On the Web: PlayGroundology and Magical Urbanism

From Playgroundology, who found it on Architektur fur Kinder

I'd like to introduce you to a couple of my favorite websites - PlayGroundology and Magical Urbanism. These sites are not travel sites, exactly, but they are a terrific resource for the traveler nonetheless - and I think they're particularly terrific for the traveler with children.

PlayGroundology is a rich compendium of all things playground, from all over the world. The site looks at not only the nicest playgrounds, but also simply interesting ones, wherever they are found.  However, the site's primary focus is really play itself. There are posts on films, art exhibits and installations, playground news, old photographs, and other fascinating tidbits, all related to play and playgrounds. You can search by country - the U.S. and Canada are heavily represented (the writer is based in Halifax, Nova Scotia), but there are also posts from Tunisia, Hungary, Sweden, and beyond.

From a recent post on Singaporean playgrounds and new stamps celebrating play - the Toa Payoh Dragon Head Playground

The other site that has recently grabbed my attention is Magical Urbanism.  This one's a bit difficult to search by country, but get lost in it anyway - you may discover the inspiration for your next trip. This site catalogues the moments of urban life that take you by surprise, inject a little joy into the environment, or simply brighten your day when you encounter them... the kind of things I want my child to experience wherever we are. These aren't necessarily big destination places, but primarily everyday sites, made better by art.  In one post he points out the fabulous Toledo Metro Station in Naples, designed by architect Oscar Tusquets Blanca and involving a number of artists including Robert Wilson and Francesco Clemente. What child (or parent, for that matter) wouldn't thrill to a subway ride beginning here?

These benches, created by the Danish artist Jeppe Hein, would be so fun to encounter on a walk through De Haan, in Belgium, if that's on your itinerary... They hold an obvious appeal for children.

And look, look, at the amazing "Slinky Slings Bridge" in Oberhausen, Germany (by Tobias Rehberger and Schlaich Bergermann and Partner) - my son would love it.

I love these sites because they aren't travel sites - they don't tell me what famous sites we "must" visit - but they do inspire the explorer in me. They make me want to get out there and look around. They don't highlight "adult" places or "kid" places, but rather human places - places that are good - inspiring - for people, period. And more than anything, when I travel with my kid, I want him to be inspired, along with me.

Delightful Language Learning Resources: Biscoto Journal

Now, how cute is this newspaper for children? Biscoto is published in France for a young readership, but it's also available online. The newspaper contains stories, games, puzzles, and other fun stuff. The design and illustrations are completely charming and original.

Apparently French children even have their own "real" newspapers, and they read them, on paper. I love this. What a great way to learn about the world and participate in culture the way adults do?

Durango, Colorado

After a few days in Santa Fe, we drove to Durango, in southern Colorado to visit family. This meant that we had an enthusiastic six year old (my niece) ready to show us around this pretty little mountain town - perfect!  And Durango really is quite good for the traveler-with-child - it's small and easy to navigate, there's lots to do, and the mountain setting is beautiful.

Our first stop the morning after our arrival was the wonderful new-ish Durango Discovery Museum, which occupies a rehabilitated power plant right downtown (and right on the Animus River).  The staff here (with substantial help from the community) have done a great job of creating original exhibits geared for kids of all ages.  In the near future, the Museum plans to begin working with an established exhibit company, but I was impressed with the museum as we found it - it doesn't lack for stimulating activities.  

The airy interior of the Durango Discovery Museum

A rube goldberg machine

The treehouse, for climbing up, and up, and up...

The enclosed toddler play area

After a few hours here we headed to Zia Taqueria for lunch. I hear this place is always crowded, and it was pretty bustling when we showed up, but the line moved quickly and we were soon happily eating some excellent mexican food (they have a children's menu). May I recommend the fish tacos? My sister told me she'd been addicted to these for a good long while, and I could see why. Yum.  On the subject of food, be sure not to skip Bread, a superb bakery.  It's slightly out of the way but worth it (they make sandwiches too).

The next day we drove down to Ignacio to visit the Ute Cultural Center and Museum.  It was a last-minute sort of decision, and I'm glad we went.  The Southern Ute Nation has made a lot of money through casinos, and from what I hear they have put the money to pretty good use.  Certainly the Cultural Center is housed in a beautiful modern building with inviting landscaping. The Center also houses a library and archive as well as meeting space.

The entrance to the Ute Cultural Center and Museum

The Ute Language reminded me a little of the Finnish language - a world away...

The permanent exhibition was so interesting - it covers the history of the Ute people in a very engaging way. There is an introductory video (not so exciting for the kids, but not too long), and there explanatory texts throughout, but there is also a great deal of more interactive material that kids can explore  A real tee-pee grazes the ceiling of one room; a "campsite" with an improvised shelter made from branches is nearby. You can walk through a small cabin modeled after those built for resettled Indians, sit at a child's desk in an Indian School. The material culture on view is fantastic as well. The craftsmanship and exquisite beading on the many costumes on view was stunning and very inspiring. 

On our last morning we had pancakes (well, some of us had pancakes; I fortified myself for our drive to Santa Fe with eggs and hashbrowns) at Oscar's Cafe, a cozy little diner with a miniature train tootling around the perimeter of the room. Not a bad place to get breakfast - your basic diner.

There is so much to see in this area that we couldn't do it all - at the top of my list for next time is a trip to Mesa Verde National Park. It's less than an hour from Durango and includes 600 cliff dwellings and thousands of archaeological sites.  On a previous visit, we checked out the fish hatchery at the Wildlife Division - it's on the Animus River and right in the center of town.  You can buy fish food and watch the fish whip the water into a mini tempest as you drop of a few pellets.  An indoor natural history exhibit features taxidermied animals of the Rocky Mountains.

Santa Fe to Durango and Back

After a few marvelous days in Santa Fe, we headed north on route 84 towards Durango, Colorado. Before we left town we picked up croissants at our new favorite bakery, the French Pastry Shop, and road snacks at Whole Foods. The drive takes roughly four and a half hours, whether you take the smaller 84 or the larger 550.

I didn't take many photos heading north - but part of me wonders whether I'd have captured the beauty of the landscape anyway. I did take more photos on the way back to Santa Fe via highway 550. The landscape was quite stunning and the ever-changing light and sky conditions only heightened the drama. Despite the dramatic landscape, the road itself is not treacherous - it was pretty easy-going both ways.

Driving south, we passed through a number of tiny towns, including Aztec, Co. One little highlight was crossing the Continental Divide, which divides the continents rainfall and sends it coursing either to the Pacific or the Atlantic (and, though unmentioned by the sign, the Gulf of Mexico - the sad state of the Rio Grande River notwithstanding!).

Leaving snowy southern Colorado...

Passing through Aztec, CO

...heading into snowy northern New Mexico

Driving south on 550

The Continental Divide

New York: The New York International Children's Film Festival

From the Studio Ghibli film "From up on Poppy Hill"

If you're in New York City this week and looking for something to do - take note (and hop to it!)... The 2013 New York International Children's Film Festival is running through Sunday. You won't find so many wonderful cinematic options for children anywhere else - the festival features 100 films (shorts and narratives; live action and animation), as well as workshops and filmmaker Q&As. There's even a series of spring break camps following the festival for inspired young film-goers.

From "A Cat in Paris" (nominated for an Oscar in 2012 after playing the 2011 festival)

The festival was inaugurated in 1997 and has become a serious and respected business - the festival now includes a distribution arm, and its jury includes such notables as Susan Sarandon, Gus Van Sant, and Uma Thurman. The real audience is always the children though - films are geared for ages 3 - 18, and young viewers may vote for their favorites.