Summer Fun, Museum Style

I have had a variety of jobs over my life in addition to being a writer. When I'm standing in a long line at the bank, I think back to what it was like to be a bank teller on payday Friday. At Christmastime I always feel a pang of sympathy for overworked gift wrappers, because my very first job was a holiday gift wrapper at a men's wear store. June & July bring memories of what it was like to work at the McWane Center, where I survived two very busy summers. The science center is a very popular destination during those months, when thousands of children take advantage of long summer days to visit. My duties included teaching summer day camps, writing McWane's Volunteer Newsletter, and manning the Touch Tank and the High Cycle.

For those of you who aren't familiar with the High Cycle, it is high-wire bicycle attached to a cable stretched across McWane’s grand atrium. Riders must be at least 45” tall and weigh less than 225 lbs. to ride, and there was no age limit—all you need is a willingness to hop on and enjoy the adventure. After you are securely strapped on the bicycle, you pedal backward out of the loading platform until you are suspended 20 feet in mid-air across the lobby. A 210-lb counterweight underneath the bicycle ensures that you always keep your balance; if you want, you can stop in the middle of the cable and slowly shift your weight from side to side causing the bicycle to rock. The swaying is offset by the counterweight, which will straighten you up, bringing you right back to the center.

The High Cycle brought a little bit of an adrenaline rush to everyone.After working that ride for so long, I would try to try to predict who would enjoy the ride and who wouldn’t. Every day I saw surprises. The teenagers loved it, of course, but some of the smallest, youngest children were absolutely determined to ride; I watched those kids stand on their toes and fluff up their hair in an effort to make themselves “big enough” to meet the height requirement.

Kids would run up in big groups, many boasting to their friends about how fast they were going to pedal and how far they were going to sway on the cable. Some were completely confident, pedaling out and back with swift assurance. Other riders were a little timid at first, pedaling very slowly, but eventually a big smile would creep across their faces; they would relax, wave excitedly to their friends, and pose for cell phone pictures.

Of course, the ride wasn’t just for children and teens; adults loved it too. Sometimes it took a little coaxing, but many times after watching their children ride, the mother or father would ask to ride, too. One of my favorite moments happened when a charming gray-haired grandfather, looking dapper in khakis, a sport coat and navy-striped tie, walked up with his three young grandchildren and asked if they could ride. The grandchildren peered down at the lobby below and decided they didn’t want to, but to their complete surprise he said, “I do!” I strapped him in and he pedaled out as his grandchildren watched, open-mouthed. He stopped in the middle of the wire and shifted his weight, swaying from side to side, with his navy tie swinging to and fro. “Be careful Grandpa!” piped up his youngest granddaughter. He grinned broadly and said, “You don’t have anything to worry about--this is great!” When he got off the bicycle, I saw his grandchildren look at him in awe, seeing him in entirely new light.

If you are looking for a fun place to take your children or grandchildren this summer and decide to visit the McWane Center, give the High Cycle a try. It is guaranteed to be an experience you will never forget.