Drivers. Start Your Engines. The NASCAR Hall of Fame

Fast cars, intense rivalries and turbulent crashes – that’s NASCAR. However; I learned during our trip to the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, NC there is far more beyond that which makes NASCAR so interesting and popular.

NASCAR began when bootleggers in the south attempted to run from the law as they distributed alcohol during prohibition, faster cars meant less jail time. The NASCAR Hall of Fame shows an exciting 13 minute movie at the High Octane Theater on the jumbo screen that explains the history of NASCAR that fueled the nation’s appetite for speed. 

Each person received a hard card which gave us an all-access pass to explore the NASCAR Hall of Fame. We customized our card with the car, driver and helmet at one of the many interactive exhibits. The pit crew area was the kids’ favorite. They pretended to fill the cars with gas, change the lug nuts, and explored the inside of a NASCAR trailer. S especially liked Glory Road where all the cars are displayed, she enjoyed stepping up onto the extremely banked race track. 

My favorite part of the museum was exploring the marvels of engineering that have contributed to the cars’ speed and safety. The exhibit of crashes left me speechless as we learned that the drivers had survived the wrecks. Many exhibits showed the engineering and safety precautions that keep the drivers alive – from car mechanics, to suits, to helmets – and how it has all evolved over the years. 

My step-dad, Brian, who is a huge NASCAR fan joined us, and his favorite part was the simulator ride where we got to race against each other. The kids had to ride on our laps because of height limitations. I was glad it wasn’t a ride that could make you sick with motion, it was more like an interactive video game, and was a lot of fun. At the end of the race we got a printout of where we placed – I placed dead last. Apparently driving a minivan is not akin to driving a NASCAR car! Brian also enjoyed the Hall of Honor that paid tribute to drivers and innovators in NASCAR. 

Parking was easy in the parking garage next to the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The entire facility is new and beautiful and offers easy access for strollers. Admission is $19.95 for adults and $12.95 for kids 5-12. Kids under 5 are free. The simulator was $5 per ride, or $14 for an all day pass.  They have a concession area with food and drink if the little ones get hungry, and it’s located right next to Buffalo Wild Wings.

Want to experience the NASCAR Hall of Fame with your family? Enter our contest and win a 4 pack of tickets to the NASCAR Hall of fame! Contest runs 5/18/13 at midnight – 5/26/13 at midnight. The winner will be emailed and announced in the comments below this blog.

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Fort Mill Strawberry Festival

This week's weather hasn't been the normal Carolina Blue skies, but that didn't seem to put a damper on the festivities at the annual South Carolina Strawberry Festival in Fort Mill, SC. Things were hopping when we arrived despite the looming dark clouds. They had vendors for local businesses showcasing their wares, any fried food you could imagine, music, rides and of course - strawberries (even fried strawberries!). Unfortunately we missed the strawberry shortcake eating contest - something my skinny hubby could have given many of the contestants a run for their money at, but caught several musical acts on the two stages. My favorite part was the funnel cake covered in real strawberries that the local girl's softball team was selling as a fundraiser.





The parking was either at the high school with transportation by a bus or parking in a field with about a half mile trek to the park. We opted for the walk, which I didn't mind, but we had the moby to carry E in which made navigating the bumpy grounds much easier.  I saw many strollers but the parents seemed to struggle as they pushed them around the festival - it's wasn't flat and was still damp from all the rain.

The festival is held at Walter Y. Elisha park, so the kids had a large playground to entertain themselves on as they took in the sights. Friday night they offered a $15 ticket for unlimited rides for kids, and there were several events leading up to the festival including a golf tournament, a strawberry pageant for Teen, Miss and Mrs contestants and a strawberry pick and flick (pick-your-own strawberries and a movie).

Overall, I'm not a lover of fair-like-festivals. That's just me. If you like fairs, festivals and strawberries, well then this is your ticket - and apparently it's many people's ticket because they broke the 2012 attendance record with over 55,000 attending this year.

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Lazy 5 Ranch in Mooresville, NC

The Lazy 5 Ranch is situated in Mooresville, NC and offers a 3.5 mile safari ride that can be experienced by car or guided wagon. There are over 750 animals from 6 continents between the petting zoo area and the safari. It was a wonderfully slobbery situation, and S's squeals of excitement and delight as she fed the the many animals at the Lazy 5 Ranch still has her talking about all that she saw and did. 

