Black Hills Road Trip - Howard Johnson Hotel Review

After looking at many (I mean MANY) hotels in Rapid City and the surrounding area, we chose the Howard Johnson Inn and Suites in Rapid City for our family vacation because it offers an indoor pool, complimentary breakfast, and an in-room fridge for a competitive price. At the time we booked, the hotel was offering an online deal for 20% savings and that made Howard Johnson the winner. We stayed for seven nights and would stay here again if we return to Rapid City. However, there are a lot of hotels in Rapid City that offer similar quality and amenities and I would still do a look-around online for the best deals.  At first we thought the location was odd because it doesn't seem to be near anything, such as restaurants and attractions, but we found that it was centrally located in Rapid City, which put us a short drive from everything. It is near the Civic Center and only about a mile from downtown.

I saw guests of all ages at the hotel, including many young children - two were ours - and a high school baseball team, and noise was never a problem. Our room was typical for hotels of this class, but it was comfortable and clean.  The staff was friendly and helpful.  Whenever I called or stopped by the front desk with a request, it was taken care of quickly.

The weather was chilly for much of our June vacation, so we were glad for the indoor pool because our kids wanted to be in it as often as possible. I thought that the pool was a little cold, but our kids didn't care. It was one of their favorite parts of the vacation.  We all enjoyed the two hot tubs. The pool and pool area are large and clean.


We have stayed at many hotels with complimentary breakfasts, and this one is better than most. Offerings include coffee, juice, hot and cold cereal, yogurt, fresh fruit (apples and oranges), toast, bagels, muffins, danishes, hard-boiled eggs, breakfast burritos, and two waffle irons. There was only one morning when everything was not well stocked and that was right after a tour bus group had eaten. The breakfast room is large and we never had a problem getting a seat.

Related Posts:

Mount Rushmore
Bear Country U.S.A.
Reptile Gardens

Black Hills Road Trip - Reptile Gardens

At the Alligator Show

Our next stop on our Black Hills vacation were the Reptile Gardens. Depending on who you are, this might sound like a dream come true or your worst nightmare. For our lizard-loving four-year-old, it was fantastic. Actually, the whole family thought it was pretty fun. The Reptile Gardens is basically a reptile zoo just outside of Rapid City. The Reptile Gardens' website boasts that it "features 225 species and subspecies of reptiles and includes more of these cold-blooded creatures than any other zoo in the world." There are also a number of exotic birds, a bald eagle, bugs and a small prairie dog town.

Komodo Dragon

Upon arrival, get the schedule of shows for the day. There is an alligator show, a snake show and a bird show.  We skipped the bird show but we saw the alligator show twice. We were there during peak season and while it pays to get to the show early for the best seats, there were still seats available when the show started. The shows are both fun and educational and the audience gets a chance to ask questions and pet a snake or baby alligator afterward.

After the Alligator Show

The center of the park is the SkyDome. While most of the attractions are outdoors, many of the park's most interesting exhibits are inside the SkyDome. When we visited, it was hot one day and chilly another, so it was nice to escape inside for a bit. Inside the sky dome, you will find Maniac - the gigantic saltwater crocodile - and the komodo dragon. Some of the world's most venomous snakes like the king cobra and black mamba are also housed in this building. In the middle of the dome is a garden where small lizards, macaws and other exotic birds move around freely. My son was especially excited to find the elusive basilisk lizard, which had been featured on Wild Kratts - his favorite show.

Inside the SkyDome Garden

Outside the SkyDome, our favorite part was the tortoise yard. There are currently two giant tortoises that roam the yard freely and don't mind being touched and hugged by gentle visitors.  When we were there, we were able to see Methuselah, who was about to celebrate his 120th birthday. I was sad to read during my research for this blog post that Methuselah passed away just a month after our visit. Also outside are the prairie dog town where visitors can go underneath and look through plexi-glass domes at the cute little critters. There is a small replica of a wild west town, which is good for some silly photo ops and a peaceful garden - Tortuga Falls - that didn't interest our children much, but perhaps that's part of its appeal for others.

Reptile Gardens is located six miles outside Rapid City on the way to Mount Rushmore. Admission is $12-16 per adult (depending on the season) and $8-11 for children ages 5-12. Children under age 5 are free.  IMPORTANT: Ask for a vacation pass when you purchase your admission. This will allow you to return at no charge any time during your vacation. They actually reminded us to do this when we entered, so they aren't stingy about it. We did visit the Reptile Gardens twice during our trip. Plan for up to half a day here.

With Methuselah in the Giant Tortoise Yard

Related Posts:
Mount Rushmore
Bear Country U.S.A.
Hotel Review: Howard Johnson Inn and Suites

Black Hills Road Trip - Bear Country U.S.A.

Bear Country U.S.A. is a tourist trap.  I doubt that's a surprise to anyone reading this. That said, I think that corny, kitschy or contrived attractions - this one falls into the contrived category - can add fun and color to a family vacation. The Black Hills is full of tourist traps and as we researched our vacation we chose this one because while we had plans to visit several scenic spots with good chances of seeing wildlife, we wanted a guaranteed slam dunk.  For that, Bear Country U.S.A. delivered.

We made sure to get out of the hotel early and drive to Bear Country U.S.A. as close to its opening time as we could. We were there during peak season and we wanted to enjoy driving the wildlife loop at our own pace, without being crowded and pushed along by other cars. It was a successful strategy and we didn't come close to any cars, in front or behind us, until we came to the bear area at the end.

Bear Country U.S.A. offers much more than bears.  It is "home to 20 species of North American mammals which live in large natural exhibits."  These animals include black bears, grizzly bears, wolves, bighorn sheep, reindeer, bison, mountain lions, and a number of smaller animals and we were able to see nearly all of them either from our car or in Babyland without much difficulty.  It took perhaps 20-30 minutes to drive slowly through the wildlife loop.  The last and longest part of it was the black bear area, and they were everywhere. They weren't doing much - though one bear couple was trying to teach our children about the birds and bees - but it was fun to watch the rest of them walking around so close to our van.  There are many signs warning you to keep your windows up and we happily complied.

