Camp Papa

This week is Fall Break for Little Dude. He has an entire week off!!!

We had plans to take a mini-vacation, but that fell through. Then my parents had a brilliant plan... they would take Little Dude camping!

Great!

My dad wants to teach Little Dude how to fish. It's really important for granddads to teach the younger generations important skills like camping, fishing, catching bugs, farting when someone pulls your finger, setting things on fire, and napping. All valuable lessons for a growing boy.

My husband has been teaching Little Dude his own set of skills, like how to tie his shoes, how to ride a bike, how to build every Star Wars scene with Legos, how to avoid Gamer's Thumb during long Skylanders sessions, and how to fake a belch. But my husband didn't have many opportunities to go camping or fishing when he grew up and he's a little too safety-minded to throw caution to the wind and drive out to the middle of nowhere with just a sleeping bag, duct tape, and chopsticks. (Seriously, I think that's all I took one time during a spontaneous camping trip!)

However. my dad was in the Boy Scouts and his dad was his troop leader -- all something I recently learned now that I'm old enough to actually pay attention to him when he talks. He could probably built an entire fortress with just twigs and spit. Of course, that won't be necessary. Because these days, the ol' Boy Scout camps in a very comfortable 5th wheel. Nothing like enjoying the outdoors with indoor plumbing!

We enjoyed camping while I was growing up. Sometimes we camped in tents. Sometimes in a small trailer that sat in the back of our truck. We lots of adventures and created great memories. My dad was always quite skilled at setting up the camp, chopping wood, and starting a fire. We'd spending time hiking and exploring. And back at camp, we'd play games and read books.

Now while my dad easily earned his scout badge for camping, I'm not sure he ever earned one for fishing.

Throughout the years, my dad has had brief aspirations to fish. Every so often, he would get an inkling that he might actually enjoy it. However, I'm not sure I recall him ever actually catching something. He's more like the lucky mascot for everyone else who fishes with him. When he went fishing with my mom, she caught fish. When he took Big Dude on his first fishing expedition, my happy hubby came back with several fish. My dad? Nada. Zero. Zilch.

So really, I'm not sure why my dad decided to teach Little Dude how to fish. But at least it's better than teaching his how to set things on fire. And really, as long as he's fishing with my dad, Little Dude's almost guaranteed to come back with something other than mosquito bites and pockets full of rocks. I'm looking forward to Little Dude coming home from Camp Papa with lots of stories and memories... and possibly a fish or two.


And by the way... this morning as I was saying goodbye to Little Dude, the reality hit me... this is the longest that he's been away from us!

It didn't sink in until he pulled out his camera, and after taking a picture of Papa and Grandma, he took a picture of me. He said he wanted a picture of me in case he forgot what my face looks like!

Hmm... maybe I didn't explain how long his trip is. He may possibly be planning to stay with Papa and Grandma longer than I planned on!

My Christmas List, part 2

So I already told you that the top of my Christmas list is to spend more time with my family. The next two items on my Christmas list may seem like they conflict: Have More Adventures and Relax More!

In my mind, those two actually go hand-in-hand.

Adventure should not equal stress. Yes, it sometimes accompanies adventure, but it shouldn't have to. Sometimes an adventure is simply allowing yourself to get lost and find your way back. I have my dad to thank for that lesson.

We went camping with my parents for Thanksgiving this year and I was reminded of all those times camping with my dad when he would just drive and sometimes we wouldn't know exactly where we were. He would just smile and call it an adventure. We explored the road less travelled and sometimes had to double back or take some unexpected detours. But it was fun and he didn't seem to stress over it.

Sometimes an adventure is trying something new. My hubby didn't grow up camping like I did. So our Thanksgiving camp out was an adventure for him. And he actually wasn't stressed. It was our first time using a camping trailer and he handled it like a pro. We hiked (and purposely got "lost"). He built a fire. He tried something new.

Sometimes an adventure is eating something new. Little Dude can be a picky eater. Sometimes I get frustrated with that, but then I have to remember that a lot of foods are still new to him. For instance... S'mores! He wasn't sure about it, but he tried them.

Sometimes an adventure is to be had in acting like a kid. My mom reminded me of this. During our 3-hour "lost in the wilderness" hike, she spotted some interesting, frilly, white plants by the riverbank. Like a kid in a candy store, she asked my dad to get one for her. He climbed through the thick brush to get one and she was so happy! She played with it for the rest of the hike, pelting us with it causing it to dust us with pollen. She was having fun.

