We Go With Kids!

Category: new york

  • Things to Do in Rochester With Kids

    Things to Do in Rochester With Kids

    Thank you to the Strong National Museum of Play and the Rochester Museum & Science Center for hosting our family’s visit.  All opinions are my own. 

    While planning a trip over the Fourth of July to visit my uncle in Amherst, Massachusetts solo with three kids, I knew that I would want to split up the nine hour drive from Cleveland.  A few weeks before our trip, I heard an advertisement on a local radio station for the Strong Museum of Play in Rochester.  I am not one who is easily swayed by advertisements of any sort, but we love museums, and one with the words “strong” and “play” really piqued my interest.  Even though I’d never actually been to downtown Rochester, I thought to myself that the next time we drive through New York, we’ll have to check it out.  Because Rochester is roughly halfway between Cleveland and Amherst, our visit to the Strong occurred much quicker than I ever imagined.  We also planned a stop at the Rochester Museum and Science Center, and our five hour visit to Rochester was an ideal pit stop.  There are a surprising number of things to do in Rochester with kids for families driving across the New York turnpike or otherwise visiting the city.  We would definitely stop in Rochester again.

     

    Museums in Rochester, New York

     

    #1:  Strong National Museum of Play

    The Strong National Museum of Play is located in downtown Rochester and regularly considered one of the country’s top children’s museums.  It’s definitely our favorite.  The Strong Museum opened in 1982 and was initially based on the personal collection of Margaret Woodbury Strong, a philanthropist who was an avid collector of toys.  The Strong features 100,000 square feet of exhibit space and the most colorful museum exterior that I’ve ever seen.  With so many exhibits in this enormous museum, make sure to pick up a Strong Museum map at the front desk.

    The Strong National Museum of Play exterior
    The Strong National Museum of Play exterior

    Field of Play Exhibit at the Strong Museum

    We started at the Field of Play exhibit, which includes hundreds of creative play activities and artifacts.  The kids particularly enjoyed the drag racer simulator and the rock wall.

    Field of Play exhibit at the Strong Museum - drag racing simulator
    Drag racing

    My kids really have never met a rock wall they haven’t wanted to climb.  We have a tiny one on our back yard playset.  The rock wall at the Strong was distinctive because the holds consisted of letters, numbers and animals.

    Rock Wall at the Strong
    Climbing the Rock Wall

    There was also an exaggerated perspective room that made me feel nauseous, but my four year old dragged me back into it several times.  Of course, parental supervision in the room was required.  My boys have never had more fun with a puff of air than directing one through a cannon at a target.  I honestly think my kids could have spent an hour in this exhibit alone.  But, we knew we were short on time and had so many other things to see.

    Field of Play exhibit at the Strong
    Directing a puff of air at the target

    Can You Tell Me How to Get to Sesame Street Exhibit

    Although my kids have never been regular Sesame Street watchers, they know all the characters.  We were excited for the Sesame Street exhibit, and I couldn’t resist a photo opportunity with the 123 Sesame Street stoop.  Even though the doors did not actually open, my four year old daughter was excited to stop by.  This exhibit includes many Sesame-themed opportunities for imaginative play, including the Cookie Monster Foodie Truck.

    123 Sesame Street stoop at the Strong
    The iconic 123 Sesame Street stoop

     

    Wegmans Super Kids Market Exhibit at the Strong Museum

    The Wegmans Super Kids Market exhibit was  a realistic grocery store recreation.  As we entered, the kids were instructed to get a cart, pretend to be shoppers and pick five items.  Then, they transformed into the check out clerks to ring up their items and when they were done, they got to restock their items.  While the kids were shopping, I remembered my sister raving about a grocery store exhibit she visited at a children’s museum a few years ago and wondered if it was at the Strong (it was!).  I did not remember her museum recommendation and am pretty sure that she did not describe the museum with the words “strong” or “play” like the radio advertisement.

    Shopping at Wegmans in the Strong
    Checking out the produce

    While our kids have played at many mini-grocery stores in other children’s museums, botanical gardens and science museums, this Wegmans one upped every other grocery store exhibit due to its realistic size and its cash registers that printed accurate receipts.

    Wegmans receipt at the Strong
    Accurate receipt

     

    National Toy Hall of Fame at the Strong Museum

    The National Toy Hall of Fame was established in 1998 and moved to the Strong in 2002.  As we entered the National Toy Hall of Fame, I felt as if I was walking into one of the Toy Story movies.   It was hard to pry my daughter away from the Big Wheel-powered ramp.  I think the big wheel I had as a small child looked very much like this red and yellow model.

    National Toy Hall of Fame at the Strong
    Big wheel at the Strong

    The National Toy Hall of Fame inductees include iconic toys like Clue, Jack-in-the-Box, playing cards, hula hoop, LEGO, paper airplane and my favorite, the cardboard box.  The exhibited toys on the second floor were more of a walk down memory lane of favorite toys from my childhood and many were foreign to my kids.

     

    World Video Game Hall of Fame at the Strong Museum

    The World Video Game Hall of Fame opened at the Strong in 2015, and currently, 24 games have been inducted.  The Strong also includes eGameReveolution, a giant video arcade room featuring historic and current video games.  I purchased a few dollars’ worth of tokens, and not surprisingly, my kids loved trying out the video games.

    Arcade at the Strong
    Winner!

    My daughter’s video game experience is really minimal, but she played several rounds of Space Invaders, each with a little more excitement than the last.

    Space Invaders at the Strong
    Intense game of Space Invaders

    Another walk down memory lane came with the Pong exhibit.  Pong was our family’s first video game.  My brother bought it at a rummage sale in the mid-1980s, and we connected it to our console television in the center of our living room and played for hours.  Pong was one of the earliest video games and simulates table tennis.  Players use knobs to move their paddle in a game that reminds me of Brick Breaker that I used to be addicted to on my Blackberry.  It’s only a matter of time before my iPhone X looks as much as an antique as Pong does now, right?

    Pong exhibit at the Strong
    Pong

     

    Other Exhibits at the Strong Museum

    My kids fully explored the Imagination Destination, and my daughter particularly enjoyed the role playing opportunities.  All three got involved with constructing a shingle roof.  One History Place gave them an opportunity to step back into the 19th century, and my son played on the parlor piano.  Fairy tales and children’s literary classics came alive in Reading Adventureland.  My daughter excitedly identified each of the scenes in the Fairy Tale Forest and then took off to explore the shipwreck of Adventure Island.  We ended our visit with a ride on the Elaine Wilson Carousel.

    Aquarium at the Strong
    Aquarium

    The Strong Museum With Older Kids

    While much of the Strong Museum is geared for kids eight and under, older children and adults appreciate the National Toy Hall of Fame and World Video Game Hall of Fame.  My nine and eleven year old boys would not have spent so long on the first floor if their four year old sister was not with them.  They followed her through the museum and played with her, but with slightly less exuberance than she had.  My older kids and I thought that the enormous and colorful picture window was pretty impressive, but my daughter was much more interested in playing.  We highly recommend a visit to the Strong.