We arrived at the ranch and there was plenty of parking, and lots of areas to explore. Our 'mall strollers' would have had a hard time on the terrain, so we wrapped E in the moby which gave him a great view of the going on's and S walked. It's not too large of an area for young walkers to handle. The petting zoo had sheep, goats and horses. Within the petting zoo there were some non-petting animals as well, including kangaroos, camels, ring tailed lemurs, a pygmy zebu and a plethora of unique birds. The walk through the petting area was picturesque and beautifully landscaped, with many plants, shrubs and trees that I'd never seen before. We enjoyed strolling around and watching the animals and their playful antics as we waited for the wagon ride.

Three strong horses were saddled up to pull the wagon for the safari. We were given buckets of pellets and instruction on the proper way to feed the different types of animals. Initially, when the first animals trotted up to our wagon S was afraid, but once she saw everyone else feeding them she was excited to try it as well. This elicited many shrieks of glee, which the animals seemed unfettered by. We fed llamas, cattle, buffalo, brahma cattle, emus, giraffes and many other 4 footed friends. It was funny to see their crazy tongues reaching out for the pellets as S gently dropped them into their mouths. As we passed by the large ponds of water we could make out just the heads of water buffalo as they cooled themselves from the heat. Car-sized cattle with expansive horns came to investigate our wagon. It was a lot of fun to get this up close and personal experience with such massive animals as they went from hand to hand nibbling on the feed.

The wagon ride concluded and we were able to go and wash up in the bathrooms near the concession stand. Right next door is a large playground with swings for mom and dad, and several slides and room for the kids to burn off some steam after sitting in the car or wagon. Lazy 5 Ranch does events and birthday parties in their covered shelter. 

The Lazy 5 Ranch was a memorable experience, and was well worth the 50 minute trip from Charlotte. The cost for general admission (driving your own car) is $9.50 for adults, $6.50 for kids (2-11 and seniors 60+), feed is $3 per bucket. The wagon ride is $14.50 for adults, $9.50 for kids (2-11 and seniors 60+) and a bucket of feed is included. They do not accept credit cards or debit cards - so make sure to bring cash and wear sneakers. Lazy 5 Ranch asks that you call ahead to make reservations for the wagon ride at 704-663-5100. If you pay for the wagon ride you can also take your car through the safari. We tried both and I think the wagon ride left a bigger impression on the kids and the adults.

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Discover YOU

Healthy living comes to life at Discover You in Mt. Holly, NC (about 25 minutes from Charlotte).

Discover You is an interactive museum that encourages kids, teens and adults to learn about their bodies, and all the daily influences that can help or hinder a healthy lifestyle.

Upon arrival a personalized ticket is created with your age, weight (no one else sees it) and name. You can use this ticket at different activities to calculate how many calories you've burned. Information can also be sent to you via email for things like smoking cessation, sleep specialists and mind-body-spirit options. They also give a hand out of 'healthy' numbers for your age, like heart beat for you to track as you explore.

The giant active heart was my favorite display, when you put your hands on the bar it picks up your heartbeat and echos it through the speakers. S learned that if she jumped up and down while holding the bar the beat went faster. It was a cool way to show how her heart worked and explain why it's so important to keep it healthy.

The one display that stuck out for me was the junk food in a display case, there was a McDonald's burger and fries, and Oreo, a Hostess cupcake and margarine from Harris Teeter. All the items had been in the case for nearly 6 months and there was no sign of mold or decay at all - which really got me thinking - if mold can't survive on the nutrients from these items then my family sure can't either, and wow talk about preservatives - not cool! It made me think more about the small changes I could make for my family to achieve a healthier lifestyle.

S enjoyed trying the Tai Chi on the large monitor where she could see her "energy" waves as she moved along with the instructor. We also tried the stress game where two people sit with bands on their heads and determine who is more stressed, and then learn about stress reducing options. Then we went for a bike ride through the park with the help of surround screens and a stationary bike - I burned a small number of calories as we sped through.

They had a very inspiring display about local folks who had done amazing things after the age of 80, like one woman who published two books in her 90's. It was a reminder that each generation is living longer, and that the quality of our life when we are older will be dependent upon taking care of our bodies when we are young. 

S (age 4) was a little young for some of the bigger health concepts, but came away understanding more about junk foods and why they are bad for you, the basics to how her heart works and that mommy was more stressed than any of the employees at Discover You. The best age for this museum is 6 years - adult. There were some great reminders for me about portion control and how many calories are really in that number three combo.

I was surprised how visiting the museum made such an impact on me - and since our visit I've made a pact that I won't get any drive-thru food for the next 30 days and I've joined the Y and have taken several zumba and yoga classes to help with my fitness and mommy-stress.

