Activity: Kansas City Auto Show

Kansas City Auto Show

Website: http://www.kansascityautoshow.com/

Location: Bartle Hall Convention Center, 301 West 13st, KC MO 64105

Cost: Adult Tickets: $10, although some coupons are out there. Kids: Free for under 7. Parking is additional as well so budget accordingly. I believe it is about 10 bucks.

Age appropriate: all

Review:

Things at Bartle Hall can be pretty cool if you get just a bit adventurous and go. Sure, you would think that a bunch of toddlers wouldn't want to go to an auto show but you would be wrong. If you put some serious thought into it, then it is clear that an auto show is practically an amusement park to anyone under 6. Big motors, race cars on display and the chance to push the buttons on over 1000 vehicles without anyone telling you to stop. It's practically Disney.

And as cool as it was to see the newer models of cars getting ready to roll off the line and into our hearts, the true greatness of this event were the oddities that surrounded it. Well, that and the corvettes because those things are still bitching. I made the kids get out so I could sit in it alone and dream that one day, I would own one. And have hair. Both would be awesome.

But the things that surrounded the auto show is what I think made it a truly great experience for both the kids and the adults. Let's start with the U.S. Army that had a section of the floor. Look, I know that they are trying to recruit my youngsters and I'm fine with that. I'm fine with that because they had a life sized video game where my 5 year old held a life sized M-16. You want awesome, there is your awesome. And for the record those things are heavy. It turns out that my daughter is a pretty good shot as well. The Army section was well done and geared probably toward the young teen, but we enjoyed it as well. Along with the shooting gallery they had a football toss station, free golf towels for dad and at the end of it they gave the kids dog tags. We called them all patriotic necklaces.

There was also a museum of sorts of past Army vehicles that included a hummer, a racing motorcycle and various WWII vehicles. We do love our history at KCDADS. One of the kids did get stuck in a tanker truck whose cab was 6 feet off the ground. Entertainment followed when said father had to get up in there and get her.

Of all the exhibits for cars though, one of the best done was the Jeep section. They actually had an obstacle course. You would ride in one of the Jeep models (they drive) and then proceed to see all that the jeep could do. From going over logs to driving up a 30 degree incline to simulate a mountain. I found it very well designed and promoted. The kids loved it although there is a height requirement on it. However the younger kids did enjoy just watching the older kids go on it.

I also want to give a big thumbs up to the Kansas City Royals who set up an exhibit that included the worlds biggest baseball as certified by Guinness World Book of Records. I didn't get the stats on this thing, but it's probably over 13 feet high. We did get yelled at a bit when one of the kids disregarded the vaunted red ropes and touched the baseball. But let me just say this: the kid is less than 2 feet tall, what kind of damage is she going to do to a baseball? Seriously? I'm not saying that we should have touched it but I am saying that I could understand how a 2 year old would want to. It's a huge baseball, how could you not want to touch it.

Now for a few words of caution though for those who are thinking they might want to go. I would head down on one of the off days, which means not a Saturday. We had fun because it wasn't that crowded and it was easy to keep track of our kids running from one car to another. Second, bring a sack lunch and do not eat there. The only place to eat at the actually show was a Quizno's and I found that 23 bucks for a couple of sandwiches, drinks and chips was a bit to much for not that much food. So save some money and just brown bag it. There are tables to the side where you can sit and enjoy your food.

Also, bring some extra water. The space is large and there aren't many fountains around so be smart and just bring your own. Finally, beware the red velvet ropes and your kids. Easy to bypass and it's easy for dad to get distracted while drooling over the brand new minivan that he has his eye on. The price is a bit high for what we usually go to with the 10 buck ticket and then parking on top of that. I hate paying parking but we had fun despite that.

Activity: Camping at Clinton Lake

Location: 798 N 1415 Rd, Lawrence KS. Park Office Phone: 785-842-8562

Website: http://www.kdwp.state.ks.us/news/State-Parks/Locations/Clinton

Cost: Varies depending on what type of site you want. But in general: Under 10 for a basic site, Under 20 for site with hookups. There is also a park registration vehicle fee upon entering the park, $4.

Age Appropriate: Depends upon the child, Dad's call on this one.

Review:

KCDADS do like to camp and hopefully I'll be able to put up all the sites we go to on the blog here for future KCDADS so that they will know what to expect. I won't be able to include all that there is to offer but will do my best to tell you about our experiences there.

We have been camping at Clinton Lake several times and have had an enjoyable experience each time. Let's start with the campsites themselves. There are many to choose from and I believe that Clinton Lake has 3 separate campgrounds to choose from. Some may be closed at times so make sure you call if you have your heart set on any specific campground to check availability.

The sites that we have been to I have found to be pretty decent. They are spacious and offer heavy tree areas if that is what you are looking for, which we were. But there are also camp sites that are more open and spacious so feel free to use those. We wanted areas that provided good shade and space and we were easily accommodated. You will also want to check the website for the rules of the campground and hours of operation. But in general, the park closes down at 10pm and quiet time is from 11pm to 6 am. The campsites we stayed at were well drained and offered nice flat levels. I believe that the rule is 2 tents per site max but again, please check the campground and sites.

As for activities, there is plenty to do around Clinton Lake and you wont' be disappointed if you are eager to get your outdoors on. We'll start with the beach because this is one area that I was a bit disappointed about. The beach itself is a bit rocky and access is not easy. It's a pretty good hike to reach it and you have to climb down long stairs to get to it. This makes it difficult when you are trying to lug a cooler out that way. It's not bad but it could be better. There won't be much in the way of building sand castles here though and your feet will get a bit sore after a while.

