Montana: Disc Golf Family Fun

Even the teenagers were talking about how much fun they had on our family outing to Makoshika State Park to play a round of disc golf. And you don’t have to be the parent of teenagers to know how impressive that is!

We had planned to spend some time checking out the park, and started our visit with a stop into the gift shop and museum. On a whim, we picked up a set of Frisbees from the park gift shop. Three brightly-colored discs in hand, we picked up a map (score card on the back) and pencil and set off down the road.

It was the first time playing for most of us (Justin had a little experience), and we didn’t take the time to read the rules, but if you’re planning an outing and want to be a little more official, check out this page for some direction. (We would have benefited from reading the part about out of bounds throws.)

This was a great fit for us because it was not restrictive of age – our three-year-old wasn’t competitive, but she was still able to play – and got us all out in the sunshine and fresh air for several hours.

According to the map, the full course was about a mile long, but we quickly learned that would only apply if we went directly from hole to hole. With a crew of inexperienced players, we were running all over the course and got a lot more exercise in than that! In the end we decided a 9-hole game was the best fit for our first foray.

On the way home, one teen was on his phone Googling locations of other disc golf courses, and one was talking about how we should make it our new family hobby. Success.

Read More

Nevada: A Buffet of Learning in Vegas

When you are three, everything is an opportunity for learning. Even a buffet! Here are some ideas for engaging your preschooler in learning by playing…with their food.

Colors

Challenge your child – how many different colors can you find to put on your plate? This is a great way to encourage kids to eat a variety of items from a variety of food groups. Bria found purple beets, green grapes, brown roast beef, and a white egg. We took our time browsing, talking about all the different hues we could spot.

Meatball math

As we explore early math, Bria has been talking a lot lately about “more than.” Is this more than that? Who has more, me or dad? To reinforce and play with this idea, we lined up six meatballs, and separated them into groups. There in two in this group and four in that one – which is more? Which is less?

Letters

What letter does beet start with? It’s B, just like Bria! What other letters can you find? Meatballs start with an M, what other words do you know that start with the M sound?

Vocabulary

What words can you use to describe the foot on your plate? Is it sweet or salty? Warm or cold? What consistency does it have? Have fun with your child, exploring different words that can be used in reference to the meal.

How Does it Grow?

Carrots grow in the ground, grapes grow on vines…where did this orange grow? How about this potato? Our daughter loves to learn about growing things with her Grandpa, so bringing that knowledge back around to the practical application of the food on her plate is an easy step that brings it home for her.

More Ideas

We had a lot of fun at the buffet making food fun. What other ideas do you have for turning dinner into a learning experience?

Read More

Nevada: Las Vegas Monorail

On the day we decided to explore the strip, we thought we’d try out the Vegas Monorail. The map showed it going from one end of the strip to the other, so we thought it would be a great way to explore and get around.

From the beginning we found that the conditions were not quite ideal for us. Staying at Circus Circus as we were, it was a fair distance to a station (You see that block on the map where it kicks back to the Las Vegas Hotel? Well, they do everything big in Vegas. So that block is not exactly a kid-friendly jaunt.)

In the end we decided to drive to the Las Vegas Hotel and board there – the last thing we wanted was a tired preschooler before we even started our adventure.

The monorail is clean, seems well-maintained, and is easy to go on and off. Since it is on the back side of the strip hotels, though, you can’t see much from the ride, so it isn’t a good way to cut through traffic and check out the sights.

We each purchased a one-way ticket, deciding we would buy another one-way trip if we decided to take it back. A single ride ticket is $5, and an all-day ticket is $12. Children five and under ride free.

For our purpose – exploring the strip, we ended up taking the monorail from the Las Vegas Hotel (note that even though the Sahara is no longer there, the station is, but there is not easy parking at that site) to the MGM Grand and walking back to Circus Circus. This left Dad to walk over to retrieve the car while Mom got the little to the room.

We struggle to see a situation where it would be a convenient way for families to get around. Maybe if you were going to a wedding at one place on the route and staying at another location on the route, and didn’t want to drive back and forth? In short, it just doesn’t feel like a family fit to us.

Have you used the Vegas Monorail to get around with your kiddos? We’d love to hear how it went for you! Leave your feedback in the comments.

Read More

Nevada: Visiting Hoover Dam (and dispelling the myth that all dams are made by beavers)

During one day of our accidental vacation in Las Vegas, the three of us made a trek to visit the massive feat of human engineering that is Hoover Dam.
The 726 foot dam forms a towering border between Nevada and Arizona. Shaped like a huge curved axe head, the dam is 45 feet wide at the top and 660 feet (that’s two football fields!) thick at the bottom.

Justin and I had both been to the dam before, but that was prior to 2010, when the new O’Callaghan-Tillman Memorial Bridge opened, which allows traffic to bypass the dam. So this was a new experience!

We had been planning our visit to the dam for a while (in fact we missed it a few months ago, so she had plenty of time to think on it), and Bria was very eager. Every time we discussed the stop, she had more questions. So when we arrived, she was ready to go with her list of discoveries to make:

• Did beavers make it? Or was it people? (though she was pretty sure at the beginning that beavers make dams)
• What is it made of? Wood? Cement? Something else?
• How big is it?

Now that the bridge is in place, access is only available from the Nevada side (there may be future plans to change this – check my facts before you drive around to be sure they are still current). We stopped at a security checkpoint, then continued down to a parking garage where we left our car and hoofed it onto the dam.

There are some restrictions on what vehicles are allowed to drive over the dam. Check out this pdf for details on the regulations.

By the way, pets are not allowed anywhere on the site, so if you are traveling with your four-legged friend, you may need to make other arrangements.
From the parking garage you can access the tours, the visitor center, and also a small snack shack (hooray for ice cream on a hot day in the desert). You can also walk down onto the top of the dam itself.

We opted not to explore the interpretive center or pay for a tour, instead checking things out for ourselves. We walked across one side of the dam and came back the other, stopping to talk about the signs we saw, photograph the view, and discuss Bria’s list of questions. It really is quite a beautiful site, and amazing to think of what went into it.

TIP: Parking in the garage is $7. If you drive over the dam and park on the Arizona side, there are several lots with free parking available. It is more of a trek if you want to walk down over the dam or to the visitor center, but the view from that side is better than any view on the Nevada side.

For another fantastic view of the dam after you have explored, head to the bridge interpretive center, which allows you access to walk out onto the pedestrian walkway alongside the new bridge. It can be found on the left side of the street as you head west back toward the highway.

Want to find out more? There is a learning packet available for download here.
Lake Mead National Recreation Area is a great addition to this itinerary. Check out our post on that visit here!

Read More