International Spy Museum

BEST GIFT SHOP EVER! Okay, now that I have that out of the way, let me tell you about one of new favorite museums.

Where we went, and who was coerced into going:

While in DC over spring break, we visited the International Spy Museum, home to the world’s largest collection of espionage artifacts. We also visited the Air and Space Museum, so we continued in the vein of geeky, techy adventures.

WHY did you go there, exactly?

Both kids have watched all four movies in the The Spy Kids series multiple times, and wish they were Carmen and Juni Cortez. (Which would make me Carla Gugino in a black leather get-up. I could live with that.) Naturally, The Girl wants to be a spy when she grows up. Considering her skill at lying with the face of an angel, I would say she has a good shot.

Okay, what was so cool about it?

If you are even slightly intrigued by spies, their gadgets, and their undercover adventures, you will love this place. When you arrive, you choose your “cover,” adopting a name and back story. The Boy took this task seriously, writing down all the details of Yuan Zheng, the 39-year old dentist he had become.

School for Spies Gallery. Photo courtesy the International Spy Museum

Most of the museum experience is passive – looking at the collection of espionage artifacts behind glass. But I found the displays of disguises, weapons, invisible ink, and buttonhole cameras really intriguing. You can also watch videos describing different facets of espionage, like surveillance and picking locks.

Listening to a "bugged" conversation.

You’ll learn about the history of espionage from its beginnings, in 400 BC, to modern day cyber threats. Some of the artifacts, like the lipstick pistol, looked like they came straight out of a James Bond movie, but they were REAL. I was also taken off guard to find out about the long history of espionage; there’s a 1777 letter by George Washington authorizing a spy network in New York.

With just a few “hands-on” exhibits, like the crawl-through air duct and the computer kiosk used to access satellite surveillance, The Girl surprisingly lost interest in an hour. This is definitely an experience best suited for ages eight and up, and The Boy wanted to see everything.

"pssst...the eagle flies at midnight."

And did I mention…the BEST GIFT SHOP EVER?! Save time for shopping this fun and extensive selection – in 5000 sq. ft. — of spy gadgets, disguise kits, movies, books, clothing, souvenirs and more. I may even try their online store closer to Christmas…

How it rated on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 = snoozefest, 10 = add to your bucket list): ★★★★★★★★★

All ages can relate to something within these exhibits. At least for an hour, anyway! Our experience was greatly enhanced by the fact that we arrived when it opened in the morning. The crowds built up during the day, and some of the galleries were feeling a bit claustrophobic by the time we left two hours later.

Hey you! Go BIG!:

International Spy Museum

800 F ST NW, Washington DC, 20004

(202) EYE.SPYU

War of the Spies Gallery. Photo courtesy the International Spy Museum

Disclaimer: The International Spy Museum hosted our visit. 

Ben is currently exploring his own country with his girlfriend Jette. Some of the BIG highlights of his trip include the world’s largest Tasmanian Devil! Here’s his report:

“Since I started to follow the Go BIG or Go Home blog, I have been noticing just how many big things we have here in Australia. Australia is a big place, so big that if all Australians had an argument and spread out evenly over the continent, every person would have 213 square miles to themselves — that’s only 4.6 people in every square mile.

Submarine:

Holbrook is a perfectly charming little town on the road from Sydney to Melbourne. It has bright cafes with reasonable prices, and parks full of play equipment where parents can air out their children. Holbrook not only has the sole set of traffic lights between Melbourne and Sydney, it also boasts a massive submarine sitting proudly right in the middle of town.

Holbrook is named after Commander Norman Holbrook, a decorated WWI veteran. Commander Holbrook spent the war hiding underwater and driving his Oberon class submarine around, occasionally popping up to shoot at the surprised baddies then disappear in a stream of bubbles. Lt. Holbrook won the Victoria Cross, our highest pat on the back for military people.

Jette was amazed to sight this big black submarine shell (sadly they took out all the bombs and fun stuff) almost 400 kilometers inland from Melbourne. Despite my best efforts, she would not climb aboard for a photo.

Ned Kelly:

Us Aussies love a bad guy and we love an underdog, so you can imagine how much we love a bad guy-underdog. One of our most notorious underdog-baddies, Ned Kelly, was hanged in November 1880 after a violent confrontation with police. Before being shoved off the little platform Kelly coined the phrase “Such is life.” To this day it is tattooed on footballer’s torsos, printed on bumper stickers and more recently uttered by annoyed housing investors.

