Pit Stops - Pitstops for Kids

Sitka day trips: Allen Marine Sea Otter and Wildlife Quest

August 30, 2013 By Amy Hagstrom

Sitka Alaska has many attractions for families, but if time is tight and you only have one day to experience one of many Sitka day trips, spend it on the water of Sitka Sound with Allen Marine. Allen Marine has been running their wildlife tours for over 40 years, making them an authority on Sitka and wildlife and marine life viewing. Alaskan Native owned and operated, the company guarantees wildlife sightings while on board their vessels.

We took their Sea Otter and Wildlife Quest tour of the Sitka Sound as part of our Alaskan Dream Cruises itinerary (also run by Allen Marine), which took us amid the many small islands off the sound for a three hour tour.

What sets Allen Marine apart:

We were happily surprised to see that Allen Marine provides a naturalist onboard all their day excursion vessels. Our naturalist, in partnership with our boat’s experienced captain, was able to point out details our untrained eye would have missed, such as an eaglet in a known-to-locals bald eagle’s nest and a bird sanctuary not usually part of a standard Sitka itinerary. The waterjet tour boat is two-stories, with wall-to-wall windows for viewing and a covered sun deck for some air. Snacks, coffee, hot chocolate, and tea are complementary, as are the use of high quality binoculars (enough for everyone).

In addition to showing us sea otters, Stellar sea lions, eagles, bears, and sea birds, our naturalist had many tactile lessons on-hand for the kids (and adults), such as feathers, leaves, skins, and furs to use as educational tools. We didn’t expect such a knowledgable crew! Tip: dress in layers and have a rain jacket and gloves on-hand to really enjoy the observation deck.

Date last visited: July 2013

Reservation information: Book directly with Allen Marine, or check your cruise ship’s excursion listings…they’re likely on there! Cost information is available by calling Allen Marine or through your cruise line.

Directions: Boats pick guests up directly from cruise ships, or from select docks in Sitka.

Not visiting Sitka? Allen Marine offers similar tours in both Juneau and Ketchikan.

Things to do in Sitka Alaska with kids: three not-to-miss attractions

August 26, 2013 By Amy Hagstrom

Whether you’re embarking upon an Alaska cruise from Sitka or charting a fishing excursion, there are multiple things to do in Sitka Alaska with kids. The town is rich in Russian and Tlingit (Alaska Native) history, and is a bustling fishing port to this day. Be sure to schedule at least one extra day in town to explore the natural, historical, and cultural sights. Sitka boasts 8,500 residents, but the central downtown area is entirely walkable; no need for a car. The three attractions for kids in Sitka below are all within a few blocks of one another, and all walkable from Sitka hotels.

Alaska Raptor Center:

Spend a few hours at the Alaska Raptor Center, located just outside of town just past Sitka National Historic Park (walk through the trails to get there!). This rehabilitation center for as many as 30 Alaskan birds of prey includes permanent housing for raptors who cannot be reintroduced back into the wild, as well as ‘rehab’ exercise and observation rooms for those who are recovering from injuries. The staff is well-educated on the goings on at the center, and can answer any questions about the rescue process.

Start at the birds of prey presentation to ‘meet’ some bald eagle friends and get an overview of the center, then tour the rehab area and the outside viewing areas. The kids loved the owls best–especially the very animated snowy owl–and the ravens. There’s a nice walking path where wild bald eagles can be spotted (and perhaps a bear or two) and a gift shop, of course. The good news: proceeds help the raptors.

Located at 1000 Raptor Way, off Lincoln Street. Admission is $12 for adults and $6 for kids, and the center is open May through September 8 am to 4 pm.

Sitka National Historic Park:

En route to the Raptor Center is Sitka National Historic Park, which we were told is the smallest national park in the nation. Don’t judge it by its size, however: Sitka’s historic park has enough to do to keep a family busy for several hours. Start at the small but well-designed visitor’s center: view the short film which gives a good overview of the history of the area, then take a walk through the coastal rain forested trails to see the site of the Russian-Tlingit battle of the late 17th century and many authentic totem poles. Better yet: take one of the park’s guided walks to learn the most about the significance of each totem.

The walk deposits visitors near the beach, where great tide pool and intertidal viewing is possible at low tide. Either way, stop to take a photo of beautiful Sitka Sound and see if you can spot any large cruise ships anchored off-shore (the harbor cannot accommodate them). Back in the visitor’s center, check out the indoor totem poles and pick up a Junior Ranger booklet to complete in Sitka.

The park is free to visit and open 8 am to 5 pm. Located on Lincoln Street (a main thoroughfare), the park is a 10 minute walk from another historical site, the Russian Bishop’s House (also on Lincoln, toward town). Download a walking map.

