Atlanta With Kids: Geckos at Fernbank Museum

September 14, 2010 By 4 Comments

Atlanta With Kids - Fernbank Museum Geckos ExhibitBefore the beginning of school year, we took the kids to Fernbank Museum of Natural History. With a great deal we snagged from Groupon for 50% off for a family membership, we were able to enjoy a great family day out on a cheap.

The Fernbank Museum has a great permanent exhibits and also educational and fun special exhibit throughout the year. Currently, the Geckos: Tails to Toepads is on display until the end of September.

Atlanta With Kids - Fernbank Museum Geckos ToepadsWe went there during the weekend that they also hosted a fun family day. So kids pretty much enjoyed the fun games as well as the fun display of live bugs in the area.

Once we stepped inside the exhibit, their attention was drawn to various types and varieties of Geckos in the enclosures.

Atlanta With Kids - Fernbank Museum Geckos Sign

I love the fact that they put up the little treasure hunt on each enclosure. Kids and adults spent time trying to locate geckos in the enclosure to see if we could locate all the geckos in that enclosure.

Atlanta With Kids - Fernbank Museum Hidden GeckosCan you find where is the gecko?

It’s very interesting to learn about different environments these little creatures could survive in.

Atlanta With Kids - Fernbank Museum Sensing NatureWe did spend some time walking around the permanent exhibits. Even though, we have visited the Fernbank Museum in the past, our kids still enjoyed checking out the Sensing Nature room where they could learn about how their sense work together to understand the environment.

With many interactive stations, it’s no doubt one of the favorite room for kids as they can touch and play.

Atlanta With Kids - Fernbank Museum Penny PressedAnd the visit wouldn’t be complete if they didn’t get their own souvenir. Our budget friendly souvenir is still the pennies pressed. Their little pennie book is almost full. I guess it’s time for me to invest in a new book for them.

Family Tips:

  • Check out many deal sites in Atlanta area for discount tickets. So far I have seen deals from Groupon and HalfOffDepot.
  • There is also IMAX theatre where different movies are shown. Check the schedule if you and your family are interested. The IMAX ticket is sold separately.
  • The museum is not that big so this can be done in half day.
Filed Under: Attractions/Museums, Georgia Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Huntsville, AL With Kids: Caverns, Science and Rocket

September 3, 2010 By 7 Comments

Huntsville With Kids - AlabamaThe weekend before our school started here in Georgia, we squeezed in a last hurray before we all back to the routine of life. We packed up the car and drove to our neighboring state in Alabama for a fun weekend of family friendly activities in Huntsville. Here are the sneak peek of what we did in Huntsville during this weekend trip.

The Wonder of Nature at Cathedral Caverns

Huntsville With Kids - Cathedral Cave HelmetOur first stop while we were en route to Hunstville was Cathedral Caverns. This was our first visit to any caves with kids. A cave helmet was a great souvenir to get them excited about the journey lied ahead.

Huntsville With Kids - Cathedral CaveI will have to write a more detail post on our journey deep into the caverns. It was such a cool and great experience. The Cathedral Caverns State park is well maintained so it was very easy for family to enjoy. The path along the caverns is paved and you can easily navigate with your stroller.

Sharpen Young Mind with Science

Huntsville With Kids - Sci-Quest CenterSci-Quest was our next stop in Huntsville. This small, yet fun science center provided us with many hand-on exhibits that we spent the rest of the day there.

Blast Off Their Imagination with Space Center

Huntsville With Kids - US Space & Rocket CenterOur last stop was the main attraction that we came here for. The US Space & Rocket Center was hosting the special Star Wars exhibit. And the kids were truly excited as we pulled into the parking lot greeting by the huge space rocket.

Huntsville With Kids - US Space & Rocket Center Star WarsNeedless to say, Mr. Z couldn’t stop talking since. He even asked if we can move there permanently. Only if he will realize that the Star Wars exhibit is only temporary and they have already moved on to the unknown destination.

Visit back soon as we dive into the detail of our fun visit in this small town.

Also check out other traveler tales at Photo Friday and Spotlight Thursday.

