Tag: family

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Book Reviews Tips

Cheapest travel destinations? Here’s your guidebook

worlds-cheapest-destinations_3rd_180pxWhen my Perceptive Travel blog editor Tim Leffel sent me a review copy of his guidebook The World’s Cheapest Destinations: 21 Countries Where Your Money Is Worth A Fortune, I was a bit skeptical.

It’s not geared specifically to family travel, and even though Tim’s an experienced Dad as well as a terrific travel writer, I worried that this particular book would get too “backpacker-y” for my blog’s readers.

Not to worry – although there are several countries listed where only the most intrepid parents would take the kids, I found a lot of good ideas here for my own travel planning.  There are super-helpful price ranges for each country, to help you plan typical expenditures for lodging, meals, transportation and seeing attractions.

At the end of each section, Tim describes what you can get in each country for the equivalent of one US dollar or less;  “3 rats on a stick in Laos” – yay! Humorous local color notwithstanding, he gives plenty of examples of less, um, exotic purchases.

His quick evaluations of each country’s best beer or local liquor are an “adults only” bonus.

Consider this book as a value-focused destination Idea Finder; it gives you a broad overview of what to expect at various budget levels, then you can plunge in and buy a country-specific guidebook (if you’re thinking south of the US, Tim has also written the excellent Traveler’s Tool Kit for Mexico and Central America.)

Some of the book’s best tips for parenting travelers:

***  Go long. Better to make a journey and stay in one place or region for two or three weeks than rage all over trying to pack in too many sights. With young kids, this goes double. Get off the plane or out of the car, slow down and stay awhile; you’ll learn and enjoy a place a lot more.

***  Take advantage of budget airlines within regions.  If you are going to country-hop, they’ve shrunk distances across Europe and Asia. For more airline ticket info, there’s BootsnAll’s own Cheap Air Tickets site.

***  Money quote from Tim: “If you demand pampering at every stage, you will pay pampering prices.”  Cheapest Destinations does NOT think that staying in Ye Olde Fleabag Hotel is such a fun idea; Tim insists that countries he lists as desirable have basic tourism infrastructure and support, and he’s also quite blunt about where you’ll find a “soak the tourists” mentality.

***  The book is very sensitive to the dietary needs of vegetarians; I like that and don’t see it too often. Tip if you’re vegetarian:  go to India.

***  Places that I personally want to take my family after reading this book? Jordan, Turkey and Guatemala. Tim is a fan of Spanish immersion classes in Guatemala, which he’s done with his wife and kids. It sounds terrific.

***  More places that intrigue me:  Honduras and Peru. Of course, the recent Shashi Bellamkonda guest post about Machu Picchu here on Family Travel already had me fired up.

***  Europe a must-do for you? Consider Hungary, Portugal and rural Spain (for more on kids in Spain, see Jeanne at SoulTravelers3.)

***  Bargain skiing – Transylvanian Alps in Romania, in the Czech Republic and in Turkey.

This is an excellent reference book if you have a globe in one hand, a budget in the other and kids in front of you saying, “When can we go someplace really cool?”

Normally after a book review I do a giveaway, but sorry, I’m keeping this one because Tim autographed it just for me.  He wrote, “To Sheila – step away from the laptop!”

Think the guy knows me pretty well?

You can buy World’s Cheapest Destinations here (where the purchase price goes to Tim and the publisher, without middlemen) and there’s an ebook version there as well. See this page for more purchase options.

Categories
50 State Series USA

Family travel in Nebraska

Nebraska's Lake McConaughy state recreation area (courtesy jakesmome on Flickr CC)Every week or so until we run out of states, I’ll be posting about family-friendly vacation ideas, attractions and events in each one of the US states, taking input mostly from Twitter and Facebook.

Yes, I know how to search for travel ideas on a destination or attraction Web site, but a tweet or a Facebook Wall recommendation is a much more engaging and public way to spread the word.

Please don’t email suggestions to me; that’s nice but it is one-to-one communication. Tweet me and/or Facebook me, so that all of our networks can see what’s cool about your state.

