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Franconia Field Trip

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It began with my August update about our summer family pilgrimage to the Franconia Sculpture Park. A friend and teaching colleague, Carrie Clark, saw the post and left this comment:

“Andrew, can’t we take the eighth grade there?”

I put Franconia on the agenda at one of our planning meetings in August and the 8th grade team was excited about the concept. Large scale sculptures provide an awesome array of interdisciplinary connections, fusing the social commentary and communication skills of  social studies and English with the engineering of math and science. (Indeed, right after the trip I sent an email to the entire grade resolving a lively debate at the park about the density of cement and thus how much a sculpture weighed). Moreover, the park ties into our newly hatched 8th grade design thinking program, with each sculpture representing the latest of a series of prototypes that the artists experimented with along the way. The playful and interactive nature of the park dovetails with our design focus on recreational spaces with our cardboard arcade and playground design projects.

Fitting the trip into our packed fall calendar was no mean feat, and our first try fell apart in September. Fortunately, however, we were able to get out  there on November 4, a beautiful, blustery fall day. (An arctic blast of snow and freezing wind arrived less than a week later, so we were lucky!)

The trip was a hit with both teachers and students. The artist-guides were engaging and knowledgeable.  There was a good mix of time spent on the official tour and free time to explore and climb and think. We didn’t bog things down with faux academic worksheets or other artificial baloney. (Despite this, multiple students, independently and unprompted, asked me for paper and a pencil so that they could jot down some design ideas for their work at school.) It felt, to me, exactly like what a field trip should be: students and teachers sharing an authentic experience of the world.

See below for a few pictures of the trip, taken by either me or my colleagues (some on phones, some on better cameras). Click on any image to see a larger slideshow.

Stunning photo by Neil Bray (from his phone, no less).
Griffin, Maggie, Photo

First D&D Game

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Journey to the Center of the Earth
Meh… Griff enjoyed it, but I was disappointed.
D&D Player's Handbook
The new Player’s Handbook — a top-notch rewrite of the core rules.
D&D Starter Set
The boxed intro with basic rules, dice, sample characters, and an adventure to get you started.

A week before heading up to the cabin, Griffin and I walked to our local comic shop to pick up a new graphic novel (he chose Journey to the Center of the Earth). While browsing, I noticed that the latest (fifth) edition of Dungeons and Dragons was out. I couldn’t resist picking up the Player’s Handbook and the introductory boxed set. I wanted to read over the new rules, and I rationalized that I’d use them when the D&D activity gets going again at my school this winter. (Also, the fourth edition was garbage, so I hoped the fifth would do better.) Of course I didn’t have time to read them during the week, so I tossed them into my reading bag for the cabin. It wasn’t until we got there that it occurred to me that Griffin might be old enough to get into it. Sarah was game, so after our hike on Saturday, I opened the boxed set and had them choose from the five pre-generated characters. For posterity, here’s the group for our first ever family D&D game:

  • Griffin played an elf wizard named… Griffin!
  • Sarah played a halfling rogue named Sarafina.
  • Maggie played a human fighter named Maggie. (Armed with a two-handed sword, no less.)
  • Andrew, besides being the dungeon master, played a dwarf cleric named Amber. (Those who gamed with me in ages past may recall my appreciation for dwarf clerics.)

A bunch of goblins, some wolves, and a bugbear later and everyone gained a level. Griffin’s first request when we got home was, “Can we play some more D&D today?” (The answer was no, but the request warmed my heart.)

It was neat seeing how Griffin’s five-year-old mind grappled with the complexities of the game. His favorite part was definitely rolling the dice: at one point the group rescued a kidnapped knight and he offered to tell the story of his capture; Griffin responded with, “Can I roll the 20-sided die?” But he definitely followed the story, and has a remarkable memory for detail. He instantly grasped some fairly complicated mechanics around how often he can cast his spells, and a week later he can explain the overall quest and the names of the characters and places in the story. (Including a number of details that I had forgotten!)

Maggie, naturally, had only a loose grasp of things, but also enjoyed rolling the dice and paging through the rulebooks to see the pictures.

With Sarah gone this weekend, we haven’t had a chance for a followup game, but this adds a great new activity to our family menu, especially when the snows blow in. (I always hear Ned Stark… “Winter is coming…”)

Oh, and in case any gamers stumble on this post, my first impression of 5th edition is overwhelmingly positive. The core rules are elegant with an emphasis on flexibility, role-playing, and imaginative fun. The writers captured the spirit of what made the original AD&D so compelling, while streamlining the rules and updating them for the current generation.

Griffin, Maggie, Photo

Escape to the Cabin

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After our glorious summer, the school year feels like we’re barely hanging on to a runaway train. On Friday, we fled the crazy for another taste of summer (with a dash of autumn).

