Mission Escape (Cartersville, GA)
While visiting one of the kiddos we stopped and did an Escape Room. We chose Mission Escape in Cartersville, Georgia. It was a fun adventure. We did the Copan Ruins escape room in a Mayan Temple in Honduras.
We had a blast! Our team solved the mystery and escaped. Woohoo! I was only startled once in our adventures.
We found out that if you go visit Mission Escape on your birthday you also get a special surprise! If you are looking for something fun to do in Cartersville, check it out.
Penguins Winter Family Puzzle
Every year we typically do a puzzle during the winter. This year “Penguins” was the puzzle of choice! I enjoy doing the puzzle, but if it stays out for a really long period of time it starts bothering me so usually we try to do it in a timely manner. The various members of the family can walk by and put in a puzzle piece here and there. Also, during family movie time the puzzle gets some more work done on it. Once we finish we will leave it out for a few days, take a photo of the puzzle then we donate it. Does your family have a winter activity you do together at home?
Kit Carson County Carousel (Burlington, CO)
Kit Carson County Carousel Wooden Token
This is the second time we have visited the Kit Carson Carousel. It sits on the edge of the Kit Carson County fairgrounds in the small town of Burlington, Colorado. The first time we visited the carousel we were driving Interstate 70 from Colorado to Kansas to visit family. We were looking for a good place to stop for a little bit and stretch our legs. It was such a neat place to visit we told other family members about it and the next time we were driving through we stopped to share the experience with them!
The carousel was #6 of the 74 carousels made by Philadelphia Toboggan Company. It was made in 1905 for the Elitch Gardens amusement park and was used until 1927. In 1928 Kit Carson County purchased the carousel for $1,200 (the price included shipping).
The carousel animals are stationary with three animals per row. The original Wurlitzer band organ has been restored and plays music when the carousel is in motion. The carousel is inside a 12 sided framed building on the edge of the fair grounds with a museum and small gift shop beside it. It is the only antique carousel that still has the original paint on both the panels and animals. Most modern carousel go approximately 8 mph, however, the Kit Carson one goes a whopping 12 mph.
The carousel has quite an interesting history. During the Great Depression the carousel spent several years in storage. They local town stored grain inside the building that housed the carousel. At one point 3 of the animals were stolen and later found in another state. It was designated a National Historic Site in 1978 and National Historic Landmark in 1987.
If you are in the area or driving through on I70 we would encourage you to stop and explore this neat carousel. It only costs 25 cents to ride the carousel and $1 to visit the museum.
Riding the Kit Carson County Carousel
Flowers at the Kit Carson Carousel
Going for another ride on the carousel!
All smiles!
Kit Carson Carousel building
Other side of the wooden token!
Flashback Friday: NICU Graduation Celebration
Ready for the NICU Graduation Celebration
Today’s Flashback Friday goes back to September 2005 when the girls went to their NICU Graduation Celebration. It is hard to believe they are now 7 months old. We are thankful for all the doctors and nurses that helped our family during the time when the girls were staying in the NICU. They took good care of our babies and we learned a lot from them during their stay. It was a great event to celebrate. Glad the girls were still growing and healthy.
Relaxing while we pack up the diaper bag and get everything ready to head out. The super cute dresses are from my Aunt Mary Ann, Uncle Rick, and cousins Renelle & Laurel in Colorado! Thanks guys, they are adorable!
Karlie’s 1st Face Painting experience. She was not too sure about a stranger touching and putting stuff on her face even though the rest of us were right there.
Karlie made it through the face painting, but was not happy with us at the end. She was not a big fan of it. Her legs were kicking, arms waving, and was about to burst into tears to let us know that she was not impressed with this whole face painting adventure. A little TLC and snuggle calmed her down quickly and she was fine for the rest of the event.
Brina getting her face painted for the 1st time at the NICU Graduation Celebration. She didn’t seem to mind it at all.
Brina was relaxed and just let her paint her face. She figured Daddy was there it must be okay.
Karlie is all smiles now. She doesn’t even remember that her face is painted with a smiley face.
For some reason Brina loved chewing on this dress. Must of tasted good or had an appealing texture.
Brina talking and happy even though her pink heart is completely smeared all over her face from her fun NICU celebration adventure earlier that day!
