Matador Network's Blog, page 557
October 28, 2021
I tried to fly with an instrument. Here’s what I wish I knew before booking.
I had it all planned. I was only going to take my backpack and my violin with me to France. It was my first time traveling with an instrument, so the day before my departure, I packed my music and made sure my violin, bows, and accessories were secured in my case. I went to bed confident in my preparedness.
My violin teacher, a professional musician, had assured me that I would be able to fly with my violin without any problem. That I could take it on the plane along with a small backpack for no extra charge. She’d done it dozens of times before. But in the middle of the night before the big day, I woke up full of doubts. I picked up my phone and checked the requirements for traveling with an instrument on Air Canada.
“You may bring your musical instrument on board as part of your carry-on baggage provided it meets the current Air Canada carry-on size requirements and:
the instrument fits in the overhead bin or under the seat in front of you, oryou purchase a seat to accommodate it.”
I had the sudden vision of my case not fitting inside the overhead bin (it definitely does not fit under an airplane seat). I verified the carry-on size requirements as advised, got out of bed to find a tape measure, and proceeded to check the dimensions of my violin case. It was too big.
There was no way I was going to chance it and take my violin on an eight-hour drive to the airport to find out I had to buy a seat for it or risk damaging the instrument by checking it. While seats for musical instruments on the Canadian flagship airline get a 50 percent discount, it was still an awful lot of money to spend at the last minute. So, I left my violin at home and hit the road.
It turns out that for many airlines based in the United States, taking an instrument along with you can be even more expensive than on Air Canada.
Traveling with an instrument on a US airlineAmerican AirlinesIf you travel with an instrument as a carry-on on American Airlines, you need to make sure it either fits under the seat in front of you or in the overhead bin. Since the size of overhead bins vary depending on airplanes, you’d need to check your ticket for the airplane you’re flying and then check the size of the bin of said airplane (an Embraer 170, for example, is much smaller than a Boeing 767). Start with the airline’s carry-on size restrictions and adjust from there.
Buying an additional seat for your instrument on American Airlines will cost you the regular adult fare plus any applicable taxes or carrier-imposed fees. Note that you can only buy a seat if the instrument is 165 pounds or less.
If you prefer to check your instrument or have no choice due to its size, you may have to pay the fee for checked luggage. Note that your instrument cannot exceed 25 inches high by 40 inches wide, or 25 inches by 38 inches if you’re flying in an Embraer 170, due to the minimum size of the cargo hold doors.
United AirlinesTraveling with an instrument on United Airlines follows roughly the same rules as American Airlines. The United Airlines website states: “You can carry a violin, guitar or other small musical instrument on board if it’s in a hard case. These instruments will count as a carry-on bag if placed in the overhead bin. If placed in the seat in front of you, they’ll count as a personal item.” Whether the lack of precise information means the crew will be more accommodating when you show up with your instrument is not immediately clear.
You’re required to buy a seat for “large or valuable musical instruments,” though there’s no indication of what “large” or “valuable” might mean in this case. Note that the seat must be booked in advance and you’ll pay applicable charges. In this case, the instrument cannot exceed 165 pounds.
Delta Air LineOn Delta Air Lines, guitars, violins, flutes, and small musical instruments are accepted as a free carry on bag. Like the other airlines, your instrument must fit in the overhead bin or under the seat in front of you.
Your instrument’s length, width, and height cannot exceed 150 inches (78.74 inches if you’re traveling on the 767-300 aircraft to or from Tokyo-Narita airport) and must be 165 pounds or lighter. If your instrument is bigger than those dimensions, it’ll need to be checked as oversized/overweight luggage. If checking your instrument sounds like your worst nightmare and it’s less than 165 pounds, you can book a seat for it — it will cost the same as a full-fare ticket, however.
Southwest AirlinesYou can take your instrument on board a Southwest Airlines flight as a carry-on if it fits into an overhead bin or under the seat in front of you — and if there is space for it. If not, you need to either buy a seat for it (there’s no mention of the fee on the website) or check the instrument (it can be used as your one free checked bag that Southwest allows). Any musical instrument with a length, width, and height between 62 and 150 inches, and weighs between 51 and 165 pounds, is subject to an oversized/overweight baggage fee.
A professional musicians’ tips for traveling with an instrumentProfessional violinist Natasha Hall has traveled around the world with her instrument. Originally from Western Canada, Hall studied at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and was part of several orchestras in London. She has performed around Europe, North America, and Asia.
We talked to Hall to learn more about how musicians travel with their instruments and to get some tips on how to do it as smoothly as possible.
Flying with a valuable violinWhen she flies, Hall’s violin is her main piece of carry-on luggage. Her violin case fits in the overhead compartment, but not under the seat in front of her. Hall explains that she usually tries to board the plane ahead of other passengers so she has room to fit her violin in one of the overhead bins before everyone else packs them with roller bags. On the times the overhead bins have been full, crew members stored her violin in one of their closets.
Although Hall has rarely run into big issues when flying with her violin, she explains that she always has doubts about what will happen once she boards an airplane. She’s never sure there will be room for her violin in the overhead compartment — or if it will even fit — and she doesn’t know if the crew will make her check her instrument. The only time she ran into such a problem was when boarding a flight out of Spokane, Washington. The plane was already full when she boarded, and a crew member told her to check her instrument or leave the aircraft, which she refused to do. “It was an embarrassing conversation to have in front of all the other passengers,” she says. Luckily, a generous traveler took out his luggage and checked it for her to have the space to fit her violin.
While some string musicians loosen the tension on the strings before a flight, Hall never does so. Instead, she uses a humidifier to control the moisture level and prevent her violin from cracking in the airplane’s dry air. The humidifier can be placed inside the instrument itself or in the case.
Hall plays a Francesco Ruggieri violin that was made in 1680 and is loaned to her from the Jumpstart Jr. Foundation. It’s an extremely valuable violin that needs to be protected at all times. Note that a valuable instrument like Hall’s should never be checked. If you’ve seen how luggage is handled by the people in charge of cargo, you know why.
To make sure her violin is safe, Hall uses a lightweight and waterproof Gewa hard-shell case with a combination lock. Although she’s not 100 percent satisfied with the case (some safety aspects could be improved), it does the job and can be carried on her back like a backpack when she commutes or travels.
Crossing borders with an instrumentIf your instrument is very valuable, you need to carry paperwork with you when crossing international borders so customs agents can verify its provenance and ownership. Once, while flying out of Moscow with members of an orchestra, Hall was stopped by a customs agent. At the time, she was playing a violin by Honoré Derazey with a fake Stradivarius label (which is not an uncommon occurrence in the violin world). When the customs officer saw the label, he thought she was smuggling a multi-million dollar violin out of the country, and it took her a long time to get out of the nerve-wracking situation.
