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North America, Travel
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February 21, 2009

Afternoon at the Staten Island Children’s Museum

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The boys and I waited for the bus to the Staten Island Children’s Museum. The last time I tried to do this was ages ago with 11-year-old, (then only 5) and my husband. We stood on a similar platform, not sure what bus to ride. Unsure of what bus to take, and not getting clear directions from the restaurant, we gave up and went home. But this time, I was determined to see my plan through, and luckily it was pretty easy. Except for that the 3.5 year old was starting to act up and thus, waiting of any kind, was not something he easily did.

The bus arrived quickly, and the boys immediately sat, looking out the window, full of anticipation. It was a short ride along the river. I was happy to see the boys behaving themselves, because it gave me a chance to take in the sights. I don’t know much about Staten Island and was excited to be here.  It always irks me that there are some many places I have yet to see in a city that I have lived most of my life in.

The driver indicated the stop. We got off the bus and right there, across the street, was the entrance to the museum grounds. Despite the muddy grounds and leafless trees, I couldn’t help to feel a sense of awe as I passed the arch stone entry that united the tall iron fences on both sides which enclosed area. It is an incredibly beautiful place, and I can only imagine how much more beautiful in warmer seasons when the maple trees are in full bloom, hovering over the grounds with the Austrian pines.  Even the little ones stood in silence as we looked at the Greek Revival building in front of us.  The sense of something historic was intense, and I loved it.

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Turns out we had just ventured onto the grounds of the Snug Harbor Cultural Center, which in addition to the Staten Island Children’s Museum, happens to also be the home to the Staten Island Museum, The Noble Maritime Collection, and The Art Lab, a school of fine and applied art founded in 1975 by professional artists.

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img_2347We slowly made our way to the building that housed the children’s museum with the boys stopping to look at this or that, all three wrestling each other onto the muddy ground, “sword fighting” with broken sticks they found as they walked along. Such is the life with boys.

The boys reached the building before I did, and when I got closer I saw all three of them standing in front of a 12-foot-high praying mantis sculpture in front of the building.  The boys played around a few other sculptures in the lawn of the building before we all went inside.  The fee for entry is $5.00 for anyone 1 and over, but no fee for coat check, for there, right next to the entrance is a coat hanging area where people just find a hook for our jackets and leave whatever carry-ons on the metal shelf underneath.

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In the same room is the Ladder 11 exhibit, with a huge, red fire truck that children can climb into and play in.  Next to that a cubby for firefighter gear that kids can where, a pole to slide off and a life-size firefighter mannequin in full gear.  The 2-year-old loved this!

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Meanwhile the 3.5 and 11-year-old ran into The Big Game exhibition area, where there played with huge domino pieces, checkers chess, connect four, and other board games. It is a great bright room, gleaming from the sunlight outside.

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The boys also loved the Great Explorations exhibit, which took them through a rain forest, the ocean floor, and the icy environments of igloos and snow sleds.

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The boys spent some time poking around, playing and looking at everything on this side of the museum along. Eventually they were ready to explore more.

We went upstairs and found a Walk-in Workshop. It was a classroom with crayons, markers, scissors, clue, ink and stamps, and other materials for arts and crafts, and tables that wrapped around the center of the room covered with brown paper to allow the kids to freely sit and draw and create whatever art project they desired. Free!

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While the 11-year-old drew pictures with the 2-year-old and tried to keep him from putting the ink pads in his mouth (to somewhat success), the 3.5 year old started getting fidgety. So I decided to go back downstairs with him.

And it was there, somewhere on the way back to Portia’s Playhouse, the theater where kids can where the available costumes and put on a theatrical show, that my 3.5 year old threw a huge tantrum. Though when traveling with toddlers one has to expect that maybe in one of those travels a tantrum or two would be inevitable, I had hoped that it hadn’t happened so far from home.

He screamed and yelled, and threw himself on the floor, while people walking by staring as if the sight of a toddler throwing a tantrum was foreign to them. “He looks tired,” said a nanny watching over her 6-year-old.  “How old is he?” asked a mother carrying her less than one. But really there was nothing I could do. I had to calm him down before we left because the ride home was not a short one.

