Five Family Favorites at Downtown Disney Market

July 6, 2009 By 7 Comments

When you tell anyone you are going to Orlando, they automatically assume that you will spend your entire vacation in the Theme Parks. Who can blame them when there are more theme parks than you can visit in one week in Orlando. However, we have been to Orlando countless times and I start to feel Disney-burnout.. Surprise surprise!

Our recent trip down to Orlando for a 5 day vacation trip, we had decided to choose only 1 Disney park and 1 Disney’s Water park. The rest of the time there we enjoyed spending with our friend and another non-theme park favorite location – Downtown Disney.

Downtown Disney is a destination within itself that I think a family with kids will truly enjoy without breaking a bank. It’s very conveniently located right off from I-4. There are plenty of parking and the best of all it’s FREE.

It has various shops and restaurants situated around a lake in the outdoor setting. We loved to go there and enjoy a nice day out in Orlando. A few of our favorite spots are:

1. Once Upon A Toy – A fabulous and unique toy store that offers fun for the whole family for hours. We enjoyed our visit to this store and couldn’t get enough of them.

2. Lego Store – It might be not Lego Land but it is a perfect fun place for lego fan alike. There are plenty of stations that allow kids to explore and play with lego. The creations are also amazing to see.

3. Disney Store – It won’t be Downtown Disney Market without a Disney Store. A mega Disney Store has sections for the whole family from baby, girl, boy, man, woman, and home goods. I think the most popular one is the Disney Princess Salon. Girl will be transformed to a princess with all the pamper from Disney staff.

4. Waterfront Theater – This open-air waterfront theater has events throughout the year. Last year we caught the magic show. This year it was raining. It was right in front of the Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop. Grab an ice cream for kids and a cup of coffee for yourself and enjoy people watching.

5. T-Rex Restaurant – Ok.. We didn’t get a chance to go but it looks so cool that we will have to try. It’s the concept restaurant that similar to Rain Forest Cafe. When we went there, the restaurant just recently opened so the line just to get your name on the waiting list was already longer than some of the ride in Blizzard Beach. So maybe next time…
Orlando Things To Do

Filed Under: Adventures & Vacation, Attractions/Museums, Shopping, Walt Disney World Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Baby Step to Hiking – Backyard Hiking

July 3, 2009 By 10 Comments

Since we are not an avid hiker but I want to do more outdoor adventures with my kids, I decided to start out with one baby step at a time.

We live in a small neighborhood – no fancy pool with slide, no 10 tennis courts, and not even a clubhouse, but we do have a nice nature trail wrap around our neighborhood. It’s a short trail but along the trail we can walk up to a creek.

So a couple weekend ago, I decided on a whim to take them out and check out the trail. We had walked this trail before when we first moved here but at that time we were under the drought condition. So no water for us. But this trip it wasn’t disappointed. We pack our little backpack with bottle of water and hat, then we headed down the street to the entrance of the trail.

The trail is fairly easy to walk. No climbing or difficult rock to climb over. We saw rabbits and birds. In the beginning, Mr. Z was so freak out. I guess too much of the city boy. He wanted to go home as soon as we started the trail because there are too many trees! Go figure! But once we climbed down to the creek, he was in his happy place.

We sat there and listened to the water flow. We took off our shoes and walked along the creek. We slid down the rock slide. We put our feet down and relaxed… Miss J even claimed that it’s the best day of her life! :) Kids! So easy to please.

When it’s time to head back, I promise them that we will try to do this more and next time we will bring our swimming suits so they can just let loose.

Adventure doesn’t have to mean you have to pack your backpack and travel 1000 miles away from home. Adventure is everywhere around you.

How about you? What other around-the-neck-of-the-wood adventure you do?

Check out other travelers’ Photo Friday at Delicious Baby.