Grizzlies in Babyland

After we completed the drive, we found ourselves in a parking lot. We parked and got out to walk through Babyland.  Babyland is where they keep the baby bear cubs. It's also where they keep the mature grizzly bears and all of the smaller animals, but the baby bears are by far the best thing about it.  The yard is full of scampering, rolling, wrestling, climbing and just adorable baby bear cubs.  I had never seen anything like it and this part was what made this attraction truly worthwhile to me.

Cubs in Babyland

In the Gift Shop, At Last!

Near Babyland, there is a snack bar, patio with tables and seating, and a large gift shop.  It was all attractive, updated, and clean.  Bear Country U.S.A is located about 10-15 minutes outside of Rapid City, on the road to Mount Rushmore. It is open every day from May to November. There is a per person admission fee of $10-16, depending on age, with a $60 maximum per car. Children aged 4 and under are free. For that price, you can drive through the wildlife loop one time and spend as much time as you would like in Babyland. It was a 2-3 hour visit for us, and I think you'd have a hard time spending more than half a day here.  It isn't a bargain, but we felt like we got exactly what we expected from Bear Country U.S.A and it was a fun start to our vacation.


Related Posts:
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Hotel Review: Howard Johnson Inn and Suites

Black Hills Road Trip - Mount Rushmore

This is the first of a series of posts on our road trip to the Black Hills of South Dakota last year. A vacation in the Black Hills had been on my "list" for a few years and last summer we made it happen. It was as great as we hoped it would be. There is so much to do there, that it would be overwhelming to put it all in one blog post.

The attraction that first comes to mind when most of us think of the Black Hills or South Dakota is Mount Rushmore. We have all seen photos and movies and replicas and even parodies of this iconic monument for our entire lives. Since I felt like I had seen it a million times, I did not expect to be as awestruck as I was when I finally stood in front of it. It is spectacular. It is an impressive feat of art and engineering set in one of the most beautiful parts of our nation.  It stirred feelings of patriotism and reverence in me to a degree that I did not expect.  We did not attend the evening lighting ceremony, which will include active military personnel and veterans in the flag folding ceremony in 2012, but I am sure it is a special experience.

When you first leave the parking area, you will enter a wide long plaza with a view of Mount Rushmore at the end.  There is a display of flags from every U.S. state. It's a great photo op, though you shouldn't judge it by my photo.  Neither we nor our camera are great photographers.  You will pass by the gift shop, etc onto a large patio where there is lots of seating for viewing the monument or the stage and amphitheater below. You can also walk down the stairs into the amphitheater. To the right and left are a loop trail that will take you closer to the monument. There are lots of stairs and some distance - I'm thinking at least a half-mile - but it is not difficult for families.  Along the way, you can enjoy the scenery and watch for wildlife and there is a hands-on Native American exhibit on one side and an artist's studio where you can see the finished product that the sculptor intended on the other. There was a working artist talking with visitors on the day we were there.

Downstairs from the patio is the ranger desk and visitor center. We stopped there to get free Junior Ranger information for our children. The Junior Ranger activities helped our children learn about the history, nature and wildlife in the area. When they have completed the required number of activities, they take the books back to the ranger who will quiz them on the activities and then swear them in as junior rangers. They will receive a plastic gold Mount Rushmore badge. There are also additional exhibits, videos and a small book store in this area.  Back upstairs on the patio, you will find an ice cream shop, a cafe and a large gift shop, which was my daughter's favorite part of our visit. We visited Mount Rushmore twice during our stay and were there for a couple of hours each time.

When to Go
Mount Rushmore National Monument and most of its amenities are open year-round.  It is located in a mountainous area where the road twists and turns and changes elevation frequently.  I assume that it is well maintained in the winter, but warmer months are obviously the most popular. We were there during the first week of June at the end of an extra-cold, wet spring and it was eighty degrees one day and jacket weather another. There were lots of people there when we visited, but not so many that we could not enjoy our stay and get some good photos. This monument is built for crowds. There are patriotic festivities scheduled around Independence Day (July 4) every year. I'm guessing that it would be a great experience, as long as you don't mind sharing it with 21,000 other people.

Getting There
Mount Rushmore is just outside the tourist town of Keystone, South Dakota and about 20 miles away from Rapid City, which was our base for this trip. There is no admission charge for the monument itself, but there is an $11 per vehicle parking fee. National Parks annual passes do not cover this parking charge. However, the parking pass is good for a week and we used it a couple of times during our trip. I did not see any practical way to park outside the monument and walk in, though we could see the monument from a distance a few times as we drove through the Black Hills. Once we had paid, we had no trouble finding a space in one of the four parking structures.

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Bear Country U.S.A.
Reptile Gardens
Hotel Review: Howard Johnson Inn and Suites

Family Vacation
Rapid City

Annual Passes: Should We Buy One?

Pretty much every family attraction has an annual pass or membership for sale.  It's great for the attraction because you pay up front and every time you come, you are likely to spend more money at the snack bar or gift shop.  It is potentially great for families because you can go to your favorite place as often as you want and you will often pay for the pass within about three visits.  We have purchased several family memberships over the past ten years and here some considerations that help us decide when to buy.  It always boils down to BANG FOR OUR BUCK.  Here are the passes we have purchased and why.

Ogden Eccles Dinosaur Park - We have been to dinosaur sites and museums inside and outside Utah and this Dinosaur Park is unique.  There are better museums out there, but it's the park with the life-size dinosaur statues that sets this park apart.  The grounds are attractive and pleasant to walk through and the whole family can learn about dinosaurs along the way.  Our kids also spend quality time unearthing dinosaur bones in the sand pit and playing on the dinosaur-themed playground.  Last year, we bought a pass through Groupon for $30.  It was such a great deal I called all our friends to tell them about it, since it would cost our family $24 for one full-price trip.  At the regular price of $60 per family, this pass will pay for itself in 2-3 trips.  Plus, the Dinosaur Park membership will also get you into the Tracy Aviary, Ogden Nature Center, and Ogden Union Station  museums for free on weekdays.  BONUS: This week, March 26-31, 2012, you can get a Dinosaur Park membership for 20% off.



