Funny Beach Photo Idea

The kids and I just returned from a little mini vacation at the Jersey Shore with my sister and her family.  The kids had a blast with their cousins and I was excited to snap this funny photo "capturing" the cousins under a huge sand bucket.

Check it out...

I originally saw the idea on Pinterest from THIS Flickr photo.  My photography skills aren't as good as the original, but it was a simple shot to capture.  I just asked the kids to go a little ways down the beach, then held the beach bucket in my left hand and the camera in my right.  I told the kids to pretend something was attacking them from above (which they gladly acted out).  Because I just used the auto focus on my camera, I had to lock the focus on the kids, then move the bucket into the shot (otherwise the kids would have been too blurry and the bucket would be in sharp focus).   I got a few funny looks from other beachgoers, but it was worth it for this cute photo.

Fort McHenry (Baltimore, MD)

Yesterday was a beautiful early Spring day here in Baltimore so I took my girls to spend an afternoon at Fort McHenry.  If you're ever in Baltimore, Fort McHenry is just a short drive from the Inner Harbor, Maryland Science Center, and American Visionary Art Museum.  It's the perfect place to learn a little history and get out a little bit of extra energy outdoors.

Check out our visit...

As a little history refresher, Fort McHenry is best known for its role in successfully defending the city of Baltimore during the War of 1812.   It was the morning after the British attack in September 1814, when Francis Scott Key saw the U.S. flag being raised above the fort, that the Star Spangled Banner was written.

My girls enjoyed our afternoon...

  Fort McHenry is part of the National Park Service and has its own Junior Ranger Program.  If you're ever at the fort, or any of the other NPS sites that have this program, definitely let your kids participate.   (check their website for a list of participating sites) 

The girls got a list of questions about the fort and the War of 1812.  All the answers could be found in the Visitor Center and on the grounds.  It was almost like a scavenger hunt for them,  as they ran from exhibit to exhibit reading signs to find information.  (Pretty fun way to sneak in lots of learning, don't you think?)

After all the questions were answered, they took their completed papers back to the ranger station to be checked.  The ranger determined that everything looked good and they were sworn in as Junior Park Rangers.  They got certificates and fun little badges.

As I mentioned, Fort McHenry is just a short drive from Baltimore's Inner Harbor and it's just off of I-95.  There's also a water taxi service that can take you from the Inner Harbor to the the Fort (which is a fun boat ride for the kids).  I'd definitely recommend it as part of your Baltimore visit and it's would be a good side trip from a visit to Washington DC.  Kids can learn some history and just run around on the grounds ~ there's a great path all along the water around the fort.  It's a great spot for a picnic lunch as you watch the boats go in and out of the Harbor.

Great Wolf Lodge Review and Tips (Williamsburg, VA)

A couple weeks ago I took the kids to the Great Wolf Lodge indoor water park in Williamsburg, VA.  It was just an overnight trip that was a combination of a good-report-card treat, early Valentine's gift, and Mommy-got-a-good-deal-on-a-Groupon!.  The kids and I (plus their grandma) really enjoyed our little mini-vacation.  Since there are several Great Wolf Lodges around the U.S. and Canada, I thought I'd share our experiences and pass along a few tips in case you're thinking of planning a trip to one.  

(NOTE: This isn't a sponsored post and I wasn't reimbursed in any way.  I just think it's helpful to get some extra info before spending lots of hard-earned money and wanted to pass along our thoughts)


Check out our stay (list of tips at the end of the post) ...

The main feature of the lodge is the large indoor waterpark and that's where we spent the majority of our time.  The passes for the waterpark are included in your room costs and it's only available for use by guests staying at the hotel.  (which helps to control the size of the crowds).  However, guests are free to use the facilities starting at 1pm on the day they check in and the full rest of the day after their 11am checkout.

When you enter the waterpark there's a large climbing structure in the center.  There are all sorts of nets, tunnels, slides and ways to dump and squirt water on those around you.  There's also a huge bucket of water that dumps out 1,000 gallons of water on the people below every 5 minutes.  (My kids LOVED the pouring water and would run over to stand under it when the warning bell went off)

The large wave pool was also a big hit with my kids.  They liked floating on a raft in the middle or being at the edge where the waves were breaking.  It was nice to have that beach experience without any sharp shells poking your feet or sand getting in your suit!

There were lots of other fun attractions too ~ floating logs to hop across, a surfing simulator, shallow kids' pool and slides, hot tubs (one for adults and another for kids), and a lazy river.

