There is a spot in Portland Maine that is a portal to another time and place. Here adults get to become kids again as they embark on an adventure of discovery and exploration. I vividly recall entering the Museum twice while growing up, but I can't say weather we went more than that. And if we did not, well - for heaven's sakes- why not?! I can still feel the cold metal in my hands as I tightly gripped the fireman's pole and slid down to the second level of the truck in full fire fighting regalia. I also remember being thoroughly fascinated with the veterinary clinic and the post office corner. But, as you will soon see, there is so much more than that. Overall the experience is phenomenal, unless your name is Mehran and you are forced by an enthusiastic wife to spend hours exploring every nook and cranny of a four level building, while a roaring sea of curious children surge around you.
If your name is not Mehran and you are the type of individual who delights in the wonders of childhood and who, even for the briefest of moments, is able to see the world through their eyes, well then- prepare to be thoroughly impressed.
We begin our tour on the lowest level in a subterranean basement that has been converted into a theatre ready to host all manner of impromptu plays and performances. A vast array of costumes and props and backgrounds is on hand as are comfy seats for the rapt audience to sit and observe. One section plays host to a puppet theatre that the children preferred over the stage. Here Ruhi and Anisa perform a puppet show for Bayan.
On this level there is also a circus mirror, a cafe and a pretend restaurant/ice cram parlour that specializes in a variety of delicious snacks. Here chef Ruhi is preparing milkshakes for a hungry customer while Anisa got busy with the ice cream. We only had a quick peek as there were many people waiting but we promised the kids we'd come back before we left.
Upstairs on the main level we found a tree with tunnels inside perfect for climbing, the trunk of the tree even extends to the next level of the building complete with tree house and fabulous views of the foyer below.
It was on this level that Bayan found his favourite place- a little mechanic shop / petrol station. He spent ages here admiring and exploring the car, 
filling it up with petrol (gas) again, and again and again, 
checking the air pressure in the tires and administering air when necessary,
checking under the hood and making appropriate adjustments.
Meanwhile, the girls had found the fire truck. This quickly became Ruhi's favourite haunt.
She loved whisking the engine down deserted streets to rescue people from danger,
she loved the buttons, the bells and the steering wheel, 
not to mention dressing up and making the emergency calls. There was all sorts of useful information throughout this display about fire safety and what to do in an emergency. 
Anisa loved the dress up part as well as the perpetual sliding down the fireman's pole, that I recalled so vividly.
It was also on this floor that we found one of Anisa's favourite spots. The veterinary clinic. 
She took a special fancy to the chickens, lined them up in a row, made a huge fuss over them
and even carefully instructed Bayan on the subject of chicken hygiene
and demonstrated, for his benefit, how to properly wash a hen.
Bayan found a farm where he used specialized equipment to make bales of hay, 
collected and sorted and counted (wooden) eggs,
and even got to ride on a tractor.
Anisa stopped at the local store to stock up on groceries and play shop keeper for a little while.
While Ruhi donned some fisherman apparel and a life vest and headed off to be captain of a fishing fleet. She steered the boat, hauled up lobster traps and fishing nets and even braved a storm (something we are getting very good at) in the process.
Upstairs we found a massive, interactive, globe with video presentations of life all over the world that lead into a wonderful display entitled We are Maine celebrating cultural diversity within the State. We also found a miniature planetarium where we were able to sit and get a guided tour of the night sky. The children were then, quite naturally, drawn to the rocket ship that was decked out with a cockpit resembling that of a space shuttle. There was astronaut gear to try on, buttons to press and video footage of shuttle launches and space explorations.
Bayan was most distressed when we insisted that it was time to move on (as there were others waiting for turns) and he cried most disconsolately when I carried him out of the cockpit. He soon forgot his displeasure when we rounded the corner and he found an indoor water station complete with mini waterfall, rock pool and bridge. The area was set up so that many children could play at once and could test small items on a makeshift current. There were grooves cut in the base of the feature and plastic dividers on hand so that kids could create channels for boats or dam the river in different places. We played there for a very l o n g time.
There was also a reading cabin, a logging mill and a woodland corner with supplies to create your own campsite in a mini forest complete with tips on survival skills. But what really captured Bayan's attention was a rotating handle that (so long as someone was cranking it) made balls zoom out of an upper level and travel along special tracks throughout the museum, parts of which were open to view. Bayan was completely fascinated with the mechanics of this display.
While Bayan was busy propelling balls around the museum the girls found a rock climbing wall...
And then the nature discovery centre, where there were puzzles and activities and hunts and mysteries to solve, all based on American animals and their natural habitats. Very fascinating. Here is Anisa searching for and making tracks in the sand with bear paws.
We were all pretty tired by this stage so we headed back down to the cafe where Anisa made the mother of all ice cream cones
that Bayan thought they were good enough to eat, or lick, as the case may be.
I guess we were all rather hungry so with many backward glances, and last pats and plays and touches we left the museum in search of food.
We ate at the Wok Inn, which has, without a doubt, absolutely the best barbecued spare ribs I have ever eaten and 14 years of absence have made them taste even better than I recalled. We ordered several combos and shared them around. They were supremely delicious, even the children agreed. But that may have been due to flavour enhancers and other additives of which I am blissfully unaware. We all felt sleepy afterwards and a yellow stain on Ruhi's pants (from a large, renegade noodle) turned purple when we tried to remove it. Hmmm. But oh, those barbecued spare ribs... Even Bayan is eating, he couldn't shovel the food to his face fast enough. Imagine that.
We had been in Maine only a short while before we had the privilege of attending feast at M. and S.'s house. This was to be the first of numerous visits we would be privileged to have with this wonderful family. They have adopted three out of their four children and are an absolutely amazing family. L. sings beautifully, the little boys shared their playroom and toys with Bayan (this included the snazzy fire engine) and Ruhi and Anisa became fast friends with N.
And Mehran was just so thrilled to finally be among Persians again.
I was so happy to see people that I hadn't seen since I was a teenager, people like A. who is expecting her third child in February and was nice enough to let us borrow a booster seat while we are here. We've met many wonderful people through the efforts of this family. Some people whom we may not otherwise have seen, like a Persian/American family who were on hand to help with a pomegranate feast. 
There was always lots of great food (which I know Mehran deeply appreciated) and wonderful company. We got a chance to visit with Vicki again and hear some of her fabulous stories about the perks of raising three sons. T. was always available for songs and music and dancing. Brilliant conversations were had, devotions were said and many new friendships were formed.
The children were thrilled to have other kids to play with and thoroughly enjoyed the company.
And then, in the home stretch, just before they were ready to leave, Mehran could restrain himself no more and his true colors burst forth with the fire of repressed enthusiasm. 
There were no blankets, no hay bales and no pristine snow fields, but there were two wonderful horses, a wooden wagon and a deserted main street with lots of lights, and Christmas decorations.
When the ride was finished we got a chance to meet the horses, to say thank you and good-bye
before heading home to warm beds and hot apple cider. Some things never change.