Still, as someone with OCD in her gene pool — and two packs of antibacterial wipes in her purse at all times — it was difficult for me to process the idea of Bubblegum Alley. This month’s guest post features the world’s largest collection of “ABC” (already been chewed) gum, which is stuck to the walls of Bubblegum Alley , a 70-foot long, 15-foot high landmark in San Luis Obispo, CA.
That's not paint, folks. It's gum. That's been chewed.
Still, Sandra Foyt’s report manages to intrigue me! Sandra writes about fun and educational family travel at Albany Kid. And, apparently, loves her daughter very much to be talked into visiting this place. Her story:
Look who we ran into this weekend! This BIG stegosaurus sits in front of the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield, MA. We were in the Berkshires for a reunion for the PR company where Matt and I both worked – and met – way back in the Jurassic Period.
Speaking of the Jurassic Period…this is Wally the Stegosaurus, so named because this creature’s brain was the size of a walnut. A life-size replica, he’s 26 feet long, 12 feet tall, and 7 feet wide. Since he’s made of fiberglass, he only weighs 1,200 lbs, versus a real Stegosaurus weight of 6,000 lbs.
I knew that taking The Boy with me to the grand opening of LEGOLAND Florida last month would be worth my while, in terms of getting extra chores done around the house and all. But another condition he needed to agree to was to write his own post about his experience.
So, the following is the unedited, heartfelt review of the world’s largest LEGOLAND, from an 11-year old boy. He even took some of these photos, and decided where to place them within this post.
I especially like his use of the word “delectable” in the “Tips” section!
Sure, you could go see Mount Rushmore on your next trip to South Dakota. It’s BIG, so why not? But if you’re going to “The Coyote State,” you need to visit the Wall Drug, the World’s Largest Drug Store!
At 76,000 square feet, Wall Drug is not only a drug store. The space also contains a gift shop, pharmacy museum, art gallery, chapel, restaurants and other shops.
Wall Drug is an iconic American roadside attraction. I love the history of this place. It opened in 1931, and struggled to stay afloat, until the couple who owned it started advertising “free ice water” on small roadside signs. Now they get up to 20,000 visitors a day in the summer!
Check Anne’s site for a smile-inducing photo of the wall of jackalope heads for sale! Who doesn’t love a jackalope? There’s also this BIG one outside, and of course I had to have a pic on my blog:
World's largest jackalope? Actually, no. That one's in Wyoming.
The pilgrimage is over, and we’re back in New York just in time to see the last of the falling leaves. But re-entry has been hard for The Boy, and me too, for that matter.
Where we went, and who was coerced into going:
We were invited to visit central Florida for the grand opening of LEGOLAND Florida, the world’s largest LEGOLAND theme park. The Boy has fervently played with these colorful plastic bricks since he started walking. I’m not alone in believing that LEGO is a wonderfully engaging and educational plaything. I believe that LEGO has encouraged his imagination, developed his analytical skills, and provided hands-on lessons in physics, engineering, and architecture.
But in his eyes, LEGO is just his favorite hobby. I wanted this trip for him.
WHY did you go there, exactly?
Three years ago, we went to the only other LEGOLAND park in the U.S., and trekked cross-country to Carlsbad, CA. We’ve been looking forward to the opportunity to compare the parks. Remembering how much fun we had there made the anticipation almost unbearable!
Okay, what was so cool about it?
As pilgrimages go, this one was quite rewarding. I am now The Boy’s favorite parent, at least until I make him write a guest post for this blog about his experience! (This was my condition for him to be able to miss a day of school for the trip.)
Who do you love more, me or Dad?
I’m glad we had two full days to explore the park, because at 150 acres, LEGOLAND offers too much to do and see in just one day. Depending on the time of year, the hours of operation here may limit you to just seven hours in which to cover ten distinct sections.
MY favorite part of the park was Miniland. I loved it so much that I’ll be dedicating a separate post to it in a week or so!