Tracy Aviary - For us, this "bird zoo" offers a lot of the fun of the zoo, but without the crowds or the exhaustion of an all-day excursion.  It is a peaceful place where you can admire beautiful and exotic birds.  They also offer bird shows and feedings where you can participate.  I admit that we would not normally love our feathered friends enough to buy a membership, but the first time we bought one - five or six years ago - it was only $35.  That got us into the aviary 2-3 times and they had reciprocal agreements that allowed me to take my toddler to the Dinosaur Park on weekdays and the Hogle Zoo on the first Thursday of each month for free.  We definitely got bang for our buck from those benefits.  We enjoyed them so much we bought another membership two years later.  Apparently Tracy Aviary found out what a great deal they were and raised the price of their membership, but it was great while it lasted.  Even at its new price, you could make it pay for itself before long.



National Parks - When we were first married, National Parks annual passes were $50.  Since we visited Zion a couple of times per year at $25 per visit and visited other Utah National Parks too, it quickly paid for itself.  Now the pass is up to $85.  We could still make it work, but we can't be sure at the beginning of a year that it will pay for itself, so we haven't bought an annual pass since.  If you are over the age of 62, or travel with someone who is, a lifetime pass to the national parks is only $10.  Golden years, indeed.

We do not have any active annual passes right now, but I am keeping my eyes open for our next great deal.  The last time we visited the Treehouse Museum in Ogden, I nearly purchased membership because they were discounted.  They may still be.  Lagoon Amusement Park is near our home and it is likely that we will get annual passes there one of these years.  We are considering a Red Butte Garden membership right now because we want an advantage when their concert tickets go on sale next month.  The Hogle Zoo pass is always tempting, but we haven't done it yet. The Seven Peaks Pass of All Passes is a great deal, but most of the venues included were not near enough our home.  These are the factors I consider when we buy an annual pass:

• How many visits will it take for this annual pass to pay for itself?
• Would we want to visit that many times if we didn't have a membership?
• What other benefits or reciprocal agreements that we would use are included in the membership?
• How close is this attraction to our home?
• Are there regular coupons or specials for this attraction that we could use instead?

Do you have any annual passes for your family?  Where?

Do you have any great deals to share?

Planning our Bucket List Vacation

A few months ago, we decided to start planning a "bucket list" vacation for all four of us.  We talked to our children and consulted our big map and talked about where we would go if we could go anywhere.  The list was long and included places like Australia, China and Europe. We finally decided on Hawaii.  None of us have ever been there and as we researched it and talked to our friends and family who have been, it sounds like it really is paradise.

To begin, we had to estimate out how much money we will need for such a trip and where it is going to come from.  We would like to spend about 7-10 days in Hawaii and while we don't want to stay at the most expensive resort, we don't want to do it on a shoestring either. We want to feel like we are on a dream vacation and afford to have some once-in-a-lifetime experiences. We figure that airfare and lodging will be our largest expenses, so we priced some flights for the month we think we will go and looked at the costs of hotels where we would like to stay.  We also looked at vacation rentals.  We considered the cost of food, car rentals and entertainment.  We used expenditures from past vacations as benchmarks but estimated high on everything because it all costs more in Hawaii.  Then we looked at the total and generously rounded up again because we want to have a great vacation without being blindsided with unexpected costs.  If we spend less than our budget we can always put it toward our next trip, but if we don't save enough money, our memories of our dream vacation might be less wonderful than they should be.

With the target established, we made a strategy for hitting it.  We live on one five-figure income, and our only debt is our mortgage.  We live on a budget and pay our credit card balances in full every month.  Because we love doing fun things as a family, we scale back in areas such as cable TV, cell phones, clothing and home decor that are not as important to us.  Limiting our interest payments, bills and other expenditures allows us to contribute every month to an online savings account with a higher interest rate that I opened especially for this vacation. We are also dedicating our tax refund to this account, which is helping it grow much more quickly.  Finally, we created a jar, decorated by our daughter, to collect change from around the house and other smaller contributions to the cause.  In the picture above, it's nearly empty because I recently deposited about $60 from it to our account.  It's a drop in the bucket, but it's getting us one step closer!

We aren't willing to sacrifice family fun and memories for over a year to make our dream vacation happen, but we are planning fewer expensive excursions. We will take spring break and summer vacations, but they will be closer to home. With all that Utah has to offer, that doesn't feel like a loss. We are planning to spend fewer nights in hotels and and more nights lodging with family. We are planning more picnics in the park or mountains and fewer admission charges and restaurant meals. We will still go places and do things as we always have, but we will do so with our goals in mind.  If we maintain our current progress, we will exceed our target savings and fly to Hawaii - hopefully the first of many bucket list vacations - by the summer of 2013!

What vacations are on your bucket list?

10 Screen-Free Ways to Entertain Kids on Road Trips

We have a DVD player in our van and as I wrote in a previous post, we love it for road trips.  However, we won't play it non-stop to pacify our children on long drives.  Here are some other great ways to entertain the kids when you don't have a DVD player or don't want to use it.

1. Mad Libs - So classic. Throw in a bunch of silly adjectives and the occasional bodily fluid and everyone will crack up. With frequent reminders of what nouns, adjectives and verbs are, my first grader could provide the fill-ins while the passenger parent wrote them down. My preschooler could give colors and numbers. Dad came up with the really creative stuff.

2. License Plate Game - Print a list of U.S. states here - or from lots of other sites - and give everyone their own list or play as a team. When we did this in the Black Hills, we found ourselves wandering the parking garage at Mount Rushmore and successfully found some of the small and distant states we needed.  It can be addictive. My husband and I found ourselves playing the game at home long after the kids lost interest.

3. Guess-the-Animal (AKA 20 Questions) - We use animals because they are known to young children and ours love animals. You could use any category - cartoon characters, famous people, dinosaurs... One person chooses an animal and everyone takes turn asking questions - we don't limit them to yes/no - until someone guesses it correctly.

4. When I Go to London - There are lots of variations of this memory game. The first person says, "When I go to London, I am packing (fill in the blank)." The second person says "When I go to London, I am packing (first person's item) and (new item)." The items can be silly.  Play goes around the van adding a new item to remember every time. See who can remember the most!

5. Pick-The-Song - We have a "family" iPod that has 6,000 songs and playlists for everyone that we play through the car stereo on every road trip. To keep everyone happy and interested, we take turns choosing songs and the passenger parent finds and plays them. Everyone gets a little of what they like and we get to introduce our kids to some of our favorites. Variation: Play Name That Tune and see who can guess a well-known song first.