Kelly famously wore home made armor during his last shoot out. Despite trying to be scary, he looked like a kid wearing a mailbox and a barbecue plate.

Some consider Kelly to be a symbol of Irish resistance against the bossy rich guys, however most of us just love the fact that an amateur blacksmith wearing a drinking trough could not be shot by the police.

Nowadays the small town of Glenrowan between Melbourne and Sydney is cashing in on it’s most famous son. Gift shops abound, there is a forgettable animatronics display and a great museum with all you need to know about Ned…Umm, Yeah, he lost.

Penguin:

Penguin is a small coastal town on the Northwest coast of Tasmania. Ronald Campbell Gunn was one of the first residents of Penguin. He was a botanist and one hell of a modest guy. So modest that when they gave him the honor of naming this tiny portside town, he named it after the penguins which abound along the coast, instead of himself.

This massive concrete penguin is joined by numerous medium sized fiberglass penguins, as well as penguin-shaped garbage bins around the town.

In hindsight, it’s a good thing that Gunn didn’t name the town after himself. A big statue of a be speckled, wild-haired botanist is no competition for a large penguin standing to attention.

Tasmanian Devil:

I assume that at some point in your life you have seen a cartoon of that whirling dervish “Taz,” the Tasmanian Devil. Jette and I were passing the Trowunna Wildlife park when we spotted the world’s largest Tasmanian Devil.

In reality, the existence of the native population of Tasmanian Devils face a huge challenge in the next few years — the Facial Tumor Disease. In recent years, a transmittable form of facial cancer has sprung up, and these lovable scavengers are facing quick extinction if we cannot find a cure. Trowunna Wildlife Park is part of a captive breeding effort to deepen the genetic pool in the population so that the tumor will slow down.

So there you have it! Without even actively searching for big things on our Australian road trip, we have managed to stumble across plenty. Venture further north and you’ll also see a big avocado, a big prawn, a big merino, a big lobster, a really big coral reef and not one, but two big pineapples! You really should pop down for a visit one day; we love our big things “Down Under!”

The world’s largest clothespin! The Girl couldn’t wait to get out of the car. The Boy thinks we’re crazy.

There are roadside attractions in Philadelphia, although most of them are best enjoyed on foot. The public outdoor art installations we saw in Philadelphia thoroughly charmed me, because there are quite a few BIG pieces!

Claes Oldenburg sculpture in Philadelphia, PA

I’ve become a fan of Swedish American sculptor Claes Oldenburg, best known for his public art installations worldwide which feature immense replicas of familiar objects. He thinks BIG!

Of course, our first order of business in Philadelphia was seeing Clothespin – the world’s largest clothespin — created by Oldenburg in 1976. It’s located in Centre Square Plaza on Market Street across from the City Hall, which happens to be the largest municipal building in the U.S. The 45-ft. tall clothespin was made from 10 tons of Cor-Ten and stainless steel.

The Paint Torch is Oldenburg’s most recent work in Philly, and was just installed on Cherry Street last year. This four-ton brush is five stories tall! It looks like an artist has jammed it at a 60 degree angle into the sidewalk, leaving a blob of paint on the ground. We didn’t get to see it at night, but the paint on the brush and the paint blob are lit from within by synchronized LEDs.

We also didn’t get to see the other oversized Oldenburg piece in Philadelphia — the 16-foot Split Button in Levy Park on the University of Pennsylvania campus. Next time!

The Paint Torch by Claes Oldenburg

The Board Game Art Park, Philadelphia, PA

We had no choice but to visit Municipal Services Building Plaza at 15th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard on a rainy morning. But we still enjoyed visiting the Board Game Art Park, home to the multi-piece installation, “Your Move,” created in 1997 by artists Daniel Martinez, Renee Petropoulis, and Roger White.

"Your Move" outdoor art installation in Philadelphia

Spread over the concrete square were oversized sculpted game pieces from familiar board game classics like Monopoly, Sorry, Parcheesi, dominoes, checkers and chess.

Um, Matt, I don’t think you should do that…

Other BIG things we found in Philadelphia

The Comcast Experience Video Wall  – the world’s largest four-millimeter LED screen.