We’re going in alphabetical order but started with the end, so our first state for the series was Wyoming, then we investigated Wisconsin, West Virginia,  Washington,  Virginia,  Vermont,  Utah, Texas,  Tennessee,  South Dakota,  South Carolina,  Rhode Island,  Pennsylvania,  Oregon, Oklahoma,  Ohio, North Dakota,  North Carolina, New York, New Mexico, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Nevada and now we’re moving on to….Nebraska!

They are doing a solid job with social media:  @NebraskaTourism represents that state on Twitter, they have a Facebook Fan Page, they share videos on their YouTube channel and they’re perfect for road trips with tons of scenic drive podcasts.

When I asked for Nebraska ideas, here’s what came in….

Twitter Travel Tips for Nebraska

***  From Theresa via @SixSuitcaseTrav on Twitter – Have always loved hiking in Fontenelle Forest in Bellevue, NE. The Omaha Children’s Museum is great place for kids. Good times for all and membership worthy. Check out the Arbor Day farm in Nebraska City, NE home of the Arbor Day Foundation, tour includes a free tree seedling. A must visit is the Henry Doorly Zoo and a stop by Zestos for the best malts in the world!

***  From Anne Szustek via @the59thStBridge on Twitter – Omaha has some great vintage clothing shops [appeals to tweens, teens.]

***  From Kayt Sukel via @TravelSavvyKayt on Twitter – Lincoln NE has a really cute Children’s Museum: https://bit.ly/AIekL.  And I’ve heard good things about the zoo: https://bit.ly/tSl2K

***  From Sarah V. via @Wandering_Off on Twitter – Omaha:  Strategic Air & Space Museum is fun! Joslyn Art Museum also good.

Facebook Travel Tips for Nebraska

***  From Linda Wolfgram Kramer on Facebook – Something I came across that looks interesting: at Fort Robinson State Park, you can sleep in a “cabin” crafted from the fort’s old enlisted or officers’ quarters.

A friend who lives in Nebraska highly recommends Railroad Days, which take place in Omaha and across the river in Council Bluffs, Iowa. She liked it enough to write five blog posts for me about it: https://minnemom.com/2008/08/03/railroad-days-5-great-stops-2-days-10/

***  From Bill Genereux on Facebook – Right now is the best time to see the sandhill cranes along the Platte. Amazing to see! https://www.nebraskatravels.com/sandhill-crane-migration.html

Homestead National Monument, near Beatrice. https://www.nps.gov/home/index.htm

Fort Robinson is where Crazy Horse was when he was killed. Must see Cabelas in Sidney or Kearney. Speaking of Kearney, the Platte River Monument is worth a visit.

Pioneer Village in Minden used to be a cool place but I dunno how well it’s been maintained. It’s been years. I want to take my kids sometime though.

Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo https://bit.ly/taYGU and the Strategic Air & Space Museum, Ashland https://bit.ly/cOA2GP

According to a friend, Omaha also has a children’s museum, railroad museum, Kansas City Royals minor league team, downtown slides, riverwalk, carriage rides. I’ve been wanting to take my family to Omaha for a while, but we haven’t gotten it done.

***  From Jeanne Cole on Facebook – Minden NE has a really awesome museum with so many things to see you can’t do it in a single day! I called Pioneer Village, here is the link https://www.pioneervillage.org/ and, yes I have personally been there for two days! Our classic car group took a road trip to Minden in late 2005. Probably time to go back!

***  From Kay Bell on Facebook – Minor league baseball! Rosenblatt Stadium is home of the College World Series (https://www.cwsomaha.com/);  I got to attend some of the CWS games the summer I spent in Omaha. The rest of the summer Rosenblatt Stadium is home to the Omaha Royals, the Triple-A affiliate (top level of minor league ball) of the Kansas City Royals since the Royals joined the American League in 1969. https://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/index.jsp?sid=t541

Thanks so much for the contributions, everyone!

The BootsnAll Travel Network has an Omaha, Nebraska Travel Guide as well.

The next state in the series is Montana.

Send your Montana highlights to @SheilaS on Twitter or write them on my Facebook Wall (please tell me you’re a 50 state-er if you want to friend me.)

My purpose for this series is not only to highlight worthy kid-friendly vacation destinations in all 50 states, but by using Twitter and Facebook I want to also encourage tourism organizations to learn more about connecting with their visitors using social media and online networks.