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Orlando With Kids: The Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park

August 30, 2010 By 16 Comments

Orlando With Kids - Typhoon Lagoon The ViewWhen talking about a visit to Orlando and more specifically Walt Disney World, most people will probably think about the big 4 – Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studio. But for us, summer family trip to Orlando only means a water park. Our last trip we enjoyed our visit to Disney’s Blizzard Beach.

This time around we went to another Disney Water park at Typhoon Lagoon. I always recommend my friends who visit Walt Disney World in summer or even spring to at least plan a day to the water park. Not only, it’s a great way to break out park routine but it’s a wonderful way to beat the heat in Florida.

What I Like About Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon

Orlando With Kids - Typhoon Lagoon EntranceEasy on the Wallet (sort of)

The Typhoon Lagoon is part of Walt Disney World theme parks but the price is very comparable to local theme parks in Orlando. I mean we are still talking about a big chunck of cash for a family of 4 but at least it’s much cheaper than the main Disney Theme parks.

Plus you don’t have to pay for parking like other parks so it’s a perfect place to enjoy even half a day or a whole day.

Fun For the Whole Family

Orlando With Kids - Typhoon Lagoon Lazy RiverHaving little kids always create a challenge in finding a fun ride that will satisfy the whole family. At Typhoon Lagoon, there is something for everyone. We especially love the Castaway Creek where we could float along the gently steam as it’s winding along the park.

Orlando With Kids - Typhoon Lagoon The Wave

And for the dare devil of the family, there is no dispute that the Surf Pool is one of the kids’ favorite. They braved the chest-high water and patiently waited along with hundred of kids and adult in the blue pool. As thundering sound roared from the distant, the crowd started to prepare themselves. Parents held on tight to their children’s little hand. School-age kids pushed down their goggle and breathed in the last big breath.

The wave as high as two story house crushing down to anticipating kids. Some rode with the wave and got pushed all the way in land to the white sandy beach. Some ducked down under the water as the tide passed. Some swam up and found the strength to ride on it. In the end, you heard the cheer and the laugh all around.

Fun For the Littlest of the Family

Orlando With Kids - Typhoon Lagoon Kids ZoneKetchakiddee Creek is a perfect safe haven for babies and toddlers to enjoy the cool water slide, fun fountains, waterfalls or the mini ripply-rapids ride. At first, Miss J and Mr. Z anxiously waited in line to ride on the mini ripply-rapids raide. But soon discovered that the ride was too timid for their liking.

Fun For Big Kids and the rest of us

Miss J and Mr. Z are bordering big kids size so we were able to have fun in most of the 9 waterslides attractions available in the park.

We enjoyed the Strom Slide, the fast moving body slide that twists and turns through waterfalls, caves, and geysers then drops into an exhilarating pool at the bottom, so much that we slid down the 3 different slides twice so that’s a total of 6 slides in one day! Luckily, the line was not long at all.

Our second favorite ride was the Gang Plank Falls, a 4-person family inner tube. The walk up was a bit of a work out for the daddy but it was all worth it as we descended down the 300-foot long waterslide.

Family Tips:

  • Bring water shoes for everyone. You will be walking a lot between ride. And on a hot day, it wasn’t fun to walk bare foot.
  • You can bring cooler to the park. So to help save money, you can bring water, sandwich and snacks for the mid-day break.
  • Rent a locker to put valuable items and your clothes because you won’t spend much time at your spot.
  • Don’t forget to reapply your sunscreen regularly and make sure to dry yourself before doing so. Trust me, apply sunscreen to the wet body doesn’t help.

Disney Vacation

Orlando Things To Do on raveable
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Atlanta With Kids: Six Flags Over Georgia

August 20, 2010 By 11 Comments

Atlanta With Kids - Six Flags Over Georgia Map

During summer, we took Miss J and Mr. Z to Six Flags Over Georgia using their free tickets from their school reading reward program and with the current promotion of adult pays child ticket, we were able to save quite a bit in tickets admission.

Our First Time Experience was 2 Years Ago

We haven’t been to Six Flags in a couple years. Our first visit to Six Flags Over Georgia was when they were still pre-school and I found that it wasn’t much they could enjoy. It was more of a hassle to have to explain to them why they couldn’t get on the ride because they were too short or too young.

Now that they were older and hopefully more reasonable, we took a chance.

A Different Game Plan and Approach

After talking to a friend of us who recommended us to go to the park in the afternoon and stay late instead of going early in the morning to escape the heat, we decided to head there after lunch.

