New Year's Eve celebrations have made me think about good places that you can take your kids for dinner while still being able to have a drink. Places that are for adults but it's not a big deal to bring your kids. There is no play land but there is a kids menu. A few of our favorites are listed below.
Brownstone Tavern and Grill
3937 N. Lincoln Ave.
I think this restaurant/bar has really good food. It is mostly bar type food - burgers, sandwiches, fried stuff - but done really well. I love the fish tacos. Kids menu is dino nuggets, burgers, and hot dogs. As far as atmosphere, it's definitely a sports bar and I wouldn't take my kids there past 8 on a Saturday night or in the middle of a Texas (the school that the bar is associated with)football game but for an early dinner it's a great place to go. And if you are there on the early side you will definitely see other families eating there as well. In the summer they set up tables outside, which is a nice place to sit with your family. There is metered parking available on Lincoln.
Riverview Tavern
1958 W. Roscoe
I love Riverview. I think the food is great. It's mostly just sandwiches and burgers but really good. My favorites are a blackened chicken sandwich called the Fireball, and a vegetarian sandwich with avocado, mozzarella, and pesto called the Comet. I always get tator tots instead of fries because they are so good. For the kids you can order pizza, which is actually made at Robey Pizza Company located nest door and owned by the same group. Robey has great pizza and that is what my kids always want. The inside is typical bar - nothing too fancy. There is a big room in the back that is good for families and in warmer months they set up tables outside, which is where we like to sit. As with Brownstone, Riverview has sports associations, especially during football season, so you may not want to go with your family during a big game. There is metered parking on Roscoe but it is usually not hard to find free parking in the neighborhood. Also, it is a bit of a walk from the Paulina Brown Line stop but definitely possible is you have a stroller or a kid who doesn't mind walking.
Rockwells
4632 N. Rockwell
The food here is pretty average but there is something about the atmosphere that is really enjoyable. Maybe because all of the other customers are nonjudgmental parents just glad to be able to get out for dinner with their kids. Food is pretty much sandwiches, burgers and salads and the kids menu is standard kid fare of chicken fingers, burgers, and such. The best thing about the restaurant, for my kids, is that on the way out they can pick a sucker out of a basket near the door. In addition, my kids love that you can step outside and watch the CTA trains coming and going from the station just down the block. Beer is the drink of choice here with lots of options on tap. Rockwells is located right off the Rockwell stop on the Brown Line and there is usually plenty of metered parking in front of the restaurant. If you are patient and don't mind walking a couple of blocks you can probably find free street parking nearby.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Saturday, December 17, 2011
The Fudge Pot
When we were in Old Town last week we were able to stop at one of our favorite places, the Fudge Pot (1532 N. Wells). The smell, when you open the door of this chocolate shop, is so heavenly you just want to breathe it all in. The shop is small and full of display cases that show off all of the amazing things you can order made out of chocolate like animals, cars, flowers, boxes - just about anything you can imagine. Most of those type of items need to be pre-ordered but there are plenty of yummy things in the store you can take home that day. Our personal favorites are the barks. They come in milk, white, and dark chocolate and you can choose almond, macadamia nut, coconut, crunch, and more. They also sell a wide variety of fudge, chocolate candies, caramel apples, and other chocolate covered items like strawberries and pretzels. Everything is so good! When we were there last, our daughters got giant chocolate Rudolph suckers and they really couldn't have been happier. This is a great place to get a Christmas gift or to just indulge during the holiday season. They are open seven days a week from noon until 10 PM (midnight on Friday and Saturday nights).
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Little Town of Bethlehem
The North Park Covenant Church (5320 N. Christiana) hosted an event last weekend that just blew me away. In the basement of the church they set up a market to represent Bethlehem at the time of Jesus' birth. We weren't really expecting much and had decided to stop by just to remind the kids why Christmas is celebrated but we were amazed at how great it was. When we got there, the church was really crowded but there were costumed guides to direct you where to go. In the basement it was very hot but they had people to take your coats. Once we got through the long line to enter the girls had a really great time. There were lots of little booths set up with activities for kids to do based on what you might find during that time period. For example, kids could make jewelry out of clay, make a toy at the carpentry booth, dig for gems in sand, make candles and lots of other fun things. In addition, outside there was a live nativity with Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, and a whole host of animals. The whole event was free of charge. My daughters had such a good time they are still talking about it almost a week later. The event was only for one night last weekend but it was so good that if you missed it I would definitely recommend looking it up next year. My girls are already planning on it.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Noble Horse Theatre
As I've mentioned a hundred times I have two horse obsessed daughters. This year, as a special treat, we decided to go see the Nutcracker on horseback at the Nobel Horse Theatre in Old Town (1410 N. Orleans). I was a little uncertain about what to expect (what is the Nutcracker on horseback?!) but I have to say it was such a good time for all of us. The theatre is unlike any other I have been to. It is in a historic stable that has been around since the late 1800s. The stable houses the performance horses as well as the horses that provide carriage rides throughout the City. Seating is open so as you walk into the theatre an usher directs you where to sit. The rows are designed like a stadium so that each row is higher than the row in front. The difference in height between each row is even better than at the movies, however. Even a small kid is able to see over an adult sitting in front of them. Although I usually recommend getting anywhere early, there probably isn't a seat in the whole theatre where you would not be able to see the show. The rows are also pretty wide so it's easy to get out if you need to and there was even plenty of room for my youngest daughter to dance for awhile. The "stage" or area where the performance occurs is a dirt floor that barely looks big enough for horses to run around in, certainly not big enough to do the stuff that they do.
The show is, for the most part, the classic Nutcracker story with a few additional elements thrown in. I have to say that the way they integrated the story with the horses was very good and the stuff that the horses and their riders can do is truly amazing. I don't want to give any of the show away because I think one of the best things about it, for us, was that we didn't know what to expect.
We went to a Sunday matinee where the price of tickets is $30/adult and $20/child. For matinees the length of the show is about 60 minutes and evening shows are about 75 minutes. The price for the evening performances is $35/adult and $22/child. The action and story will definitely keep young children's interest for the duration of the show. Especially since they can get up and move around a little bit if they need to.
The theatre and this show is perfect for kids. Making noise isn't an issue, you can get up during the performance without bothering anyone else, and kids are able to have a good view no matter where you sit. In fact, towards the end of the show, when the action starts to get exciting, the audience was yelling and pounding on the tables in front of them (this certainly doesn't happen when the Joffrey performs the Nutcracker). My daughters had so much fun during that part of the show.
You can bring in your own food and drinks and I would suggest doing that if it is convenient for you and you think your kids will want a snack. They sell popcorn, soda, and water but my husband stood in line forever to get some. Maybe part of the reason the concession line was so long was because guy making the popcorn also played the prince in the show. I believe during the evening performances dinner is available. Another tip, wear a sweater because it is chilly inside. You are allowed to bring your camera but it was really dark in the theatre and none of our pictures really turned out. After the show audience members can go down the the performance area to meet the horses. Also, for a fee, children can ride on the horses for a few minutes.
There is a free parking lot at the theatre but it only holds 25 cars and it works on a first come first serve basis. Since it was a Sunday we were able to park for free on Goethe but there is also metered parking and a pay parking lot on Sedgwick. Also, the Sedgwick stop on the Brown Line is just a short walk to the theatre.
Every year the Nutcracker begins at the end of November and runs through the end of December. In December there are shows on most days. Several other shows are performed at the theatre throughout the year as well and tickets can be bought online through the theatre's website www.noblehorsechicago.com.
The show is, for the most part, the classic Nutcracker story with a few additional elements thrown in. I have to say that the way they integrated the story with the horses was very good and the stuff that the horses and their riders can do is truly amazing. I don't want to give any of the show away because I think one of the best things about it, for us, was that we didn't know what to expect.
We went to a Sunday matinee where the price of tickets is $30/adult and $20/child. For matinees the length of the show is about 60 minutes and evening shows are about 75 minutes. The price for the evening performances is $35/adult and $22/child. The action and story will definitely keep young children's interest for the duration of the show. Especially since they can get up and move around a little bit if they need to.
The theatre and this show is perfect for kids. Making noise isn't an issue, you can get up during the performance without bothering anyone else, and kids are able to have a good view no matter where you sit. In fact, towards the end of the show, when the action starts to get exciting, the audience was yelling and pounding on the tables in front of them (this certainly doesn't happen when the Joffrey performs the Nutcracker). My daughters had so much fun during that part of the show.
You can bring in your own food and drinks and I would suggest doing that if it is convenient for you and you think your kids will want a snack. They sell popcorn, soda, and water but my husband stood in line forever to get some. Maybe part of the reason the concession line was so long was because guy making the popcorn also played the prince in the show. I believe during the evening performances dinner is available. Another tip, wear a sweater because it is chilly inside. You are allowed to bring your camera but it was really dark in the theatre and none of our pictures really turned out. After the show audience members can go down the the performance area to meet the horses. Also, for a fee, children can ride on the horses for a few minutes.
There is a free parking lot at the theatre but it only holds 25 cars and it works on a first come first serve basis. Since it was a Sunday we were able to park for free on Goethe but there is also metered parking and a pay parking lot on Sedgwick. Also, the Sedgwick stop on the Brown Line is just a short walk to the theatre.
Every year the Nutcracker begins at the end of November and runs through the end of December. In December there are shows on most days. Several other shows are performed at the theatre throughout the year as well and tickets can be bought online through the theatre's website www.noblehorsechicago.com.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Christmas in the City
There are so many fun things to do in and around Chicago in December. I wanted to highlight some of our favorite things to do. This year we will probably do a mix of a few old favorites and also try some new stuff.
Zoolights
Zoolights at the Lincoln Park Zoo is such a fun thing to do with kids during the holiday season. It's free, which is awesome. It is open every night beginning December 16th (only open on the weekends before then) from 5-9. The lights are always beautiful and seeing the zoo at night is definitely magical for kids. The downsides are parking in Lincoln Park, where either you have to pay too much for parking in the zoo parking lot or you have to circle the area for at least 20 minutes to find street parking, and the potential for cold or nasty weather since it is mostly outdoors. Every time we have gone, however, even on the coldest days, everyone always has a good time. We always have lots of family in town for the holidays and this is a really good activity to do with grandparents.
Lincolnwood Light Display
One of the best residential light displays in the area, in my opinion, is in Lincolnwood. People who grew up in Lincolnwood say it is not as good as when they were kids but since I didn't grow up there I don't have any basis of comparison and I think the lights are pretty awesome. A large percentage of the residents get involved in the light decorating and there is always some really cool displays. Our favorite every year is the house that looks like it has a giant Christmas tree going through the house and coming up through the roof. I am never exactly sure where the lights are but if you take 94 North to the Touhy exit (west) and turn left so you are going south on Carpenter, the area approximately 6 to 8 block east of Carpenter and South of Pratt should put you in the right vicinity. Just follow the line of slowly moving cars going through the area.
Macy's
I have very mixed feelings about Michigan Ave./State St. during the holidays. It is so crazy there with shoppers and tourists. It's hard to bring small kids and a stroller is impossible. On the other hand, I love to take the girls to see the windows at Macy's. There is definitely something magical about them and also quintessentially Christmas. We've never eaten in the Walnut Room. The line to get in is always insane and the food court is really more our style. We went last December just to look at the windows and in some ways it was more of a hassle than it was worth. The windows are always really neat but there is usually such a large group in front of each one that it is hard for those under 4 ft to see anything. Maybe this will be more enjoyable as the girls get older.
Hancock Observatory
Last year we went to the top of the Hancock observatory to see Santa. It was the first time my girls have been up there and the view alone was worth the admission price for them. In the lobby of the Observatory is a model train set that was completely mesmerizing to my girls. Admission to the Winter Wonderland in the Observatory is $15 per adult and with each adult admission you get a free youth admission. Santa is only there on the weekend from 12-4. We got there right around 12 but Santa was about 30-45 minutes late, which kind of created a tense environment with some of the parents. For some odd reason our girls were being patient and well behaved (the view really is mesmerizing) so we weren't as stressed out about it. When Santa did finally show up he actually ended up being a really good Santa. He looked realistic and talked to our girls for quite some time, which I guess isn't so great if you are at the end of the line, but my point is he could have rushed us right through since he was running late but he didn't do that. Santa's assistant takes a photo of your family and Santa in his sleigh and if you wait f few minutes you can take the photo home for free. We really enjoyed doing this last year and would have probably done it again this year if we had the time.
Museum of Science and Industry - Christmas Around the World
I visited this annual exhibit a number of years ago before I had kids and thought it was really neat. There are 50 trees each decorated by members of different ethnic communities throughout Chicago. The exhibit is included with general admission to the museum. Last year I decided to take the girls so that they could experience it too. We went on a Friday and the trees were still really amazing but it was so busy we couldn't even really see the trees. Also my older daughter started freaking out because the crowds were making her so nervous. It wasn't a waisted trip, however, since the MSI is such a cool place for kids. We were able to spend a lot of time at the other exhibits, which ended up being barely crowded at all. I think the Christmas Around the World is definitely worth going to see but like every other great attraction in the City you have to be prepared to deal with the crowds.
This is just of few of the things we've done with our family. There are so many great holiday events going on in the city!
Zoolights
Zoolights at the Lincoln Park Zoo is such a fun thing to do with kids during the holiday season. It's free, which is awesome. It is open every night beginning December 16th (only open on the weekends before then) from 5-9. The lights are always beautiful and seeing the zoo at night is definitely magical for kids. The downsides are parking in Lincoln Park, where either you have to pay too much for parking in the zoo parking lot or you have to circle the area for at least 20 minutes to find street parking, and the potential for cold or nasty weather since it is mostly outdoors. Every time we have gone, however, even on the coldest days, everyone always has a good time. We always have lots of family in town for the holidays and this is a really good activity to do with grandparents.
Lincolnwood Light Display
One of the best residential light displays in the area, in my opinion, is in Lincolnwood. People who grew up in Lincolnwood say it is not as good as when they were kids but since I didn't grow up there I don't have any basis of comparison and I think the lights are pretty awesome. A large percentage of the residents get involved in the light decorating and there is always some really cool displays. Our favorite every year is the house that looks like it has a giant Christmas tree going through the house and coming up through the roof. I am never exactly sure where the lights are but if you take 94 North to the Touhy exit (west) and turn left so you are going south on Carpenter, the area approximately 6 to 8 block east of Carpenter and South of Pratt should put you in the right vicinity. Just follow the line of slowly moving cars going through the area.
Macy's
I have very mixed feelings about Michigan Ave./State St. during the holidays. It is so crazy there with shoppers and tourists. It's hard to bring small kids and a stroller is impossible. On the other hand, I love to take the girls to see the windows at Macy's. There is definitely something magical about them and also quintessentially Christmas. We've never eaten in the Walnut Room. The line to get in is always insane and the food court is really more our style. We went last December just to look at the windows and in some ways it was more of a hassle than it was worth. The windows are always really neat but there is usually such a large group in front of each one that it is hard for those under 4 ft to see anything. Maybe this will be more enjoyable as the girls get older.