Please add your own Nebraska suggestions in the comments below, if we’ve missed anything. Thanks!

Categories
Tips USA

8 tips on taking the kids to Las Vegas

Sin City Suckers at Mandalay Bay convenience store (photo by Sheila Scarborough)My first (short) visit to Las Vegas was to help run the Tourism track at BlogWorld and New Media Expo, but I tried to scope out a few family travel angles in Sin City while I was there.

Here are my thoughts about this surprising place:

1)  Even though the campaign to market Vegas as “family-friendly” was mostly a bust, it’s still not a horrible destination with kids, as long as you avoid the racier casino floor action.

I was constantly amazed by how many parents seemed to think it was OK to walk their children through smoky areas (with gyrating dancers around the blackjack tables) at 10:30 at night.

Where the hell do they think they ARE….Poughkeepsie?

2)  The climate is incredibly dry. Be obnoxious about making everyone drink extra water and pace themselves, or the whole clan will have raging dehydration headaches every day.  Bathe in lotion, while you’re at it.

3)  The city’s reputation as a cheap place to visit is only true up to a point. The struggling economy has resulted in some amazing hotel deals in Las Vegas, but they’ll get you elsewhere in the wallet.  Food at those famous gourmet Vegas restaurants will cost a pretty penny. ATM fees are some of the highest I’ve seen ($4.99 – are you kidding?) Cocktails are not cheap unless you game the system and work those Happy Hour deals. It cost me money to check in online and print my boarding pass for my outbound flight; whoa. There are free things for families to do, but as always, plan ahead.

4)  Public transportation is poor. Either prepare to walk a lot, or catch a lot of taxis. The monorail seems like it would be helpful, but it has a weird schedule of stops and doesn’t run the length of Strip. It’s OK sometimes, but not something I could depend on to run to the places I wanted to go (nor was it always easy to find the stops via the confusing signs in meandering casinos.)

Update 13 Dec 2010: a new Las Vegas express bus service just opened connecting the airport with more of the city. If you aren’t laden down with luggage, this could work.

5)  If you are a social media fan, this is your town. Most of the major hotel properties/resorts are very active on Facebook, Twitter and location-based services like Foursquare (often with check-in deals available to participants.)

6)  Across the board, at every resort and restaurant, the staff that I met were really nice and friendly. The tough economy has hurt them badly, plus the real estate crash in this part of Nevada is godawful. They want your business.  It’s not glitzy at all a few blocks away from the Strip; it’s tough. Tip generously when you can – I did to the casino bartender who generously pointed out which drinks would NOT cost me anything at a conference social event, before I dropped $14 on my favorite bourbon and Coke.

7)  I’d say, go hang out at the swimming pools – except in the midday sun, of course. There are a bunch of family-friendly pools in Las Vegas, and my travel blogging friend Mary Jo says her top pick is the pool complex at Mandalay Bay resort.

8 )  For a half-day trip, do try to make it out to the Hoover Dam. That is one impressive place.

Fellow traveler Gary Arndt had the best description of the town’s bizarre otherworldliness: he’d heard that “Vegas fakery is like a Beatles tribute band. You know they aren’t the Beatles, but you appreciate the attempt.”

This was a short trip and I was tied up with the BlogWorld conference, so didn’t get out much….what did I miss for kids?

Categories
50 State Series

Family travel in Pennsylvania

Love in Pennsylvania (courtesy mezone at Flickr CC)Every Tuesday until we run out of states, I plan to post about family-friendly vacation ideas, attractions and events in each one of the US states, taking input mostly from Twitter and Facebook.

Yes, I know how to search for travel ideas on a destination or attraction Web site, but a tweet or a Facebook Wall recommendation is a much more engaging and public way to spread the word.

Please don’t email suggestions to me; that’s nice but it is one-to-one communication. Tweet me and/or Facebook me, so that all of our networks can see what’s cool about your state.

We’re going in alphabetical order but started with the end, so our first state for the series was Wyoming, then we investigated Wisconsin , West Virginia , Washington, Virginia, Vermont, Utah, Texas, Tennessee, South Dakota, South Carolina, Rhode Island and now we’re moving on to….Pennsylvania!

