Today my daughter and I met a friend and her two children at the Children's Museum in Lake Charles, Louisiana. I'll start by stating that the children were three years old (my daughter) and 21 months (my friend's twins). It had been awhile since I'd last been to the museum...well before I had my daughter. Visiting a children's museum without children is kind of like going to a pet store without a pet. What point is there?
I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. There is parking behind the building in downtown Lake Charles, but because we went on a weekday and towards the end of the day, my friend and I both managed to find spots on the street directly in front of the museum.
Children under 23 months enter for free, which is good for families with young children, especially for families on a budget. I didn't think the $7.50 entry fee/person was unreasonable.
Right after entering, the kids flocked towards a water play area. If you have a boy or a girl who likes to get dirty (wet), they have waterproof smocks to protect clothes. After leaving that area, we headed towards a grocery store, which all three kids seemed to like.
Once we convinced them to leave the grocery area, we entered an area dedicated to the Louisiana wetlands. Okay, if you bring your young children here, you HAVE to get them to get in the canoe. After they're in the canoe, they can look at themselves on TV, which considering the number of times Louisiana natives are filmed on the water, was pretty neat. It was almost like stepping into an LPB nature program.
For the fitness enthusiasts, there is a rock wall and a place to swing from a rope. Have someone who wants to grow up to be a fire fighter? They have a place where your child can dress up and even control the sirens.
And all that was just on the first floor!
The second floor was where things got rockin'...literally. There's a music room where kids can sing karaoke (today it was 80s country, but that may change), play drums, or play the guitar, all in front of a mirror and under a black light.
There's also a physics room, a bubble room, and much, much more.
On the third floor, yes, there's a third floor, they have rooms for painting, etc., but they were not open/available when we went. There is also a blow up castle that my daughter seemed to enjoy, but that wasn't anything special and actually had a few tears in it.
Will we go again? Probably. My daughter really did seem to have a good time. Would I recommend it? For people with young kids, absolutely. Even if you're just traveling through Lake Charles and need a couple hours to let the kids stretch their legs. We spent two hours there, but we could've easily spent at least three without becoming bored in the least.
http://swlakids.org/
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
LSU Rural Life Museum
Only a few minutes after you turn off Essen Road in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and head towards the LSU Rural Life Museum, it seems impossible that you are still in Baton Rouge.
There are rows and rows of crops and flowers, depending on the time of year, and large oak trees all but block out the fact that the Interstate 10 is right there.
There is a separate fee for the museum and the gardens. If the temperature is right, I highly recommend checking out the museum grounds and the gardens.
The museum itself is mostly air conditioned, with air conditioned bathrooms right inside the entrance and un-air conditioned bathrooms at the exit to the grounds.
Some of the exhibits are quite macabre. There is a beautifully carved Rolls Royce (I believe) hearse. There are also several coffins that make you believe people must have been much smaller way back when. They have examples of jewerly, including some hair jewelry, broaches made from deceased loved ones' hair.
Once you leave the museum and enter the grounds, there are several buildings to peek into, but most of the buildings cannot be entered. The exceptions are a beautiful church, a store, and the oldest wooden jail in Louisiana, complete with a ball and chain. Most, if not all, of the buildings have a plaque letting you know where the building was originally and who donated it to the Rural Life Museum.
Then there are the gardens. To get to the gardens, you have to go back into the museum building. If you go when the azaleas are blooming, the gardens are truly breathtaking. There are a couple buildings in the gardens, including one private residence. There area also two ponds. Once again, it's outside in Louisiana, so bring bug repellent, but honestly, this is one of the most beautiful places in Baton Rouge.
There are several events throughout the year, including Haints, Haunts, & Halloween, which we have been to and was very enjoyable. I highly recommend the LSU Rural Life Museum as a must-visit place in Baton Rouge.
http://appl027.lsu.edu/rlm/rurallifeweb.nsf/index
There are rows and rows of crops and flowers, depending on the time of year, and large oak trees all but block out the fact that the Interstate 10 is right there.
There is a separate fee for the museum and the gardens. If the temperature is right, I highly recommend checking out the museum grounds and the gardens.
