When you are planning a visit to a theme park, it is worth checking out special events. Such outings can transform a theme park visit into something magical. One of my all time favorite theme park special events is weekend which is happening this Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 5pm at Justin is definitely going with friends, and I’m hoping to make it there for a little while as well.
What make this event so special is that it turns a park that is normally geared to the younger set into a wonderland for big kids. Elaborate Lego models constructed by kids and adults are displayed at the entrance. You can also particpate in a bunch of fun events including the droid scavenger hunt, costume contests and trivia contests. The new X-Box play area is opening this weekend so I’m sure that there will be some Lego Starwars video game action as well.
Justin and Jared Take a Break from Their Droid Hunt
One of the best parts of the weekend is that the whole park is teeming with the 501st Legion of storm troopers and other costumed characters. Impromptu battles between good and evil break out all over the park. Kids have fun keeping an eye out for their favorite characters. Justin was on a Commander Cody hunt last year. The storm troopers are very generous about posing for pictures so it’s easy to get some great shots or your Lego Star Wars Weekend adventures.
Captured by the Dark Side, Lego Star Wars Weekend
May the force be with you wherever you go this weekend! If you hit Legoland this weekend keep an eye out for me and the boys. (Destiny finds Storm Troopers rather scary, so she will be staying home.)
For more great Legoland special events check out my .
My husband may be heading to San Antonio business at the end of the month, and suggested we bring the family. Well, to be precise he suggested that I bring the family…to San Antonio by car and meet him there. He would travel by plane due to work constraints.
Being an adventurous sort of person I almost went for it. My kids love to explore new places and stay in hotel rooms. We miss Ken when he travels, and it would be fun to spend the evenings with him exploring San Antonio. Then I checked the length of the trip from San Diego, California. The journey would be 1,8304 miles and 18 hours of driving!!! This would be two days of nine-10 hours drives with minimal stops and no time to explore wherever we crashed for the night. With three kids ages 4, 5, and 10 that promised to be a driving purgatory. I don’t think that make enough DVD’s and CD’s and Starbucks Frappuccinos to help me survive such a drive.
So today, instead of planning a San Antonio roadtrip, I’m dreaming of one. The following are some of the fun family adventures that would await us.
We would be exploring the by taking a cavern tour or doing some gem mining. Justin has just finished up a study of California History and my great grandfather was a gold miner so this would be a particularly exciting activity. (Photos courtesy of the Natural Bridge Caverns Media Packet)
We would pay a visit to the . (Admission is free.) Justin would love learning more about this historic battle. and the colorful characters who participated in it. It would also be fun to compare this Texas mission to the Calfornia Missions we have already explored.
The Smith family are suckers for good old fashioned amusement parks so a visit to would also be on our list. Billed as “America’s Oldest Children’s Amusement Park” (Since the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk was founded in 1907, I don’t know if that’s exactly accurate) this park promises plenty of vintage fun. A sucker for a good bargain, I would be sure to visit on Wednesday when the offer unlimited rides for $7.50.
The also caught my eye. Apparently parent’s magazine thinks it’s one of the best in America.
There you have it, the roadtrip that I wish I was brave enough to take this summer. If you want to see someother dreams or share one of your own, visit my friend Mara at . Her Mondays are for Dreaming feature is a delightful way to share your dreams of travel adventure.
Last Friday evening my family and I had the chance to attend the Elephant Odyssey VIP party at the on behalf of Family Adventure Guidebooks. Justin, my oldest, loved being a VIP. He showed everyone my badge announcing “We’re VIPs!” at every opportunity. Very embarrassing! We all had a great time. The food was delicious. The kids got airbrush tattoos and rode home cuddling the soft woolly mammoths that we discovered in the elegant swag bags. The kids also enjoyed some close animal encounters.
Destiny and Justin's Avian Adventure
Destiny Meets a Marsupial
One of the most interesting parts of our visit was the opportunity to explore the Conrad Prebys Elephant Management Facility that is located in the center of the exhibit. I have read that there has been some controversy about whether zoological institutions can care for elephants in captivity, but I must say that this structure was pretty comprehensive. The bottom was like a huge open air barn. The elephants respond to their keeper’s call, and come in for check ups, husbandry, and training. When the elephants are not in the care center, it is sealed off so visitors can get a closer look. My four year old Jared and I enjoyed peeking into the laundry room and seeing the zoo keeper’s boots.
