Dad’s Eye View

“The dad’s eye view is a little above and behind the kids’: above, so you can scan the horizon for danger and excitement; behind, because adventures are best lead by the kids.” So says writer and amateur photographer Michael Hartford, who has followed his twin boys and their mother up historic water towers, down secret streets, and through Twin Cities landmarks, both lauded and little known, with vintage camera in hand. Over the years, the destinations have changed, from zoos to markets to museums, but the point has remained the same: to play and learn and explore together.

In Dad’s Eye View, Hartford describes fifty-two of his family’s favorite Twin Cities spots—one for each week of the year—and dares other dads (and moms) to explore them with gusto. Shoot sparks at the Bakken Museum, track foxes along the Mississippi River gorge, climb ropes at French Regional Park, and measure your success not by the time it takes you to get in and out but by the number of questions your kids ask: How many books are in this library? Why were mills built here? Seek out adventure and savor it, with Dad’s Eye View along for inspiration.

The Dad’s Eye View app has the following features:
•Search all locations by season, venue (indoor/outdoor), and price
•Read about the author’s experience at the location
•Contact any location with the touch of a finger
•Locate your destination on a map
•Rate your outing
•Make notes for next time or to share with your friends on Facebook and Twitter or on the official Dad’s Eye View Facebook page and Twitter account (@Dads_Eye_View)

Michael Hartford is a Java web developer at Lawson Software in St. Paul. He is also a short story writer, blogger, Cub Scout pack leader, and collector of vintage cameras.