The China's Terracotta Army in Atlanta

The Terracotta Army from China is probably the second most recognized Chinese treasure after the Great Wall. Mr. Rojo and I were fortunate to visit China many moons ago but we didn't have enough time to visit the Terracotta Army. And it's probably almost impossible to make a trip to visit China anytime in the near future. So we were pretty excited when the High Museum in Atlanta had an exhibit of the Terracotta Army on loan from the British Museum.

To fly to London and see the exhibit there ourselves is probably doable.. but the cost saving of seeing it locally is uncomparable. We were so procasinate that we waited till the last weekend to visit. If it weren't for Mr. Rojo who pushed for it, we might have missed it and I might have kicked myself for not taking this great opportunity.

So we packed up the kids after soccer practice and tracked downtown to visit the High. I guess a lot of people felt the same way of the last weekend before they left.. It was pretty busy.. We decided to join the High membership which allowed us to go through the express lane.. Now this is my kind of membership. :) We spent extra money to get the audio tour. I'm glad we did. Both kids enjoy the audio tour so much. It kept them interested and entertained throughout the exhibit.

The exhibit started with the history of the First Emperor and his time. We learned about the life of the chinese during that time. Once we got to the life-size terracotta army, I was speechless. The details and the expression on each figure was remarkable. This was probably the first assembly line in existance. They created the figure individually and each part was created by different group and then it was assembled and then customized to distinguish and make each figure different from the next. It was just amazing!

It was very mind-bloggling to see the map of the tomb and to learn that the excavation is still on going after 30 years after the first discovery. Not only, it's an on-going digging but the main tomb has yet been reached. I just can't wrap my little mind around how many men they will need to make something in that capacity. What kind of tool or technique they have to use.. ah.. I love history!

If you live in Santa Ana, CA then you are in luck. Don't miss a great opportunity to see one of the most amazing exhibit! You won't be disappointed.

The World of Coca-Cola

When you live in Atlanta metro area, you can't help but see or hear about Coca Cola. After all, it's the birthplace and headquarter of this mega company. The new World of Coca-Cola has been opened for quite sometimes. Until recently, we had a chance to visit on a nice sunny Saturday.

The new World of Coca Cola is conveniently located next to the Georgia Aquarium and the Imagine It! Children's Museum. Across the street is the Centennial Olympic Park. So it's a perfect location to have a full day of all Atlanta favorite tourist spots. When we got there, there were a few field trips but the line to get the tickets was short.

Once we got in, we waited at the lobby area and checked out the amazing Coke bottle artwork around the world. The detail and representation for each of this bottle is amazing. A short wait and then we were directed to see the short film 'Inside the Happiness Factory'. It was pretty nice and fun short film to give you the glimpse of what Coca Cola wants us to know about their factory..

Then we walked to the Hub which we waited in line to meet the Coca-Cola Polar Bear. I think it was well planned that they timed the guests in group so there wasn't a long wait and if you aren't interested in the picture, you can head directly to the next gallery.

One of the things I always do when I go to the World of Coca-Cola is to hunt for the Coke sign in Thai. Coca-Cola is pretty popular in Thailand so I'm sure we are a pretty good customer. And they didn't disappoint me when I found a sign in Thai language. It was amazing to see how globalize Coke is.. It's everywhere!

My next favorite part was the Bottle Works. This is where we got to see a real bottling line and see Coke being made right in front of us. Having an industrial engineer background, I love to see all these machines come to life. We probably spent a good 20 minutes watching the Packaging Robot doing his job. And do you know he has a name.. 'Fizzybot' is his name..

We then headed to the 4-D theatre to watch 'The Secret Formula' show. It was pretty interactive and I don't think small children will enjoy it much. The chair can shake pretty violently and I heard a few small kids cried. But Mr. Z and Miss J did enjoy them. The 4-D effects was really thought out.. the water, the air, the movement.. It felt like we were at one of the Disney ride.

After the theatre, we headed to the most anticipate room.. the Tasting room.. This was the room that the kids got to drink Coca-Cola products from all around the world. They group the drinks into regions.. Some were pretty good.. some were not so good (ok.. it was really bad). But you have gotta try them all, right?

Each guest can pick up a bottle as they headed out to the gift shop. It was one of those place that you have to visit once..