I was inundated this week by social media-savvy Pennsylvania folks and their input….hurray!

Their state tourism organization is on Twitter at @PATourismPR (update – and for more visitor info see @VisitPA.)  They aren’t on They are on Facebook at the VisitPA Facebook page, and so is Pennsylvania State Parks.

When I asked for ideas, here’s what came in….

Twitter Travel Tips for Pennsylvania

***  From Philadelphia Tourism via @VisitPhilly on Twitter  —  I brought my nephew to Smith’s Play Place in Philly’s Fairmount Park. Tricycles in Smithville were a hit! Smith: The Kid’s Play Place in the Park.   Also brought brought my nephews to Please Touch Museum (recently reopened.)

***  From Kimberley Kradel via @ArtistAtLarge on Twitter  — Don’t know if it’s still a favorite, but when I was a kid in West PA, my favorite was a day at Kennywood on the old roller coasters! [Yes, it is still there!]

***  From Wendy Perrin via @WendyPerrin on Twitter  — My 3 boys’ fave family-friendly event in PA is “A Day Out With Thomas [the Tank Engine]” in Strasburg https://www.strasburgpa.com. We go every September.

***  From Kayt Sukel via @TravelSavvyKayt on Twitter  — Love the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh. Also partial to Kennywood amusement park.

***  From the Philadelphia Federal Reserve via @PhiladelphiaFed on Twitter  — Check out the Philadelphia Fed’s free lobby exhibit “Money-in-Motion.” Next to the Constitution Center:  https://www.philadelphiafed.org/education/money-in-motion.

***  From Kristin at Visit Pittsburgh via @Kristin_VstPgh on Twitter  — Pittsburgh has great family friendly attractions. Visit https://www.visitpittsburgh.com.

***  From Bill Church via @BillChurch64 on Twitter  — Steelers camp (now open,) Latrobe, historic Kennywood Amusement Park, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh inclines, Daffins Candy, Sharon.

***  From Kim Haynes Hollenshead via @Kim_Hollenshead on Twitter  — Can you add a tour of Herr Foods in Nottingham PA? https://www.herrs.com/SnackFactoryTours.html Nothing’s better than a hot/fresh chip!

Continue reading “Family travel in Pennsylvania”

Categories
50 State Series USA

Family travel in Missouri

Kids at the Gateway Arch, St Louis MO (courtesy Wendy Piersall at Flickr CC)Every week or so until we run out of states, I’ll be posting about family-friendly vacation ideas, attractions and events in each one of the US states plus the territories, taking input mostly from Twitter and Facebook.

Yes, I know how to search for travel ideas on a destination or attraction website, but a tweet or a Facebook Wall recommendation is a much more engaging and public way to spread the word.

Please don’t email suggestions to me; that’s nice but it is one-to-one communication. Tweet me and/or Facebook me, so that all of our networks can see what’s cool about your state.

We’re going in alphabetical order but started with the end, so our first state for the series was Wyoming, then we investigated Wisconsin, West Virginia,  Washington,  Virginia,  Vermont,  Utah, Texas,  Tennessee,  South Dakota,  South Carolina,  Rhode Island,  Pennsylvania,  Oregon, Oklahoma,  Ohio, North Dakota,  North Carolina, New York, New Mexico, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Nevada, Nebraska, Montana and now we’re moving on to…Missouri!

The state is busy on all the major social media channels: they have multiple fun and engaging Twitter voices including @VisitMissouri plus @MoTravelMama, @MOTravelGuy, @MOPhotoGirl, @KatiesTrail, @MissMOitAll (awesome name!) and fishing updates from @VisitMOFish.  There is a Missouri tourism Facebook Page, a nice blog called The VisitMO Bistro and plenty of photos in @MOPhotoGirl’s  Missouri Flickr pool.

When I asked for Missouri travel ideas, here’s what came in….

Twitter Travel Tips for Missouri

***  From Sarah V. via @Wandering_Off on Twitter – I’m originally from MO! Columbia is a great college town.  St. Louis Zoo is phenomenal & free. Also, STL art museum.

***  From Sharlene via @DoubleAdventure on Twitter – Loved Main Street in St Charles when I was there earlier this month. And of course the arch.

