family travel

Heinz History Center – Sports Museum in Pittsburgh

October 13, 2013 By Nedra McDaniel 1 Comment

On the last day of our hosted trip to Pittsburgh, we stopped by the Heinz History Center and Sports Museum.

My husband and boys LOVE sports! There is always a sport to watch or play all year round. I knew that they were really going to enjoy this museum.

The Museum is located in the Strip District which is close to a public market and not far from Priminti Brothers. It was also an easy commute from the Hampton Inn where we stayed because it was directly across the street from our hotel.

The museum has over 70 interactive exhibits which gave lots of opportunities for my kids to enjoy hands on learning.

The Sports Museum has a great variety of sports that are highlighted with memorabilia. There is something for everyone to enjoy.

During a visit you get two museums, The History Center is Pennsylvania’s largest history museum and is also an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution.

There is over 250 years of Pittsburgh history along with history from the French and Indian War.

Kids will love the interactive exhibit near the cafe that lets you exit down a slide. It took me a while to finally get them out of that exhibit when it was time to go.

This museum has something to see for all ages and interests!

Senator John Heinz History Center

Adults: $15
Senior Citizens (62+): $13
Retired & Active Duty Military: $6
Students with a valid school ID: $6
Children ages 6-17: $6
Children ages 5 and under: Free
History Center Members: Free

All rates include admission to the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum, the Detre Library & Archives, and all exhibitions at the History Center.

Disclosure: Visit Pittsburgh provided my accommodation, meals and admissions for my participation in their media trip. All opinions are my own.

The Heinz Sports Museum is located at 1212 Smallman Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.

Horseback Riding at First Farm Inn

October 13, 2013 By Nedra McDaniel 2 Comments

Horseback riding is a such a fun experience to try year round.

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Adventures at Cedar Point Amusement Park

September 20, 2013 By Nedra McDaniel 2 Comments

My family and I had a great weekend adventure in Sandusky, Ohio at Cedar Point Amusement Park. Cedar Point hosted Bloggy Con which is a conference for variety of bloggers. The park is located on a mile long peninsula surrounded by Lake Erie on both sides.

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Back in time at the Old West Festival

September 8, 2013 By Nedra McDaniel 4 Comments

Our family recently experienced our first adventure at the Old West Festival.

The festival gives visitors the opportunity to step back in time and experience a taste of what life was like during the old west.

Upon arrival, both of my sons received a cowboy hat and schedule of the shows that day.

They look pretty tough huh?

It was really hard to decide what to see first.

We decided to take in the Medicine show first.

They showcased juggling, sword swallowing, laying on a bed of nails and stunts with fire.

Their skills were impressive! After the show we watched a shoot out.

While at the festival, I snuck away to make plans with the Sheriff for the arrest of my oldest son.

You can put anyone in jail for a $5 bail that comes with an arrest warrant to keep.

The Sheriff will tell the suspect what they are being arrested for and then bring them to jail.

My son was charged with not cleaning his room.

A charge he knew he was guilty of.

The Old West Festival has many details that really feel authentic.

You definitely want to allow time to take in as many shows as possible while at the festival.

The show with Rider is a must see! He demonstrated incredible skills with a gun, lasso and whip.

The festival also has food available for purchase and several activities that families can enjoy for an additional fee.

Covered Wagon rides are $2 for adults and $1 for 12 and under.

Kids can also pan gems, ride a mini train and ride a horse for a fee. There is also a playground that kids enjoy.

The Old West Festival also has themed weekends that will add to the festival experience.

Cowboy Hero Weekend Sept. 7-8

Native American Weekend Sept. 14-15

Steam Punk Weekend Sept. 21-22

Villains Weekend Sept. 28-29

America’s Pastime Weekend October 5-6

Admission to the Old West Festival is

$12 adults, $6 kids ages 6 to 12, Kids 5 and under are FREE

Parking is FREE

The Old West Festival is located at

1449 Greenbush Cobb Rd.

Williamsburg, Ohio 45176

just off U.S. Rt. 32, near Greater CincinnatiJust remember to do your part and help prevent rabbit smoking!

