This is another photo from our trip to the Mid-America Science Museum last Sunday. This 500 lb quartz crystal was mined at Coleman's Crystal Mines in Jessieville, just north of Hot Springs. Arkansas has many caverns that are open to the public for exploration. A few years ago, we took the kids to Onyx Cave near Eureka Springs. I may dig around for some photos of that trip. It was really fun!
ELECTRIFYING!
We went to a super awesome museum today: the Mid-America Science Museum in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It's about an hour's drive from Little Rock and one we will be sure to make again and again. Yeah, we got the family membership package. It's that good!
One of the highlights was the Tesla Coil, invented by the "Master of Lightning" Nikola Tesla around 1891. It's a transformer circuit producing high voltage alternating-current electricity. In other words: basically an intense lightning show right before your eyes. AMAZING! WE WERE RIGHT THERE in the small theatre-like enclosed room. And it is one of the most powerful conical Tesla Coils (1.5 million-volts) in the world!
I can't say enough good things about this museum. From the gigantic mastodon skeleton in the entrance to the Tesla coil and all the hands-on exhibits, my kids had a blast and never once got bored. In fact, the hardest part was leaving. We definitely found a gem in Arkansas today =)
One of the highlights was the Tesla Coil, invented by the "Master of Lightning" Nikola Tesla around 1891. It's a transformer circuit producing high voltage alternating-current electricity. In other words: basically an intense lightning show right before your eyes. AMAZING! WE WERE RIGHT THERE in the small theatre-like enclosed room. And it is one of the most powerful conical Tesla Coils (1.5 million-volts) in the world!
I can't say enough good things about this museum. From the gigantic mastodon skeleton in the entrance to the Tesla coil and all the hands-on exhibits, my kids had a blast and never once got bored. In fact, the hardest part was leaving. We definitely found a gem in Arkansas today =)
Labels:
Hot Springs,
lights,
museums,
On the Road
Smokin' Hot
Smoke looms ahead during a controlled burn at Pinnacle Mountain State Park. Doing this actually protects the area from wildfires and maintains a healthy forest. Photo taken from a Taylor Loop neighborhood.
A note about the title: "Smokin' hot" is in reference to the new pre-school lingo my daughter has picked up. A boy in her class said their teacher is smokin' hot. Wonder where he got that! Now he has us saying it all the time! It's just too good. I had to share =)
A note about the title: "Smokin' hot" is in reference to the new pre-school lingo my daughter has picked up. A boy in her class said their teacher is smokin' hot. Wonder where he got that! Now he has us saying it all the time! It's just too good. I had to share =)
Mural by the River
Here's another image of North Little Rock's colorful "seawall" murals. It really brightens up gray days, don't you think? Click here to see more images and to learn the history of these murals by the river.
Life's Most Urgent Question:
"What are you doing for others?" ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
Something to think about today.
This photo was taken under the I630 underpass on Rodney Parham Dr. at Kanis Park. Click here to read a bit about Little Rock's history in the 90s and Kanis Skatepark.
Frog
“Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.”
Mark Twain
Many thanks to Lorenzo from Tramezzinimag, a true Venice lover and the deftest pen among the french Venetian blogsphere, who picked up Venice Daily Photo as one of his five favourite Venetian blogs.
And thank you so much to our dear friend Bert, who is so talented in making us share his Venice, participating in VDP.
Gondolas (2)
I know Pierre posted a photo of gondolas a few days ago, but this is Venice - everyone has a gondola picture. These were arranged in a particularly symmetrical way, which was quite eye-catching.
You may know that gondolas have been black since a Sumptuary Decree of 1562. Old photographs show that there used to be a detachable cabin, called a felze, to protect passengers in bad weather. Do you know what a ganzer is? It's easy to find out these days with Google or any other search-engine.
There has been a ruling that gondolas in Venice will no longer be made with plywood, even though it lasts longer and needs less maintenance. So they will continue to be made of 280 parts and eight different types of wood.
You may know that gondolas have been black since a Sumptuary Decree of 1562. Old photographs show that there used to be a detachable cabin, called a felze, to protect passengers in bad weather. Do you know what a ganzer is? It's easy to find out these days with Google or any other search-engine.
There has been a ruling that gondolas in Venice will no longer be made with plywood, even though it lasts longer and needs less maintenance. So they will continue to be made of 280 parts and eight different types of wood.
Contre jour
The Faded Rose
The Faded Rose, a New Orleans inspired restaurant, has closed their west Little Rock location on Bowman Road. Thankfully, they still have their Rebsamen Rd location. It's just more out of the way for me, but I'll go the extra couple miles. I just can't get enough of their creole salad and crawfish etouffee! Ooo wee!
Carlo Goldoni
Gondolas
River Market on Ice
There's a few more days left for some outdoor ice skating at River Market on Ice. We tried it out today (one last hoorah for our last day of winter break). Note to self: next time bring mittens. It was colder than I thought. At least they were selling some hot cocoa =)
Labels:
downtown,
Riverfront,
Winter
Winter Light
Happy New Year!
May your glass always be half FULL!!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
It's not exactly the best photo of the year, but it's the last photo of the year...filled with good will and hope for a healthy, happy, beautiful life in 2012. Cheers!
Labels:
holidays,
New Year,
Theme Days,
Winter
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