In the 1930’s dog sledding was a popular family getaway. Today, your kids will be hard pressed to find many classmates who have jumped in the basket and mushed a team of dogs. But there are a handful of vacation destinations that are all about the dogs.
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Without a vehicle you don’t have a road trip. Reviews of everything to do with cars, including cars themselves.
What to play between “Are we there yet?”
No fast food or chicken strips. Fun, kid-centered food that the whole family will love.
Technical Stuff, Toys, Gadgets, GPS Info & more.
A good road trip takes some planning, here’s the help you need.
On the top of a hill, smack-dab in the middle of suburban sprawl sits the same restaurant on the same spot it claimed over fifty years ago. If you think, “this can’t possibly be right,” take faith and keep driving. You’ll see a sign for The Lookout Bar and Grill around the next bend.
Before Maple Grove, MN was the home to every chain-restaurant known to man, the locals were regulars at “The Lookout”. You can still play pull-tabs, listen to a band, or work up the nerve to try karaoke. The restaurant donates money to back to local schools on fund-raising nights and local couples (including two of my friends) have even had the restaurant cater their wedding receptions.
Before writing this review, I took a peek at the online reviews to see what other people were saying about The Lookout food. Known for their chicken dinners and bottomless lunch buffet (don’t be surprised to see the local teamsters union in a booth next to a bunch of suits and ties), you can find traditional burgers and fries as well as a salad bar with iceberg next to mixed greens.
What I was not surprised to find, however, was a common love for the backyard patio. Encased in a fenced-area, the backyard patio has volley ball courts, horse shoe pits, a fire-pit, tables under a giant oak tree, and (drum roll for all the moms) a playground structure. Why every restaurant in the world has not adopted this idea, is completely beyond me. Kids can’t finish the meals delivered on a take-home Frisbee plate fast enough (the “greenest” plate in town). While the self-entertainment is happening, parents enjoy a glass of beer or wine. I never worry about getting a sun burn, as the oak tree favors those of us without pigment in our skin!
Many a night, we have met up with neighbors, co-workers, or friends…this is a place where one hour turns into three and before you know it the sun is shining more on California than the Midwest. Local coupons are always available for The Lookout (hint: stop at the Maple Grove Community Center just down the road and ask the ladies at the front desk). Or join the eClub online. Plan to print a map the first time you come and remember summertime is the best time of all!
Popularity: 1% [?]
Be honest now. Back in the day (before the mini additions to the family) you rated the best places to watch any game, no matter how big, by how sexy the servers were, how cold and cheap the beer was, and obviously, how plentiful the TVs were. Now you worry whether your kids are even invited, and dream of a place with cold beer, TVs, sexy servers and a gigantic game room or daycare.
Anyone new to Organ Piper Pizza in Brookfield, Wisconsin (Western Milwaukee Suburb) will notice two things right away…a full house and a smile on every face. It’s fun to watch them take it all in. The lights, the games, the crowd. And, then, the giant Wurlitzer pipe organ on the far side of the room. And by giant, I mean all-encompassing in a non-invasive way.
The new Olympus FE-4020 ($149.99) and FE-47 ($119.99) models must have been designed with road trips in mind. They come with 14 megapixels and up to 5x optical zoom as well as a host of on-camera features to make taking pictures simple — no matter what.
When going fast on the snow using traditional things like skis, snowboards and snowmobiles gets old, apparently one takes water sports and applies them to frozen water. According to Randy Ericksen, one of the writers of the Black Hills Travel Blog, the latest trend is snow kayaking.
I lived in Wisconsin for five years. Until recently, I thought I knew cheese. Heck, my arteries are probably as hard as a cheese hat at a Packer’s game in late November. Then, one day last summer my neighbor Tracy, from St. Louis (as in Missouri!), introduced me to a little thing called provel cheese.
This year’s extra-cold winter weather had us thinking about what road tripping families need to really enjoy some of the scenery that such weather creates. It’s also a lot more enjoyable to burn off some of that energy by hiking, and there are some spectacular winter hikes right now.
Summer is almost officially over, and it may seem like you can’t afford to get away for Labor Day. But, with a little bit of planning, some online research and a few tips, you can enjoy the perfect vacation and not break the bank.
When your family travels, how much thought do you give to the animals you will see on your trip? Have you been looking for a way to do more than just enjoy the tourist attractions and leave? Consider Compassionate Travel.
No doubt it’s been a tough year, and your vacation budget has seen better days. But, the holidays are meant to be spent with family. So, I talked with Carol White, co-author of the award-winning book “Live Your Road Trip Dream”, the ultimate road trip planning guide for extended road trips, about how to save money for your holiday road trip this year.
Let’s face it. There’s not a parent on the planet that doesn’t get a little panicked at the thought of 20 hours in the car with their offspring. So, how do you plan for a more successful road trip? I talked to Dr. Scott Haltzman, author of “Secrets of Happy Families” for some expert advice.
Back in they day, parents just took the car they had. Now, there are lots of options, so I talked to Ford executive and mom, Amy Marentic, about the 2010 line of cars from Ford, and their great features for road trippers.
Here’s a great post from MSNBC about a family that used toddler-appropriate iPhone apps to keep their two year-old pretty entertained. There are some great recommendations, and I must say I’m only a little bit open-mouthed that anyone would let their kid play with their iPhone.
They are jokingly referred to as Wisconsin/Minnesota/Your State Here’s National Bird. They bite, carry disease and the red welts itch for days after you’re bitten. You resort to DEET just to keep them off your kids. Yep, mosquitoes.
The Best Fireworks and 4th of July celebrations — all over the nation.
Would You Rather is really fun because it says “Would you rather have poison ivy in your toes or on your butt!”
One of the top questions I’m asked when I do an interview goes something like: “How do I keep the kids entertained in the car?” So, for expert advice on the gadgets, I talked to Jody Halsted at Have Kid Will Travel.
You’re desperate for a vacation but the budget is stretched to its max. The folks along International Drive, home to SeaWorld Orlando, Discovery Cove, Aquatica Sea World’s Park, Wet ‘n Wild, Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, have put together 12 tips to help you stretch your dollar this summer.
