Author Archives: Michele Zavatsky

Travel Book Review: Baseball Road Trips: The Midwest and Great Lakes

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The perfect travel guide for baseball fans who want to see more of the great ballparks in America’s heartland, this handy guide gives you the tips for best lodging, great restaurants, and local attractions for the Major League and minor league cities and towns that dot the Midwest. With details about every ballpark from Major League Baseball to the Frontier League, this travel companion tells you the best places to sit, the best ballpark food to eat, and the best places to go around town when you are not at the ballpark.

As a huge baseball fan, I couldn’t wait to dig into this book (sent complimentary for unbiased review). I really liked the format (easy reading) and callouts (interesting sidebar notes). As a journalist, I wanted to especially compare my personal experiences at many of these ballparks to that of the authors…and I learned some stuff along the way!

Since I’m biased towards certain MLB teams, I refrained from examining the major league ballparks too much. After all, we visit those predominantly to watch our fave team play, not really for the ballpark.

But the minor league ballparks are a different story. Here’s some examples:

1. INDIANA – South Bend Silver Hawks – Four Winds Field – my review was more recent and favorable (https://kidslovetravel.com/fun-in-south-bend-indiana/) but we both agree this is a resurgence ballpark finding its following near Notre Dame campus.

2. KENTUCKY – Louisville Bats – Louisville Slugger Field – now here’s where I learned something very unique – how the Pittsburgh Pirates got the name “Pirates” – when the city’s ballclub fell victim to a pirate in 1899 – not the type of pirate you may think (pg 77). This ballpark is too fun (https://kidslovetravel.com/sporting-fun-in-louisville-day-two/)

3. OHIO – Columbus Clippers – Huntington Park – my adult hometown set in the heart of the Arena district and Short North arts district, this newer ballpark is also home to Dime a Dog night and Buck a Bone (ribs) night. Live bands on summer weekends and plenty of craft brews now offered make this a fun park to buy a $7 standing room only ticket and wander the park set in the heart of the city. As the author says, “The fans of Columbus also have a good view no matter where they sit.”

From taking in a AAA game with the Iowa Cubs in Des Moines and visiting the Field of Dreams to knowing how to best experience Target Field in the Twin Cities, Baseball Road Trips: The Midwest and Great Lakes is all you need to plan a dream baseball road trip.

Triumph Books, $16.95, http://www.triumphbooks.com/baseball-road-trips–the-midwest-and-great-lakes-products-9781600789694.php

Fun in South Bend, Indiana

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FUN FACTS

South Bend Chocolate
  • The University of Notre Dame’s Main Building has 1,250 thin strips of 8 oz. 23-karat gold, 3 microns thick. http://tour.nd.edu/locations/eck-visitors-center/ (pg 93 of Kids Love Indiana)
  • The University of Notre Dame has the oldest continuously existing college band in the nation. When Notre Dame played football for the first time against Michigan in 1887, the Notre Dame Marching Band was already celebrating its 41st birthday.
  • The South Bend Chocolate Company produces more than 3,000 pounds of chocolate daily at its South Bend, Ind. factory. They invite you to “take a dip” literally – paid tours get to make a chocolate golden spoon! (pg 99 of Kids Love Indiana). www.sbchocolate.com
  • South Bend’s East Race Waterway was the first artificial whitewater course built in North America and opened in 1984.
  • The St. Joseph River flows north from South Bend into Lake Michigan. Several great walking/biking paths loop around the bends of the river. (you will cross it upteen times as you wander the city and surrounding suburbs)
  • South Bend Cubs single A baseball team is an affliate for the Chicago Cubs. www.southbendcubs.com. They play at Four Winds Field. The night we were there they had fireworks after the game. New are the Splash Pad water play area right behind Lawn Seating (only $6.00 for lawn seats) and the Tiki Bar, where parents can linger while their kids play in the Fun Zone.

AMERICA’S NATIONAL PARKS – A Pop Up Book Review

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With National Parks Week coming up, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a new book…a pop-up book on America’s National Parks!

What’s Inside

The coast-to-coast journey features 18 of our most popular parks, six as stunning pop-ups – Everglades (Kids Love Florida, pg 157), Great Smoky Mountains (Kids Love Tennessee, pg 61), Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Glacier and Yosemite national parks. Boy do these pages spring to life as you turn the page open fully and the three-dimensional scenes pop up. My kids oohed and awed, too. It really captured our interest to want to open the extra “envelopes” on each pop up page and read more.