I heard a quote about Thanksgiving that said something like: "We spend one day with others being thankful for what we do have, and then we spend the next day trampling others for what we don't have."

How can I not be thankful for a family that knows how to be goofy, how to relax, and how to enjoy what we have around us?

It sure makes the holidays sweeter!

Trifecta of Transportation Troubles, part 2

If you haven't read part 1 of our Trifecta of Transportation Troubles, you really need to... right now.

If you have...

So we limped all the way home with only one brief pit stop along the way. We finally made it back home EIGHT AND A HALF HOURS after originally leaving for our vacation.

Big Dude took Little Dude into the house to use the facilities while I quickly transferred everything from the car to the truck. We were determined to have this vacation!

We were home for less than 30 minutes before we peeled out of the driveway and headed back down the road much travelled.

Little Dude, redressed in pajamas and armed with a pillow, didn't take long to fall asleep. The soft road sounds had become his lullaby.

We did finally make it to our hotel... at 3am. And we made Oscar-worthy efforts to ignore the fatigue and stress in order to enjoy our vacation. Little Dude loved it. And that alone was worth the maddening drive.

When we returned home, my parents offered to lend us their car while ours was being repaired. So Tuesday morning, Little Dude and I piled into my mom's little red car and headed for school.

And the tire pressure warning light came on.

Now, Little Dude's school has a strict policy about being late, so I wasn't going to stop anywhere along the way. I drove him all the way to school and then met Big Dude back at home so he could air up the tires.

My parents had just moved back from Florida, so Big Dude figured the tires were low because they've been sitting in a garage unused. Besides, the tires were only a few months old.

My mom teased me about my poor luck with cars lately. I whined about my poor luck with cars lately. My husband just shook his head and called the dealership to find out how long it would take to get my car fixed.

Thursday morning we were still borrowing the little red car. Little Dude and I got ready to leave for school and... click...

The battery was dead.

Worried about getting Little Dude to school on time, I called the most reliable driver I knew... Big Dude. After all, he had shown an amazing amount of reliability during our recently fated vacation.

Big Dude ran home, picked us up. Took Little Dude to school. Took me to work. Jumped the car battery and took the little red car back to my parents.

My mom laughed at our poor luck with cars lately. I cried about my poor luck with cars lately. My husband vowed to get my car back that day.

Luckily, we did get our car back that evening. Thankfully, the transmission was still covered under warranty. However, we didn't get off scot free because our car needed a few other items done. It's not like a mechanic to let you have your car back without finding something to repair. But at least we were able to save money since they already had the engine pulled out for the free transmission replacement.

Doomed transmission. Flat tires. Dead battery. I'm pretty sure nobody will be lending me a car any time soon!

Trifecta of Transportation Troubles, part 1

Here's a story I can finally write about without ending up in the fetal position in a dark corner somewhere.

So a month ago, we took a mini-vacation. It was the 3-day Labor Day weekend, and we decided to knock off early on Friday and take Little Dude to a theme park for the weekend.

I made all the plans, packed the bags and loaded the car. Little Dude had a half day, so we picked him up and ate lunch in the car while we started on our 6-hour drive. We figured we would arrive at the hotel in time for dinner, and then get a little swimming in before hitting the hay.

But you know what they say about the best laid plans, right?

Two hours in, the "Service Engine Soon" light came on in my 4-year-old car. Usually, it's something benign and I wouldn't really worry about it. But I was with Big Dude and he actually believes that warning lights only come on for valid reasons.

We were 50 miles away from the town that sits about halfway between our home and our favorite getaway, so I suggested that we stop at AutoZone and have them check the computer code. Big Dude wanted to stop at the local dealership because AutoZone can't always read the codes right for newer cars, but I didn't want to waste the time and money at a dealership when we could get it checked fast and free. Besides, I just had the oil changed and all the fluids checked before we left. AND I just had our car at our dealership a couple weeks earlier for some annoying little master cylinder recall thingy. The car had been checked out recently and everything was fine.

Or so I thought...

We made it to the AutoZone and I quickly convinced someone there to check out the car's code. I imagined it would be something simple and we would be back on the road in no time at all. But the attendant said the code was "funny," indicating something was wrong with our transmission fluid. They suggested we visit the nearest dealership, which happened to be down the road.

So we got back in the car and Big Dude smugly drove to the dealership.

We managed to find the service department, which was tucked away in a very remote location on the lot. Big Dude talked to the service guy while Little Dude and I found the waiting area, complete with a germy-looking, rarely-if-ever cleaned, child's play area in a not-quite-soundproof glass cage...er, office.

