Grown Up Getaway: Portland Alberta Arts District and Tiny House Hotel

January 11, 2017 By

Whether you’re intrigued with the idea of building or buying your own tiny house one day, or simply want to sample the tiny house lifestyle for a few nights, a stay at the nation’s only tiny house hotel should definitely be on your radar. Caravan, a tiny house hotel, is located in Portland’s up-and-coming Alberta Arts District, making it an ideal overnight during a grown-up getaway.

Caravan Tiny House Hotel:

Caravan is comprised of six tiny houses circled around a covered, outdoor fire pit and outdoor seating area, within a gated lot in the heart of the Alberta district. Parents can certainly bring kids to Caravan, as several of the houses sleep four or five, but given its location on Alberta Street, lined with upscale eateries, bars, and boutiques, we think it serves best for a couples-only or solo getaway.

tiny-house-hotel

The tiny houses at this tiny house hotel range in size, but all are from 120-170 square feet. They’re built by local builders, and have their own personalities. Inside each are design elements that are fun, funky, and creative. Each has a flush toilet and hot shower, electric heat, a sitting area, sleeping areas, and a kitchen (with sink, hot plate or stove top, microwave, mini fridge, and cooking utensils). We stayed in Skyline, one of the larger tiny houses with a queen-sized bed, loft area with couch (that transforms to another bed), kitchen, and bathroom. Skyline was made of 100% recycled materials, which we loved. We had warm linens and quilts at our disposal, as well as an Italian coffee maker and coffee (bring your own creamer if you need it). In the bathroom, fair-trade shampoo and body wash was provided, as well as big, fluffy towels.

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The tiny houses are insulated, but since Caravan is in the heart of a busy urban area, there is some noise pollution. Earplugs are provided, as well as a noise machine in each tiny house. We couldn’t get ours to work quite right, so I’ll definitely bring my own sound machine if I make it back! It really wasn’t a big deal…we were in the tiny house on a weeknight, and the street noise settled down early. Out in the communal outdoor space, Caravan’s owners have thoughtfully provided everything guests need to make a fire in the fire pit and roast s’mores (including gluten-free graham crackers and vegan marshmallows). During our stay, only one other tiny house was occupied, so the communal area remained pretty quiet.

tiny-house

The tiny houses at Caravan are popular, especially on weekends (when there’s a two night minimum) so be sure to book well in advance if you want to pick your favorite. Rates are around $150/night, which is a great value. I’d definitely stay here again in lieu of booking a similarly priced standard hotel room in the suburbs. At Caravan, you get a boutique hotel feel with an artistic, creative ambiance in an excellent location.

Alberta Arts District:

Caravan is located at 11th Avenue and Alberta Street, in the northeast section of Portland. This area is across the Willamette from downtown, so couples staying at the tiny house hotel will probably want to leave the car parked and explore Alberta Street rather than drive back downtown for nightlife. And there’s plenty to do within a five block radius. We opted to spend our evening in the Alberta Arts District creating our own ‘progressive dinner’. We started at the Devil’s Den wine bar, where we sampled local and European wines with the assistance of the owner, Tommy. Devil’s Den is perhaps the most unpretentious, low-key wine bar I’ve been in. After a glass of wine, we walked further down Alberta Street, window shopping as we went. Past the Alberta Co-Op are numerous food truck pods, all of which tempted us. But we set our sights on a cocktail and appetizer at Knock Back, near Alberta and 20th. With heated outdoor seating and a killer cocktail menu, we settled in nicely here. If you go, opt for a bowl of their signature popcorn for $3…it’s worth every penny.

Alberta Arts District

After drinks and appetizers, we headed to Bollywood Theater for dinner. This casual Indian restaurant serves full meals or small plates, with a fun, upbeat ambiance and Bollywood movies playing on the walls. Bonsai Sushi is also in the neighborhood (also a contender for our progressive dinner), and many other small restaurants and the aforementioned food trucks. Next to Bollywood Theater was our last stop: Salt and Straw ice cream. Well known throughout Portland and internationally, Salt and Straw makes their homemade ice cream with inventive, artisan flavors like honey and lavender, pear and blue cheese, and strawberry and balsamic.

Needless to say, we practically had to roll ourselves ‘home’ to Caravan after our evening of food and drinks. We made a cedar plank fire in the fire pit and settled in under the protective canopy outside Skyline. In the morning, I slept through the yoga class down the street I’d planned to attend, and we ate our final meal in the Alberta Arts District at Pine State Biscuits, which serves homemade biscuits on breakfast sandwiches, with fried chicken, or smothered in mushroom or sausage gravy.

caravan-hotel

If you go:

  • Book Caravan in advance, though you might luck out with an open tiny house at the last minute.
  • Know that room service is available from the Radio Room, located across the street.
  • Feel secure with locked gate entry to Caravan’s pod of tiny houses, plus a code on each house.
  • Expect free street parking anywhere in the vicinity.
  • Plan on a 10 minute drive from the Alberta Arts District to downtown.
  • Look for local events and things to do on an outdoor sign by the fire pit.

