Spending more time on the highway than the average American family, we’d like to think we’ve reached a MacGyver-like state for whatever vacation curve ball inevitably comes our way. Whether we’re making our itineraries, packing the minivan, or shopping for necessities along the way, we are occasionally asked to review products that fall somewhere in the general theme of family road trip. Here are a hand-picked handful of our favorites:

SPIband

Short for “Small Personal Item,” the cleverly named SPIband is a new product from the creators of the SPIbelt. Originally designed for athletes to securely carry keys, identification, and cash with them while exercising, both products are ideal for families on the go. Lighter than a purse and safer than a backpack, SPIband holds band aids, business cards, and even arcade tokens and are worn on your arm or around your ankle. Holding my drivers license and a stick of gum, the SPIband also doubled as a sweat band on a recent bike ride. Available in different sizes and fun materials (including reflective), why not give each kid their own special “pocket” pre-loaded with healthy snacks and emergency contact information?

Recordable Storybook from Hallmark

No matter where you go or who you see, road trips are almost always synonymous with a souvenir, photo, or memento gathered somewhere along the way. If you’re on a budget or tight on space, consider Hallmark Recordable Storybooks. Designed to capture the voice of a a special person reading the words of a story (the photo shows my daughter with her great grandma and That’s What Grandmas Do!), the book holds the audio story recording for play back again and again (or all the way home, as the case may be). Kids and parents will also love the Interactive Storybooks and Story Buddies, books read by the child with the help of the “magical” friends—who, coincidentally, also have a corresponding iPad app for free download (say if you’re going on an extended trip and really want to plan ahead).

Seatbelt Snoozer

Sleeping in the car is never really comfortable. With two kids in the backseat, they often want to lean in toward the middle of the car, so the seatbelt doesn’t cut into their necks, and lay their heads on pillows. This presents two problems: they aren’t adequately secured by their seatbelts; and they fight because “HIS HEAD IS TOUCHING ME!!” The Seatbelt Snoozer solves the problem with a plush pillow that goes over the seatbelt and behind your child’s head. One size fits all, but your child must be out of a harnessed safety seat and able to use the car’s seatbelt shoulder strap. I plan to try this out myself next time my husband is driving!

iTrip Auto FM Transmitter for iPod/iPhone

This little device is an absolute essential in our family. I like our family car time to be engaging, and while I do occasionally relish some quiet time, I’m not a fan of giving each kid their own headphones so we are all tuned out. Listening to an iPod through its own speakers, or even a small set of external speakers, is like nails scraping on a chalkboard to me, so we use the Griffin iTrip to play the iPod directly through our car radio. The trick to getting the best reception with these transmitters is to set the device to an international mode (I use “JP”) so you can access the lower range of FM frequencies – down in the 87.5 – 87.9 range. With the iTrip, we can listen to audio books or simply play the family music game: We take turns selecting a song alphabetically from our music library – Mom chooses a song that begins with “A”, Dad chooses from “B”, the boy chooses from “C”, etc. I only wish they would make the cord longer so the kids could use it better from the backseat.

Lay-n-Go LITE

Lay-n-Go® LITE is an 18 inch activity mat that quickly and easily converts into a satchel with a drawstring. If you have a child that loves LEGOs, Squinkies, or any other small toy collection, this product keeps the pieces together and cleans up in seconds. Toys are easily spread out in the car (bring a cookie sheet or lapdesk for a flat surface!), at restaurants, on airplanes, or anywhere you travel.  When playtime is over, just pull the drawstring and the activity mat is instantly converted back into a soft storage bag. (Bonus for the Moms: this company also makes an awesome cosmetics bag that works the same way!)

Your turn… What are your favorite essential road trip gadgets?

Eric Elya (aka, EXMAN), a retired air traffic controller at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, first contacted me when I was planning a geocaching event in celebration of 2012 Leap Year. Timing his project with a worldwide attempt to break the record of most geocaches logged on a single day, Elya was was attempting to re-release 500 trackables (otherwise gone MIA) for free.

Anyone monitoring the path of a travel bug or geocoin, no matter the significance or mission, knows the sinking feeling of a “missing log” in their email inbox. Thanks to folks like EXMAN, we all can learn a thing or two about doing great things within the geocaching community.

Tell us a bit about the idea behind re-releasing lost and stolen trackables? How many have you re-released to date?

All trackables have a unique number assigned to them which allows their travels to be “tracked.” When you buy a travel bug or geocoin, you’re paying for not only the physical tag or coin, but also that number. The number is yours for life, so if your trackable goes missing–as they often do–all you have to do is re-release it in whatever form you want. As long as that same tracking number is on it, you’re good to go.

Most people don’t know this, so my job is two-fold in that I first have to let them know that they CAN do this.  And second, to encourage them to either do it themselves or to offer to do it for them for FREE. The idea behind my project is to get more trackables back into the game, and I’ve accomplished that in a big way.  In just four months I’ve released almost 600 trackables for people in about thirty states, four Canadian provinces and three countries.

What inspired you to spend the money and time on this project?

I did a little math and concluded that for the cost of one new travel bug, I could take ten replacement tags.  And for the price of one new geocoin, I could release twenty replacement tags. So, it sounded like a “no brainer” to me, and as far as the time is concerned, I’m really enjoying my little project—it makes me feel good to put a smile on someone’s face and make geocaching more fun for everyone.

What are a few stories you’ve received about the trackables? Do you have a favorite one or two?

So far, I’ve gotten a lot of “thank you’s” and people saying that they think the project is a great idea. But what has really been nice is that some people have helped me out in a big way by taking bunches of the finished tags and spreading them around the world.

As far as stories go, the best are those where cachers have taken it upon themselves to add trinkets to the tags that make them look more like the original trackable did. A geocacher named backroads2010 found almost 100 of my tags that were placed in  The Lily Pad [the popular geocache located at Groundspeak headquarters in Seattle, Washington].  She ended up taking about thirty of the tags home with her, and is doing a great job of  gussying them up before sending them out into the world.

