When my husband and I were still dating, he took me to Panama City to see his stomping grounds.  One of the things that I remember most about that trip was running through the Gran Maze at Coconut Creek Family Fun Center like teenagers…heck…we were barely in our twenties at this point!  Now that our kids are old enough to enjoy exploring the maze, we took them out there during our Easter visit. 

A little fun fact about Big and Little S — they love mazes.  They can complete a maze quicker than you would imagine, like a little mouse sniffing out the cheese at the end of the maze!  We have been to several corn mazes and ran around for hours.  They are ecstatic when we go on a road trip and I bring out a new maze book and when we go to out to eat they are hugely disappointed if the children’s menu doesn’t have a maze on it.  We knew they would love this and it did not disappoint! 

The Gran Maze at Coconut Creek is about the size of a football field.  They change the maze around on a regular basis so even if you go often, it is different! 

The object is to enter the maze at the starting point and then work your way to four different stations, punch your card and then find your way out of the maze. 

The quickest completion time on the board was either 9 or 15 minutes (I am sorry…I can’t remember!).  We completed it in 54 minutes.  We did pretty well but got stuck in one section and seemed to be going around in circles.  And circles.  And more circles.  Eventually we found our way to the next station but only after Daddy S did some reconnoitering. 

Throughout the maze are these funny little signs that also help to tell you if you are still going in circles!

At the very end, Little S gave up.  Luckily all around the outside walls of the maze, you will find doors so we made our escape through there and headed up to the observation tower to watch Big S, dad and grandpa finish the maze.

I believe the maze is open at night as well making it a little bit more difficult and spooky.  We liked the fact that the maze walls do not go all the way to the ground making it less claustrophobic than a corn maze.  At Gran Maze, children under 6 play free so this was ideal for us.  We got to explore a Panama City attraction and only purchase adult tickets.  I advise you to have water, sunglasses and a hat with you if you are completing the maze.  It gets HOT in there.  We were there the first weekend in April and by the time we were finished we were all sweating!  I can’t imagine what it is like in July or August. 

This post is part of DeliciousBaby’s Photo Friday.  Be sure to stop by and see where everyone is traveling.

Some of my fondest memories of traveling with my children are from when we came across a park or a large patch of grass where they could run around and just be exactly who they are…kids. No one telling them to keep their hands to themselves. No one telling them to use their inside voices. Some of my favorite memories: running through the grass and gravel walks at Schloss Hellbrun in Salzburg; Big S learning to crawl in the ruins at Trier, Germany; sliding through the snow and ice in the Olympic ski jump area in Garmisch, Germany; skipping around the giant cow at the Braselton Mayfield Dairy.

When we were in Suffolk, Virginia during the month of February, we were trapped in the house for a few days by sleet and snow. Because the area doesn’t get much snow as a general rule, everything pretty much shut down. Once the weather cleared, we went exploring and found a park that my sister often talked about.

Sleepy Hole is a gem! We ran around for hours until our noses were pink and we could barely feel our fingers and toes.  We explored the nature trails, played on the park and ran around until we were laughing so hard we couldn’t stand any longer.   Afterwards, we went home and made hot chocolate.  We collapsed in exhaustion and giggled about how much fun we had.

How can you not smile when you see joy like this?

For an added Friday photo, I had to share this picture.  Little S had the worst static electricity the entire time we were in Virginia.  Her hair was always standing on end!  It was hilarious!

Stop by DeliciousBaby to check out the other Photo Friday submissions.

In February, I stayed in Suffolk, Virginia for two weeks with my daughter, niece and nephew.  We had a blast exploring the area.  One of our little side stops was the Yankee Candle Flagship store in Williamsburg, Virginia.  After exploring Colonial Williamsburg, we got back in the car and decided to make a quick stop at the Yankee Candle Flagship store.  It is set up like a small mall inside.  There is a huge Yankee Candle store where they have every scent you can think of.  If you are with the kids, bypass the browsing to the back of this area for the Candle Dipping Station.  You can choose a candle to dip in different colors. 

You can also create wax hands!  Each of the kids chose a candle and had so much fun dipping it into the hot colored wax. 

 Afterwards, we wandered through the Christmas area (which doesn’t hold as much allure in February as it probably does in November!), used the restroom (which was one of the cleanest we saw on the entire trip), and bought some of the best caramel corn I have ever had (they give free samples too!). 

Visiting the store is free.  The smallest candle to color yourself is $2.99 so a trip to the Yankee Candle store won’t be too expensive.  The store is near Colonial Williamsburg so it would be a good quick stop before or after your visit there.

Eden State Gardens is a beautiful state park located about 30-40 minutes from Panama City Beach.  Eden State Gardens has a rich history in lumber.  It was the home to the Wesley Family.  The beautiful home, painted a brilliant white, has a gorgeous wrap around porch that will make you want to invest in one of those Cracker Barrel rocking chairs!  Can you believe this beautiful home and 10.5 acres was purchased in 1960 for only 12,500 dollars?! 