Weekend in Gatlinburg

This past weekend, we had a short weekend trip with a group of our friends up the Great Smoky Mountains in Gatlinburg. It started from a quick conversation of 'would it be nice to go skiing and stay at a cabin'... The next thing we knew we were packing for our weekend trip up the mountain.

We stayed at the Vista Hermosa Manor in Sevierville, TN. It's about 15 minutes drive to Gatlinburg.. The cabin is top notch with all the amenities we can think of. The kids had a blast running around in the basement and watched movie in the theatre room. The adults enjoyed the view out in the wrap around patio and big dinning table.

The next morning, we headed to Ober Gatlinburg for snow tubing. Ok.. It was 70 degrees but they did have snow.. Where else can you go snow tubing in t-shirt and sweats like a pig! It was the end of the season so it wasn't that busy. I lost count how many times we went up and down that slide.. But by the end of the day, I was wiped out!

On the way down, I took Miss J and Mr. Z on the Aerial Tramway down the mountain. It was nice seeing the whole town from the bird's eyes view. The ride was short but memorable.

The last day in Gatlinburg, we didn't get to spend a lot of time there. Since we now knew that we would have to drive through the Smokey via the curvy road, we want to make sure we get through that part before dark. So we just had a couple quick stops in town. First, we headed to the Track in Pigeon Forge. It was a cool go-kart ride for the whole family. I rode with Miss J and Mr. Rojo rode with Mr. Z. The ride went up and down the wooden track which makes it so cool and so much fun. It took a while to convince Mr. Z to leave... Oh.. We even got discount by merely mentioned that we saw coupons for buy 2 get 1 free and she just gave us the discount without the coupon itself. Nice!!!

Then we headed downtown Gatlinburg for another stop for Miss J - Ripley's Guinness World Records. It just happened that Miss J just checked out the Guinness Book from her library last week. So it's something that she was really excited to see things from the book come to life. It wasn't something I will write home about but for her it was really great experience..

After a quick stop to KFC for our lunch on the go, we headed out of town.. Bye bye.. Gatlinburg and see you soon.

The drive home was as much fun as the experience in town itself. We stoped at a few lookout to take pictures and check out the gorgeous view of the Smokey. I couldn't imagine how much nicer it will be in Fall. We just have to come back and find out, huh? :)

All in all, we truly enjoyed our small trip there. We already think about next year. :)

A Day at the Amicalola Falls

Recently, we just took a quick trip to visit Amicalola Falls in Dawsonville. It was about 45 minutes from our house. The trip was a really pleasant drive in the mountain with blue sky and colorful trees along side of the road. I was glad Mr. Rojo did the driving so I could enjoy the scenary. We went there with a couple of families friends. At first we stopped by at the pumpkin patch. After that, we headed to the Falls. We planned to picnic there and do a little hike to enjoy the leaves color in the mountain.

It was a really busy weekend. There were so many cars there but the rangers were very good at helping us parking and answering any questions. We parked and headed to the playground area. The kids were off to the playground and the adults digged in on the food. I love the Fall weather.. the cool, crisp air...

After a while, we packed up and decided to check out the Falls. We drove up to the West Ridge Falls access trail.. Ok.. We cheated, ok? We had 4 kids and 1 baby so we needed a little bit of an easy trail. This trail is perfect for any family as the trail is built with recycled tire. It was very easy to walk. There was pretty much no elevation at all.. We could even push the stroller on this trail. The trail was pretty manageable for small kids as well. I think it took us about 10-15 minutes to get from the parking lot to the viewing point of the Falls. Maybe next year we can try to hike from the base.. hehe..

Then we went up to the top of the Falls to check out the Lodge. It was a great place to stay in the park. It has an amazing view and a great restaurant with reasonable price buffet. We didn't plan to eat there but it was too good to pass up. But before dinner, we found out that the park had the Hayride every 15 minutes for free.. Did I hear someone mention 'Free'? Without hesitation, we all headed out to wait in line for the hayride. It was pretty neat ride. The ranger took us on the trail off road. The kids got a kick out of the bouncing up and down on the tractor and the fallen leaves.

Back from the hayride we headed down to check out the amazing view from the Lodge. Then off to dinner.. Food was great, friendship was even better.. We truly enjoyed our day out with our friends. It was one of the fun weekend trip we have had this year.