Another hi-light came as I went in search of the zoo’s PR person. I walked back towards the entrance to the exhibit and came upon a tired preschooler running back and forth in front of the glass jaguar enclosure. The playful jaguar on the other side of the glass joined his new found little friend in doing laps. It was an amazing sight. If you have the opportunity to make it to Night Zoo this summer, it is worth a visit. Many of the animals were more active and fun to watch as we prepared to leave the park.
San Diego Zoo Elephant Management Facility from a Distance
Even Zookeepers Need to do Laundry
Even if a swag bag full of woolly mammoths and a picture frame made out of elephant poop is not in your future, I would highly recommend checking out the new exhibit. When the Monterey Bay Aquarium first opened its emphasis on featuring the history and wildlife of the surrounding ecosystems was revolutionary. The San Diego Zoo is taking a similar tact with this new exhibit. The entrance to the exhibit teaches visitors about pre-historic San Diego. Recently, fossilized skulls and bones of Columbian Mammoths were unearthed during a construction project in downtown San Diego. The uses giant life-size statues of Columbian Mammoths and other prehistoric creatures to give visitors a sense of what San Diego life was like before humans. These statues make for a great photo op. They can also cause a stir. In the latest edition of Zoo Nooz, Rick Schwartz the Elephant Odyssey Ambassador noted that he got some strange looks as he escorted the models from Wisconson to San Diego.
Jenny Mehlow who works in media relations at the zoo recommends visiting the exhibit early in the day. She also suggested riding the Skyfari Aerial Tram to get there. I whole heartedly agree! Here are some pictures of our own Skyfari adventure:
Waiting for the Skyfari Tram
We Got the Elephant Tram. How Cool is That?
View of Balboa Park from Skyfari Tram
Thanks to my good friend Deb at San Diego Momma for securing me an invitation to this spectacular event. Check out her fun take on the VIP party entitled This Post is Made With Real Poo . Other San Diego Mom bloggers who did great posts about the event are , , and .
I am including this post, albeit belatedly, in my friend Delicious Baby’s . Funny, her post this week is also about a very big creature. Stop by and check out wonderful photgraphs and writing from around the world.
Happy Trails,
Bridget
PS Please pray for my friend Deana. She is having trouble getting enough white blood cells to receive a potentially life saving procedure.
Ok, I screwed up. I was trying to post a comment on the blog and ended up entering the “Mondays are For Dreaming” blog round up instead. Oh well, it gives me a chance to show off my cute kid pictures from this weekend.
I am dreaming of the perfect camping trip. Somewhere far away and wooded. It should include a lake for canoeing and fishing, flush toilets and showers, a campsite and trails that allow dogs, lots of trails to explore, and plenty of boulders to climb on.
On this perfect trip I would cook healthy gourmet meals and the whole family would eat them cheerfully. The kids would entertain themselves effortlessly with twigs and dirt. Someone would watch the other kids so I could go on stress free jaunts with each one individually. Perhaps I would be able to squeeze in a solo sunrise hike. I would have remembered everything including socks for each member of the family and tent poles! Oh, and every kid would eagerly pose for pictures with a perfect smile.
OK, that’s my dream camping experience. Now on to what happened this weekend:
Here’s what we ate:
Destiny's Healthy Dinner-S'mores Followed by Pizza
Destiny's Other Dinner Courtesy of a Mom Who Brought Healthy Food
Here’s where we slept:
One Small Tent for Five People
(I forgot the tent poles so four of us squeezed into one small 3 man tent. Daddy slept under the stars.)
Here’s how much my son liked posing for pictures:
Justin's Grumpy Face
Seriously, we enjoyed our Mataguay adventure, and I look forward to sharing it’s beauty with you in a future Photo Friday Post.
If you are thinking about purchasing a theme park pass, be sure to investigate the extra benefits and privileges that the theme park may offer passholders. Although these vary from park to park, many times these extras will almost pay for your entire membership.
