Visiting Aquarium at the Boardwalk in Branson, Missouri with Kids

Disclosure: I received press passes to visit this location. No other compensation was received and all opinions expressed are my own. 

We recently had the opportunity to visit Branson as a family, and near the top of our list for things to do was to visit the Aquarium at the Boardwalk, an oceanic walk-through adventure featuring 400.000 gallons of salt water, more than 7,200 live sea animals, and countless fun photo opportunities.

The visit began by staring in awe at the 55 foot sculpture of "Aquarius the Octopus" that wraps around the front of the building! It is designed to reflect its surroundings - the day we went, it was cloudy and rainy, which made the whole sculpture a shiny silver color! 

We were delighted to head inside and begin exploring the sea creatures. We have been to quite a few aquariums, but this was the first time we have ever seen a visual display of shark eggs with babies inside them! This was definitely a highlight for our whole family. We also really enjoyed seeing seahorses, pufferfish, blacktip sharks, and fish that seemed to glow in the dark.

A fun surprise was the 5D adventure ride near the beginning of the attraction - I was not aware prior to arriving that this was part of the aquarium! It definitely added to the adventure spirit of our visit to feel like we were truly whisked away on an ocean journey.

My daughter loved the carousel and mermaid photo locations, and both of my kids thought that the crawl-through tunnels and special bubble viewing areas were the best. We also have to highly recommend the Kelp Climber in the Kelp Forest section - the kids didn't want to leave! 

Near the end of the experience, we were given a chance to touch stingrays, sharks, horseshoe crabs, sea anemones, and sea stars. Being able to interact with ocean creatures in this way in the middle of the USA was a special treat. 

If you're planning a trip to Branson, check out www.AquariumattheBoardwalk.com to learn more about this fun aquarium and purchase tickets.

Thank you to Aquarium at the Boardwalk for providing our tickets and family memories! All opinions expressed are my own. 

Sea Creatures...We're On Our Way!

 Disclosure: I received press passes to visit this location. No other compensation was received and all opinions expressed are my own. 

Sea creatures…yes please.

We’re longtime fans of all the swimming creatures in the seas and oceans (remember our Octonauts party?), and there’s never a good reason to miss out on an opportunity to see them in action. We were invited to visit the new Aquarium at the Boardwalk in Branson, Missouri - and we can’t wait to tell you all about it after we’ve been! 

Here’s what we’ve heard about the new aquarium: 

Be thrilled and mesmerized by an undersea journey that takes you through worlds teeming with colorful fish, sharks, stingrays, seahorses, and so much more. Along the way, you'll be delighted by playful photo ops, activities, and adventures including exploring a jelly infinity room, climbing through a kelp forest, and petting a shark. From the moment you splash below the surface on an exciting Submarine Adventure to your final glorious view of the Coral Reef, you'll feel like a part of the ocean life all around you. You'll leave enchanted with a new appreciation for what we can do together to keep our oceans thriving.

What else is cool about Aquarium at the Boardwalk? Check out these fun facts:

* An impressive 55-foot-tall, 34-ton stainless steel sculpture of a Great Pacific Octopus greets you when you arrive at the Aquarium. It was designed to reflect its surroundings, mimicking how a real Great Pacific Octopus is able to camouflage itself in its environment.

* More than 7,200 individual sea animals and 250 species make the aquarium their home.

* A Trompe L'oeil (trick-of-eye) mural was created for the aquarium by world-renowned artist John Pugh. Check it out on the exterior wall of the Aquarium that faces Glory Road.

* Inside the Aquarium's Bloom Room, you'll experience an immersive experience in which mirrors give the illusion that fish are swimming around you in every direction.

* Original music for each of the worlds in the Aquarium was created by Emmy-nominated composer Jay Flood and makes each zone an even more unique experience!

* Dozens of seahorses live at the Mermaid Palace. The aquarium has a much larger collection of seahorses than nearly all other aquariums!

If you're planning a trip to Branson, check out www.AquariumattheBoardwalk.com to learn more about this fun aquarium and purchase tickets.

Thank you to Aquarium at the Boardwalk for providing our tickets and family memories! All opinions expressed are my own. 

22/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2015."

Lincoln - obsessed with everything about the water park on our quick vacation last week.
Addie - exploring Silver Dollar City. Reminds me of this trip - how fast she has grown.

Linking up at Practising Simplicity.  