Oh the horror. But the lady at the front desk tried her hardest to engage him, which I really appreciated, and with a little extra coaxing I was able to lead all my boys down to the lower level which turned out was a play sanctuary.  The Block Harbor, a room full of wooden blocks, with a large ship, bell, telescope and navigational wheel included took the boys breath away and put a huge smile on the 3.5 year old’s face. He quickly ran to the top of the ship and with his older brother pretended to be pirates in search of gold, while the youngest one headed straight towards the building block area and began the task of building.  I sat with the other mothers, and relaxed as I sipped on the cold drink I had purchased at the Cafe at the lower level. I was unaware of the time we spent there, until I looked at my watch and realizing we had been at the museum for 4 hours!

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I began to gather up the boys to start making the trip back home but we didn’t leave without one more tantrum from my middle child. This time I took him outside, and we sat on the outside steps of the museum as the colder breezed cooled them off. I ran back in and got all three boys an ice cream treat and I watched them as they sat there, enjoying their ice cream, making a huge mess of themselves, but quietly.

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Though we missed several of the other exhibits and activities at the museum, and didn’t even get a chance to play in the outdoor Sea of Boats play area, I didn’t mind. It was gorgeous here and I loved having the excuse to come back soon.  We sat there for a while, as the museum closed and the sun began to set.

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Later, on the State Island Ferry ride back home, the boys cuddled up to me. Tired, but quiet and content, we watched as the sun set behind Lady Liberty, its orange-yellow light gleaming off the wonderful buildings of my beloved city. Despite the tantrums and distance it really turned out to be a wonderful all-day adventure.

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Carol Cain

Brooklyn native Carol is happiest when on an adventure, whether close to home or farther away. She is a small business owner and travel writer. In addition to creating Girl Gone Travel, she is the Founder and Principal of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. She's mom to three wonderful sons and wife to a handsome Irish/Scot. She lives, works, and plays in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of NY.

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3 Comments
  • Lisa
    April 1, 2009

    Everyday I read your old posts and I love every post you have ever written. I love the way you write too. I'm so glad I found your blog 🙂 You've also given me so many ideas on what to do with my kids.

    Thanks and take care chica!!

    Reply
  • Walter Murch
    July 2, 2012

    A lovely report on a lovely outing, despite the tantrums. Makes me want to go with my kids. Good pictures, thanks.

    Reply
    • Carol Cain
      Walter Murch
      July 2, 2012

      Thanks so much Walter!

      Reply

Leave a Reply to Walter Murch Cancel reply

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About me

Hi! I'm Carol! I am an award-winning travel blogger, a keynote speaker, and the Principal and owner of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. I a wife to a handsome Irish/Scot and a mom to 3 sons and 2 puppies. Welcome to my blog where I share stories of my travels and professional public relations insights and advice. Thank you for reading and for your support!

Carol Cain

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If you are a foodie traveler, Madison, WI is a des If you are a foodie traveler, Madison, WI is a destination for you. This list of good eats were all within close proximity to each other and spots we made time for during our short weekend visit. So definitely note that this doesn’t even begin to cover the tip of the iceberg, but makes a good starter list!

📍@ShortStackEats in the heart of Downtown Madison is clearly a UW favorite. Loved their pancakes! We thought it was a pricey for breakfast, and only offered drip coffee, but the scene was fun, food was good, and service was friendly.
📍@SardineMadison is a waterfront French bistro that has stood the test of time (we’ve been coming here since we lived in Madison!). It can feel very corporate some nights, but their Happy Hour and brunch are definite highlights and it’s a really nice dining experience overall.
📍@EatattheAudrey impressed us! It’s not your usual “hotel restaurant” and I would say it easily stands alone as an eatery worth checking out in Madison. Great breakfast options, cozy vibes, nice bar, and good service!
📍@RamenStation1124 good, affordable ramen.
📍BlindShotSocialClub We really loved this spot for brunch (sorry, was enjoying the company and totally spaced out on capturing food images!). Golf fans will love hitting the putt here (you can reserve a private room too), and what I though was most cool was the delicious and wide selection of non-alcoholic cocktails to choose from. This place is a total vibe!
📍@StringsRamen is a chain, but I have to say it is some of the best ramen I have had in a long time. I especially loved how you can choose your ramen but heat level but also by Japanese region which allowed us to taste a couple of new flavors!
📍@Parthenongyros has been around awhile (hubby recalls coming here during his college years!) and was voted #1 take out in Madison! Though we indulged inside and away from the snow. A delicious, quick bite when strolling around State Street.

