My son is crazy for Thomas. Thomas pajamas, toys, backpacks, lunchboxes, blankets…well, you get the drift. So no doubt next Friday, you’ll find us lined up for an afternoon at the Grapevine Vintage Railroad for Day Out with Thomas “Mystery of the Rails Tours 2012.” An absolute must for train lovers, this special event includes a 25-minute train ride aboard a historic train car led by none other than Thomas the Tank Engine. Other activities at the depot include activities totally related to everything Thomas including arts & crafts,  meeting Sir Topham Hatt, the Controller of the Railway on the Island of Sodor and, of course, a trip into Thomas the Tank Engine gift shop.

Photo from 2011 Day Out with Thomas in Grapevine, Texas

Last year we joined some playmates for our trip on Thomas and they absolutely loved it. While the tickets are not cheap at $18 per person over the age of 2, it was worth every cent to see the expression on his fact when we he realized we got to “ride on Thomas.” He was a little leery of the Sir Topham Hatt character, but I am hoping this year we will be able to enjoy the whole experience. Do allow about 2 hours to enjoy the activities and get to the depot at least 1 hour before your ride. Additionally, it’s suggested to purchase your tickets in advance since you must choose your ride time. Last year we purchased ours in advance and had them delivered to our home. However, I did see many people purchase their tickets onsite. So if your schedule is flexible, perhaps you can chance it. I don’t recommend it though if you have a limited window or a child who has a limited patience.

The best recommendation I can make for parents is to make sure to be ready to spend some money in the gift shop. It’s like going into Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory but Thomas the Tank Engine.

Event Dates: April 13, 14, 15, 20, 21 and 22, 2012

Train Ride Times: Trains depart at: 9:00am, 9:45am, 10:30am, 11:15am, 12:00pm, 12:45pm, 1:30pm, 2:15pm, 3:00pm, 3:45pm, 4:30pm, and 5:15pm.

Tickets are available online on the Museum of the American Railroad ticket site. Directions and more information about the event can be found on the Grapevine, Texas website.

This spring feels like it started about mid-February and so did all the pollen. So much so that I have been sitting in bed for a few days trying to recover from our full day’s adventure to celebrate the season with bunnies and bluebonnets.

After realizing that Easter was just around the corner, I had to find the right local Easter egg hunt for my three-year old (and seven-month old to watch)as well get my annual Texas shot amidst the fields of Texas’ proud flora.  With no time left and mom feeling less than amazing, we set out to accomplish both adventures in one day. In addition to the good pictures and two very tired children, we achieved our mission just in time to enjoy lunch with dad.

After perusing the list of great Easter egg hunts in DFW, being close to home kept our choices to a select few. While Breakfast with the Easter Bunny in Grapevine sounded like a winner – a 7:30 AM start time didn’t, so Nash Farm’s free Easter Egg hunt, here we come! Easy to get to (well as far as getting through Grapevine can be), the historic farm is perfectly nestled in an adorable neighborhood not far off 114. While I found the location easily, parking wasn’t enjoyable (or ample) especially with two kids and no help. The cross-guards were very nice and helped out the daytrippers get to their destination. Upon arrival, I was delighted by the size of the event and just the perfect amount of features that we could visit without feeling like it was going to be a “Six Flags” kind-of-day to try to do it all.

Bounce houses, a petting zoo, meeting the Easter Bunny and the hunts seemed just about perfect for my age group’s needs (older children seemed a little bored which was evidenced by many of them with long faces and zoned in to game devices). There wasn’t much information online about hunt times so I went looking for a guide. There were lots of helpers in pink shirts, but not many of them seemed to know what was going on. Thankfully I was saved by an announcement that let me know the 4-5 year huddle was happening soon and line up. Let’s just say, while there wasn’t a published agenda for my OCD-type brain to read, the kids seemed happy and the three-hour event rolled on just fine. In less than 2 hours, we fulfilled our quest plus a photo with The Chipmunks without any meltdowns, so we moved on to our next challenge – bluebonnets.

Picturesque Nash Farm is the ideal backdrop for an Easter Egg Hunt.

Thankfully, over the last few days I had been seeking out the right place to take our first brother-sister bluebonnet picture WITHOUT getting run over. I was fortunate that there was a little place very close to the house off I-30 close to Hurricane Harbor that was perfect to click it. While taking photos either early in the morning or later in the evening are ideal, the cloud cover made for good lighting all day. I asked big brother dressed in his white shirt, to get on his knees where I had laid down a small blanket and handed him his sister, dressed in a simple white and blue frock, to take a few shots. After trying to get the perfect shot, I gave up and just started clicking. After 5 minutes I had a few cute shots although never in the same frame, we had a good time and no fussing.

