Archive | July, 2009
A few weeks ago, I took my two children on a short solo road trip to Jacksonville, Florida. Tallahassee is the perfect spot for a bathroom and stretch break. It is about half way to Jacksonville and there are plenty of gas stations and places to eat. Unfortunately, whenever we make this drive we always make the mistake of getting off at the same miserable exit. This exit, which I believe is Capital Circle, is like the Bermuda Triangle. There are tons of gas stations and restaurants but it is very difficult to get across the many lanes of traffic. Once you are in the parking lot of one of these places, you can’t get back to the Interstate without turning around five times. It is not one of those exits where you pull off, pump your gas and hop back on with ease! On this trip though, we found a hidden treasure.
I had packed our lunch for this trip in an effort to avoid McDonald’s and save a few bucks, but when I pulled off at the Capitol Circle exit I wasn’t quite sure what to do and where to stop. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a trademark brown state park sign pointing the way to the Alfred B. Maclay Gardens. I keep our Real Florida Passport in my car at all times so if an opportunity to stop at another state park comes up, we can add to our collection of passport stamps. I couldn’t find much about Alfred B. Maclay except that he was a New York financier and he and his wife planted these gardens after they purchased the property for their winter escape. Unfortunately it was too late in the blooming season to see the beautiful camelias and azaleas, but the garden is full of gorgeous plant life displaying ever different shade of green.
We only saw one other family walking through the gardens. The kids were able to run around and I was able to enjoy a short walk before we finished the last leg of our trip. My favorite part of the visit was coming upon this:
One of my favorite books to read when I was little was The Secret Garden. The garden in this book was the first thing that came to mind when we saw this little gate hidden away. Unfortunately the gate was locked since it was the off season, but we were able to peek in and see this amazing garden.
The gardens are full of these wonderful bricked pathways.
There is a main path that winds down to the house and off of that path you see smaller brick paths that disappear into dirt pathways. Guests are welcome to explore these spots as well.
As you meander down the paths, you come across all sorts of things hidden in the foilage. The kids and I sat here for a few minutes watching the birds fly over the water.
Once you get to the end of the pathway, you arrive at the house. The house is open to the public during blooming season, which is January 1 to April 30. I was suprised at how modest the house looked compared to the expansive gardens and property.
We also saw a Reflection Pool and a beautiful little pond which I imagine is amazing during the blooming season.
My children loved spotting these little black caterpillars everywhere they looked!
Be sure to drop by Photo Friday at Delicious Baby to check out all the other great photos from around the world world.
Be sure to check out the Carnival of Cities which is taking place at the Talking Trekaroo. My article about Five Things to Do in Mobile, Alabama is on the list. My article about our trip to Ft. Pickens at Pensacola Beach, Florida (which I posted at Pensacola with Kids) is also on the list. There are some great articles about some fascinating cities. Check out the beautiful pictures of the Lotus Flowers in bloom at The DC Traveler and the top 10 destination playgrounds in the San Francisco Bay area. I also liked the article about visiting Rome in a day (as we are trying to get there next summer!) over at Globe Cheap Travel.
If you want to participate, check out the submission guidelines. The next Carnival of Cities will be posted at The Family Travel Guide.
Hot. Powder sugary. Doughy. Fried. Goodness.
New Orleans is only about a three hour drive from us. When I get to about Biloxi, which is an hour and a half from NOLA, I start to count the number of times I think I will be able to convince my husband to go to Cafe Du Monde in our 24 hour trip. Four or five times? That might be excessive. Definitely twice-once as soon as we get there and then another for breakfast the next day. If we are spending more than just a few morning hours before we head home, I might even be able to make a third trip right before we go. My husband is not a big sweet person…okay he is a big sweet person, he just doesn’t like sweets. He would prefer a bag of chips or a box of crackers over sweet candy anyday. Me on the other hand? New Orleans just smells sweet (once you move away from Bourbon St!). Divinity, pralines, beignets…all those tasty treats that I associate with the south that I wouldn’t touch in any other city but indulge myself with when I head to the Big Easy.
After attending many a beignet feasting session at Cafe Du Monde, here are some things we have learned:
1. Don’t come back later. The crowds will not thin out, the line for a table does not get much shorter. If you are there, get in line.
2. If you don’t need the experience of enjoying your beignets at a table in the cafe, head to the take out window. If you are lucky, a waiter will find you. If he/she asks you if they can get your order for you, let them. It will be quick and well worth the tip you should hand them!
3. Wear black. I am just kidding. Don’t wear black. Don’t wear black especially if you are going to sit at one of the Cafe Du Monde tables. You will walk out of there with a powder sugared booty.
Check out what other people are dreaming about at Mother of All Trips!
Mobile, Alabama is a city that is rich with history and culture. When you think of Mardi Gras, you automatically think of New Orleans. However, according to the Mobile Chamber of Commerce, Mobile is actually where the first Mardi Gras party originated. Mobile has plantations, forts, museums, and battleships. It is a great place to take the kids for both extended and day trips. Today, we took a day trip to Mobile and this is what we did!
