A Pit Stop a Day (Day 23): Embassy Suites Sacramento

July 19, 2010 By

View of Tower Bridge outside our Embassy Suites room.

We spent our last night on the road at the Embassy Suites Sacramento Riverfront Promenade (100 Capitol Mall, Sacramento CA).

Embassy Suites is a favorite hotel chain of mine due to their high quality amenities, top-notch service, and the extras they provide, such as made-to-order complementary breakfasts and manager’s reception’ hours with snacks and cool drinks on-hand in the late afternoon. The Riverfront Promenade did not disappoint.

Located ideally next to historic Old Town and bordering the lovely river walk along the Sacramento River, we had impressive views from our room of the Tower Bridge and Old Town. Our suite was convenient with two full rooms (one with a comfortable pull-out bed/couch, desk, and TV unit, one with a king-sized bed and TV unit) and one spacious bathroom (with tub).

The Embassy Suites had a nice indoor pool and hot tub which we were all too glad to use after a hot summer day exploring Old Town. Other amenities include an exercise room, valet parking ($25 a day), and a mini-fridge, coffee maker, and microwave in-room. There’s also a Guest Activities desk on-site to help you with any vacation plans.

Embassy Suites indoor pool.

In addition to the complementary breakfast, there are two restaurants on-site (with many more in walking distance). The Tower Bridge Bistro offers fine dining in their dining room or via room service, and the MarketPlace Cafe offers quicker service with sandwiches, burgers, etc.

Note: The Embassy Suites Sacramento does not allow for (or have) roll-away beds, so if you’re a family of five like us, plan accordingly. We made one child a bed on the floor utilizing the unused couch cushions, and it worked fine!

Date last visited: July 15, 2010.

Distance off the interstate: Right off I-5.

Room Rates: Best rate started at $229 at time of publishing. All rooms are suites, with two rooms and full bathroom. Railroad Museum packages are available.

Directions: From I-5, take the J St exit toward Downtown, then turn right at 3rd St. Take the 1st right onto Capitol Mall, then make a U-turn into property.

As I mention during any review opportunity, the Embassy Suites Sacramento hosted our stay at no cost. While we greatly appreciate their hospitality, this compensation came with no guarantee of a positive review.

I want to thank everyone who followed along with our 22 Day Road Trip! We had a wonderful time, and I sincerely hope that our reviews will be of assistance as you, my readers, plan your next adventures!
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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 2): Hyatt Place Portland OR

June 26, 2010 By

 

9750 NE Cascades
Portland, OR

Our first overnight of our road trip was spent at Hyatt Place in the Portland Airport Cascade Station area.

What a great hotel for families (especially families of 5)! The Hyatt Place is definitely geared with convenience in mind, from the spacious lobby with ‘guest kitchen’ (where you have access to space to heat your own foods or buy freshly-made items) to the 24-hour indoor pool to the great floor plans of the rooms. Our family-style suite had two double beds in one area and a large couch that pulled out into an extra double bed on the other side of the room divider (not a full wall). Unlike most standard hotel rooms, it easily accommodated our family of five. Add a large bathroom with separate vanity area and a kitchenette-area with fridge, microwave, coffee-maker, and counter space, and we had it made.

Bedroom area

Sitting area/pull-out bed section

More than enough room for a family of five!

Hyatt is also currently in the midst of their Big Welcome Back promotion (there’s still time to take of advantage of this!*), one reason why the chain is precisely the type of hotel Pit Stops for Kids likes to champion. They cater to traveling families in every way, from their sincere efforts to win your return business to their great floor plans and convenient-for-families suites.

Date last visited: June 2010.

Distance off the interstate: About 15 minutes from I-5 (5 minutes from I-84 to I-205).

Room Rates: At the time of this visit, $125 for a standard room.

Food Services: The Hyatt offers a great complimentary breakfast (right next to the pool by the lobby). There are plenty of dining options nearby as well.

Website: Hyatt Place Portland Airport

Directions: From I-5 (north), take exit 300 to merge onto I-84 E/US-30 E toward Portland Airport/The Dalles. Take exit 8 to merge onto I-205 N toward Seattle/Portland Airport. Take exit 24A for Airport Way W toward Portland Airport, then merge onto NE Airport Way. Take the Frontage Rd exit, then keep right at the fork to continue toward NE Lombard St and merge onto NE Lombard St. Continue onto NE Mt Hood Ave, then turn left at NE Cascades Pkwy.

As I disclose whenever compensated while reviewing a location, my family did enjoy a heavily discounted media rate while staying at Hyatt Place. This compensation came with no expectations or agreements for a positive review.

