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Ten Ways to Beat the Heat with Kids in Little Rock, Arkansas
ByJennRecord July 2, 2018May 19, 2024
On a recent trip out west, we stopped in Little Rock, Arkansas for the weekend. I knew Little Rock is known for being the home of America’s 42nd President, Bill Clinton and I knew I’d want to stop at the Clinton Center and Park to explore the museum and earn a stamp in my Presidential Libraries passport.
Yet, as I read through LittleRock.com to search for other things to do, I quickly discovered that Little Rock is a very family friendly city and my list of “must visit” spots quickly grew! I was warned that Little Rock gets hot in the summer; Indeed, on the weekend we visited, it rose to almost one hundred degrees each day. However, the heat did not interfere too much with our plans- there are so many family friendly things to do inside (many of them are FREE!) that we could beat the heat and still have a lot of fun exploring the city. We found Little Rock to be very pedestrian friendly (drivers actual stop for people waiting in a cross walk!) and easy to walk from place to place. We walked to almost all of the following places from our hotel, but you could also take a Rock Region Metro Streetcar, which kids might enjoy. I am already planning another visit to Little Rock; it looks like they have just as many activities for year round fun!
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New Hampshire | Springfield | Vermont
Seven Free Things to Do in New England This Summer
ByJennRecord May 29, 2018September 10, 2023
Warmer weather and longer daylight hours mean more opportunities to get out and explore! There are many seasonal places to visit in New England, and while some of the following places are open year round, their spring and summer calendars are filled with more activities, more tours, more shows, and more fun! As an added bonus, your family can check out the following seven spots for FREE:
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candles | family travel | ice cream | Massachusetts | Springfield | Springfield
Yankee Candle Village in South Deerfield, Massachusetts
ByJennRecord April 3, 2018September 3, 2023
I’ve been obsessed with Yankee Candles for a long time. Anyone who knows me would probably say I have the most sensitive nose they have seen. It’s true: I need my environment to smell good. So whether it’s fall (Macintosh or Spiced Pumpkin), the holiday season (Christmas Cookies or Homes for the Holidays), or summer (Blueberry or Lush Berries), I always have a Yankee Candle burning in my home (and yes, I have the car jar fresheners for my car- French Vanilla is my favorite).
I made a brief stop at the Yankee Candle Village in South Deerfield, Massachusetts years ago (I had a shortage of Macintosh and fall was approaching, if I remember correctly) but could not stay to explore the village. So, it went on my travel list, and this past week my family had the opportunity to visit.
The Massachusetts Yankee Candle Village (there is also a location in Williamsburg, Virginia) is located thirty minutes north of Springfield. The campus opened in 1982 with a 5,000 square foot building; now there’s over 90,000 square feet of fun to explore. The village welcomed over 500,000 visitors from over 50 countries in 2017, and many of them made a visit during the popular fall foliage and holiday season time.
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City Guide | family travel | Marriott | Massachusetts | National Parks | National Parks Passport Program | New Bedford | whaling | Zoo
New Bedford, Massachusetts
ByJennRecord February 26, 2018July 25, 2022
New Bedford, a small city located in the southeastern part of Massachusetts (about an hour from Boston), is known as the whaling capital of the world, due to the protected deep water harbor of Buzzard’s Bay and ideal transportation routes. Indeed, New Bedford has a rich history in whaling, fishing, and commerce. At its peak in the mid 1850s, New Bedford employed over 300 ships and 10,000 fisherman.
My family recently took a weekend trip to visit the New Bedford area and were pleasantly surprised by the variety of family friendly activities, even in the “off” winter season. I started my research at DestinationNewBedford.org and found lots of helpful advice. I printed copies of the Kids Scavenger Hunt for my kids to complete while we were in town, although you can find copies at many local attractions.
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Acadia | Botanical Gardens | Bronx | Chicago | Children's Museums | CityPass | family travel | Historical Societies | Marriott | National Parks | National Parks Passport Program | New York City | science center | theater | travel tips | Zoo
Holiday Gift Guide 2017
ByJennRecord November 15, 2017May 10, 2022
This might seem odd: a family travel blogger posting a holiday gift guide? Absolutely! I have been offering advice and my personal experiences to so many people recently, I thought I would share with everyone.
I am a huge proponent of giving experiences for the holidays instead of material possessions.
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family travel
Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze in Croton on Hudson, N.Y.
ByJennRecord October 17, 2017September 8, 2023
Now in its 13th season, the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze at Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson, New York has become so popular it’s expanded to forty five nights and welcomes close to 200,000 people each fall. The displays include about 7,000 “constructed” pumpkins which are part of the annual collection and an additional 1,000 “live” pumpkins that are lit each night by thirty volunteers. Overall, it takes almost 3,000 volunteers to run the Blaze each year.
The Blaze is held on the grounds of Van Cortlandt Manor, an estate with parts built in 1749 and originally encompassing 86,000 acres. It’s overseen by the Historic Hudson Valley, which includes four additional properties. We were gifted a family membership to the Historic Hudson Valley and I cannot wait to explore all five locations. My husband and I went to the Blaze before we had children, so I knew how quickly tickets would sell out. I called back in early September, as soon as tickets went on sale. I was happy to see that, while all the weekends are sold out through Halloween, there are some week nights, and weekends in November still available. Check here for ticket sales. Note: Children under the age of three do not need a ticket.
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