What's On Your... {December 2014}

I will not give up on this series, even if I never remember to post it. Even twice a year is good, right? It will have to do, since the last time I wrote a post for this series was back in May. Maybe I should turn it into a link-up! Would any of you participate?

Dresser | It's a hot mess. Like 13 tubes of lip balm, a bunch of Chewbeads necklaces that my kids beg to drag all over the house, jewelry that still needs to be sorted (it's clear I have other priorities, right?), a stud finder, a box of drill bits, two late 19th-century costume bonnets made out of straw baskets, and I don't even remember what else.

Perennial To Do List | Sewing stuff for my own kids. Editing videos. Figuring out a plan to be an awesome (or, at the very least - functioning) homeschool mom and not fail at preschool whenever we start it up again. MEAL PLAN. Can I meal plan for a year at a time? Because otherwise I feel like I'll never keep up.

Refrigerator Shelves | Leftover Christmas Eve food from my grandparents' house. So Delicious dairy-free Coconut Mint Chocolate milk (not an affiliate link - it's just divine). Fresh blueberries. Raw milk. Expired yogurt.

Itinerary | NOTHING. It is almost January and we are going to have a ton of pj-and-movie days and get our house CLEANED UP. I typically function fine in disaster zones, but it's so bad right now I can't even think about anything else until some of it is clean.

Fantasy Itinerary | I have really been dreaming about Disney lately. That's not in the budget, so to pacify us...for now, I think we're buying 2015 Silver Dollar City season passes!

Playlist | We've been hearing a lot of Christmas music lately, and Lincoln knows all the words to a whole lot of Christmas songs (particularly anything from Rudolph) - so that may be influencing our music selection for awhile. Right now, I'm really enjoying the Into the Woods movie soundtrack (which I got for Christmas, yay me!), William Joseph (awesome pianist), and as always because based on her lyrics, she just gets me...Mindy Gledhill.

Nightstand | Some pajama pants, the baby monitor, a big scratch, and my iPhone charger.

Workout Plan | Um. Bahahahahahahaha.

Phone | Not much storage space. Etsy app that goes "cha-ching" whenever someone buys something from my shop. Ebay app where I stalk vintage American Girl child sized dresses to use for costumes and Hanna Andersson clothes for my kids.

Top 5 List | New year, new goals, a clean house, a content heart, a fresh start.

Bucket List | Everything on my 30 by 30 list - because I've barely touched it and I have under two years to do it all now! Ah!

Mind | Purging, cleaning, and cleansing. I'm so over 2014 and need that lovely January 1 to roll around and inspire me.

Blogroll | I always love When at Home because Kristen is super real. I'm hoping to get back into a blog reading habit in the new year, because I've been so consumed with writing and sharing and chattering online, I have lacked time to network much!

Walls of Your Favorite Room in Your House | It's the Super Nintendo Nursery. Always has been, likely always will be. Though if it could have fewer toys to trip over, that would be lovely.

Last Credit Card Statement | Everything on earth and then some. Ugh. 2015 is going to be the year of banishing credit card debt, as well.

Screensaver | Still the same because it's a perfect shot! A really sweet photo of Addie walking at Silver Dollar City, wearing her sock monkey hat and grinning. It's my favorite.

TV Every Night | When the holiday season hits, we start watching epic movies. In the last couple weeks, we've watched several incarcerations of A Christmas Carol, and moving into the new year, we're starting a Harry Potter marathon. So far (in two nights), we've made it part of the way through Sorcerer's Stone. Clearly, parents get the short end of the stick when it comes to movie-watching ability.

What's up in your life this final week of December?

Currently // October 20, 2014

Doing //
...all the things. Seriously. SO. MANY. THINGS. I have lists coming out of my ears and I'm losing my mind just a little bit. Thankfully, over the weekend I had a couple of kid-free hours and my kitchen table no longer looks quite as bad as that photo above.

...some backyard therapy in an attempt for everyone to play happily while Mom gets some work done. It's been...reasonably successful so far.

...a lot of Etsy shop marketing. I think it may be working - I had four sales last week!


Planning //
...Addie's second birthday party. I've only started the initial planning stages for this, but since it's barely a month away, it seems likely that I should get busy.

Holiday Gift Guide arrivals! Oh, to be a blogger's child.

...the Holiday Gift Guide for the blog! I haven't done a gift guide since 2011, when I was a full-time coupon blogger. So this is fun (and a little overwhelming, since it's been three years)! If you own a business or an Etsy shop or anything like that, read more about how to be included in my guide!

