing in an inflatable air bounce geared just for them! The entire padded, netted and enclosed structure has over 45 events to keep kids challenged and entertained for hours.
The Playpark also contains the Great Hall, a 60-by-90 foot multipurpose space for kids to play with balls and other park-provided gym activities. Open public hours for the Great Hall will vary depending on scheduled activities. Please check with the Park Office for Great Hall open hours.
Don't forget your socks! Adventure Peak is a shoeless environment. Socks must be worn on the equipment. Shoes must be worn in all other areas of the Playpark.
Admission wristbands are required for the Playpark. Ten-punch passes and season passes are also available online.
And, it's a great place for a birthday party or group outing.
For more information, call 952-833-9540. 

- See more at: http://edinamn.gov//index.php?section=edinborough-park-adventure-peak#sthash.59IlYM0B.dpuf

Adventure Peak

The Edinborough Park Playpark is almost one acre of indoor fun, highlighted by Adventure Peak, one of the largest indoor play structures in the country.

Adventure Peak

   

The "Peak" is a 44-by-44-by-37 foot high climbing, low crawling, slip sliding Northwoods adventure. Climb into the 30-foot tall oak tree, slide down one of the four giant tube slides or wash down the triple wave slide. Climb across a canyon, scale the climbing wall and venture to the 30 foot lookout to spy around the Park. From the lookout, slide down the very popular and very fast new super slide. Adventure Peak also features great areas for toddlers to explore. The Tot Area includes climbing, crawling, sliding and even bouncing in an inflatable air bounce geared just for them! The entire padded, netted and enclosed structure has over 45 events to keep kids challenged and entertained for hours.
The Playpark also contains the Great Hall, a 60-by-90 foot multipurpose space for kids to play with balls and other park-provided gym activities. Open public hours for the Great Hall will vary depending on scheduled activities. Please check with the Park Office for Great Hall open hours.
Don't forget your socks! Adventure Peak is a shoeless environment. Socks must be worn on the equipment. Shoes must be worn in all other areas of the Playpark.
Admission wristbands are required for the Playpark. Ten-punch passes and season passes are also available online.
And, it's a great place for a birthday party or group outing.
For more information, call 952-833-9540. 

- See more at: http://edinamn.gov//index.php?section=edinborough-park-adventure-peak#sthash.59IlYM0B.dpuf

Plan a tea party at A Cupcake Social

The corner at 28th Ave. and 38th St. is a popular destination these days. Last fall, Keen Coffee opened on the southwest corner, filling the space vacated by Tillie’s Bean. And in late December, A Cupcake Social, a gourmet cupcake boutique, opened across from Northbound Smokehouse and Brewpub.

With its fancy lighting and unique chairs, A Cupcake Social sets the perfect mood for a tea party. Or shower. Or birthday party. Or meeting. Set up a time for diminutive would-be pastry chefs to decorate their own cupcakes and enjoy a cupcake to eat at the party.

One table is perfect for those pint-sized ones in your life. And there’s a play kitchen right next to it to keep the little ones occupied while you enjoy a cup of tea and a decadent cupcake.

With flavors like Red Velvet, Death by Chocolate, Hawaiian Dream, Samoa, Dreamsicle, Oh Joy! and Pistachio Chocolate, you might be standing at the counter awhile. They also offer several gluten-free options. Over 50 flavors rotate weekly. Sweet treats start at $2.79 for a cupcake and $3.49 for a chocolate croissant. They also offer homemade ice cream.

A Cupcake Social stocks teas from TeaSource. Cups are $3.49, or opt for chai at $3.89.

Owners Jess Stone and Suzette Herr have been selling cupcakes from a food truck for the past three years, and will continue to operate the truck during the summer months. Why did they open a brick and mortar location? The number one question they got from customers was “Where is your store?” Realizing there was a demand for their products beyond the food truck, they decided to give their customers what they wanted, when they want it.

The shop offers a series of workshops such as Pintrest crafts, jewelry making, painting and other variety of arts. All classes include supplies (unless otherwise specified), coffee/tea and a gourmet cupcake. No stuffy classrooms, just an intimate, relaxing space to work. Classes are limited to 10 participants.