“I’m just glad that I was able to actually leave Russia,” she says, “because for a while I was not sure I’d ever make it out — as much as I like Russia!”
Checklist for traveling with an instrument
Photo: Vach Cameraman/Shutterstock
Photo: Yurakrasil/Shutterstock
If, like me, you’re giving up on bringing your instrument with you, there’s a simple alternative that can turn out to be great fun.
Upon arriving at my destination, I called the music shops in my area and asked if I could rent a student violin from them. While no shop carried violins, one of them gave me the number of a local luthier who would be able to help. I called and got an appointment almost right away. For less than $20 for four weeks, and a damage deposit of about $1200, I was able to rent a beautiful 1940s instrument.
I had never played a violin other than my own and the change was fun and quite eye-opening. Like my violin teacher says: “It’s like having a new voice.”
While this solution is not perfect, especially for professional or advanced musicians who need to travel with their own instruments, it’s a cheap and fun solution for amateur musicians who still want to practice on vacation.
Above all else, read the fine print
Photo: Erickson Stock/Shutterstock
What I did the night before my trip, I should have done as soon as I booked my flight. That way, I would have been less rushed and able to read all that Air Canada had to say about traveling with an instrument.
Yes, my violin was much bigger than the carry-on size requirements, but at the very bottom of the page on Air Canada’s webpage about traveling with an instrument is a very small section that reads: “Exception: String instruments (e.g. guitars, violins and violas) can be carried on board – even if their dimensions slightly exceed Air Canada’s carry-on size requirements – as long as they fit in the overhead bin and there is space available in the cabin at time of boarding.”
So, here’s a lesson for all musicians out there: Read everything the airline has to say carefully. 
Paris Jewish Museum is a must-visit.
The current exhibit at the mahJ, the Museum of Jewish Art and History in Paris, is illuminating and sobering. You’ll recognize the showy colors of Marc Chagall and the emotive faces of Amedeo Modigliani. These artists’ works hang in the world’s important contemporary galleries, like New York’s MOMA, but not always with the context offered at the mahJ exhibit.
Chagall and Modigliani were members of “L’École de Paris,” lending the exhibition its name, Chagall, Modigliani, Soutine… Paris as a School, 1905-1940. From the beginning of the 20th century until the onset of World War II, the École de Paris united artists from various countries into a thriving cultural scene.
Photo: Centre Pompidou, RMN-Grand Palais/mahJ
A central message of the exhibit — a theme that is left unexplored elsewhere — is that Chagall, Modigliani, and the other artists celebrated in the exhibition were Jewish.
“They were elegant, very good looking,” said the exhibition’s curator Pascale Samuel, when I asked her if these artists were fully accepted into the Paris art community. We were observing a painting of the well-dressed artists seated together at a café, a place she says was pivotal to the exchange of ideas. Beyond the smart attire, Samuel said many of the artists also brought to Paris skills honed in well-regarded art schools.
“This group of artists was completely integrated,” she said.
That line struck me. My own grandmother was born in Berlin, Germany, brought up in a secular Jewish family in a leafy neighborhood of spacious houses. She, too, was completely integrated. But as Nazism took hold, she was lucky enough to leave the European continent together with her parents and siblings before calamity — spending the rest of her life in Montevideo, Uruguay, where my mother was born.
Decades later, when a German friend traveled with me to Uruguay and met my grandmother, he was dumbstruck. “She is so German,” he had marveled. Of course she was.
photo: mahJ
And of course the Jews who lived in Paris became Parisian. In fact, in the case of many of the artists showcased at the mahJ exhibit, it was a choice they deliberately made — a point curator Samuel powerfully illustrates in the chronologically ordered exhibit.
Many of the Jewish artists who came to Paris arrived from Russia, where they were discriminated against and faced the threat of deadly pogroms, Samuel told me. They were drawn to Paris as an open, modern society.
“They wanted to find modernity, and they wanted to find freedom,” she said.
However, these newcomers would soon confront the First World War — and would have to choose between returning to their home countries or remaining in France. “Most chose to stay in France and join the French army,” said Samuel, noting that it was a crucial development. “It’s the moment of the complete integration in the French society.”
Up to 85,000 foreign-born Jews ended up joining the French army — earning the right to citizenship after the war. Lest we think, however, that members of the L’École de Paris were only men who could choose to enlist, every room of the exhibition also includes at least one female artist — something Samuel stresses she did deliberately.
“It’s important to have a woman’s perspective about Paris and not only [that of the] men,” she said.
Photo: Musée du Petit Palais/mahJ
Women like the artist Marevna weren’t afraid to show the banal horror of war as in the painting showing a soldier both simultaneously maimed and dead, in the company of a woman in a gas mask.
One of the best known of these women artists was Chana Orloff, many of whose marble and bronze busts are on display. Samuel noted that Orloff’s sculpted portraits were in high demand among intellectual circles, and her subjects included Modigliani, Anaïs Nin, Pablo Picasso, and Henri Matisse.
While the mahJ’s École de Paris exhibit wraps up this weekend, some works by Orloff, Chagall, Chaim Soutine, and other groundbreaking artists remain as part of the museum’s permanent exhibit. But as the name of the museum makes clear, the mahJ also looks not just at Jewish art but its history.
You’ll see in the permanent exhibit artifacts depicting Jewish life in France from the Middle Ages to the present. Centuries-old paintings of marriages, a funeral, and other religious rites sit alongside arks holding Torah scrolls and Hanukkah candelabras. Not all the items are French in origin. There is Italian furniture used in a synagogue during the Renaissance and, from Germany, a rare wooden Sukkah, a normally temporary structure used for families during the festival of Sukkot.
While the items are sourced from several places, Samuel stressed that Judaism has deep roots in France itself — noting that Jewish tombstones found in Paris date to as early as the 1200s.
“It is important to say that French people, Jews, lived in France for a very long time,” said Samuel.
Photo: Adagp/mahJ
Some of them even lived in the 17th century building that houses the mahJ, the Hôtel de Saint-Aignan. The artist Christian Boltanski has created a tribute to the 1939 inhabitants on the walls of a lightwell that you can observe from within the building. Placards list their name and their profession, such as hatmaker or tailor. Where known, also listed are their date of birth and the date Nazis took them away.
“It’s a paper monument,” said Samuel of the placards. “That means we have to replace it every two years. It’s important not to forget.”