Beginning at the main entrance and throughout the park, there are several hands-on areas where LEGO pieces are out and available for recharging moments of creative play. The best of these is the indoor Racers Build and Test area, where kids build vehicles of their own design, then run them down a variety of ramps to test their fortitude and speed.
We found several rides and attractions unique to LEGOLAND, and to this park in particular. I enjoyed the 360° view when we ascended 150 feet in the air on the Island in the Sky. (The Boy… not so much.) It’s the perfect vantage point to take in the entire park, as well as Lake Eloise and the green citrus orchards beyond.
Island in the Sky, overlooking Lake Eloise
The Boy’s favorite was the Aqua Zone Wave Racers, which he remembered fondly from CA. We stood in yellow jet skis and raced around a circular central dock, while steering to avoid (or in his case, hit head on), fountains shooting water 15 feet into the air.
I got soaked on this one. Considering the heat, that was a good thing.
Since he’s now a “tween,” The Boy isn’t free-flowing with praise and enthusiasm. So it took me by surprise when I heard him exclaim “Awesome!” during the water ski show in Pirate’s Cove. During “The Battle for Brickbeard’s Bounty,” the brave Imperial Soldiers fight Brickbeard the Pirate, who has captured Miranda Valentina.
Brickbeard's ship in Pirate's Cove
The ski stunts are impressive, and the cast engages the audience in water cannon play and pirate talk. Here’s a short clip:
I can’t wait to bring my niece and nephew here. LEGOLAND excels in catering to the pre-school set, more so than any other theme park we have visited. DUPLO Village is an entire section dedicated to children five and under, with indoor and outdoor play spaces. There are also multi-level playgrounds and play spaces in the Land of Adventure and LEGO Kingdom sections for them to burn off energy. This park is not just about riding rides and watching shows.
Other points we enjoyed and appreciated:
▪ Finding LEGO sculpture in the least expected places, like the sailors caught in nets hanging from the rafters on the Boating School dock. Discovering them was like finding “hidden Mickeys” at Disney World.
Loved finding LEGO creations in unexpected places, like this butterfly hanging in the Garden Shop!
▪ The Minifigure Market, a gift shop solely dedicated to the tiny LEGO figurines which have become affordable collectibles. The Boy was fixated on finding a boxer, and eventually got one. Park employees, or “Model Citizens,” attach them to their name badges and will trade with you.
▪ The cool comfort of the Fun Town Theater, which shows three different 4-D movies, complete with water, snow, and wind effects.
▪ The food options throughout the park are affordable (as theme parks go) and generally healthy (e.g. trans-fat free). You can easily find fruit cups, yogurt, and other kid-friendly options. But I also must give a well-deserved “shout out” for Granny’s Apple Fries, a LEGOLAND specialty.
It was a fight to the finish...
This isn’t the healthiest way to eat an apple, but it IS one hundred ways to delicious! Dusted with cinnamon sugar and serve with a side of whipped cream, one $4.99 order was enough for the both of us (although we did both get grabby toward the bottom of the cup.)
How it rated on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 = snoozefest, 10 = add to your bucket list): [rating=10]
If you (it’s okay to be a grown-up brickhead) or your kids love LEGO, then this park is an absolute 10. If you’ve never seen a LEGO before in your life, some of the thrilling bits will be lost on you. But you’ll still love it!
Skip it if your kids are in their teens, because there’s not enough for them to merit the relatively hefty price of admission.
Hey you! Go BIG!:
LEGOLAND Florida
One LEGOLAND Way
Winter Haven, FL 33884
(877) 350-LEGO(5346)
We have arrived. The Boy is finding it difficult to fill his lungs with air. Maybe I’ve mentioned, he’s a bit of a LEGO freak. Those plastic bricks have covered our floors since he was three years old. I have permanent dot indentations on the bottom of my feet. (If I connect them, I can make out Orion’s Belt.)
