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Teens sometimes get a bad rap. People think they’re hard to please and harder to travel with. But the key to traveling with teens—and keeping the whole family happy—is to...
This month we are hosting our first Traveling Moms Instagram meme and we would love to have you join in the fun!
Family travel when it might mean the demise of all is no figure of speech for two brothers and a sister who maneuvered their 57-foot boat through the Northwest Passage...
“’Cause down the shore everything’s all right.” ---Tom Waits, JERSEY GIRL Some see the Jersey Shore as a travel destination, a place to take the family for a couple of...
Planning your family vacation can be overwhelming--where to go, what to do, how to get there, you name it. There are a lot of details to planning a summer vacation....
Air travel can be stressful nowadays with long lines, flight delays and cramped seating. Add luggage, children, strollers and even pets to the mix and you have a veritable powder...
Dell Rapids is a beautiful and quaint piece of Americana history with its Pink Rose Quartz buildings from the local quarry. Along the banks of the picturesque Big Sioux River since 1871, this small community of 3,650 is located approximately 15 minutes north of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. This l [ ... ]
Summer vacations for some families mean active adventures, while for others the summer is a perfect time to start exploring college campuses. Imagine being able to do both in one place. A place where you can find yourself in a beautifully appointed room, set amidst 500 acres of welcoming [ ... ]
Midwest winters can seem endless. The payoff? Perfect summer temperatures! Each year I vow to savor every minute of the warm weather.
Although I can’t put everything on hold, I can live summer to the fullest, by participating in that wonderful warm weather tradition— a week at the lake. Here are [ ... ]
Opened in 1953, Dan Hotel Tel Aviv was the first luxury hotel in Israel and has maintained its status as the “Grande Dame” of Tel Aviv hotels ever since. Part of a 14 hotel chain operating in Israel, the Dan Tel Aviv hotel is in a category of its own in service and opulence in the Israeli hospit [ ... ]
No family visit to Beijing, or China for that matter, is complete without a visit to the Great Wall. There are many options as to what part of the Great Wall you can visit, depending on whether you prefer rougher terrain, steeper climbs and more run down but quieter areas. However, if taking childre [ ... ]
Polished wood, burnished brass, a giant globe of the world and a gentleman Sea Captain in a navy blue blazer greet you as you enter the foyer of Disney Resort’s Yacht Club at Walt Disney World.ou’ve now entered Disney’s version of turn-of-the-century Nantucket complete with a lighthouse and [ ... ]
Parents of toddlers – stop limiting your vacations to staycations. This is coming from a mom who has raised a ddler into a traveler once, and is doing it all over again. If you have a toddler, you have anarchy on your hands … trust me, I know! But you don’t have to stick close to home if you [ ... ]
Calling all Thomas the Tank Engine™ fans! The True Blue Engine is making the rounds on the 2011 Leader of the Track Tour. My family and I recently visited Crossroads Village and Huckleberry Railroad in Flint, Mich., where Thomas chugged into the station and provided rides to passengers eager to board the train for a ride.
A Day of Imagination and Activities
The Day Out with Thomas provides a selection of activities for kids of all ages. When we arrived, we received a program and maps for the kids, which indicated four locations where the map would be stamped. After collecting all four stamps, the kids could bring their maps to the gift shop for a prize. The stamp areas were the Imagination Station, an outdoor area with picnic tables and activities set up for the kids, including train sets, crayons and Thomas coloring pages, blocks, and more. We arrived at the Storytelling and Video-Viewing area between story times, but saw that the video was being shown inside an old one-room school house on the property. Since we already have videos at home, we proceeded to the next area for a stamp, the meet-and-greet station with Sir Topham Hatt. My two- and four-year-old were hesitant at first to meet the controller of the railways on the Island of Sodor but did give him a hug and a couple of high-fives.
The final stop for a stamp was the gift shop, a large room where nearly any kind of Thomas merchandise was available. We opted for a couple of t-shirts for the kids and collected our prizes.
Riding the Rails with Thomas a Highlight
The highlight of the day for both kids and adults was the train ride. We were fortunate to board a half-full car of people and have extra room to stretch out and take photos from both sides of the car. The 40-minute train ride provided a tour of the Crossroads Village property, including wetlands and a river, woods, and a couple of town crossings where several people had gathered to wave at the passing train. Inside the car, Thomas and Friends music played several tunes familiar to our kids, as well as some they hadn't heard before, and the conductor made occasional announcements to the passengers about areas we were passing through.
At the end of the train ride, children were given “junior engineer certificates” to commemorate their ride with Thomas.
About Day Out with Thomas
For over 65 years, Thomas and his engine friends have shared their adventures with curious children. Now in its 16th consecutive year, Day Out With Thomas will make stops in more than 45 cities in the United States and Canada and is expected to welcome more than one million passengers. Interested in attending in your area? Check out the Day Out with Thomas Schedule to find an event that you and your family might be interested in attending.
Disclosure: My family and I were provided with four tickets to the event for the purpose of reviewing it. All opinions expressed here are my own.
Teresa J. Shaw covers Southeast Michigan for Traveling Mom. Visit her website at TeresaJShaw.com and follow her on Twitter at @TeresaShaw.
There is nothing like casting your line in and fishing away your worries….okay, I seriously can’t say that, because I am not much of a fisherman. Yes, I go fishing, but mo [ ... ]
When the PGA tour heads to Ponte Vedra Beach, in Northeast Florida this May for The Players Championship they will once again be hosting multiple events for military memb [ ... ]
Get a jump on your summer vacation with free activities all weekend in Vermont June 8 and 9. The Green Mountain State serves up a bevy of free family fun.
Free at parks
All we [ ... ]
