Thursday, August 19, 2010
Back to...
This is the season for "Back to School" in our house! Work started up officially this week. My classroom is looking good and falling into place. I am gaining excitement about the year as I gear up for an official start. Meanwhile my kids are also getting ready as school starts officially next week. Supplies are in bags under the dining room table, I still need to sort them by child a bit better. It is exciting to watch as they each progress in their academic endeavors but also in their spiritual and emotional endeavors as well. I know someday I may look back at this hectic season and think how I miss it or how I didn't take the time to completely enjoy it. Tonight however, exhaustion is keeping me from the enjoyment. I am off to bed!!!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Dynamite Daytrips...
This year we have taken some really dynamite daytrips. Some have been pricey, some have been economical. Some of our "old standards" didn't happen for various reasons. Here are our thoughts about a few:
Adventure Aquariums; Camden, NJ-
Daytrip attended by 2 adults (myself and my sister) and 4 children (Lovely Lady, Little Man, Daring Nephew, Adventurous Niece). Drive from Bucks Co., PA took us through sections of Philly that were unique. We saw lots of wall murals, a bunch of open fire hydrants, and lots of older model cars along the way. It was interesting to see how you could tell so clearly the changing of a city neighborhood. The GPS routed us, next time I think we will consult a map and follow it's guidance instead though. Once in Camden, we went straight to the Aquarium. Look up the per person cost prior to going- it sin't cheap and there really weren't any discounts available "at the door." The Aquarium itself was fantastic! It is set up to have some displays to observe unique fish (tropical fish, sharks, etc) and animals (hippos, turtles). It is very different from many other aquariums in the number of interactive exhibits. They had touch tanks of numerous shapes and sizes, allowing visitors to touch sharks, jelly fish, and rays. Little Man was especially excited by the Cow Nose Rays, and couldn't believe that he was allowed to reach in to their watery space and interact with them. Food choices were limited, we chose to hit a place on the way home to eat. There is a children's botanical garden next door, however we didn't get to check that out (too hot and too late). Overall, definitely a place I would go to again!
Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom; Allentown, PA-
We try to hit a theme park at least once during the summer. This year was Dorney Park. We were able to get tickets from Daring Nephew's Boy Scout Troop at a discount. There were 8 of us for the theme park- me, Hubby, 2 sisters were the adults; children-Lovely Lady, Little Man, Daring Nephew, Adventurous Niece. Drive was not bad, it is not far from Rt. 78. Paid parking was okay, we got there quite early though and had a handicapped person/permit. Entry was easy since we already had our ticket. Scooter Cart rental and handicapped rider pass was a bit of a pain: wait in one line, they send you to another line where you work on the handicapped pass, finally you get sent to another building area to rent your scooter. The park itself is quite large with something for everyone. All the kids found rides they liked, even my typically non-riding Lovely Lady! One hat was lost (caught air on a coaster, was in sight just not an area we could get it) and while we were promised it would be mailed, we have yet to have received it. Wild Water Kingdom was fun for the kiddos, they especially liked the wave pool. Unfortunately swim diapers were not mandatory and the big house sprinkler was shut down for poop. The water must have been filtered with the lazy river water also as that was shut at the same time. They reopened quickly, however our tummies were turned at the thought and we went back to the wave area. Life vests are available, but they don't push them. We had one not so strong swimming duckling that we forced it on for river rapid tube run! The Mama in me wishes they had forced it before I let that duckling down without the first time. The rides are all open after the Wild Water Kingdom closes, so we still had lots to do. I would say for our crew, they most difficult part of the day was due to terrain. It is quite hilly and not very shady making it rough for our scooter riding member and for the rest of us to walk! We liked it all the same, and will return another time.
National Building Museum; Washington, DC-
The National Building Museum was not a completely new stop for us. I had gone a few years back with the kids. It was not something they enjoyed at the time, meaning neither did I. We went this summer to specifically see the Lego exhibit. There is a cost for tickets to the exhibit; it is $5 per person ages 3 and up. Our group had 9, only one under 3. The ticket is for an hour window in the exhibit. We went from 11-noon. First you see replicas of some famous buildings- Sears Tower, WTC Tower 2, Dubai Tower, Fallingwater are just a few of the famous representations there. All out of Lego's! They had information about them also, like the design hours for the models and the hours put into the actual building with the Lego's. Then there was a Lego area for visitors to put their own best efforts to work. Finally you put your Lego buildings onto a city section for display. We wished we could bring them home instead! To escape the exhibit you were supposed to proceed through a Lego themed gift shop hosting Lego sets ($25 for some, Fallingwater was $100), Lego calculators (appr. $35) and more. They graciously let us escape with all 6 kids through the entrance instead! Oh and parking...Parking is difficult in that area of the city. We ended up at a quarter eating meter. Nickels got you 1.5 minutes, dimes- 3 minutes, quarters- 7 minutes. From the time we parked until we ran out of coins was about 2.75 hours or 165 minutes. You do the math!!!
Smithsonian Museum of American History; Washington, DC-
Parking was again a fiasco! We ended up parking near the Capital building at one end of the National Mall and walking to the museum at the other end. Ouch! The museum was a lot of fun though! We enjoyed exhibits about holidays (especially the replica of a Pikachu balloon from a Thanksgiving Day parade), TV stars (Kermit the Frog was there), First Ladies gowns, transportation and the inventions floor! The favorite had to be the escalator rides though for 2 of my young com padres! We went down, up, up, up, down, up, down, down, down! Guy waiting for his family at the time thought it was hysterical the first time we passed, was convinced we were running off sugar on the second. Cafe closed earlier than the museum, a disappointment for my weary, hungry travelers. We made due with our snacks from home, filled up on water at the fountain, and s-l-o-w-l-y trekked back to the car. The slow trek back was made most exciting by the blond squirrel along the National Mall, the counting of items of various colors (red, orange, purple), seeing an officer on a bike (Mom, he's Park Police!), and a short rest on a bench. We were relieved to be back to the car, even if the inside of it was 162 degrees!!! Okay, small exaggeration maybe but it was 99 outside so very hot! Again, hot day, fun outing, parking limited.