I looked out the window at the names on the wall and thought of my own grandmother. How was she remembered in Germany? Today, Berlin is full of moving memorials to those whose lives were shattered by Nazism.
But sometimes to see the many, you need to see just one. For my German friend, the Jews murdered by and exiled from a country he was born into decades later remained abstract. Meeting my grandmother and noticing the same mannerisms and attitudes he’d find in a woman of her age in his country revealed to him in a visceral way the depravity of the idea that she, for being Jewish, did not belong where she had been born.
While Holocaust Memorials are necessary, so are museums like Paris’s Museum of Jewish Art and History. By seeing the daily rituals of Jewish life in Europe, it establishes the humanity of the many residents of Europe. And by celebrating their art, it emphasizes their contributions to the society they lived in.
Photo: Giovanni Novara-Ricci/mahJ
Certainly, the majority of the Jews in L’École de Paris came from other places. Piet Mondrian was Dutch and Picasso, who together with Matisse was considered a leader of the movement, was from Málaga, Spain. And still they belonged to the Paris School.
In fact, Chagall (originally from Belarus) was so devoted to his new home in France that he painted himself as the Eiffel Tower on the cover of a Yiddish magazine on display at the L’École exhibit.
“He loved Paris so much. He wanted to stay so much,” said Samuel.
But, as happened all over Europe, and as the L’École exhibit goes on to show, Nazism would make that option impossible.
With the looming approach of World War II, the Jews who had made Paris their new home for decades — some of them even fighting in uniform for France twenty years earlier — had only one viable option: Escape.
Towards the end of the exhibit is a painting of the port city of Marseilles alongside a letter, dated September 1940. It’s from the artist Moïse Kisling to his wife Renée. He is Jewish, she is not. He is getting ready to sail away from France. In his words you see his pain at leaving her and their two children.
“We understand when we read that letter how painful it was for them,” said Samuel. “They wanted to stay in France. They wanted to be French. They wanted to be free.”
“But they had no choice,” she added. “They were murdered or they left.”
Photo: Noelle Alejandra Salmi
The last image in the L’École exhibit is a black wall with black and white photographs of 108 pieces of art. There are no names. But each piece of art was made by an artist who was in France during the heady times of L’École de Paris and who did not leave. Each was killed by the Nazis.
It’s a shame this sad and beautiful exhibit, two years in the making, will soon be gone.
But the mahJ and what it has to teach us remain. If you can’t go in person, you can explore it online. You can schedule for a group or join online guided tours on select Sundays of the year.
And if you are in Paris, head to the mahJ. It’s located in the city’s Jewish Marais neighborhood, where just steps away are shops selling kosher deli foods or falafel. In fact, I had the best falafel I’ve had there since the one I enjoyed on a business trip to Israel years ago.
But the Jewish Marais also has bakeries with the luscious, flaky pain au chocolat pastries I dream of every time I come to France. The Jews there are also French, after all.
7 picture-perfect English villages just a train ride from London
If you’ve ever watched the Christmas-themed rom-com The Holiday, you’ve probably been gripped by the urge to leave your job behind, abandon the hectic urban energy that permeates your everyday life, and retreat to a cottage in a cute English village. While quitting your job on whim may be a dream that’ll never come true, renting an adorable little house in the English countryside is much easier than you think. England is full of adorable villages, and plenty of them are under three hours by train from London. Check out these seven cute English villages and start planning your cozy escape.
We hope you love the spaces and stays we recommend! Just so you know, Matador may collect a small commission from the links on this page if you decide to book a stay. Listed prices are accurate as of the time of publication. See our full Advertiser Disclosure here.
1. Lower Slaughter, Gloucestershire
Photo: JJFarq/Shutterstock
Much more visually appealing than its name suggests, Lower Slaughter is known for its limestone cottages and Old Mill (an old flour mill), which made an appearance in the 1086 Domesday Book — a famous survey of England’s land holdings. It’s also home to the River Eye and Copse hill Road, which was voted the most romantic street in the UK in 2011. Spend the day strolling along the river, crossing its historic footbridges, visiting the 12th century church of St. Mary, or tucking into some Gloucestershire sausages at The Slaughters Country Inn.
Population: 236
Where to stay: Three-bedroom renovated cottage on a quiet residential road with views of open fields. $407 per night.
Photo: Andrew Roland/Shutterstock
Strolling down the streets of Broadway, England, is a very different experience from walking down Broadway, New York City. A classic cute English village with limestone houses, quiet streets, dark pubs, and family-owned shops and galleries, Broadway is often referred to as the “Jewel of the Cotswolds” (a rural and notably picturesque region of southeast England). Besides admiring the postcard-worthy houses on Upper High Street, make sure to check out the Millenium Garden next to the Broadway Museum and Art Gallery. The garden has great views of the hills. For even better views, however, head to the top of the 18th-century Broadway Tower, which was built on the orders of Lady Coventry to determine if a beacon on this hill could be seen from her house 22 miles away. The tower, which can be climbed for a $10 fee, overlooks the countryside of the surrounding 16 counties.
Population: 2,540
Where to stay: Orchard Cottage is a thatched, timbered cottage on a quiet road, next to pubs, shops, and restaurants. $415 per night
Photo: Reimar/Shutterstock
Snowshill is known for its stone cottages, grand Victorian church, and Snowshill Manor — a National Trust property containing poet Charles Wade’s vast collection of toys, furnishings, and musical instruments. The manor sits at the opposite end of a lavender field, which brightens up Snowshill with vibrant color in the summertime, while winter sees the same fields blanketed in snow. It’s also a great base for hiking the many walking trails around the Cotswolds countryside.
Population: 164
Where to stay: Willow Vale is a terraced cottage conveniently located in the heart of Snowshill. $459 per night.
Photo: Andrew Roland/Shutterstock
Ombersley is defined by its half-timbered houses, setting it somewhat apart from the stone aesthetic that defines many of the previous cute English villages mentioned here. It’s also located between the scenic Malvern Hills and Shropshire Hills, which are both Designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. In addition to the area’s beautiful landscapes, there are plenty of pubs and family-owned shops to keep you busy. You can even visit the Hawford Dovecote (a nest for domesticated pigeons) just a few miles south of town that has been untouched since the 16th century.
Population: 623
Where to stay: While there is no timbered home available on Airbnb to rent in Ombersley, this Georgian country home, at $275 per night, is just as lovely.
