womanofsalt's Passport
 | Been to 103 Attractions |
 | 98 Reviews |
 | 58 First to Review |
 | 44 Photos |
 | 95 Helpful Votes |
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Send a ComplimentAbout Me & My Family
We love to travel! I have been through nearly all 50 States and most of Western Europe and a smattering of Latin America. We have one son who goes everywhere with us. We took him to Alaska when he was nine months old and we've been traveling ever since.
Our Family's Travel Personality
curious, spontaneous, easy_going
We Just Got Back From
NYC, Philly, New England and Virginia
Our Favorite Vacation Spot
mine personally is Wales or Scotland, as a family Maine and Disney World
A Place We'd Love To Visit
the Badlands
Favorite Vacation Memory
The Carnegie Art and Natural Science Museum--the dino and geology exhibits were amazing. Lunch in St. Charles, MO on the river.
Worst Travel Moment With My Kids:
When my two year old ducked through and around us and ran through security at the LAX airport while we were stuck behind the security gate. Thank God for the kindness of strangers
Kansas City to Dallas and back again
Plenty of places to stop and explore. There are several scenic stops and overviews along I-35. These are great places to stop, stretch everyone's legs and have a snack before heading back out on the road.
927 Exchange Street
Emporia, Kansas
reviewed on: March 23 2010
"Good for kids 3rd or 4th grade and up"
Though they welcome all ages, I think this histroic house is more suited for 9 years and up. There is a tour guide, ours was very engaging and kept the kids' interest throughout. William Allen White is a big name in Kansas and the William Allen White book award is obviously named for him. I found his editorials interesting and witty.
The tour includes rooms in the house and gardens.
Afterwards we went to Peter Pan Park in town for a picnic lunch. Peter Pan Park was named by William Allen White (the land was donated to the city by the Whites) and dedicated to their daughter, Mary, who died young.
Its a great stop that can be a brief hour or two and 1/2 a day if your kids love parks.
Corner of West Kansas Ave & South Congress St
Emporia, Kansas
Comment:
Great Picnic Spot
reviewed on: March 23 2010
"Great place for picnic"
There is a lake for fishing, a wading pool, plenty of shelters for picnics and great places for spreading a blanket and having old fashioned picnic. This park is huge and is a great place to stop, picnic lunch, and run off some steam before getting back in the car.Emporia is literally on I-35 so access to the highway is simple and easy. Its a college town, so if you aren't the "pack a cooler" type you can swing by the numerous fast food choices or grocery store to pick up lunch and take to the park.
There are events during the summer, the best being the Mid Summer Fair if you're going to spend the night. There are a ton of hotels now between the college and Industrial Rd.
300 EAST SHERIDAN
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Comment:
Eat out in Bricktown! There's tons of choices ranging from cajun, steaks, pubs, to spaghetti factory!
reviewed on: February 25 2010
"Great family hotel"
We love this hotel for three reasons: 1)location in Bricktown, 2)indoor hotel and hot tub, 3)rooms that overlook the baseball park called the Brick (RedHawks triple A team plays here).This hotel is new, clean, and the staff is friendly and helpful. We booked a "ballpark view room" (one with whirlpool tub in it so I could soak with a book in quiet when the boys went to the pool) so we could watch a game. The pro is you can watch from your climate controlled room, eat what you wanted, easily go to the restroom, and get up and run around when you wanted. The con was how late the games go (so not ideal noise and light wise for early sleepers). Its just something to keep in mind.
Its right in Bricktown, so you can easily walk to the shops and places to eat. We also loved the water taxi service in the cannel.
We're hoping to go every year now.
2100 NE 52nd St
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
reviewed on: March 23 2010
"Great fun and the price is right"
We love science museums-especially hands on kind. We are used to paying $15 and up for adult tickets, so we were pleasantly surprised these were around $10 per adult. Our 8yrd old LOVED the Gadget Tree. He also loved one of the temporary exhibits "Who Dun It" which was great fun. There are exhibits that range from space to tinkering/building. There is also a planetarium and dome theatre. The gadget tree isn't like anything we've seen in places like this, but the other exhibits are what I would consider the norm for the average kids science museum. But there are two things that I feel earns this place a 5 star rating: Kidspace and Science Live. Now, perhaps I shouldn't count science live because we were not able to do this event, but after reading the flyer/brochure about it I was hooked. Our next trip through OKC will be when a Science Live event is taking place.