6. Teach a Song - This is a great time to teach your kids a funny camp song or family favorite from your youth. When I was young, my grandma taught us a song she sang when she worked at the Grand Canyon before World War II and my cousins and I sang it over and over as we drove to the Grand Canyon.

7. Books - Hours of uninterrupted reading was something I loved when I was growing up and a road trip is the perfect place to do it (barring motion sickness). For major road trips I often surprise the kids with a new book for each of them. For shorter trips, they can bring what they have. Books are becoming an even better option now that my oldest can read on her own. I do not allow library books on road trips because I have a hard enough time keeping track of those without losing them in another city or state.

8. Coloring Books - Every year, I buy a bunch of 24-packs of crayons at the back-to-school sale for 25 cents or less per box. One of those boxes makes an appearance on every major road trip, often with a new coloring book. I buy those at my local supermarket for $1.25 each. We have had problems with melted crayons in the van, so plan accordingly.

9. Toys - Again, on a big road trip I might buy a small surprise or two. I also let the kids pack their own and I give the final approval or recommendations. I can usually count on collecting new fast food meal toys along the way too.

10. Audiobooks - Eventually, you and/or your children are going to get tired of all of these activities. You can't do them indefinitely. If you don't have a DVD player or if you want to delay using it a little longer, audiobooks are the ticket. Borrow them from the library (I keep them up front so I don't worry as much about losing them) or purchase and download them. We have enjoyed the Dr. Seuss collection, Junie B. Jones, and the Magic Treehouse on audio. Soon, our kids will be ready for Harry Potter and I am looking forward to it.

What keeps your kids entertained in the car?

My Favorite Things: The Picnic Cooler

I love our picnic cooler because it can go anywhere and keeps everything we need for an outing in one handy place.  When we were pushing a big stroller it fit in the basket. When we go on road trips it fits between the seats where everyone can reach it.  It's the perfect size for a picnic at the park with friends. The shoulder strap leaves my hands free to hang on to my children or carry other supplies.  There is a small flap in the lid that closes with velcro so we can grab something from it without unzipping the whole lid.  There are tall mesh pockets on each side and a roomy zippered pocket in front.

The center is solid and insulated and it protects the most important stuff: the FOOD. The plastic box removes easily for cleaning and sterilizing.  The outer pockets are good for cameras, sunscreen, wet wipes, diapers, napkins, anti-bacterial gel, first aid kit, water bottles, non-perishable snacks, or whatever you need. During the summer, we use it about once a week. Packing a lunch is more economical and often healthier than eating out and sometimes you're far from civilization and eating out is not an option.

Now that we are no longer pushing a stroller with a big basket underneath, the downside of this cooler is that it can be awkward to carry around if we will be walking all day. The last time we took it to the zoo, we carried it in, ate lunch soon afterward, and then walked it back to the car. Also, it can fill up quickly, especially if we are packing extra drinks. It is probably not large enough to carry a full lunch for a large family.  We often carry the drinks separately to make enough room for lunch and to lighten the load. If we are going to be near the van all day and have the space, we use a larger cooler.

I bought our picnic cooler at Wal-Mart for around $20. I don't think that everyone needs to have one just like it, but I'm sure that everyone who gets out of the house often has a go-to cooler or backpack that can carry it all.

 

Do you pack picnics for outings?  

How do you get everything from here to there?

Why I Love Zion National Park

I have been to Zion National Park dozens of times.  My parents grew up in southern Utah and we visited family there several times a year.  My dad LOVES Zion and at least once a year he would load his own children plus three or four cousins into the van and take us for a day in Zion.  I didn't realize until I was an adult what a brave (or really mellow) man he was. It became one of my favorite places and as an adult I have continued the Zion tradition with my family. We still visit Zion as a family every year.

Between Lower and Middle Emerald Pools

When to Go


Zion National Park is open year-round. The winter months are less crowded and the contrast of snow on the red rock is a gorgeous sight. You will be able to drive your own vehicle in the park instead of using the shuttle and hotels will offer the best rates of the year. The downside of winter is that it could be cold and many of the trails will be closed, so some of the most spectacular views will be inaccessible.

Summer is peak season. Temperatures can top 100 degrees. However, there is a reasonable amount of shade in the park and there are several family-friendly trails where you can play in the water, so as long as you bring plenty of water and sunscreen you can beat the heat.  If you camp (we don't), summer is a great time to camp inside the park as long as you get a space early.

My favorite times to visit Zion National Park are spring and fall.  The weather is warm, but not too hot and it is the best time for hiking.  There are a few waterfalls in the park and spring is the best time to see them.  During school breaks, the park will be as crowded as in the summer, but other weeks, you probably won't have to share it with as many people.

Where to Stay


There are a lodge and campsites inside Zion National Park, but the lodge is a little expensive for us and we do not camp, so we always stay outside the park.  The town of Springdale is situated immediately outside the park and offers several hotels and B&Bs for visitors.  If you are staying during the shuttle season (April-October) you will be close enough use the town shuttle, walk, or bicycle directly into the park.  However, you will pay more for the convenience.  The city of Hurricane (pronounced HUR-i-kun) is about a 20 minute drive from Zion and you can find a few budget motels there. The cities of St. George and Cedar City are about an hour's drive from the park in opposite directions and you will find many lodging options in either of them. St. George is the larger of the two. Cedar City and St. George are both along I-15 and make good bases if Zion is only one part of your vacation plans.

The Shuttle

Weeping Rock

There are three sections of Zion National Park that are accessible by car, but between April and October, you must use the shuttle to see Zion Canyon, which is the most popular - and my favorite - section. The shuttle system started in 1997 to address the problem of increasing traffic on the two lane, dead-end road that runs through Zion Canyon. Before the shuttle, the traffic was thick and finding parking spaces at the various stops was nearly impossible. The shoulders of the road were overflowing with parked cars during the peak season. It was no way to experience such a wonderful place. With the shuttle, the park is a peaceful place again. The shuttles arrive frequently and can be packed during peak times, but once you get off, there is plenty of room for everyone. If you are travelling to Zion during the summer or school break, arrive early to get a parking space at the Visitor Center. On a busy day, all the spaces inside the park will be gone before 10:00 am and then you will need to park outside the gates or in town.  If you have to park in town, you can take the town shuttle to get to the park and then walk in to take the park shuttle. Obviously, you'll need to pack everything you need for the day with you. If you want to take a stroller, there are lots of paved, family-friendly trails in the park and it's a good way to haul everything. However, if you're there on a busy day, you may need to fold it every time you get onto the shuttle, which may be crowded.