Hancock Observatory
Last year we went to the top of the Hancock observatory to see Santa. It was the first time my girls have been up there and the view alone was worth the admission price for them. In the lobby of the Observatory is a model train set that was completely mesmerizing to my girls. Admission to the Winter Wonderland in the Observatory is $15 per adult and with each adult admission you get a free youth admission. Santa is only there on the weekend from 12-4. We got there right around 12 but Santa was about 30-45 minutes late, which kind of created a tense environment with some of the parents. For some odd reason our girls were being patient and well behaved (the view really is mesmerizing) so we weren't as stressed out about it. When Santa did finally show up he actually ended up being a really good Santa. He looked realistic and talked to our girls for quite some time, which I guess isn't so great if you are at the end of the line, but my point is he could have rushed us right through since he was running late but he didn't do that. Santa's assistant takes a photo of your family and Santa in his sleigh and if you wait f few minutes you can take the photo home for free. We really enjoyed doing this last year and would have probably done it again this year if we had the time.
Museum of Science and Industry - Christmas Around the World
I visited this annual exhibit a number of years ago before I had kids and thought it was really neat. There are 50 trees each decorated by members of different ethnic communities throughout Chicago. The exhibit is included with general admission to the museum. Last year I decided to take the girls so that they could experience it too. We went on a Friday and the trees were still really amazing but it was so busy we couldn't even really see the trees. Also my older daughter started freaking out because the crowds were making her so nervous. It wasn't a waisted trip, however, since the MSI is such a cool place for kids. We were able to spend a lot of time at the other exhibits, which ended up being barely crowded at all. I think the Christmas Around the World is definitely worth going to see but like every other great attraction in the City you have to be prepared to deal with the crowds.
This is just of few of the things we've done with our family. There are so many great holiday events going on in the city!
Monday, November 14, 2011
More Breakfast - Cafe Selmarie
Over the long holiday weekend we decided to try a new restaurant for breakfast, the meal where everyone is likely to be the most well behaved in our family. As I mentioned in the last post, the cover story of the last issue of Chicago magazine was about the best places to get breakfast. We decided to choose a restaurant from the list where we had never dined. We chose Cafe Selmarie in Lincoln Square (4729 N. Lincoln), which is a restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as being a bakery with cakes, cookies, pies and breads available for purchase.
It was hard to get the girls past the awesome display of goodies in the bakery at the front, but somehow we managed to get back to the dining area. When we arrived, around 9:30, it was busy but there were some open tables. In the restaurant there were plenty of kids, it is Lincoln Square after all, so we definitely felt comfortable. On the menu, there is really just one option for children, the kid's breakfast, but we were perfectly happy with it because it is exactly what my daughter always wants: 1 scrambled egg, 1 pancake, and two sausage links (or bacon). If your kid has different preferences they also offer muffins, breakfast potatoes, croissants, English muffins, and other similar items as sides. We were able to order a single pancake for my other daughter, who proceeded to eat none of it. I had a croissant sandwich, that included scrambled eggs, bacon, and cheddar cheese and came with potatoes and mixed greens on the side. It was really good. My husband had the omelet special, which was prosciutto, asparagus, and asiago. He thought it was just OK. My older daughter devoured her kid's breakfast. I had a really delicious latte and my husband and daughter thoroughly enjoyed their whip cream topped hot chocolate.
Tuesday through Friday breakfast is served from 8 AM-11AM. Saturday brunch is served from 9 AM until 3:45 and Sunday brunch is from 9 AM until 3 PM. The menu is different during the week from the weekend and the menu is even different between Saturday and Sunday (kid's breakfast is the same every morning). The restaurant is located within easy walking distance of the Western Brown Line stop. There is a lot of parking available in the area but it can often be hard to find parking in Lincoln Square. There is not a ton room to bring in a stroller. You could probably leave it outside or maybe they have a place to store them, but it's not a huge restaurant.
On our way out we of course stopped at the front for some yummy baked goods. The girls went for turkey shaped sugar cookies with lots of glittery sprinkles on top. My husband and I had a hard time deciding what we wanted to try but ultimately decided on a slice of chocolate mousse cake that was very, very good. The cafe/bakery area is pretty small but there is a little room to sit and have some coffee and dessert (but probably not room for a whole family). The bakery also offers a holiday menu where you can order cakes and pies for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Prices are a little steep for us, though, so I guess everyone in our family will have to deal with my baking.
It was hard to get the girls past the awesome display of goodies in the bakery at the front, but somehow we managed to get back to the dining area. When we arrived, around 9:30, it was busy but there were some open tables. In the restaurant there were plenty of kids, it is Lincoln Square after all, so we definitely felt comfortable. On the menu, there is really just one option for children, the kid's breakfast, but we were perfectly happy with it because it is exactly what my daughter always wants: 1 scrambled egg, 1 pancake, and two sausage links (or bacon). If your kid has different preferences they also offer muffins, breakfast potatoes, croissants, English muffins, and other similar items as sides. We were able to order a single pancake for my other daughter, who proceeded to eat none of it. I had a croissant sandwich, that included scrambled eggs, bacon, and cheddar cheese and came with potatoes and mixed greens on the side. It was really good. My husband had the omelet special, which was prosciutto, asparagus, and asiago. He thought it was just OK. My older daughter devoured her kid's breakfast. I had a really delicious latte and my husband and daughter thoroughly enjoyed their whip cream topped hot chocolate.
Tuesday through Friday breakfast is served from 8 AM-11AM. Saturday brunch is served from 9 AM until 3:45 and Sunday brunch is from 9 AM until 3 PM. The menu is different during the week from the weekend and the menu is even different between Saturday and Sunday (kid's breakfast is the same every morning). The restaurant is located within easy walking distance of the Western Brown Line stop. There is a lot of parking available in the area but it can often be hard to find parking in Lincoln Square. There is not a ton room to bring in a stroller. You could probably leave it outside or maybe they have a place to store them, but it's not a huge restaurant.
On our way out we of course stopped at the front for some yummy baked goods. The girls went for turkey shaped sugar cookies with lots of glittery sprinkles on top. My husband and I had a hard time deciding what we wanted to try but ultimately decided on a slice of chocolate mousse cake that was very, very good. The cafe/bakery area is pretty small but there is a little room to sit and have some coffee and dessert (but probably not room for a whole family). The bakery also offers a holiday menu where you can order cakes and pies for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Prices are a little steep for us, though, so I guess everyone in our family will have to deal with my baking.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Chicago Public Libraries
We love the library. We've been to different branches throughout the city and some are better than others but they are all a great asset to their neighborhoods. A few years ago when I was home with a three year old and a baby we went to the library literally every week. Now we go every two or three weeks, which I think is more normal but we still get so much from our visits. My daughters love books and we own so many but after awhile they all get a little stale. The ability to check out 30 books at a time is so incredibly great. Rarely do we check out that many because they get a little heavy to carry home, but we usually get somewhere around 15 books per trip - and we always find something new. It is really crazy to me when I hear people with young children say they have never been to the library. Most neighborhoods have easy access to a library and it is really easy to get a library card. All you have to do is go to a library, fill out a really basic form, and show them your drivers license or two forms of identification. That's it - super easy. Even your kids can get their own library cards.
Recently Mayor Emanuel has proposed cutting library hours even further (hours were already shortened about a year ago) and reducing library staff City wide. I don't want this to be a political post because obviously to balance the City budget cuts will have to be made and I'm sure it is difficult to find a place to make cuts that don't upset someone. I just think when a situation like this arises it makes you appreciate something that perhaps is often taken for granted. I really just want to celebrate the great libraries we have and for this post to be a reminder of what a fabulous and free activity a trip to the library is.
Besides access to free books and DVDs, the libraries also have great childrens programs. Most libraries have story hour for toddlers and preschoolers. I've been to a lot of these story times and they are really great for introducing new books to kids and teaching young kids how to sit quietly, listen, and be respectful to the reader. Every year the libraries also provide a summer reading program. There is always a theme with lots of special activities to go along with it, the libraries get a bunch of new books related to the theme and if your child completes the reading program they get a free T-shirt. In addition at the library you can check out museum passes that will get you into most of the museums in the City for free. You can return your books to any library in the City regardless of where you checked them out and can request books from other libraries to be sent to your local library and held for you. If you haven't been to the library lately, or at all, it is worth checking out. The website www.chipublib.org provides information on hours and events at all of the branch libraries plus allows you to search for books.
Recently Mayor Emanuel has proposed cutting library hours even further (hours were already shortened about a year ago) and reducing library staff City wide. I don't want this to be a political post because obviously to balance the City budget cuts will have to be made and I'm sure it is difficult to find a place to make cuts that don't upset someone. I just think when a situation like this arises it makes you appreciate something that perhaps is often taken for granted. I really just want to celebrate the great libraries we have and for this post to be a reminder of what a fabulous and free activity a trip to the library is.
Besides access to free books and DVDs, the libraries also have great childrens programs. Most libraries have story hour for toddlers and preschoolers. I've been to a lot of these story times and they are really great for introducing new books to kids and teaching young kids how to sit quietly, listen, and be respectful to the reader. Every year the libraries also provide a summer reading program. There is always a theme with lots of special activities to go along with it, the libraries get a bunch of new books related to the theme and if your child completes the reading program they get a free T-shirt. In addition at the library you can check out museum passes that will get you into most of the museums in the City for free. You can return your books to any library in the City regardless of where you checked them out and can request books from other libraries to be sent to your local library and held for you. If you haven't been to the library lately, or at all, it is worth checking out. The website www.chipublib.org provides information on hours and events at all of the branch libraries plus allows you to search for books.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Wishbone
The cover story of the November issue of Chicago magazine is Best Breakfasts so I wanted to write about one of my family's favorite breakfast places. It is mentioned in the magazine article but the couple of lines written about it just don't do it justice. Everyone in our family loves to have breakfast at Wishbone (3300 N. Lincoln). The restaurant is quite large and always loud, which is perfect for toddlers. On Saturday and Sunday mornings probably 70% of the tables have kids at them so we always feel totally comfortable bringing in our crazy girls. Wishbone provides coloring pages, high chairs, and kids drinks with lids and straws like any restaurant that caters to kids. Plus the brightly decorated restaurant always distracts our girls while we wait for our food. Servers are generally great with the kids, too.
Wishbone specializes in Southern cooking and is open 7 days a week for breakfast. The kids breakfast menu is pretty basic and consists of eggs, a pancake (shaped like Mickey Mouse), granola, and french toast. My kids like a basic American breakfast of eggs and pancakes so this menu is perfect for them. The regular breakfast menu has quite a few more options that are really tasty. The omelets are really good and come with delicious home fries. My husband thinks they have some the best bacon. As I mentioned, Wishbone specializes in Southern cuisine and their breakfast menu includes shrimp and grits, crab cakes, red beans and rice, and blackened catfish. I really don't think you can order wrong. I also love the lattes and fresh squeezed juice. Lunch and dinner is also served here. On Tuesdays kids eat free for dinner.
Wishbone opens at 8 AM on Saturdays and Sundays. It is generally not that hard to get a table if you get to the restaurant on the early side. However, if you get there after 10 it can be really busy and you may have to wait awhile. There is a small waiting area inside the restaurant and a little room for strollers but not a lot. Parking is available at meters on Lincoln or if you can get lucky and find parking on a side street for free. The Paulina stop on the Brown Line is only a few block walk away.
Wishbone is definitely one of our favorite places to have breakfast and judging by the crowds it draws on the weekends it is a favorite of many families.
Wishbone specializes in Southern cooking and is open 7 days a week for breakfast. The kids breakfast menu is pretty basic and consists of eggs, a pancake (shaped like Mickey Mouse), granola, and french toast. My kids like a basic American breakfast of eggs and pancakes so this menu is perfect for them. The regular breakfast menu has quite a few more options that are really tasty. The omelets are really good and come with delicious home fries. My husband thinks they have some the best bacon. As I mentioned, Wishbone specializes in Southern cuisine and their breakfast menu includes shrimp and grits, crab cakes, red beans and rice, and blackened catfish. I really don't think you can order wrong. I also love the lattes and fresh squeezed juice. Lunch and dinner is also served here. On Tuesdays kids eat free for dinner.
Wishbone opens at 8 AM on Saturdays and Sundays. It is generally not that hard to get a table if you get to the restaurant on the early side. However, if you get there after 10 it can be really busy and you may have to wait awhile. There is a small waiting area inside the restaurant and a little room for strollers but not a lot. Parking is available at meters on Lincoln or if you can get lucky and find parking on a side street for free. The Paulina stop on the Brown Line is only a few block walk away.
Wishbone is definitely one of our favorite places to have breakfast and judging by the crowds it draws on the weekends it is a favorite of many families.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
County Line Orchard
I love fall in Chicago. The weather is great and there are so many fun things to do with kids. For the last two years we have gone apple picking at County Line Orchard in Hobart, IN. The weekends can get really crazy there but there is lots of fun things to do for kids of all ages. The main attraction, of course is the apple orchard. Depending on when you go, different apples will be in season but they could include Cortland, Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, Rome, Gala, and a bunch more - they grow over 20 different varieties. We picked a bunch of different kinds of apples and they have all been really good. It costs $1.75 per pound for the apples.
The cost of admission varies depending on what you plan to do while there. If the only thing you want to do is pick apples admission is $1. We did the Lil' Farmer Pass for $5/person that gives you access to the kid's farm in addition apple picking. For $7/person you get everything in the Lil' Farmer Pass plus you can do the corn maze. For $10/person, in addition to everything else, you get unlimited rides on the moo choo, which is a little kid train ride. We knew our group wouldn't have enough energy to do everything so we just stuck with apple picking and the kids farm. The ticket booths are located outside just beyond the big barn. There is a cute little map on their website (http://countylineorchard.com/orchard-map.asp) that shows the orchard layout.
A tractor pulled wagon provides rides out to the orchard. We always take the tractor out because the kids love the ride but if you want to avoid the line you can just as easily walk. We usually walk back (although a tractor will pick you up) after we've picked our apples because it is so close. Apple picking is just such a fun fall activity! Availability of apples, of course, varies from year to year but this year they had a very good selection available. It was super easy for the girls to find good apples to pick at their level. Last year we went at about the same time and there was very little to pick. There were some weather related problems that caused a bad apple crop all over the midwest but we still had a good time. The tractor will also take you out to the corn maze and pumkin patch, which are both a bit farther out but still walkable. A lot of people bring wagons to haul their pumpkins. The price for pumkings $0.30 per pound.
You can pay for your apples and pumpkins inside the big barn. In addition they sell a wide range of other products from squash and other vegetables to Christmas decorations. Our favorite are the donuts. They sell pumpkin and apple. Both are very, very good. While there we also had to pick up a gallon of apple cidar, which we also really enjoyed.
