The Best of America

HOMESCHOOL.COM
DECEMBER 2011
Homeschool.com’s
The Best of
America
6 Weeks
20 States
Packing Tips
1. Pack all your belongings
into one large suitcase.
Switching hotels every
night is fun but it can
become tiring lugging
more than one suitcase.
2. Bring both warm and cold
weather clothes. Many
hotels have coin-laundry.
3. Take a laptop to
research what’s going
on around you locally.
People travel all around the world
seeking adventure, but they take for
granted the adventures that await
them in their own back yard. There
are amazing things to see and learn
about all over the world, but the
United States has history and
adventure like no other place on
earth. The United States has one
of the largest tourist
industries -- ranked third in
the world. From hiking the
canyons, to experiencing the
bright lights of New York
City, the U.S. is worth taking
the time to see, and a road trip
is the best way to see it.
FAMILY FRIENDLY VACATIONING
Homeschool.com set off for a road trip
across America, to create this family
friendly Travel Guide, just for YOU.
We drove across the U.S., so that we can
recommend the best places to take your
family. These places are educational,
family-friendly, and just plain fun!
Take this travel guide and plan a
wonderfully adventurous trip for your
entire family.
Where should we go next? Let us
know by emailing
[email protected].
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HOMESCHOOL.COM
DECEMBER 2011
SITES TO SEE & THINGS TO DO:
Circus Du Soleil show in Las Vegas, NV
Garden of the Gods and Manitou Springs
http://www.manitousprings.org/
http://www.gardenofthegods.com/
Cheyenne Botanical Gardens
- http://www.botanic.org/
- http://www.cirquedusoleil.com
Zion and Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
- http://www.nationalparks.org
Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo
Lake Powell Resort, AZ
- http://www.lakepowell.com (888) 896-3829
Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, NM
- http://www.omahazoo.com/
Niagara Falls
- http://www.balloonfiesta.com/
- http://www.niagara-usa.com/
- Washington D.C.
- http://washington.org/
New York City
http://www.nyc.gov/
Butterfly Pavilion Denver, CO
- http://www.butterflies.org/
DRIVING TIPS
Listen to local radio stations
to get the local flavor.
Get off the interstate as
much as possible and drive
local highways.
Eat at local Diners to savor
local cusisine.
Drive during the day so you
can see the different
landscapes.
Talk to the locals about
things to see between
destinations.
Make sure to get an oil
change as needed.
Keep the car organized.
It just makes the trip
more enjoyable.
Get out and exercise
every 2-4 hours to keep
your blood flowing.
Note: Take your time and
enjoy!
Check the Weather
www.accuweather.com/
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HOMESCHOOL.COM
DECEMBER 2011
CIRCUS DU SOLIEL
―Mystere‖ is considered to be classic Cirque du Soleil –
a good first show for families to see. The live music is
wonderful and the acrobatics are incredible. One minute
you are looking up at performers flying above your
head, and when you look back down, the stage has
completely changed shape. I loved the flow of
―Mystere‖ – the way the show combined light humor
with incredible acrobatic feats.
If you are in Las Vegas, you simply must see
Cirque du Soleil. My daughter and I saw one of
their shows two weeks ago and we’re still talking
about it!
The most popular Cirque du Soleil show in Vegas
is ―O‖, which is at the Bellagio. Tickets for ―O‖
run around $100 and sell out every night. The
official description for this show is:
"’O,’ a play on the French word for water, is a
stunning aquatic masterpiece that explores a world
of fantasy beyond your wildest imagination
conveyed through the amazing performances of
world class acrobats, synchronized swimmers,
divers and an array of other characters in, on and
around a 1.5-million gallon pool.‖
My daughter and I saw ―Mystere,‖ which was also
wonderful. Tickets for this show run about $50 and
it takes place at the Treasure Island Hotel and
Casino. I met several people who said that Mystere
was their favorite Cirque show. We certainly loved
it. I’ve never seen anything like it!
I had always believed that Cirque du Soleil was French,
but it actually is a Canadian entertainment company
that started in Quebec. Over 90 million people have
experienced a Cirque show, with the permanent Las
Vegas shows playing to over 9,000 people a night!