Examples

See the endangered Florida panther peering out from a cypress grove, an alligator charging a white egret, a snarling grizzly bear protecting her cubs, adventurers in a dory boat crashing through the rapids of the Colorado River, all rising up from the pages of the book. Also springing to life are wildflowers of Great Smoky Mountains National Park; Old Faithful geyser in Yellowstone National Park (rises 13″ above the page); a mountain goat, the iconic mammal of Glacier National Park, perches on a high cliff; and the grandest lodge in all of the national park system, The Ahwahnee in Yosemite National Park, invites you to enter.

However, at first glance, I was curious why the cover artwork looked a little old-fashioned. Answer: The pop-up art is in the style of 1930s WPA posters. Old School. The way these natural formations and the life that inhabits them has been for ages. No neon. No modern architecture. Just pure majesty…naturally.

I’ve only visited a handful of National Parks east of the Mississippi. Now my wanderlust (and my kids!) to explore the west is full throttle…

America’s National Parks is available in two hand-assembled editions. The creative book is $34.95, and get this, the publisher donates $8.00 from every copy sold to the NPCA (National Parks Conservation Association). The goal is to Raise $100,000 for Parks.

Note: http://www.nationalparkspopup.com is the place to look around and order.

Do You Love the Sun and Water @ Zoombezi Bay?

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We fit in a recent visit back to Zoombezi Bay and loved it just as much as before…with a few added notes:

ALL–NEW! Soundsurfer, King Of The Beats: This newly renovated five-person raft ride, formerly Tahitian Twister, now includes LED lights, speakers, a fog machine and a mist filled splashdown. Riders can pick from eight programmable experiences (music genres) featuring these new additions. This 512-foot water ride propels guests through a series of acceleration drops, vortex loops and back-to-back curves in total darkness before jetting into the pool below.

Long Lines? Because the ride lines can be long, consider Zoompass ($14.99). ZOOMPASS allows guests to reserve their spot in line and enjoy other areas of the park until their turn is up.

Meals and Beverages: Due to limited acreage Zoombezi Bay does not offer public picnic areas. Guests are not permitted to bring food into Zoombezi Bay. However, they do provide a cooler storage area for guests located at the front entrance to Zoombezi Bay. Your park admission will allow you to exit the park to enjoy your packed meal at the Zoo and re-enter when you finish. Guests are permitted to bring in bottled water and a small snack. Adult beverages are available to purchase at kiosks and bar around the waterpark and the zoo.

My fav hangout at Zoombezi – the wave pool sea of lounge chairs!

https://zoombezibay.columbuszoo.org/home

Updates to KIDS LOVE OHIO page 20.

National Geographic Kids Books Highlight US National Parks

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Timed to the 100th anniversary of the National Parks in 2016, National Geographic celebrates “The Year of the Parks” with new children’s books designed to introduce young readers to the wonder and beauty of our nation’s parks.

NPS spread 1

National Geographic Kids National Parks Guide USA: takes kids on a journey to National Parks across the United States. Each region is broken down with maps , lists of must-do activities, fun facts, and more.

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I liked how a few pages in each chapter are devoted to special interest, such as “spooky” sites like an island prison or a UFO hot spot (example: pg 80-81). Another few pages (50-51) itemize a suitcase checklist with pictures of must-haves to pack.

And when you go to a National Park what options do you have? Ride the Rails? Follow the Falls? Bike it? and my favorite, Rock Stars…like Ice Box Cave. Helpful color photographs, checklists, and suggested bicycling and spelunking excursions round out this comprehensive guide. $14.95. Ages 8-12.

Great add-ons for the car ride include: Junior Ranger Activity Book with games, trivia, and jokes inspired by the Junior Ranger program ($14.99) and the Funny Fill-in with goofy fill-in-the-blank, colorful artwork, and wacky bonus facts ($4.99).

National Geographic Kids Books

Art + Community + City = #NewCMA

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This fresh museum is where creativity and daily life in the city of Columbus come together. Why expand? In 1931 CMA owned 500 pieces of art and had 10 gallery spaces.

Today, the collection has grown to more than 10,000, yet the same 10 galleries remain, and the endowment has more than doubled in size. The expansion allows the museum to highlight the collection, welcome exciting special exhibitions and nurture the culture of creativity in Columbus. Sundays are FREE.