The giant walk-through heart – the largest of its kind in the U.S. – at the Franklin Institute.

We’re going to break a world record!

The organizers are hoping for 3,000 people, since the current record, set in June 2008, involved 2,350 people. The Guinness World Records organization will be there to authenticate the feat!

We LOVE the Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park – the views are phenomenal, and it’s practically in our own backyard!

The View Southward from the Walkway Over the Hudson

At 6,768 feet (or 1.28 miles) it’s the world’s longest elevated pedestrian bridge. At 212 feet high, it’s also one of the highest. {gulp} We’ve written about our first visit. The Boy and I have become braver since then.

Won’t you join us? We’re organizing a “Go BIG or Go Home” Team to meet up and do the Hokey Pokey together! We’ll outfit you in nifty “Go BIG” buttons, and ply you with snacks.

If you’re interested in registering (and WHY wouldn’t you be??? You can tell your grandkids you broke a world record!!), you can do so online at the Walkway Over the Hudson site.  It’s $15 / person, which is a tax-deductible donation to help fund the Walkway’s operating costs.

The Guinness World Record organization will only count participants seven years or older. You don’t have to register and pay for people younger than that, although they can still do the H.P. with us! The Girl is working on her left foot / right foot differentiation skills as we speak.

Let us know in the comments below if you’re “in!”

This week, we offer our own suggestions on how to find a family friendly hotel, as well as ideas from other family bloggers.

Over spring break, our family stayed at the Omni Shoreham hotel in Washington, DC. This property, in my opinion, sets a gold standard for kid-friendly accommodations, so I’ll use it as an example in many of the following points.

When searching for a kid-friendly hotel, look for:

A welcoming attitude toward children

Hotels can be upscale, grand, and historic, and still be casual enough for kids. The Omni is a stately “grand dame” among hotels, and yet, we never felt self-conscious about bringing the kids through the lovely lobby. It helped that The Girl did not have any public meltdowns. (For a change.) Not only was the staff very friendly, they delivered milk and cookies for the kids during the turn-down service.

Pool(s) and open green space

When on the road, the pool is the first and foremost amenity my kids want in a hotel. Indoor, outdoor, any shape or size will do. Swim time means blowing off steam, or winding them down for bed, or just spending some time NOT in an expensive theme park. We were fortunate that our Omni stay coincided with the seasonal opening of its outdoor heated pool!

A lawn, garden, or ideally, a playground, is also a big plus.

"I'm not getting off this hammock anytime soon, just FYI." At the Omni Shoreham.

Kids clubs, camps and/or activities

Some hotels, like the Great Escape Lodge in Lake George, NY, offer story-telling programs with their mascot characters, and crafts workshops. Others, like the Omni, have a “Sensational Kids” program, providing kids a backpack filled with fun playthings to keep.

Full-fledged resorts, however, really do kids clubs the best. For example, the Sandpearl Resort in Clearwater, FL, offers both full day and half day Camp Ridley for kids ages 5-12. We visited last July, and The Girl spent a morning making friends while building sand castles, coloring T-shirts, and playing.

Camp Ridley at the Sandpearl Resort

Spacious rooms

Every family has specific room size needs, depending on the size of your brood. We’re still able to manage in a double-occupancy with two queen beds. With that configuration, we’ve found ourselves cramped in small rooms with barely enough room to walk past each other. Space allows The Girl to spread out with a coloring book without fear we’ll trip over her.

Our spacious room at the Omni Shoreham hotel

Deals and discounts

I admit, the words “Kids Stay Free” and “Kids Eat Free” really attract my attention! It’s a sure sign that a hotel wants my family’s business. At four years old, The Girl enjoyed a free breakfast buffet at the Omni, and The Boy ate for $10 (they lost money on him; he’s a voracious tween!)

But even if these offers aren’t made, look for package prices which include extras like in-room movies, or tickets to a local attraction.

Attention to detail

Little things – like electrical outlet covers — make a big improvement in your family’s hotel stay. At the Omni Shoreham, I appreciated that the door leading to the balcony was bolted above the reach of my children.

One pet peeve I have in most hotels, including the Shoreham, is in the bathrooms. Families need ample shelf space to store multiple toiletry cases, and several towel hooks on the walls. The sink vanities need to be low enough for small children to reach the faucets. Hotels, please take heed!