Karlie is glad to be back home again. Her smiley face stayed on for several hours after we arrived back home.
Karlie and Brina are very lucky girls. During the NICU Graduation Celebration they won a door prize for some toy blocks and shapes. They are playing with their new toys now. They have no clue they won anything, but were happy to play with the new toys. So exciting!!!
Fun Around Town: Big Celebrity Cats at Hollywild Animal Park (Wellford, SC)
“Mandela” the white lion!
Our family had a great time at Hollywild Animal Park. Upon entering the park I was given a packet with a very nice “Welcome” letter from Kim along with a map, her business card, a bracelet for each of us to wear, and other park information. The workers from the Safari Bus driver to the Creature Feature Show to the Gift Shop Clerk and the various ones we encountered throughout our journey through the park were always willing to answer any questions we had along the way (most of the questions were the kids asking about various animals). It was a wonderful activity to do with the family.
As I have mentioned in a couple other posts several of the animals that reside at Hollywild have been stars in Movies, Commercials, Print Ads, Sport Events, TV Shows, events, and much more. The animals seemed friendly, content, and interactive with the people passing through the park.
It was great that even the lions were up and active while we were at Hollywild! Usually at the zoo and other places you don’t often see the lions moving or playing around too much in their pens. The white lion paused while moving around so we were able to get some shots of him, but the brown lion didn’t ever stop moving for a good picture.
We ended our trip through the park about the time they were getting ready to close. The workers were starting to feed the animals their dinners so that was pretty cool to watch some of the animals munching down on one of their favorites treats.
For more information about our adventure at Hollywild you can check out our other blog posts:
-
Fun Around Town: Hollywild Animal Park (Wellford, SC)
-
Fun Around Town: Safari Bus Ride & Beautiful Peacocks at Hollywild Animal Park (Wellford, SC)
-
Fun Around Town: Baby Animal Barn & Creature Feature Show at Hollywild Animal Park (Wellford, SC)
He looks very serious!
He hears the worker getting his dinner meal ready and started pacing.
On the move!
Relaxing on his rock
Look at the length of those whiskers!
Peaceful and relaxing
Beautiful tiger
Love how his tail is sitting on the rock below him. He was curious about us watching him though!
Those eyes are looking directly at us!
Siberian Tigers – he looked so serious, but colorful up on the rock. Not an animal I would want to meet in the wild though he looks amazing. Featured in the following:
- Movie – Man Hunter
- Movie – Betsy’s Wedding
- Movie – Reversal of Fortune
- Movie – Price of Tides
- Movie – The Real McCoy
- TV Ad Campaign – Land Rover
- Gallery Portraits – Valerie Shaff Photography
- Countless live appearances at special events
Cougars were out and walking around. These cougars featured in following:
- Commercials – Lincoln-Mercury (1983 to 1991)
- Movie – Date With an Angel
- TV Program – Rescue 911
- Movie – Reversal of Fortune
- Movie – Last of the Mohicans
- Movie – Miracle on the Mountain
- Commercial(s) – Coca-Cola
Black Leopard was busy eating its dinner time treat. Not sure what it is, but fresh meat of some kind. Seeing it’s eyes watching us through the grass gives me goose bumps. The leopards were featured in the following:
- Calendar – Great Cats
- Print Ad Campaign – Kemdura Paper
- Audiovisual Production – Leslie Advertising
- Score Boards – Carolina Panther
- Caesar, a Black Panther, has been a star in the National Football League for the Carolina Panthers
The white tiger just finished his dinner and is taking a walk around his pen.
So pretty!
Hollywild Animal Park Coupon Discount (Free Child’s Admission):
-
Print off the coupon for Free Child’s Admission with purchase of an Adult Admission and bring it to the park with you. Limit one per family. $8 Value. This coupon is valid during our Park Season which is open Weekends in March, Daily April through Labor Day, and Weekends from Labor Day through the end of October. Please visit our website for seasonal hours prior to your visit. Coupon not valid during our Holiday Lights Safari Benefit. Expires: 10/24/2015.
A special thanks to U.S. Family Guide and Hollywild Animal Park for offering a special discount to our readers. Any specific product information was provided by Hollywild Animal Park and U.S. Family Guide, however, the opinions expressed in this post are our own. We did receive tickets so our family could visit and share our experience.
