LunaLee Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 Okay guys, we are going on a road trip soon. Starting here in Nor Cal, then going to the Monterey Bay Aquarium for Homeschool Day then on to Disneyland for 2 Days. We'll also stop by the ocean and see a couple of missions along the way. So the thing is we've never been on a family vacation, and honestly aren't likley to take another one for quite a while. I want to make this memorable for the kids, but also educational, without doing school, KWIM? I was thinking about a travel journal, and maybe putting together a scrapbook when we get home. But I suffer from creativity defeciancy, so any ideas on some "guided" idea pages for a journal or other activities would be so greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 Honestly, I wouldn't do anything other than what you've already thought of. The trip itself will be "educational." If you try to do more, you'll be making it into School, and then it won't be fun. Fun is the most important, because if it's fun, they'll remember it more. I *love* the MBE. My favorite place to eat after visiting the Aquarium is just down the street at Bubba Gump's restaurant. There's also an antique mall I love to visit, but generally speaking children aren't so fond of that, lol. We once went to all 21 California missions. In a week. NEVER DO THAT!! Our favorite mission was San Luis Obisbo. Capistrano is pretty nifty, too. La Purisima was interesting, as it's the only one not built in an enclosed rectangle. No one knows why. And DISNEYLAND!!! It's been almost a year since we've been and we're feeling withdrawals, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 Maybe have your older child do a little research prior to leaving on roller coasters and other thrill rides, and then on the trip have the child ask some questions there at Disneyland and do a short paper on Disneyland rides! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MUJLBE Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 We went to England last year and had a great time upon our return making a photo book. In England, my son wrote about 2 sentences in his travel diary every day, we both took a lot of photos, and we bought some post cards. Upon our return we uploaded our photos and post cards to Photoworks (use the online photo developer of your choice) and then spent a week creating a photobook about our trip based on diary entries and photos. My son absolutely loved doing this. Susan ds (7) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 When you are in Monterey, if you have the time, I'd suggest taking the 17 mile drive through Pebble Beach on to Carmel. It is a spectacular drive along a beautiful coast line, and Carmel is a lovely little village. There is a Mission in the southern part of Carmel (outside the "downtown) called "Mission San Carlos Borromeo". Just behind the Mission is a wonderful retreat/lodging/restaurant on the site of a former dairy ranch called the "Mission Ranch". This is a very idyllic spot to have lunch, or even a drink or a just walk, with rolling green pastures (with sheep) and the beautiful Pt Lobos in the distance. Clint Eastwood owns the Mission Ranch, and he saved this special spot from development. A few miles further south is the Pt Lobos State Park. This is another place of spectacular beauty (better to say many places of spectacular beauty) because in the compact area there are many coves and rocky outcropping that have completely different "looks". Also in Carmel is "Tor House" the stone house the poet Robinson Jeffers built for his wife (including an Irish style tower [Hawk Tower]). Robinson Jeffers was a poet of nearly unsurpassed genius. His greatest work were in the style of Greek epics (his father was a eminent classic professor, and Jeffers knew Greek and Latin) and most were set in the Carmel-Big Sur area. In the twenties and thirties he was recognized as America's finest poet, but he opposed WWII and his politics became quite "reactionary", he was seen as a "crank" and his name has been almost obliterated from history (save a few "nature" poems that are included in anthologies and "picture-books" on Big Sur, but that don't do justice to his monumental works. I've gone on :tongue_smilie: Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto2Cs Posted November 6, 2008 Share Posted November 6, 2008 Where will you be in norCal? I ask because that's my home turf. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LunaLee Posted November 7, 2008 Author Share Posted November 7, 2008 Thanks, everyone those are great ideas. I also found a Childhood of Famous Americans for Walt Disney that ds is eagerly reading. The kids are SOOOOOO excited! They've never been to Disneyland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LunaLee Posted November 7, 2008 Author Share Posted November 7, 2008 Where will you be in norCal? I ask because that's my home turf. We're in the Sacramento area so we've quite done all of the Gold Rush stuff to death. Going through the rest of the state will be a great change of pace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LunaLee Posted November 7, 2008 Author Share Posted November 7, 2008 When you are in Monterey, if you have the time, I'd suggest taking the 17 mile drive through Pebble Beach on to Carmel. It is a spectacular drive along a beautiful coast line, and Carmel is a lovely little village. There is a Mission in the southern part of Carmel (outside the "downtown) called "Mission San Carlos Borromeo". Just behind the Mission is a wonderful retreat/lodging/restaurant on the site of a former dairy ranch called the "Mission Ranch". This is a very idyllic spot to have lunch, or even a drink or a just walk, with rolling green pastures (with sheep) and the beautiful Pt Lobos in the distance. Clint Eastwood owns the Mission Ranch, and he saved this special spot from development. A few miles further south is the Pt Lobos State Park. This is another place of spectacular beauty (better to say many places of spectacular beauty) because in the compact area there are many coves and rocky outcropping that have completely different "looks". Also in Carmel is "Tor House" the stone house the poet Robinson Jeffers built for his wife (including an Irish style tower [Hawk Tower]). Robinson Jeffers was a poet of nearly unsurpassed genius. His greatest work were in the style of Greek epics (his father was a eminent classic professor, and Jeffers knew Greek and Latin) and most were set in the Carmel-Big Sur area. In the twenties and thirties he was recognized as America's finest poet, but he opposed WWII and his politics became quite "reactionary", he was seen as a "crank" and his name has been almost obliterated from history (save a few "nature" poems that are included in anthologies and "picture-books" on Big Sur, but that don't do justice to his monumental works. I've gone on :tongue_smilie: Bill Thanks Bill. I've printed this off and put it in our travel folder for reference when we are done at the Aquarium.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LunaLee Posted November 7, 2008 Author Share Posted November 7, 2008 We went to England last year and had a great time upon our return making a photo book. In England, my son wrote about 2 sentences in his travel diary every day, we both took a lot of photos, and we bought some post cards. Upon our return we uploaded our photos and post cards to Photoworks (use the online photo developer of your choice) and then spent a week creating a photobook about our trip based on diary entries and photos. My son absolutely loved doing this. Susan ds (7) Yes, I wanted them to document their thoughts and feelings without it seeming like "mandatory journaling" but I think a few sentences is quite doable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LunaLee Posted November 7, 2008 Author Share Posted November 7, 2008 We once went to all 21 California missions. In a week. NEVER DO THAT!! See, I had thought about doing that, but my dh thought I was crazy. He'll appreciate that someone else tried to talk some sense into me. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LunaLee Posted November 7, 2008 Author Share Posted November 7, 2008 Maybe have your older child do a little research prior to leaving on roller coasters and other thrill rides, and then on the trip have the child ask some questions there at Disneyland and do a short paper on Disneyland rides! :001_smile: Yes, a mini report would be perfect. Maybe I'll change it to a biography of Walt instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted November 7, 2008 Share Posted November 7, 2008 See, I had thought about doing that, but my dh thought I was crazy. He'll appreciate that someone else tried to talk some sense into me. :D I hope you're listening, young lady! *IF* you have a motor home, or *IF* you can afford to stay in hotels all the way up or down, it might not be so bad. We were tent camping and driving an Isuzu :-o Also, when we started out I told the dds to remember just one thing about each mission, such as San Diego's being the first (we lived in San Diego), and San Juan Capistrano having a basillica, and San Luis Rey being the "King of Missions," but after awhile I didn't even care, lol. Some day I'll tell you the story of our field trip to San Francisco (a few years later when we had moved to San Jose). It's slightly related to the mission field trip story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhondaM. Posted November 7, 2008 Share Posted November 7, 2008 You could take the kids to the Ocean Institute. It is in the Dana Point Harbor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.