It might seem weird to go there late but it worked out pretty well. The park during the summer time close at 10PM so even when we arrived at 2PM we still had a full 8 hours in the park. This approach however might not work with a family with younger children who have early bed time. For our kids, they could easily stay up until midnight if we let them.

When It Rained, It Poured

Atlanta With Kids - Six Flags Over Georgia Railroad

Well, we thought that would give us plenty of time to explore the whole park. Unfortunately, the mother nature didn’t agree. It was raining for a good hour while we were there. So after the rain, a lot of rides were close and we spent time walking around trying to find a ride. Mr. Z was pleased to hop on the Railroad and enjoyed the preview of many rides in the park that he hoped he could conquer.

Small People Area: Spanish/Bugs Bunny World

Atlanta With Kids - Six Flags Over Georgia Santa Maria

For us, even though they are now in school, their sizes are still small comparing to their peers. So there were still many disappointment when they couldn’t get on several rides they hoped for.

We decided to head to Spanish/Bugs Bunny World – the area mainly for younger kids. This area provided us with an insurance that they would be able to enjoy every single ride and with less wait time as well.

By now, we were all hot and sweaty. It was time to head to the back of the park for some water fun.

Water Fun in the Park

Atlanta With Kids - Six Flags Over Georgia Skull Island

When we visited Six Flags Over Georgia last time, the Skull Island was already closed. So this time, we were looking forward to it.

I think we could have just come to the Skull Island and they would be VERY happy about it.

But as a parent, it was very stressful to have to keep an eye on your kids running around in the slippery and wet area. No matter how many times you tell them not to run, they just couldn’t easily contain their excitement.

Atlanta With Kids - Six Flags Over Georgia Skull Island Slides

We spent the rest of our time in the Skull Island. In hindsight, I think we should have come to this area sooner. They had so much fun that I think we might have to visit Six Flags again before they close for the season.

So if you have the little dare devil in your household, I think this is a park that they will absolutely enjoy. Mr. Z is working hard to grow himself a few more inches so he can enjoy most of the roller coaster rides. Check out Six Flags Over Georgia tickets page for various deal and ticket combination.

Family Tips:

  • Bring extra change of clothes and towel for Skull Island water fun.
  • Check out the ride restriction so you can plan your visit accordingly.
  • We purchased bottomless refill drink to enjoy cold drink throughout the day. Yes, it’s soda but it’s only for a day. :)
  • Purchase ticket online to avoid the line at the entrance.

Check out other travelers stories with Photo Friday from Delicious Baby and Spotlight Thursday from Trekaroo

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Bangkok With Kids: Family Friendly Stops along BTS Skytrain

August 9, 2010 By 2 Comments

Riding the BTS (Bangkok Mass Transit System) is one of the activity that we did in Bangkok that Mr. Z is still talking about and asking about till now. I think we could do that all month long and he would think that it was the best day of his life.

Purchase A Day Pass

The cost to ride the BTS for adult and kids (taller than 100 cm) can range from 15 Baht to 40 Baht. We decided to purchase a day pass for 120 Baht (it costs around $3.75) and made it a BTS day. A day pass allows us to be able to hop on and hop off in any stop or ride the BTS as many times as we want in one day. It’s a perfect choice for us.

Here are family friendly things to do near BTS stops in Bangkok.

The Sukhumvit Line

Ekkamai Station (E7)

The planetarium and Science Museum: It’s only a few steps away from the Ekkamai station. The Science Museum has various hand-on and interactive exhibits for kids in this multi-levels building. Unfortunately, when we visited, they worked on updating several exhibits. I hope our next visit, there would be more exhibits that work!

Another worthy note here is that a lot of displays are in Thai so it might be more difficult to read and understand. But our kids were bouncing between exhibits they hardly paid attention to the words or descriptions.

Phrom Pong Station (E5)

The Emporium Jamboree Land: The Emporium shopping mall is one of the high end shopping mall in Bangkok. If you plan to travel on the budget then don’t even bother shop in there. You won’t find anything worth purchasing.

However, it’s a great stop to escape the heat with a little break for kids. The Jamboree land is very small comparing to other kid indoor play area in other malls but there are enough rides and activities for kids to last a couple hours. We enjoyed making craft and played in the bounce house.