The museum itself is mostly air conditioned, with air conditioned bathrooms right inside the entrance and un-air conditioned bathrooms at the exit to the grounds.
Some of the exhibits are quite macabre. There is a beautifully carved Rolls Royce (I believe) hearse. There are also several coffins that make you believe people must have been much smaller way back when. They have examples of jewerly, including some hair jewelry, broaches made from deceased loved ones' hair.
Once you leave the museum and enter the grounds, there are several buildings to peek into, but most of the buildings cannot be entered. The exceptions are a beautiful church, a store, and the oldest wooden jail in Louisiana, complete with a ball and chain. Most, if not all, of the buildings have a plaque letting you know where the building was originally and who donated it to the Rural Life Museum.
Then there are the gardens. To get to the gardens, you have to go back into the museum building. If you go when the azaleas are blooming, the gardens are truly breathtaking. There are a couple buildings in the gardens, including one private residence. There area also two ponds. Once again, it's outside in Louisiana, so bring bug repellent, but honestly, this is one of the most beautiful places in Baton Rouge.
There are several events throughout the year, including Haints, Haunts, & Halloween, which we have been to and was very enjoyable. I highly recommend the LSU Rural Life Museum as a must-visit place in Baton Rouge.
http://appl027.lsu.edu/rlm/rurallifeweb.nsf/index
Audubon State Historic Site
A few weeks ago my family and I took a trip to St. Francisville, Louisiana, where we went to the Audubon State Historic Site to see the re-enactment of the Battle of Bayou Sara.
St. Francisville itself is beautiful, and the Oakley House certainly fit right in. For a plantation tour, the entrance fee was nominal because the Oakley House was given to the State of Louisiana and is now part of the Louisiana State Parks system, so if you're not quite sure if a plantation tour is for you, this is definitely a good one to start with.
The bathrooms were clean and well-lit, important for anyone traveling with little ones. They are located on the outside, before you pay, which was also quite convenient.There is also a picnic area adjacent to the parking lot.
As soon as we walked into the air conditioned visitor's center, we were greeted by the friendly staff. There are many historic items to look at in the visitor's center. They even had period clothing for children to try on. What I found most interesting and unusual was that for a large part of its history, the Oakley House was owned by women. Makes for an empowering history lesson for young ladies.
After we left the nice, cool visitor's center, we could either go on a trail to our right or go to the Oakley House to the left. As the re-enactment was being held behind the house itself, we chose to go left; however, we have been before and found that the trail to the right had a nice, friendly volunteer standing by a pond, who showed our daughter some tadpoles and fish he had caught in the pond. It was very memorable for my daughter as she recounted seeing the fish and told us all about it on the way to the house.
When we arrived at the Oakley House, a tour was going on, so the doors were closed. However, this day was a special day, and a woman dressed in period clothing was on the second floor porch handing out cups of iced tea and fans. There was a handout that went along with the fans that gave a very interesting lesson on how women used the fans to communicate with men in a time where women were expected to keep silent.
After a cup or two of sweet tea, we took our fans down to the battlefield. I will warn you, when they shoot the cannon, it is loud. Many of the children we saw were ready to leave after the first cannon. But my little lady was engrossed by the horses that were part of the re-enactment, so we stayed until the end.
It really was an enjoyable experience, and we were able to explore all over the old plantation.
http://www.crt.state.la.us/parks/iaudubon.aspx
St. Francisville itself is beautiful, and the Oakley House certainly fit right in. For a plantation tour, the entrance fee was nominal because the Oakley House was given to the State of Louisiana and is now part of the Louisiana State Parks system, so if you're not quite sure if a plantation tour is for you, this is definitely a good one to start with.
The bathrooms were clean and well-lit, important for anyone traveling with little ones. They are located on the outside, before you pay, which was also quite convenient.There is also a picnic area adjacent to the parking lot.
As soon as we walked into the air conditioned visitor's center, we were greeted by the friendly staff. There are many historic items to look at in the visitor's center. They even had period clothing for children to try on. What I found most interesting and unusual was that for a large part of its history, the Oakley House was owned by women. Makes for an empowering history lesson for young ladies.