-
Fun Around Town: Baby Animal Barn & Creature Feature Show at Hollywild Animal Park (Wellford, SC)
Someone came to say “hi” to me!
It is no great surprise to us that the Baby Animal Barn and the Creature Feature Show at Hollywild Animal Park were a big hit with the kids. There is something extra sweet about interacting with a soft fluffy baby animal. The girls could have spent even longer petting and feeding the goats. They were very entertained by them.
It was fun to watch them bottle feed the goats. Several of the little goats had obviously had some red juice earlier that day because their faces and mouths were covered with red drips. It was a great spot to have the kids interact a little more with the animals. You can’t pet every animal (like the lions, tigers, and bears for obvious reasons), but you could pet and feed some of them which made the experience more fun for the kids.
For more information about our adventure at Hollywild you can check out our other blog posts:
-
Fun Around Town: Hollywild Animal Park (Wellford, SC)
-
Fun Around Town: Safari Bus Ride & Beautiful Peacocks at Hollywild Animal Park (Wellford, SC)
They had the most beautiful face and big eyes!
One of the parents with the little baby named “Marshmallow” they were so soft!
Saying “hi” to the crowd of goats!
Brina petting and talking with a friendly goat!
Jake got the girls bottles to feed the goats. They loved it!
Love the pink/red bottle drippings all over the face of this little goat. Too cute!!!
“Hey, do you have any treats for me!”
The hot pink tongue cracks me up. So adorable even with the hot pink spots on its face!
Karlie feeding a little one.
Brina feeding one of the goats while chatting and laughing at some of the other goats in the pen.
Brina feeding and petting the baby goat at the same time.
She probably could have stayed all day. Brina loves her goats and they are pretty entertaining to watch!
No matter where you stood there was always a goat friend nearby to greet you and see if you had any more treats to share!
Karlie loving it!
Having fun with my family. Thankful for a good time together learning about a variety of animals at Hollywild.
Brina would be content to do this everyday. She loves animals!
Trying to make sure everyone gets their turn with the treat!
This one looks super soft! He must have gotten enough to eat and is now taking a little rest.
Bottle feeding the goat.
Karlie giving a little goat a treat!
Smart goat! A kid dropped a bottle inside the pen which got kicked around a few times to where it was unreachable. This goat picked up the bottle off the ground walked over to the fence and propped it up so it could easily drink from the bottle. Hilarious watching it, but very resourceful if you want a little sip.
The newest baby in the group. Super soft and cute!
The little guy decided to take a rest in the feed bucket.
Karlie petting the zebras and animals next to the goats
Brina giving him a good rub!
It was cute hearing the girls talking with the animals. I really liked how the animals were very active and friendly. All the ones you could pet always came to the fence which made the kids happy.
We got there a few minutes early so relaxing for a minute while we wait for the Creature Feature Show to start.
“Speedy” the turtle!
“Marshmallow” not sure about all the people looking at her. She was still a little bit timid.
Talking about Marshmallow
Another soft one to learn about and pet.
Petting the turtle
Petting the turtle and talking with the worker about the animals.
Hollywild Animal Park Coupon Discount (Free Child’s Admission):
-
Print off the coupon for Free Child’s Admission with purchase of an Adult Admission and bring it to the park with you. Limit one per family. $8 Value. This coupon is valid during our Park Season which is open Weekends in March, Daily April through Labor Day, and Weekends from Labor Day through the end of October. Please visit our website for seasonal hours prior to your visit. Coupon not valid during our Holiday Lights Safari Benefit. Expires: 10/24/2015.
A special thanks to U.S. Family Guide and Hollywild Animal Park for offering a special discount to our readers. Any specific product information was provided by Hollywild Animal Park and U.S. Family Guide, however, the opinions expressed in this post are our own. We did receive tickets so our family could visit and share our experience.
-
Fun Around Town: Safari Bus Ride & Beautiful Peacocks at Hollywild Animal Park (Wellford, SC)
Heading out on the Safari Ride at Hollywild
The kids loved the Safari Bus Ride at Hollywild Animal Park. They had a grand time feeding and petting the animals that walked up to the bus. It was neat to see a variety of animals on the trip.
