Cowboy World!

In August we took Isabelle to Donley's Wild West Town in Union, Illinois. It's about an hour from Chicago and my sister Michelle discovered it one day driving home from work. Michelle, her husband Jim and my other sister Janell wanted to get together, so we thought it would be a great place to meet and spend a Saturday morning. I prepped Isabelle by taking her to the library to find a book on cowboys. We found The Toughest Cowboy, it's about a group of cowboys who are tamed of their wild ways by a poodle named Foofy. Check it out, it's a cute book. I also kept referring to Donley's Wild West Town as Cowboy World, so forever in our minds that is the name we will use. I didn't think Isabelle was into Cowboy World while we were there. She was a bit afraid of almost everything - pony ride, petting zoo, merry-go-round, Wild West Show (that one we should have expected, gun shots were involved) - but after we left she kept talking about Cowboy World. Even this week Isabelle has mentioned "I go to Cowboy World!" She did enjoy panning for gold (water and rocks were involved), running around the tee-pee and she liked the train ride.

Donley's Wild West Town is geared for the 3-11 age set, so I think we'll go back another time when Isabelle is a little older and can enjoy it even more. Here are some of the activities, all for $16. Ages 2 and under are free.

Wild West Show
Train Rides
Merry-Go-Round
Roping Lessons
Playground
Petting Zoo
Panning for Gold
Sling Shots
Tomahawk Throw
Archery
Pony Rides (for kids)
Mini Roller Coaster (for kids)
Mini Canoe Rides (for kids)
Hand Cars (for kids)
Tee-Pee, shops and other areas to explore

Train is coming!

She was a little nervous on the train.

Inside the petting zoo.

We checked out the ponies, but she would NOT ride one.

Panning for gold.

Just a typical Saturday for us.

Dreaming of Greece

I recently discovered the song "Mykonos" by the group Fleet Foxes. It's from their first album, Sun Giant released in 2008. So I guess I'm a bit late to game, but wow when I first heard it on the radio I had to listen to it again and again and again. Thanks to iTunes and $0.99 I can. Although the song lyrics don't reflect this, the melody reminds me of a carefree vacation. You know the kind where you're relaxing at a beach cafe with a glass of wine in hand and the wind is blowing off the water. Then of course the title "Mykonos" makes me think of my long-held desire to visit the Greek Islands. Even now I can just envision the crystal blue water and white-washed buildings. One of these days!

You can check out the song and accompanying video here: http://fleetfoxes.com/