Sutter’s Fort State Historical Site

February 10, 2011 By

2701 L Street
Sacramento, CA

If you’re passing through the Sacramento Valley on a road trip or family vacation and want to venture beyond the swinging saloon doors and adjustable bar stools of Old Town Sacramento, a visit to Sutter’s Fort State Historical Site makes for a great pit stop.

Note: Sutter’s Fort has a Kidscore of 100. Learn more about Kidscore.

Located downtown in the heart of Sacramento’s capitol district, Sutter’s Fort has been restored on its original site, allowing visitors to tour past rooms replicating fort life in the 19th century, see working dutch ovens, a blacksmith workshop, and more. Our kids loved the cannons in the towers especially, and there’s a great exhibit on John Sutter himself and his role in the California Gold Rush at the start of the self-guided tour. Rooms and other points of interest include audio stations depicting historical and cultural significance, but many areas also feature live reenactments and living history personnel. There’s a great gift shop (we recommend purchasing and reading Patty Reed’s Doll to your kids to give an age-appropriate retelling of the infamous Donner Party), picnic areas, and street parking. (Extra tip: summer temperatures soar in the valley, so plan to arrive early or do as we did: visit in December!)

Date last visited: December 2010

Admission: Adults $5, youth $3, kids under age 5: free.

Distance from the interstate: Five minutes from both I-5 and I-80.

Hours: 10 am to 5 pm daily

Directions: The park is located in midtown Sacramento between K and L Streets and 26th and 28th Streets. Traveling on I-80 from San Francisco, take Business 80/Hwy 50 east. Take the Business 80 exit (north towards Reno) to the N Street turn off. Travel straight on 30th Street then turn left under the freeway at L Street to the Fort which will be located on your right.

Oregon Caves National Monument

October 4, 2010 By

Oregon Caves Chateau on a sunny October afternoon.

If you’re driving along Hwy 199 to or from the California or Oregon coast and I-5, a stop off the beaten path at Oregon Caves National Monument is well-worth a few hours of your time! A beautiful 20 mile drive from the highway (up OR-46), Oregon Caves offers cave tours of one of the few marble caves in the world, easy hiking trails, a gorgeous lodge with dining, and breathtaking scenery.

The cave is definitely the main attraction, but keep in mind that kids MUST be at least 42″ to take the tour. Our five-year-old was finally tall enough this fall, so we spent a beautiful Sunday here just last weekend. The tour is 90 minutes, and the cave temperature is approximately 45 degrees, so dress warmly even in summer! (Jackets are available to borrow in the Visitor’s Center, which we found to be a nice touch.) The tour, which winds its way almost a mile through the extensive cave system, was very interesting and kept all our kids’ attention despite its length. Our guide, Suzan, was very knowledgeable and great with the kids in our tour, and encouraged lots of questions. The kids loved climbing all the stairs, ducking in the narrow sections, and spotting bats! The tour is lighted, but at several points, they’re turned off to give visitors a feel of how dark it actually is in the cave. Our kids couldn’t get enough; even my youngest, who’s afraid of the dark!

Toby and Nate head into the interior of the cave!

Adjacent to the cave, the Oregon Caves Chateau is a National Park Landmark and a truly beautiful place to stay. We enjoyed looking around, checking out the gift shop, and taking in the view from the main lobby before returning to our tree house accommodations at Out ‘N About Treesort in nearby Cave Junction.

If caving isn’t for you, try one of the many moderate hikes in the area (trail heads start at the Visitor’s Center). And don’t forget: ask a ranger about their Junior Ranger program! Kids are rewarded with pins and an impromptu award ceremony upon completing their material! We can’t recommend this program enough: no matter what park you visit, your kids will come away from the experience with a better understanding of the area’s history and natural treasures after completing Junior Rangers!

Distance from the nearest interstate: On OR-46, approximately 20 miles for Hwy 199 and 50 miles from I-5.

Date Last Visited: October 2010

Hours: The monument is a seasonal attraction. Tours are offered spring, summer, and fall, from 9 am to as late as 6 pm.

Calvin and Toby earn their Junior Ranger badges in the Visitor’s Center.

