Interstate - Pitstops for Kids

The Solar Living Institute

May 14, 2012 By Sharlene Earnshaw

The following pit stop is submitted by guest reviewer Barbara Zaragoza. Barbara blogs about off-beat adventures in California at California Notebook.

Everyone wants to save the earth these days, but do we really know how to do it? The Solar Living Institute in Hopland, California gives visitors a wealth of eco-living tips. A tour of their rustic property is free and plaques everywhere describe innovative technology that can save our planet.

The property boasts the largest number of solar panels in the state of California, hooked up to the deregulated electricity grid. They also have a hands-on display of a solar oven as well as a solar water pump that takes water from a pond to irrigate their organic farm.

Beyond solar energy, The Solar Living Institute makes sure that everything on the property is earth friendly. There’s a ‘Sun Frost’ refrigerator that uses Krypton gas. The parking lot has a biodiesel fueling station and electric vehicle charging stations. Several small buildings are made of cob: a mixture of straw bales, clay, and strew infill, which are considered low-impact materials that replace wood or concrete.

Kids will especially love this place thanks to the solar powered ferris wheel during the summer, the bamboo pyramid pruned in the shape of Egypt’s Cheops pyramid, a rotunda that touts a Mayan solar calendar, a tree house, and a sundial. Through some brush they’ll find 1950’s automobiles that have been turned into planters for large trees. Finally, kids can ride on the pedal power bike generators to see how much electricity they are able to generate through exercise.

The Solar Living Institute holds workshops throughout the year and, most importantly, takes any visitor into a world that is possible.

Closest interstate:

Highway 101

Cost of admission:

Free!

Hours of operation:

Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week for self-guided tours.

Driving directions:

The Solar Living Institute is located at 13771 S Highway 101, Hopland, CA.

Portland Saturday Market, Portland Oregon

May 10, 2012 By Amy Hagstrom

Often, one of the best ways to get to know a city is to experience one of their seasonal festivals or street markets. From March through December of every year, the Burnside Bridge area of Tom McCall Waterfront Park and Ankeny Park in Portland Oregon comes alive with the Portland Saturday Market.

One part artisan vendor market, one part touristy festival, and one part foodie heaven, the Portland Saturday Market is entertaining for everyone from fussy babies to grandparents. Families will want to spend a couple of hours here, tasting local farm-to-market food cart fare, watching (and listening to) the many street performers (including one-man bands, drum circles, magicians, and jugglers), and shopping for everything from handmade jewelry to clothing to wood carvings. Our boys’ favorite booth featured hundreds of varieties of pocket knives, but you’ll also find children’s toys, fine art photography, hand-stitched hats and scarves, and beading. Special events are scheduled throughout the summer, with featured bands and entertainers on the main stage every Saturday.

Note: One aisle of stalls on the far side of the market do feature smoking paraphelia and marajuana use promotion predominently. It’s easy to avoid if you should desire, but is there.

Distance from the interstate:

You can reach the market area within 15 minutes of I-5, but you’ll have to stop somewhere along Naito parkway for parking.

Hours and admission prices:

There’s no admission to the market (though you’ll pay for parking). The hours are generally 10 am to 5 pm on Saturdays and 11 am to 4:30 pm on Sundays.

Food options:

There’s plenty of food stalls at the market, but should you want something a little healthier than traditional ‘fair food’, head up to Oak and 2nd for lots of Portland food truck choices.

Note: market-going receive two hours of free parking validation at Smart Park locations with any market food purchase of $25 or more.

Directions:

From I-5, exit at 299B to take 405 North toward City Center. Exit 1A to Naito Parkway. Park at the Smart Park on NW Naito and Davis Street.

Wildlife Safari

May 7, 2012 By Amy Hagstrom

Every once in a while, a potential pit stop surprises me. We’d traveled Oregon’s I-5 stretch countless times before we took the opportunity to visit Wildlife Safari outside Winston, Oregon. Why the delay? I tend to be suspicious of roadside animal attractions: as a card-carrying PETA member, I want to be sure the zoos and preserves I support are in the best interest the animals. I’m glad to say that Winston’s Wildlife Safari is a first class operation and a truly fantastic zoological park.

