Two Rivers, Wisconsin

After setting up the RV, we took advantage of the beautiful day by taking the kids for their first bike ride thru a town, the tiny town of Two Rivers. They did well staying on the sidewalk, watching for cars and walking their bikes across the streets. 

Our walk/ride continued all the way to the beach of Lake Michigan 

where numerous monarch butterflies had taken their final rest.

 When I suggested that we take the kids to their first art museum, my husband thought I was nuts. Two three year olds around very expensive, one-of-a-kind pieces?! I thought it was time, and I had found this neat little place called the Rahr-West that is an art museum inside a 1890s mansion with 13 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms and 6 fireplaces! Pretty cool.

When we arrived, I was relieved to see they are very welcoming to children and even have a child's playroom downstairs. They have backpacks full of art supplies the kids can borrow for use in the playroom during their visit. The kids were excited.

We were impressed with these wood carving sets that were carved from one piece of wood into movable items- balls and chains.

They also gave the kids a scavenger hunt page with photos of different items located in the museum to find. Asher was very good at this. Found the fireplace and the fish.

Journey only marred one priceless work of art, ok, it was a vase-like thing with snowy-glittery stuff glued to the side, which she knocked some off when her little finger brushed it. It was the only thing that didn't have a plaque next to it to tell of it's attributes, so I think it's ok??? Anyway, I swooped her up and ran her directly to the kids' playroom, before anything super tragic happened.

The playroom was perfect. Tables for the kids to open up their backpacks and color, cut and paste til their hearts were content. Books to read in their comfy chairs, toys arranged by type and even a 3D puzzle to keep me, I mean, the kids, busy.
  

We made two trips to the Lincoln Park Zoo. It's a little place, but has some nice animals.  

Asher learned that his "wingspan" is smaller than a red-tailed hawk, but almost the size of a seagull. 

A beautiful Red Golden Pheasant.

This fish rearing pond, built in 1985, recently held 30,000 growing Brown Trout, put here for the chance to grow without the danger of being eaten by larger animals. Half were released into nearby rivers and the other half will be released later this year. Over the years they have grown and released nearly six million fish into the area! Not only are they visible when looking down from the platform, there are underwater cameras that allow you to watch the fish on a tv monitor just under the sign. Asher really enjoyed this.

The kids' favorite though had to be the prairie dogs (ok, maybe not so cool to those who live around these creatures, but hey it's the first time my kids have seen them). There were at least six in the enclosure and it was fun to watch them dig and run into their holes.

By the way both the art museum and zoo are both free, requesting only donations.