***  From MoTravelMama via @MoTravelMama on Twitter – St. Louis offers many free attractions in Forest Park including an amazing zoo, history and art museum and science center. Kansas City also has a lot of free attractions: Money Museum, Kaleidoscope, Hallmark Visitors Center, great shopping and food. Branson ideas: Dixie Stampede, Silver Dollar City, Acrobats of China, Butterfly Palace, Titanic & Branson Landing, perfect for fams. Hannibal is a great family town. 4th of July is a great time there, Mark Twain Cave, Paddle Boat, Twain Home & downtown shopping.

(Can you tell she’s the Director of Communications for Missouri tourism?)

(cont.) Lake of the Ozarks has great family resorts, indoor/outdoor waterparks, shopping, water sports, mini golf and go-karts, and more! Jefferson City is has the State Capitol Building with museum, historic prison tour, Central Dairy Ice Cream, conservation center. St. Joseph is full of historical treasures. Pony Express , Patee House, Jesse James Home, Glore Psychiatric & Black Archive Museum. Hwy. 36 is the Way of American Genius. Disney, JC Penney, John Pershing, Mark Twain, Jesse James all lived along this highway. Springfield has a great Discovery Center, Jump Mania, Dickerson Park Zoo, Fantastic Caverns, Candy House & many historic theaters.

***  From Miss Dazey via @Miss_Dazey on Twitter – George Washington Carver National Park….families can learn history, explore science, hike and much more  https://nps.gov/gwca/index.htm Precious Moments Chapel, Carthage, MO  (town is neat too)  https://preciousmoments.com/content.cfm/park_chapel

***  From MASchweers via @MASchweers on Twitter – in St Louis – the Steam Ship Arabia…rather interesting.

***  From Andrea Torres via @AustinAndrea on Twitter – Never been, but my Missouri friends all reminisce about Silver Dollar City in Branson.

***  From Jared James via @count_01 on Twitter – Consider Elephant Rocks State Park, down in southeast MO, not too far from Ste Genevieve, which is itself worthy of mention.

***  From Allie Dillon via @AllieDillon on Twitter – Powell Gardens, 30m east of KC, MO on Hwy50. “Great place to grow family memories.” My sister loves this place. @powellgardens

***  From St. Joseph, Missouri via @StJoMo on Twitter – Visit the Pony Express Museum; all exhibits kid friendly including Play Area just for kids. www.ponyexpress.org St. Jo (MO) boasts 13 museums & 50+ listings on Nat’l Register of Historic Places (2000+properties) https://dld.bz/eQ6s This summer cool down at the St. Joseph Aquatic Park: enclosed water slides, lazy river & zero degree entry https://bit.ly/bFE4te Help celebrate the opening & dedication of the four-lane US Hwy 36 across the State of Missouri https://bit.ly/ddNGGL Remington Nature Center sits on the banks of the Mighty MO. Lots of kid-friendly attractions and activities https://bit.ly/cbOLlt

***  From Matt Flener via @mattflener on Twitter – Try fitz’s root beer in st. louis…great root beer fun! https://www.fitzsrootbeer.com Also if you like outdoor adventures…try devil’s ice box in columbia, mo https://www.mostateparks.com/rockbridge/cave.htm

***  From Mike via @VistaVision on Twitter – Kids like Lambert’s Cafe, Sikeston, Mo., where they throw much of the meal at you. https://bit.ly/aZ8G9r

***  From Jacqueline Conrad via @jhandleyconrad on Twitter – St Louis Zoo (excellent, well known and free,) Cardinal Baseball Game, Grants Farm, Lake of the Ozarks (huge,beautiful lake with tons to do.)

Facebook Travel Tips for Missouri

***  From Dara Quackenbush on Facebook – Visit Chillicothe, the home of sliced bread. While you’re there, go to the Hy-Vee and get a tenderloin sandwich. Evidently, it’s THE thing to do. 😉

***  From Jen Miner on Facebook – Kansas City! The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

***  From Michel Hudson on Facebook – The University of Missouri in Columbia has a bunch of museums with a wide variety of things – all for free admission. Here’s a link to a page with current info: https://mizzouwire.missouri.edu/stories/2010/summer-fun/index Oh, and the Buck’s Ice Cream mentioned on that page is REALLY good – made on campus by one of their colleges.