Adventure Aquariums; Camden, NJ-
Daytrip attended by 2 adults (myself and my sister) and 4 children (Lovely Lady, Little Man, Daring Nephew, Adventurous Niece). Drive from Bucks Co., PA took us through sections of Philly that were unique. We saw lots of wall murals, a bunch of open fire hydrants, and lots of older model cars along the way. It was interesting to see how you could tell so clearly the changing of a city neighborhood. The GPS routed us, next time I think we will consult a map and follow it's guidance instead though. Once in Camden, we went straight to the Aquarium. Look up the per person cost prior to going- it sin't cheap and there really weren't any discounts available "at the door." The Aquarium itself was fantastic! It is set up to have some displays to observe unique fish (tropical fish, sharks, etc) and animals (hippos, turtles). It is very different from many other aquariums in the number of interactive exhibits. They had touch tanks of numerous shapes and sizes, allowing visitors to touch sharks, jelly fish, and rays. Little Man was especially excited by the Cow Nose Rays, and couldn't believe that he was allowed to reach in to their watery space and interact with them. Food choices were limited, we chose to hit a place on the way home to eat. There is a children's botanical garden next door, however we didn't get to check that out (too hot and too late). Overall, definitely a place I would go to again!
Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom; Allentown, PA-
We try to hit a theme park at least once during the summer. This year was Dorney Park. We were able to get tickets from Daring Nephew's Boy Scout Troop at a discount. There were 8 of us for the theme park- me, Hubby, 2 sisters were the adults; children-Lovely Lady, Little Man, Daring Nephew, Adventurous Niece. Drive was not bad, it is not far from Rt. 78. Paid parking was okay, we got there quite early though and had a handicapped person/permit. Entry was easy since we already had our ticket. Scooter Cart rental and handicapped rider pass was a bit of a pain: wait in one line, they send you to another line where you work on the handicapped pass, finally you get sent to another building area to rent your scooter. The park itself is quite large with something for everyone. All the kids found rides they liked, even my typically non-riding Lovely Lady! One hat was lost (caught air on a coaster, was in sight just not an area we could get it) and while we were promised it would be mailed, we have yet to have received it. Wild Water Kingdom was fun for the kiddos, they especially liked the wave pool. Unfortunately swim diapers were not mandatory and the big house sprinkler was shut down for poop. The water must have been filtered with the lazy river water also as that was shut at the same time. They reopened quickly, however our tummies were turned at the thought and we went back to the wave area. Life vests are available, but they don't push them. We had one not so strong swimming duckling that we forced it on for river rapid tube run! The Mama in me wishes they had forced it before I let that duckling down without the first time. The rides are all open after the Wild Water Kingdom closes, so we still had lots to do. I would say for our crew, they most difficult part of the day was due to terrain. It is quite hilly and not very shady making it rough for our scooter riding member and for the rest of us to walk! We liked it all the same, and will return another time.
National Building Museum; Washington, DC-
The National Building Museum was not a completely new stop for us. I had gone a few years back with the kids. It was not something they enjoyed at the time, meaning neither did I. We went this summer to specifically see the Lego exhibit. There is a cost for tickets to the exhibit; it is $5 per person ages 3 and up. Our group had 9, only one under 3. The ticket is for an hour window in the exhibit. We went from 11-noon. First you see replicas of some famous buildings- Sears Tower, WTC Tower 2, Dubai Tower, Fallingwater are just a few of the famous representations there. All out of Lego's! They had information about them also, like the design hours for the models and the hours put into the actual building with the Lego's. Then there was a Lego area for visitors to put their own best efforts to work. Finally you put your Lego buildings onto a city section for display. We wished we could bring them home instead! To escape the exhibit you were supposed to proceed through a Lego themed gift shop hosting Lego sets ($25 for some, Fallingwater was $100), Lego calculators (appr. $35) and more. They graciously let us escape with all 6 kids through the entrance instead! Oh and parking...Parking is difficult in that area of the city. We ended up at a quarter eating meter. Nickels got you 1.5 minutes, dimes- 3 minutes, quarters- 7 minutes. From the time we parked until we ran out of coins was about 2.75 hours or 165 minutes. You do the math!!!
Smithsonian Museum of American History; Washington, DC-
Parking was again a fiasco! We ended up parking near the Capital building at one end of the National Mall and walking to the museum at the other end. Ouch! The museum was a lot of fun though! We enjoyed exhibits about holidays (especially the replica of a Pikachu balloon from a Thanksgiving Day parade), TV stars (Kermit the Frog was there), First Ladies gowns, transportation and the inventions floor! The favorite had to be the escalator rides though for 2 of my young com padres! We went down, up, up, up, down, up, down, down, down! Guy waiting for his family at the time thought it was hysterical the first time we passed, was convinced we were running off sugar on the second. Cafe closed earlier than the museum, a disappointment for my weary, hungry travelers. We made due with our snacks from home, filled up on water at the fountain, and s-l-o-w-l-y trekked back to the car. The slow trek back was made most exciting by the blond squirrel along the National Mall, the counting of items of various colors (red, orange, purple), seeing an officer on a bike (Mom, he's Park Police!), and a short rest on a bench. We were relieved to be back to the car, even if the inside of it was 162 degrees!!! Okay, small exaggeration maybe but it was 99 outside so very hot! Again, hot day, fun outing, parking limited.
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