Category: Entertaining Kids at Camp
Teach your kids about birds
April 28, 2012 by Canadianladybug · Leave a Comment
Ornithology can go hands-to-hands with camping. And to learn more about birds, you need to learn to be patient as well as to be quiet when exploring the woods, grasslands or other places where birds can be found. You also need some equipment to be successful in finding birds. So where can you start if you have never done it before? My first suggestion would be to find a good book that will introduce your to the world of ornithology. The purpose of this post is to present you a great book that would be perfect for children and adults. Young Birder’s Guide to Birds of North America Written by Bill Thomson III Published at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt About the Book Covering 300 of the most common birds in all of the United States and Canada, The Young Birder’s Guide to Birds of North America is loaded with color photographs, drawings showing typical behaviors, range maps, an easy-to-use checklist, fun facts, and authoritative information about each bird, its vocalizations,... [Read more...]
Boston Children’s Museum
April 18, 2012 by Canadianladybug · 1 Comment
Another great place to visit while camping around Boston, MA is definitively the Boston Children’s Museum and let your little ones go crazy around the three floors of this museum. I remember going on a trip to Boston with a friend while being in University. We had visited the Computer Museum, which is now closed, at that same place where now stand the Boston Children’s Museum. We visited this museum twice so far and each time we had a marvelous time with our kids. The Boston Children’s Museum will allow your kids to learn through experience and hands-on engagement. The exhibits focus on science, culture, environmental awareness, health & fitness, and the arts. My younger kids enjoyed the activities in the construction zone and Arthur & Friends while my oldest kids the highlights preferred the 3-story climbing sculpture as well as the Kid Power area where you learn how it is important to stay active. However, all four of them enjoyed the Science Playground when you can... [Read more...]
Consider Vancouver Island!
March 31, 2012 by Melissa A. Trainer · 3 Comments
One of my favorite summer destinations in the Pacific Northwest is Vancouver Island. We first visited this large island about fourteen years ago when our daughter was very little. We were new to the region, and I was spending a fair amount of time doing research and talking to tourism representatives in British Columbia. Back then, everyone told me that Vancouver was great, but many of my contacts gave me a wink and a nod and urged me to visit Vancouver Island, too. They urged me to go in the summer and bring the kids. Those tips were true insider information. I am so glad that I listened! When we first visited Vancouver Island, I picked Parksville as our destination. The guidebooks touted the large safe sandy beaches and a quiet atmosphere…Hmmm. That sounded perfect for a family with a toddler. Initially, we stayed at a fabulous beachfront resort known as Beach Acres. Located right on the water and next door to Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park, this family friendly low... [Read more...]
Silver Dollar City–the Food!
March 25, 2012 by Diane Berry · Leave a Comment
We have been discussing our family’s favorite theme park, Silver Dollar City, in Branson, MO, in my last several posts. Today I want to focus on the sustenance available in the park. While most of the dining venues are casual and cater to families with children, the food is plentiful and satisfying. I want to highlight just a few of these establishments in this post to give you an idea of what is available. Aunt Polly’s provides a good old southern mix of golden fried chicken, catfish fillets, red beans and rice, corn bread and chicken with noodles. This was one of our children’s favorite places to eat, for obvious reasons. Buckshot Annie’s wins the award for most colorful name. Annie’s offers grilled barbequed half chickens, giant turkey legs, corn grilled in the husk and two five-foot skillets of hearty succotash and harvest potatoes. This was my husband’s favorite. He just couldn’t get enough of those giant skillets! Another kids’ favorite is the Lumber Camp, providing... [Read more...]
OUR DIAMOND MINING EXPERIENCE – Crater of Diamonds, Arkansas
March 1, 2012 by Professor95 · 3 Comments
You have probably read or heard about the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas. Stories abound about great diamond finds. These stories have a tendency to make one think that there is a volcanic crater filled with shiny bean size diamonds just waiting for visitors to pick them up and keep with little or no effort. The truth is diamond searching is a difficult and dirty adventure. The odds of finding a significant diamond are perhaps about as good as hitting the Million Dollar Jackpot on a Las Vegas casino slot machine. Still, some visitors do make significant gem finds. But – despite all of the above, it is fun. We met some great people while digging in the mud. Folks from all over the country were out exploring our true national treasures of openness and freedom. Many families with children were present as well as their pets. Oscar went with us but soon became tired climbing the furrows and wanted to be carried. Plowed trenches in the search field Nancy... [Read more...]
