The best ever escape room and mini golf in Chicago

[caption id="attachment_4568" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Success![/caption]

By Robert, aged 14:

During the recent summer holidays my family and I decided not to exercise and get a typical summer body. Instead we opted to go  to America so our physique could resemble the jellybeans we learnt about on the Jelly Belly factory tour in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin (about an hour and a half from our base in Chicago). But whilst we gained pounds (and lost them at the currency exchange), the week we spent in Chicago was brilliant. I’ve been asked the question “What was your favourite bit?” multiple times since we got back from and every time I’ve replied with the same answer: “The escape room.” 

The Escape Game 

I’d been to three escape rooms in my life previous to this Chicago holiday and I had loved going every time. The one we went to in Chicago was run by the company The Escape Game. On offer at the venue we visited were five different experiences which varied in difficulty: Gold Rush, Mission: Mars, Special Ops: Mysterious Market, Prison Break and of course my favourite of all the ones I’ve done: The Heist. Unlike any escape room that I’ve partaken in before, this one actually had a proper storyline. Before we started, we were shown a video explaining our situation (that we were proving a dodgy art dealer to be a fake by stealing a painting) and this really made the next hour more exciting and fun. 



The rooms themselves were immaculately designed, they actually looked like what they were meant to be: a gallery, an office. There were no clues or objects that seemed out of place, which really made you feel like you were in the story. Also, in the British escape rooms that I’ve been to there have been many worn out props or creased laminated pages of which their sole purpose was to be a clue. The clues and rooms at The Escape Game were all in great condition, there were absolutely no puzzles that were just simply written on pieces of paper. 

[caption id="attachment_4570" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The rooms were so intricate - beautifully designed[/caption]

 

We managed to escape the room with under three minutes to spare and having only used about six  prompts or clues – which we used almost all in haste during the last few minutes! Unlike the typical “find some numbers and open up a cupboard with a padlock” puzzles which we were used to, The Heist would reveal something after we completed a sequence. An object or clue would appear on the floor or the table without us doing anything so it was really cool. 

[caption id="attachment_4567" align="alignnone" width="1200"] We had to rescue this fake picture (it took us a while to find it!)[/caption]

Overall I thought the whole thing was genius and I ended up repeating “that was so cool” over and over for the majority of the day! The storyline and unique puzzles made the experience thoroughly enjoyable, fast-paced and exciting. There were multiple times (which I can’t mention in detail or else it will spoil them) that were outstanding and we keep talking about. I hope that, without mentioning anything about the clues or puzzles, I have conveyed how awesome this escape room was as we all thought it was brilliant and would definitely go back again. If only it wasn't so far away....

The Escape Game Chicago is located in River North and costs $35.99 per player, although there are often offers if you look out for them! 

City Mini Golf 

Another unique experience that we all really enjoyed was playing a round at City Mini Golf which is located in the beautiful Maggie Daley Park. The crazy golf course started off as a popup created by school teacher Rob Long, but then it became so popular that it has now become a permanent attraction at the park and was voted Chicago’s #1 Miniature Golf Course. 

Rob - who we actually met on the day that we went to have a game - makes all the holes himself and every year he expands the designs of the less exciting one. He told us that he already has many ideas for this winter meaning if you visit it will be even better than we went – and we really enjoyed it!  The setting for the game is lovely, with greenery all around you in the park and an open view of the amazing Chicago city skyline.  

The holes themselves were extremely innovative and unique as we had to putt the ball through or around intricately made models of Chicago landmarks: The Willis Tower, China town and even a miniature replica of Picasso’s Chicago Sculpture – as well as loads more.

[caption id="attachment_4576" align="alignnone" width="1200"] You can see the new China Town hole in the background![/caption]

I’ve been to quite a few mini-golf courses in my life and I’ve got to say that the NBA themed hole at City Mini Golf was one of the best I’ve ever played. You had to hit the ball up a ramp and land it in a basketball net which dropped it into tube facing the hole, it was so cool. At the end of the 18 hole course you get to put your ball into a game and if it lands in a certain place you win a free round. Out of the four of us we actually won this once meaning it’s not that hard to get another go at an already extremely good-value attraction. The balls were colourful and painted with designs, the holes were brilliantly crafted and overall it was a great place to come and have a fun time in Chicago. 

[caption id="attachment_4577" align="alignnone" width="768"] Mum by the brilliant Chicago Bulls hole[/caption]

City Mini Golf is located in the middle of Maggie Daley Park, just five minutes from the amazing Cloud Gate (the Bean)! It is open Monday-Thursday, and Sunday from 11-8 and on Fridays and Saturdays from 10am-9pm. It costs $11 per person, but if you live locally, you can get a whole season pass for $32!

Further reading:

NEW! Read about how we took part in a virtual escape room (but did we escape?)

NEW! Read Jess's account of our trip to Chicago, with her tips for teens.