There were also several large waterslides that I don't have pictures of, although I did ride them each several times!  (You can see the resort photos of them HERE.) My son declared the Howling Tornado, with its big drop into a huge funnel, his "favorite ride ever, anywhere!" and I have to agree it was really cool.  We also liked the River Canyon Run with its darkened tunnel and flashing lights and the Alberta Falls where you twist and turn down one of two large slides.  Even the two smaller water slides off the central climbing area were lots of fun.

 While the cost for our whole little trip, even with a Groupon, was a few hundred dollars, it was definitely a fun and memorable trip for the kids and a really special treat.  I couldn't afford to go back often, but we'd love to return again at some point.

Now for the tips and a few things worth mentioning...

• If you can arrange it, try to go on a weekday.  We stayed Sunday into Monday and the crowds were manageable.  The longest lines (approx. 20-30 minutes at times) were for the Howling Tornado, River Canyon Run, and Flow Rider surfing ride.  Most of the other areas you could go right into.  I've heard it can be much more crowded on weekends.
• Take advantage of the online check in.  I didn't and had to wait in a really long line to check in on Sunday afternoon.  I noticed that people who had done the online check in were able to go into a much, much shorter line.  (info should be in the reservation email). 
• Instead of a traditional room key, the plastic wristband you get at check in is somehow electronically coded to give you access to your room.  (It's pretty cool, you just pass it in front of your door and it unlocks.)  You can also set up your wristband to allow purchases to be charged to your room.  It was really nice not to have to worry about keeping track of your wallet or room key while in the water.
• Plan for some of your meals to be outside the lodge.  There are several eateries inside but you'll pay amusement park premium prices for your meals.  We grabbed lunch before we checked in at one of the restaurants close to the lodge and ate dinner at another restaurant on our 2nd day when we left.
• Pack some snacks for your room.  I packed breakfast foods and some snacks so I could keep costs down.  You're not supposed to bring outside food into the waterpark area (there is a snack bar), but I did notice several families around us who brought in small snacks and drinks in their bags.
• Try to have someone get down to the waterpark right when it opens to claim a table.  My son and I were at the doors right at 9am and were able to stake out a good table to serve as our "homebase" for the day.  By 10am, nearly all the tables had been staked out.
• The lodge does provide free towels for use in the waterpark area.  They were perfect for the kids, but a little small for an adult. You might one to bring a beach towel of your own if you want to be able to wrap it all the way around you.
• I thought there was plenty to do in the waterpark area for kids of all ages.  Because that was the main reason we went, we didn't do many of the other activities in the lodge.  However, I noticed lots of kids playing a Magic Quest game with a special wand (costs extra) and that could be a fun alternative to a whole day in the water, especially if you stay for more than one night.  There was also an arcade, spa, art room, storytimes and activities in the lobby, and more.  I can imagine it would get extremely pricy if you let your kids do all the extras, though.
• I found the place to be clean and well maintained and the staff we dealt with were usually quite friendly and helpful.  (I often expect the worst after reading online reviews, but we had no problems.)  However, I will admit that the pizza we got at the lodge for dinner was pretty gross, especially considering it cost close to $20.
• The lifeguards in the waterpark were very attentive and I felt comfortable letting my kids (ages 7, 9 and 10)  buddy up and go on some waterslides or attractions without me right by their side.
• We stayed in the Loft Fireplace Suite and it was HUGE!  It had two double beds, a separate seating area with a pull out couch, a small balcony, a fireplace and stairs leading up to a loft with another double bed and a half bath. 
• Since we were planning on staying at the park after checkout at 11, I took most of our belongings out to the car.  I rented a locker in the waterpark for $10 to hold our change of clothes, my purse and camera so I'd have quick access to them until we left the resort around 5pm.

I hope you've found this post helpful if you're planning your own trip to a Great Wolf Lodge.

Cherry Crest Adventure Farm (Lancaster County, PA)

This is the second year the kids and I have gone to Cherry Crest Adventure Farm, near Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  It is AWESOME!  The kids love it and we stay from open to close (10 am - 5 pm!)  A farm has to be pretty amazing to keep us all happy for 7 hours, but this place is.  There are more than 50 fun activities and they are all really cool.  I literally took hundreds of pictures of my kids (and their cousins who met us there), but I'll try to narrow it down to a few collages so you can get an idea of all the place has to offer.  Without a doubt, I'd recommend it to anyone with kids who will be in the Lancaster area.  (Oh, and I'm not being paid to write this post and I didn't get anything for free ~ we just really like it!)

First, a few of the really fun activities...