We stayed at Caravan as guests of the owners, for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own.

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A Visit To St. Louis’ City Museum

December 16, 2016 By

When you hear the words “City Museum,” you might picture a building devoted to recording and educating the public about the history of a city—in this case, St. Louis, Missouri. You would be wrong. The building does contain bas-reliefs and barrels, retired safe deposit boxes and a vault—pieces of the city’s history. But you won’t find a single interpretive sign, because the City Museum is a three-story indoor-outdoor adventure playground built from salvage items.

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Inside City Museum, you will find:

  • a three-story tree house with spiderweb netting and tunnels around the roots
  • hidey-holes, under-the-floor tunnels, behind-the-walls mazes, and wire mesh tube passages linking lower floors to upper floors, and from one play area to the next
  • a ‘circus’ with trapeze performances
  • a kiddie train and art area
  • a skateboard-like park (without skateboards)
  • the ‘enchanted caves’ featuring a pipe organ played by a live musician as well as a central shaft with spiral staircases to access the 5-and 10-story slides

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The outdoor courtyard offers:

  • Two suspended airplanes, with wire-mesh cage-ladders and staircases leading to them
  • a castle tower with dungeon
  • slides
  • ball pits

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On the roof (open weather permitting; requires an additional fee):

  • a Ferris wheel
  • more slides
  • a school bus protruding from the corner
  • a three-story dome with a cage fitted to the underside for climbing

The City Museum is an explorer’s paradise. Tunnels, hidey-holes and mazes are packed into every nook and cranny. Your kids (and you!) can spend all day exploring and not see everything.

Safety at City Museum:

About now, readers are probably wondering about safety. Rest assured, the museum is exceptionally well-designed. Yes, you will be very high off the ground. Yes, the cage-ladders are wire mesh. But they are very sturdy. The only two mishaps in our day involved head bumps at ground level; both times, staff members had ice packs on hand.

city-museum

Getting the most out of your visit:

  • Adults: Come with an openness to adventure! Most pathways are big enough for adults (though they’re definitely a better size for kids). It’s a big place, and virtually everything is connected to everything else via tunnel or hidey hole. You can’t sit in one place and see every possible exit point, so plan to explore alongside your kids.
  • If you or your kids have severe issues with heights or enclosed spaces, this place might not be your cup of tea.
  • Lose the jewelry and wear long pants and sneakers. You’ll be on your knees a lot, and sandals will get caught on the wire mesh. In the winter, make use of the coat check to travel light.
  • In certain areas, even teens must have an adult on hand for entry.
  • Identify a meeting place in case someone gets lost.
  • Use the sharpies at the front desk to write your phone number on the admission wristbands, so if a child does get lost, s/he can ask an adult to call you. (Keep your phone in your pocket on vibrate. You’ll never hear it ring.)
  • Plan to spend as much time as you possibly can. My crew and I spent six hours there. My four-year-old had his fill after about four, but the older kids would have stayed until the museum closed.
  • There ARE some height restrictions. Check them out here.
  • There are no maps, because there is no point. The matrix is fabulously complex. It’s a place to be explored, not navigated.
    Explore the website before going; it has lots of useful information.

city-museum

Accessibility:

A few areas can accommodate a wheelchair/stroller, but in general, expect to be on foot. We didn’t bring our daughter, who wears knee-high orthotics; she would have had trouble getting around. During our visit, however, I did see a family with a visually impaired child navigating the outdoor matrix with the help of a touch cane.

Shopping/Food:

The gift shop offers souvenirs and clothing. Parents—one particularly useful item offered is knee pads! Those wire meshes can be rough on grownups! Also check out the Shoelace Factory for brightly-colored laces made using vintage factory machines.
Five eating establishments run the gamut from “circus fare” (popcorn, cotton candy, hot dogs) to sandwiches, salads, pizzas, and doughnuts. One even offers alcoholic beverages. Some are only open seasonally, so check the website.

Hours/Admission:

The City Museum is open Wednesday and Thursday from 9-5, Friday and Saturday 9 to midnight, and Sunday 11-5. Admission is $12 for ages 3 and up, with an extra $5 fee to visit the roof. Admission is discounted after 5 on Friday or Saturday, and annual memberships are available. The outdoor areas are open only in good weather. There’s lots to explore indoors, but if you can, plan around the weather.

Getting there:

The City Museum is at 750 North 16th Street, St. Louis, MO. Two parking lots are available adjacent to the building for $5.

My family and I visited as guests of the City Museum; our opinions are our own.

