This adorable place is perfect to teach youngsters/novices to learn how to fish. For $7 per person (fishing or not), you get a bamboo pole, bait (i.e., corn kernels) and bucket to fish in the two ponds. Kids under 2yo are free. As we started fishing with the bamboo poles, the manager of the place gave us a "real" fishing pole to use free of charge (usually $5).

My two older kiddos (4.5yo and 2.5yo) enjoyed the novelty of this first fishing experience but did not have the patience to hold the poles waiting for the fish to bite. There are cute little log benches for people to sit by the pond. We were able to push our 3-month old in the stroller as the dirt and grassy areas around the ponds were flat. Alas, my husband and I ended up catching the fish using the bamboo poles. The kids did get a kick out of watching the fish jump out of the bucket once they were caught. You have to pay for what you catch based on the size of the fish. For our 10-inch and 12-inch trout it was $14. For an extra charge of $1.50 per fish, you can have the people clean your fish for you. All in all, a great family outing.

For a unique and educational animal experience, a visit to Oasis Camel Dairy is a must. Our family recently went on a public tour during Pomegranate Days. Once we parked and got out of the car, we were greeted by the humorous gobble-gobble of a bunch of turkeys which set the tone for a fun time! The owners Gil and Nancy are true animal lovers. The tour started with Nancy's bird show, where we heard some of the birds talk. Then Gil did the camel milking demonstration and after that, we were able to feed the camels pomegranates. It was loads of fun. My two older kids' (4yo and 2yo) favorite part was getting to feed and touch the camels up close. We were able to push our 2-month old around in a stroller in the dirt while looking at the camels in their pens. Camel rides for kids were available but because the kids were not strapped down (they held onto a harness only), we didn't feel comfortable having our young kids ride, especially since riding the camel is higher than riding a pony or a horse. It's probably better for older kids. You can only visit during scheduled public and private tours (see website for schedule and info) and are not allowed to roam the farm on your own. It's a small family farm and there are no eating establishments on site, although they do sell snacks (water, chips, cookies, etc) on an honor system.

Located a few blocks off the main LV strip, this hotel has a nice sized aquarium with various species of fish, sharks, and sting rays that are mesmerizing to watch. There are FREE interactive feeding and mermaid shows throughout the day. My 4yo liked watching the scuba diver feed the sting rays and sharks. We also learned a little something about the animals in the aquarium during the show. The scuba diver answered audience questions as he fed the fish. My 2yo enjoyed watching the mermaid lady swim and do flips and turns in the water. There are a few seating areas around the aquarium where one could just sit and watch the ocean animals swim. It wasn't super crowded either on a Friday afternoon in August. Fun little stop during our recent Vegas trip.

This spacious, open, high-ceiling restaurant is located in an industrial area of Gardena amidst tire and auto shops and manufacturing buildings. Despite its location, once we parked and got into the restaurant, we were pleasantly surprised by this wonderful restaurant which boasts freshly made pizzas, pastas, salads and desserts made on premises. There are no kids' menus, but lots of pizza and pasta choices that could be ordered family style for everybody to share. The super thin crust pizza is absolutely fresh and delicious and my kids both enjoyed the margherita (cheese and tomato sauce) pizza. I ordered the mushroom pasta, which included handmade noodles that were delish. My husband raved about the baked lasagna.

For families it's great because it's big and open so kids could be loud without necessarily bothering nearby customers. There are huge windows looking into the bakery and cheese-making areas of the restaurant which could be a good distraction for restless kids to see. (Unfortunately, there was no cheese-making going on during our first visit to this restaurant). Adults will enjoy the cappucino bar station in the middle of the restaurant.

There are a few cons to mention, however...there is a small lot next to the restaurant but street parking was available on the weekend. There were also no diaper changing tables in the bathroom.

We went on the Scenic Weekend Excursion recently with the kids. The novelty of riding a "real" train (vs. a kiddie train) was exciting for them. The train moves extremely slow and almost lulled me to sleep as we saw river beds and citrus and avocado trees along the way.

There are two stops, including Loose Caboose and Santa Paula on this particular tour. Loose Caboose was a garden emporium that had all kinds of knick knacks, gift items and locally grown produce for sale. It was a great way to stretch our legs and let the kids roam around and see some koi fish and birds. We stayed there for about 30 minutes. The second stop was in the town of Santa Paula, which is known as the citrus capital of the world. We ate lunch here but didn't find the town itself too exciting. We stayed there for close to 1.5 hours and all we did was ate lunch at a Mexican fast-food type restaurant.

For the price ($24 for adults, $10 for kids 2-3yo, $14 for kids 4-12yo), I was expecting a little more out of our excursion, like some narration on the train about the area. All in all, the kids had a good time though. There are restrooms on the train, including a "family" stall. On the online reservation we made, it stated no snacks (but we did bring our own) or strollers on board. Snacks are sold on the train and you can store your stroller.