Category: Entertaining Kids at Camp
Balancing Teens and Nature Thanks To KOA
June 26, 2011 by Melissa A. Trainer · 3 Comments
Last summer, we had the opportunity to rediscover the Kampgrounds of America, also known as KOAs. We were visiting Yellowstone National Park and during the first part of our stay, we camped at Madison Campground right in the park. Madison was lovely, but it lacked amenities such as water and electrical hookups. And, there weren’t even showers at the campground itself. This, of course, didn’t go over too well with our teenage daughter. After a few days, the steam was starting to emerge. It was definitely time to shift gears. So, when we decided to change our itinerary and stay a little longer, we opted to stay at the lovely Yellowstone Park KOA. We hadn’t stayed at a KOA in years, but this one is organized, immaculate, and beautifully maintained. The bathrooms were clean and the little shop offered lots of conveniences such as milk, bread, ice, and even homemade fudge. There was a playground and a coffee stand. A little café served pancakes in the morning. There was WiFi... [Read more...]
Getting the Camper Ready!
June 22, 2011 by Diane Berry · 6 Comments
Those of you who have been following this blog for awhile heard from me last year about the excitement that occurs when our camper comes “home” for the summer from its winter storage place up on some land we have in northern Wisconsin. It’s not that I like to have an 18 foot trailer parked in our driveway preventing any access into or out of our garage. It is what the camper being “home” represents in terms of my time. Every time I look out our kitchen or sunroom window and see it sitting there, waiting, I am reminded of the wonderful times we have had traveling. It is like being on vacation without ever leaving home. Well, in a few weeks the camper will be coming home; albeit a bit later this year due to our oldest daughter’s wedding which will occur June 24th. We will need the extra parking spaces for visiting and overnight guests so the camper will have to stay “up north” a little longer this year. But we have wonderful adventures planned for it in July. To that end,... [Read more...]
People-Powered Transportation
May 29, 2011 by Hoby · 3 Comments
One of the great things about summer is that it is time to bring out the people-powered modes of transportation. With the warm sunny days, and the kids out of school, you see a larger number of these people-powered machines on the road, in the campgrounds, on the trails, and just about anywhere else you can imagine. (Photo Caption: Bicycle) Naturally the most common are the bicycles in all their forms (racing bikes, off-road bikes, stingrays, stunt, tandems, recumbent, and many others), but you will also see things like skateboards and in-line skates. But, as we have traveled around the country, we have seen a few others that are very interesting. (Photo Caption: Folding Bike) Yes, we have bikes; an 18-speed “hybrid” (sort-of a light-duty mountain bike or a heavy-duty road bike) for me, as well as a 7-speed folding bike that is easier to carry. But we have also added a couple of more items to our people-powered fleet of vehicles. The first one we picked up came from our stay... [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...]
Sailing For Salmon At The Anchorage Museum
April 29, 2011 by Melissa A. Trainer · 1 Comment
If you are lucky enough to be traveling and camping throughout Alaska this summer, be sure to visit the Anchorage Museum located in the heart of downtown. When we lived in Anchorage about five years, I spent many afternoons at this museum with my children. During the cold dark days of winter, I often became restless and wanted to learn more about America’s Last Frontier and the fascinating history of this very young state. When those moments struck, I would often bundle up the children and take them downtown. We spent many hours strolling through the museum’s permanent galleries. These visits gave my children a wonderful historical foundation of knowledge. So, once the snow melted and we started to camp in our travel trailer, we were all well-versed in the region’s history, culture, artwork, and lifestyle. The Alaska History Gallery and The Art of the North were two of our favorite permanent exhibits. The museum recently underwent a major expansion... [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...]
Campground Cookery for Kids
February 24, 2011 by Melissa A. Trainer · 3 Comments
If you travel and camp with your children and grandchildren, then you probably know how children enjoy cooking s’mores over the campfire. A perennial classic, s’mores are a favorite campfire food. There are, however, many other more nutritious things to cook while camping with children! We’ve cooked salmon in foil packets, pizzas in biscuit pans, and fruit desserts in our Dutch ovens. If you are seeking inspiration for the younger set, then check out this nifty little book entitled, “Cooking On A Stick,” by Linda White. Less than fifty pages, the book is compact and can easily be stashed into a backpack or a camper cupboard. I like the book because it features simple recipes such as Moose Kebabs, Chameleon Dinner, Hop Toad Popcorn, and Moose Lips! Available through Amazon, it sells for less than $10. Do you have a favorite campground cookery book? Or, do you just have a repertoire of kid-friendly recipes? If so, do tell! Parents are always looking... [Read more...]
Kid Friendly Food, With Little to No Cleanup
December 10, 2010 by RA Manseau · 7 Comments
Let’s go camping! I asked my kids what they looked forward to the most when we went camping, the answer was simple. As a matter of fact we could do this at home in the backyard. It turns out that their favorite part of camping is the campfire, the hot-dogs and the marshmallows! Well, I like the marshmallows too. But, even kids get tired of hot-dogs for dinner. Kid friendly food is a must when camping. (And, Mom friendly doesn’t hurt either! After all, we are on vacation too!) I have found a great way to have fun and get some nutritious food down my children. There is something about preparing it your self that makes it better. I give them cubes of chicken breast, pieces of pineapple, small onions, small tomatoes, sliced bell peppers, sliced zucchini and skewers. Then, we cook them over the campfire, rotating often. (I have a special shish kabob rack which makes this a cinch) The best part of this great meal is that there is almost no clean up. If I plan ahead and have the room in... [Read more...]
Five Fun Things to Do on a Camping Trip
November 14, 2010 by Diane Berry · 3 Comments
When we finally gather all of our family members together and whisk them off to the great outdoors for a camping adventure, we look for things we can all do together. Several criteria naturally present themselves while we search for possible activities. It must help us spend time together as a family and take advantage of the natural setting we are enjoying. Ideally, it will also help us to learn or appreciate something about the area we are visiting. Here are five easy ideas that campers of all ages should be able to participate in and enjoy: Purchase or borrow a book that outlines the vegetation common to the area and take a nature hike together seeing how many elements of vegetation native to the area you can locate. Embark on a wild flower photo safari, snapping digital photos of as many different wildflowers you can each find. You could even divide up into teams and have a competition to see who “collects” the greatest number of different photos. Make... [Read more...]