 

 As you can see, the kids had a blast!  There are big slides down the hill and a giant slingshot (my son's favorite).  They jumped on a giant bouncy pillow, rode pedal carts around a track, climbed on a giant web, went through a Simon Says maze and more.  


Next, the farm experience area...

We went back to this area to hold the baby chicks at least three times!  The kids loved it.  And those baby goats?  They were only 2-3 weeks old and so unbelievably cute and fun to watch.  The kids liked feeding the animals by hand and also using a special pulley system to feed the goats who were up high on the bridge.

Finally, a truly amazing corn maze...

We had so much fun doing the maze.  It's a huge 5 acres and you can see from the aerial view that it's designed like a giant baseball player.   They have several options for going through it ~ you can follow the yellow ribbon for an easy walk through (good for really little ones who want the experience, but not a lot of walking), take a medium route and use special hint signs, or take the "extreme" version and tackle the whole maze.  We opted for the hardest version and made our way through the whole maze, looking for special numbered mailboxes.  Each mailbox has a sticker that you paste on your map to complete a picture of the maze.  Your group can carry a large flag as a marker and wave it if you need help or directions from the staff.  It's also fun because when you turn some corners in the maze, you'll find a little playset ~ a slide, zipline, rope climbing, etc.




If your kids are train enthusiasts, they'll love that Cherry Crest farm is a stop on the Strasburg Railroad.  They can watch the train come through the tracks on the farm, or even take a ride.  (Discounted tickets can be purchased at the farm)

We opted to bring our own lunches to eat in the covered picnic area, but there are several concession stands with a variety of foods at the farm.

One last thing that's really cool.  If you visit any time during the summer and have a special photo taken, you can come back as many times as you like for the rest of the summer for FREE!  (until Sept 21st)  Even though the farm is about 1 1/2 hours away from us here in Baltimore, we definitely plan on returning at least once more this summer ~ the kids really love it!

Maryland Zoo in Baltimore

Ever since the kids were babies, we've been going to the Baltimore Zoo (actually called the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore).  Here are a few highlights from our recent visit.

The Maryland Zoo is divided into two main sections ~ The African Journey and the Maryland Wilderness Children's Zoo.  A tram will take you from the Main Entrance to the area with the exhibits.  My kids are past the stroller stage, but both the tram and the pathways are stroller friendly and most areas are fairly well shaded.

The African Area has many of the more "exotic" zoo animals.  A winding path takes you on a large loop through the woods and the animals' exhibits are on either side of the pathway.   There's a giraffe feeding station as well as camel rides (both have an additional fee).

My favorite area is the chimpanzee exhibit.  Eleven chimps share a large indoor and outdoor exhibit area.  We were lucky to be there for the zookeeper chat this past visit (check the schedule for the various chats when you get to the zoo).  We got to see the chimps get some fruit and learned more about their behaviors.

My own little chimps blended right in with the statues!

In the Maryland Wilderness section, you get the chance to learn about some of the animals typically found in Maryland.  You'll explore the animal habitats in a Bog, Stream, Cave, Woodlands and finally end up in a Farmyard.  There are a quite a few "interactive" parts in this section of the zoo ~ the kids will be able to climb in a birds' nest, hop across lily pads, explore a dark cave, spin in turtle shells, and slide down a big slide that looks like a fallen tree.  In the Farmyard, there's a petting zoo where you can get up close with various farm animals.

Check out all the fun they had in this area...

NOTE: The Cave exhibit is quite dark and could be frightening for little ones,

but it's easily bypassed.

The lily pads could keep my kids happily hopping for hours.  

In addition to the African Journey and the Maryland Wilderness sections, there's also The Polar Bear Watch with three large polar bears.  Many times, the polar bears are just lounging around on land, but on our recent visit, we were excited to see one of the bears cooling off in the water.  (I don't blame him, it was a hot day!)

I've been going to the zoo here in Baltimore for almost 20 years now, first as a teacher and now as a parent.  I will admit that for awhile, the zoo was getting somewhat rundown and I would be a bit disappointed when I'd visit.  However, in recent years, they've made a lot of improvements and it's much better now.  The buildings and facilities are much cleaner and better maintained than they were in the past.  

The parking is free and there are concession stands in various locations where you can purchase food and snacks.  You are also free to bring in your own food and snacks.  The Maryland Zoo also participates in the reciprocal program with other zoos in the country, so if you're visiting the Baltimore area and have a membership at your local zoo, check to see if your admission might be free or discounted.

For more info on the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, you can check out their website before your visit. 