We waited. And waited. And waited. Little Dude played and ran around and screamed like a banshee. People looked and stared. But what did I care? I was on vacation! My kid should have been swimming at a pool, not sitting in a car dealership. Just because we had to pause our trip, it didn't mean Little Dude couldn't still have some fun.

Several hours later (seriously not exaggerating here), Big Dude came and told me that I needed to call AAA and get our car towed back home.

WHAT?!?

Apparently my car's transmission was failing. It could probably limp back home, but there was no way it would be able to tackle the hills we would need to climb to get to our vacation destination. And Big Dude was worried that limping back home was iffy.

So I called AAA. Now, I will say that I was not in the best of attitudes at this point. However, I still tried to remain calm and civil on the phone. The AAA operator answered and I explained our predicament. Without a hint of sympathy, she dryly asked for the addresses of where to pick up the car and where to drop it off. The ladies at the dealership's service counter were much more empathetic as they helped me with the information I needed. Then Ms. AAA told me that a tow truck would be along in 45 minutes and that it would cost $400.

WHAT?!? (again!)

After I picked my jaw off the floor, I asked Ms. AAA-Stands-for-Amazingly-Apathetic-Attitude why it would cost so much. She curtly said that my membership only covered 100 miles and that after that it was $5 per mile. The she asked how many people would be riding with the driver. I told her I was here with my husband and child, so three of us will need a lift back. "The tow truck can only take two people and no car seats." I was tempted to ask her if she was suggesting I leave my child behind, but I'm not sure she knew what sarcasm, or any type of joking, is.

During this time, Big Dude was playing with Little Dude in the glass children's cage. Yes, it was floor-to-ceiling glass walls. But for some reason, Big Dude could not see my waving my arms and jumping all around while attached to the desk phone by my ear. (No cell phone signal in the dealership.) People had begun to notice the strange blonde lady reenacting Richard Simmons' Sweatin' to the Oldies routine. Everyone was looking... except Big Dude. So I finally did what any respectable, civil person would do... I threw something.

It worked. The loud thump of my leather wallet hitting the obviously child-proof glass wall got his attention. Big Dude came out bellowing, "WHAT is going on?" Now people were really watching because we had just turned this into a Jerry Springer moment. And to be honest, I didn't care at this point. I had been in that dealership for several hours watching my child roll around in who-knows-what-kind-of-germs. Lunch was several hours ago and I was hungry. And to top it off, my dear sweet husband dropped a bomb on me, asked me to make a phone call for him, and then walked away.

I really hate when that happens.

So I relayed all the information the AAA drone gave to me, and Big Dude had me relay back that just one person would be riding in the tow truck.

Big Dude and I walked over to the glass cage where we were now setting up house and laying out the floor plan for where we wanted our furniture to go. We discussed the idea that we now needed to find a rental car and cough up $400 for the tow. This was turning out to be a rather expensive vacation. "Hold on," he suddenly said as he once again disappeared into the service center.

A few minutes later he reappeared to tell me that he would drive it home. He said the service guy told him that if he was careful then we should be able make it home... or at least close enough to avoid a $400 tow.

So I called my favorite automotive club once again, and this time actually talked to someone with a pulse. She was much more sympathetic to my plight and said that we could call back at any time to request the tow again. She even wished us luck before hanging up.

Everyone in the dealership got together to throw us a quick going-away party. After all, we had thoroughly entertained - or possibly annoyed - them for the past several hours. The service guy had a priest give our car a quick blessing and then sprinkled it with fairy dust. We loaded back into the barely functioning vehicle and drove slowly away from the setting sun.

If only we knew what the car gods had in store for us the rest of the week...

Knight in Plastic Armor

I've blogged before about how Little Dude pretends to be the Red Power Ranger. He's also learned that in order to be a hero, you have to have a bad guy. It's apparently part of the Fantasyland laws - you don't have to have a reason to fight for, just a bad guy to fight. So Big Dude occasionally fills the role of antagonist to Little Dude's hero, and they go to war in our living room armed with foam swords and witty lines like, "I'm gonna get you, bad guy!"

Furry Dude and I watch this bloodless combat from the safety of the couch where I'm usually folding laundry while dodging zingers like, "You're no match for me, bad guy." (Wow. I have got to work on his rhetoric!)

Somehow, the knowledge of how to wield and thrust a sword must be encoded in a dude's DNA. It's not like our son was born at a Renaissance Festival and raised by method actors. Yet, before he even owned his first foam sword, he was already using straws and crayons to engage his enemies.