After paying for our apples and buying way too many other things, we headed out to the Kids Farm. The farm has goats, chickens and roosters, miniature ponies, pot belly pigs, and cows. There is also a maze made out of hay, which is a bit easier for little kids to manuever than the corn maze and tractors the kids can sit on. In addition, there is this robot dinosaur called Peter the Pumpkin Eater that puts on a show every hour. The highlight of the show is that he "eats" a pumpkin. It is the kind of show that kids really enjoy and but kind of annoys their parents. Of course my girls went crazy for it and are still talking about it a week later.
There are lots of food options besides donuts. You can bring your own food and eat at picnic tables provided. There is a grill that sells hot dogs, hamburgers, grilled cheese, and that kind of stuff. In addition, there is an indoor eating area that serves a different menu and includes items such as chicken fingers and mac and cheese. We haven't eaten at the orchard but the grilled stuff always smells really good. Live music is provided on an outdoor stage near the picnic tables.
There are bathrooms located in the main barn and then some portable bathrooms located through out the grounds. Whether you bring a stroller or not really depends on how much your kid will be riding in it. It can be a bit of a walk from the parking lot and from the orchard to the outdoor eating area and petting zoo so if you don't think your child can walk those distances or you would have to constantly be carrying your child if you didn't have a stroller, I would suggest bringing one. One the other hand, it can get really crowded inside the buildings, a lot of the ground is covered in wood chips, which is hard to push a stroller on, and you can't really take your stroller on the tractor ride out to the orchard/pumpkin patch. There is plenty of parking but you may need to walk a bit.
The orchard gets really, really busy on nice weekends so if you want to avoid large crowds you might want to try a weekday, if possible. The Orchard is open daily from 9 AM until 6PM. Despite the crowds we always have fun here because it feels like such a perfect fall activity.
The cost of admission varies depending on what you plan to do while there. If the only thing you want to do is pick apples admission is $1. We did the Lil' Farmer Pass for $5/person that gives you access to the kid's farm in addition apple picking. For $7/person you get everything in the Lil' Farmer Pass plus you can do the corn maze. For $10/person, in addition to everything else, you get unlimited rides on the moo choo, which is a little kid train ride. We knew our group wouldn't have enough energy to do everything so we just stuck with apple picking and the kids farm. The ticket booths are located outside just beyond the big barn. There is a cute little map on their website (http://countylineorchard.com/orchard-map.asp) that shows the orchard layout.
A tractor pulled wagon provides rides out to the orchard. We always take the tractor out because the kids love the ride but if you want to avoid the line you can just as easily walk. We usually walk back (although a tractor will pick you up) after we've picked our apples because it is so close. Apple picking is just such a fun fall activity! Availability of apples, of course, varies from year to year but this year they had a very good selection available. It was super easy for the girls to find good apples to pick at their level. Last year we went at about the same time and there was very little to pick. There were some weather related problems that caused a bad apple crop all over the midwest but we still had a good time. The tractor will also take you out to the corn maze and pumkin patch, which are both a bit farther out but still walkable. A lot of people bring wagons to haul their pumpkins. The price for pumkings $0.30 per pound.
You can pay for your apples and pumpkins inside the big barn. In addition they sell a wide range of other products from squash and other vegetables to Christmas decorations. Our favorite are the donuts. They sell pumpkin and apple. Both are very, very good. While there we also had to pick up a gallon of apple cidar, which we also really enjoyed.
After paying for our apples and buying way too many other things, we headed out to the Kids Farm. The farm has goats, chickens and roosters, miniature ponies, pot belly pigs, and cows. There is also a maze made out of hay, which is a bit easier for little kids to manuever than the corn maze and tractors the kids can sit on. In addition, there is this robot dinosaur called Peter the Pumpkin Eater that puts on a show every hour. The highlight of the show is that he "eats" a pumpkin. It is the kind of show that kids really enjoy and but kind of annoys their parents. Of course my girls went crazy for it and are still talking about it a week later.
There are lots of food options besides donuts. You can bring your own food and eat at picnic tables provided. There is a grill that sells hot dogs, hamburgers, grilled cheese, and that kind of stuff. In addition, there is an indoor eating area that serves a different menu and includes items such as chicken fingers and mac and cheese. We haven't eaten at the orchard but the grilled stuff always smells really good. Live music is provided on an outdoor stage near the picnic tables.
There are bathrooms located in the main barn and then some portable bathrooms located through out the grounds. Whether you bring a stroller or not really depends on how much your kid will be riding in it. It can be a bit of a walk from the parking lot and from the orchard to the outdoor eating area and petting zoo so if you don't think your child can walk those distances or you would have to constantly be carrying your child if you didn't have a stroller, I would suggest bringing one. One the other hand, it can get really crowded inside the buildings, a lot of the ground is covered in wood chips, which is hard to push a stroller on, and you can't really take your stroller on the tractor ride out to the orchard/pumpkin patch. There is plenty of parking but you may need to walk a bit.
The orchard gets really, really busy on nice weekends so if you want to avoid large crowds you might want to try a weekday, if possible. The Orchard is open daily from 9 AM until 6PM. Despite the crowds we always have fun here because it feels like such a perfect fall activity.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Dairy Star
Even though summer is over, we decided to try a new (for us) ice cream place. We went to Dairy Star located at 3472 W. Devon. The store is located on Devon where the south side of the street is Chicago and the north side is Lincolnwood so Dairy Star is officially located in Lincolnwood. They offer soft serve chocolate and vanilla ice cream, with a wide variety of ways to upgrade the standards. For example, Dairy Star offers 11 different dip flavors for your cone. My daughter had her vanilla cone dipped in cotton candy flavor and she really enjoyed it. They also offer vanilla cones with "flavor bursts" added to them. Flavor bursts are flavored gels that are swirled into the cone. About 8 different flavors are offered and you can combine up to three different flavors in one cone. Since I had never had a cone with a flavor burst before I decided to try the strawberry. It was actually pretty good and my daughter absolutely loved it. Because there is so much more ice cream than the gel that is added you get more of a subtle flavor, which I think is good. We all got smalls but it was A LOT of ice cream - way more than a two year could or should eat. Although my youngest daughter freaked out when I threw her chocolate cone out even though the cone had pretty much turned into a squishy mess. They also have other ice cream desserts like sundaes, floats, milkshakes, splits, and ice cream bars. I can't remember how much each cone cost but for the three of us to each get a small cone it was around seven dollars.
We got there just in time. They close for the winter September 29th so go there soon if you want to visit before next year. During the summer they are open everyday at noon. Dairy Star is really just a walk up window with a bunch of picnic tables nearby where you can enjoy your ice cream. There is no inside seating. Unless you live nearby you'll have to drive but there is a fairly large free parking lot.
Overall we had a pretty good time when we went there and my older daughter enjoyed the ice cream so much that as we were leaving she asked if we could go back the next day.
We got there just in time. They close for the winter September 29th so go there soon if you want to visit before next year. During the summer they are open everyday at noon. Dairy Star is really just a walk up window with a bunch of picnic tables nearby where you can enjoy your ice cream. There is no inside seating. Unless you live nearby you'll have to drive but there is a fairly large free parking lot.
Overall we had a pretty good time when we went there and my older daughter enjoyed the ice cream so much that as we were leaving she asked if we could go back the next day.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Garfield Park Conservatory
I love the Garfield Park Conservatory at 300 N. Central Park. Admission is free, it is generally not very busy during the week, and there are lots of things for the girls to look at and do. My girls will generally spend more than the expected amount of time looking at the tropical plants, especially the cacti in the desert house. In the lobby you can pick up a scavenger hunt that encourages your kids to find specific plants within the Conservatory. Some of them are a bit hard to find but there are plenty of obvious ones that are fun for kids such as oranges and banana. One of the must see attractions for us on every visit is a large pond located kind of in the middle of the conservatory that contains a lot of large goldfish. There is a bench for sitting and watching the fish swim and that's what we do for as long as I am willing.
The highlight of the Conservatory for families, however, is the Elizabeth Morse Genius Children's Garden. My kids' favorite parts of the Children's Garden are the tall tube slide, the spray bottles that they get to use to water the plants, and the tubs of dirt that are put out for them to dig in with mini shovels and rakes.
We almost always go to the Conservatory on Mondays for the Morning Glories program. The target age for this program is 3-5 and involves a small project and a story that goes along with the theme. There is a suggested donation of $2 if you participate in the make and take activity but it truly is just suggested since they don't ask you for the money and instead there is box off to the side where you can put it. The activities generally have a nature theme to then, are generally relevant to what's growing inside the conservatory, and are somewhat seasonal. I think about once a month they do something edible (such as make herbal ice tea or ice cream). A schedule of upcoming activities is provided on the Conservatory website at http://www.garfieldconservatory.org/early_childhood.htm. They seem to have about 20 or 30 activities that they rotate. Even though we've been there a bunch of times we've never done the same activity twice. Some of the things we've done are planted a chocolate mint plant, decorated a twig with beads and ribbons to make a wish stick, made a butterfly and made bee goggles. My two favorite things we did were a scratch and sniff bracelets and an orange pomander. Both things smelled so good. The orange pomander was basically just inserting cloves all around the outside of the orange to make a Christmas ornament. The bracelets involved stringing small squares of sand paper that had shapes punched in them onto a bracelet. The kids then got to choose from items that smell really good like a cinnamon stick or nutmeg and rubbed then against the sandpaper. After the activity a staff member reads a story that is usually loosely related to the project. Most activities need a little parent help, depending on your child's age, but there is usually ample staff to help your child if you have more than one kid to keep your hands and eyes on. The format for the activities is a drop in program from 10 -12. Every 20 minutes or so they gather a group of kids to do the activity and story. If you arrive after one has already started you need to wait for the next one. It can get kind of busy on Monday mornings but we've never had a problem not getting into to the next available session after we get there. They usually try to make room for everyone who is there. As always, I suggest getting there early, however. A similar program is also available on Saturday and Sunday afternoons from 1-3.
Strollers can be kind of tricky in the Conservatory. It is not like you can't have one or even that it doesn't fit but pathways can be kind of narrow plus once you get to the Children's Garden there is not a lot a space to park it. I've gone both with and without the stroller and it really depends on whether you need it or not. I've gone with a sleeping baby in a stroller and it worked out pretty good (baby slept off to the side while we participated in the project) but now that I two kids who can walk it is just easier not to have the stroller.
As far as I know, the only bathrooms in the place are located just outside the entrance, near the gift shop, so have your kids go before you go in. In terms of food, it is OK to bring a lunch in and there are tables where you can eat. Also, I think you can buy sandwiches and snacks in the gift shop.
There is a free parking lot adjacent to the Conservatory. In addition, the Green Line drops you off right there. I have done both and they both work equally well. I'm not going to lie, the Conservatory is not located in the best neighborhood in the City but we've never had any problems there.
Every September the Conservatory hosts a County Fair and this year it will be held next weekend - September 17th from 11 -4. We've never actually made it to the County Fair but it sounds like so much fun. Admission is $5 and includes a petting zoo, garden display, bounce house, live music, farmer's market, and more kids activities.
The highlight of the Conservatory for families, however, is the Elizabeth Morse Genius Children's Garden. My kids' favorite parts of the Children's Garden are the tall tube slide, the spray bottles that they get to use to water the plants, and the tubs of dirt that are put out for them to dig in with mini shovels and rakes.
We almost always go to the Conservatory on Mondays for the Morning Glories program. The target age for this program is 3-5 and involves a small project and a story that goes along with the theme. There is a suggested donation of $2 if you participate in the make and take activity but it truly is just suggested since they don't ask you for the money and instead there is box off to the side where you can put it. The activities generally have a nature theme to then, are generally relevant to what's growing inside the conservatory, and are somewhat seasonal. I think about once a month they do something edible (such as make herbal ice tea or ice cream). A schedule of upcoming activities is provided on the Conservatory website at http://www.garfieldconservatory.org/early_childhood.htm. They seem to have about 20 or 30 activities that they rotate. Even though we've been there a bunch of times we've never done the same activity twice. Some of the things we've done are planted a chocolate mint plant, decorated a twig with beads and ribbons to make a wish stick, made a butterfly and made bee goggles. My two favorite things we did were a scratch and sniff bracelets and an orange pomander. Both things smelled so good. The orange pomander was basically just inserting cloves all around the outside of the orange to make a Christmas ornament. The bracelets involved stringing small squares of sand paper that had shapes punched in them onto a bracelet. The kids then got to choose from items that smell really good like a cinnamon stick or nutmeg and rubbed then against the sandpaper. After the activity a staff member reads a story that is usually loosely related to the project. Most activities need a little parent help, depending on your child's age, but there is usually ample staff to help your child if you have more than one kid to keep your hands and eyes on. The format for the activities is a drop in program from 10 -12. Every 20 minutes or so they gather a group of kids to do the activity and story. If you arrive after one has already started you need to wait for the next one. It can get kind of busy on Monday mornings but we've never had a problem not getting into to the next available session after we get there. They usually try to make room for everyone who is there. As always, I suggest getting there early, however. A similar program is also available on Saturday and Sunday afternoons from 1-3.
Strollers can be kind of tricky in the Conservatory. It is not like you can't have one or even that it doesn't fit but pathways can be kind of narrow plus once you get to the Children's Garden there is not a lot a space to park it. I've gone both with and without the stroller and it really depends on whether you need it or not. I've gone with a sleeping baby in a stroller and it worked out pretty good (baby slept off to the side while we participated in the project) but now that I two kids who can walk it is just easier not to have the stroller.
As far as I know, the only bathrooms in the place are located just outside the entrance, near the gift shop, so have your kids go before you go in. In terms of food, it is OK to bring a lunch in and there are tables where you can eat. Also, I think you can buy sandwiches and snacks in the gift shop.
There is a free parking lot adjacent to the Conservatory. In addition, the Green Line drops you off right there. I have done both and they both work equally well. I'm not going to lie, the Conservatory is not located in the best neighborhood in the City but we've never had any problems there.
Every September the Conservatory hosts a County Fair and this year it will be held next weekend - September 17th from 11 -4. We've never actually made it to the County Fair but it sounds like so much fun. Admission is $5 and includes a petting zoo, garden display, bounce house, live music, farmer's market, and more kids activities.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Bakin' & Eggs
We went out to breakfast this morning at Bakin' & Eggs at 3120 N. Lincoln in Lakeview. This is the second time we've dined there. The first time we went for brunch on Mother's Day and the place was slammed but this morning it was much quieter. We chose today because I wanted to go out for breakfast one last time before school starts and also because on Thursdays kids eat free. I was a little concerned that the place would be swarmed with parents and little kids but it really wasn't that busy at all. We got there at about 8:30 and we were easily seated. There were only a few other tables taken and they were all adults so I was automatically concerned that my kids were going to drive everyone nuts. Around the time we were getting ready to leave, 9:30-ish, the restaurant started to fill up with kids who were thankfully much louder than my kids. Bakin' & Eggs is open from 7 to 3, serves breakfast all day, and starts serving lunch at 11.
Even though Thursday seems to be dedicated to attracting kids and their parents, I don't think the wait staff were really "kid people". They do give kids a little chalkboard and chalk to color on while they wait for their meals, which my daughters loved. The food came pretty quickly on Thursday when there weren't that many people but took awhile when we were there on Mother's Day.