After we left the nice, cool visitor's center, we could either go on a trail to our right or go to the Oakley House to the left. As the re-enactment was being held behind the house itself, we chose to go left; however, we have been before and found that the trail to the right had a nice, friendly volunteer standing by a pond, who showed our daughter some tadpoles and fish he had caught in the pond. It was very memorable for my daughter as she recounted seeing the fish and told us all about it on the way to the house.
When we arrived at the Oakley House, a tour was going on, so the doors were closed. However, this day was a special day, and a woman dressed in period clothing was on the second floor porch handing out cups of iced tea and fans. There was a handout that went along with the fans that gave a very interesting lesson on how women used the fans to communicate with men in a time where women were expected to keep silent.
After a cup or two of sweet tea, we took our fans down to the battlefield. I will warn you, when they shoot the cannon, it is loud. Many of the children we saw were ready to leave after the first cannon. But my little lady was engrossed by the horses that were part of the re-enactment, so we stayed until the end.
It really was an enjoyable experience, and we were able to explore all over the old plantation.
http://www.crt.state.la.us/parks/iaudubon.aspx
Bluebonnet Swamp
One reason that East Baton Rouge Parish has so many activities, especially activities for people with children and/or dog-friendly activities is because of BREC, or Baton Rouge Recreation.
Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center is one such BREC property. Located just off Bluebonnet, right down the road from the Mall of Louisiana, it's a wonder of nature smack dab in the middle of our capital city.
Most of the time dogs are not allowed in BSNC, however a couple days of the year are designated as Dog Days. There are three trails to go on, and are fairly easy to traverse. As with any nature adventure in Louisiana, bug repellent is highly recommended.
However, if a walk in the swamp is not your cup of tea, the actual nature center has a large variety of wildlife to see...mostly reptiles, and some biofacts--pelts, sheddings, etc.
The staff was friendly and let us bring our two well-behaved dogs into the center. My daughter really enjoyed seeing the snakes and turtles, though she was a bit young at the time to appreciate the biofacts.
When we went, my daughter was about 2 1/2, and we brought her stroller. We ended up doing two of the three hikes and saw many birds, a lizard, and a couple snakes.
There are many opportunities for photography enthusiasts, and they have camps and other events throughout the year; but I've only gone to the swamp on regular days or dog days. It is definitely something to check out if you find yourself in Baton Rouge and want an quick adventure.
http://www.brec.org/index.cfm/park/detail/19/n/54
Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center is one such BREC property. Located just off Bluebonnet, right down the road from the Mall of Louisiana, it's a wonder of nature smack dab in the middle of our capital city.
Most of the time dogs are not allowed in BSNC, however a couple days of the year are designated as Dog Days. There are three trails to go on, and are fairly easy to traverse. As with any nature adventure in Louisiana, bug repellent is highly recommended.
However, if a walk in the swamp is not your cup of tea, the actual nature center has a large variety of wildlife to see...mostly reptiles, and some biofacts--pelts, sheddings, etc.
The staff was friendly and let us bring our two well-behaved dogs into the center. My daughter really enjoyed seeing the snakes and turtles, though she was a bit young at the time to appreciate the biofacts.
When we went, my daughter was about 2 1/2, and we brought her stroller. We ended up doing two of the three hikes and saw many birds, a lizard, and a couple snakes.
There are many opportunities for photography enthusiasts, and they have camps and other events throughout the year; but I've only gone to the swamp on regular days or dog days. It is definitely something to check out if you find yourself in Baton Rouge and want an quick adventure.
http://www.brec.org/index.cfm/park/detail/19/n/54
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Cameron Prairie Pintail Wildlife Drive & Boardwalk
If you ever find yourself in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and you decide you want to get in tune with nature, head south on hwy. 27. Not far inside Cameron Parish you will find the Cameron Prairie Wildlife Refuge on the right. Stop in for an overview of the area, along with a cute anamatronic Cajun--it was broken the last time my daughter & I went, but I've seen it before and it's amusing.
Walk though the building to the rear raised walkway and you will find yourself faced with breathtaking views of the marsh. It really is beautiful.