PhotoStory Friday
Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Filed Under: Activities, Day/Weekend Trips Tagged With: , , ,

This is Why Everyone Should Tweet

July 1, 2009 By 5 Comments

twitter_icon

I’m pretty much a newbie in Twitter world even though I have my account for over a year. At first I just don’t get how to use Twitter. But now I know that Twitter has a lot of benefits if you really know how to use it. For example, a couple weeks ago I saw a lot of tweets about crazy cheap airline tickets from the US cities to Europe.. I mean really low price. Within 24 hours the price had been adjusted. Turned out Delta made some boo boo on their pricing system and forgot to add the airport fee of $200. Oops for Delta but good for any twitters who jump on that deal.

Then a few days later, I saw another cheap ticket from Atlanta to Honolulu for less than $300 from United. And this deal didn’t even last a whole day. So I learn now that if I see any deals on Twitter, act fast.

Well, last week I saw the tweet from Cookie Magazine asking the first 5 people in Atlanta to reply to their tweet will get free 4 tickets to Thomas & Friends show. I didn’t know if I will make it but I tried anyway. And who would have thought, I was the 4th person and snatched the tickets for my Thomas fanatic son. So this past weekend we took the kids to the Fox Theatre to enjoy the Thomas & Friend Live on Stage: A Circus Comes to Town complimentary of Cookie Magazine.

Now, what are you waiting for? Go get yourself a twitter account. Oh! By the way, you can follow me @theqfamily. :)

Filed Under: Family Tagged With: , ,

10 Fun Aquariums for Family Sleepover

June 28, 2009 By 8 Comments

TN_Aquarium_sleepover

Looking for a fun sleepover for your family? Imagining sleeping under the sea and relaxing with the sound of the wave in the ocean? What could be better than sleep in the deep end with the shark in your favorite aquarium?

Most aquariums around the US offer group sleepover programs for field trips or church group. But there are several dates in the calendar that open to public so you can enjoy family sleepover under the sea. Or if you can’t make the date, why not make it a family mini vacation with your friends and family?

Here are the list of aquariums around the country that I would love to visit.

1. Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta GA – My hometown aquarium is not be missed. It’s one of the world largest aquarium. The aquarium offers different programs for different age group. Most of the dates are for Youth group. But look out for the date that allows family group to attend. The price is on the high range but it also includes aquarium admission, behind the scene tour, activities, 3-D show, dinner and breakfast

Price: $75 for member and $100 for non-member
Minimum Age: 7 years old

2. Tennessee Aquarium, Chattanooga TN – One of a great location aquarium sits along the Tennessee River with the best view in town. The Tennessee Aquarium Sleep in the Deep program available to group only but look out for special occasion family sleepover like July 4th. You will be able to celebrate America’s Birthday while you enjoy the Firework over the river. The price also includes admission to the aquarium, behind the scene tour, evening snack and breakfast. With the price half of the GA aquarium and only a couple hours away, this might be our destination next year when Mr. Z is old enough.

Price: $45 for member and $55 for non-member
Minimum Age: 6 years old

3. National Aquarium Baltimore, Baltimore MD - The Baltimore aquarium is one of my favorite aquarium. The Sleepover with the Sharks program will be a great overnight sleepover for the kids and the whole family. You will enjoy the guided tour to the behind the scene area, participate in hand-on activity, and dare to walk on the catwalk over the shark tank. Then you lay down your sleeping bag at the underwater viewing area where sharks are your sleepover buddy.

Price: $84.95 for member and $94.95 for non-member
Minimum Age: 8 years old

4. Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey CA – The Monterey Bay aquarium offers Family Seashore Sleepover program. It’s available once a month from June to September. So if you live in the Monterey area, you might want to check out availability and register as soon as you know your plan. The price includes aquarium admission, behind the scene tour, light evening snack and breakfast.

Price: $50 for member and $75 for non-member
Minimum Age: 6 years old

5. The Florida Aquarium, Tampa Bay FL – The Tampa Bay Aquarium offers only group sleepover. But if you can get together with your friends and family to have a group of 15 participants then you will enjoy your own private sleepover in the clear tunnels surrounded by sharks, rays and thousands of fascinating inhabitants. The price bases on the number of participants in your group.

