On our road trip, we made a stop in Glenwood Springs, as the town was recommended by some friends who live in Denver. They had been there years before with their girls and remembered it being a neat place. Once we got checked into the dingiest hotel ever, we were struggling to figure out what we wanted to have for dinner. We were told about a Brew Pub a short walk from the Best Western we were staying at, and decided that would work. We were a little nervous on the walk there, as we had to go over a bridge that goes over the freeway, and there were some shady characters that were loitering there. We thought we were seening some 'deals' going down, so we walked especially quick. We did see some things going down on the walk back too.

The Pub was what we were expecting. It was quite busy, and we ended up having to wait around 30 minutes for a table. There was a nice area down stairs for us, but the 3-year old was getting antsy, we finally got to our table. They have a kids menu, which features mostly fried fare (which I suppose is to be expected, being a pub, but I was hoping for a little something green). The kids meals were served on a frisbee, which was fun. They offered crayons while we waited for food too.

We just weren't overly impressed, but we also weren't there for the beer, which folks were saying was quite good.

The Mt Hood Railroad follows the Hood River up though a beautiful canyon and through amazing orchards with views of Oregon's tallest mountain and some of her forests. The ride starts in downtown Hood River, and the tour we were on (the 4-hour round trip) took us to Parkdale. The ride up was 1.5 hours, with a 1 hour stop, and 1.5 hours back.

The ride itself is really relaxing and breath-taking, filled with history of the region. Once you get to Parkdale there is a great playground, across from where the train stops, for the kids to play. They sell ice cream at McIsaacs Store across the street (and there is another ice cream shop), and there is a small museum to visit.

We were there during the Blossom Festival, unfortunately due to weather, the trees were not yet in blossom. I understand it is absolutely amazing, and we tried to imagine it. The trees ended up blooming about 2 weeks later.

There are shorter tours for kids that might not be able to handle this longer one, but the nice thing is the kids can get up and walk around a bit. Also, we felt the extra money for the upper deck was well worth it. If you need snacks, they have things on the train and they are well priced. They only take cash or checks, no cards on the train. They also allow you to bring your own food or they have started creating menus for lunch as well.

We highly recommend it. It is great fun, especially for kids that love trains!

we were on a cross-country road trip with my 3-year old and were looking for a stop to stretch our legs. Since we had a National Parks Pass, we thought we would pop in here and check it out. It was more moving than I ever thought it would be. We were there on a bright, sunny day. The grasses were a golden color, and the white head stones stood out against the back drop. As you walk up the path to the native American memorial, will take your breath away. There is a building with artifacts that have been found so far and they have speakers come in and discuss various things. There was one while we were there, but there was no way an antsy preschoolers was going to sit through the talk.

I have studied history from other parts of the world most of my life, but it was quite impressive to stand in the middle of a piece of American history. The little guys will find it a nice place to walk around, but won't understand. The older kids (I would guess 8 and up), would probably take more away. There is also a cemetery for more recent military on the site also.

We found it more than worth the stop.

We visit these every time we come to Hawaii. I love swimming in the small pools with various fish and urchins. This time we took out 3-year old with us and he enjoyed it too. It is beautiful here and you feel like you areaway from the masses (at least in the morning, which is when we usually go).

There are loads of pools to look in and lots of fish. They were also finding some little crabs and things. He loved the blowhole near the largest pool. It was so loud as the seas were a little rough that day. He thought it was funny to be sprayed too.

The pools are warmed by the sun, but constantly refreshed by the waves tha come over the tops of the rocks, so the water can be quite warm, but clear (there are different feelings on sunscreen being used here...so do what you think is right). You need to be very vigilant about things around you, especially big waves. If the seas are really rough, it might be best to wait for another day. The ground is also slippery (on the rocks around the pools) and it is a short walk down a fairly steep hill. You also have to scramble over rocks and boulders. make sure you take lots of sunscreen also...folks burn quickly and easily here, I tend to cover up well, wearing a hat, while I am in the water and put sunscreen on when I get out since we sit and watch for a while after swimming to dry off. We made sure the lad had his UV clothes on, a hat, sandals, and his life jacket.

We were staying in Pa'ia, and this was really the only beach in the area that we could find that would be good for kids. This side of the island is great for surfers because the waves are much bigger (epic in some cases!).

This is a nice flat beach, with lovely sand. It is one of the beaches that has lifeguards, and is just outside Pa'ia (just before you come into town, it will be on your left) so you have the advantage of food and shops being right there (including one of the best food stores on the island, and some would say in Hawaii, Mana Foods). My husband found the water too rough for my son to swim in (he is 3 and was not comfortable with the size of the waves). They did go in the afternoon, so wonder if the sea would be calmer in the morning. The boys spent their time digging and building in the sand instead.

This beach has bathrooms and showers and a decent size parking lot.