We visited Alligator Alley during the winter, which is not an ideal time. Alligators are less active when the temperature is cold.  And it was rather cold that day. Nevertheless, it isn’t every day you can see alligators, so we visited anyway. Alligator Alley rescues alligators and has dozens of them, both big and small. The big ones sat there so still that you probably could have convinced me they were statues.

The major attraction at Alligator Alley is the feeding of these giant beasts, which happens three times a day.

Unfortunately for us, they don’t feed the alligators when the temperature is too cold, so we didn’t get to see it. My mother-in-law has seen the feeding and said it is really something to watch. However, there is a swamp area where you can feed other alligators. The food costs $4 a cup.

My only gripe with Alligator Alley is that I think $10 admission plus $4 for food is a steep price to pay when they aren’t doing the feeding demonstrations. The $10 admission would have been OK with me if they threw in a complimentary cup of food on days that are too cold for the feeding demonstrations.  So, unless they change that policy, I would recommend waiting for a warm day if your schedule permits.

Wondering what you feed alligators? This sign tells you all the ingredients.

Once you’ve got your food, follow the path to the swamp.

Here are my kids at the entrance to the swamp with food in hand.

The swamp has a boardwalk with fences, making it a very safe way to view the alligators.

It took us a little while to find some hungry alligators, but once we did, we had great fun tossing food to them and watching them chomp it up.

Another alligator came up, giving the first alligator some competition for the food.

I just have to say it again. We really, really enjoyed this part! Even my 14-year-old son who wasn’t particularly crazy about this outing loved it. Here’s a close-up of one of the alligators.

The largest alligator at Alligator Alley is named Captain Crunch. He holds the world record for bite strength (2982 pounds), is 13 feet 2 inches long, and weighs over 800 pounds. He didn’t want to come say hello to us, so we were only able to read about him.

After that, we went to see the smaller, younger alligators. They were huddling together to keep warm.

The other really cool thing you can do at Alligator Alley is hold an alligator. The alligators they let you hold are about 3 years old.  We were told that getting bit by one would feel like slamming your hand in a car door. But the strength of their bite is all in the chomping down, not in the opening back up of their jaw. So the staff members wrap the alligators mouths with electrical tape and that’s enough to keep their mouths shut while you hold them.

Usually I’m behind the camera, but I managed to get in front of it for a shot with a little alligator.

Here you can see a closer view of the mouth.

Do you think he’s cute and cuddly?  My daughter seems to think so.

The gift shop sells lots and lots of different stuffed animal alligators.  They also sell mounted alligator heads.  I’m assuming these came from alligator farms that sell alligator meat.  I’ve eaten Gator Bites before, but after looking at this cute little guy, I’m feeling a little guilty.

Have you ever pet or held an alligator?  Tell us about it in the comments.

Ready to visit?

Alligator Alley
19500 Hwy 71
Summerdale, AL

Open daily from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Adult -$10
Children (4-12)  -$8
Seniors (65+)  -$8

Alligator food is $4 per cup

You might also be interested in Gulf Shores, Alabama, Mardi Gras Parades, or the National Naval Aviation Museum.

The post Alabama – Alligator Alley appeared first on Travel 50 States with Kids.

An obvious place to start your visit is the mill itself. Here you can see my daughters with my mom.

The first mill was built here in 1852, but was destroyed by fire. It was rebuilt in 1868 and purchased by Thomas McConnell in 1875.  McConnell wanted the latest and greatest technology and replaced the waterwheel with water turbines and the grinding stones with one of the first rolling mills in the country. It became a state park in 1957.

The park offers tours of the mill, but unfortunately we were there on the wrong day of the week. The mill is open on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with guided tours at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. You can get a glimpse of the dam in the picture above, but here’s a better view.

From the observation deck you can see that just upstream of the dam, the water was calm and like glass.

Downstream it becomes more rugged again.

Whitewater boating is permitted in the park, but boats are not available for rent within the park. The rapids range from Class II (Novice) to Class IV (Advanced), depending on the water level, so make sure you know what you’re doing if you want to go boating here.

Another interesting feature in the park is the covered bridge. It was built in 1874 and rehabilitated in 1998.

Near the covered bridge is the start of the Kildoo Trail, a 2-mile loop trail that goes down one side of Slippery Rock Creek and back on the other side. The first 400 yards on the east side of the creek is paved and is an easy hike.