...a mini vacation next month. We loved Silver Dollar City last Christmas and had so much fun exploring Branson as a family this summer that we just can't pass up the opportunity to go again.


Remembering // 
...to use my real camera sometimes. All the photos in this post are blurry because they were taken with my phone. I want to get back to keeping a daily Project Life scrapbook and I know that I will prefer "real" photos for that. I still think phone cameras are great. But expensive cameras are nice, too.

...that having a meal plan is helpful. I've done slightly better this past week at having some sort of intentions as far as dinner and even that has made life a little easier. If I actually cooked every night, wouldn't it be fantastic? Cooking is not my strong suit. There are so many other things I would rather be doing. I can't be the only one who feels like this, right?


Wishing //
...that I were planning a trip to Disney World. Hey, I can dream.

...for more hours in the day. I sort of feel like this is going to be a lifelong desire.

Loving //
...the way Lincoln and Addie actually play together sometimes. It was more than a little crazy having two kids under age two, but they are really starting to be able to entertain themselves and each other with imaginative games and giggling races. Now - just because they can entertain themselves does not mean that they always choose to do so. A lot of time is still spent fussing and whining in our home. Sigh. 

What are you up to this week? Hope you're having a happy Monday! Linking up with Hannah for Currently.

7 Things To Bring When You Travel With Baby + $25 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

Disclosure: This giveaway is sponsored by Director Jewels. I was not compensated in any way to participate!

Welcome to the [3rd Annual] Travelin’ with Baby Giveaway Hop Event, hosted by the Blogging Mamas Network.

Do you like to travel with your little ones along for the ride? I do - planning trips is one of my favorite things ever, and after our Branson adventure this summer, we're already itching for another family getaway. To inspire some traveling spirit, we have a fabulous group of bloggers that have come together to offer giveaways on the best products that make traveling with baby a success - so be sure to hop around to them all. Don't miss out on the amazing new stroller from Combi USA - the F2 Stroller which is the ultimate lightweight stroller that makes traveling with baby a breeze and a fabulous set of reusable snack pouches and bags from Yummi Pouch! You can enter the Grand Prize Giveaway Here.

If you've never traveled with a little one, you may think it will be a daunting experience. The honest truth is that yeah - sometimes, it's crazy. But you'll find a groove before long, and if you bring along some gear to keep the kids entertained while on the road or in the air, chances are you'll have a splendid time. (If your kids freak out on you during your entire vacation, don't blame me. That's totally possibly too, friends.)




These are a few of the things we have loved having along on our family vacations the last few years!

ERGObaby Carrier. The one time I forgot my baby carrier on a trip, I was miserable. Strollers are great for hauling stuff, but a hands-free way to carry a tired baby or toddler is a must, especially if you're going to be in an airport, or anywhere that requires a lot of walking. The ERGO is my go-to carrier and I even wore Lincoln as recently as this summer.

Sophie the Giraffe. Babies love Sophie. If you're bringing a teething toy, this one will entertain far longer than some other models.

Lamaze Dog Take-Along Toy. My kids have always been fond of having a little animal or lovey to hold while riding in the car. Just make sure this isn't hooked on your infant car seat above their head while driving - it could be a safety hazard in an accident.

Handheld DVD Player. This is geared more toward the toddlers in your family. We try to limit screen time around here, but there is really a time and a place for it. Let me tell you: the fifth hour of a road trip is DEFINITELY the time and place to use a movie to placate your child and save everyone from unbearable whining and fussing. Not that I know this from experience or anything.

AppleCheeks Storage Sac. Whether you use cloth diapers or not, having a wet bag along on the journey can be a lifesaver. Kids don't care where you are when they decide they need to pee or vomit or have an explosive diaper situation - so if you find yourself twenty miles from a rest stop when they surprise you with something like this, you'll want to have somewhere to stick that mess until you can properly clean it up. These are also great to keep wet swimwear in, or to use as a day bag on a longer trip. You could even use one as an ice pack if someone gets injured! I can't say enough good things about these bags!

Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes. My kids both loved this little musical toy! It's really simple - just one button to press and it plays a variety of classical tunes. Just bring extra batteries, because it sounds really wonky when they get low!

Skip Hop Backpack. We actually don't have one of these, but I think they're so cute! Having a spot to keep all of the stuff JUST for each kid makes traveling easier. Example: pack an extra set of clothing and enough diapers to get through that day's travel in this bag, and bring your stash for the full trip in a larger suitcase. You'll save time if you don't have to dig through everything just to find the baby gear.

