Taylor Studios Road Trip
Taylor Studios Road Trip
August 8, 2019 by Taylor Studios
Summer is one of the best times of year to do a road trip. Whether
it’s a short trip checking out local spots around you, or traveling across the
country to far-away places, you are taking in new experiences that you will
remember forever.
I had a great time traveling with some amazing friends a few
summers ago for my first-ever road trip. We set off from Urbana, Illinois hoping
to get to Klamath, California. There was a conference that my friend wanted to
attend, and we all thought it was a great idea for us to caravan on I-80.
What was not so great was that we drove that distance in three
days. Three. Days. We were essentially driving the entire time with limited
stops. I never felt closer to dying…I was pushed in ways I never thought
imaginable, and at points I wondered if it was worth it. When we made it to our
destination, I could have wept with joy.
Coming out the other side of that trip alive, I have to admit that
it was extremely fun. My one regret is that we did not stop to see the sites
along the way. There was so much, so much that we missed out on, from
national parks to amazing museums. What makes this sentiment more pronounced is
that Taylor Studios did some projects that were practically on our route.
If I could do it all again, I would make an effort to stop by some of these places that Taylor Studios did work for. Here are three that I really would love to see.
IA**
If you want to have an experience that involves big, impactful,
and informative exhibits, you need to visit Wickiup Hill Learning Center!
Taylor Studios did this exhibit back in 2013, and the focus of the exhibit
follows the story of two children, Oliver and Ava, who have an adventure
learning about how life on the river is important to the community.
The exhibit features items like the Ioway house, which showcases
how the Ioway tribe would have furnished their home. It also features fun
interactives that encourage visitors to participate in river life, like
harvesting crops, fishing, and collecting sap from a tree. This is a great
representation of how people lived way back in the day
This exhibit also features a section devoted to the importance of
nature, which includes breathtaking items like a full scale, decaying tree with
a sculpted osprey roosting on a dead branch, amazing dioramas with lifelike
plants and animals, and, my personal favorite, a giant frog.
There are so many fun, whimsical items featured at Wickiup Hill Learning Center, it would be a shame not to make a pit stop!
Giant frog at Wickiup Hill Learning Center
The next museum on my list is also in Iowa, but a bit further
west. The Union Pacific Railroad Museum, which once housed the Council Bluffs
Carnegie Free Public Library, is one of the museums that I have heard about
most while working for Taylor Studios. We installed this exhibit back in 2017. The
exhibits featured at the museum focus on the Union Pacific Railroad. Established
in 1862, it is the largest railroad system in the United States.
This railroad was extremely significant in the development of the
United States. Because of the railroad, California became less isolated and
people were able to travel to places that they could not before. It essentially
connected people all over the country.
The museum has a lot of different features as well as many really
fun interactives that educate the visitors on the railroad, such as “Build the
Rail,” where the visitor has to lift a rail section to demonstrate what it was
like to construct the railroad.
This institution also speaks to a time where there was still a lot of mystery and adventure surrounding the idea of taking a train somewhere new. I would love to visit and learn more about this railroad’s role in the development of our country!
“Build the Track” interactive at Union Pacific Railroad Museum
The last stop! Ok, so this area is pretty far from my final
destination, but this place is too great to pass up. Not only is it beautiful,
it is steeped with history.
Marshall Gold Discovery State History Park got its start back in
1848 when James W. Marshall discovered gold in the area. This led to a mass
movement of people moving westward to make their fortune. The result was that
it made a huge impact in the lives of the native population.
The exhibit features stories of the Native Americans, like
Nisenan, Maidu, and Miwok, who lived in the Sierra foothills before the
discovery of gold. Taylor Studios got to fabricate the most exquisite diorama,
complete with figures modeled after the people who would have lived in the area
prior to 1848 coupled with cultural information.
The exhibit also features a waterfall and a discovery drawer,
where visitors can pull out a drawer and learn about artifacts relevant to the
Native American tribes in the area.
Apart from the exhibit, that part of California is absolutely stunning, so it is definitely worth the drive.
An immersive diorama at Marshall Gold Discovery State History Park
So, the moral of the story is do not be like me. Don’t drive
needlessly into the night to reach a destination. Don’t stay up for ridiculous
amounts of time and ignore your need for sleep. Don’t put your body through
something that will age you 100 years.
Do explore more of this beautiful country. Do get out and discover
new things. And finally, do make the time to see the sites—especially those
that Taylor Studios contributed to!