The menu is pretty good for adults. They have a a good selection of frittatas, breakfast sandwiches, and pancakes. They also offer five different kinds of bacon. I ordered a frittata and it was quite good. It came with potatoes that I really enjoyed, toast, and my choice of one of the kinds of bacon or sausage. I think the kids menu is kind of skimpy. Only two choices are offered for breakfast - a pancake or a breakfast burrito and only like three choices for lunch. Seems like they could have offered kids a couple more options. Kids breakfast meals come with teeny tiny cups of fruit. Somehow, even though the kids meals were free we still ended up spending over $20 for breakfast. FYI free breakfast for kids does not include their drinks or any add ons such as the scrambled eggs I got for my daughter.
One of the things I like most about this restaurant is how large it is. Most breakfast places are so tiny that you can barely get your kids inside let alone all their stuff. At Bakin' & Eggs there is plenty of room to park your stroller. When we were there when it was really busy, we had to wait awhile and we didn't feel crammed at all even though there were a lot of people waiting. Part of the reason there is extra room is that one side of the restaurant is dedicated to a bakery/coffee shop where you can get cupcakes, cookies, and other baked goods plus coffee and tea drinks to go. We haven't tried anything from this section yet but it all looks really good. If you can't walk, there is generally plenty of metered parking in front of the restaurants.
One other item I wanted to mentioned is that you pay your bill at the cash register in the coffee shop/bakery section. Our waiter was quite clear about where we were supposed to pay but I hate when you eat at a restaurant and you are not certain where you are supposed to pay. The only problem with this check out set up is that it forces you to go to the bakery section with your kids where they will inevitably beg for a cupcake.
Even though Thursday seems to be dedicated to attracting kids and their parents, I don't think the wait staff were really "kid people". They do give kids a little chalkboard and chalk to color on while they wait for their meals, which my daughters loved. The food came pretty quickly on Thursday when there weren't that many people but took awhile when we were there on Mother's Day.
The menu is pretty good for adults. They have a a good selection of frittatas, breakfast sandwiches, and pancakes. They also offer five different kinds of bacon. I ordered a frittata and it was quite good. It came with potatoes that I really enjoyed, toast, and my choice of one of the kinds of bacon or sausage. I think the kids menu is kind of skimpy. Only two choices are offered for breakfast - a pancake or a breakfast burrito and only like three choices for lunch. Seems like they could have offered kids a couple more options. Kids breakfast meals come with teeny tiny cups of fruit. Somehow, even though the kids meals were free we still ended up spending over $20 for breakfast. FYI free breakfast for kids does not include their drinks or any add ons such as the scrambled eggs I got for my daughter.
One of the things I like most about this restaurant is how large it is. Most breakfast places are so tiny that you can barely get your kids inside let alone all their stuff. At Bakin' & Eggs there is plenty of room to park your stroller. When we were there when it was really busy, we had to wait awhile and we didn't feel crammed at all even though there were a lot of people waiting. Part of the reason there is extra room is that one side of the restaurant is dedicated to a bakery/coffee shop where you can get cupcakes, cookies, and other baked goods plus coffee and tea drinks to go. We haven't tried anything from this section yet but it all looks really good. If you can't walk, there is generally plenty of metered parking in front of the restaurants.
One other item I wanted to mentioned is that you pay your bill at the cash register in the coffee shop/bakery section. Our waiter was quite clear about where we were supposed to pay but I hate when you eat at a restaurant and you are not certain where you are supposed to pay. The only problem with this check out set up is that it forces you to go to the bakery section with your kids where they will inevitably beg for a cupcake.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
YMCA Kiddie Kamp
For the last two summers my older daughter has gone to Kiddie Kamp at the YMCA. For the most part, we've had a really good experience there. Kiddie Kamp is a bit different than the camp for kids 6 years and older (the older kids go every day for a full day, go on field trips, have swimming a couple days a week, and participate in a talent show unlike the younger kids) so this review is exclusively for Kiddie Kamp. Kiddie Kamp is offered either Monday, Wednesday, Friday, or Tuesday and Thursday from 9:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M. The first year my daughter was in camp she did two days a week and then this summer she went three days a week. You are allowed to sign up for as many or as few weeks as you want and the camp is offered for the duration of the CPS summer break. We like the flexibility of being able to choose what weeks we go so that we can go on vacation or have family come visit and take off a week or two of camp without having to pay for it. Kiddie Kamp is for kids ages 3-5.
Besides the flexibility, one of the other things I really like about Kiddie Kamp is the swimming. Regardless of whether they are in the two day or three day program, campers go swimming in the Y's indoor pool for about an hour every week. Half of the swimming time is open play and the other half is a lesson. Children are not expected to have any experience in the pool - beginner's are OK. Everyone is required to wear a swim belt regardless of skill level. The camp staff takes some pride in their ability to encourage kids who are scared of the water to get in and swim. During swim time all of the camp staff is required to be in the pool. In addition, there are two swim instructors and two lifeguards. The staff to camper ratio is 1 to 6 and I think the maximum number of kids they can have in a camp at a time is 30.
Every week has a theme. Examples of themes are Moovin and Groovin, the Great Outdoors, Super Soakin Showdown, and Lend a Hand. Based on these themes camp counselors create daily activities. For the Super Soakin theme they had extended outdoor time and played a bunch of water games, for Lend a Hand week they talked about helping others and wrote letters to troops overseas, and they learned some new songs and dances and made musical instruments for Moovin and Groovin week. I think they keep a lot of the themes the same from year to year but it did seem like this year there were a few different ones than last year.
The overall schedule that they follow every day includes circle time, story time with a story based on the theme of the week, outdoor time (they have a playground only for campers use), snack time with a brought from home snack, arts and crafts, songs, and journal writing. My daughter came home with her journal, which they are encouraged to write in at least once a week, on her last day of camp and it was so cute. A newsletter is put out every week that gives a summary of the previous week and brief description of what will be coming up that week.
Camp Counselors are generally college students and they are overseen by an older adult who is generally in the education field. Both years my daughter found a counselor that she really, really liked and talked about constantly. Although I was a little disappointed to see that almost all of the counselors for Kiddie Kamp were new this year. In the older camps it seems like they have the same counselors year after year, which provides good consistancy for the kids.
Registration begins in March and at the time of registration a $25 per week of camp deposit is required. Just like all other activities at the Y, you get a discount if you are a member of the Y. For the past two years the cost was $70 for members/$90 for nonmembers per week for the M/W/F camp and $50 for members/$70 for nonmembers per week for the Tu/Th camp. I know at some YMCAs (Lakeview location in particular) you need to get there before the facility opens for the day and wait in line to get your kid into camp while at other Ys you can still get into camp in the middle of the summer. The rest of the camp fee is due the Wednesday before camp every week but you can pay in full for all the weeks your kid will attend up front when you register. You are also required to attend a mandatory parent orientation before the camp starts.
The benefits of the camp, for us, was the flexibility, ability to go swimming, the fact that it was only half day, and all the positive experiences my daughter had with the counselors and other campers. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that they are pretty serious about their rules such as what kind of shoes campers can wear, sign in/sign out procedure, and what you need to bring to camp each day, so if you would prefer a more laid back camp this is not it. Also they charge you if you are late picking up your child. It really wasn't an issue for us and in some ways it is good to know what the expectations are.
Besides the flexibility, one of the other things I really like about Kiddie Kamp is the swimming. Regardless of whether they are in the two day or three day program, campers go swimming in the Y's indoor pool for about an hour every week. Half of the swimming time is open play and the other half is a lesson. Children are not expected to have any experience in the pool - beginner's are OK. Everyone is required to wear a swim belt regardless of skill level. The camp staff takes some pride in their ability to encourage kids who are scared of the water to get in and swim. During swim time all of the camp staff is required to be in the pool. In addition, there are two swim instructors and two lifeguards. The staff to camper ratio is 1 to 6 and I think the maximum number of kids they can have in a camp at a time is 30.
Every week has a theme. Examples of themes are Moovin and Groovin, the Great Outdoors, Super Soakin Showdown, and Lend a Hand. Based on these themes camp counselors create daily activities. For the Super Soakin theme they had extended outdoor time and played a bunch of water games, for Lend a Hand week they talked about helping others and wrote letters to troops overseas, and they learned some new songs and dances and made musical instruments for Moovin and Groovin week. I think they keep a lot of the themes the same from year to year but it did seem like this year there were a few different ones than last year.
The overall schedule that they follow every day includes circle time, story time with a story based on the theme of the week, outdoor time (they have a playground only for campers use), snack time with a brought from home snack, arts and crafts, songs, and journal writing. My daughter came home with her journal, which they are encouraged to write in at least once a week, on her last day of camp and it was so cute. A newsletter is put out every week that gives a summary of the previous week and brief description of what will be coming up that week.
Camp Counselors are generally college students and they are overseen by an older adult who is generally in the education field. Both years my daughter found a counselor that she really, really liked and talked about constantly. Although I was a little disappointed to see that almost all of the counselors for Kiddie Kamp were new this year. In the older camps it seems like they have the same counselors year after year, which provides good consistancy for the kids.
Registration begins in March and at the time of registration a $25 per week of camp deposit is required. Just like all other activities at the Y, you get a discount if you are a member of the Y. For the past two years the cost was $70 for members/$90 for nonmembers per week for the M/W/F camp and $50 for members/$70 for nonmembers per week for the Tu/Th camp. I know at some YMCAs (Lakeview location in particular) you need to get there before the facility opens for the day and wait in line to get your kid into camp while at other Ys you can still get into camp in the middle of the summer. The rest of the camp fee is due the Wednesday before camp every week but you can pay in full for all the weeks your kid will attend up front when you register. You are also required to attend a mandatory parent orientation before the camp starts.
The benefits of the camp, for us, was the flexibility, ability to go swimming, the fact that it was only half day, and all the positive experiences my daughter had with the counselors and other campers. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that they are pretty serious about their rules such as what kind of shoes campers can wear, sign in/sign out procedure, and what you need to bring to camp each day, so if you would prefer a more laid back camp this is not it. Also they charge you if you are late picking up your child. It really wasn't an issue for us and in some ways it is good to know what the expectations are.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants with Kids
As I've mentioned in the past, we love going out to eat and we love Lettuce Entertain You (LEY) restaurants. We even had our rehearsal dinner for our wedding at Wildfire downtown and we also really love Mon Ami Gabi, but probably won't be taking our kids to those restaurants anytime soon not to mention some of their even higher end restaurants. What I really wanted to talk about was LEY restaurants that you can take kids to. There are a lot of restaurants in that group and we have by no means been to all of them so this is not a comprehensive list of a the LEY restaurants that are good for kids, just some of the ones we've been to with our kids.
L. Woods
Part of what prompted this post was a recent visit to this restaurant for the first time. Whenever we try a new restaurant and we're not sure how welcome children are, we try to go right around 5 o'clock or sometimes even a little earlier, if the restaurant is open. We figure that no one at the restaurant is expecting a fine dining experience at 5 pm and shouldn't be too bothered by our kids. L. Woods is located at 7110 N. Lincoln in Lincolnwood. This restaurant, I think, is supposed to bring to mind a rustic Wisconsin cabin with "supper club fare," which, based on the menu, I guess means ribs, steak, fish, and chicken. I had a fish dish and thought it was pretty good. My husband also had fish but he was more mixed on it but, then again, he's not really a fish person. I had a melon sangria, which was a drink special for the night. The melon came from a local farm and was really good. Wine and beer lists were pretty average.
The restaurant is very large on the inside and also has a large parking lot. We were there at 5 o'clock on a Saturday night without reservations and were seated right away but as we were leaving, maybe an hour later, there was a pretty good crowd waiting for a table. On the kid front, I think we had nothing to worry about. They actually have a decently large children's menu with the expected, mac & cheese and chicken fingers, to the less expected, skirt steak and ribs. Our girls, of course, got buttered noodles and mac & cheese and were completely happy with their meals. They also have a kids club, where you get a free kids meal for joining and something from the "Treasure Chest" when they dine there. After 20 visits they get a T-shirt. The only thing that was kind of weird about the place was that the average age of the diners was probably about 85. Now I know we were there pretty early but it was a little odd.
Ben Pao
My daughters absolutely love Ben Pao, a Chinese restaurant located at 52 W. Illinois . We never seem to have any trouble getting in at 5 o'clock, when they open for dinner, on either a Friday or Saturday night. We usually call day of for reservations. The girls love the decorations and the food (chicken fingers with rice for them but also more adventurous options if your kids are up for it). They used to give out these plastic kids chopsticks that were such a hit with my daughter that she played with them forever until they broke. The last time we went they no longer had the fun chopsticks, though. You will definitely see lots of families if you dine here early - definitely more tourists than trendsetters. The adults in our household like to go there too. The food is good, love the seven flavor chicken, and they have a really great alcoholic drink called the frozen ginger ale. I went into labor with my first daughter the night after eating at Ben Pao and my husband and I are convinced the spicy dragon noodles are the reason why. We like the lighting of the restaurant, as well. It is so dark you can't see how big of a mess your child is making. Like most LEY restaurants this one is quite big and has a separate bar area. The other great thing about Ben Pao is that it is right off of the Grand stop on the Red Line.
RJ Grunts
When we used to live a block from RJ Grunts (2056 Lincoln Park West) we used to get way too much takeout. At first glance, this restaurant seems very kid friendly. It is located right by the zoo, it's casual, there are a lot of kids eating here, and they have high chairs, crayons, and a kids menu. The problems are that there is no where to park your stroller, the tables are really close together and the bathrooms are really TINY. Getting there is not so easy, either. There is no train line that gets you very close and no parking in the area. It is great if you live in the neighborhood, though. They do have really good food (sandwiches, salad bar, burgers), a full bar, and brunch. We always have a hard time not going when we are in the area despite the problems.
As for other casual LEY restaurants, we've never actually gone to Maggiano's with our kids but based on my experiences there, it seems like a perfectly fine place to take kids and, as I mentioned in a previous post, we enjoy Scoozi's kids pizza night on Sundays. What I like about LEY restaurants is that they all have their own style and feel and yet you know the food is almost always going to be good.
L. Woods
Part of what prompted this post was a recent visit to this restaurant for the first time. Whenever we try a new restaurant and we're not sure how welcome children are, we try to go right around 5 o'clock or sometimes even a little earlier, if the restaurant is open. We figure that no one at the restaurant is expecting a fine dining experience at 5 pm and shouldn't be too bothered by our kids. L. Woods is located at 7110 N. Lincoln in Lincolnwood. This restaurant, I think, is supposed to bring to mind a rustic Wisconsin cabin with "supper club fare," which, based on the menu, I guess means ribs, steak, fish, and chicken. I had a fish dish and thought it was pretty good. My husband also had fish but he was more mixed on it but, then again, he's not really a fish person. I had a melon sangria, which was a drink special for the night. The melon came from a local farm and was really good. Wine and beer lists were pretty average.