She then put in another million dollars to convert the home to an antebellum home.  She wanted the home for her extensive collection of Louis XVI antiques.  After 5 years and failing health, she gave her home and antique collection to the state of Florida. 

While visiting, we wandered around the grounds for awhile.  It was a nice walk to Tucker Bayou.  The kids loved to walk the pier.

All I wanted to do was sit on this bench.  All. Day. Long!

The gardens are absolutely beautiful and although many plants and flowers have not bloomed, the Camellias are out in full force.  According to the state park site, the Camellia peak bloom is in March so we timed our trip beautifully!

There is a nature trail…

and it is a beautiful setting for a wedding.  My daughter spent fifteen minutes watching the “princess”!

For other suggestions on things to do near or around Panama City, visit me at Traveling Mom or explore my other posts here on Two Kids and a Map.

Stop by Delicious Baby to see where others are traveling this week!

We rang in the year, 2009, in Europe where we spent three weeks exploring Germany, Austria and cold weather…colder than we have ever felt before.  Ever.  It. was. freezing!

We headed to the Happiest Place on Earth and spent a fun filled day at Disneyworld Magic Kingdom. 

We revisited our favorite southern city, New Orleans and explored the Insectarium for the first time.

  We spent some time visiting friends and family in Jacksonville, FL…

And Panama City, Florida…

We did some family camping…

and even more nature walks…

We spent some of the summer helping my sister and her family move to Virginia.  In between the tears and sadness of leaving her behind, we had many great adventures as a family.  We saw the Virginia Aquarium, the ships in the Navy Yard, explored the Mayfield Dairy, and traveled over 1000 miles and through nine states.

We only live a few minutes from the beautiful Gulf Coast but work and life sometimes gets in the way of the beach trips.  That being said, we made a resolution to spend more time at the beach during 2009.  We spent many days at the beach… 

And many nights…

We saw the leaves change in Washington DC and spent time with my dad and stepmom when they flew in from Europe…

We also learned the value and rejuvenating effects of solo trips as well.  Daddy J went hiking on the Appalachian Trail several times…

and got a Guy’s Trip to Brazil…yes, you read that correctly…Brazil…

and I headed to Washington DC for a solo trip…

and to Destin for a girl’s weekend…there are no pictures of that trip!

We decided that we wanted to share our explorations of the Pensacola area as well and started Pensacola with Kids, a website about exploring Pensacola with your family.  We have had a great time getting out there and exploring areas of our gorgeous city that we hadn’t had a chance to explore yet.  We have met some great new friends and seen fabulous things!

So as we say goodbye to 2009…

we bring wonderful memories with us into 2010.  We are also bringing our travel journal!  We have been using this downtime in the month of December to plan some travel for 2010!  In January, we are heading back to the Happiest Place on Earth for a short weekend.  In February, I am going to spend two weeks exploring Suffolk, Virginia and the surrounding areas.  We have a road trip up the East Coast and are still exploring options for that trip.  Hopefully we will make it to NYC and I would love to stop in the Outer Banks!  We are also hoping to head to Italy and Germany to visit family in the summertime and in October, my husband and I are going to take our first serious vacation without the kids.  We are going to Hawaii to celebrate our ten year anniversary! 

We can’t wait to read all about your travel adventures and I look forward to the continuing interaction with all of you…maybe I will even be able to meet some of you this year!

Be sure to stop by Debbie’s at DeliciousBaby to check out all the Photo Friday participants!

Last year we were sledding down mountains of real snow in Germany.  It snowed on Christmas morning, the kids went sledding every day and my husband was able to ski as often as he wished.  This year, we are staying in sunny Florida where yesterday it was 78 degrees and I turned on the air conditioner.  Seriously…the air conditioner.  Today it did drop down to the 50’s so the air went off but we have no hope of seeing snow this year although I do have to admit we had little snowflakes fall a few years ago…they just didn’t hit the ground! 

Last weekend we headed to Foley, Alabama to check out Fish River Tree Christmas Farm and see snow at the annual Let it Snow event.  Yes…in the deep south we got to see snow.  It was man-made snow…more like ice chunks, but it was great big fun for the kids!  There was a children’s village, food, and performers.  The kids thought it was fantastic and we enjoyed seeing them play in the snow.  This is what snow in the south looks like!

Stop by DeliciousBaby to see the photos that other travelers are sharing!

I have a fake tree.  It is a beautiful tree, but it is most definitely fake.  Oh, that fake tree didn’t enter this house without a fight.  Unfortunately, my husband and the fake tree won but I went down kicking and screaming!  We bought the tree the day after Christmas and my husband couldn’t have been happier taking the tree out of the box this year.  We didn’t fight over whether the tree was straight in the stand or not, we didn’t dump water all over our hardwood floors as we tried to feed it, and there were no pine needles to sweep or sap to clean.  On the one hand, the tree was much easier this year.  The jury is still out as to whether or not I am happy about the fake tree.  However, my consolation prize was a family field trip to Fish River Tree Farm in Summerdale, Alabama (just a few miles from the Foley Outlets!).

