Vacations Blog

I spent the better part of last Tuesday’s lunch hour checking out the Concord Farmers’ Market in Todos Santos Plaza.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past several years, you’ve probably noticed these outdoor grocery stores popping up all over the place.  In addition to Concord you can hit Farmers’ Markets in Clayton, Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill and dozens of other Bay Area cities.

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Museum of Flight in Seattle

If you are vacationing in the Seattle area and are looking for a cool daytrip for the whole family, consider a trip to The Museum of Flight. Located at the south end of Seattle’s Boeing Airport, The Museum of Flight is home to more than 150 historically significant air and spacecraft as well as several permanent exhibits which are sure to pique the interest of all in attendance. (Admission: Adults $14.00, Kids 5-17 $7.50)

I took my family on a recent outing with friends and we all had a terrific time. My 20-month-old is currently enamored with aircraft and the museum held his interest like few things do at that age. With several historic military, commercial, and experimental aircraft in the Main showroom (many hanging from the ceiling as if in mid flight), plus plenty of hands-on exhibits to see, this ended up being the perfect place to take a toddler on a rainy Seattle afternoon. There are numerous reasons to love visiting the Museum of Flight, but here are my top 10.

Top 10 Reason to love the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington

'Flying' Aircraft Adorn the Museum

2. International Space Station – There is a whole exhibit dedicated to the exploration of space. Included is my 20-Month-old’s personal favorite, a full sized replica of the International Space Stations Destiny Research Laboratory. This replica had stairs on both ends and gave visitors the ability to walk through the capsule, which featured a ‘window’ on the passing earth below. This had my little one coming back over and over again.

3. Views of Runway – As I mentioned earlier, the museum is actually on the south end of Boeing Field in Seattle. The design of the museum uses this to its advantage as there are several banks of window throughout giving patrons a unobstructed view of take-offs and landings of a variety of private and commercial aircraft. My son let out several shrieks of delight while watching.

4. Cockpits and Flight Simulators – These features offer hands on experience of what it is like to sit in a real cockpit and “experience flight without leaving the ground”. The flight simulator has several options which include being in a WWII dogfight. You can also sit in the cockpit of a real SR-71A Blackbird. I have to say this was an impressive experience.

Future 'Maverick' still needs his 'Goose'

5. The Kid’s Play Area – There was a dedicated toddler play area for the little ones. It was full of interesting flight related climbing toys, gears, and plenty of buttons, lights, and switches to keep the little ones occupied and happy while you gaze out at the impressive hanging aircraft collection.

6. William M. Allen Theater – A great place to go to kick back in a comfortable seat and let the history and education of flight come to you. Check with museum for shows and times.

7. Carl Sagan’s Sweater – Yes, Carl Sagan’s actual blue sweater was on display in the Space: Exploring the New Frontier exhibit. It is only one of numerous fascinating items relating to space exploration or the study of it, on display in this exhibit. You can simulate bringing the Space Shuttle in for a safe landing at the Kennedy Space Center or land the lunar module on the Moon and join Apollo astronauts in an exploration of the Moon’s surface.

Carl Sagan's Sweater

8. The Red Barn – The Red Barn, which was built in 1909, is the Boeing Company’s original manufacturing plant. It was transported to its current site in 1983 and houses two floors of rare artifacts and a re-created factory workshop. We personally enjoyed this exhibit because of its wide open spaces where our son could get down and wander without fear of breaking anything.

9. Museum Gift Shop – As far as museum gift shops go, this one easily ranks at the top of all those that I have ever visited. It is chock full of memorabilia related to flight. Toy planes, books, posters, clothing, patches, you name it. If it is aviation related, you are likely to find it at this great gift shop. There was even freeze dried ice cream, like the astronauts eat in space.

10. Control Tower – Being situated just off on an actual airport runway lends itself nicely to The Tower at Boeing Field exhibit. Everything you wanted to know about the complex system of communications between pilots and air traffic controllers can be learned in this interesting exhibit.

If you thinking of visiting the museum and are looking for Lodging options in the Seattle area, try starting here. Have fun visiting the Museum of Flight!