Nebraska with kids: Where to play and eat in Omaha

August 10, 2016 By

Situated at the intersection of Interstate 80 and the Missouri River, the city of Omaha offers a surprisingly broad array of great attractions for families–and for Midwestern families, a vacation destination within driving distance of home. We’ve already covered Omaha’s world-class zoo, two of its museums, and the Holiday Inn Downtown. For more of a taste of where to eat in Omaha, read on:

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The Amazing Pizza Machine:

If you’re on the road and you need dinner and a place for the kids to stretch their legs for a while, try the Amazing Pizza Machine, a buffet, arcade, and fun-plex located in the southwest part of the metro area. Featuring an extensive buffet of pizza (the standard flavors as well as more creative types), salads, soups, desserts, baked potatoes, taco bar, pasta bar, and a nightly special, even the pickiest eaters will find something to their liking. The dining area was sparkling clean when we visited.

Every person who enters is required to purchase a buffet (prices here), but the Amazing Pizza Machine offers a number of dine-and-play packages. You can also buy a more extensive package for the kids while you sit in the relative quiet and peace of the dining area, which is at the far end of the building from the games and rides and has TVs everywhere.

The play area is expansive and varied, with all the usual things you’d expect to see at an arcade. When we were there, we only found one that was out of order. There are many different play packages, including one for unlimited games like pinball machines and rides (rides are Go Karts, bumper cars, a mini roller coaster that’s more intense than it looks, and Frog jumper). We found that for our family, with kids who aren’t used to amusement park rides, a ride or two apiece was plenty. Note: laser tag is available, but purchased separately from all packages.

Of particular note is the area for little ones, with a climbing structure and arcade games aimed at the younger set. Prices and crowding are lower during the week. However, that’s not always a good thing; Go Karts and bumper cars, for instance, are more fun with a crowd.

omaha-with-kids

A partial list of other things to do in the Omaha area:

A handful of shout-outs to places we stopped to eat:

  • The Ethnic Sandwich Shop: Housed in a red barn in a nondescript neighborhood, with outdoor seating only. If you want to picnic, this is your source. Serves hot and cold 8-inch subs, primarily Italian. We can recommend the Capone, the meatball sub, the Reba’s Boy, pasta salad and tossed salad. Bonus: the brownies and cookies! Location: 1438 S. 13th.
  • Dolci: Vanilla soft-serve ice cream with mix-ins, plus Italian desserts from napoleons to canoli. Bonus: adjacent to a candy store! Location: 1003 Howard St.
  • Cupcake Omaha: Cupcakes. Big cupcakes. Big, filled cupcakes. Need I say more? Location: 501 S. 11th.
  • Old Spaghetti Works: Pasta and fabulous, quirky decor (think carousel horses hanging from the ceiling and a salad bar housed in the bed of an antique truck). Most entrees come with salad bar, which is fairly basic but very fresh and very good. On a Monday night, our kids ate free. Location: 502 S. 11th street.

Whatever you do, make sure to download the Omaha Savings app, which is a streamlined, easy to use visual list of discounts usable at many of Omaha’s headline attractions.

Our family enjoyed the Amazing Pizza Machine as guests of Visit Omaha, in exchange for an honest review. Photo credit: Flickr Commons.

Holiday Inn Downtown Omaha review: A family-friendly place to hang your hat

August 8, 2016 By

Time to rack up those IHG points! If your family is enjoying the multitude of things to do in Omaha, consider hanging your hat at the Holiday Inn-Downtown Omaha. This hotel, a few blocks away from the concentration of downtown attractions, has just the right balance of quality and family-friendly touches to make it a home away from home.

holiday-inn-downtown-omaha

Holiday Inn Downtown Omaha review:

This Holiday Inn has gone out of its way to make itself family-friendly. They offer free lodging to children 19 and under as long as they’re staying in their parents’ room. Up to four children age 12 and under can eat for free at the restaurant in the hotel restaurant, Burger Theory, which offers standard pub fair and a wide selection of beers.

Then, of course, there’s the pool area, featuring an indoor waterpark with a splash pad, buckets that dump over a play structure, and a 3-story water slide that goes outside the building and comes back in. This slide does not dump into a pool, but has a long flat area at the end for slowing, although you’ll stop moving just about as soon as you reach the flat. Be aware there is no lifeguard; however, there were quite a few people there when we visited, and safety wasn’t an issue. The area also offers a leisure pool ranging from 3-4 feet deep–most of it in the 3 to 3’ 6” range—with a whirlpool (3′ 6″ deep) and a hot tub. Every room gets five wrist bands per day for the pool area; extras cost $10 apiece.

Rooms & other amenities:

We were given a room with a king-sized bed, TV, and writing table, separated by a partial wall from a living/office area which included a second television and another desk. The room also had a microwave and refrigerator. The table lamps all included electric plugs, which is a nice feature for a family traveling with multiple electronic devices. The decor was streamlined and understated, and it was generally a restful room to return to after a long day. Our one issue was getting the room to a comfortable temperature, as we had the wall thermostat set at 80 and we were still cold at night.

holiday-inn

The hotel also offers an open wireless network, a business center, a coffee shop in the lobby, and a fitness center. Parking is free in the lot behind the hotel—a nice perk for a downtown hotel–and a free shuttle leaves the premises every half hour during business hours. It runs to any location within a 3-mile radius, which includes a whole lot of attractions. It also goes to the airport 24/7.

