The Fred Rogers Memorial Statue in Pittsburgh, PA is dedicated to the work and memory of Fred McFeely Rogers, host of the popular show for children (and those that love them), Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. The statue was created by Robert Berks, stands about 11 feet high, and was dedicated on November 5, 2009.

I, like many Americans, grew up watching Mister Rogers, and to be honest I still think about him when I come home and trade my sneakers for slippers. You know what I’m talking about.

If you find yourself in the North Shore area of Pittsburgh, close to Heinz Field (home of the Pittsburgh Steelers), do yourself a favor and pay your respects. I’m sure Mr. Rogers would love to see you.

This post is part of Uptake’s Monday Museums, Monuments and Memorials Series.

Photo: daveynin via Flickr

My son and I (pictured — not the guys in white) spent a recent weekend in San Francisco, and it was fantastic.

We rode on the cable cars, hung out with friends, and spent some quality time with the good people at 20th Century Fox (who supplied the trip) and Lucasfilm. That’s right, we visited Skywalker Ranch and the Presidio location (right by the Walt Disney Family Museum!). We’re talking Star Wars, people (The Phantom Menace mostly)!

My son ranks it as the best weekend ever. Who am I to disagree?

This post is part of the Uptake Friday Family Fun series.

Photo by Araya Quanah Diaz, courtesy of 20th Century Fox

Of Mice and Moments

Sure, Valentine’s Day is more about romance of the couples variety — and it’s on a Tuesday, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use the excuse of a candy-filled holiday to take a mini-vacation. Am I right?

Personally, I’m a fan of the family theme park outing. Disneyland and Walt Disney World (dinner at Victoria and Albert’s, anyone?) always have something up their, um, glove(?) for Valentine’s Day, which means fun for the whole family. What? Disney is totally romantic.

If theme parks aren’t your thing how about a cabin stay in one of our many state and national parks? It may be brisk out, but a few hours of hiking or mountain biking will warm up the family in no time.

Of course, there is always the option of getting a babysitter and, hopefully, a reservation at some restaurant with a special holiday menu (see, pricy) and being one more sucker in a suit — don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with that, but why wait until Valentine’s Day to do it? Go out on any Tuesday, it will be less crowded and a lot more meaningful. Spend Valentine’s Day with the entire family, that’s the love, people.

Photo by W. Honea

With all of the presidential campaigning and primary hoopla, I thought it appropriate to ask some former presidents their opinion. So far, no comment.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial is located near Keystone, South Dakota and features some of America’s greatest presidential hits.

Mount Rushmore is an amazing place to visit and should be included on every family road trip within a 100 mile radius. Give or take. It’s fun and educational!

Over the years people have suggested other presidents be added to the monument — who would you like to see on Mount Rushmore?

Directions to Mount Rushmore

This post is part of the Uptake Monday Museums, Monuments and Memorials Series.

Photo: jimbowen0306 via Flickr

It was his first time visiting the city of San Francisco, and the look on his face shows it.

My oldest son and I took a weekend trip to San Francisco, just the two of us — although we spent time with friends during our stay. It was a different experience, and while we missed the rest of the family it was nice to have the time together. More to come!

This post is part of the UpTake Friday Family Series.

Photo: W. Honea

Skating in the Sky

Touching the sky may be a relative term but it’s a clear possibility on the top floor of the John Hancock Center,1,000 feet above street level.  Glide across the floor of the world’s highest ice skating rink, located on the 94th floor of the John Hancock Center and Observatory.

Chicago’s brutal winters can take on a magical tone while flying across a rink that boasts fantastic views like this.  The 900-square- foot indoor, artificial ice skating rink offers jaw-dropping views of Chicago’s skyline and surrounding city. Just be sure your feet are steady while catching the scenery!   Each session runs 25 minutes, skate rentals are $1. On Mondays, beginners can learn how to skate from Chicago Blackhawks Youth Hockey coaches with three half hour sessions.  Admission to the rink is $5 in addition to the Observatory admission, which is $20 for adults and $15 for kids under 12. The rink is open daily from 9AM-11PM with the last entry  of the day at 10PM.  The rink is open for skating through April 8.  Top off your chilly escapade with a trip down the street to Ghiradelli Chocolate Shop & Soda Fountain.  Skip the ice cream treats and choose a warm offering like the Decadent Drinking Chocolate with Biscotti or my personal favorite, Sea Salt Caramel Hot Cocoa.

Photo courtesy of John Hancock Center

Our Jeep at Sycamore Creek.

A couple of weekends ago we headed out to Lower Sycamore Creek, which is in the Tonto National Forest in the Mesa area. This is an extremely active and busy system of trails traversed by Jeeps, dirt bikes, ATV’s, and other off-road recreational vehicles. Normally my husband and I choose more remote and private areas, but Lower Sycamore’s proximity to our home (only about a half-hour away) drew us in its direction.