Clinton lake does offer some great hiking trails that I found pretty decent, maybe around average from what I've seen around her. But there are plenty of them so if you like to hike this is a good place. They offer a little challenge but do give you some great scenic views of the lake. The upkeep is ok, not great, but I don't think that's a bad thing at all considering the number of miles that there are to hike.

If you have a boat, this is a great lake for that. Easy access to the lake which is a must when boating. The lake itself offers some great places to roam around on and the kids will have a great time out on the water. The other boaters are courteous and it makes for a very good time.

Now back to the campsite. Sitting out by the campfire enjoying the stars is what makes this a great place to go. Clear skies and easy going park staff make a night here worth it. If you are looking for an easy experience, this is a good place to start. There are some playground equipment at some of the campgrounds but they are older and not much to write about. The second time we went camping here we didn't even bother with going to them.

As for the bathroom and facilities, I would again say it's about average. Showers are neither hot nor cold but spacious which makes it easy when trying to get a kid to wash off mud. The toilet area can be bug covered so if you have a kiddo, go in there first and kill some bugs and spiders first so that they don't freak out.

Clinton Lake is a good campground for us to go to. It's decently close and offers what we like best: peace and quiet.

Activity: Ice Skating

Location: There are several ice skating rinks and community centers that offer this activity. We went to: Line Creek Ice Arena. Contact nubmer 816-513-0760.

Cost: Varies depending on where you go. Look for the fee to be under 10 bucks a head. Our cost was 5 bucks for ice time and 2 bucks for skate rental.

Age appropriate: 3 and up. Keep the younger kids at home.

Review:

The KCDADS were fortunate enough to have a KCDAD set this up for us which might have made all the difference in the world. He offered to take us and our kids out on the ice and give us Ice Skating lessons. We would like to offer a big thank you to Jimmy for taking the time to do this for us!

With that said, I did find that the staff at the community center very helpful. They took their time with us and helped make sure that we got the right sized skates for the kids. Most of our kids, and some dads, had never been out on the ice before so it was reassuring that we had Jimmy there and the staff to help us make a smooth transition.

As for the ice itself, I have no idea what makes "good" ice and "bad" ice so I will say that it seemed great to me. Another neat little thing that they had was bleachers and a locker room with a glass wall so that you could watch others skate while you tied your own boots on. As you would imagine, this was helpful when some of our kids darting out that way while we were still lacing up.

What made this a great activity for us and the kids though was the home made "ice walkers" that they provided to us. As you can imagine, none of our kids really knew how to ice skate. To avoid a bad experience of noses and butts hitting the floor, we were giving the ice walkers. These were little walkers were made out of plastic tubing and resembled a walker. The kids would grab on to these to maintain balance while out on the ice. We had enough of them as well so that almost every child could have one. And when we were short the kids easily shared between breaks. As you can imagine, this can be a physically challenging task which is good. We need to push our kids at times and this was a good activity to do that.

We were able to skate for about an hour while our KCDAD gave pointers to the kids. As this ice rink was inside, this is also an activity that is good year round. It was a good activity and something that I think we will do again next year. I know that this activity can sound daunting but don't let that deter you from giving this a shot with the kids.

Activity: The Berry Patch

Location: The Berry Patch, 22509 S. State Line Road, Cleveland Mo. For directions see website!

Website: http://theberrypatchonline.com/

Cost: Varies upon how much you pick. It's free to go and play but you pay for what you pick. I found the prices way, way cheaper than buying blue berries at the store though!

Age appropriate: All Ages

Hours of operation: Varies based on season. Visit website for more details but in general, harvest time are in the months of June, July and August.

Review:

Go and pick some blueberries! It's a fun and great thing to do and this is the place to do it at.

For starters, you should check the website provided here for more information on how to get to the Berry Patch and what can be picked at the moment. Crops size and availability will vary from year to year based on growing conditions. Also make sure you check the picking report that is also on the website to see what the harvest will be like.

Now, on to the picking. We went when the it apparently was a "low harvest" and the picking report did not make it sound all that great. I was pleasantly surprised though when we showed up and there appeared to be plenty left to choose from. There are big fields where the blueberry bushes are and there were still some to be had. You had to work for them a bit more than usual apparently, but the group and our kids were up for the task. What we learned was that a 3 foot tall kid is the perfect height to get right up under the bushes for those hard to get berries that most people would skip. After an hour of fun work, and it was fun, my kids and I were able to walk away with a good 2 pounds of blueberries and that doesn't count the ones that they ate directly from the bushes.

The fields themselves were well kept and easy to navigate. Be warned though that you do need to keep an eye on the kiddos for several reasons. 1. blueberries stain. 2. The bushes are high enough that it is easy to lose track of your shorter kiddos. It was also somewhat of a busy weekend when we went as well but I found the entire site well organized, the staff friendly, and the other visitors friendly as well. It made for a good time.

Now once your picking is done, there are other farm like things to be done here. For a small fee (2 bucks a kid) you can have your child ride on their "train" which is a bunch of little cars being pulled by a tractor. There are also plenty of hay bales to climb on which is always a great activity for the kids. Finally, there is a small playground that the kids can run around on. It's a bit run down but still fun. There was a large drainage tube there as well that the kids loved to get inside of while their friends pushed it down a hill. Don't worry, this is intentional and it's not a construction site leftover. It's really fun and there are plenty of places from some great pictures with the family.

Once you have picked your berries, it's now time to pay for them. If it's busy, you are going to have a bit of a wait. You have your berries weighed at the front and then get in line to pay for them. The line to pay for them though is through the actual gift shop, which I'm pretty sure is intentional as they are trying to get you to buy various nick nacks. It works and we walked out of there with some honey sticks and also the best glass of blue berry lemonade that I have ever had. Honestly, it was worth waiting in line just for that glass. I didn't even know there was such a thing. However, if your kids are waiting in line with you be prepared to grab a lot of darting hands here and there. There are a lot of interesting things in the gift shop and they love to grab them when you are not looking.

