Category: Kid-Friendly Trips
Lewis and Clark Historical Trail Interpretive Center, Great Falls, MT…
July 26, 2012 by Dana Ticknor · Leave a Comment
One of the really great things about summering in our hometown of Helena, MT, is the fabulous nearby destinations. Helena is centrally located between the cities of Great Falls, Missoula, Butte, and Bozeman, MT. We are enjoying spending our summer as camp hosts on a lake in the Helena valley (be nice to your camp hosts – you would NOT believe some of the stuff they have to deal with!), yet we quickly found out that if we don’t leave the park on our days off, we end up working those days. So, for the past couple of weeks we have been taking our Mondays and going on field trips to nearby tourist destinations that we haven’t been to in years! This past Monday, we took a little road trip to Great Falls, which is 90 miles north of Helena. Great Falls has some really great places to stop and visit, and this trip we decided to tour one of our favorite museums – the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center. The LCIC is unique in that it is managed by the... [Read more...]
Alaska Islands & Ocean Visitor Center in Homer, Alaska
July 18, 2012 by Melissa A. Trainer · Leave a Comment
Alaska Islands & Ocean Visitor Center, Homer, Alaska Do you ever visit a destination and then wish that you had started your visit exactly where you ended up? That’s how I felt when I visited Homer, Alaska last week. After spending about a mere 36 hours in this seaside town, I decided to dash into the alluring Alaska Islands & Ocean Visitor Center. Unfortunately, I did this on my way to the airport! It was early Saturday morning, and I wanted to sneak a couple more sights in before we departed. Hence, I pulled into the nearly vacant parking lot of the visitor center and doubted that the place was open. Much to my delight, it was. Located on a bluff with walking trails down to the beach, the visitor center celebrates the local marine environment and acts as a window to educate visitors about the largest seabird refuge in the world. My daughter and I marveled at the massive Steller Sea Lion sculpture prominently placed inside the entrance, but without a doubt, what impressed... [Read more...]
Visiting the CN Tower
July 4, 2012 by Canadianladybug · Leave a Comment
Last month, for the first time in my life, I went up an iconic attraction in the city of Toronto – the CN Tower. I know it is kind of weird that in my 14 years living in Ontario and 43 years of my life I have never went up the famous tower and observed the landscape. So on our wedding anniversary; we decided to go with the kids on top of it. The kids were thrilled to experience this and I was delighted to finally have a chance to experience it. Once our tickets were purchased (and I will expand on the price later), we entered the tower and waiting to go through an enhanced security system that makes you think of airports. I guess that will all the terrorist attacks in the past it makes sense to have a top-notch system. Our tickets gave us access to the glass floor and LookOut section as well as the SkyPod. Just before entering the tower, you will be asked to get your picture taken in front of a special screen. At the end of the tour, you could decide to purchase... [Read more...]
Campfire Safety Guidelines
May 29, 2012 by Rex Vogel · Leave a Comment
All it takes is one spark for things to go wrong. Campfire Safety. Never leave a campfire unattended! Forest fires often start from campfires that were not put out completely. A carelessly abandoned campfire or a campfire built without safe clearance can turn a small fire into a dangerous and fast-moving blaze. Be sure to build your campfire in a way that does not endanger anyone or the surrounding forest. Check with local authorities on open-air burning restrictions and follow local burning regulations. Keep current on fire bans in the area. Enjoy a safe campfire by following these campfire safety tips: NEVER build a campfire on a windy day—sparks or embers from the fire could travel quite a distance setting an unintentional fire Watch the wind direction to ensure sparks aren’t approaching any flammable materials Build the campfire where it will not spread; well away from tents, trailers, dry grass, leaves, overhanging tree branches, or any other combustible Build campfires in... [Read more...]
Road trip!
May 24, 2012 by Rex Vogel · 1 Comment
It’s the Memorial Day long weekend—the unofficial start of summer—and for many travel-wise Americans that means one thing: Road trip! Let's Go RVing on the Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia. © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved The tradition of taking a road trip dates back about 3,000 years. The first road trip likely occurred in ancient Egypt around 1200 B.C., when Ramses II hit the road in his chariot. Similar ventures—using the well-loved automobile—began in Germany in the 1880s. As the car’s popularity grew, so did the practice of taking to roadways for a carefree holiday. The road trip became an easy, breezy travel idea that’s affordable and accessible—and in America today there is no shortage of highways, byways, and back roads. Answering the call of the open road is practically an American rite of passage—and today more and more are taking to the open road in a recreational vehicle. 5 Great All-American Road Trips These 10 distinctive all-American road trips, inclusive... [Read more...]
