Category: RV Home School
Exit Glacier At Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska
July 30, 2011 by Melissa A. Trainer · 1 Comment
Exit Glacier If you are lucky enough to find yourself in Alaska this summer, seriously consider visiting Exit Glacier at Kenai Fjords National Park. We hiked to this glacier five years ago when we lived in Anchorage and we were fortunate enough to visit the glacier again early in July of this year. We had taken a day trip from Anchorage to Seward and spontaneously decided to visit the glacier after leaving Seward. Glaciers abound in Alaska. Thankfully this glacier can be easily (and affordably!) enjoyed by taking a short hike. Unlike other glaciers around the state, there’s no need for a boat or a helicopter to view the glacier. You just need some good supportive shoes, a bottle of water, and a little extra energy. On the midweek day that we visited, the park wasn’t terribly busy. The sun was shining and the views were amazing. We took a different trail on this trip and, to be perfectly honest, we were quite shocked to see how far the glacier had receded since we were... [Read more...]
Using Audubon apps in your expeditions
July 25, 2011 by Canadianladybug · Leave a Comment
Audubon Guides – A Field Guide to Birds, Mammals, Wildflowers, and Trees From Green Mountain Digital I am quite impressed with the Audubon apps so far. This particular app contains four apps in one – so you can save a bit of money when you purchase it. I am quite impressed with the quality of the app and the flexibility of using it. Being the type of person who loves to identify the species I encounter in my outdoor activities, I was very curious to explore the apps and see if I could identify something I didn’t know before. The Audubon Guides app will help you identify birds, mammals, wildflowers, and trees. All guides feature professional color photographs, in-depth descriptions of each species, fast and easy navigation, state-of-the-art search functions, real time availability, life lists, sightings and photo albums. Audubon Birds – A Field Guide to the Birds of North America features over 750 species of North American Birds, from Chickadees to Condors... [Read more...]
Goldenrod Kisses
June 27, 2011 by Canadianladybug · Leave a Comment
Ah! The memories… Three years ago, in 2008, I was able to share something from my youth with my own kids. I can’t believe it has been three years already and we are way overdue to go back there for the delicious Salt Water Taffy that the Goldenrod makes in York Beach – Maine. When I was younger, my parents would travel to Maine to camp. We would also go shopping in the outlets around the area. But my favorite place was the Goldenrod. I would watch through the windows them making the taffy with a watering mouth. And when we were driving from Pennsylvania to Prince-Edward Island in 2008, we were able to stop and visit the Goldenrod, and share that experience with our kids. The Goldenrod is a restaurant, homemade ice cream shop and (you guessed) a candy store. It has been located next to Short Sands Beach since 1896. When you go there, you can stand for a long time, observing the candy maker doing the salt water taffy from beginning to the end. Seeing the... [Read more...]
Bird’s Eye View on the American robin.
June 3, 2011 by Canadianladybug · 2 Comments
Have you observed birds lately? Let’s take a bird’s eye view on a popular bird that can be found everywhere in Canada and the US. Robins are well known birds in our city. No matter where you go you will find one on a branch or trying to grab a worm… But what do they look like at the various stages of their life? This year, I was blessed to see some fresh robin’s eggs in a nest on my neighbour ‘s Japanese Lilac. I wish the robins had build their nest in mine, but I am glad I can access it with a small ladder. I saw mama bird building the nest over the past couple of weeks. Last week, she was still at it. Putting mud and other things together. Gently building it. I thought I would wait a few days and go take a peek to see if there were some eggs. *grin* I never saw a robin’s egg before. Seen it in pictures, yes, but seeing it in the outdoors would be simply amazing… So this morning, I took the little ladder out of the furnace room in... [Read more...]
Dinosaurs. Real Close And Nearly Alive In Seattle!
May 15, 2011 by Melissa A. Trainer · 1 Comment
Seattle has many wonderful destinations for children. There are waterfront parks, a wooden boat center, dozens of playgrounds, a fabulous market, and many healthy kid friendly restaurants. If you find yourself traveling through the Emerald City this summer, seriously consider a trip to the city’s Woodland Park Zoo. I visit this zoo often with my youngest son, and we absolutely love strolling through the zoo and exploring all the animals. Some of our favorite spots are the Family Farm and the Raptor Center. Both offer great opportunities for learning because there are usually zoo educators or volunteers in the area who are willing to answer lots of questions and share their knowledge. There is one temporary exhibit right now that looks super cool. It’s the “Dinosaurs. Real Close.” exhibit and it will run through September 5. I haven’t been to the animatronic exhibit of enormous North American species of dinosaurs just yet, but my son and... [Read more...]