Read about our trip to a London escape room, ClueQuest

Read about our trip to the biggest mini golf course in Europe

A relaxing holiday in Newport, Rhode Island

This blog is called Family Travel Times and one very important member of that family is my lovely niece, Ella, who is now 17. Here she writes about a trip to the gorgeous city of Newport, in New England, USA.

"I recently visited Newport, a beautiful coastal city in Rhode Island. Having arrived in Newport following a truly incredible, but extremely intense and busy, five day stay in New York, the relaxing town was exactly what I needed.

Newport is famous for its historic mansions. During the Gilded Age, America’s wealthiest families flocked there – and to the surrounding areas – in the summer. Today, more than a dozen of these properties have been preserved, and tourists are able to visit them. Although my family and I did not choose to go inside any of the mansions, we drove from one to the next and marvelled at the impressive buildings and beautiful views.

Also, located in Newport is the Touro Synagogue. This is a 1763 synagogue, and is the oldest synagogue building still standing in the United States.  The synagogue is extremely historically significant, as it was the second oldest Jewish congregation in the America, home to a congregation called ‘Nephuse Israel’, meaning Scattered of Israel.

[caption id="attachment_3714" align="alignnone" width="480"] Ella at the Touro Synagogue in Newport[/caption]

The earliest known Jewish settlers in Newport arrived from Barbados, where a Jewish community had existed since the 1620s. They were of Spanish and Portuguese origin; their families had migrated from Amsterdam and London to Brazil and then to islands in the Caribbean. I first visited the museum attached to the Synagogue, to find out initial facts about the history of it. Here, you can purchase tickets for a tour of the actual Synagogue building, which was accompanied by a talk by a volunteer. Tickets for this were $12 for adults and $8 dollars for students. Children 13 and under were free. The talk inside the synagogue was very interesting; the speaker was open to questions and providing further insight into this synagogue and its fascinating history.

Whilst staying in Newport, my family decided to take advantage of our hire care and drive to a shopping outlet. The Wrentham Premium outlets are easily reachable, in the direction of Boston, and the journey took only an hour. This was particularly beneficial, as clothing is not taxable in Massachusetts – so if you’re going to shop anywhere, do it there!

There was also a lovely range of shops in Newport itself. The town centre was quaint and sweet, with a real community atmosphere – everyone was friendly and welcoming (and I’m sure the novelty of the British accent did help!). Shops here included Gap and Sephora, as well as several unique shops, selling homemade gifts and goods and perfect souvenirs to remember your trip.

Another exciting thing to do in Newport is the Cliff walk This is a 3.5 mile path, through which you can experience both the natural beauty of the incredible coastline, and the architectural history of the Gilded Age. You will experience stunning views of the oceans, and be able to see the historic mansions. If the weather is right, this is a must!

[caption id="attachment_3716" align="alignnone" width="1024"] The beautiful cliff walk (picture by Giorgio Galeotti)[/caption]

Overall, visiting Newport was a great experience, and one I would definitely recommend for all the family, especially those with slightly older kids like us (aged 13 and 17). The atmosphere was something special and unique, and there is also something to be said for the fact that everything was in walking distance. It was a welcoming town, with beautiful scenery and a striking coast. It was the perfect addition to our holiday to America, and complimented the bustling nature of our stay in New York perfectly – I would highly recommend combining a visit to New York with a visit here. You need some relaxation on holiday!"

More on America:

What to do in Washington DC with kids

Read more by Ella on her visits with her family to Barcelona and Copenhagen

A Fascinating Day at the Newseum in Washington DC

Jess, aged 13, writes: We loved our quickfire visit to Washington DC. Over the course of three days, we saw lots of iconic monuments, visited four different museums, and discovered that some restaurants put sugar on bread! We spent an entire afternoon in the Newseum, and very much enjoyed it. It is such a unique and fascinating museum, all about newspapers and the media, and it is one of the best museums I've ever been to.

There is so much to do at the Newseum that it's difficult to mention it all! Firstly, our family walked around downstairs.

Robert, aged 10, says: I was able to explore an exhibition that included a large slab of The Berlin Wall and a stone guard tower. All the videos and pieces of text were about how lives were on both the left and right sides of the wall and the extreme measures they would go to get to the other side. It was fascinating as I had never learnt much about what happened in Germany at that time and I was amazed and quite sad to find out what happened.

[caption id="attachment_2274" align="alignnone" width="1200"] A part of the Berlin Wall[/caption]

I loved watching films about sport, people and other things in the many theatres including a great one in the massive 4D theatre which was about the most dangerous news reports and stories that ever happened. It was brilliant to see all the winners of The Pulitzer Prize Photograph award in a special gallery - some of the pictures made me feel quite emotional as they showed lives that were in no way as nice as ours.

Jess: Seeing all of these Pulitzer Prize photos was extremely haunting, and I will remember the accompanying video forever. I was astonished at the lengths photographers will go to in order to get a good picture. This was a recurring theme throughout the museum, especially in the section about the Twin Towers.