Admission Prices: Admission to the monument is FREE. Cave tours are $8.50 for adults, $6.00 for children (under 17).

Dining options: The Oregon Caves Chateau offers both fine dining and a casual diner with fun atmosphere, which we recommend. Otherwise, several options can be found in Cave Junction (20 miles), including locally famous Wild River Pizza (on Hwy 199).

Website: http://www.nps.gov/pwr/orca/

Directions: From I-5, take exit 58 to merge onto NE 6th St/OR-99/Redwood Hwy. Continue to follow Redwood Hwy (3 miles), then turn right at US-199 to Cave Junction (28 miles). Turn left on OR-46 (a gas station is on the corner) and follow OR-46 for 20 miles to the monument.

Thompson Mills State Historical Site

September 27, 2010 By

Photo courtesy of Ken’s World

13655 Boston Mill Drive
Shedd, OR

This pit stop has been submitted by Ken of Ken’s World. Thank you, Ken, for supporting Pit Stops for Kids!

Thompson Mills State Historical Site, located near I-5 in Shedd, Oregon, offers a glimpse into the area’s early farming and irrigation days with an impressive number of interpretive displays and knowledgeable staff. Opened in 2007, visitors can try their hand at a miniature grinding wheel, hear the history of the mill, and learn how the mill used water from the nearby Calapooia River to grind grains.

Date last visited: August 2010

Distance off the interstate: Right off I-5.

Hours: Open seven days a week, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Mill tours: Monday – Friday at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday hourly tours from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Website: Thompson Mills State Historical Site

Admission: Free

Directions: From I-5, take the Boston Mill Road exit near Shedd.

A Pit Stop a Day (Day 22): Old Sacramento Historical District

July 18, 2010 By

California State Railroad Museum

We spent our last day, Day 22, driving from Laguna Beach to Sacramento CA on I-5, visiting Sacramento’s historic Old Town and staying our final night on the road at the Embassy Suites Sacramento Riverfront Promenade.

Sacramento’s Old Town is a state historic park covering 28 acres along the Sacramento River directly opposite from downtown. Wooden sidewalks, false storefronts, and cobblestones create the illusion that visitors have returned to the famed California Gold Rush days (although cheap souvenir t-shirt shops and the like seem to work equally hard to distract from this).

By far the best gem of Old Town is the California State Railroad Museum (111 I Street), located at the entrance to Old Town and commanding a distinctive presence in the district. This impressive museum is larger than life (especially for young kids entranced by trains): visitor’s can walk through historic train compartments (the sleeper car even sways and jolts under your feet as though in motion), learn about the building of the railroad, and watch a great film depicting the early railroad days. Upstairs, Thomas the Tank Engine lovers will find extensive train tables at their disposal.

Our favorite shop in Old Sacramento.

After exploring the museum, we walked through Old Town, which consists primarily of shops, restaurants, and a few other smaller museums (a Wells Fargo stagecoach museum and a military museum). The Sacramento River is one block from the museum, as is the historic Delta King riverboat (hotel) and a monument to the Pony Express.

Kids (and adults alike) will love stopping to browse the offerings at Evangeline’s, a joke shop boutique. Nearly all the joke items and gag gifts are suitable for children (apart from a well-closed off ‘adult’ section in the back) and you could spend hours laughing at all the items for sale (at least we could!). My kids finally settled on ‘handerwear’ (underwear for hands), clacking teeth, and joke mustaches.

If you’re in Old Town after dinner and have saved room for dessert, Sacramento Sweets Co has the best waffle cone sundaes this side of the Mississippi. Their Capitol Sundae feeds two (but you won’t want to share). Be sure to get it topped with their homemade caramel or hot fudge sauce!

Seasonal Tip: If your Sacramento vacation brings you to the city in late August, be sure to attend Old Sacramento’s Gold Rush Days. The streets are covered with dirt and allow only pedestrian or horse-drawn traffic, adding to the authentic old west feel. Living history exhibits and re-enactments are in play all weekend!

Note: Two other great Sacramento attractions include Sutter’s Fort (where California gold was first discovered) and FairyTale Town (located near the Sacramento Zoo).

