Georgia: A Day out at the Children's Museum of Atlanta

The Children's Museum of Atlanta is downtown, across from Olympic Park and World of Coke. If you're visiting Atlanta with kids, it is a must visit!

Our first stop needed to be this Quiet Space. Walking into the museum was a little bit overwhelming for Bria, so we had to find a quiet corner to acclimate in. We were thankful for this great space to do that!

Once she was settled in, we went to check out the sand box - always a favorite. She played with some other children, and built some fun creations.

Dress-up is fun, but it's even more fun when you get to dress up as a tap dancer and dance away on a wooden floor!

There was plenty of hands-on fun to be had. The museum does a great job of integrating a variety of activities to help children look at a topic from multiple angles. Many of the exhibits when we visited revolved around food, so she shopped in a store, planted a garden, and made her own burger with paper, scissors, and glue.

There are also live shows! While we were there, we saw a fun show where they did science experiments, and another one that got kids dancing the wiggles out.

We would normally share ticket pricing and similar information, but the Atlanta Children's Museum is currently closed for renovations, and will be opening again in late 2015. This is a very exciting time! We can't wait to see what new exhibits will come out of the renovation.

Check out their website or visit them on Instagram to find out what they are up to, purchase a membership, and get the details of their grand reopening!

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Washington State: Exploring Coastal Bellingham

Bellingham is a beautiful coastal city on Washington state's I-5 corridor, 90 miles from Seattle and 25 miles from the Canadian border.

With this amazing location, it is no surprise they are best known for the Ski to Sea race, an event held each May. Teams of eight compete in a seven-leg, 101 mile course that brings them from Mt. Baker to Bellingham Bay. It's seriously exciting stuff, and indicative of the culture here, outdoor-loving, quirky, and very artsy. (In fact, Bellingham ranks second in the nation for arts businesses per capita.)

Full disclaimer - this is my stomping grounds! I grew up in Blaine (25 minutes north), and went to high school and college in Bellingham. This is home! We were in town for a good friend's wedding, and squeezed in some family fun around the nuptial festivities.

Not having been home for a while, everywhere I went people were suggesting things that were NEW in town! This means our itinerary is a bit heavy in that end, but I've thrown in suggestions for some good old favorites, too. Have something to add? We'd love to read your ideas! Please leave a comment below.

So what's to love about Bellingham? Lots! We started with a visit downtown, driving right on past the blocks around the bus depot where we hung out as mischievous teens, and stopping a few blocks down in an area that is known for interesting shops and fun museums.

SPARK

We love a good hands-on museum, and the SPARK Museum of Electrical Invention is an excellent one. The collection takes visitors from the dawn of the electrical age through the radio era, and features plenty of experiments to facilitate independent learning. Bria learned quickly to look for the signs with a blue hand that indicated an exhibit you should touch, and she was fascinated to move from one to the next, learning how it all works.

Check the museum out on Saturday and Sunday afternoons for the MegaZapper Electrical Show. They are closed on Monday and Tuesday. Visit SPARK at 1312 Bay Street. Admission is $8 for adults and $5 for children under 11. Memberships are also available, which include unlimited admission.

Michael's Books

From there we walked a couple of blocks to one of my favorite haunts, Michael's Books at 109 Grand Ave. Michael's is a used book shop that specializes in out-of-print and rare books. It is filled floor to ceiling with books, books, and more books, just the way we like it.

The children's corner is a great one, featuring a large collection of books of all kinds. Bria is working her way through the Mensa for Kids Excellence in Reading list. and we found half a dozen books from her list to pick up. 

Across the street is Henderson's Books, another used book shop well worth a look - it's a little bit of a Stones vs. Beatles debate here, everyone seems to love one or the other! If you are a bibliophile like me, check out this blog post for details on other bookstores in the area.

Mount Bakery

Open 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., the Mount Bakery at 308 W. Champion serves breakfast all day. The kids love the bottle of water served to the table (a recycled wine bottle), and feel very sophisticated pouring themselves a glass while they wait for the selection of goodies we ordered to be delivered to the table.