    Picture window at the Strong
    Colorful picture window
    • The Strong Museum Hours:  The Strong Museum is generally open Mondays through Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sundays from noon to 5 p.m.  In 2019, the Strong Museum is closed on October 25, November 28 and December 25.
    • The Strong Museum Tickets:  As of July 2019, Strong Museum admission costs $16 for visitors age two and older.  Children under age two are free.
    • The Strong Museum Parking:  Free parking is available in an adjacent surface lot.
    • Time Spent at the Strong Museum:  We spent two and a half hours at the Strong Museum and would have stayed longer if we had not planned to visit the Rochester Museum and Science Center on the same day.

     

    #2:  Rochester Museum and Science Center

    We proceeded from the Strong to the Rochester Museum & Science Center, a science, natural history and local history museum under one roof in downtown Rochester.  It was very easy to travel from the Strong to the Rochester Museum and Science Center.  Both have free, adjacent parking lots, and the drive between the two museums was only about five minutes.  Visiting these two museums on the same day is a great way to combine imaginative and scientific play.  We arrived about 90 minutes before closing and made sure to explore as much as we could.

    Rochester Museum & Science Center exterior
    Rochester Museum & Science Center exterior

    The Rochester Museum & Science Center is a member of the ASTC Travel Passport Program. Like many science centers, there are many hands-on exhibits that my kids had fun exploring.  We started in the AdventureZone exhibit on the ground level.  My sons found the second rock wall of the day.

    Rock wall at the Rochester Museum
    More rock wall fun

    My daughter immediately headed to the puppet show area and started planning her performance.

    Puppet show at the Rochester Museum
    Puppet show
    Wholly Mammoth skeleton at the Strong
    Wholly Mammoth skeleton

    The Rochester Museum and Science Center is unique because it combines a natural history, local history and science.  There is not only a taxidermy exhibit featuring a gigantic wholly mammoth skeleton but also several exhibits that focus on the local history of Rochester and Western New York.

    While museums often consist of a series of dark and windowless rooms, the Rochester Museum and Science Center has two large exhibit areas, the Patricia F. Hale Hands-On Gallery and the Reidman Gallery.  Each gallery features large windows on three sides.  The natural sunlight made the space naturally cheerful, and we returned to these exhibit areas several times.

    Hands on experiments at the Rochester Museum
    Science fun

    The kids gleefully darted from one exhibit to the next, trying to fit in as many science experiments as they could.

    STEM learning at the Rochester Museum
    STEM learning

    The kids’ favorite part of the Rochester Museum and Science Center was the Inventor Center, a hands on “maker space” where my three kids worked together to construct a car to deliver supplies to people trapped in a mountain pass.  The kids planned, built and then enhanced the car and managed to pass the challenge just as the Inventor Center was closing.

    Inventor Lab at the Rochester Museum
    The finished vehicle

    We did not have enough time to visit the adjacent Strasenburgh Planetarium, but definitely have that on the list for our next visit to Rochester.  The Rochester Museum and Science Center is a great place for hands on science and history learning.

    Strasenburgh Planetarium exterior
    Strasenburgh Planetarium
    • Rochester Museum and Science Center Hours:  The Rochester Museum and Science Center is generally open on Mondays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed on July 4, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
    • Rochester Museum and Science Center Tickets:  Rochester Museum and Science Center admission costs $15 for adults, $14 for seniors and college students and $13 for children ages 3 to 18.  Kids under three are free.
    • Rochester Museum and Science Center Parking:  Free parking is available in an adjacent surface lot.
    • Time Spent at the Rochester Museum and Science Center:  We spent only about 90 minutes because of closing time.

     

    Where to Eat in Rochester

     

    #1:  The French Quarter

    We all really worked up an appetite with our museum exploration.  We left the Rochester Museum and Science Center when it closed at 5:00 p.m. and headed straight to French Quarter, which was advertised as the best Cajun and Creole food in Rochester.  My husband and I have visited New Orleans several times, including an April 2019 trip to Jazz Fest.  While my kids have never been, we drag them to Cajun restaurants when we travel, and enjoyed a delicious meal at MudBugs in Sanibel this Spring.  It’s no secret that we all love Cajun and Creole cuisine.  We also loved the authentic New Orleans architecture and the bright red door.

    French Quarter in Rochester
    Arriving at the French Quarter

    Because it opened right as the Rochester Museum and Science Center closed, we were the first diners, but four or five other tables filled up while we ate.  Our meal was tasty and served quickly.  We were back on the road by 6 p.m. headed for our final destination of the evening, a hotel near Oneida, New York.

    French Quarter interior
    Traditional New Orleans architecture and art

     

    #2:  Tom Wahl’s

    On our drive back from Amherst, we stopped again in Rochester for lunch.  My parents suggested Tom Wahl’s for wahlburgers, gourmet hamburgers.  While I don’t eat beef, my kids almost always enjoy a good cheeseburger but had one too many over our long weekend and opted for chicken instead.  It was better than the average food court option!  We stopped at the nearby Lands’ End Outlet before getting back on the road for home.

    Wahlberger's
    Home of the Wahlberger’s

    Rochester With Kids

    Our visit to Rochester was planned as a pit stop on our road trip to Amherst, Massachusetts and was an unexpected surprise.  The Strong Museum and the Rochester Museum and Science Center both offer fun, hands-on learning enjoyable for both parents and kids.  We would definitely recommend a trip to Rochester with kids!

  • Best Natural History Museums in the World

    Best Natural History Museums in the World

    Our kids love museums, and we often visit natural history museums while we travel, particularly those that participate in the ASTC Travel Passport Program, which provides members of participating museums free reciprocal admission to hundreds of natural history, science and children’s museums.  Natural history museums are a great way to extend classroom learning.  We asked our fellow family travel bloggers for their favorites and came up with this list of the best natural history museums in the world (asterisked museums are participants in the ASTC Travel Passport Program):

    Best Natural History Museums With Kids

     

    #1:  American Museum of Natural History With Kids* (New York City, New York)

    The American Museum of Natural History is the largest Natural History museum in the world and is housed in a beautiful building in New York’s Upper West Side, right outside Central Park. It’s crammed full of artifacts from land, sea and space and is super family friendly for visitors with kids. Our favourite section (and I think the favourite for the majority of visitors) is the Hall of Ornithischian Dinosaurs, which contains a huge selection of dinosaur fossils. There is a T-Rex, a stegosaurus, a triceratops and loads more for any dino fans. But it’s not only dinosaurs, the Museum also has a fantastic oceans exhibit – home to the amazing 94 foot long blue whale model, halls featuring birds and reptiles halls (watch out for the 25 foot python!), exhibits about human origins and cultural diversity and a fantastic section about space. All around the museum are interactive touch screens with more information, and don’t all kids love a touch screen?! General admission for adults costs $23 and $13 for children.  The Museum opens daily at 10 am, which is the best time to visit to avoid the crowds.

    Recommended by Karen from Are We There Yet Kids.

     

    #2:  Denver Museum of Nature and Science With Kids* (Denver, Colorado)

    We are privileged to have a world-class nature and science museum in Colorado. The Denver Museum of Nature and Science has something for everyone with an interest in natural science. The Museum has an IMAX Theater and planetarium with various shows. Traveling exhibits include such divergent topics as Vikings, bioluminescent animals, and the Dead Sea Scrolls. The permanent exhibits showcase outer space, animals from around the world, the intricacies of our bodies, Egyptian mummies, and prehistoric dinosaurs.