We have come to Hollywild for their Holiday Lights Safari Benefit as well as a couple times when they were younger. Once we were there for a party with friends which was a lot of fun. It was neat watching the kids and animals interact on the Safari.
In previous visits I don’t remember seeing so many peacocks. They seemed to be everywhere (or maybe we just had the same ones following us around). They were beautiful! The males had their feathers all spiked up and shaking to get the attention of the pretty female peacocks or to shoo away any person or animal that got too close. I have never seen peacocks up their feathers so much. It was fascinating to watch them. The male peacock is the one that has all the bold beautiful colors with a long tail feathers. The female peacock has a lot of similar colors, but not as vibrant and shorter tail.
For more information about our adventure at Hollywild you can check out our post:
These were the only guys you couldn’t feed by hand from the Safari Bus because they have sharp beaks, but you could toss them some treats. They were the first ones to great us on the tour.
Animals on the hill grazing peacefully.
Someone’s not afraid to get right up close to the Safari Bus!
Karlie getting her treat ready for the animals.
She enjoyed feeding the animals.
Hand feeding deer, so much fun!
Brina tried to feed as many as she could.
Look at that tongue!
Brina wanted to pet every one that came by our side of the Safari Bus.
So soft…Brina loved the hair of this one.
Petting the buffalo now
We couldn’t take a picture of our Safari Bus on the ride, but here’s the other bus that went at the same time we did.
The deer was alert and looking for more treats!
“Tank” enjoying the shade
Tank the Rhinoceros was featured in the following:
- Commercials – Blue Cross / Blue Shield
- National Ad Campaign – Land Rover
- National TV Commercial – ZICAM
- Tank is the only working rhinoceros in the United States
Is that a unicorn!?
Not a unicorn just missing one of his antlers.
Cooling off in the pond!
Love this picture of the peacock perched on the fence. So beautiful!
I don’t know if this one was guarding a nest or what because I didn’t see any other peacock around, but he was intent on making sure everyone knew he was there.
Putting down his long feathers. I was surprised how much noise the peacock made with its feathers. It was noisy when he put them up or down as well as when he was shaking them. Very interesting to watch and hear it.
Brina taking a walk with the peacock.
I have a peacock friend nearby. He is curious, yet cautious.
Showing off his big beautiful feathers!
Trying to get the attention of the female peacock in front of him. It was neat to see what his feathers looked like from the side angle.
Still attempting to get the lady peacock to notice him.
Spinning around, it was interesting seeing what the backside of a peacock looks like when it’s feathers are up.
Female peacock walking around us.
Hollywild Animal Park Coupon Discount (Free Child’s Admission):
-
Print off the coupon for Free Child’s Admission with purchase of an Adult Admission and bring it to the park with you. Limit one per family. $8 Value. This coupon is valid during our Park Season which is open Weekends in March, Daily April through Labor Day, and Weekends from Labor Day through the end of October. Please visit our website for seasonal hours prior to your visit. Coupon not valid during our Holiday Lights Safari Benefit. Expires: 10/24/2015.
A special thanks to U.S. Family Guide and Hollywild Animal Park for offering a special discount to our readers. Any specific product information was provided by Hollywild Animal Park and U.S. Family Guide, however, the opinions expressed in this post are our own. We did receive tickets so our family could visit and share our experience.
Fun Around Town: Hollywild Animal Park (Wellford, SC)
Our family visiting Hollywild Animal Park
Recently our family made a trip across town to visit Hollywild Animal Park in Wellford, South Carolina. We already had a couple events earlier that day on that side of town so we just drove a little further and spent the afternoon having fun at Hollywild Animal Park. It was a beautiful day and it was great seeing as well as interacting with the animals.
Even though our girls are twins they have very different interests, however, they both share a interest in anything pertaining to animals. They love animals so this trip was a lot of fun for them. All the animals seemed very active which was fascinating to watch that day too. You could tell they were enjoying the Spring sunshine. The newborn baby animals were very adorable!
The only problem we had is between my husband and I we took a lot of pictures so it was hard to narrow down some of our favorites. We consolidated, but will probably highlight Hollywild in a couple posts in order to give you a full view our trip to this fun place.
