The Magic House: St. Louis Children’s Museum review

In the last few years, our family has visited a number of children's museums around the country. Generally speaking, you can't go wrong, but The Magic House: St. Louis Children's Museum stands out. Boasting 55,000 square feet of play-based learning, The Magic House ranks among the city's top attractions for families. St. Louis Children's Museum review: What to do: Here's the thing about the … [Read more...]

Southwest Missouri pit stop: Fantastic Caverns

Southwest Missouri is filled with old-fashioned pit stops and slices of Americana. Case in point: Fantastic Caverns, 'America's only ride-through cave'. Fantastic Caverns is one of those natural wonders that probably should be protected by the US government, but is instead a privately-owned tourist attraction, making you worry a little bit. But go anyway (despite, or maybe because of, the … [Read more...]

Springfield Botanical Gardens

Driving through Springfield, Missouri? The Springfield Botanical Gardens at Nathanael Green/Close Memorial Park are free to the public, and extremely kid-friendly. Families can get a full afternoon of entertainment from this 114 acre park, or just stop in at a smaller section that appeal to them for a quicker stop. I definitely recommend picking up a lunch along Springfield's Commercial Street … [Read more...]

Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield

Southwest Missouri hosts a great deal of rich history, including more Civil War history than we realized. While visiting in the Springfield or Branson area, plan to spend at least half a day, if not more, at Wilson's Creek National Battlefield. In case you need to brush up on your Civil War history (as I always do), Wilson's Creek was the site of the second major battle of the war fought … [Read more...]

Springfield Missouri lodging picks: Ramada Plaza Hotel and Hotel Vandivort

This post is truly a tale of two hotels. Families finding themselves in Springfield, Missouri can choose from a fairly standard array of motels and hotels, or they can pick between two unique choices: the Ramada Plaza Hotel and Oasis Convention Center for family-friendliness or the new Hotel Vandivort for boutique downtown chic. If I could, I'd squish together the best amenities and features at … [Read more...]