Cactus gardens, a skull-shaped rock, and those iconic trees

Now that temperatures are regularly dipping below the 100-degree mark, it will soon be safe to venture back into the Mojave Desert.  If your travels take you anywhere near Los Angeles, consider squeezing a day trip to family friendly Joshua Tree National Park into your itinerary.  It’s just 140 miles away, but a world apart.

While camping is always an option, we chose to stay in Palm Springs which is equidistant from two of the park’s three entrances.  We opted to drive 45 minutes to the Joshua Tree Visitor Center, wind our way through the park on Park Boulevard and Pinot Bason Road, and then pop out on the other side at the Cottonwood Visitor Center.  You could do the reverse too.

If you have just one day to spend in this desert oasis with your kids, here’s what you should do and see.

Grab your passports

Yes, your passports.  If your kids don’t already have National Park Passports, pick some up at the visitor center on your way in.    Then they can collect passport-style cancellation stamps and colorful commemorative stickers at every U.S. national park they visit for the rest of their lives.  I can’t think of a better souvenir.

Pack a lunch

There are no services in the park, so stop at a grocery store in Palm Springs, Morongo Valley, or Yucca Valley on your way to grab lunch, drinks, and—depending on the time of year—plenty of ice.  We recommend candy bars too, which can work wonders with reluctant little hikers.

Bring a lot more than you think you need, because the distances are long.  You could easily wind up having dinner (or at least appetizers) in the car too.

Hike to Barker Dam

As you drive to your first stop, you’ll begin to see hundreds of the wonderful trees for which the park is named—they’re even better up close.  Also, this is a mecca for rock climbers, so keep your eyes open for crazy people dangling from ropes.

If you don’t have a lot of time, we recommend the 1.5-mile loop trail at Barker Dam for your hike.  It’s flat with lots of Joshua Trees to ogle and boulders to scramble on.  You might even get lucky and spot some Desert Bighorn Sheep and Mule Deer who often come down to the water to drink.  Keep an eye open for Native American petroglyphs on the west end of the loop.  It can get a little crowded here at midday, but with good reason.

Picnic at Skull Rock

The boulders around this uncanny rock formation located near the White Tank Campground on the main road are as good a place as any for lunch.  Even though Skull Rock is one of the headliners in the park, we looked for it for a long time before finally finding it.

If you’re having a hard time, follow the crowds and look for something tall and pointy and much bigger than you’re expecting (see photo at right).  This is easier said than done in this landscape of serpentine trails and massive boulders, but it’s well worth the effort.

Once you finally find Skull Rock and take some photos of your kids standing in its nostrils, spend some time scrambling over the boulders and admiring the wildflowers here—it’s one of the prettiest areas of the park.

Motor through the Cholla Cactus Garden

If your kids are anything like mine (which is to say, ungrateful brats), by this time they’re probably going to be pretty sick of rocks and gorgeous desert scenery.

That’s just fine because the Cholla Cactus Garden and the wonderful Ocotillo Patch that’s right beside it is right next to the road and can be viewed from the comfort of your car.

Signs everywhere warn you not to stop and they may actually have a point.  I’m sure a lot of people get rear-ended every year as drivers pay more attention to the otherworldly flora than the road.

Written by Jamie Pearson

Rainy Saturday morning + energetic children = day at aquarium
______________________________________________________________________________________________________

side·track (sīd´trăk): n. 1. A diversion from the main course. 2. A detour taken with children that you would never, ever take without them.
__________________________________________________________________________________________

Who and What:
Myself, my husband, and our daughters, Zoe – 3 years and Cora – 2 years. Sea Life Aquarium in the lovely town of Speyer, Germany.

Why:
Simple math: Rainy Saturday morning + energetic children = day at aquarium. Unfortunately, many others shared this brilliant idea.

The High Point:
My kids loved touching a starfish and holding an anemone with the help of the friendly staff working there. The signs describing the habitat and sea life are in German as well as English. There is a glass tunnel you walk through near the end of the tour with huge schools fish, sharks, and a sea turtle swimming all around you.

The Low Point:
We found it to be a bit pricey at 13 euro for adults, 10 for kids. There is a one way path to follow through the aquarium that takes you by each of the exhibits which became quite crowded at some of the more popular displays. The path also goes directly through the gift shop in all of its breakable glory, making it impossible to avoid. Also, be forewarned that there is only one restroom location at the end of the tour for any of you travel savvy potty training moms out there.

The Kids’ Take:
Cora was completely overcome with joy upon spotting a small clownfish in a tiny display: “NEMO!!!!” Thank you, Disney.  Zoe: “Where are the sharks? Are we at the sharks yet? Where are the sharks? Didn’t you say there are sharks here with big teeth? WOW sharks!!!

