One of the trips we did not get a chance to take this summer was to Greenville, SC. I planned it as one of our ten summer trips because the science museum had a "Second Saturday" program for the public. We were unable to attend the first program in June and it was nearly 100 degrees the next month. Since we also planned on going to Greenville Zoo, the heat was a major deterrent.
Fast forward to October. The Second Saturday program was superhero themed. Kids were encouraged to dress up, participate in superhero challenges, and meet superheroes.The weather was much more mild, making it a perfect day trip. We left early for our two hour drive.
When we arrived at the science center, I was annoyed to discover they would not accept our Discovery Place membership. The website lists both museums under the passport for reciprocity. Instead of arguing, I begrudgingly paid the fee.
The first thing we encountered was live animals. Jackson was surprisingly eager to hold a snake. His siblings were less brave.
The soft rabbit was more inviting for everyone.
After observing more animals, we headed to another room for our first challenge. The kids had to design a parachute that would keep their cutout superhero afloat in the wind tunnel.
They could select from a variety of materials, including coffee filters, foil, tissue paper, pipe cleaners, and straws. Amelia's design was the most successful of the four.
We then explored the Living History Farm. We were too late for "Hawkeye's Archery", but enjoyed making a game from the 1700's out of string and twigs.
We visited with the blacksmith and other artisans. James was especially excited about grinding corn into cornmeal.
As always, we found a nice spot for our picnic lunch.
The science center was very spread out. We had to put the wagon back in the van and take a shuttle to the third area. Jackson was grinning ear to ear when he found these guys.
Another challenge was to design a suit or armor for a tile. It was similar to an egg drop box, where the kids were given tiles instead of eggs. They had to use selected materials to create armor that would prevent the tile from breaking when dropped at a certain height.
We took the shuttle back to the van, then drove to our next destination.
The zoo was completely free with our NC Zoo membership.
The zoo was very small, which created great views of each of the animals. (Not the best for animal rights, but a bonus with young children.)
The lemurs were especially vocal and scared each of the kids by swinging right to them and wailing.
The highlight of the zoo was the lion exhibit. It was definitely the best close up views I've ever seen of a lion.
My favorite is always the giraffe. The giraffes seemed to have the largest area of any animal.
There's an impressive park adjacent to the zoo. We let the kids play for another half hour before beginning the long drive home.
Along the way we passed the iconic peach outside of Gaffney. The boys laughed at the "giant hiney." We lucked out with the weather since the rain held off until our drive home.
We ate dinner at Cookout and took the kids to bed once home. It was a fun, long day. I'm thankful to be able to take day trips and go on fun adventures, even while working full time.
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