excursions

Castlewood State Park & a bite to eat later

shellakers — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 20:22:23 -0800

It was a clear, warm and colorful autumn day today so my husband and I decided to take our 16 year old for cycling. This ended up being our answer to exercise, fresh air, fun and nature! The trails are highly maintained by the state park system. Not being much of a cyclist, myself, I appreciated the fact that there are scenic "novice" trails. There are also expert trails for the expert cyclist. We enjoyed sitting and relaxing by the river after we finished our trail. This is a wonderful park for families to visit, whether you'll want to spend the day backpacking or cycling, playing frisbee or just chilling at one of the picnic sights. After leaving Castlewood State Park, we grabbed a quick bite to eat at the Sonic Drive In at Gravois Bluffs in Fenton. Fas, friendly service and good greasy food!

Hawn State Park: Hiking, Playing then dinner...

shellakers — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 11:51:43 -0800

There are so many things to do in our area that there's really no reason at all to hear "I'm bored!". Last weekend we decided to cash in on some free adventure, exploring and activity. We packed up Grandma, the 4 girls and our little beagle, Dixie for a hike up the mountains at Hawn State Park in Ste. Genevieve Missouri. The fall colors were spectacular and we had so much fun enjoying nature and climbing rocks. Pickle Creek was spectacular too! This is a park that we'd definitely want to come back to in the spring or summer in order to backpack and camp in the designated camping areas. I think the water would be more enjoyable in the summer, as well. We like to go fishing and I can see that the creek would probably get deep enough to fish in after the rainy season. After hiking for about 4 miles, we relaxed back at the playground and watched the girls and Grandma play on the swingsets and monkey bars. Grandma had baked some homemade M&M cookies so we munched on them as we all sat around in the cool, fall breeze talking. I need to add that these hiking trails are maintained and range from novice to experienced. We met several serious backpackers, with all their professional gear coming back from their overnight stay in the hills. After leaving the park, we decided to go into the historic French town of Ste. Genevieve and have a late lunch at The Old Brick House. They have an awesome lunch buffet that's very affordable for a hungry family and the atmosphere was nice.

Rose Park, Georgetown

bvanlaeken — Sun, 20 May 2007 21:50:42 -0700

Rose Park- 26th & O Street NW. Corner Playground right off the road. Follow the trail by that playgound toward M Street and you'll see the sand park- which is great for toddlers and preschoolers. My kids have enjoyed many evenings there & never seem to get tired of it!

Lake Calhoun in Uptown, Minneapolis

bvanlaeken — Sun, 20 May 2007 21:32:37 -0700

Best toddler sand park/playground. We lived in Minneapolis when my son was two. It remains our favorite city. It is clean, cool, and one of the most kid-friendly places that we've ever lived. Lake Calhoun is located in Uptown (where you can also find cool shopping, restaurants) toward St. Louis Park. There is a walking/jogging trail that wraps around the lake. The toddler playground is awesome. There is also a beach for swimming. You can also get ice cream!

Adventure Playland

bethhaught — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 04:59:58 -0800

This is such a great park with many different themes. My son loves to go here and play on the Pirate ship, climb the rock wall, and ride the sea serpent. Here is a link to their site so you can take a look for yourself. http://www.mcparkandplanning.org/parks/park_of_the_day/nov/parkday_nov22.shtm

Lake Lanier Islands

Honikel — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 17:36:33 -0800

Lake Lanier Islands and Water Park is nestled in North Altlanta with sandy beaches and fun for the whole family. Whether you are looking for a little R&R or some fun for the kids and yourself on some fun waterslides and pools Lake Lanier Islands is the place for you. Its beautiful during the summer and has tons of fun things to do for everyone. Also it has an attraction during the winter for the Holidays called the Magical Nights of Lights which is great also, it features festive lights and when you get to the end, you have a huge store where you can get personalized ornaments or get your picture with Santa. It has tons treats like making your own fresh hot, Smores. It also has a carnival with Ice Skating and carnival rides! It is the all year round family environment and totally worth the drive!

Arb Adventure

wanderwoman — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 18:25:21 -0800

Even in the middle of winter, the Arb in Ann Arbor, MI is a wonderful place to explore with your kids. I recently visited when my old friend Marissa came to town over the holidays. Every part of the park was amazing to my 16 month-old daughter. The river, the forest, the open bowl perfect for frisbee anytime. Afterwards, you can take the hospital entrance out and head to Kerrytown for a coffee and sweet treat for your little one.

Diana Rose Farmstead - OP, KS

Saffire — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 15:23:13 -0800

The Diana Rose Farmstead is a WONDERFUL place for children. The park has animals, playgrounds, gardens, and has many fun and educational things for children of all ages. One of the best things is the fact that it is free to the public!!! Some of the other fun things the park offers are: old time fishing pond where kids can fish, ability to feed chickens and baby goats, and both pony and wagon rides. The park has paved trails so it's very stroller friendly. The farmstead also has the ability to host children's birthday parties. Overall, it's a wonderful experience for parents and children. Enjoy!! The website for the Farmstead is: Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead home page

Kew Gardens, Toronto, ON

amwheeler — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 14:43:35 -0800

Kew Gardens has a large playground that has something for infants, toddlers, preschoolers and older children. There is a large sand pit area with little play houses. There are some communal toys in the sand pit but you may want to bring your own. There is a large wooden fort with slides, rope ladders, a fireman's pole, etc. Two other slide sets, one with a climbing wall and the other with monkey bars, slides on these are suitable for smaller children. There are two swing sets, one with infant seats. There are also some spring mounted toys and a teeter totter. In the summer, the splash pad has water and is supervised by life guards. It is suitable for all ages since it gradually slopes towards the center with water depths from a couple inches to about 2 ft. Very beautiful park very near bike paths and Lake Ontario. There is lots of open space for running and playing.

Deanna Rose Farm

oldbacon — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 13:22:55 -0800

Overland Park, KS Once the weather gets warm, we take our two boys (ages 1 and 4) to Deanna Rose Farm. It's combination park, petting zoo, zoo, working farm and playground. There are peacocks to see, goats to feed and a huge twisty slide that comes out of a red barn. There's also fishing, hay rides and pony rides. Picnic tables are everywhere, and there are two small snack bars on site. We started taking our oldest there when he was 2. Every year they add to the farm, and every year I am surprised and delighted by what they've added. It is also great because the kids get to see a great mix of old and new attractions. It's a lot of walking, so I recommend a stroller or a wagon, but my boys were content to spend 2 and 3 hours there. They were also COMPLETELY worn out when they got home, so we'd spend the morning there and wear them out for their afternoon naps. Admission is free.