What is your geocaching experience? How did you become interested in geocaching and where have you gone geocaching?

I started caching in January 0f 2011, so I’ve been at it about a year and a half.  So far, I’ve found 1175 caches and logged 283 trackables (both travel bugs and geocoins). My wife and I wintered in Benson, Arizona last year and a great geocacher who goes by the team name gryhwk turned us on to geocaching. Since then we’ve found caches on mountain hikes, desert trails, city walks and country roads.  We’ve found some containers smaller than a thimble and one as big as a refrigerator.

My daughter and I just returned from the Beaches Boscobel resort in Ocho Rios, Jamaica and here are the top five reasons why I think families keep returning year after year. I’d heard of Beaches Resorts—the family-oriented sister to the luxury Sandals Resorts— for a number of years now, so I was eager to check-in and check-out what all the buzz was about.

#1:  The Genuinely Friendly Service

Right from arrival in the airport in Montego Bay, you’re greeted with fabulous, friendly service. And it doesn’t end— from the front-desk staff and restaurant servers, to the grounds keepers and water park lifeguards—everyone greets you with a friendly welcome and goes above and beyond to ensure you have a great stay.

#2:  Pools where Parents can Relax

My daughter is almost 10 years old and can swim, but that doesn’t mean I can relax if she’s in a deep water! And this is precisely why the pools at Beaches Boscobel were perfect. There was a very shallow pool for babies and toddlers, a larger pool with small slides and toys for younger children, an amazing series of water slides for tweens and teenagers, and a more mellow pool for the adults with a swim-up bar.

#3:  Never Hearing the Words “I’m Bored”

We didn’t turn on the television or even crack open the Nintendo DS once while at Beaches Boscobel – there is just far too much to do! For the outdoors lover, there’s swimming, banana boat rides, snorkelling, tennis, and golf. While the indoorsy type can enjoy hanging out in the Kids Center, playing a full assortment of games in the Xbox 360 Game Garage, or trying out the Scratch DJ Academy.

#4:  Great Food & Drinks

No tasteless buffets or over-booked a la carte restaurants here! The food consistently met the differing tastes of adults and children, and I was relieved to find so many healthy options (I didn’t gain a single pound while away!). My particular fave was the Chicken Reggae at Eleanor’s that included the local flavors of callaloo and plantain. Interesting cocktail drinks and premium liquors were always available, in addition to standard North American fare.

#5: Keeping the Wallet Closed

When you’ve saved up for a big family trip, it is so nice to arrive to an all-inclusive that really is ALL-inclusive. You can literally leave your wallet in your room for your entire stay – tipping is included (and actually frowned upon!), a full spectrum of activities are available including snorkelling, scuba diving, and glass-bottom boat rides, and there are no additional fees for premium drinks or the fantastic Kids Club.

This post was written by Julie Harrison, the newest member of the Road Trips for Families editorial team. Julie lives in Ottawa, Canada with her husband and two children. Before becoming the Canadian Editor, she submitted guest post on her travels to Smuggler’s Notch, Vermont and Saguenay, Quebec.

Nothing like a cup of Joe at the campsite. Or as the case may be, hot cocoa.

Before kids, camping happens on a whim. Want to go camping? Sure. Toss a few things in the car and off you go. After kids, you need a professional organizer. We asked Helen Olsson, author of The Down & Dirty Guide to Camping with Kids to give us her top ten tips for car camping with kids. After a trip or two, you’ll wonder how you ever camped with out them.

By the time our brood had swelled to three, we knew it was time to trade in our cool Chevy Blazer for a minivan. So there I was at the wheel of a vehicle I’d once derisively called a Breeder-mobile. But if you’ve got a swaggerwagon, you know minivans rule. Especially if you’re heading out on the highway for a road trip of the car-camping variety.

In our family, we like nothing better than to load up the van and the car-top Yakima rocket box with sleeping bags, tent, camp chairs, mats, lanterns, the fixin’s for s’mores, and a cooler filled with steaks and beer. (Root beer for the kids, naturally.) On one recent trip, we had the usual prodigious pileup of camping gear, but also our mountain bikes on top of the car, wedged next to the rocket box, and the kids’ bikes crammed on a rack on the back. Random passing motorists would point at us, mouths agape in amazement. Or worse, laughing at us. Surely we looked like some kind of gypsy caravan.

Camping with kids is an endeavor that takes a considerable amount of planning and preparation as well as certain know-how in the field. Following are Ten Tips for Car Camping with Kids, culled from my new guide, The Down & Dirty Guide to Camping with Kids. (Roost Books, April 2012.)

1. Prep the Kids: If your kids are young and it’s their first time sleeping in a tent, you may need to take steps to alleviate any fears. Try to best duplicate your nighttime routine when you’re in the woods. That is, if your child sleeps with a binky or a special blanket, be sure to bring it. If kids sleep with a night light at home, find a battery-powered nightlight (maybe shaped like a princess or a ladybug) for the tent. And bring along picture books to read in the tent. Snuggling down in a sleeping bag with a flashlight is possibly the family camping’s sweetest moment.
2. Gear Up: You’ll need all the usual gear for camping (sleeping bags and tents, camp stove…), but with kids you’ll need additional gear that’s kid-specific, like little potties, portable high chairs and cribs, small backpacks and water bottles with drinking straws, and baby backpack carriers. While kids can get by with man-sized sleeping bags and sit in your adult camp chairs, there’s nothing cuter than camp gear miniaturized for kids. Kelty makes an adorable sleeping bag for babies and toddlers called the Woobie (which we love, because that’s what we call our son’s security blanket, now in shreds from eight years of use). Sigg has fun reusable water bottles for kids and Deuter has great child-specific backpacking packs covered in of topo map contour lines.
3. 

   Don’t tell the kids you’re going on a hike: Say, “We’re just taking the llamas for a walk.” (The author and her kids on a backpacking trip.)

