Kids Helping Kids Fun Day - Saturday, February 25, 2012

Sounds like fun doesn't it? This might be something that I will be doing this weekend. Are you trying to come up with something fun for your kids? Not only will your kids have fun, but you can teach them a little bit about giving back to others. Children's Miracle Network is a good cause.

"Children are the world's most valuable resource and its best hope for the future."

-John Fitzgerald Kennedy-

Around Downtown

Art in the Center in the Square Parking Garage

These ads painted on buildings are works of art too

This is the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Bridge - Great place to watch trains

You can see Hotel Roanoke in the distance

The Roanoke Times Building

Virginia Museum of Transportation

Our Saturday Family Time continued after we left the Taubman Museum of Art. We walked through downtown, even though it was a little wet, to the Virginia Museum of Transportation. This museum has become a favorite for my family. The kids love to be around those big old trains - althought I must admit that we skipped the railyard today.

Jupiter Missile

We spent a lot of time looking at the Cars and the model train set. I love to watch my kids when they are exploring the world around them. Their reactions are the best and at times, I can feel the excitement as they are discovering how the world works.

Hours of Operation:

Monday-Saturday:

10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Sunday:

1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Admission Rates:

• $8.00 adults
• $7.00 seniors (age 60+)
• $6.00 children (ages 3-11)

Members and Kids under 3 visit for free! Group rates are available.

There is going to be a Train Lovers Day on Saturday, February 11th. The kids and I will probably make an appearance. It will depend on what else is going on that weekend. Also, there isn't much out there yet by way of information - so I will be keeping my eyes open on this one.

Taubman Art Museum

 

It was a rainy day today, so we decided to enjoy the things that you can do inside. Our first stop this morning was the Taubman Museum of Art. I love Spectacular Saturdays - it's free to go and the kids can sit there for hours with the arts & crafts alone. 

Arts and Crafts

 We actually stayed downstairs for about 30 minutes. They had plenty of paper available and the kids and I were having so much fun with the stencils. They also had these markers that make dots...as you can see from the picture above, this was a hit with us. I would love to find those somewhere - and I forgot to look when I was at the craft store.



The stairs up to the exhibits.

 After a while, we headed upstairs to check out the exhibits. I have been looking forward to checking out the "In the Moment: Light, Vision, and Memory" exhibition. It is celebrating photography in the 125th year of the Roanoke Times. It is amazing how history is caught on film - and we get to look back at it. I often wonder what it was truly like at that particular moment in time. I wonder if 100 years from now people will be doing the same thing with our lives. I was impressed with how well the boys behaved throughout the museum.


Gallery Hours

Closed Mondays
Tuesday - Saturday: 10am - 5pm
Sunday: Noon - 5pm
Open and free all day Saturday and first Fridays from 5pm - 8pm

Gallery Admission

Friends of the Taubman are always FREE!
General admission for ages 14 to 64: $7
Visitors 65 and over: $6
Children 5-13: $3.75
Children 4 and under are free
Groups of 10 or more: $2 off each admission feeGroups of 10 or more with tour guide pay general admission fees. To schedule a guided tour, call 540.342.5760.




What To Do This Weekend

The husband isn't working this weekend, which gives us an entire weekend to spend doing things as a family. Now, I am having a difficult time narrowing down what I would like us to do. Since tomorrow is Saturday, we could always go to Spectacular Saturdays at the Taubman Art Museum. I would love to check out the "In the Moment: Light, Vision, and Memory." That is going on from 10am until 5pm tomorrow.

Another option is to take the kids to the Mill Mountain Zoo. It has been a long time - my youngest was in a stroller the last time we went - so I think we are due for a trip to the zoo. It was not my intent to make that rhyme, but I like the way it sounds now.

The third option for us would be to head over to the Transportation Museum. The kids love the trains and it's a great "free" day for us since we already paid for the membership (and we have already gotten our money's worth).

There are other things that we can do as a family in Roanoke. However, I am trying to come up with something that is fun and free for us this weekend.

Review: The Kroger/Valleydale Kids Winter Carnival

The original plan was to bring the whole family to check out the carnival, but this didn't happen. My youngest isn't interested in this sort of event yet and the husband was tired. So my oldest and I had a Mommy-Son day, which was absolutely wonderful.

This was one huge slide.



The man guessing the birth month made my son upset. The cotton candy made it better though.