What I Learned:

My advice for Nash farm? Arrive early for good parking and be ready to go with the flow. The venue is intimate and everyone’s going to get a turn, so just be patient. Bring your camera and some snacks if your little ones need frequent eats.

My advice for bluebonnet photos? Hire a professional – ha! But reasonably speaking, dress for success with something simple like white, blue or yellow since they will look ideal against the blue and green fields. Eye out a spot that isn’t going to kill you to get there, take ‘em quick and remember there’s always next year if they don’t work out the way you envisioned them. It’s about the experience rather than the ideal shot that makes a picture perfect.

Quick candid shots sometimes make the best pictures!

Me Eating a Gator Kabob

My hubby and I have lived in the Dallas area (via our home state of California) for over 13 years. Though we consider ourselves Texan, the tourist in me maps out and plans our visits within the Lone Star State.

Among the places we visited over Labor Day Weekend, we drove an hour away from Dallas and made our way to a gator farm. People might find it hard to believe that I would actually be interested in such a place, but we’re talking about the same adventurous girl who worked two college summers at an Alaskan salmon cannery (at you guessed it, canning salmon!).

I was surprised there was such a thing in Texas. So, when I found out it was only a hop, skip, and a jump away, we had to pack up and drive our two girls, a bag of snacks, our gallon of water, and bug spray to this destination.

The entire time, I was anxious to get there.  That was up until we got on a one way windy road lined with older homes and Dixie Flags.  Despite all this, I hung in there until our car’s GPS got us to our intended destination, East Texas Gators & Wildlife Park.

There was no formal parking lot, but whatever reservations I had, it disappeared as soon as we stepped inside. We spotted one of the workers holding the cutest and furriest chinchilla. With little prodding, we (my daughters, hubby and myself) all took turns holding this sweet creature.

Admission was very affordable ($5 for kids and $6 for adults) and we were at ease exploring the park. It was filled with ducks, a possum, birds, squirrels, raccoons, fawns, kittens and gators (surprise, surprise)!  We were amazingly close to the gators and watched in awe as they were fed during their 3 pm  meal.

We thoroughly enjoyed the cooler and breezy weather while slurping on our snow cones. No visit was complete without trying a gator kabob (tastes like tough chicken).

Keep an open mind and you’ll surprise yourself and your family with how much fun you’ll have at this park.

The Girls and I Petting a Baby Gator

- Cool Playground Mommy

As I was scrolling thru various websites during my lunch hour today, I was giddy to discover a nearby Harry Potter exhibit. As a self professed geekoid, I LOVE anything and everything to do with Harry Potter. In fact, I purchased my very own Harry Potter Slanket and one year, had a Harry Potter birthday cake.

The Harry Potter series (and mostly fictional books) provide an escape from the adult world/ responsibilities. I’m able to use my imagination and delve into the particular chapter or movie while  forgetting that I’m a mother to two young girls, have a day job, and any other worries I may have at the time.

The exhibit, “Harry Potter’s World: Renaissance Science, Magic, and Medicine” is at the University of North Texas’ Willis Library and on display until Friday, September 2nd from 9 am – 6 pm. Be sure to bring along other muggles since it’s free.

Up, Up and Away!

This year, I was determined not to miss Highland Village’s annual Hot Air Balloon Festival. Thankfully, we went out on opening day (August 22nd) when temperatures were cooler and there was less of a crowd.

I could feel the excitement building as we drove from Flower Mound and crossed over on Highland Village’s side of the 35 freeway. With a beautiful view of Lewisville Lake, we excitedly approached the gate attendants to pay for our $5 spot. The great thing about this festival is that it’s sponsored by the Lions’ club and admission is free.

My family and I were in awe of how quickly the hot air balloons got set up and then looked up at their magnificence when they floated above us. What drew me to this year’s festival was the opportunity to go up in a tethered hot air balloon for $10. Unfortunately for us, this wasn’t available on the day we had gone. However, the kids had so much fun on their kiddie rides and food vendors.

The event had just the right amount of people. In other words, we weren’t rubbing shoulder to shoulder and we could still keep an eye on our happy kids within the crowd. Next year, we’ll be sure to bring a jug of water (it was hot out there!).

- Cool Playground Mommy

Our First Visit to the Grand Canyon.

Even with two incomes (and like most people), we’re on a budget. We waited and waited….. and waited for airline fares to drop in price so that we could purchase them for an upcoming trip to my sister-in-law’s Arizona nuptials. However, instead of going down, the prices skyrocketed.