1. The Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center - The Exploreum helps to promote science literacy with its many exhibits and IMAX show. One of the current exhibits is My Body Works. When you enter the exhibit, you are given a card that you carry around with you to each of the activities. You participate in activities such as blood pressure checks, how much blood is in your body, how high can you jump, and how far can you stretch and the card stores your data. Once you have worked your way through all of the activities, you plug your card into a computer and it prints out a personal health profile.
The Hands on Hall has over 50 interactive activities. Kids can participate in a news cast, pull their own body weight with pulleys, play DJ, play a harp, and so much more.
The Wharf of Wonder is for children ages 0-5. They can climb on a ship, play in the ocean, or catch fish! Be sure to check the website for scheduled events. The Exploreum has camps throughout the summer and preschool programs throughout the school year.
The next exhibit is going to Bob the Builder and will be at the Exploreum from October to January! Tickets are a little pricey, but there are great membership prices and right now, on Sundays, adults get in for the child prices!
My children’s favorite part of the Exploreum: Playing the laser harp, the shadow wall, and pulling themselves up in the air!
2. Fort Conde - If you are headed to the Exploreum, you should add the fort to your list. Fort Conde is located right across the street from one of the public parking lots you use for the Exploreum. Fort Conde is such an interesting place to visit because it is smack in the middle of the city. You are looking at cannons that are aimed right at a skyscraper! While you are on the second level of the fort, you can see that Interstate 10 goes right under it!
The rooms of the fort are set up much as they would be in previous times. We saw bedrooms, ammunition rooms, and storage. Checking out Fort Conde is FREE!
My children’s favorite part of Fort Conde: Checking out the cannons and the little hidey holes around the fort!
3. Battleship USS Alabama - During WWII, the USS Alabama participated in war action for 37 months. It now rests in Mobile Bay. When you are going west into Mobile, you can see this majestic battleship looming in the distance. Tours of the battleship are self-guided. You must pay $2.00 to park. Adult tickets are $12 and they go down from there.
4. Bass Pro Shops - Okay, I know this is not a travel destination but if you do not have one of these near you, it is worth a stop. My kids love to wander through the store back to the humongous aquarium that holds very large fish. If you are a family of hunters, check out the second floor where you can participate in an arcade-like game of hunting. Check the schedule of events before you go because they often have great children’s activities. For example, during the holidays we made crafts and saw Santa!
5. Eastern Shore Center - Just over the bridge, the Eastern Shore Center is a great shopping spot. The kids will love to cool off in the splash fountains. Be sure to throw their swimsuits, a towel, and a change of clothes. It will be too much work to keep them out of the fountains. There are always kids running around in their swim suits!
Why do I feel like the girl left standing all by her lonesome in the middle of the basketball court because no one wanted to pick her? Or the girl that just found out that all of her friends went out for drinks last night but failed to invite her along? Because.
I am sitting in my bedroom with my laptop on top of my singed pants because I refuse to sit at a desk and all of my “internet friends” (or as my husband puts it – fake friends!) are sitting at BlogHer09 and today, most importantly, TBEX09.
Do I sound bitter? Should I be?
I know that I shouldn’t feel left behind because it is my fault that I am not sitting there in beautiful Chicago and am instead in my dark bedroom hoping that my kids will go to sleep so I can get some peaceful blogging done. I chose to wait too long to buy my ticket for BlogHer. I was torn on whether I should go or not. Then I decided that we shouldn’t spend the money on a plane ticket for TBEX because it was just a one day event. It was too much money for one day. Besides the fact that my husband incessantly (in a playful way) makes fun of my blogging side, I am relatively new to the whole blogging-for-the-world-to-see scene. I started blogging about my family travel when my family and friends wanted a way to keep in touch with us while we take off here and there. We were headed to Europe and everyone wanted updates as often I could post them. Not everyone is on facebook, emailing 50 people takes up too much time, and I like to write. I may not be fantastic at it, but I enjoy it. Just like I enjoy reading books, hanging out with my kids and spending money! So I write.
During the last seven or eight months though, something changed along the way. My blog went from being read by just friends and family, to being read by their friends, and so on. As I started inserting myself into the travel blogging world, I began to “meet” some amazing people out there. Everyone is so different…some are men, some are women. Some are young, some are old. Some have children, some don’t. Some travel for a living, some don’t. Some prefer one area of the world, while others wouldn’t ever go back there. Some take beautiful pictures, some write beautiful words that paint beautiful pictures. Everyone is also alike. All are adventurous, though some more than others! All love the joy of traveling…the journey of getting there and experiencing. When we get home, we are planning our next adventure. We all love to write about it.