Beyond that, this is a more difficult hike. My mom had just had her knee replaced and wasn’t up for the difficult part, so I hung out with her while my dad took the kids on the rest of the trail.

The scenery in the Slippery Rock Creek gorge is beautiful. There are lots of rocks to climb over and under.

If you are interested in learning more about the geology of this area, check out this guide booklet from the park bureau. Please be careful when hiking. Accidents have occurred in the park. The park also offers climbing and rappelling areas for serious climbers.  Also, do not attempt to swim in the creek. If your kids want to swim, visit nearby Moraine State Park which has a lake with a swimming area.

The park has a total of 9 miles of trails. We didn’t visit the other areas of the park on this visit. I would really like to go back and hike the Hell’s Hollow trail to see the waterfall. Next time, we’ll be sure to go on a weekend, so that we can tour the mill too. Before we left, we enjoyed a picnic lunch in the Kildoo Picnic Area. It also has a playground for kids who do not get worn out enough on the trail.

Ready to Visit?

McConnells Mill State Park
2697 McConnells Mill Road
Portersville, PA 16051

Park is open sunrise to sunset, year round

Mill is open on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with guided tours at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Free admission

This attraction appears in my e-book, How to Visit All 50 States in 12 Trips.

If you like this, you might also be interested in Lost River Gorge and Boulder Caves in New Hampshire.

The post Pennsylvania – McConnells Mill State Park appeared first on Travel 50 States with Kids.

Up a little closer, you can see that it is a popular summer hangout spot. But it wasn’t always this way. My husband grew up in Racine and said the beach was not very clean or nice when he was growing up. They’ve really done a lot of work to clean up the beach since then.

Since 2004 Racine’s North Beach has been certified by the Clean Beaches Council as a Blue Wave Beach, an environmental certification for beaches. Look closely at this next picture. If you had to guess what state it was in, I bet you wouldn’t guess Wisconsin. Am I right?

The beach is great for little kids because the water has a very long shallow section before it gets deep. Parents should note, though, that flotation devices are prohibited.

And the broad, sandy beach is a great place to build a sand castle. If you’ve read much of my blog, you’ve probably read that my kids love to build sand castles. Here’s one they built with their cousins:

From North Beach, you can see the Wind Point Lighthouse.

The beach has a very family friendly feel and there are lifeguards on duty. Pets and alcoholic beverages are prohibited on the beach.

But further back from the water, you’ll find a slightly different scene. The Beachside Oasis is also a happening place.

The Beachside Oasis often has live music.

There’s a snack bar with hot and cold treats.

And some adult beverages to wash down your food.

This building also houses restrooms, showers, and changing facilities. The oasis is also surrounded by palm trees.

There are also a couple of sand volleyball courts.

If you’ve got young kids, you’ll definitely want to check out the playground.

Kids Cove Playground is a community-built playground with a section for 5 to 12-year-olds and a Tot Lot for 2 to 5-year-olds.

There are also several swings, including handicap-accessible swings.

The City of Racine’s website says that North Beach Park also has a nature center and historical exhibit. We didn’t see them and I don’t know where they are located relative to the bathhouse, but we will have to look for them on our next visit.

Ready to Visit?

North Beach Park
1501 Michigan Blvd., Racine, WI 53402

Open for Memorial Day Weekend, then closed until the first weekend in June when it stays open through Labor Day.
Lifeguards on duty daily, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m

This post is part of Best of the USA at The Traveling Praters.  

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Photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons: flickr.com/photos/rueful/5642129553/

Planning a road trip is a great way to spend time with the family, but keeping the kids occupied during the ride can be a challenge. And while portable DVD players, tablet computers and MP3 players can be helpful distractions, they can also isolate kids from everyone else in the car. Another way to pass the time is to listen and sing along to road trip songs. Everyone can be involved, and it’ll make the trip fly by. Here are a few suggestions for kid friendly songs to listen to on your family road trip.

Disney songs: Chances are your young children have a couple favorite Disney movies. Pick up the soundtracks to a few on CD and keep them in your vehicle for go-to road trip music. The goal of searching for kid friendly road trip songs is to find something that adults can enjoy too, and Disney movie soundtracks can often deliver. The songs are catchy and well-written without being too simple or childish. You may even experience some nostalgia from listening to classic Disney songs from your youth.