 There were a ton of ticket options, which if I had more children may have made sense to purchase. However, I purchased the 24 tickets for $20.00. My son rode on the Carousel and loved the animal choices. He then took a trip down the slide. He was a little slow climbing up the stairs, but the height made him a little nervous. Once he was up there though - he had the biggest smile on his face going down the slide (this was the ride he went on twice). The Dragon Wagon was his other favorite ride. He told me that it didn't give him butterflies, but it did give him a huge smile. He also enjoyed the teacups.

There is only one more chance to check this fun out. It's totally geared towards kids, but it is enough to make a parent smile watching their child/children have the time of their lives. You can find the information below. Check out http://www.colerides.com/ for the coloring page for a free ride.

Kroger/Valleydale Kids Winter Carnival

Salem Civic Center, Salem, VA

Monday, January 16, 12:00pm-6:00pm

Free Admission

Ride Tickets $1.00 each or 24 for $20.00

Most rides are 3 tickets each

Color a picture for 1 FREE Ride!!
(Limit 1 free ride per child per day) 

Adult Fun: The Snuggie Bar Crawl, Saturday, January 14, 2012

The Snuggie Bar Crawl has been taking the world by a storm since its inception. Last year, Roanoke joined in the craze and hosted its first Snuggie Bar Crawl. It's back again this year, starting at 3pm this coming Saturday. I may not make it this year, although we'll see how Saturday goes - but it was quite the event last year. I went with a friend last year and wound up making a dozen new friends and acquaintances by the end of the night. When I am out and about town, I run into these Snuggie friends and it's so much fun catching up.

Part of the fun of this event is dressing up the Snuggie. You can make a Snuggie into just about anything that you want - It's a blanket with arms afterall. Some people turned their Snuggies into makeshift dresses, while some turned it into a character, like the Cheshire Cat.

There is a bit of fun involved, but there is also a Charity aspect to this bar crawl. You are encouraged to bring a canned good for the local Food Bank.

The Route:

3pm-4pm Blues BBQ
4pm-5pm The Quarter
5pm-6pm 202 Market
6pm-7pm Cornerstone
7pm-8pm Martins
8pm-9pm Corned Beef and Company

Each restaurant will have their own food & drink specials

So, if you are looking for a great afternoon into late night of fun - check this out.

Upcoming Event: Kroger Valleydale Kid's Winter Carnival January 12-16, 2012

Okay, I have never been to the Kid's Winter Carnival, but I think this is a good time to check it out. I think my kids are old enough to actually have a little fun at something like this.

Kroger Valleydale Kid's Winter Carnival

When: Jan 12 – 16, 2012

Where: Salem Civic Center Arena (map)

Description: Thursday, January 12 ~ 6-9 PM Friday, January 13 ~ 6-9 PM Saturday, January 14 ~ 10 AM-9 PM Sunday, January 16 ~ NOON-6 PM Monday, January 17 ~ NOON-6 PM Free Admission Ride Tickets are $1 each or 24 tickets for $20; each ride requires 3 - 4 tickets

 

I don't know if we will try to beat the crowds and go on Thursday or not. I definitely plan on taking a bunch of pictures so you can see exactly what this Carnival is all about. I might even come up with some money so the kids can check out some of the rides. Most likely I will do what I call a quick drive-by. This basically means that we'll wander through it (much like the Salem Fair). If the kids express an interest in any rides at that point, I will assess the cost value. Boring for the kids, but there is no need to go into debt checking out all the awesome events this year.

It's A New Year!

Well, now that we are back to the month of January, it's a great opportunity to see all that Roanoke has to offer all year round. I am excited to think about all the great experiences we will have this year. I am eager to explore those museums around us, the mountains, and all the events that are in downtown. I am also going to be looking for things to do that are close to Roanoke. When I say close, I mean within a 30 to 45 min radius. Now this could change because if I come across something completely amazing I am going to share it. Did you know it's only 2.5 hours from the North Carolina Zoo from here? The kids and I had a wonderful day at the zoo last week. My oldest even found out what happens when you touch a cactus.

Keep your eyes open. I am going to start researching events and fun this evening. We'll see what I can come up with to share with you. For an adult day out, stay tuned for the Snuggie Bar Crawl. This will be taking place on the 14th of this month. It starts at about 3pm so there is a lot of fun. It also combines with the Food Bank, so bring your canned goods.