history for kids - Pitstops for Kids

Paris day trip: Touring Normandy D-Day battlefields

February 15, 2016 By Amy Hagstrom

In each major city we visited during our European trip, we opted to take one long day trip outside the city limits. In Paris, many options for day trips vie for attention, but for our family, a tour of the Normandy D-Day battlefields won out. We have two teens who have studied WWII history, and this tour was their pick.

Touring Normandy D-Day battlefields:

We opted to go through Viator for our tour,, choosing their Normandy D-Day Battlefields and Beaches tour. One of the most respected and well-known tour companies operating across Europe, we trust Viator to provide a high quality experience. One thing for families to note that many don’t realize: Viator is a middle man. They don’t conduct the tours themselves, but rather outsource them locally. For travelers who expect to be led by a Viator guide from a Viator office, this can be unsettling or even alarming, but I think there’s a good reason behind it: Viator is a huge operation, and cannot be the expert on everything, everywhere. I appreciate that they seek out the best guides within each city. In any case, we had a tour with them in both Paris and Rome, and in both cases, our guides were top-notch.

For the D-Day tour starting and ending in Paris, Viator uses Paris City Vision. We met our group and guide at the Paris City Vision office by the Concorde in Paris at 6:30 am the day of our tour. Yes, painfully early, especially since we’d be late if we waited for the metro. We opted to call a car service so we’d be certain a ride would be ready and waiting for us. (We used Blacklane, which I highly recommend. Read more about our experience with them in this post on planning a Paris itinerary.)

After an easy check-in experience at Paris City Vision, we headed for Normandy on a luxury tour bus. I know, I know, everyone hates big tours in tour busses. But it was fine and I’ll explain why: we never, ever walked all around in a huge group at the sites. Our tour stopped at four locations, and our guide talked to us while the bus was in transit in each case, allowing us to tour as individual families. This is where the value of the tour came in: we didn’t have to figure out our own transportation to and from Normandy, we had all entry tickets taken care of, and we had expert commentary before each stop.

The drive to the first stop, which is in Caen, takes almost three hours. Yes, ouch. But we slept, and found the bus very comfortable, with reclining seats and reading lights and a restroom onboard. The first stop on the tour is the Caen-Normandie Memorial museum at the site of a German bunker and stronghold during the French occupation, and covers WWII very much in depth, from pre-war time through the liberation. It does cover the holocaust in detail, so prepare children. In fact, I’d recommend this whole tour only to families with kids age 10 and up. We’d prepared them for D-Day battle details, but didn’t know we’d need to prepare them for some very sad details regarding Jewish ghettos and camps. This part of the museum was too much for our 11-year-old. It’s hard to bypass because exhibits are intermixed, but the area downstairs towards the end of the hall have the most holocaust stories. The violence of the D-Day battles are much less graphic, even in the film…he has no problem with those aspects of the museum.

An included lunch was served in the museum for our group privately. It was a sit-down affair, with a salad bar (French cafeteria style, with a second dessert and cheese station) and main dish. There was not a choice in the main dish. When we visited, it was a rustic French style cuisine of baked chicken or hen. Some of us loved it, others not so much, but there was plenty of food for those who didn’t enjoy the main dish.

The tour then drove us through very pretty Normandy countryside and villages to Pointe du Hoc, Omaha Beach, and Juno Beach. Pointe du Hoc is the region on high cliffs scaled by US Rangers and has extensive bunkers and bomb craters to look at and walk through. Omaha Beach has an excellent visitor center (be sure to leave time to go downstairs) and the US cemetery. Juno has the memorial to the Canadian forces and easy beach access.

The picturesque countryside and tiny villages (of which we drove through several) was an added bonus for me on this trip. I had wanted to find a way to explore more of the French countryside, and this way, we got to see some of this without renting a car for the day. Our guide pointed out WWII-related landmarks in and around the villages, such as the hedgerows that cost so many lives as smaller battles were fought through and between them.

The entire day was certainly sobering, but also beautiful and impressive. We learned a lot, and as noted above, we had plenty of time for personal reflection and family time during the day, as we spread out from our larger group at each stop. As a family, we were able to decide our own itinerary through each memorial and museum, spending time together and digesting the information together. For families wishing to find a particular memorial marker or name, there is time for this. However, we found that at each stop, we didn’t quite have as much time as we’d like. Certainly, had we been staying in Normandy and had more time, we would have spent at least a half hour more at each stop.

