Travel Product Review: Goodwipes

Posted on May 9, 2020 by Michele Zavatsky

No Shower? No Toilet Paper? No Problem! – Goodwipes.

Need to freshen up while on a layover?

At a Festival? Port-a-Johns only option? Concerned about TP running out? Or, want better than sandpaper toilet paper?

When would you use these Body Wipes?
Traveling . Outdoors . Post-Gym . Hiking . Running . Crossfit . Camping . Music Festivals. Forehead Swiping . Obstacle Courses + Mud Runs .

Cleansing wipes come in handy when…
You’re Traveling. Outdoors . After Exercise . Camping . Hiking . Surfing . Skiing . Commutes . Port-a-Potties . Festivals . Restaurants .

Goodwipes are made from eco-friendly ingredients like tea tree oil, chamomile, lavender and peppermint. The cleansing wipes have similar ingredients plus a light fragrance…different for each gender. Lavendar for ladies. Musky for men.

Freshen up your neck, back, face, underarms, and body with goodwipes Body Wipes. Toss them in your carry-on bag to remove dirt, sweat, oils, bacteria and body odors that naturally build up during the day. www.goodwipes.com

Eight Wild Facts about Wild Turkeys

Posted on November 1, 2019 by Michele Zavatsky

It’s November and time to start thinking about turkeys and the spaces they live freely

So you thought there was nothing to know about turkeys except whether you liked drumsticks or white meat. Think again.

Wild turkeys strut and display at John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum, PA. Photo: Copyright Bill Buchanan. Used with permission.

Enough with gobble, gobble. Turkeys also cluck and purr .
Turkey droppings tell a bird’s sex and age. Male droppings are j-shaped; female droppings are spiral-shaped. The larger the diameter, the older the bird.
Feather-hanger: An adult turkey has 5,000 to 6,000 feathers – count them! – on its body.
Tom turkeys aren’t the only ones that swagger and fan their tail feathers to woo mates and ward off rivals. Some hens strut, too.
Crunchy treats. Young turkeys – poults – scarf down insects like candy. They develop more of a taste for plants after they’re four weeks old.
They may look off-kilter – tilting their heads and staring at the sky –yet but they’re fast. Turkeys can clock more than 12 miles per hour.
Move over, American bald eagle. Ben Franklin called the wild turkey a “bird of courage” and thought it would make a better national symbol.
Wild turkeys are not hard to find. National wildlife refuges are great places to look —while you enjoy a stroll in nature and emerge looking less like a butterball yourself. Here are some favorite turkey hideouts:

FLORIDA
St Marks National Wildlife Refuge (KIDS LOVE FLORIDA, pg 97)
To boost your chances of seeing turkeys, get out of your car and walk. “Turkeys are sensitive to the movement of vehicles,” says Ranger David Moody. Wearing camo colors might help, too. The refuge permits bow hunting the first two weeks in November. Then it closes to hunting until December 13. Almost 50 miles of the Florida National Scenic Trail go through the refuge. Turkeys like the open terrain of the longleaf pine sandhill ecosystem along the trail. $5 entrance fee.

GEORGIA
Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge
Look for turkeys along 50 miles of gravel road, including five-mile-long Wildlife Drive. You might also see them off Round Oak Juliette Road, a scenic (and paved) byway. Or try one of the refuge’s five hiking trails. No entrance fee. (Note: the refuge is closed for a deer hunt Saturday, Nov. 22.)

ILLINOIS
Wild Turkey Trail — Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge (KIDS LOVE ILLINOIS, pg 171)
Easy to moderate 1.7- mile trail leads through woods and offers a fine chance of seeing wild turkeys. For more of a challenge, take the connecting 2.2-mile Rocky Bluff Trail. Entrance fee: $2 per vehicle.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge
The 9-mile Wildlife Drive passes many woods and fields where you might spot turkeys, especially in mornings and late afternoons. Or lose the wheels and walk any of seven hiking trails along the drive. No entrance fee.

Travel Book Review: Unknown Horizons: The Thrilling Tale of Lewis and Clark

Posted on October 30, 2019 by Michele Zavatsky

In 1803, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson to explore the unknown land of the Louisiana Purchase. They gathered a crew of adventurous and able men to form the Corps of Discovery. “Unknown Horizons” tells their story.

“By giving personalities to the members of the Corps, we are able to give greater depth to this thrilling adventure and allow readers to experience what life would have been like as an adventurer in 1803,” author Ruth Peck said.

My Take: Most chapters you feel as if you were there…feeling threatened by the Sioux, exhausted by the elements, starving or eating lots of fresh meat. You may even find yourself bored when the men had their long stay at Fort Clatsop or elated when they found fresh Spring grass and signs of civilization on their return trip. I liked how they weaved the Sacagawea story for most of the journey. A Good Read if you like historical exploration stories.

https://www.xlibris.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-001160095

Travel Product Review: Chargers on the Go

Posted on April 9, 2019 by Michele Zavatsky

Don’t find yourself drained this Memorial Day Weekend.
Most people like to think of Memorial Day weekend as the unofficial kickoff to summer. The three-day weekend is the perfect opportunity to get away, even if it’s just a day trip to a nearby city. While traveling we all rely on our smartphones for directions, looking up destination spots or places to eat and for capturing memories in the form of pictures and videos. One travel necessity to never leave home without is a quality portable charger so you can stay in control of your trip!

We tried the HubMini. Here’s some stats;
22 extra hours of power / Integrated Apple® Lightning™ cable / Integrated micro-USB cable

TECHNOLOGY

Smart-sense: ensures complete device compatibility
Hyper-charge: ultra-fast charging of your devices; up to 65% faster than competitors
Power-stay: maintains battery power for up to 1 year
Max-power: maximum power transfer from powerbank to device
High-density battery: the smallest and lightest powerbank
Safe-cell: provides the highest level of battery safety
Rapid-recharge: powerbank recharges up to 50% faster than competitors
Pass Through Charging: will charge the powerbank and connected device simultaneously

Our Take: The HubMini charges fast. How many times have my kids and I been at a ballgame, an outdoor festival, or a restaurant and our cell phone battery is nearly dead. Restaurants don’t have outlets at every table and outdoor activities never do. Plus, who wants to lug a heavy charger cord everywhere. This is light and compact. Best of all: my Android phone and a friend’s IPhone can CHARGE AT THE SAME TIME! This is a new standard item for my purse and beach tote!

myCharge makes a variety of portable chargers that will fit anyone’s needs from the Hub Series chargers, that include convenient built-in charging cables and wall prongs on the back of the unit to charge it, to the Razor series that offers ample extra battery life and a sleek look. https://mycharge.com/

Do you Like us on Facebook? If not, you’re missing some good tidbits…

Posted on March 28, 2019 by Michele Zavatsky

Gosh I love Saturday mornings on FB! Discovered 3 travel tips I forgot about:
1. use dryer sheets as air fresheners and spill picker uppers
2. freeze juice boxes before road trip – they double as mini ice packs and a slushie drink!
3. use old fitted twin sheets as van seat protectors.

OUR FACEBOOK PAGE for weekly updates – https://facebook.com/kidslovetravel

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

Posted on September 1, 2018 by Michele Zavatsky

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

Posted on April 23, 2018 by Michele Zavatsky

FUN FACTS

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

Posted on April 16, 2018 by Michele Zavatsky

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?

Posted on July 10, 2016 by Michele Zavatsky

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

Posted on March 15, 2016 by Michele Zavatsky

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.

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.

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

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