List of Places to fly with kids?

My kids, ages 11 and 14, have flown with us almost since birth. They
are, quite frankly, bored with the whole thing, much to my dismay.

Oh sure, my son gets into it when he's allowed to fly right seat, but
with two pilots in the family that is a rare occasion indeed. And my
daughter is becoming vocally ANTI-flying, which is starting to become
an issue.

The solution? When we fly places that are "kid centered", both kids
are (not surprisingly) more than happy to get in the plane. We've had
to face the fact that our $100 hamburger flights (that excite us old
farts so much) just don't do much for the young 'uns, and so Mary and I
have started a quest for places to fly with kids.

I'd like to compile a list of "kid centered" destinations, not unlike
the web page I created for "Fly-In Aviation Museums." (See:
http://www.alexisparkinn.com/fly-in_...on_museums.htm )

These destinations are surprisingly hard to find, although we've found
a few. Here are some:

1. Maquoketa Caves State Park. (See:
http://www.alexisparkinn.com/2005_maquoketa_caves.htm ) If your kids
like to hike, explore, and get dirty (who doesn't?), this FREE state
park is hard to beat. With miles of good hiking, both above and below
ground, interesting geologic formations, and fun caves to explore (both
easy and hard), the kids always enjoy flying to Maquoketa, Iowa (KOQW).

2. AdventureLand. Located near Des Moines, Iowa, this small theme park
is an easy drive from Ankeny Airport (KIKV). Big enough to keep any
roller coaster fanatic satisfied, but small enough to see in a day,
Adventureland is Iowa's answer to Disneyland.

3. Racine Zoo. A free zoo in 2005? You bet. Located in Racine, WI
(KRAC), this small-but-complete lakefront (on the shores of Lake
Michigan) zoo is a real treat. You'll have to rent a car or take a
cab, though, as Racine has no courtesy cars.

Can you add any others? I'll compile 'em if you can provide 'em!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

On 2 Jul 2005 09:30:16 -0700, Jay Honeck wrote:

Can you add any others? I'll compile 'em if you can provide 'em!

Have you ever asked them what they wanted to see or do?

Maybe fly them to a rock concert or so :-)

#m
--
http://www.hotze.priv.at/album/aviation/caution.jpg

Sandusky Ohio KSKY. Oldest roller coaster in US.
Dallas, TX KDFW. Six Flags.
Michelle

Jay Honeck wrote:

My kids, ages 11 and 14, have flown with us almost since birth. They
are, quite frankly, bored with the whole thing, much to my dismay.

Oh sure, my son gets into it when he's allowed to fly right seat, but
with two pilots in the family that is a rare occasion indeed. And my
daughter is becoming vocally ANTI-flying, which is starting to become
an issue.

The solution? When we fly places that are "kid centered", both kids
are (not surprisingly) more than happy to get in the plane. We've had
to face the fact that our $100 hamburger flights (that excite us old
farts so much) just don't do much for the young 'uns, and so Mary and I
have started a quest for places to fly with kids.

I'd like to compile a list of "kid centered" destinations, not unlike
the web page I created for "Fly-In Aviation Museums." (See:
http://www.alexisparkinn.com/fly-in_...on_museums.htm )

These destinations are surprisingly hard to find, although we've found
a few. Here are some:

1. Maquoketa Caves State Park. (See:
http://www.alexisparkinn.com/2005_maquoketa_caves.htm ) If your kids
like to hike, explore, and get dirty (who doesn't?), this FREE state
park is hard to beat. With miles of good hiking, both above and below
ground, interesting geologic formations, and fun caves to explore (both
easy and hard), the kids always enjoy flying to Maquoketa, Iowa (KOQW).

2. AdventureLand. Located near Des Moines, Iowa, this small theme park
is an easy drive from Ankeny Airport (KIKV). Big enough to keep any
roller coaster fanatic satisfied, but small enough to see in a day,
Adventureland is Iowa's answer to Disneyland.

3. Racine Zoo. A free zoo in 2005? You bet. Located in Racine, WI
(KRAC), this small-but-complete lakefront (on the shores of Lake
Michigan) zoo is a real treat. You'll have to rent a car or take a
cab, though, as Racine has no courtesy cars.

Can you add any others? I'll compile 'em if you can provide 'em!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay Honeck wrote:

My kids, ages 11 and 14, have flown with us almost since birth. They
are, quite frankly, bored with the whole thing, much to my dismay.

I would suspect that teenagers in general would complain when asked to do
anything with the parents.



--
Peter


















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On 2 Jul 2005 09:30:16 -0700, "Jay Honeck" wrote
in .com::

Can you add any others?


http://www.lego.com/legoland/califor...sp?locale=2057
LEGOLAND® California is located at One LEGOLAND Drive, just off
Interstate 5, in the seaside village of Carlsbad, 30 minutes north of
San Diego and one hour south of Anaheim.

Legoland is locate about one mile west of Palomar Airport. Here's a
map:
http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp... ent%20Places

Jay Honeck wrote:
Oh sure, my son gets into it when he's allowed to fly right seat, but
with two pilots in the family that is a rare occasion indeed.

If he is 14, when is Joe going to start flying gliders?

Oh sure, my son gets into it when he's allowed to fly right seat, but
with two pilots in the family that is a rare occasion indeed.

If he is 14, when is Joe going to start flying gliders?

We wanted to start him this summer, but the CAP glider is based in
Burlington, Iowa, which would have meant flying him there several
mornings each week, and coordinating with the CAP CFIs.

That ain't possible with our schedule(s) -- and CAP isn't about to
bring the glider to Iowa City.

So, he'll probably wait till he's old enough to enroll in one of the
flight schools on the field. It's too bad, cuz he's more than ready.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Madison, WI also has a free zoo, the Henry Vilas Zoo. Small, but several
modern buildings.

John

Oh yeah...Wisconsin Dells. Waterparks all over the place. I'll bet
you've been there...

Also the Circus World Museum, a short distance from the Dells.

Neither are free though, although you could just wander through the
dells for nothing...

John

Jay,
Maybe it is the journey, not the destination.
You mentioned your son enjoys it sometimes when he gets to sit up front.
How about a Father son team or a Mother Daughter team up front. Weight
and Balance permitting.
Give them something to do like find things on the chart.

Michelle