Historic Fort Laramie N.M., WY
May 13, 2011 by Dana Ticknor · Leave a Comment
We had the opportunity to stop at Fort Laramie National Historic Site, in Wyoming. This was a great fort, with many restored buildings, military displays, and historically accurate furnished rooms. During the summer months, the fort offers ranger programs and has reenactors around the grounds to answer questions. And anytime of the year is a great time to participate in their Jr. Ranger program! Fort Laramie has a great visitor’s center that had a short introductory film, a timeline for the fort and surrounding areas that covers 2 walls, and a super bookstore that offered many items that we had not seen at other National Parks. We enjoyed walking the grounds and checking out the restored buildings, several of which were furnished circa 1860s; there is an officer’s home, a store/post office, bachelor officer quarters (named Old Bedlam, probably aptly named!), and a military barracks that is fully furnished as it would have been when occupied. We spent only... [Read more...]
Visit The Tillamook Cheese Factory…
April 24, 2011 by Melissa A. Trainer · 5 Comments
If you are lucky enough to find yourself on or around the Oregon Coast this summer, be sure to visit the wonderful Tillamook Cheese Factory. Located in Tillamook, the factory is a cooperative dairy that produces a wide range of products–yogurt, sour cream, ice cream, butter and, of course, their well known cheeses! More than a million folks visit the facotry each year, so you can be sure it’s worthwhile. And, if you are a fan of Monterey Jack cheese, you should note that their Monterey Jack was just voted the best in its class at the 2011 United States Championship Cheese Contest. I’ve never been to the factory myself, but my husband and two sons toured the factory while they were vacationing on the Oregon Coast last week. They watched the cheese being made, sampled various cheeses, purchased some ice cream, and toured the gift shop. If you like cheese and need to stock up while traveling through the Coast, be sure to put the Tillamook tour on your list! Photo by Chris... [Read more...]
In Vancouver, Belly to Belly With A Beluga!
April 19, 2011 by Melissa A. Trainer · Leave a Comment
If you are lucky enough to visit Vancouver, British Columbia this year, then by all means put the Vancouver Aquarium on your must-see list! Considered one of Vancouver’s premier attractions, the aquarium is also Canada’s largest marine science center. I first visited the Vancouver Aquarium in 1999 when I was writing an article for the Leisure and Arts page of The Wall Street Journal. I was participating in the Animal Encounter program that day and was destined to come belly to belly with a beluga in a Beluga Encounter! That amazing educational experience was great fun and you can read my article here. If you don’t have the time or the resources to participate in such a unique experience at the aquarium, rest assured that there’s lots to see and do outside of the beluga’s arctic habitat ! Home to 70,000 animals, the organization is dedicated to the conservation of aquatic life through display, research, and education. If you or your children... [Read more...]
RVs – they’re not just for vacation anymore…
March 22, 2011 by Dana Ticknor · 3 Comments
Most of us relegate our RVs to our weekend get-a-ways or vacation trips, but I would like to challenge you to consider utilizing your RV for an even worthier use! Volunteering! Now, not a lot of people would naturally put Rving and volunteering to gether, but having a camper/rv opens the way for so many more volunteer opportunities!!! While everyone has heard of Habitat for Humanity, there are many other oganizations out there that are also worthy of your time, energy, and support! The one that I would like to share with you is an organization called Homes for our Troops. HFOT is an organization that builds homes for troops that have been severely disabled serving in Iraq and Afganistan. These specially adapted homes are built solely through volunteer labor and through donations of both funds and material. They are built at no cost to the soldier or their family. (right: Joel carries water to builders) build site at 10am Friday HFOT builds homes across the nation,... [Read more...]
Discovering Northern Ontario with kids – Elliot Lake
March 8, 2011 by Canadianladybug · 3 Comments
What should you do when you are in a small town in Northern Ontario? You would think that September would be a nice time to visit. But let me tell you that it is quite cold up there at that time of the year. Fortunately, my mother-in-law strongly suggested that I bring coats and warm sweaters for everyone before we left (thank goodness for wise mother-in-laws). But what can you do in Elliot Lake, a retirement community located north of Lake Huron, halfway between Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie? Seriously. With about 11500 people in town and mostly retired people, is there anything good to check out? And with signs everywhere saying “You are in Bear Country” it doesn’t inspire confidence. We spent a few days in Elliot Lake in September 2010 when my husband was having meetings for a contract with the Elliot Lake Retirement Living. While there, we explored the area and discover that you can do quite a bit in Elliot Lake, ON. FIRE TOWER LOOKOUT The Fire Tower Lookout is... [Read more...]