Caromount's Discover You! is open M-F 10:00 - 2:30 and Saturday 1:00 - 7:00. Cost is $5 for Adults, $3 for 5-18 and $4 for seniors 60+. Kids under 5 are free.

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Wands, and Magic and Dragons - Oh My!

S choosing her wand

Great Wolf Lodge  is a family experience which allows you to step into a far away land just miles from Charlotte, in Concord, NC. In addition to an amazing water park they also offer MagiQuest - an enchanting scavenger hunt around the sprawling lodge where you can open magical chests, battle dragons and collect runes.

Exploring magic is what being a kids is all about - and MagiQuest at Great Wolf Lodge left our our daughter S (4 years old) and her cousin J (6 years old) spellbound.

Magic Up
Her quest began by visiting the kingdom store where they displayed wall to wall magical items, costumes and trinkets. She selected a wand to use during her play as a "Magi", and a created a special magic name. She chose Princess Aleata (no clue where she gets these names from) and her wand was activated by placing it in a stone and saying some magical phrases. Game play for 2 days is included with the purchase of a wand which range from $15.99-$21.99. She can re-use the wand which will remember all of the quests she's completed so she can start where she left off on future visits or different locations at an additional cost.

Getting Our Quest On

My wand-wielding girl

Once we watched the 7 minute informational video in the forest  it was time for some wand-wielding adventures, and S didn't miss a beat as she struck her sorceress pose. I won't lie - there are several degrees between all the adults and initially it had us a little bewildered. We weren't the only ones who were a little confused, luckily there were other parents to talk to and ask questions of as we walked through the mystical floors. We went to the trees with touch screens to choose her quest for a rune (a magical trophy). She (we) followed the 'Ancient Book of Wisdom' (directions) and searched for specific pictures, gems and statues around the lodge. When she found an item she shook her wand at it and music, talking and excitement ensued.  Along the way we stopped back at the kingdom store for some guidance on our quest, but eventually the adults caught on (or became obsessed.. right papa?) and we really began to enjoy ourselves. There is a lot of up and down the stairs - the second floor hosts the Forgotten Hall, the third floor the Whispering and Enchanted Woods and the fourth floor Piney Path and Tangled Woods. So wear some comfy shoes because you will be running after the wee-Magi.

Crystal Rune Attained!

We're Off to Slay the Dragon! Or not...   
We followed 'The Ancient Book of Wisdom' to navigate the forest/woods. The book includes 10 quests, which would take hours to complete. We adventured for about 3 hours and finished 4 quests, but the girls weren't going very fast. Some objects are trickier to find than others, but if you start at the beginning it advances in difficulty. Our kids (4 yrs and 6 years) loved it, but needed a lot of adult help - the adults needed adult help at times! I think this experience is ideal for kids ages 8-13 when they would be able to read and select their own quests without as much adult involvement. The dragon lair with a large, loud video dragon was a little intense for the kids, even the fearless 6 year old was too afraid to try and slay it, but for the most part the rest of the quest is age appropriate for kids 4+. This experience has left a big impression on the kids, and we will be back to MagiQuest again. You don't need to be staying at the Great Wolf Lodge to use the MagiQuest facility, so it's a perfect any time activity.

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Carolina Stars Open Gym

My daughter, like any normal 4 year old loves to run, jump, play and tumble. When our friend Carrie invited us to meet her and her daughter at Carolina Stars gymnastics located in Fort Mill, SC for their Monday morning open gym, S was very excited to see what gymnastics was all about. Open gym runs every Monday morning from 10:30-12:00, the cost is $5 per child and we had to sign a waiver. The kids were let loose in the gym to try the steady rings, balance beams, uneven bars, vault, play instruments, tumble and bounce. It was a fun experience for a great price. Carolina Stars had instructors on hand to help the kids while trying the gymnastic equipment.

I couldn't believe S could hold onto the rings for so long by herself! She was very proud and loved looking at her pictures looking quite Olympic. Carolina Stars also hosts birthday parties, parents nights out and regular classes for gymnastics, aerial dance and karate. We packed a snack and drink and all sat on the floor outside of the gym while the kids ate after working up an appetite. For more information about Carolina Stars you can visit their website at www.CarolinaStarsGym.com.

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Bye, Bye Nightmares

Our daughter is 4 with a wild imagination, and lately its been running a muck at night in the form of nightmares. Nightmares between ages 2-4 are pretty common, but still upsetting to the little ones. One of the articles I read suggested making a dream catcher. It looked like a fun project, so we had her decorate a paper bowl with her favorite stickers, beads and ribbon. She loved the idea that it would catch all of her bad dreams, and hopefully our project will offer us a nightmare respite.

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