Sitka Sound Science Center:

The Sitka Sound Science Center is easy to overlook, located in a set of warehouses by the bay, but we found it to be a hidden gem of Sitka. Locals enjoy the center’s educational day programs and camps, and there’s plenty to see as a visitor as well. Plan to spend at least one hour to tour the outside salmon hatchery (where you can learn about the process of tagging and tracking Alaskan Wild Salmon) and explore the indoor touch tanks. These tanks are extensive, showcasing the abundance of wildlife in the intertidal zone. Kids and adults can touch everything in the tanks (with one finger to ensure nothing gets accidentally pinched or squished), and we had a great time learning what all these critters felt like! The water in the touch tanks is very cold, so be prepared for a numb hand after a while!

In the touch tank room are also several exhibits about the intertidal zone, marine wildlife, and eco-conservationism. An orca whale skeleton draws the eye, too. The guides here comprise mostly of scientists and students, and are very knowledgeable about the animals and SE Alaska.

Admission is $5 per person (over age two), which includes the hatchery. The center is located at 834 Lincoln.

While walking Sitka, Castle Hill, the site of the signing of Alaska over to the U.S. from Russia, is also worth a stop. A series of stairs takes visitors to the best views around, with cannons kids enjoy seeing and vistas of both the town and the sound. Find Castle Hill at the end of Lincoln Street, by the Sitka Hotel and Totem Square.

Looking for a place to stay in Sitka? Read our review of Totem Square Inn.

What to do in Freeport, Maine with kids

August 21, 2013 By Amy Hagstrom

When you think of Freeport, Maine, you probably think of outlet stores. That is, if you’ve even heard of it at all. And Freeport does have great outlets, including its anchor store, the original L.L. Bean and outlet. But there’s more for families to do in Freeport than shop.

What to do in Freeport Maine with kids:

1. Atlantic Seal Cruises: Freeport is right on the ocean, and families can join a cruise with Atlantic Seal Cruises to tour the bay, see lighthouses, and more. They offer clambakes and lobster bakes, and depart right from Freeport. Often, you’ll see osprey and eagles from the boat.

2. Blueberry Pond Observatory: Located on Libby Road in Freeport, this observatory offers guided tours where kids can see the moon, planets, and supernovas through a 12′ telescope. You get an astronomy lesson with your visit, and tours start as early as 6 pm in winter, allowing even young kids to stay up late enough to see the stars.

3. L.L. Bean Outdoor Discovery School: Sign up for fantastic classes offered through the L.L. Bean Outdoor Discovery School. Families can learn together how to kayak, fly fish, stand-up paddle board, and more. In fact, there are over 100 classes offered! This is a great way to introduce yourself to a sport that may be a great fit for your whole family.

Where to shop with kids in Freeport:

1. L.L. Bean, of course: The flagship store offers a huge selection of the latest gear and clothing, but also sports a climbing wall and other interactive features. This store is a great place to spend a rainy afternoon, because kids can be active and have fun while adults shop. Plus, L.L. Bean quality is legendary: we bought a toddler-sized rain jacket at this store in 2001. It’s still being worn by various members of our family! Don’t forget that in addition to the flagship store, there are several outlets, a specialty bike and ski shop, and a hunting and fishing shop.

2. Ben and Jerry’s: How can you go wrong? The Ben and Jerry’s location in Freeport is bigger than most, and have the newest flavors from Vermont. It’s located on Nathan Nye Street amid all the shopping options.

3. Island Treasure Toys: Located at 20 Bow Street, Island Treasure has a huge array of specialty toys and educational toys. If you’re on a road trip, this is a must-stop for their selection of car games and portable toys to take on the road. There’s also a great selection of books.

Where to stay in Freeport:

We recommend the Harraseeket Inn on Main Street. It’s located just outside of the main congestion of town, but still within walking distance, and it’s unique while still offering traditional hotel rooms instead of B&B rooms (which tend to be more adults-only oriented). We stayed here with a two-year-old, and had a great time exploring the grounds, which include a nice courtyard and indoor pool. The Harraseeket is a luxury (four diamond) hotel, but still casual and kid-friendly. For more economical accommodations, the Best Western PLUS offers standard lodging and an outdoor pool and children’s play area.

Photo credit: dchousegrooves and littlelionkat

Summer activities at Utah Olympic Park

August 16, 2013 By Amy Hagstrom

If you’re staying in Park City, Utah in summer, definitely take time away from historic downtown and your resort pool to play for the day at Utah Olympic Park. Fun in winter, the park is even more action-packed during the summer months. Here’s what you can expect in terms of summer activities at Utah Olympic Park.

See Olympians training:

The park was built for the 2002 Olympic Games, and remains a training ground for ski jump, bobsled, and more. Most days at the park, guests can watch youth and adults training at the facilities. There’s also a free museum on Olympic history that’s well worth checking out.