This family-owned local business is a treat, with a variety of pastries and cookies baked daily. Mmmm, and the crepes! Sweet or savory, you can't go wrong with a crepe from Mount Bakery. I indulged in the apple, pear, and brie crepe, while Bria had a half sandwich, piled high with fresh vegetables and meat, with a cup of the soup of the day.

We finished with a delicate brown sugar shortbread cookie that was so good, I wanted to go back and order a dozen. Or two.

If you are around more than one day and would like other suggestions for food, downtown Bellingham is a great spot for breakfast or brunch. The Little Cheerful Cafe at 133 E Holly does some serious goodies like an amazing Eggs Benedict and a Crab Cake Omelette that will leave you happy and full. Don't forget to "pimp your hash or cakes." Another great crepe place is AB Crepes at 1311 Railroad. If you're feeling crazy, bring a friend and do the AlphaBet Challenge - 26 crepes between two people in one hour. I'm sure the kids would enjoy the spectacle!

When breakfast isn't quite the right fit, check out Tadeos Mexican Restaurant at 207 E. Holly. It's authentic and yummy and priced right. I'm obsessed with the tamales.

Railway Museum

We wrapped up our downtown outing at the Bellingham Railway Museum, sneaking in for the last hour before closing. I wish we had taken more time!

This little museum is a great treat, featuring a large collection of model trains and tons of kid-friendly trains for kids to get their hands on and play with. Families will also love the large collection of train books which line one wall - you could spend a day just exploring those. Another favorite exhibit was the collection of railroad lanterns, definitely something little train lovers don't see every day.

Located at 1320 Commercial Street in downtown Bellingham, the museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is $2 for children and $4 for adults.

More Downtown

There is so much more to see downtown, we definitely didn't do it justice. Check out the Whatcom Museum and Mindport Exhibits for more museum fun. There is a great collection of art spaces, theaters, shops, restaurants, and lots more. Visit the Downtown Bellingham website to learn more, and then get out there and explore!

Indoor Activities

On our second day in Bellingham, we had tuxedo fittings, rehearsal dinners, and pouring rain to navigate, but we did manage to fit in one fun activity - a trip to Trampoline Zone. Located in the old Allsop building at 4201 Meridian St., this recently opened feature is a great place to run (or bounce) off some energy on a rainy day. There are not a lot of places that are equally fun for a 5-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy, but this place fits the bill.

Parks

Our final day in Bellingham was beautiful and sunny, so we set out to explore the parks, starting with the brand spanking new Squalicum Creek Park.

So new the grass is still being cultivated, the park sits on the location of a former concrete plant, and efforts are underway to reclaim the area for fish and wildlife, as well as providing a fun place for families. You can follow the trail and explore the salmon enhancement project at Willow Spring, or do like we did, and hit the playground.

The playground at Squalicum Creek Park features a zipline (my Kiwi hubby would call it a flying fox), and a line of children dutifully waiting in line to take their turn at the excitement. There are also climbing structures for a wide range of age groups, and some very Washington-appropriate mushrooms to hop along.

The fun doesn't stop there, either. The park is home to a dog park, basketball court, baseball field, hiking trails, and shelters for hosting gatherings.

If you're looking for established trees and grass to run around on, head down the hill to Cornwall Park, which has always been a favorite. The paved trails weave in and out of a gorgeous oasis in the center of town. Or move toward the lake and explore the 241-acre Whatcom Falls Park, with its four sets of waterfalls and miles of trails.

We chose to visit Boulevard Park, which is a beautiful waterfront space with a boardwalk and beach. Bria and I brought along a book, and read from Winnie-the-Pooh and watched the kayakers and dog walkers. This is a great place to just hang out and take in some fresh air.

Links

Need more help planning your visit to Bellingham? Visit the Bellingham Tourism site, or their office downtown. The City of Bellingham also has some details on their site, and Experience Washington is a great state-wide resource!

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Florida: Ponce Inlet Lighthouse

Our GPS is set for home, but as we say good-bye to our sweet friends in Melbourne, Florida (and thank them for opening their home to us these past few weeks), there is still a lot of country to see before we land in our beds in North Dakota.

