Ellie and I were hosted by the Niagara Falls CVB to learn about the area for purposes of writing these articles. All opinions are our own. Read my full disclosure policy here. To prepare Ellie for our trip to Niagara Falls, I showed her pictures of the falls. She thought they looked neat, but […]
Visiting the whimsical gardens of Phipps Conservatory
This post contains links to products for which I might receive a small commission. Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens at Schenley Park in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood (near the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon), has been entertaining visitors with world-class gardens since 1893. It has expanded through the years, most recently adding the LEED certified […]
Feel like a kid again!
You’ve heard of “take your child to work day,” right? What if we flip that upside down — and let the kids show parents how to play again? That’s exactly what the people at Discover Lehigh Valley and Crayola Experience decided to do this coming August 1st! They’re calling it “Take Your Parent to Play Day.” Doesn’t that sound […]
Celebrating Culture: NC’s Chinese Lantern Festival
Our daughter is Chinese by birth. Until recently she has not wanted to explore the heritage of her homeland. While we incorporate some Chinese culture into our lives, we never pushed her to go further than she wants. This year, she has been asking more about China and Chinese culture. When I was provided the […]
Feel like a kid again at the Foley train museum
The City of Foley, Alabama was founded in 1905 by Chicago pharmacist, John Foley, planned from the get-go. The rich farmland drew and pleasant weather drew midwesterners to the area. The Bay Minette-Fort Morgan Railway was added in 1905 to make travel to Foley easier. Of course, Mr. Foley was the financial backer for that […]
Take a trip back in time with Strasburg Railroad
In the heart of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Strasburg Railroad takes families back in time on rides through the rolling countryside. Enjoy the serene farmland on this 9-mile roundtrip journey to Paradise (yes, that’s a real place). Riders can choose from a number of experiences. The cheapest fare is standard “coach,” where guests ride in a […]
21 reasons kids love Durham (and parents do, too)
When we moved to North Carolina back in 2001, we never went to Durham. In part, it seemed far away (about an hour). Also, living so close to the beach (compared to when we lived in Ohio), the novelty of that took years to wear off. When I homeschooled, we finally ventured into Durham to visit […]
Whimsical Boxerwood Gardens: Play, Explore, Connect
When traveling with three tween girls, some things just draw them in — like mention of fairies! So, on our trip to Lexington, VA last year, even after spending much of the day touring this historic town, everyone piled into the car excited to go fairy hunting. We drove through picturesque Lexington neighborhoods until eventually arriving […]
Art and Clay on Main
In Downtown Lancaster, Ohio, historic buildings line Main Street, a true historical gem of architectural style long abandoned by modern developers who prefer ease over form. Lancaster could have succumbed to modern improvements, but the residents of this city chose the harder route, refurbishing these gems and preserving them for future generations. Within one of […]
STEM: Inspired vacations
STEM, a trend in education, integrates science, technology, engineering and math to understand real world issues. This broad, immersive approach to education helps kids understand the complexities of the real world and also how to apply one skill (math computation as an example) in other fields. In theory, this solves the “how will I ever […]