If you have planned well, and I'm assuming you did as you are reading this, you have brought a packed lunch. This is a great place to have lunch at on a good cloudless day. There are picnic tables but also bring a blanket and throw it between some trees. We did this and it worked out very well.

This is defiantly an activity that we will do again next year. I'm also hearing that Blackberries will be good to go in 2012. Expect to see the KCDADS in full force.

Activity: Drive in Movie Theater

Location: There are several around time, please use Google. We used the Twin Drive In located at 1320 N. 291 Highway, Independence Mo

Cost: The Price of a movie ticket, about 8 bucks

Age Appropriate: 2 years of age and up. I think the younger kids would be a bit bored.

Review:

There are some good things to say about this place and some bad things. The idea was great and the KCDADS and wives got together for a showing of the Smurfs. I won't comment on the movie.

The drive in costs the same as you would pay for a movie ticket so that's a good thing. The facilities though are a bit worn down. There is no grass to lay blankets on and most of the joint is in need of a serious paint job. I can't comment on the quality or cost of the concessions either becasuse we brought our own stuff.

That is one of the great things about doing a drive in movie. Basically, we tailgated. And that's what made this place worth it. We had a whole set up. We had blankets to go over the gravel, coolers that acted as tables with fresh refreshments. We brought in prepopped popcorn and plenty of other snacks.

We found four great little spots in the middle and backed our vans up. We then popped the trunks and the kids could either sit in there (sometimes they did), on the blankets, or in the lawn chairs. It was mostly wives at first but another dad did join us. One of the other things that I liked about doing a drive in, other than reminding me about my own youth, was that if the kids did get bored, they could run around a bit. It wasn't very crowded and they didn't bother anyone and there was enough space to run between our parked cars. This became an issue the later the movie got.

It was like a late night picnic was some easy entertainment. The adults could also catch up and talk and since we were outside, it didn't really bother anyone. The sound for the movie now comes through your radio as well so that was acutally a nice touch.

Finally, if you were so inclined and the smurfs were about to melt your brain, there were 3 other movies showing behind us. I found it fun to turn around and watch 10 minutes of Planet of the Apes to a Smurf soundtrack. This probably explains my last beef with this place: there was some pot smoking going on. I don't know who and I don't know where but I know what doobage smells like. Just a word of caution on this one.

It's a fun activity and we will go again next summer but I'm guessing we might try to find a different place.

Activity: Longview Lake Beach

Location: Take I-470 to Raytown Road and turn south, go approximately two miles, turn left.

Website: Longview Lake Beach

Ages: Appropriate for All

Cost: $3.00 for children under 15, $5.00 for adults

Hours of Operation: WEEKDAY

May 31 - June 10	3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m
June 13 - August 12	1:00 p.m - 7:00 p.m.
August 15 - August 19	3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

WEEKENDS & HOLIDAYS

May 28 - September 5

11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Review:
This is the second great lake beach we have found in the KC area. In the summer, it's a great place to go.

Located on west side of Longview lake, it can be a bit difficult to find. But just drive around the lake and you'll come across the facility that serves as the gate for the beach. A word of caution though, the gate to get in can be a bit tricky if you are carrying a load of stuff that going to the beach with children requires. But be patient and persistent, the beach is worth it.

This is a large beach, probably a bit smaller than a football field. It's covered with good sand, not the crap that you can sometimes find at lake beaches. This sand extends into the lake itself so there is no mud or seaweed that could freak the kids out. However, there is no shade or chairs on the beach itself so you will need to bring an umbrella (if you have it) and chairs. Or you could just lay down on a towel which is fine but just remember that the sand can get mighty hot. Bring sandals or flip flops for the whole family to make it past some of the hotter spots.

But once the kids get down to the water, it's all play. Sand castles, moats, little wars between good and evil, it's perfect. The water itself also slopes gently and goes for a pretty long way so it is deceptive about how deep it is. Make sure you keep a good eye on the kiddos when they are out there.

There are also a couple of beach volleyball courts out there for a couple of you more athletic dads. As for locker rooms and bathrooms, I honestly can't say as we had no need for them.

This is worth several trips in the summer where you can spend a great day at the beach.

j

Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

Website: http://www.nlbm.com/

Hours: Tuesday-Saturday: 9:00 am to 6:00pm. Sunday: Noon to 6:00pm

Cost: $8.00 for adults. $3.00 For children under 12. Free for children under 5.

Appropriate Ages: Stroller kids. Kids probably aged 7 and up and enjoy baseball. Not the best place for toddlers.

Location: 1616 East 18th, Street. KC MO

Parking: Parking is free and on the street in front of the museum. This area can get a little busy so you might have to drive around a bit. We parked on a Thursday morning and really had no problems.

Review: The museum is in the 18th and Vine area which does give off a very cool vibe. It's a place that has some history and the museum fits in well here. The museum itself is in the center of the street and shares the same space as the Jazz Museum. We didn't get a chance to do that one but it's worth a second visit to do so.

Like many museums in the KC area, this one is well done. It tells the story of the players and the people behind the Negro leagues. There are historical exhibits here to see but this is a more of a read as you go thing. That's not to say that there are not artifacts there as well, there are. But the true greatness of this museum is the story that is told that is behind all the artifacts.

The museum does a great job telling you this story. Pretty soon, you feel like you are taken back to that era. The owners, executives and the players guide you through that time. As one of the dad's said, it does a great job or recreating the era that we were there to learn about.

There are a few interactive type exhibits there but not many. You can type in a players name and it will search for it and give you the background or known information on them. There is also a movie but we were unable to see it as the kids tend to have problems staying still for very long.