You can stay at nearby family friendly hotels*:

Siam Center Station (CEN)

Siam Ocean World: The Paragon – Siam Ocean world is one of the top destination for family in Bangkok. This underground aquarium is surprisingly fun and has a lot to offer as a day trip in Bangkok. The price is not cheap by Thai standard but comparable to other tourist attractions around the world. We have visited the Siam Ocean World in the past and I have to say I was surprised that I still enjoyed it as much.

You can stay at nearby family friendly hotels*:

Mo Chit Station (N8)

Bangkok Butterfly and Insectarium: Located next to the famous Chatuchak Weekend market, this insects’ natural habitat provide a sanctuary for over 500 butterflies.

Silom Line

National Stadium Station (W1)

Bangkok Art and Cultural Center: As we have reveals the little hideaway on the basement level of BACC, this place is a great stop for a nice quiet break in the crazy day. The Kids library has a great selection of books with both English and Thai.

Sala Daeng Station (S2)

Lumphini park: A popular green space in the middle of the city. Lumphini park has many things to offer for families. You can enjoy a leisure walk in the morning and observe the locals work on their Tai Chi or enjoy a peddle boat in the lake.

You can stay at nearby family friendly hotels*:

*Note on hotel recommendation: I have never had to stay in the hotels so the list is based on the rating I found and the location that I think it’s convenient to the BTS station.

Have you done BTS day during your visit to Bangkok? Is there any fun stops I missed?

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Bangkok With Kids: Escape the Heat in Wat Pho (The Temple of The Reclining Budha)

July 30, 2010 By 19 Comments

There was no doubt in my mind that our trip to Thailand would be hot. It’s just inevitable.

During our day trip to Wat Pho was no different. The best thing we could do just prepare ourselves physically (hat – checked, fan – checked, breathable clothes – checked) and mentally.

Get Ready to Explore Wat Pho

So we marched into Wat Pho late morning with a game plan to beat the Bangkok heat. First we would replenish ourselves with cold water and yummy popsicles as often as we could. Forget about checking out the site and walking the whole temple. We would just have to pick and stick only to the main area.

The Reclining Budha (Phra Buddhasaiyas)

Our first stop after an ice cream break was to visit the Reclining Budha. With the measurement of 46 meters long and 15 meters high, the Golden Reclining Budha is one of the most visit sacred destination in Thailand.

Built during Rama III’s restoration of Wat Pho, the Reclining Budha is designed to illustrate the passing of the Buddha into nirvana. The feet and the eyes are engraved with mother-of-pearl decoration, and the feet also show the 108 auspicious characteristics of the true Buddha.

Calm, Cool and Coins

As we walked around to the other side of the Budha, the 108 bronze prayer bowls are lined along the wall as visitors put a coin to each one as they give merit and wish for good luck.

Don’t worry if you don’t have 108 coins handy in your pocket, there is a donation table that already setup a bowl of coins for you.

As we dropped one coin at a time to the bowl, I could feel the stillness and calm inside the building.

Thai Massage at the Original Thai Massage School

Along with being one of the oldest and largest temple in Bangkok, Wat Pho is also known for Thai traditional massage school. And that was my game plan number two. As much as I would love to walk around the grounds, I knew that my family was melting rather quickly. So we played a game of “Get in the Shade” as we made our way to the back of the temple for the Thai Traditional Massage area.

To my surprise, the upgrade from fan to A/C definitely provided us with much comfort and relief we looked for. The Wat Pho massage that I have seen in the past was done in the open area where fan was the only source of air flow. Now that they had upgraded to A/C, we couldn’t sign up fast enough for massage sessions for the whole family.

Yes, I mean the whole family as in Miss J and Mr. Z as well. I guess we could say their first Thai massage experience were truly from the origin.

Family Tips:

  • Dress in appropriate clothes as a temple is a place of worship.
  • To avoid the heat, the morning hours will provide some relief from hot Sun in mid-day.
  • To cover the grounds with kids might be too much in the heat. So plan to break it up to small area.
Filed Under: Attractions/Museums, Thailand Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Orlando With Kids: The Orlando Science Center

July 28, 2010 By 12 Comments

During our recent visit to Orlando, after so many trips to Disney World Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Universal Studio and Island of Adventure, it’s time that we switch it up and do a non-theme park day for a change.