Photo: Andrew Roland/Shutterstock
Broad Campden is home to a rare Friends Meeting House — a Quaker place of worship — that dates back to the 17th century, and has the distinction of being the oldest continually-operating meeting house in England. The town also has a small church with a unique round bellcote, and is defined by its thatched cottages.
Population: 100
Where to stay: This historic two-story cottage is a converted stone stable built in 1797. $241 per night.
Photo: Resident Cotswolds/Shutterstock
Kingham was named “England’s Favorite Village” in 2004, and it’s easy to see why. The small village is located in the bucolic Evenlode valley, and is filled with limestone cottages from the 17th and 18th centuries and a large village green. It’s also known for its church of St. Andrew, which has a 14th-century Gothic tower. Kingham is conveniently located next to several walking and cycling routes, making it a perfect base for visiting the surrounding area.
Population: 913
Where to stay: This thatched 16th-century cottage was built in 1544, and is just a few minutes’ walk from Kingham’s pubs and shops. $309 per night.
Photo: Gordon Bell/Shutterstock
Unlike 99 percent of places in the world, no new houses have been built in Castle Combe since the 1600s. A modern home would look pretty out of place in a cute English village full of Cotswold stone cottages, wouldn’t it? The village has stunning views of the surrounding valley, and is home to St. Andrew’s Church which is fitted with what is said to be one of the oldest working clocks in England. There are also some luxury experiences like the ivy-covered Manor House, a five-star hotel with a Michelin-starred restaurant, and the Castle Combe Circuit where you can take a supercar for a ride.
Population: 344
Where to stay: This two-bedroom cottage has a garden and is surrounded by the bucolic countryside. $240 per night.
8 of the coolest Airbnbs near Disney World, Orlando
Disney World might be full of magic, but that doesn’t mean the magic has to stop once you leave the park. You don’t necessarily have to choose between staying in one of Disney’s sprawling, themed resort properties or a nondescript Orlando hotel room. Plus staying close to the park gives you a base and lets you experience Disney at night. There are plenty of Airbnbs near Disney World that capture the magic of the park, and you don’t even have to leave the property. From a Frozen inspired house to an Airbnb with a private arcade and theater (for watching your favorite Disney films, of course), these are the Airbnb Disney World rentals to bookmark for your next trip.
We hope you love the Airbnb Disney World rentals we recommend! Just so you know, Matador may collect a small commission from the links on this page if you decide to book a stay. Listed prices are accurate as of the time of publication. See our full Advertiser Disclosure here.
1. House with galactic-themed bedroom
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
.post-gallery--slider .post-gallery-item-caption {<br />color: #fff;<br />}<br />With five bedrooms sleeping up to 12 people, this house can comfortably accommodate the whole family. There’s a private swimming pool and spillover spa, a game room with ping pong and air hockey, and a home theater with a huge projection screen. Children will love this place, as the kid’s room has a galactic theme with two sets of bunk beds and a PS4 game console — if the game room wasn’t quite entertaining enough.
Twelve guests, five bedrooms
Price: $290 per night
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
This four-bedroom cottage is equipped with a hot tub, heated private pool, and a second hot tub in one of the bedrooms for a bit more privacy. The cottage is located in a resort community just five minutes from Disney, and comes with complimentary access to the Island H2O Live!™ water park and Sunset Walk™. There’s also free transportation to Disney and Universal.
Ten guests, four bedrooms
Price: $279 per night
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Just a few minutes away from Disney, Universal, and Sea World, this villa is equipped with a game room and private screened-in lanai with a heated pool. It’s located within the Storey Lake Resort, which has access to a tropical resort pool with a lazy river, mini-golf, a fitness center, tiki bar, and sand beach. Accommodating sixteen guests in nine bedrooms, there’s plenty of room for a large family or group of friends.
Sixteen guests, nine bedrooms
Price: $482 per night
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Just five minutes from Disney World, this cottage is located in the Margaritaville resort, which comes with access to a water park, pools, cabanas, spa, fitness center, and Kid’s Club. If you’d rather maintain your privacy, you also have your own pool and jacuzzi. Perhaps most enticing of all, you’ll have access to a sandy beach where you can soak up the sun after a full day visiting the Disney parks.
Ten guests, three bedrooms
Price: $317 per night
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Staying in this eight-bedroom house is kind of like staying at one of Disney’s own resorts. Its rooms are decked out in Frozen, Beauty and the Beast, Toy Story, and Harry Potter aesthetics, so even when you leave the park — you haven’t really left the magic behind. The Harry Potter-themed game room has a 75” smart TV, while the outside pool and lanai have views of Disney’s fireworks on clear nights. A golf cart will even be provided for you to more easily explore the Emerald Island Resort’s amenities, including a sauna, gym, sand volleyball, tennis courts, and nature trail.
Sixteen guests, eight bedrooms
Price: $266 per night
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
If your little one is obsessed with Frozen, look no further. This six-bedroom house has a bedroom that looks like it was lifted straight from the Frozen film, with huge wallpaper depicting Elsa standing in a sprawling tundra. There’s also a Star Wars-themed room with double bunk beds, for children who might not be quite as Frozen inclined. It also has a private pool, a TV in every room, and access to a resort with a water park and free Disney shuttles.
Sixteen guests, six bedrooms
Price: $307 per night
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
This upscale house mixes luxurious mansion vibes with a chill, relaxed atmosphere. The house has 11 bedrooms, a den, five bathrooms, a dining room that seats 16 people, and an outside dining area with two BBQ grills that seats up to 24. There’s also a private pool overlooking a golf course. Located in the Highlands Reserve Golf & Tennis Resort, the property also gives guests access to the communal tennis courts, clubhouse, and an olympic-sized swimming pool.
Sixteen guests, eleven bedrooms
Price: $446 per night
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Bring the kids to this house, and they might not want to leave. It has a full arcade room featuring Pump It Up dance, Spongebob Racing, Pac-Man, and an Xbox 360 and PS4. There’s also a private home theater and lanai with a pool and hot tub, and a massage chair in one of the bedrooms. If you’re looking for Airbnbs near Disney World, it doesn’t get more convenient than this — the house is located in the popular Windsor Hills Resort community, just two miles from the entrance to Disney.
Eight guests, three bedrooms
Price: $318 per night
8 places to stay in Missouri
If the outdoors sets your soul on fire but you crave more comfortable places to stay than a tent — or more unique options than a basic cabin — Missouri’s guide, “Mo,” has you covered. From incredible state parks (which are free to enter) to the nation’s most pleasantly surprising wine country, Mo can show you Missouri’s five-star glamping game.