If you live in the Greenville area you should check out this Hollywild Animal Park if you haven’t already especially if you have kids who enjoy being around animals. There a good variety of animals and you have opportunities for more interaction with the animals as well. It’s a great family event to do together. Not to mention it is educational for the kids.
After spending an afternoon at Hollywild the girls first comments were – “Wow, that was a lot of fun!” and “I wished we lived closer so we could go more often!” The kids give it a big thumbs up!
Here are some of the pictures from the animals we met while at Hollywild Animal Park:
The Canadian Geese were very friendly. This one decided to pose for me.
Brina talking with the bird. She loves all creatures!
Karlie found a rock to perch upon.
On the run….Karlie doesn’t want to get left behind!
Jake and his girls by the pond. Right behind them in the water you could see all kinds of turtles (including Red Eared Sliders like we have at home) and fish swimming around.
Beautiful cluster of ducks, the girls tried to get them to say AFLAC (guess that’s one commercial they remember, ha).
Karlie had to stop and pet the pony!
Having fun with my girls!
This little donkey was hoping we had some yummy treats still to share.
Brina soaking it all in. She wanted to make sure we didn’t miss any of the animals!
This Baboon was talking up a storm.
He really wanted something on the outside of the cage. We watched as he grabbed a stick to try and bring the item closer to him so he could grab it with his hand. He was very determined to get it!
Brina petting the pigs.
Beautiful iris flowers that caught my attention when I turned to walk to the next animal exhibit. Makes me think of my Grandma and Jake’s Grandpa.
Someone’s got a tasty treat and digging in! It was fascinating to watch him eat.
Looks like a sharp set of teeth in its mouth!
Intently watching the other one eat.
Pretty bear!
This one is getting a little closer!
Brina loved petting this super soft dog named Andorra!
Andorra was enjoying a good petting and laid down so Brina could continue!
Up on his rock jungle gym. The girls think we need to build a climbing rock structure for our goats too. I have a feeling the goats wouldn’t be the only ones climbing around on it though.
A little one….so cute watching him run after his Mom on long wobbly legs.
The camel watching us approach!
The camels were featured in the following:
- Christmas Play – Evangel Cathedral
- Myrle Beach Christmas Production – Dixie Stampede
- Living Christmas Tree – Jerry Fallwell Ministries
More content watching the kids.
This picture makes me smile…
Beautiful Leopard Appaloosa was featured in the following:
- Movie – The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking
- Many live appearances and promotional events
So pretty! I think it is hoping for a treat!
We had a great time at Hollywild Animal Park!
Hollywild Animal Park Coupon Discount (Free Child’s Admission):
-
Print off the coupon for Free Child’s Admission with purchase of an Adult Admission and bring it to the park with you. Limit one per family. $8 Value. This coupon is valid during our Park Season which is open Weekends in March, Daily April through Labor Day, and Weekends from Labor Day through the end of October. Please visit our website for seasonal hours prior to your visit. Coupon not valid during our Holiday Lights Safari Benefit. Expires: 10/24/2015.
A special thanks to U.S. Family Guide and Hollywild Animal Park for offering a special discount to our readers. Any specific product information was provided by Hollywild Animal Park and U.S. Family Guide, however, the opinions expressed in this post are our own. We did receive tickets so our family could visit and share our experience.
30th Annual Georgia Renaissance Festival
Last weekend we made a trip to Georgia to attend the 30th Annual Georgia Renaissance Festival. We’ve never gone to the festival before so the kids were very excited when we told them what we were doing. We arrived just a few minutes after they opened and were surprised to see the amount of people that were at the festival. The only traffic we ran into was the last two miles before the festival because traffic was backed up a little as everyone was trying to get in and park. They had plenty of parking and attendants helping get the cars in as efficiently as possible. It had rained the day before so it was a little muddy in a few places, but it wasn’t bad.
We had a great time watching all the neat shows and going through the various shops. The kids thought it was fascinating and were even chosen to participate in one of the shows which was fun. The people performing were very interactive with the audiences. There were a few “adult humor” jokes in some of the performances, but nothing that the kids picked up on. It was Roman and bring your pet weekend so there were lots of dogs which the girls loved. We only saw one cat though!