Since my two youngest were born less than a year apart, our family has become experts at the “staycation”. Traveling far from home with two preschoolers seems a bit too crazy for us at this point. Our location here in Carlsbad gives us many options for family fun. Visiting theme parks and zoos is one of the things that we enjoy doing together as a family. In the past three years we have held passes for the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park, Legoland, and Disneyland.
Legoland
If you live in Southern California or visit frequently throughout the year, a offers many opportunities for family adventure. In addition to the great special events and members only activities that Legoland holds throughout the year, Legoland offers excellent deals and discounts to its members. Twice a year, members receive coupons for free entrance with a passholder. This gives your family opportunities to bring friends and grandparents along to enjoy a Legoland adventure. Also, if there is a Dad or teenager in your family who won’t be making it to Legoland very often this can be a great way to bring them along to enjoy the fun.
Legoland pass holders also receive free entrance to The Wave in Vista and Wild Rivers in Irvine. In addition to the regular member dining and shopping discounts, Legoland’s quarterly newsletters contain coupons for additional savings. This month I have a $10 voucher for the Ocean Journey Cafe, a free bucket of water balloons at the Raptor Splash, and other discount coupons.
Members benefit from Legoland’s efforts to promote the new . Legoland is continuing to offer special visitor rates to Legoland members and friends and family. Come enjoy the aquarium for as little as $5 per person! Note that a is required. The curent coupon says that it expires 5/31/09, but keep checking the site. So far they have extended this offer several times.
will help your choose the combination of memberships that will save you money and work for your family.
Disneyland
When we were planning a three day trip to Disneyland, I decided to investigate the price of membership. I knew that we wouldn’t be visiting too often, but since we live only an hour away a few return visits would be fun. After doing my research I decided that the Southern California Select passes offered the best value four our budget. Unlike Legoland, non premium Disney Passholders do not receive many benefits. However, they do receive some limited dining discounts in the parks and shopping discounts at Downtown Disney. Still, with prices that can be less than a multi-day visit, an annual Disneyland pass is worth considering.
San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park
at these attractions is extremely affordable. (Kids passes are only $2 more than the one day Best Value Ticket). Adult members receive two free guest passes which come in handy for out of town guests. Pass holders also receive free admission to the Journey into Africa Tour at the Wild Animal Park…this is a must see! In addition, they receive unlimited Skyfari aerial tram rides at the zoo. These are important since, kids have to do alot of walking at the San Diego Zoo. Membership covers both attractions so your family has plenty to explore.
Members also receive a monthly zoo magazine that contains interesting articles about the animals and great coupons including more free admission tickets for passholder guests. All pass members also receive discounts on Wild Animal Park parking.
Sea World San Diego
We have had the opportunities to obtain discounted entrance to Sea World with our preschool, so I haven’t gone the pass route yet. I am dreaming of an Unauthorized Sea World Guidebook some day, so we may be getting passes next summer.
In the mean time, be aware that Sea World offers the Fun Card which is a great deal. You get a pass good for admission throughout the entire calendar year for the price of a single admission.
Parking
Make sure you factor the price of parking into your membership decisions. Sometimes it pays to buy a more premium membership for at least one member of your family in order to get free parking. Be sure to investigate whether the person needs to be the driver or just in the car. Premium child memberships are often cheaper and also offer free parking.
If you don’t live in Southern California, I encourage you to research theme park memberships in your area. You may just discover the ticket to a whole year of family fun.
The Smith Boys Enjoy The Shark Tank Pool, Golden Nugget, Las Vegas
Las Vegas is know for its amazing pools. I’ve only had a chance to see and/or experience about four of them. From what I’ve seen so far ,The Golden Nugget should definately be on your must stay list if you value a fun, kid friendly pool.
Destiny Gets Splashing at the Golden Nugget Pool, Las Vegas
This lovely pool is completely shallow all the away around. It encircles a giant fish tank filled with large colorful fish and even a few sharks. A highlight for the adults and older kids is a water slide that passes directly through the tank. It is transparent in the part that goes through. I found myself going so fast that it was hard to see. My ten year old managed to slow down enough to look around and even make funny faces as he went down. There is a height requirement for the waterslide. Also, your little one must be a good enough swimmer to exit the pool by his or her self after they splash down.