Sound off, mamas - what did I miss? What do you take along when you travel with little ones?

Giveaway

One Director Jewels reader will win a $25 Amazon Gift Card! This giveaway will end on October 21 at 11:59pm EST. This giveaway is open worldwide (prize will be awarded in USD).

To enter the giveaway, follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter form below (you may need Javascript enabled to see the form and it may take a moment to load)! Once you complete the first entry, the other options will open up so that you can complete them as well. All of the "extra entries" are optional - you can do just one, or as many as you want! Winners will be contacted by email and have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Once you've entered my giveaway and the grand prize, make sure you hop around to all the other participating blogs for more chances to win everything you could ever need to travel with kids!







Disclosure: So Easy Being Green, Viva Veltoro, the Blogging Mamas Network, and the Travelin' with Baby participating bloggers are not responsible for sponsors who do not fulfill prize obligations. No compensation was received and all opinions expressed are my own. For more information, you can read my Giveaway Policy and my Disclosure Policy.

4 Super Fun Things to Do With Toddlers in Kansas City

When I first thought about taking my very busy toddler out in public, it was an overwhelming idea. He was a pretty wild little man, uninterested in sitting (or even standing) still for any length of time. Thankfully, now at the ripe old age of three, he is a lot more compliant and even excited to have fantastic family adventures in Kansas City.

There are so many amazing places to visit and things to do when you're here with little ones. Whether you're on a Kansas City family vacation or just looking for things to do on a rainy day, there's sure to be something that will spark your little one's imagination. I'm listing a few of our recent favorites below, but if you're looking for more ideas, you can read all my Kansas City posts here at Director Jewels or check out KC Parent (especially for seasonal ideas).


4 Super Fun Things to Do With Toddlers in Kansas City!

Wonderscope Children's Museum
5700 King St
Shawnee, KS 66203 
(913) 287-8888

Wonderscope has been the children's museum since I was a kid, and I have great memories of visiting a time or two! Constructed in an old school building, the museum features different areas of exploration - everything from water play to a Farm to Market setup. Our kids ran around for several hours and still had to be dragged away. It may be an older, well-loved museum, but I know we'll be visiting many more times.


Kansas City Zoo

6800 Zoo Dr

Kansas City, MO 64132

(816) 595-1234

 

Our family pass to the KC Zoo is one of my favorite things! The zoo here in KC is really huge - over 200 acres of land that guests can explore. As you can imagine, that's a lot of ground to cover in one outing and usually winds up creating grumpy kids and stressed-out parents. With our annual pass, we can visit whenever we feel like an adventure and usually only hit one or two zoo sections. We even went to the zoo for Addie's birthday last year. If you're visiting from out of town, I suggest only trying to hit HALF of the zoo's offerings. You'll wind up exhausted otherwise!


Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead 
13800 Switzer Rd
Overland Park, KS 66221
(913) 897-2360

This amazing little gem is hidden out in Overland Park and somehow escaped my knowledge until the past couple of years. The kids love feeding baby animals, riding mini tractors, and sliding down a barn slide until they literally collapse. We went both this summer and the year before, and I know we'll be there often. Bonus: admission is free Monday-Thursday.


SEA LIFE Kansas City Aquarium
2475 Grand Blvd
Kansas City, MO 64108(816) 471-4386

This adventure is a little more expensive than the others I mention, but my kids truly love it so I think it's worth including! The variety of fish and other sea creatures at SEA LIFE is just phenomenal. It's well designed for little ones (although side-by-side double strollers aren't allowed) and they frequently offer extras like the Octonauts Meet & Greet. We did an aquarium visit here for Lincoln's third birthday, and it was a blast.

I know I've missed a lot of awesome Kansas City adventures in this list, so I am sure I'll have to follow up with another post soon! Leave me a comment with your favorite - maybe I can include it next time!

High-Flying Memories

 When I was a kid, my parents took me to Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri all the time. I may have never gone to Disney World, but I knew this 1880's-mining-town theme park like the back of my hand. It was - and remains to this day - one of my favorite places on earth. We took visited Silver Dollar City at Christmas with our kids last year, and took a family trip there this summer.

I have a lot of memories of "firsts" at Silver Dollar City. My dad coaxed me onto my first roller coaster there (Thunderation - I was terrified). I ate a stir-fry meal with my best friends when I was a teenager (picky eater here - definitely hadn't tried that before). I went on an underground cave tour and was astounded at the hidden secrets below the park.