Classic children’s songs: You don’t necessarily need a recording to enjoy a road trip song. If you have very young children, sing-along songs like ‘The Wheels on the Bus,’ ‘London Bridge,’ ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’ and other nursery rhymes will do when you can’t find a recording that everyone enjoys.

Adult friendly kid songs: A lot of children’s music is difficult for adults to listen to, but there are exceptions. A writer on travelmamas.com suggests Jack Johnson’s soundtrack from the movie Curious George, and the children’s album No! by They Might Be Giants. When one of your favorite adult music groups or artists writes an album of children’s songs, it can be a win-win for your next family road trip.

Movie soundtracks: Family bonding during a road trip is great, but sometimes it’s nice if the kids fall asleep for a few hours. Since movie soundtracks are meant to act as a background to scenes, they are often unobtrusive and soothing to listen to. Soundtracks to movies like Garden State can provide a relaxing mood that you’ll enjoy and will make your kids drift off to sleep. Just be careful not to nod off yourself.

Wherever your family road trip takes you, make sure you and your loved ones are protected. Take care of car maintenance checkups before leaving to reduce the chance of automotive trouble, and confirm that your auto insurance policy is up-to-date. You may want to compare car insurance quotes online for coverage options like roadside assistance or towing just in case you run into trouble during your family road trip.

Note: Sponsored content was created and provided by Nationwide Insurance.

This post is part of Travel Tips Tuesday at Suitcases and Sippy Cups.

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As you can see from the picture, the Visitor Center is not very large and looks more like a house. They do make good use of space and our education started before we even entered the building with these maps of the two battles at River Raisin.

Most National Park Visitor Centers offer an introductory film, which is where we usually like to start our visit. River Raisin offered something different. Inside their theater, instead of a film, there was a fiber optic map presentation. It was a very effective way to show the movement of troops. Parents with sensitive children will also appreciate that, although the battle and aftermath comprised a violent massacre, there is no depiction of violence. Just colorful little dots that light up. And at 14 minutes long, it fits within the attention span of most kids.

The museum displays include several life-size models depicting soldiers and volunteers on both sides of the war.

While these were interesting, I think my kids enjoyed the miniature dioramas even more.  There’s something about miniatures that kids find fascinating.

Another exhibit compared weapons used by the British with those used by Americans.

I was pleasantly surprised at the relatively large number of programs for kids at this small national park.

River Raisin NBP has an adorable mascot, Major Muskrat, who appears in the activity books and at events. In addition to the typical Junior Ranger Program, River Raisin offers a Scavenger Hunt, and a Plant Discovery program that gets kids outside to identify plants outside the visitor center and in the gardens.

If you’d like to visit River Raisin, there’s an upcoming Open House that would be a great opportunity.  Planned activities include games, musket drills for mini militia, storytelling, and more. The Open House is scheduled for Saturday, May 18, 2013, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Ready to Visit?

River Raisin National Battlefield Park
1403 East Elm Ave.
Monroe, MI 48162
(734) 243-7136

Open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily

Free admission

The post Michigan – River Raisin National Battlefield Park appeared first on Travel 50 States with Kids.

When I first heard of the Vogel Family’s epic journey, a bicycle trip from Alaska to Argentina, I was amazed and told my family about it during dinner that evening. It’s still hard for me to wrap my mind around how a family could set a goal like that and stay motivated through all the challenges over a 3-year period. So when the author, Nancy Sathre-Vogel, asked for volunteers in the travel blogging community to review her book, I jumped at the chance. Not only did I want to help out a fellow author, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the book! And although their trip was not confined to the 50 States, I feel that the life lessons that they learned are most certainly relevant to my readers and am happy to spread the word and recommend this book.

I was hooked from the Prologue. The tale of Nancy’s 10-year-old son being chased by a 400-pound black bear got my heart pumping and I couldn’t put the book down. From there, Nancy goes on to tell how she thought her husband was crazy when he first told her they should quit their jobs and take off on their bikes, but how his idea forced her think critically about their lives.

“I woke up early and dropped the kids off at before-school daycare before spending all day with other people’s kids. After school I picked up my sons, fixed a quick dinner, took them to soccer practice, washed the dishes, threw the clothes in the washing machine, and collapsed into bed exhausted. I never questioned that because…well, I was a parent, and that was what parents did. And I thought he was the crazy one?”

