Flagstaff EXTREME Adventure Course

Flagstaff Extreme Adventure Course

http://www.flagstaffextreme.com

My Girl Scout troop recently bridged to Cadette and so I wanted something exciting and challenging to begin this new level for us all. Flagstaff EXTREME is a high ropes course - this is an obstacle course that runs tree-to-tree suspended 15-60 ft up in the air. The training course teaches you to safely and how to correctly navigate a suspended obstacle course while wearing a safety harness. The kids course is a series of challenging rope and suspended obstacle course that is a few feet above the ground. The adult course is a little bit higher and has 5 different levels of difficulty and looks amazing. The girls in the troop are currently 11 years old so that kept us on the kids course. I'm pleased to say that my girls were challenged and tested that morning. Several of them went further than they ever thought they could which was thrilling for them. The members of entire troop were encouraging to individuals that were too scared to get very far at all. To see them rally around each other and succeed as a group was in itself worth the trip.

It is these trips, these moments, these experiences that make Girl Scouts such a wonderful organization and help the girls overcome fear and learn how they can accomplish amazing and "scary" things when they push themselves.

This is definitely a place I will bring my family in the near future for an adventurous day in nature. 

Richard M Nixon Presidential Library and Museum

A couple of weeks ago I took my children to California and we visited a Presidential museum/birthplace of Richard M Nixon. Nixon was a polarizing person, but this museum helps present the man who became President and seeing his humble beginnings helps put things in perspective for adults while providing a glimpse of the life of a former President to children unaware of Watergate.

Nixon's childhood home

Marine One (the President's Helicopter) 

To see the home he was born in was a fascinating look into how someone born into such humble circumstance was able to rise up to become the most powerful leader in the free world during the late 1960's and early 1970's. The tour takes you through his home and culminates in a replica of the Oval Office. This illustrates to children that anyone, no matter what the circumstances they were born into can work hard and achieve anything they want to in order to make a difference in the world. The tour includes many Nixon memorabilia from his youth, service in WWII, time as a US Congressman, his time as Vice President to Dwight D Eisenhower, onto his Presidency and his subsequent resignation and retirement. Presidents Ford, Reagan, G H W Bush, and Clinton each in their time were known to call Nixon and ask for advise on foreign affairs and the museum also highlights Nixon's "Ping-ping Diplomacy" where he was able to open up relations between China and the United States (and subsequently the rest of the Western world).

After Nixon's death President Bill Clinton eulogized Nixon by stating, "Today is a day for his family, his friends and his nation to remember President Nixon’s life in totality. To them, let us say, may the day of judging President Nixon on anything less than his entire life and career come to a close. May we heed his call to maintain the will and the wisdom to build on America’s greatest gift — its freedom; to lead a world full of difficulty to the just and lasting peace he dreamed of."

The tour can take anywhere from a half-hour to several hours (depending on what you want to see).  President Nixon's helicopter (Marine One) has been placed here and you are able to walk through it as well as see the Presidential limousines used by Nixon and Ford. My children learned quite a bit on this trip, as did I, about the 37th President of the United States. No matter what your political leanings, this is a fascinating tour.

Maricopa Teen Leadership Experience (MCLE) Program

For the second year my son (14 years old) is enrolled in the MCLE program. This is a free self-paced wonderful experience that gives kids opportunities they would not ordinarily have and highlights the many careers in local government.

So far this year has he done a ride a long with the city pool inspector, volunteered with teen court, and today was with the Maricopa County Sheriffs Office. The Special Response Team was awesome! Then the K-9 deputy came in and showed his dog in action. Finally a deputy with Animal Crimes division came and spoke before we loaded onto a bus and went down to the animal M.A.S.H unit.

I have also scheduled for a ride a long with the Sheriffs Dept. Children 14-16 years old must be accompanied by a parent. YAY!

This is a program I cannot say enough wonderful things about. Next year my daughter will be old enough to enroll and I am hoping so will some of her GS friends too.

Everyone at the MCSO was nice and provided an honest and exciting view into law enforcement.

http://myhsd.maricopa.gov/mcle.aspx

Art Resource Center

The Art Resource Center is a wonderful place in Tempe meant to help schools, scout groups, church groups come for free art supplies. They also provide, for a small fee, art classes. My daughter and I have taken three so far. - tin  can art, book sculpting, custom planter making painting.

http://www.artresourcecenter.org

Flowers made from soda cans or water bottles is just one way to open your mind and think outside the box.

Custom planter making

Painting shoes, gloves or even t-shirts is a great group activity. Using everyday objects is a good way to re - use and recycle everyday objects.

Book sculpting has been around for decades and can give new life and use to old books.

You can find the Art Resource Center on line or on Facebook for class updates and shop hours.

Circle 6 Glass Blowing Studio

My daughter loves to be creative. She paints, sketches, sews, crochets etc.. So I thought glass blowing at Circle 6 would be a great experience. I was right. She loved it.  My daughter is 11 but I would have been comfortable taking her when she was younger had I known about this great place.

Katie has always been quite mature, so use your judgement when thinking about coming here because it is an active glass working shop. It is safe and they actually do scout groups and parties.

The shop artists and master glassblowers were so very nice and treated her like one of the adults, which only helped her confidence and has her begging to go back. While they teach you the art of glassblowing they also teach you about the tools of the trade and some of the specialized terminology.

First we chose what type of piece you want to create, then select the colors, then grabbed our blob of melted glass and took it to the larger oven. Once the glass is viscous enough to work we sit and blow the glass and then shape it using large tweezers.

All in all it is about 2 hours of great mother and daughter bonding.  It takes 2 days for your peices to cure and cool.  Once they are ready you pick them up from the studio where you see many beautiful works of art.

Check out GROUPON and the website to book your classes. You will not be dissapointed.



http://www.circle6studios.com

Girl Scout Coca Cola Bottling Factory Tour

Last week I arranged a tour of the Coca Cola bottling facility located on Elliot and I-10. I have been driving past it for many years and finally I felt my girls were old enough to go in.  There is a strict dress code (important to follow) and age limit. The staff and guides could not have been nicer or more helpful and answered all of the questions thrown at them.

For an hour and a half we saw people and robots handling and packaging bottles and cans of soda. Sadly pictures are not allowed inside.  It was a glimpse into Laverne and Shirley's world (...yes they bottled beer and drank Pepsi, but work with me here...) and something everyone enjoyed.

This was certainly a S.T.E.M field trip because of the science and technology needed to keep the plant running and process the amount of cans and bottle they produce every day. I am now working on getting a tour of the plant where they make the bottles and cans.

http://www.worldofcoca-cola.com/coca-cola-facts/coca-cola-history/