Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Pools and Parks and Libraries, oh my!

Thus far this trip has been a blast. And three big reasons are pool, parks and libraries.

Last year Lisel was so little, and we did a lot of winter-time travel...so we ended up being somewhat hotel room bound. Plus, I remember a number of out of the way hotels where the only green space within walking distance were tiny little patches of grass by the lobby door. (Our adventures in Branson keep popping into my mind. Lisel and I were playing on a buggy blanket between the hotel and the venue, with the not so sweet sounds of the roofers working on the hotel next to us as our background music. Those were the days!)

But this tour we have been lucky enough to be in towns with either good parks, good libraries, or good pools. Sometimes all three. And this has made all the difference.




We're pretty pool and park heavy at home. And out here, we've jumped at any chance to climb a playscape or float around like a duck
(quack!). And we hit any and all beaches in the vicinity of course.




But I'm going to admit something here, and I hope you don't judge me too harshly -- I've never in her whole life taken Lisel to a library. I actually had no idea they were so kid-awesome.

Hey, I said don't judge me! I stopped going to libraries after college because I'm genetically unable to return things--library books, videos, pieces of clothing lent to me by well meaning friends. I actually try very hard not to borrow things these days, otherwise I end up feeling bad and/or owing lots of money.

So I hadn't gone near the library in Austin. But in Evanston, the hotel was right next to the public library, and since I knew my non-residency would prevent me from being tempted or able to borrow anything, I took Lisel.

And OMG! The entire first floor of the Evanston Library is kiddie heaven with play areas and books and more play areas and a place where you can be all serene with your kid while listening to rainforest noises and more books and another play area. And there are kids everywhere!!!! Which is of course rad for Lisel, because though Claire and Dave and I are young at heart, we're not actually kids. And kids need kids, you know.

To use the phrase my friend Allegra taught me, it is the business.

And dude, the Minneapolis Central library, which was an easy half mile walk from our hotel? Also the business! Not only because 's gigantor and looks like the future


But it too has a kiddie section that totally will rock you. With kids! And books! And carpeted educational play areas!





This library thing has been a revelation. As has traveling with a walking, talking(almost) Lisel Blossom. I mean, the road is like a trillion times more fun with her here. With out her, we would be just getting from gig to gig, watching lots of CNN and golf and cooking shows and Law and Order reruns. We'd be camped out in our hotel rooms. That's nice for a two day tour, but six weeks of that would be kind of a drag.

But with her, were exploring and adventuring every day. We're scouting swimming holes (did you know that Minneapolis has 61 public wading pools? 61! And they're the perfect depth for toddlers), and checking out libraries. We're picnicking in parks and building castles in the sand.



We're gonna make it after all!

-- Post From My iPhone

1 comment:

Bruce James said...

Beautiful post. Thank you.