Rates/location:

Room rates start as low as $127 in the off season. The Holiday Inn-Downtown Omaha is located at 1420 Cuming St., Omaha, Nebraska.

Our family was given a room for our stay at the Holiday Inn Downtown Omaha in exchange for an honest review.

Nebraska travel: Omaha museums to visit with kids

August 1, 2016 By

Omaha, Nebraska is a thriving metropolis offering lots of attractions to families for a vacation close to home, including arts, sports, outdoors activities, and a number of quality museums. Our family recommends two Omaha museums to visit with kids: the Durham and the Omaha Children’s Museum.

Visiting the Durham Museum with kids

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The Durham Museum, housed in Union Station, honors Omaha’s history as the eastern terminus of the Transcontinental Railroad.

The highlights for kids are the hands-on teepee and mud lodge, the stage coach, and of course, the trains: a steam engine, coal car and caboose; a streetcar; and a passenger train where you can walk through a private dining car, seating car, a club car, and sleeper cars. There’s also a big model train.

The rest of the permanent exhibits are interesting and educational, but most are static rather than interactive. Your best bet is to take turns supervising kids in the areas of most interest to them so the adults can peruse the rest at their leisure.

When we visited, there was a temporary exhibit called “Pirates and Shipwrecks.” Everyone in our family enjoyed the hands-on displays, from a n “experience hurricane winds” tube to operating a remote robotic arm to retrieve gold coins from the bottom of the “ocean.”

Dining/Shopping:

The museum gift shop is housed in the former ticket counter. There is also a soda fountain offering ice cream sundaes, shakes and candy as well as brats and hot dogs.

Hours/Admission/Location/Parking:

Plan to spend 2-3 hours at the Durham Museum, which is located at 801 South 10th Street in downtown Omaha. There is a dedicated free parking lot, and also free parking on surrounding streets. Admission is $11 for adults, $7 for kids 3-11. It is open 1-5 on Sundays, and 10-5 Mon.-Sat., with evening hours on Tuesday.

Visiting the Omaha Children’s Museum

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The Omaha Children’s Museum was, as you might expect, a highlight of the trip for our younger kids. It was a little young for the eleven-year-old, but he eventually found the ball matrix and kept himself entertained for the rest of the visit.

Housed on two floors, the museum is dedicated to play-focused learning and simple fun. There are party rooms and a nursing room, and the museum offers stroller parking in several locations. The Imagination Playground has a grocery store fire house, bank, and so on; the creative arts center offers places to build and paint. The ball matrix uses mechanical, pneumatic, and ballistic power to move the balls.

All this is pretty standard for children’s museums. To me, what set this place apart were the presentations and the temporary display called “Pirates and Mermaids.”

omaha-museumAt the Star Wars-themed science presentation, the young woman centered her experiments around examples from the movies: Luke’s land speeder (a hovercraft made of particle board and a leaf blower), the swinging log on Endor (to demonstrate momentum and force), and Cloud City (making clouds in a plastic bottle using water and forced air).

My daughter loved the presentations in the fairy tale area. Nothing educational here, just lots of scope for the imagination!

The Pirates and Mermaids area housed a pirate ship with cannons to shoot balls and a rope playground with a menacing shark to hover above it. (There was a height limit.)

Outdoors there is a small spray park, a covered patio with a small fire truck, and a playground, with signs around encouraging families to run, play, and picnic.

Shopping/Dining:

There is a cafe upstairs as well as vending machines. You can also go outside and picnic near the playground.

Admission/Audience:

Admission is $12 for kids and adults alike ($11 for seniors). This price reflects an intention for the parents to be hands on with their kids, rather than sitting off to the side while the kids play. Note: as indicated above, older kids are not the target audience; plan accordingly. Give yourself at least three hours, and prepare for the little ones to want to spend the entire day.

Hours, admission, Location, Parking:

Omaha Children’s Museum is located at 500 S. 20th St, Omaha. The museum has a free parking lot, and if school is not in session, the elementary school across the street serves as overflow. There is also metered parking on the street.

Our family visited the Durham Museum and the Omaha Children’s Museum as guests of Visit Omaha, in exchange for an impartial review.

Nebraska with kids: A stop at Arbor Day Farm

July 27, 2016 By

When J. Sterling Morton, founder of Arbor Day, moved to the Nebraska Territory in the 1850s, he wanted to build a home overlooking the Missouri River, but there weren’t enough trees on the grasslands to do it. Morton decided to change that. Today, the fruit of his efforts is the 260-acre Arbor Day Farm, devoted to fostering a love of trees and nature in children and adults alike.

