June/July 2010 - Coulee Region Women's Magazine

Children’s museums, aquariums andmuseums such as the Museum of Scienceand Industry in Chicago are places wherekids don’t always recognize they are learningwhile they are having fun. If you’d like totake in an art museum or other exhibityou don’t think your kids will be quite asenthused about, try turning the explorationinto a scavenger hunt. Pick up somepostcards in the museum’s gift shop andchallenge the kids to see how many of thepictured items they can find. You can evencapitalize on their ‘yawn factor’ and askthem to find the ugliest painting or the mostlame exhibit and take a picture of it on theircell phones. Make the daily finds a part ofyour dinner conversation. Who found theweirdest exhibit? Who found the mostunbelievable fact? Who found something totell Grandma about when we get home?One tip is to acknowledge up frontthat some parts of the trip will be moreinteresting to kids, and some parts will bemore interesting to the adults, and we willall be respectful while the other is enjoyinga favorite activity. Then make a point todo something that is clearly kid oriented,whether it’s visiting an amusement park orstopping in an ice cream shop.Make the world your homeIf you’re not traveling with kids, you maybe willing to venture further from the beatenpath. Cheryl Hanson has visited several ofLa Crosse’s sister cities, each time stayingwith a host family. “Absolutely the best wayto immerse yourself in the local culture is tostay with someone who lives there,” she says.“You’ll be able to experience firsthand whatthey eat, where they shop and some of thelocal customs.”In addition to sister city exchanges,Hanson says Rotary International offers hostfamily experiences, even to non-Rotarians.Or you can try CouchSurfing.org, a servicethat connects travelers with locals in placesacross the globe.If staying with another family is a littleoutside your comfort zone, especially in acountry where you don’t speak the language,Watters says many hotels now offer “hosts”who will take you to lesser-known areasof a city to experience what it’s like to liveas a local. Their recommendations forcoffee shops and restaurants tend to beneighborhood establishments that attractfew tourists.No matter where you go or what youlike to do when you travel, you can alwaysfind opportunities to add to your wealth ofexperiences. The world is waiting. DJulie Nelson and her family have enjoyedlearning about places as diverse as Hollywood,a Colorado gold mine, ancient Rome andWisconsin’s Rock Island State Park.aRE YOU REaDY TOSTaRT a NEW caREER?We offer training in• Cosmetology – Students are trainedto provide services in hair, aestheticsand nail technology• Aesthetics – skin care• Nail Technology566 Theater Rd., Onalaskawww.salonproacademy.comThe Salon Professional academy is affiliated with Redken,the world’s number one manufacturer of beauty products.c a l l (608) 783-7400 T O l E a R N M O R E !40 JUNE/JULY 2010 www.crwmagazine.com