Kidspace: this is very well done and a fantastic idea. There are sections for all age groups (including toddlers) and a nursing room which has a smaller/quieter play area and monitor screens so you can keep an eye on the older kids in other kidspace play areas.
8221 N Central Expy
Dallas, Texas
reviewed on: March 24 2010
"Fantastic-very helpful staff and family friendly"
Great location right off hwy 75 at a great price. We stayed in a one bedroom suite with kitchen for around $100 a night. We had a king bed, there was a couch sleeper queen sized, and they have cots and cribs available for a small fee if you need more bedspace (there was plenty of space to add both).They have a small grocer in the hotel so you can buy your own food (they will even deliver it to your room) if you don't feel like venturing out for a store or eating out.
The pool and hot tub are outside. The fitness facility was clean and well kept (though on the smaller side).
Parking is not free if you park in their garage, it's $6 a nith at the time of this review.
It is a great Dallas location for going to all the sites and shopping. The staff printed us maps, advised us of travel time, areas to avoid during rush hour, gave us information on what was open on what days and what times. They were very polite and helpful.
The free breakfast buffet is better than most, but still a hotel breakfast buffet. They did have the usual yogurts, fruit, couple types of cereal, juices and milk, and bagels. They also had scrambled eggs and potatoes each day with crepes one day and french toast another.
1318 S. 2nd Ave.
Dallas, Texas
Comment:
A must see and do! Great for ages 2-12/14
reviewed on: March 22 2010
"Fantastic all day fun!"
I know I say this a lot, but visit the website first. You can pre-order all tickets online to avoid waiting in line when you get there. Their website is informational, but in no way does this museum justice. This is actually two museums located on the fair grounds. The Nature Museum is what you would expect: animal exhibits, fossils, etc-which our son loves, but perhaps isn't for everyone.
We loved the Science Museum. There was a spy exhibit when we went which was fantastic. We also loved the DNA exhibit (our son's favorite). Add in the IMAX and Planetarium and you've got a full day.
Our son's second favorite was the Swan Paddle Boats! He paddled around with Dad and saw slider turtles lined up sunbathing on a log. This is right behind the museum and a great way to break up the two museums.
We could have divided this into two days easy.
3536 Grand Avenue
Dallas Fair Park Dallas, Texas
Comment:
Good for older kids.
reviewed on: March 23 2010
"large folk art collection"
The brochure claims this museum has the largest collection of African-American folk art, and I believe it is true after being there. Along with the art pieces there are archives and documents that "reflect the African American experience" (quote from the brochure).
The building is gorgeous inside (breathtaking really) and located on the fair grounds near the Science and Nature Museums, so it's easy to fold in.
Families that like art museums will enjoy this museum, as will children interested in history and primary documents. I believe this museum is geared towards older children, my thought is 4th or 5th grade and up.
3800 Parry Avenue
Fair Grounds Dallas, Texas
Comment:
Good for older kids.
reviewed on: March 23 2010
"Good for older kids-lots of modern displays"
This place is chalked full of eye-candy. It is colorful and uses modern technology to the fullest. The exhibits are interesting overall. My husband and 8 year old son breezed through pretty quickly. I enjoyed the time line in Women in History and we all loved Words that Changed Our Lives in the Poetry and Listening room.
My sons favorite part was the Imagistation (I suspect this would be any child's favorite part). He got to record his thoughts on women who have inspired him and he thought that was pretty cool.
Overall, this museum is for older kids, especially highschool and jr. high. I think some older grade school kids (4th grade and up) would enjoy it too.
3601 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd
Dallas, Texas
Comment:
Great for the whole family.
reviewed on: March 23 2010
"Scavanger hunts and nature-the best of our world"
I am a sucker for scavenger hunts. I think they are great ways to sneek education into a fun game. Visit their website before going and print off their scavenger hunt. We're not from Texas, so I also bought a child's guide to the state (one of those 16pg state facts books) to help him with some of the answers. We loved it!The butterfly house is worth the extra money (though we didn't go this last time, we've been before in the summer and it's amazing).
We loved the Scent garden, though it's been re-done and its not longer just a scent only garden (its been updated and I think made prettier while still promoting the idea of a scent area with strong smelling herbs, plants, flowers). The Rose garden was my personal favorite.
If you're a local, they also host a lot of workshops and camps for school age children and adults that look interesting.
