This Saturday is "Museum Day"

This Saturday, September 26, 2009 over 1200 museums and cultural institutions will celebrate by offering FREE admission!

Even if you're not a "museum person" you should check out what's close- you may be surprised. For example the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum in Knoxville, Iowa is included. As is the Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium in Dubuque.

Places we've been that are free this weekend:

• National WWI Memorial Museum, Kansas City, Missouri
  
• Old South Meeting House, Boston, Massachusetts
• Amana Heritage Museum, Amana, Iowa
• Minnesota Zoo, Apple Valley, Minnesota
  

It's easy to find a museum by searching a map or by state (in a drop down box listed below)

Learn more about Museum Day here.

You must print the Museum Day Admission Card. Each card is good for two people.

Get out this weekend and enjoy some culture!

Read more...

St. Louis Zoo in Forest Park

Who doesn't love a zoo? St. Louis has an amazing free zoo in Forest Park, one of the largest urban parks in the US. We spent a very enjoyable afternoon here.

Although the zoo is free street parking is sparse and it will cost you $11 to park in either the north or south lots. It's a small price to pay- most zoos this nice would cost more for a family of four to enter. Parking in a lot will also get you a coupon book with saving on snacks, souveniers and zoo memberships.

We entered through the south gate into the Lakeside Crossing area. Just inside the gate are guest services areas. Get a map of the zoo here or buy tickets to various attractions throughout the zoo. A Safari Pass ($10) is a great deal as it includes admission to the Children's Zoo, the Zooline Railroad, the sea lion show, the Conservation Carousel, and the Motion Simulator.

To get the "lay of the land" we made our way to the Zooline Railroad. The zoo appears much larger than it actually is when you look at the map; it's easily walkable. That said, the girls loved riding on the train and waving at the trains as they passed. A round-trip train ticket, with hop-on-hop-off feature is $5. The trains are ADA accessible.

Our first stop was the Conservation Carousel. I am a sucker for a good carousel. Especially when the animals go up and down. We watched the carousel for a bit, the girls trying to decide what animals to ride. Brenna chose a zebra and Caelan picked a puffin. The carousel is $3 per person; adults accompanying small children are free. The carousel is ADA and wheelchair accessible.

From here we wandered through The Wild peeking at the penguins and watching the bears.

Discovery Corner was next. If you have smaller children this is where they will gravitate to. We began in The Living World. This is the zoo's north entrance which houses restrooms, a large souvenir shop and the amphibians exhibit. Just outside is the elephant fountain- photo op!

We found the sea otters just in time to view their dinner- fish frozen in ice cubes. It's always great fun to see them slip and slide around their pool.

Just around the otters pool is the play area. Kids can climb the path (or stairs) and choose from two slides- one of which goes through the otters pool! Get cozy with a hippo or pretend to be a spider. This is a great break from looking and a terrific time for activity.

Just opposite is a large boa in a cage (when it's warm out) and the entrance to the Children's Zoo is close by. If you you want to get up close to critters- and even touch some!- this is the place for you. Just be careful in the goat pen- they may try to eat your bag! The children's zoo has a $4 admission charge.

The insectarium is back here, though this is as close as we got to a dung beetle.

I'm sad to say that in the 3 hours we spent at the zoo we didn't see it all. The closest we got to the Red Rocks area was our views from the train. Ditto for Historic Hill and the 1904 World's Fair Flight Cage. We did see a few of the animals in River's Edge but most seemed to be hiding from either the humans or the sun.

I suppose that just means we must return one day...

Fast Facts:

Hours, prices and directions can be found here.

There are plenty of places to dine within the zoo. Picnic lunches may also be brought into the grounds.

The zoo is ADA accessible. Wheelchairs, scooters and strollers are available for rent at the north and south gates.

Forest Park

Forest Park was dedicated on June 24, 1876. It covers 1371 acres and is larger than New York's Central Park. Inside Forest Park are the World's Fair Pavilion, the Missouri Historical Society, the St. Louis Art Museum, the St. Louis Science Center, the Muny, playgrounds, sports parks, trails, lakes, statues... It's absolutely amazing. I wish we had had time to explore it.

As it was, the only time we had there was during our wait to eat at the Boathouse. This restaurant sits at the edge of Post-Dispatch Lake and, as its name suggests, you can rent paddle boats here. It is open year round and does a brisk business during the summer. We arrived about 6:30 pm and were told our wait would be 45 minutes to an hour so Doug and Brenna set off to explore. Caelan and I stayed close and met the dogs who are welcomed on the patio.

I was disappointed in our dinner at the Boathouse, and it had nothing to do with the food. It was the disorganization we witnessed outside. The restaurant and patio were packed yet there is no pager system to let people know when their table is ready. And if you are not within range to hear your name called, well, you're out of luck. Our wait for a table ended up being almost two hours (yes, we should have left before then) and by that time the girls were tired and cranky.

