Redamak's in New Buffalo

This weekend, I'm heading back to New Buffalo, Michigan with my favorite group of girlfriends. No, we won't be hitting the beach like my family did during our trip there this summer. {sigh} Instead, it will involve sweaters and snow boots. But, on the bright side, a lot more wine!

Quite frankly, I'm more disappointed that I won't be able to nosh on the best cheeseburger of my life while we're there. You see, traveling in the off-season does have its drawbacks beyond frigid temperatures. Our beloved burger joint, Redamak's, doesn't open until the first weekend in March.

We discovered Redamak's this summer. Its the kind of place where your waitress calls you honey, brings crayons and lemonades for the kids without even asking, and the hostess seats you at a table in the back where your crazy crew can be loud and have fun without bothering anyone.

My beautiful nephew, sister, niece and dad.

In other words, fine dining it is not. See also: my kind of place when traveling with four kids under four.

We didn't know a thing about Redamak's before walking in the door. But after browsing the menu, it was abundantly clear they were known for cheeseburgers. And when my basket arrived with the burger wrapped in parchment paper and a pile of crinkle fries, I knew something special was happening.

Who needs white table cloths when there is delicious food to be had? Underneath all that paper is the perfect present. You'll never find a better burger. Ooey, gooey cheese. Melt in your mouth patty. Total pub grub perfection.

I'll be back, Redamak's. Afterall, 7 months ago poor Little Arrow had to stare at my meal from afar and was forced to eat pea puree. Now my little eater would probably walk right in and order his own cheeseburger!

This post is a part of Wanderfood Wednesday at Wanderlust and Lipstick.

Curious Kids' Museum in St. Joseph, Michigan

When I was in southwestern Michigan this summer, my travel companions included four kids ages 4 and under (this included Big Arrow, 3 years old, and Little Arrow, at the time 7 months old, plus my nephew, 4 1/2, and my niece, 2 1/2). We mostly filled our days with the ultimate kid-pleasing activity: playing at the beach.

But we reached a point where we all needed a bit of a break from the sun, sand and surf, so we spent a morning at the Curious Kids' Museum in nearby St. Joseph, Michigan. Because if it's one thing we had in abundance, it was curious kids.

I've been to many children's museums since becoming a mom (including the world's largest in Indianapolis). Curious Kids' is a great one because it has a wide variety of activities, from a realistic vet clinic:

to an Australian Outback camp:

to a local news studio. (Big Arrow did an awesome rundown of the weather that day.)

There seemed to be at least 20 or so different exhibit areas, each very different from the next. Great for a group of kids who are equally as diverse in their interests and personalities. I loved that the focus in most of the spaces was on imaginative and make believe play.


We also saw kids of every age happy, including babies. They have a great "Toddle Farm" for kids 4 and younger. Since it often feels as though we just drag Little Arrow along on adventures that are designed for Big Arrow, I loved getting to watch him do some exploring of his own.

If you're spending some time hitting the beaches of Lake Michigan next summer, or if you're visiting this area in the off-season, put the Curious Kids Museum on your rainy day list.

If You Visit:
Curious Kids' Museum
415 Lake Boulevard, St. Joseph, Michigan
Hours and admission prices vary depending on time of year.

Insider Tip: If you're bringing more than one kid to the museum, have a little chat before going in about everyone staying together and on the same floor. Or bring another adult along. My only complaint about this museum is that each exhibit is in an entirely separate room, making it difficult to supervise multiple kids if they don't play together.

You might also be interested in my tips for visiting a children's museum.

This post is a part of Photo Friday at Delicious Baby.

Playgrounds Put the Play in Vacation

If you're the parent of a two-year-old, then spending time at your neighborhood playground is practically a weekly, if not daily, outing. It's not always my favorite way to spend time... sometimes it is downright boring to push a swing over and over again, it can be brutally hot in the summer, and I certainly don't enjoy the "it is time to go home now" battles. But even I will admit that it can be a great time-killer and energy-burner.

But when we're on vacation? I always love finding a good playground. There's a certain element of discovery (not just in tracking down the location itself, but The Arrow loves exploring some new equipment).

Playgrounds with palm trees in Florida

Sometimes the scenery itself is gorgeous, like this playground that bordered the ocean in North Redington Beach, Florida. Being from Indaina, we don't often play under the shade of palm trees afterall. It was a perfect place to let The Arrow get the wiggles out before we sat down to a nice dinner during our trip to Tampa/St. Petersburg.

Pitstop playground in Peoria

A roadside playground can be a lifesaver on a long road trip. Some fresh air and lots of body movement opportunities! This playground in Peoria, Illinois was attached to a Joe's Crab Shack right on the riverfront area. At the halfway point on our drive from Indiana to Iowa City, we all needed a little break.