   A Walk in the Woods: Hiking is the perfect activity to do with the family while camping. Admittedly, it has the potential to be anxiety provoking. Little legs tire, tummies rumble, kids start to grumble. First bit of advice: never say the word “hike.” It’s a four-letter word. Instead, phrase a trail walk this way: We’re going on an adventure to toss rocks in a pond or to check out a cave filled with bats or to explore an old miner’s cabin. If kids start to whine en route, break out songs, games, and jokes. Bring along a bag of M&Ms or Skittles to dispense for certain stretches of ground covered.

4. Make Lists: I have so many lists, I have lists of my lists. If you don’t run through checklists when you’re packing up, you will undoubtedly forget something important. We’ve left behind tent poles, diapers, and ketchup. In each case, it was a dire situation. There are checklists in my book and the Ultimate Camping Checklist can be found at my blog.
5. Camp Grub: Whether your menu is gourmet or basic, it’s important to plan it well. I like to think through the menu for each camp day, write it down, and draw up a shopping list. Next step is to think through the kitchen gear you’ll need to execute on the menu. Otherwise you’ll be rolling out your pizza dough with a wine bottle and straining pasta through a bandana. When you leave home, check through the menu to make sure you’ve gotten everything from freezer, fridge, and pantry.
6. Enlist the Troops: Throughout the camping experience—and especially when setting up and breaking down camp—include your kids so they feel invested in the experience and more empowered by it. They’ll take more away from the outing and it’ll be more enjoyable all around if kids help unload the car, pound tent stakes, unroll sleeping bags, and so on. Amazingly, our kids love doing the dishes in our portable camp sink. (Sea to Summit has collapsible sinks that weigh mere ounces.)
7. 

   Bring along nets and turn a hike into a butterfly safari.

   Plan Camp Activities: I am a firm believer that the best play for kids is unstructured, imaginative play in nature. There’s nothing better than kids entertaining themselves with sticks, pine cones, rocks, shells, and feathery grasses. However, I like to be prepared in case they utter the dreaded phrase: “We’re bored.” We bring along cards and board games; lacrosse sticks, mitts, and balls; Frisbees and Hackey Sacks. My husband’s favorite bonding exercise is to sit around the campfire with the kids and teach them how to tie knots.

8. Get Crafty: To keep kids occupied while you’re getting dinner together or if they just need a quiet activity to settle them down, bring along markers and water colors and paper. One of the easiest yet most beautiful crafts from my book is the leaf print. Simply color the back of a leaf with a kid marker (or with water color) and press it on paper.
9. Camp with a Group: Some of our most memorable, action-packed camping trips have been with other families. If you camp as a group, you can share kitchen duties, meal responsibilities, even child-watching. When you’ve got a collective pile of gear, there’s a chance the other family has the thing you forgot to bring. Especially as kids get older, they’ll appreciate having a pal along on a trip.
10.  Stock up the First-Aid Kit: Kids get boo-boos. That’s a fact. Even if there’s no blood, a Band-Aid has the power to heal. If your kids are like mine, they’ll go running through prickly pear cacti in sandals (so you’ll need tweezers) or they’ll rub their heels the wrong way on a hike (so you’ll need moleskin). Murphy’s Law will likely apply here: If you don’t bring the first-aid kit, you’ll need it. If you do bring it, you won’t.

Want more tips from Helen? Her blog tour is making new stops each week. Check out the schedule and let us know if you have any other proven tips for camping with your kids

SPiN Milwaukee

The best thing since heated toilet seats and sliced bread, Milwaukee has jumped on the hip-and-trendy bandwagon with the addition of SPiN to its historic Third Ward. A tennis table social club worthy of regulation standards, SPiN Milwaukee is what happens when great ideas are influenced by Forrest Gump.

Visiting the warehouse-sized bar/restaurant/court on a random Monday afternoon, the venue was taking a minute to re-group from a weekend packed with live music and atmosphere. Gloriously empty, the experience involved a foodie’s delight lunch followed by humble pie dessert drizzled in injured pride (replace fork with paddle and the story unfolds).

A family-friendly spot during non-dating hours, SPiN Milwaukee houses “12 top-quality table-tennis courts on cushioned Olympic-competition flooring, plus a 13th stadium-like center court.” With private rooms perfect for corporate events and birthday parties, chalk has been strategically placed by a slate-coated table to tempt children and those of us emotionally trapped at age eleven.

Before 6PM, table rates are $16/hour and $8/half hour for the general public—families can switch out players during this time period, giving everyone a turn. This price drops to $12/hour and $6/hour after 6PM (groups larger than 10 are encouraged to make advanced reservations). BYOPaddle or borrow one from the club.

With a bottomless supply of orange ping-pong balls, monitoring the path of the ricochet seems important until you spot SPiN staff colleting the equipment with floor-length nets. Embracing reckless abandon, SPiN has enabled the inner-child to resurface and duel its offspring in a match of pride.

Breaking for sustenance, items on the kids’ menu include pasta, chicken sandwiches, burgers, and grilled cheese and range between $5 and $6. Appetizers and adult-menu items are similarly appetizing and reasonably priced (consider asking for a second plate and divvying up the food).

Bucyrus Museum

If ping-pong doesn’t successfully tire the kids out, keep your car pointed south and hit the new Bucyrus Museum in South Milwaukee. Located on the Caterpillar manufacturing grounds, Bucyrus is a three-story, 18,000 square foot museum designed to preserve the long, local history both companies have played in the mining equipment industry. Oh, and admission is free.

Kid-friendly exhibits start on the first floor and meander up to the top-level. Popular with pre-schoolers and elementary students’ area 495 shovel cab simulator, the life-sized replica of a shovel dipper, and digger/dumper play area.  Read more about the museum on my VISIT Milwaukee guest blog post here.

But Wait, There’s More!

And if you still needs some ideas for family-friendly fun in the big city by the lake, check out my Milwaukee Loves Kids smart phone app (now on iTunes and Google Play for Android).

