lynn Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 We are driving AL to SanAntonio, TX and need some good family things to do along the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athena1277 Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 This would be a great stop - the Stennis Space Center in MS. It's exit 4, I think, almost into LA. It's the exit with the welcome/rest center. There's a building where you sign in and get a visitor badge, then you take a bus up to the space center (you cannot take your own vehicle). Totally free (unless you want a snack or souvenir). They take you first on a bus tour of the facility and then drop you off at the visitor center where you can take your time seeing/learning about space exploration and the other things done at Stennis (NOAA is one of them). It's not as high tech as Kennedy or the space center in Huntsville, but it has a lot of good space history. Oh, and did I mention it's FREE? :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacie Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 (edited) There's a great rest area (yes, rest area) called the Atchafalaya Welcome Center along I-10 in south central LA. It's at Butte LaRose, exit 121. It's a great educational opportunity, as well as a fun way to experience the Acadian culture of the area. Will you be traveling through New Olreans along I-10, or are you detouring around it via I-12? Along I-12 in Folsom is Global Wildlife Center, a free-roaming wildlife preserve where you can take a tour in their safari wagons, feed the animals, get to see many different species up close. It's a nice tour! In Baton Rouge, a tour of the capital complex is a nice visit. You can go to the top observation deck of the tallest state capital in the US, visit the Arsenal museum, rose garden, state museum, picnic on the beautiful grounds, ride the free downtown trolley buses, and lots of other fun family activities. Nearby is the LSU campus, which I know is a "must see" on any Alabama tourist's list. :D If I can help you with any other Louisiana destinations, please let me know. Enjoy the trip!! :auto: Edited March 16, 2009 by Stacie grammar, ugh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lollie010 Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 No suggestions, but let us know how it goes. We are planning the same trip sometime soon. Well as soon as I can get excited about three preschoolers on a road trip. Laurel T. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bambam Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 Houston has one of the top Childrens Museums in the country. They recently (last weekend) opened a new portion. It would be maybe 20 minutes from I-10. www.cmhouston.org There is a neat Art car museum as well which is close to I-10. www.artcarmuseum.com There is a neat nature center in the middle of a very nice neighborhood. They have a half of a city block with nature trails (think lovely wildflowers right now) and an older home. The upper floor has a nature center with two rooms. One has animals (turtle, a couple of snakes, cockroaches, fish, various other animals). The other room has a changing exhibit (we've seen various bird things, noctural animal exhibits, and more). They have a small outdoor garden and a couple of bunnies as well as a quail. I've also found ducklings in the bathtub in the bathroom. Pretty weird to hear quacking while you are ... and move the shower curtain to discover ducklings. www.naturediscoverycenter.org/rppark.html There is Forbidden Gardens in Katy (west of Houston). www.forbidden-gardens.com It is sorta run down now, but you get an idea of the terra- cotta warriors and the layout of the Forbidden City. Many people like the Rainforest Cafe in the Katy Mills Mall too. The prices are sky-high, the portions are small, but the interior is neat. Beware if you have a child afraid of thunder though, for you will have to leave quickly! There is an alligator moving robot and elephant moving robot outside the restaurant (but inside the mall area). Inside the restaurant has some very nice aquariums. My dh loves the Orange Show. www.orangeshow.org It takes all kinds. NASA is good if you have anyone interested in space stuff but is not especially close to I-10. Memorial Park is a nice park close to I-10. The Houston Arboretum is also neat and close to I-10. www.houstonarboretum.org Personally, I would make sure to stop at the Homeschool Store. It would be maybe 15 minutes out of your way. www.thehomeschoolstore.com They have a very large selection of new and used materials. You could easily stay all day there. They also buy used curricula if you have any you wish to offload. There is also a much smaller homeschool store in Katy called The Curious Mind. www.thecuriousmindstore.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 And the people at the rest/welcome center are some of the nicest people I've ever met!! At least they were when we were there 4 yrs ago! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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