Black Hills Adventure

Several weeks ago, shortly after my daughter's birthday party, Husband came home from work and we sat down to dinner. Nothing out of the usual, except that the gears in his head were turning. He was talking about camping earlier in the day with a co-worker, and at dinner he did some calculating in that head of his. We hadn't been on a vacation in 2-1/2 years.
We were overdo.

Fast forward to two weeks later. We had our camping checklist and gear laid out, maps marked up for the campgrounds and trails in the Black Hills area, and our sitters lined up for 6 full days of an 'outdoor adventure'. 

Lesson Learned #1: Have a Solid Understanding of the Size of your Vehicle.
While husband and I did a vast amount of research into the proper gear, food and supplies required for camping, we neglected to remember that our last vehicle, a 'small class SUV,' had far more trunk space than our updated 'crossover.' After a good hour of finessing, all four doors could close and we had almost 18 cubic inches of space to spare! Next time... pack less.


Lesson Learned #2: It Isn't a Good Idea to Take the Highways to South Dakota when it is Apparently Flood Season.


Evidently 'April Showers' took a raincheck into June this year (pun intended). While the interstate would probably have been an easier way to drive to South Dakota, the highways through rural Nebraska are far prettier. We opted for this route, and planned to break up the driving into an afternoon of driving, an overnight at a small hotel, and a late morning check-in at the camp site.
While this was a great idea in theory, we did not plan for the sandbagged roads and detours we ran into along the way. We also did not adequately check the current weather situation for that evening in Northwest Nebraska. So we were caught on a highway with no ditches, no tree cover, and no turn offs, during a severe thunderstorm with 70 mph winds. Next time, interstate, you are my friend.

A few highlights of the Black Hills:
Little Devil's Tower Hiking Trail: One of the shorter trails in Custer State Park, we took this trail on our first day. The Custer State Park brochure listed the trailhead as a way to reach Harney Peak, but did not mention much about the 'spur trail' to Little Devil's Tower. This trail is strenuous. The hike is not pretty for much of the time, as this area contains many dead & dying trees, and due to this there is also very little shade. However, once you reach the summit you will find gorgeous views of the Black Hills. This trail is also not very travelled, so you will have far more solitude than the various other trails in the park.

View from Little Devil's Tower Summit

Harney Peak Hiking Trail: There are two trailhead points to reach Harney Peak, and this is the most popular hiking in the park, as evidenced by the t-shirts you can purchase at the State Park General Store which proudly proclaim, "Take a Hike! Harney Peak, elevation 7,242". The hike is 3 miles one way to the tower at the summit. You can see across four states from the tower, and the view is spectacular.

View from Harney Peak Summit

Iron Mountain Road heading north (early morning if at all possible): While we took this road into Custer State Park after leaving Mt. Rushmore and the town of Keystone (which is north of the State Park area), we did not leave the park using this road until the final day of our trip. In general it is a twisty, scenic road through the park with beautiful views of the hills. However, if you take this road north, as we did on our final morning in Custer, you have a *the best* view of Mt. Rushmore in the Black Hills. Well, at least far better than if you go to the monument, pay your $10 to park, and stand next to the hoards of other tourists with their cameras. If you go in the early morning, this road is also full of wildlife still out & about in the woods. A beautiful drive worth making.  

Sadly, as our camera was packed under various other things in the car on this last drive out, we have no photographic evidence of this.Lesson Learned #3: Camera always in the front seat.

Wildlife Loop Road: Also in Custer State Park, this loop is in the southern portion of the park. Through this long stretch of road you will see the prairie of South Dakota... oh yeah, and as the road name eludes, wildlife. Our first drive through yielded a couple of sightings of lone deer... over the 30 mile drive. On the second drive through we saw the herd of buffalo. While they are impressive creatures, there is something anti-climatic about shooting photos of wildlife out of your car window as you sit in a long parade of vehicles on a paved road... But still. Worth the drive if you have the time.

Now that I am properly rejuvenated by my summer vacation, I will be back soon with more posts!

Birthday Garden Party!

1. Tissue Paper Puff Garland

2. Handmade Felt Birthday Cakes for the birthday girls.

3. Farmer's Market Succulents? Ah, yes please! 

4.  Handmade linen smock, with a flower for flair. 

1. Peonies! The scent is just heavenly.

2. Fresh baked strawberry cupcakes, succulents and peonies decorated the table.

Two!

My baby is two next week. I should rephrase; my little girl is two next week. We just concluded her second birthday party, and it was just amazing to see my little lady actually entertain her guests.

She gives her books kisses and runs up to give us spontaneous hugs. She stops during walks to splash in the water, feel grass, and check that her baby doll is strapped in the stroller okay. It is such fun to see life through the eyes of a child. Her excited gibberish while 'reading' books and manic giggles fill what used to be silence in the house. Her trail of toys, books, and food crumbles clutter what used to be a clean house. And I wouldn't trade it for the world. Happy birthday sweetheart. We love you.