We did the self guided tour and it ended in one of the highlights of the museum. They have recreated a miniture baseball field at the end and have statues of at each of the positions of famous players. This is actually pretty cool with the low lighting.

A quick note about taking the kids though. There is way to much reading for kids unable to read to really enjoy this. You'll spend most of your time chasing them around. The kids did like looking at the bats, uniforms and balls as much as the dads did. However, they had little patience for the abundance of reading. My advice is to leave toddlers at home and only take stroller kids or older kids that can truly get this a little bit better than ours did.

All in all, this is something that I would want to visit again without the kids with me. Take a chance on it and you won't be sorry.

Activity: Cars at Crown Center

Location: 2450 Grand Blvd, KC MO:

Website: Crown Center. This link takes you to the Crown Center Event Calendar.

Ages: Appropriate for All usually, depending on what activity is being offered at Crown Center.

Cost: Usually Free, however an UNVALIDATED parking ticket will cost a min of $7.00.

Hours of Operation: Visit Crown Center Event Calendar for more details.

Review:

Although we will be talking about seeing the replica vehicles from the movie "Cars", this review is really for all of Crown Center.

Crown Center, one of our area shopping centers, can offer some pretty great stuff from time to time as far as free little programs come through it. We have seen the Lego Exhibit, a replica of The Wizard of Oz, Santa and now the "Cars" cars.

So let's get right to it. Parking kinda sucks. It just does. There are some free lots around the mall but expect a pretty long walk. There are parking garages that offer pretty good spaces though and that's what I went with. However, if you do not have a validated ticket from someone in the mall, it's going to cost you a min of 7 bucks. If it's validated, you get 3 hours free. I forgot to get my ticket validated so I had to pay. In general, I hate paying for parking and I hate it even more for something like this. 7 bucks is just way to much to pay for parking unless there is beer involved. So that part was a bit of a rip off.

Onto the event itself. The cars were in front of the mall in the fountain area. Other Crown Center Programs are usually on the second floor. For this one though, there were 3 cars to look at. Lightning McQueen, Mater, and the new car from the new movie. They were full size and I will say, were very well done. They looked exactly like they did in the animated movie. If your kid is a fan of Cars, this was a cool thing to do. They also had 2 bounce houses that the kids could play in. The set up was pretty nice and really well done visually.

Now this is where I start panning Crown Center stuff.

The organization for this event, and for several Crown Center events usually just isn't that good. In this case, it was a one day showing so everyone and their dog was there. The crowd was huge. I don't like crowds so maybe this sours me a little. However, I don't think so. In order to see the front of the cars, you had to wait in a very long line for about an hour. Then a professional photographer would take your picture in front of the cars, which were roped off and no touching rule was in force. I thought this was kind of crap.

Have you ever waited an hour in line with a kid for a 3 second payoff? Not good man. And since other people were behind you waiting their turn, you couldn't really just sit and look. To do this, you had to go around the side and see the cars that way. Mater, a child favorite, was just to far away for the kids to really get into it. I chose not to wait in line that long and we just looked from the side and took a few quick pictures. It was a lot of hype and waiting for very little payoff. The kids quickly lost interest and it was time to move on.

For us, this is the story with events at Crown Center. They can host some really cool and original ideas. But if you go, you have to be prepared to fight the crowds as they are always, always busy. And that means that you won't be able to spend much time at any individual thing as other people are waiting to get in. It's a tough call on whether to go to these things or not. Good and original ideas with bad organization. So it's a crap shoot.

I believe this is our fourth venture into Crown Center for a display and it's been true each time. To many people in to small of a space with to little time to actually enjoy it. We've even gone on "off times" but there usually a crowd waiting. There is to little space to accommodate the large crowds. Use your own judgement on whether or not to go to the next event held there. It will probably be well done, but chances are you and 5000 other parents will be knocking elbows while your child tries to see what there is to see. Just don't forget to buy $1 dollar worth of some crap to get your ticket validated.

Activity: Mine Creek Battlefield

Location: 20485 Kansas Highway 52, Pleasanton KS

Website: http://www.kansastravel.org/minecreekbattlefield.htm

Ages: Appropriate for All

Cost: $2

Hours of Operation: Battlefield is open from sunup to sundown. Visitor Center times vary, so check the website.

Review:

We should really have a special section on civil war battlefields.

From the website:

"One of the largest cavalry engagements of the Civil War (and the largest west of the Mississippi River) was fought at theMine Creek Battlefield in Kansas on October 25, 1864 near present day Pleasanton when 2,500 Union soldiers defeated nearly 3 times that number of Confederate soldiers."

When one thinks of "Civil War Battlefield" the image of this place should come up. It's just a huge field in the rolling hills of Kansas. Seriously, it's gigantic. And it's a huge field.

Kids love huge fields though. They love space to run. They love space to tackle each other. And they love space to hide in the tall grass and hide from Dad.

The field is set up for a walking tour and walk you will. To walk the entire dirt track of the field is at least 2 to 3 miles. But you can get a stroller down there if you so choose. We made it about halfway before screaming kids asked us to turn around. But the parts that we did get to was well worth it.

Standing out in the middle of that big field made you really realize something about the Civil War. Mostly that if you were a lowly infantryman on either side, you were basically screwed. There was no hope for you pal. None what so ever. Where are you going to hide in the plains of Kansas? It's flat. There is no where to go. Now imagine that you were facing down charging Calvary on this plain. Yup, now you are double screwed.

That's the feel you get from this. The insanity that was that war and the bravery it took just to stay still. In the end, this is the battle that ran the Confederate army out of Missouri and Kansas once and for all.