We returned to Paris around 4 pm, stopping for a quick dinner at a service station along the interstate. This meal was on our own, and nothing more than a necessary stop. I was actually glad they hadn’t built in another longer meal, as we were ready to be back in the city by this point. We arrived back at the tour office around 8:30 pm.

Certainly, this tour was a very full day, but our sixteen-year-old lists it as one of the most memorable of our trip. Teens who have studied (or will study) this war will find it fascinating. Our 11-year-old was also old enough to understand and enjoy the tour, though he did get bored a few times. If you go, be prepared for some heavy subjects and hard questions, and do your best to prepare kids ahead of time. As noted above, there’s nothing visually graphic as far as war images go, but the stories and the cemeteries do take their toll. By the last stop at Juno, I will admit all we wanted to do was walk together as a family on the beach.

A few practicalities and pricing info:

Bring books or iPods for kids’ entertainment on the bus, or even a deck of cards. The bus seats have little trays like airplane seats do. I also suggest bringing bottled water, though our guide was great about pointing out where we could buy more along the way. The cost of the tour is on the higher side of Viator’s Paris offerings, due to the length of the tour and distance traveled. We felt the value was definitely there, provided you have older kids or teens.

Book on Viator.com, and print out your confirmation page. That’s all we needed at the tour office. When you book, you’ll receive an email from Viator letting you know which company is conducting your tour and where to meet.

At the time of our visit, pricing was $199 for adults and kids were approximately $99. This price includes all admission fees and lunch, plus the transportation. There’s an option to pay more for hotel pick up/drop off.

As we disclose whenever applicable, our Normandy tour was paid for by Viator, for the purpose of review. All opinions remain our own.

Valley Forge National Historic Park

August 22, 2014 By Amy Hagstrom

After three days sightseeing in Philadelphia, I have to admit that I didn’t think Valley Forge could possibly compare. In fact, we nearly skipped this stop en route to Gettysburg, PA. We were so glad to stayed the course! We ended up spending almost three hours at Valley Forge, and could have used more time.

The way this national historic park is set up, visitors start at the Visitor’s Center, see a short film, then set out to see the rest of the (large) site either by driving tour or bicycle. I supposed you could also walk it, but it would take quite a bit of time. As it is, if you have a few hours, you should drive, and only bike the tour if you have a full half day to devote to it. Note: if you go this option, bike rentals are available in the parking lot of the Visitor’s Center.

We opted to drive, so we picked up a map and headed out after checking out the exhibits in the center. By following the self-guided tour (well marked en route), families see nine major sites, including replicas of the wood-hewn huts inhabited by Washington’s army during the long winter of encampment, Washington’s headquarters in a historic farm house, and canons and other trappings of the war. You also see the inner and outer defenses of the camp, and a few ‘new’ additions from the early 20th century, like a stone chapel and several statues.

The drive is beautiful, but bear in mind: it’s easy to get off-course. Follow the brown tour route signs religiously, and you’ll be ok. The whole loop takes approximately 30 minutes if you drive it without stopping, but you’ll want to stop at at least 2-3 locations. We took two hours.

Valley Forge is a good location for families with kids of any age: the drive between sites is short, and every area has plenty of space to run on the grass, explore a creek, or just run a bit. Living history docents in period costume were present at two of the stops we made (on a summer weekday).

Date last visited:

June 2014

Distance from the interstate:

Two minutes off I-76

Dining:

We saw one snack shop by the bike rentals in the main parking area; otherwise, there are plenty of picnic areas. We ate our picnic lunch near the Visitor’s Center because we thought it would be our only chance. Not so: excellent picnic spaces are on offer throughout the driving tour. If we had it to do over again, we would have picnicked at any of many scenic spots overlooking the encampment.

Admission and Hours of Operation:

This national historic site is FREE, and open from sunrise to sunset.

Directions:

The Visitor’s Center is located at 1400 North Outer Line Drive, King of Prussia, PA. From I-76, take Exit 328 A and US 422 West, then Valley Forge Exit to Route 23 West. Follow signs.