    But we love bling, so our favorite museum exhibit is the gems and mineral showcase. As self-professed rock hounds, we love to see the awe-inspiring collection of minerals and gemstones. Indigenous Colorado gemstones include aquamarine, amazonite, and the very rare rhodochrosite. The largest gold nugget found in Colorado is also on display. We always learn new things about the gemstones and minerals during our visits.

    Recommended by Lance Hale from Family Well Traveled.

     

    #3:  Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa With Kids (Wellington, New Zealand)

    Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (commonly referred to as “Te Papa”) is mind-blowing and an unmissable stop on a New Zealand itinerary. Perched on the waterfront in Wellington, this 6 story building is stuffed with awe-inspiring exhibitions on Aotearoa/New Zealand’s history, it’s natural world and cultural treasures. Te Papa Tongarewa (meaning ‘container of treasures”) is literally packed with hands on, interactive exhibits, which our kids, ages 6 and 3 loved. Far from dragging them around the museum, they ran from exhibit to exhibit excited and totally engaged. The five main collections are Arts, History, Taonga Māori, Pacific Cultures, and Natural History. From impressive native species such as the pygmy blue whale skeleton and the world’s largest specimen of the rare colossal squid (weighing 496 kg!) to more light-hearted exhibits such as Peter Jackson replicas of Orcs to more sobering inclusions such as the current Gallipoli exhibition, Te Papa is, in our opinion, one of the greatest museums in the world.  FREE ENTRY apart from specific touring exhibitions.  Allow a full day!

    Recommended by Mags Nixon from The Family Freestylers.

     

    #4:  National Museum of Natural History and Science With Kids* (Tokyo, Japan)

    The best museum in Ueno Park for families with kids is the National Museum of Natural History and Science.   This is the huge building with a concrete blue whale on one side and a locomotive on the other. That basically sums up what the museum is about – the encounter of people with nature, which in Japanese culture is a continuum rather than a disruption.

    The Museum tells the story of how people came to Japan (via Okinawa), and how the islands looked before they came. That part of the museum is pretty conventional, although English explanations are limited.  Audio guides are also available.

    The coolest part of the museum is the “global gallery”, which goes down three levels into the ground, with dinosaurs in the middle. The cartoon movie explanation of evolution one floor below is also very interesting, a bit tongue in cheek, although everyone looks like an American cartoon from the 1950s. We were entertained by the exhibit representing the smart phone as the peak of evolution.

    The upper floors of the global gallery contain exhibits about technology, Japanese technology of course. The upper floors are where kids will get their most lasting memory of their visit in ComPASS, the space for children’s play and communication. It was recently opened after a renovation and is really fun for the kids. It is so popular that visitors have to get a queue ticket at the information desk at the first floor.

    Especially on rainy days, the museum can be crowded. Bring a packed lunch and eat it in the lunch space on the basement floor of the old building (the “honkan”). There are two restaurants, but the wait could be as long as several hours to be seated.  Except for the dinosaurs, children do need adult explanation of the exhibits but absolutely love exploring this fact-packed museum.

    Recommended by Wisterian from Wisterian Watertree.

     

    #5:  Natural History Museum With Kids (London, England)

    There is so much to captivate children at London’s Natural History Museum whether they’re into dinosaurs and furry owls or giant whales and tiny insects. Visitors can feel the earth move in the Earthquake machine, play detective games around the museum and visit colorful butterflies in the Butterfly House. The hands-on Science Centre is a great place for children to examine specimens from around the world, using microscopes and other instruments.

    The most popular gallery is the Dinosaurs, where visitors can get up close to prehistoric specimens, including the skull of a plant-eating Triceratops, an Iguanodon, one of the first species of dinosaur, and of course, the formidable Tyrannosaurus Rex.  Hope, a 25 meter long blue whale skeleton, is suspended from the ceiling of the main hall.  The Natural History Museum is open daily and admission is free.

    Recommended by Nicky of Go Live Young.  Find out more from Nicky about London with kids.

     

    #6:  Natural History Museum (Vienna, Austria)

    Vienna’s Natural History Museum was one of the highlights of our trip to Vienna with our kids, aged 3 and 1 years old. We actually pushed this activity as one of the last, since it isn’t specifically geared towards kids, but we are so glad we didn’t miss it! For kids who love animals, this place is a must. We toured the taxidermy exhibit on the top floor of the Museum, where taxidermy of every kind of mammal imaginable was exhibited 3 times and saw every kind of mammals imaginable! The architecture is absolutely breathtaking, and the Museum is enjoyable for adults too. Even our 1-year-old was amazed at all the animals. Families visiting Vienna with kids should not push this museum off – it’s totally kid-friendly and adult friendly too!

    Recommended by Emily Jenks from Henry and Andrew’s Guide.

     

    #7:  Natural History Museum of Marseille With Kids (Marseille, France)

    There may be countless natural history museums in the world, but not many of them are housed in magnificent 19th century palaces. If you happen to be in the city of Marseille in the south of France, make sure you visit the Natural History Museum of Marseille located inside the Palais Longchamp. Why our family loves this museum:

    • It contains thousands of zoological, botanical, mineral and fossil specimens, some of them long extinct.
    • It has four permanent exhibits: Safari Room, Provence Room, Human Earth and Land of the Living.
    • It has an old-fashioned feel to it. It was founded in 1819, and we felt like we were indeed stepping back to the 19th century when visiting it.
    • There is a great interactive display for kids.
    • It has free admission on the first Sunday of each month.

    Recommended by Bea from PackYourBags.Org.  Find out more from Bea about the Natural History Museum of Marseille.

     

    #8:  Smithsonian’s Natural History Museum With Kids* (Washington, D.C.)

    We recently traveled to Washington D.C. on our recent White Christmas trip to the U.S., and visiting a few of the Smithsonian Museum’s was top of our list. First up was the National Museum of Natural History, located on the National Mall near Capitol Building. I wasn’t sure how interested the kids would be and had expected that we would whip around this museum in a few hours. How wrong was I, as we took a whole day exploring this Museum, and I still feel that we rushed through some parts of it.

    The Museum is reported to be home to approximately 126 million specimens of plants, animals, fossils, minerals, rocks, human remains and human cultural artefacts. The kids most enjoyed the interactive areas, particularly where they were able to place items under a microscope and analysis them. There are a large number of animals from each continent on display, including animals that are now extinct. My son was also very interested in the Egyptian, artefacts including the mummies on display.  The museum is huge, and visitors could spend a week here and still not see if all. A full day gave us a good look around and kids enjoyed every minute of it.

    Recommended by Sally Lucas from Our 3 Kids v the World.

     

    #9:  South Australian Museum With Kids (Adelaide, Australia)

    The South Australian Museum is one of the most visited museums in Australia.  With five floors of exhibits covering fossils, mammals, Ancient Egypt, special exhibition spaces and more plus Aboriginal and Pacific Cultures collections, the South Australian Museum offers plenty for young and old.  With so many interactive hands on activities, kids will absolutely love it here.  No doubt they will love checking out the various world mammals, learning about the various South Australian biodiversity and checking out the giant squid that spans across four floors dangling in an elevator shaft!

