FALL BREAK: Frankfort/Salato Wildlife Center

The boys had Thursday and Friday off of school for Fall Break. Rich had to work both days, so going anywhere very far wasn't a possibility. But that was fine by me. Anytime the boys have days off, my mind goes into overdrive thinking of fun things to see and do. We were just so busy this summer with swim team and it's so unbearably hot and humid in July that we didn't get to do all the things I had planned. This was the perfect time to check a few more things off my list. I am so grateful that my boys are willing to go along with any and all of the events I come up with. I guess you could say I have trained them well- straight from birth. I just hate sitting around for too long. Little adventures keep me happy and sane and the house stays clean while we are away.The boys had a primary program practice/pizza party Thursday morning from 11- 12:30 PM. The girls and I dropped them off at the church and hit Wal-mart to load up on goodies while the boys worked on their parts. Once the boys were finished we all headed west to Frankfort. I love our little capital town. It is quaint, quiet, lovely and very historic; all things I consider endearing and loveable. This time around I wanted to check off a few of the 'must see' building I missed on our first go around. We also wanted to see the state wildlife reserve that was closed when we came before.
The Old State Capital

The Old Governor's Mansion
I loved this Red Cross building. This is the earliest surviving stone house in the city. It was built before 1840. I had to laugh at my reflection in the van's mirror. There was no where to pull over to take a picture.
This the house I was thrilled to see. It was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and is the only building of his design erected in Kentucky his lifetime. It is not open for tours.The Rev. Jesse R. Zeigler House (The Frank Lloyd Wright House) is just one block west of the capital.The boys were very happy when I stopped taking pictures and drove over to the Salato Wildlife Education Center that is run by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Game.As we paused for a photo, a ranger came out to say hello and brought this beautiful Screech Owl. Oh my. I just wanted to take it home! (He was unsure if it was male or female.) It was so small it looked like a stuffed animal. I'll tell you, if I were Harry Potter and needed an owl to deliver my mail, I would have selected this beauty for sure!The education center has a wide variety of Kentucky wildlife. They have turtles, birds, snakes, lizards, fish and bees on display.These pictures were just for Rich. He had such a 'fondness' of snakes. He and Indiana Jones share the love for these reptiles.This Copperhead thought Trey looked mighty tasty!And this little fella was the boy's favorite little thing we saw all day. I just couldn't get them to leave the display. The boys were just eager to see the snake eat his lunch..... (Kristi, this photo was in honor of you and your love for mice.)
This turkey got me thinking of Thanksgiving. For the first time ever we have family coming so I am counting down the day already.Matt loving the snake.Once you exit the main building there are trails that lead to many different type of animal enclosures.There were two bald eagles.
There were two black bears. And there were two wild pink chicas on the loose. The kids indulged me with a few quick photos.(Taken by Matt)KaitlynMattJosh TreyBrynnMaybe she should have stayed ON the path.I am still finding these pesky little sticky seeds in the laundry and around the house three days later!This is Jamie. He found us along the path and became our personal tour guide. Matt was talking a mile a minute and Jamie just kindly soaked up every word.He showed us a groundhog hole. We also saw bison, elk, a dragonfly marsh, wildcats, fish and deer.We ended by the water fall. What a day. A perfect way to kick off fall break.