The park has different kinds of accomodation. There are hike-in Inn (as the name you can't drive there), the cabin, the hotel.. We really liked it there that we were thinking about vacationing there together. Now we just have to find the time that will work for everyone.

Pumpkin..pumpkin.. pumpkin everywhere...

A couple weekends ago we took the kids to our favorite activity of the Fall - Pumpkin patch farm. We headed North to Burt's Farm. I think this is one of the most popular pumpkin patch farm in Atlanta area. I went there with Miss J once a couple years ago on her field trip. It was very nice and very cold. So this time I came prepared. But what I didn't prepare for was how busy this would be. We had to park in the adjacent parking lot. I mean there were a lot.. a lot of families there. But surprisingly, the farm is big enough for everyone and they have a lot of pumpkins for everyone to have their own spot for the perfect Fall picture.

We first stopped at the giant pumpkins rows. I don't know how many pumpkins were there but there were a lot. And each one was as big as Mr. Z's head. It was fun for them to just try to move them around. Mr. Z had fun just hopping from one row to the next trying to see which one he could move. Poor kid, he didn't know that this was our plan to wear him out. hehe.. Oh! how I wish I could be a better photographer or know more about taking great picture. It was such a great place to take Fall pictures. The whole place was blazed in orange.

After a while, we moved on to the next section - the non-traditional pumpkin rows. Here we found white pumpkins, greenish pumpkins, pumpkins with bad acnes.. I mean seriously.. These pumpkins need to go see the dermatologists - STAT! And being as strange as he is, Mr. Z first choice of the pumpkin was the white pumpkin. That's my boy! Before we got there, we had talked to them about how many pumpkins they could pick. At first I said, one each.. then I caved and gave them two each. So what was Mr. Z next choice? The acne pumpkin!! It took quite a few words from Mr. Rojo to convince him to change to a more traditional looking pumpkin.. Nothing against those pumpkins, I just wouldn't know what to do with them.

Miss J on the other hand had some problem picking just the perfect one. She is my little shopper in training. She is really good at math so I now can tell her how much she can spend. So she was just looking for the one that perfect and was at the right price. Well, it wasn't easy but she did find the one. Then for the second one, she wanted to make sure that it was the same size. So she would pick it up and brought it to compare.. Imagine how long would that take.. Yup.. Forever...

There are other things to do there as well like a hayride. But man.. a line was long so we just didn't go on that. In the end, we ended up with a big family of pumpkins to come home with. I think it was Mr. Z who started to pick more pumpkins and said 'This one is for mommy and this one is for daddy'... Kid!

Six Flags Over Georgia

A couple weekend ago we took Miss J and Mr. Z to Six Flags Over Georgia. It was our and their first time there. Fortunately, Mr. Rojo's friend has a season pass so he was able to get us the discount tickets. We met them up at McD nearby to grap lunch and carpooled to the park. It helped to save the parking fee which costs $15.

Once we got there, the kids quickly took out the map to check out where they wanted to go. But we already knew where we would end up. Our main purpose to go there was to check out the new Thomas Town. So we started head toward the back of the park for Thomas Town. It was during the Halloween weeks so it was nice and spooky to see all the decoration with bones and skeletons. A quick detour to the kiddie free-fall ride was in order. I think Mr. Z wasn't sure at first. I was worried that he would cry. But.. Nope.. He was a dare devil and giggled about it the whole time.

Once we got to Thomas Town, I had to say I was quite disappointed. I was glad we didn't have to pay for the full price to get in. I would be really upset. It was just a big playground with Thomas Theme and a small train ride. I mean that's it!!! So here is my warning to all parents with Thomas obsession kids, don't waste your money there. Six Flags is for bigger kids or even adult. Thomas Town isn't worth it if you want to bring your little kids there. However, we managed to spend a good hour there just for them to run around and ride on the train. I guess for them it was enough with a train ride with Thomas. I still couldn't get the Thomas theme song out of my head.

Surprisingly, Mr. Z loved the go-karts race which was right next to Thomas. He was too young to drive by himself of course. But he could ride with Mr. Rojo. Man.. He hung on to his dear life during the race. :) After Thomas and go-karts, we started to walk around the park with no particular plan. Mr. Rojo did get on the Ninja ride with his friend. I was too chicken to go on any ride. hehe.. Then we went to the Dodge City Bumper cars. It was a downer for Mr. Z as he was only a couple inches too short to ride. I felt so bad for him.. He was crying and very upset.

