What I did on my summer vacation

For the Fourth this year we bundled the kids into the van and headed out to visit with my wife's family out in Ohio. But this time we took a little time getting there, stopping to see friends and family along the way as well as doing some sightseeing.

We crossed over into Canada to give the children their first view of Niagara Falls, but as it turned out the falls didn't catch their fancy. What did, was the nearby butterfly conservatory -- and why not? Butterflies are clearly child-scale. The falls are big, but to a young child so much is big; though "awesome" may be our seven-year-old's favorite new word, I wonder how long it will take before she fully grasps its meaning?

We visited yet another butterfly conservatory once we got to Ohio. Impressive the number of such places -- I found a list online here. Many are closed over winter, which seems a pity. As much as I like visiting a greenhouse full of tropical plants in the middle of a cold New England winter, strolling through one populated with thousands of colorful butterflies is better yet.

Posted by David on July 7, 2006 12:23 PM