The food was good, though not memorable. The best part of the meal was the Basil Hummus. The warm pretzels we got for the girls were rather bland and they didn't appreciate the cheddar ale dip. Doug's hamburger was quite good and the chicken strips were the same as you would get anywhere else. I ordered the Flank Steak Rarebit. Flank steak is a difficult meat to cook. It needs to be cut and cooked correctly and mine was neither. It was tough and undercooked. The rarebit sauce was very tasty, though. A big plus: our waiter Carlos was exceptional.

If you plan to go to the Boathouse in the summer be sure to go early- like 3:30 or 4pm. Or don't take kids. It's a place to "be seen", at least on a Saturday evening.

Family Travel Tips
St Louis

Read more...

Anheuser Busch Brewery Tour, St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Neither Doug or I drink beer but a "not be be missed" stop while in St. Louis is the Anheuser Busch brewery. Located just off of I-55 the brewery is very easy to get to and is a great stop for the family (yes, really!).

Tours are free, first come first served. We didn't have to wait long on a Friday afternoon in the summer- about 10 minutes- but I am told the wait can be longer on weekends. As you wait you can browse Anheuser Busch history which began in 1852 as the Bavarian brewery. In 1860 it was acquired by Eberhard Anheuser and renamed it E. Anheuser & Co. In 1864, his son-in-law, Adolphus Busch, joined the company which would one day become Anheuser-Busch. The stein collection is quite beautiful and the Budweiser delivery truck piqued the interest of my daughters. I was especially interested in the prohibition advertising.

But what they liked most was the "stage". Yep, where the brewery tour begins is a small platform for the guides to stand on. My girls enjoyed dancing on it while Doug & I browsed the displays.

Our tour began with two guides and the warning that the tour involved about 7 city blocks of walking. First stop: the famous Budweiser Clydesdales.

These horses are practically the symbol of Budweiser and live in high style. The first Clydesdales were a gift to August Busch, Sr. from his sons to commemorate the repeal of prohibition. It didn't take long for the appeal of a horse-drawn beer wagon to catch on. Today A-B owns about 250 Clydesdales and keeps them in high style. Their stable is one of the oldest buildings on brewery land and the wood, marble and stained glass gleam. The lead hitch is kept in this stable and the horses seem to stand tall with pride.

Throughout the tour much mention of the 1904 World's Fair is mentioned. Many of the chandeliers you see came from there- including this one in the stable.

If you only came to see the Clydesdales you can leave the tour now and head back to the hospitality room.

Continuing on you'll view the Beechwood Aging Cellars- row upon row of huge vats filled with beer. Brenna was worried that one would "suck her up" as it was rather noisy and smelled of fermentation. She was relieved as we left. We decided that "Brenna beer" probably wouldn't be too tasty.

We moved on to the Brew House, the center of the brewery. Here we learned how Budweiser is made. When our guide Jim asked if there were any questions Brenna piped up with, "Daddy drinks beer sometimes." Not really a question but it got a laugh from the others in the tour. Jim played it off well asking, "Anyone else here drink beer sometimes?"

We then rode in one of the most spectacular elevators I have ever seen to the most ornate brewing floor- possibly in the world. Tile, marble, brass and silver all gleamed. And two more chandeliers from the World's Fair, these multi-story hopvines, hung from at least two floors above. It was incredible.

As we exited the Brew House we were told to look at the figures perched on the pillars outside.

These represent Anheuser Busch during the years of prohibition when the company produced items like ice cream, ginger ale, root beer, Bevo, truck bodies, bakers yeast and Budweiser with no alcohol.

We next walked past the Lyon School which once served the southern and western ends of St. Louis. All the children of Adolphus Busch attended school here. When the city no longer neede the school it was sold to Anheuser Busch and became the central offices.

Next was the Bevo Packaging Plant which now wears the Budweiser neon. Bevo was a "near beer", called a "cereal beverage" at the time, brewed during prohibition and marketed using the character Renard the Fox, who perches on the corners of the building a mug of Bevo in one paw, turkey leg in the other.

The Bevo building is now a bottling facility where, on Bottle Line #34, Bud Light whisks past.

Then it's out to the waiting trolley and back to the hospitality room where samples of Anheuser Busch beers await you. Or you can have soda if you're not a beer drinker.

On your way out make a stop in the gift shop. Plenty of Budweiser and Anheuser Busch related merchandise to choose from. Not so much for the kids, though the girls did manage to adopt "Dale" and "FireDog".