Ken Reacts to the Golden Nugget Waterslide
Other great ammenities in the pool area are: pool lounge chairs to cool off on a hot Las Vegas day, lots of comfy cushioned lounge chairs to hang out on, and a hot tub that is shaped like a flower. Your family can hunker down in one petal while the couple on their honeymoon can hide out in the other.
One thing to be aware of is that this pool can get busy. During the day it was very crowed and difficult to find a lounge chair for our stuff. Justin got tired of waiting in line for the water slide. When we visited early evening it was almost deserted. We enjoyed our “private pool”.
I purchased life jackets for Jared and Destiny that they wore throughout their Golden Nugget pool adventure. The jackets gave me piece of mind and gave my preschoolers the freedom to explore the shallow water.
Jared is Ready For a Swim at The Golden Nugget Pool, Las Vegas
Congratulations to my friend Debbie at Delicious Baby who just had her third baby. She is so organized that she managed to get her up the day after she gave birth. Reward her efforts by checking out great the great travel photos from bloggers around the world.
The Smith Family makes at least two eight hour roadtrips per year. Sometimes Dad tags along sometimes I travel solo with kids in tow. I have even carpooled all the way from Carlsbad to Santa Cruz with my former neighbor and his 11 year old son. Pre-tricked out SUV, we did not have much success with DVD’s. We have a little portable DVD player, but it was too small and there was no place to mount it. Even today, I prefer listening to music. It’s more fun for the driver and the kids seem to get less bored.
Here are my tips for the perfect road trip CD:
Keep the songs loud and lively. I love the sweet folk ballads of Kate Wolf, but they bug my kids and make me sleepy on the long drive. Perhaps bring the slow songs along to listen to on your ipod at the beach.
Include something for everyone. We usually make at least 3-5 CD’s they are all an eclectic mix, but each usually slants to a particular age group in our family. The more CD’s the better, it is always nice to have something fresh to listen to on the way home.
Give each CD a distinctive title using genre, family member, trip etc. For example, Country Music/Santa Barbara, or Justin’s CD/ Disneyland.
Involve your kids in the process. We have taught my ten year old how to select his own songs and burn his own CD’s. I also make some mixes because his tastes tend to run toward heavy metal, but I have also really enjoyed some of his choices. He does surprising things like include Christmas carols in the middle of a summer road trip CD.
Driver has the final say in choosing the CD. If there is a particular track that bugs you, feel free to skip it. You can also select CD’s by mood. Be sure to override your kids if there is something that you can’t drive to at that particular moment.
Here is a Top 10 Hit List from the Smith Family Travels:
“We Will Rock You”, Queen
“I Get Around” , Beach Boys
“Who Let The Dogs Out”, Baja Men
“Schools Out for Summer”, AC/DC
“Taking Care of Business”, Bachman Turner Overdrive
“Dancing Queen”, Abba
“California Girls” Beach Boys
“Star Wars American Pie Parody” Weird Al Yankovic
“Hamster Dance”, Hampton the Hamster?
“We Are the Champions” , Queen
Off course for a multi hour road trip, you need more than 10 songs. Feel free to comment with some of your road trip favorites. I would love to add to my list!
A few months ago a friend out there in the blogosphere asked me to be “Green Mom” for her website. I turned her down, because I am not a paragon of green living…at least not yet. Sure my recycling bins are overflowing , I have solar panels on my roof. On the other hand, my kids love super long showers and our family adventuremobiles are made up of a minivan and a big honking SUV. (No hate mail please)
Dear American Car Makers,
The moment that you produce a hybrid minivan that I can afford, I will be at the dealership in a heartbeat (At least as soon as you have used ones for sale.)
Regards,
Wanna be Green Mom Bridget Smith
P.S. Get a clue! I can’t fit my kids, their friends, and all of their stuff into a Prius.
Anyway, in honor of Earth Day I wanted to share three ways that our family is trying to travel a little greener in 2009.
The Smith Kids Clean Up Carlsbad State Beach
Save a Shovel…Save The World !