And so, they decided that instead of running the rat race during the boys’ fifth, sixth, and seventh grade years, they would spend the time together as a family, cycling from Alaska to Argentina, with the boys attempting to break the Guinness World Record for the youngest people to bicycle this route. As someone who tries to be very proactive in my parenting and willing to challenge the status quo, I think this is awesome. I don’t think I could do it myself, but I applaud the Vogel family.

Before reading Changing Gears, I had many questions.  Where did they sleep and find food and water? What did they do if someone got sick? What did they do in bad weather? How did they handle motor vehicle traffic? What did they do if the bikes broke? Nancy answered these questions throughout the book.

One of my favorite things about the book is the stories of all the “Road Angels” they met who helped them out just when they needed it most. As someone who has personally encountered a few Travel Angels in my travels (I can’t call them Road Angels because I met mine on a train and a plane), it was comforting to read that these strangers sent from above have been placed all over the world. In the Vogel Family’s journey, the Road Angels provided food, beverages, water filters, lodging, and more.

In Changing Gears, Nancy skillfully weaves together the tales of her family’s odyssey with the life lessons they learned along the way. She provides perspective on risk, success, and failure. She writes about how the boys rose to meet the challenges before them, and how they learned to function, then thrive in foreign cultures. Nancy and her husband watched their sons develop their own impressions of foreign cultures, rather than accept what they had heard in the media. She contemplates how society would change if everyone made their family a higher priority, what “home” really means, and how to appreciate the simple things in life, not taking anything for granted. Readers observe the twins maturing from boys to young men throughout the book. You will be inspired by the Vogel Family’s accounts of possibilities that opened up just because they asked questions, and how they used failure as a learning opportunity.

I loved reading about the outdoor adventures. The book is a terrific testimonial for the Leave No Child Inside campaign. The Vogel boys discovered Mother Nature’s playgrounds on two continents–the played creatively with sticks, jumped from rocks, soaked in hot springs, encountered wildlife, and discovered natural water slides. I also loved reading about the cultural treasures they experienced: festivals, parade, holidays, and local cuisine. Some traditions were very different from their American upbringing and others they discovered to be universal. I love that a school in Peru allowed the boys to attend school for a few weeks for the mutual benefit of both the Vogel boys and the Peruvian students.

The photo section is simply amazing. You will want to travel to these places too when you see the pictures.

Nancy also provides a glimpse into her questions and doubts. Her transparency is refreshing. She and her husband received plenty of criticism from people who accused them of taking away their sons’ childhood. After reading the book, I find the accusations ridiculous.  The opportunities their boys had were rare and precious. But I appreciate that Nancy asked herself whether she had made the right decisions. In my experience (I was involved with leading moms’ groups for more than a decade), the parents I admire most are the ones who frequently ask themselves if they are doing the right thing and are willing to make changes. One of my favorite paragraphs in the book deals with making choices.

“I realized that every time we made the choice to do something, we made a parallel choice not to do something else. It was all about weighing the options and figuring out which option had the most benefits.”

I will add my own thought to that. Many people assume that continuing with the status quo is the least risky option, but that’s just not true. Sometimes there’s more risk in sticking with the status quo than making a radical change in your life.

Changing Gears will inspire, encourage, and challenge you. Please consider buying a copy or recommending that your local library purchase a copy.

Buy from Amazon.

Disclosure: This post contains a link to Amazon, an affiliate.

The post Book Review – Changing Gears: A Family Odyssey to the End of the World by Nancy Sathre-Vogel appeared first on Travel 50 States with Kids.

The first attraction my kids decided on was the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. This museum is a member of the Association of Science-Technology Centers, and because we are members of our local science museum, we were able to get in free with the reciprocal agreement. Here are my kids outside the museum. This part of the building is the planetarium, which we unfortunately didn’t have time to see.

Even though we are members of our local natural history museum, Cleveland’s museum is completely different from ours, so we didn’t feel like we were seeing the same things again. The first exhibit we visited was the Sears Hall of Human Ecology. It reminded me of the Smithsonian Museum in the way that animals were stuffed by a taxidermist and displayed in native settings. The scenes were displayed at eye level and above.

One of the displays completely surprised me.

