The chilrens's recreation park was closed...

Today (well actually about a week ago, but i am behind) we thought a great treat for the kids would be to go to the recreation center. It was supposed to have rides and indoor stuff kind of like a Discovery Place/ Carrowinds (for those of you in the Charlotte area you know what I mean.) So we hopped in a taxi and off we went. only to find that it was closed for some reconstruction... boo! :(

So while we still had a cab we pulled out our map and there was a fine arts park nearby so we told him to take us there.

If you read "Fine arts Park" with a big green area marked off on a map wouldn't you think that it was a park like we in the Western world think of as a park... Yeah we did too... However it was a Fine Arts Museum with a few sculptures outside... Figuring that the kids wouldn't be interested in the 'fine art' we decided to walk around and look at the sculptures. The first few pictures are us teaching the kids how to become one with the arts. :)

Daddy is teaching them how to imitate the sculptures... this one must have been particularly strange.

Getting a hug from 'grandma"

Pierson was trying to stand like this woman. Neither one of the kids seemed fazed that she had no clothes on.

Don't conform to the world but become one with the arts.

"This egg looking thing is fun Mom!"

walking up steps backwards. How is that so much fun?

After we had exhausted all of the sculptures we could see the Grand Hotel. I had read about this place and knew that it was also a major tourist destination so I thought while we could walk there we probably should. It didn't look that far... About 45 minutes later we got there! (things are always deceivingly farther than they appear! We were glad we went though. It was a beautiful place. Apparently many emperors came there and they still have state dinners there as well.

(From here it really doesn't look that far away!)
We thought that a picture in front of the hotel would be nice so we told the kids to hug and this is what we got! It was good for laugh or two of passers by!

Maylin decided to take a load off of her weary feet and plopped down on the sidewalk..

Once she was rested up she wanted to pose in front of everything.

And of course monkey see, monkey do! (I know you like the hello kitty band aide on the forehead! That was purely for looks by his choice.)

Of course Daddy is a good sport and joins in the fun!

Inside the hotel. This was an amazing display of real orchids! It was absolutely beautiful. The kids were impressed too can't you tell?! :)

Our little princess making her way down the grand staircase.

So after a long day of walking we decided we would walk back over to the Hello Kitty restaurant. this time we got to sit in the cool seats... But the cool seats weren't really practical for two squirmy children... It was fun though.

Maylin likes to pretend she is asleep in her pictures.

So there you have it. Our trip was nearing an end and we were soon to be going home as a family of four. We'll keep working on posting the trip and the aftermath of the trip so stay tuned!