Sloss Furnace, Birmingham, AL

Every new place offers a unique experience, but every now and then we stumble upon something that is completely unexpected. Sloss Furnace is a perfect example and was the uncontested highlight of one of our family vacations. Visiting a historic iron furnace facility was one of those experiences that we never knew we always wanted - and one we'll never forget!

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Most of your time will be spent exploring the grounds in a self-guided tour, but there is a visitor's center that does a great job of explaining the history of Sloss and how the industry impacted the area. All of the areas and equipment are explained so students better understand the process.

Be sure to stop in here!

As a home educator, this is the type of thing that, frankly, I'd never think to focus on and wouldn't be able to teach in a memorable way. I'm always appreciative of experiences that bring history and industry to life and highly recommend this tour. Plus, it's just plain fun!

Monkeying around

Super creepy tunnel to explore

What You Need to Know

Check the website ahead of time to be certain of visiting hours. Weddings, concerts, and other special events are sometimes held here.

When it comes to safety....you're sort of on your own. There are certainly some places that are roped off and clearly marked to warn visitors away, but there's a lot that can be climbed and explored. Also, there's just a lot of rusty metal all around. Supervision is definitely warranted here.

Most of the paths are gravel and there are some steps and uneven floors/ground. Strollers and wheel chairs won't work well here. There's a lot of walking. Wear comfortable shoes!

Be sure to check out the bonus nighttime tour and the photography class offered. I think either one would be amazing for teens!

Additional Resources

Sloss's website has some good info to read ahead of time. It will all be covered in the Visitor's Center, but why not save some time?

Check out this short, but informative article about the history of iron and steel from ThoughtCo. Depending on how interested your kiddos are on the topic, there is a whole host of related articles on that site, including this one on the history of the Industrial Revolution.

This lapbook about the Industrial Revolution, from In the Hands of a Child, looks great! It's for grades 5th-10th. I did't purchase it, but I did download and review the preview and it looks well worth the cost.

Check your local library for the books below, but should you choose to purchase, please use my links. As a member of the Amazon Affiliate program, every purchase helps support my blog.

Lyddie is a fantastic book that showcases child labor in industry. I read it as an adult and loved it. Bonus: your child may never complain about chores again!

The Industrial Revolution for Kids is informational and includes suggested projects and activities to help bring the lessons to life.

Ho'okena Beach Park, Big Island, HI

Sometimes it's nice to visit a well-known and populated beach - they usually have lifeguards, restrooms, and other assorted amenities. Other times, it's really nice to find an out-of-the-way spot that's quiet and low-key. Ho'okena Beach Park was that place for us.

What You Need to Know

Getting to this off-the-beaten-path beach is half the adventure. Googlemaps got us there just fine, but the twisty, narrow roads and lack of signage kept me holding my breath until we finally pulled into the parking lot. 

While this is a campground, we mainly saw locals here. Several were fishing - one with a spear! It was too cold and the waters were rough, but we enjoyed the salt-and-pepper sand and had fun exploring the rocky shoreline.

There are restrooms, a small parking lot, picnic tables, and a concession stand for snack foods and beach rentals. 

Swimming and snorkeling are allowed here, but the general consensus seems to be that the waters can be rough and the undertow is strong, so be forewarned!

Additional Resources

Fun printables from Simple Everyday Mom.

Impressive range of lessons from NOAA.

Check your local library for the following resources or click on the links to purchase. As a member of the Amazon Affiliate program, any purchase you make through my links helps to support my blog. 

Tripadvisor Reviews

I created an account on Tripadvisor recently and have been slowing posting reviews of the various places we've visited. Because they want the most recent information, most of my reviews there highlight different places than I've featured here on my blog.

Search for wanderinghomeschool to see what I've posted so far! Here's just a sampling:

Akaka Falls, Big Island

Diamond Head View, Oahu

Laupahoehoe State Park, Big Island

Mighty MO, Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, Oahu

Panaewa zoo, Big Island

Rainbow Falls, Big Island

Sea Arch, Big Island

Devastation Trail, Volcano National Park, Big Island

Souvenir Shopping on Vacation

For those who know me - and know that I don't like to have a bunch of stuff around the house - you might be surprised by this, but I. LOVE. SOUVENIRS!

I enjoy travelling and I love and appreciate anything that reminds me of the places I've been. Of course, picking up something everywhere you visit can be expensive and can take up a lot of space. I've come up with some creative ideas to display your travel treasures. There are more ideas than I can possibly cover in a single post, but hopefully this will get you thinking outside the box.

Just an FYI, this post will contain Amazon Affiliate links. If you decide to purchase, please use my links to support my blog! Thanks!

Photos

Most people take photos during a trip, but they don't always do anything with those photos once they're back home. This is the first and most obvious "souvenir" because half the work is already done!

Once home, you can create an album or scrapbook of your photos. Online sites like Snapfish.com make it super easy to create your own book of memories. I make a travel album for my mother-in-law every Christmas since she comes with us but doesn't usually treat herself to souvenirs.

Another idea is to create a wall gallery of your pictures. We have friends who hang their travel pictures in their family room. I myself have recently started a picture gallery in one of our hallways. The key here is to maximize visual impact by grouping the photos and tying them all together by using frames of the same color.



Trinkets

Anything in this category would be the typical items found in a gift shop. Magnets, postcards, etc. Smaller items will cost less and be easier to transport. Since they take up less room, they can also be easier to display, especially as your collection grows.

Postcards can be added into a blank scrapbook. Consider adding dates and short captions or memories.



Magnets can be added to the front of the fridge, of course, or could be placed on a mounted piece of metal and used as art.




Personally, I collect lapel pins and display them on black canvas. I have two pin-covered canvases sitting on my shelves in my bedroom. It's so fun to look at the pins and recall all of the places we've visited. I love that they're inexpensive and don't take up a lot of space.



Displaying your souvenirs makes for a great conversation piece and helps you feel like your money was well spent. No matter what you end up collecting, I hope you find a good way to display it so you can enjoy it all year 'round!