And I've eaten some of the best cinnamon rolls of my life more than once in that park!

When I heard that Silver Dollar City was planning a big revision in 2015 that involved the removal of the Geyser Gulch children's play area, a chord in my heart felt a little pained. I remember the first year that Geyser Gulch was open and have silly photos playing with my dad and brother there when I was maybe twelve. I was afraid that the memories of this fantastic park area would fall by the wayside, like a few other things from the park's history.

My cute parents riding Skychase Balloons in 1997.

My cute parents riding Skychase Balloons in 1997.
Photography by yours truly...I've learned a bit since then,
like that maybe the balloon tops should be in this photo too!.

When I was very young - maybe the first time we went to the park - my dad asked if I wanted to ride the spinning balloon ride near the center of the park. We asked the ride attendant if it went very high or very fast, and were told that it was a moderate ride and shouldn't be very frightening. I climbed aboard. And was terrified when those high-flying balloons and their passenger baskets lifted off the ground. Over the years, I overcame the fear and enjoyed thoroughly the "balloon ride," as we called it. The last time I rode it was in 2007, when I was at Silver Dollar City for an adventure with my new boyfriend, this guy I met at a community theatre, named Andrew (hint: I married him).

Aw, look at us being all cute on a date. 2007.

After that trip, the little hollow that Skychase Balloons and Hugo & Mary's Carousel rested in was redone and the rides disappeared. The carousel reappeared in Half Dollar Holler and my kids love it now. I lamented over the balloons each time we walked past where they used to be. So when I read this news announcement that Geyser Gulch would be no more...I feared the worst. That it, too, would only live on in my memory.

Andrew and me in the yellow balloon basket, 2007.

But last week, the 5-Alarm Announcement arrived in my inbox, stating that Fireman's Landing would be arriving in the summer of 2015. My son has adoration on his face anytime he sees anything firetruck or fireman themed and we even had a firetruck birthday party this year, so I thought....okay. This might be good. The new family adventure area will feature ten new rides and play zones, including a foam ball area (so Geyser Gulch will live on - yay), a soft play area for toddlers, a low-flying swing ride for young kids, and more. It sounds like they are really planning to envelop the whole family, even very young kids, in this section of the park and that makes me so thrilled!

Image Courtesy of Silver Dollar City.

Then, when I was looking over the concept art, I spotted it. In the right corner, a ride that will be called Fire Spotter that features balloons which will fly up in the air to enable all the junior firefighters to have the best visibility for any looming disasters. My heart skipped a little beat. Because Fire Spotter looks an awful lot like a ride I knew a few years ago.

I contacted Silver Dollar City via twitter on a hunch. They're great at replying on social media and got back to me right away with a confirmation of my question. Fire Spotter is the same balloon ride that holds many, many lovely memories from my childhood and my falling-in-love days.

You'd better believe I will be there next summer to ride this old/new adventure with my kids. And if they're terrified when those balloons take off into the sky...well, we'll just be making some new memories together.

Traveling with Toddlers: The Best of Branson, Missouri

So, you're thinking about a family vacation to Branson, Missouri - but you aren't sure that your toddlers will enjoy themselves enough to justify the expense of a family trip. I had concerns about this, too. Traveling anywhere with a three-year-old and a one-year-old is an adventure all on its own, so it's essential that you head somewhere the whole family can relax. For our family, Branson - one of the biggest vacation destinations in the Midwest - fit the bill perfectly.

Whether you are staying for one night or a week, there are plenty of things to try with your little ones in Branson. I'm highlighting a few of my favorite toddler spots below, but you can read all about our recent trip to Branson, too.

Traveling with Toddlers: The Best of Branson, Missouri.
5 Things Not to Miss.
 
1. Silver Dollar City. Whether you're traveling during the popular summer season or for the Old-Time Christmas Festival, there is no shortage of entertainment, food, and activities at this 1800's-mining-town-themed amusement park. My kids love the play areas and toddler rides.

2. The Butterfly Palace & Rainforest Adventure. I was really surprised at how much my toddlers loved seeing these butterflies - and the bungee cord forest playground was a huge hit, as well.

3. White Water. If your trip is taking place during the warm summer months, White Water is an excellent stop! The lazy river and kids' play area entertained my toddlers for hours, easily.