The restaurant is very large on the inside and also has a large parking lot. We were there at 5 o'clock on a Saturday night without reservations and were seated right away but as we were leaving, maybe an hour later, there was a pretty good crowd waiting for a table. On the kid front, I think we had nothing to worry about. They actually have a decently large children's menu with the expected, mac & cheese and chicken fingers, to the less expected, skirt steak and ribs. Our girls, of course, got buttered noodles and mac & cheese and were completely happy with their meals. They also have a kids club, where you get a free kids meal for joining and something from the "Treasure Chest" when they dine there. After 20 visits they get a T-shirt. The only thing that was kind of weird about the place was that the average age of the diners was probably about 85. Now I know we were there pretty early but it was a little odd.
Ben Pao
My daughters absolutely love Ben Pao, a Chinese restaurant located at 52 W. Illinois . We never seem to have any trouble getting in at 5 o'clock, when they open for dinner, on either a Friday or Saturday night. We usually call day of for reservations. The girls love the decorations and the food (chicken fingers with rice for them but also more adventurous options if your kids are up for it). They used to give out these plastic kids chopsticks that were such a hit with my daughter that she played with them forever until they broke. The last time we went they no longer had the fun chopsticks, though. You will definitely see lots of families if you dine here early - definitely more tourists than trendsetters. The adults in our household like to go there too. The food is good, love the seven flavor chicken, and they have a really great alcoholic drink called the frozen ginger ale. I went into labor with my first daughter the night after eating at Ben Pao and my husband and I are convinced the spicy dragon noodles are the reason why. We like the lighting of the restaurant, as well. It is so dark you can't see how big of a mess your child is making. Like most LEY restaurants this one is quite big and has a separate bar area. The other great thing about Ben Pao is that it is right off of the Grand stop on the Red Line.
RJ Grunts
When we used to live a block from RJ Grunts (2056 Lincoln Park West) we used to get way too much takeout. At first glance, this restaurant seems very kid friendly. It is located right by the zoo, it's casual, there are a lot of kids eating here, and they have high chairs, crayons, and a kids menu. The problems are that there is no where to park your stroller, the tables are really close together and the bathrooms are really TINY. Getting there is not so easy, either. There is no train line that gets you very close and no parking in the area. It is great if you live in the neighborhood, though. They do have really good food (sandwiches, salad bar, burgers), a full bar, and brunch. We always have a hard time not going when we are in the area despite the problems.
As for other casual LEY restaurants, we've never actually gone to Maggiano's with our kids but based on my experiences there, it seems like a perfectly fine place to take kids and, as I mentioned in a previous post, we enjoy Scoozi's kids pizza night on Sundays. What I like about LEY restaurants is that they all have their own style and feel and yet you know the food is almost always going to be good.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Green City Market/Farm at the Lincoln Park Zoo
We recently went to the Green City Market and, with the girls, a trip to the market also means a trip to the farm at the Lincoln Park Zoo. Both the Green City Market and the Farm at the Lincoln Park Zoo are fun, free activities. Even though we subscribe to a CSA, we still love to go to farmer's markets when we have the opportunity, especially Green City since it is pretty much the best in the City. The Market is located at the south end of Lincoln Park between Clark and Stockton and is open between 7 am and 1 pm Wednesdays and Saturdays. The Market, for the most part, runs year round moving to the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum during the winter from November until April. Green City also offers a children's program called Green Sprouts, which encourages kids to try a new item at the Market. For each taste the child gets a stamp and after 8 stamps they get a certificate. Our kids have never participated in this program because we just don't get to the Market enough.
The one downside to Green City, though, is parking and it is hard to get to via public transportation. We used to live right near there and would have to circle the area, sometimes for an hour in the summer, just to find street parking near our apartment - that's why we never drove anywhere. Now when we go, we pretty much just give in to the paid parking lot. You get a couple dollar discount if you get your ticket validated at the Market's main tent and stay for only two hours. In this situation, I think parking is $9. Also, don't forget to bring cash and reusable bags. The Market is always crowded but it's a little easier for us to maneuver now that we don't bring a stroller. The girls used to hate to go to farmer's markets and would drag their feet until they realized there was free samples. They have a good time trying the cheese and fruit at the various stands. They have also discovered a place that sells yummy donuts. The best part is that everything is local and organic. After getting some delicious stuff and spending way to much money we were ready to head over to the farm.
The farm is a pretty short walk from where the Market is set up. It opens at 10:00 so it is always a balance of getting to the Market early enough that it's not too crowded but late enough so that we don't have to wait for the farm to open. The farm has a schedule of activities such as a milking demonstration and an opportunity to brush and pet the goats. My girls always want to be there to feed the cows. On the Saturday we were there, this wasn't scheduled until 11:00 so we spent some time doing everything else first. The farm has pigs and usually piglets in the summer, ponies, steer, cows, goats, and an owl. Also they have an edible garden in the middle that is sponsored by the Green City Market. Bathrooms are in the barn with the tractor. I kind of think the farm is geared towards really young kids more than the rest of the zoo is, but my 5 year old still enjoys it and she has been there a lot of times. Part of the reason I think it's better for younger kids, though, is that they don't let you get very close to the animals (except the cows and the goats) and the activities in the barn, crawling through the chicken egg, listening to the animal noises, even crawling up into the tractor seemed to appeal to a younger crowd. Maybe it's just because everyone who lives in Lincoln Park only has babies so that's what I see when we're there. All in all, the combination of these two activities makes for a fun filled Saturday for our whole family.
The one downside to Green City, though, is parking and it is hard to get to via public transportation. We used to live right near there and would have to circle the area, sometimes for an hour in the summer, just to find street parking near our apartment - that's why we never drove anywhere. Now when we go, we pretty much just give in to the paid parking lot. You get a couple dollar discount if you get your ticket validated at the Market's main tent and stay for only two hours. In this situation, I think parking is $9. Also, don't forget to bring cash and reusable bags. The Market is always crowded but it's a little easier for us to maneuver now that we don't bring a stroller. The girls used to hate to go to farmer's markets and would drag their feet until they realized there was free samples. They have a good time trying the cheese and fruit at the various stands. They have also discovered a place that sells yummy donuts. The best part is that everything is local and organic. After getting some delicious stuff and spending way to much money we were ready to head over to the farm.
The farm is a pretty short walk from where the Market is set up. It opens at 10:00 so it is always a balance of getting to the Market early enough that it's not too crowded but late enough so that we don't have to wait for the farm to open. The farm has a schedule of activities such as a milking demonstration and an opportunity to brush and pet the goats. My girls always want to be there to feed the cows. On the Saturday we were there, this wasn't scheduled until 11:00 so we spent some time doing everything else first. The farm has pigs and usually piglets in the summer, ponies, steer, cows, goats, and an owl. Also they have an edible garden in the middle that is sponsored by the Green City Market. Bathrooms are in the barn with the tractor. I kind of think the farm is geared towards really young kids more than the rest of the zoo is, but my 5 year old still enjoys it and she has been there a lot of times. Part of the reason I think it's better for younger kids, though, is that they don't let you get very close to the animals (except the cows and the goats) and the activities in the barn, crawling through the chicken egg, listening to the animal noises, even crawling up into the tractor seemed to appeal to a younger crowd. Maybe it's just because everyone who lives in Lincoln Park only has babies so that's what I see when we're there. All in all, the combination of these two activities makes for a fun filled Saturday for our whole family.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Lexington, KY
The final location we visited while on vacation was Lexington, about 75 miles east of Louisville. Lexington is horse country, where some of the most famous racehorses and horse farms are located, and horses is what we went to see. We had initially intended to spend one day in Lexington visiting both the Kentucky Horse Park and the Thoroughbred Center but at the last minute decided that was too much for one day and did each of those activities on there own separate day. We also spent a decent amount of time driving around Lexington looking at all of the beautiful countryside and horse farms. There are some really amazing country roads where everywhere you look is green grass, white fences, and horses.
Kentucky Horse Park
The Kentucky Horse Park is basically a huge park devoted to all things horse. Admission was $16/adult, $8/child, 6 and under were free. There are pony rides and if you are over 7 years old you can do basic horseback rides. Horseback riding was $22 for a 35 minute trail ride. Pony rides were $5 per ride. There are also some horse shows, a horse museum, and a huge area where they do competitions and exhibitions. While we were there they were having some kind of horse jumping competition. The pony rides were, of course, a huge hit for the girls. The rides were a bit better than your average pony ride in that they were longer and your pony is pulled along by a guide as opposed to all being connected and rotating in a circle together. You can't get in line whenever you feel like it, though. They have slotted times when pony rides begin and they can potentially sell out, all though we were told that rarely happens. There is a playground located adjacent to the pony rides which is a good place to kill time while you're waiting for the pony rides to start. We also saw two shows. One featured retired champions - horses that had won the Kentucky Derby or other big races. The other show was called the Parade of Breeds and showed different breeds of horses with costumed riders. After this show the audience was encouraged to come down and pet the horses. The girls were able to enjoy both shows but definitely preferred the second one. The Park is huge, so I highly recommend a stroller, good walking shoes, and snacks. Because of the timing of the shows and activities we kind of had to rush from one place to another while carrying our children. It ultimately ended up being a hot and tiring day but a lot of fun and a great opportunity to see and interact with a lot of horses.
Thoroughbred Center
This facility ended up being a surprise hit. For me it was one of the best things we did on vacation and we almost didn't do it. The Thoroughbred Center only offers tours once a day a 9 am. They are kind of expensive for a family at $15/adult and $8/child. The Center takes advanced reservations but they weren't necessary for us on a Wednesday in August. Our original plan was to do this tour first and then go to the Horse Park, which is only a few miles away. It ended up being really hot that day so we thought the two outdoor activities would be too much and thought the girls would enjoy the Horse Park more since all they could talk about was going on pony rides. I also knew that to see anything at the Thoroughbred Center we would have to take another tour and I kind of thought the girls were done with tours. I was completely wrong and so glad we decided to drive back out to Lexington on our last day of vacation.
The Thoroughbred Center is a training facility for race horses. During racing season, which I guess is basically all year in Kentucky, the Center can house up to 1,000 horses. The horses live and train there and then travel to their races as they come up. The tour that is offered here is very laid back. You get in a bus and are driven to the track (it is right there - really you could walk there) where you get to stand up at the fence for a while and watch the horses exercise. The exercise track is open from about 5 am until 11 am. Each horse only exercises for about 15 minutes a day, which I guess is enough time to keep them in shape for their races. They are also able to practice with the starting gate. While watching the horses exercise the tour guide provides lots of interesting information about how the facility is run and answers any questions but if you want to tune here out completely and watch the horses (which is what the girls did) it's not a big deal. You basically move on when everyone is ready to go. The horses were pretty amazing to watch (and the girls loved that some came over to say hi). Then our guide drove us over to one of the barns where they keep horses and we had the opportunity to talk to a trainer. He only had one horse stabled there at the time and said he had plenty of time to answer any questions that our group had. The tour was very informal and laid back but very informative. It was really interesting to be able to get so close to race horses and see what is involved in their training.
Kentucky Horse Park
The Kentucky Horse Park is basically a huge park devoted to all things horse. Admission was $16/adult, $8/child, 6 and under were free. There are pony rides and if you are over 7 years old you can do basic horseback rides. Horseback riding was $22 for a 35 minute trail ride. Pony rides were $5 per ride. There are also some horse shows, a horse museum, and a huge area where they do competitions and exhibitions. While we were there they were having some kind of horse jumping competition. The pony rides were, of course, a huge hit for the girls. The rides were a bit better than your average pony ride in that they were longer and your pony is pulled along by a guide as opposed to all being connected and rotating in a circle together. You can't get in line whenever you feel like it, though. They have slotted times when pony rides begin and they can potentially sell out, all though we were told that rarely happens. There is a playground located adjacent to the pony rides which is a good place to kill time while you're waiting for the pony rides to start. We also saw two shows. One featured retired champions - horses that had won the Kentucky Derby or other big races. The other show was called the Parade of Breeds and showed different breeds of horses with costumed riders. After this show the audience was encouraged to come down and pet the horses. The girls were able to enjoy both shows but definitely preferred the second one. The Park is huge, so I highly recommend a stroller, good walking shoes, and snacks. Because of the timing of the shows and activities we kind of had to rush from one place to another while carrying our children. It ultimately ended up being a hot and tiring day but a lot of fun and a great opportunity to see and interact with a lot of horses.
Thoroughbred Center
This facility ended up being a surprise hit. For me it was one of the best things we did on vacation and we almost didn't do it. The Thoroughbred Center only offers tours once a day a 9 am. They are kind of expensive for a family at $15/adult and $8/child. The Center takes advanced reservations but they weren't necessary for us on a Wednesday in August. Our original plan was to do this tour first and then go to the Horse Park, which is only a few miles away. It ended up being really hot that day so we thought the two outdoor activities would be too much and thought the girls would enjoy the Horse Park more since all they could talk about was going on pony rides. I also knew that to see anything at the Thoroughbred Center we would have to take another tour and I kind of thought the girls were done with tours. I was completely wrong and so glad we decided to drive back out to Lexington on our last day of vacation.
The Thoroughbred Center is a training facility for race horses. During racing season, which I guess is basically all year in Kentucky, the Center can house up to 1,000 horses. The horses live and train there and then travel to their races as they come up. The tour that is offered here is very laid back. You get in a bus and are driven to the track (it is right there - really you could walk there) where you get to stand up at the fence for a while and watch the horses exercise. The exercise track is open from about 5 am until 11 am. Each horse only exercises for about 15 minutes a day, which I guess is enough time to keep them in shape for their races. They are also able to practice with the starting gate. While watching the horses exercise the tour guide provides lots of interesting information about how the facility is run and answers any questions but if you want to tune here out completely and watch the horses (which is what the girls did) it's not a big deal. You basically move on when everyone is ready to go. The horses were pretty amazing to watch (and the girls loved that some came over to say hi). Then our guide drove us over to one of the barns where they keep horses and we had the opportunity to talk to a trainer. He only had one horse stabled there at the time and said he had plenty of time to answer any questions that our group had. The tour was very informal and laid back but very informative. It was really interesting to be able to get so close to race horses and see what is involved in their training.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Mammoth Cave
On one of the days of our vacation we decided to drive down to Mammoth Cave National Park. Mammoth Cave is just over 90 miles south of Louisville and is the longest known cave in the world. There is camping and hotels near the Park and some other attractions in the area (we heard Dinosaur World was good) if you wanted to take a trip just to that area. Plus plenty of above ground hiking, as well.