LEGOLAND Florida
We’re here in Winter Haven, FL, halfway between Orlando and Tampa, for the Grand Opening Celebration of LEGOLAND Florida. And we don’t know where to go first. Today, we’ll definitely hit the Ford Driving School so he can drive a LEGO car through the city streets (no tracks!). The LEGO® TECHNIC™ area looks promising, too.
Tomorrow we’ll be back for more. Next week, I’ll tell you all about the world’s largest LEGOLAND. If I can convince The Boy that his home is actually NOT here.
It’s just me and The Boy on this trip. It took some subterfuge to keep it from The Girl, because she would not take kindly to being left out. (It just wasn’t in the budget.) We told her that we were going to Czechoslovakia on a middle school field trip. Mainly because she can’t quite say “Czechoslovakia.”
Have you ever traveled with just one of your children? Did you have to lie to the others? Am I doomed to be immortalized in her future therapy sessions?
Disclaimer: Our visit is being sponsored by LEGOLAND.
I’ve mentioned before that we have some very loyal friends who are fans of this blog. This summer, several of them reported in with their tales of purposely seeking out BIG stuff to share with us. I couldn’t be more flattered and…well, smugly satisfied that our “Go BIG” movement is quietly taking over the world.
I'd say they're pretty excited!
This month’s guest post is submitted from my college friend Joanne, who originally hails from the “Granite State,” New Hampshire. It’s not a large state, but it IS home to the world’s largest arcade! Here’s her report:
Where we went, and who was coerced into going:
While searching the internet I discovered that the world’s largest arcade, FUNSPOT, is at Weirs Beach, NH! Luckily, I didn’t have to coerce my husband and kids, ages 10 and 4, into going since everyone loves an arcade, right?
WHY did you go there, exactly?
We decided to go to Weirs Beach at Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire for our summer vacation because that was the location for my 25th high school reunion. I did some advance research on fun area attractions in case it rained. Once I discovered that it was home to the world’s largest arcade I was determined to check it out for inclusion on this blog!
Okay, what was so cool about it?
My four-year old was in heaven! We never made it from the main floor although there are more activities on the second floor, including indoor mini golf! It’s usually a challenge to find a place to take both a ten year old and a four year old and have both be equally entertained.
World's largest shoe house! (And possibly the world's ONLY shoe house.)
There was an old woman who visited a shoe. It was closed and her children didn’t know what to do.
Sorry. I’ll stop mangling nursery rhymes now.
This is the Haines Shoe House in Hellam, PA. We found it while visiting the “snack food corridor” of York, Lancaster, and Chester counties in Pennsylvania Dutch Country last month. Built in 1948, it’s 25 feet high and 48 feet long.
It’s actually a house with several interior rooms, although it’s now operating as a museum of sorts. Guided tours are offered, but unfortunately, not when we were there!
By the way, the rest of this family getaway along the “sweet and salty trail” was really entertaining! Several snack food companies, like Snyder’s of Hanover, UTZ, Herr’s and Turkey Hill Dairy are headquartered here, and offer free public tours.
I wrote a two-part series for FamilyVacationCritic.com about our trip; check it out for more details if you’re interested in planning a trip!
We didn’t know exactly what to expect on our way to Queens, NY for the 2011 World Maker Faire NY, but we did knew that it was going to be awesome! We had spent some time on the Maker Faire website, which is chock full of videos of people making all sorts of things. The emphasis is on science and technology, and the flashy gadgetry drew in Matt and The Boy like moths to flame.
As the world’s largest DIY festival, it’s a celebration of making “stuff” with your bare hands, with an emphasis on inventing entirely new stuff, or finding a better way to create the stuff already out there!
WHY did you go there, exactly?
The World Maker Faire is an annual event in NYC, and we didn’t want to miss our opportunity to check it out. A cycle of smaller regional Maker Faires around the country begins in the spring and runs through the fall. Several are still to come in various cities through October, so check the website for dates in Phoenix, AZ; East Bay, CA; and Pittsburgh, PA. Next year, they will hopefully return to cities like Toronto, Detroit, Kansas City, and Raleigh/Durham.