4. Sight & Sound Theatres. Okay, so this one comes with a disclaimer. If your kids will sit through a long, live performance, they will be astounded at the majestic productions put on at this theatre. If (like mine) they are more prone to throw themselves on the floor and scream "I have to get out of heeeeere!," you may want to wait until they are a little older to try this out.

5. Hollywood Wax Museum. My little ones thought it was hilarious to run around and interact with the displays of wax people here, but the Mirror Maze freaked them out a little bit!

And if you're looking for somewhere to stay, the Grand Country Resort has several on-site restaurants, a toddler play area, indoor/outdoor waterpark (with toddler-appropriate sections), and fun kid-size bunk beds! Branson has so many great places to stay and play, but this one is at the top of our list!

Have you traveled to Branson with toddlers? What else would you add to this list?

Staying at the Hilton Omaha with Toddlers

Disclosure: Hilton Omaha hosted my family to facilitate this review. No compensation was received and all opinions expressed are my own.

 It's been a busy summer. Before our family vacation to Branson, we took a whirlwind weekend trip to Omaha, Nebraska. We visited the Omaha Children's Museum and Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium - both of which the kids loved. We were only planning to stay in Omaha one night, so we wanted to find somewhere that was close to both of our destinations. The Hilton Omaha fit the bill perfectly. It's eight minutes from the zoo and five minutes from the museum! Perfect!

This downtown Omaha luxury hotel is well-suited to care for the needs of guests - whether they are hosting a vacationing family like us or a traveling executive. The Hilton offers a private parking garage ($12/night or $20/night for valet) with easy access through an enclosed hallway to the hotel lobby from within the garage - you won't get wet hauling your luggage inside if it's raining!

Weary travelers can relax knowing that there are several options for dining right inside the hotel. When we are on the road with kids, it can be very tough after arriving in our room to psych everyone up and go back to the car to find somewhere to eat. Here are the Hilton, you have three convenient dining options.

Liberty Tavern Restaurant & Lounge offers home-style meals and has a beautiful outdoor patio for alfresco dining.

In-Room Dining is available for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night specials! Selections are prepared by Liberty Tavern (and sound delicious).

The Coffee & Gift Shop brews Starbucks Coffee in the lobby every day, and also offers whole fruit, yogurt, beverages, muffins, pastries, and more!

I'm sometimes hesitant to stay in a "business" hotel with my kids - because let's face it, kids are noisy and destructive. But the Hilton Omaha put all my fears to rest. We were hosted in a deluxe two-room suite with private bedroom access.

Some of our favorite room amenities were the black-out curtains (amazing for toddlers who wake at the first sign of light), dining table and chairs, non-allergenic feather pillows, and night lights in the bathrooms. The kids were beside themselves with how much space they had to run around - and how many different furniture pieces there were to climb! We also had a fridge in our room - which is wonderful when you are traveling with kids.

I really loved that there were several comfortable places to sit with my laptop and work! Most of the work of a blogger happens after kids are asleep, so it's essential to have a place to set everything up. Without organization, there's no hope in my blogging world! I try not to work while we are vacationing, but sometimes it's a necessary reality.

Our suite consisted of one bedroom/bathroom, and one living area/bathroom. I've never had access to two different bathrooms while on vacation before - it was great! The living area bathroom featured a large walk-in shower that was amazing. My 6'3" husband was especially appreciative that the shower head was placed high enough that he did not have to stoop under the water flow - a problem he has encountered more often than you might expect on our travels! Since we were still in the thick of potty training while in Omaha, having two large bathrooms was very nice.

The view from our room on an upper-level floor was fantastic! Lincoln and Addie both enjoyed watching cars drive by from our vantage point high above them. Addie also thought the curtains were perfect for playing hide-and-seek.

We spent the majority of our time at the Hilton in the living area room of our suite. Lincoln happily drove cars on the couch, while Addie played with princesses and animal figurines on the TV stand. They both successfully scattered toys all over the room - it was quite a feat to find them all when it was time to pack up and head home! My only wish was that the cable subscription had included Disney Junior. We had to catch their favorite shows in the early morning on the Disney Channel.

But by far, the highlight of our stay (for the kids, anyway) was when we went swimming!

The large, heated pool was close to empty when we stopped by in the morning before checking out. The kids were really excited to check out the water and they were thoroughly worn out after a half-hour of pool time. The pool area also contained a hot tub and was accessible through a well-stocked fitness room.