Our family loves to hit the beach in the early evening. We pack up a dinner picnic, pick up Daddy at the train station, and hit the beach just as everyone else is heading home. Sunscreen is less important and the sunset is beautiful. Before we leave we comb the beach for buckets and shovels left behind by visitors. We never have to buy beach toys, and we keep all that plastic from floating out to sea. This year I plan to bring an extra garbage bag, and do an impromptu beach clean up by picking up any other “safe” trash we find.
The Untimely Demise of the Happy Meal Toy
Break The Happy Meal Toy Addiction
I’ll confess…I let my kids eat at fast food restaurants while on vacation. Every year I make one or more road trips from San Diego to Santa Cruz by myself. When you are a mom traveling alone with two grumpy toddlers, a Mc’Donald’s Play Place is paradise. Usually our stops have included a Happy Meal, but as my former neighbor Larry pointed out, the toys come home and usually end up being thrown away. Our dog seems to see them as a source of food and entertainment. See the above photo for our latest victim.
On our trip to Las Vegas I tried to go cold turkey and order from the dollar menu for the kids instead of going the Happy Meal route. Twice I caved as a result of extremely stressful circumstances (the end of the endless drive to Las Vegas and the sensory overload of Circus Circus). On our trip up to Santa Cruz this year, I will do my best to hold firm to my Happy Meal moratorium.
If your kids must have those little doo dads for a brief period, find a good home for them when the novelty wears off. Teachers and Sunday School teachers are always looking for prize giveaways. One of Justin’s most prized possesions is a Burger King Star Wars watch he won at a Fun Friday auction.
Bring a Bag
On my Las Vegas trip I found my rayon Vons shopping bags to be very useful. I used them to schlep stuff from the car and to store my sunscreen, key and sunglasses when I headed to the pool. If you are like me, you will also end up shopping for some snacks and forgetten items. Bringing your own bag will help you to keep your shopping green even during your travels.
My friend Sharon mother and entrepreneur makes chic shopping bags out of recycled fabric (I’ve been giving her some of those clothes with rips and impossible stains to transform into an amazing creation.) Your new bag may be Ken’s shirt! Currently she is selling kid sized versions of these beautiful bags at Dreamy in Encinitas. They would make a perfect earth friendly place to store your little ones toys and crayons on their travels. You can also contact me @bridgetasmith at Twitter if you would like to purchase one of Sharon’s adult sized bags, and I’ll post when she has her online shop up and running.
Destiny Models Sharon's Creation
May all your 2009 adventures be happy and green!
P.S. In non Earth Day related news there is a children’s book party with free books being given away at the Spreckels organ pavillion at Balboa park between 8:30 and 10 am. Don’t know if I will be up early enough to make it, but I sure wish I could. Sounds like fun…refreshments and books what more do I need?
Dreaming of travel to fun and exotic places? Ck out Delicious Babies Photo Friday .
Sorry I don’t have any great photo for this one. I have never had the foresight to snap a picture of my little ones mid tantrum, but if I do in the future I’ll be sure to share it on this blog.
This afternoon while procrastinating I read an article by Jack Cafferty, CNN commentator, regarding his opinion about the disintegration of good parenting in today’s society . It seems that Mr. Cafferty’s rant was inspired by the misbehavior of some children sitting near him in a restaurant. Lately in preparing for my family’s travels to Las Vegas, I have been reading alot of online commentary regarding bringing small children to this more adult oriented vacation destination. The conclusion of many online bloggers and posters is…leave them home! That seemed to be Mr. Cafferty’s conclusion as well.
Here’s the thing, family vacations shouldn’t have to consist of trips to theme parks or camping. Places like Las Vegas have alot to offer to people of all ages, families included: inexpensive food and lodging, fascinating sites, even educational opportunities. As parents we do our best to teach our kids good manners, keep them well fed and in good humor, and have them use their quiet voices at all times. Despite our high expectations however, there are just some stages of development that will yield a tantrum from time to time despite our best efforts. Also as a mom to three, I can say with confidence that there are times when kids feed off of each other with their energy and/or ill humor and it takes a miracle to avoid an unseemly public outburst. I think that in some ways my parents had it a little easier. An only child focuses on his or her parents behavior and adopts those good public manners more easily (although I know I did have more than my share of tantrums).