I must have spent over 40 minutes looking around the Twin Towers exhibit, as it was fascinating and very emotional. I saw the antenna on top of one of the buildings before the accident, and looked at the collection of papers from around the world reporting on the story. The part of the exhibit that struck me most was a video, showing real footage from the event, and interviews from people involved in broadcasting it to the public. I was amazed by how the number one priority on these peoples' minds was to get a good camera angle, take the best videos, and interview people, instead of running away and getting to safety.

[caption id="attachment_2275" align="alignnone" width="900"] Twisted antenna from the Twin Towers[/caption]

Next to the Twin Towers exhibit was a small room about the shooting of President Abraham Lincoln. The room looked at how the paper had reported the story, and the various updates throughout the day as more information was revealed.

There was lots in the museum about terrorism, and how it is reported. We also went through an exhibition about the Vietnam War, which interested me as I didn't know anything about it. They exhibition asked the question: "did the press lose the war?", and the powerful images, shocking posters, and provocative videos really made me think about the public's attitude towards war.

There were lots of interactive activities in the museum, and mum and I played lots of games to do with the ethics of reporting. We played quizzes and races which were all a lot of fun.

Mum also enjoyed the exhibits on race relations and the personal stories of journalists who literally put their lives on the line for a story.

[caption id="attachment_2272" align="alignnone" width="900"] Robert being a reporter at the Newseum[/caption]

Robert says: I really enjoyed taking the role as a reporter in the Interactive Newsroom where you picked a subject and was then videoed while reading a text on that topic. I did it around three times.

There were also lots of funny videos about politics, and I watched them with dad. There was such a variety of things to do, from learning the history of some famous cartoons to finding out all of the American presidents' pets.

Jess writes: The entire museum was fascinating, as it included so many things I had not thought of before. We were asked questions on events such as 7/7, learnt about the First Amendment and how it relates to the press, saw the day's front pages from every state and across the world, and saw a memorial to all the journalists who had been killed while reporting.

[caption id="attachment_2276" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The Newseum is right next to the Canadian Embassy and in a great spot![/caption]

Something that stood out to me was the World Press Freedom Map. It is a massive map, with countries coloured red, yellow, or green, depending on how free their press is. I was shocked to learn that only 17% of the world's population live in a country with a free press, and that not all the countries in Europe were coloured green. I was amazed that the only countries with a free press in Asia were Japan, Israel, and Taiwan, and was surprised that Mexico did not have a free press at all.

Overall, the Newseum is such an interesting, exciting, and shocking museum which really made me think about the power and impacts of the press. It is a perfect visit for all the family, as there is such a diverse range of activities. If you are in Washington DC, I definitely recommend a visit. In fact, you may need to go more than once as there is just so much to see!

The Newseum is open. It has regular special events, so it's definitely worth checking out its website. It's located in a brilliant spot, between the White House and Capitol, at 555 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, DC, 20001. We went via the metro (details are here). It's open daily from 9am to 5pm and costs $22.95 per adult (aged 19 to 64) and $13.95 for 7 to 18 year olds. Children younger than that are free. Tickets are valid for two consecutive days and there are refunds if you book online.

Watch our video of our stay in Washington!

[kad_youtube url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GW13vZlCLtM" width=200 height=100]

More by us on Washington DC

What to do in Washington DC with kids

Becoming super-sleuths: visiting the Spy Museum

Becoming Super Sleuths: A Visit to the Spy Museum in Washington DC

[caption id="attachment_1982" align="alignnone" width="940"] Killer lipstick courtesy of the KGB[/caption]

Jess, aged 13, writes: Over the half term, our family became spies at The International Spy Museum in Washington DC. As we had heard that this was the best museum in DC, we were really looking forward to visiting the museum and learning all about the world of spies. Our hopes were very high, and luckily, we were not disappointed! In fact, we all think that the Spy Museum is the best museum that we have ever visited...

Upon entry to the museum, we found ourselves in a room which had lots of different profiles on the walls. Our mission: assume one of the identities of these people, remember all the details about their personal life, and get them all correct when we were tested on them. I became Sandra Miller, a 62 year old female clothes store owner from Chatsworth, Illinois. While mum, Robert, and I had remembered all of the details about our characters, dad couldn't even remember his name (Dmitri Ivanov)!

Next, we watched a film, which told us all about what it takes to be a spy. It asked us if we were ready to become spies and sleuths, and we certainly were. We had our cover story memorised, and couldn't wait to go into action.

After the film ended, we found ourselves in a really large room, which was the main part of the museum. This was absolutely massive, and there was so much to see and do. First of all, we went through "border control", where we answered questions on the screen about our character. Some of the questions were about information that we had not been told, so we had to work hard to come up with the most believable answer. We all passed, and were given more information to memorise about the purpose of our visit, who we were meeting, and where we were going. This was lots of fun.

Mum, dad, Robert, and I all played a game where you had to assess if a situation was being monitored by a security system, hostile surveillance, or if you just happened to come across an unlucky break. We had to press the button we thought it was as quickly as we could, and Robert and I got very competitive! It was very exciting, and interesting to see how many obstacles a spy has to face to get around a place unnoticed.