The Bottom Line:
It would have been a better experience minus the crowd. If you do go, I would make sure you leave yourself a chunk of time to explore the town of Speyer as well. The aquarium is just a 10-minute walk to the impressive Speyer Cathedral, the largest remaining Romanesque church in Europe. Speyer also has a charming pedestrian zone to stroll, pretzel stands aplenty, and if you’re inclined to have a beer while in Germany, check out the Dom Hof brewery, where they have a playground for the kids in the beautifully blooming ‘bier garten’ area.

Like this?  Get our monthly newsletter.

Written by Julie Breitigan

The world’s largest light bulb and more!
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

side·track (sīd´trăk): n. 1. A diversion from the main course. 2. A detour taken with children that you would never, ever take without them.
__________________________________________________________________________________________

Who:
My family of four, including my ten-year old son, three-year old daughter, and my husband; mainly because I don’t drive New Jersey’s crazy roadways if I can help it.

What:
The Thomas Edison Center in Menlo Park, New Jersey. Edison’s laboratory was located on this tract of land from 1879-1884, before he moved to a more well-known site in West Orange, NJ. Still in his 20′s and relatively unknown during his time here, Edison was already churning out patents at the unbelievable pace of a sheer genius. Besides the phonograph and the light bulb, he came up with 400 other patents.

Why:
Museums can be hit-or-miss with kids. Heck, even I get bored walking through stuffy, silent galleries with rows of paintings on the wall. This museum promised a more accessible and engaging experience.

Any grade schooler can attribute the invention of the light bulb to Thomas Edison, but did you know he also invented the phonograph, motion picture camera, dictaphone, mimeograph, storage battery and much, much more? I guess I missed that day of school. Visiting this museum set me straight. The collection includes a model of Edison’s laboratory, early phonographs and light bulbs, original laboratory notebooks from the Menlo Park era, historic photographs, and an early dictaphone known as an Ediphone.

Plus, on the site stands the world’s largest light bulb, and I love visiting “world’s largest” attractions. A monumental replica of Edison’s first practical incandescent bulb, it’s nearly 14 feet of Pyrex glass segments. It sits on top of the 117-foot concrete Memorial Tower, which was built in 1937 by Edison’s employees.

The High Point:
The small staff of museum guides couldn’t be nicer, or more willing to provide one-on-one tours. Our guide patiently answered my son’s questions. Sensing his predilection for all gadgets electronic, the guide pointed out the similarities between how early phonographic recordings were etched into a cylinder, in comparison to how recordings are burned onto a CD today. My son understood, and granted him instant hero status.

Even better, he then played several of the antique phonographs just for us. Even my three-year old daughter stood still long enough to listen to the scratchy melody. Getting that little first-hand taste of history was well worth the trip. Have yourself a 40-second listen!

The Low Point:
The outdated museum building we visited was painfully small, and not great for strollers. A renovation project has begun to make improvements by the fall. Another restoration project is planned to return the light bulb tower to all its Art Deco glory.

The Kids’ Take:
Sometimes a little persuasion – okay, bribery – is needed to convince the kids that a day trip to see a site like this is worth their while. Ultimately, the fourth grader appreciated it much more than the pre-schooler. So we went to IKEA afterwards for Swedish meatballs, and all was right in her world. A little something for everyone!

The Bottom Line:
I would rate this attraction a seven on a scale of ten, especially if you have school-aged children in need of a hands-on history or science lesson.

Due to a strange compulsion for quirky roadside attractions, Traci L. Suppa drags her unfortunate family on trips to see the world’s largest…whatever. She blogs about it at Go BIG or Go Home.

Like this?  Get our monthly newsletter.

Written by Traci Suppa

Throw a stone and you’ll hit a beautiful place to hike, bike, swim, or boat

Amy Whitely is a writer, mother of three, and the publisher of Pitstops for Kids, a review blog about family friendly road trips, roadside attractions, restaurants, parks, motels, and airport play spaces.

Glacier is a large park in a large state, which can be challenging to families with young kids. With planning, there’s no reason for its size to limit how much you’ll see, but depending on where you stay, it may determine the order in which you see it.

The two main entrances to the park, West Glacier on the west and St. Mary on the east, are connected by the beautiful but slow-moving Going to the Sun Road. If you plan to stay at least several days in the area, consider entering the park on the opposite side of your accommodations. While this seems counter-productive, it will in fact allow you to visit first the side of the park you’ll be furthest from for the duration of your trip and avoid back-tracking. Given the length (50 miles) and intensity (steep and winding and not without its share of traffic closures) of the Going to the Sun Road, you may not want to navigate the length of the park with kids in the car too many times!