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The Arbor Day site consists of two largely separate entities: the state park, and the working farm.

Arbor Lodge State Historical Park

Arbor Lodge, the Morton family’s three-story mansion, sits in a shady, 72-acre state park. The park is free and open to the public daily, and has a playground and walking trails. You can also stroll through the family gardens. Arbor Lodge and its carriage house require an admission fee, which may be purchased separately or bundled with a visit to the farm, which lies across the street.

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Tree Adventure

The Arbor Day Farm is a working tree farm, vineyard and orchard. The public area is known as the Tree Adventure. Here, you’ll find:

  • Two outdoor nature classrooms, which contain areas for art, tree house-building, and music. (Our kids, ages 4-11, didn’t want to leave this area!)
  • A greenhouse where seedlings are sprouted for shipping and planting all over the country, as well as a cooler in which you can choose a seedling to take home and plant.
  • Two “rope” adventures: a tightrope and a spider web climbing apparatus.
  • The paved “tree house” and 2/3-mile wood chip “South Table Creek” trails, both of which are studded with quirky and fun artwork. The tree houses are freestanding structures; my kids had envisioned something more Swiss Family Robinson, but the tree houses are beautiful structures nonetheless. Plan to let your younger kids have some pretend play time here. Both trails offer lots of interpretive boxes, from a chance to imitate bird sounds to a set of signs to help you identify trees.
  • The Discovery Ride is a canopied wagon that travels around the farm to demonstrate the history and mission of the farm. If you visit in the late summer or fall, you might get to stop and pick an heirloom apple straight off the tree in the “preservation” orchard.

Most of the Tree Adventure is wheelchair/stroller accessible, but not the wood chip trail and the upper levels of the tree houses. Give yourself at least 3 hours to do justice to the Tree Adventure, and if you have a whole day, give yourself permission to fill it.

arbor-day-farmShopping, Dining, and Lodging at the Arbor Day Farm:

Both the Arbor Lodge and the Tree Adventure have gift shops; the Tree Adventure shop is filled with home-baked pies, popcorn, jams, jellies, and wines, including wine tastings. The staff was very accommodating, and we were able to take advantage of this even with our kids around. The cafe adjacent to the gift shop serves basic hot dogs and burgers, as well as pies. The farm also provides a shaded picnic area, so you can bring lunch with you. Sit-down dining is available at the Lied Lodge, a log-cabin inspired hotel and conference center, featuring an indoor lap pool, sauna, and fitness center.

Hours/Admission:

The Arbor Day Farm is open daily; check the website, since hours vary by season. The best value for visiting the Arbor Day Farm is the all-access day pass, which grants access to the Tree Adventure and the Arbor Lodge mansion, at $15 for adults, $11 for children 3-12. If you’re on a tight schedule, you can purchase separate entry either to the mansion or the Tree Adventure (adults $8, children $6). Discovery rides are separate at $5 for all ages. The Arbor Day Farm also offers a variety of annual passes, outlined here.

Directions:

The Arbor Day Farm is located in Nebraska City, NE, 45 minutes from both Omaha and Lincoln.

My family and I experienced the site as guests of the Arbor Day Farm, in exchange for an unbiased review.

Nebraska with kids: Henry Doorly Zoo

July 25, 2016 By

In 2014, the Travelers’ Choice Awards named the Henry Doorly Zoo, in Omaha, Nebraska, its #1 zoo. This park, with its wide walkways lined with evergreen and deciduous trees, is well worth an extended visit by families of all ages. Here’s how to plan your day at Henry Doorly Zoo with kids:

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What to see at Henry Doorly Zoo with kids:

Henry Doorly Zoo is a sprawling complex, and for the most part you’ll find animals in expansive habitats that mimic their natural environs. You cannot take in the entire experience in a single day; there’s just too much there. So take it easy, decide what’s most important to you and plan accordingly, or else give yourself permission to wander until you run out of time and energy. A small sample of highlights:

  • The Desert Dome, the Lied Jungle Forest, and the Scott Aquarium. All three lie close to the zoo entrance and are well worth the time. The desert dome is the world’s largest indoor desert (though it’s not as hot as you might expect). Below it is the “Kingdom of the Night,” in which the day-night cycles are reversed so visitors can see the nocturnal animals in their active time. The Lied Jungle has both an upper trail and a lower; we only had time for the upper, which put us at eye level with macaws and spider monkeys. The aquarium is simply beautiful—although it was also very crowded.
  • Multiple play areas. Particularly of note: the Red Barn petting zoo and the African Grasslands, where kids can play on a retired helicopter and a couple of safari trucks.
  • A huge aviary with mature trees inside. A boardwalk winds through it, with benches to rest and take in the beauty.
  • The Alaskan Adventure Spray Park. This spectacular sculpture park lets kids play among sea lions and whales while splashing in the water. Let them come to the zoo in swim gear, because after this they’ll be completely soaked.