    During the school holidays, the Museum has free school holiday programs attracting more than 5,000 school kids each holiday period.  The Discovery Centre Team located on level 1 is more than happy to have a chat about any of the exhibits, and visitors can also see bees making honey, which is sure to keep little, and big kids busy for a while.  The Discovery Centre is open from 11am-4pm weekdays, and 11am-3pm weekends and public holidays.  The Museum is open every day from 10am-5pm, including weekends and public holidays. Entry is free; however some exhibitions may charge an admission fee.

    Recommended by Melissa Delaware of Thrifty Family Travels.  Find out more from Melissa about Adelaide with kids.

     

    We love natural history museums with kids and can’t wait to visit all of these world’s best natural history museums.  For more amazing museums for young scientists, check out the World’s Best Science Centers With Kids!

  • Best U.S. Zoos With Kids

    Best U.S. Zoos With Kids

    Like most kids, my kids love zoos.  We have been regular visitors of the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo since my oldest was a few months old and even had an annual membership there for years.  Zoos are generally great for families – they are a stroller paradise, and even the youngest babies are mesmerized by the animal habitats.  They also offer great educational opportunities – my kids learned about many animals by watching them in their habitats.  They could identify armadillos as toddlers and knew that giraffes like to eat lettuce because they’ve had the opportunity to feed them on several different occasions. With zoos in almost every metropolitan area in the U.S., we asked our fellow family travel bloggers for their favorites and came up with this list of the best U.S. zoos with kids:

     

    Bronx Zoo – Bronx, New York

    A trip to New York City conjures up thoughts of big buildings and the urban jungle. But a short subway ride away, up in the borough of the Bronx, is one of the most iconic, world-famous zoos.  The Bronx Zoo is very large with various exhibits and attractions. The Zoo is open year-round and features outdoor animals like bears, sea lions, tigers, and wild dogs along with indoor exhibits such as the aviary, giraffe house, monkey house, world of reptiles and our favorite, the Madagascar exhibit.

    In addition to the animals, my family loves the attractions at the Bronx Zoo – from the newly renovated children’s zoo, to the bug carousel and the World Asia Monorail! We have visited the Bronx Zoo often, and always have trouble seeing everything in one day!

    Recommended by Harmony from Momma To Go.

     

    Dallas Zoo – Dallas, Texas

    The Dallas Zoo includes 100 acres of not only animal exhibits, but educational and interactive exhibits for all ages! This zoo is perfect for kids of all ages! Our family favorites include the Lacerte Family Children’s Zoo and the Wilds of Africa Adventure Safari Monorail. We’ve spent hours in the Children’s Zoo playing, exploring, hand feeding birds, splashing in the creek that runs through the nature playground and petting the farm animals – it’s the perfect spot to let the kids explore! The monorail also provides the perfect break for those tired feet as it gives everyone a birds-eye view of five African habitats that visitors can’t visit by foot. This ride provides amazing views of hippos, chimps, crocodiles, penguins, and many more animals, along with a beautiful ride through a waterfall!

    For elephant fans like us, the Giants of the Savannah habitat is a big hit – it’s the only multi-species zoo exhibit in the US to mix elephants with other species like zebras, giraffes, and ostriches, in the same habitat!

    Recommended by Ashley Clark from Timeout in Paradise.

     

    Denver Zoo – Denver, Colorado

    One of our favorite zoos is the Denver Zoo. We love being able to witness the baby animals. Over the past few years, we have seen infant red pandas, gorillas, bongos and zebras. But, one of our favorite experiences has been watching a baby giraffe growing up. Dobby was a surprise birth. He was born during the time when everyone’s focus was on April the giraffe giving birth in 2017. Surprise! Nobody knew that Dobby’s mom was pregnant until she gave birth in February to the reticulated infant giraffe. We have enjoyed watching the little guy (well, big guy now) growing stronger and taller.

    Recommended by Lance Hale from Family Well Traveled.

     

    Disney’s Animal Kingdom – Orlando, Florida

    Disney’s Animal Kingdom is the most unique zoological theme park that we’ve ever experienced! In fact, it is an enriching cultural experience. We have done complete cultural lessons for our “ABCs” (our four children) just by spending intentional time in the themed areas! From admiring the architecture, taking part in cultural traditions, dining on authentic food, and even hearing stories from cast members about their home country, it is full of depth and richness.

    As for the amazing animals, they are relatively free roaming in their natural environments. Visitors meet most of them on an open-air safari tour or on exotic jungle trails woven throughout the park. Kids can also take part in a free Wilderness Explorers program where they can earn badges for attending brief lessons about the animals. It is great for engagement, a special souvenir, and is an awesome learning experience.

    And then, lastly, there are the world-renowned rides and attractions! Each ride is amazing, and a lot of people come just for the rides. However, we encourage visiting families to spend a whole day there and really take their time exploring the details of the park. There is so much depth and richness to uncover.

    Recommended by Danielle Weiden from Traveling ABCs.

     

    Fort Worth Zoo – Fort Worth, Texas

    Among the greatest features of Fort Worth Zoo is the “Wilder Vision,” backed by a $100 million project spanning ten years including an additional ten acres of exhibit space, experiential dining, new ways to observe and interact with animals, and conservation efforts. Our favorites activities at the Zoo include:

    • Eating With Crocodiles: With only a glass barrier separating visitors and the wild, dine in an underwater viewing area at Crocodile Café.
    • Interacting with animals: Feed free-roaming giraffes on the African Savanna, offer cockatiels and parrots birdseed in the walk-through Parrot Paradise Aviary, or cuddle snakes in the award-winning 30,000 square foot indoor/outdoor Herpetarium.
    • Splashing in the wild: Play at the 14,000 square foot animal-themed Safari Splash water park.
    • Untamed Learning: Kids can participate in formal educational classes taught by certified teachers for all ages including preschool, middle school camps, a high school career camp and full day summer camps. Amy Coslik, Fort Worth Zoo Animal Projects Coordinator and mother of two states: “The camps provide opportunity to learn about and work in all areas of the Zoo, including our one-of-a-kind Nutrition Services department…responsible for feeding all 7,000 animals at the Zoo.” Programs highlight enrichment for animals and conservation while using electronic resources and hands-on techniques.

    Recommended by Brandy Morgan from Kid Allergy Travel.

     

    Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium – Omaha, Nebraska

    Omaha’s zoo, the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, is located just off I-80 and is an easy stop for families heading across the country or spending a little time in Nebraska. Kids will love some of the largest displays of their kind, constant development of new exhibits, and a friendly Midwestern vibe. A large aquarium houses jellyfish, penguins, and a shark tank with a tunnel to walk through.

    There’s also a sting ray touch tank for some hands-on time with animals. Another highlight is the new African Grasslands exhibit with elephants and giraffes, part of which is under the “Skyfari” aerial tram that runs across the campus. Then visitors can head over to the world’s largest indoor desert, the Desert Dome, which is an iconic Omaha landmark. There are also cats and apes and sea lions and bugs.  For another reason to go, the team at the zoo conducts world-class research and conservation efforts that are truly unique. Visitors’ patronage supports plant and animal restoration locally and abroad.
    It’s a must see for anyone passing through Omaha!

    Recommended by Joshua from One Good Family Life.

