Where Are the Mummies?!

Destination: Discovery Place, Charlotte, NC

Total Miles: 210

Cost: <$100

Companions: LPs

First big road trip of 2012! With one poor sister waking everyone who wasn't already up at 7:30am by upchucking in the bathroom, I decided to bump up the planned Monday trip to Thursday so as to avoid overexposure to sickness. So, by 8:45am I had all 3 LPs bundled up and loaded into Mr. Darcy. Before we got too far, we had to stop at Walmart to get a couple things. Then off we went. It is a 2 hour-ish drive from Travelers Rest to Charlotte, but it was a great day out for a drive. 

The current exhibit at Discovery Place is The Mummies, which displays mummies and artifacts from around the world (dating, in theory, back to 6000 BC). While the kids enjoyed learning about a sarcophagus and the amulets, I don't think they were as interested in the mummification process as I was (medical stuff). But, did you know that in the last few years they have been able to x-ray and CT scan mummies to discover what's on the inside instead of unwrapping or harming the mummy?! Fascinating! 

The Discovery Place also offers a variety of other things to keep kids (and adults) occupied. There's a science lab center, a huge section dedicated to the science of physics, an area set up for kids to create items from duct tape/old scraps of fabric/tinfoil, an aquarium section, a rainforest area, and a little kids area that's completely set apart (just to name a few areas). There's also a 3-D theater and an IMAX theater. We went to a showing of Bugs (a 3-D movie about the life of a caterpillar-turned-butterfly and a praying mantis).  Wish they'd have warned you that the mantis eats the butterfly at the end...or maybe edited the section on "reproduction is what bugs do best..." but the LPs handled it well. 

We took advantage of the IMAX and watched a documentary on Mummies: The Secrets of the Pharaohs. Amazingly enough, the kids were pretty pumped about the discovery of the tombs containing mummified pharaohs, particularly Ramses the Great. I've been listening to a dramatic reading of the Bible on long car rides, and today's section was about the beginning of the plagues of Egypt. When the documentary discussed Ramses being the Pharaoh spoken of in the Bible, they very excitedly whispered that we had just heard about him! Enjoyable to see them putting 2 and 2 together! 

Couple of Tips (which I promise to put into the tips section at some point soon!): 

1. Pack snacks. Any drive that is over 30 minutes will usually find the kids asking if we can stop to get a snack...so head it off, have them help prepare snacks (bags of pretzels/chips) and water bottles beforehand. 

2. Have a blanket on hand. Multiple uses: cover up someone who is cold, be a pillow, stick an inch out the window and shut it to provide a shade for the poor kid stuck in the sun, create a tent for the kid who doesn't want to be around the others any more...

3. While the kids enjoy watching a DVD or movie on my iPhone, they also enjoy listening to radio dramas and books on cd...they also like music (depending on their mood it can be silly or quiet), so have plenty of options on hand.

4. The Silent Game can be employed, but try to use it for NO MORE than 30 minutes.

5. Get maps for those old enough to read. Even if they can't read a map very well, it gives them something to hold (so they don't touch anything they're not supposed to) and is a fun way to get them involved in figuring out where to go or just gives them an idea of what comes next.

Anyway, it's a fun place to visit, and you definitely get your money's worth! Just make sure you give yourself almost the whole day to visit...there's so much to do and see...and discover!