Zion Lodge Lawn

Favorite Family Hikes


For as many times as I have visited Zion National Park, I still haven't seen it all.  But, I do have a few favorites that I visit every time and many of these are great for families with young children.  The Visitor Center is the place to start.  The first shuttle stop is here and it's a good place to let the kids run around while you top off the water bottles, make sure everyone has stopped at the bathroom and get an idea of what you would like to do for the day.  This is also the place to get Junior Ranger information for the kids.  Many of the national parks (and some Utah state parks) have Junior Ranger programs and Zion's is the only one we've done that isn't free.  It was still only $2-$3 per child and they received a patch instead of a plastic badge.  You can either get on the shuttle here or take the Pa'rus Trail to Canyon Junction.  This trail is under two miles one-way and is wide, paved, and flat. It is a nice nature walk and is good for bikes. I enjoy it, but I wouldn't call it a top priority. The next stop of note is the Zion Lodge. This is a great stop when you are ready for lunch. There is a large lawn for picnics. There is also a snack bar and a restaurant.  We have both packed our lunch in and ordered from the snack bar. Bringing your own is more economical, but if you are already packing diapers, wipes, extra clothing, water, snacks and a baby in your backpack, there's no shame in buying lunch.

On Pa'rus Trail

Across from the lodge is the Emerald Pools trail head. There are three pools. The trail to the lower pool is .6 mile one-way and is paved. You could take a stroller to the lower pool but no further. The Middle Pool is a short but rugged hike up and is the least interesting of the three pools. The Upper Pool is .3 miles beyond that and it is a rugged uphill hike, but most school-age kids should be able to do it without much trouble. The Upper Pool is surrounded by sheer red rock cliffs and during some of the year, a waterfall pours into it. It is shady and spectacular. My daughter has been here twice and has managed to step or fall into the water both times, so plan accordingly.

Weeping Rock

A couple of shuttle stops down is my favorite childhood hike, Weeping Rock. It is .5 mile round-trip, mostly uphill going there and downhill back.  It is paved and stroller-friendly except for a short flight of steps at the end. There is a place you could park the stroller instead of carrying it up. For most of the year, water seeps through the sandstone and drips in front of the patio that has been carved out of the rock. There is also a fantastic view of the canyon from this patio. The patio is pleasantly cool in the summer and you may get dripped on. As a toddler, my daughter jumped in a puddle and splashed everyone in the vicinity with mud. The reason it is my favorite is that when my dad brought us all when we were young, he let us play in the stream at the bottom of the trail for hours. Unfortunately for my kids, I am always too worried about seeing it all.

At Temple of Sinewava

The last stop on the shuttle line is the Temple of Sinewava. This wide paved trail takes you to the Virgin River and the entrance to the Narrows.  The Narrows is 16 miles one-way.  If the weather is clear (flash floods are a danger), your children are older, you have good footwear, and you don't mind getting wet, you can hike into the Narrows and then turn around at the Orderville Canyon junction or sooner.  Otherwise, splash around or soak your feet in the cool water at the end of the trail.  If you don't want to walk the trail, there are places where you can do the same thing near the shuttle stop.  The river can run fast, so use good judgement when letting your children near it.

Entrance to Zion National Park is $25 per car and is good for one week. It is one of the most accessible parks I have seen for families with young children. Zion also has many trails for more adventurous hikers and I know some who make pilgrimages to the Narrows or Subway hikes every year because they are that special. One online dictionary defines "Zion" as "heaven as the final gathering place of true believers". I am a true believer in Zion National Park and I invite you to become one too.

Family Vacation
Springdale

Field Trip: Red Butte Garden

The weather is getting warmer, the daffodils are popping up in our yard and the hopefulness of spring is stirring in my soul.  It will soon be a perfect time to visit Red Butte Garden in Salt Lake City.  I first discovered Red Butte Garden a couple of years ago on Arbor Day.  Admission is free on Arbor Day and I love to take advantage of free top-notch family activities.  We have returned once as a family since then.  That was a June weekday and the Garden felt like a peaceful, urban retreat.  The gardens were beautiful and quiet (except around my children) and we had lots of room for exploration.

Splash Pad

After passing through the main building, we encountered a patio and a large grassy hill bordered with hundreds of flowers.  In April, they were beautiful springy daffodils.  If your kids are like mine, the hill is perfect for running to the top and rolling down.  Enjoy a seat on the patio while you wait for little rollers to get their fill.  During our June visit, we visited the Children's Garden where the kids walked behind a waterfall, found their way through a maze and played on the splash pad. Farther down the hill, we visited a pond where we enjoyed a scenic waterfall and were delighted by a family of ducks.  The ducklings were adorable and we stayed there awhile admiring the ducklings and admiring our cute kids who were admiring the ducklings... Anyway, who doesn't love baby ducks?  One of my favorite parts of the visit was our picnic on one of the "treehouse" patios.  The garden is set in the foothills of the Wasatch mountains and is quite hilly.  In this section, the wide paved path moves up the hill in long switchbacks and there are two small patios with tables and chairs nestled in the trees that are growing from below.  The garden wasn't crowded that day and we felt like it was all ours.  Also, if you are a better photographer than me, great photo ops are endless.

Ducklings!

Our favorite memories from Red Butte Garden do not cover even half of what you might find there.  Perhaps the Rose Garden, the Fragrance Garden, or the Herb Garden will become a part of your cherished family memories.  You could spend anywhere between and hour and a whole day in the Garden, but 3-4 hours was about right for us.  Red Butte Garden is located just south of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.  The Garden opens at 9:00 am every day except Thanksgiving and the week between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day.  Closing time varies depending on the season, with the earliest close time being at 5:00 pm during the winter and on summer concert days.  Adult admission is $8.  Admission for children (ages 3-17) is $6.  There are discounts for seniors and military and University of Utah students get in free.  Red Butte Garden is near enough the new Utah Museum of Natural History that you could use the same parking space for both.  Between the two, our family could easily spend a full day.