Bureau of Engraving and Printing (Washington, DC)

The highlight of our recent day trip to Washington DC was our tour of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing at the U.S. Treasury. 

If you want the chance to see the printing process and be in the presence of  more cash than you'll ever see in a lifetime, this is an awesome tour!

Check it out...

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing is right off the Mall on 14th Street (next to the Holocaust Museum) and very close to the other museums of the Smithsonian.  Tours are FREE but you must get tickets which will tell you your entry time (more info about tours  HERE).  On our last few trips to DC, the tickets for the day were all gone by mid-morning.  This time, (maybe because it was a really hot day in the middle of week), we were able to get tickets for the 5:45 tour ( we got to the ticket office around 12:30 pm).    One person can get up to 4 tickets, so if you are in Washington DC, it's well worth it to send someone over to pick up your tickets as early in the day as possible.  


You are not allowed to take any photographs on the tour itself, but I was able to get a few before and after in the small visitor center and gift shop. 


TIP:  You do not need the timed tickets to access the visitor center or gift shop, so if you can't get tickets, you can still stop by.

Even though the kids were SOAKED 

after getting caught in a rainstorm on the way to the tour, 

they loved being this close to a million dollars!

On the tour itself, we got to see all the modern printing practices with all sorts of high-speed, automated machines.  However, in the gift shop, a man demonstrated how the bills were printed by hand from the 1860's - 1920's.  It was really interesting to see the actual engraving plate (which took four months to engrave by hand).  We watched how the thick ink was applied to get a crisp image and saw how a heavy press was used to emboss the image onto the bill.  Then, the kids got to look through a magnifying glass to see how incredibly detailed the printed scene was ~ you could see the individual people and horses in front of the building!

 Also in the gift shop was this cool chart which takes your height, and tells you the equivalent in $100 bills.  My kids are priceless to me, of course, but they got a kick out of seeing that they'd equal more than a million dollars in stacked $100 bills!

 My daughter added a hundred thousand dollars to her height 

by standing on her tippy toes!

For a glimpse of what you'll see on the actual tour, here's a postcard I picked up which shows a couple of the actual machines.

We loved getting a behind the scenes look at how our bills are made and we really loved seeing all that money in right in front of us!!  If you're planning a trip to Washington DC, put the Bureau of Engraving and Printing on your list of places to see.  (Also, there's another bureau in Fort Worth, Texas, so if that's closer to you, perhaps you can catch the tour there!)

Our terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day in Washington, DC

Today I decided to take the kids on a spur-of-the-moment trip to Washington, DC.  I knew it was going to be hot, I knew the kids would probably be cranky, but I figured instead of being hot and cranky at home, we'd make the one hour drive and be hot and cranky in the Nation's Capital.  While we did enjoy some parts of our day, we decided that the adjectives Alexander used to describe his day also applied to our trip.

Doesn't look so bad here, but keep reading.

That's right, the car thermometer was reading 103!!  (it actually reached 104 several times, but not when I had my camera out).  With the humidity, I heard the heat index was up around 112!
 

 
But, Laura, you say, your kids look fine in front of the White House and at the American History Museum.  That's right, but you must remember, I had all three of my kids with me.  My oldest daughter was whining so much about the heat and how much her brother and sister were bothering her, that she wouldn't even get in the pictures and was stomping around behind me for each of these shots. 

Plus, I wasn't able to take pictures of myself constantly trying to separate them all while walking down the street or through a museum.  I only have two hands but I have three kids.  That means one kid is always next to another and that's cause for poking, annoying noise-making, flip flop-stepping, or other behaviors that need to be tattled about.

As we left the Museum of American History to head back to the car, we felt a few drops of rain.  As soon as we walked another block, the gusty winds, thunder, lightening and torrential downpours started.   We were soaked within minutes, but at that point, we just decided to keep walking.  My son and youngest daughter were frightened by the lightning and thunder and wanted to move quickly, my oldest was complaining about how much her flip flops were hurting her (which I'd told her not to wear in the first place) and wanted us to move more slowly.

Yup, that's right.  After enduring brutally hot temperatures, unending bickering and whining, and torrential rain, we reach our van to find a $50 parking ticket.  Apparently, in my excitement to finally find a parking spot after circling the Mall for a half hour, I neglected to thoroughly read the sign that stated you couldn't stay parked there between 4-6pm.  My only consolation is that they hadn't towed my car yet (there was a box marked on the ticket that said "towing requested") and all the museums are free, so I hadn't spent a lot of money already.

Looking at the bright side, the trip wasn't a total bust...