One of the most common questions we’re asked about family road trips is: “How do you save money?” And there are always lots of questions about picky eaters, finding healthy food and sticking to schedules for smaller children. While a vacation rental be budget-friendly, it also doesn’t sound like much of a vacation if you have to do all the cooking. Our answer to that? Bring grandma for some free babysitting, er quality time with the kids and a little cooking. Seriously, that’s one of the best parts of a huge house in a spiffy locale — grandmas and grandpas are usually happy tome come along. But, if you’re still not convinced about cooking, we asked the experts at Home Away to give us some tips.

If you’ve never booked a vacation rental for your family holiday, I can hear the concern in your voice now. “I don’t want to have to cook! It’s my vacation!” The truth is that having a great place to stay—with a kitchen—is a key ingredient to making your vacation more relaxing and affordable.

Who Benefits?

The short answer is everyone: families, folks that want to relax instead of running out to lunch or dinner again, those with special diets, people with small children or picky eaters, large groups of friends who want to eat different things at different times…you name it. Usually it’s just easier and more affordable to eat at home.

Everyone will appreciate the convenience. For vegetarians, a vacation rental means a holiday of meat-free meals that they can trust.  Families with children can have kid-friendly foods and healthy snacks handy at all times.  No more fussing in restaurants and maybe even an opportunity for a quiet, grown-up dinner on the deck while the kids are inside watching a movie!

A Question of Cost

If the arguments above don’t sway you, how about the cost factor?  Eating at home is almost always cheaper than eating in a restaurant. Multiply that by every member of your family, then by three meals a day, and then by the number of days you’re on vacation and the savings really add up.

Let’s take breakfast as an example. Breakfast in a family restaurant can cost roughly $8 to $10 per person for bacon and eggs, or up to $20 for a hotel buffet. That adds up to a family of four paying $40-$80 for breakfast. Over a seven-day vacation, that adds up to $280-$560 – just for breakfast.

Less than $50 buys enough eggs, bacon, bread, coffee, milk and cereal for the whole family for a week. That’s not even mentioning the fact that you can enjoy your breakfast in your pajamas. You can still splurge on a few dinners out – and should, you’re on vacation – but you’ll enjoy them more knowing how much money you’ve saved on your other meals.

For those that enjoy a nice glass of wine while watching the sunset:  a bottle of wine at a restaurant with stiff chairs can cost $35 and up. The same wine from a local wine store, enjoyed on your backyard chaise lounge, costs less than $15.

What to Expect from Your Kitchen

Most vacation rentals will come with a stocked kitchen, including a stove, refrigerator, freezer, and a set of pots and pans, dishes, dishtowels, and cutlery. There will also likely be a coffee maker and a microwave, and often there is a barbecue outside. When you are booking your vacation rental, the owner can provide a full list of what is provided at the property. Read this carefully, so you will know what to expect when you arrive.

All you will need to bring is the food. Take a few minutes before you leave to plan your meals so you can maximize your savings and minimize waste. Avoid meals with many ingredients as this will drive up costs and lead to more waste.  Unless you are within driving distance and have a reliable cooler, there is no sense buying a giant jar of mayonnaise or packets of specialty ingredients only used in one or two recipes as you’ll just end up throwing them out or leaving them behind.

The best meals you can make can stretch over a few days so you can make the most of your savings. Today’s barbecued steaks or chicken can easily be tomorrow’s sandwiches.  Fresh fish and tossed salads don’t keep as well the next day.

Bring It From Home?

Consider packing some of your essentials and bringing them along. Making chili? Bring a small package of chili powder from home, as you’re only going to use a few tablespoons. Take along some of those take-out ketchup and mustard packages that are hanging around in your own kitchen.

If you’re driving, it’s easy to place a cooler in the trunk and fill it with whatever you need from home. Flying is more complicated, but as long as you abide by international regulations (no liquids), you can still put a jar of peanut butter or a box of cereal into your suitcase. If you are travelling to a foreign country, check with its customs office about what you are allowed to bring with you. Some destinations like New Zealand have a complete ban on bringing any food items into the country.

With less than a half an hour’s planning before you pack for your trip, you’ll find that cooking will actually help you enjoy your vacation better. There is no running around from restaurant to restaurant, no getting dressed before breakfast and no worrying that your kids haven’t eaten a vegetable in days. Best of all, cooking for yourself can mean more money in your pocket to spend on everything your vacation destination has to offer.

About the Author

Laura Hoot has been writing professionally since 2004 and manages HomeAway’s Travel Ideas site.  She also runs a household of three dogs, a cat, two chickens and a baby boy along with her husband. She’s written for USA Today’s travel site, GirlsGetaway.com , Cheapo Air, Travels.com, Trails.com, eFilmCritic.com, The Budget Fashionista, Travellogged.com and many more sites.

Road Trips for Families is pleased to announce that we’ll be a stop on Helen Olsson’s blog tour next week. Helen wrote the new book, “The Down and Dirty Guide to Camping with Kids: How to Plan Memorable Family Adventures and Connect Kids to Nature.” A fun and irreverent book from a mom who has lived life both as an adventurer (pre-kids) and diaper changer in the middle of the night in a tent (also an adventure, just not the sort you usually write about), we’re looking forward to Helen’s tips on getting started camping with kids.

Helen will also be making tour stops here:

Great Wild Outdoors: Monday, April 30^th

Road Trips for Families: Tuesday, May 1^{st  (}That’s us!)

Recreating with Kids: Wednesday, May 2^nd

Playful Learning: Thursday, May 3^rd

Real Life Delicious: Friday, May 4th

Bring your questions for Helen, and check out her blog for The Ultimate Camp Checklist. And we thought we had a long list!

The cost of getting to Texas from Wisconsin was expensive. Lucky for us, we were able to fill our Austin itinerary with low-cost (but fun) things to do once we got there. Here’s what we did:

Zilker Metropolitan Park

Zilker Metropolitan Park is to Austin what Central Park is to Manhattan. A 351-acre spot for recreation and relaxation, family attractions include a large playground, picnic spots, hiking, biking, open fields, canoe/kayak rentals, and the Zilker Zephyr miniature train shown in the photo to the left. Extremely popular in summer months (basically half the year), is Barton Springs Pool, a natural spring-fed pool with a year-round average temperature of 68 degrees. Park admission is free, but entrance to the pool will cost between $1-$3/person. Train rides last approximately 1/2 hour and costs $2 (kids) and $3 (adults).