The free days for 2012 are Arbor Day (April 27), Pioneer Day (July 24) and Labor Day (September 3).  As you might expect, a lot of people like free days, so go early if you care about a close parking space.  When we went, we did not get there early and parked a few blocks away.  There was a shuttle, so Grandma and my daughter took that and I chose to push the big stroller up the hill rather than figure out how to get it onto the bus.  When we entered the garden, it was crawling with families, but there was plenty of space for everyone.  There was more of a festive community vibe rather than that of a peaceful retreat.  They were giving away free scrub oak seedlings for Arbor Day.  We took them to a nature trail near our home and planted them there a few days later.

Red Butte Garden also has a fun concert venue.  It is an outdoor amphitheater where you can spread your blanket on the grass and enjoy a picnic during the concert.  The acts are mostly folky/indie types that play well in that sort of venue.  My husband and I attended a They Might Be Giants concert there before we had kids and we have our eye on one of the shows this year.  The concerts can sell out fast and priority goes to Garden members.  There was a show we wanted to see last year that sold out before tickets became available to the general public.  The season for 2012 has been announced here and tickets go on sale to the general public on May 2, 2012.

Children's Garden

Things To Do
Salt Lake City

How Do You DVD?

Apparently, one of the kids had the camera for this one

Before we had children, my husband and I agreed that DVD players in cars were ridiculous.  There is little question that kids today get too much screen time (ours included) and since we survived many childhood roadtrips without movies in the car, we saw no reason why our kids couldn't do the same.  This opinion was confirmed when I accompanied a neighbor mom to Cub Scout Day Camp with six nine-year-old boys in a Suburban while they watched a DVD all the way there and back.  They were nearly silent for the two-hour round-trip drive.  I'm not saying I didn't enjoy it, but it was unnatural.

Then our first-born came along.   While we still didn't have a need for a DVD player, we did begin to understand that road trips with kids are not idyllic experiences where we sat in the front while our baby gurgled happily from the back seat in her rear-facing car seat.  For most of the first year, one of us sat in the back of our Camry keeping the baby happy while the other drove.  As she grew older, we downloaded more of her favorite music for the road and brought plenty of toys and books.  By the time our second came along, she was an active toddler and we were in the market for a bigger Funmobile.

We knew that our new vehicle would have a DVD player.  Why?  Because when we looked back on our happy childhood road trips, we remembered lolling about on sleeping bags playing board games in the back of the station wagon.  There were no seat belts, let alone five-point-harnesses, that pinned us nearly immobile in a car seat for hours at a time.  Also, who says that our parents wouldn't have snapped up a DVD player too, given the chance?  In those days, our car didn't have air conditioning either and I don't think anyone remembers that fondly.

That was five years ago and we have never regretted the DVD purchase, but we do have rules and limitations for it.  First, my kids don't even ask for a movie when we are driving around town because it's not going to happen.  We need to be driving at least 30 minutes on the freeway and even then, they usually get the movie one-way only.  Second, the kids either need to agree on a movie or take turns without complaining or we don't need to have a movie at all.  Feel the peace and harmony.  Third, on a long drive for an overnight trip the DVD player doesn't come on for at least an hour into the drive.  The books, toys, music, and enthusiasm for the trip are still fresh then, so we hold off on the movie until the novelty wears off.  Also, we usually don't put in one movie after the other, but take breaks in between.  Finally, we don't use the DVD player when we are driving in a national park or somewhere scenic.  These rules are not cast in stone, but they have helped us to have happier road trips without allowing our kids to miss the whole experience.

Do you have a DVD player in your vehicle?  

What are your rules for it?

Field Trip: The Living Planet Aquarium

I recently visited the Living Planet Aquarium in Sandy, Utah with my son and his best friend to celebrate his birthday.  My son loves animals, and since it was still a little cold for the zoo, it was his decision to visit the Aquarium over all of the other children's museums and attractions in the area.  Confession: He really wanted to go to Chuck-E-Cheese but we already had plans to go there for a school fundraiser a few days later, so this was his second choice.  We have been to the Living Planet Aquarium three or four times in the past few years and we think that the exhibits are of increasingly good quality.  We and our kids have had fun there together.  We have also been to the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, Oregon and the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, Washington.  You can spend a full day at either of those places.  You will be hard pressed to spend more than a couple of hours at the Living Planet.  It is currently housed in an old grocery store building.  As soon as you walk in, you will see plans for a beautiful larger facility in the works, but that is still a few years away.

With a Trout

When we arrived in the mid-morning on a Thursday, I was dismayed to find a nearly-full parking lot and two school buses.  But, there was no line at the counter and while the Living Planet was crowded, it was not so crowded that we couldn't see what we wanted to see and have a good time.  We started with the section dedicated to local animals.  There are a number of tanks filled with trout and bass - which may not seem that exciting to adults, but seeing fish that large so close up usually fascinates my kids for a few minutes.  A little farther down is the new otter exhibit.  It features endangered local river otters and it looks like it has a lot of potential, but all the otters were asleep in a pile.  Fortunately, that pile was near the window, so we still got a good look at at the cute little guys, but it would have been a lot more fun to see them frolicking.  We came back later to see if they were more active, but no luck.

A Pile of Otters

Next, we went to my son's favorite section, which is dedicated to the ocean.  There are some phosphorescent jellyfish displays and an octopus, which was unusually active when we were watching it.  Maybe he trades off with the otters.  Around the bend is the stingray pond where the public is welcome to touch the rays.  Nearby, there is a touch pond with starfish and urchins and such that can be touched as well.  This is the section that my daughter loves and last time we visited, she stayed there a long time while my husband and son explored the rest of the Aquarium.  The boys didn't dare touch anything, but there is a large tank nearby with three types of sharks and a large sea turtle and some other fun sea creatures and they stood in front of it for a long time yelling with delight every time a shark passed by.  There is a little "coral reef" play area nearby, but it's not for climbing, so they didn't stay there long.  My kids liked it better when they were toddlers, and that's probably the point of it.