Fish River Trees is a beautiful tree farm where you can cut your own Christmas tree, purchase a tree already cut or purchase a tree grown in a container.  This farm is way bigger than I expected and is a great place for a holiday family outing.  There is a small train ride that takes you around the property while you enjoy your complimentary candy cane. 

After the train ride, pick up a hot chocolate and wander over to see Santa and two of his reindeer! 

The kids loved running around and exploring the different trees. 

My son thought it was fascinating that there were such teeny tiny trees right next to huge trees. 

If you are cutting your own tree, they have made the process very easy.  All the trees are already tagged with prices, you cut your tree, carry it to the cleaning and netting area, and then get the tree home to decorate! 

The train conductor told us that the tall tree in the picture below is 19 years old!

I am hoping that next year, my husband will cave and allow me to buy a container tree to plant in our front yard!

Trekaroo’s growing community of families from all across the country have pitched in with their votes for the most kid-friendly stops in Washington D.C. Here’s the line up for 2009!

Best Kid-friendly Hotels in Washington, D.C. – voted by parents

Best Activities for Kids in Washington, D.C. – voted by parents

Some of DC’s top blogging moms and dads have jumped on board the KidsMobile, playing the role of local tour guide.  They are taking us into their fold by sharing with us their inside scoop about what’s fun for kids in their hometown.

Jennifer, a mom who loves the outdoors shares a fabulous list of The Best Kid-friendly Hiking Trails in DC.  Jennifer’s passion as an environmental educator led her to start Hiking Along – a super cool educational program where she leads groups of children, preschool to high school, on hikes and allows them to participate in hands-on science activities to learn about their natural surroundings. She also keeps a blog about hiking with kids.

Dave, better known as SuburbanDaddy, knows that cold weather is just around the corner and any parent of a young child will be eager for his list of The Best Indoor Places for Toddlers Around Washington DC.  He is the creator of Kidburst, an activities guide written by local parents about the Washington DC area with in-depth coverage of kids activities from summer camps to sporting facilities and classes.

Jennifers, tell us about 8 Things (Under $5) to Do in Washington DC with Toddlers. She is an adventurous mom of a 2 and 4 year old who has not allowed having kids to slow her down.  Although she’s based in Florida, Washington DC is one of her favorite vacation spots. She writes in depth about their family’s exciting adventures on Two Kids and A Map

Sujatha is mom to a 9 year old (boy) and 3 year old (girl) and brings us Fun Washington, D.C. Activities that get Kids Fired Up.  This list has some great ideas of places beyond the usual tour of Capitol Hill that will really get kids to perk up.  She writes candidly and casually about their travels as a family and about her adventures in parenting on her blog:  Blogpourri

Amy is a mom who sees everything as a teaching moment and traveling is no exception.  As a local DC mom, she’s got some her favorite Day Trips with Kids From Washington DC.  As a literacy consultant and former high school teacher her blog – teachmama – is full of wonderful ideas about how to weave education into holiday traditions, travel, games and more.

Jill, brings us her list of Must See Attractions in DC with Preteens and Teens.  She is the mom behind her prolific blog Musings From Me that covers a wide range of topics including parenting, travel and reviews of cool products.  Jill has been on the go all her life, living in England, Italy, and America but currently calls Maryland home.

Ms Twixt, brings us a list of What to do with Tweens in Washington D.C. As a mom to 3 tweens girls and a toddler boy, she is an expert on everything Tween.  Her Blog Twixt and Between provides helpful insights on topics that are current for tween girls and their parents. She even has a store in Georgetown Park with adorable age-appropriate clothing, shoes, gifts and accessories for Tween Girls.

Other Resources for Washington DC:

• All 100 Activities for kids in the Washington DC Metro Area
• Kid-friendly hotels in and around Washington DC

Next stop, Sunny  San Diego, CA

The Trekaroo KidsMobile is a blog carnival with a twist.  It’s designed to provide a unique opportunity for mom and dad bloggers to be featured on Trekaroo while

1) expressing their unique point of view

2) getting a web of link exchanges.

Join us for one of our next stopovers.

The Kid’s Campus at Metropolitan Park is set right next to the water and both the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Jacksonville Suns stadiums.  The Kid’s Campus is a great place to bring the kids to help them burn off some energy.  In the summertime, the park has a fantastic splash pad where the kids can run through the water and cool off. 

There is a yellow brick pathway around a huge playground.  There is a section of the park known as Safe City.  Here, kids can ride tricycles around a little town that actually has little buildings, a working street light, railroad, and street signs.  

Things to Know Before You Go:

• Wear bug spray.  The flies were awful by our chosen picnic area, but when we moved out to the grass they stopped following us.
• The splash pad has employees standing guard.  When it is crowded, the employees rotate groups in at 10 minute intervals.  At first we were worried about the downtime in between sessions, but it worked out well.



• Be sure to pack a picnic and lots of water.
• School and daycare groups often plan field trips to this park so it gets crowded often.

Stop by DeliciousBaby to check out other Photo Friday participants.