Venice, Italy – The Venice Museum of Natural History is creepy. So of course my kids loved it. This place is filled with specimens that explorers brought back from around the world — featuring everything from stuffed animals to mummies…
Ötzi the Iceman
Bolzano, South Tyrol – It’s a cloudy day in the Dolomites, so we decided to spend the morning with Ötzi the Iceman. Hikers in the nearby mountains found this 5000-year-old mummy frozen in the ice. He now resides at the…
Edward M Kennedy Institute for the US Senate
Boston, Mass – The legacy of the Kennedys continues to influence the political and cultural landscape in Boston. The Edward M Kennedy Institute for the US Senate is a cool new addition to the city’s educational circuit. It’s an interactive…
Have sketchbook, will travel
Boston, Mass – We used to be regulars at the Museum of Fine Arts. You know, back when the twins didn’t go to school and I was always looking for things to do with them. (Read about some of our…
Takashi Murakami at the MFA
Boston, Mass – We don’t get to the Museum of Fine Arts as much as we used to. But as soon as I learned we could see the whimsical flowers created by Takashi Murakami at the MFA, I knew I…
Last Hurrah
St Clair Shores, Michigan – Our annual trip to Michigan is always the last hurrah of summer. For two weeks, we escape from the city and bask in the attentions of the grandparents. There’s always a trip to the Henry…
Heidelberg Project
Detroit, Michigan – Sometimes, out of poverty and desperation comes creativity and inspiration. This idea is at the foundation of the revitalization of Detroit. And no place embodies it more than Heidelberg, a devastated street on the city’s east side.…
Bonk Museum
Uusikaupunki, Finland – Bonk Museum is clever, but definitely one of the oddest museums I have been to. It details the history of the fictitious Finnish company, Bonk Inc, from its early days producing the hallucinogen Garum from anchovy relish,…
Aboa Vetus & Ars Nova
Turku, Finland – Old artefacts & new art at the exceptional Aboa Vetus & Ars Nova museum in Turku. Aboa Vetus (Old Turku) draws you underground to Turku’s medieval streets, showcasing some of the 37,000 artefacts unearthed from the site.…
Turku Castle
Turku, Finland – The star attraction of Turku is the 1280 Turun Linna, or Turku Castle. It’s a fantastic medieval fortress (the largest in Finland), with dungeons, banquet halls and plenty of nooks and crannies.