Museum Selfie Day: Kansas Riverkings

  We had a field trip planned this week.  Tomorrow is the school day symphony for kids from around our area in Kansas.  It is fantastic!  So I was not looking for another trip into town this week.  But then there came across my Facebook newsfeed #museumselfieday, January 20th. *pause* Now I really want to do it.  Something fun and spontaneous and would satisfy my 11 year old asking, "where are we going for our next field trip?" for the last several days.  So then I justify it... I do need to get the oil changed in the van... I can take some library books back... I do need to get milk from the dairy.  Well, as much as we didn't need to take another trip this week, we got one ;)
  We didn't need a big one and I had the perfect addition to our schedule The Kansas Riverkings museum is located on the Kansas riverfront in Lawrence, KS.  To find it you need to go into the Abe and Jake's Landing entertainment center.  Abe and Jake's is named for two African-American commercial fishermen who made their living on the river and had shacks just right below the current Abe and Jake's Landing.  We got our picture taken with statues of them...

Mookie and Shorty with Abe and Jake

The Riverkings museum is much of what I expected, a single room with all kinds of fishing implements.  It does an excellent job of telling the story of the local fishermen and how they did what they did.  From the making of their traps and hooks, to how they "called up the fish" with an old telephone that would electrify the water. 

Mookie taking a picture of some of the tools of the trade

I love this picture Shorty took of some of the hooks.  How do you keep a pre-schooler who needs a nap under control?  Give him your camera (with a strap to put around his neck!).

The attendant was very knowledgeable and made sure to point out interesting facts to the kids.  That's a big bonus for me - any kind of extra engagement is good for learning!
  When we finished with our tour, we headed down the stairs in the Landing to take a gander at the Kansas River.  On our way we had to stop and see the HUGE commercial fishing traps hanging on the wall...

And then look at the gulls on the frigid river.  Mookie took her "selfie" responsibilities very seriously and took several with her own tablet :)

I sure like my at home time, especially on a cold and slick day where I relish being a homeschooler.  But, we had a blast doing something new and exciting!