So we looked for some other kid friendly rides for him. We headed to the Riverview Carousel. There we found the perfect ride for them, the Hanson Cars. It was so neat for them as they could ride the car by themselves. I think it was one of their favorite ride. Mr. Z and Miss J still talked about it from time to time. Then we went to the Wile E. Coyote Canyon Blaster. The ride would be a fun ride if we didn't have to wait in line for almost an hour for a 45 seconds ride. I had to admit.. I could barely handle this ride. I think I scream as loud or louder than Miss J. hehe.. We noticed that there seemed to be busier than this morning. You would think that as the day passed, it would be less people. But I guess since it was the Halloween weeks and some people just came for the night time it made it busier.

Now it was dinner break. We dined at DeeJay's Diner. Nothing food couldn't cure. After a full tummy, we headed to the Railroad station for a nice, relaxing train ride. This was a great way to get to see the park without using your energy. It was getting dark and I knew that we would probably need to wrap up soon. We headed to the USA Games Area and played some games. Mr. Rojo won a basket ball! Before we headed out, we stopped by for the Dipping Dots for the kids and I was so looking forward to the Funnel Cake. But I wasn't going to wait in line for another hour for a funnel cake. I guess I will just have to find it somewhere else.

At the end of the day, I asked Miss J what was her favorite part. She loved the Hanson Car because she got to drive it herself. As for Mr. Z, he loved the go-karts. Guess he has the need for speed. Farewell Six Flags, we probably won't see you anytime soon until they both are at least 52" tall. :)

Fair, Festival and Ferris Wheel

A couple weekends ago we headed out to soon to be our annual activity for Fall, the Cumming Country Fair and Festivals. It was a great small town fair. We headed out late on Sunday evening. I don't like heat so I purposely chose to go after the sunset. Well, what happened next show how competent as a parent we are!

After we parked, we found out that Miss J didn't have her shoes on. I mean.. we trust her to be able to take care of herself to a certain extent. I haven't dressed her since she entered Kindergarten. I don't have to tell her to wear her shoes way before that.. Is it because of the excitement that she forgot her shoes? We will never know. But what would you do at that point. For us, Mr. Rojo had become her personal stroller. He carried her almost the whole trip. I said almost because at certain point we just let her walk barefeet. If you went to the fair and saw a girl with no shoes, that's probably her!

We got to walk right to the fair without paying for any admission fees since it was about an hour before closing. This was perfect for us. I don't know how much we will spend if we stayed more than an hour. The rides there were the same as last year. Mr. Z's favorite was the worm roller coaster. This year I guess Miss J felt like she is bigger. She didn't get on that ride with him. After Mr. Z first ride we walked around a bit just to check out everything. We didn't do the petting zoo. I wasn't gonna let Miss J go in there without shoes.

We stopped for a game for Miss J and Mr. Z to pop the balloon. They were very kid-friendly because eventhough they didn't pop any ballon when they threw the dart, the gentleman there gave them a big stick to pop the balloon. They each got a small toy to bring home. After that, Mr. Rojo and Miss J got on the Ferris Wheel. Mr. Z was too short to get on the ride. Plus if we all go, we would use up all our tickets!! No one warns me that it can be very expensive at this fair. Each ride costed at least $3 each. That can add up pretty fast!

After a couple more rides, we took a little break. We sat down and watched the Xtreme Power sculptor. A bag of cotton candy did the trick to settle them down. By that time, the Sun already set so it was our signal to head home. I didn't get to have my funnel cake though.. Bummer. Maybe next year!

You Will Find Me Here...

I have been seriously looking into where to stay in Destin area for a while. At first one of my friend recommended Sandestin. They just went there recently and they really enjoyed it. I checked it out and it looks really nice. It's pretty much like a mega resort (or shall I call it town). There are pretty anything you will want during your vacation. Golf, shopping, entertainment and restaurants all in one property. However, what I want to get from Destin is beach time and pool time for the kids and us. The pools at each building in Sandestin are just typical pool. Nothing too fancy. I'm looking for something more.