I was thrilled that the pool is filled with saltwater! I so much prefer saltwater pools because there is no chemical stink that lingers for hours after you have finished swimming.

The design elements of this hotel are trendy, beautiful and very whimsical. There are over one hundred original works of art on display from local and regional artists at the Hilton Omaha. If I had been traveling without my kids, I would have loved to grab something from the coffee shop and just sit in the lobby to people-watch or read a book!

I would not hesitate to stay at the Hilton Omaha - or any hotel in the Hilton family after this experience. It was a lovely place for our family to rejuvenate during our vacation, and would also be excellent if I were in need of a place to stay while traveling for a blogging event. I'm sure we will be in Omaha again, and we would love to return to the Hilton!

Disclosure: Hilton Omaha hosted my family to facilitate this review. No compensation was received and all opinions expressed are my own. For more information, you can read my Disclosure Policy.

Visiting Branson with Toddlers: Silver Dollar City Rides & Kid Zones

Disclosure: In exchange for my post and to facilitate my honest review of this experience, my family received tickets to this attraction and a meal voucher as part of a promotional blogger tour of Branson, MO through US Family Guide. No other compensation was received and all opinions expressed are my own.

I have no idea how many times I've been to Silver Dollar City in my life. Most of my childhood vacation memories are centered around this place. My parents recognized the value of a season pass, and some years we would visit three, four, even five times. I know the park like the back of my hand, possibly because when I was little my dad made us a board game to keep SDC memories alive out of a copy of the park map. I haven't been quite as often as an adult, but we did take our kids to visit during the Christmas festival last year, and it was nothing short of magical. We all agree that Silver Dollar City is an ideal family destination - and we'll be visiting often, for sure.

At the end of this post, I'll be sharing 6 Tips for Rides and Attractions at Silver Dollar City with Toddlers, so stay tuned for that! Plus, make sure you check out my other post from this trip: Visiting Branson with Toddlers: Silver Dollar City Food, Festivals, and Entertainment.

We love all of the things for kids to do at Silver Dollar City - and every time we visit, we find something new! We didn't even have a chance to do everything on this trip, but our adventures filled over 8 hours and left us all smiling and exhausted.

The Star-Spangled Summer festival has the park completely decked out in patriotic splendor this summer, and my kids spotted this little wooden train when we first entered the park. It doesn't move, but they had the best time running through it and pretending to drive. There was also a little playhouse nearby, and throughout the park I spotted several places to have your kids pose with their faces in a patriotic painting. Silver Dollar City doesn't do anything halfway - and as a result, you are immersed in the spirit of America while visiting the park!

Since Lincoln and Adelaide were so thrilled with the mini, non-moving train, we decided that a ride on the Frisco Silver Dollar Line Steam Train was in order. Both kids were really excited about riding on a real "choo-choo" and sat patiently throughout the ride.

Photo Courtesy of Silver Dollar City.

Midway through the journey across Silver Dollar City's 100-acre property, the train comes to a halt as two robbers ambush the passengers and demand that they give up all their silver! The cast of this skit had us all laughing hysterically - especially when the audience participant they selected answered in a way they did not anticipate, and the whole skit went spiraling off-book into crazy improv!

We actually started our morning at Half Dollar Holler, which is one of the best attractions for the toddler-age set. This little corner of the park is tucked away near the steam Frisco Steam Train and the Swinging Bridge (another fun thing for kids that we didn't make it to on this trip). Half Dollar Holler features Hugo & Mary's Carousel (a park staple that has been around longer than I can remember - although this is a new location from its original spot), Treetop Trail, Sand Play, and Storybook Circle. This section of the park is designed for kids ages 3-7.

Addie loves the carousel and would probably ride it contentedly over and over, while Lincoln's favorite is the super cool TreeTop Trail, which features a wacky maze of elevated dwellings for kids to climb over and through. Lincoln made his way from top to bottom at least three times before we moved on to something else.

Another fun area for little ones is the Grand Exposition, which is near the Red Gold Heritage Hall (where we saw the Flying Aces show). There are rides for kids of all ages - from toddlers to teens, and we happened to stop by when it was not super busy and the lines were low.

Photo Courtesy of Silver Dollar City.

There are height restrictions on each ride, and Lincoln was only tall enough this year to ride a handful. He really enjoyed Elephant March and Royal Tea Party. Addie had to miss out on those, but she is tall enough to ride with an adult companion on Happy Frogs, The Ladybugs, and Wings of Wonder. She thought it was amazing to fly in a "pink!!!" bug.

