• Charleston: The Charleston Explorer Program

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    Charleston Explorer Goodies

    Since we go to Charleston a few times every year we signed the kids up for their Charleston Explorers Club a little over a year ago.  It was a great way to explore the Charleston area, learn pieces of history or science and more plus earn a few prizes along the way.  We have always enjoy our trips to Charleston and every time we try to go to a new place which made the Charleston Explorers a great program for our kids.

    You could pick up a Charleston Explorer passport at any of the Charleston Area Visitors Centers.  It was free for any kid under 18 to sign up for the club.  When the kids enrolled they each received a passport, prize, a list of more than 30 participating locations, and information about how the program worked.  Each time the kids visited one of the locations they would get a stamp specific to that location and enter the “stamp code” into their online profile and rate the place they visited.  Every 5 stamps they would earn a prize that was mailed directly to our house.  We never knew what the prizes would be and the kids were always very happy with the neat items that came in the mail.

    Some of the places where you got the stamps were free while others required paid admission.  Several of the places you could buy discounted tickets if you bundled them together.  The program started back in April 2011 and recently ended.  It is probably one of the best travel programs we have participated in, it was ran well, the prizes were amazing, and we had a blast doing the Charleston Explorers with the kids.  We would love to see them do another program for the kids in the future!

    I would encourage you to check out any of these types of explorers programs in your local area or another area where you visit frequently.  These are programs can provide great learning opportunities for your kids.  It was a wonderful experience for our whole family.   I wish more places had kids programs like this one.

    Some of the items we received:

    • Charleston Explorers Water Bottles
    • Charleston Explorers Magnetic Keychains with Flashlights
    • Charleston Explorers Binoculars
    • Charleston Explorers Pens
    • Charleston Explorers Stickers
    • Charleston Explorers Bag
    • Charleston Explorers Clips
    • $25 Wonder Works Toy Store Gift Cards
    • iPod Touch

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    The highlighted places on our brochure are the ones we have visited since we started the Charleston Explorers program!  Great places to visit and wonderful times exploring with the kids!

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    The girls passport books!  Here is what two of their pages look like with the Fort Sumter, Patriots Point, Heyward Washington House, Nathaniel Russell House, Edmonston Alston House, and Aiken Rhett House stamps on these two pages.  We filled their passport books up.  The girls loved getting their stamps at the end of their tours.

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    One of the prizes they earned was a $25 Gift Card each from Wonder Works a Toy Store in Charleston.  The girls can’t wait for our next trip to Charleston so they can use their gift cards!

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    The girls were so excited when FedEx dropped off a package at our “Google only” household! Guess, we now need to include another platform…. Their final Charleston Explorers prize was an iPod Touch!  They were so very EXCITED to receive the iPod! Wow!!! Thanks Charleston for making our trips so enjoyable and for the amazing prizes! It has been a awesome exploring with the family and we look forward to our next visit!  We still have several more locations we want to see on our list!

  • CVS Savings: Use Your “Green Bag Tag” & Earn ECB’s

     

    You can earn bonus ECB’s (Extra Care Bucks) by purchasing the Green Bag Tag.  If you go to CVS regularly you should consider getting it.

    • It costs $0.99 to buy the tag (I used an ECB to buy it a couple months ago).
    • The Green Bag Tag is scanned when you check out and you earn ECB’s for using it.
    • Every 4th visit to CVS that you bring and scan your Green Tag you will earn $1 ECB.

    How to sign up?

    • Ask the clerk at the store for a Green Bag Tag.   When you purchase the Green Bag Tag with your Rewards Card it becomes linked to your account so you can get the bonus ECB’s every time you use it.

    I have a reusable CVS bag in the van with the Green tag attached to it so I can quickly grab it when I head into the store.  The Green Tag can be scanned any time after scanning your first item (unlike your Rewards Card that can be scanned before any items).  Always make sure that they scan it, sometimes new employees are not aware of it.  Also, double check on your receipt to make sure it is updated with your recent Green Bag Tag use.  Each receipt will show you how many total Green Bag Tags you have used and how many more you need to get your next bonus ECB.  Even though I have only had it a couple months I have been able to earn $4 extra ECB’s using the Green Bag Tag.  At one time (several months ago) they offered it free after ECB’s but even if you have to pay the $0.99 to get it the Green Bag Tag will pay for itself pretty quickly.