Vacations Blog

Feeling the Labor Day let down yet? That sinking feeling after a major holiday gnawing at your gut reminding you that you’ve still got plenty of party left in you but no party left to attend? Enter Middle America and the cure for what ails you, The Marion Popcorn Festival.

The Marion Popcorn Festival Marion, OH

Traditionally held each year on the weekend following Labor Day, the Popcorn Festival, in it’s 29th year, celebrates all things corn–specifically popped corn. Little wonder since this area of central Ohio is home to ConAgra Snack foods, the largest single plant producer of microwave popcorn in the world.   Act II… Redenbacher… Ring any bells? Read More »

Traveling is expensive.  This is not news.

Traveling with kids can be an exercise in restraint.  It happens.

Kids need a moment to run, stretch and yell.  And possibly air out. You know, kid stuff.  What kids don’t need, however, is something that costs a lot of money.  Sure, they’d be pleased as punch to stop at an arcade or amusement park, and maybe you will, but don’t underestimate the appeal of a rest area hill and a piece of cardboard.

Granted, you may not have a piece of cardboard in the family truckster, but you do have imagination and a road open with possibilities.

After all, it’s the trip, not the destination.

For more family-friendly travel photos visit DeliciousBaby’s Photo Fridays.

Photo by W. Honea

by Eric Carle

If your travels find you in the Los Angeles area this weekend then you need to do yourself a favor and visit the annual Festival of Books on the UCLA campus.

The festival is sponsored by the Los Angeles Times and runs Saturday (10-6) and Sunday (10-5) with free admission (and  $9 parking).

Meet the authors!

Among the offerings are over 100 author panels, numerous readings and hundreds of book signings – including celebrities from Michael J. Fox to Tori Spelling (also, actual writers).  There will be tons of other events, including cultural and musical presentations and some pretty good eats.

There are two areas for children which feature storytelling, crafts and more.  According to the L.A. Times, DJ Lance Rock and Brobee from “Yo Gabba Gabba!” will be present, which excites me more than it probably should.

Things to know before you go:

It is supposed to be quite cool, relatively speaking, with highs in upper 60’s/lower 70’s, which means dress in layers or bring a sweater, but this is L.A. and plenty of water and sunscreen are still good bets.

Bring cash.  There are ATMs available, but not readily.

Directions to the UCLA campus from where you are! Yes, I see you.

Allow for distance and lines:

• Parking – Chances are you’re going to be a decent walk from the festival.  Shuttle available.
• Lines – Hard as it is to believe, you may not be the only person interested in meeting your favorite author.  Get to panels and signings early and be prepared to stand in line.  They can get ridiculous, but the front of the line is much more fun than the back.
• Overall area – The festival is HUGE and there is literally much ground to cover.  You will be walking.  A lot.

It’s definitely a good way to spend the day, expand your personal library and meet some of your favorite authors (if you see me, say hi!).  Support the arts, people!

While you’re out and about in the Los Angeles area check out the Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival or get some exercise for a good cause with the March of Dimes (not just in L.A.).

Happy reading!

I would never suggest you need kids to visit the zoo.  In fact, while recently visiting the Reid Park Zoo during our latest Tucson vacation (get there before it’s HOT!) I overheard one guest ask another why there were so many kids at the zoo, which just goes to show that you don’t have to be smart to visit one either.  Anyone can visit the zoo!

The Reid Park Zoo in Tucson, Arizona isn’t the biggest or fanciest zoo you’ll ever visit (unless it’s the only zoo you ever visit), but it’s just big enough and what it lacks in exotic animals it more than makes up for in quaint ambiance and friendly staff.

The zoo is located within a large park that offers spring-training baseball and concerts under the stars.  It’s a quick drive from everything you need to complete your day, whether it be food, shopping or a place to catch a few winks- that Tucson sun can wipe out the best of us.