This is Balto, the famous Siberian Husky who led a team of sled dogs during the final leg of a journey from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska, to deliver a diphtheria antitoxin serum during a serious outbreak. This voyage inspired the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race which is run in March each year.  We learned a lot about the history of the race when we visited the Iditarod Headquarters in Wasilla, Alaska. If you click through to that article, you can see a picture of my daughter with a statue of Balto. So, imagine my surprise to find out that the real Balto was down here in Ohio! Of course, I had to do some research to find out how Balto ended up in Ohio. After becoming famous, Balto and other dogs joined the vaudeville circuit where they were, unfortunately, mistreated. After this came to the attention of Cleveland businessman George Kimble, he worked with the newspaper to bring Balto and his companions to the zoo in Cleveland where they lived the remainder of their lives. After his death, Balto’s body was donated to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Alaska did try to get Balto back, and while the museum decided not to part with him permanently, they did loan him to the Anchorage Museum of History and Art for several months in 1998. While researching this, I also found out that Balto was also commemorated with another statue in NYC’s Central Park. (Adding that to my bucket list!)

Another exhibit we really liked in this museum was the 2-acre outdoor wildlife center where you can see animals and plants that are native to Ohio, like this cute little fox.

And we got to see a raccoon go swimming.

If you don’t like to watch otters play, there’s something wrong with you.

There were also several birds including falcons, hawks, eagles, and owls. And there’s deer and a bear–the friendly type that lets kids climb on his back.

Back inside, we moved on to the fossil section where we enjoyed the dinosaur skeletons.

The museum also had a nice section about earth science. One of the exhibits allows kids to feel a simulated earthquake. My California readers are probably thinking, “No thank you,” but here in Ohio we don’t experience earthquakes all that often, so they are a novelty.

Various rocks, ores, crystals, and gems were also on display.

Check out this display of opals. Gorgeous!

And because Ohio was home to Neil Armstrong, we get more than our fair share of space exhibits, including this moon rock.

In the lower level, you’ll find the Smead Discovery Center, with lots and lots of hands-on exhibits and activities for kids.

Tables and drawers are filled with all kinds of things kids can touch. They can also pretend to be an archaeologist and dig for dinosaur bones.

The lower level hallways are filled with collections of various plants and animals. If you look closely, you’ll see that whoever put together these displays has a sense of humor. Check out the beetle display.

Now, look up close.

Cute, huh? I also spotted a chocolate Easter egg in a bird’s nest.

There was a display on venomous and non-venomous snakes, but I won’t post any pictures. Some of my readers weren’t too happy with me after I posted about a snake program we attended in West Virginia, and I don’t want to scare anyone away.

How about some nice, pretty leaves? No ick factor there!

The museum also has space for temporary exhibits. At this writing, there temporary exhibits include Mystery of the Mayan Medallion (through May 5, 2013 – hurry!), Megalodon: Largest Shark that Ever Lived and Sharkabet! A Sea of Sharks from A to Z (through Sept. 1, 2013).

Ready to visit?

Cleveland Museum of Natural History
1 Wade Oval Drive University Circle
Cleveland OH 44106-1767
(216) 231-4600
(800) 317-9155

Monday through Saturday: 10 am to 5 pm
Wednesday: 10 am to 10 pm
Sunday: noon to 5 pm

Adults (19 and up): $12; $6 after 5 pm on Wednesdays
Youths (3 through 18): $10
Seniors (60 and up): $10
Toddlers (age 2 and under): FREE
Planetarium: $4 each with general admission

The post Ohio – Cleveland Museum of Natural History appeared first on Travel 50 States with Kids.

The National Aquarium is the Inner Harbor’s most popular attraction and can get quite crowded. To avoid the crowds, the aquarium recommends visiting before 11 a.m. or after 3 p.m. You can bypass the ticket line by purchasing your tickets in advance online, but this convenience will cost you an extra $1.95 per ticket. All tickets have a timed entry. Since we were driving into town that day and unsure of our arrival time, and to avoid the extra charge, we took our chances and purchased our tickets when we arrived. When you arrive, pick up the daily schedule of feedings and presentations and plan your day around the ones you want to see.