Regarding hotels, we stayed at Treasure Island. The
room was nice, but in addition to the normal room rate,
they tacked on a $20 resort fee, which I found
annoying. My recommendation is to stay at Bally’s.
Bally’s is centrally located in the middle of the Strip
and our large room was just $55 a night (with no hidden
resort fees). Try to get a room in the older tower. It
looks over the Dancing Waters of the Bellagio and also
the Eiffel Tower, which is so beautiful at night. My
daughter and I were going out the door one evening and
I suggested that we turn off the lights so that we didn’t
waste electricity. Then we looked out our large picture
window at all the lights on the Strip and we started to
laugh. I don’t think Las Vegas worries about its electric
bill!
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HOMESCHOOL.COM
DECEMBER 2011
ZION AND BRYCE CANYON
NATIONAL PARKS
Zion and Bryce Canyon are two very beautiful and unique places
to hike and explore. The colors and rock formations are
mesmerizing. They are too beautiful to rush through, so make
sure you take your time and enjoy the beautiful landscapes with
the whole family. A full day at each of these parks is necessary--to
absorb the magnificence!
Travel Tips
1. Make sure to call and
make reservations for a
hotel ahead of time. Places
fill up fast. The Ruby Inn is a
perfect place to stay and it’s
right outside the entrance to
Bryce.
2. Take a small backpack
that you can pack with a
camera, water, sunscreen
and a hat.
3. Pack a healthy lunch/
healthy snacks for the family.
Hiking can be really tiring and
you might work up an appetite.
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HOMESCHOOL.COM
DECEMBER 2011
LAKE POWELL RESORT AND MARINA
Lake Powell is a beautiful and peaceful resort to stay
at while in Page, Arizona. The resort offers
wonderful boat tours of Lake Powell and Antelope
Canyon, and helps in planning any local adventures.
The boat tour to Antelope Canyon is a beautiful
relaxing journey and very educational too.
While staying in Page, rafting the Colorado River is a
truly enriching experience.
http://www.lakepowell.com/
http://raftthecanyon.com/
ALBUQUERQUE BALLOON FIESTA
THE MOST PHOTOGRAPHED EVENT IN THE WORLD
The Balloon Fiesta is an experience like none
other! People come from all around the world and
watch hundreds of hot air balloons take off. The
Balloon Fiesta started in 1972 and this year marked
its 40th anniversary. The weeklong event definitely
earns the title of the ―Most photographed event in
the world!‖
Things To Know:
Bring clothes and shoes that are very warm
and that you won’t mind getting a bit muddy.
The Hot Air Balloon Museum is a great place for
souvenirs and balloon history
Bring a camera with lots of memory!
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HOMESCHOOL.COM
DECEMBER 2011
GARDEN OF THE GODS AND
MANITOU SPRINGS
Garden of the Gods is a perfect place to get out and exercise—and
it’s so beautiful! The visitor’s center has very helpful volunteers
that show you the best paths. From Balance Rock to the snow cap
scenery, Garden of the Gods is a visual treat!
Manitou Springs is a fun little town to visit after walking through
Garden of the Gods. There are lovely stores like Patsy’s Chocolates
and Gift Shop that give you a good feel for the locale. Try the 9
different spring waters that are very delicious and all very unique in
taste. This is definitely an interesting little town!
To learn more about Garden of the Gods and Manitou Springs visit http://www.gardenofgods.com and
http://www.manitousprings.org
BUTTERFLY PAVILION
The Butterfly Pavilion in Denver, Colorado is a beautiful
invertebrate zoo that is full of explorations for all ages. See
thousands of butterflies from rainforests all around the world. They
also have other exquisite displays such as the Crawl-A-See-Em
where you can be eye to eye with a variety of insects, and the Water
Edge exhibit where you learn about underwater creatures. The
Butterfly Pavilion is truly an enriching experience.