The visitor center is a pretty nice setup. It's nicely built and well maintained. The local curator proved that he was very knowledgeable about the site and was very friendly with the kids. He seemed to enjoy their reckless abandon more than we did. There are several exhibits inside the visitors center that are well worth the stop off to read. There is also a display of all the bullets that have thus far been found on the battlefield and that is pretty interesting.

Take a trip to a big battlefield when you have a day to kill.

As for where to eat, your guess is as good as mine. There's not much in Pleasanton. My companion for the trip described it this way as we made our way through downtown:

"This is the kind of place that you always see the zombie Apocalypse come through."

All we were missing was a breeze and a tumbleweed.

Activity: CW Parker Carousel Museum

Location: 320 South Esplanade, Leavenworth KS

Website: http://www.firstcitymuseums.org/carousel_main.html

Ages: 1 and up.

Cost: The carosel ride is $1.50 a ride. There is a museum tour at $6 for adults, children 12 and younger are $3

Hours of Operation: Thrusday, Friday, Sat--11-5, Sunday 1-5.

Review:

You've got to do this. Get off your caboose, load the kids, and take an adventure in Kansas.

Of all the unusual things that we may have done, this might rank right up there. It was certaintly one of the most fun. It's a little hard to find but luckily Leavenworth isn't that big of a town. If you get lost, just ask a local.

The carosel museum offers two things: 1. A musuem tour. You are not allowed to look around by yourself and it must be guided. As our kids are notorious for not listening and wrecking things, we opted out of this. However, it is the second thing here that you really can't miss.

You get to ride a 100 year old carosel. Sound boring? Sound mundane? Dude, try it and then come back to us.

There is a working carosel from 1913 that is open for rides during normal business days. It's like no other carosel ride that you have ever seen or been on. First, there isn't really music like you would expect. The music for the ride is supplied by some sort of machine and I'm not really sure how to describe it but I'll do my best. You remember Dick Van Dyke in Marry Poppins? Ok, that's it. It has a drum that beats as you go around and the music is contained on a metal cylinder. And it's loud. Keep that in mind.

The carousel itself is from 1913 and has been restored by the museum. All the horses are hand painted and the look is truly unique. The ride even more so.

Having children I think that it fair to say that I've been on my fair share of carousels. However, I have never actually gotten dizzy on one until I rode this monster. We were told that the carousel moves along at "8 Knots" Now, I'm not a seafaring man, I have no idea how fast a "knot" is. So allow me to translate. It's really freaking fast. Fast enough that you must hold on or you will go flying off. My son only wanted one ride on this contraption but my daughter wanted 6. It was very, very fun.

Also in this room they have another very old carousel. It dates from 1850 and is an oddity that is worth seeing. It's a hand cranked carousel, I didn't even know those things existed. It's fun to look at and wonder though who was doing the cranking on this thing.

All in all, a fun trip and worth the time to get out there. Highly recommend and the staff was gracious and accommodating.

And while you are out in Leavenworth, on a side note here, feel free to drive by the federal prison. After you do, you will be sure that THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL ANYONE IS EVERY ESCAPING THAT PLACE. It's an interesting little side trip to scare your children straight.

320 South Esplanade, in Leavenworth, KS

Natural History Musuem, Lawrence KS

Location: 1345 Jayhawk Blvd. Lawrence KS

Website: http://naturalhistory.ku.edu/visit

Ages: Appropriate for all ages.

Cost: Free--but parking is $1 an hour

Review:

The museum is located on the actual campus of KU so get your rock chalk jayhawk thing ready and come on down. Although I wouldn't even think about hitting on the coeds my brothers because you are now an old, old man with baggage. The baggage being the kiddos that you drag along to this thing. Coeds don't like that kind of baggage. However, you can buy beer so maybe you have that going for you.

The Museum is a little difficult to find so make sure you visit the website first to get directions. Parking is also a bit of a pain and it costs a buck an hour so bring some quarters and some dollar bills.

But once you find it, it's a great place to go. The museum itself is actually free and we always love free. Free is greatness to all of us single income people. And as is the nature in these parts, free doesn't mean crap. This place is great.

There are 4 levels to the museum. The bottom floor is dedicated to the creepy and the crawly. Giant roaches? They have them. Things that fly and land on your neck ready to suck you like a vampire? They got those two. The whole space down there though is really well thought out and kid friendly. It's a touch and learn type of place. It's a smallish room but it's set up well and seems to encourage the kids learning on their own. And although the giant Godzilla like cockroaches freaked us all out, the bottom floor is really well done.

The rest of the floors are dedicated to other things, the highlight being the dinosaur bones. I didn't think we would find that much when we first arrived and I am happy to say that we were surprised. They the head of a triceratops and without a doubt the biggest damn turtle shell I have ever seen. Seriously, it's like a dinner table. Most things are also set behind glass so your kids won't destroy them. The exhibits are set up on either side of the hallways so there is plenty to look at. It was fun seeing the kids reactions to everything that we had seen.

The top to floors I found a little spooky but still well done. They were filled with stuffed animals of every size and shape. The highlight here is the giant stuffed bear. The signs say "do not touch" but I don't think the kids could help themselves although I'm proud to say that no permanent damage was done.

If you see one thing though in this museum though, see the beehive. It is freaking cool. On the top floor is a hollowed out tree trunk covered in plexiglass. This is where the bee's live. They get to the outside through a glass tube. You and the kids get to see everything, inside and out. It is one of the most original exhibits I have ever seen.

The museum is worth the drive out there and I would recommend it for anyone looking for a cheap adventure.

As for lunch, you have a couple of options. You can go into the town of Lawrence and find you something as there is plenty there. It's a nice town with helpful people so I would expect no problems.