We learnt about different spy techniques, such as swapping identical bags in a busy street, letting fellow spies know important information by leaving inconspicuous objects in public (such as gum or a cigarette packet), and leaving important documents in hidden places. We looked at pictures to try and find examples of these things, and mum and I spent a lot of time trying to find the right answers.

[caption id="attachment_1979" align="alignnone" width="940"] This object of destruction seemed very British[/caption]

There was so much to do that I really don't think I can list it all! Robert and I crawled through a ventilation shaft, and saw people standing around downstairs where we had been standing before. We learnt about how inventions in James Bond influenced real life spy tools, and saw the famous Kiss of Death lipstick-gun used by the KGB from the Cold War; it looked like something straight from a spy film! Other highlights were seeing a Bulgarian umbrella (just like the umbrella used by the KGB in 1978 to assassinate Georgi Markov with a poisoned pellet), and the postbox that notorious CIA double agent Aldrich Ames used to secretly communicate with the KGB. You can see some of these in the video we made of our trip in DC (below).

[kad_youtube url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GW13vZlCLtM" width=200 height=100 ]

Another highlight was two videos showing how effective disguise can be. We were shown two people, and had to spot and arrest them when they were among other people. The first video we watched was set in an underground station, and we didn't manage to get the correct person the first time. We chose the right person the second time, but this was after clicking on every possible person and consequently arresting everyone in the station! This was amazing - the man we chose looked nothing like the man with the large brown beard that we were trying to find. Mum and I also enjoyed the video afterwards that showed us how these people had been made up to look entirely different. We must have spent over an hour in this room, watching videos, listening to audio clips, and being shocked and fascinated

Next, we walked through an exhibit all about spies and codebreaking in the olden times. We learnt about how it played a part in the American Civil War, and how Mary, Queen of Scots, wrote in code about her plan to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I. We found out about spies in Berlin during the Cold War, and I was particularly fascinated by the story of Joan Pujol Garcia, a double agent for the Allies who gave Germany false information during World War II.

[caption id="attachment_1981" align="alignnone" width="940"] Jess passed the test with flying colours (unlike her parents!)[/caption]

When this exhibit was finished, we were tested again on our secret personas. While mum and dad failed completely and were caught, Robert got out of the country but "needed some extra training". I, on the other hand, passed with flying colours, and may have gloated a bit too much to the rest of the family...

The museum's temporary exhibition entitled: "Fifty Years of Bond Villains" was amazing. I loved watching the videos, and thought that the parallels between the first Bond film (Dr. No) and the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 were astonishing. We saw lots of props from the Bond films, entered Blofeld's lair, and laughed at mum when she screamed (remarkably loudly) at a "shark" that came through a screen. There were lots of games to play, including defusing a "bomb" (only dad succeeded), holding onto a bar for as long as possible, and trying to stop your opponent from working out a secret code. This was brilliant, and I definitely want to see Spectre now!

[caption id="attachment_1980" align="alignnone" width="940"] Only Brian could safely defuse the bomb...[/caption]

One of my favourite parts of the museum was found in the James Bond exhibit. It was a collection of films, entitled "My Bond Moment". These were films narrated by retired spies, recalling times when they found themselves in a situation that could have been a scene in a 007 blockbuster. It was so interesting and unbelievable to think that they attempted these things, and mum had to drag me out afterwards. You can watch the videos here, and I highly recommend you do so.

We rushed through the end of the museum as we had to meet family, but it was still fascinating. The last part was centred around the 21st century, and we learnt about what would happen to America if the electric grids went down. Next came the massive shop which was packed with cool games and memorabilia, and before we knew it, it was time to go.

We must have spent over three and a half hours in the museum, and we definitely could have stayed for longer. I genuinely don't have a bad thing to say about it, as it was so unique, there was so much to do and see, and it was perfect for all the family. I thing that it is a must do if you are in Washington DC, and I would happily go back again!

Disclosure: The Spy Museum is free for under 6s and costs $14.95 for ages 7-11. Over 12s cost $21.95 each. We were fortunate to be gifted tickets in order to write about our experience. However, there was no input or suggestions about what we should write.

Read about our trip to Washington

We flew to Washington via First Class - read what it was like.

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What to do in Washington DC with kids (by the whole family)

[caption id="attachment_1925" align="alignnone" width="940"] Us standing in front of the Capitol Building on a beautiful Autumn day[/caption]

Jess, aged 13 writes: Last week, our family visited Washington DC for three days. Although we had a very busy time, we definitely managed to narrow down the best things to do in that time period and really loved it. The city itself is unusual: as it is a purpose built capital it is mainly composed of museums, memorials, lawyers and lobbyists! However, this does make it very good for sightseeing. There is so much to do, especially for kids, and we would have been happy to stay for longer.

Robert made a video of our stay - the first he's done by himself - so please take a look for our highlights.