As I look at the site statistics of some of my favorite travel blogs, I can only hope to reach those goals someday. For now, I will enjoy the vast knowledge that my “fake” friends share through their own sites, Twitter and other various outlets. Bloggers like Linda at Minnemom who writes about traveling around her state with her kids and MommyPoppins who writes about exploring NYC with kids. Even though they don’t know this, they were the inspiration behind my newest blog, Pensacola with Kids. Bloggers like Amy at The Q Family and Atlanta with Kid and Mara at Mother of All Trips who were very quick to answer any questions I had when I migrated from Blogger to WordPress. Bloggers who help create networking contacts and friendships like Debbie at Delicious Baby with her Photo Friday and Kim Mance with Travel Blog Exchange. Bloggers like Julie at Things You Should Do and Amie at Ciao Bambino who gave me the opportunity to write and share my first guest posts. Bloggers like Lorraine at Keeps Me Smiling, Dominique at Midwest Guest, Marina at Travel Experta, Carolina at Kids Go West, and Bridget at Family Adventure Guidebooks who stop by and leave me words of encouragement just about every week. Bloggers like Wendy at Perrin Post, Peter at The Carey Adventures, GuynGirlTravels, and Marilyn at National Geographic, Matt at NomadicMatt, Craig at Indie Travel Podcast, and Corinne at Have Baby Will Travel who never fail to answer a question I have asked them. Bloggers like Shannon at Gifted Travel and Traveling Mamas who chatted with me for 30 minutes on the phone about choosing a theme and a direction for my flailing blog (I guess you are the only one that knows I really-sort of since it was just a phone call-exist!). The list goes on and on and on and on…
This is why I am definitely not bitter. I wish that I could have taken notes myself at all of the sessions this week, however, I will have to continue to learn from all the great bloggers out there instead. Not too shabby. But you will have to excuse me…I need to go buy my ticket for BlogHer10…
New York City here I come!
I know, I know…it is Saturday! Somehow, Friday came and left and I forgot to post my Photo Friday over at Delicious Baby.
I learned something new about my hometown today. While reading an announcement about Pensacola’s upcoming 450th Anniversary Bash on VisitPensacola, I learned that one of my favorite buildings, Old Christ Church, just happens to tout itself as “the oldest church in Florida still on its original site.” Wow! I had no idea! This church holds a very special place in my heart. My husband asked me to marry him right on this very corner. The church is now part of the Pensacola Historic District. Weddings are still being performed here.
See the lamp post? That is where I got engaged 9 years ago!
In the past couple of weeks, I have read some great blog posts about mamas giving their kids the camera. We often let our kids take pictures on our trips, but I have never posted any of them. When we went to Shipwreck Island in Panama City this weekend, we gave our kids the disposable waterproof camera. Before I knew it, they had clicked through all 27 pictures! Other than some unsavory pictures of me in a swimsuit (that I promptly burned after developing), he got some pretty good pictures! I am knee deep in packing for our road trip (where my two children and I set out on our own for a short visit with friends in preparation for the major trip up the East Coast on our own again!) so for now I will just share the pictures of our adventure. It is Photo Friday after all! I will post a review later on next week about our experience at Shipwreck.
Big S’s pictures
Little S’s picture
Stop by Delicious Baby and see all the other great travel photos!
The other day I listed some of the blogs about exploring different cities with your kids. We have used several of them already and I am lucky enough to be Internet buddies with some of them as well. When asked about a blog in San Diego, I went looking and came across this great resource! Three Boys in San Diego (or Visit San Diego with Kids) is a great resource to check out if you are headed that way. This mama loves to explore her city and tell you about all the great places to check out.
Next week I will be heading out with the two kids sans husband for a road trip to Jacksonville, Florida. I am dreaming of a smooth trip and two happy kiddies. I am dreaming of a car with no flat tires, check oil lights, or funny noises! We are going to visit dear friends so most of the trip will be spent catching up on time missed (and visiting one very cute brand newborn baby!), but if we have time here are a few things that I might be checking out:
1. Visit the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
2. Maybe take a drive to St. Augustine while we are there and see Florida’s Oldest House and Castillo de San Marcos.
3. Museum of Science and History
4. Friendship Fountain – I can’t tell if this is still under renovation. If it isn’t, we will definitely check it out…the kids love fountains!
Have you been to Jacksonville, Florida? If you have places that I should add to my itinerary, please comment!
Be sure to stop by Mother of all Trips and see what Mara is dreaming about…
One of the first things we do when we are getting ready to vacation is a quick Internet search to see if there are any websites or blogs about exploring that city with your kids. There are so many out there! These are a few that we have used recently:
Atlanta with Kid
Jacksonville, FL for Kids
Miami Kids
Mommy Poppins – NYC
New Orleans Kids
Pensacola with Kids (I have to admit that this a shameless plug for my *other* website!)
San Diego with Kids - 3 Boys in San Diego
Tampa with Kids
Six Suitcase Travel (Not city specific but a great resource for finding hotels for your large family!)
Do you know of any other city blogs out there that are great travel with kids resources? If so, post the link in the comment section and we will add them to the list!