At Mammoth Cave there are a wide variety of tours offered based on difficulty level, distance, and for some a minimum age. Each tour is priced differently. Advanced reservations can be made for only a few tours and the rest are first come first serve. We were led to believe that the tours sell out quickly (there is a fixed number of people that can go on each tour) and you need to be there when it opens at 8 a.m. That was fine for us since the tour we wanted to go on started at 8:45. If you are doing a trip similar to ours one thing to keep in mind is that Mammoth Cave is on Central Time while Louisville is on Eastern Standard Time. This benefited us because it gave us a little extra time to sleep in since it was a decent drive and we were worried about crowds. We arrived at the park about 20 minutes before it opened and there were maybe 5 people/families ahead of us. By the time it opened there was a decent line behind us but not the mad rush we had been afraid of. Our tour group was pretty large (our tour took up to 40 people) but I don't know that it sold out or if it did, it happened right before the tour left. After out tour, when we were leaving, the Visitor's Center was much busier so it may be harder to get on the later tours. While we were waiting for our tour we noticed most people carrying sweatshirts or jackets. I guess it had never crossed our mind that it would be that cold in the cave and we were all dressed in T-shirts and shorts. We found out that it is generally around 50 degrees inside the cave so we actually tried to buy sweatshirts for the girls in the gift shop but they only sold adult sizes. For us, it ended up not being a big deal maybe because we went on a relatively short tour but it didn't really feel that cold. In all honesty, by the end I was sweating after carrying my 30 lb daughter up and down 45 stairs.
We wanted to choose a tour that would allow for us to bring our small children. When choosing a tour and before we went on the tour we heard a lot of "you need to know your children and yourself" and lectures about how you need to be sure that you can go on the tour because if you have a panic attack or other health issue it is difficult for them to get anyone in to help you because it is such a remote location. I was starting to have a panic attack just listening. Since neither my kids or I had never been in a cave before I wasn't really sure how anyone would react so really all the lectures did was increase the anxiety level. We chose probably the most basic tours - the Frozen Niagara Tour. The tour was 1 hr. 15 minutes but we were only in the cave for about 45 minutes because it took 15 minutes to get to the entrance by bus. I thought the tour was pretty cool and very good for small children. Most of what we walked through had decently high ceilings and you didn't have to walk through anything too tight. Although I'm only 5'4 so some people may have had a different experience. Even though it was a short tour we supposedly were able to see the majority of the different kind of formations you would see throughout the cave. My older daughter did kind of freak out inside the cave. She kept saying she was scared and she wanted to leave but we kind of pushed her through the whole thing because we thought it was a great experience and wanted her to overcome her fear in a situation when nothing bad was going to happen. At the beginning of our tour, our guide turned out all of the lights for a couple of minutes so we could see what it was like down there and see total darkness. She actually didn't freak out during this period but I don't think it helped. She made it through, though, and while I wish we could have done one of the longer, more in depth tours I think the tour we went on was perfect for small kids. My younger daughter wasn't scared at all but I think she just had no understanding of where we were. We were never that far from the entrance/exit so it would have been possible to leave at anytime if we had to. Since we've been back from our vacation my daughter has been telling everyone how super cool it was in the cave so I think the experience, freaking out included, turned out to be a good one. And I have to agree with her - Mammoth Cave is a super cool place to visit.
At Mammoth Cave there are a wide variety of tours offered based on difficulty level, distance, and for some a minimum age. Each tour is priced differently. Advanced reservations can be made for only a few tours and the rest are first come first serve. We were led to believe that the tours sell out quickly (there is a fixed number of people that can go on each tour) and you need to be there when it opens at 8 a.m. That was fine for us since the tour we wanted to go on started at 8:45. If you are doing a trip similar to ours one thing to keep in mind is that Mammoth Cave is on Central Time while Louisville is on Eastern Standard Time. This benefited us because it gave us a little extra time to sleep in since it was a decent drive and we were worried about crowds. We arrived at the park about 20 minutes before it opened and there were maybe 5 people/families ahead of us. By the time it opened there was a decent line behind us but not the mad rush we had been afraid of. Our tour group was pretty large (our tour took up to 40 people) but I don't know that it sold out or if it did, it happened right before the tour left. After out tour, when we were leaving, the Visitor's Center was much busier so it may be harder to get on the later tours. While we were waiting for our tour we noticed most people carrying sweatshirts or jackets. I guess it had never crossed our mind that it would be that cold in the cave and we were all dressed in T-shirts and shorts. We found out that it is generally around 50 degrees inside the cave so we actually tried to buy sweatshirts for the girls in the gift shop but they only sold adult sizes. For us, it ended up not being a big deal maybe because we went on a relatively short tour but it didn't really feel that cold. In all honesty, by the end I was sweating after carrying my 30 lb daughter up and down 45 stairs.
We wanted to choose a tour that would allow for us to bring our small children. When choosing a tour and before we went on the tour we heard a lot of "you need to know your children and yourself" and lectures about how you need to be sure that you can go on the tour because if you have a panic attack or other health issue it is difficult for them to get anyone in to help you because it is such a remote location. I was starting to have a panic attack just listening. Since neither my kids or I had never been in a cave before I wasn't really sure how anyone would react so really all the lectures did was increase the anxiety level. We chose probably the most basic tours - the Frozen Niagara Tour. The tour was 1 hr. 15 minutes but we were only in the cave for about 45 minutes because it took 15 minutes to get to the entrance by bus. I thought the tour was pretty cool and very good for small children. Most of what we walked through had decently high ceilings and you didn't have to walk through anything too tight. Although I'm only 5'4 so some people may have had a different experience. Even though it was a short tour we supposedly were able to see the majority of the different kind of formations you would see throughout the cave. My older daughter did kind of freak out inside the cave. She kept saying she was scared and she wanted to leave but we kind of pushed her through the whole thing because we thought it was a great experience and wanted her to overcome her fear in a situation when nothing bad was going to happen. At the beginning of our tour, our guide turned out all of the lights for a couple of minutes so we could see what it was like down there and see total darkness. She actually didn't freak out during this period but I don't think it helped. She made it through, though, and while I wish we could have done one of the longer, more in depth tours I think the tour we went on was perfect for small kids. My younger daughter wasn't scared at all but I think she just had no understanding of where we were. We were never that far from the entrance/exit so it would have been possible to leave at anytime if we had to. Since we've been back from our vacation my daughter has been telling everyone how super cool it was in the cave so I think the experience, freaking out included, turned out to be a good one. And I have to agree with her - Mammoth Cave is a super cool place to visit.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Louisville
We decided to choose a hotel in downtown Louisville for our vacation. The location made it really easy to access most of what we were doing in Louisville and be able to walk to a wide selection of restaurants for lunch and dinner. Plus our hotel was right off the highway, which was great when we were spending the day out of town. However, I must say that downtown Louisville is just not a happening place on the weekends and at night. Sunday night we were looking for something, anything that was open for a quick snack and the only place our hotel could suggest was the gas station across the street. Other parts of the City that we went to for dinner or dessert did seem a bit more happening in the evening. Overall, though, it was a nice location to stay and worked out well for us.
The first day we were in Louisville we went to the Kentucky Derby Museum and the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory, what I think are probably two of the first things you think of when it comes to Louisville. Both I thought were really interesting things to see. The Kentucky Derby Museum (704 Central Ave.) is located at Churchill Downs so included in the admission price is a quick tour of the general admissions areas of the race track. Admission is $13/adult, $5/kids, age 5 and under free. They also offer additional behind the scenes type tours for an additional price. The basic tour is pretty good because it allows you to get into Churchill Downs and see it since when we were there racing season was over for that park. Our tour guide seemed to have his dream job, telling us that he had been going to the track since he was five and he considers the Kentucky Derby the best day of the year. I'll give him points for enthusiasm but there was just altogether too much talking for the girls out in the hot sun. The only thing that made them perk up was to see the regular horse and miniature horse that are kept at the track. They spent much more time there than anyone else on our tour and they may have actually been the only kids on the tour. The museum was a completely different story. They loved all of the exhibits since many of them are interactive. There was a betting area where you could wager on horses (just pretend) and then watch the race on a TV screen to see how you do, which my gambling addict daughter just loved and had to do twice. They also loved a horse riding video game type thing and dressing up like a jockey to pose for a picture on top of a horse. A 15 minute movie is also shown at the museum. Usually those are the kinds of things I would skip with the girls but it was well done and actually held their interest. Definitely worth the trip for the amazing history of Churchill Downs and fun interactive museum.
The Louisville Slugger Museum (800 W. Main St.) was kind of a surprise hit. The girls were really not looking forward to going but once there actually kind of enjoyed themselves. Admission was $10/adult, $5/kid, kids 5 and under free. There is not a whole lot to the museum - there are a few historical bats used by famous players that you can touch while wearing gloves and being supervised. Then there are some displays showing how bats are made. What kept the girls attention while we waited for our factory tour was an exhibit that threw a baseball at a stuffed catcher at the speed of a professional pitcher. They watched that over, and over, and over... The tour I thought was pretty interesting. I kind of enjoy learning how things are made. As would be expected, most of the manufacturing of a baseball bat is now done by machine but there are still a few things that they do by hand. Again the tour was really just too much talking for the girls but they did perk up when they got a free mini bat at the end. There is a kids area but really only has some coloring pages and a small batting cage to hit a plastic ball off a tee - certainly not something you can't miss. There is also a section with real batting cages for adults. I can't believe I almost forgot the giant bat. In front of the Museum is the giant baseball bat that you often see associated with the city of Louisville. Most things in life are not as big as you expect them to be but this was actually larger than I thought it would be - very fun for pictures.
Louisville also has a relatively nice waterfront area on the Ohio River. We had planned to go on a riverboat cruise down the river during our trip but the boat only operates over the weekend. The only weekend day we were there was Sunday and heat indexes were over 100 degrees so decided sitting outside for a few hours that day wasn't a good idea. Maybe next time. There is also a big waterfront park that was only a few blocks from our hotel. We didn't end up spending that much time there because of how hot it was and the girls always preferred swimming in the hotel pool over going to the park. However, the park is very large and a good convenient place to let your kids run around.
There were a few dining highlights for us. We went to a restaurant called Lily's (1147 Bardstown Rd.) basically on the advice of every guidebook and newspaper/magazine article we read about Louisville. I would highly recommend it as well. The restaurant is sort of fancy but not that fancy. It's not really the kind of place I would normally take my kids if the restaurant was in Chicago but we didn't have anyone to watch them and really wanted to try it. Our waiter was really great about the kid thing (although we may have been getting dirty looks from the rest of the staff) bringing my daughter plate after plate of bread. We were there at 5 right when the restaurant opened and were the only customers for awhile so I really don't think there was much for them to be annoyed about. There wasn't a whole lot on the menu that would appeal to the average kid. Even though we've been taking our daughters to quality restaurants since birth they still don't have an appreciation for much more than chicken fingers and pizza. We were kind of lucky because on Tuesday, the day we went, they have an additional Tapas menu and we were able to order the girls fish and chips (which was very good). The restaurant focuses on local, organic, free range food. My husband had the burger, which he though was awesome and I had the farmer's plate, which was the vegetarian option. I am by no means a vegetarian but I thought everything was very good. I spent the whole time trying to figure out what I could do to make vegetables taste so good when I make them at home.
Just before we left for vacation I saw a small blurb in Food and Wine magazine about a restaurant called Doc Crow's Southern Smokehouse (127 W. Main St.). It was located only a couple of blocks from our hotel so we had to try it. This also ended up being the kind of place I normally wouldn't take my kids and they were less nice about it even though we were there at 5 on a Wednesday night. Anyway, the food was good - we had ribs and the girls had a bunch of sides- and we had an enjoyable time. I would recommend this place but it's definitely not as good as Smoque (although you can order alcohol here).
When traveling with the girls we almost always have to go out for ice cream at least once. We tried two places that were both pretty good: The Comfy Cow (1301 Herr Lane) and Homemade Ice Cream and Pie Kitchen (they have about 10 locations in Louisville). Both great places to grab dessert, good selection, plenty of seating, delicious goodies.
The first day we were in Louisville we went to the Kentucky Derby Museum and the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory, what I think are probably two of the first things you think of when it comes to Louisville. Both I thought were really interesting things to see. The Kentucky Derby Museum (704 Central Ave.) is located at Churchill Downs so included in the admission price is a quick tour of the general admissions areas of the race track. Admission is $13/adult, $5/kids, age 5 and under free. They also offer additional behind the scenes type tours for an additional price. The basic tour is pretty good because it allows you to get into Churchill Downs and see it since when we were there racing season was over for that park. Our tour guide seemed to have his dream job, telling us that he had been going to the track since he was five and he considers the Kentucky Derby the best day of the year. I'll give him points for enthusiasm but there was just altogether too much talking for the girls out in the hot sun. The only thing that made them perk up was to see the regular horse and miniature horse that are kept at the track. They spent much more time there than anyone else on our tour and they may have actually been the only kids on the tour. The museum was a completely different story. They loved all of the exhibits since many of them are interactive. There was a betting area where you could wager on horses (just pretend) and then watch the race on a TV screen to see how you do, which my gambling addict daughter just loved and had to do twice. They also loved a horse riding video game type thing and dressing up like a jockey to pose for a picture on top of a horse. A 15 minute movie is also shown at the museum. Usually those are the kinds of things I would skip with the girls but it was well done and actually held their interest. Definitely worth the trip for the amazing history of Churchill Downs and fun interactive museum.
The Louisville Slugger Museum (800 W. Main St.) was kind of a surprise hit. The girls were really not looking forward to going but once there actually kind of enjoyed themselves. Admission was $10/adult, $5/kid, kids 5 and under free. There is not a whole lot to the museum - there are a few historical bats used by famous players that you can touch while wearing gloves and being supervised. Then there are some displays showing how bats are made. What kept the girls attention while we waited for our factory tour was an exhibit that threw a baseball at a stuffed catcher at the speed of a professional pitcher. They watched that over, and over, and over... The tour I thought was pretty interesting. I kind of enjoy learning how things are made. As would be expected, most of the manufacturing of a baseball bat is now done by machine but there are still a few things that they do by hand. Again the tour was really just too much talking for the girls but they did perk up when they got a free mini bat at the end. There is a kids area but really only has some coloring pages and a small batting cage to hit a plastic ball off a tee - certainly not something you can't miss. There is also a section with real batting cages for adults. I can't believe I almost forgot the giant bat. In front of the Museum is the giant baseball bat that you often see associated with the city of Louisville. Most things in life are not as big as you expect them to be but this was actually larger than I thought it would be - very fun for pictures.
Louisville also has a relatively nice waterfront area on the Ohio River. We had planned to go on a riverboat cruise down the river during our trip but the boat only operates over the weekend. The only weekend day we were there was Sunday and heat indexes were over 100 degrees so decided sitting outside for a few hours that day wasn't a good idea. Maybe next time. There is also a big waterfront park that was only a few blocks from our hotel. We didn't end up spending that much time there because of how hot it was and the girls always preferred swimming in the hotel pool over going to the park. However, the park is very large and a good convenient place to let your kids run around.
