Traveling with Kids, SPECIAL Trip Ticks

"Are we there yet"? "I'm hungry". "Mom, he's on my side........Brings back memories I bet for lots of us. Make travel easier for all. Make your child his or her "special", very own trip tick. You can keep them busy, make them feel special, and the time spent in the car will be more pleasant for all. PLUS, the bonus is your kids will actually learn something while on vacation.

Supplies needed:
3 ring notebook
pocket dividers
colored pencils (not crayons they melt, not markers they're too messy)
Plain White Paper for drawing
Lined paper for writing

Divide by area, or state depending on the age of the child and were you're going AND how long you'll be in the car.

Make a few math problems that involve the kids keeping track of monies spent for gas, food, miles traveled, ...let them figure out how many miles per gallon you're getting. Things like how far it is from point A to point B.

Make hidden word puzzles about vacation, the things you're going to do and see along the way.......like the names of cities you'll travel through, the capitals of the states you'll be in, the state bird.

Have pictures to color that are appropriate....like the state bird. See if they can find them or the state flower as they look out the window.

Make a fact sheet about what's interesting in that area, like what famous person came from there, or what sports teams are in that city (if you've got a sports minded kid).

Encourage them to write a travel journal (we left the house at 7 am, and I was the first to see a Cardinal, the state bird of Ohio...), tie it all in together. If your child's a reader, try to find a book appropriate for the area so they'll have something they can tell you. **For helpful tips on how to encourage them to journal, PLEASE visit my SIL's blog.

As you travel ask them what you're going to see next, how far it is to the next stop etc. Make them a part of it.

I did this every year, and after the first year; my daughter could hardly wait to get in the car and see what I'd put together for her. DON'T LET THEM SEE THEIR TRIP TICK BEFORE GETTING IN THE CAR. KEEP IT A SURPRISE.

Turn off the DVD player, car time is wonderful family time...use it. They can watch TV and DVD anytime; make vacation special--make it different.

The picture is just a pretty flower, has nothing to do with the post, just thought you'd all enjoy it.

Vegas Baby!

Vegas Baby! Now what about that statement doesn't spell FUN in capital letters? That's right nothing. FUN, fun, FUN.

The best website for one stop shopping for all your Las Vegas Deals. Not sure where to stay, no problem 100 hotels available with a check availability calendar at your finger tips. Las Vegas Hotels starting at $22.00 a night. Maybe you're not "into" gambling and visiting the casinos just isn't your cup of tea. Plug in a date for availability and pick a show or two. Las Vegas Shows, with plenty of discounts available. Promo codes, discount coupons. Some shows listed at 50% off. Now that's a deal you don't want to miss out on.

So whats so special about Las Vegas? You're not a gambler, you're not into the shows. There's still plenty to do. Take advantage of the many Las Vegas Specials, rent a car, take a tour, go shopping; or use the hand search tool available and find the best possible pool to relax or play in and simply sit back and enjoy yourself. With these prices you can afford to take the whole family.

Yes, there's plenty to do in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Like ART.......
Like to site see?

Or......maybe the Night Lights are your scene.

Preparing for Summer Travel with Children

Summer is officially here, kids are out of school in most areas or soon will be. Families are beginning to think and plan for family vacations, and family outings. Vacations in these economic times might be a bit more varied then in other years. Think of day trips, things to see and do that don't involve the cost of a hotel room. Pack picnic lunches and take snacks and save the money you might otherwise spend at various fast foods.

Think outdoors, think fun, think educational, think Family, think Children. Everyone loves to go to the Zoo. Most metropolitan areas have a zoo. Check on line for discounts that maybe available for "special days". Can you gather the neighborhood, the kids of your co-workers and obtain a group discount?

Grab your sunscreen and make a day of it. Remember small children tire and need breaks, they need to be able to keep moving and not wait in lines, they need bathroom breaks, they need good walking shoes for protection and comfort. No one wants to carry a hot sticky child. If one area is especially busy, pass it by and find something else of interest. Engage the children in the conversation. What do you know about animal x y z? Have you seen one before? How big do you think they are? Take pictures, but keep them at a minimum. Children tire of that very quickly. Use sunscreen and find shade when you can. The happier the child or children are the better time everyone will have.

Prepare them ahead of time....if you're traveling to get to the zoo (or other attraction), do a writing exercise about what they'll see when they get there. Children do better when they know what to expect. Older children can write a journal about their day which can include the traveling to and from, as well as what they saw and did while there.

