Our family visited Tanaka Farms for their pumpkin patch in 2012. We chose to go on a Friday afternoon/evening to avoid the weekend crowds (even though we missed out on some weekend only activities, such as the pumpkin cannon and pumpkin bowling...) The pumpkin patch was expansive and felt very natural. I was amazed at the expanse of land in the middle of the city. This is not a shopping center pop-up pumpkin stand! Wagon rides for $5/person take you on a tour around the farm. The corn maze (free) was probably my boys' favorite activity. You can also visit the petting zoo for $3. If you chose to buy a pumpkin, the cost is by weight. This is the perfect pumpkin patch to catch those fall photos!

My family had the opportunity to experience the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Claremont in September 2012.  We arrived to an inviting lobby, were welcomed by helpful staff, and much appreciated the gift of WARM CHOCOLATE COOKIES at check in.  The complimentary cookies were extra special to my kids (ages 3 and 5) as this was their first visit to a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel.

The Doubletree Claremont is located near many family friendly attractions such as Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Garden, The Alf Museum of Paleontology, and The Village Claremont (featuring unique shops and eating spots).

Our room featured two double beds and offered everything we required for a comfortable stay; a flat screen LCD TV, a refrigerator, and a balcony (although, our view of the parking lot was not that appealing!)  If you are a family that values space, I recommend booking the two room Claremont suite. The open floor plan of our guest room provided no escape from the kids once we put them to bed. If we would have had the foresight to request a room facing the pool, my husband and I could have ordered a drink from the restaurant and sat outside after our kids went to bed. Something to request for next time...

Beyond our room, we appreciated that hotel lobby that always had ice water and cups for us to grab a glass on our way in or out.  My kids favored the swimming pool which they thought looked like Mickey Mouse. They also liked the breakfast buffet’s wide range of choices from muffins to omelets.

WHAT WE LOVED:

*comfortable and clean beds
*complimentary toiletry items (such as toothpaste, if you forgot yours!)
*the complimentary cookies at check in (I know I'm mentioning this again, but it was a big hit...)

HEADS UP:
*The Village Claremont is 1.1 miles away
*Standard rooms with two beds are two doubles, not two queens.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary night at the Doubletree Claremont. The property did not ask that I express any particular opinion.

My family visited Claremont's Alf Museum with our boys (ages 3 and 5) in September 2012. Parking was challenging, because the museum is located on the campus of a boarding school, but once we got inside, we were impressed by the museum's larger than life exhibits.

During our visit, we learned about the history of the museum and gained a new appreciation for it's location. We also learned that the museum was recently renovated. The Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology showcases a number of fossils, dinosaur skulls, skeletons, and eggs. For a small museum, the lay out is beautiful and well designed. Our boys were thrilled by the realistic looking dinosaur bones and the interactive exhibits downstairs such as the dinosaur noise makers, the skeleton puzzle, and digging for fossils. noises, working on a skeleton puzzle, and digging for fossils.

As a family, we spent about 90 minutes here, but the kids would have stayed longer if we let them! So, we will definitely be visiting the next time we're in Claremont.

I liked:
-interactive displays for kids (about 10-15)
-affordable ticket prices ($4 for ages 4 and up, plus free parking)
-good use of space
-suitable for ages 2-teens interested in paleontology
-near to the village of Claremont, which has a variety of unch options

What could be better:
-awkward location
-small size (we left wanting even more!)
-access to downstairs via stairs (no elevator option... could be challenging with a stroller)

**This review is based on a complimentary visit to the Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology. I received no other compensation besides the admission tickets and was free to express my particular point of view in this review.

Our family visited Rancho Santa Ana Garden, a non-profit garden in Claremont, California. Rancho Santa Ana features 86 acres of native Californian plants and trees, located at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains.

The day we visited was forecasted to be in the 90's, so we chose to go first thing in the morning. The garden is open from 8-5 daily and costs $8/adults and $4/children (ages 3-12). Free Parking.

Once inside the garden, our family felt like we were on a very well designed hike, walking through manicured trails and seeing cacti, wildflowers, and trees such as Joshua, Manzanita, and Oak. Depending on the ages of your children, you could choose to make your 'hike' more or less strenuous. We didn't have a stroller, but the trails were stroller friendly.

Our family spent about 1 and 1/2 hours at the garden and my boys (ages 3 and 5) loved the wildlife they saw among the plants including rabbits, squirrels, lizards, and rollie pollies! The garden hosts a number of events throughout the year. Check out what's on the events calendar on their website before planning your visit.

Highlights:
-visitors support a non-profit
-hiking at your own pace through the trails
-the gift shop's beautiful merchandise
-helpful volunteers
-stroller accessible
-peace & quiet! in LA county!

Downside:
-bathrooms are far away (depending on where you are)
-the garden is large (covering it all in one visit isn't possible)
-no water fountains (remember to bring a water bottle!)

**This review is based on a complimentary visit to Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden. I received no other compensation besides the admission tickets and was free to express my particular point of view in this review.

Our family went to The Crab Cooker for dinner on a Saturday... probably our first mistake- going on busy night. It was so hard to find parking (using the meters on the surrounding Newport Beach streets) and they wouldn't seat our large party of 10 until we were all present. The restaurant itself was crowded and noisy (which helped drown out the sounds from the 4 kids in our large party.) I did notice that our kids were the ONLY kids in the restaurant. I guess everyone else got the note. It's not a fancy place. You eat on paper plates and there are jars of dry breadsticks on the table. They do not, I REPEAT *DO NOT*, have a kids menu. In fact, they don't have anything non-fish on the menu. Our waitress suggested that we order calamari and call it "chicken". The adults loved their fish dishes. The kids? Not so much. The saving grace was the saltwater taffy provided on the way out the door.