Lake Superior Railroad Museum

Earlier this summer, my sister Becky and I took her four kids to the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth, MN.

Model Train


We were able to tour many of the trains. The kids had fun exploring. This was the snowplow, used to clear the tracks after huge snowstorms.




Callie in the caboose.


Playing around in the mail car.






A few pictures of the trains on display.






This is Minnesota's first steam engine, The William Crooks, built in 1862.


The perimeter of the train depot is lined with small shops and businesses. Of course there is a train station, as well as a drug store, candy shop, clothing store, hardware store, soda fountain, dentist and doctor's office, and more.








Attached to the depot is a children's museum. The kids had fun playing with the pulleys, trucks, and cranes in the construction zone.










Micah was fascinated by the "floating" ball, caused by air blowing through the orange cone.


Climbing the spiral stairs inside the giant tree brought us upstairs to another level of the museum. Here you can do art projects, play music, and explore a campsite.






Near the entrance to the depot, there was a military museum with memorabilia from various branches of the armed forces.
The kids are standing in front of an 1818 U.S. flag. The lower right star is literally held together with a thin thread. In fact, the plaque said they had to place the display case at an angle to ensure that the weight of the flag didn't cause the threads to break.


Four hours at the museum + zero naps = an exhausting, fun-filled day for everyone

A House-Building Contest

What is there to do on such a hot, sweltering day in Kansas City? We broke open Ryan's Lincoln Logs and proceeded to hold a building contest. I was to be the judge. Erin and Samantha formed one team, while Ben and Ryan joined forces on the other team.

Let the construction begin!

Progressing nicely!

After construction was complete, each team presented their project, adding miscellaneous details in an attempt to convince me to choose their team as the winner. They sure knew their audience well.

Samantha and Erin's dwelling boasts two bedrooms and one bathroom. The retractable roof on the left and right sides of the house allow you to see the sky. Large windows offer a wonderful view of the gorgeous mountains in Estes Park, Colorado (one of my favorite places, by the way). A serious contender for the grand prize.

Ben and Ryan's house is actually a duplex. The microscopic windows give the illusion that the house is larger. The back entrance easily accesses the pool, overlooking the gorgeous landscape of Italy (my lifelong dream is to visit Italy someday. Good call, Ben.). The highly-coveted award may be within your grasp!

Being the wonderful judge I am, I actually awarded two prizes in this tough competition. Samantha and Erin received the $3 million prize for best artistic design. Their home will be featured as HGTV's Dream Home. Including large windows in this spacious house make it a photographer's paradise.

Ben and Ryan were the winners of the "Green Home" award. With the simplistic yet ingenious design, this house uses little energy to heat or cool. No trees were logged to construct this home, as the trees were already cut. Their $3 million prize will undoubtedly be used for installing solar panels to conserve energy, re-planting the rainforests, and of course, saving the whales.

Congratulations to both teams on a job well done!