Travel Product Review: Travel size lotions from Coppertone…sun protection is always in season.

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When Coppertone first approached me a couple weeks ago about doing a blog review of their sunscreen products, I thought, “it’s almost the end of summer!”

But then I received the sample package…right after Labor Day weekend full of outdoorsy fun at festivals and football games. Right after days in the late summer sun…and a little sunburn on my face and shoulders! Ok, I get it. Providing broad spectrum protection against UVA and UVB rays is always in season.

I focused on the facial products – especially the Sport Lip Balm and Oil Free Faces Sunscreen Lotion. An outdoor concert, a baseball game and a college football gameday tailgate were on the agenda the following weekend. I applied the lightweight products (btw, won’t clog pores or cause breakouts, water-resistant (80 minutes) and the Sport even sweat proof) and they worked! Soft skin and no burn.

And, for you sun-seeking travelers who fly south when the chill hits North – Coppertone Travel Size offerings are now available. The 3 oz lotions are made specifically for convenience and comply with TSA travel size regulations.
  • For portable protection, Coppertone Travel Size Lotions are perfect for your weekend away game trip – they can easily fit in a purse or carry-on bag for on-the-go sun protection.
  • For a simple beauty regimen, Coppertone Oil Free Faces SPF 15, 30 and 50+ is a fragrance free, hypoallergenic sunscreen lotion specifically designed for the face. It helps prevent premature skin aging and won’t clog pores or cause breakouts.
  • For convenient lip protection – Coppertone Sport Lip Balm SPF 30 can easily fit in a pocket for on-the-go sun protection that also helps smooth and soften lips.

Where to find: Available nationwide at food, drug, mass and internet retailers. Sport $3.99. Lip Balm $2.99. Oil Free Lotions $8.99. www.coppertone.com 

Travel Product Review: HYDRO FLASK – Introducing the perfect travel companion

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Travelers on the go are getting smarter about sailing smoothly through security – with an empty, reusable water bottle they can fill with water on the ‘other side.’ But it can be hard to find a water bottle that’s durable enough for a long trip to the beach, a trek through a nature center, or for touring a big city. Hydro Flask® has created a solution. 

Hydro Flask® began with a challenge: to create a reusable water bottle that truly performs in any environment. They nailed it with everything this one has to offer: 

  • Durable: Made with 18/8 stainless steel; resistant to bacteria and odors; backed by an unconditional lifetime warranty.
  • Essential: This flask’s double-wall vacuum insulation keeps drinks icy cold up to 24 hours (even in the blazing sun!) and hot up to 12.
  • Chemical-free: BPA-free and aluminum-free bottles ensure no leaching of chemicals, plastic or aluminum into beverages with a non-toxic powder coated exterior.
  • Charitable: 5% of the purchase price will be donated to a charity of the consumer’s choice, as part of FivePercentBack.org.
  • Diverse: The bottles come in a variety of shapes and styles including standard wide-mouth and narrow, as well as food flasks, beverage flasks, coffee/travel flasks with Hydro Flip lids and beer growlers.

 Whether you need a tough bottle for rugged destinations, or just for navigating through airports, Hydro Flask is a great option.

Personal Note: I have long hated the aftertaste of plastic bottles and the clunkiness of most thermos products. HydroFlask has become my favorite water bottle – mostly because the water stays ice cold and seems more crisp! Secondly, as a mom, I’m thrilled that it’s a product that is BPA-free and aluminum-free for my kids use long term. This really is different – try one.

More Details: The Hydro Flask is available at retailers nationwide and online.  The MSRP for 12 oz. – 40 oz. Flasks ranges from $19.99 – 34.99 respectively, and the 64 oz. Wide Mouth Stainless Steel Growler is MSRP $49.99.

COME SOAR WITH ZIPZONE CANOPY TOURS

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ZipZone Canopy Tours (http://zipzonetours.com) in Columbus, Ohio, invites you to experience an adventure-filled zip lining tour—the only tour in central Ohio…right outside of the big city!

