Jockey’s Ridge State Park is home to the largest sand dune in the eastern coast of the United States. Located on Nag’s Head in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, it is a very popular attraction for many families on vacation, especially in the summer months. What is great about this particular park is that there is much more to do than just enjoy the natural surroundings. People come here to learn how to hang glide, fly kites, or have a picnic and enjoy the sunset.

This piece is currently being licensed by UpTake and was produced by Sebastien Tobler.

by Tamara Rice of The Rice Paper: Random Acts of Reviewing

Rest assured, weary parents, there is more to keep your kids occupied in Los Angeles County this Spring than movies and the Internet. Located just 40 miles outside of Los Angeles, in Ontario, California, a fresh playground awaits–and I’m not referring to the always fun Skandia Amusement Park.

Last week, I braved my daughter’s second grade class field trip, and discovered the quaint organic goodness that is Amy’s Farm.

Amy's Farm in Southern California

Located in the heart of Chino and Ontario’s dairy country, Amy’s Farm specializes in the care and feeding of calves, but is full of other farm animals too. Roosters come and go throughout the hour-long tour, loudly reminding you they are present, while horses, pigs and baby goats are frequently available for petting.

Happy Pigs on Amy's Farm

The staff are friendly, and your kids won’t soon forget bottle-feeding a hungry baby calf or petting the lovable pigs. (A word to the wise: Don’t try to hand-feed the chickens.)

I can’t guarantee you won’t leave the farm a newly committed vegan, but I can guarantee you’ll have fun.

This is definitely a trip for multiple families or playgroups, as you must have 10 individuals to sign up for a tour. Make reservations ahead of time on line–$9 per person in the Fall includes a pumpkin, $7 the rest of the year.

Photos courtesy of Brownie Mom and Tottenlaw (Flickr.com).

by Linda (minnemom) of Travels with Children

Nestled in the south end of Chicago’s Lincoln Park, the Chicago History Museum portrays local history through a variety of exhibits.

A room full of dioramas shows the development of Chicago as a frontier town.  Chicago: Crossroads of America shows off the city’s culture and music, transportation, and diversity.  Interactive computer quizzes allow you to see just how much you really know about Chicago.

Chicago History Museum

Although the exhibits were interesting for us adults, the kids also really enjoyed this museum.  They loved climbing up onto the train engine and streetcar, and seeing the depiction of the Great Chicago Fire in the dioramas.  The favorite of us all, however, was the Sensing Chicago exhibit.

In Sensing Chicago, visitors can spend time at the ballpark or try out one of the old-fashioned big-wheel bikes.  A sniff test quizzes your sense of typical Chicago smells, and a music area lets you hear some Chicago jazz.  You can even create a customized Chicago postcard to e-mail to your loved ones.

Sensing Chicago

The absolute favorite, though, was making giant hot dogs out of ourselves.  We each had a turn at being the hot dog in a huge bun and then being topped with giant condiments.  It’s one of the things the kids still talk about from our Chicago trip.  They loved the Chicago History Museum.

Photo credits:  minnemom

Templo Mayor Artiface

Mexico City was built on the site of the ancient Aztec capital city, Tenochtitlan.  When the Spaniards conquered the area and moved in, they took apart and covered most of the city.  So, it’s no wonder that every time Mexicans start to build or excavate any area, they come across ruins and Aztec artifacts.

The Templo Mayor is an Aztec Pyramid in the heart of downtown Mexico City.

Temple steps

The Templo Mayor was unearthed by electric company workers digging just off of the main plaza, Zocalo, in 1976.

replica of Templo Mayor

Now, the temple itself it actually made up of seven temples, each built on top of the other, and dedicated to two gods, Huitzilopochtli, the god of war, and Tlaloc, the god of rain and agriculture. Priests reguarly committed human sacrifice in homage to these dieties.

Templo Mayor designs

Also on site is the House of Eagles for the priest warriors, the Calmecoc, a residence hall for priests, and the ball field, the site for games where losers were sacrificed.

The museum attached the the ruins is full of information and ancient artifacts found in the excavations.

Skulls at Templo Mayor

The reason the Aztecs built their temples on this site is because it is supposedly exactly where the god Huitzilopochtli gave a sign to his people that they had reached the promised land.

What was that sign?

An eagle on a nopal cactus with a snake in its mouth.

Flag of Mexico