There were a few dining highlights for us. We went to a restaurant called Lily's (1147 Bardstown Rd.) basically on the advice of every guidebook and newspaper/magazine article we read about Louisville. I would highly recommend it as well. The restaurant is sort of fancy but not that fancy. It's not really the kind of place I would normally take my kids if the restaurant was in Chicago but we didn't have anyone to watch them and really wanted to try it. Our waiter was really great about the kid thing (although we may have been getting dirty looks from the rest of the staff) bringing my daughter plate after plate of bread. We were there at 5 right when the restaurant opened and were the only customers for awhile so I really don't think there was much for them to be annoyed about. There wasn't a whole lot on the menu that would appeal to the average kid. Even though we've been taking our daughters to quality restaurants since birth they still don't have an appreciation for much more than chicken fingers and pizza. We were kind of lucky because on Tuesday, the day we went, they have an additional Tapas menu and we were able to order the girls fish and chips (which was very good). The restaurant focuses on local, organic, free range food. My husband had the burger, which he though was awesome and I had the farmer's plate, which was the vegetarian option. I am by no means a vegetarian but I thought everything was very good. I spent the whole time trying to figure out what I could do to make vegetables taste so good when I make them at home.
Just before we left for vacation I saw a small blurb in Food and Wine magazine about a restaurant called Doc Crow's Southern Smokehouse (127 W. Main St.). It was located only a couple of blocks from our hotel so we had to try it. This also ended up being the kind of place I normally wouldn't take my kids and they were less nice about it even though we were there at 5 on a Wednesday night. Anyway, the food was good - we had ribs and the girls had a bunch of sides- and we had an enjoyable time. I would recommend this place but it's definitely not as good as Smoque (although you can order alcohol here).
When traveling with the girls we almost always have to go out for ice cream at least once. We tried two places that were both pretty good: The Comfy Cow (1301 Herr Lane) and Homemade Ice Cream and Pie Kitchen (they have about 10 locations in Louisville). Both great places to grab dessert, good selection, plenty of seating, delicious goodies.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Indianapolis
As I've mentioned before my two daughters are obsessed with horses. We decided to plan our summer vacation this year around their common interest so we drove down to Kentucky horse country. We made Louisville, which is about a five and a half hour drive, our home base for exploring the area. On the way there and the way home we decided to stop in Indianapolis because we've never really spent any time there and to allow the girls to get out of the car and stretch their legs a bit before finishing the drive. On the way to Louisville we stopped at Conner Prairie Interactive History Park (13400 Allisonville Rd., Fishers, IN) and on the way back home we stopped at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis (3000 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis). Both were big hits with the girls.
Conner Prairie
This is one of those interactive historical villages where employees dress up in period costumes and act as though they actually live at the park during that time period (In this case the mid-1800s). The park is set up to be an all day affair for your family but due to travel time constraints and short attention spans we spent about 2.5 hours there so of course we didn't see and experience everything the park has to offer. Really my girls are probably a couple of years too young to get the full enjoyment from the activities but they still were able to have a really good time (also it was really hot the day that we went). It is $14/ adult, $9 for kids 12 and under and kids 2 and under are free.
The outdoor portion of Conner Prairie is divided into four different areas - 1863 Civil War Journey, 1836 Prairietown, Conner Homestead, and Lenape Indian Camp. They also have a hot air balloon that you can ride in but it was not in operation the day we were there. There is a schedule of activities throughout the day that include story times, arts and crafts, a period appropriate party, and even a Tomahawk throwing contest. When you look at the map it looks like you're going to have to do a lot of walking but everything is actually not that far away. That being said, bring a stroller for the little ones. We didn't make it over to the Civil War area but the highlights for my kids were as follows:
I've always thought these kind of historical villages are neat (love Greenfield Village in Detroit) and I thought Conner Prairie was a lot of fun. As I mentioned above, it would probably be better for a slightly older family but there is lots to enjoy for a younger group as well. I wouldn't drive all the way to Indianapolis just to go to this park but if you're there or passing through I definitely recommend it. There is a Cafe inside the park where you can buy basic food and drinks and you are also allowed to bring a picnic lunch and eat in the designated areas. Also there is a large, free parking lot. The Park was pretty busy on the day we were there (it was a Saturday) but we didn't really feel it and didn't have to stand in line or felt crowded at any of the locations in the Park. I think because the size of the Park a lot of people can be there and it still is comfortable.
The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
One the way back from Louisville we hit this ENORMOUS children's museum (www.childrensmuseum.org). It claims to be the largest children's museum in the world and I would totally believe it. There is a parking garage located across the street with free parking and a bridge over the road to the museum entrance. The outside of the museum is very cool. It looks like there are giant dinosaurs crawling in and out of the building. In the main room where you buy your tickets there is an enormous transformer that talks. I don't know if we even saw half of the exhibits here because not only is it very big but everyone was a bit tired from our vacation and eager to get home. This place is not cheap. It's $16.50/adult and $11.50/child two and older.
On the day we visited the museum there were three featured attractions. We enjoyed all three of them. I particularly liked the Treasures of the Earth exhibit. The exhibit was about the work done to uncover a shipwreck, an Egyptian tomb, and the Terra Cotta Warriors in China. What I liked about the way this exhibit was presented was that nothing was actually real so the kids could touch and interact with everything. I though it was a great way to present the material to small kids. Older kids (and adults) want to see real artifacts but kids just want to play and touch - that's how they learn. There was also a Dora and Diego exhibit, which was mostly just a fun play area for the kids. The third temporary exhibit was all about Barbie. This area seemed to appeal to girls as well as their moms with lots of retro babies on display. In addition there was a huge dress up area, which was very popular, wigs you could style, and Barbies to play with. My girls each only own one Barbie (old ones that used to be mine) but they both really enjoyed the activities included in this exhibit.
By far, for us, the biggest attraction was the carousel on the fourth floor. For some reason you have to pay to ride including adults (only $1 but come on - wasn't admission enough?). The girls both rode twice and the carousel is big enough that they didn't have to stand in line. Adjacent to the carousel were three play houses - one was a tree house, one a cottage, and the other an ice cream store. The girls played here forever. I was trying to encourage them to move onto the more unique exhibits since any basic play area in Chicago has playhouses like these but they like what they like I guess. Ultimately I think we saw enough to get our money's worth.
The museum map has a suggested age for each exhibit so mostly what we saw was targeted at kids 5 and under. That's not to say that this museum is only for little kids. The big dinosaur exhibit that we just didn't have the energy to see is for ages 5+ and there are several exhibits that are for ages 8+ and ages 6-12. This museum really has a good mix of stuff for all age groups, which is unusual. Museums are usually more for little kids like Kohls or big kids like the Museum of Science and Industry and don't appeal to kids of all ages.
There is a food court located on the first level of the museum. We didn't eat there but it looked big and seemed to offer some decent choices. This museum gets crazy busy even during the week so if you go I would suggest getting there right when it opens. It is open from 10 AM - 5 PM. Also bring a stroller if you've got a small child. As with Conner Prairie, I don't know if I would suggest driving three hours one way to see anything with your child, but if you're in the area it is a very cool thing to do with your children. I think it would be hard for them not to love it.
Conner Prairie
This is one of those interactive historical villages where employees dress up in period costumes and act as though they actually live at the park during that time period (In this case the mid-1800s). The park is set up to be an all day affair for your family but due to travel time constraints and short attention spans we spent about 2.5 hours there so of course we didn't see and experience everything the park has to offer. Really my girls are probably a couple of years too young to get the full enjoyment from the activities but they still were able to have a really good time (also it was really hot the day that we went). It is $14/ adult, $9 for kids 12 and under and kids 2 and under are free.
The outdoor portion of Conner Prairie is divided into four different areas - 1863 Civil War Journey, 1836 Prairietown, Conner Homestead, and Lenape Indian Camp. They also have a hot air balloon that you can ride in but it was not in operation the day we were there. There is a schedule of activities throughout the day that include story times, arts and crafts, a period appropriate party, and even a Tomahawk throwing contest. When you look at the map it looks like you're going to have to do a lot of walking but everything is actually not that far away. That being said, bring a stroller for the little ones. We didn't make it over to the Civil War area but the highlights for my kids were as follows:
- In the Indian Camp there is a fake full size horse whose saddle you can pack up with supplies from the Trading Post. My older daughter packed and unpacked the horse at least five times. I didn't really get why she was so into it but she really was.
- At the Conner Homestead there is a barn full of baby farm animals. The calves, lambs, goats, and roosters roam completely free for you to pet or brush as you wish. Every once in a while an animal would wander out of the barn and eventually someone would go out after it. Very rare for our City girls to get such an up close experience with farm animals. My two year old threw an all out temper tantrum when we left after being in there for at least a half hour and for the rest of the day kept asking what we did with her brush that she was using on the animals.
- Prarietown is set up like an 1830's village with lots of costumed interpreters and the girls especially loved the school house and villagers' homes where interpreters were baking, weaving, and doing other period appropriate things. They were also allowed to play with the old fashioned toys and practice walking around on stilts.
- In the main building, where you pay for admission, is the Discovery Station, which is a cute little room with theme appropriate toys for kids to play with. I thought the stuff outside was much more interesting and that this room would be something to skip because of our time constraints but we had to drag the girls out when it was time to go.
I've always thought these kind of historical villages are neat (love Greenfield Village in Detroit) and I thought Conner Prairie was a lot of fun. As I mentioned above, it would probably be better for a slightly older family but there is lots to enjoy for a younger group as well. I wouldn't drive all the way to Indianapolis just to go to this park but if you're there or passing through I definitely recommend it. There is a Cafe inside the park where you can buy basic food and drinks and you are also allowed to bring a picnic lunch and eat in the designated areas. Also there is a large, free parking lot. The Park was pretty busy on the day we were there (it was a Saturday) but we didn't really feel it and didn't have to stand in line or felt crowded at any of the locations in the Park. I think because the size of the Park a lot of people can be there and it still is comfortable.
The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
One the way back from Louisville we hit this ENORMOUS children's museum (www.childrensmuseum.org). It claims to be the largest children's museum in the world and I would totally believe it. There is a parking garage located across the street with free parking and a bridge over the road to the museum entrance. The outside of the museum is very cool. It looks like there are giant dinosaurs crawling in and out of the building. In the main room where you buy your tickets there is an enormous transformer that talks. I don't know if we even saw half of the exhibits here because not only is it very big but everyone was a bit tired from our vacation and eager to get home. This place is not cheap. It's $16.50/adult and $11.50/child two and older.
On the day we visited the museum there were three featured attractions. We enjoyed all three of them. I particularly liked the Treasures of the Earth exhibit. The exhibit was about the work done to uncover a shipwreck, an Egyptian tomb, and the Terra Cotta Warriors in China. What I liked about the way this exhibit was presented was that nothing was actually real so the kids could touch and interact with everything. I though it was a great way to present the material to small kids. Older kids (and adults) want to see real artifacts but kids just want to play and touch - that's how they learn. There was also a Dora and Diego exhibit, which was mostly just a fun play area for the kids. The third temporary exhibit was all about Barbie. This area seemed to appeal to girls as well as their moms with lots of retro babies on display. In addition there was a huge dress up area, which was very popular, wigs you could style, and Barbies to play with. My girls each only own one Barbie (old ones that used to be mine) but they both really enjoyed the activities included in this exhibit.
By far, for us, the biggest attraction was the carousel on the fourth floor. For some reason you have to pay to ride including adults (only $1 but come on - wasn't admission enough?). The girls both rode twice and the carousel is big enough that they didn't have to stand in line. Adjacent to the carousel were three play houses - one was a tree house, one a cottage, and the other an ice cream store. The girls played here forever. I was trying to encourage them to move onto the more unique exhibits since any basic play area in Chicago has playhouses like these but they like what they like I guess. Ultimately I think we saw enough to get our money's worth.
The museum map has a suggested age for each exhibit so mostly what we saw was targeted at kids 5 and under. That's not to say that this museum is only for little kids. The big dinosaur exhibit that we just didn't have the energy to see is for ages 5+ and there are several exhibits that are for ages 8+ and ages 6-12. This museum really has a good mix of stuff for all age groups, which is unusual. Museums are usually more for little kids like Kohls or big kids like the Museum of Science and Industry and don't appeal to kids of all ages.
There is a food court located on the first level of the museum. We didn't eat there but it looked big and seemed to offer some decent choices. This museum gets crazy busy even during the week so if you go I would suggest getting there right when it opens. It is open from 10 AM - 5 PM. Also bring a stroller if you've got a small child. As with Conner Prairie, I don't know if I would suggest driving three hours one way to see anything with your child, but if you're in the area it is a very cool thing to do with your children. I think it would be hard for them not to love it.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Scooter's Frozen Custard
This ice cream or excuse me "frozen custard" shop has to be one of the best in the city. It's just so good. Located at 1658 W. Belmont they have only chocolate, vanilla, the flavor of the day plus an Italian ice flavor of the day, but that's fine with me. I think just a plain vanilla cone is one of the best things you can get there although the peanut butter sundae is beyond amazing. The girls really love going here too - chocolate cones with sprinkles! The website (scootersfrozencustard.com) provides a calendar with the flavor of the day and they take suggestions. They also have an extensive list of what they call concretes and a concrete of the month. Concretes are basically ice cream with a bunch of toppings blended in kind of like a blizzard. Scooter's also serves the most adorable toddler cone. It is free with the purchase of something else and is super small but perfect for a 1 or 2 year old.
There is a decent amount of seating inside but it can get VERY crowded. There are also some chairs outside and a walk up window where you can order outside. It is generally pretty easy to find parking on Belmont right by the store. Scooter's is open in the afternoon every day during the summer. After Labor Day I think they are closed on Mondays. The store completely closes down at the beginning of December and then reopens sometime in March. Right now, however, Scooter's is perfect for these hot summer days we've been having.
There is a decent amount of seating inside but it can get VERY crowded. There are also some chairs outside and a walk up window where you can order outside. It is generally pretty easy to find parking on Belmont right by the store. Scooter's is open in the afternoon every day during the summer. After Labor Day I think they are closed on Mondays. The store completely closes down at the beginning of December and then reopens sometime in March. Right now, however, Scooter's is perfect for these hot summer days we've been having.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Jump Zone
We have taken our daughters to Jump Zone (6374 W. Howard, Niles) a bunch of times. They always have fun and it seems worth the admission price ($8/kid on weekdays, $10/kid on weekends, parents always free). There are several places like this - giant inflatable bounce houses with slides - all over the City and Suburbs and I'm assuming they are all relatively similar. We've never had a bad time here. It's great for really cold days or really hot days. The kids can run around like crazy and bounce until they collapse. Remember to bring socks for everyone! Kids from probably age 2-10 have the most fun here. It's really one of those rare places where you can take your kids of different ages and everyone has fun. The slides range from really gentle to quite steep and the bounce houses have different themes to appeal to a wide range of kids. The workers are completely fine with parents going in the bounce houses and down the slides if your children need some help or reassurance. They might, however, get annoyed if you are pushing other kids out of the way so that you can bounce. It's one big room so you can generally keep an eye on your kid but it can get crowded especially on Saturdays. Kids two and under are free. They have a small play area for babies with some mats on the floor and toys for that age group. Jump Zone is located way in the back of a strip mall/office complex so it can be a little difficult to find. There's plenty of parking but you may have to walk a little ways and there is no sidewalk to walk from the parking lot to the entrance so you have to be careful.