DANCING WITH THE STARS
May 15, 2012 by Professor95 · Leave a Comment
Mary and Alan live just outside the city of Richmond, VA, in a nicely manicured suburban neighborhood. Alan works for the State Government and Mary works in Medical Records for a local hospital. They have two children, a boy and a girl ages 9 and 11. Both children, Bobby and Suzie, attend a local elementary school and stay at an after school daycare until their parents get home from their jobs. It was the typical busy Monday morning at the hospital for Mary as she entered a rising pile of patient information forms into her computer. Her closest friend at work, Karen Karnes, was babbling about how excited she was for the coming long weekend and their family plans to go camping at Big Meadows in the Shenandoah National Park. Camping? Mary shook her head in wonderment as to why anyone in their right mind would want to go off into the woods and sleep on the hard, cold ground. Thoughts of a camping trip she had made with her big sister some twenty years back when they ended up sleeping,... [Read more...]
Delicious Picnic Venues!
May 11, 2012 by Melissa A. Trainer · 1 Comment
So, have you had any fabulous picnics while traveling the highways and byways of our country? We have dished up some fun meals while cavorting around with our kids. When we lived in Alaska, we spent a lot of time daytripping and camping during the summer. I soon learned that I always had to travel with picnic fare—many remote areas of Alaska lack amenities so I became the “fast food” resource at hand. I always packed a cooler with sandwiches, yogurts, fruits, chips, cold water etc. These “cooler picnics” were simply family-friendly fare–nothing super luxurious or outrageous. Over the years, we have also learned how to source local foods, such as berries, salmon, apples and oysters, and then enjoy those local foods at a beautiful venue in the area. This does, admittedly, take some planning and scouting around, but it so worth it! This morning, however, I was writing a blog post for Amazon’s Al Dente blog and while doing research on the Hog Island... [Read more...]
Make Ahead Meals for the Camper
April 18, 2012 by Melissa A. Trainer · 10 Comments
When you camp or travel in your RV or with your travel trailer, do you ever prepare foods in advance at home and then cart them along with you? I have done this many many times. Of course, this involves extra work at home but the dividends pay off when you are traveling and visiting a new destination. I have found it to be deliciously helpful to have my travel trailer freezer stocked with twice-baked potatoes, meatballs, previously grilled and sliced chicken breasts, butter chicken, chicken biryani, taco meat, and even homemade burritos! Without a doubt, that extra effort at home saves me time and brain cells when I am on vacation. Afterall, who really wants to be bothered planning a meal from scratch when you are visiting a fabulous national park or a beautiful beach? And, for that matter, who really wants to endure a mediocre meal at an overpriced tourist trap restaurant after a beautiful day of touring or hiking? (I’ve learned through experience that bad meals at overpriced touristy... [Read more...]
What’s to Love about Texas Food
April 15, 2012 by Rex Vogel · 3 Comments
Texans take their food as seriously as they do their football. Black's Barbecue is Texas' oldest and best major barbecue restaurant continuously owned and operated by the same family. © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved If you slander their vittles, they’re apt to defend their deep-fried passion as though you personally launched another attack on the Alamo. Necessity has frequently mothered our creations, and early Texans had to make do with meager supplies, which is how they wound up with frugal favorites like chicken-fried steak and fried pies. Such resourcefulness produced foods that bring us endless gratification today. Many Winter Texans and other visitors to the Lone Star State have the good sense to agree with them—that Texan food is that of the gods. Little Known & Great Places to Eat Sure, there are thousands of great places to eat scattered throughout cities and towns all across Texas, and a Main Street Cafe on just about every corner of every berg from Wink to... [Read more...]
A Visit to “The Showboat Branson Belle”
April 1, 2012 by Diane Berry · Leave a Comment
I have been writing in my last few posts about our spring time trips to Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO. On each of our trips to Silver Dollar City and Branson, we chose to also visit the remarkable Showboat Branson Belle. Because we had purchased multiple day tickets for the Theme Park, we received a break on our Showboat cruise but, even without the discount, it was worth the ticket price. We were able to board approximately an hour before our meal and had a very pleasant time strolling about the deck and enjoying the sunset and mild weather. Cocktails and soft drinks were available on the decks and several groups of singers and musicians were strolling about entertaining the guests. While photographs were not permitted during the show, it was an experience not to be missed! We were served a sumptuous meal of prime rib and all the fixings, topped off with a flaming Baked Alaska for dessert that about made the kids eyes pop out of their heads the first time they saw it. As we are family... [Read more...]