State Capitol Building

Leaving space for a bit of time for social studies, it only seemed fitting to visit the Texas state capitol building at some point during our trip. Consulting the building hours on the main visitor website, we walked on a self-guided tour up, around, and under the rotunda and into a senate room (not in session). Packed with visitors on a Saturday afternoon, had we planned ahead we could have attended a guided tour (groups of ten or more can arrange for a private  guide). Tours are free and last 45 minutes, covering the Capitol building, Texas history, and Texas legislature.

Umlauf Sculpture Garden

The most pleasant surprise on our Austin itinerary was Umlauf Sculpture Garden (look for the signs point left on Robert E. Lee Road on the way in to Zilker Park). Home to statues and sculptures of 20th century American sculptor Charles Umlauf, the xeriscape garden is home to Umlauf’s varied creations. Winding paths make their way through the shaded grounds and a small scream bubbles down a waterfall and between two ponds. Children can request a marker and laminated photo-scavenger hunt at the front desk (crossing out photos of whole or partial sculptures), a sticker souvenir is the reward for a completed card. General admission is $3.50 (kids 6 and under are free and students can visit for $1).

Peter Pan Mini Golf

By the fourth time we passed Peter Pan Mini Golf on Barton Springs Road, the triple-volume chorus of back seat begging became relentless. Like any parent craving strong coffee and a minute with their own thoughts, Austin’s popular miniature golf course was a good place for kids to self-entertain. Speeding through 18 holes at $6 a pop ($4 for our kindergartner), we enjoyed frozen ice drizzled in high fructose syrup for $1. All in all, this was $21 well spent.

Geocaching

Free to anyone with an account on www.geocaching.com and a GPS device or $10 mobile app installed on their smart phone, Austin is a hot spot for all sizes and difficulties of geocaching. Consulting the website while planning our itinerary, we earned our Texas state geocaching souvenir on the back hill of a popular Zikler Park picnic spot.

Ahead of their migratory pattern, our trip to Texas was unfortunately incomplete in that we missed seeing famous bats emerge from under the Congress Avenue Bridge . A sight to behold, the bats hunt en masse and look like a black cloud over Lady Bird Lake. Bat watching is free, but you may want to arrive early and scope out a parking spot.

National Park Week 2012  is April 21-29 and courtesy of the National Park Service come these suggestions for enjoying the parks this week. With nearly 400 national parks — and FREE admission all week long, there are thousands of ways to enjoy this week. From hiking to biking to swimming, nature walks, kayaking, or bird watching, there are great outdoor activities in national parks for visitors of all ages.  By introducing kids to these majestic places, we give the gift of learning a healthy lifestyle and help guarantee the future of parks for generations to come.

There’s Something for Everyone

“During National Park Week, stroll a woodland path or around the grounds of a presidential home. Kayak through a mangrove forest or on an urban waterway. All 397 national parks are great places to get some exercise while taking in spectacular scenery or learning something new,” said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. “Whether you go to a natural, historical, or recreational site, or an urban, suburban, or rural park, every national park provides a place to exercise both the body and the mind. There really is something for everyone in every national park.”

Take a Hike

There are 18,600 miles of trails in national parks. Hit the trail for a short hike or a day-long expedition. Cross the Continental Divide on the High Line Trail in Glacier, go vertical on the Moro Rock Trail in Sequoia & Kings Canyon, or tackle a section of the Appalachian Trail. If you’d like to hike with an expert, many parks offer daily ranger-led guided tours, including the Everglades, Jean Lafitte, and Hot Springs.

Dive In

Enjoy 43,000 miles of national park shoreline. Walk on the beach, go for a swim, snorkel an underwater trail in the Virgin Islands, or dive the aquamarine water and fish-bejeweled coral reefs of Biscayne or the kelp forests and sea caves of Channel Islands. Or, take a canoe or kayak ride through Big Cypress to observe manatees and birds.

Go Underground

Travel below the surface and discover the dazzling sights found along more than 900 miles of passageways in caves. Check out Mammoth Cave – the longest cave in the world or the 14-acre Big Room in Carlsbad Caverns. If you are really adventurous, sign up for a spelunking trip.

Sleep Under the Stars

Experience the simple pleasure of an evening campfire, sleep in the great outdoors, and wake up in some of the most beautiful surroundings in the world. Choose your setting – mountain view, ocean view, or even city view. The 12,000 campsites in national parks include spots in New York City and in Boston.

Go For a Ride

Some of the prettiest scenery you’ll ever see is along the 5,450 miles of paved road in national parks. In fact, 1,100 miles are designated parkways designed especially for sightseeing. Just be sure to get out of the car at overlooks or trailheads and stretch your legs. It’s amazing what you will find not far off the road. Wander to a waterfall at Shenandoah or meander through a meadow at Rocky Mountain.

View Wildlife

National parks are the best places to view wildlife in their natural habitats. Don’t get too close but enjoy seeing everything from baby birds to two-ton bison in a park. Watch the strutting age grouse perform its annual courtship dance in Grand Teton or the spring migration of grey whales at Point Reyes. Or, encounter prehistoric wildlife such as a saber tooth cat at Badlands or a Stegosaurus at Dinosaur. There are 233 national parks with preserved fossils, some of which date back two billion years.

Be a VIP

Help out as a Volunteer-In-Park on National Volunteer Day on April 21. Participate in the spring planting at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, a shoreline clean-up at Golden Gate, or park day at Stones River.