Price: $42 per person (group of 15-19)
Minimum Age: 6 years old

6. Atlantis Marine World Long Island’s Aquarium, Long Island NY – The Long Island’s aquarium is one of the top 10  best aquarium for kids voted by Parent magazine. The sleepover program is offered only one time as a special event and this year is on July 7th. So mark your calendar and book your reservation for the unforgettable night filled with activities, movie and adventure

Price: Check with the aquarium
Minimum Age: Check with the aquarium

7. Oregon Coast Aquarium, New Port OR – The Newport aquarium offers both group sleepover and public family sleepover for Sleep with the Sharks program. The program includes hand-on activities, scavenger hunt, early morning behind the scene, pizza and light breakfast.

Price: $50 for member and $55 for non-member
Minimum Age: 4 years old

8. New England Aquarium, Boston MA – The Boston area aquarium offers once a year Family Overnights program so check out the date and make a reservation soon. This year there are 2 dates available for Family Overnights for Nov 7 and 21. There are plenty of activities to keep the little ones busy all night long.

Price: $45 for member and $50 for non-member
Minimum Age: 6 years old

9. Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach CA – The Long Beach aquarium offers fun family sleepover once a year and this year the date is set for July 24. So hurry and check if there is still any availability. This overnight program includes hands-on activities, a craft, pizza dinner, snack, cereal breakfast, and overnight T-shirt

Price: $45 for member and $50 for non-member
Minimum Age: 6 years old

10. North Carolina Aquariums – Both Pine Knoll Shores and Fort Fisher offer group sleepover with small size minimum so it’s possible to get together with a few families to meet the minimum

Pine Knoll Shores: Group minimum – 12
Price: $35 per person
Minimum Age: check with the aquarium

Fort Fisher: Group minimum – 10
Price: $45 per person
Minimum Age: check with the aquarium

There you have it.. Now let’s get packing for a fun family sleepover!

Filed Under: Activities, Day/Weekend Trips, Travel in North America Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Family-Friendly Water Parks In or Around Atlanta

June 24, 2009 By 8 Comments

boganwaterpark

Summer is the time for the fun in the water. When I lived in Florida, pool time was all year round so I wasn’t really appreciated it as much as when we moved here. Everyone anticipate the opening of the pool and it was such a great way to kick off our summer. But going to your little community pool everyday can be boring. I start checking out other water parks around the area to spruce things up for our summer fun day with our kids.

Here is our short list of water parks we have visited or would like to visit in the near future around the Atlanta area.

1. Lake Lanier Islands

As part of the Lake Lanier Islands resort, the Chattahoochee Rapid and Water park is a favorite for Atlantans. There are over a dozen rides and attractions for the whole family.

For family with little one, the kiddie pool will be your home based and you won’t be disappointed. The park planed with parent in mind, the Wiggle Wave and Kiddie Lagoon are situated near the entrance and the beach area so parents and kids can enjoy the relaxing day on the white sandy beach. For family with bigger kids, the fun has just begun. There are waterslides, wave pool and water fun area for them to enjoy. The price might be a bit on the high end but it’s well worth the visit.

You can also make it a weekend vacation by checking in to one of their resort rooms at Legacy Lodge and Conference Center.

Park Info:
Ticket Price: Adult $25.99 Child $15.99
Location: 7000 Holiday Road, Lake Lanier Islands, GA 30518
Contact: 1-800-840-LAKE

Tips:
- Look out for discount coupon if you can visit on the weekdays.
- Buy the season ticket if you know that you will visit at least 2 or more times and the ticket will pay for itself.

2. Six Flags White Water

Boasted one of the top 10 best Water Parks in the US by travel channel. We have yet to experience the Six Flags White Water in Atlanta. There are over 50 rides  for the whole family. Before you head out there, check their website for height restriction so you will be able to see how many rides your kids will be able to enjoy.

Park Info:
Ticket Price: Adult (online special) $29.99 Child (under 48″) $26.99. See sites for more update price
 Location: 250 Cobb Parkway N #100, Marietta, GA 30062
Contact: 770-948-9290

Tips:
- If you can get a group of friends to have 15 tickets, you can get group rate for $23.02.
- To avoid the crowd, try to visit during the weekdays in Summer.
- Start from the furthest ride in the park.