If you’re planning a trip, check out Seattle flights.

For those of you with small children, there aren’t always a lot of choices when it comes to amusement parks. Disneyland is great, but for us Nor Cal folks there’s the expense (and the hassle -remember, “small children”) of travel.  Upon arrival we then encounter the additional expense of lodging, eating and the park itself.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking Disneyland. Every family should experience it as many times as possible because every trip is a different adventure. But if you’re looking for a local spot for pint-sized entertainment, then look no further than Concord’s Pixieland Amusement Park.

Located in Concord, California, Pixieland has been a local institution since…well I’m not sure when because I couldn’t locate this particular nugget of information. But I’ll tell you this; I had a birthday party there around 1970, so it’s been around for at least 40 years. It’s really geared toward the three to eight year old crowd so if yours are a little older, or have already hit their teens, then Pixieland is probably not for you. But if you’ve got little ones you should definitely check it out.

Pixieland has seven rides including:

• A Train ride – “featuring Engineer Jim!”
• The Dragon Rollercoaster
• Frog Hopper
• Red Baron Airplanes
• Spinning Tea Cups
• Antique Cars
• Carousel

Parking and admission are free, but once inside plan to spend a little money. Rides require tickets and they’re not cheap. The cost is $1.50 for single tickets so you’re better off spending a little more up front and getting more bang for your buck. A book of ten tickets will run you $14, but if you buy five books you’ll get the sixth book free. On the plus side there is no expiration date on the tickets so you can save them for a future visit. All-Day wristbands are available for $25, and a season pass is $150. All rides require one ticket with the exception of the train and the roller coaster which require two.

Did I mention it’s a little pricey? OK then.

Pixieland offers a full snack bar which, in addition to the usual assortment of tooth-rotting goodies offers hand-dipped corn dogs, nachos, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, French fries ,garlic fries, and fresh cotton candy. Birthday party packages are also available.

Park hours seem to change by the day. Seriously. Check out the Pixieland Park Hours page of their website. I half expected to see a time change based on the phases of the moon. July is the only month that Pixieland is open 7-days a week.

A word of caution to parents; hemorrhaging money aide, for sanity’s sake I don’t recommend spending more than about two hours at Pixieland.  Frankly, the place is full of little kids, and really who needs more than a couple of hours of that?? There also may or may not be incessant, happy music playing over the sound system.  In short, any time spent over the recommend two hours and you may find yourself being brought up on charges for shoving some kid in front of a Red Baron airplane.

That being said, ENJOY!

All Photos by Jef Poskanzer

We’re no Mother of Presidents like Ohio, but it’s not too bad a showing.  I’m talking about the number of presidents that have called New England home. In fact, it only takes four of New England’s six states to match the eight presidents (that’s nearly twenty percent of them, isn’t it?) that the Buckeye State has given us. Here’s a rundown of who they are and what they’ve left behind for travelers to see.

Birthplace of John Adams

John Adams (2nd President)

The Adams Family (no, not that Addams Family) was the first political dynasty of America. Our second president was born in 1735 in Braintree, Massachusetts (which later became the town of Quincy in 1792). Adams National Historic Park in Quincy is a nearly 14 acre compound that includes the birthplace of John Adams and his later home with Abigail which they called Peacefield. Both homes and the surrounding gardens are open for tours.

Not only was John Adams the only one of our first presidents to have a son, but one of his sons also became president.

Birthplace of John Quincy Adams

John Quincy Adams (6th President)

How about having to live up to John and Abigail Adams as parents? John Quincy Adams was born in 1767 in Braintree, and was groomed for politics from a young age. His birthplace also stands in Adams National Historic Park.

Adams wasn’t known as a great president, but interestingly he held more federal offices than most presidents—President, United States Senator and Representative, Secretary of State, and Ambassador. He was, in fact, one of only two former presidents to return to Washington after his presidency to serve in Congress, and was elected to eight terms in the House of Representatives where did have an excellent reputation. Both John and John Quincy Adams along with their wives are buried in Quincy in United First Parish Church.