The Non-Theme Park Attraction in Downtown Orlando

So we decided to take a day to explore Orlando downtown. With our family membership to our local Science Museum, thanks to the deal from Groupon Atlanta!, we received reciprocal admissions to Orlando Science Center. There is nothing better than free admission to local attractions.

The Orlando Science Center looks rather small from the outside but it impressed our kids as soon as we parked. The walk way from the parking garage to the entrance provided them the unique view to see the cars driving by underneath. Yes, for many part of the world or even in a big city, it’s normal.. But for these kids, it’s something they thought was so cool!

KidsTown and NatureWorks

We started off from the first floor to check out Kids Town and Nature Work.

From adult’s perspective, the Kids Town is small and decent exhibit, not as big as the one we have seen in EdVenture Children’s Museum. But for kids, I think they can spend hours in there if we didn’t persuade them that there were more to see.

The walk through Nature Work was fun and provided a good hand-on and learning experience. The staff was friendly and we also got a chance to touch and feel both snake and baby alligator.

Explore the Science Park

Next stop was probably where we spent most of our time. The Science Work is a really great place with hand-on and interactive exhibits that allow kids to touch, push and play for all their heart content.

Mr. Z’s favorites were probably between the Hurricane chamber and the race car platform. How cool was it to be in a chamber with 70 MPH wind!

Another neat and very education exhibit within the Science Park is the H2NOW city. Kids learned about the use of Hydrogen energy from earning the Hydro Cell to power the miniature city. It was a great way to help their little brain to focus on learning. Even if it’s just a bit!

We spent the rest of the afternoon checking out various exhibits like the DinoDigs, Frog (the traveling exhibit), Diabetes: A Deeper Look and SimMan. It was rather quiet on the weekdays. It was so quiet to the point that we thought we were the only ones in the whole place.

Before we knew it, it was the closing time. So we didn’t have a chance to check out the Crosby Observatory.

Overall, it was a fun day away from the buzz and busy of the theme parks that kids can truly enjoy.

Family Tips:

  • If you have family membership to your local Science Museums, check if they have a reciprocal membership with the Orlando Science Center. You will save your admission fee. The parking is $5.
  • I don’t know about weekend, but weekday is very quiet so it’s a good day to visit. This will allow kids to be able to enjoy interactive exhibits with more time to explore.
  • You can explore the whole center in about 2-3 hours. This can be a half day trip.

This post is part of Trekaroo Spotlight Thursday. Check out other family travel posts.

Orlando Things To Do

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Fun Things to Do with Kids in Huntsville, Alabama

July 19, 2010 By 7 Comments


Ok.. It’s a confession time. I feel a bit unmotivated to update the blog lately. Guess you guys know from the infrequent update recently. We did have a great summer with so many trips far beyond my expectation. But all the traveling seems to wear me out. I even swore of traveling for a while.

However, I guess travel soul die hard. We are at it again but this time it will be just for a quick weekend trip to Huntsville, Alabama.

Why Huntsville?

Huntsville has a nickname as ‘The Rocket City’ because it has the U.S. Space and Rocket Center there and that’s where we want to go for this trip. It’s not just the Space Center though because right now they have the traveling ‘Star Wars’ exhibits.

And needless to say, we HAVE to go there. Mr. Rojo is a HUGE fan of Star Wars and he proudly raises Mr. Z to be another little Jedi in a making. The kid can name all the ships from the Star Wars collection so I know he will be so ecstatic once we get there. We will keep that a secret about the exhibit and can’t wait to see his face.

I can’t just go to Huntsville without checking out other fun things to do with kids. So here are family friendly things you can do in Huntsville for a quick weekend getaway.

1. U.S. Space and Rocket Center – The main attraction for the Huntsville especially for school aged kids. The U.S. Space and Rocket Center also provides space camp for kids and parents. It’s something I might consider when they are a bit older. For now, they have one of the coolest exhibit (at least for a big Star Wars fans)

2. Sci-Quest – A hand-on science center with more than 100 permanent, interactive exhibits in seven different subject areas. Unlike a typical “museum,” Sci-Quest‘s exhibits are designed to engage, educate and entertain.