We spent a lot of time in the Grand Exposition even though we only rode a few rides! I know that as the kids age, this will be a spot we return to multiple times a day in our visits to the park.

A classic that is tucked just off Main Street behind the General Store is Grandfather's Mansion. This quirky, mystifying house has slanted floors, funky mirrors on the wall, and spectacles that will astound you within its walls. This has been around since I was a kid and I can remember running through it in endless loops with my brother when we were little.

This summer, we definitely spent the most time at Geyser Gulch. This giant Treehouse (touted as the largest in the world) has a single entry/exit point that allows parents to just sit back and let the kids run wild, if they so desire.

Wild is definitely the word for it. Something about seeing the majestic three-story playground before your eyes just sets little hearts on fire for adventure! Lincoln happily played here for close to two hours and had to be dragged away.

There are water sprayers outside the treehouse structure for kids to cool off, water blasters to shoot out at the Geyser in Silver Lake, and more towers, bridges, ramps, and crawl spaces than a person can count to explore.

The biggest hit for my kids was the giant room of foam balls and interactive ways to play with them. They can be vacuumed off the floor with giant hoses (Addie's favorite activity), shot from cannons from every level of the treehouse, wheeled upward on a vertical conveyer belt, and more.

I loved Geyser Gulch when I was a child (we visited the first year it opened), and watching my kids enjoy it now is just precious. What magical family memories we have been able to make at Silver Dollar City already - and we've only visited twice!

I think our kids are old enough to enjoy the Flooded Mine ride, as well, but we ran out of time to get there on this trip. It's an interactive boat ride during which you can shoot laser guns at targets to score points, and it takes place mostly inside a flooded mine that features all sorts of water spraying and exploding around you.

Top 6 Tips for Rides and Attractions at Silver Dollar City with Toddlers.

1. Hit the Grand Exposition During the Lunch Rush. While everyone else is eating, you can hit up your child's favorite rides multiple times, maybe even without a wait!

2. There's a Toddler-Sized Playground Behind Geyser Gulch. All of the chaos of Geyser Gulch may be too much for the littlest members of your party, but there's a tiny little toddler-sized playground tucked away just inside the Geyser Gulch entrance (turn right and take the stairs inside the parent seating area). There's a slide, some ride-on toys, and more.

3. Frisco Silver Line Steam Train: Try to Sit in the 2nd or 3rd Car - as close to the middle of the train as possible. You'll get the best view and possible interaction with the cast members during the stick-up during the train ride.

4. There's a Nursing Station at Geyser Gulch. There are actually Nursing Stations throughout the park, but this one is especially nice since kids may get super worn out playing in this giant treehouse. If you need a place to calm a toddler down, head back toward the restrooms and you'll find the little building which holds a bench and rocking chair for moms to nurse or calm babies.

5. Lie Down on the Bed in Grandfather's Mansion to See a Hidden Message. Hint: it's a challenge and it's kind of tough. Watching a toddler try to do it might be amusing.

6. Visit the Official Ride Measuring Station at the Grand Exposition. You'll be able to get each child in your party a wristband that will enable them quicker entry to all of the park rides. This will save a lot of time for kids who want to ride everything but are hovering near the height requirement.

Photo Courtesy of Silver Dollar City.

For a park that was built around a cave (pictured above), this is a pretty entertaining place to spend your Ozark vacation time. I hope I've convinced you that it's a fantastic place to be.

If you're past the toddler stage of life, chances are you're interested in the more exciting and groundbreaking rides - like Outlaw Run, Silver Dollar City's world-famous, award-winning wood roller coaster.

Photo Courtesy of Silver Dollar City.

This coaster sends riders upside-down three times, including a double barrel roll as one of the twists! It's high on the list of must-ride attractions for thrill-seeking guests and visitors continue to come from around the world for this experience. I'm not sure, but I think my roller coaster days are over - but I can just imagine how many times Lincoln will want to ride this in a few years!

Guests who were born or married in 1976 receive a FREE season pass this year only! Spread the word! You can find out more and purchase tickets to Silver Dollar City here - plus make sure you are following on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates! 

Disclosure: In exchange for my post and to facilitate my honest review of this experience, my family received tickets for this attraction and a meal voucher as part of a promotional blogger tour of Branson, MO through US Family Guide. No other compensation was received and all opinions expressed are my own. For more info, you can view my Disclosure Policy.