The National Aquarium is divided into three major sections. The Pier 3 Pavilion is the original main building and has five levels of exhibits along with two very large ring-shaped display tanks. The Pier 4 Pavilion is connected to the rest of the aquarium via an enclosed footbridge and contains the Dolphin Discovery Amphitheater and a jellyfish exhibit. The Glass Pavilion was the most recent addition in 2005 and transports you to Australia to see a variety of Aussie animals, both in and out of the water.

We started in the Glass Pavilion with the Animal Planet Australia exhibit. While this exhibit contains animals you normally associate with Australia like crocodiles and Kookaburras, our favorite animals were the turtles, especially the snake neck varieties.

Next we toured the Pier 3 Pavilion, which has a fascinating award-winning design. The lower level has a tank with sharks, stingrays, and a giant sea turtle. Divers give presentations in this area. Moving sidewalks transport you to upper levels of exhibits while also giving you a different view of the rays and sharks in the tank below.

Levels 1-4 of the Pier 3 Pavilion have a variety of sea life that come from fresh water and salt water all over the world. We saw big fish, little fish, colorful fish, boring fish, polka-dotted stingrays, sea anemones, octopuses, and more.

The top level has a tropical rainforest with birds, monkeys, tarantulas, and poisonous dart frogs.

Once you reach the top of the Pier 3 Pavilion, you descend back to Level 1 via a different route: through the inside of a ring-shaped tanks where you see the Atlantic Coral Reef exhibit and Shark Alley. My daughter got to try out the snout of a sawfish.

Many of the fish weren’t very cooperative when it came time to pose for a picture. I love watching rays flap their wings and fly through the water, but wasn’t able to get any good pictures. Fortunately, another slow-moving turtle was happy to pose for me.

Probably our favorite part of the National Aquarium was the Dolphin Discovery amphitheater. Who wouldn’t love cute fun-loving dolphins?

The last exhibit for us was the Jellies Invasion. There is something so soothing and calming about watching jellyfish pulse through the water.

The National Aquarium also has a 4-D Immersion Theater that has special effects that include mist and wind. The 15-minute movie presentation costs an extra $5 per person. We preferred spending our time with the animals and skipped this attraction.

On July 10, 2013, the National Aquarium will be opening a new Blacktip Reef Exhibit. It will be filled with coral that replicates Indo-Pacific coral reefs. New species, including Blacktip Reef Sharks, will join current aquarium residents in this exhibit.

One thing for parents to note is that strollers are not allowed in the aquarium. You can store your stroller at the main entrance. Free child backpack carriers are available to borrow.

Are you ready to visit?

National Aquarium
501 E. Pratt St. Pier 3
Baltimore, MD 21205
(410) 576-3800

Adults $29.95
Seniors $26.95
Children (3-11) $20.95
Under 3 Free

This attraction appears in my e-book, How to Visit All 50 States in 12 Trips.

The post Maryland – National Aquarium appeared first on Travel 50 States with Kids.

Quite honestly, I wasn’t sure how excited my kids would be. As it turns out, without even trying, we had managed to visit five other aviation or space attractions in the last year. We had been to the National Naval Aviation Museum, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the NASA Glenn Visitor Center inside the Great Lakes Science Center, the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, the National Museum of the United States Air Force, and my son had also visited Kennedy Space Center on a school trip. Could my kids really handle yet another museum about aviation and space? Could I? I couldn’t blame my kids if they were a little tired of air and space, because I was right there with them. I need not have worried. The U.S. Space & Rocket Center’s approach to teaching about space flight through simulators and amusement park rides made this one the most fun of our unintentional year-long aviation and space museum tour.

The first exhibit we visited was a traveling exhibit about Dr. Wernher Von Braun, who is considered to be the greatest rocket scientist in history. Von Braun started his career in his native Germany and surrendered himself to the United States near the end of World War II. As an American, Von Braun led the effort to develop the Saturn V booster rocket that put a man on the moon. We learned about Von Braun’s life, including his early interest in rockets that led him to attach fireworks to a toy wagon. Don’t try this one at home, kids.

Another exhibit we really enjoyed was a video about what it is like to live in space.

The museum has a large space for traveling exhibits. While we were there they were setting up an exhibit on Black Holes. They were having technical difficulties and it shut down temporarily so we were not able to experience it, but it looked really interesting. So we moved on to some fun stuff, like the Mars Climbing Wall.