Some general advice about going off-roading:

- If you’re not sure of your route, DON’T GO ALONE.
- If it looks like the trail is too hard to traverse, TURN AROUND.
- Take plenty of water, extra gas, a spare tire, a basic tool kit, a first aid kit, a change of footwear and a couple of blankets.
- Take a ration of high-protein snacks that keep well – jerky, nuts, granola bars, and trail mix are great.
- Take an actual folding map or atlas as well as a GPS, so you’re not depending on a battery.
- Tell people where you’re going and when you expect to be back. If you change your plans, let them know.
- Lots of areas lose cell phone reception, so don’t depend on your cell. Better yet, if your vehicle has OnStar, which depends on satellites and not sketchy cell reception, you’re much better off.

View from a plateau on the Quartz Mine Trail.

Once we arrived, we played around for a while, popping up and down a hill called “Widowmaker” and exploring the high traffic trails. We quickly became sick of the dust and noise, so we headed to a more remote area of the trail system called the Quartz Mine Trail. This trail took us high up in the surrounding hills, past quartz deposits and through areas of the running creek. There was no way anything but a 4-wheel-drive vehicle with a decent amount of clearance could make that trip. The Jeep articulated nicely over shelves and rocks, and traversed through the running creek and over round river rocks with ease. Still, on a scale of 1-10 I’d rate the difficulty of this trail at a 6 or 7 (though if you’re a very experienced Jeep-er and have done stuff like rock crawling, you’d probably rate this a 4). The rest of the Sycamore Creek system seems to be anywhere from a 1-5 rating, depending on which hills you want to tackle.

To get to the Lower Sycamore Creek entrance, drive northeast out of Phoenix on the Bee Line Highway (Highway 87). Take the exit for Bush Highway. Immediately before the bridge is a gate that opens to a parking area. Proceed through the parking area and follow the road down to the base of the creek, where you will find a variety of trails, hills, and scrambles. This place is VERY busy on the weekend!

The Widowmaker at Sycamore Creek.

GPS of entrance point: Lat 33.37.42, Lon -111.33.35
Tonto National Forest Map
Arizona Road & Recreation Atlas: 41/75

Staying in Mesa? Check out the Courtyard by Marriott Mesa or the Hampton Inn Mesa. Tired of off-roading? Play a round of golf at Dobson Ranch, or check out the Mesa Southwest Museum. Starving? Don’t miss out on the Landmark Restaurant, home of the best salad bar in the state.

Photos copyright Tiffany Joyce

Ausable Chasm in the Winter

This Christmas break my family hopped in our Toyota Prius and road-tripped to the Lake Champlain region of the Adirondacks.  Although the ski conditions near our home in Massachusetts were just awful due to the unseasonably warm weather we’ve been experiencing, the conditions were great in the Adirondacks.

To start, we traveled to Plattsburgh by way of Vermont, taking the Grand Isle to Plattsburgh ferry.  It was incredibly easy to take the ferry, which runs every few minutes twenty-four hours a day, and saved us lots of time.  Once we arrived in Plattsburgh, it was just a short drive to the Comfort Inn and Suites, where we were staying for our trip.

The next morning, we bundled up (it was cold – about 12 degrees), and headed out to Ausable Chasm, a popular summer attraction that is now offering winter tours.  Guests can choose from a 30-minute self-guided tour, or a one or two-hour guided tour.  We did both the 30-minute tour and the guided tour, and absolutely loved them.  Our guide was incredibly informative and helpful, and the kids loved walking on the paths right by the cliffs and falls.  When the paths are icy (as they were on our trip), guests are provided with ice cleat to put on their shoes, and if it’s snowy, guests are provided with snowshoes.

The next day, we drove about an hour and a half to Titus Mountain Family Ski Center for a morning of skiing.  The kids were enrolled in ski school, since they’d only skied one time.  Of course, by the end of the lesson, my daughter was whizzing by me on the mountain, as I struggled in my class (I’m very much a beginner).  Titus Mountain seems to be the perfect place for families to visit – it’s small enough to be approachable, but had lots of really great instructors.

We’ll definitely be back to this area – perhaps in the spring or summer so we can see the gorgeous Ausable Chasm at a different time of year!

Photo credit: Jodi Grundig

Disclosure: We received complimentary lodging, ski rentals, lift tickets, lessons, and tickets to Ausable Chasm for purposes of review.

It’s New Year’s Eve, which means you will most likely be celebrating in style. For my family “style” means a night at the Disneyland Resort. Since we’re staying at the Disneyland Hotel (my own dime) we can have a few drinks and not have to worry about driving. Plus, there’s plenty to do for the kids, because, hello, it’s Disneyland.

How do you spend New Year’s Eve with the family?

Whatever your plans are for ringing in the new year, please have fun and be safe! See you next year (that never gets old)!

Sincerely,

Your friends at UpTake (that’s us)

Photo: Lobby of the Disneyland Hotel by W.Honea

The NORAD Santa Tracking Map by Google

It’s time! Santa time, that is. The big guy is getting ready for the big trip, and you can track them! Big time!

In a non-stalker way, of course.

If you and the family want to follow Santa’s journey around the world, complete with video feeds, bells and whistles, then check out the good people at NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command – it’s like an acronym), who have combined their military might and technological savvy to track Santa Claus as he does his gift-giving thing. Also, cookies.

You can have the action sent to your smart phone, follow along on Google Earth, Twitter and/or Facebook. It’s the magic of the season meets the magic of technology. That’s a lot of magic, people.

Photo taken from the NORAD site.