My husband works in an industry that is busiest during the summer months, so we have never really been able to take a long summer vacation. However, every summer we have managed to do something fun with our kids, whether it has been camping or going on a road trip somewhere different in Ontario. Both Bryan and Daniel have been to the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto, and it’s a great place, but we had often heard about Science North in Sudbury, Ontario and how fabulous it is for kids. Mike and I had been to Sudbury, an old mining town, on our own many years before and had toured the nickel mine there, so between the Big Nickel Mine and Science North we thought it might be an interesting trip for the boys.
We picked a long weekend, jumped in the car, and headed north. Ontario is a beautiful province for road trips, and everyone enjoyed the ride. Once in Sudbury we headed for Science North, an interactive science museum consisting of two snow-flake shaped buildings. The snowflake buildings are connected by a rock tunnel, which passes through a billion-year-old geologic fault. Believe it or not, this fault line was not known to be under the complex during the construction of the building in the early 1980’s! Inside there is a 3D IMAX theatre, a planetarium, and exhibits galore! Now I’m definitely not putting down the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto because I have loved it since I was a small child, but there was one thing that we enjoyed far more about Science North, and that is the interactive nature of the exhibits. Not only can you learn about the animals and reptiles that inhabit northern forests, wetlands, and rivers and lakes in Ontario, but you can actually hold the little critters that call Science North their home.
This first photo is of me (yes I was brave enough!!) holding a giant stick bug. Isn’t he huge? Employees are on hand to get them out of their enclosures, and then while you are holding them they educate you on their life cycle, habitat, etc. Our boys were in seventh heaven!!
Now, this giant African snail I chose not to hold, so my husband did instead. He just seemed a little too slimy for my liking! He’s still sort of cute though :).
Stay tuned tomorrow for some more critters from Science North!
photos from the loonybin 
I am not a fan of ickies….. but I can imagine that boys would enjoy it!!! Very interesting and interactive!!! 🙂 **
Yes, the boys loved it!! Doesn’t the snail look like he’s right out of a cartoon or something? His face is just so funny, and I was so happy with how these close up shots turned out. There’s so much detail. I’m glad you found them interesting even though you don’t like ickies. 🙂
Ummmm…I agree with Xandre…not a fan. How much did the first one weigh? He’s larger than I thought.
I have quite big hands with very long fingers, so you can tell from him sitting on my hand that he was very big!! He didn’t weigh that much though, and I was ok holding him because I could see where he was – he wasn’t creeping up on me in the dark or something. Ewwww!!!!
It could be an issue at my end, but would you…
When I get your email notification for this post, the image size that comes with it is: 4272 x 2848 pixels, way too large. Please double check. If this is correct, you may wish to try something a little smaller, 500 – 600 pixels for the longest/widest side.
Ok, be patient with me. I’m still fairly new at this. LOL. If I go into the image editing and click on advanced settings (stick bug photo for example), the size says 640×426, but if I click beside that on original size it says 4272×2848.
When I insert a photo into my blog, I usually choose “full size” which is smaller than “large” because it looks nice on my laptop screen and other computers. I’ve never really thought how it comes through as an email, and nobody has ever said anything until now. Was it only today’s post that you had trouble with or has it happened before?
Very cool critters!
Thanks Jeff! Stay tuned for more tomorrow. 🙂
Wow – they are huge! But adorable in a creepy kind of way…
They are kind of cute in a weird way. I agree! :). Thanks for stopping by.
I prefer them in the bush, or behind glass… 😉 I don’t have a problem with snails though, although I wouldn’t necessarily let them slide all over my hand! 🙂
Yes, they are a little too slimy for my liking. That’s why I made my hubby hold it. 🙂
What fun! Good for you both for being willing to share hands-on!
I’m a firm believer in having fun! Life’s too short not to make the most of every moment. 🙂