Taking the entire family to LEGOLAND California can be a pricey, but worthwhile adventure. Still, if you are on a budget or just want to preview the park before spending big bucks, Celebrate Carlsbad Day can be a great way to help Carlsbad Schools and enjoy a LEGOLAND adventure.
Every year LEGOLAND California generously holds this day as a fundraiser for the Carlsbad Educational Foundation. Funds raised are used for music and science enrichment at the Carlsbad Unified School District (including my son’s school). Tickets are $15 and are good for a visit between 1pm-9pm on May 1, 2010. It will be crowded that day so plan accordingly. It may not be the best day to promise to take your 5 year old on all the most popular rides. Still LEGOLAND is seldom open past 6pm and it’s fun to catch a glimpse of LEGOLAND at night.
If you are interested, you can order tickets by phone at 760-929-1555. Tickets include coupon for a $5 admission ticket to the Sea Life aquarium on May 1 or 2nd which makes them an extra great value.
Do Church and travel go together? Well, getting to mass with three kids is tricky when we are on the road, but I also find it very rewarding. We all get a new perspective on our faith when we visit other Catholic Churches. We have been welcomed into a neighborhood church on Christmas Eve on our drive back from Lake Tahoe and worshiped with a toddler at the historic Mission San Luis Obispo while camping.
I also find that visiting local churches outside of mass is a great way to introduce young children to their faith and prayer. When we lived back in Santa Cruz we used to sneak into the mission chapel and light a candle. We could talk about Jesus and practice our inside voices to our hearts content without bothering other worshipers.
When we attend mass away from home, we be sure to take some quiet travel toys with us. On Christmas Eve a drawing book with dry erase markers came in very handy. On a trip to mass during our Santa Cruz visit I was very grateful for the available from my friend Lorraine who blogs at . They were filled with plenty of quiet activities that kept little hands busy and little mouths quiet.
California Missions are another interesting way for kids to learn about faith. The picture above was taken at the Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside California. This summer I hope to visit some other missions with my kids such as the Mission San Diego de Acalde and the Mission San Juan Capistrano.
Recently I discovered two great resources that help you to include prayer and mass in your travels. The Catholic Directory app gives you mass times on the road. Sure wish I had had that last Easter when I was trying to find a church to attend in Las Vegas. If you don’t have an ipod is also a convenient resource.
A website that offers a beautiful daily podcast filled with sacred music, prayer, scripture and reflection is . Daily reflections are offered online as well as in mp3 and podcast form. When I’m home I sneak up to my room and listen before I head to bed, but it’s also great to be able to take it on the road in my ipod. Pray-As-You-Go is a ministry of the British Jesuits. It is the perfect way to reflect and give thanks for your family’s adventures.
I would love to hear how other families take their faith on the road.
OK, I admit it, this travel blogger will not be traveling during spring break this year. We had considered a vacation, but have a lot going on right now and decided that it would be wiser to stay close to home. My kids are actually quite happy about the prospect. We will attend an annual Easter Egg hunt tommorrow morning and enjoy a quiet Easter luncheon with the Grandparents and some neighbors on Sunday.
We will be spending our spring break being tourists in our own home town. Since I am starting a new guidebook there will be trips to the San Diego Zoo to check out the polar bears and to the Wild Animal Park to visit with the butterflies. I’m hoping for hike at Elfin Forest to or Mission Hills to see if the wildflowers are still out. We might head North to ride in the big orange balloon in Irvine.
I’m a little disappointed that there won’t be a hotel stay and new places to explore in our near future, but on the other hand:
Everyone sleeps in their own bed
DH and I can spend private evenings alone instead of sharing a room with three kids.
No waiting for food in restaurants.
We still have a great (albeit cold) pool to swim in.
Hope your spring break Adventures are just as fun.
This morning I attemped to take the dog and a very reluctant preschooler on a walk at one of my favorite spots, Batiquitos Lagoon here in Carlsbad. Jared started out being unwilling to participate in our adventure, but a promise that we might get to pet some dogs along the way allowed me to coax him out of the car. Once at the lagoon, we listened for birds and spotted some bunny rabbits. Our adventure didn’t really get rolling however until I started to let Jared take the lead on our hike.
“Where do you want to go,” I asked. Surprisingly he pointed to a path thatwound up a steep hill. So, off we went, up the hill and along a ridge overlooking the lagoon. We listened to the bird calls and tried to interpret their messages. Jared decided that they were saying it was a beautiful day or maybe they were in church. We admired the brillant purples and yellows of the spring wild flowers. Eventually it was time to head back. Jared decided to return to the path another day with his brother, sister, and a picnic.
Unfortunately I forgot my camera so the picture above is of Jared on a Batiquitos lagoon hike almost precisely one year ago. We will return within the next few days to capture those wild flowers in photos and share them with you in a future post.
I am a mom and a travel blogger. I love to plan and execute elaborate adventures for my kids. Time after time, however, I find that the adventures that have the most success are the ones where the kids can take the lead. The power of choice is almost magical. It makes the difference between an ordinary day trip and a true adventure that the kids remember long after their return home.
So this week have your kids lead you on a spring adventure. Get out and enjoy the sunshine! Until my Batiquitos Lagoon post is up is more information about this beautiful, kid friendly place to get outdoors and enjoy an adventure.
The graciously invited me to attend the preview for the revamped Polar Bear Plunge exhibit at the San Diego Zoo. Little did I know I would be attending a star studded event. Tori Spelling also attended with her family. I caught glimpses of Denise Richards and the cast of The Modern Family.
I dined on delicious finger sandwiches and nibbled on delectable polar bear cookies. Tomorrow morning I will be enjoying the fancy “Zoo Brew” organic coffee that was included in the swag bag. The Zoo is starting a coffee club where you can help the environment and have your daily cup of joe. For more information click .