***  From Todd Randall Jordan on Facebook – Missouri History Museum has large schedule of events – https://www.stlouiskidsmagazine.com/story/ice-cream-and-other-stories-history-museum

Get the Scoop: July 16 and 17 – Did you know the ice cream cone has a connection to 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis? Come learn about the history of this delicious dessert.

Aunt Katie’s Visit: July 23 and 24 – In 1990, local author Katie Rodriguez Banister survived an auto accident that left her paralyzed from the chest down. In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, she will read her book Aunt Katie’s Visit. She will also demonstrate some assistive technology.

Backyard Buddies: July 30 and 31– Listen to the adventures of the critters found in your own backyard.

And more throughout August.  ‎

Thanks so much for the contributions, everyone!

The BootsnAll Travel Network has some Missouri travel articles as well.

The next state in the series is Mississippi.

Send your Mississippi highlights to @SheilaS on Twitter or write them on my Facebook Wall (please tell me you’re a 50 state-er if you want to friend me.)

My purpose for this series is not only to highlight worthy kid-friendly vacation destinations in all 50 states, but by using Twitter and Facebook I want to also encourage tourism organizations to learn more about connecting with their visitors using social media and online networks.

Please add your own Missouri suggestions in the comments below, if we’ve missed anything. Thanks!

Categories
50 State Series USA

Family travel in New Mexico

Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta - worth every BIT of hype you've heard (photo by Sheila Scarborough)I took a 50 state series hiatus there for awhile, but we’re back!

Until we run out of states, I’ll be posting about family-friendly vacation ideas, attractions and events in each one of the US states, taking input mostly from Twitter and Facebook.

Yes, I know how to search for travel ideas on a destination or attraction Web site, but a tweet or a Facebook Wall recommendation is a much more engaging and public way to spread the word.

Please don’t email suggestions to me; that’s nice but it is one-to-one communication. Tweet me and/or Facebook me, so that all of our networks can see what’s cool about your state.

We’re going in alphabetical order but started with the end, so our first state for the series was Wyoming, then we investigated Wisconsin, West Virginia,  Washington,  Virginia,  Vermont,  Utah, Texas,  Tennessee,  South Dakota,  South Carolina,  Rhode Island,  Pennsylvania,  Oregon, Oklahoma,  Ohio, North Dakota,  North Carolina, New York and now we’re moving on to….New Mexico!

Their state tourism organization is on Twitter at @NMTourism. I found a Facebook Fan Page for New Mexico but I’m not certain that it is controlled by the state’s tourism office (they should fill out the front page bio to confirm that.)  There’s a Flickr Group Pool for New Mexico, but no YouTube channel, although I did find Albuquerque tourism on YouTube.

When I asked for ideas, here’s what came in….

Twitter Travel Tips for New Mexico

***  From Elmer Boutin via @rehor on Twitter:  I love Ruidoso and Cloudcroft, NM. Carlsbad Caverns is fun, too. Deming is a great little town, though not really a touristy place.

***  From Debbie Dubrow via @DeliciousBaby on Twitter: Explora Science Museum in Albuquerque has tons of hands-on fun. (More on ABQ and New Mexico on this page of her site and here is her Santa Fe info.)

***  From Donna L. Hull via @DonnaLHull on Twitter: You might consider El Morro National Monument for your New Mexico blog post.

***  From Betsy Drager via @BetsyDrager on Twitter: Christmas at Taos Pueblo is awesome; brings all peoples together.

*** From Rachel Farris via @MeanRachel on Twitter: White Sands, museum of the horse in Riudoso, hiking in the Lincoln National Forest, Casa de Patron B&B in Lincoln-Billy the Kid town!

*** From Kara S. Williams via @karasw on Twitter: Santa Fe Children’s Museum has loads of hands-on exhibits. Climbing into cliff dwellings at Bandelier Natl Monument – fun for kids.

Facebook Travel Tips for New Mexico

***  From Marilyn McCray on Facebook  —  New Mexico has so much for families. Start with the pueblos….

Continue reading “Family travel in New Mexico”
Categories
50 State Series

Family travel in Virginia

My son in Jamestown VA aboard the Godspeed, with the Susan Constant in the background (photo by Sheila Scarborough)Every Tuesday (this week we’re a day late – sorry!) until we run out of states, I plan to post about family-friendly travel ideas, attractions and events in each one of the US states, taking input mostly from Twitter and Facebook.

