Virginia is for Kids!

I was practically raised in an airport.  Well, not really, but for a large part of my life, I have spent time in the airport.  My father worked for the FAA and after I graduated from college, I became a Flight Attendant.  Needless to say, I have always been partial to flying….until recently.

The last time my son and I flew together, he was “selected” by TSA for inspection.  Yes, my 7 year old son who has been flying without terrorizing since he was 3 months old.  Between that and now having to pay for luggage to be checked, I’ve become very frustrated with the whole flying experience.

So, when we decided to take a trip to New York, we opted to take the Amtrak train.

The booking experience was quick and painless online.  With our AAA discount, the tickets were only $177 round trip for the two of us to travel from Lynchburg to Penn Station on Amtrak’s Northeast Regional.

While we arrived at the train station about an hour prior to our train departure, we learned as other’s arrived that it is really not necessary to be there so early.  We also learned that while Amtrak has a very liberal baggage policy, it’s best to pack a bag that’s easy to manage as you need to lug it onto this train yourself.

Our seats were spacious and comfy with lots of legroom.  We were both excited to see an electrical outlet next to our seats for all the electronic “toys” we had with us.  We didn’t use those toys for the first few hours though as the scenery heading north through Virginia was beautiful.  We passed pieces of history where there once was a thriving train industry.  We climbed mountains and crossed scenic rivers.  As we approached Washington DC, we had a great view of the Washington Monument.

Unfortunately, as we headed further north, the scenery became, well, not-so-scenic.  At that point, we headed to the dining car where there was a nice assortment of pre-made food at very reasonable prices.  In addition, I was able to get work done (thanks to my wifi card – Amtrak does not have wifi service on all of their trains) and answer business calls.  G had a great time watch videos, playing games and took a long nap.

Our trip to NYC took about 7 hours.  Overall, we found it to be a very low-stress and pleasant experience.  I hope to see Amtrak expand service to others areas in the Commonwealth – especially those areas that were once thriving railroad towns.  Beginning July 20th, Amtrak will begin daily round-trip service between Richmond and Washington DC.

The Commonwealth of Virginia is currently subsidizing some of the Amtrak routes in Virginia.  If the trains meet ridership goals, then service will continue and possibly expand.  Per recent news releases, expansion plans include Hampton Roads and Roanoke markets.

Throughout 2010, members of the US military and up to 3 of their dependents can get a free, single day pass to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg as part of their Here’s to the Heroes program.  To register, click here.    It is not necessary for military dependents to be accompanied by the service member (but they must be accompanied by someone over the age of 18).

We are proud to salute the men and women of our armed forces and their families. Throughout 2010, members of the military and as many as three direct dependents may enter SeaWorld, Busch Gardens or Sesame Place parks with a single-day complimentary admission. For your service and sacrifice, we thank you.

Abingdon is one of Virginia’s best kept secrets.  Unfortunately, our most recent trip didn’t last nearly long enough to fully enjoy all Abingdon has to offer.

First of all, I recommend splurging and staying at “The Martha” aka The Martha Washington Inn.  This historic inn was built in 1832 and has been a private residence, a women’s college and a civil war-era hospital as well as it’s present use as an inn.  The inn’s library, with it’s fireplace and overstuffed leather couches and chairs, is a perfect place to curl up and read one of the many wonderful volumes available.   The staff was very attentive and kid-friendly.

One of the highlights of Abingdon is the Barter Theatre, established in 1933.  The Barter Theater is the State Theater of Virginia and puts on many performances for children.  Reserve your tickets in advance as many shows sell out.  If you are not able to get tickets in advance, I was told by a local that if you show up at the box office 15 minutes before the show starts, they will release tickets for those who have not shown up.

We had a wonderful dinner at The Tavern.  Again, reservations are recommended.  The Tavern is the oldest building in Abingdon and well worth a peek inside.  They do not have a children’s menu, but are happy to accommodate children with smaller portions of menu items or chicken fingers.  The owner’s attentiveness was most impressive.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have a chance to see all that Abingdon has to offer.  We look forward to going back and checking out the museums, festivals and more of the hidden gems here.

First, let me start by saying I do not make any money off the sale of Kindles.  I am writing this post because I truly believe that this is a great tool for all parents.

I originally wanted a Kindle for purely selfish reasons.  I had visions of myself curling up on the couch and ordering a great book and reading it instantly.  But, things changed when I pulled the Kindle out in a restaurant while waiting to have dinner with my family.