Of course the real stars of the show, weren’t the sophisticated travel bloggers like myself or the tabloid celebrities like Denise and Tori. The real stars were the majestic polar bears who grace the exhibit. One of our polar bear friends had fun observing the kids observing her.
I was lucky enough to meet some members of the polar bear’s supporting cast who work hard to promote conservation and make a visit to the exhibit memorable. First I introduced myself to Daniel Straub, the Zoo’s Teen Arctic Ambassador who shared with me his experiences helping researchers with Polar Bear International. He described waking up in the morning during his research and peeking out his tent at the polar bears. Daniel also explained the differences between the kelp and beaches of San Diego and the kelp and beaches of the Arctic. Apparently in the arctic the kelp leaves are shaped like maple leaves! If you know a teenager who would be interested in becoming an arctic ambassador click .
I also had fun watching the zoo staff, spread out some kelp for the polar bears to enjoy.
Finally I was privileged to meet some of the enthusiastic volunteers who will be sharing what they their extensive polar bear knowledge when your family visits the exhibit. They did an amazing job of explaining to me how we can make lifestyle changes that can slow global warming and improve the conservation outlook for our polar bear friends. Even if you won’t be visiting the San Diego Zoo in the future, be sure to check the Polar Bear Plunge . It contains lots of great information that was shared at the exhibit today.
For those of you who think every blog post should include a picture of a celebrity, here you go. Enjoy my not so great shot of Tori, Dean, and the kids enjoying a day at the zoo (while being photographed constantly by the paparazzi). So glad I am not a celebrity!
Thanks to the San Diego Zoo for the invite! I had a wonderful time and can’t wait to bring my kids back to enjoy this amazing exhibit.
Happy Trails,
Bridget
P.S. Family Adventure Guidebooks participates in Delicious Baby’s Photo Friday. Click to see what my fellow travel bloggers have been up to.
As my cub scout den was working on their Webelo Forester Badge, I set out to find a forest in close proximity to Northern San Diego. Good luck…we are blessed to experience a wide variety of ecosystems, but forests are not one of them. Still, just a few miles away from our house I discovered which is run by the Olivenhain water district. The rangers kindly agreed to lead the boys on a hike and educate our scouts about the plants and animals of the reserve.
When we arrived on site, I immediately felt like I was home. I love San Diego, but I really miss access to wild spaces for hiking and exploring. So much of San Diego is about palm trees and immaculately landscaped yards, it was nice to discover a place with a rushing stream and plenty of oak trees.
Two of my favorite things about this hike: dogs can hike with you as long as they are on a leash and there is a “hiking stick loaner box” at the foot of the trail. I have found that my kids will go almost anywhere as long as they can have a stick to help them along the journey.
Elfin Forest is the perfect place for a spring outing. Pack a picnic, wear your hiking shoes, and get ready for adventure.
Happy Trails,
Bridget
P.S. Family Adventure Guidebooks participates in Delicious Baby’s Photo Friday Blog Roundup. Click to enjoy more great travel adventures.
Until now Quail Botanical Gardens has been one of the best kept secrets of San Diego. Located in picturesque Encinitas, this is a gorgeous botanical garden. It includes two children’s gardens and plenty of other beautiful gardens to explore. On our last visit, we had to park in overflow parking and discovered a breathtaking Monet lilypond complete with resident frogs. I will post more about my Quail Garden adventures at a later date, but I wanted to share this moment that my ten year old Justin captured, by sneaking a shot from the bushes at the edge of the pond. It was the highlight of our August visit.
Quail Gardens has changed its name to San Diego Botanic Garden, hopefully it’s new name will attract more visitors and donors to this San Diego treasure. You can learn more about the garden .
Happy Trails,
Bridget
P.S. Family Adventure Guidbooks participates in Delicious Baby’s Photo Friday. Read more travel adventures .
Recently, my friend and I took the Coaster Train from Carlsbad to Old Town San Diego. Between us we had five kids ranging in age from 13 months to 10 years old. If you have taken that length of train ride you know, that the ride down is easy. Everyone is filled with anticipation about the adventure ahead. The ride home is another story however, everyone is tired and grouchy. My solution to this thorny problem is Cousin’s Candy Shop in Old Town San Diego. Take the kids to this marvelous store full of sweet delights, let them pick out one item, give them an opportunity to savor it on the train ride home.
My ten year old made an impressive photo essay out of his candy store visit. Enjoy!
Happy Trails!
Bridget
P.S. Family Adventure Guidebooks is happy to participate in Delicious Baby’s Photo Friday Blog Roundup. For some delicious travel photos click .
P.P.S. For information on San Diego Old Town Ghost Tours and other fun Halloween activities in San Diego check out my post on
Every year Cub Scout Camp is held at thein Vista, California. As you will see, it’s not exactly a museum, more like a collection of old steam engines, farm equipment, model trains, etc. Visiting always reminds me of long quiet summer days visiting my uncle in Minnesota. Old farm tractors and combines were scattered at the edge of the fields throughout his farm. I loved to find a good book, and sit for a while just enjoying the peace and quiet. Unfortunately at the Antique Steam Engine Museum you are not allowed to sit on the machines, but city kids won’t know what they’re missing.
Other features of this unique museum:
One of those fun metal merry go rounds that we enjoyed at the park when we were kids. Jared spun on this for hours.
Old Fashioned Merry Go Round, Vista, Ca
A short track miniature railroad and an excellent model railroad museum
A one room school house.
A blacksmith shop.
Call to find out about special events. Not every part of the museum is open every day.
Family Adventure Guidebooks participates in Delicious Baby’s Photo Friday Blog Roundup. Check out some more great travel posts .
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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