Up next: we drive from Portland to Spokane, WA where we review the Mobius Kids Museum!
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A Pit Stop a Day (Day 1): Portland Spirit River Cruise

June 25, 2010 By

The Portland Spirit leaving downtown Portland.

Tom McCall Waterfront Park
Portland, OR

Our Day 1 route (see map) took us from our home in Southern Oregon four hours north on I-5 to beautiful Portland, where we were fortunate to embark upon the Portland Spirit for a cruise down the Willamette River.

The Portland Spirit is a 150′ yacht with three public decks, two of which are enclosed and climate controlled. We were met at the dock by the skipper (and a photographer), and shown aboard. The kids immediately made their way up the stairs to the top (outdoor) deck to take in the views (and try to climb the rails…we had to implement a safety talk at this point).

Toby and Calvin scope out downtown Portland.

Toby was fascinated by the many steel bridges along the Willamette.

There are several maps of the Spirit’s routes on-board.

The Spirit embarked at 7 pm and cruised south down the Willamette River to Lake Oswego (there are also cruises which will take you down the Columbia Gorge and a jet boat which takes you toward the coast by Astoria). You can eat a gourmet meal aboard the Spirit, or can buy a sightseeing-only ticket; we opted for the latter, and spent the bulk of our time taking in the views on the top deck (although you’re free to explore the entire yacht).

I cannot say enough about the views afforded on this cruise. The scenery was beautiful, and we had fun checking out all the mansions along the banks of the river by Lake Oswego. The many rowing and sailing clubs out on the water kept the kids’ attention, as did the many bridges we cruised under. The entire crew on-board was very friendly and helpful. On the top deck, the First Mate and Skipper were on-hand to let the kids know when the bridges would open up to let us pass and even gave them a turn at the wheel in the bridge.

Uh oh…it’s the Pit Stops crew at the helm!

Hmm…which delicate instrument should I touch first?

A few practical notes for parents: the cruise takes over 2.5 hours. Very young children might get squirmy (although there’s plenty of room to let them walk around and play). If you want to buy additional snacks or drinks aboard, plan accordingly. We spent an extra $20 on drinks for a family of five (a cocktail each for the adults, lemonade for the kids) and $10 for a souvenir photo. There is also a small gift shop on-board.

Extra Tip! Bring sweatshirts (even in summer) if you plan (or your kids plan) to stay outside on the deck. It gets windy, and weather in the Northwest is always unpredictable.

Date last visited: June 2010.

Distance off the interstate: Approximately 10 minutes from I-5. (Be aware of possible rush hour traffic from 5-6 pm!)

Hours: The evening (dinner and/or sightseeing) cruise boards at 6:30 pm and departs at 7 pm, returning to the dock at 9:30 pm.

Admission Prices:

$68 Adults
$63 Seniors and Children
Sightseeing only (no dinner): $28 per person

Food Services: If you’re interested in eating aboard the cruise, you’ll be booking the dinner cruise. If you opt for sightseeing only, the bar is still open to you. You can buy drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and snacks at any time.

Bathrooms: Located on-board.

Website: Portland Spirit

Directions: The cruise departs from the Salmon Street Springs Fountain in Tom McCall Waterfront Park. From I-5, take exit 299B on the left for I-405 W toward US-26 W/City Center/Beaverton, then take exit 1A on the left toward Naito Pkwy/Japanese-American Plaza. Merge onto SW Harbor Dr. Turn right at SW Naito Pkwy. The park is on the right-hand (river) side of the street, and you want to look for the cross-street of Salmon St. We found a parking garage for only $3 for the night (on a Thursday after 6 pm) in the World Trade Center building directly across from the Salmon Street fountain.

More parking in the area:

Smart Park Garage at SW First/SW Jefferson
Pay lot underneath the Hawthone Bridge, accessible to northbound traffic on Naito Parkway
Pay lot north of the Hawthone Bridge, accessible to southbound traffic on Naito Parkway

As I disclose whenever compensated while reviewing an activity or location, my family and I were hosted on the Portland Spirit at no cost. This compensation came with no expectations or agreements for a positive review.

Up next! We spend the night at Portland’s Hyatt Place!

Enterprise Park and Kids’ Kingdom

June 19, 2010 By

Kids' Kingdom's Fastasy Fountain area.

4000 Victor Ave
Redding CA

We drive through Redding, CA often, and I’m ever on the hunt for a great park. On our most recent pass down I-5, we found one worthy of being declared a pit stop! Kids’ Kingdom is a section of the larger Enterprise Park that spans several city blocks. Whereas the park at large seems to cater to the sports and leisure crowd (lots of soccer fields and picnic areas), Kids’ Kingdom is tucked away under shade trees and could be easily overlooked.

