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Get ready to load up the kids and geek out in grand style humming along to the theme to Halo 3 with Video Games Live (VGL) because they may be coming to the concert hall near you. They are an amazing multimedia concert event featuring music from the most popular More »
Get ready to load up the kids and geek out in grand style humming along to the theme to Halo 3 with Video Games Live (VGL) because they may be coming to the concert hall near you. They are an amazing multimedia concert event featuring music from the most popular video games of all time. Top orchestras & More »
Tags: family event, family fun
I was actually looking for a good toast or nonsequitur for Thanksgiving dinner but I stumbled across this interesting article from Smithsonian Magazine, Pilgrims Progress and the first Thanksgiving Feast. I guess I’ll have to fall back on history tidbits to fill in those quieter moments when conversations naturally wind down (such a dad thing to do, right). Just playing my role…
Be safe this holiday weekend.
Tags: family event, holidays
Come celebrate opening day of Governors Island at the FREE 4th Annual Family Festival on Saturday May 31st, from 12:00-4:00! This is a wonderful opportunity for your kids to see a real polo match, enjoy the sights and check out the beautiful skyline of Manhattan.
Brought to you by the Governors Island Alliance and partners, the festival will feature a full range of children’s activities including musical and dance performances, historic ship tours, bike parades, arts and crafts, face painting and more! Pack a picnic basket, bring some extra napkins and a set of plastic champagne flutes and jump on the ferry!
I like to hike as much as the next guy — I suppose. It is quite a different activity when you are in blistering heat and have not been blessed with an adequate amount of melanin. That said, I would say consider hiking throughout the band of canyons (Palm, Tahquitz, Murray, Andreas, et al.), nestled in the outskirts of Palm Springs, during the cooler months.
We experienced the Palm Canyon during the month of July (we really need to stay out of the desert in the summer months, there’s a reason these resorts drop their rates then). In hindsight, the Tahquitz Canyon probably would have been a better pick with its refreshing 60′ waterfall. For those of you who are avid hikers and/or very outdoor-sie types, you will really enjoy this any time of the year.
I think part of the problem for us was we did not take the guided tour (general admission $8 + $2/3 bucks for the hour long guided tour), I think our experience would have been very different. As far as the level of difficulty (hiking) or grading – I would say it is easy, so you could probably stand to bring a toddler who is old enough to have a good sense of balance. In general it is a nice option to get the kids away from the glitz of Palm Springs and enjoy the surrounding flora and fauna.
Related Links:
Head of Palm Canyon, Palms Springs, CA | VR Panorama
PalmSprings.Com
AmericaSouthwest.Com
Palm Canyon on Google Maps
My wife and I had been meaning to go to the Getty Villa for a while now. I must admit, the fact that you have to make a reservation to go kind of put us off, for some reason. It seems a bit snobby. We finally went with kids in tow, of course, and found it to be a surprisingly enriched experience.
Tucked away in a narrow ravine in the hills looming over the Pacific Coast Highway is the Getty Villa which is a meticulous and vibrant recreation of a Greco-Roman Villa served up as one part museum, one part archaeological dig and one part villa inspired from the ancient Roman Villa of Papyri which houses the private antiquities collection of oil mogul J. Paul Getty.
To set the mood for the experience, I recommend seeing the 12 minute introductory movie just inside the theater and then upon exiting I would sign up for one of the many guided tours offered. We did the Architecture and Gardens Tour and even though we did not last the full 45 minutes (actually the boys didn’t) we found the whole thing very fascinating. The guided tours are done with headsets and receivers that are linked the Tour Guide’s microphone which is nice because this allowed us to linger in the back of the group with the kids but still hear everything he was saying.
Depending on how old your kids are I would also recommend the Art Odyssey (ages 5+) where you can get a guided tour for your family or group or sign up for the Art Quest where kids and parents get to make jewelry inspired by the Greco-Roman styles (this is in the main courtyard). There is also a set of Art Detective cards in the family room which allow kids to identify certain pieces throughout the grounds (the Brentwood Getty Museum has the same kind of thing). The Family Room which is located right off the main peristyle is a great place to take a breather and let the little ones play in the shadow hall (their shadow is projected along-side over-sized Greco-Roman Soldier motifs you would find on the vessels and pottery of the time) or do some coloring.
**PARENT TIPS: You can only enter the Villa from the north-bound side of the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) and the entrance is just before Coastline Drive (you can not enter it from Coastline so keep a sharp eye). If you are approaching it from the south-bound side go just beyond it (about a quarter mile) and do a U-turn at the intersection of Porto Marina.
The museum is free but the parking is $8 dollars. If you are going with kids (+ stroller) park on the top level of the parking facility since everything leading up to the main area is uphill when you arrive it will mean one less elevator to wait for.
Also, consider packing a lunch. There is a very nice shady picnic area next to the gift shop where you can find vending machines (the prices in these machines are surprisingly normal) and plenty of tables.
Related Links;
The Getty Museum
Wikipedia – The Getty Villa