With the help from many expert users from Trip Advisors forum, I found this new jewel in Fort Walton Beach... Waterscape condominium. This is a brand spanking new luxurious beachfront condominiums with 3 swimming pools, waterfall and Lay-Z-River. Also it has two main requirements from Mr. Rojo. The great gym overlooks the pool and internet access is available in all units.

Fort Walton Beach is about 10-15 minutes from Destin. It has the same great feature as Destin for white sand beach and emerald blue ocean. But the price is a bit lower than staying in Destin and less crowd. Waterscape offers 1-, 2-, and 3- bedroom condo. It has all the amentities that you want for a perfect family vacation including kid's pool and kid's activities (seasonal). They also provide complimentary beach service (chair and umbrella during season from August to October). One less thing for me to pack. :)

There are so many things to do in or around the Destin area. So I know that with a mini trip for 3-4 days it won't be enough to enjoy it all. But I am hoping that this will be a place that we will come back year after year. Well, stay tune for our trip report!

A Journey thru Tennessee Aquarium

During the Labor day weeken, we took a day trip to Chattanooga. After a fun time at the Creative Discovery Museum, we headed out to Tennessee Aquarium which is right around the corner. It was way past lunch time so we needed to fill up our tummy tank before getting in. After a few undecided minutes, we ended up at the Genghis Grill. It's the Build-Your-Own-Bowl Asian stir-fry restaurant. The food was alright but then I can't blame the restaurant since I put all the ingredient myself. So I guess I can only blame myself. They actually do have recipes for you to follow if you want a certain dish. It was quick and easy. I wouldn't mind going back there again. The kids enjoyed watching the grill masters cooked up the food with long wooden sticks.

After lunch, we headed out to get our tickets. While Mr. Rojo waited in line to purchase our tickets, I took Miss J and Mr. Z to walk around the small creek area in front of the Aquarium. Big note to self - DO NOT forget the bathing suits next time!!! I knew that there is river area that kids can enjoy especially on the hot day. I completely forgot to pack extra clothes for them. Well, I let them walk around anyway (against my better judgement). I figured if I told them not to get wet, they won't get wet!! Must be lack of sleep on my part. It was going so well. No major wetness... until ... Mr. Rojo was done and headed our way. While I was busy calling him and packing my camera, I heard Mr. Z cried.. And yup.. He fell down and totally soaked!! Sorry. No picture here as I was too occupied trying to figure what we were gonna do. We hadn't even started in the Aquarium yet. We walked around trying to find any clothing stores. Why don't they sell pants in the gift shop!!!! No luck. So we figured we could go to the bathroom and hope that the bathroom has the hand blower.

We started our journey at the River building. First stop - rest room. Well, it would be too easy if they have the hand blower, wouldn't it? So I was in the bathroom and paintakingly squeezed his pant using the paper towel. It was still damp but he said it was ok. So we headed to the first exhibit which is the Seahorse. After the seahorse, we headed upstairs to really start the River Journey. The escalator took us all the way up to the top floor and we were greeted by the outdoor setting of mountain top. It was so neat! I really liked it here. I love the top floor that showed the waterfall to teach kids where the river comes from. Walking through there was so peaceful and so nice. Eventhough it was a hot day, the trees and the mist helped mask the heat.

Going to the Aquarium with young children was like taking a speed train through the whole thing. They bounced off from one exhibit to the next. We hardly had time to read about it. But from what I can grasp, the Aquarium has 2 buildings. One is mainly the River journey. This was where we started. First we started off with River in the area- mainly Tennessee River. Then we walked through River around the world. It was a great learning experience not only for children but us as well.

Here is Miss J trying to measure up a giant fish.

They were doing pretty well so far. It was a long day for both of them and I had to say they didn't cause much trouble. I think they really enjoyed the Aquarium as much as we did. I was tired... but wait.. We were not done yet! We still had the whole other building to check out. So we walked past the gift shop pretty quickly. Save some money here from the souvenir. :)

The Ocean Journey started off at the top floor as well. The view of the Tennessee River was amazing. I could just sit here in the rocking chair and let them run off. The first exhibit was the Penguin. There were several penguins but they didn't move much. Guess we came in after their dinner time.