At this smaller section of the park, you’ll find a fun splash/water feature (Fantasy Fountain) with a concrete rocky mountain, sprinkler archways, and a padded floor surface, an expansive wooden fort play structure, and lots of mature trees to climb. We arrived just after the water feature had been turned off for the night, but the kids still had fun climbing the ‘mountain’ and playing in the fort. Combined with a picnic dinner brought from the nearby Subway restaurant, Kids Kingdom made for a great pit stop!

Note: Enterprise Park is not in what appears to be the best part of town. We felt quite safe during daylight hours, but use your own judgment when visiting.

Wooden fortress at Kids Kingdom.

Distance off the interstate: Five minutes.

Hours: Sunrise until sunset. The water feature is on daily, but only until 6 pm on weekends in summer (in other words, not late enough!)

Bathrooms: Standard park bathrooms are located on the far side of the water feature. Warning: the day we visited, the bathrooms were in terrible condition. (This was in the later evening, after a full day’s use, but was still not acceptable.) Hopefully it was the exception, not the rule.

Calvin at the top of the Fantasy Fountain mountain.

Directions: From I-5, take the Cypress exit. Head east on Cypress for one mile, then 1.5 miles south on Victor. Park is on the right. Take the main entrance, then follow the Kids’ Kingdom sign past the open grassy spaces down a short hill. Parking on the right.

I apologize for the poor quality photos; I took them right at sunset, and the lighting was not conducive to photo taking!


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Things To Do
Redding

The Children’s Museum, Seattle

June 9, 2010 By

Water play at The Children\’s Museum!

305 Harrison Street
Seattle, WA

Visiting Seattle or Vancouver on a family vacation this summer? The Children’s Museum, Seattle is a wonderful pit stop which will keep your children entertained for hours! Located on the same campus as the Space Needle, it’s simple to access off I-5 and can be added easily to a kid-friendly Seattle sight-seeing itinerary.

Eleven (11) exhibits stretch throughout the 22,000 square feet of exhibit space at the museum, ranging from familiar settings like the grocery store to new settings like the Ghana Village. And this is no hands-off experience: children are expected to touch, play and explore their way to every inch of the museum.

From the official website: “In the Fall and Spring of each year, the Museum welcomes a traveling exhibit to Seattle. This fall we will welcome Adventures with Clifford the Big Red Dog!! This summer our traveling exhibit space have 5 large than life books for children to explore as part of our Go Figure! Exhibit.”

Pit Stops for Kids reader and review Jillian Lang says of The Children’s Museum, “Our toddler had a blast at this great kids stop. We live in BC and have thought about planing a trip back to Seattle just to to this museum again.” (Thank you, Jillian, for sending in your review!)

Extra Tip!: Be sure to pick up a daily schedule when you enter the building; museum employees play games and plan activities all day long, such as scavenger hunts and storytimes! And for babies through 3-year-olds, check out their Discovery Bay section!

In the Ghana village, buy some fruits at the outdoor market or get a new hairdo or head wrap at the hairdresser\’s shop!

Date last visited: Ongoing visits.

Distance off the interstate: Two minutes, tops!

Hours: Monday-Friday: 10am-5pm, Saturday-Sunday: 10am-6pm (new admission sales end at 5pm) The Museum is closed Labor Day Weekend, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.

Admission Prices:

$7.50 Adults and Children
$6.50 Grandparents
$6.00 Groups of 10 plus
FREE Children under the age of one

Food Services: There’s a great food court located in the same building (Center House). Or, for restuarants near the Settle Center, check this directory!

Bathrooms: Located on-site.

Website: Seattle Children’s Museum

Phone/Information Line: (206) 441-1768

Tip! Save up to 50% on Seattle’s 5 best attractions with CityPASS. Shop Now!

Directions: The museum is located in the Seattle Center, by the Space Needle. From I-5, take the Mercer St/Seattle Center exit (exit 167). Turn right at the first traffic light onto Fariview, then turn left at the next traffic light onto Broad St. Turn right onto 5th Ave. The Seattle Center will be on your left hand side. Parking: you can park at the 5th Ave Garage on the corner of 5th and Harrison or the Mercer Street Garage on Mercer between 3rd Ave N and 4th Ave N. After parking, walk into the center of the campus to the Center House. The museum is on the first floor.

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Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve

May 24, 2010 By

15101 Lancaster Road
Lancaster, CA

Think you can’t find rolling hills and wildflower habitats right outside of Los Angeles? Think again! If your southern California family vacation takes you down I-5 (especially from February to May, when the wildflower blooms are most vibrant), the detour to the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve, part of the California State Park system, is worth the drive!