CMA Contemporary Wing plus kids Wonder Room

The Center for Creativity is a family-friendly experience, complete with hands-on activities, such as sculpture making, a Creativity Challenge, and an interactive Wonder Room, where visitors interact with art as well as create art. (this space was super engaging) Embark on a scavenger hunt, imagine yourselves inside a painting, or discover a work of art that tells a family story during Family Adventure Tours. Browse for art kits, illustrated books, coloring books and artsy toys that cultivate creativity in the Museum Store. Savor a quick treat or snack in Schokko Art Cafe with a special $5.00 Kids Menu. CMA and the Museum Store are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 to 5:00 p.m., and until 9:00 p.m. every Thursday. Museum admission.

Teens Do Country in Nashville

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In Nashville, it is truly all about the music. Country music is woven into every corner downtown. www.visitmusiccity.com

So we ventured around town with our teens for a day or two trying to catch that country vibe best…(and stayed within 4 blocks on/near Broadway)

kidslovetennessee nashville
kidslovetennessee nashville
kidslovetennesee giant guitar

Country Music Hall of Fame (PG 32, KIDS LOVE TENNESSEE, 232 Fifth Avenue South, http://countrymusichalloffame.org/) has a lot more interactive areas than we remember from previous visits. Now kids and teens can really engage their talents with inspiring creative activities and scavenger hunts…

Expansion: The new Taylor Swift Education Center is a “learning lab” as well as a children’s exhibit gallery…perfect for the younger set.

Johnny Cash Museum – 119 Third Avenue South. www.johnnycash.com. The museum is dedicated to “The Man in Black”, which, btw, is a super cool legend to teens. Lots of interesting never before seen letters, costumes and instruments reside in themed displays while Johnny’s music plays in the background.

GooGoo Shop – It’s a Honky Tonk for your taste buds! (across street from Johnny Cash Museum).  116 Third Avenue South. www.googoo.com. Invented in 1912 in a copper kettle right here in Nashville, the GooGoo Cluster is the world’s first combination candy bar. The Goo Goo Shop is more than a shop. It’s also a museum, a candy kitchen and a piece of Nashville history. Open daily.

Honky Tonk Highway – Music City’s honky tonks line both sides of Broadway and pump live music into the streets all day, every day. There’s no cover charge but the tip jar gets passed around for those wanting to appreciate the musicians. The music starts at 10am with the party lasting until 3 in the morning. Many clubs require ID after dark so enjoying this “highway” is best with teens to catch lunch or early dinner. Tootsie’s and Tequila Cowboy were our favs!

Wildhorse Saloon – (pg 50, KIDS LOVE TENNESSEE) 120 Second Avenue North www.wildhorsesaloon.com. This famous hot spot features hot bands, good food, fun drinks and line dancing fun! Our baseball team of teens joined us for dinner and dancing and…though reluctant at first, they loved it! (probably didn’t hurt there were pretty country girls in boots smiling at them from the dance floor)

Wildhorse is one of few venues playing live music evenings that is family friendly.       (youth are allowed entrance evenings accompanied by an adult)                                        The parents tagging along had as much fun watching our kids as we did learning a new dance step or two…

kidslovetennessee wildhorse saloon

Clarion Hotel Nashville Downtown – www.continentalinnsofamerica.com. 211 North 1st Street. The biggest draw to this lodging – the free downtown shuttle service and the fair price – about $120/night. Other perks: free deluxe hot breakfast buffet, mini fridge & micro in room, indoor pool & fitness center, lobby bistro & bar, nice renovated rooms. The staff were very welcoming and helpful as we tried to navigate the shuttle and all we wanted to do while downtown.

Downtown Fun in Indy

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I recently traveled to Indianapolis, Indiana with a youth baseball team. Since we knew we’d have time each day to check out the city’s attractions, we decided to plan some side trips within a short distance from our downtown hotel.

SUGGESTED LODGING:

SPRINGHILL SUITES BY MARRIOTT DOWNTOWN

Springhill Suites is located on a beautiful seven-acre site overlooking White River State Park and adjacent to the Convention Center. The downtown is located directly across from the Eiteljorg Museum, Indiana State Museum, the NCAA Hall of Champions, the historic Canal with miles of jogging/biking trails as well as just a 4 min. drive to the Indianapolis Zoo. With upgraded WiFi, guests appreciate the complimentary, new breakfast buffet served daily and the mini frig & microwave in every room. Ideally suited for families (and teen boys) with suites 25% larger than other traditional downtown Indianapolis hotel rooms, they also offer an indoor heated pool, activity kits for kids and even rentable board games and Wii! 