Three girls on a road trip, so many possibilities for things to see! We started out with some searches - National Parks, historical sites, roadside marvels - and then set off on the road home.

Our first stop was Ponce Inlet Lighthouse, near Daytona Beach. This 175-foot-tall tower has the distinction of being the tallest lighthouse in Florida. The beacon's light can be seen up to 18 miles out to sea!

As soon as we saw it, we knew we definitely had to climb it. The lady who sold us our tickets promised five-year-old Bria a sticker if she made it to the top, and then we started up. There are 213 very steep steps to the top, and I'm not sure if I thought that sounded like a lot or not, but whoah! That's a lot of steps up!

We were around halfway when it started to feel like a serious project. Ella and I were both thankful for a sign we had read aloud at the bottom saying kids had to be able to make the steps (up and down) themselves and couldn't be carried - that would have been a lot of steps to lug 30 pounds up!

There were a few places along the way to stop and check out the view, catch your breath, and let people pass you going up or down (the steps are narrow and only passable by one person at a time). Once you reach the top, there is a door that leads outside, and gives a fantastic panoramic view of the beautiful little point where the lighthouse is located. We walked around it a few times, but didn't spend a lot of time, because a storm was coming, and we didn't want to be rushed down in a crowd when they closed the tower.

The trip down was, of course, much easier than the trip up, and soon we were resting on the benches outside. The lighthouse is surrounded by a small museum, which is made up of a series of buildings that once housed lighthouse employees and offices, each filled with assorted artifacts representing the 128 year history of the site. Ponce Inlet is one of 12 lighthouses in the country that have been designated as National Historic Landmarks, sitting at third tallest.

We looked into a few of them, then caught part of a movie about the lighthouse before going inside to check out the gift shop. Just as we stepped inside, an alert came over the radio that it was time to close the lighthouse down due to the impending thunder and lightning.

Pleased with our timing, we continued on our adventure. There is also a scavenger hunt available for the site (pick one up in the gift shop), but we didn't notice it until after the closure. It looked like fun, and would be a good way to engage while exploring the tower and museum.

Ponce Inlet Lighthouse is open at 10 a.m., 7 days a week. Closing time is 9 p.m. in the summer months and 6 p.m. the rest of the year. It is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Ticket sales stop one hour before closing, to allow for ample time to visit the landmark. Admission is $6.95 for adults and $1.95 for children. Visit their website for additional details.

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Alabama: A Visit to the Rosa Parks Museum

While visiting Montgomery, Alabama recently, we came upon the Rosa Parks Museum and Children's Wing and stopped to explore and learn about the Mother of the Freedom Movement in the U.S. (Read a brief biography of Mrs. Parks here.)

The museum sits on the spot where Parks was arrested on December 1, 1955. Destined to be a parking structure in the 1990s, Troy University recognized how many people were visiting the historical marker there and fundraised to build a museum instead. Parks and her family were a part of the opening on December 1, 2000 - 45 years after her arrest.

Logistics

The museum is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.

Park for free anywhere on the university campus. We parked on the street and fed $1 into the meter. Admission is $14 per adult and $10 per child for the combined museums - bring your AAA card for a discount.

Start Your Visit

Purchase tickets at the main museum, then head next door to the Children's Wing to start your tour with a ride on the Cleveland Avenue Time Machine. Mr. Rivets, the robot driver, takes passengers on a 22-minute adventure through time, examining topics like Jim Crow, the civil war, and slavery in an approachable way that opened the door for conversations without being overwhelming.

The journey ends with the day Rosa Parks boarded the Cleveland Avenue bus, then sends riders to the main museum to learn what happened, and how that day would start a cascade of events that changed history.

The Museum

The museum also contained multimedia exhibits which told the story of Ms. Parks and the day that changed history so much. You can see a virtual tour of the museum here, but it really doesn't do the little museum justice!

I appreciated that there were no assumptions made about what visitors might have already known about the fight for equal rights or the culture in the south in the 50s. Exposing our children to the stories of those who came before us is an important piece of the picture.