We’re going in alphabetical order but started with the end, so our first state for the series was Wyoming, then we investigated Wisconsin , West Virginia , Washington and now we’re moving on to….Virginia!

These guys are HOPPIN’ online  —  you can find their state tourism organization on Twitter at @VisitVirginia plus @VATourismPR, and here is the Virginia travel and tourism Facebook page.

Their state parks folks are on Twitter at @VAStateParks. There is also a Virginia tourism YouTube channel, the Virginia Flickr pool and a whole site for Virginia Green Travel.

When I asked for ideas, here’s what came in….

Twitter Travel Tips for Virginia

From Dwight Silverman via @dsilverman on Twitter  —  [Virginia Beach’s] Capt. George’s Seafood Buffet is good for kids. Huge amounts of good food; my sister calls it “Capt. Gorge”. She lives in VA Beach.

From Nancy Schretter via @KidTravel on Twitter  — Virginia’s my home state. Two of my favorite VA parks for families are Lake Anna and Smith Mountain Lake. They’re fabulous!

From Jenna Schnuer via @JennaSchnuer on Twitter  — Here’s one of my favorites – and definitely a great family travel spot. Link is to my WorldHum piece about [the Clinch Mountain’s Carter Family Fold dance hall, with old-time country and bluegrass music]  The Most Joyous Place in the World.

From @jayne52 on Twitter  — My favorite place: Arlington National Cemetery, so moving, & historical Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Kennedy gravesite esp. at holidays.

From Char Polanosky via @charpolanosky on Twitter  — Williamsburg, Busch Gardens, Great Wolf Lodge, Water Country USA make for a great family vacation in VA.

Continue reading “Family travel in Virginia”
Categories
50 State Series

Family travel in West Virginia

west-virginia-play-train-courtesy-aydingrace-at-flickr-ccEvery Tuesday until we run out of states, I plan to post about family-friendly travel ideas, attractions and events in each one of the US states, taking input mostly from Twitter and Facebook.

We’re going in alphabetical order but starting with the end, so our first state for the series was Wyoming, then we investigated Wisconsin and now we’re moving on to….West Virginia!

The state tourism office isn’t on Twitter or Facebook yet (so you West Virginia folks might want to give ‘em a nudge!)  Since their new state slogan is “Open for Business” (a branding move, basically) they should consider reaching out to possible visitors, plus their own residents, with social networking tools.

Hey, even small town and rural people are definitely on Twitter.

When I asked for input, here’s what came in (no one responded on Facebook….)

Twitter Travel Tips for West Virginia

From the Elk Horn Inn (here’s their personal blog) via @ElkHornInn on Twitter  —  ATVing in southern WV; trout fishing in Elkhorn Creek; Oct. Sky Fest (in honor of the October Sky book and movie – the author was from here) in Coalwood, Pipestem Tram, trainspotting, Gary Bowling’s for music…(note from Sheila – here’s a touching video about Gary’s by West Virginia-based writer/editor/singer Douglas Imbrogno – I love discoveries!)

From Chris Bailey via @Chris_Bailey on Twitter  —  Near and dear to my heart..Stonewall Jackson Heritage Arts and Crafts Jubilee (Labor Day weekend) 2 miles from my boyhood house..must visit New River Gorge.

From Monica Benoit Beatty via @MonicaBB on Twitter  — Berkeley Springs WV fun place to swim for kids. Geo Washington’s bathtub‘s there. He was a small dude if he fit in it! (note from Sheila – when we chatted in person this past week, Monica also mentioned the Martinsburg Roundhouse Center, a B&O Railroad attraction.)

From @mechteach via Twitter  —  Canaan Valley/Blackwater Falls nice in summer/winter, many activities, lots of VRBO/HomeAway rental houses around too.

From Carla via @redyelllow on Twitter  —  Did you already get [whitewater] rafting on the Gauley or New Rivers? (got it!)