You can find out more information from the Old West Festival website.

Disclosure: I was given tickets for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

Happy Dog in Cleveland

September 3, 2013 By Nedra McDaniel Leave a Comment

During my hosted trip to Cleveland with Positively Cleveland, the locals were challenged to vote on where we would eat for each meal during our stay through social media. The local hang out that the locals chose for our first dinner meal was Happy Dog.

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3 Cincinnati Area Adventures for $50

September 3, 2013 By Nedra McDaniel 1 Comment

As a blog contributor for the Cincinnati USA “Livin in the Cin” campaign, my goal is to help inspire local residents to check out the hidden gem in the Cincinnati area.

My latest mission for Cincinnati USA was to find activities in the Cincinnati area with a budget of $50. I began researching activities that I had not tried before that I thought would not be as well known.

Lawn Bowling

During my research, I found out about Lawn Bowling offered at a Hamilton County Park. It turns out that Cincinnati is the only city that you can lawn bowl within a 250-mile radius! I knew I had to try it. Lawn Bowling also fit perfectly with my budget because the first two times you visit your game is FREE.

My kids had football practice that morning so my dad joined me for the Saturday morning game at the Little Miami Golf Center in Newtown. Lawn Bowling has some similarities to Bocce Ball but should not be confused with its cousin.

Players roll the “bowl” on the mat with the goal of reaching the jack (white ball) at the other end of the green. There are two dots on the sides of the ball, one large and one small. The ball will turn in the direction of the smaller dot on the ball when it is rolled. The closest bowls get the points and you play in teams.

The game is played on a sand-based 120 square foot putting green.

Lawn Bowling has balls that are rolled on a mat vs. throwing them down the court.

Lawn Bowling also has a special rake that collects all of the bowls at the end of an inning. Sometimes the competition gets close and you need to bust out the special tape measurer to make it official.

Lawn Bowling was a lot of fun and something that I definitely want to try again. The Cincinnati Lawn Bowling Club has been around for almost 100 years and the season runs from May until the end of October.

You can try Lawn Bowling at the Little Miami Golf Center in Newtown. If you want to stay at the park longer, you can play a game of mini golf, a game of golf or take a ride on the bike trails. Times for Lawn Bowling are Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30 pm and Saturdays at 10:00 am. Recommended age for Lawn Bowling is 13 or going into the 8^th grade because players need to be able to ROLL a 3 lb bowl, the size of a grapefruit, 75-100 ft. Check out the website for more information about Lawn Bowling. After our game, we went to the nearby city of Mariemont to take a FREE tour of the Mariemont Carillon Bell Tower. Our tour was given by Richard, who is a volunteer and has played the bells for 50 years. There are an estimated 200 carillon bell towers left in the US.

We climbed the spiral staircase to the first level. Then, we climbed more stairs to the next section where the controls for playing the bells are located. The technology has been updated since the bells were originally installed which helped preserve the bells for future generations.

After listening to Richard play for a few moments, we stepped up another staircase to see the bells up close.

The tower was built in 1929 and has 49 bells with the smallest weighing 19 lbs. and the largest weighing the amount of an elephant.

After checking out the bells up close, all of us got the opportunity to play the levers that are connected to them in the control room. It was really interesting to listen to the sounds as the music was created. My kids were a little timid in the beginning but eventually warmed up to trying to create their own sounds.

We really enjoyed our tour and want to come back to the park to hear one of Richard’s concerts.

You can hear The Carillon Concerts weekly throughout the Winter months at 4PM on Sundays; this changes to 7PM on April 7, 2013. Private tours of this historic World Class Carillon can be arranged by contacting Mr. Richard D. Gegner at 513-271-8519. Tours typically last about 15-20 minutes.

For more information about the Carillon Tower check out Mariemont Bell Tower website.