3. Bogan Aquatic Center

Gwinnett county knows their water parks. There are several county parks that have great aquatic center that include indoor lap pool and indoor/outdoor leisure pool. Bogan Aquatic Center is located in Buford near the Mall of Georgia. When we went there, we were hooked. For the price of $5 per adult and $3 per kid, you can’t beat this fun, family-friendly water park. The indoor leisure pool is perfect for the whole family. There is a big slide to the lazy river for big kids and adults. There is a water playground in the beach entry for little one. The picnic tables are availabe outdoor next to the pool so you can plan your picnic for a full fun day at this water park.

Park Info:
Ticket Price: Adult $5, Child (4-10) $4, Child (3 and under) $2
Location: 2723 North Bogan Road, Buford 30519
Contact: 770-614-2063

Tips:
- Pack a snack in a cooler so you can take a break and save money from buying at the vending machine.

4. Sun Valley Beach

One of a few beach in Atlanta area with slides and kiddie play area. I can’t give my personal view on this one since we haven’t visited this place yet. But from the website and other reviews, it seems to be a great family day out. Don’t expect the same types of rides as in Six Flags but I guess the stretch of white sand beach might compensate the lack of other cool attraction.

Park Info:
Ticket Price: Adult $17.95, Child (2-11) $14.95, Child (2 and under) FREE
Location: 5350 Holloman Road, Powder Springs, GA 30127
Contact: 770-943-5900

Tips:
- Get there early so you can get good spot for your stuff.
- Bring cheap water toys that you won’t mind loosing. With lot of people and kids, things can be misplaced.

5. Bethesda Park Aquatic Center

Another great water park from Gwinnett county and this one seems to be the biggest one of all. I have never been there but I’m sure there won’t be shortage of fun. This family-friendly water park features indoor lap pool and indoor leisure play pool. The leisure play pool includes beach entry that perfect for little baby or toddler, the river channel, hydrotherapy benches that will be perfect for mommy and daddy after a long day chasing after our kids, water play struction, vortex and ceiling spray.

Park Info:
Ticket Price: Adult $5, Child (4-10) $4, Child (3 and under) $2
Location: 225 Bethesda Church Road, Lawrenceville 30044
Contact: 678-924-6334

Tips:
- Pack a snack in a cooler so you can take a break and save money from buying at the vending machine.

Atlanta Things To Do

Filed Under: Activities, Day/Weekend Trips, Georgia Tagged With: , , , , ,

Pick-Your-Own Farms Around Atlanta

June 17, 2009 By 11 Comments

blueberries1

Pick you own or You-Pick farm has been one of our favorite activities throughout the year – one of the beauty of living in the Atlanta area. I have never done that before when I lived in FL. Maybe at that time, Miss J and Mr. Z were still too young to appreciate such activity or maybe I was so frazzled as a first time mom that the only thing I could think about was how to take care of them.

So check out some of our favorite farms for any season. Plan your weekend, go out and enjoy! You can also visit pickyourown.org to search for farm in your area.

Summer:

strawberrybucket

Strawberries Picking – The season typically starts from May – Jun. Our favorite is Washington Farm. There are 2 locations in the Atlanta area. One is in Loganville and another is in Watkinville. We have been going to Loganville for the past 2 years and we love it.

The Loganville location is closer but smaller in size. It’s a no frill farm. You go there, park, pick up the bucket or you can bring your own, learn the rule, and start picking. Then after you have eaten (shhhh.. you gotta taste the fruit somehow, right?) and filled up your bucket, you will go up to the stand and pay. I have never been to the Watkinville location so I can’t provide any first-hand experience. But my friend said that they do have small picnic area and playground for kids to enjoy.

