One shop Grandpa Ron and I ALWAYS visit when we are in Carmel, CA, is Thinker Toys. It is on the corner of 7th and San Carlos. There are educational toys galore! There’s trains and books and games and just all kinds of play things! We must admit that we do enjoy seeing all the games we grew up with as well! 🙂
Their Motto is: “Cool Toys for Thinking Kids of All Ages”
On-Line Motto is: “Great Toys for Thinking Kids of All Ages”
There is also a shop at 480 DelMonte Center in Monterey, CA.
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Places to Explore | Tagged: Carmel, child, children, educational toys, family, fun, gifts, grandchild, grandchildren, grandma, grandpa, grandparent, kids, Monterey, Places to Go, Toys | 
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Posted by mygrandmasue
Yesterday I found a website absolutely loaded with info for grandparents. Check it out here.
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Posted by mygrandmasue
One of our favorite drives is the Avenue of the Giants. It is a section of Highway 101 in Northern California. By chance I popped in the CD “Music to Disappear In” into the player. Grandpa Ron and I had one of our most spiritual experiences driving through the redwoods with the god-like music playing. It was just so totally awesome! I even got a photo of fairies dancing in the sunlight in a small clearing in the trees. I’ll have to get that photo posted so you can see for yourself!
Roadside America has its own take of the tourist attractions to probably stay away from! 😉
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Posted by mygrandmasue
Check out the Kid’s Gardening website for ideas to make gardening moments to share with your kids or grandkids. The Parents’ Primer is the Family Resource Room feature for this month. From the site: “find out how to engage your children in outdoor explorations that cultivate their love of plants, gardening, and the environment.” The first resource of the Parent’s Primer is age expectations for what kids get out of ‘gardening’ depending on their age group. Just as Michelle Obama created the White House Garden with school children, you could have your own special garden to share with your favorite kids. Interesting aside: Two bee hives will be part of the organic White House Garden plan!
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Posted by mygrandmasue
Grandpa, Do It! I Do It, Too now has the Look Inside! feature on Amazon! Order now for Father’s Day! It is perfect for grandpas! Austin and Grandpa Ron play around the house and outside in the dirt, play at the river and the seashore, watch big trains and play with little trains, rest and fall asleep after a big day of new adventures together. It really is cute.
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Posted by mygrandmasue
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is celebrating its 75th anniversary of its opening in 1934 with all kinds of special events. Of course there is the normal hiking, horseback riding and bicycle riding and other outdoor activities as well! It is the most visited of all the national parks. Jerry Shriver had an awesome article Power to the people’s park in the May 8, 2009 USA Today paper.
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Posted by mygrandmasue
The League of American Bicyclists website has a list of the Bike Friendliest States. The top five states are Washington, Wisconsin, Maine, Oregon and Minnesota. Bike On!!
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Posted by mygrandmasue
The Audubon Magazine is one of the most beautiful magazines I get. I just read the Citizen Science article in the May-June 2009 Audubon on Whiz Kids by Susan Cosier and photographed by Chip Simmons. Eastern Pennsylvania kids help collect butterflies, moths, bees and flies for real, hands-on scientific research at the >Lehigh Gap Nature Center. Nature is so important for our well-being. Birding is a great way to get kids interested in science and to learn scientific methodology. It is a great article. Now that I’ve teased you, click on this link to get more….
This all folded into another article in the same Audubon magazine on a Guide to Birding Trails (Part 3 of a series). This link sends you to a list of birding guides on the Audubon website. You can probably find a birding trail for your area of the country there.
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Posted by mygrandmasue
The Quail Botanical Gardens is located in Encinitas, CA, just twenty minutes north of San Diego. There is a special Children’s Garden (The Seeds of Wonder) that opened to the public in April, 2003, as the West Coast’s first interactive children’s garden. Other gardens, covering over 35 acres of exhibits, include rare bamboo groves, desert gardens, a tropical rainforest, California native plants, Mediterranean climate landscapes, the Undersea Succulent Garden, the new Mexican Garden, Landscaping for Fire Safety, a subtropical fruit garden and a Miniature Railroad with a 1920-1930 local Southern California layout.
On Saturday, May 9, there is a Chocolate Festival with children’s activities, chocolate tastings, cooking demonstrations and Mother’s Day gifts.
On Saturday, June 13, from Noon to 4 PM the Public Grand Opening of the Hamilton Children’s Garden will take place. There is no admission fee.
Ongoing Programs from the website:
Ongoing programs complimenting the new children’s garden are rotated periodically. Most are geared toward children ages 18 months through 6 years old, although all ages are welcome. Ongoing programs are free with regular garden admission and pre-registration is not required unless otherwise noted.
Programs for Preschoolers:
2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th Tuesday: Tales and Tunes 10:30am – 12 noon
Children and their caregivers participate in stories and songs at 10:30 – 11:00. Play in the garden and pot plants to take home 10am – Noon.
Every Wednesday: Garden Arts and Crafts 10 AM – Noon
Children may participate in a variety of arts and crafts at 10:00 – 11:30. There will also be plant potting and other fun activities.
1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th Thursdays: Plants, Wings, and Crawly Things 10 AM – Noon
Children will discover the plants and bugs that live in our garden. Preschoolers will participate in special science activities from 10:00 – 11am.
2nd Friday of each Month: Friday Fun! 10 AM – Noon.
Children may pot a plant and play in the garden… Presented in cooperation with the San Diego County Department of Agriculture, Weights and Measures.
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Posted by mygrandmasue
Tanaka Farms in Irvine, CA, is holding Strawberry Tours through June 21. Kids can learn how fruits and vegetables are grown. The whole family could come pick strawberries! There is an hour-long tractor-pulled wagon ride around the farm. Lots of locals have lots of memories of going strawberry picking at Tanaka Farms!
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Posted by mygrandmasue
MyGrandmaSue 