After our tour, the kids played on the playground next to the tower for a bit before we headed over to the downtown area. The city of Mariemont is very beautiful with an old European style charm. We treated the kids to Graeter’s for their good behavior on the tour.

While in Mariemont, you can choose your own adventure if you decide to stay longer. You can pack a lunch or take advantage of all of the nearby restaurant options. There is also a movie theater and a free self guided historic walking tour that you can take.

Our final choice for our $50 budget was a visit to Lazer Kraze. It was a great option for a rainy evening. We called ahead to find out what the specials were and took advantage of the $10 unlimited laser tag missions that night. This was a great way to stretch out our experience. The missions are normally $8 each. We had so much fun playing and it’s a great experience at any age.

My mother in law ended up joining us and tried laser tag for the 1st time after some persuasion. She was hooked after the first time and even got top scores on some of the missions. She could not believe how fun it was!

This adventure is not just for kids! It’s so much fun at any age!

You can check out the Lazer Kraze website for their current specials and locations.

I hope that these three ideas gave you the inspiration to check out another part of town and look for creative ways to stretch your budget and meet new people. There are so many incredible gems in our city to discover if we are open to looking for them.

Disclosure: I was given a $50 Visa gift card from Cincinnati USA for my mission. All opinions are my own.

Ride the Dusquesne Incline in Pittsburgh

August 23, 2013 By Nedra McDaniel 1 Comment

On our trip with Visit Pittsburgh, we got to ride the Dusquesne Incline.

I was really excited about this because the city of Cincinnati used to have several inclines but we no longer have any in our city. The city of Pittsburgh still has two that help serve the public transportation needs in the city.

The Duquesne Incline is a working museum. You have history and you have function because people still use it for their everyday public transportation needs.

This view gives you an idea of how steep the grade of the hill is.

The ride is smooth and allows you to take in a different perspective of the city on your way up.

The views from the observation area at the top of the incline were incredible!

At the top of the incline you can also learn more about the history of the incline.

There is also a self guided tour that shows you the mechanical aspect of the incline.

You can also step outside and take pictures from the observation area.

The views from the observation area showcased the numerous bridges and gorgeous scenery in every direction.

A visit to Dusquesne Incline is an experience that you should add to your list next time you’re in Pittsburgh.

You can find out more about the Duquesne Incline from their website.

Operation hours:

Monday through Saturday:

5:30 a.m. to 12:45 a.m.

Sundays and Holidays:

7:00 a.m. to 12:45 a.m.

Cash fares as well as Port Authority bus passes and tickets are accepted as payment.

1197 WEST CARSON STREET
PITTSBURGH, PA. 15219

Disclosure: Visit Pittsburgh provided my accommodation, meals and admissions for my participation in their media trip. All opinions are my own.

Tips for Traveling By Airplane with Kids

August 21, 2013 By Nedra McDaniel Leave a Comment

Today Jason Biers is sharing how to make flying with kids more enjoyable.

The first time I ever traveled with children in tow was when I went to Ecuador with my sister and her two young boys. While the trip was enjoyable and I wouldn’t trade that time with my nephews for anything, I will admit that I could have probably gone without experiencing the flight time with them.

If you’ve ever traveled with young children, you know that it’s a lot different than traveling without. They may not have the stamina that you do and may not adjust as well to uncomfortable situations.
Regardless of how cute and precious you think your kids are, it’s important to realize that they are capable of making you and everyone else around them miserable. That being said, there’s no reason you can’t have an enjoyable experience traveling with kids. All it takes is a little bit of forethought and preparation.

Double check passports

If you are traveling internationally, double check all passport dates. Children’s passports run out every five years and that has a habit of sneaking up on you. The last thing you want is to get excited about your Ecuador tour only to find out that your little ones can’t go because their passports expired.

Bring new toys

I recommend having a few new toys or games for your kids so that they are less likely to get bored of them quickly. Technology has made this fairly easy especially with all of the kid friendly apps out there. Depending their age, you might want to have one game or toy for every hour that you are actively traveling.