After the Penguin, we headed to the Tropical Cove. Again.. my favorite for the outdoor feel and a touching tank. Kids could touch sting ray and shark in this tank. Unfortunately, the tank was a bit too deep for Mr. Z. Poor boy, he was trying so hard to chase the sting ray for a chance of touching him. But he was too small. We probably need to dunk him in there to be able to touch them. Mr. Rojo got a few underwater pictures of someone else touching the shark. I did touch the shark though. His skin was very rough. It was totally opposite from the sting ray which the skin was so smooth almost like velvet. Next to the Tropical Cove was the Butterfly. It was so neat to get to walk through and see the butterflies up close.

Then we headed down the escalator for the Ocean Journey. Mr. Z really enjoyed his quiet time with his pal. I can see we will be taking many more trips back to the GA Aquarium soon. Last year we went 3 times! My lack of preparation wasn't stopped at just no spare clothes. With our luck, our camera batteries were dying. And we brought 2 cameras with us. Go figure! So by the time, we walked down to check out several sharks and with so many photo ops, our cameras were dead in the water!

I was able to get a few shots of the sharks and it wasn't even that good. Oh! well, I tried! At the end of the journey, we were all pretty wiped out. We were there so late that the gift shop was already closed. Guess it wasn't meant for us to spend money on souvenir there.

Before we headed home, we decided to have dinner there. Our first choice was Sticky Fingers. It was a great place for BBQ but with the wait of over an hour. I guess we can wait till next trip. We then walked around the block and it seemed everyone else was doing the same thing. We ended up at Cheeburger Cheeburger. The wait was only 15 minutes so we were all for that. A quick and great meal and we now were ready to head home. Overall, it was a great day trip! We are looking forward to coming back here again.

A Fun Day at Creative Discovery Museum

On Saturday, we took a day trip to Chattanooga. Mr. Rojo has wanted to go to the Tennessee Aquarium for a while now. So we decided to take a day trip during a long weekend. Originally, I planned to stay overnight and make a side trip to Huntville to check out the Space Center. But with our up-coming beach trip, we decided to just do a day trip.

Chattanooga is about 2 1/2 hours from where we live so it wasn't so bad for the drive there except we took a local highway instead of state highway. But we still got there at the same time.

We got there right before noon. It wasn't that busy when we got in. The fun began even before we got in the door. There is a huge bubble making that allows you to get inside and pull the ring up. It was a great challenge to see if you can put your whole body inside the bubble. I wish I would have tried it. Maybe next time.

The first stop - River Play. The kids just ran there without waiting for us and stayed there for a good 30-40 minutes. It was a really neat water play for kids. They got to learn about how the water is used. How the dam is built and what is the impact when you build the dam. Good thing I was quick to ask them to put the rain coat on before they started playing. Some kids got soaked. I think the part they love the most is the water shooter that 2 kids can play together and see who got the most power to make the wheel spin.

Next to the River Play was a play structure that teaches about the Wind. The structure is big enough that adult is allowed to go up there. It was so neat. I didn't think I want to leave that play structure yet. But then we realized that there were more to see and do in the museum.

We walked inside and they zoomed right past the craft table. Guess my kids are not that into crafting. We stopped by the clinic. They can pretend to be a doctor, check out the nose (big fat nose with hair nonetheless), look at the x-ray and measure themselves. Miss J was very fascinating with all the organ on display including a big skeleton.

Then we went to the inventor room. Mr. Z was busy playing with the remote control car that other parents had built it. It was so neat. If we have any time, we might try to build one ourselves. Then they were off to Music and Art room. It was very interesting in each room as they had a lot of hand-on activities for children to try on. The Music room had different kinds of intruments for them to try their hands on. The Art room had different station for them to create their own art ranging from painting, priting and self-portrait.

Last stop on 1st floor was the Dinosaur room. With a big Dinosaur greeted us, they went right pass him to the dig area. Basically, it was a big sand box with dinosaur bones buried underneath. I think they could literally spend the whole day in that room. Mr. Z tended to dig too hard and throw his sand all over himself and anyone who was near him. I had to keep reminding him to do it gently.

Then we found out that there was more than 1 floor. Duh!! So we headed upstair for the special Clifford exhibit. It was a really nice treat as we are currently reading Clifford books at home. They had a chance to check out Clifford's house, his library, the playground and climbed on Big Red Dog himself.

Then we took a short walk up to the top floor to check out the downtown view and see the bee colony on the rooftop. On the other side of the building, the outdoor fun was there awaiting. The rooftop fun had several structures for them to play with. The best one has to be the lifting chair. Children can sit on the chair and buckle up then they can lift themselves off the ground. It was pretty hot that day so we didn't stay long outside.