From the California State Park website: “Each spring, the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve comes alive with the seasonal surprises of the Mojave Desert Grassland habitat…Eight miles of trails through the gentle rolling hills, including a paved section for wheelchair access, make the park a wonderful place to hike and explore any season. Benches located along the trails make good places to sit quietly and watch for wildlife, such as singing meadow larks, lizards zipping across the trail, gopher snakes and rattlesnakes. If you’re lucky, you may spot a coyote or bobcat.”

The park is open year-round, but you’ll want to visit in the spring to see the wildflowers (fall is also a pleasant time to visit). An interpretive center is also on-site, offering a short video, wildlife and plant displays and gift shop (only open during the wildflower season).

Date last visited: Reviewer visited in April 2010.

Distance off the interstate: 22 miles off I-5

Hours and Admission Prices: Open sunrise to sunset. $8 per vehicle.

Food Services: None. There are picnic tables located new the interpretive center which look out over the valley to the San Gabriel Mountains.

Bathrooms: Located on-site.

Website: Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve (Phone: (661) 724-1180)

Directions: From I-5, take Exit 207 onto CA-138 E toward Lancaster/Palmdale. Drive 22 miles, then turn right at 170th St W. Turn left at W Ave F-8/Lancaster Rd, then continue to follow Lancaster Rd for two miles. Turn left at 150th St W, then take a slight left to stay on 150th St W to the entrance to the State of California Poppy Reserve.

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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).

Kid Time! Discovery Experience

March 23, 2010 By

Kids are both chef and waitstaff in the play cafe.

Kid Time!, previously K.I.D.S, is a great place to stop and play while driving I-5 or just visiting the Rogue Valley, especially if the weather isn’t cooperating. A large, hands-on kids’ museum and play space, Kid Time has lots of imaginary place areas, including a store, a kitchen, a lemonade stand, a full stage and costumes, a camping set-up complete with tent, picnic table, and camping supplies, and more. They have a jungle room for climbing and playing (it even has a low rock wall!), and a large art area, water play area, and outdoor section for when the weather is nice.

Date last visited: March 2010

Distance off the interstate: 5 minutes

Hours and Admission Prices: Monday- Saturday 10:00-5:00,
Sunday 11:00- 4:00. $3.00/adult, $6.00/children (under age 1 is free).

Bathrooms: Two bathrooms are situated on opposite sides of the museum.

Food Services: The ‘Break Away Cafe’ is currently closed, but due to open again soon. When it was last open (under different management), it featured many healthy options at decent prices, and even foods adults like!

Website: http://www.discoveryspace.org/

Directions: Kid Time is located at 106 N. Central Avenue, Medford, OR. It’s less than three minutes from I-5.

Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium

March 18, 2010 By

Polar exhibit at Point Defiance

5400 N. Pearl St.
Tacoma, Washington

If you’re looking for a zoo that’s easy to access off the freeway but rivals the big names, stop at Tacoma’s Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. Exhibits and sections include an Asian forest, marine discovery center, aquarium, polar exhibit, and red wolf sanctuary.

The newly added Kid Zone is a great place to let kids run around and explore. From the official website: “The new Kids’ Zone is a bright, colorful environment designed for the way children learn: through touch, exploration and movement. Here, children can explore the Magical Movement area where they can climb and move in ways that mimic how animals move. The kids can then spy on live animals that move in very cool ways, such as wallabies, stingrays and millipedes.”

Recent reviewers at popular parent-travel site Trekaroo have been impressed by all Point Defiance has done to make this zoo on par with the best. Read Trekaroo reviews.

Date last visited: February 2010

Distance off the interstate: Just a few minutes off I-5.

Hours and Admission Prices: Opens at 9:30 am daily. Closing hours vary depending on the season.

Admission:
Adults (ages 13-64) $13.50
Seniors (ages 65 & older) $12.50
Youth (ages 5-12) $11.50
Tots (3 & 4) $7.50

You might consider a family annual pass if you think you might visit more than twice a year! (There is also a AAA discount available.)

Bathrooms: Several located within the zoo.

Food Services: There are three cafes located within the zoo (two only open seasonally). Try the Plaza Cafe for the greatest selection (open year round).

Website: http://www.pdza.org/

Directions: Take Exit 132 (Highway 16 West). Exit at 6th Avenue (exit #3) and turn left. Take the next right on to Pearl Street. Follow Pearl Street into Point Defiance Park. Directional signs will lead you to the Zoo parking lots. Parking is FREE!

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