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Practical tips for zoo-goers:

  • Admission isn’t cheap, so make the most of the investment by coming at opening time and staying as long as you can. Early in the day the zoo was almost deserted, but by shortly after noon on a weekday it was crowded.
  • This is a big zoo. Bring your walking shoes or be prepared to pay extra for the tram, train, or Skyfari (a ski lift-type ride that bisects the zoo).
  • Download the free zoo app, which includes a map and pretty much everything on the web site. We did see some people carrying traditional paper maps, but we never saw where to pick them up, and directional signage was not as clear as I would have liked. Having the map on the phone was very helpful.
  • If you can plan ahead and are willing to splurge, consider camping overnight in the Safari tent camp, next door to the lion enclosure.

Shopping and dining at the zoo:

The cafes and kiosks are clean and well-run, and offer mostly standards. However, next to the elephants you’ll find a window serving four African-themed entrees. We had a pork kabob, sambusa, and sweet potato fries, which were all excellent and a user-friendly way to experience a new ethnic cuisine. There are two gift shops, one at the main entrance and the other at the exit to Scott Aquarium. Zoo members receive a 5% discount.

zoo-with-kids

Hours/Admission:

The zoo is open from 9-5 daily in the summer and 10-4 in the winter, though the buildings stay open an hour later. Summer admission for children 3-11 is $12.95; 12 and up is $18.95, with discounts for seniors, military, and others. Train, tram, Skyfari, IMAX and carousel tickets are separate, and can be bundled into packages, which are outlined here. Members of other zoos may be eligible for a hefty discount on admission; also be sure to take advantage of the $2 discount on the Omaha Savings app, available through iTunes.

Parking/Directions:

Henry Doorly Zoo is at 3701 S. 10th Street, Omaha, Nebraska. Parking is free, but on busy days it fills quickly. Additional parking is available off-site, with free shuttles, and vouchers for $1 off admission are offered to those who use the shuttle.

Our family visited the zoo as guests of Visit Omaha in exchange for an honest review.

Visiting Atlanta with kids: Children’s Museum of Atlanta

February 19, 2016 By

Downtown Atlanta is a quintessential “pit stop,” boasting an array of attractions to break up a long road trip, from the Coca Cola museum to Centennial Olympic Park to CNN’s headquarters. In the center of this thriving metro sits the Children’s Museum of Atlanta. Newly renovated with a focus on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math education) programming, the CMA offers families, especially those with children up to age 9, a chance to stretch their legs and have fun while sneaking in some stealth learning.

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Our family visited CMA during their grand re-opening event. It was busy, but the open layout prevented it from feeling crowded. On the main floor you will find a large area sectioned off for the “farm to table” exhibit, which includes a tractor, milking a cow, a delivery truck, a forklift with a platform that raises and lowers, a grocery store and a diner with the most fabulous kid-sized commercial kitchen any child could imagine. This was the favorite area for my four- and six-year-olds.

CMA has also taken the ubiquitous ball run and re-envisioned it as a series of interlocking mechanisms. Kids can force the balls up into the matrix by air, water, auger, and pulley, and the balls move between areas.

The centerpiece of the main level is the globe, which kids can climb up inside and set in motion. At the base of the globe are a collection of train tables, one for each continent, and moon sand tables. There is also a building area and a section for little ones with fishing (raincoats provided) and a fabulous chicken coop play structure. Here you’ll also find a nursing room.

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The “mezzanine” level is aimed at older children. At the “science bar,” a scientist walks kids through experiments. Nearby, interactive stations let kids build a robot, use a touch-screen app to see how food goes through the body, or use their brain waves to move a ball. The museum also offers daily take-home activities (a sailboat, the day we visited) and a presentation at 4p.m. A rotating feature exhibit opens soon.

One of the most striking and wonderful things about this place was the diversity of its visitors. We heard half a dozen languages and saw at least that many skin colors during our short visit. Signage is bilingual, and the staff is courteous and helpful, keeping an eye on each section and making sure items find their way back where they belong for the next child to enjoy. (I spent half an hour watching one young lady in the “farm to table” section patiently picking up all the pieces of toy food and putting them away on the grocery store shelves, only to do it all again five minutes later.) Although the museum caters to age 9 and under, my 10-year-old enjoyed the visit as well.

Shopping/Food:

CMA has a gift shop and vending machines, but no in-house dining. However, there are many dining options within walking distance, and same-day museum re-entry is permitted, providing maximum crowd capacity has not been reached. The best option, though, is to bring lunch along or order from one of a number of nearby establishments that deliver. The museum has set aside a sizable section of the mezzanine level for lunchroom-style tables.

childrens-museum

Accessibility

The vast majority of the attractions are stroller/wheelchair accessible–even part of the chicken coop play structure in the little ones’ area. A large open section at the rear of the first floor is set aside for stroller parking.