We recently tried this tour, now celebrating its first anniversary, and loved it!

Looking for something to do with your adventuresome kids or picky teens? This is an adventure in the woods on the north side of metropolitan Columbus. But it’s really a mild adventure…you can ride basic or you can ride a little crazy…but it’s your choice!

During the two-hour tour you’ll walk across sky bridges, zip from platform to platform and glide over ravines and streams as you experience Columbus’ natural landscape in a way you never would have imagined.

No special skills, training or equipment are needed to enjoy ZipZone as the highest-quality gear and professionally trained guides help navigate and facilitate every zip.

They guide you through a hands free tour while you soar through the treetops in this old growth forest (the guides move your ropes and brake you so you have freedom to enjoy the ride).

Your teens will want to try the rented the gopro video camera to record their experience. We tried some of the progressive challenges suggested by the guides. Hands free- walking backwards on the bridge, zipping backwards, cannonball style or 360!

If you read TripAdvisor reviews, you will soon realize many were anxious at first but, after the first zip, they catch the thrill.

Final Words: Best features were: Perfect length of trip (just under 2 hours, more is just too much) and Hands-Free zipping (ability to move into different styles of zipping and watch the natural beauty flash by). “Wow!”, “Sweet!”, “Best zips ever!” were the words spoken by my teens on the trip. Makes this Mama Duck happy when my teens “love” something :-).

More details: 7925 North High Street; Columbus (Worthington), OH 43235 on the grounds of Camp Mary Orton. 855-Lets-Zip.

Tours last roughly 2 hours and are available for Ages 7 to 91 (really, ask about the 91-yr old grandma).

Tours are $69 per person on the weekend (FRI, SAT, SUN) and $64 per person on weekdays (MON-THURS).

If you have a group of 8, you can save $10 per person!  Use coupon code GROUP to get the discount.  Call the office for groups of more than 8.  614-847-9477.

Sporting Fun in Louisville – Day Two

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MORNING

For over 135 years, Louisville’s Churchill Downs has been home to the greatest two minutes in sports, the Kentucky Derby. At the Downs you’ll find the Kentucky Derby Museum (pg 38 www.derbymuseum.org), which chronicles the colorful history of the race…and famous horses! Try riding like a jockey – the trick is never ever sit down in the saddle.

AFTERNOON

A constant 60 degrees underground, the Louisville Mega Cavern (www.louisvillemegacavern.com) is a perfect activity for a rainy or sweltering summer day. With more than 17 miles of underground passageways beneath the City of Louisville, Louisville Zoo and Watterson Expressway. You’ll discover a guided tram tour rich in history, geology, mining and recycling.

For the adventuresome, glide behind a certified tour guide on the 2-hour underground MEGA Zips. Featuring six underground zip lines, including a fun filled dual racing zip, three awesome challenge bridges that will test your skill, balance, and mettle; this tour is guaranteed to get your heart racing and your adrenaline pumping. The tour path leads you into never before seen sections of the man made cavern. This is the only underground zipline in the country!

For those who want a more relaxing adventure, be sure to take our one hour Historic Tram Tour through part of 17 miles of man-made passageways beneath the City of Louisville. Learn about the early limestone mining operations that created the caverns, dioramas to explain how the cavern could have been used as a fallout shelter, and even a little on the recycling that goes on below ground…even growing worms! Because you ride through the cavern and never walk, this tour is especially convenient for children of all ages, seniors, and the physically challenged.

The size and scale of this cavern is huge and the fact that the owners have such vision to create a viable business and attraction is worth a visit to see what all is down-under the city of Louisville.

  • Tip: Weight guidelines are 55 to 275 pounds. Children up to 15 years old must be accompanied by an adult. Zips run $59-$79 for a zip tour.