Understanding a hero's need for proper equipment, Big Dude bought Little Dude his first set of swords. Then his second. ("The foam swords are starting to fall apart.") Then his third. ("These ones glow in the dark.") And by now, Little Dude has amassed quite an impressive armory of plastic and foam swords. If we ever have to go to war against Mattel, this family is ready!

Little Dude has also discovered that you don't have to be a Power Ranger to carry a sword. Papa and Grandma taught him about knights.

As an expert swordsman, Little Dude is able to defeat his foe with one hand.

They took us to Medieval Times.

If you've never been to Medieval Times, you should check it out sometime. They change the storyline quite often, but the premise is that you are attending a medieval tournament.

You get to eat with your hands and scream hysterically... basically, you can behave like a toddler for a few hours.

We were lucky to get a front row seat to the action - horsemanship, jousting, sword fights and more.

Little Dude loved it! It was a fantasy come true for him. He was completely mesmerized by the live action. He was cheering. He was waving a flag with our knight's colors. And most importantly... he got to see a bad guy defeated.

Huzzah!

And yes, Big Dude bought a couple more plastic swords while we were there!

Florida! - Leapin' Gators

Yes, I realize that it might seem like my family has a slight obsession with gators. First, there was gator hunting (not quite what you think) near the Everglades and then a visit to Gatorland.

Top Right: Oh, sweet nostalgia! The gator jaw no longer covers the entrance, but it still smiles for a photo op.
Bottom Right: No gators were harmed in the taking of this picture.

OK, you may be asking Gatorland? But I'm here to tell you it is FUN! The first time we visited Gatorland was right after I graduated from high school. While we were in Florida visiting relatives and Disney World, my parents let my sister and I each pick something to go see. I cannot remember what she picked, but I chose the most intriguing billboard I had ever seen... Gatorland!

It was a strange choice, but my parents were willing to humor me. And it ended up being the highlight of the trip. The park's gaping gator jaw entrance led to unexpected entertainment!

Gators, gators everywhere!
Top Right: More of those creepy vultures. They were everywhere we went in Florida.

Hubby had heard us talk about Gatorland with such genuine fondness that he was game to go. Of course, the thought crossed my mind... What if it's not as good as I remember?

Yes, I encouraged my child and hubby to hold a python. What loving mother wouldn't?

The park is much more commercialized now than when we first visited it. There are Gatorade vending machines all over the place. They have several photo booths where you pose astride a giant gator (or in its mouth). They have a water park for the kids. They have a zip line that goes across the park... over the gator exhibits. And now you can even sign up to wrestle a gator (albeit with it's mouth taped shut) before watching the professionals do it in one of the shows.

Left: Professional gator wrestler. Do not attempt.
Right: Nope... not naptime. The wrestler flips a gator on his back to end the match.

A bird awaits service at the bait shack where you can buy hotdogs to toss to hungry gators.

But the magic of seeing hundreds of gators resting, eating, and leaping through the air still remains.

OK, maybe not leaping through the air, but those guy can jump pretty high when a piece of chicken is dangling above the water! The most popular show at Gatorland is the reptilian answer to the Shamu show at Sea World.

Look at the last picture... he managed to keep all ten fingers! I'd celebrate too!
*Professional. Do not attempt!

So did Gatorland live up to our memories? Absolutely!

Of course, Hubby spotted the most exciting non-gator action in the park. Just before we left, he took us back tough the wooden pathway that led through the gator compound and pointed out a little white fluffy spot among the tree branches.

There were two baby cranes in a nest perched above the gator marsh.

See? Not everything at Gatorland is covered in alligator hide!

Florida! - Where the Wild Things Are

We love zoos! After all, our house often resembles one. But there's just something about going to the zoo that is exciting and adventurous. And every zoo has a different set of animals, a different atmosphere.

That's why we were so excited to get to visit Disney's Animal Kingdom.

And just guess what the very first creature we saw when we walked in was.

It was that stinkin' grasshopper we saw back at the preserve! Having done his own research just days before, Jacob was quite an expert. An audience gathered as he gave an oral dissertation on the lubber grasshopper.

Once we got past the bugs, we headed straight for the Kilimanjaro Safari. Our first African safari!

OK, maybe it wasn't actually in Africa, but Disney did its best to make us believe we were.

While we were waiting in line (dang bugs slowed us down), I snapped a few pictures. When visiting a zoo or amusement park, I like taking pictures early in the day before the heat, humidity, and long-lines zap our energy.