A couple miles down the road--if you get to the bridge, you've gone too far--look to the left and you will find the Pintail Wildlife Drive. Here you can find many species of birds, especially if you go in the fall or winter. We went during the spring and summer, so there were still quite a few birds, but what we wanted to see was the alligators, and there were plenty.
The drive is nice, but--here's a tip--keep the windows up and sun roofs closed as this is prime mosquito hunting territory. On the first quarter of the drive there's a place to pull over and stretch your legs. The newish boardwalk does call for bug repellent. Here we ran into more horseflies than mosquitos; but again, it may be the time of year we went.
One of the best things about this trip to the boardwalk and wildlife drive was the family of river otters we ran into on the last leg of the walk before heading back to the car. It was a great experience.
http://cameronparishtouristcommission.org/listing/pintail-wildlife-drive
http://www.creolenaturetrail.org/planning_your_adventure/Refuges_Sanctuaries/Cameron_Prairie_NWR/
Walk though the building to the rear raised walkway and you will find yourself faced with breathtaking views of the marsh. It really is beautiful.
A couple miles down the road--if you get to the bridge, you've gone too far--look to the left and you will find the Pintail Wildlife Drive. Here you can find many species of birds, especially if you go in the fall or winter. We went during the spring and summer, so there were still quite a few birds, but what we wanted to see was the alligators, and there were plenty.
The drive is nice, but--here's a tip--keep the windows up and sun roofs closed as this is prime mosquito hunting territory. On the first quarter of the drive there's a place to pull over and stretch your legs. The newish boardwalk does call for bug repellent. Here we ran into more horseflies than mosquitos; but again, it may be the time of year we went.
One of the best things about this trip to the boardwalk and wildlife drive was the family of river otters we ran into on the last leg of the walk before heading back to the car. It was a great experience.
http://cameronparishtouristcommission.org/listing/pintail-wildlife-drive
http://www.creolenaturetrail.org/planning_your_adventure/Refuges_Sanctuaries/Cameron_Prairie_NWR/
Baton Rouge Zoo
Locate a few miles north of Baton Rouge, not far off I-110, is the Baton Rouge Zoo.
Walking though the entrance to the zoo, the first thing you see is a wooden bridge, and gates that reminded a bit of Jurassic Park. To the right of the entrance is the zoo's train, the Cypress Bayou Railroad, which takes you around the perimeter of the zoo. To the left of the entrance is where the zoo's gift shop is located.
The train ride is not to be missed. During the ride, the engineer (or driver) of the train gives a history of the zoo. Depending on the engineer, this can be both very entertaining and informative.
After the train ride, we headed into the zoo, past a beautiful pond on the left. My daughter liked seeing the brown pelicans and the turtles in this pond. There was also a large number of migratory birds in this pond, which was pretty neat to see.
Just past the pond, we headed into the zoo's newest exhibit, the Realm of the Tiger. The Baton Rouge Zoo has Malaysian and Sumatran tigers. This exhibit was very impressive, and my daughter really enjoyed getting up close and personal (safely) with the tigers. One of them even got in its pond, which my daughter absolutely loved. Also in this exhibit is a koi pond, a family of Siamang Gibbons, and an aviary.
My daughter's favorite animal had to come next...the elephant. The Baton Rouge Zoo currently has two female Asian elephants. As we learned on the train ride, elephants are especially important to this zoo, as it was started with two female Asian elephants.
We watched the elephant demonstration, where the keepers gave the girls their daily dose of exercise. It, too, was very informative as well as entertaining. We especially liked watching one of the elephants exercise her "ab muscles". :-)
The Baton Rouge Zoo is not a large zoo, but the animals are not hard to find. We saw white tail deer, bison, and elk before heading to the aquarium. The aquarium houses only animals that are native to Louisiana, including fish, of course, but also venomous and non-venomous snakes and even a couple baby alligators and not far away, some river otters.