The Pierce Manse

Franklin Pierce (14th President)

The 1804 birthplace of fourteenth president Franklin Pierce in Hillsborough, New Hampshire is now under water. But at least they call it Franklin Pierce Lake and it serves his hometown as reservoir. The year Pierce was born however, the family moved to a new home which does still stand in Hillsborough as the Pierce Homestead. A later home of Pierce, the Pierce Manse, can also be visited in Concord, New Hampshire.

Pierce too wasn’t known as a great president, but there are some interesting facts about him. Like you might expect from a mid-nineteenth century Romantic, he associated with writers—one of his best friends was Nathaniel Hawthorne and another friend was Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. At least he had good drinking buddies. That’s probably why he died of cirrhosis.

Replica of Chester Arthur Birthplace

Chester Arthur (21st President)

Vermont calls Chester Arthur the other president born in the Green Mountain State. To me this assumes that people know at least one other Vermont-born president. I know all of us UpTake readers are smart, but Americans in general…not so much. (The tag also brings to mind “the other white meat” which is not, I think, what they were going for.)

Arthur was born in Fairfield, Vermont in 1829. There was some speculation at times though that he may have actually been born in Ireland or Canada—which would have made him ineligible to be president. His original birthplace in Vermont did not survive, but was reconstructed in 1950 and is a state historic site.

Childhood Home of Calvin Coolidge

Calvin Coolidge (30th President) 

That’s right, Coolidge is the president from Vermont. He’s also the only president to be born on the Fourth of July—in 1872. His childhood home in Plymouth Notch still stands and is actually the site where the thirtieth president was sworn in by his father, a Justice of the Peace. Vice-President Coolidge had been visiting his family when he received the news by messenger that President Warren Harding died on a speaking tour in California.

Coolidge was also one of the first presidents to have an official library. The Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library and Museum is found in Northampton, Massachusetts where Coolidge was once mayor and where he returned to reside after his presidency.

JFK Presidential Library and Museum

John Kennedy (35th President) 

Kennedy might be remembered as the most popular president from New England—and he had the accent to prove it. Just visiting Kennedy sites alone could make up a vacation.

Kennedy’s 1917 birthplace is in Brookline, Massachusetts near Boston and is preserved as a national historic site. The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is nearby in the Dorchester section of Boston.

Beyond Boston, the Kennedy Compound in Hyannis Port on Cape Cod served as the summer White House during Kennedy’s presidency. The six acre area includes several Kennedy family homes, but they are closed to the public. The John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum however is open to the public. In Newport, Rhode Island, visitors can also enter St. Mary’s Church where John Kennedy married Jacqueline Bouvier in 1953.

Marker of the Birthplace of George Bush

George H.W. Bush (41st President) 

The first Bush in the office of president was born in 1924 in Milton, Massachusetts. The home is private, but a stone marks the site. Shortly after George’s birth, the family moved to Greenwich, Connecticut where George was raised. The family also spent much time at the summer home of Bush’s grandfather, Connecticut Senator Prescott Bush, in Kennebunkport, Maine.

Following service in the Army during World War II and college at Yale University in New Haven, Bush and his family moved to Texas where he still resides. Bush also still owns and visits the family home in Kennebunkport several times a year.

Childhood Home of George W. Bush

George W. Bush (43rd President)

Like his father, “W” is better known as a Texan. But he was born in Connecticut in 1946 at Grace-New Haven Community Hospital (later Yale-New Haven Hospital). Bush moved to Texas with his family in 1948, and resides there again following the recent end of his two terms as president.

There you have it—the Presidents of the United States with roots in New England. And even though they were born in four of the six New England states, Kennedy’s wedding and Bush’s summer home get in the other two.

Despite being six states, New England is a pretty compact area. It might be kind of interesting—especially to a presidential history buff (or maybe only to a presidential history buff)—to visit each of these sites. That could probably be done in just a few days time or it could take a couple of weeks if you take in other attractions.  But if you come, do it in the late spring, summer or fall. It’s still pretty cold and wet here for Presidents Day in February.