Tips:
1. Bring wet wipe or diaper wipe for those little dirty hands.
2. Bring a cooler with ice if you have to drive for a distance to help keep the strawberries fresh
3. Do not wash the strawberries right away. Keep it in the fridge till you are ready to enjoy them.
4. Remove them from the tub and put them in shallower container so it won’t be crushed.

blueberries2

Blueberries Picking – The season starts right after the strawberries season. Last year we went blueberries picking at the Berry Patch Farm around July. The farm is not too far from Alpharetta. It was a really nice farm with small playset for kids to run off their energy. The blueberry picking is not as easy as strawberry. For one, it’s smaller so it will take you much longer to fill up the bucket. For another, the blueberry tree has some sharp branches that you have to be careful especially with small children.

Tips:
1. Watch out for the tape that mark poison ivy. If you see it, then move on and don’t go near it.
2. Head out early in the morning so it won’t be too hot for the kids.
3. Wear sneaker or rain boot. Since you will be there early, the  morning dew will still on the ground.

Fall:

applepicking

Apple Picking – The picking season for the Apple orchard in North GA mostly starts around Sept till Oct. We went to Hillcrest Orchard up in Ellijay (the main Apple orchard city in GA) a couple years ago. It wasn’t what I envisioned for the apple picking. I dreamt about cold crisp air as we walked down the apple trees. I imagined the morning dew on the apple for the lovely morning. But what we got was 70 degree and we wore sweater. So needless to say, it wasn’t pleasant picking. But that’s no fault of the orchard.

The orchard is fairly big with more than just apple picking. They also have a nice shade picnic area for you to enjoy your break, a play area with big slide for kids, a stage with live-music during the weekend, a pig race for us to root for. So it’s not just an apple picking but a fun-filled day for the whole family. Next time, I just have to check the weather channel before we dress.

Tips:
1. Bring cooler to store your apples.
2. Fill up your cooler with snack and water so you can have lunch and enjoy a day out without spending too much money
3. Don’t forget the sunscreen and hat.

pumpkin-patch

Pumpkin Picking – Who doesn’t like to carve the pumpkin, use your hand to scoop out those yucky stuff from the inside and enjoy the masterpiece after it’s done. Around the Atlanta metro area, I think everyone has heard of Burt’s Pumpkin farm. It’s one of the popular farm that sits right in front of the beautiful Amicalola Falls entrance. I think every school has a rule that they must have a field trip there. I could understand why.

Burt’s farm has a HUGE selection of pumpkins. I mean huge and a lot. You will be overwhelmed with all the selections available; big, small, tiny, funny looking, you name it. The pumpkin patch is not the only thing at the Burt’s farm. They also provide a hay ride. It was a fun ride through their farm with some funny prop. There is a creek running through the farm that you can setup and enjoy your picnic after a full day of choosing the perfect pumpkin.

Tips:
1. Try to visit there during the weekday. Weekend can be a challenge with a lot of visitors
2. Bring lunch or snack to enjoy a picnic by the creek.

Now, go out and enjoy this fun, family-friendly and affordable activity with your whole family.

Filed Under: Activities, Day/Weekend Trips, Georgia Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Washington DC With Kids: The White House from Afar

June 12, 2009 By 13 Comments

This is the shot of the White House as close as we could get. We went to DC during Spring Break which coincided to the Cherry Blossom festival and added that to the new president who just recently moved in, we competed with a lot of people to secure the ticket to visit the White House and luck wasn’t on our side. But that didn’t discourage us to make our final destination on our last day in DC to be the White House.

First we stopped by at the White House Visitor Center. We were a bit late to watch the free video about the White House history. But there are plenty of other interesting things for you to see. The exhibits throughout the room show the history of the White House. Kids could sit down and enjoy some game or craft. Parents can shop the White House souvenir like jigsaw puzzle of the White House.

Then we continued along the 15th Street NW to check out the exterior of the White House. I was determined to get the most famous pose with the White House front lawn. Unfortunately, the access to that section was closed that day. So we continued our walk to the Lafayette Square to get the backyard shot of the White House. The square was a nice area with only foot traffic so it’s perfect for kids to roam around. After we fueled up at Old Ebbitt Grill, we walked all the way to the Tidal Basin for one last shot of the Cherry flowers.