EVENING

Be entertained while eating great seafood at Joe’s Crab Shack overlooking the Ohio River. Or have a family dinner at one of Louisville’s favorite locally-owned spots.

  • Enjoy a buffalo burger at Buckhead Mountain Grill (kids eat free every Monday-Thursday with purchase of adult entree of $9.99 or more…and many entrees are priced under $10). Try anything beef or local flavors like KY Hot Brown or Fried Green Tomatoes.

Sporting Fun in Louisville – Day One – Afternoon/Evening

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AFTERNOON

Offer the kids lunch choices both within two blocks of the Slugger Museum — The Bristol Bar & Grille (kids menu) and Luigi’s Pizzeria (what kid doesn’t like pizza?). Or look for one of downtown Louisville’s hot dog vendors (often seen at Jefferson Park, 4th and Main Streets and elsewhere during the week).

Louisville loves it’s college sports and you are sure to find a game featuring the University of Louisville Cardinals (www.gocards.com, same exit as KY Derby Museum) it might be baseball, soccer, football or basketball depending on the season.

EVENING

In the summer, head over to Louisville Slugger Field to take in a Louisville Bats (pg 42, www.batsbaseball.com) baseball game and maybe some great ballpark food! Be sure to get your picture beside the statue of Pee Wee Reece in front of the ‘warehouse turned baseball stadium’. The Bats are the AAA farm team for the Cincinnati Reds. Every seat is a great view. The folks are super friendly and the mascots, promotions and foul balls keep the kids attentive. They have a carousel and kiddie park as entertainment too!

A short bike ride, pedestrian bridge, or car drive away, the family will love the view from the Indiana side, situated on the Ohio River with boat docks nearby and the shoreline in sight. All the restaurants on the water have great service and a variety of food and views.

Rent a bike or surrey from Wheel Fun Rentals or Segway of Louisville (www.wheelfunrentals.com) and explore the beautiful Waterfront Park. The park features biking and walking paths, playgrounds (yes, more than one!), splash parks, special events and more.

  • Money saving tip: Visit more than one Museum Row on Main attraction and save dough. Show your ticket stub at the next stop and receive a discount on admission.

Tip: Why Bring that Magnet? Over a century ago, cast iron made it possible to build beautiful decorative features that were too expensive to carve out of stone. Main Street is one of the largest assemblies of cast-iron from buildings in the United States. See the sidewalk bricks in front of the columns? They are placed sideways and flecked with iron to make it easy to identify the cast iron buildings. A magnet will stick to building facades that are cast iron.

Sporting Fun in Louisville DAY ONE – Morning

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Understanding Louisville’s rich sports history begins with a walk with The Greatest at the Muhammad Ali Center (http://alicenter.org), admission, open daily, 144 N Sixth Street, downtown riverfront. You can learn about Ali’s boxing career and humanitarian efforts, and even try shadow boxing the Champ! As a boxer, Muhammad Ali brought unprecedented speed and grace to his sport, while his charm and wit changed forever what the public expected a champion to be.

On your way to your next stop of the day, have the kids keep their eyes out the Louisville Slugger Walk of Fame™. The walk stretches one mile on historic East and West Main Streets starting at Louisville Slugger Field.

The Walk of Fame ends at the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory (pg 31, www.sluggermuseum.com 800 West Main Street, downtown) where memories will last a lifetime, especially with a family photo op in front of the world’s largest baseball bat.

Explore baseball history in the museum, and in the factory you’ll see how Sluggers are made— receive a free mini-bat at the end of the tour!

The kids will enjoy mimicking the life-like mannequin of Babe Ruth as he hits one out of the park. And you’ll all be amazed witnessing, right before your eyes, a piece of wood – called a billet – spinning into the shape of a bat in less than 90 seconds.

Sporting Fun in Louisville

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I recently traveled to Louisville, Kentucky 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 a little theme trip… a Sports-theme.

