Daily Adventures August 22 - 26

This is the end, my friends.  I go back to work on Monday and blogging just isn't in the cards anymore.  I hope you've found this useful, or at least enjoyable reading.

For the final blog I decided to revisit some of our top adventures of the summer.  These are high-quality destinations, so visit without reservation.  You won't need reservations, either.  

Monday, August 22  Go to your local library and get a Museum Adventure Pass to use this week.  These passes offer two free admissions to a wide variety of museums around the Cities.  Destinations include the Foshay Tower Museum, the Minnesota Zoo, and my kids' favorite museum, The Bakken.

 Tuesday, August 23  Your little buddies (5 and up) can earn their Junior Refuge Manager Badge at the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge.  Meet at the Bloomington Visitor Center at 9:30 am for the two-hour program.  This is a first-rate facility that I didn't know existed until my friend, Janine, shared the secret this summer.  You won't be disappointed. 
My boys also highly recommend the family programming at 10 am at Caponi Art Park.

 Wednesday, August 24  The first time I tried this one Minnesota was closed for business, so let's try again!  There are 25 state parks in Minnesota that will loan you a GPS unit for free so that you can try geocaching!  The closest one is at Fort Snelling State Park.  Geocaching is a fun way to hike through state parks while using a GPS unit to find a cache of hidden treasures.  Bring a knick-knack with you to leave behind.

Thursday, August 25  If you saw the Yogi Bear movie this spring you might remember the water skiing exhibition that Yogi put on.  It was pretty good, but you ain't seen nothing 'til you've seen the Twin Cities River Rats do their stuff on the Mighty Mississippi.  It was 60 degrees and raining the last time this was on the schedule, so nobody went.  If you go this time, you'll see pyramids, barefooting, flips, jumps and, if you're lucky, some crazy boat acrobatics.  The show is at 7 pm and free.  Directions are here.

 Friday, August 26  You're probably familiar with "Spoonbridge and Cherry" at the Walker's Sculpture Garden.  But this ain't the same old cherry anymore.  You can now download an app called "SCVNGR" that will take you on a digital scavenger hunt through the garden.  On this adventure, you'll be directed to snap some photos and answer questions about what you're seeing.  You can earn rewards by completing these challenges.  What kind of rewards?  I still have no idea . . . I had to work the last time I scheduled this.  If, like me, your phone isn't smart, you can borrow one from the Walker.  They put the "art" in "smart" . . . That "joke" was so nice, I used it twice.

Saturday, August 27  Take the "Garden Highlights Nature Hike" from 11:00 to noon at the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary.  This is a free tour of the wildflowers led by a garden naturalist.  You'll need to register for this at www.minneapolisparks.org or call 612-370-4903.  Tours begin at the Martha Crone Visitor's Shelter.