Located just a few miles off I-5 south of Roseburg, colorful billboards will direct you to the park (don’t be fooled by the somewhat less classy looking animal ‘ark’ attraction located nearby…this is a separate operation). Upon entering Wildlife Safari, you have two options: begin with the driving tour of the safari grounds, where you’ll cruise slowly through various sanctuaries housing free-roaming zebras, giraffes, elephants, and everything else you can imagine (lions and tigers and bears oh my!), or park and walk through the center safari square, where you’ll find the gift shop, surprisingly decent food, and some smaller animals, like reptiles, turtles, a very loud monkey, and a small train ride. Intuition would tell you to start there–get out and release your own monkeys from the confines of the car–but my suggestion is the driving tour, because with admission, you get to go through twice. It works well to drive through, park and visit the walking grounds, then drive through once more on your way out.

Plan to spend at least 3-4 hours here to see it all (1.5 to drive through, and at least one more to tour the grounds).

Tip: If you have very small children, they’ll probably only have the ability to sit in the car for one drive through the grounds. Depending on how crowded the tour is, this loop can take as long as an hour. We let our kids unbuckle to see better (you’re only driving 5-10 MPH), but of course that’s a parental preference.

Pets: If you’re traveling with your pets, they are not allowed in the park, but very nice kennels are available on-site for only $5. This is a great option to avoid leaving your pets in a potentially overheated or cold car.

Distance from the interstate:

Ten minutes from I-5.

Admission cost:

Adults are $17.99, and kids (ages 4-12) are $11.99. Depending on the size of your family, a family (annual) membership might be a better option. The membership is only $99, and gets two adults and up to five children into the park and drive-through safari for unlimited visits. This is also a great choice if you think you might traverse I-5 more than once a year.

Hours of operation:

Open daily from 9 am to 5 pm. The cafe closes slightly earlier (usually 4:30 pm).

Food services:

There’s a nice cafe on-site, which serves the usual burger and fries, but also healthy sandwiches and veggie burgers. It’s not cheap (think theme park pricing) but the kids’ meals are a good deal. Families can also picnic in an designated area.

Directions:

Wildlife Safari is located at 1790 Safari Road, Winston Oregon. From I-5, visitors will take Exit 119 west onto Highway 42 to Lookingglass Road. Follow signage from there!

Photo credit: SpringfieldHomer.

3 things to do with kids in Paso Robles CA

April 30, 2012 By Sharlene Earnshaw

The following pit stop was submitted by Bay Area blogger and mom Whitney Moss of 510Families.

Located exactly halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, Paso Robles, California is an excellent pit stop if you want to get out of the car and feel like you’ve arrived somewhere special. (Pro tip: locals pronounce the town name Paso Robuls, not Paso Roblase.) Here are three things to do with kids in Paso Robles:

Powell’s Sweet Shoppe

Did you say CANDY? The downtown of Paso Robles is set up around a traditional town square, similar to Sonoma if you’ve been there, or the town in Back to the Future with the clock tower on one side and the soda shop on the other side. The square itself is a sufficient park for running around with playground equipment. Parents can take turns manning the playground usage while the other roams around the shops on the perimeter. Powell’s Sweet Shoppe is a super fun vintage candy store which is actually a chain, but maintains a unique small town feel. Find it at 840 11th Street.

Paso Robles Children’s Museum

A short distance from the square is the Paso Robles Children’s Museum. Best for kids 2-7, it has art projects, dress-up, a real fire truck to climb on, and a mini-ball pit for toddlers with a wine barrel theme. There’s lots of amusement packed into this relatively small building, the most noteworthy of which is a netted area that features a complex system of ball chutes and blasters. If you have child whose first word was BALL, you should maybe drive straight there this instant. The museum located at 623 13th Street and is closed on Monday and Tuesday.

Barney Schwartz Park

Out a little further from the town (10 minutes) sits our favorite park, Barney Schwartz. The equipment is pretty novel and the setting can’t be beat. Well maybe in Kauai, but it’s like nothing you’ll find in LA or San Francisco — the view is pure Paso Robles. Find it at 2970 Union Road, Paso Robles.

Bonus: wine country:

Paso Robles is wine country. Not a great fit for a day on the road, but I would be remiss to leave out this fact and even downtown, you’ll see tasting opportunities. To really appreciate where the grapes are coming from, head out to winery on one of the nearby highways. I can’t promise that the tasting room won’t have a gift shop full of breakables, but there are certainly several with picnic areas ideal for running around. Bianchi has automated toy sailboats; Castoro has a pot-bellied pig as the house pet; and, Sylvester features vintage train cars in front of the picnic grounds.