They had a lot of different food options as well from giant turkey legs, key lime pie on a stick, funnel cakes, and more. The kids thought the funnel cake was delicious! There was alcohol available for purchase, however, with it being a day event most people were drinking casually so that wasn’t a problem. They do allow smoking so occasionally you would have to walk around a group of people who were smoking usually around the picnic areas. Overall it was a great experience, entertaining, fun, and a good family activity.
We got to see almost all the performances throughout the day. Usually each show performs several times during the day so if you don’t catch one time you get another one. We were there close to 6 hours and were able to watch at least part of every show that was performing that weekend. It was neat to see a lot of tricks and talent.
Here are some of the pictures from the shows we attended and really enjoyed:
King announcing the jousting tournament!
The warrior princess to be won in the knights competition
One of the warriors
Karlie and Brina on stage being lassoed by Cirque du Todd on Fools’s Knoll stage
He got a bunch of kids inside the lasso
Having fun in the performance!
Juggling a large knife, garden spike, and jalapeno spam
Cirque du Todd balancing on a board while juggling fire sticks and fire spinning around his head and feet.
Sirena Dog Show at the Garden Cottage Stage
She had a lot of different dogs doing various tricks
Huge poodle that could jump high!
Birds of Prey show, this guy flew over our heads!
The owl is ready!
We had an empty seat next to us and one of the workers would call the birds so they would land right next to us.
He’s got his little helmet on to keep him calm during the performance.
Petting the animals
Wheel of Death act at the Marrakech Mews area
He was walking and doing the jump rope while this huge wheel was spinning way up in the air. Amazing!
Barely Balanced was entertaining on the Halfwit Harbour Stage
Juggling knives over his friend
Now that’s a way to stretch.
He is balancing on a board while she’s on his shoulders juggling the knives. Barely Balance is a husband, wife, and friend who perform together.
She is standing on a large ball while they are juggling the knives around her.
It started the weekend of April 18th and goes through June 7, 2015. There were many more performances we saw while at the festival. Hope this gives you a taste of what you will see while you are there!
If you are looking to go to the Georgia Renaissance Festival you can use this promo code for another few days! Also, next weekend, the first weekend in May kids under 12 years old get in free!
Georgia Renaissance Festival Promo Code Discount:
- Get $4 off Adult and $3 off Child (6-12) tickets! Use Promo Code: “castle” when purchasing discount tickets on our secure website at www.garenfest.com. Tickets are good any day of the 2015 Season (Weekends and Memorial Day Apr 18-June 7). Online discount only. Not good with any other offers.
A special thanks to U.S. Family Guide and Georgia Renaissance Festival for offering a special discount to our readers. Any specific product information was provided by Georgia Renaissance Festival and U.S. Family Guide, however, the opinions expressed in this post are our own. We did receive tickets so our family could visit the festival and share our experience.
30th Annual Georgia Renaissance Festival Promo Code
The weather is warming up and there are a lot of fun activities happening all around. If you will be in the Georgia area any time between April 18th to June 7, 2015 you may want to check out the 30th Annual Georgia Renaissance Festival. I have also included a promotional code for you to use for additional savings!
30th Annual Georgia Renaissance Festival Details:
Every weekend and Memorial Day, starting April 18 thru June 7, 2015 The 30th Annual Georgia Renaissance Festival is a family-friendly event, and a different kind of theme park. Inside this 32-acre recreation of a 16th Century English Village you’ll find hundreds of costumed characters, the Queen and her Court, endless circus-style entertainment on 10 stages, shopping in over 130 artisan shoppes, food fit for Royalty, games and rides for kids of all ages, and the spectacular Jousting Knights on horseback. Patrons are invited to wear costumes and join in the fun too. It’s a whole lotta’ fun, and a little bit of History, every weekend and Memorial Day, April 18 thru June 7, 2015.
Georgia Renaissance Festival Promo Code Discount:
- Get $4 off Adult and $3 off Child (6-12) tickets! Use Promo Code: “castle” when purchasing discount tickets on our secure website at www.garenfest.com. Tickets are good any day of the 2015 Season (Weekends and Memorial Day Apr 18-June 7). Online discount only. Not good with any other offers.
