Dad's Turn- Night at the Museum

A few weeks ago when my folks were in town I called Kas on my way home from St. Paul for work to see what they were up to. "Checking out some museum"  she said.  Well, turned out she was five minutes from where I was at on the University of Minnesota campus (which for the record is an incredible campus).  So I decided to swing by.

Being in a suit on a college campus must be becoming an increasingly rare sight these days because I was stopped by a couple just a few yards from my car and told "we saw you speak earlier and it was great!"  I couldn't help but respond with "oh, why thank you, glad you enjoyed it!"... wonder what I spoke about.

Anyway, The Bell Museum of Natural History is not a big place, entry cost about $4, and is located in a building that appeared to be about 100 years old.  It instantly recalled for me the nostalgia of my own college days.  That mixed with the memory of my home town's Denver Museum of Natural History ("Earth and Science" these days).

Turned out that Lyla looooooooved it!  She ran from display case to display case literally screaming at the top of her lungs.  The 3-4 elderly people enjoying the museum that day on the other hand, had an absolutely terrible time.

The most unique thing that the Bell Museum features is the "Touch and Feel" room (and 'yes' the inappropriateness of that name is completely lost on the staff of the museum... who were clearly on a very low work-study wage).  Lyla got to pet a "mama" lion, ride a bear, pet a live snake, and smack a turtle on the shell as hard as she could... much to the terror of the archeology student holding said turtle.

I soon had to return to work but the hour long combination of my entire family and rehashing a cherished childhood experience with my own daughter was enough to make my entire week.

- R