We had no other choice, but to bite the bullet and pack our sedan (and girls ages two and eight) for a multi-state (New Mexico, Arizona, and California) road trip. I can’t speak for our driver (my hubby), but I was both excited yet apprehensive before embarking on our journey. After all, the last road trip only took us a mere six hours and within the first 15 minutes, our toddler threw up all over her car seat. Needless to say, we had that stench throughout the entire trip.

With a new car seat in place, plenty of snacks, games, blankets, Pillow Pets , dvds, and separate compact dvd players to keep our girls busy, we not only survived, but THRIVED! The key was to leave early so that the girls could sleep off most of the hours on the road. What also saved us were the frequent stops along the way (Note to my home state of California – please do a better job of cleaning up your public restrooms).

Was our trip stressful? Yes – a tad. But that’s to be expected when traveling with a toddler and a tween. They bickered, but they also got along beautifully. We enjoyed the sights and the fact that we had the freedom to adjust our schedules (no rush to the airport or trying to squeeze everything into a carry on). Moreover, I’m sure airline passengers thanked us for not contributing to their misery (no crying, fighting, or excusing ourselves every five minutes for a trip to the restroom).

We saved money and we more than made up for any missed family quality time (for all those instances we shuttled our girls to daycare, their activities, and then back home before getting ready for bed). I highly recommend a family road trip!

Our family visited Tucson (for the wedding), California (to visit with my parents) and then visited Sedona (absolutely breathtaking!), the Grand Canyon (we had enough time to complete a few activities earning our eight year old her a badge as a Junior Ranger), Meteor Crater and several alien displays along the way.

- Cool Playground Mommy

A Beautiful & Fun Park

Last Saturday, we visited the mother of all playgrounds,  Al Ruschhaput Park in McKinney. Initially, we confused this park for the nearby soccer complex, but we found the correct park easily enough (further down the street).

The park appeared to be new and had many visitors the day we were there. It was hot and muggy, so the splash fountain was a welcome relief for me and our eight year old daughter. Though I had forgotten to bring our daughter’s swimsuit, she still enjoyed running thru the fountain barefoot and guessing if and when she’d get sprayed. The park provided a relaxing atmosphere with good and nearby seating to watch the smiling/ giggling kids play.

When our daughter grew tiresome of the spray fountain, we hopped onto their humongous playscape. The only three drawbacks to this was that the  rules posted stating that the playscape was designed for 5 – 12 year old (not ideal for our two year old), there was a nearby sign along the walking trail that read “beware of snakes” (yikes!), and there were unsupervised neighborhood kids (at least two children were younger than my eight year old).

There was a cool swingset at this park with two interesting swings that I’d not seen before. It appeared to resemble a toddler carseat, so I was perplexed which age level the swing was aimed for. I had a good laugh watching my daughter swing and enjoyed swinging on it too.

This Swing Resembled a Toddler Car Seat

Though this park is quite a bit of a drive for us, we’ll be sure to visit once more with our two year old in tow. Other than the above mentioned drawbacks, I was very pleased that the spray fountain, playscape, and picnic seating were close in proximity helping the parents keep a close eye on kids (hopefully preventing common dangers).

-   Cool Playground Mommy

Come see us!

My kids are pretty seasoned travelers, since we drive home to south Louisiana three or four times a year. It is a 7 hour trip, which can be challenging if you make the trip during the day. (If you can stay awake, driving at night is great…they sleep the whole time but you pay for it the next day!).

When the kids were very small, we would break up the trip by stopping at a McDonald’s with a play area and let them run off some energy. This trip, we decided to experience some Louisiana culture–the Bayou Pierre Gator Park and Show outside of Nachitoches, LA.  That is almost 4 hours from Dallas, so just over the half way point of our trip to Baton Rouge.   Fun to visit, corny for the adults and a great experience for the kids!

Grab some Alligator for lunch while you are there

Then watch the gators get fed!

Try your hand at feeding some tamer animals--goats, deer, & ostrich!

For closer encounters, there is also the East Texas Gators and Wildlife Park in Grand Saline, TX.  I haven’t visited, but it is close enough for a day trip and when contacted, the owners said that two or three hours are plenty of time to visit. My kids really had a blast feeding the animals and have not stopped talking about our visit yet!

Don’t have the time or the resources to take young kiddos to a family theme park? Check out another great local option, Grapevine Mills Mall.