Play on the zip-lines and ropes course:

For only $40 per person (far less than the cost of a ski ticket in winter!), kids get unlimited use of zip-lines, high ropes courses, and more. Guests choose from three levels of Adventure Courses: our eight-year-old opted for the most basic course, but quickly realized he was ready for more. It was no problem to send him on his way to try the more challenging elements. We loved the flexibility of the courses, and the all-inclusive rate. Kids as young as five can start on the Discovery Adventure. The Canyons Adventure is designed for age seven and up, while the Summit Adventure is for the most daring. There’s even a Drop Tower for taller kids.

Try a chair lift ride:

For kids who are not skiers, a chair lift ride is a great way to experience a fun aspect of the sport. And the views from the top of the chair include most of the valley, plus a new perspective on the challenging ski jump chute. Rides are inexpensive and a great compliment to a museum visit for younger kids or adults.

Go on the bobsled:

Older kids can experience the thrill of a bobsled ride on the only full-length course in North America. This ride is less intense than its winter equivalent (and less expensive) but still offers 5 G’s of force as you twist and turn down 15 curves behind a professional driver.

Experience zip-lines:

The Utah Olympic Park zip lines propel riders 50 mph. We loved that there are two side by side, so family members can enjoy this together. There’s also a more kid-friendly freestyle zip-line, which is shorter and less steep.

Try the alpine slide:

Perfect for younger kids, the alpine slide is tame enough for anyone (kids can ride with parents) but exciting enough to keep teens entertained riding solo. The slide is built with stainless steel construction, with straight-aways, drops and 18 banked turns.

Date last visited: June 2013

Distance from the interstate: minutes from I-40

Admission: Gold Day Pass is $65 for adults, $40 for kids, and includes everything except the bobsled ride ($75 extra cost). Some activities are unlimited. See details. Single activities can be purchased separately as well, for very reasonable prices between $5-$15.

Summer hours: hours for various activities vary, but generally, attractions start opening by 10 am and close at 6 pm.

Directions: The Utah Olympic Park is located at 3419 Olympic Pkwy. From Park City or The Canyons Resort, easily follow well-marked signage.

This post written in partnership with VacationRoost. We were not compensated for reviewing any of the activities above.

Old Trail Town Cody Wyoming

August 14, 2013 By Amy Hagstrom

Cody, Wyoming is bursting with family-friendly historical sites. Not to be overlooked is Old Trail Town Cody Wyoming. While this Cody attraction won’t take families as long to tour as the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, it makes for a worthy hour of exploration.

Each of the 26 historic buildings in Trail Town are authentic dwellings from the 1850s-1910s, brought to Cody from all corners of Wyoming, Utah, and Montana, among other states. As a collection, they’re impressive enough, but each interior has been reconstructed to replicate life during the respective era. There’s a blacksmith shop, saloon, homesteading cabins, fur-trading cabins, and barns. Visitors can even walk into the Hole in the Wall cabin of Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid fame, and see bullet holes in the door of the saloon.

Of particular interest to us at Trail Town was the graveyard, which includes the grave of Jeremiah Johnson and other Western mountain men and women. A small museum houses letters written home from ranchers, fur trappers, and settlers, and Native American artifacts from the region. The whole property will take families approximately 1-2 hours to tour, depending on age of kids and interest level.

Date last visited:

June 2103

Distance from the interstate:

Right off Highway 20

Admission rates:

$8 per person for adults, lower for kids

Hours of operation:

8 am to 7 pm, May 15 to September 30.

Directions:

Trail Town is located on the west end of Cody on Highway 20 near the Cody Stampede rodeo grounds.

Cody Wyoming restaurants: where to eat on Sheridan Street with kids

August 12, 2013 By Amy Hagstrom

Visitors to Cody, Wyoming will quickly see that this authentic cowboy town has a lot to offer in rich history, touristy shopping, and outdoor recreation. It also has a lot of saloons and bars, but family-friendly restaurants in Cody do exist in ready supply! Below, our top five picks for where to eat in Cody Wyoming for breakfast, lunch, and dinner:

Adriano’s Italian: For a nice dinner out, Adriano’s offers both delicious Italian fare and Western charm…a combination you may not have known could exist! Rodeo memorabilia, photos, and trophies line the walls of this cozy restaurant, and while the wait staff was overworked the night of our visit, the manager was friendly and attentive. Of special note: the garlic bread is to die for. Find Adriano’s at 1244 Sheridan Ave.

Peter’s: If you’re looking for a mid-day meal or sweet snack, Peter’s does not disappoint with counter-service burgers, hot dogs, and fries and a wide-variety of ice cream treats. There are tables for in-restaurant dining, or you can take your snack to go and eat while strolling the streets of Cody. Peter’s does offer breakfast as well. Find Peter’s at 1219 Sheridan Ave.