Follow Beco and his mother to visit with their friends on Animal Talk

**if you missed traveling to The Mission with me, see my previous post
****I'll be writing as a quest blogger Sat 13th on Animal Talk, be sure and check it out

Mission San Carlos Borrome'o de Carmel, Traveling in California

Spain wished to colonize The California Lands, the Catholic Franciscan order wished to bring Christianity to the Natives, and thus The Mission period (1769-1835) along The El Camino Road was born. El Camino Real, the road to connect the 21 missions along the California coast made traveling from one to the other possible.

Mission San Carlos Borrome'o de Carmel, the 2nd oldest of these missions was named for Saint Charles Borromeo. It is considered to be the most beautiful of all the missions and was the headquarters. Father Junipero Serra built the mission, his favorite and is infact buried beneath the alter. This is a must see, and is just south of the city of Carmel.

There is much to see while traveling throughout the grounds, diorama's depicted it's early history, original bibles, pictures showing the various stages of The Mission, a grave yard, beautiful gardens with statues, and of course an impressive gift shop.












Secularization occurred in 1834 putting an end to the missions. They were all sold to private parties, except the church which fell into terrible disrepair. It stood empty, with a collapsed roof for 30 years. The first attempt at repair/rehab took place in 1884, and the 2nd in 1930.

If you're traveling with children make a point to spend ample time in front of these diorama's. There are several and detail is fabulous. Would also be a great way to introduce your children to making a diorama of vacation once they return home.



Touring this mission is very educational for people of all ages, I highly recommend it. What a peaceful thing to do with the family after a hectic hot day at the beach, or perhaps on a rainy day while on vacation. Encourage the kids to write about their visits to interesting places while you travel.

Traveling The Historic Apache Trail, Arizona

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Here I am, your friendly tour guide.

Come travel with me as we tour and enjoy our trek into some rugged country in Arizona along The Historic Apache Trail. There's much to see, it's a full day. Most of my reading about this trail before hand indicated the trail took 5 hours, is 41.5 miles in length, and begins 15 miles outside of Phoenix at Apache Junction. The information I read did not indicate how truly rugged the roads were, that bathrooms were limited, and food even more scarce. The scenery though is well worth it. Beautiful outcroppings, sheer mountains, remote desert areas with cactus and lizards, a ghost town, mountains, hiking, camping, and Ancient Ruins. We spent the entire day...well beyond the 5 hours noted.. You'll experience hairpin turns as your drive through the Sonora Desert and see two common cactus -- Saguaro and Fero.

I suggest beyond my usual note to wear sensible comfortable shoes (which do not include flip flops or sandals), a bottle or two of water, you bring a picnic. There is only 1 place to eat along The Historic Apache Trail, and the offerings there (Tortilla Flat), are very very limited. A another word to the wise, do NOT pass up any opportunity to use a bathroom........it's a long day with only a few places available and most of those are pit toilets. You might also be wise to carry tissues. The shoes are needed to avoid the dirt, dust, and cactus. You will be traveling twisting, wilderness type roads. Only a portion of the drive is on a paved road.



So many sites to see along the way. Beautiful vistas from the inside of the car; as well as multiple opportunities to get out, walk and explore. Theodore Roosevelt Lake and Dam among them.
One of the interesting and very educational sites when traveling the historic Apache Trail is Tonto Monument. There's a visitors center, with a nice gift shop.
A pretty good hike to the top of the ridge provides quite a view of Tonto Monument off in the distance, as well as the city below.

The Indian Ruins are reported to be over 1,000 years old.



Goldfield, a mining town in it's day has been reconstructed, this memorial plague so notes this. You can tour this little reconstructed town for a taste of old west. In it's hayday, this ghost town produced 3 Million Dollars in 4 short years between 1892-1896.



We're looking down on the rugged road, one of the most rugged in all of Arizona. Large RV's and other over-sized vehicles aren't permitted. Some rental agencies don't even permit their RV's to be on this road due to the ruggedness.



The road had recently been graded, scraped...notice the dirt ridge on the edge.

Theodore Roosevelt Dam. The building of this dam was the primary purpose of the road (the paved road), which was built in 1930.


At Days end, a beautiful site. A man made bridge against an awesome sky(not man made) before we start our trek back to the hotel.

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