With the much publicized opening of Legoland Discovery Center at Grapevine Mills Mall, we caved and took the girls for a few hours last evening.  To sum it up, it was a blast!  It was one humongous play area (ideal for those who don’t care for shopping or interested in taking advantage of the outlet mall’s bargain prices).

This trip requires some planning, so be sure to browse their online website for discounted admission prices. Currently, one can get 15% off the price of admission (kids three and under are free) and if you choose to visit after 5 pm, tickets are $12.50/ person. The prices are a bargain considering attendees can stay until closing and includes admission to the  fun interactive rides. Not interested in the rides? Then, belt out a few songs in the karaoke area in the Princess Parlor, view a short film at Lego Studios, dine in the café (which by the way, had yummy cupcakes options – caramel, strawberry & chocolate), have the kids take their shoes off and explore the two playscapes, or view their display of amazing Texas landmarks created by Legos. There were plenty of Lego employees to keep a watchful eye on the kids and keep their behavior in check. However, Legoland Discovery Center  is not a drop-off play area. I recommend bringing a book to read and plenty of snacks and drinks for kiddos to munch and sip on.

This Carousel Ride Will Be Sure to Bring a Smile

Around the corner from Discovery Land is Build-A-Bear Factory where kids can help make, name and own a furry friend for around $30.   A little further down the way is a food court.  There’s a variety of cuisines to choose from, so grab a bite to eat and have the kids ride the  carousel (which has a $2/ person admission price). This is a sure-fire way to bring smiles to a child’s face.

If you want to end your meal with something sweet, walk over to Auntie Anne’s for an almond pretzel or to Paciugo’s for gelato. Between these two stores, there are toddler rides for the kids to squeal in delight.

So Happy to See the Auntie Anne's Pretzel Mascot

Why not burn those newly acquired calories and walk over to Rainforest Café? Kids will love watching the snapping crocodile and viewing the fish aquarium within their gift store.

If you have an entire day blocked off for this adventure, check out AMC Grapevine Mills 30 theater. Guests of Fork & Screen, can enjoy in-theatre dining combined with movies. For guests over 21, Cinema Suites offers luxury movie going with luxury recliners, upscale in-theater dining with swivel tables and eight-foot row spacing.

My Kids Never Tire of the Toddler Rides

- Cool Playground Mommy

If you had asked me a week ago what is the best weekend getaway from DFW, I would have said, without hesitation, Fredericksburg, TX.  In the heart of the Texas Hill Country, Fredericksburg is steeped in German history, natural beauty (Texas-style), fun shopping, and hospitable bed & breakfasts.  And, being 5 hours from DFW (or 8.5, if you have 3 kids under age 4 with you…long story), it’s a doable trip for a long weekend.

But then, I went to Natchez, Mississippi.  And I fell in love.

Natchez, at the southwest corner of Mississippi, sits high on a bluff 200 feet above the Mississippi river.  Its history includes many layers of Native American, French, Spanish, and British colonization, but the real story (at least visually) is its antebellum heritage of romantic homes and colorful history based on the economy of King Cotton.  It truly has everything – historical sites, great shopping (including loads of antiques!), beautiful scenery, and gorgeous B&B’s.  And, best of all, it’s within a 6-7 hour drive from Dallas-Fort Worth.

My sister and I just had a tremendous girl’s getaway weekend in Natchez.  Following is a quick rundown of what the town has to offer – or at least, what we found in our first trip.  I’ve no doubt there will be many more in the years to come.

What to See:

At one point just before the Civil War, Natchez is said to have had the largest number of millionaires per capita in the U.S. – and those wealthy plantation owners built beautiful “town” homes in Natchez to socialize and display their wealth.  Because the city officially surrendered to the Union during the Civil War, many of those homes were used for Union army operations and hospitals, instead of being destroyed.  Today, with over 1000 historical structures listed on the National Register, Natchez seems almost frozen in time, and everywhere you look is a visual reminder of the grace and wealth of the Old South.  There are more homes available to tour than we could possibly have done in our weekend trip, so we focused on the “biggies” – Stanton Hall (pictured above), Rosalie, and Longwood (pictured here).  We also, as a part of the “Girlfriend Getaway” packaged we’d booked through our hosts at The Elms bed & breakfast, got additional tours of The Burn and Linden (don’t miss Ms. Jeannette’s Milk Punch Tour at Linden!).  More than just seeing the homes and the furnishings, these tours tell you the stories of the people who built and then fought to keep these grand homes through the Civil War, the collapse of the cotton economy, the Great Depression, and beyond.