What not to miss

You could throw a stone anywhere in Glacier National Park (not that you would, of course!) and hit a beautiful place in which to hike, bike, swim, or boat. The following, however, made our kids’ top activities list.

1.  Going to the Sun Road:  As stated above, driving the Going to the Sun Road makes for a great overview of the park and affords such breathtaking scenery and sights (such as Weeping Wall and Triple Arches, just to name two), even your toddler won’t mind being in the car (for a while).

Plan on spending at least two hours navigating this narrow mountain pass (allowing for stops at the scenic outlooks). Keep on the lookout for wildlife: we saw a bear cub, mountain goats, and deer!

2.  Logan Pass: If your kids will get a kick out of seeing snow in the summer, hike from Logan Pass to Hidden Lake. If the 1.5 one-way trail is too strenuous (hiking in snow can be tough!), your kids will still have a blast climbing a few feet up and ‘sledding’ back down!

3.  Boat Cruise: When little feet get tired, try a Swiftcurrent or McDonald Lake Boat Cruise. Some are combined with ranger-led nature walks; we boated across both Swiftcurrent and Josephine Lakes on the east side of the park, then hiked with our guide across wooden bridges and boardwalks to Grinnell Lake, where we spotted moose munching on lake reeds.

What we skipped

1.  Red Bus Tour: You can’t drive far in Glacier without encountering one of the park’s famed historic Red Bus Tours. After speaking with several operators about the length of the tours (shortest offered during our stay was four hours) and noting the median age of bus tour enthusiasts (60+), we decided that this activity, while informative, was probably not the best use of our sightseeing time with kids.

2.  West Glacier: We didn’t linger at this western entrance. While it does offer a visitor’s center, we found the St. Mary Visitor’s Center on the east side to be less crowded and just as comprehensive (perhaps more so now with its newly opened exhibit on Native American history).

Where to stay

If you want to wake up with nothing obstructing your view except granite peaks and crystal clear lake water, stay at the Many Glacier Hotel on the east side of the park. Away from the high traffic West Glacier and Lake McDonald area, The Many Glacier sits practically in the lap of Swiftcurrent Lake and offers families a relaxed atmosphere perfect for canoeing expeditions, hiking, boating, or just sitting on the deck with an ice cream cone.

Like this?  Get our monthly newsletter.

Written by Amy Whitley

Consult the World Cup Oracle with your kids, or just see some fish
______________________________________________________________________________________________________

side·track (sīd´trăk): n. 1. A diversion from the main course. 2. A detour taken with children that you would never, ever take without them.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Who and What:
Sure, I know the World Cup is over.  But the fever remains.  Part of that continued obsession involves Paul the Octopus, the so-called World Cup Oracle, who resides in the Oberhausen SeaLife Aquarium, about 20 minutes outside the city of Duesseldorf in the Ruhr region of Germany.

Why:
With our time in Germany rapidly coming to a close (and the lifespan of your average cephalopod being only a couple years), how could Chet and I not make our pilgrimage to make homage to this modern day Delphi?  It felt almost required.  Plus, you know how I am about aquariums – it’s true I’m a bit obsessed.

The Low Point:
We’re not the only ones who wanted a look at this octopus.  Apparently, Paul is a huge draw – lines to enter the aquarium have been consistently 30-50 minutes long since the little guy predicted Spain’s win.  Luckily, we got there early and got in quick.  But if you want to see Paul for yourself, it pays to get there about half an hour before opening.

And you know, SeaLife Oberhausen isn’t a very large aquarium.  But given that it’s in a landlocked city (near Duesseldorf), I guess most folks would assume that would be the case.

The High Points:
Well, I have to say seeing Paul was a thrill.  Truth be told, he looked a little tired.  But can you blame him?  He’s been followed by the paparazzi as much as Lindsay Lohan lately.

The aquarium was also great fun.  It was on the small side but it made up for it with a big sea tank, fun play pools, very precocious otters and a glass bottom boat ride.

It also had a fantastic pirate-themed play area complete with climbing walls, air guns and a huge indoor play complex.  And did I mention that play complex also had massage chairs for the waiting adults?  Chet played himself silly and I worked a few kinks out of my shoulders.  Total brilliance.

And you know?  Seeing all the crazy people in their octopus gear also tickled my fancy.  I do love a good floor show.

The Kids’ Take:
“Paul, Paul, we love you!”  (Uh, maybe I shouldn’t have showed Chet that Parry Gripp song before we left?)  But honestly, Chet loved it.  It was a great day despite the two-hour drive to get there.

