USA, South Carolina, Greenville: A Very Special Kind of Scavenger Hunt

Be charmed by a visit to Greenville in South Carolina in the USA. This city has a special treat to offer for those on the hunt for fun activities for the whole family.

In 2000, Jimmy Ryan, a high school senior from the local area wanted to do something special for his community by designing and developing the famous Mice on Main Scavenger Hunt for little mouse sculptures inspired by the popular Children's book Goodnight Moon. He raised funds and worked with a sculptor Zan Wells who created the little mice in bronze. They can be found hidden along the Main St of Greenville where thousands of people come to find them.


According to what I was told, the city has done a lot in beautifying the Main Street and the local Falls Park. The partnership of Jimmy Ryan and Zan Wells now also includes a writer Linda Kelly who wrote a book about how the Mice on Main found their 'freedom' and 'sparkle' prompted by her grand daughter who wanted to know about how the mice found their places on the street.

The combined efforts of the city, the creator, the artists and the writer have certainly paid off with the popularity of the park and the hunt that fills the city with tourists on a nice autumn day. It can be said that the realization of one brilliant idea has really created value for the community of Greenville. We certainly enjoyed our day there.


There is lots of information to be found by just googling Mice on Main or the name of artists. They have created additional goodwill with little mice sculptures and special t-shirts. The proceeds from the book and the shirts go to a charity it the area.

So, it can be said that Greenville presents its compassion and friendliness for the community and the world in practice with a very charming front. I look forwards to visiting there again and recommend you to do the same.

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Australia, Sunshine Coast, Bli Bli; The Sunshine Castle

For a compassionate world traveler interested in the historical sights of the world visiting the Sunshine Castle at Bli Bli in the Sunshine Coast of Australia is a curiosity without question.

History

The Bli Bli castle is a modern replica of a Norman medieval castle. The building of it started in the early 1970's by an enthusiast who thought to build a castle in Australia.

The first time my family visited the castle was in 1996. We were told by friends that this is a curiosity that we just must see. And truly, even then while we were swept beyond belief by the idea that someone would build a castle in such a place, we were also charmed by it, especially by the then new doll displays.

Visiting the castle today when it has grown and flourished into a real awarded tourist attraction is greatly inspiring.

The castle is a compelling experience of mixed and matched kind

The compassionate visitor is introduced to the medieval life through the objects and signs around the castle, including a considerable display of swords.

Visitors can dress the part, walk around the battlements hunting clues to the questions about the life in the medieval times and at the same time get the more frivolous fairytale feel of childhood memories through marveling the expanded doll exhibition and the fairytale panoramas scattered around the place. There is also a nice miniature train display to see.

Our only disappointment was that there is no access for the higher parts of the castle to people with wheelchairs. Some creative thinking would be greatly appreciated in getting the young disabled persons to see the dolls and experience the spectacular battlement views over the coastal area.

One of the highlights of the exhibitions is the room displaying different castles around the world. It is on the ground floor and would be accessible even to the people in wheelchairs. It truly shows the owner's love of castles, especially the German ones.

The other curiosity that greatly interested our younger mediaevalist minded friends is the original chair that was used in the production of the Hercules and Xena TV series.

The second highlight of our visit was the castle shop. It is filled with quality toys and figurines of knights, fairies and castles.

Our experience

All in all our visit was highly enjoyable. Our friend, who has lived near the castle for a long time, but never visited it before commented that it will be a great place to bring her grand children over the summer holidays. "It is just a place to wake their curiosity", she said. Be prepared to spend a much longer time there than originally planned.

If a visitor were to spend a longer time in the costal area there are scheduled events, such as opera and other theater events throughout the year, including a Medieval Fair.

The Sunshine Castle is a place that a traveler can visit again and again as it keeps growing and developing just like the old castles did. It's presence has been printed in my mind for the last 15 years and I look forward to taking my friends and family for renewed visits there in the future.

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UK, London, V&A Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green

One of the most fascinating and enjoyable places in London for a compassionate traveler to visit is the Victoria & Albert Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green.

Our friends who have a few children say that they mostly "live there" and after visiting and witnessing all that is happening in the museum on a daily basis I must agree that one very well could. V&A Museum of Childhood is the kind of museum that you include in your frequent visits list. The exhibition and the activities change so often that it becomes a good place to pop in and have a lunch picnic at least once a month.


A few years back the museum underwent a thorough revamping. The exhibition was rearranged in themes that enabled much larger displays. The museum also got a new entrance hall inspired by the original designs for the building in the 1870's.

I thoroughly enjoyed walking around the display cabinets and finding my old childhood memories.


The collection of the old dollhouses was the highlight of my visit. My daughter found the dolls she used to play with and my son was totally fascinated by the action figures that represented the era when he used to play with them. There was something for everyone.


One big part of the museum displayed mechanical toys and small cars. We also found the display that presented book illustrations and what an illustrator does a fantastic experience.

If you are visiting London for a longer period of time, do plan on at least two days of visiting this inspiring museum as there is too much to absorb for just one visit. If you live in London or nearby, lucky you as you can also plan on participating in the many activities that the museum programs for children.

Thoroughly enjoyable experience. I give it 10/10!

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