8687 N. Central Expressway
Dallas, Texas
Comment:
more fun the the toddler/preschool and younger grade school--and the shoppers in your family.
reviewed on: March 24 2010
"Art, shopping, kids events"
If you are from out of town (50miles or more away from Dallas) go to their website and click visitor information then special offers. Print the page as directed and take to the malls concierge to get your copy of their Guest Rewards Booklet--it has tons of coupons for stores and restaurants (bring your drivers license or state id that has your current address to prove your an out of towner). We didn't use all the coupons, but we used quite a few and saved some big money.Besides the upscale shops the mall has a branch of the Dallas Public Library called Bookmarks (as mentioned by other reviewers). I think this is a great idea and I'd like to see it done at other malls.
The mall is child friendly, which you normally don't see at the upscale shopping areas, so it was a nice change. This mall seems to offer tons of events year round that are worth checking into if you're local (and for the days you'll be in town). The activities range from kids workshops, holiday events, and yoga.
We loved the art and dancing fountain. The art is mostly modern which I think kept the atmoshpere fun and upbeat.
103 South 2nd
Guthrie, Oklahoma
Comment:
A must!
reviewed on: March 24 2010
"Child friendly, Great Desserts, Fantastic Owner"
I will not be able to say enough about our experience here. It was amazing and fantastic from beginning to end!First, we arrived after closing time and the doors were locked. As we were turning to walk away the door open and the owner told us if we didn't mind her cleaning up we were welcome to come in, have some tea, and order anything off the cold menu as the chef had already gone home. She was very friendly and accommodating to say the least.
So we ordered tea (delightful) and we had the pecan pie, apple cake, and artichoke bread (it was technically just before dinner, but I didn't want to bother her to fix us whole sandwiches after letting us in after closing). We were blown away by how good the food was. My son ate every crumb of bread from his plate. My husband (who is from the south and tends towards picky regarding pecan pie) had the best pecan pie he's had since his great gramma passed away. The apple cake was fantastic.
Each table has a different teapot and china setting (from Victorian roses to Blue Willow). Each table also has different chairs and table cloth/napkins. It is so fun and artfully done.
My son is 8 years old, so he and my husband bravely take me to these types of places when we find them, but reluctantly so. They both lit up at the different settings and eagerly ordered their food.
It is a tea room, so the settings are china, but the owner is very welcoming to children and at ease with them. I would say this is a great stop for the whole family.
Without a doubt, this is a must do stop on our treks through Oklahoma.
Guthrie is just a few minutes off I-35, so it's easy to get to. The whole town is like going to a Victorian village. It has lots of shops, antiques, cafes, and historical things to do and see. The Frontier Drugstore Museum and Apothercary Garden are just across the corner from the Victorian Tea Room and worth visiting too. Guthrie can be a quick stop or a great weekend stay.
214 West Oklahoma Ave
Guthrie, Oklahoma
Comment:
Stay the night at one of their many B&B or drive onto Wichita for the night.
reviewed on: March 25 2010
"Great for older kids"
I would say the museum is best for ages 8 and up and the garden is great for all ages. The museum is amazing and small. The tour guide will take through special displays in the museum and share Oklahoma history, the town's history, and the stores history. It was fascinating.The museum is filled with glass bottles everywhere, and most of them are not behind display cases, which is why I'm not sure it's a great place for younger kids.
Our son was very interested in the old log books and tickets and exploring the old soda fountain (no longer in use).
The museum is just the old store and tour is fairly short, but very imformative.
The garden is small but very interesting. In front of the plants are little signs that tell you the type of plant or tree and what it was used for and how. I found this part the most interesting.
Afterwards cross the street and stop by the Victorian Tea Shop for lunch or tea and apple cake.
5555 Zoo Blvd.
Wichita, Kansas
Comment:
reviewed on: February 09 2010
"Great Zoo!"
This zoo is the perfect size and lay out. The animal enclosures allow you to get perfect views of all the animals instead of like some other zoos where you can't see the animal at all or they are way off in the distance.The penguin enclosure was amazing! Our son's favorite was the hippo enclosure (you could watch them from above when they were on land or floating or go below and watch them dive and swim in the water).
You can feed the giraffes for a very small extra fee, which was very cool too.
There is a playground, a cafe, and plenty of bathrooms.
This zoo is the perfect size for children (preschoolers won't get worn out) and so much variety that older kids will stay captivated.
Check the schedule when you arrive if you are interested in feeding times, especially in the snake and reptile area.
We had a great time and plan to go again sometime this summer.