WE FOUND A PHOTO OF PRESIDENT CLINTON NUDE!
February 24, 2012 by Professor95 · Leave a Comment
Hanging out around a library wasn’t exactly one of the most exciting items on my list of things to do Monday. But, it was President’s Day and we were not that far from the William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, Arkansas. Besides, admission is free on President’s Day and I have never been one to pass up free admission to anything. In case you may have forgotten, Bill Clinton was our 42nd President serving two terms between 1992 and 2000. While he may be best remembered for his shenanigans with a young White House aide, it was during his presidency that we reversed a climbing federal budget deficit and created nearly twenty-three million new American jobs. No prior administration had overseen the creation of so many new jobs, or at such a rapid pace. Entrance to the Clinton Library The Clinton Presidential Library is situated in a new 30-acre city park located right on the edge of the Arkansas River in the revitalized River Market area of Little Rock. ... [Read more...]
Spring is coming…
February 13, 2012 by Canadianladybug · 1 Comment
This week-end I caught my husband counting the weeks on his iPhone. I was wondering what he was doing and then I realized he was counting the number of weeks before we can go up to our RV at the campground. Total is fourteen weeks. Fourteen weeks before we can drive to our RV and open it up for the season. Let me tell you that the weeks are not passing by fast enough according to the kids. My four years old keep asking when we will go and remind us that we need to bring her pink blanket with us when we do. She recently told us that we should not forget our plastic containers with the clothes when we go. Too funny! You can sense her passion for camping and fishing as well. So slowly we are wrapping up our homeschool. The kids still have about eleven weeks to complete their mathematics. My oldest as finished his English writing curriculum. English grammar is almost completed as well. Bottom line we are doing good even though the French lessons won’t... [Read more...]
Celebrate Local With Regional Events…
February 11, 2012 by Melissa A. Trainer · Leave a Comment
Do you hunt down local food festivals and events when you are camping, RVing, and traveling? They are a great way to get a true taste of the region. Festivals are often annual events that celebrate a seasonal or local food. And, they often raise money for local causes, such as the chamber of commerce or a civic project. I have found that regional festivals and community dinners have given me some delicious fodder for writing as well as for munching! The “experts” are always around and they are often more than happy to tell me about the specialty products at hand. Over the years, we have attended the Ballard Seafood Festival and the Fishermen’s Festival here in Seattle. Obviously, both of these events feature awesome regional seafood products. If I was down on the Oregon Coast today, I would attend the 27th Annual Charleston Crab Feed held in the Old Charleston School House. Each year more than 1000 people attend and indulge in a fabulous Dungeness Crab Dinner. ... [Read more...]
GO TO A HAMFEST – A RV or Camper’s Goldmine Awaits.
February 10, 2012 by Professor95 · 9 Comments
Lot’s of campers and RV’ers, are HAMS! No, I’m not talking about the ones that like acting as if they were in a play or movie. I’m not making a derogatory reference to those that have a tendency to overeat, either. I’m talking about a different kind of HAM. This kind of HAM can actually be anyone of any size and their ages may range from middle school to the most senior of Senior Citizens. The thumbnail picture to the left is a joke to get your attention – these Hams have little to do with pigs unless it is enjoying sausage links at breakfast. The HAM I am referring to is formally known as a Licensed Amateur Radio Operator. Hams must pass a test to show their knowledge of radio communications and operating rules, and as a result have been issued a license by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to operate radio transmitters and possibly communicate with other “Hams” all over the world. Rows of small parts boxes await buyer inspection. NO, IT IS NOT CITIZEN... [Read more...]
What is Your Travel Planning Style?
January 16, 2012 by Melissa A. Trainer · 2 Comments
Seward, Alaska, 2011 Do you have a method for planning your road trips or vacations? Do you dutifully sit down in January and target where and when you will go to specific destinations? Or, do you just “wing it” once the official camping season kicks off in the spring? I have to admit that I have waffled between both methods over the years. I am, in fact, still waffling! When we first started camping and our children were very young, I was pretty strict about planning in advance, pinpointing destinations, and then making reservations. I have vivid recollections of often doing this ten months in advance. Back then, it was a system that I needed to have in place. Packing food, kids, cars, and gear can be a monumental task. I knew I didn’t want to take the spontaneous route only to find out that the car was loaded and the campgrounds were too! Traveling and camping with young children can be challenging. I needed the certainty of knowing that we had a good campsite... [Read more...]