This attraction requires close-toed and close-heeled rubber-soled shoes. Thankfully, the people at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center were thoughtful enough to provide a supply of acceptable shoes that you can borrow if you’re like my daughter and think that flip flops are appropriate footwear in February.

From there we moved on to one of the simulators. Unlike many museums, there is no additional fee for the simulators. All but one of the simulators are included with your admission. We went on the Mars Mission.

One simulator ride was enough for me. I managed to make it through the ride without vomiting or pushing the emergency stop button. I asked the attendant if all the simulators were that bad and she said the Mars Mission was one of the more gentle rides. No more simulators for me, thank you very much. I guess I’m not cut out to be an astronaut. My kids really liked it though.

There were plenty of hand-on activities for kids of all ages. My kids were too young for this activity table, but when they were younger, this would have been much appreciated.

We got to sit in a Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU).

If you don’t recognize what it is, then maybe this picture will help.

We also got to see the Monkeynaut’s Rocket.

There were several other hands-on exhibits that held my kids’ interest.

I know this is corny, but I made my kids go pose for an astronaut picture.

Then it was time to head outside to the Rocket Park where there is a large collection of rockets and missiles on display.

The Rocket Park includes a couple of rides. The G-Force allows you to feel three times the force of gravity. Still queasy from the Mars Mission, I skipped this one, but my kids loved it.

The Space Shot allows you to feel 4 G’s of force on “liftoff” and a couple of seconds of weightlessness at the top.

Here’s what it looks like close up.

Since this one had strictly up-and-down motion, I did give it a try. It was really fun. The staff at U.S. Space & Rocket Center sure know how to make learning fun. For younger kids, there is an outdoor play area. You can tell that the people at this museum really know kids. They named this area the Kids Cosmos Energy Depletion Zone.

Next we moved on to the Saturn V Hall, which contains one of only three authentic Saturn V rockets in the world, used in the Apollo missions. The authentic rocket is inside the building lying sideways. To show you what it would look like assembled and upright, they built a model of a Saturn V rocket which is outside the building. It’s BIG.

You can explore the Saturn V Hall on your own or take one of the guided tours. We took one of the guided tours and learned a lot more than we would have exploring on our own.

Here is the ring where the rocket’s “computer” is located. We were told it has less computing power than my daughter’s iPod Touch.

The rocket is disassembled so that you can see the different stages. Here’s the top.

It’s really neat to walk directly underneath it. We also saw a lunar landing module and rover.

We learned that on the moon’s surface there would be no corrosion, so if you showed up on the moon today with a new battery, you could ride the rover that the Apollo astronauts left behind. We also saw a real, used rocket capsule.

Inside the Saturn V Hall there’s another play area for kids. Kids will also like pretending to be astronauts in a training module.

On our way out, we stopped at the Space Shuttle Park, which has a Space Shuttle Simulator stacked with rocket boosters, main engine nozzles, and external tank.

The U.S. Space & Rocket Center has a few more things that we didn’t have time to see: an IMAX Theater, a 3-D Theater, and Bus Tours to the Marshall Space Center. I would really love to go back again to tour Marshall Space Center. The museum also has a restaurant on site to keep everyone’s tanks filled with fuel.

There are also lots and lots of camps and programs for children, adults, and families. Check out the website for more information.

Ready to visit?

U.S. Space & Rocket Center
One Tranquility Base
Huntsville, Alabama 35805
1-800-637-7223

9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. daily

Adults (13 & up) $25
Children (6-12) $20
5 and under free

Free admission for ASTC museum members (does not include films).

This attraction appears in my e-book, How to Visit All 50 States in 12 Trips.

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The Visitor Center should be your first stop for several reasons: to pick up information about ranger programs and other scheduled events; audio auto tour CDs can be purchased in the bookstore; and the museum should not be missed. While admission to the park is free, there is an admission fee for the museum. The fee is $12.50 for adults and $8.50 for kids ages 6-12. National Park passes are not accepted, but if you are a member of AAA, you can get a $1 discount. The exhibits are well worth the price of admission, so don’t skip them. I also really appreciated that since we arrived in the afternoon and didn’t have time to see everything before closing time, our tickets were valid for the next day as well. The fee includes admission to a film, the cyclorama, and the museum. If your children are interested in doing the Junior Ranger program, this is also the time to pick up the activity booklet. The booklet is designed to be completed as you go through the Visitor Center.