     

    Lincoln Park Zoo – Chicago, Illinois

    The Lincoln Park Zoo is a completely free park. Visitors can walk right in at any of the six gates. There’re no turnstiles, no actual gates and no wristbands. We took the CTA bus route No. 151 from the AC Marriott Hotel near the Magnificent Mile and were dropped off right in front of the Lincoln Park Zoo sign. While the indoor buildings don’t open until 10 a.m., the gates open at 7 a.m., which allows for families to view animals when they are most active. A visit to this zoo during our recent 2-night trip to Chicago was a perfect break from the typical Chicago sights. This is a decent sized zoo, with a variety of animals and an amazing view of Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline. Visitors can spend a few hours or pack a picnic and turn it into a full day visit. Pro tip: Don’t miss the climbing structure or the otters, which are located in the building near the Pritzker Family Children’s Zoo.

    Recommended by Ruth Mendes from Have Kiddos Will Travel.

     

    The Maryland Zoo – Baltimore, Maryland

    While not possessing the grandeur of the National Zoo, Baltimore’s Maryland Zoo is a kid-friendly and logistically easy day out.  Visitors need a car to get to the Zoo, as it is not walkable from downtown Baltimore. Those with young kids should take the shuttle to the main entrance as the walk is long, and kids will tire out. My suggestion is to first head to the Polar Bear Watch, which is near the entrance and gives kids the quick gratification of watching the bears up close, swimming and playing with toys. Afterwards, move on to African Journey, where kids can feed giraffes and watch elephants play in water with one another. Then, on to Maryland Wilderness.

    Kids enjoy the nooks and crannies of the zoo, including oversized bird nests for climbing, lily pads to jump across, tree slides, a bat cave and even a petting zoo area. There is also a small merry-go-round for younger kids.

    The Maryland Zoo does offer a couple of unremarkable food stands with pizza, hot-dogs, salads, burgers and chicken fingers. A nice alternative is to pack a picnic lunch. The Zoo is nicely shaded and plenty of grassy areas beckon a blanket and a relaxing lunch.


    Recommended by Alison Netzer from Five Family Adventurers.


    The Miami-Dade Zoological Park and Gardens – Miami, Florida

    The Miami-Dade Zoological Park and Gardens, or simply Zoo Miami, is one of our favourites. Here are the reasons why we absolutely love it:

    • It is the only sub-tropical zoo in the continental United States. Because of south Florida’s climate, many animals from tropical places feel right at home here.
    • Visitors will be hard pressed to find animals in cages. Because of this zoo’s commitment to animal welfare, the displays are mostly open air, yet very safe for the public.
    • Visitors can explore the zoo on a Safari Cycle (a pedal-powered bicycle/vehicle that can accommodate up to 8 people). This is a perfect way to see this massive zoo.
    • Visitors can watch animal feedings or even feed the giraffes, rhinos, camels, giant tortoises and parrots themselves.
    • The zoo is very large (750 acres) and thorough visitors who wish to come back within ten days of their original visit receive reduced admission.

    Recommended by Bea from Pack Your Bags.

     

    Philadelphia Zoo – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

    The Philadelphia Zoo was the first zoo in the U.S. dating from 1859. Despite its history and architecture, there’s nothing old-fashioned about this Zoo. It has a 4-D Migration Theater and research centres as well as see-through mesh walkways that go above the treetops all throughout the 42-acre facility. My kids loved watching animals (mostly monkeys) scamper overhead on the walkways. It’s easy to get to the Philadelphia Zoo – there’s good parking facilities, which are great for a city-centre zoo. Nearby there is also the 2000-acre Fairmount Park which, is wonderful for a roam when the kids need to let off some steam.

    Recommended by Shobha George of Just Go Places.  Find out more from Shobha about visiting Philadelphia.

     

    Riverbanks Zoo & Garden – Columbia, South Carolina

    With over 2,000 animals, eight different gardens, and even a few historical landmarks, Riverbanks Zoo & Garden in Columbia, South Carolina is one of our favorite zoos! Why? Well, mainly because of a very simple reason: it is so easily walkable. After visiting zoos throughout the United States, we have truly come to appreciate a zoo that has exhibits located close enough together that little feet can walk with ease. Riverbanks Zoo has attractions including train rides, zip lines, and even a splash zone which is always fun for kids of all ages. But, our family favorites are the animal demonstrations like the penguin presentation and feeding the giraffes!

    Recommended by Julie from More than Main Street.  Check out their family friendly guide to Columbia, South Carolina for more ideas of things to do in South Carolina’s state capital.

     

    San Diego Zoo – San Diego, California

    The San Diego Zoo is world famous and for good reason. Not only is this 100-acre zoo huge, but it’s home to more than 3,500 animals representing more than 650 species. The San Diego Zoo offers several options to help visitors see as many animals as possible. For walking, a stroller is a must, and stroller rentals are available on a first-come, first-served basis. To get to the other side of the zoo, there is the Skyfari Aerial Tram, which offers some incredible views at the same time. For tired legs, there’s a double-decker bus that provides guided bus tours that cover most of the zoo, while the Kangaroo Bus is a hop on/hop off bus with four different stops throughout the zoo. Transportation aside, what truly makes the San Diego Zoo exceptional is the host of different animals to see. Not to be missed are the pandas, koalas, orangutans, and polar bears.

    In addition to all that, the San Diego Zoo is located within the beautiful Balboa Park. Though the zoo is likely to take an entire day to visit, there is also plenty more to see nearby.

    Recommended by Celine from Baby Can Travel.  Find out more from Celine about the San Diego Zoo.

     

    Smithsonian’s National Zoo – Washington, D.C.

    The Smithsonian’s National Zoo is a family favorite, and it’s a free admission zoo that is open 364 days per year. The 163-acre large park located in Washington, D.C. offers 18 distinct areas and is home to over 2,000 animals, 25% of which are endangered. Not to be missed animals include the endangered Giant Pandas (follow the panda camera from home), The Great Ape House (see the first orangutan born at the National Zoo in 25 years), the American Trail and the Great Cats. We recommend taking public transportation to the National Zoo and enjoying it in the early morning when the pandas and other large animals are most active. The National Zoo is built on a hill, so take that into consideration when planning a trip with young children. While the zoo is free, food is very costly so plan accordingly and visit around meals or bring a picnic and lots of water. Visitors should plan on a minimum of three hours to enjoy this Zoo, but a full day at the massive National Zoo would not be difficult to imagine.

    Recommended by Ruth Mendes from Have Kiddos Will Travel.  Find out more from Ruth about Smithsonian’s National Zoo.

    We love visiting zoos with kids, and there are so many of these top zoos in the U.S. that we have not yet visited.  Make sure to check out our post on the Best International Zoos With Kids and other zoos we have visited with kids during our travels.

  • New York City With Kids: Five More Fun Family Activities

    New York City With Kids: Five More Fun Family Activities

    Thank you to One World Trade Center Observatory and the 9/11 Memorial Museum for hosting our visits to those attractions.  All opinions are my own. 

    New York City is one of our favorite cities to visit.  The “City That Never Sleeps” is the largest metropolitan area in the US and boasts Broadway and Wall Street, along with world-famous landmarks and museums.  Nancy previously covered Five Fun Family Activities, but because this is one city that has a seemingly never-ending list of great tourist attractions, I have a few more to add. With so much to see and do, traveling to New York City with kids is a great family vacation.