We had a guided tour, moving through the cascade of events that started with Mrs. Parks refusing to give up her seat and rolling into the bus boycott and the rise of Dr. Martin Luther King.

One of the parts both of our kids brought up later was how cool it was to have a guide who was really "part of" the movement. She spoke with passion and personal knowledge in a way you just don't get from a book or a movie.

There are really heavy themes, which can be a lot for kids to process all at once. We didn't force the issue, instead allowing our five-year-old to engage as she felt appropriate and unplug a little when she didn't feel as comfortable.

I wasn't sure how much of it she had absorbed until bed time when she called Daddy to tell him about her day. She told him the story of Rosa Parks and her arrest for not giving up her seat on the bus - but she also told him about why Mrs. Parks wasn't allowed to remain sitting, what she was supposed to have done, and why it was wrong.

"They shouldn't be able to make laws like that," she said. "Your body, your choices."

Children have an amazing ability to understand their world when given opportunity to see it and feel it. I highly recommend the museum as a stop on any Alabama itinerary. It was well worth the time, and has started some excellent, though-provoking discussions in our family.

What other great museums have you been to that tell the story of the Civil Rights movement? Tell us about them in the comments!

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Bahamas: Pirate of Nassau Museum

When Bria (five) heard the taxi driver utter the words "pirate museum" on the drive from the Nassau airport, she was sold. A block up from the Straw Market at King and George Streets in Nassau, the museum is a fun interactive stop for young and old.

We were greeted outside the museum by a playful pirate, and directed to the gift shop, where we began our journey.

Once we had paid the admission fee ($13 for adults, and for kids 4-17, $6.50), the pirate led us along a corridor to the entrance to the museum, setting the stage as he walked. The year is 1716. We step onto a moonlit dock, surrounded by the sounds of lapping water and pirates celebrating their successes in a tavern. Beside us is a replica of the ship "Revenge," the scene of our exploration of the lives of bloodthirsty Caribbean pirates.

The Pirates of Nassau Museum is small, but filled with interesting stories of how pirates lived and died, keeping all of us engaged from beginning to end. A couple of parts were a little bit scary, but we breezed over those without it causing any issues.

One of our favorite parts was the story of two woman pirates, Anne Bonny and Mary Read. These tough women have an incredibly interesting story, made even more mystical by the abrubt end to the story of Bonny, and the abundant theories on what may have happened to her after she escaped execution by turning up pregnant.

At the end of the tour, there is a small collection of artifacts, along with a few items from modern popular culture to browse before stepping out into the bar and gift shop. Snacks and drinks are available, and reasonably priced.

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Bahamas: Sea Squirts at Atlantis

Atlantis offers a program for kids 3-6 called Sea Squirts, which offers young ones the opportunity to get up close and personal and learn more about the sea animals that live at the resort.

Sea Squirts participants get to pet and feed several varieties of baby sea life, like this shark. They receive careful instruction and one-on-one oversight.

They also check out the turtles! In the basement, she saw and held Atlantic Green Sea Turtles.

She also loved the young zebra shark, and came back explaining to me why it is called a zebra shark, even though the adult version has spots.

The zebra shark definitely knew it was feeding time! She came right up to the platform where she knew children would soon be offering her fish to eat.

Bria wasn't so sure about holding fish in her hands, so the guide picked one out for her that she could hold by the tail...

...then she dumped the rest of the bucket out for them to eat on their own.

Next was the tank of rays. The children learned that it is important to shuffle your feet, to avoid stepping on them.

Then they learned how to feed the krill to the rays from their bucket by shaking it in their hands to break it up.

Bria wasn't about to do that, either, so he taught her how to swirl the krill with some water in the bucket to break it up, then toss it out to feed the rays.

Sea Squirts is a one hour program, with about 20 minutes of marine activities and 30-40 minutes of feeding time. The program is about $40 and includes a keepsake swim shirt. One adult is asked to accompany each squirt.

Reservations can be made at Atlantis Guest Services. We recommend making a booking near the beginning of your stay, because they can be booked up a few days out.

