Last weekend my family had the opportunity to visit the Creation Kingdom Zoo in Gate City, Virginia, near the Tri-Cities in Tennessee. The grandparents came along and walked a little, then enjoyed the shade and a drink while my daughter, husband and I enjoyed the rest of the small zoo. …
Worth The Trip! Recently we had the opportunity to visit the Children’s Museum of the Upstate in downtown Greenville, South Carolina. The museum has an impressive collection of hands-on activities which should keep children of all ages engaged! There is a nice variety of exhibits in the fields of science, …
The Cades Cove Tour is a wonderful way to enjoy both frontier history and nature in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This beautiful valley was once used as hunting grounds by the Cherokee. White settlers formed a farming community in this area from around 1850 through the late 1920’s, …
Although we’ve been visiting family in the Kingsport, TN area for years, we just recently found out about the wonderful playground at Warrior’s Path State Park. Darrell’s Dream is set in a beautiful wooded area, with a stream running through it. Walk up to the tree house to the left, …
I love taking M to hands-on children’s museums. They always offer creative, educational, and fun stuff to do that in most cases I can’t provide at home. The Hands On! Regional Museum in downtown Johnson City, Tennessee has two floors packed with many, many different activities for kids of all …
We did something different this year during our annual visit to the Gatlinburg area. We found the Pigeon Forge Gem Mine in one of the many local coupon books, and decided to try it. We purchased one $15 bucket and allowed my daughter to do most of the “mining” – …
If you are planning a visit to the Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg areas, how would you like to incorporate some outdoor experiences and history into your vacation? The beautiful Great Smoky Mountains National Park offers both in abundance! Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post. I am an affiliate …
Family-Friendly Fun Amusement park experiences can vary depending on the park and how old you are: fun for the kids, but not Mommy and Daddy, who have to chase them around! Or, fun for the whole family – unless you need a stroller or wheelchair. My family has visited Dollywood in …
Fascinating and Educational If you are visiting Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee this year, be sure to visit the Wings of America exhibit and show. It is a fascinating glimpse at America’s birds of prey, including the Golden Eagle and Bald Eagle. The show is captivating to kids and adults …
A “Family” Farm The beautiful Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead is located on 12 acres in Overland Park, Kansas. It not only has many attractions for kids, but many features to draw their parents as well, including lovely gardens and a one-room schoolhouse. I was thrilled with the many “photo-op” areas …
Over the past several years I’ve visited the Creative Discovery Museum several times with my nieces and daughter, and when the weather turns warmer we plan to go again! Only 1-1/2 hours or so from Huntsville, Chattanooga is one of our favorite day trip destinations. It makes a great weekend …
Today was a beautiful fall day for Cotton Pickin’ Pumpkins at Tate Farms! A little warm when the clouds moved away from the sun, but otherwise perfect. When I saw the sea of cars in the parking lot out front I was a little dismayed, but we paid the $10 …
Hands-On Learning & Play If you are traveling on I-40/I-75 near Knoxville, Tennessee, consider a side trip to the Oak Ridge Children’s Museum! From exit 376 it is about 13 miles to the museum – about 25 to 35 minutes (click here for directions). We hadn’t planned ahead, but found …
A Beautiful Day Yesterday was a beautiful day for a trip to Green Mountain. I had visited the Madison County Nature Trail only once several years ago, so it was like discovering it again for the first time. After a picnic beside the tranquil lake, we started our walk along …
Hands-On History For Children The great thing about children’s museums is that you rarely have to say “don’t touch that!” EarlyWorks Children’s History Museum is part of Huntsville’s EarlyWorks Museum Complex. (The other two museums included in the complex are Constitution Village and the Historic Huntsville Depot.) We became …
Learning and Playing Outdoors We visited Burritt Museum on the Mountain today; it had been years since I’d been there, but I had good memories of their Candlelight Christmas celebration. After enjoying a picnic lunch overlooking Huntsville (a great view even if it was a little hazy today) we explored …