Start your visit in the theater. The film is named “A New Birth of Freedom.” This title is taken from a line from Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address: “that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom.” The film, which lasts about 15 minutes, is very good and is narrated by Morgan Freeman. From there, proceed to the Cyclorama presentation. Until our visit to Gettysburg, we were unfamiliar with cycloramas as an art form. A cyclorama is a cylindrical panoramic painting that is viewed accompanied by music, lighting effects, and narration. Cycloramas were a form of entertainment before movie theaters, and they often travelled from city to city, and were popular in the late 19th century. The Gettysburg Cyclorama was created by Paul Philippoteaux and a team of 20 painters in 1883-1884. At that time, eyewitnesses to the Battle of Gettysburg were still living and their accounts were used to created the painting. After a century of deterioration, a 5-year restoration of the Gettysburg Cyclorama began in 2003, restoring it to its original beauty. In addition to the painting, the foreground is filled with props to create a diorama. The cyclorama tells the story of Pickett’s Charge. Here are a few pictures that will give you a taste of the experience.

The next two photos show how objects in the foreground seem to blend into the painting.

Fascinating, isn’t it? Additional exhibits discuss the history of the cyclorama and the restoration process. After the cyclorama, head to the museum. The Gettysburg Museum of the American Civil War, which opened in 2008, is organized into three sections. The first section covers the first two years of the Civil War, prior to the Battle of Gettysburg. The second section covers the battle and is subdivided into three sections, one for each of the three days of the battle. The third museum section covers the last two years of the war, the Gettysburg Address, and ends with Lincoln’s Assassination. The museum contains artifacts, interactive computer displays, and numerous short films. The films and interactive exhibits are especially nice for kids who tire easily when all the information must be read from a plaque. One of the exhibits we enjoyed was the comparison of soldiers’ uniforms of both armies.

My kids enjoyed the films about each day of the Battle of Gettysburg. We were also moved by the recording of an actor’s rendition of the Gettysburg Address. Because the Visitor Center and museum close at 6 p.m., summer evenings are a great time to tour the battlefield because there is plenty of daylight left. There are several different ways to tour the battlefield. Licensed Battlefield Guides are available for hire for a fee of $65 and provide a 2-hour tour in your own vehicle. Bus tours are also available for a fee of $30 for adults and $18 for kids. The third option is a self-guided tour with either a book or an audio CD. We thought the best option for our family was the Audio CD tour because we could do the tour at our own pace and spend as much time at each stop as we wanted. There were even multiple CDs to choose from in the bookstore. We chose the Dramatized Audio Tour produced by the Gettysburg Foundation. It costs $21.99 and gives detailed driving directions through the tour route. This particular CD has musical accompaniment, narration, multiple actors, and sound effects. You’ll hear the story of the battle, see key locations like Seminary Ridge and Little Round Top, and see monuments along the way. My youngest daughter said she liked the tour more than she thought she would. Here’s the view from Little Round Top.

Here’s the Virginia Memorial with a statue of General Robert E. Lee atop his horse.

The auto tour ends at the Soldiers’ National Cemetery.

At the cemetery you can also view the Soldiers’ National Monument.

This cemetery was the setting for Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. Reading the address in the actual place it was first delivered gave me goosebumps.

Gettysburg Address

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Abraham Lincoln
November 19, 1863

We were in Gettysburg about 24 hours and learned much more about the Battle of Gettysburg than we knew before we arrived.  I felt that was enough time to see the major attractions, but wouldn’t have minded staying a little longer to take advantage of opportunities we didn’t have time for:

• Ranger Programs – there are lots and lots of Ranger Programs to choose from, including battle walks and evening campfire programs.
• Living History Performances – with live actors doing performances at both the Soldiers’ National Cemetery and Visitor Center
• David Wills House – tour this historic home on Gettysburg Town Square
• Children’s Programming – Army recruiting drills and Hands on History Carts
• Refreshment Saloon – has Civil War-era food on the menu
• Eisenhower National Historic Site – located adjacent to the Gettysburg Battlefield; has Junior Secret Service program

Ready to Visit?

Gettysburg National Military Park
1195 Baltimore Pike
Gettysburg, PA

8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.- November 1 to March 31
8:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.- April 1 to October 31

This attraction appears in my e-book, How to Visit All 50 States in 12 Trips.

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