Tag Archives: best places to visit with kids

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.

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.

Family Travel eBooks Available for your mobile device

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Are you ready? Why not try eBook Family Travel Guides…

eBOOK BENEFITS

QUICK DELIVERY – After completing the checkout process, you’ll receive an email that takes you to the download page for your book(s).      
INTERACTIVE WEBSITE LINKS & DIRECT LINKS to FREE ACTIVITY SHEETS or GAMES. This feature at the minimum works with your PC ePDF reader. It also works with many portable eBook readers (ie iPAD, Nook, Kindle, tablets).*       
VERY AFFORDABLE – Less expensive than our printed books.        
EASY TO UPDATE – Using the ePDF editor on your reading device.       
SHRINK OR ENLARGE TEXT SIZE – Using the zoom feature on your reading device      
PRINT SELECTED PAGES – From home computer printer      
ALLOWS FOR HIGHLIGHTING – On PC and select readers      
SAVES TIME – Instead of “Googling” your time away, you purchase an inexpensive e-book on the topic, taking away the guesswork. Written by family travel experts who have personally visited over 5000 places with their kids.       

ONLY ONE PLACE TO FIND THEM: http://www.kidslovetravel.com/travel-books/

TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLPARK…

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Here are some recent baseball park visit articles I’ve come across that share that Americana passion for baseball and kid’s fun:

Best major-league baseball parks for kids: http://www.mercurynews.com/travel-headlines/ci_21055578/family-travel-best-major-league-baseball-parks-kids

Touring Oriole Park at Camden Yards: http://creativlei.com/2012/touring-oriole-park-at-camden-yards/

Two ballparks /tours to add to the mix:

KIDS LOVE OHIO – page 176 – CLEVELAND INDIANS – Progressive Field.

www.indians.com. Tours (small fee) include Kidsland, a press box, a suite, a dugout, a fun video…all lasts about one hour (Monday-Saturday 10am-2pm, some summer sundays).

KIDS LOVE PENNSYLVANIA – PAGE 291 – PITTSBURGH PIRATES –

www.pirateball.com PNC Park. On game nights the city closes the Roberto Clemente Bridge to vehicles so street performers, vendors and pedestrians swarm the area – everyone decked out in black and gold attire. The concessions at the park are upscale fair food and many are grilled to order. Primanti is a must if you want Steel City, hold it with two hands, kinda food.

WORLD’S LARGEST IN CLEVELAND

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Visitors to Cleveland-area attractions will catch the attention of classmates and co-workers alike when their reports on “what I did on my summer vacation” include standing in the nation’s longest underwater sea-tube, browsing the aisles for retro candies at the nation’s largest candy store and standing next to the “world’s largest rubber stamp.” For a vacation worthy of the record books, visitors should be sure to include these attractions on their Cleveland itinerary.

storstar_0512_10Greater Cleveland Aquarium
Visitors can wave to the smiling Rays as they glide overhead at the Greater Cleveland Aquarium’s SeaTube, a 145′ walk-through tunnel considered to be the nation’s longest sea tube. The Powerhouse located in the West Bank of the Flats is now home to the new 70,000-square-foot Aquarium. The unique facility includes 42 tanks integrated into the historic building to create an exciting underwater environment with more than 5,000 fish. Not only does the facility feature different habitats, such as a Louisiana Bayou, but it also features the creatures found in local rivers and streams.
216.862.8803, www.greaterclevelandaquarium.com

storstar_0512_11Free Stamp
Often considered to be the “world’s largest rubber stamp,” this large sculpture is located in Willard Park right in the center of downtown. Designed by pop artists Claes Oldenburg and Coosje Van Bruggen known to recreate common items into giant proportions, the art was donated to the city of Cleveland nearly 10 years after it was originally commissioned by Standard Oil of Ohio.  With dimensions measuring more than 28 feet by 49 feet, the sculpture is a bold reminder of American freedom. Downtown visitors can visit the park to snap a picture of the sculpture.

storstar_0512_12b.a. Sweetie Candy Company
What do bugs, toxic waste and chocolate worms have in common? All are edible! At b.a Sweetie Candy Company, a family-owned candy warehouse that’s been around for generations, children can indulge their wackier tastes.  Sweetie’s have just about every kind of candy imaginable. For those who aren’t ready for the extreme candies, they can choose from nostalgic favorites such as wax lips, PEZ dispensers and gourmet jellybeans.
216.739.2244, www.sweetiescandy.com

HIDDEN MAGIC IN FLORIDA

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The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World Planner: A Complete Organizer, Journal, and Keepsake for Your Unforgettable Vacation (April 2012) By Susan Veness and Simon Veness (ORLANDO). This guide is more than just a place to keep your important phone numbers and schedules. This all-the-fun-in-one journal is a celebration of the happiest place on earth—and a peek inside its magic!

Once you have a copy in your hands, it’s hard not to open it and explore its sections. I like to be organized when I travel so the pocketed folder pages placed strategically throughout the book caught my eye. Large text and spiral notebook style publishing were next. What mom doesn’t need to work on last minute plans while driving down to Disney? Readable text and a “workbook” that can grow in size work nicely on the road.

More about the book:

With the help of this planner, you’ll make exciting discoveries like where in Epcot to find Mickey-shaped tomatoes and the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it eerie surprise on the Tower of Terror. In addition to these never-before-revealed secrets, you’ll also discover:

  • The best places to stay and eat for every budget
  • Scheduling strategies to cut your waiting time in long lines
  • Prime viewing spots for parades
  • And hundreds more money- and time-saving (and fun-maximizing) tips! 

Complete with journal pages to record your memories, fold-out maps to help you find your way, and pockets to hold your keepsakes, The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World Planner helps you step into your own “Once Upon a Time” and make your Disney dreams come true!

BUT, we all know there’s more magic to Florida than just Disney. Want to read reviews about the family-friendliness (on a budget) of the other 599 things to do in Florida?

Check this out (NEW! EDITION): KIDS LOVE FLORIDA

15 More Places Every Kid Should See Before 15

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Wondering where to take the kids this summer? Budget Travel has some great ideas and is pleased to unveil 15 More Places Every Kid Should See Before 15. (2 of them are favs from the KIDS LOVE ILLINOIS book)

Last year, Budget Travel chose 15 places they thought every kid should see before they turned 15. This year, they took it one step further and invited readers to weigh in on their favorite kid-friendly destinations.  The editors then used the reader-generated nominations (562 to be exact) to create the 2012 list.

What made a destination worthy of inclusion? It needed to be fun, educational, and especially magical through the eyes of a child. It needed to inspire adults to tap back into that childlike sense of wonder. And it needed to have universal appeal.

In case you were wondering…my fav pick of the 15 is from our KIDS LOVE ILLINOIS book…Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield…Disney does Lincoln…overloaded!