Note: Paso Robles has kid-friendly dining listed on Kidscore. Learn more about Kidscore.

Distance from the interstate:

Minutes from HWY 101 (and CA-46)

Cost of admission and hours:

The children’s museum admission is $7 for adults and $6 for kids 1-13.

Headed to the San Francisco Bay Area? Find more pit stops, family outings, and recommendations at PasoKids and 510Families!

Wings and Waves Water Park

April 26, 2012 By Amy Hagstrom

After lunch would be a good time to move from the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum to the Wings and Waves water park. (The exception to this rule would be during peak holiday weekends, when the lines for rides at the water park escalate by mid-day. This, however, is not the norm.)

You can’t miss the water park, which is adjacent to the museum buildings and topped by an Evergreen commercial craft (more on that in a minute). Inside, you’ll find a spacious and airy, well-lit, and very high quality water park four large slides (one body slide and three inner-tube style slides), a wave pool, a leisure pool with basketball hoops and a whirlpool vortex, hot tubs, and an activity water play structure with additional slides and a dumping bucket. The larger slides do have height requirements (42′ for the tube slides and 48′ for the body slide), but quite young kids probably won’t be up for them anyway: visitors climb countless (dang, I should have counted them!) steps up to above roof-level where they enter the bay of the aforementioned aircraft to the slide entrances.

Our kids spent the most time in the wave pool (floating tubes and life vests are complementary) and leisure pool, but loved the slides as well. Evergreen describes their water park as an ‘educational water park’ and though I was skeptical, they really do deliver on this front. Upstairs (overlooking the wave pool) is an entire hands-on museum space coined ‘H20: Water Needs Life’, which features water cycle exhibits and play areas, hands-on water rocket launchers, a submarine to climb into, and even an ‘astronaut training’ fitness station. Best of all, kids can run around in their swimsuits, and no one cares if they get wet.

Date last visited:

April 15, 2012

Distance from the interstate:

The Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum is located 45 minutes from downtown Portland, Oregon and 30 minutes from I-5 off Highway 18.

Hours of operation:

Hours vary depending on season. Check the most recent museum and water park hours.

Admission prices:

Admission isn’t cheap at $20 per adult ($18 per youth) for the museums and $30 per adult ($25 for under 42′). Combined admission is not yet offered. There is a non-swimmer rate of $10 for the water park, and kids 3 and under are free.

Tip: Another guest informed me that the museum does honor other Northwest children’s and science museum memberships for entry, though I was unable to confirm. If you need a car, an option is Easyrentcars.

Food and drink:

There is a concession area at the water park and a healthier cafe at the museum. Outside food and drink are not permitted, but a nice picnic area is located outside. Visitors are free to bring coolers to the outside areas.

Directions:

The Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum and Wings & Waves Waterpark are located 3.5 miles southeast of McMinnville, Oregon, on Highway 18 across from the McMinnville Municiple Airport. It is approximately one hour from Portland and 40 minutes from Salem. If using GPS, insert the address: 500 NE Cumulus Avenue.

Portland on Dwellable

Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum

April 26, 2012 By Amy Hagstrom

When I first heard that McMinnville Oregon’s Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum was one part aviation history museum, one part military vehicle and firearms collection, one part 3-D theater, and one part water park (yes, water park), I couldn’t imagine how it all fit together. I worried that the 70,000 square foot indoor water park would seem gimmicky in comparison to the museum, which would feel overshadowed. I didn’t know what to think of the firearms, and most of all, I worried we wouldn’t have enough time to see it all.

After visiting this spring, I’m happy to say I was 1) wrong (the water park is extremely well designed) 2) wrong (the aviation museum shines in its own right) and 3) wrong (the firearms collection was my tween son’s favorite part), and 4) right (visitors definitely want to dedicate a full day to Evergreen). Since it opened an hour earlier on the day of our visit, we started at the museum, which I definitely recommend. After your kids get a taste of the water park, it will be hard to pry them away. (Bear in mind: admission is separate at the museum and water park.)