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9 Legendary North Dakota Places to Bring the Family

Looking for a legendary way to spend your summer? North Dakota is the place to go! Here are nine of our favorite hot spots to spend a sunny day in the Roughrider State.

Dakota Dinosaur Museum - Dickinson

Roaming the halls of dinosaur bones never goes astray with our children. The fact that many of the dinosaurs in the Dakota Dinosaur Museum were found locally adds an awesome twist to this great adventure in learning and makes it a stop we love to make when we are in the Dickinson area.

There is a children's corner, which is a fun place to sit and take a break from the excitement, and a park outside for running around on the grass after.

Admission is $8 for adults and $5 for kids 3-12. Watch your dates, though - the museum closes for the season on Labor Day.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Theodore Roosevelt National Park is one of our favorite places for wildlife viewing in North Dakota. Bison roam freely, which is usually the only kind of traffic you will encounter. We were excited to learn that 186 species of birds call the park home, too! How many can you spot? And don't forget the Prairie Dog Town! Watching the black-tailed prairie dogs is well worth the hike.

There is lots more to see, too. Drive the scenic loop, check out the visitors centers, and lots more.

There are two units of the park - the North Unit is located 14 miles south of Watford City on Highway 85, and the South Unit is accessible from exits 24 and 27 off Interstate 94, near the Montana border.

Entrance is $20 per vehicle, or use your National Park Pass.

Tip: If you don't already have a National Park Pass, we highly recommend it - it is a bargain at $80 and gets you into national parks for a year. We make a point of visiting national parks whenever we can, and the experiences are well worth it!

North Dakota Heritage Center

For learning about the history of this beautiful state, no location has more to offer than the North Dakota Heritage Center, on the capitol grounds in Bismarck. There are thousands of exhibits chronicling the state, including art, interactive exhibits, and lots of technology. In addition, learn about the energy development that is currently evolving the state into a destination for workers from across the globe.

Plan to stay a while, and pop into the James River Cafe for a bite to eat midway through. As you are leaving, be sure to look up - you are standing next to the tallest building in North Dakota! You are more than welcome to walk the grounds, which are a part of the capitol's Arboretum Trail.

Knife River Indian Village

Spanning nearly 1,800 acres near Hazen, the Knife River Indian Village is the place to go to see archaeological remains from the Northern Plains Indians. We love to explore the exhibits, including going inside the earthlodges we had previously only seen in books. There are lots of tools and other items to see, and the ranger talks are very informative.

In addition to the Native American history, Lewis and Clark came through here in October of 1804, camping nearby at Fort Mandan, so this free site is a fun place to add to your Lewis and Clark knowledge.

International Peace Gardens

The International Peace Gardens have a little something for a range of tastes. With historical sites, beautiful flowers, an interpretive center and so much more, there is sure to be something to please everyone in the family. Plus there is lots of room to run off some energy! Take the time to explore one of the park's many hiking trails, wander through the Formal Garden, or wander through the peace poles to read "May Peace Prevail" in 28 different languages.

Located near Dunseith on the border between North Dakota and Manitoba, the Peace Gardens are a symbol of the relationship between two countries. The park is sprawling - check out this map to plan your visit.

A daily pass is $15, and a season pass is $30.

Note that you are crossing through Canadian customs on the way back from the park, so bring along the family's passports to make for smooth sailing. If you don't have passports, photo ID is required, and you may spend a little extra time at the crossing.

National Buffalo Museum

Jamestown, North Dakota is home to the National Buffalo Museum, a can't-miss stop along I-95. The bison (or American buffalo) played a significant part in the area's history, and this site offers the opportunity to learn more through a series of exhibits and artifacts.

Plus there is a live herd, featuring the only true albino bison in the world, named White Cloud. And of course the world's largest buffalo! The 26-foot tall concrete bison, weighing more than 60 tons, has been standing over Jamestown since 1959.

There is also a frontier village and gift shop. The museum is $5 for adults.

Geographical Center of North America

Have you ever wondered where the geographical center of North America is located? If you're driving along Highway 2, you'll soon learn it is in Rugby, North Dakota. Everyone needs to pile out of the car and take the obligatory family photo next to the 15 foot obelisk that marks the site!