Because of the zoo's size, we were able to see a large number of animals in a short time. Even taking our time and stopping for snacks at the Flamingo Cafe, it didn't take long until we were in the children's area. They have domestic farm animals, a few tortoises near a neat boardwalk, some Australian animals, including some adorable fruit bats, and my daughter's favorite, the prairie dog area, complete with a tunnel. There is also a small petting zoo with goats and sheep. The zoo provides brushes to use on the goats and sheep, and my daughter really enjoyed making use of the brushes.
Near the entrance of the children's area, there is a small playground, that has equipment for toddlers and older children.
All in all, the Baton Rouge Zoo was an enjoyable experience. The zoo was pretty well shaded and not too hot when we went. The zoo
offers a lot more than we experienced, but we had a lot of fun, and my little bit wasn't too tired when we left. www.brzoo.org
Walking though the entrance to the zoo, the first thing you see is a wooden bridge, and gates that reminded a bit of Jurassic Park. To the right of the entrance is the zoo's train, the Cypress Bayou Railroad, which takes you around the perimeter of the zoo. To the left of the entrance is where the zoo's gift shop is located.
The train ride is not to be missed. During the ride, the engineer (or driver) of the train gives a history of the zoo. Depending on the engineer, this can be both very entertaining and informative.
After the train ride, we headed into the zoo, past a beautiful pond on the left. My daughter liked seeing the brown pelicans and the turtles in this pond. There was also a large number of migratory birds in this pond, which was pretty neat to see.
Just past the pond, we headed into the zoo's newest exhibit, the Realm of the Tiger. The Baton Rouge Zoo has Malaysian and Sumatran tigers. This exhibit was very impressive, and my daughter really enjoyed getting up close and personal (safely) with the tigers. One of them even got in its pond, which my daughter absolutely loved. Also in this exhibit is a koi pond, a family of Siamang Gibbons, and an aviary.
My daughter's favorite animal had to come next...the elephant. The Baton Rouge Zoo currently has two female Asian elephants. As we learned on the train ride, elephants are especially important to this zoo, as it was started with two female Asian elephants.
We watched the elephant demonstration, where the keepers gave the girls their daily dose of exercise. It, too, was very informative as well as entertaining. We especially liked watching one of the elephants exercise her "ab muscles". :-)
The Baton Rouge Zoo is not a large zoo, but the animals are not hard to find. We saw white tail deer, bison, and elk before heading to the aquarium. The aquarium houses only animals that are native to Louisiana, including fish, of course, but also venomous and non-venomous snakes and even a couple baby alligators and not far away, some river otters.
Because of the zoo's size, we were able to see a large number of animals in a short time. Even taking our time and stopping for snacks at the Flamingo Cafe, it didn't take long until we were in the children's area. They have domestic farm animals, a few tortoises near a neat boardwalk, some Australian animals, including some adorable fruit bats, and my daughter's favorite, the prairie dog area, complete with a tunnel. There is also a small petting zoo with goats and sheep. The zoo provides brushes to use on the goats and sheep, and my daughter really enjoyed making use of the brushes.
Near the entrance of the children's area, there is a small playground, that has equipment for toddlers and older children.
All in all, the Baton Rouge Zoo was an enjoyable experience. The zoo was pretty well shaded and not too hot when we went. The zoo
offers a lot more than we experienced, but we had a lot of fun, and my little bit wasn't too tired when we left. www.brzoo.org
Exploring Louisiana
For awhile now, I've wanted to write a travel blog. Because I like doing things with my dogs, my first thought was to do a canine-friendly travel blog. However, now that I have a child, I have a slightly different perspective.
So, first, a little about me. I am a thirty-something married, mostly stay-at-home mom with a three-year-old daughter who lives in Louisiana. Because we have some time on our hands, one my favorite things to do with my daughter is to get out and explore the world around us.
Enough about me...it's time for my first subject and one of my favorite places, the Baton Rouge Zoo. Check out my blog about it. :-)
So, first, a little about me. I am a thirty-something married, mostly stay-at-home mom with a three-year-old daughter who lives in Louisiana. Because we have some time on our hands, one my favorite things to do with my daughter is to get out and explore the world around us.
Enough about me...it's time for my first subject and one of my favorite places, the Baton Rouge Zoo. Check out my blog about it. :-)
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