Philly with kids: how to plan for a two-day historical itinerary

August 15, 2014 By Amy Hagstrom

Philadelphia has so much history in their many museums, exhibits, and attractions, families could easily be here 3-4 days. We only had two, so we had to make some tough decisions. We did manage to tour all the following Old City attractions in Philadelphia over the course of a day and a half, plus visited the Philadelphia Museum of Art and enjoyed some good eats

Independence Hall:

There’s no cost to tour Independence Hall, the site of the meeting of the first congregational congress and signing of the Declaration of Independence. You do, however, need to reserved timed tickets for entry. This can be done day-of at the Visitor’s Center one block away, but on busy summer days, we highly recommend doing this ahead of time online (there’s a small service fee of $1.50 per ticket). Arrive at the hall 30 minutes before your tour time to go through security (you can bring bags in) and then queue up in the back courtyard. The tour is only 30 minutes long, but is fantastic: our National Park guide kept all the kids’ attention and conveyed her obvious passion for history with all the adults. The whole process will take an hour. Tip: Remember, many sites, such as Independence Hall, are run by the National Parks service. Kids can earn Junior Ranger badges here. Get a booklet at the Visitor’s Center.

Visitor’s Center and Liberty Bell:

I’m lumping these two attractions together because of their proximity to each other. Start at the Liberty Bell first thing in the morning, as the line does get crazy long, crazy fast. Tip: if you just can’t wait in the line, there is a glass window at the very front where people can glance in at the bell (and you’re not cutting in front of anyone). What you miss: the exhibits explaining the significance of the bell that unfold as the line continues). Head to the Visitor’s Center next and see one of two 20-30 minute movies continuously running in the theater. This is the time to grab those Junior Ranger booklets. There is no cost for either attraction.

Betsy Ross House:

We really enjoyed touring Betsy Ross’ house. Before the self-guided tour through her little home, I had no idea what her life had been like, other than the fact that she sewed the first flag. The tour gives you a great overview of what life was like for average citizens in the late 18th century, but also gives more details of Betsy’s life. Tickets are $5 for adults and $4 for kids, and there’s an audio tour option. Definitely worth the cost of admission.

Christ Church and church graveyard:

Christ Church is stunning, and there’s a particular wow factor to sitting in George Washington’s pew. This is a living, working church (with a congregation today) so entry is free, and docents are on-hand to point out where Betsy Ross sat, Washington sat, and more. The church graveyard is located a few blocks away, and costs $2 to get in. Inside, most of the signers of the Declaration of Independence are buried here, including Ben Franklin. It’s possible to see Franklin’s grave from outside the gates through an opening in the fence, if you don’t want to go all the way in. We really enjoyed touring through the old gravestones.

Elfreth’s Alley:

Near Christ Church is Elfeth’s Alley, the oldest neighborhood in the US that has been continuously occupied by residents. Walking down the narrow alley is free, but remember that people live here…it’s not ok to look in windows, etc. A small museum is open part-time. Be sure to walk all the way down and turn left though another small alley to the end: there’s an interesting board that tells about the residents from the 18th century.

National Constitution Center:

The National Constitution Center is a larger museum on Arch Street and houses the Museum of We the People, plus America’s Town Hall and many civic exhibits. Kids can vote in a voter’s booth, see a replica of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, take the oath of office as President of the US, and learn about the Constitution. There’s a lot of reading in here, so we recommend skipping it if your kids are all under age five. Definitely start with the multi-media theater production; it’s fantastic.

Franklin Court:

This small court behind the row of Market Street buildings Franklin once owned features the Franklin Museum and the site of Franklin’s house. The house has long since been torn down, so a metal frame has been erected in its place, marking where it once stood. Exhibits talk about the house and show original bricks and the original basement. We didn’t get a chance to see the main museum; tickets had been sold out for the day. Hit this spot by at least lunchtime and you should be ok. The courtyard is quiet and cool, which is another plus.

Franklin Square:

Not to be confused with Franklin Court, Franklin Square is located at the end of the Old City district and features a working carousel, playground, and miniature golf course. The golf course’s features are all replicas of Philly historical landmarks. Play a game for about $25 for a family of four. This area is nice for a break from historical touring, but would be the first thing we omitted from the itinerary if time were an issue.