Playtime Boston-style

Our Boston trip was jam-packed with sightseeing, which often meant The Arrow was confined to a stroller or sitting still on the T. The playground in Southwest Corridor Park just outside our Jamaica Plain rental house was such a great way for him to burn off steam.

Swinging in South Haven

We've even celebrated some "firsts" while checking out playgrounds on vacation. When we ran out of baby toys to entertain then six-month old Arrow during our first family vacation in South Haven, Michigan, we ventured to the park and he got to experience the thrill of his first time on the swings. He may have been wee bit too small for it, but it was love at first sight, as he's still swinging to this day!

Sometimes unique playgrounds can be destinations themselves, especially combined with a short day trip somewhere close to home. I've profiled a couple of favorites at Visit Indiana:

• Playscape Playground at Danville's Ellis Park (Danville, Indiana)
• Freedom Field: Where Everyone Can Play (Columbus, Indiana)

Resources for finding playgrounds while traveling:

• KaBOOM!'s Playground Finder
• Delicious Baby's Tips for Finding Playgrounds While Traveling

So if you find your kids are getting a little cranky on a trip, ask yourself if you've incorporated enough play. And then hit the local park or recreation area and let them loose for an hour or two! You may even get a feel for what it's truly like to live in the area you're visiting by talking with some local moms and dads.

Any favorite playground memories from your travels? Please share them in the comments!

This post is a part of Things I Love Thursday at Diaper Diaries.

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My 7 Links: A Look Back at Arrows Sent Forth

It's perfect timing that My 7 Links is all the rage right now among travel bloggers, since this is the 1-year anniversary of Arrows Sent Forth. My 7 Links is a project organized by Tripbase that is designed to "create a bank of blog posts that deserve to see the light of day again." I've really enjoyed reading what other bloggers have shared on their blogs for the last week or so. Below are the particular categories that participants must follow. Thanks to Wandering Off (one of my absolute favorite blogs), who nominated me to participate.

My Most Beautiful Post:
"Togetherness" from September 30, 2010. I barely wrote a complete sentence for this post, because I think the picture speaks for itself. I could stare at this photo, of the two people I love most in the world doing what I most love to do, all day long. The photo was taken on the beach of Warren Dunes State Park in southwest Michigan at sunset.

My Most Popular Post:
Visiting the Florida Aquarium from April 3, 2011. Apparently lots of people are looking for info on this great destination in Tampa, Florida. I'm glad it's so popular, because I think the post full of great tips for a more successful visit to the aquarium.

My Most Controversial Post:
Going Places Strollers Never Will from October 3, 2010. I don't write controversial posts (or at least I haven't yet). But I did participate in a link-up to shed light on the many benefits of baby-wearing at a time when some were calling for the ban of all baby carriers and slings. While the arrow has graduated from baby-wearing these days, I'm still a huge fan of quality products that make family travel so much easier. And I'll be back to baby-wearing in just a few months!

My niece is now the queen of the backpack carrier.

My Most Helpful Post:
Things I Learned While Camping with a Toddler from September 28, 2010. While I see young kids all over campgrounds, I have found limited resources on the internet and around the blogosphere from families with first-hand knowledge of camping as a family. While I'm certainly no expert, I hope the tips I shared in this post will make another family's trip easier (or perhaps even motivate a hesitant parent to get out there for the first time for a night under the stars!)

A Post Whose Success Surprised Me:
Experiencing Egypt at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis from February 7, 2011. This is my second most popular post. Perhaps it got a lot of attention because I posted it so soon after the chaos began in Egypt. But I'm still surprised, because of all the amazing exhibits at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis, this is one that I don't often hear visitors talking about. In fact, on the day we visited, it was nearly empty. I think a lot of families pass it by. Maybe by sharing the fun we had, that will change for a few people.

A Post I Feel Didn't Get the Attention It Deserved:
Falls of the Ohio State Park from March 16, 2011. Maybe I did a lousy job of describing how unique and beautiful this place is. Maybe my pictures didn't do it justice. But this state park in southern Indiana really is amazing, and I didn't get much of a response to this post. (I have a theory that if these fossil beds were found along the coasts, it would be an incredibly popular tourist attraction. But don't get me started on how Midwestern gems like this often get ignored... Instead, I'll just to choose to celebrate getting to enjoy places like this in peace and quiet.)

The Post I'm Most Proud Of:
Trip Report: South Haven, Michigan from July 19, 2010. I don't even suggest you click over to this post unless you're planning a trip to South Haven. There's really nothing special about it, other than it marks the moment that I finally started this blog after kicking around the idea of doing so for several months. I wasn't sure I wanted to put myself out there on the web, sharing my thoughts, ideas, pictures and memories. But blogging has been such a fun adventure for me: it has lead to a part-time job with Visit Indiana, an almost-free trip to Boston, and even affects how I cook in my kitchen. (Let's not discuss it's affect on the cleanliness of my house, however.) It all started with this very first post.