Date last visited: July 15, 2010.

Distance off the interstate: Right off I-5.

Directions: From I-5, follow signs to Old Sacramento Historic District. Turn off I-5 at J Street, turn left onto 3rd, then turn onto I Street to the California State Railroad Museum.

Up Next: Or last, that is: we review our stay at the Embassy Suites Sacramento Riverfront Promenade!

A Pit Stop a Day (Day 16): Cove Fort, Utah

July 12, 2010 By

Entrance to Cove Fort.

On Day 16, we reluctantly left the Westgate Park City behind to enthusiastically set out for Zion National Park. We needed a pit stop en route, and found it in Cove Fort between Fillmore and Beaver along I-15.

At first, we thought Cove Fort was a self-guided tour, but after eating our lunch in their large picnic area, we were greeted by a fort guide (docent) and told that entrance to the fort is by guided tour only. The tour included a 15 minute film followed by a walk-through. I wasn’t sure how much time I wanted to devote to this pit stop, but I wanted the kids (and myself!) to learn a bit more about Utah history, so we decided to do it.

The film was your typical historical museum recounting of the events leading up to and following the construction of the fort, and explained its purpose and described the people who lived there with narratives. It held everyone’s attention and Toby (age 5) followed along fine.

Our tour guide was very friendly and clearly cared about the historical significance of the fort. I was (happily) surprised that we didn’t need to wait for more visitors before starting our tour: there were enough guides to take individual families through the fort. She took us through many different rooms (all of which had been preserved with articles and furniture of the fort’s era) and explained life at the fort during its operation. Again, she kept the kids’ attention and answered their many questions.

Restored interior room at Cove Fort.

What I had thought would be a so-so pit stop and mostly a lunch break turned out to be very interesting and a great history lesson. The kids got to stretch their legs, learn about Utah history, and were given a small wooden toy much like a boy at the fort would have played with as a parting gift.

Note: Cove Fort is owned and operated by the LDS (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints). Understandably (due to Mormon and American history merging so thoroughly in Utah), there is a religious undertone to the tour. The inhabitants of the fort were Mormon pioneers, after all, and this is part of their story. However, the guides do take the opportunity to share their faith, and there are many Mormon references during their spiel. If this sort of thing makes you uncomfortable, you might want to skip the tour.

Extra Tip: If you need to cut your tour short due to time constraints, attention spans, etc, just let your guide know. They can cut out parts of it to help you get on your way (one perk of having guides per every family/group). Ours was very understanding.

Date last visited: July 6, 2010.

Distance off the interstate: Right off both I-15 and I-70.

Admission: Free!

Hours:

April-September: 8 am-sunset daily
October-March: 9 am-sunset daily

Food Services: There’s a very nice picnic area adjacent to the fort (you can’t miss it because you park right next to it). It’s well shaded by mature trees and there’s lots of grass and nice bathrooms. We bought sandwiches at the Subway right off the interstate and ate before touring the fort.

Website: None.

Directions: From I-15, take Exit 135 and follow signs after the gas station/Subway. From I-70, take Exit 1 to destination.

Up Next: We arrive in Zion National Park and check into the Cliffrose Lodge and Gardens!

North Point Lighthouse

June 10, 2010 By
Wind Point Lighthouse, Wind Point, Wisconsin. ...

Image via Wikipedia

2650 N. Wahl Ave.
Milwaukee, WI

The North Point Lighthouse, standing since 1855, is a fixture in scenic Milwaukee, WI. Better yet for traveling families, it’s located adjacent to a great park for kids! Says Kara (AKA Vacation Gals’ ColoradoGal), “After snapping a photo of both families in front of the lighthouse, we explored a bit: (Double the Adventure’s)Sharlene’s husband actually pointed out this great trail with wooden steps leading down into the woods, and of course we had to explore it. After all, that’s how my family rolls…the kids led the way through all sorts of lush foliage down to the shore of Lake Michigan!”

Extra Tip!: Public tours are offered from 1-4 pm on Saturdays, year-round.

Date last visited: June 2010

Distance off the interstate: Six minutes off I-43.

