Christmas Light Extravaganza

Christmas light displays can be so much fun for the whole family to enjoy. What a wonderful time for the family to appreciate Christmas together and make memories for years to come.There are several around the southwestern Ohio area that are great for adults and kids alike.While I have focused on several of these events, you can use the Christmas light finder website to find local displays in your area.  http://www.christmaslightfinder.com/

I really enjoy Woodland Lights. The lighted path, rides, reindeer,carriage rides and visits with Santa add to the Christmas spirit, plus it is reasonably priced.
www.woodlandlights.org

Clifton Mills is another beautiful light display and while a little more expensive, it truly is unique with a dancing light show synchronized to music. They also have a miniature village and Santa museum.
http://www.cliftonmill.com/

The Cincinnati Zoo Festival of Lights is always a wonderful and festive display. It is quite beautiful; however, it can also be very crowded, particularly on the weekends. If you can arrive earlier in the afternoon and enjoy the animals while already being in the zoo before it gets dark, your chances of encountering less crowd and stress will be greatly reduced!
www.cincinnatizoo.org

The Christmas Ranch near Cincinnati was featured on Good Morning America and HGTV. Visit the website for more details on all they have to offer.
http://www.thechristmasranch.com/

In Sharonville (near Cincinnati), you can enjoy a drive-thru display at The Holiday In Lights at Sharon Woods. There is also a Santaland where you can venture out of your car and enjoy some Christmas festivities.
http://www.holidayinlights.com/santaland.html

Wild Waterparks: An Indoor Adventure

Today's post includes some options for indoor waterparks, particularly in the Great Lakes area, although most sections of the country now will have an indoor waterpark or two. When the weather turns cold, why not spend a night or two and enjoy some summertime temps.

One of my favorite indoor waterparks is Great Wolf Lodge, with locations scattered throughout the country. I like the multitude of things for the kids to do and it has always been very clean. Of course, it is going to be more crowded and expensive during the school breaks and weekends, but if you can swing going during an off-week or on a weekday night, it becomes much more affordable. We always try to do a Sunday night-Monday day combination right after the spring break rush and it is fairly deserted. The kids ask to go there all the time and there really is something for all ages. If you sign up for their mailing list you will get savings offers in the regular mail or thru email.
http://www.greatwolf.com/

Another popular destination in our neck of the woods is CoCoKey Resort, which can be found in many places around the country as well.  While smaller than Great Wolf, it is not quite as expensive and day passes are also offered. The only caveat to the day pass being that it could also be more crowded since people would not have to stay overnight at the hotel. They have plenty to do for younger kids and older kids so it is perfect if you have a large age-range in your family. This link gives a list of most of the Coco Key locations.
http://themeparks.about.com/od/findindoorwaterparks1/tp/Coco-Key.htm

Of course, the granddaddy of all indoor waterparks would be Kalahari in Sandusky, Ohio. There are also locations in the Wisconsin Dells and Pennsylvania. I know the Ohio location used to be and might still be the largest indoor waterpark in the country. Beautiful place to stay and lots to keep the kids busy, perhaps even a little extra for the more adventurous kids. My children were in awe of how big it was and they enjoyed the outdoor animal park and safari theme.
http://www.kalahariresorts.com/ohio

3 Go-To Travel Websites

I love travel and I like to find not only the best deals on travel, but the best things to do, restaurants to visit and hotels in a certain area. There are three websites that I always check when planning a trip. They have provided me with valuable insight and reviews of attractions and lodging.

1) Kayak- I love using this site to quickly compare pricing for hotels and flights. It saves me time and money.
Kayak

2) Trip Advisor- Whenever we are going somewhere new and I am not sure of the attractions and reputations of attractions in the area, I check out Trip Advisor. When you go to the main page, you can search by area and look up lodging, restaurants and things to do. I find their reviews to be pretty accurate after I visit the place myself and I trust most of the feedback shared on the site. Plus, it will list pricing for most lodging choices.
Trip Advisor

3) Virtual Tourist- This site is similar to Trip Advisor. I find the advice invaluable when planning vacations. If you check Trip Advisor and Virtual Tourist and they both are giving an attraction or lodging 4 stars based on many reviews, you can be assured that it is a quality stop.
Virtual Tourist

Before booking or planning things to do on your next trip, check out these sites and save the hassle of a bad booking or stop on your next vacation.