Handy Tips
Hours:
September - April : Mon - Sat 10am - 4pm; Sun 11:30 am - 4 pm
May : Mon - Sat 9 am - 4 pm; Sun 11:30 am - 4 pm
June - August : Mon - Sat 9 am - 5 pm; Sun 11:30 am - 5 pm

Gift shop closes 90 minutes after last tour. Check for a coupon here.

The tour is ADA accessible but does include quite a bit of walking.

Cost:
Free

Special events:
See the calendar for Clydesdale Camera Day and holiday closings.

Also associated with Anheuser Busch is Grant's Farm, about 10 miles away. Admission to Grant's Farm is free but parking is $11. Here you'll see more Clydesdales as well as other animals roaming free in Deer Park, General Ulysses S. Grant's log cabin, the Bauernhof, and the Busch family's collection of carriages- among other things.

Family Travel Tips
St Louis

Read more...

Russia's Grizzly Coast at the Minnesota Zoo

A very good friend of mine was quite involved in the building of this new exhibit at the Minnesota Zoo and she was kind enough to invite us up for the preview before it opened to the public.

As she gave us a guided tour we were able to see how much thought went in to making this an interactive experience. The exhibit is filled with rock formations perfect for climbing and viewing the animals, caves to explore, dinosaur bones to dig, bubbling mud and geysers. It's wonderful.

Let's begin with the sculpture directly outside the exhibit:

What child wouldn't want to run right in to those fountains and hug a bear or climb the rocks? And that's just what it's there for... a refreshing way to cool off on a hot day. (Don't believe me? They sell swim diapers in the gift shop next door.) So be sure to bring a change of clothing. (Of course it isn't quite so fun when it's chilly out!)

As you enter the exhibit through tunnels be sure to stop and check out the topographical sign. It's magnificent (and I'm not just saying that because my friend made it).

It really gives you a great idea of the region you are "seeing" and the native homes of these animals.

Throughout the exhibit you will notice the "rock" ledges that are just right for climbing up to see the animals. And lots of information about the history of the region. Not to mention tons of photo opps!

The geysers and bubbling mud are fascinating and digging for dinosaur bones is great fun! (Don't worry, the "bones" are steel, the kids can't hurt them!)

My favorite, by far, was the sea otters. They just seem like such fun, playful critters. Take a little zoo tour with the video below. The close up of the grizzly is awesome.

In addition to this great exhibit you can also visit: Discovery Bay- touch a shark or a ray in the estuary exhibit and view sea life "underwater" Minnesota Trail- it's a walk through the north woods filled with gray wolves, coyotes and river otters Northern Trail- a wooded trail with tigers, caribou, moose, Sichuan takin, camel, and Asian wild horses. It's back this way that you will also find a great play area.

Tropics Trail- Lemurs and Gibbons fill the trees Family Farm- cows and pigs and goats. It's like being on a "real" farm. The Minnesota Zoo is huge - it's an all day event! Be sure to bring your walking shoes! But if you get tired there is a monorail that provides a "tree top tour" of the Northern Trail for $4 per person. Kids love the train and it's a great break for your tired feet!

Other things that are good to know:

• There are 9 restrooms/diaper changing areas located throughout the park.


• There are also 3 family restrooms.


• One nursing area is available in the Minnesota Trail restroom.


• There are 5 ATMs.


• Strollers and wheelchairs can be rented.


• If you get hungry




• There are two lakeside picnic areas outside the zoo if you want to pack a lunch


• Grizzly Coast Cafe has ethnic Russian foods as well as "zoo food" like hot dogs and hamburgers


• Call of the Wild has Asian entrees, grilled foods, salads, sandwiches and pizza


• Zoo Cafe features Caribou coffee, bakery items and ice cream


• Tiger Treats has subs, salads, pizza, ice cream and cold beer


• Family Farm House has home-cooked "farm" meals


• GIfts & Other Goodies




• Timber Lodge Traders is the "main" gift shop. Everything is here. They even have a "build a zoo animal" similar to Build a Bear


• Water Works Market has all your aquatic goodies


• Central Plaza Gifts has Grizzly Coast souveniers as well as necessities like hats, sunscreen and cameras


• You can even get an airbrushed tattoo.


• You can find information on admission, opening times and directions by clicking this link.

We can't wait to make a return trip and see more! (Many exhibits were closed the night we visited as the focus was on the new exhibit.)

If you're making a trip to visit the zoo (really a great midwest trip) you might be interested in these articles:

Residence Inn close by in Eagan, MN- a great place to stay with kids
Cossetta's Italian Market- a must if you are in St. Paul
California Cafe- you'll be so close to the Mall of America, you'll surely be visiting. This is, in my opinion, the best place to eat if you're there.

Also be sure to click the category archives to the left for more info on Minneapolis, St. Paul and Minnesota.

Family Travel Tips
Minneapolis

Read more...