The yellow cabin delivered big time. Not only was the weather outstanding, but the kids were 100% engaged,  hiking with gusto, begging to get out on the water in the kayaks, and playing together relatively peacefully during down time. We also enjoyed some unexpected firsts: Griffin’s first time fishing, and our first family D&D game (more on that in an upcoming post). It felt like we were away for far longer than a weekend.

Enjoy the gallery below. Remember, they look best if you click on one to engage the full-screen slide show. (Also, don’t miss the postscript below for a glimpse backstage.)

PS: The last picture looks idyllic, and it was, but the picture misses a few telling details. As I floated in my kayak, taking in the stunning colors, Griffin, far behind me in the center of the lake, decided to start playing “echo” across the water. The echoes were, indeed, spectacular, so he proceeded to yell louder and louder, until his tremendous battle cries reverberated across the lake, drowning out all other sound. He was far enough away, and focused enough on his bellowing, that he couldn’t hear our fierce, whisper-shouted admonishments to cool it. As he continued ramping up, I wondered if any of our well-armed neighbors would take things into their own hands. Fortunately, and I’m not naming names, one of us channeled the voice of Thor, delivering the following carefully considered advice at 150 decibels:

“GRIFFIN . . . SHUT . . . UP!!!!”

As the echoes faded, we were aware that this sonic event was not only permanently etched into the minds of the Spring Lake community, but that scientists of the future will be able to see evidence of the interchange in tree rings and sediment cores.

Yup. That’s how it’s done at the Yellow Cabin.

Griffin, Maggie, Photo

Franconia Sculpture Park

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On Saturday we completed our annual pilgrimage to Franconia Sculpture Park, which remains as magical as ever. (In my understated way, I referred to it as the 8th wonder of the world when we first visited in 2011.)

This trip was further enhanced by the presence of our friends Katrina, Jason, and Hendrick who moved to Minnesota at the beginning of the summer. They were part of our birthing group in the bay area, and Hendrick was born just a month before Griff. It’s been fun seeing Griffin and Hendrick play together as full-size kids, when they used to gurgle on a play mat together back in Oakland. We’re grateful that both of our families have landed in the same place again.

Bridget Beck’s fabulous “Playstation.”
Griff aloft
One of the Tuskeegee airmen in Michael Richards’ sculpture, “Are You Down?”
Maggie and Sarah by Bridget Beck’s whimsical “Poetry Studio”
Maggie climbing in Bridget Beck’s “Poetry Studio”
Griffin climbing in Bridget Beck’s “Poetry Studio”
Hendrick, Maggie, and Griffin in the giant tiger lily (by Saya Woolfalk)
Maggie and Sarah with Mike Rathbun’s monumental “Parade” in the background.
A favorite with the kids — a fallen outhouse.
Maggie inside “Playstation.”
Griffin and Hendrick

I tried to mention the artists and the titles of their sculptures in the captions, though I didn’t record the outhouse one and can’t find it online. Most of the artists haves pages linked from a page at the Franconia website.  They all have interesting stories, but I was particularly struck by the story of Michael Richards, the artist behind the “Are You Down?” sculpture featuring three Tuskeegee Airmen in a black sand circle. He created the original sculptures in resin in 2000, and then began a residency at the World Trade Center. He was killed on September 11, 2001. Franconia led a successful kickstarter campaign to have his pieces cast in bronze (his original intent). The fully realized piece was unveiled on September 11, 2012. It is the only permanent installation at the park.

"Are You Down?" by Michael Richards
“Are You Down?” by Michael Richards
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Travail Kitchen and Amusements

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Sarah and I spent nearly four hours in food heaven last night. The place is Travail Kitchen and Amusements in Robinsdale, just northwest of Minneapolis. We arrived at 5:45. We had a table at 7:15. We worked our way through a spectacular ten course tasting menu (plus numerous extras). We left, with goofy grins, at 9:35. It was long; it was expensive; we can’t wait to do it again.

They sing and dance; they shout and laugh; they cook unbelievable food; they explain everything; they chat with you and it’s all live — the kitchen is right in front of you. Their cocktails were outrageously good (and so fun to watch them make). The music was loud, eclectic, and perfectly enhanced the festive mood. They transform a weekday dinner into a celebration. This is where all the great chefs go to party, and we were invited along for the ride.

The bar, where we lived for our first hour and a half, was a lively, magical place. I didn’t take this amazing shot, but it captures the mood. The drink is a Ron Burgundy, complete with bourbon, cherries, and smoke.
The kitchen. Note the scrawled white board marker proclaiming, “MAKE GOOD FOOD!!”
High art.
Yes, a gerber spoon. (We also had one course served directly onto our hands with our eyes closed!)
This was one of the appetizers: crispy chicken skin, house-made honey mustard, and compressed watermelon.
This was the gerber spoon course. The bowl was an oyster custard. I don’t remember the rest in detail.
Delectable.
Tortellini flavor bomb.
This wasn’t last night, but it shows some of the magic in action.
Long shot of our board as it was created. This was a dramatic showpiece with the chefs twirling around the room, adding delicacies to the frenetic cadence of “In the Hall of the Mountain King.”
Closeup of our board.
Our final course. (Before dessert.) So, so good.
Dessert. Not including the house made “Twix” bar on a stick. It has forever ruined regular Twix.
The beer boot, making the rounds.
Appropriately absurd finale to a fabulous night out.