    Visiting New York City With Kids

    I’ve enjoyed New York City as a tourist and while visiting friends.  My mom and I had a whirlwind weekend in 2005 where we made it to most of the stops on her mile-long must-see list.  My husband and I used to travel to the Big Apple each summer before kids, but we generally spent most of our time with friends and relaxing at the Long Island Beach.  We have visited New York City several times with our kids, most recently in October 2016 as part of a trip to Princeton, New Haven, Amherst and Chautauqua and look forward to future visits to Manhattan as a family.

    Checking out the view of Midtown from Bloomberg’s employee snack bar

    For families who need a break, there are some amazing playgrounds in New York City for kids to explore.  It’s hard to pass up the opportunity to see a Broadway show, and there are options to score cheap Broadway tickets at the last minute.

    Accommodations in New York City With Kids

    While in NYC, I have stayed several times at the Millennium Hilton New York Downtown in the Financial District.  The guest rooms are very comfortable, and the hotel also offers an indoor pool.  But, the highlight for me is the view of One World Trade Center and the Oculus, the World Trade Center Transportation Hub that opened in 2016 with retail and restaurants.  The Millennium Hilton is conveniently located for both business and pleasure.

    Millennium Hilton guest room with view of Oculus
    View of One World Trade Center and Oculus from my room

    Restaurants in New York City With Kids

    New York is also known for amazing restaurants.  Eataly is one of my favorites.  This Italian marketplace includes several restaurants, food and beverage counters and retail stores.  The food counters offer very reasonable but delicious meals, and the retail sections are beautifully curated.

    Eataly’s higher end restaurant, Osteria della Pace is also a great option for lunch or dinner.

    Osteria della Pace

    I also enjoy Casa Lever, an Italian Restaurant that features original Andy Warhol paintings to complement its ultramodern décor.  Casa Lever does not offer a kids’ menu and is not particularly child-friendly in the evening, but the food is superb, and the original Warhol paintings alone are a reason to make me want to go back.

    Original Warhol paintings at Casa Lever

    For breakfast, Stage Door Deli offers overstuffed sandwiches and a classic New York deli experience.  We stopped for coffee and bagels after an early morning flight, and our wrapped bagels were thrown from the back of the store to the register for added flair.  Stage Door is one of only two businesses to reopen on Vesey Street after September 11.

    Here are my five fun family activities in New York City:

    #1:  The Metropolitan Museum of Art With Kids

    The Metropolitan Museum of Art boasts a permanent collection of over two million works and is the largest art museum in the US and the fourth largest in the world.  The Met’s main location is on Fifth Avenue, and we were a few of the Met’s over 7 million visitors in 2016.  Admission to the permanent collection was previously by suggested contribution only, but the Met announced in January 2018 that it would begin charging a fixed admission of $25 for visitors who do not live in New York State.  General admission gives visitors free entry at The Met Fifth Avenue, The Met Breuer and The Met Cloisters for three consecutive days.   It would probably take that long to get through all the exhibits, but we did an abbreviated visit with our three kids, aged 2, 6 and 8.

    The Met has one of the most impressive impressionist collections that we have seen.  Our boys loved Bathers at Asnières at National Gallery, London and were especially excited to find Seurat’s final study for his similar A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.  

    We are also fans of Vincent Van Gogh’s paintings and were thrilled to see Irises.  I’ve seen his similar Irises still life paintings on display at the Van Gogh Museum, and my kids have seen Van Gogh’s Sunflowers at National Gallery, London and Irises at the Getty Center.We also love Claude Monet’s Water Lilies, so the Met’s Water Lilies, a smaller version than many others we have seen in this series, was a real treat.  We are fortunate to frequently visit Water Lilies (Agapanthus) at the Cleveland Museum of Art and have also seen paintings in this series on display as part of the Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse special exhibit at the Cleveland Museum in 2015 and also at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the National Gallery, London, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Carnegie Museum of Art.

    Monet’s Water Lilies

    #2:  Times Square With Kids

    Times Square is the world’s most visited location with about 360,000 pedestrian visitors daily and over 130 million visitors each year.  Excluding residents from the count makes Times Square the second most popular tourist attraction behind the Las Vegas Strip with almost 40 million annual tourists.  The Broadway Theater District is located in Times Square, which is especially known for its billboards.

    Over the years, I’ve visited Times Square a number of times, but until my recent visit, my last photographs were from 2005.  Even before the rise of digital screens, it was still a sensory overload experience.

    Times Square – Summer 2005

    I was absolutely blown away with the transformation of the Square since the development of digital screens on my recent evening visit.  The largest billboard in Times Square was completed in 2014, spans an entire block and features almost 24 million LED pixels.  A pedestrian plaza completed in 2016 offers tiered viewing of the Square, including the humongous new billboard pictured on the right below.  Find out more about things to do in Times Square.

    Times Square – 2018
    • Kid Facts:  The New Year’s Eve ball drop at Times Square has been an annual tradition since December 31, 1907.  However, it was placed on hiatus in 1942 and 1943 because of World War II lighting restrictions.  Over a million visitors celebrate each New Year in Times Square.  The new energy-efficient LED ball installed for the centennial celebration is now a permanent fixture in the Square.

    #3:  National September 11 Memorial & Museum With Kids

    While I am familiar with tragic events like the World Wars, the Pearl Harbor attacks and the Vietnam War from history books, September 11 is one day that is burned in my memory. I had visited NYC for the first time only a few months earlier and spent an entire day exploring the Financial District in the shadows of the famous towers.  On the morning of the terrorist attacks, I was numb as I sat glued to my television and watched the World Trade Center crash to the ground.

    The 9/11 Memorial Museum is a very somber museum that chronicles the World Trade Center’s 1993 and 2001 terrorist attacks.  The Museum honors both the victims of these attacks and also the first responders.  The Museum’s collection includes more than 40,000 images, 14,000 artifacts, 3,500 oral recordings and 500 hours of video.  It may not seem like a family friendly attraction due to its content, and I noticed on my recent Monday morning visit that there were not any young visitors.  I happened to be in the Financial District on business without my children when I visited, but I would not hesitate to take them to the 9/11 Memorial Museum.

    My boys learned about the September 11 terrorist attacks by reading Lauren Tarshis‘ I Survived the Attacks September 11th, 2001.  Tarshis’ series of historical fiction books is brilliant because they tell stories of some of the world’s worst disasters  through the eyes of a pre-teen boy (except one book featuring a female main character) experiencing the situation first-hand.  In I Survived the Attacks of September 11th, 2001, the narrator is Lucas, the son of a New York City fire fighter who happens to visit his dad at work on the morning of the attacks.  My boys are familiar with the events of September 11 because of Tarshis’ book, and a visit to the 9/11 Memorial Museum with them would definitely be meaningful, but might be a quicker overview than the lingering visit I had with my colleague.  The Museum offers a seasonal Youth & Family Tour with an interactive activity and the Art Memorial Cart, which offers age-appropriate self-guided explorations and art activities.

