Diamond Head State Park, Oahu, HI

If you or your child happens to be crazy about craters, then hiking the rim of Diamond Head crater should be at the top of your travel bucket list. While extremely challenging, the views from the top make for a fantastic reward. As a bonus, those who brave this trail can boast about experiencing the best view of  the city of Honolulu. 

View from the military observation tower.

The trail from the parking lot starts out innocently enough, but quickly steepens. You'll climb up the side of the crater, through a tunnel, into an old military observation tower, and then outside. Once on top, you can view the interior of the crater to one side and the ocean and city on the other. The view is amazing and provides ample photo opportunities. 

View of the observation tower

City of Honolulu

Rim view of the inside of the crater

What you need to know

Arrive early. Even in the off-season, this was a popular attraction. If you don't mind extra walking and want to save money, you can park off-site. Otherwise you pay a small fee to park and then you'll have to queue up and wait until a spot opens up. Thankfully, parking lot attendants are available to make sure everything is done in an orderly fashion.

Water fountains and restrooms are available at the beginning of the trail, but there's nothing past that point so make sure to stop in on your way up. 

Aside from the brief time spent in the tunnel and observatory, there's no shade to be found during the hike, so sun protection is a must!

The trail is rigorous and very steep in some places. Not stroller or wheelchair accessible. Climbers need to be in good health. There are only a very few stopping points over the course of the trail. The trail is narrow and there are a lot of handrails so you can't easily rest unless you simply stop in the middle of the trail, but then you'll be blocking other hikers.

Steep, uneven trail.

It's absolutely worth noting that there is a fairly long tunnel that hikers have to traverse if they want to get to the top. There's simply no way around it. There is some faint lighting and some handrails, but if you're claustrophobic, you may want to keep this in mind.

Narrow tunnel

There's a refreshment stand near the parking lot so consider having some cash on hand. After your grueling hike you will probably be in the mood for something cold. They offered several types of tropical soft serve and smoothies. We rarely spring for things like that, but it sounded so, so good after we were done.

Learn More

Here's an 8-minute video about volcanoes. 

Volcano lesson plan and experiment.

Lots of info and a plethora of free printables. 

The Biltmore, Asheville, NC

It's not very often that my crew gets overly excited about touring a historic home. I have to pick my battles carefully and make sure these types of stops are far and few between. Imagine my relief and delight when the Biltmore house tour engaged everyone in our group!

The Biltmore was the home of the Vanderbilt family and is the largest home in the United States. Situated on 8,000 acres, this 178,000 sq ft house also boasts a conservatory, acres of gardens, a boat house, winery, and much more. While there's so much here to keep you busy, it's absolutely possible to see most of the home and gardens in one day.

If you're a fan of period dramas such as Downton Abbey, you'll be giddy at the Biltmore. Construction on the home started in the late 1800s and has been very, very well preserved. Some early 1900s updates were made, but you'll feel whisked away to another time and place as you tour the home and wander the grounds.

Tours are self-guided. Each person will be given a booklet that informs you of the highlights in each room. A tour guide leads each group around and points out a few details. Audio tours are also available, if you have more time and would like more info. The Vanderbilt's were very wealthy and well connected and their home boasts many treasures in each room. Having said that, based on the sheer enormity of the home and the time it takes to tour (about an hour) we opted to pass on the audio tour. 

After touring the house, you'll want to browse the gardens. The conservatory is beautiful and is full of gorgeous plants.

There are several terraces, pathways, ponds, fountains, and even a trail, depending on how much time you want to spend outdoors. You're completely free to explore at your own pace.

What you need to know

Like a lot of popular attractions, this one can get very busy during peak times. Tours are timed to keep the crowds down so you'll want to purchase tickets online ahead of time. Plan carefully because it's near impossible to add someone to your party after tickets have been purchased.

Before reaching the house itself, you'll leave the main road, park, and then walk along a wooded trail. The trail leads you to the far end of the drive, which is where the above picture was taken. As you can see, there's a good bit of walking before you even start the tour. Shuttle services are available, for a steep fee, but you must plan ahead and make a reservation.

Restrooms are limited. You'll want to be sure to use the restrooms up by the house prior to starting the tour because there are none to be found inside the home, in order to best preserve the house. 

Quick-bite restaurants, gift shops, and restrooms can be found within walking distance of the house. We were surprised by the quality of the food and appreciated that they had a few gluten-free options available. 

There are activities galore so you could easily spend a full day or even several days here on the estate, but the house and gardens were the main draw for us. You can see everything in just a few hours and then continue on your way.

Be sure to read up on their policies so you know what to expect regarding pets, outside food and drinks, etc. You do need to walk through a scanner so large pocket knives might be better left in the car.

Despite the restrictions, the Biltmore is very family friendly! Visit their page to learn more and to find family-friendly itinerary suggestions. 

If you visit, I hope you end up enjoying your time as much as we did. We really were in awe of the sheer size of the home and with all of the attention to detail. What a neat insight into the Vanderbilt family and that time period.

Throwback: Jekyll Island, GA

Summer is just around the corner and I can't stop thinking about the beach.

There, now you're thinking about it, too! :)

T. R. Pugh Memorial Park, Little Rock, AR

If I had to choose one word to describe T.R. Pugh Memorial Park it would be "magical." From the moment you step inside the gates, you'll feel transported to fairyland. It's for good reason so many go to this park for pictures and weddings!

The main structure, the grist mill, was built in 1933 and was intentionally made to look abandoned, but it's perfectly safe to explore. Several unique bridges, sculpted to look as though they were constructed from branches, grace the park and provide lots of climbing opportunities. There are foot paths and ponds and everything is surrounded by lots of natural beauty as well.

I can't imagine there's ever a bad time of year to visit this gem, but if you can go in late Spring/early Summer as we did, you'll get the added benefit of all of the lovely flowers in bloom. Be sure to take your camera and maybe even consider dressing up a bit to take advantage of the scenery and get some great family photos.

Grist mill and pond

Exploring the grist mill

The wheel

One of many views from the inside

Turtle spotting from the big bridge

How cool is this bridge?!

Bridge and pond from the mill

A child's paradise!

View of mill from bridge

We easily could have stayed for hours and I'd love to return some day!

What you need to know

It's free!

Because of it's picturesque beauty, many weddings are hosted here throughout the year. I highly recommend calling ahead to make sure a wedding isn't taking place when you are planning to visit. Also, keep in mind that it may get crowded on weekends. We were there first thing on a Sunday morning and had the place to ourselves for about half an hour which was nice.

There are no restrooms or water so be sure to take that into consideration before heading out.

Some of the park is accessible, but not everything will accommodate a stroller or wheelchair.

For more info and fun facts about the park, you can visit their online brochure. I hope you enjoy this amazing place as much as we did!