Adios DC, till we meet again.

Check out other travelers’ Photo Friday at Delicious Baby.

Filed Under: Adventures & Vacation, Saving, Travel in North America, Washington DC Tagged With: , , , ,

Fun Free (Cheap) Things to Do with Kids this Summer

May 23, 2009 By 4 Comments

Summer is just right around the corner and one of the biggest challenge for all the parents are ‘what to do with our kids for the next 10 weeks’.

I am on the same boat. Last year, we signed them up for Summer camp for most of the Summer. But this year, we will have limited fund to do the same. So I have to come up with some creative and cheap activities for them to enjoy their Summer.

Here are things we have lined up in the Q family.

1. VBS school – This is a great way to engage kids in bible study without boring teaching. There are plenty of churches around our area so I am able to find a few weeks of VBS (with different themes). Most VBS program runs half day for a full week. Think of things you can get done in that timeframe. :) Plus the fun the kids will have. Last year, we went to First Redeemer Church and Bridgeway Church; the program and the planning was so amazing. It was a blast for them.

2. Family Movie Day at AMC – Every Wednesday during this Summer, kids can enjoy family friendly movie at participated AMC theatres for $1.

3. Free Family Move at Movie 400 – Every Tuesday and Thursday, Movie 400 in Cumming will show free family friendly movie. Plus you can get free drink if you bring a canned food for donation.

4. Fun Hiking with REI’s Passport to Adventure program – Introduce kids to hiking and challenge them to win prize with REI’s passport to adventure. Download the journal, check out your local hiking trail, fill out online form to get a certificate of completion and a special prize. Who doesn’t love free gift?

5. Summer Reading program with Barnes and Noble – Kids can earn a free book with they read 8 books this Summer. Join Barns and Nobel Summer Reading Program this year. Download or pick up the Summer Reading Journal to earn free book between May 26th & Sep 7th.

6. Pick up free movie from Redbox every Monday – Ok. Guess you will see a theme here at our household. Movies are big here. So how about one more day of free movie. But this one you can enjoy it at the comfort of your home. Every Monday, check out the Redbox code for free movie and you will be able to have Monday Movie night or Tuesday movie at home before you have to return it before 9pm on Tuesday. Did I mention that it’s FREE?