Sprinkled throughout the state are a wide variety of fun lodging selections — think fancy tents, yurts, treehouses, and more — that make quite the setting for an unforgettable adventure. On the edge of a lake, tucked into the beautiful Ozark landscape, or overlooking rolling hills, here are eight spots with sights you certainly won’t mind waking up to in the morning. Mo also has a few recommendations about how to add some variety to your trip.
LUXURY TENTS
Photo: Donna Vaughan/Hawley Farm Glamping
If you’ve been on Instagram for even one second, you know how grand a luxury tent can be. They may look like large canvas tents on the outside, but glamping tents have extravagant features and all the core comforts of home on the inside. (If your home was decorated by a professional interior designer, of course.)
For a quick getaway from the city that also promises seclusion, Hawley Farm Glamping checks all the boxes. On a private 210-acre farm about an hour from Kansas City, this tiny boutique glamping resort — just three tents — allows you to rejuvenate in nature without roughing it. Start each morning with coffee and breakfast delivered to your tent, and then spend your days exploring the beautiful property and its gardens and trails; the nearby community of Hamilton, known as Quilt Town U.S.A., has plenty to do, too.
If experiencing lake life is your primary adventure goal, put Camp Long Creek at the top of your list. It’s set on scenic Table Rock Lake, and you can choose from luxury tents, shepherd huts, and camp cabins — all with access to a full-service marina that offers boat rentals, fishing services, and water ski lessons. You can even hop aboard the property’s luxury yacht for a dinner cruise.
Tee off at Top of the Rock, a Jack Nicklaus Signature Course, and part of Big Cedar Lodge Resort. Perched high above Table Rock Lake, the peaceful waterfalls, wandering creeks, bass-filled ponds, and pristine lakes at Top of the Rock complete a true celebration of nature, the Ozarks, and the game of golf. Extend your experience by visiting Payne’s Valley, a course designed by Tiger Woods, just 10 miles away.
YURTS
Photo: Visit Missouri
Part cabin and part tent, yurts have gained massive popularity in recent years — likely because they’re spacious and totally photo-worthy. Three Missouri state parks — Lake of the Ozarks, Table Rock, and Pomme de Terre — have yurts on their roster of lodging selections, making their spectacular lake views and activities that much more accessible. And some are “Fido-friendly,” thanks to the Missouri State Parks’ Cabins for Canines program.
The premium, supersized yurt at Table Rock State Park takes the luxury cake: It has two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a full bathroom with tub and shower, as well as heating and air conditioning for year-round enjoyment. It also comes with views of the shoreline from the wrap-around wooden deck.
The yurts at Lake of the Ozarks and Pomme de Terre state parks are more rustic but still inviting — a microwave, dorm-size refrigerator, futon, bunkbed, and climate control are certainly a big step up in comfort from tent camping. Keep in mind that you will have a short walk to a central restroom and shower house and need to bring your own bedding and cooking supplies.
Make your stay a little more rugged with a hike on the Cedar Bluff Trail at Pomme de Terre. Along the way, you can revel in the beauty of native Missouri trees like oaks, ashes, and maples.
TREEHOUSES
Photo: Visit Missouri
When you stay in a treehouse, you’ll wake up to the sounds and sights of all the wildlife that share your arboreal vacation abode, no matter the season. And when you stay at The Cottage, you’ll also wake up to a yummy breakfast delivered to your door each morning. Private decks, lounge areas, plenty of hot water, and heating/air conditioning ensure a comfortable stay, quite literally away from it all. One of The Cottage’s three treehouses is wheelchair accessible via a wooden walking bridge, too.
When you want to come down to Earth, hop in the car and make the three-minute drive to Hermann, a town steeped in German heritage. It’s known for its numerous shops and restaurants and rich history of winemaking. You can experience Missouri’s wine scene at any of the seven wineries that make up the Hermann Wine Trail. While on the trail, take a tour of the largest series of underground cellars in North America at Stone Hill Winery. Or, try a tasting flight at Adam Puchta, the country’s oldest, continuously owned family winery, dating back to 1855.
TINY HOMES
Photo: Baetje Farms
If experiencing the French-countryside lifestyle without hopping on a plane sounds amazing, book a weekend at the Tiny Homes at Baetje Farms. Tucked into the rolling hills of the Forche a du Clos Valley in southeast Missouri, four chic one-bedroom tiny homes make quite the romantic getaway, while the on-site, two-story home (sleeps up to nine) can likely accommodate your entire group. Expect white oak floors, shiplap walls, marble-tiled bathrooms, floor-to-ceiling windows — there’s even a babbling brook!
This picturesque spot pairs ridiculously well with the nearby vineyards of Missouri’s wine country, as Baetje Farms specializes in crafting artisan goat cheese that has won over 70 national and international awards.
COTTAGE
Photo: Danielle Geiler
The Waterfront Cottage in Bonne Terre is situated next to a 2.5-acre fishing pond on a secluded 17-acre lot. You can even fish right from your deck! Constructed from hand-hewn logs, the cottage’s design floats between aesthetics, equal parts modern and rustic. And when you’re in the mood to explore, there are lots of recreational options nearby, from winery hopping to thrifting away the afternoon at the town’s antique shops. The cottage’s clawfoot tub offers a relaxing way to end the day. It’s on the deck. Facing the sunset!
Since there are so few units at each of these places to stay in Missouri, start your planning early to secure a reservation — that’s more time to look forward to an unforgettable trip.
Bonne Terre Mine offers truly special caving experiences. You can hop on a boat tour or, if you have your diving certification, embark on an all-out diving package to experience deep-earth diving. Underwater pillars, shafts, archways, walls, and ceilings stretch for miles in all directions — a sprawling maze beneath the town.
October 27, 2021
Duck Stamps support conservation
Each year, I pay $25 USD for a piece of art which is about an inch and a half, square. I don’t display it, nor do I even pay it much notice after initial receipt. No, after admiring it a minute or two, I put it in a drawer in my desk, amongst its fellows. What’s more, I feel good about this aesthetic investment, because it’s helping to save wetlands. I’m talking about the Federal Duck Stamp program — a program that raises about $40 million for conservation each year.
Purchasing my first Duck StampWhen I started my career, I was a newly hired wildlife biologist, moving to Alaska just after college. The dream job in a state known for its wild beasts. However, I was going to be the local ornithologist. Initially, I was a little dejected -– birds aren’t as cool as brown bears. My inexperienced mind held projections of fantastic stories of grand adventure, not days spent hiking alone with a noise-projecting speaker box in my backpack. Little did I know, this job would be the start of a love affair with birds. My year of being a bird nerd pledge. A fledgling birder. A pledgling, if you will. It was the year I purchased my first Duck Stamp.
