Archive for the ‘Guest Blogger: Traci L. Suppa’ category

Sure, we could have spent our weekend in Washington, D.C., visiting the White House, Capital, Washington Monument, and the Lincoln Memorial. With our 4-year-old, that itinerary is a recipe for disaster. We’ll try that in 2022. We opted for attractions better suited to a pre-schooler’s taste.

Our first stop was the National Zoo, which, as a part of the Smithsonian Institution, means free admission. Suffice it to say, you’re not going to have the place to yourselves. It’s also very hilly terrain, and we wished more than once that we had brought my daughter’s stroller when she complained she could walk no further.

Those caveats aside, the Zoo is a pleasant way to spend the afternoon seeing both big beasts like elephants and lions, and the smaller, rarer creatures, like the panda bears and the sloth bears. We got a remarkably close-up look at a long-clawed sloth bear as he pressed his black frizzy coat up against the glass. “He needs detangler,” observed my daughter.

Realizing that there would be crowds, we got to the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum as soon as it opened at 10:00AM, and purchased our tickets for the IMAX movie, planetarium show, and virtual flight simulator experience.

With the world’s largest collection of historical aeronautical artifacts, there’s a lot to see, and it’s best to start with what interests you the most. If fatigue sets in later, you may have to give up something – for us, it was the moon rocks. But luckily, we had plenty of time for the walk though exhibits – like the 747 cockpit, the vintage DC-7 cabin, and the Skylab Orbital Workshop – which offered a better look at the interior compartments and control panels. We also joined in on a paper airplane contest, where the kids learned about stability, while building their own planes with paper clips in the middle, which allowed them to fly straighter and farther.

The International Spy Museum, my personal favorite of the places we visited, was not free, but worth it for anyone even slightly intrigued by spies, their gadgets, and their undercover adventures. When you arrive, you choose your “cover,” adopting a name and back story. Our 11-year old son took this task seriously, writing down all the details of Yuan Zheng, the 39-year old dentist he had become.

Most of the museum experience is looking at the collection of espionage artifacts behind glass, like disguises, weapons, invisible ink, and buttonhole cameras. You can also watch videos describing different facets of espionage, like surveillance and picking locks. You’ll learn about the history of espionage from its beginnings, in 400 BC, to modern day cyber threats.

With just a few “hands-on” exhibits, like the crawl-through air duct and the computer kiosk used to access satellite surveillance, our 4-year-old lost interest in an hour. This is definitely an experience best suited for ages eight and up, and our son wanted to see everything. Save time for the fantastic gift shop, with a fun selection of spy gadgets, movies, books, clothing, souvenirs and more.

Find Washington, D.C., Family Resorts and Hotels.

–Traci L. Suppa

Traci L. Suppa drags her small-town family to see a quirky array of the world’s largest, longest, or tallest things, and blogs about it at Go BIG or Go Home.

The itinerary for our recent weekend getaway to Philadelphia wasn’t your typical travelogue of American history. We were there for the International Flower Show, but also got a taste of some of the city’s offbeat highlights.

Dinosaurs – A fun temporary exhibit, “Giant Mysterious Dinosaurs,” is open at The Franklin Institute through April 15. My kids got a kick out of seeing the 50-foot Mamenchisaurus skeleton and the three robotic dinos, then searching for fossils in the Gobi Desert Dig Pit.

The Franklin Institute includes three floors of science and technology exhibits, as well as a planetarium, IMAX theater and 4D flight simulator. The giant model walk-through heart — two-stories high — had great sound and lighting effects, but was a little overwhelming for my 4-year old. She preferred The Train Factory – which houses the 350-ton locomotive Baldwin 60000. Families board its engine car in small groups, where you can pretend to add coal to the fire, blow the whistle, and release the throttle while the train slowly moves back and forth.

Dominoes – There are amazing outdoor public art installations throughout Philly. My kids happily romped around the Board Game Art Park on 15th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard. The work, called “Your Move” by artists Daniel Martinez, Renee Petropoulis, and Roger White, feature oversized sculpted game pieces from board game classics like Monopoly, Sorry, Parcheesi, dominoes, checkers and chess.

Delilah’s – One of the best places for a family to eat in Philadelphia is the Reading Terminal Market. With nearly 100 merchants – primarily food stalls — everyone can get what they like. Among the southern comfort food served at Delilah’s, you’ll find the mac n’ cheese which received Oprah’s seal of approval. It was pricey, but rich and delicious! What little room we had left was stuffed with scoops of chocolate and butter pecan from Bassetts, America’s oldest ice cream company. We purchased cookies from one of the Amish bakery stalls to take home.

Dogs – Granted, Philly is cheesesteak country. We went to Jim’s Steaks on South Street to try one of the city’s best, and found the line wrapped around the corner. So, we opted instead for Plan B, which turned out to be an A+ in our book. Just down the street, Hot Diggety has a creative menu of themed hot dogs – from The Bronx Bomber to the Saigon Fusion — served with thick fries scooped into paper cones.