5 FREE Things To Do In St. Louis

St. Louis is such an awesome city for a family vacation. Fun activities, historical places to see and all kinds of unique attractions make it a top destination for families. While you could easily fill a week with everything there is to do in this heartland city, I have highlighted a few possibilities that are free.

1) St. Louis Zoo- I have always
enjoyed visiting this zoo. It is a large zoo and houses over 19,000 animals. My kids love the penguin and orangutan exhibits. While the zoo admission itself is free, you can pay for additional perks such as the train,stingray petting, carousel, movie and 4D simulator. If you wish to park in the zoo lot, there is a parking fee; however, we have found parking right outside of the zoo gates with success.
http://www.stlzoo.org/

2) Grant's Farm- This wonderful family experience has been a St. Louis tradition for many years. The park is named after Ulysses S. Grant and is home to 900 animals. Among the attractions are: a guided tram ride through the Deer Park, animal shows, a visit to the Budweiser Clydesdales, and tour of Grant's Cabin on the grounds. There is a parking fee per vehicle, but admission to the park is free to everyone.
 http://anheuser-busch.com/index.php/our-heritage/grants-farm/

3) The Gateway Arch- what visit to St. Louis would be complete without a stop at the famed Gateway Arch. Visiting the outside grounds of the Arch and going inside to check out the Museum of Westward Expansion are free of charge. Plus, it is located next to the Mississippi River so you can add a stroll along the riverbanks to your excursion. If you would like to take the trip up to the top of the Arch, there is a fee.
http://www.gatewayarch.com/

4) St. Louis Science Center- my kids really loved out visit to this highly hands-on museum. General admission is free and there is more than enough to occupy with a myriad of exhibits focusing on all kinds of science topics. There is a charge for tickets to the Omnimax theater.
http://www.slsc.org/

5) Anheuser Busch Brewery Tours- The breweries in St. Louis are a big part of the city's history and seeing the manufacturing and technology utilized to run and make a worldwide brand is actually very interesting. Whether or not you even like beer, it is a well-run tour and one of the better factory tours that I have been on. Plus, being free is an added bonus. It also includes a visit with the Clydesdale horses in site, which is a big draw for the kids.
http://stlouis.about.com/od/freethingstodo/p/Anheuser-Busch-Brewery-Tour-In-St-Louis.htm

Awesome Packing Lists for Family Travel

If you are like most moms, taking the actual family trip is fun, but the leg work involved to get ready for the trip: not so much fun! Laundry has to be done, clothes and toiletries packed, toys and activities for the car ride sorted out. It never fails that something will be inevitably left behind, especially if you have young children.

I recently found a wonderful packing list, courtesy of the travelmamas.com website. The list heading is for babies and toddlers, but it is really a comprehensive list for the whole family. It is already in PDF format, so it just needs saved to the computer and printed out for the next trip. I guarantee following this list will save A LOT of time in your next packing adventure.

The other two lists are from Smarter Travel and Minitime. They are also terrific resources to make planning and packing for your next trip so much easier. The Minitime list has many subcategories whether you are taking a car trip, airplane, cruise, resort, etc. so it is really helpful.

http://www.travelmamas.com/media/Travel%20Mama%20Packing%20List%20-%20For%20Babies%20and%20Toddlers_PLG2.pdf

 Packing Lists

More Packing Lists

5 Must-See Attractions at Disney's Animal Kingdom

If you are visiting Disney World, each park has some must-see attractions that should not be missed. My kids love the Animal Kingdom at Disney World and I have listed our top 5 rides/shows that you will not want to miss. Some people do not have an entire day to devote to each park, and if you only have a small amount of time or are there on a extremely crowded day, hitting a few of the highlights will make your time seem very well-spent.

1) Kilimanjaroo Safari Expeditions-
Ride jeeps into the African savanna for some real-life encounters with animals such as lions, giraffes, rhinos, zebras and the list goes on. It is a wonderful attraction with such attention to every detail and probably the closest that most of us will ever be to a real African safari.
There are fast passes for this ride and I recommend getting on as the lines can get fairly long.