The Adults’ Take:
It was campy, aquarium-tastic fun.  Plus, I got to see myself a real life cephalopod celebrity.  It’s not every day you can make that claim.

The Bottom Line:
If you’re a huge soccer fan – or just happen to be in the Dusseldorf area – it’s definitely worth a stop.  You can pay your respects to Paul, see some fish and enjoy the massage chairs while your kids play the afternoon away.  A total win for the family.

Note: To celebrate Paul fever – and Chet and my impending departure from Germany – we’re giving away an official Paul stuffed toy and a refrigerator magnet.  To enter to win, simply leave a comment with a question you’d like to ask Paul if you had the chance.  Winners will be drawn at random.

Written by Kayt Sukel

The best museums in London for kids at a price you can deal with

London is a great destination for families.  But one detractor is the cost – a trip to this city isn’t necessarily all that cheap.  Hotels and restaurants can be quite dear – as can many of the most popular attractions.  But you can have a fabulous time and save a few dollars by heading to London’s museums.  They are fun, fabulous and best of all, FREE.

When James Smithson decided that the Smithsonian Museums in Washington, DC should be free of charge to the public, he was taking a page from London’s book.  In this old city on the Thames, you’ll find several great museums that only ask you to show up and enjoy.  Talk about a serious travel value.

1. The Science Museum

This is, by far, my favorite.  At London’s Science Museum, you can check out planes, trains and automobiles, learn more about the human body and even play with photography.  It has lots of kid-friendly exhibits and you’ll feel like a bit of a kid yourself as you run through the myriad of exhibits.

2. The National Gallery

Like DC’s version, this is an art museum that will impress.  The museum has over 2,300 masterpieces you and your family can enjoy for free including works by Seurat, Monet, Rubens and Holbein.

3.  The Natural History Museum

Who doesn’t love dinosaurs?  Take a wander around London’s expansive Natural History Museum to check out fossils, ancient Man, butterflies and more.

4. The Victoria and Albert Museum

Kids who appreciate aesthetics will love the V&A – from the beautiful exterior of the building to the incredible stuff inside, you’ll be overwhelmed by the pretty.  Here you’ll find a huge collection of decorative objects including ceramics, jewelry, sculpture and textiles – and enough kid-related exhibits to keep them happy, too.

5.  The British Museum

This is the next best thing to a trip around the world.  The British Museum houses artifacts from Egypt, Rome and Ancient Greece.  Your kids can check out the Rosetta Stones, Renaissance Drawings and a few crispy mummies.  What’s not fun about that?

Written by Kayt Sukel

Visiting Germany’s most delicious museum with kids
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

side·track (sīd´trăk): n. 1. A diversion from the main course. 2. A detour taken with children that you would never, ever take without them.
__________________________________________________________________________________________

Who:
Myself, my husband, and our daughters, Zoe  and Cora (2 and 1).

What:
The Chocolate Museum in Cologne, Germany which sits right on the scenic Rhine River. The museum has signs at each exhibit in both German and English, and covers topics ranging from cocoa harvesting, the history of chocolate making and current production of chocolate.

Why:
After a long drive and checking into our hotel, we were strolling along the Rhine and could not possibly miss this opportunity for the sake of our children…and maybe because my husband is a bit of a chocoholic.

The High Point:
The exhibits were very hands on for the kids, and many of the displayed items were low enough that my two year old could reach them. The huge machines working away at stirring and pouring the chocolate towards the end of the tour were fascinating to my kids, who were also very taken with the glass elevator that shuttles you to all 3 floors of the museum.

For my husband and I, the high point was the throngs of samples at the end of the tour and the intoxicating smell of chocolate throughout.

The Low Point:
While my husband and I were nearing a chocolate induced coma from volume of chocolate we ‘sampled’ my two year old caught a glimpse of a chocolate fountain behind a roped off area which she quickly made a dash for and ducked under the rope. Fortunately, I have some experience in a past life as a hurdler and managed to vault over the rope, and reached her tiny hand just before it scooped into the forbidden fountain.

The Kids’ Take:
They loved the hands-on exhibits and the samples. I think they would have enjoyed it more if they were a bit older, but they certainly were content and interested throughout. There were many school aged kids visiting the day we were there and they all seemed to enjoy the exhibits, particularly the section about advertising and chocolate.

The Bottom Line:
The chocolate here is really out of this world. I have never been much for chocolate and indulge more in other vices of mine, but declare myself a changed woman after this museum. I have never tasted chocolate so pure, so smooth, so delectable! The museum was reasonably priced – 15 euro for both my husband and I with the kids being free. If you can exercise some restraint in the overpriced gift shop at the end it can make for an inexpensive, interesting, and tasty family outing.