This year, the waterfowl species in the limelight is the Lesser Scaup. Each year, 1.5 million other people make this same purchase, according to ducks.org, which is the website for Ducks Unlimited. By law, the proceeds from this stamp purchase (which, incidentally, will not qualify to send any posted mail) must go to the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund, which is used for the benefit of ducks, geese, and other migratory birds like swans, cranes, and so on. Ironically, the U.S. Postal Service IS a place where you can purchase this “stamp.”
Federal Duck Stamps are mandatory for hunters
Waterfowl hunters, aged 16 years and over, must make this purchase and keep the stamp on their person in order to lawfully pursue game birds. While hunters are the bulk of the stamp buyers, many other people, like myself, simply like the contribution to a good cause, are bird nerds, or have perhaps amassed a collection over the years. You can purchase more than one, so if this sounds like a unique gift idea, put your money where the cattails are.
The money funds large-scale projects like acquisitions of wetlands habitat as a means of conservation of the myriad of species considered under several legislative actions, including the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the 1929 Migratory Bird Conservation Act, and finally, in 1934, the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act, which established the Duck Stamps as they are today.
A Duck Stamp provides free admission to national wildlife refuges, another benefit of the purchase. Naturally, these public lands are GREAT places for birders to spot some of their favorite feathered residents. You see, this program is not just for hunters.
Duck Stamps for the next generationMy preteen is just becoming old enough to comfortably tag along on the cold, dark, often damp mornings which are the look and feel of duck season in the Midwest. He is learning about conservation while also making informed decisions as a budding but responsible hunter. If your family isn’t interested in the hunt but still might like birds or even art, a Junior Duck Stamp program conceived in 1993 funds conservation science and conservation arts programs. The duck featured on the this year’s Junior Duck Stamp is a Wood Duck.
While I would rather sleep in and be cozy these days than go out in the crisp morning cold to set out decoys and harvest ducks, I do enjoy teaching another generation about the ebb and flow of conservation efforts, the blunders of historical actions, and the hope for a more thriving waterfowl future as he suits up in his camouflage and warm long underwear. On those mornings, my son is excited about the prospect of seeing some of the most beautiful, iconic birds in the sky, many of which have been the subject of stamps past, as he practices a duck call. It harkens back to a time when I remember being excited to experience the outdoors. Not at all like the popular Duck Dynasty shows would have you believe, the quiet, oft boring experience teaches patience and self-control — qualities that any parent can agree are of critical importance.
Photo: Matthew Brinkman
If you’re still not sold, check out the program on your phone at the Fish and Wildlife Service website and just look at the design and detail of each duck — or goose or other species, dependent on the year. There is intense scrutiny and investigation of anatomical accuracy of any featured specimen, and the artists are held to the highest standards. No one wants to see an ugly duckling on a stamp, let alone one which is where the color and physique of the species isn’t accurately portrayed.
Just check out this John Oliver clip if you want to learn more about the very serious business of the stamp competition, which may leave you thinking these folks are crazy as loons. In the satirical take, you might see spoof renderings of armed ducks, which illustrates the mandate for the stamp to include a hunting scene, which will become obsolete for next years’ competition entries.
Nurturing a love of birdsYou see, our relationship with birds has been less than respectable over the years. But we’ve been trying to reform our ways. Even in the beginning, conservation and hunting have gone hand in hand. Initially, in the late 1800s and into the turn of the century, ladies’ hats were adorned with exotic, intricate feather embellishments representing status.
Other ways you can get involved, learn more about birds and help in the fight for waterfowl, and even songbird, conservation are events like your local Christmas Bird Counts. If you search for local birding chapters of the Audubon Society or any number of Facebook phenology fanatics, you’ll also find friends of a feather to take you under their wings, as it were. These events can be fun and enlightening, a superlative way to get kids interested in the outdoors and the creatures around them. Even an activity as simple as backyard bird feeding can make an otherwise bleak winter fly by -– if you don’t have outdoor cats. Please don’t bait in the birds if your cat doesn’t have the lasagna-loving appetite Garfield prefers.
The Federal Duck Stamp program is a marriage of both sides of the fence. We can rally together even if our hobbies and interests seem starkly opposed and still champion a cause we can all support.
Photo: Matthew Brinkman/Canadian Goose
More like thisWildlifeMillennials are super into birding now. Here are the best places to go birding around the world.It’s time to check overwater bungalow off your bucket list
The overwater bungalow resort dates back to the 1960s when Tahiti’s Raiatea hotel was rebuilt using the traditional Tahitian fishing hut as a model. Now thousands of hotels around the world have overwater bungalows which are characterized by stilted structures positioned over a calm ocean. Once found exclusively in the South Pacific and the Indian Ocean, more options have appeared throughout the Caribbean and Central America from Panama to Jamaica. These luxurious abodes usually come with an extreme price tag, but there are some within a day’s flight of the US that just might squeeze into the average man’s travel budget.
Until your dream of sleeping over the ocean becomes a reality these influencers have some stunning content that will transport you there immediately with @misterlevius showing over-the-top luxury in the Maldives, @eatlivetraveldrink taking us to St Lucia, and @renee.roaming showing off the Tahitian sunset.
We hope you love the spaces and stays we recommend! Just so you know, Matador may collect a small commission from the links on this page if you decide to book a stay. Listed prices are accurate as of the time of publication. See our full Advertiser Disclosure here.
Fairmont Mayakoba, Riviera Maya, Mexico
Photo: Booking.com
This five-star luxury resort is set in the heart of the Riveria Maya. Their overwater suites are surrounded by mangrove lagoons and the Caribbean Sea with private lounge terraces to perch on while soaking it all in.
Photo: Booking.com
The luxury doesn’t stop there, a stay includes access to six infinity pools, a championship golf course, eight bars restaurants including a poolside food truck cantina.
Price for one night, two adults: $634
Sandals Royal Caribbean, Montego Bay, Jamaica
Photo: Booking.com
This “village” of overwater bungalows is only reached by private water taxis and each features unique see-through glass floor panels, so you can watch the marine life below from bed.
Photo: Booking.com
The floating water hammocks, sun deck, outdoor shower, sun loungers probably mean you won’t leave your room. If you do venture out the resort is home to nine restaurants, seven bars and a PADI-certified dive center.
Price for two nights, two adults: $3,574
El Dorado Palafitos, Maroma Beach, Mexico
Photo: Booking.com
El Dorado Maroma by Karisma are the first overwater bungalows built in Mexico. These overwater bungalows feature private infinity plunge pools, indoor private spa tubs, and furnished balconies.