Hours/Admission:

Plan to spend at least an hour and a half at CMA, and if you have longer, the kids will thank you. Admission is $14.95 for everyone over age one. Discounts are outlined at “ways to save.” If you live within a couple hours of Atlanta, a family membership may be a good option. Tickets are issued for specific time slots in order to help alleviate crowding at peak times. CMA is open from 10-5 seven days a week except on certain holidays.

Parking/Directions:

Children’s Museum of Atlanta is located in the heart of downtown Atlanta, at the corner of Baker Street and Centennial Olympic Park Drive. It has no dedicated parking space of its own; however, parking options are plentiful within a block of the museum.

Our family received complimentary admission to the Children’s Museum of Atlanta in exchange for an impartial review.

Grown up getaway: Society Hotel Portland

February 5, 2016 By

Love unique properties, boutique hotels, and repurposed buildings? Portland has the motherload. It seems that every time I turn around, a new boutique property has opened in my favorite Northwest city. The latest: The Society Hotel, which we checked out on a rainy January weekend.

society-hotel

No doubt about it, the Society Hotel is ideal for a grown up getaway, parent-child mini-vacation, or girls’ weekend: rooms are sized for two, not the whole crew. I visited with my teen son, for a weekend of soccer, college touring, and city fun. The property was recently repurposed from the historic building’s heyday as sailors’ quarters in the 1880s, and the renovation has been done beautifully, with dark paneled wood, period wall decor and flooring, and of course, the high ceilings and long windows of the era. Lodging options include a mixture of full and queen rooms, small suites, and bunkhouse beds.

society-cafe

While the Society is built around the bunkhouse/European hostel concept, it’s decided upscale. No scruffy backpackers here…during our stay, we saw primarily the urban hipster, Millennial crowd. Upon entering the lobby, we were immediately both wowed and put at ease: the vibe is trendy, but warm and cozy. In the heart of the lobby area is the Society Cafe, which serves incredible coffee and pastries in the morning and craft cocktails at night. Situated around the cafe counter are sofas, a fireplace, cozy tables and chairs. Certainly, you could order an herbal tea and just sit for an evening (which I did). Across from the check-in desk, a bulletin board awaits guests with ‘pinned’ activity suggestions from around the Portland area.

society-hotel-portland

The hotel is now LEED certified, and has WiFi included, as well as a text-service that connects guests to the front desk day or night. The Society is located in the city’s historic Old Town/Chinatown district, which I love: during our stay, my son and I were in the heart of the city, steps away from Portland’s famous food truck pods, Voodoo Donut, and the Pearl District. Public transport is right around the corner. Normally, this type of city center location, combined with boutique ambiance in an historic building equals a high room rate, but this is the beauty of the Society: rates start at just $75 for rooms and $40 for bunks.

society-hotel

Room types:

The Society has three room types. By far the most unique is the bunkhouse, which offers hostel-style bunks with, again, an upscale flair. Each bunk has WiFi, a reading light, outlets and plugs, and a privacy curtain. The bunks reminded me of high-end overnight train compartments. Bunkhouse guests share bathroom facilities, a small kitchen, and laundry facilities, and have access to private lockers. Bunks are $40, and would make a fun option for a group.

hostel-bed-society-hotel

The hotel also houses 26 private rooms on the upstairs levels, which have either a full or queen bed, wash station with sink and mirror, and plenty of storage in the form of pegs, hangers, and under-bed cubes. These rooms truly do have a European guesthouse feel. Bathrooms are shared on each hallway, and are very spacious and clean. Shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel were provided, as well as towels and bathrobes. In the US, it is definitely a departure from the norm to feature shared bathroom facilities, but we found it to be no big deal. For $75/night in the heart of Portland, it’s a steal, really.

society-hotel

If you really want your own bathroom, opt for a suite. They’re still only around $110/night. These rooms are bigger than the standard rooms, but not by much; don’t expect square footage to rival your house, as can be the case with some hotel suites.

Amenities:

I’ve saved the best for last. My absolute favorite feature of the Society, even more so than the cozy lobby and cafe, is the rooftop deck. This 5th floor outdoor space is partially covered (for the rainy weekends like the one we ‘enjoyed’), and wrapped with beautiful wood benches, a Zen garden, and landscaping. You get 360 degree views of the city: I loved coming up here with my coffee in the morning, then again to see the city skyline at night, with a glass of wine. The Society has thoughtfully put out a little locker of cozy blankets to use while enjoying the space.

society-hotel

There is no dedicated parking at the Society, which I fretted about before arrival. I hate worrying about my car, and I hate paying dearly for city parking. The front desk staff gave me the inside scoop on where to find street parking, and we found we easily parked within a quarter block of the hotel during our entire stay. Nights were complete free, and during the day, we were gone in the car most of the time. In total, I may have spent $5 on parking over three days. That sure beats the heck out of $30-40 nightly parking fees at surrounding hotels.