Irma Hotel patio dining: The Irma Hotel on Sheridan Ave is the scene of the nightly gunfight skit (every night at 6:30). It’s also an historic building, first built as a hotel by Buffalo Bill Cody for his daughter Irma. The dining room inside is a bit spendy and stuffy (and adjacent to a fairly loud bar), but outside on the shaded patio, a casual menu offers burgers, sandwiches, and salads. Come for the show and stay for the meal. Find Irma’s at 1292 Sheridan Ave.

Rocky Mountain MoJoe: Located closer to the west end of town, MoJoe’s serves the best coffee drinks in town, plus killer breakfasts that include saysage-stuffed pancakes, cinnamon-encrusted french toast, and egg sandwiches. They’re open for all meals, and have both indoor and outdoor casual seating. Find MoJoe’s at 1001 Sheridan Ave.

Granny’s: If you want to eat where the locals eat, head to Granny’s. Located on the east end of downtown across from the Buffalo Bill Village, Granny’s serves homestyle breakfast entrees like biscuits and gravy, egg scrambles, and sweet rolls the size of your kid’s head. On weekend mornings it gets quite crowded, but the wait staff is fast and friendly, and tables turn over quickly. Granny’s is located at 1550 Sheridan Ave.

Visiting Hot Springs State Park, Thermopolis Wyoming

August 7, 2013 By Amy Hagstrom

Approximately two hours outside of Cody, Wyoming and 2.5 from Yellowstone National Park, the town of Thermopolis Wyoming plays host to Hot Springs State Park, the oldest state park in Wyoming. Families may find themselves passing through en route to either aforementioned destination, and Thermopolis’ unique attractions make it an excellent pit stop.

Upon entering Hot Springs State Park, you’ll set aside any pre-conceived notion that as a state park and historical landmark, the hot springs will be removed from commercialism. Since 1900, Hot Springs State Park has been a tourist destination in its own right, and remains an attraction first, historic site second. The state park is right near town, with several motels on the grounds. The main draw is the geothermal hot springs, which, since 1900, have been piped into several area bath houses and pools. As you drive through the state park grounds, you’ll notice several large beehive-shaped mounds: these were once teepees erected around geothermal springs to capture their steam, and are now covered with a century of sulphuric residue.

Hot Springs State Park pools:

There are two main hot springs’-fed pool complexes on the state park grounds, both open to the public. The Teepee Pool is the lower cost option, used predominately by locals, according to the locals I queried. It includes an indoor and outdoor pool, one slide, and soaking tubs. The more expensive but more extensive Star Plunge Pool includes indoor and outdoor pools, soaking hot tubs, three slides, a kiddie pool, and a high dive. We opted to spend our day here, and were not disappointed.

Walking into the Star Plunge, one might think they’re entering a bowling alley or skating rink of the ’70’s. The dark interior sports a small selection of video arcade games, and next to the ticket counter is a ‘self serve’ snack bar of candy, chips, and sodas. Once past the front counter, there are locker rooms that lead into the large indoor pool. Be ready to be assaulted by the smell of sulphur: this is the real deal!

The indoor pool consists of several soaking whirlpools attached to the main indoor pool, plus a hot tub that can reach 104 degrees. The main pools are approximately 90-94 degrees. There’s an interior hydro-tube slide called Blue Thunder Run that deposits riders into a flume adjacent to the indoor pool, and the 21-and-old Vapor Cave leads you to a naturally-made sauna cut into the rock of the mountain upon which the Star Plunge is built. Bubbling hot springs water continually flows here, creating intense steam. I like saunas, but could not stand the heat like some of the locals can!

Outside another large pool beckons, with a small children’s slide called the Lil’ Dipper that’s still pretty intense at 60 feet, a kiddie pool above it, and a diving board. There are plenty of deck chairs and extra sun decks above the kiddie pool. Access to the largest slide, an outdoor half-tube called the Super Star 500 is inside next to the enclosed tube. Riders walk up a very steep path to the top after grabbing a mat to slide down on. The water pressure at the top is quite intense (2,400 gallons per minute), making the slide intimidating for young kids (it can be tricky to get yourself on your mat and sit down without taking off prematurely!).

There are at least 27 different minerals in the water at Star Plunge, and while they’re no longer considered to be medicinal, there still is an exercise and massage facility on-site. Plan to spend at least 2-3 hours here to enjoy it all, taking breaks from the water to soak up the sun in the summer. The pools are open in winter, and likely very welcome during cold Wyoming days.

Other park points-of-interest:

After swimming, take a few minutes to drive past the pools to a few look outs with plaques describing the thermal activity in the area. These turn-outs also have great views of the basin and the Big Horn River. You’ll learn a little more about this unique region with water literally bubbling beneath the surface, and it only takes a few minutes. There’s a drive where American bison (buffalo) still roam (though we didn’t glimpse any) and a small pioneer graveyard that’s of interest.