On Tuesday, April 10 at 7 p.m. place a dip pen to paper and learn to craft your own distictive lettering style under the guidance of lettering artist Crystal Kluge. This 3-part class will cover the basics to help release your inner calligrapher. It will focus on expressive pointed pen lettering using a variety of inks. Supplies will be provided; however, students are welcome to bring their own pens and inks or paper materials if they wish. To provide ample attention to each student in an intimate studio setting, this class is limited to 10 students. Register on the web site.

Get cupcakes regularly by signing up for the cupcake membership packages.

A Cupcake Social delivers to the Minneapolis and St.Paul areas. The delivery fee is $9.95, and the minimum order for delivery is one dozen cupcakes (of the same flavor).

Address: 3800 28th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55406
Phone: (651) 243-1114
Hours: Mon-Thurs 8am-6pm, Friday 8am-8pm, Saturday 9am-8pm, Sunday Closed

* This is cross-posted from http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/news/2014/03/06/plan-tea-party-cupcake-social

#4 Visit Mill City

Mill City is a wonderful place to bring kids.

There is so much historical information at Mill City - and SO MUCH that is hands-on. It's simply tons of fun. Learn about rivers and waterways by getting wet and moving parts around on a big table. Learn about what Minneapolis used to look like when the flour mills were dusting the city by putting together the blocks of a large floor puzzle. Watch a fast-moving 17 minute film about the city and its history. Take the elevator up and down from scene to scene and learn about what the mills were like. Then gaze at Minneapolis from the top of the building.

We'll be back.

It was just so much fun.

http://www.millcitymuseum.org/

Putting this puzzle together was great fun.

Then...

And now...

Water fun!

#39 - St. Urho statue

Up north the other weekend, we dropped in at the Menaga historical society grounds to say "Hi" to the giant statue of St. Urho. I love any saint associated with vineyards.

The statue sits just off the main road in Menaga, Minn. The historical society is behind it. It was closed by the time we pulled through town, so I'm not sure what's inside.

The Legend of St. Urho

 

One of the lesser known, but extraordinary legends of ages past is the legend of St. Urho – patron saint of the Finnish Vineyard workers.

 

Before the last glacial period wild grapes grew with abundance in the area now known as Finland.  Archeologists have uncovered evidence of this scratched on the thigh bones of the giant bears that once roamed northern Europe.  The wild grapes were threatened by a plague of grasshoppers until St. Urho banished the lot of them with a few selected Finnish words.

In memory of this impressive demonstration of the Finnish language, Finnish people celebrate on March 16, the day before St. Patrick’s Day.  It tends to serve as a reminder that St. Pat’s Day is just around the corner and is thus celebrated by squares.  At sunrise on March 16, Finnish women and children dressed in royal purple and nile green gather around the shores of the many lakes in Finland and chant what St. Urho chanted many years ago.

“Heinasirkka, heinasirkka, menetaalta hiiteen.”  (Translated: “Grasshopper, grasshopper, go away!)

Adult male, (people, not grasshoppers) dressed in green costumes gather on the hills overlooking the lakes, listen to the chant and then kicking out like grasshoppers, they slowly disappear to change costumes from green to purple.  The celebration ends with singing and dancing polkas and schottisches and drinking grape juice, though these activities may occur in varying sequences.

#30 - Family Reunion in Jamestown, Minn.

We had a great time road-tripping out to Jamestown, N.D. Because the grandparents were with, the hubs and I hopped on the motorcycle for the ride while the kids rode with the grandparents. When taking kids on a road trip, the key is to bring lots of food. At least that works with my kids! When we get to where we're going, they're too busy playing to eat! It all balances out.

While we were out there, we took the opportunity to see the World's Largest Buffalo. The Frontier Museum was tons of fun!

Learn more about the Benson family on my family history blog: http://theycametominnesota.blogspot.com/

The Benson Clan

No outing is complete without ice cream

If you look close, there's a white buffalo out there on the hilltop.

Florida sunsets

Twilight is my favorite time of the day. 

There's something magical

amazing

rejuvinating

about twilight.

That space between the sunset and darkness.