June 11, 2009
Suzanne Broughton from the ‘ocmoms’ Orange County Register Moms Blog (with photos) wrote a great article about the St Regis Monarch Beach resort weekly Butterfly Release Ritual.
For the price of the valet parking, the whole family got a very special opportunity to watch the release of Monarch Butterflies from a big jar into the Dana Point, CA sky and the magical experience of each child to have a single butterfly on his/her finger for a while to marvel before it flitted off. Suzanne’s daughter to her “that her heart was beating so fast when they brought out the butterflies, she could hardly breathe.”
You have several opportunities to do this with your family if you are in the Southern California area – St Regis does it every Saturday at 7 p.m. through Sept. 5.
For other free or low-cost activities for families, visit ocregister.com/momblog.
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Nature Activities, Places to Explore | Tagged: butterflies, butterfly, child, children, Dana Point, family, fun, grandchild, grandchildren, grandma, grandpa, grandparent, kids, monarch butterfly, nature, ocmoms, Places to Go, St Regis, St Regis Monarch Beach Resort, Suzanne Broughton | 
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Posted by mygrandmasue
June 7, 2009
Ten Tips for Camping with Kids was an article in the 6/6/09 Reno Gazette Journal that called out to family campers. The attitude of the GROWNUPS is key!! Plan for fun but still have rules! This is well worth your time even if you aren’t in the Reno area – apply it to your area!
1 Comment | Nature Activities, Places to Explore | Tagged: backyard camping, camping, Camping With Kids, child, children, family, fun, grandchild, grandchildren, grandma, grandpa, grandparent, Green Hour, kids, nature, Places to Go | Permalink
Posted by mygrandmasue
June 6, 2009
This next week (June 6-14) is National Fishing and Boating Week. It is every year for the first full week of June. It coincides with Free Fishing Days in most of the States. Free Fishing Day means Grandpa can take the grandkids fishing and not need a license to do so! Check out the details at www.takemefishing.com. You can select your state to see if and when your state’s Free Fishing Day is.
The Reno Gazette Journal article identified June 13 to be Free Fishing Day at Nevada’s Division of State Parks parks. According to Dave Morrow, administrator of the Nevada Division of State Parks, “all of our water-based parks are participating by giving free entrance to visitors who show fishing poles at the park entrance.” Some of the participating parks are Washoe Lake, Sand Harbor, Dayton, Rye Patch State Recreation Area and Fort Churchill State Historic Park.
From the Nevada Department of Wildlife site, the Sparks Marina will have Rotary members from Sparks and Reno and staff from the Nevada Department of Wildlife on hand to assist those with little or no fishing experience. Fishing equipment will be available for children to use if they don’t have their own. Parents must accompany their children to the event.
Leave a Comment » | Nature Activities, Places to Explore, Sport Activity | Tagged: boating, child, children, Dayton, family, fishing, Fort Churchill State Historic Park, Free Fishing Days, fun, grandchild, grandchildren, grandma, grandpa, grandparent, Green Hour, kids, National Fishing and Boating Week, nature, Places to Go, Rye Patch State Recreation Area, Sand Harbor, Washoe Lake | Permalink
Posted by mygrandmasue
May 29, 2009
The Huntington is a beautiful place once owned by Henry E Huntington of railroad and Southern CA real estate fame. During his lifetime he collected fine and rare books to create one of the best libraries in the world, accumulated an impressive collection of British art – including Blue Boy and Pinkie, and constructed 130 acres into beautiful botanically-significant gardens.
The camillias are gorgeous – and one of the largest collections in the US.
The Huntington is at 1151 Oxford Rd in San Marino, Ca.
626-405-2100
Leave a Comment » | Indoor Activities, Nature Activities, Places to Explore | Tagged: Art Collection, child, children, family, fun, garden, grandchild, grandchildren, grandma, grandpa, kids, nature, Places to Go, San Marino, Southern CA, The Huntington, The Huntington Gardens, The Huntington Library | Permalink
Posted by mygrandmasue
May 28, 2009
Stroll gardens and hiking trails in 30 acres of beautiful trees, shrubs and flowering plants at Big Springs Gardens on Highway 49 between Bassetts Station and Sierra City, CA. They serve buffets: Thursday evening BBQ ($37.00 per person), Friday Buffet Luncheon ($35.00 per person), Saturday Early Afternoon BBQ Buffet ($37.00 per person) and Sunday Buffet Brunch (2 seatings ($37.00 per person)) in a lovely open air garden overlooking a tranquil trout pond. Reduced prices for children. Reservations Required (530-862-1333). Cash or Check Only. No Credit Cards.
Open Friday, June 5 – Sunday, September 27, 2009.
Package prices include admission fees to the gardens, the complete meal (minus alcoholic beverages), sales tax and service charge. See the website for details.