[kad_youtube url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GW13vZlCLtM" width=200 height=100 ]

Where to Stay

Our hotel was the famous Willard Hotel, which used to be the thriving centre of DC's social life. Today, it is not as busy as it was in the 1900s, but we could definitely imagine how the extravagant lobby would have looked back then, full of the most important people in the city.

The hotel is full of history; Martin Luther King stayed there when he wrote the famous "I have a dream" speech, and it is where President Ulysses S. Grant coined the phrase "lobbyists", from all the people pestering him in the lobby when he was trying to have a drink! In fact, there is a lovely museum-style room near the back of the hotel. This tells you about the significant events that happened there, and we found it very interesting.

The room we had was big and spacious, with two double beds and a sofa. As Robert and I didn't want to sleep in the same bed, one of us slept in the fold out bed from the sofa. Even with this folded out, there was still lots of space to walk around and sit down. The TV was massive, and it was really cool to see the streets of DC from our window. However, it was quite noisy with the noise from all the cars.

[caption id="attachment_1929" align="alignnone" width="940"] It was great to stay just a few minutes walk from The White House[/caption]

Breakfast was one of the best I've ever been to, with lots of delicious fresh fruit and scrumptious pastries. I loved the glass full of granola, berries, and yoghurt, and ate loads of potatoes. There were also American sticky buns and mum had pancakes.

The Willard is in a brilliant location for getting around and very near the White House.

[caption id="attachment_1940" align="alignnone" width="940"] We did have a good breakfast at the Cafe du Parc at the Willard[/caption]

What to See

[caption id="attachment_1927" align="alignnone" width="940"] We love this picture of the Washington Monument and its reflection![/caption]

Sarah says: Washington is full of monuments and the most noticeable is the Washington Monument itself, which was built in honour of the country's first President. It stands at 555 feet and is located right in the centre of the National Mall (in between the Lincoln Memorial and the Capitol). The Washington Monument is the largest stone structure in the world, made of marble, granite and bluestone gneiss and is very impressive (as well as being rather gorgeous). It's surrounded by 50 flags, one representing each of the states of America and you can also go up it in a lift, but we didn't have time to do that (we hadn't booked tickets in advance).

[caption id="attachment_1931" align="alignnone" width="940"] The very impressive Lincoln Memorial[/caption]

We also visited the stunning Lincoln Memorial which is unbelievably grand and really moving. It is a must-see when you go to Washington and will make you stop and think.

[caption id="attachment_1930" align="alignnone" width="940"] A plaque at the World War II Memorial[/caption]

The Second World War memorial is another one we were glad to have visited, but I'm afraid we missed out on a proper visit to the Martin Luther King memorial and the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial as we simply ran out of time, and to some extent energy. We (the adults) have seen the Roosevelt Memorial before and it really is worth a trip. We saw the beautiful Jefferson memorial from the tour bus we took.

If you are with children, I simply don't think you can happily visit all the monuments in Washington as younger members of the family may not appreciate their historical value as much as you do! They are also all spaced out - Washington is a trip where you walk and walk...

Our tips would be do to the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial as these are the most iconic. If you want to go to the top of the Monument, you can queue up on the day at a booth adjacent to the Monument or book in advance (there's a $.150 service charge per ticket). Each trip is timed and lasts around half an hour in total.

Brian writes: We visited the National Archives Museum, and headed straight for the Rotunda to see the original copies of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights.

We were there relatively late in the afternoon, so the queues were not too long. All the documents are in secure cases, but you can look down at them very closely (although you can't take any photographs). The lights are kept very dim, so the documents don’t fade any more - the Declaration of Independence was particularly faded.

The Constitution with its opening “We the people” in large letters makes a big impression and is also interesting because of its mistakes – some words needed to be inserted between lines, and Benjamin Franklin signs for “Pensylvania” (with only one “n”, instead of “Pennsylvania”).

There are two armed guards, one on either side of the Constitution, so there is no chance of it being stolen (as Nicholas Cage impressively managed in “National Treasure”).

The rotunda is huge and incredibly imposing. There are also two large-scale murals on the walls depicting scenes of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution being presented. There are two signs which helpfully identify the signatories depicted in the murals. This makes it more obvious that George Washington only signed the Constitution, while Benjamin Franklin signed both.

We probably spent about 45 minutes in the Rotunda, but I am really pleased that we took the opportunity to visit - you don't see documents like this every day and I think the children felt that too. We also looked round the temporary exhibition on the history of alcohol in the US. This mainly focussed on the Prohibition era (during the 1920s, and early 1930s) and was very interesting.

The museum closed at 5.30pm and there was lots we had not managed to see, including its copy of The Magna Carta. But we had already seen two copies a few months ago in Lincoln, so gave this one a miss.

We pre-booked our visit to the National Archives Museum in advance, so we beat the queue to get through security at the main entrance. This cost $1.50 per person. Entrance itself is free.