–Traci L. Suppa

Traci L. Suppa drags her small-town family to see a quirky array of the world’s largest, longest, or tallest things, and blogs about it at Go BIG or Go Home.

We only had two days in Pittsburgh, and wished for a few more. The next time we go, we’ll make time for the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium, and the Kennywood amusement park.

Yesterday, we described the first day of our weekend getaway itinerary. Here’s how we spent our second day in Pittsburgh:

AM – Duquesne Incline
For one of the best city skyline views you will see anywhere, take a ride to the top of Mt. Washington on the historic Duquesne Incline, a restored wooden cable car in use since 1877. At 400 feet, the viewing platform gives you an unobstructed view of the three rivers – the Allegheny, Ohio, and Monongahela – which shape the city and meet at Point State Park.

While the roundtrip fare is inexpensive – just $4.50 for adults, and $2.20 for children – the real bargain is the 50-cent fee for a self-guided tour of the machine room to observe the original hoisting equipment.

Lunch — Doublewide Grill
Pittsburgh’s “South Side” district has a bohemian vibe, and a lot of fun shops and eclectic restaurants. The Doublewide Grill serves up original and delicious food, while heavily incorporating the building’s former life as a service station into the décor. There’s an inspired vegan and vegetarian menu, and plenty on the kids’ menu. My 4-year old daughter had the 7-Up pancakes, while I had the African peanut soup.

PM — Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Dinos rule; my daughter knows this. So we had to visit the world’s largest collection of Jurassic era dinosaurs, housed at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. And while the collection really is impressive, the “Dinosaurs in Their Time” hall wasn’t her favorite part of the museum.

The new “M is for Museum” hall on the third floor is a must-see. This expansive space dedicates themed stations for each letter of the alphabet. (e.g. A is for Artifact, D is for Draw, X is for X Marks the Spot). At the “C is for Collection” table, kids are encouraged to take a basket and create their own collection from a well filled with small plastic animals, butterflies, bugs, leaves, and more.

On the first floor, the Bonehunters Quarry is a big archaeological dig site. Kids get goggles, a pick tool and a brush, then unearth bones. Outside this area is the “Collection Connection” with racks filled with more than 50 tack boxes containing artifacts and literature describing the creature. I dared my son to open the bat box, where we found two shadow boxes containing real, taxidermied specimens. Luckily, they didn’t break after he gasped in fear and dropped them!

–Traci L. Suppa

Traci L. Suppa drags her small-town family to see a quirky array of the world’s largest, longest, or tallest things, and blogs about it at Go BIG or Go Home.

Have you heard Pittsburgh’s nickname, “Kidsburgh?” After visiting the city for a long weekend, I can see why this name has stuck. We were amazed at how much there is for families to do.

If you only have two days in Pittsburgh, and the seasonal attractions like the Kennywood amusement park aren’t open yet, I recommend an itinerary based on the city’s ample cultural attractions. Here’s how our family of four spent our first day:

AM – Carnegie Science Center
The Science Center is four floors of pure geek revelry, plus an IMAX theater, and a real submarine docked outside and open for exploration. We spent the most time on the second floor, which is shared by a model train village and “roboworld,” the world’s largest permanent robotics display.

Practically every exhibit in “roboworld” had some interactive component to demonstrate various concepts and technologies, like sonar, radar, thermal imaging, and more. “Hoops” is a giant robotic arm that shoots basketballs into a regulation net. In addition to seeing life-sized replicas of C3-PO and R2-D2, the highlight for my son was the air hockeybot, which pits a human player against a robotic arm.

Lunch — Primanti Bros.
A culinary institution known for its oversized sandwiches, Primanti Bros. has several locations, with the original in “The Strip” district. Bring your appetite, and order your sandwich with “the works’” which includes tomato, cole slaw, and french fries (yes, fries ON the sandwich.)

PM — National Aviary
One of the world’s largest free-flight aviaries, this facility is home to more than 600 birds representing more than 200 species from around the world, many of them threatened or endangered in the wild. You make your way through several different habitats, including grasslands, wetlands and a tropical rainforest.

We spent the most time in the penguin habitat, “Penguin Point,” and the “Lories and Friends” aviary. Penguin Point, a home for African Penguins and South African Shelducks, has indoor and outdoor observation areas, with plexiglass walls allowing you to watch them swim underwater. There are three tunnels kids can climb under to peek up into the habitat for a closer look at Patrik and his buddies.

At “Lorries and Friends,” you can buy a cup of nectar for $3.00 and bring it in with you to encourage the tame and friendly birds to come and lick the nectar. My four-year old daughter loved this experience. Bonus: she didn’t get pooped on. But guests who do have that honor will get a special button to wear upon exiting the exhibit!

–Traci L. Suppa

Traci L. Suppa drags her small-town family to see a quirky array of the world’s largest, longest, or tallest things, and blogs about it at Go BIG or Go Home.