The kids enjoyed some yummy ice cream 

in the Museum of American History

Notice how they're all smiles after Mommy drops $14 on ice creams!

 They liked seeing the many historical artifacts

and even trying out a fountain pen and ink.

And we all thought the 

Bureau of Engraving and Printing 

was really interesting 

 (but I'll be doing a whole separate post on that!)

Have you ever had a trip like this?  One bad thing after another, 
but you'd do it all over again (and you do!)

Baltimore's Inner Harbor Sailabration

An important battle of the War of 1812 was fought in Baltimore's Inner Harbor.  It was after this battle, when he saw the U.S. flag still waving,  that Francis Scott Key wrote the poem which eventually became our National Anthem.  To celebrate the bicentennial of the war of 1812, Baltimore is hosting a week-long Star-Spangled Sailabration with lots of fun events in and around the Inner Harbor.


My 2nd and 3rd graders recently learned about the War of 1812 and visited the related sites of Fort McHenry, Federal Hill and the Flag House on a field trip last month.  Since yesterday was a gorgeous day and we didn't have anything special planned,  I decided to take them downtown to check out the festivities.

Overall, we had an awesome time.  (I say overall because there was still a fair amount of their customary whining in between the fun stuff.)  The festivities in Baltimore continue until Tuesday, so if you're in the area, I recommend stopping by.  I definitely think it was worth the parking fees (and any occasional bickering of your kids).


Check out some of the fun we had...

Visiting all the tall ships

The dozens of ships docked in the Inner Harbor were the main reason

I wanted to go the Sailabration.

There were several ships from countries all over the world

as well ships from the here in United States.

We really enjoyed going aboard many of the ships 

and even meeting some of the sailors from faraway lands.

Getting balloons from a balloon artist

The whining was starting to reach a fevered pitch ~

"Mommmmm, he's stepping on my flip flops on purpose."

"Mommmm, I want something to eat."

"Mommmm, I want to hold your hand and there's not enough hands."

Luckily, a talented balloon artist was there to save the day.

For a couple bucks tip, we got two puppies on a leash 

and a balloon gun in a holster and everyone was all smiles again.

Playing in the Sondheim Fountain

I think splashing in the interactive fountain at the harbor was
the highlight of the kids' day.
("You're going to let us go in with our clothes on?")


Making their own wooden sailboats

Part of the festivities included a children's area
with different little projects and activities.
The kids got to decorate their own little sailboats
and then let them set sail in a little pool set up nearby.


Some extra little fun things

We also got to see a talented sandcastle builder hard at work,
got to experience being locked in some stockades,
(despite a brief moment when I wanted to keep my whiners locked up, I let them all out ;)  )
got to see where the original  flag that inspired
the Star Spangled Banner was made
and even got to see the Blue Angels
making a practice flight over the city.

 I feel very fortunate that we live so close to a major city, especially one with so much history. As I said, if you're in the area, I definitely recommend stopping by in this next week to check out the Sailabration festivities.  Even if you're not able to visit this week,

definitely plan a trip to the Inner Harbor area, there's a ton of cool things to see.

Kid-Friendly Outings, Trips and Vacations across the U.S.

Welcome to our latest Themed Collection!

Some of the best times I've had with my kids

have been on our many outings and trips.

Whether it's discovering new places together

or sharing with them a place I've been to before

and seeing it through their eyes,

getting in the car for a new adventure is always fun!

Let's use this link party to share

all of our kid-friendly road trip adventures!

Think of it as our very own travel guide.

 Share your posts about the places 

you've gone with kids.

Include zoos, museums, parks,

historical places, amusement parks,

local attractions, etc.

If you've gone there, your kids liked it,

and you wrote a post about it, 

share it here!

A few guidelines:

1.  You can link up as many outings and trips as you want, as long as they are kid-friendly.  To help keep this collection easy to navigate, please keep your title brief with the name of the place, the city and the state. 

For example, 

Herr's Snack Food Factory

(Nottingham, PA)

2. Please don't link up your business, shop or unrelated posts.

   (To keep this collection a relevant & helpful resource, I'll delete any unrelated links)

3.  As with all my link parties, this one will be on-going, 

     so you can link up your new ideas at any time 

     and stop back often for fresh inspiration.

4.  By linking up, you're allowing me permission to feature your photo 

     and a description of your project in a "5 Fun Ideas" Featured Post. 

      (With a link back to your full post, of course)

5.  Finally, the more people who know about this collection, 

      the better it will be.  Help spread the word by including 

      a text link back to Come Together Kids.

      Spread the word even further by sharing 

      this post on Facebook or Pinterest!