[caption id="attachment_1932" align="alignnone" width="940"] By the Lincoln Memorial, on the Big Bus Tour[/caption]

Jess says: We took the Washington DC Big Bus Tour around the city, which was very convenient as one of the stops was right outside our hotel! Every other bus has an actual person speaking, and the ones in between had recorded audio that you heard through headphones. As our hotel was one of the last stops on the tour, we took a bus with the recording to get to the first stop: Union Station. The recording wasn't great - it didn't give you a lot of information and just kept playing Sousa's Washington Post March over and over!

However, the bus tour with a "live" guide is a very good way to see the city. Our guide, Tom, was funny and exciting, and we saw lots of interesting landmarks. I definitely do recommend it and I think it is good for kids too, as Tom told jokes, asked us questions and was very willing to answer them too. We saw so many different Washington attractions and learnt a lot, but the full tour is quite long, and we got off the bus after two hours as we were cold. In better weather, it would have been absolutely perfect.

The Best Museums

[caption id="attachment_1934" align="alignnone" width="940"] Spy glasses[/caption]

Robert, who is 10, writes: The International Spy Museum is probably the best museum we’ve ever been to (and we have been to a lot!) as it was so unique and cleverly thought out. First we chose an identity and had to memorise various facts about “ourselves” like our age, job and name. Afterwards we walked into the main exhibition where we got tested on who we were and learnt some more crucial facts. We could also watch videos about real life spy missions, learn about disguise and weaponry, do spy activities on interactive screens and see some amazing real life weapons. There was a lipstick that shot bullets, a shoe with a hidden knife and loads of other everyday objects used by the secret service. After a section on the history of spies we came to a brilliant James Bond exhibition. We spent more than three hours there, and could have been there longer.

Unlike the Smithsonian Museums (see below...) which are free, the Spy Museum costs $21.95 per adult and $14.95 for kids aged 7 to 11. It's free for 6 and under and perfect for any age from around 6+.

Sarah writes: The Smithsonian Institution is the world's largest museum and research grouping, consisting of 19 museums and galleries, plus the Washington Zoo. Most of them are free, and they cover such a lot of different topics, from art to American history, air and space to the wonderful Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden (worth walking through at the very least). We saw the newest being built (it won't be open for a while yet), but it sounds fascinating - it's to be a museum of African American history.

[caption id="attachment_1935" align="alignnone" width="940"] We loved this Roy Lichenstein house which we saw in the Hirshhorn sculpture gardens[/caption]

Unless you are in Washington for a long time, it would be almost impossible to visit all these museums. We limited ourselves to just one in-depth visit, to the Air and Space Museum (we have a budding astronaut in the family). I (but not the kids) have been to Washington a few times, and felt that this would be the best for us. Do look at what the museums offer before you travel, as there are often special exhibits or activities which might be perfect for your family.

[caption id="attachment_1936" align="alignnone" width="940"] The Spirit of St Louis - flown across the Atlantic by Charles Lindbergh in 1927[/caption]

The Air and Space Museum is the most visited museum in the world and is absolutely amazing - but you need time to explore it properly. We split up, with Brian and Robert trying out the simulator (which Robert loved) and seeing an IMAX film, plus enjoying lots of the interactive displays. Jess enjoyed a show in the Planetarium and we both liked an old-style exhibit about the birth of flying, which included some brilliant old film and commentary. We all found the Wright brothers section impressive, and couldn't believe that Charles Lindbergh managed to fly across the Atlantic in the Spirit of St Louis (which you can see, right in front of your eyes!).

The Air and Space Museum is free to enter, but the simulator and films do cost extra. Films are shown at different times of the day, so book in advance if you really fancy seeing one of them. IMAX and Planetarium films cost $9 for adults (over 13) and $7.50 for aged 2-12. The shop is also incredible, so be prepared to spend some money there! If you are baffled by the amount of things on offer, you can take a guided tour (these are free).

Jess says: We popped into the Natural History Museum, to see if the entrance looked anything like it did in Night of the Museum 2. If it did, we definitely didn't recognise it! However, we stayed for about an hour until closing time, and I was amazed by how much there was to do. Robert wanted to go to the section about mammals, and he, mum, and dad enjoyed it and thought that it was really well done. I didn't enjoy this as much, as I knew all of the information from science lessons at school. As soon as we went to another part of the museum, I started to have a really good time. I learnt about cells and bacteria, created my own country, and marvelled at how fast the world's population was growing. I wish that we could have stayed for longer to see some of the exhibits as it was really exciting and fascinating. There was so much to do that it was perfect for all the family, including Q?rius, which is especially created for tweens and teens.

[caption id="attachment_1937" align="alignnone" width="768"] Becoming a reporter at the Newseum[/caption]

Robert says: The Newseum was fantastic. It had so many different things from all around the world dating back for many years. There were some amazing things to see like part of the Berlin Wall or the antenna which had stood at the top of the Twin Towers. It had interactive games to play and many boards to read about wars and people. The range of subjects was so big as there was everything from the president’s pets to the history of news on the TV and radio. I loved being a reporter in one section and seeing every Pulitzer Prize winning photograph in another. There were so many different things to do and so many things to learn that we will write more about the Newseum in a separate post!