2) Festival of the Lion King-
A 30-minute Broadway-style musical show based on the music and characters from The Lion King. Even though it is 30 minutes in length, the action and colors will definitely keep the attention of younger children. My kids really enjoyed this show and asked to go back and see it again. 

3) Expedition Everest-
Cleverly themed Mt. Everest-inspired high-speed roller coaster with a fun twist: an encounter with a very realistic Yeti. This ride is not for young children or those who do not enjoy high-intensity rides; however, for thrill seekers, this is a must.
Fast passes are available and I highly encourage getting one or visit early in the day. 

4) Finding Nemo-The Musical-
This musical experience is definitely one of my favorites at any of the parks. The show is 30 minutes in length and fashioned on the Pixar film, Finding Nemo. I loved the positive energy and colorful artistry of the show and my kids enjoyed seeing their favorite characters come to life. 

5) Tree of Life-It's Tough To Be A Bug-
The Tree of Life is the centerpiece to the whole park and is so unique with the numerous animals carved into it. There are trails encircling the tree so that you can walk at your own pace to look at the carvings and take pictures. The show, It's Tough To Be A Bug is a 3-D movie based on the film, A Bug's Life. I really like the special effects involved with the movie, although I will say that my toddler was a bit afraid as were a few others in our showing.There are also fast passes available for the 3-D movie.

Trying to catch all of these attractions in one day does not have to be difficult as long as you take advantage of the fast passes and keep an eye on show times. I will have a list of slower-paced and less crowded attractions around the park in a later post.
If you are planning a trip to Disney, don't overlook this awesome park. It is a great one for younger kids and they will love the myriad of animals that can be viewed up close and personal.

5 FREE Things To Do In The Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge Area

The Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area is chock full of activities and fun family adventures. The good news is that there are quite a few FREE places to check out. I have highlighted 5 below.

1) The Smoky Mountains National Park- Duh!! This beautiful expanse of park providing the scenic backdrop for the area seems like a no-brainer, but quite a few visitors to the area never step foot in the actual park. We took a narrated tour in to the park and our guide told us that it is approximated that half of all visitors to the area don't actually go to the national park. Cades Cove, Clingman's Dome and Sugarlands Visitor Center are just a few of the highlights to visit while in the park.

2) Visit The Christmas Place in Pigeon Forge. This mega-store features anything and everything Christmas. The kids will love perusing the many displays and enjoying the Christmas spirit all year long. Across the street, The Inn at Christmas Place is a Christmas-themed hotel that is also fun to explore and check out the displays.

3) Stroll the streets of Gatlinburg. Taking a walk down the quaint streets of Gatlinburg is great for people-watching and checking out the fun trinket shops and candy-making stores. Head on over to the riverwalk along the Little Pigeon River, right off the main drag in Gatlinburg. A little quieter stroll and lovely scenery.

4)  Old Mill/Patriot's Park. The Old Mill Shopping District features the Old Mill itself, which sits along the Little Pigeon River,and some cute shops including the Old Mill's general store. I enjoy the restaurant at The Old Mill, although this is not free, it is definitely tasty. Walking around the grounds is free, but if you want to take a tour of the inside of the mill, there is a small fee.  Patriot Park is next to the Mill and is a nice park featuring displays pertaining to American heritage and patriotism. It was a perfect place to let the kids run off some energy.

5) Drive the Arts and Craft Loop. This loop has a plethora of handmade arts and crafts from local artisans. Take the loop and check out painting, pottery, wood crafts, leather crafting, candles, glass-blowing, basket weaving, quilting and more. There is no fee to just take the loop and stop to watch the artisans at work; however, if you don't wish to drive it yourself, there are trolleys available for a nominal fee that will take you along the loop.

The Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area has so many fun family activities- many of which are free or very budget-friendly. Take some time to check them out on your next trip to the Smokies.

ASTC Passport Program: Museum Centers For Cheap

A great way to gain access to hundreds of museums nationwide is thru the ASTC (Association of Science-Technology Centers) passport program. Purchase a pass at one of the participating centers for free or reduced admission to other centers throughout the country. This is an excellent resource for traveling families.
We purchase our passes through a center in Florida, which is very reasonably priced for a family. We more than get our money's worth. One trip to a larger science museum and your pass just payed for itself.