    The Historical Exhibition chronicles the events of September 11, the events leading up to September 11 and the immediate aftermath.  This exhibit includes first-hand accounts, television footage and a variety of items on display.  Photography is not permitted in this exhibit, but is allowed in other areas of the Museum that feature items damaged on September 11, such as a fire engine from Ladder 3.  All 11 firefighters who traveled from in this engine died in the World Trade Center.  Also displayed is a segment of the radio and television antenna on top of the North Tower and the Last Column, which was the last piece of steel to be removed from Ground Zero and is now considered as a symbol of resilience.

    Fire engine destroyed on September 11
    Piece of the radio antenna from the North Tower
    The Last Column

    The National September 11 Memorial located outside the Museum includes two large, recessed pools with cascading waterfalls that are set within the footprints of the original North and South Towers of the World Trade Center.  The bronze parapets that surround the pools are inscribed with the names of those who lost their lives in the attacks.

    September 11 Museum and Memorial
    • Kid Facts:  The Memorial opened to the public on September 12, 2011, and the Museum, which is largely underground, opened on May 15, 2014.  Roses are placed by victims’ names to commemorate their birthdays.

    #4: One World Trade Center Observatory With Kids

    New York City has no shortage of skyscrapers, but One World Trade Center towers over all of them as the tallest in the Western Hemisphere and sixth tallest in the world at 1,776 feet (a reference to the year the Declaration of Independence was signed).  This new structure has the same name as the North Tower of the original World Trade Center and is located on the site of Six World Trade Center, an eight-story office building that was destroyed when the North Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed.   The building opened in November 2014, and the Observatory,  located on floors 100-102, opened in May 2015 and offers visitors a view of NYC from 1,250 feet in the air.

    The experience begins at the Global Welcome Center where visitors are greeted in their native language.  A live counter shows stats related to number of visitors and country of origin.  The next stop is a walk-through montage, which includes personal stories of all the people who helped build One World Trade Center.  The elevator ride to the 102nd floor is a special treat.  Visitors travel 1,250 feet in less than a minute while watching a high-definition time-lapse video on the elevator walls.   After a quick 3D film on NYC, visitors have the chance to check out the real highlight of the Observatory, the 360 degree views.

    View of Midtown from One World Trade Center
    The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

    We did not have time to eat at ONE Restaurant (which requires admission to the Observatory).  Our visit to the Observatory concluded with the high-tech and super-fast elevator ride down, which is as exciting as the ride up.

    • Kid Facts:  The top floor of One World Trade Center is the 104th floor, but the tower actually has only 93 stories, and 103 and 104 are mechanical floors.

    #5:  Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island With Kids

    Liberty Enlightening the World (aka the Statue of Liberty) was a gift from France to the US and is an icon representing opportunity and freedom.  The Statue of Liberty is a 151 foot copper statue located on Liberty Island.  It was designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886.  It has been maintained by the National Park Service since 1933.

    The statue’s pedestal and base were closed for major renovations in October 2011 and reopened on October 28, 2012, one day before Hurricane Sandy.  The statue did not sustain direct damage due to Hurricane Sandy, but the storm did destroy the ferry dock.  As a result, Liberty Island remained closed until July 4, 2013 for repairs.

    The Statue of Liberty

    Nearby Ellis Island was the busiest immigrant inspection station in the US from 1892 to 1954 and was the gateway to over 12 million immigrants.  The descendants those immigrants now make up almost half of the US population.  After sustaining major damage during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, Ellis Island was closed for one year for extensive renovation.  The Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration is located in the main building on Ellis Island.  About 5,000 immigrants filed into the Registry Room each day for medical and legal examinations.

    Registry Room

    The view of lower Manhattan from Ellis Island is pretty spectacular.

    View of Manhattan from Ellis Island
    •  Kid Facts:  While Ellis Island had been considered part of New York, a 1998 Supreme Court case determined that about 90% of the Island is in New Jersey.  While the land originally given to New York by an 1834 interstate compact remains under the control of New York, land later reclaimed is now under control of New Jersey.

    Find Out More About New York City With Kids

    New York City is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the US but is not just for adults.  This traveler’s mecca offers many wonderful opportunities for families. Make sure to check out all of our posts on NYC before your next trip.

  • Fall Getaway: Off-Season Chautauqua With Kids

    Fall Getaway: Off-Season Chautauqua With Kids

    Chautauqua is a small town in western New York best known for the Chautauqua Institution, a lakeside resort that offers weekly educational programing for nine weeks each summer.  Over 100,000 visitors participate in one or more of the Institution’s over 2,000 lectures, art exhibits, outdoor symphonies, theater or dance performances, opera and classes each year.  Additionally, Lake Chautauqua offers opportunities for fishing, swimming, sailing, boating and canoeing.  Chautauqua is an easy two-hour drive from Cleveland, and we have friends who regularly vacation here or own a second home in the area.

    Visiting Chautauqua With Kids

    We ended up making an unplanned stop in Chautauqua while driving back from New England in October 2016.  We typically book hotels in advance but had not because we were not sure how far we would make it after leaving Amherst, Massachusetts in the late afternoon.  None of the larger cities on our route along I-90 were “must-sees”, and the kids ended up holding up on the long drive better than we expected.  At around 10:30 pm, we briefly considered driving straight home.  Luckily, my husband took a look at a map and suggested we spend the night in Mayville, the seat of Chautauqua County and booked us room at Chautauqua Suites.  Chautauqua with kids ended up being a great family destination.

    We arrived at the hotel with three sleeping kids around 11:30 pm and quickly got them changed and into bed.  Our “suite” was roughly the size of a normal hotel but had two small sleeping spaces that were separated by the bathroom at the center of the room.  The setup would have been more useful if we arrived earlier in the evening and wanted a separate space after putting the kids to bed.  Nevertheless, Chautauqua Suites totally met our needs for the eight or nine hours that we were there.  The included breakfast buffet was an added bonus that saved us a morning stop.

    After breakfast, we stopped at a playground right on the shore of Lake Chautauqua.  The playground had all the traditional equipment, but the gorgeous view of the Lake really set it apart from the typical play area.  With the park completely to ourselves, we had one of our most memorable mornings just relaxing and playing on a beautiful and warm fall day.   I knew as soon as we arrived that this was definitely the perfect I-90 pit stop.  Luckily, this was just the beginning of a wonderful unexpected day.

    Monkey bars

    Visiting Panama Rocks With Kids

    After finishing up at the playground, we headed to Panama Rocks, which is about a 15-minute drive from Mayville.  It was listed as #1 on Trip Advisor’s list of Chautauqua County activities.  And, we could see why – Panama Rocks is probably the best privately owned nature park that I have ever visited.  There is a one mile trail that is an easy, Class 1 hike in an ancient forest.  It is not stroller accessible, but my two year old daughter walked a good bit of it herself and enjoyed the view from her carrier or on my husband’s shoulders the rest of the time.

    • Kid Facts:  To be classified as an ancient forest, a forest must be at least 200 years old and have large trees, dense canopies and diverse wildlife.  Panama Rocks has been privately owned and operated since 1885.

    The colored leaves covering the ground added to the beauty, and we saw some of the most brilliant reds of the whole trip on the hike.

    There are towering rocks, deep crevices and caves that guests are welcome to go off trail to explore, and you can be sure that my boys thoroughly investigated the rock formations and caves.  Hiking boots might be helpful, especially if the ground is wet, but we all found our sneakers to be adequate.