Filed Under: Activities, Saving Tagged With: , , , , ,

Washington DC with Kids: DC on a Budget

May 11, 2009 By 2 Comments

I know you guys probably have had enough for DC trips for a while. But I can’t help to post about how we did this trip on a budget. It’s probably one of my best trip that I have planned everything and think about budget and try to stick to it. Most of our other trips were just wing-it type.. We planned and then we went and then we came back to pay the price later. So here are some of the things we did to give us a fabulous vacation without breaking the bank.
1. Accommodation – Using Priceline for hotel : This was my 2nd time I have used priceline. Everytime, I feel very nervous. It’s hard to be calm when I don’t know what hotel I will get. But overall, I was very happy with our bid. I got a 3.5 star hotel (Sheraton Crystal City) for $80/night during the busiest week in DC – the Cherry Blossom week. Typically, we love to stay in an apartment or hotel suite with kitchen. But this trip, after I did the price comparison between a condo in downtown DC versus a hotel across the river, I found that we would save over $500 (even after adding the cost of eating out for staying in a hotel) over a week stay.
2. Transportation – Using public transportation aka the Metro : The Metro ride was actually one of the highlighted during this trip for Mr. Z. So needless to say, it’s priceless and very budget friendly for us. We stayed in the hotel that only a few stops from the Mall. I checked out the fare in advance and compared to the 7-day pass. I found out that it was cheaper to actually buy individual tickets rather than the pass. Because normally, we planned one museum per day so we just took the metro to our destination and we walked around.
3. Transportation – Drive to DC : That’s another reason why we chose DC for our Spring Break vacation. Flying for a family of 4 could easily cost over $1000. In order to save on traveling fee, we opt to find a vacation spot that within a driving distance. DC is about 10 hours from Atlanta. It wasn’t bad thanks to portable DVD.
4. Food – Check out cheap eat : I am a big fan of TripAdvisor forum. There are great posts about where to eat on different budget. I also checked out Washingtonian for their cheap eat list. It was a great source to find out where the locals are eating without breaking a bank. We did spurlge one night for a fabulous dinner at Old Ebbitt Grill.. All I have to say is.. Yummo!!
5. Food – Restaurant gift certificate : I admitted that I just recently discovered restaurant.com. It has been such a great site to give us permission to eat out without breaking our budget. Then I realized that I can do the same during my vacation. All I had to do was a little bit of planning. I first checked out what restaurants were available in the area that we will be in or visit during our trip. Then I checked out the review from travelling forum like Tripadvisor. In the end, I opted for the more familiar restaurants that we knew well. I got gift certificate for Ted Montana Grill and Z Pizz. Also to add more to the saving, wait when restaurant.com runs their 80% off promotion to buy your gift certificate. I got $10 gift certificate for $0.60. During our trip, we had great dinner for less than $40 for a family of 4.
6. Shopping – Set price for souvenir : This might not be an issue for everyone but for us it was always the one area that nudge us way pass our budget. So this trip, we had set the limit on the souvenir per kid and it was much easier to shop. There wasn’t whining about wanting that $50 toy because they could read the price and saw that it’s over the budget.
7. Activities - Find free or cheap activities around town : Granted DC was easy to do cheap activities because most of the museums are free. But this can also be applied to other cities as well. We actually went to Baltimore for a day to visit the Children museum. I know that doing museum everyday will probably bore Miss J and Mr. Z to death. So a little break from that was a big welcome on this trip. We were able to save money on the Baltimore trip because we had a national wide family pass that the Port Discovery is a member. So we didn’t have to pay for the entrance fee. Be creative and find a way to have fun without breaking a bank!
What other ways do you do to help saving on your trip? Please share! :)

Washington DC Family Travel Tips

Filed Under: Adventures & Vacation, Saving, Travel in North America, Travel Tips, Washington DC Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The China’s Terracotta Army in Atlanta

April 28, 2009 By 1 Comment

The Terracotta Army from China is probably the second most recognized Chinese treasure after the Great Wall. Mr. Rojo and I were fortunate to visit China many moons ago but we didn’t have enough time to visit the Terracotta Army. And it’s probably almost impossible to make a trip to visit China anytime in the near future. So we were pretty excited when the High Museum in Atlanta had an exhibit of the Terracotta Army on loan from the British Museum.

To fly to London and see the exhibit there ourselves is probably doable.. but the cost saving of seeing it locally is uncomparable. We were so procasinate that we waited till the last weekend to visit. If it weren’t for Mr. Rojo who pushed for it, we might have missed it and I might have kicked myself for not taking this great opportunity.

So we packed up the kids after soccer practice and tracked downtown to visit the High. I guess a lot of people felt the same way of the last weekend before they left.. It was pretty busy.. We decided to join the High membership which allowed us to go through the express lane.. Now this is my kind of membership. :) We spent extra money to get the audio tour. I’m glad we did. Both kids enjoy the audio tour so much. It kept them interested and entertained throughout the exhibit.

The exhibit started with the history of the First Emperor and his time. We learned about the life of the chinese during that time. Once we got to the life-size terracotta army, I was speechless. The details and the expression on each figure was remarkable. This was probably the first assembly line in existance. They created the figure individually and each part was created by different group and then it was assembled and then customized to distinguish and make each figure different from the next. It was just amazing!

It was very mind-bloggling to see the map of the tomb and to learn that the excavation is still on going after 30 years after the first discovery. Not only, it’s an on-going digging but the main tomb has yet been reached. I just can’t wrap my little mind around how many men they will need to make something in that capacity. What kind of tool or technique they have to use.. ah.. I love history!