Go Green

Take part in Earth Day activities at many national parks. There will 50 exhibitors, food, music, and family activities at John Muir’s birthday celebration at John Muir National Historic Site. Saratoga will host exhibits and an art show featuring pieces made from natural and recycled material. The Grand Canyon will have a variety of interactive exhibits at its largest ever Earth Day event. Perry’s Victory & International Peace Memorial will host an Earth Day Jamboree.

Explore, Learn, Protect

Kids five to 12 years old are encouraged to take part in free Junior Ranger programs in almost every national park. Ask for a Junior Ranger booklet at the visitor center and earn a badge by completing different activities. Many parks will host special events on Junior Ranger Day – April 28.

Take to Two Wheels

One of the most popular things to do in a park is ride a bike. You set your own pace and can easily stop to relax or take in the view when and where you want. One of the newest bike trails was recently built in New River Gorge. More than 1,400 Boy Scouts and leaders volunteered 78,544 hours to construct a 12.8-mile mountain bike trail. Other popular parks for biking include Acadia which has 45 miles of old carriage roads, Canyonlands, home of the 103-mile White Rim Road loop, and the C&O Canal and its 184-mile long towpath.

Be sure to share photos, videos, and stories from your national park travels at National Park Week. The site also contains a calendar of events and plenty of information on how to visit and support national parks.

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 397 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities.

About the National Park Foundation. You are the owner of 84 million acres of the world’s most treasured memorials, landscapes, ecosystems, and historic sites — all protected in America’s nearly 400 national parks.  Chartered by Congress, the National Park Foundation is the official charity of America’s national parks.  We work hand in hand with the National Park Service to connect you and all Americans to the parks, and to make sure that they are preserved for the generations who will follow.  Join us in supporting your national parks — this is your land.

Picnic Lunch

A foodie’s playground, you can throw a rock from just about anywhere in Austin and hit a restaurant worth raving about. And forget four-star restaurants and ambiance, the hands-down best place to eat a meal anywhere in the Lone Star State is under the canopy of a shade tree. Potential grackle droppings aside, the risk of dining in the great outdoors is outweighed by the benefit of fresh air and family bonding.

Driven by hunger and stopping when we felt like it, here’s where we ate some grub on our recent trip to Texas.

Baby Rattler Gourmet Doughnut

Austin Food Carts: Gordough’s | Izzoz Tacos | Dock & Roll Diner

An inexpensive way to both support the local economy and get a feel for a wide-variety of regional food, Austin Food Carts lists food carts, trailers, or  wagons selling “mobile” (er, “to go”) food in Austin proper. Driving into the eclectic South Congress neighborhood for lunch, we barreled on in to a makeshift parking lot near the intersection of Monroe and 1st Streets. Enjoying a dentists’ nightmare, the Baby Rattler gourmet doughnut at Gordough’s Specialty Doughnuts, the Escobar at Izzoz Tacos, and the Infidel Castro sandwich at Dock & Roll Diner helped combat a family-wide case of temporary diabetes.

Fried Okra

Uncle Billy’s Brew & Que

In the mood for beer and brisket, Uncle Billy’s Brew and Que came into view like an oasis on the horizon. Occupying an entire picnic table at the Barton Springs location, we ordered a variety of appetizers including fried okra and BBQ sliders. While the kids gobbled up corn dogs with side salads, we collectively put down more water than Shiner Bock, and chased the meal with an frozen dessert, heavy on the shaved ice:

Rainbow Shaved Ice

Snow Beach Hawaiian Shaved Ice

Located at 801 Barton Springs Road, our rental car turned on autopilot into the parking lot behind the Snow Beach Hawaiian Shaved Ice tailor. Edging to the front of a line snaking down the sidewalk, generous scoops of shaved ice were a welcome reprieve from the heat and humidity. Sampling a variety of small-servings (a bargain at $2.50), we enjoyed rainbow, coffee, tutti fruit, chocolate with sprinkles, and sangria. Jalapeno firecracker and tiger’s blood may be regional favorites (?) along with dulce de leche, pomegranate, and kiwi.

Guest post by Barbara Barnes, author of the new book, “What’s Great About I-95: Maine to Florida“.

Getting ready for summer vacation? Make the journey as enjoyable as the destination. I-95 travelers are in for a treat if they plan ahead and know a few facts about the country they travel through. Here are 10 great summertime hints to get you started:

On a long drive, sometimes you just want a place to stop and stretch your legs. Why not combine that with a dash of local history?

Norwalk, Connecticut – Cradled in the northeast ramp of Exit 15, the Lockwood-Matthews Mansion Museum is one of the best examples of Second Empire Style houses left in the U.S. Tours are available. Even if you’re not keen on architecture, the grounds are a pleasant place to stroll and think about the house’s brush with fame. It was used in filming the 2004 movie The Stepford Wives. A small nearby playground is a good place for small travelers to blow off some steam.

Seabrook, New Hampshire – You can’t see it behind the trees along I-95 near Exit 1 but Seabrook Station Nuclear Power Plant houses New England’s largest nuclear reactor. That might not sound inviting but their Owascoag Nature Trail certainly is. It’s an ¾-mile elevated boardwalk winding through woods and marshland. While you’re there, stop to meet Chilly Willy, the rare cobalt blue lobster and his friend, and even rarer orange lobster. Best of all, everything’s free.

Pennsylvania – Behind the concrete barrier on the west side of I-95 near the Benjamin Franklin bridge is Elfreth’s Alley, one of our nation’s oldest streets. Three hundred years ago, this alley connected to Philadelphia’s busy wharf district. When the interstate was built in the 1950’s, Elfreth’s Alley was severed. Still, what’s left remains as it was and is a step back in time. Walk a few blocks away to visit Christ Church where Ben Franklin, George Washington and Betsy Ross worshiped together.

Sumter, South Carolina – Almost 17 miles west of Exit 135, a wonderful accident happened in the 1920’s. Hamilton Bland planted Japanese Irises to spice up his private fishing lake but it was a dismal failure. He dug them up and dumped them in the swamp. Ah, that’s just what they were waiting for! The next year they bloomed exuberantly and that was the start of a lovely botanical garden that is complete, these days, with all eight varieties of swans. Take your own picnic lunch to Swan Lake Iris Gardens. Admission is free.