The Reid Park Zoo is affordable, too:

Admission Fees
$6.00 adults ages 15-61
$4.00 seniors ages 62 and over
$2.00 children ages 2-14
FREE for children under 2 years
Reserved school groups $0.50 per child
FREE for members.

The kids had a blast.  There are interactive exhibits and walk-through aviaries and places to get wet.  Who doesn’t love that?

Wherever your journeys take you, a trip to the zoo is a good way to make a lasting memory for the entire family.

Photos: Whit Honea

Dove Mountain Course in Marana, AZ (Photo: WSTickets)

Tucson, Arizona (and the surrounding towns of Marana, Oro Valley, Green Valley and Sauharita) is an area of over a million people and even more cacti.  It is an oasis in the desert where saguaros grow on golf courses and margaritas are served with lunch.

Although the winter nights can be quite chilly the days are relatively warm and almost always sunny.  The same can be said for the spring and fall.

During the summer it tends to get a tad bit warmer (think hell-like), however, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more comfortable night than a summer evening in Tucson- especially if a monsoon has been by (they usually clear out fairly early).

There are plenty of things to do in and around the city.  Some may require a drive of an hour or two, but all are worth it.  Here are some favorites:

Sabino Canyon in Tucson, AZ (Photo: NSF)

Sabino Canyon- You can’t beat the beauty of this hiking area, but you can see it without the walk- tram service is available.  Bring a swimsuit (and a camera)!

Old Tucson Studios – It’s twelve miles and 100 years from town.  It’s an interactive and working studio specializing in your favorite westerns,  Shoot out to Old Tucson!

Tombstone, AZ – If the real thing is more your style take a day trip to the home of the OK Corral.  From Boot Hill to Big Nose Kate’s you can’t go wrong.  While you’re in the area visit nearby Bisbee and tour the mine and/or check out the local art scene.

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum – It’s a zoo.  It’s a museum.  It’s a botanical garden.  It’s world-famous.  It’s also very close to Old Tucson Studios.

Mount Lemon – You can drive it, hike it or ski it.  Or all of the above.

Kitt Peak Observatory – Kitt Peak is to astronomers what Graceland is to Elvis fans.  The views are fantastic.

Kitt Peak and Lightning (Photo: Adam Block/NOAO/AURA/NSF)

San Xavier Mission – “The White Dove of the Desert” is a must-see for Catholics and non-Catholics alike.  In a nutshell, it’s beautiful.

Tubac – If you like golf and galleries then you’ll enjoy a trip to Tubac.  Also, if you like hiking the beautiful Madera Canyon is just a short drive away.

Nogales, Sonora (Mexico) – About two hours south of Tucson is this gateway to Mexico.  It’s a great day trip for shopping, dining and culture.  It can get a little rough in the evening as it fills up with drunken teens from the United States (drinking age is only 18 and rarely enforced), so you may want to get an early start on the drive back to Tucson.  Depending on when you read this post a passport may be required to cross the border.

Bear Down, Arizona!

The University of Arizona – Home of the Wildcats, the University of Arizona is part of the Pac-10 confrence and a leader in all kinds of stuff.  The campus is filled with museums, activities, and bikini-clad coeds (if you’re into that sort of thing, which I am).  Notable alumni and staff include: Bob Dole, Barry Goldwater, Joan Ganz Cooney (creator of Sesame Street), Jerry Bruckheimer, Ted DeGrazia, Barbara Kingsolver, Greg Kinnear, Linda McCartney, Linda Ronstadt, Ruchard Russo, David Foster Wallace, Kristen Wiig, Gilbert Arenas, Lance Briggs, Tedy Bruschi, Mike Bibby, Terry Francona, Amanda Beard, Kurt Busch, Jennie Finch, Trevor Hoffman, Steve Kerr, Kenny Lofton, Annika Sorenstam, Jason Terry, Luke Walton, Mike Candrea, Lute Olson, Andrew Weil, and me.