My son had gotten bored waiting and like most children, was starting to get antsy.  Just to entertain him, I pulled out the Kindle and we started searching the store for children’s books.  He picked out a book from the Junie B. 1st Grader series and well, the rest is history.  In the morning, he brings me the Kindle when he wakes up and asks me to read to him.  I keep it in my purse all the time now and whenever we are waiting or have the time, we pull out the Kindle and can just pick up where we left off.  Best of all, when we finish one book, it takes (literally) 30 seconds to get another loaded onto the Kindle.  He actually has stopped bringing his DS and/or portable DVD player when we travel since we have the Kindle.

The Kindle is very thin and lightweight.  It features Whispernet to connect directly to the Amazon store and does not have a monthly fee.  The children’s books are about $2-$4 each and do not expire once you load them.  My son is easily able to follow along as I read to him and he loves pushing the “next page” button.  The children’s books we have loaded have a few illustrations as well which are very clear on the device.

Something I thought was all about me has turned into a great bonding experience for parent and child.

I’m not sure about you, but at our house, we have Halloween candy overload.  Between the left over candy we had for trick or treaters and the candy acquired through the various events we attended, we are a dentist’s worst nightmare waiting to happen.

Even though there is zero nutrient value to most of this stuff, it does seem kind of wasteful to just toss it.  I decided to search for a few ideas of what to do with your leftover take….

1.  Save some colorful candy for decorating a holiday gingerbread house

2.  Have your child leave 1/2 of their candy for the “Candy Fairy” who will come at night to take the extra candy and deliver to children who couldn’t go trick or treating.  Consider leaving $1 under the pillow for this effort.

3.  Donate to the local fire department, police department or library.

4.  Donate to the local YMCA or Boys/Girls Club

5.  Save some for an advent calendar

6.  Send it overseas for the troops.  Once place is the Army Medical Center in Germany (thanks Aunt Nancy USA!):

Landstuhl Regional Medical Center 
ATTN: MCEUL-CH/Chaplains Office 
CMR 402 
APO AE 09180

7.  Donate to a local food bank or homeless shelter (they do appreciate being able to offer treats)

8.  Save and freeze the chocolate for baking and cooking add ins (such as cookies and ice cream mix ins)

9.  Take it to work and give it to the receptionist to keep the office candy jar filled

10.  Wrap some up in green/red cellophane or bags and save for Christmas treats

By Casey Williams

Have you had sticker shock lately at the produce prices in the grocery store?  Have you seen the prices of blueberries lately even though they are “in season”?

In the spirit of going green, spending more time with family and supporting the local farmers and economy, why not try picking your own?

My favorite site for finding pick your own produce is:  Pickyourown.org.  The site is filled with not only places to pick all over the world, but also tips for preserving and canning your harvest.  Thanks to this site, we have been able to enjoy family-time throughout Virginia picking our own fruits and vegetables.

Best of all….KIDS LOVE IT!  Here are a few tips to make your pick-your-own trip a success with the kids:

1. Try to pick early in the morning.  It’s not too hot nor too crowded.
2. Cover the kids with bug spray and sunscreen before going.
3. Some pick-your-own farms offer containers, some don’t.  Bring a sturdy plastic bucket for the kids to use and hopefully, that will avoid any spills and tears.
4. Let them eat as they pick!  Ask if the farm uses pesticides and if not, let the kids indulge.
5. Plan ahead what to do with the harvest and let the kids help.  Some items, such as blueberries, can be put in plastic bags and frozen for later.  Something as simple as a scoop of vanilla ice cream with “their berries” on it can make a child light up with excitement.
6. Teach the kids what vitamins are in which foods.  They love this stuff!  Before you know it, they will be telling you how they can see better because they ate 3 carrots or that they grew because they ate an apple.

Here is a list from the Pickyourown.org site of the farms in Virginia:  http://pickyourown.org/VA.htm

We have all seen the introduction to The Andy Griffith Show…Opie and his Dad walking down the lane, fishing rods in hand…..Americana at it’s best.

There has been a resurgence in the popularity of fishing. It’s affordable, easy to do and kids love it!

From aa-fishing.com come the following recommendations for fishing with kids:

Courtesy of aa-fishing.com

Remember to plan the fishing trip around the kid’s interest level, not yours.  Also, kids want instant gratification.  They don’t have the patience to just “fish”; they want to “catch”.  No matter what the catch, make a big deal out of it and watch their eyes light up!

If you have a Bank of America credit card, you can now get FREE admission to area museums through their “Museums on Us” program.  Eligible dates apply.

Currently, there are only 2 museums in Virginia participating; however, hopefully, there will be more in the future.

The 2 participants are:  The Chrysler Museum in Norfolk and The Children’s Museum in Richmond.

The Phillips Collection in Washington DC is also on the list.