Take a good look at Louisville for many legendary sporting attractions. Stop at the Louisville Visitors Center at 4th and Jefferson in downtown. Check out the brochures, grab a downtown walking tour brochure and take your kid’s picture with a life-sized Colonel Sanders…all for free. www.gotolouisville.com

SUGGESTED LODGING:

TOWNEPLACE SUITES BY MARRIOTT LOUISVILLE NORTH

703 North Shore Drive, Jeffersonville IN 67130. (just over the Ohio River on the I-65 or 2nd Street Bridge). Lodging starts around $125/night.

TownePlace Suites Louisville North is the go-to choice among extended-stay Louisville hotels in Jeffersonville. Our beautiful townhouse community is located just 1 mile from downtown and the KFC Yum Center, home to the University of Louisville Cardinals, and walking distance from excellent dining along the Ohio River. Whether searching hotels in Jeffersonville / Louisville for business or leisure, they’ll get you where you’re going in minutes: Riverfront, Kentucky Fair & Expo Center, KY Derby Center, Louisville Slugger and more. Their extended-stay Louisville suites and studios feature fully equipped kitchens, large work spaces and free high-speed wireless Internet. More than a place to stay, the Jeffersonville, IN hotel is a true home-away-from-home, complete with outdoor pool, BBQ area with gas grills, coin laundry and fitness room.

KENTUCKY FAMILY TRAVEL GUIDE

(Note: page references are from www.kidslovetravel.com/travel-books/ )

Owl Prowls and Wolf Howls: Nature Shines at Night

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Nighttime brings a new slant to nature – and some national wildlife refuges are going out of their way to help you see and hear it.  Several times a year, they’re delaying normal sunset closing times to host night star-viewings, swamp paddles, scorpion hunts and wolf howl serenades in settings hard to beat for natural scenery and iconic wildlife.

Of course, some refuges turn downright creepy at night, and that’s a part of their attraction, too. The thrill of seeing giant reptiles on the prowl draws hundreds of visitors a year to night boat trips at Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia.

“It’s cool to see the bigger gators at night, when they do their hunting,” says Brittany Waryjas, a visitor services intern at the refuge. A reflective layer of tissue in the retina makes their eyes glow red at night – a good way to spot them, if you don’t hear them first. They hiss when threatened and bellow to call mates or mark territory.  Refuge ranger Cynthia McIntyre recalls hearing the sound for the first time: “It sounded like a lion roaring in the jungle.”

Visitors who like their swamp adventures mild can take a guided sunset motorboat tour. The braver can opt for multi-day kayak or canoe trips that feature overnight camping on platforms that might have growling gators below.

Different shiver-inducing night sounds draw nature lovers to Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, NC. Red wolf “howling safaris,” held on scheduled dates from April to December, feature the eerie calls of endangered red wolves, whose recovery through captive breeding began on the refuge in the 1980s.  The refuge is the only place in the world where you can hear these wolves in the wild. Listening online can’t match being there, but here’s a taste:  http://bit.ly/Zy74V8

Here are some refuge night events to plan for this summer and fall:

Night Sounds

  • Red Wolf Howlings, Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, NC (KIDS LOVE THE CAROLINAS, pg 113)
    Meet at the Creef Cut Wildlife Trail parking lot. Bring a flashlight and insect repellent. No pets allowed. 252-216-9464. Summer Howlings, $7 per person. Kids 12 and under free. No Registration Required. June – August, Wednesdays – 7:30-9:00pm

    Fall Saturday Howlings. Free. No Registration Required
    October 12 – Wolf Awareness Week – 6 -7:30 p.m.
    November 16 – Full Moon Howl – 5 – 6:30 p.m.
    December 7 – Holiday Howl – 5 – 6:30 p.m. 