By the time we knew it, it was almost 2pm. So it was time to wrap up as we still had one more place to go - the Tennessee Aquarium. This was a really great Children Museum. We like it so much that we purchased the membership. The national membership will allow us to also visit other children museum around the country.

Beach Bum

Summer is ending and Fall is coming. But I have this urge of going to the beach. Eventhough we went to the Carribean in the beginning of Summer but that was 4 months ago. I need my beach-fix.

I have my short list of where I want to go within driving distance. Of course, if I have unlimited resources I would love to go to Hawaii or somewhere else in the Pacific. But for now, the beach on the East coast or the Gulf will suffice. After reading and thinking and thinking and thinking, we have settled on Destin area in FL. With the white sand and family-friendly resort, we think it will be a nice break we are looking for.

But Destin is one of the popular beach destination so the choices are endless.. Where do we want to stay? There are thousands of units available on VRBO. Which one is the right one for us?

I have to make a decision first on what type of accommodation we want. I know I don't want to stay in a hotel. I want to have full kitchen. So it will be condominium, townhome or beach houses. Well, we are not printing money so we probably will have to settle for the condo. Even that we still left with hundred of options. Destin area spans from West of Panama City which includes the South Walton beaches area to Fort Walton area. We need to narrow down into a particular area so I can make my decision.

At first I want to stay in a slow pace, out of the beaten parth area. But knowing our family, we might not enjoy it as much as staying in the center of the activities. Plus this will be our first time there, we might not want to get out of our comfort zone too much.

Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort is a huge resort area (or shall I call 'town'). It has everything you will ever need for a vacation. It might not be for everyone. But I think it will be great for us. A gym for Mr. Rojo to work out, swimming pool for me and the kids to enjoy, bike ride, golf course, shopping and more shopping.. So for now, I think this is where we will start our search for the perfect place to stay.

How about you? Have you been to Destin, FL? If so, do you have any suggestion on where to stay?

13 Things to Do in Chattanooga

Chattanooga is only about a couple hours drive from Atlanta. We have been there once for a day out with Thomas The Tank Engine train ride. But we are planning to go back there again. Here are some of the fun, family-friendly things to do in Chattanooga.

1) The Tennessee Aquarium: This is one our must-do list our next trip to Chattanooga. The aquarium is situated right on the waterfront in Chattanooga downtown with small water creek between the two buildings. The ticket price is $19.95 for adult and $12.95 for child (age 3-12). There are also several combo tickets for IMAX, River George Explorer and Creative Discovery Museum.

2) Inclined Railway: Hop on the trolley-style railcars that take you up the side of Lookout Mountain in one of the steepest passenger railway. It was a really fun experience when we went there last year. Once you get to the top, you can enjoy the view from the Lookout Mountain and check out the little gift shop there. You can purchase ticket online for $14 per adult and $7 per child (3-12). They also have Lookout Mountain Triple Play ticket (including Incline, Rock City & Ruby Falls) for $42 per adult and $23 per child.

3) Creative Discovery Museum: Check out the hands-on children's museum. Especially now till September 28, you will get to have the adventures with Clifford The Big Red Dog. The ticket price is $8.95 for anyone older than 2 years old. However, we consider getting a member with the children museum since one of the highest level of membership is the nationwide level that allows you to enjoy free admission to various children museum nationwide through the Association of Children's Museum reciprocal program.

4) Rock City: Go up the Lookout Mountain and check out Rock City featuring massive ancient rock formations, gardens and see 7 States (on a clear day)

5) Ruby Falls: Hike to Ruby Falls, the 145 foot underground waterfall beneath the Lookout Mountain's surface.

6) Bluff View Art District: Take a nice stroll in this historic neighborhood filled with restaurants, coffee houses, art gallery or take a break at one of the gardens, plazas or courtyards.

7) Walnut Street Bridge: Cross the Tennessee river on one of the longest pedestrian bridge from Chattanooga's downtown to the North Shore. Enjoy the leisure walk over the river.

8) Coolidge Park: Take a break and bring the kids to the Coolidge park to enjoy the restored 100 year old carousel and an interactive play fountain. Admission fee is $1.00 for adults and $0.50 for children 12 and under.

9) Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum: All aboard!!! Go ride with the TVRail that offers a wide variety of rides to suit your needs. Check out the schedule and price online. Also check out for special ride like Day Out with Thomas or North Pole Limited during special events.

10) Chattanooga Choo Choo: Stay in the one of the coolest hotel. The Chattanooga Choo Choo by Holiday Inn offers the train fanatic a chance to sleep aboard an authentic train car. Oh.. Mr. Z had a blast last year when we stayed there. He couldn't stop asking when the train will move. The hotel area also features several trains that they can enjoy and nice garden in the middle of the area. Lovely.. lovely place!

11) Chattanooga Nature Center: For the nature lover, this is a great place to visit. Explore the Blue Heron boardwalk, Wildlife Wanderland and Discovery Forest Treehouse. The admission fee is relatively low $7 for adults and $3 for children (4-11)

12) Southern Belle Riverboat: Take a river cruise along the scenic Tennessee River on the Chattanooga Riverboat. With current promotion of Kid is free for every paying adult, it's a great deal. There are several types of cruise to choose from ranging from sightseeing, lunch or dinner cruise. There will be one that suits your need.

13) Chickamauga Dam Reservation: Picnic by the Dam and enjoy the view. For the outdoor enthusiasts, enjoy fishing, boating and swimming at this no-fee reservation.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game...

Take Me Out to the Crowd...

We did just that last weekend. It was the Braves VS the Phillies game. And it was the HOT-HOT day. We bought the ticket over a month ago so I couldn't ask my crystal ball on the weather forecast. Who would have thought it will be this hot in June? Did I already mention that it was HOT?

We went to the Sunday game. The game started at 1pm. I don't even know what was the temperature at that time. I don't think it's really matter. Buying the ticket online with parking ticket has it benefit. The parking fee is cheaper than paying at the gate. Also we got to park in the Green zone which is pretty close to the main entrance.

One thing that I like about Turner Field is the Cartoon Network area. They know that ball game is a family event and kids need place to release their energy. I think if your kids can sit through the whole game, you should contact a doctor for a check-up. Seriously! This game was the third game in a serie and the Phillies already won the first two games. So Mr. Rojo was in a much relaxing mood. He even told us to check out the Cartoon Network first before we got to our seats. Sweet!! Well, after a few minutes Miss J complained about her shoes. She happened to pick a pair of shoe that she hardly wears and it hurted her feet. So we went out and checked the store for some socks. Braves sock - checked. Not sure if Mr. Rojo will want us to keep it after today. He is a die-hard Philly fan, you see.

We bought the cheapest tickets available and we paid for it. It was up at the nose-bleed section. Don't lean or sneeze near the rail or you might fall over to the ground. The view was really nice though. Got the whole Atlanta downtown city skyline there. For a minute, I thought we could do this.. It wasn't bad. There was breeze.. We could do it. I sent Mr. Rojo to get some frozen lemonade and soda. No healthy food here at the ball game. It's illegal! I did pack a couple of the water bottle fan. It was sure a big hit for the kids. Only .. they sprayed to the front row (no one there).. Kids.. you won't feel cool if you spray the water to the air!

After the third inning, I started to look around for more shade area. And the kids started to fall apart. Mr. Rojo didn't admit it at that time but he didn't feel good either. See! We are not an outdoor type family!

Time to pack it up.. We headed down to the Cartoon Network area again. The kids got to run around. The slide was a big hit. I couldn't keep track how many times they went up and down. But I was a bit stressed out with the amount of kids running around and there was no security check at the entrance. So anyone could come and grap your kids anytime.. Not so comfortable about that. I was glad we had only 2 kids. I couldn't imagine how I would do with more.

Right before we headed out, Miss J asked for cotton candy. Oh.. sure.. why not. One more load of sugar won't do any harm. So we headed to the other side of the stadium with a mission - Cotton Candy. It was nice to walk around. We found the Braves Museum.. Guess what.. It has AC.. We were debating whether we wanted to spend 1 token to get in.. But we could just stay in the front area for free. Well, after a few minutes we felt that we should head out.

Finally, we found cotton candy and blue snowcones. Nothing save the day like sugar on ice!

Here is the picture to show where we sat. It was by the smaller yellow pole second row from the front. See how high we were!