From Peggy via @PeggyCoonley on Twitter  —    W.Virginia annual Scottish Festival & Celtic Gathering https://www.scots-westvirginia.org

Finally, from the BootsnAll Travel Network  —  booking West Virginia campgrounds and a first-hand report on whitewater rafting.

Thanks so much for the contributions – the next state in the series is Washington.

Send your highlights to @SheilaS on Twitter or my Facebook page (tell me you’re a 50 state-er if you want to friend me.)

Yes, I know how to search for family travel ideas on a destination or attraction Web site, but a tweet or Facebook recommendation is a much more engaging and public way to spread the word.

My purpose for this series is not only to highlight worthy kid-friendly vacation destinations in all 50 states, but by using Twitter and Facebook to also encourage tourism organizations to learn more about connecting with their visitors using social media and online networks.

Please add your own West Virginia suggestions in the comments below, if we’ve missed anything. Thanks!

Categories
Tips

The Christmas ornaments are coming out

Cape Hatteras NC lighthouse Christmas ornament (photo by Sheila Scarborough)It’s that time of year – when we pull out boxes o’ holiday stuff and try to figure out where it’s all going to go amongst all of the other stuff that’s already out.

(Still, it’s a nice problem to have.  Some folks don’t have homes at all….learn how to help from the incredible Mark Horvath and InvisiblePeople.TV.)

Meantime, the fresh-cut tree from Elgin Christmas Tree Farm is sitting on the porch in a bucket.  I know, that’s pretty lame since we brought it home on Saturday.

My daughter is now home from college to help decorate it, too, which my son is very excited about!

We may go as a family to see the new Harry Potter movie together, since we’re all fans.  It is nice that my son is old enough now to see more mature movies so we can see something besides kiddie stuff.

Meantime, from my archives, here is a Flickr photo slideshow of our Christmas ornaments from around the world (US ornaments and international ornaments.)

Pardon me while I go find more of those little hangars that the vacuum cleaner will be sucking up until July….

Categories
USA

History class is in session at the Cherokee Strip Museum’s Rose Hill School

Rose Hill School at Cherokee Strip Museum in Perry, Oklahoma; spelling bee in progress (photo by Sheila Scarborough)The teacher’s voice was clear and firm:  “No, sir, I’m afraid that is incorrect. You may step down and take a seat.”

It was a spelling bee in progress at the Rose Hill School, an historic one-room schoolhouse built in 1895, but now located behind the small Cherokee Strip Museum – all about this unique area which was partially populated by an 1893 land run – in Perry, Oklahoma.

The students I saw were from a modern school near Tulsa, but once brought by bus to Rose Hill for a day of pioneer schooling, they were transformed by period attire and their surroundings.

I almost missed this magical moment, because I was in a hurry to get down to the Oklahoma City area for a business meeting. Thank goodness I decided to hop across the little wooden footbridge over a creek and poke my head into the classroom “just for a minute.”

Rose Hill School entrance (photo by Sheila Scarborough)

The real teachers were seated in the back to watch, but the starched-shirt pioneer teacher substitute seemed to need no assistance in class control as students were marched through spelling words at fourth grade level, with each word featured in a sentence that might have been used one hundred years ago in McGuffey’s Reader (sentences featured a lot of farm work, like churning butter.)

It was a lovely fall day, with leaves swirling over the period toys laying outside – like wooden hoops – and there were student bonnets neatly hung on pegs in the mudroom entrance and little lunch cans in a hutch.

For a huge American history and Little House on the Prairie fan like me, it was one of the best 20 minutes  I’ve ever spent in a museum, with its original cast-iron stove in the middle and wooden desks in tidy rows.

Visit Rose Hill School on Facebook, and if you want to see a class in session yourself, they’re held between 9:30 am and 1:30 pm Monday through Friday (but the Cherokee Strip Museum itself is closed on Mondays.) Visitors are welcome to tour the school any time, and watch a bit of any classes in progress, but for the full experience you’ll need to be brought there with a student group, arranged through the museum.

For a quick meal while in Perry, drive into town (it’s right off of Interstate 35, past the corporate headquarters for Ditch Witch construction equipment) and try the Kumback Cafe on the town square, serving thousands of customers for decades, including a visit by gangster Pretty Boy Floyd.