The eligible dates for 2009 are:

• May 2nd & 3rd
• June 6th & 7th
• July 4th & 5th
• August 1st & 2nd
• September 5th & 6th
• October 3rd & 4th
• November 7th & 8th
• December 5th & 6th

Free admission is valid for card holders only.

I am fully aware that Disney is NOT in Virginia.  That being said, I seem to have a lot of people ask me about “doing Disney”; which appears to be a rite of passage for anyone who has children.  So, for what they’re worth, here are my tips.

1.  Plan for the trip.  Disney World in Orlando, Florida (unlike Disneyland’s Paris, Hong Kong, Tokyo and California) is not something to be done as a spur of the moment afterthought (unless you reside in Florida and go there regularly).  Prices vary greatly depending on the time of year, so do your research and try to avoid the busy seasons of spring break, summer break and Christmas holidays, if at all possible.

2.  Do research on the web.  There are lots of Disney World forums filled with people who live for vacationing with mouse ears on.  Observe and ask questions….these people know their stuff.  Disney World discounts are not easy to come by and are often reserved for those in the “know”.  Sign up for a free Disney Vacation Planner and that will put you on the mailing list for discounts.  Also, consider getting a Disney credit card – they will also send you free promotions and a portion of all your purchased go toward a vacation.  One of the best sites for all-discounts-Disney is mousesavers.com.  Sign up and you will be the first to know about significant promotions and discounts.

3.  Before going on your trip, buy some Disney “stuff” at Target and Disney Outlet (they have both online and retail stores).  This way, you will have something to give the kids and will avoid paying $30 for a plastic toy in the park.

4.  Stay in a hotel in the park if you can.  There are 4 levels of accomodations ranging from economical to very nice (note that I am not calling anything they have in the resort “luxury”).  There are benefits to staying on-site that just make life easier, such as:  free transportation to and from the airport, free transportation to all areas within the resort, extra hours the park is open just for resort guests, preferred reservations at “character meals”, etc.

5.  The best investment I have made in our Disney World vacations has been to sign up for a customized tour guide from tourguidemike.com.  Mike is a VIP tour guide at Disney World and knows EXACTLY how to see Disney with the least amount of lines and stress.  The first time we went, we found out that we were going during the busiest week of the year.  Mike’s guide was our bible for the week and we managed to never wait in a line or fight crowds.  For $21.95, it is well worth every penny.

6.  Do not go in a large group.  The larger your group, the less you will see.  Staying together can be difficult, matching adults with various aged kids for rides while other kids want to run off, trying to get tables together for meals, seats together on trams…it’s a hassle.  You will end up spending a lot more time waiting on reach other than enjoying yourselves.

7.  Don’t spend all day at the park.  Go in the morning, early, before the crowds arrive.  Then, go back to your hotel and enjoy the pool (while the crowds are at the park), take a nap (the kids need it!) and go back to the park in the evening while the crowds are at dinner.

8.  It will not be perfect.  Last time we were at Disney World, I was so disheartened to see parents swearing at each other, kids screaming and crying and families just appearing completely stressed out.  Why?  It’s supposed to be a vacation.  If you cannot handle crowds, last minute changes in plans, heat, loud noises, etc., than Disney World is not for you.  Take the time to explain to the kids where they’re going and what is expected of them.  When kids are pulled unexpectedly out of their comfort zone and thrust into the chaos of Disney, of course they are going to misbehave!

9.  Don’t get addicted.  Disney World is a drug-like dreamland that can easily suck you in.  Yes, it’s fun and magical and people love it…but it is not cultured.  It is a fantasy-land that can be a great vacation, but not the only vacation.  There are many, many other places offering kids a sense of adventure, family togetherness and affordability along with a learning and cultured atmosphere.  My two cents….there’s more for kids to see in the world besides Orlando, Florida.

Order your 2009 Virginia Travel Guide. In celebration of 40 years with the “For Lovers” slogan, you can enter to win one of 40 Virginia vacations.

“Learn about fun and educational attractions for the family as well as one-of-a-kind camps.  Tempting day trips exploring Virginia’s coastlines and mountains will lure you outside, as will weekend getaway ideas chock full of authentic experiences found only in Virginia.

Take in Virginia’s four hundred years of history via heritage trails or get your heart racing over Virginia’s motorsports.  Need more passion?  How about this – even the most dedicated film buff will be surprised by the tidbits concerning major motion pictures shot in Virginia.  Take a film tour to see the sites for yourself!
Easily discover attractions, lodging options, shopping destinations, restaurants and campgrounds for each of Virginia’s nine regions.”

Order your copy of the 2009 Travel Guide by clicking here.  It is free and you will receive it in about 15 days.