Photo: Booking.com
The property sits on the beautiful white-sand beaches of Playa del Carmen features three outdoor infinity pools, a tennis court, and numerous dining options.
Price for two nights, two adults: $2,870
St. George’s Caye Resort, Belize
Photo: Booking.com
St. George’s Caye is reached by private water taxis and once you are there relaxing is the name of the game. No cars, no roads, and not a lot of people. These overwater bungalows offer a rustic elegance with traditional thatched roofs and Belizean hardwoods.
Photo: Booking.com
When staying here you have access to Belize Barrier Reef and world-class diving and snorkeling is just minutes from your room.
Price for four nights, two adults: $2,183
Photo: Booking.com
The cuisine from The Old Man and the Sea Restaurant is fresh and local and most guests will reserve the private overwater gazebo for a special occasion.
Price for two nights, two adults: $945
Punta Caracol Acqua Lodge, Panama
Photo: Booking.com
Punta Caracol Acqua Lodge offers rustic overwater villas in a truly natural setting. The resort’s palm-leaf restaurant serves local Caribbean and international food with a candlelit dinner each night. The overwater bungalows at Punta Caracol are eco-friendly, with renewable energy from solar panels and each room sleeps up to four people with a king bed in an upper loft area and living space with two twin beds. The resort will arrange snorkeling, dolphin-watching, and a daily boat outing to Starfish Beach.
Price for three nights, two adults: $637
More like thisTravelThe best island in the Caribbean for every type of travelerResearchers found a way to clean the Great Pacific Garbage Patch by 2040
“It’s the beginning of the end for the Great Pacific Garbage Patch,” the non-profit foundation The Ocean Cleanup tweeted on October 20. System 002, the technology behind the largest ocean cleanup project ever, is officially working.
Two vessels from The Ocean Cleanup came back successful after 12 weeks of testing an experimental trash collection system. Over the course of the trial, System 002 collected more than 63,900 pounds of trash from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, including snow shovels, flippers, toothbrushes by the dozens, and more. If you’re curious, the company posted a video tour of the most bizarre debris found during System 002’s testing.
Photo: The Ocean Cleanup/Facebook
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is located between California and Hawaii, and, according to The Ocean Cleanup, it’s made up of 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic that weigh about 80,000 tons. That makes it the largest of five trash patches in the oceans. To gather that trash, The Ocean Cleanup uses a long floating device towed between two boats to form a U shape. The device works as an artificial coastline that concentrates the plastic debris. By moving slowly forward, the two boats capture the trash and trap it in a retention zone. The retention zone is then sealed and taken onboard to be emptied.
The technology behind the Ocean Cleanup is first and foremost the result of Boyan Slat’s hard work. In 2012, an 18-year-old Slat held a TedX talk to explain how we could remove plastic pollution from the ocean. Today, thanks to Slat, we’re closer than ever to cleaning the oceans.
To clear the 5 trillion pieces of plastic polluting our oceans — from tiny pieces of plastic to huge portions of fish nets — The Ocean Cleanup needs to scale up its technology. System 003, a larger and more efficient system, is already in the works. The Ocean Cleanup wants to reduce 90 percent of the floating ocean plastic by 2040.
How to experience Aruba like a local
The Caribbean island of Aruba sees nearly two million visitors every year. Well over half of them will end up coming back, again and again, chasing the island’s serenity and magic. Which is no surprise given the near-perfect year-round weather, pristine beaches, and legendary hospitality.
You can join the ranks of these repeat visitors. Simply book a United flight to Oranjestad to escape the cruel US winter, experience the wonders of Aruba, and you’ll be hooked.
Book your flight to Aruba on UnitedHowever, not all trips to Aruba are created equal. No doubt they all involve a healthy amount of lounging in the sand and probably a smoothie bowl or two. But the deeper you go into the island’s culture and roster of lesser-known attractions — in other words, the more you can experience Aruba like a local — the more rewarding your visit will be.
For some tips on how to do this, we called on Edjean Semeleer, an Aruban singer, TV host, concert producer, and philanthropist. Born and raised in Aruba, he’s been an island icon for nearly three decades, and he knows a thing or two about the local’s experience. With his advice, you’ll get that deeper, more meaningful Aruba vacation.
Q: What can travelers experience in Aruba that they can’t anywhere else?
Photo: Edjean Semeleer, courtesy of Aruba Tourism Authority
Semeleer: One of the most remarkable things about Aruba is that so many nationalities (over 90!) have been living together harmoniously on such a tiny island for centuries — that’s what makes Aruba so magical and unique. It’s even in the lyrics of our national anthem: “The greatness of our people is their great cordiality.” Nowhere in the world will you feel as welcome and safe as you feel in Aruba.
Combine that with our near-perfect sunny weather and constant refreshing sea breezes, and our visitors often want to repeat their trip over and over again.
Q: What is your favorite outdoor activity in Aruba, and where can you find it?
Photo: Matteo Bartolini/Shutterstock
Semeleer: Definitely a swim in the ocean combined with some hiking in Arikok National Park. Arikok has the most breathtaking scenery, and there’s always a new path to explore and something new to discover, like walking in the ravines where they used to find gold. This is definitely a “must-do” for any adventurous traveler.
Q: What’s your favorite place on the island that most people don’t know about?Semeleer: That would be Teatro di Ser’i Noka, an amphitheater built in Santa Cruz in 1963. Nobody knows who or what “Noka” was or means — though many believe it was a native Caiquetio Indian. Either way, this location possesses a rich cultural, historical, natural, and spiritual magnificence that I’ve honestly never experienced elsewhere.
Q: What food should visitors absolutely not miss? What are some places where they can find it?
Photo: Aruba Tourism Authority
Semeleer: The famous comcomber stoba — a staple stew in Aruban cuisine — combined with some Aruban polenta we call funchi. Or try the keshi yena, stuffed cheese with hearty chicken stew. These are just some of the many meals that my beloved grandmother used to prepare.
Visitors should also try fresh-caught redfish or mahi-mahi, pan bati (Aruban pancakes), pickled red onions, and the spicy Aruban sauces at Zeerovers, Taste My Aruba, or Driftwood. The Old Cunucu House is definitely a place to go for local meals, too. And don’t forget pastechi di keshi (a type of Caribbean turnover filled with delicious Dutch cheese) for any time of day!