Leave a Comment » | Places to Explore | Tagged: Big Springs Gardens, buffet, child, children, family, garden, grandchild, grandpa, Green Hour, hiking, kids, mountain garden, nature, Places to Go | Permalink
Posted by mygrandmasue
May 27, 2009
Growing up in Fort Atkinson, WI, we periodically visited the local Indian Mounds in Indian Mounds Park as a school trip. There are eleven mounds consisting of tapering linear, conical, bird and turtle mounds. I found them fascinating back when I was 10 but I never thought I’d be studying Indian civilization when I was all grown up! Here is a list of Indian mound parks in Wisconsin (You have to scroll down to Jefferson County for Fort Atkinson.). The Princess Mound is at the Lake Mills Aztalan Museum at the Aztalan State Park, the site of a ceremonial and residential Native American town established around 1100 AD.
Leave a Comment » | Nature Activities, Places to Explore | Tagged: bird mound, child, children, family, Fort Atkinson, fun, grandchild, grandma, grandpa, Indian mounds, kids, nature, Places to Go, turtle mound | Permalink
Posted by mygrandmasue
May 27, 2009
Austin and Bella had fun watching the fish going up the fish ladder at Bonneville Dam in Cascade Locks, Oregon near the Columbia River Gorge. In May, a huge ball of sturgeon was discovered at the base of the dam by fisheries biologists, who at first thought it was debris. Sturgeon are one of the Columbia’s largest and most ancient fish. We have enjoyed feeding the fish and strolling the grounds at Bonneville Dam on several ocassions.
Leave a Comment » | Nature Activities, Places to Explore | Tagged: Bonneville Dam, Cascade Locks, child, children, Columbia River, family, fishery, fun, grandchild, grandchildren, grandma, grandpa, Green Hour, kids, nature, Places to Go, Sturgeon | Permalink
Posted by mygrandmasue
May 25, 2009
A great place to fish or birdwatch with Grandpa is Horseshoe Lake in Southern Illinois near Cairo. It has lots of large-mouth bass and catfish. The whole lake is 4 feet deep (3 ft average). It used to be part of the Mississippi River. There are 15 bald eagles in the Horseshoe Lake area in winter – they like the over 150,000 Canadian Geese that show up too! There is another Horseshoe Lake closer to St. Louis that has Cahokian significance and also the same kind of outdoor experiences available: fishing, boating, hiking, camping, birding and picnic areas.
Leave a Comment » | Nature Activities, Places to Explore | Tagged: birding, boating, child, children, family, fishing, fun, grandchild, grandchildren, grandma, grandpa, Green Hour, hiking, Horseshoe Lake, kids, nature, picnic area, Places to Go, Southern Illinois | Permalink
Posted by mygrandmasue
May 21, 2009
Lots of activities for little ones are on the calendar at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, Missouri. Then there’s the Butterfly House in Faust Park, 15193 Olive Blvd. in Chesterfield, EarthWays Center at 3617 Grandel Square – St. Louis, and the Shaw Nature Reserve at Hwy. 100 & I-44 in Gray Summit. Family classes and activities are offered at the Shaw Nature Reserve. The mbgnet is a wonderful, interactive learning and information tool that is a lot of fun to use. Virtual tours are also available!
Leave a Comment » | Nature Activities, Places to Explore | Tagged: butterflies, Butterfly House, child, children, Earthways Center, family, fun, garden, grandchildren, grandma, grandpa, Gray Summit, Green Hour, hiking, kids, Missouri Botanical Garden, nature, nature education, nature study, Places to Go, Shaw Nature Center, St. Louis | Permalink
Posted by mygrandmasue
May 17, 2009
A friend wanted suggestions for a romantic getaway to celebrate a 1 year milestone and I thought but a minute before coming up with Snoqualmie Falls and Salish Lodge, located about 30 miles from Seattle, Washington. Grandpa Ron and I enjoyed a weekend there many years ago and we still talk about it! It is where we adopted Bear, our first of now very many bears. He was sitting in the middle of the pillows on our bed when we arrived. We paid his adoption fee in the Gift Shop and he has gone on almost every trip we’ve taken anywhere ever since!
Salish Lodge has many scheduled activities that you can participate in. Even if the lodge is too high end for yur budget, Snoqualmie has other hotels and there are other nearby cities to stay. There is hiking, biking, horseback riding, kayaking, whitewater rapids, fishing and golfing galore – and a Railroad Museum!! We loved the train ride and the informative interpretive tour.
Leave a Comment » | Nature Activities, Places to Explore | Tagged: biking, child, children, family, fishing, fun, golf, golfing, grandchild, grandchildren, grandma, grandpa, Green Hour, hiking, hiking trails, horseback riding, kayaking, kids, nature, Northwest Railway Museum, Places to Go, Salish Lodge, Snoqualmie Falls, train, train ride, waterfall, whitewater rapids | Permalink
Posted by mygrandmasue
MyGrandmaSue 