I have high hopes for a peaceful vacation filled with well behaved children, but I can predict that we will have our moments. My youngest, Jared had a 20+ minute tantrum at Legoland one year that almost permanently damaged my relationship with my Mother in Law (She is a fan of Mr. Cafferty’s school of thought about the disintegration of discipline and society especially in regards to my family.) Jared is four and a half and his outbursts seem to be peaking. I vow to all you Vegas travelers who may witness such an outburst or perhaps a poor display of table manners that I will do my best to keep things under control. We will eat breakfast in our room, have plenty of picnics, visit mostly kid friendly places like the children’s museum or Circus Circus, try to get them down to sleep, set boundaries, and do plenty of coaching regards how to behave in a restaurant, hotel room, museum, etc. Still, if you see a frazzled mom on her own with three kids, please do not judge me too harshly. I will do my best to quiet things down as soon as I can, but it may take a few minutes of discipline or soothing depending on the situation.
Any moms out there have other thoughts or suggestions on this topic? Would love to add some stragedies to my parenting bag of tricks.
Nana and Baba Among the Wild Flowers at Anza-Borrego
My kids are very lucky in that most of their Grandmas and Grandpas live near by. My parents, affectionately referred to by the grand kids as Nana and Baba recently joined us in Carlsbad. Even though my mom had been a Northern California girl all her live she has become acclimated some what to Southern California life. Since they are retired they have the chance to take a break from watching grandkids and enjoy their own grown up adventures. They fill me in on the beautiful places that I can not necessarily visit with small children, like the gardens at the Self-Realization Temple in Encinitas. (My brood is apparently too loud for such a quiet, meditative locale.) I’m keeping a list though. As soon has these wild ones are tamed, we will be heading off on some of these great adventures.
Last week, Nana and Baba’s friend Karen took them to Anza-Borrego State Park. Every March visitors are rewarded with a brief season of blooming wild flowers. The rains were plentiful this winter and wildflowers continue to bloom in this area of the desert. The location of the flowers is ever changing, however. Check the Anza Borrego website for an up to date wildflower report . The visitor center which is staffed by local volunteers is also supposed to be very helpful, but also very busy during wild flower season.
I Loved the Colors on this Big Fat Caterpillar
Nana and Baba had a few set backs along the way. At first the flowers were no where to be seen. They were ready to head home when my Dad noted a few cars turning up a road. They followed the road to the end and were rewarded by a burst of color. Karen’s favorite restaurant was booked solid, but they consulted with a local realtor and had an elegant lunch at a restaurant next to a golf course. Just goes to show that a good adventure requires patience and creativity.
Flower season is almost over, so we may need to wait another year to try this adventure. If you are free this weekend, the website reports that there are still some beautiful flowers tucked in the valleys. If you have big kids who don’t mind the drive, it might still be worth the drive. Don’t delay, the flowers will be gone before you know it.
BREAKING NEWS! Now we all have one more reason to take a family adventure to Anza-Borrego. Dennis Avery, of the Avery label family has erected gigantic Ricardo Breceda sculptures of dinosaurs and other early inhabitants of the desert on his property. Now that is art even my nine year old, Justin can appreciate! Thanks to San Diego Travel Tips for alerting me to this fun family adventure opportunity. If you are ready to explore the quirky side of San Diego…these ladies have some excellent suggestions. Sign up today!
The flowers in these pictures were so beautiful I just had to share them with you. If you want to enjoy a multitude of beautiful travel photos, head over to my friend Delicious Baby’s website today at . She is highlighting a fun Paris tradition and also features links to a number of beautiful travel photos from all over the world.
If you are planning to visit the Legoland theme park in Carlsbad, California, this book contains all the information you need to make the most of your family adventure. The book also includes information about other area attractions, local restaurants and hotels.
Bridget Smith, mom of three, loves to blog about everyday adventures. Her mission is to change the world; one kid, one destination, one effortless trip, one overworked mom, one frazzled dad... one day at a time! Come and join her.
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