Family Travel Bloggers Weigh In

I asked other family travel bloggers for their input on what makes for truly family-friendly accommodations, and received some great ideas.

Debbie from Delicious Baby looks beyond the property itself, and considers the surrounding neighborhood, including access to public transportation.

Steve from More Kids Than Suitcases has multiple tech-loving kids. He believes in free internet access. What’s more, he doesn’t want to be charged for accessing the internet from more than one device.

Jesse from Wandering Educators loves all the on-site entertainment available at resorts like the Great Wolf Lodge. But she also appreciates that the Traverse City, MI property serves locally-sourced food.

The Gaylord Palms, Orlando

Another entertainment-oriented resort, the Gaylord Palms in Orlando, pleased Jody from Family Rambling because it provided her two stress-free days of watching her daughters enjoy themselves. Conveniently all under one roof.

Kara from The Vacation Gals liked that the Azul Sensatori by Karisma, near Puerto Morelos, Mexico offers a toy-lending library, kids’ personal video-players in on-site restaurants, and Gerber baby food included in the room rate.

WHAT DOES YOUR FAMILY LOOK FOR WHEN BOOKING A HOTEL?

Disclaimer: Omni Hotels hosted one night of our stay.

Find more Family Travel Tips at Travel Tips Tuesday!

So alarm and dread resulted from the realization that the “perfect storm” awaited us at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. A free museum in our nation’s capital. An overcast weekend. The week of Spring Break.

Perhaps I saw you there, too?

WHY did you go there, exactly?

There are so many wonderful, kid-friendly museums in Washington, DC, but I knew the one which would most interest my kids would be the Air and Space museum, home the world’s largest collection of historical aeronautical artifacts. For The Boy, it meant geeky science stuff. The Girl, ever fearless, would get more ammunition for her dreams of space flight.

Okay, what was so cool about it?

Of course, it’s awesome, and truly amazing, that admission to this facility is free. There are additional experiences which cost extra, but these are still affordable, and totally worth it. As soon as we arrived, we bought our tickets for one of the three IMAX movies and one of the three planetarium shows which are shown on a frequent, rotating basis. We were glad later when we saw the long ticket line.

Both the IMAX movie – To Fly! — and the planetarium show – Cosmic Collisions – kept both kids entertained, but more than that, it was SO nice to sit!

I was correct in assuming that The Boy would want to try the virtual flight simulator. Matt went with him, and looked a little green upon exiting. “He’ll never be a pilot,” was all he was capable of uttering. Apparently, barrel rolls were part of the experience.

Look up! It's a bird! ...No, wait...

You spend most of your time here looking up at the suspended airplanes and space craft. Which is a pleasant departure from seeing the top of people’s heads as they check their mobile devices! We were even more fascinated by the exhibits you can walk through for a better look at the interior compartments and control panels – like the 747 cockpit, the vintage DC-7 cabin, and the Skylab Oribtal Workshop.

The DC-7 cabin was part of my favorite exhibit area, covering the glamorous days of air travel in the 1950′s and 60′s. I was a sucker for Pan Am on ABC for the same reason. I wanted to be a stewardess when I was a kid, back when it was all about high heels and pearls. And less about taking down rowdy drunk passengers.

I Spy a hot meal, cigarette smoke, and a non-deranged pilot.

This was a model which travel agents would display in their offices. Now it’s an “I Spy” game which The Girl was all-too-excited to play. She spied at least three passengers smoking!

The Boy was excited to join a paper airplane contest, because he considers himself something of an expert in stationery aeronautics. The guide used the competition to introduce the concept of stability, and taught them to fasten paper clips to the bottom center of the plane to make it fly straighter and farther. Then she made a quip about the paper being the only free souvenir we would get that day, and asked for us to return the “government-issued” paperclips!

A little short of the target...

Both kids, The Girl especially, liked the “How Things Fly” exhibit, which was the only area specifically designed for kids. The hands-on exhibits here introduced concepts such as lift, thrust, drop, and air pressure.

This wheel, spun by a docent standing next to The Boy, demonstrated the concept of attitude. When he turned the wheel, it created enough force to turn him in the swivel chair.

It's all about attitude...

Aboard this Cessna 150, The Girl could control the rudder, ailerons, and elevator.