To learn more about the Butterfly Pavilion visit http://www.butterflies.org
CHEYENNE BOTANIC GARDEN
The Cheyenne Botanic Garden is not just a beautiful
and unique garden experience but it is also a place to
go and really feel the essence of the true meaning of
community. This Garden is all about bringing
volunteers together to create something that is
enjoyable for everyone who visits. Everyone from
seniors, to handicap individuals, to youth-at-risk come
together to make this a breath-taking garden. Over five
thousand volunteers have contributed to this 9 acre
masterpiece. They don’t just plant flowers, they grow love and you can feel it the moment you arrive.
To learn more about the Cheyenne Botanic Garden visit http://www.botanic.org/
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HOMESCHOOL.COM
DECEMBER 2011
OMAHA’S HENRY DOORLY ZOO
The Henry Doorly Zoo is a treasure that genuinely
makes Omaha stand out. Each exhibit is completely
different and unique, has so much to offer, and gives
people the chance to see animals in their natural habitats.
This zoo has 113 acres of pure adventure -- it is not a
place to just rush through. The Omaha Zoo is a complete
experience!
Things To Know:
Zoo Admission
Children (2 and under): FREE
Children (ages 3 - 11): $9.00
Adults (ages 12 and over): $13.50
Seniors (ages 62 and over): $12.00
Zoo Hours
November through February: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
March through October: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
The petting zoo is only open Friday through
Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
LIED JUNGLE
The Omaha Zoo’s indoor rainforest is the largest in
America. When you enter the exhibit you
immediately feel the tropical environment and hear
the sounds of animals and waterfalls all around
you. This exhibit features rainforests from South
America, Asia and Africa.
DESERT DOME
The Desert Dome is the world’s largest indoor rainforest
in the world. On display are plants and animals from
three deserts: the Namib of Southern Africa, the Red
Center of Australia and the Sonoran Desert of the
Southwest United Sates. Under this magnificent dome is
the world’s largest Nocturnal Exhibit.
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HOMESCHOOL.COM
DECEMBER 2011
WHERE TO STAY
1. Crowne Plaza
- 1605 Broadway New York, NY 10019
cpmanhattantimessquare.com/
3. Edison Hotel
- 228 west 47th Street New York, NY 10036
http://www.edisonhotelnyc.com/
2. Hampton Inn
- 851 Eighth Avenue, New York, NY 10019
manhattantimessquarenorth.hamptoninn.com
NEW YORK CITY
New York City is a place like none other! New York
City is most known for the Statue of Liberty, the Empire
State Building, Wall Street, Broadway shows, and
shopping-- and is home to the biggest department store
in the world. Walking the streets, taking a taxi, riding
the subway, strolling through Central Park and dining in
Little Italy are all parts of completing your New York
experience.
Things To Know:
Get discounted Broadway tickets at broadwaybox.com/
or stand in line at the TKTS Booth http://www.tdf.org/.
The Gray Line Bus tours are a wonderful way to get
around and see New York newyorksightseeing.com/.
A Water Taxi is a great way to get the Statue of Liberty.
Don’t be afraid to wonder around aimlessly.
Don’t be afraid to talk to the locals and get directions.
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HOMESCHOOL.COM
DECEMBER 2011
WASHINGTON DC
Washington DC is a place where you can go to and learn a great deal
in a very short amount of time. The beautiful museums and
monuments are absolutely marvelous and you can’t help but want to
spend as much time as possible soaking up as all the knowledge
Washington DC has to offer.
Top Attractions:
Smithsonian’s: National Museum of Natural History (7
million visitors)
National Air & Space Museum (6 million visitors )
National Museum of American History (3 million
visitors)
National Zoological Park (3 million visitors)
Lincoln Memorial (4 million visitors)
World War II Memorial (4 million visitors)
Vietnam Veterans Memorial (4 million visitors)
Korean Memorial (3 million visitors)
FDR Memorial (3 million visitors)
Rock Creek Park (2 million visitors)
Things To Know:
We, the Pizza is a wonderful place to eat while visiting the State Capitol!
Watch your clock and give yourself a set amount of time in each museum. It’s easy to lose track of time.
Try and leave your vehicle out of DC and rely on public transportation and walking. It will save you money
and really give you the essence of the local life.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our Homeschool.com Family Friendly Travel Guide. Where should we go next?
Let us know by Emailing us!
Written by Rebecca Kochenderfer
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