The museum and theater:

The museum is spread out in several large bays, and it’d be easy to miss a big section if you’re not careful. Directly after paying admission, you enter at the general aviation and military craft collections, which will definitely catch your children’s eye. Most impressive however, is the towering body of Howard Hughes’ Spruce Goose, which visitors can board. If you’re not a military history buff (and all those planes look the same to you, like they did to me), never fear: there’s comprehensive signage and literature on everything, including very appealing videos and interviews that really draw you in. Most fascinating was learning about the early smoke jumper fire fighters, and the WWII air strike battles. Our school-aged kids were engrossed, but even if you have young children, there’s so much to see in the bay, they’ll be happy for a good amount of time. The firearms exhibit, which my boys went crazy for, is on the second floor; don’t miss it if you have gun enthusiasts (or boys of any age).

Best of all, the many docents stationed around the museum were simply excellent. They answered all our questions, particularly about WWII, and engaged the kids with questions of their own, stories, and even paper airplanes sailed at their heads.

Tip: Additional aircraft are open to tour as well, but there’s an additional charge for most.

The space flight exhibits take visitors from early space program history to present day, and includes a Titan II missile booster rocket, which kids can explore from inside its silo. The theater offers a 3-D IMAX-style viewing (which can be added onto your ticket), which I’m sure is impressive (but which we ran out of time for). Outside, a fun space-themed playground is available to burn off energy, before touring the military tanks along the lawn. Tip: This is a good area for a picnic between visiting the museum and the water park.

Read Part 2: Wings and Waves Water Park for water park and admission information, hours of operation, and directions.

Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art

March 29, 2012 By Amy Hagstrom

Are your children fans of The Very Hungry Caterpillar? Wait a minute, of course they are! Then come get up close and personal with storybook art—some new, and some familiar—at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, MA.

The museum is set up like a typical art museum, with three galleries displaying the work of Eric Carle and other artists. The main difference? The benches are kid-sized, and a little running and shouting is ok! The exhibits change throughout the year, so be sure you check the website so you don’t miss out on the exhibition of a favorite book.

There is also a well-stocked library with plenty of cozy chairs and rugs, but my kids’ favorite room in the museum is the art studio. There’s a toddler play area, and small tables with big, baby-friendly crayons for the younger set. At the bigger tables, there are more intricate art supplies for older kids.

Classes are offered at the museum, ranging in subjects from music, to book-making, to writing workshops. Depending on the class, the age range is from infant to adult, so there’s something for everyone at the Eric Carle Museum!

Date last visited:

March 17, 2012

Distance from the interstate:

The Eric Carle Museum is approximately 5 miles off Interstate 91, in Amherst.

Hours of operation:

Tuesday – Friday 10am–4pm
Saturday 10am–5pm
Sunday 12pm–5pm
Closed on Mondays

Admission:

Adult admission is $9
Youth (under 18), students, teachers, and seniors are $6
Family admission (2 adults and 2 youth) is $22.50
See the website for prices of the different classes offered at the museum. And remember, like most museums catering to children, family memberships are available!

Food services:

Pack a lunch! While there is no restaurant in the museum, there is a lovely café area with a vending machine and plenty of tables and chairs (and some great high chairs).

Directions:

The museum is located at 125 West Bay Road, Amherst, MA. Full directions are available!

Beneski Museum of Natural History, Amherst College

March 27, 2012 By Amy Hagstrom

If you’re traveling to western Massachusetts and have a dinosaur-lover in your family, then the Beneski Museum of Natural History at Amherst College is a must-stop! The Beneski Museum is a small, but well-stocked natural history museum featuring a wide variety of dinosaur artifacts, including the skulls of a Triceratops and a T-Rex! The museum also has full skeletons of animals from the Pleistocene, including a mammoth, a mastadon, and a sabertooth cat.

There’s an entire room dedicated to fossilized dinosaur footprints, many of which were found in the surrounding Pioneer Valley. If this piques your child’s interest, it would be worth your time to stop over at Dinosaur Footprints in nearby Holyoke. This Trustees of Reservations site is home to over 130 dinosaur tracks imprinted in slabs of sandstone.

All in all, the Beneski Museum is a great (and free!) way to spend a few hours in the Northampton-Amherst area. I know my three year old is already begging to go back!

<h3:Date last visited:</h3
March 17, 2012

Distance from the interstate:

The Beneski Museum is approximately 6 miles off Interstate 91, in Amherst.

Hours of operation:

Tuesday – Sunday 11am–4pm
Additional hours on Thursday evenings from 6pm to 10pm

Admission or ticket prices:

Free for everyone!