At the shark tank.  That's an eel to the right of
his head

The last major section is South America.  This is perhaps my favorite part of the Aquarium.  Here you can see penguins, piranha, electric eels, a python, and other such exotic creatures.  I was surprised that the boys didn't want to spend more time here, but this time they wanted to cruise through it pretty quickly.  Just before the exit is a small exhibit dedicated to animal "superpowers".  Here you will find small water creatures and insects who do cool things, like glow in the dark.  There is a mudskipper fish that can "walk" on land and a transparent fish and such.  It doesn't take long to go through, but it might help you to see remarkable things about otherwise small and unglamorous animals.  The displays have a comic book theme that my husband appreciated on his last visit there.

There is a cafe and a gift shop at the Aquarium, but we haven't tried them.   To get to the Living Planet Aquarium from I-15, take the 10600 South Exit and go east until you get there.  The Living Planet is on the north (left) side of the street.  Admission is $9.00 for adults and $7.00 for children (ages 3-17).   Students, military and seniors pay $8.00.  Hours are 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Things To Do
Salt Lake City

Moab: The Weekend Cure for the Winter Blues

Delicate Arch

The natural wonders surrounding the town of Moab, Utah are a happy place for my husband and me.  The first time we went there together, and the first time ever for him, was a few weeks after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.  Contemplating the grandness and beauty of God's creations brought peace to our souls and that feeling about Moab has never left us.  A few months ago, we realized that we had not been there since our oldest child could be carried in a Snuggie and our youngest had never been there at all.  The time had come  to make another pilgrimage and make more special memories with our children and we made plans to go on President's Day Weekend.  We invited my parents to come with us.  I know that not everyone could travel with their parents and in-laws, but ours are so pleasant and easy-going that we invite one set or the other on many of our vacations.  It's a great opportunity for us to catch up with them and for our kids to bond with them.  Our parents also get AARP rates at the hotel and seniors over the age of 62 can get a lifetime pass to the National Parks for $10.00.  BONUS!

There are a lot of reasons for lovers of the outdoors to visit Moab.  For us, it's the national parks.  The entrance to Arches National Park is just outside of town and the most accessible part of Canyonlands National Park is about 35 miles away.  Dead Horse Point State Park is on the way to Canyonlands and, despite its strange name, it should not be missed.  Jeep and mountain biking enthusiasts will also find world-class trails in the Moab area.  I have been to Moab at least three times in January or February and winter is a great time to visit the area because there is a good chance that the weather will be sunny and in the 50's, the crowds are smaller, and you get off-season rates.  

Dinosaurs!

Our little boy is a huge dinosaur fan.  As a result, I too have read many dinosaur books, watched many episodes of Dinosaur Train and made many trips to local dinosaur museums.  I feel pretty invested in dinosaur discovery and when I found out about sites near Moab where we could see real dinosaur bones and tracks out in nature, I'm quite sure I was more excited than he was.  I found this information at www.utah.com/dinosaur.  This website lists dinosaur sites all over Utah and four of the five sites in Southeastern Utah are in the Moab area.  Of those, we chose the Mill Canyon Dinosaur Trail and the Potash Road Dinosaur Tracks.

Sign on Mill Canyon Dinosaur Trail

The online directions were good and we found the dinosaur sites without any trouble.  We started with Mill Canyon.  As mentioned on the site, you do need to drive on a dirt road for about two miles to get to the trail.  Our minivan did not have any trouble on this road, though the website says that the road is impassable when wet.  I believe this.  It had rained a couple of days before our arrival and the road goes through a stream bed.  It was mostly dried up and the ground was still a bit frozen on the morning  we drove over it, but I could see how it could be a problem if it were much wetter.

Pointing to dinosaur vertebrae embedded in the rock

There was a small parking lot at the end of the road and on a Friday morning in February, we had the place to ourselves.  The trail is a short loop - a half mile at most, with lots of stops - that is seldom out of sight of the parking lot.  Changes in elevation are small.  Neither, our five-year-old nor Grandma, who is not a hiker, had much trouble with it.  Signs are posted all along the way so we knew what to look for.  I have to admit that I never would have guessed those were dinosaur bones if the signs hadn't told me so.  We also saw fresh coyote prints and the remains of an old copper mill along our walk and those were fun too.  We were there about an hour and I thought it was fun and educational.  It's the sort of thing that most people don't see.

Under the petroglyphs on Potash Road.
The petroglyphs are in the darker area of the rock.

Zoomed in on some of the petroglyphs.

The Potash Road Dinosaur Tracks are more accessible.  Potash Road is just north of Moab and is well marked from Highway 191.  The drive is beautiful, with the Colorado River on one side and sheer, colorful cliffs on the other.  As we drove we saw some climbers preparing the scale the steep rock face.  A little farther down, look for a sign pointing to petroglyphs.  There is a little space to pull off the road.  The petroglyphs are easy to see and I am a sucker for petroglyphs so I think that this is a must-stop situation, at least for a few minutes.  A little farther down the road is a turn off to a parking lot where you can see the dinosaur tracks.  We did not see the spotting scope that was mentioned on the Utah dinosaur website, but you can see the tracks from the parking lot.  There is a little trail that heads that direction, but the tracks are high up and the trail isn't, so as you get closer, they become impossible to see.  Perhaps we missed something.  Anyway, if you have binoculars, this is a good opportunity to use them to see the tracks up close.

Three-toed dinosaur prints

Visiting Arches

We only had half a day to spend in Arches, so we focused on our favorite places and saved the rest for another time.  Our first stop was the visitor's center where we got the kids information on the Junior Ranger Program.  I think that all of the national parks have these and we have only found one that wasn't free.  From there we headed to the Delicate Arch hike.  This hike is about three miles round trip, uphill most of the way there and downhill most of the way back.  There is not much shade along the way and that's what great about hiking it in February, because the temperature is just right for hiking on red rock with a jacket or sweatshirt that can be peeled off when you get warm.  There are not many scary ledges or technical sections along the way, so it is a good hike for families.  However, at the arch itself, there are places where kids could fall.  My kids were fine and I just grabbed one of their hands when I was anxious, but I was talking to a neighbor who took five young children on this hike and the fall potential worried her so much that she couldn't enjoy it.  You make the call that is right for your family.  Grandma was worried about whether she could do it, but she and Grandpa took it at her speed and got there a while behind the rest of us (I'm not too fast up hills myself), but she made it and was glad she did.    She said that none of the photos can compare to seeing the iconic arch in person and I agree.