Admission Prices:

Under 5: Free
Under 12: $3.00
Age 12 and up: $5.00 per person

Money-saving Tip! If you think you might be back, family memberships (starting at $35) might be a better deal for you, depending upon the size of your family!

Bathrooms: Need this information. If you know, please answer in the comments!

Website: North Point Lighthouse

Directions: From Interstate 43 in Milwaukee, drive east on Interstate 794. Take the Lakefront exit and go north on Lincoln Memorial Drive for 2.2 miles. Turn left opposite McKinley Park Beach and drive up the hill on E. Water Tower Road. Turn right on Terrace Avenue and make a quick right onto Wahl Avenue. The lighthouse will be on your right after about half a mile, in the southern end of Lake Park.
(From I-94, go north on I-43, then follow the above directions.)


Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park

May 7, 2010 By

Village at Indian Grinding Rock, photo courtesy of Tripping with Kids

14881 Pine Grove-Volcano Road
Pine Grove, CA

Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park makes for an excellent family road trip pit stop while you’re exploring California’s Gold Country. Located in the Sierra Nevada foothills eight miles east of Jackson, the park offers not only a great outcropping of marbleized limestone with some 1,185 mortar holes, but the Chaw’se Regional Indian Museum, which features a variety of exhibits and an outstanding collection of Sierra Nevada Indian artifacts. After visiting the museum, head over to the Miwok village complete with a ceremonial roundhouse that has been reconstructed in the middle of the small valley.

Reviewer Lora of Tripping with Kids comments on the excitement of exploring the village: “I watched the kids take off running to investigate some of the (other) teepees. Across from the hun’ge (roundhouse) was a large field, used even today as a playing field during living history events. Two trails are available to lead you around the woods, one is a half-mile and one a mile long. At the head of the trails, you can pick up a brochure that identifies particular local plants and what they were used for by the indigenous people.”

Date last visited: April 2010.

Distance off the interstate: 1 hour 15 minutes from I-5, 20 minutes from Hwy 49.

Hours and Admission Prices: Park hours are sunrise to sunset. Museum hours: Thursdays, Fridays and Mondays, 11 am to 2:30 pm. Saturdays and Sundays, 10 am to 3:30 pm. Admission: $8/car for day use.

Bathrooms: Located on premises.

Food Services: None. Picnic areas are available, or the town of Jackson offers several diners and a deli.

Directions: The park is northeast of Stockton in the lower foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains (or about 1 hour from Sacramento). Take State Highway 88 east through Jackson to the town of Pine Grove. Take a left turn on the Pine-Grove-Volcano Road, and about a mile and a half later you will enter the Park. The SECOND turnoff is the main entrance (the first is to the small campground).

Wheeler Historic Farm

May 3, 2010 By

Barn at Wheeler Historic Farm

6351 South 900 East
Salt Lake City, UT

Traveling this spring or summer? What better way to take a break from summer vacation family fun (ie, the long drives!) than to run around a real farm? The Wheeler Historic Farm, listed on the National Register of Historical Places and commanding 75 acres, is the ideal place to stop and play while driving through Salt Lake City and the surrounding metropolitan area. You’ll find an activity barn, tree house, ponds and animal pens. Adults and older kids will like the tour of the historic buildings, including the farmhouse. You can even milk cows (every day at 5 pm, cost is 50 cents) and go on a tractor-drawn wagon ride.

Check out a map of Wheeler Farm to get a fuller picture of all it has to offer!

Visit the animal pens!

Date last visited: Reviewer visited in April 2010.

Distance off the interstate: Just a few minutes off I-215.

Hours and Admission Prices: Dawn to dusk, every day! Some activities have a fee ($2 a person for historic tours and wagon rides, for instance).

Bathrooms: Located on premises.

Food Services: Try their Country Store for local products and produce! There are plenty of shade trees for a picnic, too!

Website: http://www.wheelerfarm.com

Directions: Take 1-215 and exit at Union Park Avenue, or Exit 9. The Farm entrance is located on the east side of 900 East.