Or you can head to the student union and try to relive your own glory days of eating Roman Noodles and sipping on very cheap beer. We did the student union and I was pleased with the space, the prices and the coeds.

Blue Springs Lake Beach

Location:
470 N from Lee's Summit. Exit Bowling Rd.

Cost: $5.00 for adults, $3.00 for kids, children 2 and under are free.

Hours:

June 1 - June 11	3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m
June 14 - August 13	1:00 p.m - 7:00 p.m.
August 16 - September 3	3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

WEEKENDS & HOLIDAYS

May 29 - September 6

11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Longview Beach will be closed Sunday, August 22nd.

Appropriate for all ages.

Website: This site will give you PDF files for both Blue Springs Lake and the campground to help you find where you are going.
http://www.jacksongov.org/content/3279/3763/3765/default.aspx

Review:
I'm not going to review the whole lake, that would be impossible. But I will let you know that the beach is there and a good find.

Kids 2 and under are free to get in, which is always cool because I love free stuff. As for the beach, it is about the size of a football field and it is sand. It's a coarse sand and not the fine stuff you will find near the ocean. But for a lake, it's dang fine.

The beach has 3 lifeguard stands and at least one is manned. It runs about 100 yards next to the lake itself and is about 30 yards deep. This gives plenty of space to house 2 volleyball courts and have plenty of space left over to lay your towel down. The beach eases it way into the lake and the sand actually goes into the lake through the entire swimming area. This is a nice touch. Your kids will have plenty of space to swim or dig in the sand and build sandcastles.

Beware though, there is no shade or umbrellas on the beach. You have to pack everything in such as a lawn chairs. But if you don't mind doing that, it's a really fun day. Just use plenty of sunscreen.

We didn't use the bathrooms but they were there. I was told that there is no locker room or showers so don't expect them.

Activity: World War I Museum

Location:

100 West 26th Street

Kansas City, MO 64108

Get Directions

(816) 784-1918

Hours:
Tuesday-Sunday: 10am to 5pm
Cost:

Adults	$12
Seniors (65+)	$10
Students (18+ with ID)	$10
Youth (6–17)	$6

**Parking is free**
Website: http://www.theworldwar.org/s/110/new/index_community.aspx

Appropriate for all ages.
Review:
If you haven't been to the WWI museum yet, you should drop what you are doing. Go find a priest. Confess your sin and ask for absolution. There is no excuse for not seeing this. This is one of Kansas City's most spectacular museums (I've seen a lot, trust me) and lives up to whatever expectations you have. Besides, we are stay at home dads, how could we not love teaching our kids about giant guns?

Start your visit by going up top of the museum, where all the granite is. This is one of the best views of downtown and a great picture spot. Check out the huge giant griffons and the really great buildings on top. And if you are feeling particularly adventurous, take the kids to the top of the Liberty tower. It's a long way up man, but take a try and work that heart. This is also a great space for the kids to run around in and not break anything.

Then go to the museum itself. Before you enter, there are several interactive displays showing photos of soldiers from that time period. That sums up this museum, interactive. Once you have your tickets you crossover a glass walkway. Underneath is the poppy field and it's pretty amazing but also somewhat freaky. Some of your kids may be a little scared about doing this but that's ok because they also have black mats that you can walk over. You can choose which entrance you would like to do first: The American side or the European side. Both are very much worth it and you can do both in one visit without to much worry.

Inside the museum it's safe to let the kids off the leash a little bit. There is nothing that they can break. Thick glass displays protect most of the exhibits. The things that aren't protected are huge steel guns and I would pay money to see a kid actually destroy one of those monstrosities. Throughout both sides there are plenty of well done "movies" playing that inform you of the time period and of the war. In fact, there is so much of this that you won't be able to watch them all with kids present as you are constantly being pulled to the next exhibit. You will defiantly want to come back again to get the full experience.

Also on each side of the museum (American/European) they also have some really cool exhibits that give you an idea of what it was like. From a life size, walk through trench to a bomb crater, you will get a feel for what soldiers went through. You kids will really dig this. But what they will dig the most is the middle of the museum. Here is what I call the "situation" room. It's a very large table that has many stations on it. At each station is an interactive exhibit to keep everyone busy. It contains information on just about anything you could want to know about the war. From the weapons that were used to the movements in the actual war. You shine a miniflash light on what you want to know and the display starts. Totally worth it. To the side of the situation room is also something very unique. Sounds of the era. These are little rooms where you can hear original recordings of songs, speeches, diaries, you name it. Worth the stop.

Which brings to the one thing I have to warn you about concerning this museum. The Theater. We usually skip theaters because our kids don't sit still. However, this one is a little bit different and hard to describe. It's a movie describing the war but one of the best done complete immersion experiences I have ever had. You sit in a balcony. Below you is a recreation of a battlefield. A good recreation. Behind that is canvas that serves as the screen. It is realistic enough and scary enough that your kids may freak out during this. Movies start every 30 minutes and very worth it but just be warned that the kids might not do so well.

When you are done with the museum, the front is a great place to have a picnic on a nice day. There is really to much to describe here so just look at the pictures. Then decide to go, you'll be happy you did.

Activity: Chocolate Exhibit At Union Station

Location: 30 W Pershing Rd Kansas City, MO 64108

Cost: $9.50 ages 13 and up, 3 to 13 is $7.

Ages: all

Hours of Operation: 9:30 to 5:30 Tuesday through Sat. Closed Monday.

Website: http://www.unionstation.org/

Review:
Rarely do I rip an activity that we go to as a group. Time to make an exception. But why write about an exhibit? Because it might come back next year.