    Climbing some rocks

     

    • Kid Caution:  While exploring off trails is permitted, close adult supervision is necessary.  Caution is always needed when climbing rocks.  There is also a short part at the end with cliff edges where we were extra careful and made sure our daughter was safely in her carrier.

    We received an initial treasure hunt clue after paying our admission, and following the clues, which provided facts and history about the park was as fun as exploring the rocks, caves and forest.  We located a locked box near the end of the hike and used the clues to determine the combination and solve the mystery.

    Panama Rocks is definitely a park we would recommend to families and all nature lovers and plan to return ourselves.  It is a perfect place for kids to explore nature and learn about the plant life and geology of the area.  The treasure hunt also helped us to look carefully and take in our surroundings.  Of course, the boys loved the “mission.”  Note that it’s only open seasonally and generally closes at the end of October.

    Visiting Noble Winery With Kids

    After lunch, we decided to stop at a winery before heading home.  We ended up at Noble Winery in Westfield, about 15 minutes from Mayville on the way to I-90.  Noble is one of over 20 wineries in Lake Erie Wine Country.  It is located on a secluded hill with an absolutely spectacular view overlooking the vineyards and Lake Erie.

    Westfield is known for concord grape production, and a Welch’s plant is located here.  So, unlike Napa where grape juice was not produced at any of the vineyards we visited, it wasn’t surprising that grape juice was available by the bottle at Noble Winery.  My husband and I enjoyed sitting on the large porch while the kids ran in the field in front of the winery.  We had a clear view of them playing on the gentle slope, and they came back every few minutes for another sip.

    I even spent some time frolicking in the field with the kids.

    Why We Loved Chautauqua With Kids

    Our visit to Noble Winery capped off our perfect unplanned day.  Even without the Chautauqua Institute and local marinas buzzing with activities, we found Chautauqua to be a lovely place to visit during the off-season.  Our first family visit to the area was so enjoyable that we would love to return to Chautauqua with kids again in the spring or fall and explore some more.

    Fall happens to be our favorite season here at WGWK, so be sure to check out our more expansive Fall Getaway series.  If you enjoy wine, check out other wine regions we have explored with kids.

    Pin it to Pinterest!

  • Not Too Young for the Art Museum

    Not Too Young for the Art Museum

    My three-year-old daughter and I were recently sitting at the puzzle table of a nearby library while waiting for her story time to begin. I was making small talk with another mom sitting with her young sons, and she came to my rescue and directed me to the ABC books when I could not locate Chica Chica Boom Boom on the shelves.  I explained that my daughter had listened to the book when she attended Art Stories at the Cleveland Museum of Art the day before with her nanny and was desperate to read it with me. The other mom responded with, “my kids are too young for the art museum.”  I was not exactly sure how to respond because the thought of being “too young” to visit any museum had never crossed my mind.

    Not Too Young

    My husband and I really enjoy visiting art museums.  My daughter visited her first art museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, when she was two months old.  Since then, she has made a repeat trip to the Art Institute of Chicago and also visited the Cleveland Museum of Art many times as well as the Tate Modern, the National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery in London, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the National Gallery in D.C.  While she clearly does not remember those early trips, she gained familiarity with art museums in the process.  At the age of three, my daughter now walks around the Cleveland Art Museum, holding my hand and discussing which paintings catch our attention.

    My sons also enjoy art museums and can distinguish a Monet from a Van Gogh (two of my favorites).  Their favorite special exhibition was Cleveland Museum of Art’s “Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse” in the Fall 2015 that included pieces that influenced Monet’s garden painting and reunited CMA’s Water Lilies with the other two panels of the triptych and displayed them together (no photography permitted).  On our first trip, I took all three kids, aged one, five and seven, alone.  We all loved it so much that we came back a few weeks later with my husband.  After going to the exhibit for the second time, my five-year-old son came home, asked for paints and created his own version of water lilies.

    My five-year-old son’s Water Lilies painting

    Kid Moments

    If your children are new to visiting art museums, start with a short trip of about 45-60 minutes.  We play a “game” when we enter a new gallery.  I ask each kid which is their favorite piece.  We then go and specifically examine each of our favorite pieces before moving on to the next room.  Sometimes, we read the plaque on the wall, other times, we briefly discuss color choice or artist technique that made that piece stand out, but we try hard not to dawdle.

    Kid Caution

    While there is no age that is “too young”, it is necessary to be careful when bringing a child into art galleries as some art is accessible to small hands.  The stroller or front carrier is the safest place for infants or toddlers.   Many art museums do not permit backpacks or back carriers because the wearer could accidentally cause damage by brushing up against the art.  Older children need to have enough self-control to understand that they must stay right with an adult and not touch the art work before going into galleries.  However, many art museums have interactive child-friendly exhibits like the ArtLens Gallery at the Cleveland Museum of Art that everyone can enjoy.

    Our Favorite Art Museums

    We have visited many art museums with kids, but these are our favorites:

    • Metropolitan Museum of Art is the largest art museum in the US and boasts a permanent collection of over two million works.  The Met is located on Fifth Avenue in New  York City.  We were a few of the Met’s over 7 million visitors in 2016 that made it second to only the Louvre in number of visitors.  Our boys were especially excited to find Seurat’s final study for A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.  Admission to the permanent collection is free, but the suggested donation is $25 for adults.
    Van Gogh’s Irises
    One of two lion statues guarding the Institute’s Michigan Avenue entrance
    Gustave Caillebotte’s Paris Street; Rainy Day
    Georges Seurat’s A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte
    • National Gallery (Washington D.C.) is the third largest art museum in the US.  When we are visiting the Mall, we take a quick stop through the impressionist galleries and the outdoor sculpture garden.  On our most recent visit, my husband was holding our daughter, who was then two.  They stopped in front of a Degas, and she looked at the painted ballerinas and commented, “Daddy, I really like this painting” to the shock of the visitors around her who had no idea that she thought she was merely “playing” a familiar game. Admission is free.
    Van Gogh’s Green Wheat Fields, Auvers
    Lime Green Icicle Tower
    Monet’s Water Lilies
    • The National Gallery, London is the fourth most visited art museum in the world with over six million visitors annually.  It is located in Trafalgar Square and houses a relatively small collection of about 2,300 paintings, almost all of which are on permanent display.
    The National Gallery, London
    Van Gogh’s Sunflowers
    • Cleveland Museum of Art is the art museum we frequent most often.  CMA is located in Cleveland’s University Circle area on the near east side.  A massive expansion project began in 2005 and was completed at the end of 2013 increased floor space by 65% and included the glass-roofed Ames Family Atrium.  It has a permanent collection of 45,000 works and significant Egyptian and Asian galleries.  We always make sure to spend a few minutes sitting on the bench in front of Monet’s Water Lilies (Agapanthus) and enjoy the Armor Court.  Rodin’s Thinker, which sits outside the front entrance, was partially vandalized by a bomb in 1970, and the statue’s lower legs were destroyed and have not been restored.  Admission to the permanent exhibitions is free, but there are fees for special exhibits.
    Monet’s Water Lilies
    Rodin’s Thinker with damaged legs

    With some precautions and child-centric activities, art museums truly can be enjoyed by all ages.  While infants and toddlers may not have specific memories of the museums they visit, those who go to art museums are more likely to grow into young children who enjoy art and visiting galleries.