“You mean I'm not really flying this plane? What's the point?"

How it rated on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 = snoozefest, 10 = add to your bucket list): ★★★★★★★★

There are so much on display here; you could spend days! I would advise arriving when it opens at 10am, and checking a map to decide which exhibits you most want to see. Visit those first — before the rest of the world shows up.

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

202-633-2214

NOTE: There are two locations. We visited the National Mall building in downtown Washington, DC. The other is the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles International Airport.

She suggested we visit the Comcast Center, for a look at the “Comcast Experience” wall.

This image is displayed on only the top half of the screen. The panels below aren't really panels, they're video replicas of the room's actual wood panels.

The 2,100-square foot HD video display wall is the world’s largest four-millimeter LED screen. For 18 hours a day, you can watch various short films; original programming created exclusively for this screen, which measures 83.3 feet wide and 25.4 feet high.

We spent about 30 minutes watching; which is all you really need. Take a quick detour to check it out on your way to the Franklin Institute, which is nearby.

We were amazed by the screen’s clarity.  There are 10 million pixels, giving it five times the resolution of hi-definition TV. We watched a program about Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Fallingwater” house. Normally, this subject matter would fall upon my children’s glazed eyes. But given the marvel of this immense screen, a documentary about paper bag manufacturing would have thrilled them.

Again...not real panels, or people, but remarkably clear and detailed.

Hey you! Go BIG!:

The Comcast Experience Wall

1701 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103

215-448-1200

I now know more about the Jurassic era than I ever thought I would. Or ever really wanted to…

Where we went, and who was coerced into going:

Visiting Philly earlier this month, we were drawn to The Franklin Institute for this dinosaur exhibit, as well as the giant walk-through heart. In the end, another unexpected BIG thing turned out to be the highlight of our visit.

Okay, what was so cool about it?

We would have loved this place more if we had: A) less whiny children; and B) a few more hours to cover all three floors of science and technology exhibits. We missed out on the planetarium, IMAX theater and 4D flight simulator.

With about 20 skeletons on display, the “Giant Mysterious Dinosaurs” exhibit was smaller than I had expected. Nonetheless, the kids got a kick out of seeing the 50-foot Mamenchisaurus skeleton and the three robotic dinos; a Protoceratops and two Saurolophus. Lots of kids (although not ours) swarmed the Gobi Desert Dig Pit to search for fossils. The Girl was too busy stomping on the floor pad in front of the Mapusaurus to make it growl.

I swear I took this photo before I saw the “no photography allowed” sign. Swear.

The giant walk-through heart – the largest of its kind in the U.S. – is two stories high, and would be the correct size for a 220-foot tall person. The journey through it involves some stair climbing, and the path is a little claustrophobic. Although there is informative signage, and great sound and lighting effects to demonstrate the physiological processes of a pumping heart, it was all a little overwhelming for The Girl. She couldn’t wait to get out.

The stairs to the left give some perspective on the height of this giant heart

What she liked the best wasn’t even on our radar initially.  The Train Factory houses the 350-ton locomotive Baldwin 60000, one of the largest ever built. This is a real train, and it is HUGE, especially when looking up to the top from the ground. Built in the late 1920’s, the Baldwin 60000 was designed as a prototype for a new generation of steam locomotives. It turned out to be a bust. Its design was too complicated for engineers and firemen to operate. At 350 tons, it was also too heavy, and damaged miles of track on a 1927 tour across the U.S.

The Baldwin 60000 Locomotive

We waited on line to board the engine car with a small group. The Girl and a few other kids happily took over at the controls, pretending to add coal to the fire, blowing the whistle, and releasing the throttle. The train really moves – albeit really slowly — 15 feet back and forth.

She's -- naturally -- most comfortable at the controls.

How it rated on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 = snoozefest, 10 = add to your bucket list): ★★★★★★★

What’s great about the Franklin Institute is each section has a distinctive theme, so you can identify areas where you want to spend time based on your interests. If you have pre-schoolers, check out KidScience. Athletes? Go to the Sports Challenge exhibit. If your kids love to tinker and figure out how mechanical objects work, check out the Amazing Machine section. This was The Boy’s favorite area. There is a real automaton on display, very similar to the one in the movie Hugo, which we had just seen.