However, the best thing to do in Tucson might be the easiest (and cheapest).  Just find a place to sit and look at this:

Tucson Sunset (Photo: Photobucket)

Related:

Dillinger Days in Tucson, AZ

Winterhaven – Tucson’s Holiday Treat

Tucson Revealed- A Local’s Perspective

Photo: World's Biggest Dinosaurs Website

Do you like Jesus and Dinosaurs?  Then do I have the place for you!

Most likely the only reason you would ever be in Cabazon, California is to drive through it on the I-10 corridor at 70mph.  Sure, there are some pretty decent outlet stores and it’s close to the Coachelle Festival and the resorts and golf of Palm Springs, but it isn’t exactly a destination, per se.

However, it is home to one of America’s more popular roadside attractions, which any parent worth their family truckster salt knows is a staple to a good road-trip vacation. It’s in-between destinations where the real memories are made. The fact that we’re talking about dinosaurs, namely The World’s Biggest Dinosaurs, makes stopping a must for anyone that has a kid (of any age) in the car.

This is the scared part...

Dinny the apatosaurus (the dino formerly known as brontosaurus) and Mr. Rex the obvious, respectively, are fantastic.  They’re huge and awesome and the kids will be awed, excited or scared shitless.  Sometimes all three.

Here’s the twist that will have you scratching your head.  The attraction is under (fairly) new ownership and in addition to letting you climb inside really cool dinosaurs for a $5.00 fee they’ll also throw their religious beliefs on you at no extra charge!  What a deal!

You see, the owners believe in Creationism and they want you to, too.  The gift shop plays videos preaching the belief and there are signs throughout the dinosaurs promoting their views and contradicting science- not to mention discrediting everything you just told your kid about dinosaurs.

These aren’t your Pee-Wee’s dinosaurs.  Well, not anymore.

There is a restaurant adjacent to the property and easy access to Interstate 10 should you need to flee treacherous jaws or opposing viewpoints.  Please do so in an orderly fashion.

Taming the wild beast...

unless otherwise credited all photos property of Whit Honea

One of the best things about having a three-year-old is that their fascination with the world around them can, in turn, rekindle that same fascination in a 41-year-old codger like me. The fascination du jour? Dinosaurs. Dinosaurs. Dinosaurs. Isn’t it convenient then that we have near us one of the largest dinosaur tracks sites in the country?

Dinosaur State Park is located in Rocky Hill, Connecticut about 10 minutes south of Hartford. The Park officially opened in 1968—two years after more than 2,000 tracks were uncovered during a building excavation. The tracks are from the early Jurassic period and were made over 200 million years ago by a carnivorous dinosaur similar to Dilophosaurus.

Surrounding the geodesic dome that provides cover for 500 tracks (the remaining 1,500 have since been buried to preserve them) are a series of nature trails and the Dinosaur State Park Arboretum, home to conifers, katsuras and ginkgoes and others that would have been common when the great beasts roamed the earth.

In addition to the tracks, visitors will find under the dome life-sized dioramas depicting the Triassic and Jurassic periods complete with common plants and creatures including the aforementioned Dilophosaurus. There are also several interactive displays, a reconstruction of a geologic foundation, highlights of the tracks’ discovery, as well as a discovery room with several lizards, some Madagascar hissing cockroaches and dinosaur arts and crafts: emboss a bookmark with footprints or create a dinosaur-shaped ornament.

There is also an auditorium that shows educational films on the weekends. Most recently they were showing Dinosaurs with Bill Nye (the Science Guy), however the subjects do rotate. During warmer months, visitors can create their own track cast in the track casting area. If you’re so inclined, be sure to bring the necessary supplies.

The park grounds are open daily 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (trails close at 4:00 p.m.). The exhibit center is open 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Tuesday thru Sunday—closed Mondays, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. The cost is $5 for adults and teens (13 and over); $2 for youths (ages 6-12); and Free for children five and under.