Families touring San Francisco could easily dedicate a full day to the busy, touristy region of Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39. And while not to replace visiting other parts of the city, a day here is well spent. We definitely suggest beginning your day with a family tour of Alcatraz Island, but this still leaves you with an afternoon and evening to fill at the wharf. Here's our picks for how to … [Read more...]
The Solar Living Institute
May 14, 2012 By
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 … [Read more...]
3 things to do with kids in Paso Robles CA
April 30, 2012 By
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 … [Read more...]
Wings and Waves Water Park
April 26, 2012 By
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 … [Read more...]
Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum
April 26, 2012 By
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 … [Read more...]
Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
March 29, 2012 By
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 … [Read more...]
Beneski Museum of Natural History, Amherst College
March 27, 2012 By
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 … [Read more...]
The Dr. Pepper Museum
March 2, 2012 By
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 … [Read more...]
Little Buckeye Children’s Museum
November 16, 2011 By
The brand new Little Buckeye Children’s Museum in Mansfield, Ohio, offers young kids a terrific space for creative play. Set up in a number of open-ended exhibits, the museum is designed for children up to age 12, but I suspect it will be most popular among the preschool set. My boys (ages two and four) moved from exhibit to exhibit, delighting in pretend play in the miniature versions of a bank, … [Read more...]
The Oregon Vortex and House of Mystery
October 6, 2011 By
The Oregon Vortex, location of the House of Mystery is described as a natural wonder. A spherical field of force half above the ground and half below the ground, it amazes both kids and scientists alike. A guide takes visitors on a tour explaining the "vortex"; how it was discovered and what it actually is. She or he demonstrates the phenomena and it is quite interesting. In our group, we … [Read more...]