Obviously, it had already been a long vacation and Big Dude was tired of having his picture taken. (I love his subtle hints.) Little Dude, on the other hand, made sure I took a few extra snaps of him. "Mommy, over here. Take a picture."

As for the safari? Awesome!

It was really, really humid that day. This guy had the right idea...

If I was wearing a fur coat, I'd probably just want to lay around all day too.

Between visiting Africa and Asia, we did manage to spend quite a bit of time visiting with Mickey and other Disney characters. But that's another post.

He posed himself and made me take a picture.

Feeling like globe-trotters, we headed over to Asia. Disney really made the place feel like Asia... it was jam-packed with people! I'm sure the Imagineers worked some special magic into making sure all the people converged somehow to make Asia feel so much more crowded than Africa.

It was a fabulous day. But like I said, it was extra humid. By late afternoon, even our own little Tasmanian devil was starting to run out of energy.

Or maybe he was just posing for another picture.

Florida! - The Last Shuttle Launch

One of the most exciting things our family has ever done is watch the final space shuttle launch!

We gathered at Titusville with 1 million other spectators to watch Atlantis leave for its final mission - delivering equipment and supplies to the International Space Station.

The streets of that small town were filled with people, cameras, and vendors. (My dad almost got run over by a ice cream truck... twice!) Excitement and humidity filled the air.

After claiming our spot in the crowd, my mom and I went over to Space View Park where news crews, families, and vendors selling frozen lemonade and tacos walked over plaques embedded in the sidewalk dedicated to various NASA space missions. We also went over to the U.S. Space Walk of Fame Museum, which had a happy little gift shop filled with customers.

There was some worry that the launch would be delayed because of the cloud cover and the possibility of a storm on its way. NASA was going to proceed as planned and wait until the last minute before delaying anything. So when someone announced to all of us in the gift shop that the mission was a go, the place erupted in cheers!

Me and Mom
Ready with our cameras!

As it got closer to countdown, the crowd raised their cameras in anticipation. Some people actually let families with children move in for a better view (what a nice crowd!) and others had radios to let us all know when the countdown would begin.

Everyone counted down in unison.. ten... nine... eight... seven... six...

Five... four... three... two... one...

Titusville is 8-10 miles across the water from NASA's launch pad, and you could still hear the boom as the shuttle leaped into the air.

I doubt if Little Dude understood the significance of what he witnessed, but he was pretty excited about watching a shuttle blastoff.

It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime event!

Another shuttle shot!

After lunch, we finally join the million other cars crowding the highway leading to Orlando. Traffic was so slow that we watched a minivan let out a mom and kid so they could walk up and down the highway (the kid was burning off some pent-up energy with his scooter). Little Dude fell asleep and the rest of us were still talking about the exciting event we just watched.

What a day!

Florida! - Walks Like a Duck

Being the charmer that is, Little Dude made a friend while we stayed at Papa and Grandma's place.

Friends of a Feather

Little Dude looked forward to feeding the ducks almost as much as the ducks did! He was especially fond of the black duck, who was the more outgoing of the two feathered friends.

These ducks had Grandma trained before we arrived. They would waddle up every morning and evening for breakfast and dinner.

Sometimes the black duck would wait for us to return home after one of our outings. When Little Dude saw him, he would excitedly shout, "My friend! My friend!"

However, not all of us were fond of the ducks.  Maggie was quite duck-intolerant and tried to keep them away when she could.

The ducks share the pond (and the bread) with a bunch of box turtles and soft shell turtles. We had fun feeding them too!

There were also a few ibis that liked to hang around... especially when there were bites of bread being thrown around.

The RV resort also had resident iguanas who lived just a few spaces down. They were very fond of one of the ladies there and actually came up to her and licked her like some sort of scaly, reptilian puppy!

For the rest of us, the iguana kept their distance. Thank goodness! I'm not sure I could take being licked by an iguana!

We were happy enough with the ducks.

Now that he's back home, Little Dude misses his friend... and even calls Grandma to check on how the ducks are doing!

Florida! - A State of Differences

Since my parents live on a shelter island, we had to cross at least one bridge (usually several) to get anywhere. Several of those were drawbridges, which was exciting for us - although probably annoying for the locals.

This is something we're not used to where we live. No drawbridges here.

And the bridges weren't the only things that were completely different from what we categorize as "normal" at home.

For one... McDonald's Happy Meals. Seriously.