And again, this is just a starter list. There is so much more to eat and enjoy in this top foodie city! What other spots would you add to this list?

#madisonwi #foodiegram #foodiedestinations #goodeats @destinationmadison
I love to travel. It has always been important to I love to travel. It has always been important to my family. My parents got my first passport weeks after I was born. They couldn’t afford to travel like I do now, but they understood, as immigrants, the absolute privilege that comes attached to having that shiny blue American booklet and they wanted me to have it.

I was yet again reminded of my privilege when my travel back home on this last trip was delayed over 24 hours. I have a village in place to make sure my kids were ok. Having my own business meant I didn’t have to report in to anyone, and was still able to work remotely so none of my clients were inconvenienced by it. Though the airline covered our hotel and food, we never worried that we couldn’t do it ourselves otherwise. While we were annoyed, we weren’t stressed.

So while I love to travel, and I love sharing my travels with you, I acknowledge that being able to do so, and dealing with the consistent travel disruptions so prevalent today without worries is a privilege…one that started with a little blue booklet that gives me more access to the world than some others do.

And I want us all in this travel space to be reminded of this. Of how lucky we are. Of our privilege to access and time and money.

So let us travel with grace and awareness. Let us remain rooted in reality and perspective. Acknowledging that our escapism isn’t one so easily accessible to others. Understanding that this is also why local stories have as much value as those to exclusive destinations, if not more. And, never forgetting, especially in the travel influencer and media space, that were it not for hosted campaigns and paid-for travel opportunities, most of us wouldn’t be able to afford the lifestyle we so beautifully curate online.

It doesn’t matter how often you travel, or how far. Just that hopefully you will be able to gift yourself the experience of doing so and experiencing something new.

#travel #travelmedia #travelinfluencer #wheretonext
As I work on compiling all the good eats I experie As I work on compiling all the good eats I experienced in Madison, WI, I have to ask: what is your favorite meal of the day, and where did you experience a highlight of the same?

I am a huge fan of breakfast. This beauty was a blueberry pancake order from @shortstackeats. Pancakes are not a big thing for me, but these were pretty perfect. I am craving them still. 🥞♥️

#madisonwi #goodeats #travelingfoodie @destinationmadison
We got back on a plane! Here are scenes from a qui We got back on a plane! Here are scenes from a quick trip to Madison, WI - my first time back in 14 years! Though we were here for family matters, we did take a moment to explore a bit of what used to be a place we called home.

We couldn’t do anything else until we drove around Lake Monona, where we once had a home, and took in the wintery views (there is an epic 13.2-mile trail that loops around the lake that is worth exploring if you visit!). Though our time was limited, we were able to enjoy some of it along State Street exploring the shops, eateries, the FREE @mmocamadison, and the beautiful architecture of the WI State Capitol Building (the Dane County Farmers Market will soon pick up again - Saturdays, April 15 thru November 11, 2023 around the Capitol Building and it is one of the best farmers markets anywhere!). 

We booked a room at the @hiltonmadison Monona Terrace to be within walking distance of all the downtown fun (tip: for a room with a lake view make sure to book at the upper levels above 10th floor for an unobstructed view of Lake Monona). 

Madison, WI is a skip and a hop from the Finger Lakes so this short and sweet visit didn’t feel difficult at all. And we absolutely loved the winter scenery and seeing what has changed (a lot) since we lived here.

Stay tuned for my list of where we ate!

Have you ever been to Madison, WI?

#madisonwi #weekendgetaway #wisconsin @destinationmadison
The joy of that first sip of the day. #randommom The joy of that first sip of the day. 

#randommomentsarethebest
I think my husband enjoys it, but still can’t be I think my husband enjoys it, but still can’t believe how easily I’ve been waking up in the early mornings since our last trip. Not sure how to shake it, or if it’s temporary, but here it is: the rare sighting of me up and moving early in the day. Am I a morning person now? Has travel ever permanently changed any of your habits?

#morningperson #lifeinthecountry #newme <-😂

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