And while we’re proud of our local dishes, we are also rich in diverse cultures and cuisines: Venezuela, Holland, Colombia, India, Suriname, Indonesia, Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Peru, China, Japan, Germany, France, Italy — the list goes on and on. We want you to feel at home, and “home” for us also feels very diverse and like a melting pot. There is always something for everybody.
Q: What is the biggest mistake you feel most people make when visiting Aruba?
Photo: Aruba Tourism Authority
Semeleer: Only lying on the beach and suntanning and not taking the time to get to know the locals and our local culture, customs, and rich history. I believe this is one of the most important and impactful things any vacationer should do when visiting a location — immerse yourself in the local culture.
In the case of Aruba, you would love it so much that you would never want to leave our island! There’s a lot you can do here that takes you away from your daily worries. Ever done some volunteer work? How about a day at the Donkey Sanctuary or at an animal shelter?
Q: What is the first tip you give friends and family from off-island when they visit you in Aruba?
Photo: jrduarte/Shutterstock
Semeleer: To really try to relax once they’ve arrived and to remember that they’re on “island time.” Eat a lot, dance and sing a lot, take a swim in the ocean, enjoy, support and buy some authentic Aruban art, visit a local museum, and take advantage of all the available island activities.
But one other thing is also very important: Don’t leave the island without learning a word or two in Papiamento. Let’s start: Mi stima bo hopi. That means “I love you very much.”
Q: Where is your favorite place to watch the sunset in Aruba?
Photo: littlenySTOCK/Shutterstock
Semeleer: Druif Beach, Eagle Beach, and some of the “off-the-beaten-path” locations near the California Lighthouse. And if I may suggest, don’t only try the sunsets, but also try to experience the majestic sunrises at Seroe Colorado in San Nicolas or at the Alto Vista Chapel. You will be amazed!
Q: What do you love most about living in Aruba?
Photo: Darshan Revar/Shutterstock
Semeleer: The fantastic weather, the diverse and dynamic culture, the ability to speak at least four languages fluently (Papiamento, Dutch, English, and Spanish), the fact that everyone lives in close proximity to the beach, the ability to experience so many extremely talented and creative young people, the amazing food…and that there is always a reason to celebrate life.
Q: What do you most want people to know about Aruba?
Photo: Edjean Semeleer, courtesy of Aruba Tourism Authority
Semeleer: Throughout history, the people of this island have always found a way to come together and thrive during challenging times, never losing their smiles nor their high hopes to create and achieve a better future. We do have perfect weather, but it’s our people that will make your Aruba experience one of the most memorable and precious trips that you will experience in your entire lifetime.
The perfect gifts to inspire a love of science in your kids
When you can grant your child an item or an experience that will not just entertain them, but also educate them, and, even better, get them inspired to learn more, you have given them a gift bigger than the actual present itself. And it’s worth more than the money paid for it. Here, then, are kids gifts meant to inspire in your child a love of science and the natural world.
Family membership to a science museum
Photo: Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock
Many cities have a science museum, some have even more. (San Francisco has both the Exploratorium and The California Academy of Arts and Sciences, while Chicago has the Museum of Science and Industry, The Field Museum, and the Adler Planetarium). When you buy a membership to one, you’re not just supporting an important institution, you’re making it easy to visit the museum frequently and in small, digestible chunks. Choose the one that is the most convenient for you, and take advantage of weekend or evening family events as well. Many museums have partnerships with others in the country, so you can include visits to other science museums when you travel.
Science books for kids
Photo: Guinness World Records
There’s hardly a better way to get kids inspired about science than to have them read about it on their own through age-appropriate books on the natural world. Can You Hear the Trees Talking? is a wonderful, interactive book for pre-teens, by Peter Wohleben, author of the bestseller, The Hidden Life of Trees. The Fascinating Science Book for Kids: 500 Amazing Facts is like a Guinness book of unexpected facts that will make clear why studying the world is so darn cool. As the nights get longer, kids will also appreciate a primer on the night sky, as in Constellations for Kids. Also, look for books that teach kids why science matters. Mark Twain — Forensic Investigations teaches kids how to use science to solve crimes.
If your child is more of a doer than a reader, get a book that offers up cool science experiments they can do themselves, like Awesome Physics Experiments for Kids that detail experiments they can do at home and why they work, or The Everything Kids’ Science Experiment Book written by a science teacher.
Science fiction books and films
Photo: Dune Novels
Yes, you read that right: science fiction. Science fiction depicts aspects of the future that scientists often work to turn into reality — from phones you can hold in your hand to interplanetary travel. Our eldest daughter, who’ll soon graduate from college with degrees in astronomy and physics, says the Sci-Fi books and movies we shared helped spark her own fascination with space. Whether the classic A Wrinkle in Time, the campy original Star Trek series or the more teen-appropriate Avatar, books and movies show us where science can go. And before your tween or teen goes out to see Dune in theaters (which they should), have them first read the award-winning novel.
Science sets
Photo: Shop Disney
Before you rush out to buy a science kit, first consider what situations your kids will be in while using them. Most of the better science kits will demand some of your time — since they involve liquids and colors that can make a mess (at best). National Geographic makes a bunch of great kits that know how to get kids excited about science. Their Science Magic Kit lets kids use science to make “magic tricks” like making snow disappear, while the Super Gross Chemistry Set lets them do icky experiments and learn why they work. With their Earth Science Kit, kids can grow an actual crystal or make a “volcano” erupt.
Microscopes, binoculars, and telescopes
Photo: Rido/Shutterstock
Each of these items nurtures a very different kind of science. While telescopes are best for kids interested in astronomy, and binoculars might suit your budding ornithologist or marine biologist, depending what she is looking at, microscopes might conjure up a love of biology, as they can be used to look at small organisms, but budding chemists and even geologists will find a hidden world made visible through the use of a microscope. You’ll find starter kids’ microscopes for as little as $39.99 and going up to ones for juniors at $89. Binoculars for kids will let them take in the natural world in a new way, while telescopes will be a good complement to the Constellations for Kids book noted above.
Snap Circuits and magnets
Photo: Elenco
Snap Circuits are like Legos with electricity, allowing kids to make all kinds of things and have them actually work, because of the small electric current that runs through it. It’s a great way to inspire budding physicists and engineers. Start with the basic set and, from there, you can take it all the way to the larger set offering dozens of complex combinations of components. You can get your little ones building with Magna-Tiles and from there spark and interest in the cool things that magnets can do.
RocketsPhoto: Supamotion/Shutterstock
There’s nothing like sending a rocket soaring into the sky, or even just a few yards off the ground. As long as you have space outside and are able to supervise, your kids will have a ton of fun launching these slender rockets into the air.
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