Written by Julie Breitigan

Silver mining, gold panning, and enough Old West souvenirs to sink a ship
______________________________________________________________________________________________________

side·track (sīd´trăk): n. 1. A diversion from the main course. 2. A detour taken with children that you would never, ever take without them.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Who and What:
Me, my husband, and our 8 and 10-year-old kids. Calico Ghost Town, a settlement just outside of Barstow, California that became one of the richest mining districts in the state when silver was discovered here 127 years ago.

Why:
Because it’s halfway between San Francisco (where we live) and the Grand Canyon (where we were heading for spring break).

The Low Point:
There are a handful of original buildings here (and a mine shaft you can walk through for a modest fee), but there are also a lot of reproduction buildings and seriously schlocky souvenir shops.

The High Points:
The kids liked panning for gold even though a closer examination of the fruits of their labor revealed it to be Pyrite.  We still felt we got our $2 worth.

Another highlight was posing for an old-time photo, especially when we hit upon the idea of my husband and I going in drag.  We all agreed that it was $40 well spent. My daughter had been dying to do it forever and it saved us a trip to Pier 39 in San Francisco.

We also walked through an old mine and ate fudge, which was nice.

The Kids’ Take:
A good break from all that endless driving.  Two thumbs up for the fudge.

The Adults’ Take:
Worth seeing if only to check the “ghost town” box.  We thought it would be a lot more authentic, but it turned out the entire thing had been re-assembled around a few original buildings.

The Bottom Line:
Not worth a major detour, but not a bad way to spend two hours if you’re passing by.

Written by Jamie Pearson

I’m pleased and a little surprised to welcome today’s guest.  He’s a long-time reader and commenter, but a first-time contributor.  He’s also my husband.

If you’re taking a family vacation to San Francisco, Alcatraz is probably on your list. And rightly so. While it’s best known for its 29-year run as a federal penitentiary in the 20th Century, Alcatraz’s history goes back to the Civil War and the island also played a key role in the American Indian rights movement.

Kids as young as six can enjoy the excellent self-paced audio tour (included with the price of admission).  Get your tickets in advance, because tours often sell out during weekends and holidays. Here are five more tips for having a good visit to The Rock with kids.

1. Plan for four hours

We did it in a little over three hours, but we only had time for the movie and the cell block audio tour. We would have loved to have another 30 minutes to explore the gardens and outside pathways.

2. Eat before you go

You can’t bring any food onto Alcatraz; in fact, they only allow you to bring water. We arrived early and ate a picnic on one of the many available benches at the mainland ferry terminal, leaving time for a stop in the clean bathrooms. If you are in a rush, there is a snack bar on the ferry, but there were still people waiting in line when the short 15 minute ferry ride was done.

3. Take your pictures on your way

The returning ferries are always packed and afford little maneuvering room to get the SF skyline or the Rock in the background.

4. Do the Junior Ranger program and get a free souvenir

Avoid the gift shop with its $9.95 minimum price. Ask any ranger for the junior ranger booklet when you arrive and your child will be instantly drawn into Alcatraz’s history. At the end of your visit, make sure you arrive 30 minutes before your departing ferry so the Ranger will have time to check your kids’ work and give them their badge.

5. Bundle up

Alcatraz is on the front line to get smothered with San Francisco’s trademark afternoon fog that blows through the gate. We enjoyed our picnic in calm 75 degree weather but were clinging to each other on the way back as the fog and wind kicked in.

Written by travelsavvymom

Should you or shouldn’t you?  Tough call.

On the one hand, they don’t call it sin city for nothing.  On the other hand, it’s a short flight for lots of us and the entertainment is thick on the ground.

Our frequent contributor Debbie Abrams Kaplan, author of a blog called Frisco Kids about kid-friendly events in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond, has this to say:

I can think of a lot of places I’d rather go with kids than Las Vegas. But given that Vegas is close, and their pools are open in the summer, there are plenty of things to do to keep you and the kids busy. Here are a few ides:

MGM Grand Lion Habitat – it’s a little odd to see lions in the middle of a hotel, but so be it. You can walk into this lion habitat, and see the lions on top of the glass tunnel you’re in, or maybe on the side. It’s open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, and it’s free.

New York, New York roller coaster – how awesome to ride a big roller coaster outside a Vegas hotel. With multiple barrel loops, drops and other fun features, this is something you’ll talk about for days…

Read the full article on Frisco Kids (photo courtesy of Debbie Abrams Kaplan).

Written by Jamie Pearson