Delicate Arch

The Delicate Arch hike took most of our time, so we made just one more stop before calling it a day.  We drove to the Windows area and stopped at Double Arch.  The kids and Grandma appreciated it from the car while my husband and Grandpa and I walked a short distance for a closer look.  Before we had kids, my husband and I once climbed into the double arches with a picnic lunch and I envision our kids climbing and playing in there another day, but this time we had already worn them out.

Another short hike that I would like to take my kids on next time is the Sand Dune Arch hike.  It is a third of a mile one way and is all flat on sand.  When my husband and I did this hike once before, we saw a family set up in a shaded sandy area near the beginning of the hike with lawn chairs, sand toys and a picnic.

Double Arch

Visiting Canyonlands and Dead Horse Point


The amazing thing about the national parks in Utah is that they are not far from each other, but they are so different.  In Arches, you will spend most of your time looking up at the unique and beautiful rock formations.  In Canyonlands, you look down at endless canyons and plateaus carved by rivers.  Canyonlands National Park has three districts, with Island in the Sky being the most accessible.  This is the entrance that is about 35 miles outside of Moab and this is where we spent the next day.  Again, our first stop was at the visitor center for Junior Ranger badges.  Then we drove down the main road to a picnic area where my favorite hike begins.

White Rim Overlook

This hike is the White Rim Overlook and it is not marked from the road and it is not labeled on the park map, though you can see the trail on the map at a picnic area.  It is not hard to find once you actually drive into the picnic area.  The hike is about a mile-and-a-half round trip and is mostly level.  Grandma hiked this one too and was glad she did, but it was her first and last trail of the day.  The best thing about this hike is the view at the end.  My picture does not do it justice.  You can see endless canyons in three directions and because it is not as well known we didn't see anyone else on the trail until we were back to the picnic area.  My husband and I have seen others there before, but it's not too hard to get this spectacular viewpoint to yourself.  There are steep drop-offs at the overlook (but not before) and no guard rails, but there is plenty of space to enjoy the view without getting close to the edge and my kids didn't give me reason to worry.  There was also a shady spot for Grandma to sit.  At one point we all agreed to be quiet for 30 seconds and the absolute silence in that setting was amazing.  You don't realize how much noise we live with all the time until you don't hear any of it.

We did a few other short walks and overlooks during the day, but the other hike I want to recommend is the Mesa Arch hike.  This hike is a little over half-a-mile round trip, but with some ups and downs.  My daughter ran it, but I huffed and puffed a bit on the hills.  At the end is a beautiful arch at the edge of a cliff framing the canyons behind it.  Again, no cliffs until the very end of this hike, but no guard rails.  My daughter reported that she nearly ran off the cliff, which made my heart stop.  Grandpa had been close behind her and assured me that she hadn't got that close.  I am choosing to believe him.

Dead Horse Point

On our way home to Salt Lake City, we stopped at Dead Horse Point State Park.   We had just seen all of the spectacular views at Canyonlands and this one was still worth our time and money (though Grandpa got us in for half-price).  Again, my photos are not nearly as great as actually being there.  The story goes that horses were corralled near the cliff and were dying of thirst.  They saw the river far below and jumped to their deaths.  Thus, Dead Horse Point.  We asked the ranger if it was true and he didn't think so.  Though it is a state park, Dead Horse Point also had a Junior Ranger with a free badge for our kids to earn.  And BONUS!, it had the only flushing toilets we had seen since leaving the hotel that morning.

Dead Horse Point

I have found that the national parks offer whatever level of challenge your family is looking for.  If you just want to drive and stop at the viewpoints, you will see some amazing things.  Some trails at popular parks are stroller and wheelchair accessible.  Short hikes offer more beauty, more adventure and more healthy, confidence-building experience for kids and adults.  For high adventurers, there are hikes that will take all day, or more than one day, and you'll see spectacular things that almost nobody else sees.

Where We Stayed, What We Ate

Moab is a tourist town and there are lots of lodging options.  You can find campgrounds, B&Bs, ranches, vacation rentals, and lots of low- to mid-range hotels and motels.  I looked into some of the other options online, but this time we decided on the Aarchway Inn.  When we are looking for a hotel for our family, we want a decent complimentary breakfast, a refrigerator in the room, Disney and/or Nickelodeon on television, and generally positive tripadvisor.com reviews, all for a competitive price.  Depending on the vacation, the pool is also an important consideration, but this trip was too short and indoor pools too rare in Moab to worry about it this time.  Aarchway met our needs for $59 per night.  A couple of things that the Aarchway offers that we hadn't seen before were a hot breakfast and a playground.  Most hotels where we stay offer waffles, fruit, cereal, bagels, etc.  Aarchway has hot scrambled eggs, sausage, biscuits, and gravy and we thought they tasted pretty good.  The playground was also fun for the kids for a short while in the morning while we were waiting for Grandma.

For food, Moab has lots of familiar fast food chains, but no sit-down chains, such as Applebee's or Chili's.  I think that Moab has done that on purpose and it's cool with us.  We did give some business to McDonald's (our kids' favorite) and Subway for lunches, but for dinner, we chose a local pizza restaurant called Zak's.  A friend had recommended it to Grandma.  The food was not as good as I'd hoped, and I would like to try somewhere different next time, but they did have something to make everyone happy in a casual kid-friendly atmosphere.  My husband said that his meal hit the spot.  The adults all ordered the pizza and salad buffet and the kids ordered from the kids' menu, which offered the usual fare.  Our kids ate grilled cheese and Kraft macaroni and cheese with fries.  I thought that the salad bar was lacking in fresh vegetables, but it was February and such things are not in season yet.  I didn't think the pizza was amazing either, but there was a nice selection of traditional and more interesting choices and the pizza chef was right behind the bar and asked if I had any requests.  I didn't take him up on it, but it was something fun I hadn't seen before.

Moab is about a five-hour drive from Salt Lake City.  We left on a Thursday afternoon and came home on Saturday night.  It was a quick trip and we didn't do nearly as much as we would have liked, but all that sunshine and beauty was good for our souls and it gave us a reason to not wait so long before our next visit.

Family Vacation
Moab