So let me save you 15 bucks: skip this one. The price just cannot be justified for what the Chocolate exhibit is. It is billed as discovering the history of Chocolate, from seed to sweet. In this, I found that the exhibit did a halfway decent job. Mostly what the exhibit is is a bunch of plaques and a few artifacts from ancient Maya and Aztec explaining the importance of the cocoa bean. Then it goes through the evolution of it.

And that's about it. It took us about 20 minutes to go through the whole thing and for 9 bucks for an adult and 7 bucks for my daughter, I was expecting more. They talk a little about the making of chocolate but not enough and certraintly no hands on experiences here. There were a few videos of chocolate being made but no discussion of it. Plus, the video's looked like they were from the 80s and were only missing a guy with a bad haircut and a porn stach. If you are going to talk about chocolate, then show a hands on approach to how it's made or cooked. Get a Foundu pot at least, that's all I'm saying.

The biggest disappointment was no samples though. Which is surprising considering when you enter the exhibit you are over whelmed with the sweet smell of fresh chocolate only to be disappointed to find that there is actually no real chocolate there. I was told that they would have some free samples on the weekend but that really just shows how half assed this exhibit was.

But let's give this one good thing to it's credit. The docent's were awesome and took family photo for us.

Activity: Alldredge Orchards Apple Picking

Location: They are located at six miles south of Platte City, Missouri:
> 10455 Highway N
> Platte City, MO 64079
> 816.330.3448

Cost: Flucuates depending on how many apples you wish to take home with you. Word of caution: A bushel of apples is a LOT.

Ages: Appropriate for all ages

Website: http://www.alldredgeorchards.com/

Hours of Operation: Open Spring through Fall. Hours vary according to the season so refer to the website.

Review:
If you have a hankering for some apples, come here. They also had pumpkins and various flowers available for purchase as well.

Let's start with the apple picking. Having never been to an apple orchard before I didn't know what to expect. Now I do. There a ton of trees to choose your apples from and numerous sizes of baskets to take. But let me warn you again, a bushel of apples is a lot of apples. So have some recipes ready becuase you are going to need them. Alot of the apples hang close to the ground level so the kids can have fun picking thier own right off the tree. For those more hard to reach areas for that perfect apple, they give you a tool. I'm sure it has a name but I have no idea what it is. It's a long pole that you use to grab the apples down. My kids had a great time and I think everyone else that went did as well. We had a great turn out which is one of the reasons I love bringing all the families into it.

But it's not just You-Pick apples that are offered here. It's an entire farm so that means animals, namely free roaming chickens. I don't know why but kids love chickens. They love to chase them, they love to try and catch them and they love to run away from them when they squawk. Very funny stuff. Goats and a pony were also on site. The kids discovered that goats love to eat apples who knew. There is also a track for pedal cars that every father felt the need to get on and race. I don't know why we are still competitive but we are. For the record, I'm slow.
There is also a small playground that the kids enjoyed.

But we couldn't really give a great review without mentioning the store and the food. The store has fresh farm produce that you would expect. It's good stuff. But not as good as the made from scratch food that they offer. If you go, I highly recomend getting the chicken soup. I know, raving about soup, that's wierd. But you have never tasted soup like this before. Hands down the best soup of any type that I ever had. And the apple dumplings, well, as this is a family site I won't use the word orgasmic. But it was.

Go prepared to spend a good amount of time here. It's well worth it.

Activity: Ghost Tours John Wornall House

Location:
6115 Wornall Road
Kansas City, MO 64113
Phone: (816)444-1858

Website: www.wornallhouse.org/
They admit that the site stinks (alot of info is wrong) and said they are working on changing it. Best bet is to call them.

Hours and rates:
Ghost tours happen one weekend every October (This year it was Oct 23-24th) they also might do it in March. So chances are you missed it. I am basicly reviewing this so you know about it for next year. Tours ran at 7, 8, 9, and 10pm, and cost $15 per person. Be sure to call since space is limited, I am not sure if reservations are required.

The Missouri Irish Brigade fireside ghost stories and the Paranormal group demonstration were free. The Irish Brigade was camping out on both nights, the Paranormal group was there on the 23 but I don't know about the 24th.

Ages: Any age for the Irish Brigade and Marshmallows, not sure about the tour, I imagine it depends on the kid, same goes for the paranormal group.

Review:
Okay I wasn't there to see the house or hear it's haunted history, which apparently it has plenty of. So I know nothing of the actual Ghost Tours. I will say the house looked kind of creepy with all of the lights off inside which is enough to weird me out. The house was used during the civil war by both sides I believe and at one point was a battle field hospital with an amputation room, so I am sure it has plenty of dead people available to haunt it. I went to see the Missouri Irish Brigade and the Paranormal Group.

So the fireside Ghost stories were told by a group of Civil War Reenactors who portray the Unions Missouri Irish Brigade. www.moirishbrigade.org/index.html Two of the members are Stay-At-Home Dads which is half the reason I went. They were all dressed up in their civil war garb and it was a shame it was so dark because I couldn't get a great view of their outfits or equipment, but what I did see was pretty cool. They are happy to tell you all about their group, how to join and what they do. Like a bunch of drunks they are always looking for fellow drinkers to join the party. They had some chairs arranged around the campfire and were quick to get you a stick and a marshmallow to put on it. The stories were cool but I must admit the one story I really paid attention to got stopped because everyone was heading into the house for their tour but up until that point I was riveted.

The Paranormal group was housed in the carriage house (I unfortunately don't remember their name). It was two women and a table decked out all of their Paranormal gear. They were very knowledgeable regarding what they do and why, and it was truly interesting talking to them. Checking out their gear was fairly cool. I was expecting to see a bunch of exotic ghostbuster type stuff, but most of it was things I had seen before: digital voice recorders, flashlights, digital cameras, infrared cameras,and walkie talkies. The more impressive stuff was the funky thermometer and electromagnetism detector. The really cool part was the laptop computer that they used to play the recordings of their encounters (some of which were at the Wornall house). They seemed to have an endless supply of recording to show.