3. Huntsville Botanical Garden – The Huntsville Botanical Garden has the largest seasonal butterfly house with over 2,000 butterflies, tadpoles, frogs and other critters. The Children Garden and the Tremendous Treehouses are sure going to be a big hit for the kids.

4. Cathedral Cave – Not exactly in Huntsville downtown but only a short drive and we will be able to explore one of the wonder in nature. The Cathedral Cave is part of Alabama State Park and is located about 40 minutes East of Huntsville. We have never been to a big cave before so I’m looking forward to taking the kids and let them experience the beautiful formation that Mother Nature has created.

5. Earlyworks Museums Complex – With the options of Constitution Village for history buff kids, Children’s History Museum for the hand-on, interactive kids, or Huntsville Depot & Museum for all-things-move kids, it’s sure a good pick for the whole family. And if you have your local family membership to your Children Museum and they participate in the reciprocal program with ACM then you are in luck because you can get in for free.

6. Unclaimed Baggage Center – Now, that we spend most of our itinerary for kids entertainment, I have to put in a stop for moms. Since the Unclaimed Baggage Center will be on our way without any detour, it’s only appropriate that we stop by and *check* them out. It’s the Lost Treasures of Travelers around the world – sounds like a great bargain hunting place for me.

That’s probably will pack our weekend to the brim. But please feel free to leave a comment if you know of other fun things to do with kids that are not on this list.

Huntsville Things To Do

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Bangkok With Kids: A Quiet Escape In the Midst of Chaos

July 9, 2010 By 8 Comments


Bangkok is a city of crowd street and chaos and there is no way to sugar it up. Where ever you go, you will surely see a sea of people on the buses, in the mega malls or along the sidewalks.

So where could you find a quiet place to escape those craziness for a few hours?

Hidden on the ground floor of the fairly new Bangkok Art and Cultural Center right in the middle of the city is the Art Library with special children room – Kid’s Corner.

Central Location

The Bangkok Art and Cultural Center (BACC) is located just off the last station (National Stadium) on BTS Silom line across from both MBK and Siam Discovery Center, the famous shopping area in the heart of Bangkok.

The Bangkok Art and Cultural Center was opened in 2008 as the city center contemporary art center to connect artists and create new cultural resources for both public and private sectors.

When we first walked in, we were greeted by two giant astronaut-looking model with the height at at least 2 stories tall. Definitely a fun way to start our tour of this center with kids.

The center seemed to be very much ignored by most of the people in Bangkok because even on the busy day where we could see thousand of people walked by, the area was largely quiet and empty!

The Hidden Gem on the Lower Ground Floor

Walking around in the BACC didn’t take long if kids were young and didn’t fully appreciate the different types of art. BUT, heading down to the lower ground floor and kids will enjoy the Kid’s Corners in the Art Library.

Visitors could use the library free of charge. They just asked that you sign in at the guest book.

The Kid’s Corner was clean and spacious with bright color suitable for little ones. There are books lining along all 4 walls with several simple toys for the little ones.

The book selections are surprisingly good. I found several bilingual books with both Thai and English languages.

So if you are in the Siam Center shopping area and look for a place for a downtime, check out BACC library. Best of all, it’s free!

Filed Under: Attractions/Museums, Thailand Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Bangkok With Kids: Thinking of Siam Ocean World

April 30, 2010 By 22 Comments

Three years ago when we went back to Thailand for a family vacation, we met up with my brother’s family for a fun family-friendly day at Siam Ocean World.

Siam Ocean World is one of the main attraction for family with children in Bangkok. It is one of the biggest aquarium in Bangkok and South East Asia. Plus it is located at the heart of Bangkok in Siam Paragon.

However, with the unsettling situation in Bangkok near Ratchaprasong business area, we will probably skip our return visit if the situation is not resolved by then. I do sincerely hope that it will be resolved though.

We went there during the weekend so that my brother’s family could meet us. It was a great family outing even though it was a bit crowd. But that’s something you just have to learn to deal with when visiting Bangkok. We have a lot of people live there.

I was pleasantly surprised to see how well kept the exhibits were. We also purchased the tickets to Glass Bottom Boat. The tour was fun. It was quite nerve racking at the same time when we had 4 kids all under the age of 5 in the group. I think if we go back now my kids will enjoy it even more because they will be able to feed the fish.