Find a complete list of participating centers at:
http://www.astc.org/members/passlist_about.htm

5 Great Things To Do In Chicago

Chicago is such an awesome city to visit: full of history, world-class museums, shopping, fun dining options and kid-friendly attractions. If you are thinking ahead to spring break or summer vacation, Chicago is definitely a place to keep on the list of musts for family trips. I have visited Chicago at least a dozen times over the years. Some trips were for business, some for a girls' only weekend, a few have been a one-day up and back Chicago day trip and, of course, the family vacation.
I have listed 5 top kid attractions that are great fun for the entire family and are sure to be a highlight of your Chicago vacation.

1) Shedd Aquarium- One of the finest aquariums in the country, the backdrop for the Shedd is Lake Michigan. Take a trip to the Amazon, Carribean, and the Artic all in one afternoon. An awesome aquatic show complete with dolphins will top off a fun afternoon. My daughter thought it was so cool to actually see beluga whales up close and personal.
http://www.sheddaquarium.org/

2) Take a Trolley Tour of Chicago- This tour will give the most bang for your buck, traveling all over the downtown area. Get all kinds of Chicago information while enjoying easy and low stress transportation to the top attractions, dining and shopping areas. My kids love riding on the top of the double decker buses for the best views, that is just the ultimate in fun for young ones and will keep their attention while the adults can listen to the tour narration. We purchase a 3-day ticket for unlimited on and off transportation. This ticket also included some Chicago neighborhood tours, taking in the sights of Chinatown, Wrigley Field and the Lincoln Park area.
http://www.coachusa.com/chicagotrolley/

3) Navy Pier - Kids will love Navy Pier! Between the gigantic ferris wheel, carousel, Chicago Children's Museum, 18-hole miniature golf course, lots of fun restaurants and old-fashioned swing ride, you could spend at least half a day or more just hanging out at the pier. It will also give you some perfect picture taking opportunities with the beautiful Lake Michigan as the backdrop.
 http://www.navypier.com/

4) Museum of Science and Industry-This museum is the largest of its kind in the Western Hemisphere and is filled to the brim with exciting exhibits that kids will love. Space exploration, a World War II sub to explore, trains, fairy castles, coal mines, streets of yesteryear and the human body are just a few of the areas to explore in this huge museum.
 http://www.msichicago.org/
The Museum of Science and Industry is listed in the ASTC program so if you have a reciprocal membership you will be able to get free or reduced admission to this attraction.
Check out this post on the ASTC program: http://theeveryday-mom.blogspot.com/2014/09/astc-passport-program-museum-centers.html

5) Take a Boat Ride- I love boating on the Chicago River and Lake Michigan. There are many options when considering what type of boat ride to take with kids. A Lake Michigan shoreline cruise, Chicago River architectural tour or a combination of the two are the main options for boat rides. Any of the options will give your kids a bird's eye view of the skyline, buildings and excitement of the city with a little historical education thrown in for good measure.
The following website will list comparisons of the various boat tours in the city:
http://www.chicagotraveler.com/boat_tours.htm

For a comparison of the two main Chicago discount cards that will allow you to visit many attractions at much lower prices, visit:
http://www.chicagotraveler.com/chicago-attractions-card-comparison.htm
Many of the attractions are listed on the discount cards.

The attractions above are just a few of the kid-approved Chicago attractions. Chicago is a a great city to explore with your children!

Travel Kids: The Indianapolis Children's Museum

 

The Indianapolis Children's Museum is the world's largest museum of its kind and a definite must-see attraction if you have kids. My kids loved everything about it and would like to go back as often as possible. Between the excellent dinosaur exhibit, train displays, indoor carousel and playhouse, National Geographic Treasures of the Earth exhibits, dedicated toddler/preschooler area, and plenty of hands-on science stations, the kids will enjoy hours of educational entertainment. There are always several rotating special exhibits as well. An on-site cafeteria makes eating easy as you won't have to leave the premises for lunch. The admission can be a bit pricey; however, there are some good deals with nearby hotels. If you click on the visit tab and then on hotel accommodations, a list of hotel/admission ticket packages will pop up, which can save some money.
www.childrensmuseum.org