  • Owl Prowls, Patuxent Research Refuge, MD (KIDS LOVE MARYLAND, pg 23)
    Saturday, June 29, 8 -9:30 p.m.
    Explore the refuge at night while looking and listening for owls. Ages 10 and up. Patuxent North Tract. Registration required: 301-497-5887

Night Paddles

  • Full-moon guided canoe trips, Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, FL (KIDS LOVE FLORIDA, pg 149)
    Saturday, June 22, 7 – 9 p.m.
    Saturday, July 20, 7 – 9 p.m.
    Saturday, August 17, 7 – 9 p.m.
    Meet at the Lee Road Boat Ramp.  Wear a long-sleeved shirt and long pants and bring a flashlight and bug spray. Canoe rental: $32; you may not bring your own canoe. Reservations required: Loxahatchee Canoeing: 561-733-0192
  • Okefenokee Swamp at night, Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, GA (KIDS LOVE GEORGIA, pg 179)
    Take a two-hour sunset tour by motorboat ($27.50 per adult, age 12 and up; Kids age 5-11, $18; Kids under 5, free) or a four-hour guided kayak or canoe tour ($85 per person). Check ahead; tours are affected by water levels, availability of guides. Or sign up for a multi-day canoe or kayak adventure, with overnight camping. ($10 per person per night plus $25 per day canoe or kayak rental). Other options and more info: Okefenokee Adventures, 912-496-7156,  www.okefenokeeadventures.com

PRODUCT REVIEW: Duraflame Campfire Roasting Logs

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Because camping season is here, Duraflame has assembled the ultimate camping kit designed to help big kids recapture childhood memories and little kids create their very own (see photo below).

Included in the kit is one of Duraflame’s most innovative products; firelogs designed specifically for campfire roasting.  The logs are formulated with real wood charcoal and tested for safe cooking, which means it is perfect for any type of outdoor use – backyard camping, weekend trips to the lake, hiking excursions, beach fires, you name it!

We’re a big firepit family. At home. At cabin rentals.

But, the problem I always had was getting a nice fire going without a lot of fuss or smelly lighter fluid. Problem solved.

Made from 100% renewable resources and lab-tested safe to roast marshmallows, hotdogs or anything you like to cook over a campfire, these compact logs are a great product.

Within 10 minutes we had a great solid fire going and the wienies roasting. 2 hours later we still had a good fire for roasting marshmallows for smores! Our get together was a success!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/duraflame/

PRODUCT REVIEW: Oral Care Travel Solutions

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Whether you’re noshing on snacks in line at the amusement park with your kids, ziplining in a tropical locale or jetting off to a business meeting, your dental health isn’t on the top of your mind, especially during your vacation and business travel. However, it is an important aspect of your and your family’s health.

Given our busy lives, brushing our teeth after every meal is difficult.  And even more so when we’re traveling.  Neglecting proper oral care habits can have a negative impact on the health of our mouth and overall well-being.  Majestic Drug developed an innovative oral care solution – Proxi-Plus® – to keep your pearly whites healthy while on-the-go.

Dentist recommended, Proxi-Plus cleans teeth and those hard-to-reach areas of the mouth.  It includes an interdental brush on one end and a flosser on the other to remove food from between teeth, clean plaque and stimulate gums.  Daily use keeps teeth clean and fights bad breath and gingivitis for a healthier smile.

No more hassle of carrying a spare toothbrush and toothpaste with you. It’s small enough to toss into your purse or pocket, and it’s sanitary and disposable – perfect for people on-the-go.

Bloggers Personal Note: We’ve used this product for 3 months now and found the convenience to be our favorite feature. No more excuses for not flossing or “lightly cleaning” your teeth after meals on the road. Those many times when our toothbrushes were buried deep in a suitcase and we didn’t brush until evening are long gone. And it has a light mint flavor so you mouth feels and smells cleaner. Disposable, just use them and throw them away. Honestly, I think so many folks watching me conveniently clean my teeth after a meal (in the public restroom) envied the process and a few even asked where they could buy them!