Fort Union and Fort Buford

This is really three sites in one. Start by checking out the Confluence Center, located at the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers 20 miles west of Williston. The center features traveling exhibits (at a charge of $5 per adult and $2.50 per child, which also includes Fort Buford), and a beautiful view of the rivers.

Next door, explore Fort Buford State Historic Site, the remnants of a military fort built in 1866. There is a stone powder magazine, cemetery site, and an officers quarters building, where visitors can now explore a museum. A few times a year, there are also reenactments at the fort, which are a special treat.

Fort Union Trading Post is a few miles to the west, on the border with Montana. The fort was an important fur trade post between 1828 and 1867, and is filled with interesting nooks and crannies to scope out. Watch a blacksmith hammer out a horse shoe, climb to the top of the fort and look out over the river, and visit the exhibits inside the Bourgeois house on the site where seven Native American tribes traded buffalo furs and smaller furs for goods from around the world. During the summer months there are often tepees set up out front, for added interest. 

Medora

A list of North Dakota attractions wouldn't be complete without mentioning historic Medora, located near the western edge of the state. Options for a real cowboy-inspired experience abound. Check out the website to learn more.

If you have an evening to spare, don't miss the pitchfork fondue or the Medora Musical!

Where have your North Dakota adventures taken you? Share your favorite spots in the comments, we'd love to read them!

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by North Dakota Tourism. All of the opinions expressed are our own!

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Utah: Junior Ranger at Great Salt Lake Marina

At five, the best thing in the world may very well be to become a Junior Ranger. Every state and national park we visit, Bria checks with the staff to see if they have a program.

During our stop at Great Salt Lake State Marina outside of Salt Lake City, she was so excited to find they did!

Junior Ranger programs teach children to "Explore, Learn and Protect" our National Parks. The programs are activity-based, usually including a park-specific workbook filled with ways to learn about the park.

The workbook at the Great Salt Lake Marina included some sensory activities that were a big hit (sit quietly and look, listen, smell, etc. then write down what you sensed), along with a word search, drawing, and bird identifying. These booklets are a fantastic way to move from the backseat to fully engaged in the environment.

Children complete a set number of activities based on their age (younger children do a few pages of the booklet, older children complete the entire thing), along with additional interactive activities. Sometimes they are asked to pick up litter, or attend a ranger talk.

While she was exploring, she even made friends with a small snake!

After doing all of the outside activities, she moved inside to view a movie about the Great Salt Lake (she was very intrigued by the concept of being able to float in the water without swimming), then shared her answers with the Park Ranger.

Following the execution of the Junior Ranger oath, she was awarded a badge and congratulated on her new role. She is always proud to add a new badge to her collection!

Junior Ranger programs are almost always free (we have once or twice run into ones that required a small donation - Yellowstone, for example), and are an excellent way to build curiosity in young travelers.

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Florida: Potter's Wax Museum in St. Augustine

We kind of let the guy selling trolley tickets talk us into going to Potter's Wax Museum. (He was sweet and fun, how could we say no?) A maze of life-size figures representing popular culture and history greeted us as we escaped the heat of the day to explore.

Bria was excited to see the Star Wars characters. "Daddy loves this movie!" she proclaimed, and posed for photos to send him.

And of course Elvis. She's always happy to see Elvis!

There were figures from science, including Marie Curie and astronauts. Overall the tour took about 20 minutes, with the adults wandering behind the children as they moved at their own pace.

And the founding fathers - it was fun to match up who was where and talk about things each would be known for.

The wax museum is located in St. Augustine's Old Drugstore building. The building is an Italianate structure built in 1886, which would become the Speissegger Drug Store until the 1960s. The history of the building added to the experience, and we enjoyed reading about it on the historical marker.

This attraction is open from 9-6 Monday through Thursday and until 9 on Friday and Saturday. Admission is $10.59 for adults and $7.41 for kids 6-12. Children 5 and under are free. Tickets can be purchased online, or in combination with a trolley ticket for a discount.

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