What to Do:

Natchez is the starting point of the Natchez Trace Parkway, a 444-mile highway that closely follows a trail used by Native Americans, explorers like Merriwether Lewis, settlers, and future presidents.  It is now operated by the National Park Service.  Near Natchez, you can visit an old historic “stand”, or inn, that offered shelter along the way at Mount Locust Inn.  Even more interesting, I thought, was to visit the ghost town of Rocky Springs, which has disappeared entirely with the exception of a beautiful church and cemetery, but was a bustling rural community of over 2600 residents in 1860 – just 150 years ago.  Its historic church is pictured to the right, and until early summer 2010, offered weekly church services but is now available only for special events, though it is open to walk through during park hours.

I also highly recommend taking a Natchez Ghost Tour.  The 1.5 hour ride through Natchez includes stops at historic buildings and homes, with stories of hauntings of ghosts by everyone from outlaws to tragic children.  The owner/operator, Eric Williams, is a bit over the top (just check out his website for an example), but he made the tour highly enjoyable.  While I do have to discount just how many hauntings he claimed exist (if any) since Ghost Hunters isn’t permanently filming in the city, it was a fun way to spend an evening when most things in town close down at sunset or earlier.

Where to Shop:

There are so many antique stores, boutiques, and cute shops lining the historical downtown of Natchez that we didn’t have a chance to see them all.  However, let me just say we got some DEALS on antiques and other unique items – enough so to make it more than worth eating our return trip air tickets and paying to drop off our rental car at DFW so we could cart our haul back home.  Make sure to check out these antique stores:  Vintage Retreat (100 State St), Primitives (505 Franklin St), Fleur de Lis (415 Franklin St), and Natchez Antiques (701 Franklin St), which is where we got the majority of our haul.  For non-antique but totally cute, giftable items, hit Darby’s (410 Main St — pricey stuff, but some deals can be found – and you can taste test their famous fudge while you browse!), and the gift shops of the historic homes.  (I thought the Rosalie shop was the best, and bought some cute items for my kids there.)

Where to Stay:

Antebellum homes plus Southern hospitality plus scrumptious home-cooked breakfasts equals a bed & breakfast traveler’s dream.  There are around 40 B&B’s in Natchez, many of which are in gorgeous mansions surrounded by lush gardens.  You have several opportunities to sleep in the homes of the old cotton planters, often being hosted by the descendants of the families that built the homes.  Many of these are reviewed on TripAdvisor.com, which is where we found our beautiful B&B, The Elms.  This home is steeped in history, and we were hosted by a fifth generation owner — who also happens to be a celebrated artist and Top 20 Woman Chef according to USA Today (see history of The Elms).  If hotels are more your style, two large ones are located in the historic downtown area, including the 119-room Natchez Grand Hotel and the 131-room Natchez Eola Hotel.

Where to Eat:

Even though our trip was only two days long, we did sample many of the “must-do” restaurants in Natchez.  The highlight of my off-my-diet-all-you-can-eat weekend was the Natchez beignet at Biscuits & Blues, a yummy restaurant in the historic downtown on Main Street.  Another must for their great tamales and “knock you naked” margaritas is Fat Mama‘s, where I also purchased one of my favorite finds for the weekend – a crab wall hanging made from Sam Adams bottle caps (looks much cooler than it sounds, see the pic!).  A somewhat mediocre BBQ joint topped off our weekend, but we just had to check it out after seeing the name:  The Pig Out Inn (because this was my goal for the weekend – to pig out!), with the motto of “Swine Dining at Its Finest.”  Too bad they were out of T-shirts that night, because I would have bought one each for the whole family.

How to Get There:

The only downside to Natchez is that you will need to spend part of your vacation time traveling there.  The closest airports are in either Baton Rouge or Jackson, MS (where we flew).  From there, you have a 90 or 110 mile drive to reach the town.  I suggest driving the entire way; it’s an easy drive across I-20, and you’ll see pretty scenery in East Texas and Louisiana along the way.  We made it home from Natchez to DFW Airport in 6.5 hours – and that was after taking a 2-lane highway across the entire state of Louisiana so I could check out Natchitoches (which also looks pretty darn cute!).

Special Events:

In the spring and fall during “pilgrimage” weeks, many additional homes are available to be toured, many of which are private residences.  Check out the Natchez Pilgrimage website for dates and house tour schedules.   Additionally, 2010 will see the 6th Annual Great Mississippi River Balloon Race, which is held in Natchez in October.

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After our great weekend in Natchez, my sister and I are already planning another girl’s weekend…this time including our other sis, our Mom, and all my nieces.  I hope you also get a chance to visit this gem of the South soon!