The Newseum is probably best for around age 7 plus. It costs $22.95 for adults (19+ in this case), and $13.95 for children aged 7-18. All tickets are valid for two days and as there is so much to see, it is well worth a return visit, if you have time.

Where to Eat?

Sarah writes: There are so many places to eat in Washington, but that won't surprise you! As we weren't there for very long, we could only try out a few, but we enjoyed a supper at Clydes in gorgeous Georgetown and were very grateful that our hotel was opposite the Corner Bakery which was just perfect for breakfast and light snacks (and cakes!).

[caption id="attachment_1938" align="alignnone" width="940"] Enjoying lunch at the Native Foods Cafe[/caption]

We visited the Native Foods Cafe twice in three days for lunch! It's a vegan cafe with lots of choice, very friendly staff and reasonable prices too. Brian and I loved the (fake) steak sandwich, Jess enjoyed some meatballs and Robert was extremely happy to munch through a chicken sandwich. The desserts were also yummy!

Is Three Days Enough?

Jess says: Not really! There are a lot of other places we would have loved to visit, but we did manage to fit in pretty much everything we wanted to do. I loved walking up to the imposing Lincoln Memorial, assuming the identity of a 62 year old woman named Sandra Miller in the Spy Museum, marvelling at the films and photos in the Newseum, and being very surprised that they serve sugar on bread for breakfast...

I definitely recommend Washington DC to families of all, although perhaps for a longer stay than three days!

We stayed in the Willard Hotel thanks largely to the IHG points we have gathered on other trips to Holiday Inns! It costs upwards of $299 per night. Our Big Bus Tour, visit to the Newseum and to the International Spy Museum were all complimentary. However, our opinions and views are entirely our own.

More about the fabulous Spy Museum (Don't miss it!)

More about the terrific Air and Space Museum

For more on America, read about Robert's time at Space Camp at the Kennedy Space Centre, and the day we opened the park at the Magic Kingdom in Orlando.

With thanks to the Capital Region USA who helped us to set up this trip and gave us inspiration!

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Science and Baseball Bats in Louisville, Kentucky (By Jess)

Last week, I spent a week in Louisville, Kentucky as part of the VEX IQ International Robotics Finals, which was a very exciting seven days indeed! We had a spare day in the city before the competition, so we decided to visit the Kentucky Science Center and the Louisville Slugger Museum, where the famous baseball bats are manufactured.

The Kentucky Science Center

[caption id="attachment_1226" align="aligncenter" width="940"] I visited the Louisville Science Museum in the morning[/caption]

We rushed into the Science Center first to escape the pouring rain, and quickly saw something which shocked us:

[caption id="attachment_1227" align="aligncenter" width="768"] We spotted a very unusual (and worrying) sign outside the museum[/caption]

There was lots to see and do inside the museum, and we starting by walking upstairs into an exhibition on the human body. This was a large room, full with information about the different functions of organs and organ systems. There were displays about the digestive, respiratory and circulation systems, and we enjoyed finding out our heart rate by holding on to a bar. There were lots of interactive exhibits, such as one where we had to team up with each other and press buttons to destroy viruses, and another where we had to mimic the human heartbeat. I knew most of the facts in the room but I am sure that my brother Robert wouldn't, and would have learnt a lot. Sadly, many of the exhibits were out of order and some were quite old.

[caption id="attachment_1231" align="aligncenter" width="940"] Standing inside a bubble, building a bridge and finding out about muscles![/caption]

There were lots of other exhibits taking place in the museum, which we all liked. One of my favourites was pulling a rope which created a bubble - this was extremely exciting, especially as I managed to get it up to my shoulders before my backpack popped it! We also created a bridge out of blocks, which took countless tries to finish. We were surprisingly proud to finally manage it...

Before we left, we decided to watch the 3D Film "Journey To Space" in the museum's cinema. The film was around 45 minutes long and was fascinating, talking about life in space and the challenges of reaching Mars. Although I am not a major fan of space exploration, the film was certainly interesting, and allowed me to think about the engineering challenges that a trip to space presents. The rest of the museum was aimed at younger children, so it was nice to have something aimed at the older members of the family.

The Louisville Slugger Museum

[caption id="attachment_1236" align="aligncenter" width="940"] The tallest baseball bat in the world outside the Louisville Slugger Museum[/caption]

After a pizza lunch just opposite the Science Center, it was a short two minute walk to the Louisville Slugger Museum, where the famous Louisville Baseball Bats are made. It was dangerously close to closing time so we had no chance to walk around the museum, but we had a walking tour around the factory instead.

None of us knew anything about baseball, but our tour guide was wonderfully useful at answering any questions we had. We walked through the factory, stopped at certain machines and watched videos. We were told that the factory produces 1.8 million baseball bats a year, and that they first arrive at the factory as billets (cylinders) of wood. When the factory was started, every bat was hand carved - taking up to half an hour to shape each one! Nowadays, there are machines which have countless of bat models saved, and each one can be made in 30 seconds. It only takes a click of a button to switch designs!