  • Here’s a suggested itinerary for your next sports-themed trip to Indianapolis…

INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY: (pg 27 of Kids Love Indiana) Although recognized as a sports capital and home of the world’s largest single-day sporting event – the Indy 500, visitors will find there is a surprise around every turn…literally! We happened to visit on a day where they were not conducting Track Tours. Instead, time trials for a vintage car race were going on and we watched from the observers grassy mounds on the infield. The roar of the cars whizzing around the track in brightly shined color made our day!

INDIANAPOLIS ZOO: (pg 29 Kids Love Indiana) World’s Most Important Zoo Exhibit: International Orangutan Center. www.indyzoo.com. Features eight orangs that interact with visitors! through computer games or a 40 foot high tram ride along the recreated natural habitat of the Hutan Trail. Nightly, an orang climbs to the Beacon of Hope and flips on a light that can be seen from downtown Indy! Amazing, creative space!

NCAA HALL OF CHAMPIONS: (pg 23 Kids Love Indiana) www.ncaahallofchampions.org. Because we LIKE most college sports but LOVE baseball, we spent most of the time in that area. Mom (me) earned some cool points on the basketball half court though…made the same shot Michael Jordan did to win for Tarheels as a freshman.

Indy is at your service! You will quickly discover that Hoosier Hospitality is not a statement, but a lifestyle. Notoriously nice, helpful people are everywhere to assist you in planning and implementing a successful tour. http://www.visitindy.com and www.kidslovetravel.com/kids_love_indiana.htm. 

INDIANA FAMILY TRAVEL GUIDE

MIDWEST HOMESCHOOL CONVENTION in Cincinnati is hosting a workshop about Family Field Trips on a Budget

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COME TO booth #1621 – KIDS LOVE TRAVEL at the Midwest Homeschool Convention and check out our books and show specials. (http://midwesthomeschoolconvention.com ).

ONE of the authors will be there so think of a QUESTION or two to get a JUMPSTART on your next trip!

AND, take a fun break and listen in on one of our convention workshops:

Kids Love Travel – Let’s Plan an Affordable Family Day Trip!

Family Field Trips with kids can be a delight or a disaster. Two things that make a homeschool trip great: low-cost and educational fun.

INSIDE SCOOPS. What are some secrets to get the most value for your money. Where to sit to get best value? what to bring? why to get there early? Examples: on Tours-why standing in the first two rows is beneficial. What about having a picnic at a castle? Why go early to outdoor dramas?

EDUCATORS? There’s suggestions for finding FREE lesson plans embedded in many listings as helpful notes for educators.

Marriage of guidebook and the Internet.

Guidebook= organic – highlight it, dog ear pages, write notes, already organized and filtered for kids, unbiased (no fee), and accessible without a wireless connection.
Internet=  the newest discounts, web updates, extra insights can be found at the links provided on every page.

KIDS LOVE TRAVEL GUIDES can save you $$ in just 20 minutes reading just one chapter in one book! We can save you dozens of hours on the internet, too.

A Natural History Museum that’s called the Creation Museum?

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NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUMS – Flashback to an earlier time:

As we waited in some lines opening day of the new Creation Museum, we were greeted by friendly faces and warm smiles from the docents and the guests alike. Many had been waiting for this museum to open for years, so what was another few minutes. “Much of the experience features displays that would be similar to what you would find in a natural history museum, so you will see exhibits on par with some of the fine science museums around the world,” said director, Mark Looy. “Because we’re taking our visitors on a walk through history from Genesis to Revelation, it is a biblical museum combining Scripture with the best of what science can present.”

Interesting twist on most “Dinosaur” museums. Yes, there were tons of dinos, many animated –even dragons! Really, right up there with “Dinolands” in VA, OH & FL but also including some items like simulated walk-thru gardens, caves and even an ark!

Elements we like best in Natural History Museums are simulations: walk thru limestone caves (OH), Ice Age (OH), Indian mound sites (TN, IL, OH), copper mines (MI, TN), or coal mines (TN). Some of our favs have giant prehistoric creatures hanging overhead (OH, NC). Many have wonderful paleontology labs (OH, PA, VA, MD) where real scientists are actively working on specimens. All that wonderful science to absorb – but one difference…the timeline. Same science, different starting points. Curious? Check out the Creation Museum for details…