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And we have take off...

5/11/2011

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The glorious thing about great neighbors is that they do for your kids what you cannot …. or will not.

Case in point: here at our house we’ve created movies, murals, flags, volcanoes, and songs, but model rockets have not made the list. Lucky us -- one of our neighborhood dads recently purchased, oversaw construction, and organized the launching of rockets for all the neighborhood kids. My boys were able to enjoy this incredibly fun activity and my only responsibility was to snap pictures.

 I’m not sure who’s more thankful for
this daddy’s efforts --- me or the kids.


Here’s the basic rundown:
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1) Construct a model rocket -
glue, paint, stickers, and patience required.


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2) Choose a location that includes plenty of room for launching and retrieval. The open field at Keizer Rapids Park was a great fit.



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3) Complete a rocket permit and send it to the Salem Fire Department. There is no cost for this permit but it is required to be reviewed by the Salem Fire Department prior to any model rocket launch within the City of Salem.


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4) Attach and pack the rocket parachute. Be sure to add sufficient “wading.”



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5) Insert the rocket engine. 

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6) Prepare the launching pad.

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7) Start the countdown.

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8) Cheer wildly at take-off and run through the field to "catch" and collect the used rocket.

      Then make plans
     to do it all again!

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International flights are now departing...

8/9/2010

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      While flights within the continental US have long since lost their luster – International flights still seem like a limo ride through the clouds. When visiting Denmark this summer we traveled on Scandinavian Airlines and enjoyed a lovely ride.
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     Worried about taking a small child on an overseas flight?
Do not fear: SAS has you covered…


Food-
While US flights no longer provide meals- international flights include three course meals. On our trip there we had a fabulously delicious lamb dinner. On the return, dessert included cool strawberry sorbet for the kiddos.
Yum!

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Entertainment-
Individual mini TV screens are included for each and every seat. Free movies & TV are standard and SAS also offers an assortment of video games. Hand held controls pop from your arm rest and allow you to battle Tetris, Solitaire, or 8 other individual games. My non-
Nintendo/Wii/Xbox boys thought this flight was their private traveling arcade. 

Flight Info-
Those handy-dandy TV screens also provide a flight map which indicates distance traveled, estimated time of arrival, and air speed. Two channels also include real-time video of the view out the front of the airplane and the land, sea, or clouds below. It’s as if every seat is a window seat…wild stuff to see the runway as we landed!
 

Luggage-
No luggage fees; enough said.  

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Ready for take off...

8/30/2009

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My youngest pretends to fly!
This summer, my boys and I visited the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville, OR. Who knew this GIANT collection of airplanes, rockets, helicopters, and all-things -aviation was so close to home?!

The huge campus includes two museums and one IMAX Theater. (Note: this is a museum – not a Children’s Museum. There is one area for wee-ones to interact with a few small exhibits and there are several flight simulators spread throughout for older children, but this is more of a place to ‘look with your eyes not with your hands.’) Admission isn't cheap and we found that with a large group of family it was, in fact, cheaper to just buy a membership and plan to come again another day for more. (Thank you Grandma!)

For those families passing through McMinnville on the way to the coast – I would definitely recommend this as a quick-stop. You can wander the Evergreen grounds and see the planes on display outside forfree and also enjoy the great aviation-themed playground.
If nothing else, at least peek in the front doors and take a gander at the enormous Spruce Goose.
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