An artists' haven in Red Wing, Minn.

Driving through farmland along the Mississippi River just south of Minneapolis, I noticed a lush green field filled with sculptures--huge, interesting masses of steel that us urban folk are used to seeing along our city sidewalks, certainly not in pastures.

"Pull over!"
It turns out we had stumbled upon the Anderson Center, an artist community outside of Red Wing, on the site of Alexander Pierce Anderson's former laboratory and farm. Who was Anderson? Well, he invented puffed rice cereal, which made him a wealthy man, and he was a great supporter of the arts.

We strolled through the grounds--dozens of sculptures, a large patch of native prairie grass, a platform for gazing out over the garden, and a red-brick water tower built by Anderson. My kids were captivated by a great white shark created with recycled stuff, a surfboard, a skate board, pieces from a lawnmower.

We peeked inside some of the studios and that's when we met Art Kenyon, who is a painter and print maker. Kenyon worked for the Red Wing Shoe Company in town for 34 years and now he's retired, living the artist's life. He gave us a tour of his studio, the walls adorned with a wide variety of works, and showed us the different stages that a painting goes through before becoming a final product. I asked him about the Anderson Center and here's a sound bite from him:

For my 6-year-old daughter, Paris, this encounter with Kenyon has been the highlight of the trip up to this point. When we left his studio she said, "He was a real artist Mommy. A real artist!" And the day after she kept asking, "Can we go see another artist?"

Paris always says that when she grows up, she wants to be an "artist mom," and so far she has shown dedication to the trade as all she does in her free time is draw and draw and then draw some more. On this road trip, she sits in the backseat drawing nonstop (when she's not throwing raspberries at her brother). Of course, this all could change but for now that's what she wants to be and for her the opportunity to step inside an artist's studio was a real treat, something she had never done before.

The experience made me realize the impact travel can have on kids. Many of the memories from this vacation will fade but I have a feeling that Paris will remember Kenyon, who took the time to talk to her and who gave her a glimpse into the life of an artist.

Please share your memories from childhood travels. Are there any specific experiences that you will never forget?