If you can afford a couple of hours on a journey down I-95, some museums along the way are worth a stop.

Old Lyme, Connecticut – The I-95 signs for the Florence Griswold Museum at Exit 70 don’t even hint at the delightful compound centered on an 1817 mansion in Old Lyme. Called the American Giverny (referencing Claude Monet) and the American Impressionism School, this was a hotbed of artistic talent in the early 1900’s. Now it showcases a variety of art on a large campus that’s a delightful break from driving.

Fredericksburg, Virginia – The hills here are haunted by the 15,000 men who lost their lives in four major Civil War battles within a short distance of today’s interstate. The Soldier’s Museum at Exit 126 tells the story of the War of Northern Aggression from the perspective of both sides, including the soldiers, slaves and civilians. The museum is so close to I-95, you can see it from the road.

West Palm Beach, Florida – It wasn’t all that long ago that Florida was just a tangle of mangroves, palmettos and beargrass. With few drivable roads, it took two months to send a letter from Palm Beach to Miami, less than 70 miles away. The Palm Beach County Museum at Exit 70 teaches visitors about the Barefoot Mailman, celebrated for walking from here to Miami and back every week for a salary of $600 a year. No one knows what happened but one week, he never returned to Palm Beach. The search party found his mail pouch and lots of alligator tracks but no mailman.

If you don’t want to slow down on your drive down I-95, there are still plenty of fascinating facts to make the drive more interesting.

Maine – Less than one mile from I-95 and about 6,000 years ago, a vibrant culture thrived here and no one knew about them until 1992. That was a very dry year and lake levels sunk so low that an ancient fish trap, hidden for thousands of years, poked above the water line. Carbon dating proved it was from the Late Archaic-Early Woodland period and predated Stonehenge by 2,000 years. Today Sebasticook Lake (near Exit 157) is full again and the fish trap is safely hidden under the surface.

New Jersey – Napoleon Bonaparte, emperor of France, was defeated at Waterloo in 1815. His brother Joseph, King of Spain, skipped town and sought refuge in the United States. He settled in Bordentown, closest to Exit 7 on the NJ Turnpike. For twenty years, this French aristocrat proved to be a friendly and gregarious neighbor.

North Carolina – The Flytrap is a carnivorous plant that snaps its jaws shut at the mere tickle from a fly’s movement. It may seem that they exist only in greenhouses but have you ever wondered where they come from in nature? They are native to only one place in the world and that is here in a small pocket of North Carolina centered on Wilmington. Their range extends northeast as far as Exit 13.

Familiar brand name businesses clustered at interstate exits make it look like we’ve turned into a homogeneous, cookie cutter country. That’s not true. A little research reveals rich details that make even an interstate ride, believe it or not, fun.

For 25 years, Barbara Barnes dreamed of writing a manual to clue interstate travelers in to the interesting facts and stories found along the route. Inspired by her father’s entertaining tales during family road trips as a child, Barnes looked to her experience as a travel agency owner, school board director and layout designer to turn her dream into a reality.

Currently the publisher and owner of Opal Publishing Company, the parent company of Interesting Interstates, Barnes has published What’s Great About I-95: Maine to Florida, a unique guide to the fascinating things that lie along this busy interstate.

Allocating an entire day of our 2012 Texas spring break family vacation to Sea World in San Antonio, we had a fantastic time exploring the marine-themed theme park. Catering to families, the park has something for everyone (from tots to grandparents).

To make the most of your experience, here are some pointers to consider before you go:

Order your tickets online. From admission to parking, dining, and experiences, paying for the bulk of the costs pre-trip helps you budget your overall expense. Currently offering online-only discounts on admission and parking, we saved enough money to pay for an entire meal. Online ticket holders also bypass ticket/will call lines, using electronic kiosks to scan printed bar codes for admission passes.

Research the show schedules. Spread out over 250 acres, our family under-appreciated the magnitude of the park. Failing to map out show times against the lay of the land, we arrived at the popular Shamu show minutes after the stadium had reached capacity. Had we worked our way from the back of the park to the main entrance, we would have avoided a lot of back-and-forth trips around the grounds.

Rent a stroller or bring your own. By far the best $19 spent on our entire vacation was put towards renting a covered double-stroller with drink holder. Giving kids a beak from the Texas heat, parents can maneuver the crowds and make better time than with a kid riding piggy-back.

Double check the park policy on bringing food into the park. A single six-pack sized cooler of food, juice and/or water is allowed per family. Paramount to saving money and keeping kids happy and hydrated, plan to bring or spend money on snacks at the park. Splurging on iced coffee and popsicles, the shaded picnic grounds were a fantastic spot to re-fuel and re-group.

Plan to get wet. Between the Shamu show, the Sesame Street Bay of Play, and water rides like Journey to Atlantis and Rio Loco, pack bathing suits, towels, or a change of clothes. Coin lockers are available for rent near the main entrance (and throughout the park). Opening May 19, 2012 is Aquatica, Sea World San Antonio’s new water park. We peeked through the construction fences and things are really coming together with one month to go.

Break up your day (and beat the heat) with visits to the indoor exhibits. Sharks and The Coral Reef was one of our favorite spots. Air conditioned and without a line or wait time, check the back of the park map for feeding times. Other indoor spots are Wild Arctic, Penguin Encounter, and Nautilus Theater.

If you’re on a tight schedule, consider paying a premium for closer parking and upgrading to the Quick Queue Unlimited pass (allowing you to skip to the front of the line). Personally noticing wait times dropped significantly during park shows, consider making a “ride strategy” using the show schedule as your guide. If you have a smart phone (Apple or Android), go to the iTunes or Android stores and download the free park app.

Last, but not least, consult the park insider tips and take note of the Here’s to the Heroes Military Discount program— available to members of the military and as many as three direct dependents for a a single-day complimentary admission.