In a nutshell, if you want a unique, historic place to stay in the heart of Portland without the city prices, and are willing to adjust your expectations a bit when it comes to lodging, the Society is for you. I encourage you to give it a try! I know we’ll be back!

As I disclose whenever applicable, we stayed at the Society on a media rate, for the purpose of review. All opinions remain our own.

 

Chicago Field Museum tips

January 22, 2016 By

We love natural history museums and have visited versions of them all over the country. The Chicago Field Museum is in our top five! We loved this cavernous, elegant museum situated on the Museum Campus by Lake Michigan and Shedd Aquarium. Here’s what we recommend seeing and doing, plus tips to plan your visit:

sue-dinosaur

What not to miss:

If you have older kids or teens, the top two or three exhibits may be the Inside Ancient Egypt exhibit, the Mastodons and Mammoths exhibit (extra ticket required), and the Evolving Planet exhibit. We also really loved the Ancient Americas exhibit. The Egypt exhibit hall starts at the main level, but staircases lead both upstairs to get a view of a tomb from the top and downstairs, where to bulk of the artifacts can be found. The best place to enter is on the main level, to get the full experience of walking through the tomb first.

Note: There are mummified remains on display, including the remains of children and infants (and cats and birds). These artifacts were amazing, but I did give my kids a heads-up.

The Evolving Planet exhibit is the primarily exhibit with dinosaur fossils, so this area will appeal to all ages, but the actual exhibit goes even deeper, which is why I recommend it for older children. It chronicles multiple ‘extinction events’ throughout history, starting billions of years ago, and is fascinating in its scope of time.

For younger kids, the multiple halls of mammals, which takes up the entire left side of the main floor, will be popular, as well as the North American Indians section and the Pawnee Earth Lodge. We were lucky enough to step into the Earth Lodge while a museum docent was on duty, and she explained all the artifacts inside, many of which kids can touch and play with. The temporary Underground Adventure (extra ticket required) is lots of fun too; after being ‘shrunk’ to 1/2 inch size, kids can walk through a soil landscape and see ‘life-size’ bugs, worms, roots, and other life in the soil. Think Honey I Shrunk the Kids.

field-museum

Everyone will want to see ‘Sue’ the T-Rex that has been making its way slowly across the country. We saw it about seven years ago in Portland, Oregon. It was fun to see again. There’s enough to see and do to spend at least 3-4 hours in the Field Museum, and possibly more. You can re-enter with you ticket if you want to take a break in the day and return. A few tips:

Check the Field Museum website’s calendar before arriving:

The Field Museum offers a number of free days, which may or may not work in your favor. During our visit, it was a free day of residents of Illinois. Since we are not residents of the state, a free day only means a crowded day for us, without the benefits. Normally, I would avoid free days that do not apply to us. However, the day we visited also happened to be a game day for the Chicago Bears, played directly adjacent to the museum. This worked in our favor, as long as we timed our bus ride to avoid the fans pouring into the stadium. The Field Museum was almost empty when we arrived at opening, and stayed light on crowds all morning, until the game ended at 3 pm.

Decide what ticket option is best for you:

The basic entry price gets you into all the regular permanent exhibits. To access the ones noted as ‘ticket required’ or to view one of the 3-4 3D movies showing, you’ll need to upgrade to either an All Access Pass (gets you into everything) or a modified all access, which allows you to chose a few extra items to do. If you plan to be in Chicago long enough to visit at least two other attractions participating in the Chicago CityPass, I recommend getting this pass before your trip or at your first stop. The Chicago CityPass is $96 for adults and $69 for kids, and gives you an all access pass to the Field Museum, plus entrance to Shedd Aquarium next door and the SkyDeck at Willis (Sears) Tower, as well as several other attractions.

Dining options in the museum:

There are two dining services in the museum. We ate at the Field Bistro, which serves healthy options like soup, salads, and sandwiches, as well as some samples like hot dogs and burgers. Downstairs, an even more casual option has more ‘kid’ foods, like chicken fingers. We were told there are food trucks at the lower level as well, though we did not see them during our trip.

Outside the museum, families can find several hot dog carts, one of which is located between the Field Museum and Shedd Aquarium.

Tip: Find more things to do with kids in this guide to 25 top things to do in Chicago!

Hours and admission:

As described above, there are several admission levels. Basic admission is $18 for adults and $13 for kids. The Discovery Pass is the middle level, and is $25 and $18. The All Access is $31 for adults and $21 for kids. Hours are listed here.

Getting there:

The Field Museum is located on the Museum Campus, just south of downtown. It’s an easy metra bus ride on the 146 from Magnificent Mile or State Street (it took us about 15 minutes on a single line from State Street in the River North district). As noted above, it can be busier if there’s an event at Soldier Field. You can also drive, but prepare to pay for parking.