Amazing Machine Exhibit

Hey you! Go BIG!:

The Franklin Institute

222 North 20th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103

215-448-1200

Disclaimer: We received complimentary admission to The Franklin Institute from the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corp.

Last week, on our post about the Jurassic dinosaur collection at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, I mentioned DinoMite Days, a 2004 public art project which resulted in 100 uniquely decorated dinosaurs, made of fiberglass and weighing 200 lbs each. They were temporarily installed throughout the city, but most have since been sold to private collectors.

However, several can still be found on public display. We found these BIG beauties in front the “Wintergarden” building at PPG Place!

They are, from left to right:

Philiposaurus. Artist: Gary Mesa Gaido

Ketchupsaurus. Artist: Kristina Martinez

Mr. Dig. Artist: Glennis McClellan

Pittsburgh is Heinz country, so I especially like the one painted like a ketchup bottle. Note how Mr. Dig is peering over The Boy’s shoulder, like he wants to get into the photo!

We also found this one outside the Carnegie Science Center. Poor guy had a broken horn. I couldn’t find a sign with any information about him.

See Photo Friday posts from other bloggers on DeliciousBaby.com.

This time, it was the world’s largest shoe store, and I was able to convince him that it was on our way home from Pittsburgh. I wasn’t entirely truthful, but how could we NOT visit? I did it for YOU, dear readers. You’re here to read about world’s largest places, are you not? And so, we must make sacrifices.

Where we went, and who was coerced into going:

We headed north to Sharon, PA and spent an hour in Reyer’s Shoe Store. It was an add-on to our long weekend in Pittsburgh. Matt said he wouldn’t go unless I posted it on our Facebook page, and got at least 10 “likes.” We got 20 likes there, and another 17 on my personal account. Heh.

WHY did you go there, exactly?

The kids did actually need new shoes. Especially The Boy, who insists on growing. Rapidly. Matt needed sneakers. I needed nothing in the way of footwear, but that’s never stopped me before.

Okay, what was so cool about it?

At 36,000 square feet, Reyer’s Shoe Store is indeed BIG. The size doesn’t translate into the world’s largest selection, however. Although the brochure claims the store has over 100,000 pairs of shoes and boots, there was a lot of wide open floor space. The décor is a little timeworn, but The Girl was truly digging the pink shag carpet in the woman’s department.

The world’s largest Crocs? Possibly! (Hip extension added for emphasis)

The Girl enjoyed this place the most. She has an eye for glamour already, and wanted me to try on every pair of sequined heels she could reach. The last time I wore sequins, or heels, for that matter, was likely pre-kids.

She wanted a pair of Skechers “Twinkle Toes,” which feature a blinding combination of sequins, rhinestones, and lights. She told me her BFF has a pair, and I fell for it. (Yes, I’m aware that I’m doomed.) She tried them on, clomped around the store with heavy feet in order to make the lights flicker, then pronounced them “comfortable.” Only after we made the purchase did she confess…her BFF brings a second pair of shoes to their pre-school to change into, after her “Twinkle Toes” become “Tired Toes.”

The second my fingertips touched the first pair of shoes, an obviously-commissioned salesperson swooped in. And she didn’t leave our presence for the next hour. Matt nearly didn’t try on sneakers because she made him so nervous.

“Daddy, the green ones would go best with your zoot suit.”

For such a small town, I was surprised to find that Reyers carries such eclectic and expensive shoe lines, like Clarks, Rieker, and SAS. I found some lovely shoes, and unique styles, but the prices were too high for me. The “Rack Room” in the back is where all the sales merchandise is located, and there was a good selection there.

Head to the "Rack Room" for the sales!

The town of Sharon prides itself on being home to three “world’s largest” stores: Reyers; The Winner, the world’s largest off-price fashion store; and Daffin’s, the world’s largest candy store. We’ve already featured a guest post on Daffin’s, and were pressed for time, so we cut our losses and headed home.

How it rated on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 = snoozefest, 10 = add to your bucket list): ★★★★★★

If you’re within an hour’s reach of Reyers, then stop in. Unless retail environments make your husband really cranky. Then I would skip it!

Hey YOU! Go BIG:

Reyers Shoe Store

40 South Water Avenue, Sharon, PA 16146

800-245-1550

What's wrong with this picture? None of those shoes are for ME.