I can't say I was convinced that ghosts existed from talking to them. Most of if not all of their recorded "voices" were not clear enough to positively know what made the noise or what they were actually saying (you could easily hear what you wanted to hear). But hey, I wasn't there when the sounds were recorded, so what do I know. On one file they had what sounded like a thunderclap and a scream that the recorder pick up loud and clear but no one in the house actually heard. And they also showed a video where the camera was knocked off a dresser it was sitting on. It all comes down to wheather you trust them or not. I do know that if you talk to two true believers long enough they will get you to wondering if it's true, and they will have you looking over your shoulder as you walk back to your car.

I would do the fireside ghost stories again especially as my kids get older. A life isn't lived if you haven't sat around a campfire and heard ghost stories, it should be required. The Paranormal group was also worth seeing although I don't know if they will be back every year. As for the Ghost Tour someone will have to go on it and tell us how it is.

Reviewed by Mr. Rogers

Fear and Loathing in Omaha

10 Stay At Home Dads (SAHDs) from the KC area recently attended the National SAHDs conference in Omaha. For this first time attendee, it was an amazing experience. It was three days filled with fun, bonding, and the sharing on knowledge and experiences that will enrich our roles as SAHDs. So I offer to you, fellow SAHDs and SAHD groupies, two takes on the whole experience.

At Home Dads' Convention in 40 words:

Dads, steak, beer, football, planes, bombs, big planes, mexican food, beer, gambling (lost only 23 cents!), bacon!, research, hairstyling, spread the word, 3 year-olds are a pain, feminism, praise-consequences-consistency, tie-dyed apples, networking, beer, football, beer, missing the family, and unity.

Reflections from a newbie:

Never have I felt so instantly connected to a group of people before. Sure, we've all made a choice that is outside the norm. But what unites us is more than our societal role and genetic make up. It's the struggles we face on a day to day basis: feeding our kids nutritious meals, dressing them and styling their hair in a socially acceptable way, making an acceptable dent on the honey-do list, taking care of the health and well being of our kids and ultimately ourselves. They are concerns that most parents have. It's just that we've volunteered to be the primary parent responsible for these tasks in our family. And we're men. And so when we meet, there is a comfort and an understanding in knowing that we are not alone in the challenges that we face. We may do things differently, and that's OK. Oh, and even though we're the primary care giver in the family, we can still like beer, and football, and not have to check our testosterone at the door.

Activity: Ariline History Museum

Location: 201 NW Lou Holland Dr
Kansas City, MO 64116-4223
(816) 421-3401

Website: http://www.airlinehistorymuseum.com

Hours and Rates: Monday through Sat, 10 to 4. Sunday 12 to 4.
8 for adult, 4 for 6-12, kids under 4 are free.

Ages: Any and all. It's plane's man, everyone loves planes.

Caution!: These planes still fly and do airshows. So before you go, give them a call to make sure you can see them.

Review:
I'll start the review this way: My 2 year old son was so excited that he cried.

Located in the downtown KC airport, the hanger that houses the planes and the museum sets the tone just right. The hanger is huge. I mean really huge. It's the type of huge that they use football field lengths to describe. And it has to be huge because that is where they house the planes.

The museum portion of the attraction is not bad either. Located on the inside of the hanger, it offers a glimpse into air travel over the last 60 years and provides a good chuckle. For example, in the 1940's, flight attendants could not be married and it was suggested that they have a degree in home economics. There are a lot of model aircraft as well as some actual 1970 style airplane seats. The kids loved these although I have no idea why. Wait until they are 30 then they will come to loathe them.

On display on the inside are numerous items that include flight books that you can flip through, china from airlines (they actually used glassware at one point) and other neat little oddities.

This sets you up for the big dog of the show: the planes.

They have three planes that you can see. A Super G Constellation, a Martin 404 and a Douglas DC-3. Now you may have no idea what these are so let me clarify. They are huge commercial planes from the last 50 years. Did I mention huge? Yes, huge. It just seems so different when you are right up next to them.

This is a little bit of a guided tour but most of the kids were in awe of the planes. When they weren't, remember that this is in a hanger so there is PLENTY of space to run. And what are they going to break, it's a plane man.

Not only do you get a chance to get up close and personal with the outside of the aircraft, you actually get to walk through 2 of them, all the way up to the cockpit. Now I know, who hasn't walked on a plane before? Well, this is a little different. First off, they are old. Nothing says old like nicotine stains from years and years of smokers on planes. When was the last time they even allowed this? Second, you'll be surprised what you will find in them. Some of the compartments had fold down beds that looked nicer than what I had in the dorm. Arranged in a bunkbed style and featuring great 1970 curtains, travel in style as you sleep away the miles. You also get to go to the "galley" where all the food was prepared. It's interesting to actually see this. FYI: the drink cart hasn't changed in 50 years. It's the same then as it is now.

But wait, we're not done. Also in the hanger they have an engine ripped apart that the tour guide shows you. How cool is that? You'll learn all the interesting facts from this tour. For example, one of these beasts guzzles 500 gallons of fuel an hour. Makes your Hummer look down right respectable doesn't it?

A couple of oddities that are also worth seeing here. They have the rocket ship from the old TWA building downtown. It's larger than I thought it would be. Also, when you get in the hanger, look up. They have a ceiling fan that is by far the biggest thing I have ever seen. Apparently if you crank that bad boy up to full speed you get a 4mph breeze going through the place.

So if you have an afternoon to kill and what to do something cool, this one is for you. Our kids loved it and the dads found enough interesting to ignore the kids at our leisure

.