Hope you enjoyed this look back. Now it's my turn to nominate five of my favorite bloggers to join in the fun. (Ladies, this is sort of like a chain letter, so feel free to ignore if you're not interested or have already been nominated.)

Midwest Guest
Amy's Food Flights
Suitcases and Sippy Cups
Go Big or Go Home
Go Explore Nature

Nature on Vacation

Happy Earth Day! Earlier this week, I shared some ways we have fun enjoying nature in our own backyard. One of our favorite aspects of traveling is exploring the great outdoors in other's backyards. Not only is it one of my ways to save money on entertainment while on vacation, but it's also a chance to expose your kids to environments that they might not otherwise experience. Here are a few favorite photos from outdoor adventures while traveling.

Introducing the arrow to Lake Michigan during our trip to South Haven (he's tucked away in the Bjorn).

Hiking in the Red River Gorge of Kentucky.

Checking out the cacti at the Desert Botanical Garden during our trip to Phoenix.

Seashell hunting at Fort De Soto Park while on vacation in St. Petersburg, Florida.

This post is a part of Photo Friday at Delicious Baby.

A tour of Notre Dame

The arrow has recently become obsessed with photo albums. He can look at pictures of himself and family members over and over again. It can get repetitive, but it's definitely more interesting than reading Elmo Minds His Manners for the 300th time.

Lately he's been looking at our 2009 photo book, which includes pictures from our trip to South Haven, Michigan. It was our first vacation as a family and we'll always remember it fondly. In order to survive our first long car ride with a baby, we planned a stop at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend. Notre Dame also happens to be my husband's alma mater. It was such a treat to watch him give the arrow his first tour of campus.

Stopping in front of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart.

Alum or not, Notre Dame is a beautiful place to visit. (You have to find your own cute baby to hold in your pictures, though, mine is taken.) Dominique at Midwest Guest has done some great posts about her trip there, which provide fascinating information on the architecture and artwork on campus. You can check out those posts here, here and here.

I can't help but wonder what college visits we'll be taking 16 or 17 years from now. I know my husband will be hoping for a trip back to Notre Dame. I'm just glad we have many, many years until then.

This post is a part of Mondays are for Dreaming at The Mother of All Trips.

Trip Report: South Haven, Michigan

Who goes to Michigan in November on vacation?

That's the question everyone kept asking us as we embarked on our very first vacation as a family of three. The answer is a family looking for a quiet and affordable spot for a long weekend that wasn't too far of a drive.

We rented a cottage on the grounds of The Victoria Resort, a B&B right off the beach. Our cottage had two bedrooms, one bath, a full kitchen and spacious living room. Renting a little place of our own instead of staying in one small hotel room is probably my top travel advice for families. It allowed us to have some time as adults once our son went to bed at night. Plus, because we traveled in the off-season, we were able to rent all that space for less than the cost of what a decent hotel would be anyway.

So what to do in South Haven in November? First, we broke up our drive with a stop at Notre Dame to walk around and enjoy the campus. I highly recommend that if you have to drive more than 3-4 hours with kids in tow, you find a great spot along the way to stop and let everyone get some fresh air.

Once we arrived in South Haven, we got settled into our cottage, and then "hit the beach." Bikini, suntan lotion, and beach chair? More like fleece blanket, baby bjorn, and sweatshirt! But just as breathtaking for this typically land-locked midwestern mom!

That night, we had an amazing dinner at Clementines, a South Haven staple. If you go, you MUST get the perch. It's heavenly. Clementines is great for kids--situated in a large, historic building right downtown. Plenty of big families gathered together, very casual, and just enough noise to mute any fussing that might occur.

The next day, we walked the long pier, hit up the shops in town, and settled in for a nice long nap that afternoon. Later, we found a great park just a few blocks from our cottage, which had beautiful views of the marina. That night, we ate at a local Mexican spot to finish out the day.

There is plenty more to see and do in South Haven, regardless of season. The staff at the Victoria Resort was so helpful in making recommendations. Their website includes plenty of suggestions for activities to please just about anyone.

My husband and I were pretty seasoned travelers before we had our son. By the time he was six months old, we were itching to tackle our first adventure and see what kind of little traveler we had produced. As you can see, we kept our first trip pretty simple, made sure he took naps each day, ate at his usual times, etc. We were so pleasantly surprised with how well he did, and this first success led to more adventures down the road. So it will always remain a favorite time in our lives as a family.
 

South Haven on Dwellable