Search Results for: blog zoos in winter

Visiting The Zoo in Winter

A friend of ours told me last fall that she was trying to get in a visit to the zoo before the weather turned cold. It seems that this southern zoo puts the animals into winter housing during the cooler months of the year. I had to laugh. I’ve seen elephants and giraffes walking around in the snow at both the Denver and Colorado Springs zoos. Our family has speculated on what these African animals must think of the snow and freezing temperatures. They seem to do fine though. The Colorado Springs zoo even has a record number of giraffe … Continue reading →

Zoos in Winter

Many families think of a trip to the local Zoo as a purely summertime event but if you forgo the zoo during the winter months you may be missing out on an amazing family experience. First consider the zoo in the heart of the summer busy season: 1) Higher temperatures 2) Throngs of people 3) Lethargic animals 4) Traffic jams coming and going 5) Parking 1/2 mile from the entrance 6) (Often) higher “peak” prices 7) That hot zoo smell Many of these unsavory characteristics of a July or August trip to a zoo can be avoided by going in … Continue reading →

Don’t Eliminate the Entertainment Budget

Often, when times are economically tight, as they are now for most of us, the entertainment or fun budget is the first thing to go. Just because there is less money available, doesn’t mean that there has to be less fun. Do Put Something in the Budget for Entertainment Designate some amount for family fun, even if it is only limited to $20 a month or even less. Budgeting for entertainment sends the message that family fun is important, even when it isn’t expensive. If you create a zero-based family fun budget you may wind up indulging anyway, and blowing … Continue reading →

How to Save Money on Entertainment

Sure, checking our movies through Netflix or the library can really save you money on your entertainment costs. But if you are tired of staying home and just want to save money on the entertainment you used to enjoy before, take a look at the following tips. You’ll learn how to save money on entertainment. Theater and Concerts Waiting until the last minute can really save you money on tickets for the theater, musical concerts and other shows. Close to show time, tickets can go for a bargain price. This is because the theater would rather sell the seats for … Continue reading →

Visit the Best of the Best During Spring Break

Where will you be spending spring break this year? Parents looking for fun, yet affordable ways to spend spring break with their kids should check out The 10 Best of Everything Families: An Ultimate Guide for Travelers. For about 20 bucks the handy guide provides information on the best locations for family reunions, skiing, biking, extreme adventures, factory tours, museums, zoos, gardens, historic sites, roller coasters, music festivals, wildlife-watching and much more. There are also sections on seasonal celebrations, such as Easter and Christmas. Some sample lists include: Education Vacations–10 Best Innovators’ Homes Samuel Morse, Poughkeepsie, New York Rachel Carson, … Continue reading →

Where to Spend World Ocean Day

Can you really think of a better place to spend World Ocean Day than in one of the most incredibly beautiful places on earth, which just happens to be set smack in the middle of the Pacific Ocean? I’m talking about Hawaii and if I hadn’t used up my vacation time to travel there a couple of months ago I certainly wouldn’t hesitate to head back on June 8th. On World Ocean Day the Maui Ocean Center will pay tribute to our watery resources with fun-filled activities for the entire family. The center is hosting an OceanFest from June 6-13, … Continue reading →

Cool Ice Skating Spots

Tomorrow morning my 3-year-old daughter will strap on ice skates for the first time. But, only time will tell if she’ll remain upright during our historic skating adventure. She’ll have me to cling onto, not to mention three of her playgroup pals, so I’m sure she’ll be fine. Fingers crossed. Yes, it’s that time of year again… winter sports season. And if you have children then you will likely be looking for any and all outdoor activities to combat cabin fever. Though, in most cases you don’t have to travel far to find a decent ice skating rink. For those … Continue reading →

National Wildlife Day: How You Can Help

Last month I wrote about National Dog Day sponsored by the Animal Miracle Foundation. Today is another AMF sponsored day, National Wildlife Day. What It’s About Initially the woman who created these days, Colleen Paige, was going to have this one fall on June 6th. However, she changed it to September 4th to honor “the last day that Steve Irwin graced this planet.” The goal is to raise awareness of the non-domestic creatures those of us who are urban dwellers may forget about. The ones who are endangered or otherwise threatened, but who can be saved with a little help … Continue reading →

The Elephant Sanctuary

My husband and I are members of a group called Team Green. They’re an adventure club sponsored by one of the local radio stations. Each month they organize a variety of activities for members, many of which are also open to the public. I was scanning the list of events for this month when one in particular really caught my eye: volunteer day at the Elephant Sanctuary on May 19th. An elephant sanctuary? In Tennessee? I never knew! Not too many months back I watched a piece on CBS’s 60 Minutes about a woman in Africa who runs a sanctuary … Continue reading →

What To Do Over Christmas Vacation

Thursday marks the beginning of Christmas vacation. Instead of my children going to school I will have all three home all day. In some ways it will be nice because my youngest won’t be so bored since she won’t be home by herself. But for other reasons, like the simple fact that my kids will be home all day long, I dread it. So lately I have been wondering what I can do to keep my kids entertained and myself from going crazy. They can’t get outside, ride their bikes, play in the sandbox, and jump on the trampoline because … Continue reading →