Okay, what was so cool about it?
Maker Faire is like a school science fair on steroids, with over 500 exhibits in themed areas, such as robotics, “hackerspaces,” steampunk, art and crafts, and sustainability. They ranged in scope from the earnest 12-year old explaining the house sensor system he built and programmed himself, to the wildly fun Sashimi Tabernacle Choir, a Volvo covered with 250 opera-singing fish and lobster (you know the kind you normally find hanging on the wall affixed to a wood plaque?).
The singing sea creatures of the Sashimi Tabernacle Choir
Over two days, there’s a packed schedule of free workshops. First on The Boy’s agenda was the one teaching how to pick a lock. In ten minutes, he was picking padlocks like Houdini with excited satisfaction! He’s been pleading with me ever since to let him try picking the bolt on our front door. (Ummmm, the answer is still “no.”)
A useful life skill
There were robots of every size, shape, and purpose, including several places to build your own. The “Young Makers” pavilion catered to the school-age set, and The Boy closed in on the LEGO table like a homing pigeon. There’s a heavy “green” message here too. At one table, the kids made art out of reused CD cases, weaving fabric bits through rubber bands encircling them.
I wasn’t sure if The Girl would be as entertained as her older brother. But she was totally on board from the moment we set foot on the GE Carousolar, the world’s only solar-powered carousel. We also climbed aboard the Bio Bus – a traveling mobile science lab – for a quick hands-on presentation about microscopes. We spent some time at the CLIF bar tent, snaring some free samples and making a hat out of recycled packaging and LOTS of stickers.
She's never met a carousel she didn't like!
In addition to the exhibits, we enjoyed two fantastic shows, including the fizzy fountain explosions of over 100 Coke Zero bottles after Mentos candies were dropped into them. The other hit was the life-sized recreation of the game Mouse Trap, based on the Rube Goldberg method of building complicated contraptions to solve simple problems. The show, which ended with a giant weight crashing into a car below, included cheeky antics by a vaudevillian cast. Check it out:
How it rated on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 = snoozefest, 10 = add to your bucket list): [rating=9]
9!!! Maker Faire was a treat for all our senses! At once entertaining, educational, inspiring and awe-inspiring! I can’t wait to go again next year. The only drawback was the lack of food vendors for the size of the event. The vendors who were there were very good – several ethnic food trucks – but the lines were mercilessly long.
I’ve never met a state or county fair I didn’t like. They retain the flavor of old-fashioned American fun, even though they’re no longer an inexpensive day out! Last year, we went to the Big E in West Springfield, MA. It’s the state fair of Massachusetts and several other New England states, and it’s where you’ll find the world’s largest traveling amusement park, the North American Midway. The highlight of the day was sampling the Craz-E burger,a bacon cheeseburger sandwiched between two halves of a glazed doughnut. Yes, you read that right. I’m not up for an Oscar nomination, but the video clip we posted of The Boy’s first Craz-E bite captured a really fun Go BIG moment!
This year, the Big Etakes place September 16-October 2.
The world’s largest state fair, not surprisingly, is the State Fair of Texas. Three million people are expected to attend this 125-year old institution, which begins in Dallas next week (September 30) through October 23. Our friend Jessica at Suitcases and Sippycups goes almost every year, and has provided us with our PHOTO FRIDAY today!
This is the 212-foot Texas Star ferris wheel, the tallest ferris wheel in North America! It can carry up to 264 passengers in its 44 gondolas.
This is Big Tex (can’t help but love that name!), the 52-foot tall icon of the state fair! Jessica shares, “His voice booms all over the state fair. Most of the time he just makes general announcements about upcoming shows or events. But every now and then he makes a personal comment about someone’s shirt or hair in the crowd. It is hilarious to watch people look up at him and marvel at how the giant statue can see them.” Thanks, Jessica!
Who’s headed to a BIG fair soon? What’s your favorite fair food? We’re partial to deep-fried Oreos.
