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Published Mar/Apr 2005 | ||||||
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Get away for spring break this year
without breaking the bank. By Deborah Reinhardt |
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 pring break–the March or April respite for students and teachers–has evolved into a family event. Stories of families heading to Hawaii, Europe or taking a cruise for spring break seem to be common.My daughter didn’t want to be the only second-grader to stay home for her break, but I wanted to save the college fund for her college education. Luckily, the Midwest is full of ideas for quick spring break getaways that won’t bust the family budget. One such place is in the Land of Oz. Little cubs love Great Wolf A short drive to Kansas City, Kan., from St. Louis, Mo., brought us to the Great Wolf Lodge. This terrific family resort opened in 2003. It has a woodsy theme with 281 luxury suites in seven styles. The real draw is the indoor water park, 38,000 square feet of wet fun. After checking into our Kid Cabin™ suite, we were off to explore the resort. Walking past the Northern Lights™ arcade en route to the water park, she giggled and proclaimed “this is heaven.” And so it was. A collection of water slides, a laid-back water attraction called Crooked Creek™ Lazy River, an activity pool and wading pool for toddlers will keep children busy most of the day. I chuckled as my daughter joined other girls under Fort MacKenzie, waiting for 1,000 gallons of water to splash over them. Adults can enjoy a hot tub area just for them, or join their youngsters in a whirlpool. Admission wristbands must be worn while in the park, a security feature that I liked. The water park admission is included with the room rate. Given the hours of entertainment we enjoyed, it’s a good deal. Free daily activities and events at the lodge, plus a terrific family restaurant on site, give guests little reason to leave the lodge. Only a promise of cool souvenirs lured my daughter away. Time to knuckle down At the Moon Marble Company in nearby Bonner Springs, Kan., visitors can watch as owner Bruce Breslow makes marbles at 1 and 4 p.m. On this day, Breslow was entertaining a local Cub Scout troop. While fashioning a glass stick called a cane at his workbench, Breslow explained how marbles were made, the history of marbles and how he got started in his craft. As Breslow clipped a piece of glass from the colorful cane with antique mule shears-–if it’ll cut the coarse hair of a mule, it’ll cut glass–a collective “oooohhh” comes from the crowd. “Thank you, gentlemen,” Breslow says, grinning. “I’ll take that as a compliment.” Other amusements There are other family attractions not far from Great Wolf Lodge, including the Nascart Indoor Racing Facility in Olathe, Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead in Overland Park, the 1950s all Electric House in Shawnee and the National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame in Bonner Springs. Have dinner or lunch at Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Grill in Overland Park. It’s a sure hit for a family meal. Break away in Missouri Kansas City, Mo., has plenty of attractions to entertain families. Crown Center offers the Coterie Theater that presents terrific productions for children. Stop for lunch or dinner at the Crayola Café, a colorful, family-friendly restaurant that’s next to the Crayola Store. Other attractions include Kaleidoscope next to the Hallmark Visitors Center, where children create artwork using scrap materials from Hallmark’s manufacturing process at Kaleidoscope. There’s also Science City at Union Station, where youngsters explore their world as a scientist, and the newly expanded Toy & Miniature Museum close to Country Club Plaza. Across the state, St. Louis is lucky to have many family attractions that offer free admission, such as the world-class St. Louis Zoo, the St. Louis Science Center, the Saint Louis Art Museum and the Missouri History Museum. Across from the zoo and Interstate 64/U.S. Highway 40 is Turtle Playground with giant turtle sculptures for children to climb. Downtown attractions to see include the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, which includes the Old Courthouse and the Gateway Arch, and the City Museum on Washington Avenue that offers a new aquarium among many diversions. On Laclede’s Landing at the riverfront, have dinner at a St. Louis favorite, the Old Spaghetti Factory. Parents will like the reasonably priced menu and what kid doesn’t eat noodles? Ambling after Abe Illinois, the land of Lincoln, offers historic Springfield for a trip that will educate and entertain the family. The newest Lincoln- related site is the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. The museum portion was scheduled at press time to open in April. But don’t tell the youngsters this is a history museum; it’ll wreck their fun. Visitors will be immersed in an exhibit called “The Journey,” which takes guests through Lincoln’s life, from his boyhood in a log cabin, to the presidency and his assassination. There’s a gallery displaying artifacts, including a handwritten copy of the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln’s glasses, and Mary Todd’s music box. A children’s area, called “Mrs. Lincoln’s Attic,” is engaging, while “Ghosts of the Library” does an eerie theatrical presentation that mixes a live actor with special effects. There are plenty of additional Abe attractions, including Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site, the Lincoln Home National Historic Site and the surrounding neighborhood, the Old State Capitol State Historic Site, the Lincoln-Herndon Law Office State Historic Site and the Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site. Consider taking the family to Springfield via Amtrak, which offers AAA members 10-percent discount on fares. There’s train service to Lincoln’s beloved town, as well as to our next stop, Chicago. Chicago is chock full of family activities. Stop at Navy Pier, home to the Chicago Children’s Museum for the 10 years and younger set. Older children will take to the rock climbing wall, IMAX Theater and the 150-foot Ferris Wheel. Want museums? Then Chicago is your kind of town. One of the city’s premier cultural attractions, the John G. Shedd Aquarium, observes its 75th anniversary this year. Along Michigan Avenue, there’s Niketown Chicago, the Lego Store on the third floor of the Westfield North Bridge, and just off Michigan is the American Girl Place on E. Chicago Avenue, which offers American Girl products, a restaurant and a live musical. Wherever spring break takes your family, remember the most important thing: it’s a time to reconnect with the children. The best thing you can give them is your time and attention. Deborah Reinhardt is managing editor of “AAA Midwest Traveler.” |
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