Food services:

There are no food services at the museum, but Amherst College is a beautiful spot for a picnic. Alternatively, there are lots of good cafes and restaurants in the town center of Amherst.

Directions:

The museum is located at 11 Barrett Hill Road, Amherst College, Amherst, MA. Full directions are available.

The Dr. Pepper Museum

March 2, 2012 By Sharlene Earnshaw

The following pit stop has been submitted by guest reviewer and blogger Rebecca of RWeThereYetMom.com. Reach Rebecca @RWeThereYetMom on Twitter.

Texans are very proud of their Dr. Pepper. It’s a legendary soda, created in a small Texas town called Waco. Open to the public, one can learn all about its famous history at the Dr Pepper Museum.

Dr Pepper was created in 1885 in Morrison’s Old Country Store in Waco, Texas by a pharmacist, and no, his name was not Dr. Pepper. It was Charles Alderton and he made it out of 23 unique flavors. What are they? The museum never tells, as it is supposed to be a secret. However, my little friend Google shared with me that some of the 23 flavors are vanilla, black licorice, carrot, rum, and yes, pepper. Most people think that it has prune juice in it…nope, not a drop!

And why was it named Dr Pepper? They are a lot of rumors out there that involve young love of a girl with the last name of Pepper, but none have been proven. As the museum says, “we don’t know the true origin of the name; Mr. Morrison came up with it and it stuck.”

This great little museum is proud to have one of the world’s largest collections of soda pop memorabilia, including the original drugstore countertop where Mr. Alderton created Dr Pepper, the history of the bottling plant, and actually shows the deep well where the water was brought up to make the original Dr. Pepper. Adults and children alike can easily spend a fun hour here, and the best part? Getting a taste of the “original” Dr. Pepper in the downstairs Soda Shop!

Closest interstate: Interstate 35, in Waco, Texas.

Cost of admission: Adults are $8.00, students and children are $4.00.

hours: Mon-Sat (10 am – 4:15 pm), Sun (12 pm – 4:15 pm)

Dining: None.

Driving directions: Take I-35 into Waco and exit 4th and 5th Streets exit. Turn west on 4th street. Go to Mary Ave. Turn left on Mary. The museum is on the corner of 5th & Mary.

Photos are courtesy of RWeThereYetMom.com.

A stay in a KOA Kamping Kabin

February 24, 2012 By Amy Hagstrom

Full disclosure: I dislike purposeful misspellings (like ‘k’s replacing ‘c’s), and I haven’t stayed in a KOA Kampground (there we go again) in a very long time. That said, when we needed a no-frills overnight accommodation en route to the Mt. Hood wilderness, I’m really glad I gave their Kamping Kabins a try.

We stayed in a two-bedroom cabin at the Culver-Redmond KOA in Central Oregon, which sleeps six. Also available at this location were several one-bedroom (4-person) cabins, in addition to their usual RV and tent camping sites. The cabin was new and comfortable, reminding us of the yurts provided by the Oregon state park system. All cabins are equipped with beds and mattresses (bring your own bedding) and electricity (with outlets). Ours also had space heaters (fans and air conditioner units in the summer) and a decent-sized mini-fridge. Outside, you get a porch with porch swing, BBQ grill, and fire pit. Best of all, a KOA overnight means your kids get the run of a fun place (no more yelling to stop running in motel hallways). The Culver KOA had a nice playground, a basketball court, and a seasonal pool.

What you don’t get: the Kamping Kabins do not have kitchens (there’s no cooking allowed inside) nor bathrooms (though some of the deluxe Kamping Kottages and Lodges do have both). The bathrooms at the Culver KOA were about 40 yards away, heated, very clean, and included showers.

Check out our Facebook video of the cabin interior!

Why it makes for a great overnight pit stop: KOA Kamping Kabins cost between $45 and $70 per night (depending on size and season), making them significantly less than what you’d expect to pay at a budget motel or roadside inn. What you miss in creature comforts (or is that kreature komforts?), you more than make up for in kid-friendly extras and a relaxed, fun setting. KOAs may not serve as our personal choice for a final destination (we prefer a more remote setting for our camping adventures), but as an overnight pit stop, it’s right up our alley. You can be sure we’ll be booking their cabins again when we’re on the road.

Thanks to KOA for hosting our stay in a two-bedroom cabin at the Redmond KOA.