We got to see bats being dipped to get distinctive colours, and were shown how each bat gets the Louisville Slugger logo pressed onto it. My highlight of the tour was being given full-sized bats to hold, which was enthralling. At the end of the tour, we were given an opportunity to ask questions, and were all given a free mini bat to take home with us. The tour was quite short at only 30 minutes long, but our guide was really friendly and knowledgeable so we learnt a lot and had a great time.

Overall, we had a really exciting day visiting the Kentucky Science Center and the Louisville Slugger Museum. Our highlight of the day was definitely going on the walking tour of the Slugger Museum factory, and we wish that we had more time to visit the rest of the museum and go to the batting cages. I thought that the Science Center was quite old and not advanced enough, but I'm sure that younger children would really enjoy playing with the exhibits.

Despite the fab museums we visited in Louisville, my favourite part of the trip was eating at all the American chains, such as Applebee's; the portion sizes were gigantic!

To see the exhibits and the movie at the Science Center, adults are $20.00 and children (aged 2-12) are $15.00. Full pricing information can be found here.

To visit the Louisville Slugger Museum, adults are $12.00, seniors (aged 60+) are $11, kids (aged 6-12) are $7.00 and kids five and under are free.

 

More by us about science:

Churchill’s Scientists: An Exhibition at The Science Museum (By Jess)

Enjoying an educational day out in Winchester

We are so happy to have been shortlisted for the Bibs (Brilliance in Blogging Awards) for 2015, but we really need your help to get through to the final 5. Please could you visit this link and then scroll down to travel and then us (Family Travel Times)? We'd be so grateful. You don't have to vote in all categories, though there are lots of great blogs in there!

My trip to Space Camp at Kennedy Space Center, Florida by Robert

I was very lucky to win a competition which meant I went to Space Camp at Camp KSC in Florida for a week! I absolutely loved it. Here are my highlights for each day.

Day 1: Micro Gravity Wall
The wall looked like a normal ladder, but once I had climbed to the top a staff member did some weird thing involving weights and I ended up being able to float up and down the ladder. It was an amazing experience.


[caption id="attachment_471" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The micro-gravity wall[/caption]




Day 2: Space Shuttle Atlantis at Kennedy Space Center
We learnt lots about, and then saw the actual Atlantis Space Shuttle. It was huge! After that we went on a ride that simulated the launch of the spacecraft, which was so much fun. We also heard a speech from legendary astronaut Tom Jones who has been in space four times. There were loads of things we learnt about such as meteorites, planets and astronauts. It was a great day, despite it being burning hot outside.   



 

[caption id="attachment_467" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Me next to the Atlantis Shuttle[/caption]

Day 3: The Mission
We were all given roles to play such as Commander, Pilot or a person from Mission Control. The non-moving simulator was incredibly big because it had several rooms. The simulation provided us with the feeling of a successful mission to launch a rocket into space. We were all given things to say and buttons to press. My character didn't have many lines or things to do but I still really enjoyed it anyway.



[caption id="attachment_470" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The multi axis trainer, which spins around[/caption]

Day 4: The Multi Axis Trainer
The Multi Axis Trainer or as the kids like to call it "the spinny ball of death" is a large simulator that can hold two people. It spins you in all directions, and you feel like you are inside a rocket when it spins out of control. The simulator was amazing and was by far my favourite part of camp, even though I did get a bit dizzy.

Day 5: The Trajectory Chair
The trajectory chair has two connected seats that spin around. Me and my partner had to throw and catch as many balls and frisbees as we could. It was extremely difficult because when I threw a ball to my partner he would have already moved on, and the ball would fall into an empty space. It was much harder than it looked and it was super fun.

 

[caption id="attachment_468" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Me at my graduation from Space Camp 2014![/caption]

I learnt loads at my week at camp. Here are my top three facts.

1.  Once an astronaut was eating m&ms. He ate something that he thought was a brown m&m but in fact it was something else. Now NASA never sends brown m&ms into space any more.

2. The amazing Space Shuttle Atlantis launches as a rocket and lands as an aeroplane.

3. When one of the first people ever was going into space there was a lot of delays. After an hour of problems the astronaut inside the rocket needed a wee but NASA said he would have to hold it in. Another hour went by and still the rocket had not launched. Now the astronaut  was desperate for a wee and asked "why can't I go to the toilet?" NASA said "because we would have to start up the engine all over again, that would waste fuel." Another hour of delays passed and the astronaut questioned "can I do a wee in my suit?" NASA replied "no, your suit has lots of wires in it, you would get electrocuted." At the end of another 60 minutes NASA turned off the power and let him pee in his suit but because he was in launch position lying down the yellow liquid spread over his suit and he went and came down from space covered in wee.

I loved Space Camp - it really was the trip of a lifetime.

Read about my dad's day trip to Kennedy Space Center and what he would recommend you should do if you visit.