Update: Travail’s 2013  kickstarter page does a great job defining their vision for the dining experience. (They blew past their goal to the tune of an extra $180,000!)

Griffin, Maggie, Photo

Loons and otters, frogs and leeches

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It’s been a great weekend for wildlife at the cabin. We spotted the otters cavorting in the lake yesterday, the first time Andrew and the kids have seen them. They were leaping and diving in the west bay, near the old beaver lodge. We got quite close to them in the canoe, and could clearly hear them chittering. Very exciting!

The loons are present as always, though they’ve kept their distance. Their calls, especially after dark, are as haunting and beautiful as ever. We also spotted a bald eagle on the island, along with a kingfisher and a smaller bird of prey, a kestrel perhaps? Some sort of white crane or heron flew low across the water too.

The leech whisperer
Griffin, the leech whisperer.

Beneath the surface we spotted a perch, plenty of minnows, a turtle, and lots of frogs and leeches along the marshy shoreline. Griffin loves the leeches and catches them with ease. He’s inspired us to be less concerned about them. They’re slow to attach, painless, easy to remove, and harmless. (Unlike mosquitoes and ticks, leeches rarely harbor anything harmful to humans since they primarily feed on amphibians.) I’ll take them over all the other bloodsucking pests.

During our swim yesterday we also found a sizable rib, probably from a deer.

Finally, we learned recently that there is a northern flying squirrel nesting near the cabin! They are nocturnal, so we haven’t spotted her, but Jeff saw her on his last visit. Her distinctive voice is quite noticeable just after sunset.

Enjoy a few photos below of some migratory mammals we’ve seen quite a bit of.

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Looking for frogs.
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Ready for adventure.
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Wading by the island.
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More otters please!
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“It’s our swimming pool!”
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Proud pool engineers.
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A thinking soak.
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Maggie pool!
Griffin, Maggie, Photo

Adventure Week, Day 4

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Today we headed to the always engaging Tamarack Nature Center. It’s a fantastic, free, county park that features rocks to climb, caves and tunnels to explore, an extensive stream and sand area (great for building huge dams), and a massive demonstration garden. Although we’ve been many times in the past, this was the first time this summer, and it’s very adventuresome.

Enjoy the pics — click to see big ones.

Maggie posing in the tunnel
Josie
Running!
More running!
Waterfalls
Aquatic engineering
Watching the dam burst
Maggie in the Hobbit Hole
“Here Daddy, have some dirt!”
Gabe and Griffin
Selfie
Griffin, Maggie, Photo

Adventure Week, Day 3

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Today’s adventures were constructed around Sarah and Andrew’s dental adventures. The main excitement was at Nicollet Commons Park in Burnsville, about 20 minutes south of Saint Paul. It’s a free “splash pad” style park, with an extensive set  of pools, waterfalls, and fountains. It’s another new park for us — we read about it in a magazine highlighting local water parks.

Click on a picture to see an immersive slideshow.

Our first mini-adventure in the Dungeon of Costco, populated with gargantuan bears. (Which we did not buy.)
Fountain.
Maggie splashing.
Climbing the falls.
Griffin at the courtyard geyser.
Approval.
Snack time.
Griffin, Maggie, Photo

Adventure Week, Day 2

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Cascade Bay (generic image)
Cascade Bay (generic image)

For our second daily adventure this week, we sailed to Cascade Bay, a water park not far from here. We’d never been before, and it was a home run. Griffin was allowed on all the slides — his first time having 100% access to everything at a mixed-age park. And he’s a strong enough swimmer now that he can get himself out of the pool (even the deep one) unassisted.  This makes all things watery soooo much more relaxing. We only have to worry about one kid drowning if we blink our eyes.

Maggie loved the zero entry pool with its mini-slide and was very brave, going down the slide without holding hands and jumping into the “deep” end. She was sad not to go on the slides, but understood that they might be scary, “like the tilt-a-whirl.” (Ding! I hoped there would be a positive lesson from yesterday’s mistake.)

"I not tired!"
“I not tired!”

We stayed for a solid five hours; fun for all of us. Alas, no personal pictures from the park — the one above is from their promo site. 1) It’s a water park, and our camera doesn’t like water. 2) We locked my phone in the locker. 3) I would feel like a creep snapping shots with my telephoto lens in front of a million kids in swim suits. (And I wouldn’t like the guy on the next lounger doing it either.) So you just get to imagine the fun. But we did get a pic of Maggie collapsing on the couch afterwards, moments after proclaiming, “I not tired!”