There were also many other interactive activities for children and family to enjoy throughout the aquarium. We witnessed the diver feeding at the huge wall-to-wall glass tank. We enjoyed seeing the sense of humor they put in from car fish tank or refrigerator fish tank. Basically, virtually anything can become a fish tank!

It wasn’t long before all the kids were restless. So we headed out and played with Thai mermaids. I guess you can see from Mr. Z’s face how exhausted he was by then.

The benefit of having the Aquarium right underneath the shopping mall was it was easy for dinner or lunch. Bangkok is famous for food. And Siam Paragon food court wasn’t disappointed. If you are a tourist, I think it’s a safe bet to eat at the food court. You will be able to try out different types of food and the price is very affordable as well.

Check out other travelers’ Photo Friday at Delicious Baby.

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Best Places to View Disney Fireworks Outside the Park

April 5, 2010 By 1 Comment

It’s without a doubt that one of the must-do in Walt Disney World, is to find a perfect spot to watch the firework from Epcot – Illumination Show or Magic Kingdom – Wishes Show.  But the perfect spot doesn’t have to be inside one of these parks. There are several spots you can enjoy these fireworks without paying the admission tickets to the park. Check out best places to view Disney fireworks outside the park.

Disney’s Boardwalk

With the close proximity to Epcot theme park, Disney’s Boardwalk is a perfect place to watch the Illumination at night show. You can stroll along the boardwalk and check out various shops around the lake. The best location is the bridge that connect the walkways between the Disney Boardwalk Villas , Disney’s Yacht Club resort and Disney’s Beach Club resort.

You can enjoy fabulous meal at the California Grill before or after the Wishes Firework show. The restaurant will pipe in the music to go along with the show. Don’t do this while you are hungry because there will be no food service during the firework show to prevent your food from getting cold.

The Beach in front of the Polynesian resort

Bring your blanket and enjoy the show by the beach in the Polynesian resort with music from the park pipe to the speakers hidden in the bushes along the beach.

The Narcoossee at the Grand Floridian resort

Another restaurant option for viewing the Wishes firework outside the park is The Narcoossee restaurant.  It is located inside the Grand Floridian resort. Make your reservation at nightfall to enjoy the spectacular view of the firework.

Disney Vacation

See my full article at Oyster Locals.

Orlando Things To Do

Photo credits: 1. Express Monorail 2. Express Monorail

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Best 5 Fun Things to Do with Kids in Columbia, SC

March 29, 2010 By 4 Comments

As you might remember from my Mondays are for Dreaming post about our dilemma for this Spring break, we finally came up with the decision and decided to go to Columbia, SC for a weekend.

I have to admit that at first I have no idea where Columbia, SC is. The only Columbia I know is in South America. Silly me! After a quick search from Columbia Visitor Center website, which I have to say very informative, I have found that there are many things to do and it looks like our Spring break is shaping to be a fun one after all!

Columbia is about over 3 hours drive from Atlanta so it’s a perfect location for a great weekend escape. Here are my Best 5 fun things to do with kids in Columbia, SC.

1. Riverbanks Zoo and Garden

The Riverbanks Zoo and Garden is a must-see in every list I have searched online. It’s a great place for a visit for kids of any ages. Plus I love the fact that it’s a 2-in-1 place. You get the Zoo and the Botanical Garden in one visit. What a value! The ticket price is very reasonable for less than $10 for adult and just over $7 for kid.

I check out their website and found that there are many animal presentation throughout the day. So I might need to spend some times to map out and consult with my little travelers to see what they would like to see on this trip.

Apart from the animals, there are also many fun rides and attractions that I know my kids will love especially the train ride! Check out the Attraction Wristband for $20 that will allow for unlimited ride. I don’t think we will have enough time to do that. We still have to visit the Botanical Garden part.

It’s a bummer that we will miss the Springtime at the Garden Festival that happened this past weekend. But I know I will enjoy taking pictures and hopefully get a few great ones to show you when we come back.

2. EdVenture Children’s Museum

Ok.. This is probably one of the coolest museum I have seen online because of Mr. Eddie – The World Largest Child. The reason I think it’s cool because it’s not just typical statue that you can just look at and be in awe but you can actually climb inside him! I wonder if they will allow adult to climb as well. We will know about that soon.