Nestled among the coulees and deep river valleys of Northeast Iowa, the sleepy town of Decorah is an idyllic place. Home to Luther College, Decorah is heavy on Norwegians, wooden trolls, and a progressive way of thinking. With bike paths, coffee shops, and local artisans galore, you’ll find good food, great music, and people obsessed a pair of mating eagles.

Made famous by the Raptor Resource Project and a live stream “eagle cam” looking down into a nest adjacent to the Decorah Fish Hatchery, millions of people from around the world have tuned into the 24/7 life of the “Royal Family,” a male and female bald eagle and their three eaglets (born March 27, 28, and 31). Giving ornithologists and the rest of us a glimpse into the behavior of our Nation’s mascot, at times it seems the entire Midwest watches the birds like an episode of reality TV.  Frequent visitors to the area, we’ve overheard eagle conversations at church, hair salons, and even garage sales.

A bucolic backdrop for a picnic, family portraits, and feeding fish (bring 50 cents for a handful of pellets), the eagle tree can easily be seen from the fish hatchery parking lot or on the edge of  Trout Run Road (the nest is on private property; bring your binoculars). Large enough to hold a grown man, the nest weighs over a ton and has been home to the same pair of eagles since 2008 (more interesting facts here).

An outing worthy of an hour or so on a Sunday afternoon, leave time to explore the area and make a day of the trip. For families with younger kids, we recommend the following: Decorah Public Swimming Pool (summer months), Dunning Springs Park waterfall, Phelps Park playground, roller skating at Jewels Skate Country, or pizza at Mabe’s. Inspire(d) Magazine is a great  resource for events and happenings around town. Pick up a free copy at the Oneota Food Co-Op on Water Street in the heart of downtown.

While geocaching teams enjoy digital treasure hunting individually or in small groups, geocaching events are intended to add a social element to the sport. Geared around a special occasion  (recently, Leap Year), an altruistic activity (Cache In Trash Out, or CITO), or spontaneous fun (flash mobs are popular), geocaching events are social in nature. Swapping stories, travel bugs, geocoins, and usually invoving food and an educational component, each event counts towards your total geocaching tally. Instead of logging a container as found, events are marked as “attended” (RSVP with a “will attend” log).

Listing a few geocaching events scheduled for later in 2012, we’ll update this page throughout the year. Leave a comment if you’d like your event added. And, read about our adventures at last year’s West Bend Cache Ba$h in West Bend, Wisconsin. This year’s event is scheduled for August 10-12 (same location).

EarthCache Mega Event
New Gloucester, Maine

September 2

The first international gathering of EarthCache enthusiasts will take place in New Gloucester (near Portland), Maine, USA, on Sunday, 2 September 2012.  The global EarthCache program, run by the Geological Society of America, is an educational subset of geocaching with the important difference that instead of finding a container of trinkets, the treasure at an EarthCache site is a lesson about the Earth itself. Participants complete a task to prove they have been observing and learning from each visit, and log their experiences. Multiple visits can earn participants rewards, such as the EarthCache Discovery Awards. The family-friendly event is being held at Pineland Farms, an educational and recreational venue that welcomes visitors to enjoy beautiful rural landscapes and walking trails through farm and forest lands.  The day will include activities for geokids including farm visits.

Geocaching for Abe
Lincoln State Park, Indiana

November 2-4

Enjoy a full weekend of Geocaching for Abe at Lincoln State Park. Events include s’mores with Abe at the lakeside shelter on Friday night at 7:00 pm CDT.  The main geocaching event will take place from 11:00 am – 3:00 pm on Saturday afternoon.  Caches will be placed throughout Lincoln State Park, Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial, Colonel Jones Home, and Buffalo Run Farm, Grill & Gifts. On Sunday morning at 8:00 am, breakfast will be provided at the campground shelter.

North Carolina is a gorgeous state for road trips. From the ocean, to the Blue Ridge Parkway, to the Smokey Mountains, it’s got it all – even Hunger Games filming locations. And for your road trip destination, your family will not want to miss visiting the Biltmore Estate.

The Biltmore, located in the rolling hills near Asheville, NC, is America’s largest home. The 250-room French Renaissance chateau displays the Vanderbilt family’s original collection of furnishings, art and antiques. The home is an enormous, fascinating maze (I really felt like I was lost a couple times!) of living history. Using the self-guided audio tour, you simply press a button as you walk into each room, then listen to the room come alive. Perfect for families, the tour gives you time to listen, take in the splendor and detail of each room, talk with your kids about the history, then move on at your own pace.

Photo courtesy of The Biltmore Company

Your family will also love the 8,000 acre “playground” that surrounds the Vanderbilt home. There’s the garden, which boasts 100,000 tulips in the spring, more than 2,300 roses in summer, and an array of brilliant annuals. There’s also biking, rafting, hiking, fly-fishing, and horseback riding available. Or just get a picnic basket and lunch at Biltmore’s Bake Shop and enjoy a riverside picnic. There are plenty of spectacular family photo ops on the Biltmore grounds.

Antler Hill Village is the perfect place to end your day. This is where the Vanderbilt’s once had their dairy farm. It has since been converted into a winery and much more. The farm is still there and ready to help your family experience farm life of the early 1900s with blacksmiths, woodworkers, animals, games and crafts. The kids will be having so much fun they won’t realize their vacation also comes with a history lesson.

The winery tour is entertaining and informative, and short enough not to completely bore the younger crowd. Our tour guide just oozed with passion for the winery, and I learned quite a bit about wine-making in a short time. The free wine tastings at the end of the tour (and grape juice for the kids) are a bonus! You’ll also find restaurants and shopping at Antler Hill Village, as well as the Outdoor Adventure Center, where you can rent bikes, arrange a rafting trip or carriage ride, or one of the many other activities they offer.

With an admission price of $59 for adults ($64 on Saturdays) and $24.50 for ages 10-16 ($32 on Saturdays), you’ll definitely want to plan a full day at the Biltmore. Better yet, add a second day for just $10 to maximize your experience. Be sure to check their web site for specials before you go!