If you live in Santa Ana, CA then you are in luck. Don’t miss a great opportunity to see one of the most amazing exhibit! You won’t be disappointed.
Filed Under: Activities, Day/Weekend Trips, Georgia Tagged With: , , ,

The World of Coca-Cola

April 26, 2009 By 4 Comments

When you live in Atlanta metro area, you can’t help but see or hear about Coca Cola. After all, it’s the birthplace and headquarter of this mega company. The new World of Coca-Cola has been opened for quite sometimes. Until recently, we had a chance to visit on a nice sunny Saturday.

The new World of Coca Cola is conveniently located next to the Georgia Aquarium and the Imagine It! Children’s Museum. Across the street is the Centennial Olympic Park. So it’s a perfect location to have a full day of all Atlanta favorite tourist spots. When we got there, there were a few field trips but the line to get the tickets was short.
Once we got in, we waited at the lobby area and checked out the amazing Coke bottle artwork around the world. The detail and representation for each of this bottle is amazing. A short wait and then we were directed to see the short film ‘Inside the Happiness Factory’. It was pretty nice and fun short film to give you the glimpse of what Coca Cola wants us to know about their factory..
Then we walked to the Hub which we waited in line to meet the Coca-Cola Polar Bear. I think it was well planned that they timed the guests in group so there wasn’t a long wait and if you aren’t interested in the picture, you can head directly to the next gallery.
One of the things I always do when I go to the World of Coca-Cola is to hunt for the Coke sign in Thai. Coca-Cola is pretty popular in Thailand so I’m sure we are a pretty good customer. And they didn’t disappoint me when I found a sign in Thai language. It was amazing to see how globalize Coke is.. It’s everywhere!
My next favorite part was the Bottle Works. This is where we got to see a real bottling line and see Coke being made right in front of us. Having an industrial engineer background, I love to see all these machines come to life. We probably spent a good 20 minutes watching the Packaging Robot doing his job. And do you know he has a name.. ‘Fizzybot’ is his name..
We then headed to the 4-D theatre to watch ‘The Secret Formula’ show. It was pretty interactive and I don’t think small children will enjoy it much. The chair can shake pretty violently and I heard a few small kids cried. But Mr. Z and Miss J did enjoy them. The 4-D effects was really thought out.. the water, the air, the movement.. It felt like we were at one of the Disney ride.
After the theatre, we headed to the most anticipate room.. the Tasting room.. This was the room that the kids got to drink Coca-Cola products from all around the world. They group the drinks into regions.. Some were pretty good.. some were not so good (ok.. it was really bad). But you have gotta try them all, right?
Each guest can pick up a bottle as they headed out to the gift shop. It was one of those place that you have to visit once..

Atlanta Things To Do

Filed Under: Activities, Day/Weekend Trips, Georgia Tagged With: , ,

Afternoon Fun at Centennial Olympic Park

April 17, 2009 By 4 Comments
A fun stop during our visit to downtown Atlanta at the Centennial Olympic Park new playground. This playground has a few unique structures that you won’t find them in typical playground. The kids love to slide and climb up on the pseudo rock climbing wall built for little one. They also enjoyed the rocking bench! The shade is a huge plus for a hot day in Atlanta.. The location is ideal for family who visit the Georgia Aquarium or the World of Coca Cola for a quick break.

Mr. Z had a blast climbing up and sliding down the slide. The cool feature is the standing slide that roll down make you feel like you are on the roller skate.. Fun time!
This post is part of Photo Friday hosted at Delicious Baby. Check out other participants here.
Filed Under: Activities, Family Tagged With: , ,

Where Have I Been?

February 24, 2009 By 3 Comments

That’s a million dollar question, isn’t it?

Well, I’m still kicking and living here in the C-Town. :) But I just have been too busy reading. That’s right my friends.. I read for a change instead of tuning to the TV.

It all started when I picked up Twilight book and can’t stop since..

Well, we have been busy planning a few trips as well. So I promise to update as soon as I can put my books down.

So far we have several trips in the work.

- Last minute ski trip to Gatlinburg
- Spring break trip to DC
- Maybe.. Disney trip to Mr. Rojo’s Birthday

Till then…

Filed Under: Family
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