Visiting the EdVenture Children’s museum is a great way to spend a day for kids to explore, learn and interact. I especially love special exhibitions that the EdVenture currently has on displayed. From Here to Timbuktu is a journey through West Africa and Monkey King: A Story from China will introduce kids to China beyond Chinese restaurant.

3. Congaree National Park

With the Spring is in full swing, a visit to Congaree National Park will give us a great day of outdoor activities that we need. It has been a long Winter and my kids energy level is through the roof. So I’m looking forward to a day to reconnect with the outdoor adventures that we started last year.

I would love to do the Guided Canoe Tour now that Mr. Z is finally old enough for the minimum age. However, I might need to see if he will be able to do it. It’s a 3 hours canoe tour after all. My other option is a guided walk – Nature Discovery.

4. South Carolina State Museum

Another museum? Yup, how can I pass up a museum featuring Pirates, Privateers and Buccaneers? The South Carolina State Museum has 4 large floors devoted to the disciplines of art, history, natural history and science/technology. At first I wasn’t so sure about putting this on my to-see list. But after checking out their website and read about various exhibits from Art, History, Natural Historay and Science/Technology, I’m convinced that Miss J and Mr. Z will have a blast here.

The museum itself has a cool factor because it’s housed in its largest artifact, the former Columbia Mill. This former textile mill also is a world-first totally-electric textile mill.

5. Frankie’s Fun Park

I have to admit that this one will probably top my kids’ list of thing they must do. We don’t have a lot of chance to ride go-cart. So whenever we travel and they spot any go-cart place, we will here a non-stop begging and pleading for a quick round.

The Frankie’s Fun Park has many fun attractions that will make the whole family happy – at least my family! Mr. Rojo will probably spend a good chunk of tokens at the arcade and if I can drag my kids away from the Rookie track, I will probably have to chase after them in the Fun House.

There are still many more activities that I would love to do in Columbia, SC. But I think with these 5 on my list, I’m already pushing it. I won’t sweat it though. It’s just a quick drive from Atlanta so we can always go back there again if we miss out on any fun things to do.

So have you ever been to Columbia, SC? Do you have any additional recommendation for things to do with kids? Don’t be shy! Leave me a comment..

Columbia Things To Do

Filed Under: Attractions/Museums, South Carolina Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Los Angeles With Kids: Best Museums for the young, inquisitive minds

March 10, 2010 By 5 Comments

Taking kids to a museum in Los Angeles can be hit or miss, depending on what kind of museums you visit and what mood your kids are in. Los Angeles might be known for glitz, but don’t let that fool you into thinking that the city is superficial. Your vacation in L.A. can be as educational as you make it. If your kids are in a good mood for adventure and learning, check out these museums:

Page Museum La Brea Tar Pits (5801 Wilshire Boulevard): Where else can you find the piece of history in the middle of the city? The Page Museum hosts one of the largest collection of Ice Age fossils, and that collection is still growing. Kids will love to walk in the park to check out the many tar pit displays. Stop by Pit 91 and you can see what the archeologist have to do to in order to get all of those fossils. Nearby, you can stay in Le Parc Suites hotel in Hollywood.

Los Angeles County Museum of Art (5905 Wilshire Boulevard): This art museum knows how to take care of family with kids — it was even voted one of the ”10 Best Art Museums for Kids” by Parents magazine. There are various programs available throughout the year and kids can bring adults in to visit for free. Plus, it’s located right next door to the Page Museum. Another option for a place to stay while visiting the Los Angeles County Museum of Art is the Petit Ermitage in Hollywood.

Griffith Park Observatory (2800 East Observatory Avenue): Part museum, part observatory, part planetarium – The Griffith Park Observatory will satisfy everyone in the family. Kids seem to be especially mesmerized by the Foucault pendulum at its entrance. As the saying goes, “the best things in life are free.”  You got it.  The best thing about the Griffith Park Observatory is that the admission is free for all.  Though, you will have to pay to watch the planetarium show. It’s just a quick car ride from the kid-friendly Magic Castle Hotel.

See my full ariticle at Oyster Locals.

Los Angeles Things To Do

Filed Under: Attractions/Museums, California Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,
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