At home, the red box with the yellow smiley face on it no longer has cookies inside. In fact, I can't remember the last time it did. But down in Florida, we were shocked to see Little Dude pull out a bag of cookies! Our minds were racing: What?!? We're getting cheated out of cookies back home! Should I write a letter of complaint? How can I get some cookies?

Luckily for Hubby and I, Little Dude didn't want his cookies. We wandered down memory lane as we split the pack. They were just like we remembered. Yummm...

Another thing we had to get used to was how we ordered our tea. The following conversation took place at a few locations:

"We'd like one sweet tea and three regular teas."

"We don't have regular tea."

"What?"

"We only have sweet tea and unsweetened tea."

It took a few times before I figured out that "regular" to us is unsweetened, but we were in the south where sweet tea is "regular." We probably confused them as much or more than they confused us.

One other linguistic difference we encountered involved what we call "Early Bird Dinner." At my parents' favorite restaurant - Panama Hattie's - it is romantically called "Sunset Dinner." The fact that it happens several hours before sunset wasn't lost on us. But that didn't keep us from enjoying our seafood.

Us at Panama Hattie's

Plus, Panama Hattie's was on the waterfront and had a view of one of those drawbridges.

And yes, we did order our tea correctly there!

Florida! - Lifestyle of the Rich and Famous

Since Hubby restores historic homes, my mom thought he would enjoy a tour of a historic mansion while we were in Florida. So we headed off to the Flagler Museum.

This charming, little bungalow for two was built as a wedding gift for Henry Flagler's 2nd wife. All she wanted was a cottage by the sea. I hope she was happy with the 75-room, 60,000 sq. foot winter home he created for her.

Top: The foyer. I think my entire house would fit in this room!
Middle Left: Even the ceilings were extravagent with detailed, gold-leafed moldings.
Bottom Left: More gold-leafing detail along the top of the stairwell. Not only expensive, but time-consuming too! And time is money!
Bottom Right: Marble staircases. Marble columns. Marble walls.

Flagler, who co-founded Standard Oil with Rockefeller, had quite a bit of spare pocket change. So he hired the best architects and designers.

Top Left: One of the 12 guest rooms.
Top Right: Each bedroom had a thermostat like this one.
Bottom Left: Every room had beautiful, ornate lighting fixtures. This one is simple compared to others.
Bottom Right: Even the servants rooms were nice.

Flagler ordered Whitehall to be "more wonderful than any palace in Europe, grander and more magnificent than any other private dwelling in the world..." And when it was finished in 1902, the home definitely was. It also had the most advanced technology of the time - electric lighting, central heat, telephones, and 22 bathrooms.

Yet, despite having 22 bathrooms, Mr. and Mrs. Flagler shared the master bath!

Top Left: All the bedrooms across the front of the house had adjoining doors.
Top Right: The veranda wrapped around the 2nd floor and looked down onto the courtyard.
Bottom Left & Right: The extra large master bathroom (complete with shower).

Flagler's 2nd wife, Mary Lily, was a musician. So, of course, they had a beautiful music room with several pianos and a pipe organ. She also had a grand piano in her sitting room, where she received her guests. And they employed an organist who lived at the mansion. Any time Flagler wanted to hear music, he would ring for the organist. Hmm... I think I'm in the wrong line of work!

My favorite room - the Music Room!

At some point in the tour, a small child awakened me from my stupor of looking at all the pretty things. Little Dude and Grandma had been making their own way through the museum armed with an activity book the museum created for kids.

Seriously, it was the BEST idea I've seen from a museum in a long time. Each page featured a different room in the museum and Little Dude had to search the room to find the pictures shown on the page. It was a live Seek-and-Search puzzle (Little Dude's favorite puzzle)!

The book kept Little Dude so busy that several people complimented him on how well-behaved he was.

Left: Papa reading about the mansion to Little Dude.
Right: Little Dude took Grandma for a spin (literally) in the foyer.

The mansion wasn't the only thing to see at the museum. Flagler also had his own private railcar. Since he built the railroads down to Florida (and hotels such as The Breakers) all the way to Key West, he needed his own railcar so he could oversee construction. It had an office, a space for the news reporters who travelled with him, a bedroom, a kitchen, a bathroom, and even a copper-lined shower!

Top Right: Little Dude showing off his 1st smashed penny.
Middle Left: Would you like a spot of tea? Little Dude is ready for kitchen duty!
Middle Right: Where the reporters stayed.
Bottom Left: The shower.

Top Left: Flagler used the lion motif throughout the property.

It was a perfect way to spend a rainy day.

Yours Truly with Little Dude and Hubby.