The schedule here could be better. If you have small kids the perfect time to take them would be during the week while older kids are in school but unfortunately Jump Zone isn't usually open in the morning during the week. Even in the summer it doesn't open until noon on most days (I think it opens before noon on Mon., Tues., and Sat.). And I will say it can be a little difficult for your 2 year old to play when there are a bunch of older kids running around. During the week we like to go do things in the morning when everyone has the most energy and that's not really possible here.
Jump Zone does birthday parties - A LOT of birthday parties. Saturdays get really busy because there are so many kids there for parties. We have been there for a couple of birthday parties (and my daughter has asked on several occasions when she will get to have her party here so the parties at least get a kid endorsement). The way parties seem to work is that your friends show up at a specified time and have about an hour to play and bounce. This is a shared space, though, not just for your party. Then the kids get called into their party room for pizza (which is included) and cake (which you supply). You only get 30 minutes in the party room, though, and with a group of small children it can take 30 minutes just to get them all seated and ready to eat. That is my major complaint with these type of places that do lots of birthday parties and have a very precise schedule - at the end of the party you feel like you are being pushed out the door (not just at Jump Zone but a lot of places). I know they need to get those party rooms cleaned up and turned over but part of the enjoyment of a birthday party is sitting down and talking to friends. All kids love birthday cake but putting it at the very end of the party means you generally rush right through it. Instead of having the opportunity to say a personal good bye to all of their guests the hosts feel like they have to herd them out the door to prevent getting yelled at. I know people need to leave at some point but the transition becomes awkward. Overall, though, Jump Zone is a good place to burn off some energy and a fun place for birthday guests.
The schedule here could be better. If you have small kids the perfect time to take them would be during the week while older kids are in school but unfortunately Jump Zone isn't usually open in the morning during the week. Even in the summer it doesn't open until noon on most days (I think it opens before noon on Mon., Tues., and Sat.). And I will say it can be a little difficult for your 2 year old to play when there are a bunch of older kids running around. During the week we like to go do things in the morning when everyone has the most energy and that's not really possible here.
Jump Zone does birthday parties - A LOT of birthday parties. Saturdays get really busy because there are so many kids there for parties. We have been there for a couple of birthday parties (and my daughter has asked on several occasions when she will get to have her party here so the parties at least get a kid endorsement). The way parties seem to work is that your friends show up at a specified time and have about an hour to play and bounce. This is a shared space, though, not just for your party. Then the kids get called into their party room for pizza (which is included) and cake (which you supply). You only get 30 minutes in the party room, though, and with a group of small children it can take 30 minutes just to get them all seated and ready to eat. That is my major complaint with these type of places that do lots of birthday parties and have a very precise schedule - at the end of the party you feel like you are being pushed out the door (not just at Jump Zone but a lot of places). I know they need to get those party rooms cleaned up and turned over but part of the enjoyment of a birthday party is sitting down and talking to friends. All kids love birthday cake but putting it at the very end of the party means you generally rush right through it. Instead of having the opportunity to say a personal good bye to all of their guests the hosts feel like they have to herd them out the door to prevent getting yelled at. I know people need to leave at some point but the transition becomes awkward. Overall, though, Jump Zone is a good place to burn off some energy and a fun place for birthday guests.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Dinkel's Bakery
One of the best things about bakeries is when you walk through the door and that amazing bakery smell hits you. Unfortunately it can be kind of hard to find a traditional bakery in the City- something that is not a specialty coffee shop or cupcake cafe. Dinkel's (3329 N. Lincoln) is one of those authentic bakeries that has been around since 1922. Everything I have ever tried here has been fantastic. When we used to live nearby we would pop over on a Saturday morning for some awesome donuts. Now we usually go for a special event like a birthday to get cupcakes or a slice of cake. The girls really like the large decorated cookies. They also have a good selection of breads. Inside the bakery there is a fairly large seating area where you can enjoy your selection. It can get very busy here, especially around holidays, so if there is a crowd make sure you take a number when you come through the door.
Dinkel's also makes decorated birthday and wedding cakes. They usually have a display of cakes in the front window that the girls could look at for hours while planning their own birthdays. We've been to birthday parties that have had cakes from Dinkel's and they are really, really good.
Dinkel's is located just a block down from the Paulina stop on the Brown Line. There is also metered parking along Lincoln plus a 15 minute loading area for customers in front of the bakery. If you are walking there is plenty of room to bring your stroller, unless you happen to come during one of the really busy times.
Dinkel's also makes decorated birthday and wedding cakes. They usually have a display of cakes in the front window that the girls could look at for hours while planning their own birthdays. We've been to birthday parties that have had cakes from Dinkel's and they are really, really good.
Dinkel's is located just a block down from the Paulina stop on the Brown Line. There is also metered parking along Lincoln plus a 15 minute loading area for customers in front of the bakery. If you are walking there is plenty of room to bring your stroller, unless you happen to come during one of the really busy times.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Time Out Chicago Kids
I am addicted to magazines. I will confess that upfront before I give a magazine review. But, given my obsession, I have to say Time Out Chicago Kids is great for parents in the City (and the Suburbs for that matter). It's basically all about everything going on in the area that you can take your kids to. When the magazine originally launched (or at least when I first noticed it) it only came out quarterly and was hard to find in stores but now you can find it in most grocery stores (plus bookstores of course) and it comes out every two months. At the end of the magazine there is a calendar of events that I think is a bit better than the calendars in the free magazines you can pick up at the library or other places around town and by better I just mean that the events that are included seem more like the kind of stuff I would do with my kids. The rest of the magazine is pretty substantial and divided into sections for dining, shopping, and then "play dates" which includes museums, music, sports and theater. Overall it is a good round up of all that is going on in the Chicago area but reviews are definitely superficial. It is more about what there is to do than whether you should do it. I definitely think it is essential for planning outings with your family and making sure you never miss that festival or event that you meant to remember. According to cover of the latest issue the cover price is $2.99 but of course it is much cheaper per issue if you have a subscription.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Magicians And Other Diversions While You Wait For Your Dinner
My daughter has really been into magic and magicians lately. For her birthday we got her a magic set and she loves it. What got her interested in magic is the magician at the Gale Street Inn (4914 N. Milwaukee in Jefferson Park) who performs table side on Sunday nights. We have gone there three or four times to have dinner and see the magician perform. He always does the same tricks and then makes a balloon animal for each of the children at the table, however his act never gets old for my daughter. She loves him and I think he does a really good job. His tricks are fun and he is very good at engaging his audience. It definitely keeps everyone busy while we wait for our food to come and the food is pretty good. If you do go Sunday night I would highly recommend a reservation.
Today we went for brunch at Tre Kronor (Swedish restaurant at 3258 W. Foster) because every Sunday in July from 11 AM until 1:30 they are having a magician come in and perform tricks table side. Next weekend is the last Sunday that he will be there. We like to go to Tre Kronor because they have good food (especially breakfast) but it always takes forever to get your food - especially if there is more than four people in your group. So we jumped at the chance to have our kids entertained while we waited for brunch ... and my daughter had been begging to go see the magician. The magician came to our table and only spent a couple of minutes with us (much less time than at Gale Street Inn). He only did one trick but my daughter of course loved it. Right now any trick that a magician does is amazing to her so for us it was worth the trip and the cost of brunch. That being said, the magician was a bit awkward and really didn't spend much time at any given table so unless you want an excuse to go to Tre Kronor or have a little one who loves magic like we do it probably wouldn't be worth a special trip.
One other place that we have been to that provides some entertainment for the kids while you wait for your food is Scoozi (Italian restaurant at 410 W. Huron). On Sunday nights only they set up a pizza making station for kids. Your waiter/waitress will put your child on a list and when its their turn escort them over to the pizza prep area. This is nice because it ensures that the table is never over crowded with kids. Your child will then get to put on a chef hat and apron and put sauce and cheese on the prepared pizza dough. They then get to pick out a small toy to keep (my girls got little wind up motorcycles). The activity in itself doesn't take very long but it is a nice little distraction from waiting for their food and it is something that kids think is so fun. When we went to the restaurant we made reservations and it does seem like the place fills up pretty quickly. Also the timing can be a little off in terms of when your child's pizza is done and the rest of your food comes. My daughter was actually done eating right around the time the rest of us started eating - but she's been wanting to go back ever since.
All of these dining experiences were unique and fun and have made us want to go back. I think having these kind of activities is probably well worth any cost for restaurants due to increased business and wish more restaurants offered similar events. If you have the kind of restaurant that welcomes kids or even just welcomes kids on certain days (i.e. days when they are slow) this is a sure fire way to get a lot of families to come in. The city is full of parents who want to go out to dinner (and not just to "kid" restaurants) and I wish more restaurants would acknowledge this potential customer base.
Today we went for brunch at Tre Kronor (Swedish restaurant at 3258 W. Foster) because every Sunday in July from 11 AM until 1:30 they are having a magician come in and perform tricks table side. Next weekend is the last Sunday that he will be there. We like to go to Tre Kronor because they have good food (especially breakfast) but it always takes forever to get your food - especially if there is more than four people in your group. So we jumped at the chance to have our kids entertained while we waited for brunch ... and my daughter had been begging to go see the magician. The magician came to our table and only spent a couple of minutes with us (much less time than at Gale Street Inn). He only did one trick but my daughter of course loved it. Right now any trick that a magician does is amazing to her so for us it was worth the trip and the cost of brunch. That being said, the magician was a bit awkward and really didn't spend much time at any given table so unless you want an excuse to go to Tre Kronor or have a little one who loves magic like we do it probably wouldn't be worth a special trip.
One other place that we have been to that provides some entertainment for the kids while you wait for your food is Scoozi (Italian restaurant at 410 W. Huron). On Sunday nights only they set up a pizza making station for kids. Your waiter/waitress will put your child on a list and when its their turn escort them over to the pizza prep area. This is nice because it ensures that the table is never over crowded with kids. Your child will then get to put on a chef hat and apron and put sauce and cheese on the prepared pizza dough. They then get to pick out a small toy to keep (my girls got little wind up motorcycles). The activity in itself doesn't take very long but it is a nice little distraction from waiting for their food and it is something that kids think is so fun. When we went to the restaurant we made reservations and it does seem like the place fills up pretty quickly. Also the timing can be a little off in terms of when your child's pizza is done and the rest of your food comes. My daughter was actually done eating right around the time the rest of us started eating - but she's been wanting to go back ever since.
All of these dining experiences were unique and fun and have made us want to go back. I think having these kind of activities is probably well worth any cost for restaurants due to increased business and wish more restaurants offered similar events. If you have the kind of restaurant that welcomes kids or even just welcomes kids on certain days (i.e. days when they are slow) this is a sure fire way to get a lot of families to come in. The city is full of parents who want to go out to dinner (and not just to "kid" restaurants) and I wish more restaurants would acknowledge this potential customer base.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Pickle's Playroom
We went to Pickle's Playroom (2315 W. Lawrence) in Lincoln Square today. It's pretty similar to the other play places/coffe shops that have been opening up all over the city in the last year. This one also has an extra room where you can get your kid's hair cut for $20 (price also includes some time in the play area). We got there right around opening and it didn't really get busy for about an hour. Admission is $12 for the first kid and $9 for siblings for two hours of play. How long you stays seems to be based on the honor system meaning they don't keep track of when you arrived and hence when you should leave like they do at places like Family Grounds Cafe. There is a metered lot out front where it will cost you a quarter per 15 minutes of parking. I think the admission price is too high for what you get but seems completely on par with its competitors. All of these little play cafes that have been sprouting up are always crowded, which indicates that the price is actually appropriate I guess. Makes me wonder why I haven't opened up one of these places myself.
The website (www.picklesplayroom.com) says that the target age for this facility is 6 months to 8 years but I think an 8 year old would probably be a bit bored here. My 5 year old daughter was definitely at the high end of the kids that were there today in terms of age. She did have a lot of fun but I don't think that what they had there would keep her attention for years to come. She mostly only played on the climbing structure and slide but we were there for two hours and she didn't get bored. My 2 year old had more fun with a giant dollhouse, play kitchen, play cleaning cart (with kid size broom, mop, and dust pan) and pushing around a shopping cart. The climbing structure indicates that it is for kids age 3 and older which caused some frustration with my younger daughter. I let her play on it but she obviously couldn't do everything. There was also a small area reserved for babies with a soft play area and age appropriate toys. There are couches along one wall for parents to sit on and from the cafe area you can easily see your child playing.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays they offer a drop in art project at 10 AM included as part of the admission. The project today involved some coloring and cutting and held the interest of both of my children for the 10-15 minutes it took to complete the craft. It was a nice addition to the overall experience and seemed to appeal to a variety of ages.
We took a quick break in the cafe so the girls could each have a juice box (no outside food allowed). I didn't have any coffee because it was 4 million degrees outside but they offer the full range of coffee and espresso drinks at the expected prices. They seemed to have a bit more snack items for sale than you might see at some of the other places and they also sell sandwiches so you could have lunch there.
We left a little after 11:00 and it was really starting to get busy. I'm sure the recent heat wave has made it a bit crazier than usual but my guess is that the fun level tends to decrease dramatically with each additional kid present. Overall we had a really good time but I feel like for the average family there is only so many times you can spend $21 (plus snacks) to play for a couple of hours.
The website (www.picklesplayroom.com) says that the target age for this facility is 6 months to 8 years but I think an 8 year old would probably be a bit bored here. My 5 year old daughter was definitely at the high end of the kids that were there today in terms of age. She did have a lot of fun but I don't think that what they had there would keep her attention for years to come. She mostly only played on the climbing structure and slide but we were there for two hours and she didn't get bored. My 2 year old had more fun with a giant dollhouse, play kitchen, play cleaning cart (with kid size broom, mop, and dust pan) and pushing around a shopping cart. The climbing structure indicates that it is for kids age 3 and older which caused some frustration with my younger daughter. I let her play on it but she obviously couldn't do everything. There was also a small area reserved for babies with a soft play area and age appropriate toys. There are couches along one wall for parents to sit on and from the cafe area you can easily see your child playing.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays they offer a drop in art project at 10 AM included as part of the admission. The project today involved some coloring and cutting and held the interest of both of my children for the 10-15 minutes it took to complete the craft. It was a nice addition to the overall experience and seemed to appeal to a variety of ages.
We took a quick break in the cafe so the girls could each have a juice box (no outside food allowed). I didn't have any coffee because it was 4 million degrees outside but they offer the full range of coffee and espresso drinks at the expected prices. They seemed to have a bit more snack items for sale than you might see at some of the other places and they also sell sandwiches so you could have lunch there.
We left a little after 11:00 and it was really starting to get busy. I'm sure the recent heat wave has made it a bit crazier than usual but my guess is that the fun level tends to decrease dramatically with each additional kid present. Overall we had a really good time but I feel like for the average family there is only so many times you can spend $21 (plus snacks) to play for a couple of hours.
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