While we try to teach our children all about life,

Our children teach us what life is all about.

~Angela Schwindt

Illustrator Review: Laura Ljungvist

Laura Ljungvist Illustration: check out her website!

Last year I was working on a children's hospital design (which, sadly, never came to fruition; it was completely reworked design-wise). The inspiration was a linear element which would carry throughout the hospital as a wayfinding element. Each floor of the hospital would highlight features of the city; one floor highlighted parks, another bridges and water, another the cityscape. We wanted a clean-lined, sophisticated graphic style using bold colors that would appeal to children of all ages.

When I stumbled upon Laura's book "Follow the Line" it was like déjà vu. The sketches we drew were eerily similar, and the concept of a line which carries you through space? Wow. It was like she read our minds. And not a single person on the design team had ever seen her work.

Since I first saw Follow the Line, I have collected almost every one of Laura's books. The graphic style is a unique combination of colors and geometric forms. Each page of the three book series not only follows the story, but has activity questions such as "How many cars have their headlights on?" in Follow the Line, or "What shape is the swiss cheese?" in Follow the Line through the House.

As you can see in the illustration below (example page from Follow the Line through the House), there is a line which comes from the left hand side of the page (which is a continuation of the line on the previous page) and becomes the form of the drawers, then becomes the form of stove, the form of the chairs and table base, to finally carry off the right hand side of the page and into the next. I love how the line pulls the reader through the story, while showing the reader how everyday objects can be broken down into simple geometric forms.

Sample Page from Follow the Line through the House by Laura Ljungvist

If you are interested in seeing more examples of her illustrations, where to buy her books, or information on Laura, check out her website here.

Phase I: Complete

As I mentioned earlier, Little Tomato and my cousin Eva are sharing a birthday party this year... and it is next weekend! I still have *loads* to do, but as of now, I can draw a nice big check mark next to the "garland" on my To Do list. Once husband gets home tonight, we can officially hang it up in our living room, but until then... I am eagerly anticipating it!!

Tissue Paper Garland: Complete!

The garland is made of 6" diameter tissue paper puffs tied together with cream organza ribbon. Since we have a tall ceiling in our living room, the BIG puff is going to hang from our ceiling fan in the center of the room. There are four garlands coming off the center ball which are going to attach to the four corners of the living room to give a 'tented' feel in the room. I calculated that I needed 11 puffs per garland, which is a grand total of *45* puffs (counting the big one in the middle).

As it is a spring party, I loved the idea of celebrating everything in bloom. I designed the invitations with a garland of flowers in the upper corner, and printed them on plantable paper so the invitations can be planted and grown into flowers of their own!

Nature Explore!

Nebraska City, home of Arbor Day, has an *amazing* outdoor play area for children called "Nature Explore" at their Arbor Day Farm "Tree Adventure."

Tree Adventure Path

The Tree Adventure has a wide (read: stroller friendly) trail which winds along a wooded path. As you walk through the 'forest', you will find different animal tracks stamped into the concrete, signs describing the various plants and animals, and interactive sculptures which children can play in/ on along the way. The 50 foot tall tree house is also a great feature to get a stunning view of the forest.

What I call an 'interactive sculpture'

However, as wonderful as this trail is, the vast majority of our time is spent in the Nature Explore play area. This features a "nature's treehouse" (see photo below), a messy play area, a nature's art area, and a gi-normous wooden xylophone / music area for children to demonstrate their budding musical talents.

Nature's Treehouse

The treehouse features multiple levels of platforms with wood railings and a cubby full of play silks. The messy play area is a zone full of large limbs and sticks for children to stack, configure and climb on. And the nature's art area features large cubbies of natural wooden building blocks, shells, pine cones and other natural elements to organize and create designs. 

Nature's Art Area on "Giant Tree Cookie Flooring"

Not only is this sensory smorgasbord my favorite playground, but there is a duplicate of this classroom in a 'toddler friendly' size for the wee babes to experience the same outdoor fun as their older counterparts. 

If you are not within feasible driving distance of Nebraska City and want a Nature Explore for your own city (or yard, if you so choose), the Arbor Day website has been updated with a "Nature Explore Sourcebook" which boasts a cheat sheet of all of their unique outdoor play materials. Click here for the link. 

Terrible Yellow Eyes

"Where the Wild Things Are" by Maurice Sendak

I have been taken in by Maurice Sendak’s terrible and wonderful monsters.

I love the anger, and the frightfulness, and the joy I find there.

I hope you will find something here as well.

-- Cory Godbey

Cory Godbey, who wrote this quote, created a website as an homage to Maurice Sendak and his story "Where the Wild Things Are." It is a collection of illustrations from talented artists who share an admiration for the book. As someone who has also been inspired by this special children's book, it was amazing to see the diverse collection of illustrations. If you also hold a special place in your heart for this great story, check out this amazing site!

http://www.terribleyelloweyes.com/