Bring snacks

Hardly anything will make a person crankier than being hungry; this is especially true for children. Don’t rely on sugary treats either. You don’t want to land at a crowded airport while your kids are flying high on sugar. Instead, pack snacks such as crackers, cheese, and grapes. When you are planning out snacks be sure that you are adhering to airport security guidelines so you don’t run the risk of having to throw out your food.

Check your luggage

I can’t stress this enough. More than likely your hands are going to be pretty full with kids and all of their necessities so it’s best to eliminate any sort of baggage that you won’t need while in flight. It’s worth the time it takes to retrieve your luggage at the end of the flight.

Plan for more time

You don’t want to feel rushed while traveling with children. This may seem like a more than obvious piece of advice but it’s one of the most difficult to follow. Getting through airport security and customs can take forever anyways, but it takes even longer when you are trying to wrangle curled toes in and out of shoes.

Bring Large Ziploc bags

This is especially important the younger your kids are. You never know when a diaper blow-out may occur or whether or not someone is going to get sick on their shirt. Having large Ziploc bags handy gives you a place to stash any soiled clothing so you don’t have to worry about making any further messes. These are unfortunate situations, but they do happen so be prepared for impromptu change of clothes. Don’t forget to throw in some baby wipes or paper towels just in case.

Hopefully you will be able to avoid any potential mishaps that may happen while you are travel with or without kids. If something does go awry, just keep in mind that the plane will land and you will probably never have to see any of those people again. Just allow yourself to sit back and enjoy the time you have with your kids even if it doesn’t seem to be going well.

About the author: Jason Biers loves to travel and has been the frequent victim of child terror on many of his trips. When he’s not travelling and taming kids he writes for G Adventures, a travel site that offer amazing tours.

Cincinnati Reds Ballpark Tour at Great American Ballpark

August 8, 2013 By Nedra McDaniel 5 Comments

My family recently went on the Scotts Ballpark Tour at Great American Ballpark.

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Overnight Adventure at Morgan’s Canoe in Brookville, Indiana

August 6, 2013 By Nedra McDaniel 5 Comments

We recently had an overnight camping/ rafting adventure at Morgan’s Canoe in Brookville, Indiana.

Morgan’s Canoe offers kayak, raft, and canoe rentals.

Morgan’s Canoe also offers overnight camping. You can primitive camp or you can upgrade to a cabin.

The cabins have bunk beds and a double bed. They also have air conditioning, a mini refrigerator, fire pit and my favorite…a porch swing.

You need to bring your own bedding, towels and toiletries. You can bring your own firewood or there is some available for purchase.

I’ll take a cabin over a tent any day!

If you don’t feel like bringing a lot of food with you, there is an IGA grocery store located very close to Morgan’s. There is also an amazing Mexican Restaurant, El Reparo, down the road.

When you stay overnight, you have access to restrooms and a shower house that are a short walking distance away. We enjoyed the horse shoe pit before making a bonfire that night.

The river is steps away from the lodge where you turn in the keys to your vehicle as a safety precaution and sign your waivers.

We had lots of options for our adventure on the water.

We opted for the raft.

My dad was joining us for this adventure and this was a lot more comfortable for the four of us.

If you like speed, the raft is not for you.

The raft is the slowest option but it might also be the most comfortable.

The scenery along the river is beautiful and the water was very clean.

There were a few times when we had mini little rapids which made it more exciting.

Our raft trip lasted about 3 hours which was a good amount of time. We still had a few times when the kids jumped out to play in the water along the way too.

We really enjoyed our outdoor adventure.

It was nice to slow down and appreciate nature for the day.

You can find out more about Morgan’s Canoe from their website.

Morgan’s Canoe is located at 7040 Whitewater River Lane, Brookville, IN 47012

Disclosure: I was given complimentary lodging and raft for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

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