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Agrirama: Georgia’s Museum of Agriculture and Historic Village

December 30, 2009 By

1392 Whiddon Mill Road
Tifton, Georgia

Photo courtesy of Brown's Guide to GA

Photo courtesy of Brown’s Guide to GA

Always one to love living history exhibits, I knew Id found the perfect pitstop in Tifton, Georgia’s Agrirama, Georgia’s Museum of Agriculture and Living History Museum. Touted as where the present meets the past’, Agrirama is a 95-acre complex featuring an historic village with over 35 structures which have been relocated to the site and faithfully restored or preserved. Included is a museum, a main street, farmsteads, homesteads, a schoolhouse, community buildings, and more, all replicating the 1870-1890’s era. And it’s located on I-75, which makes it a very convenient pitstop for families heading down the interstate toward Florida! Sherri Smith Brown of Brown’s Guide to Georgia reviewed it recently, writing:

Costumed interpreters perform the daily activities of life¦you’ll see people working in the fields, the sawmill, the turpentine still, the blacksmith’s shop and the gristmill. On Main Street, you can visit the drug store, the print shop and the train depot. A 1.3-mile railroad system circles the site; but due to state budget cuts, the steam locomotive only runs during special events. You can walk through farmsteads of different eras as well as a mid-1890s one-room schoolhouse.”

Distance off the interstate: Less than a few minutes!

Hours and Admission Prices: Open Tuesday-Saturday from 9am until 4:30 pm
Closed for Labor Day, Thanksgiving Holidays (Thursday & Friday) and
Christmas Break (December 20 – Jan 5).

Admission is as follows: Adults – $7.00, Seniors – (age 55+) $6.00, Children – (5 – 16) $4.00, Children 4 and under FREE. (Group rates are available.)

Food Services: The Sandwich Shop is on premises. For a good price, you can find hamburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, or get it to go with one of their sack lunch options!

Website: http://agrirama.com/main/index.php

Directions: Easy to find right off I-75 at Exit 63B. Turn right at 8th St, then continue onto Whiddon Mill Rd.
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Native Americans of the Southeast

September 7, 2009 By
Etowah Historic site Effigies (courtesy of Georgia State Parks)

Etowah Historic site Effigies (courtesy of Georgia State Parks)

Guest Review by Kim Hatcher, Public Affairs Coordinator of Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites.

Multiple sites along I-75 through GA

Driving I-75 between Atlanta and Chattanooga can become a fun-filled history lesson on Native Americans of the Southeast. At Etowah Indian Mounds (813 Indian Mounds Rd., S.W. Cartersville), kids can burn off energy climbing the 63-foot earthen mound where they can look over the valley and imagine life 1,000 years ago. Look for a fish trap in the Etowah River — this is a V-shaped rock pile that channeled fish into baskets. Look for songbirds, flowers and big trees on the riverside nature trail. The museum has real artifacts found at the site.
(effigies that were discovered at Etowah, now in the museum).

At New Echota Cherokee Capitol (1211 Chatsworth Hwy NE
Calhoun), kids can see a real printing press that was used to create a bi-lingual newspaper. This is a good place to teach about language and how Sequoyah invented the first written Cherokee alphabet. The museum has life-size “people” in traditional dress. This is also where the infamous Trail of Tears had its beginnings when the U.S. government wanted to take over Cherokee land in order to search for gold. A nature trail leads to a beaver pond.

Also nearby is Chief Vann House Historic Site (82 Ga. Highway 225 N
Chatsworth). Kids will enjoy seeing the children’s bedroom with toys.

New Echota Print Shop (courtesy of Georgia State Parks)

New Echota Print Shop (courtesy of Georgia State Parks)

Distance off the interstate: each site 1-5 miles off I-75

Hours and Admission Prices: $3.50-$5 each. Georgia State Parks are currently open only Thursday-Saturday, due to budget cuts.

Website: Find these sites are more at http://gastateparks.org/

Directions: From I-75, the Etowah Indian Mounds are located 5 miles southwest of I-75 exit #288. The New Echota Cherokee Capitol is located one mile east of I-75 exit #317 on Ga. Hwy. 225, and the Chief Vann House Historic Site is located 3 miles west of Chatsworth at the intersection of Ga. Hwys. 225 and 52-A.

Look for more segments on Georgia State Parks in the coming months.