Philly Duck Tours:

A fun way to get an overview of any city is through a Duck Tour with Ride the Ducks! We take advantage of these in any city in which it’s offered: the amphibious ‘duck’ vehicle is operated by a funny, entertaining tour guide and takes guests over the land and water of Philly. The tour is 90 minutes, and by the end, adults are oriented to the city and kids have a grasp on what they’ll be seeing later that day. We book our Duck Tour for morning of our first day.

Where to find all the above attractions: Maps are available at the Visitor’s Center. Definitely pick one up. All the above attractions are within walking distance of each other.

What you need to know about touring Philly with kids

Exploring Fort Whoop Up and Old Man River, Alberta

July 14, 2014 By Amy Hagstrom

Lethbridge, Alberta is an interesting town located in the Old Man River. South of Calgary, Lethbridge is Alberta prairie country (called the Badlands of Canada, actually) and home to a great deal of Wild West history.

high-line-bridge

You’ll want to focus your attention on the River Valley area, which is essentially an urban wilderness near the heart of town. This area features rolling coulees (or hill formations) and rich wildlife. It’s also the site of the last battle between aboriginal tribes in North America.

Fort Whoop-Up:

The historic site of Fort Whoop-Up Lethbridge is located in the river valley, and is home to the most notorious whiskey fort of the Canadian west. Operated in the late 1800s, the fort was a central fur trading center that also dealt in illegal whiskey. The site is very well done, with a recreated fort, galleries commemorating the Blackfoot nation tribes of the area, and period rooms as they would have appeared at the time of the fort’s heyday. Families can walk room-to-room in a self-guided tour, listening to quite entertaining audio in each room.

fort-whoop-up

The center of the fort is open to the public, and during our visit, a crackling fire was alive in the fire pit. During summer, livestock is also on site. The staff roams the fort answering any questions, and kids can touch and play with most items. For instance, in one room, my son played the saloon piano, and in another, we played a game of checkers.

fort-whoop-up

The fort will take you less than two hours to tour (be sure to start with the 20 minute video to give you an overview of the history).

Admission:
Admission is $9 for adults and $6.50 for kids (5 and under free). Or, they offer a family rate of $24.95 for two adults and up to four children.

Hours of operation:
10 am to 5 pm daily during the summer (June 1- September 30) and 12 pm to 4 pm Wed-Sat in the off-season.

Location: 200 Indian Battle Road, Lethbridge

Helen Schüler Nature Centre:

helen-schuler-nature-centre

Directly across the way from Fort Whoop-Up, the Helen Schuler Nature Centre is definitely worth a stop. This new centre features indoor exhibits on local eco-systems and wildlife; during the time of our visit, the focus was on creatures beneath our feet. The main gallery included an interactive exhibit on escaping a web (kids could climb over and under elastic strings to ‘escape’ and a few live animals (kids could meet ‘Peg Leg’ a resident crow who was domesticated after a leg injury).

helen-schuler-nature-center

The centre features a living roof kids can check out, and lots of fun facts are located throughout the building. The staff offers a scavenger hunt kids can embark upon, answering questions by reading facts on the walls, floors and even ceiling of the building.

Outdoors, several trails begin at the centre, taking families either along the Old Man River valley or up on the coulees overlooking the High Line Bridge (an impressive engineering marvel). We opted to hike up, roaming the coulees a bit to explore the prairie grass (though beware: there’s also cacti up here!). Adjacent to the centre is also a very interesting playground with an interactive ‘rattlesnake’ climbing toy, a climbing wall, and line tag mazes. We loved it!

Admission:
Free!

Hours of admission:
10 am to 4 pm (closed Mondays)

Where to eat:

If you have time for a nice meal in Lethbridge, Ric’s Grill is unique. Housed in a repurposed water tower, it’s hard to miss in the center of town! The fare here is quite high end (and prices reflect this) but if you have a hour or more and want to make an occasion of your time in Lethbridge, this is the place to do it. They do offer a children’s menu and have a full bar. Views of town are featured out every window.

Location: 200 103 Mayor Magrath Dr

We toured Fort Whoop Up as part of our Great Coast Road Trip with Coast Hotels. Read more about our road trip through the Wild West of Alberta!