GOTTA See Branson, Missouri!
June 16, 2009 by Mrs. Mecomber
Filed under hotels, ideas
I have GOT to get to Branson, Missouri someday. Why, you ask?
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The Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum is here!! LOL! The kids and I recently saw a photograph of this museum, and that was IT for us! We just love quirky things like this. And I love the museum’s tagline: “After visiting us, your relatives won’t seem quite so strange!”
Of course, Ripley’s Museums are everywhere around the world, but Branson, Missouri, is a spectacular place to visit, and there is the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing, which is one of the most luxurious and affordable places to stay. The area is perfectly suited for family activities, especially of the kind that we Mecombers love (quirky attractions, historical places, and wholesome family activities like parades and festivals). We’ve had our eye on the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel, too, because many of our favorite Christian music artists and speakers go to Branson to hold their concerts and conventions.
The Branson area also has shops, a variety of diverse restaurants, a lovely river walk and more. We’ve been making plans to see the MidWest on a big vacation, and a trip to Branson, Missouri, is a definite destination. The rates at the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing are very affordable, too– if you are interested, you can check out their rates online, search for availability dates, and even place your reservation online! The Branson Hilton often has spectacular summer deals, too. For example, save up to 20% off the “Best Available Rate” when you book in advance this summer; use a Visa Signature or Infinite Card and get 25% off the “Best Available Rate”; get discounts on rates when you combine air and/or car reservations with the hotel reservations. See the website and look for “Specials & Packages” at the top.
Branson is terrific AND affordable– “believe it or not”!! 
Photo Hunters: Nautical
February 14, 2009 by Mrs. Mecomber
Filed under Photo Hunters
The theme this week is “nautical.” We’ve been to our share of nautical sites and museums, at least a dozen since we have been traveling seriously. This week, I’ll focus on a place I haven’t mentioned much: The H. Lee White Maritime Museum in Oswego, NY. This small museum is located at the harbor, on Lake Ontario. Lake Ontario is a very old, historic area (as far as North America goes). Battles for the French and Indian War in 1757, the American Revolution in 1776, and the War of 1812 (in, uh, 1813, haha) were fought here. And that doesn’t even take into account all the Indian (Huron and Iroquois) battles and fur trading post fights that occurred here.
So we visited the museum, which was stuffed to the gills with nautical items and history. Outisde the museum is a little tugboat. Tours are allowed on it, but when we visited, the tug was roped off. ‘
Great Virtual Travel Places
September 25, 2008 by Mrs. Mecomber
Filed under ideas, internet issues, museums
Don’t have time or resources to get to a museum? Have an inquisitive child? Museum websites are often very well done– they are classy, have lots of images, and many have videos and interactive programs. Here are some goodies I’ve come across recently.
The Exploratorium is a museum of “science, art, and human perception.” It’s great for schoolkids. Their geography and microbiology sections look good. I love science museums but have a hard time traveling out to Syracuse to the one there. This site is the next best thing!
Want to browse the thousands of museum sites around the U.S. and world? MuseumStuff has just recently updated and upgraded their site. You can search my museum, or browse by location.
Another searchable museum site is The Virtual Library’s Museums in the USA. You can also browse their top sites, voted by readers.
The Maritime Museums an exceptionally thorough and impressive listing ofmaritime museums throughout the United States. It included museums like the Adirondack Museum and the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library and Museum, so it’s not strictly maritime. This is a great site.
ArtCyclopedia is a site that lists educational programs and online learning programs. It’s great for homeschoolers or rainy days.
MuseumLinks Museum of Museums has a very comprehensive list of U.S. Museums, organized by state. There’s a LOT there!
This is just a small idea of all the resources available on the Internet. I am floored at how many museums there are, great and small– everything from Degas the painter to the invention of the airplane to the science behind weight loss pills to the famous Museum of Hoaxes!
Free Museum Admission Alert
July 16, 2008 by Mrs. Mecomber
Filed under NYC, art, education, museums
Well, the dog days of summer are upon us. The summer is flying by so fast! If you’re going to be in the New York City metro area and have a Bank of America card, you can get free admission to the following museums:
Bronx Zoo and New York Aquarium
International Center of Photography
The Jewish Museum
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
New York Hall of Science
The free admission stint is on Saturday, August 2 and Sunday, August 3 only. If you haven’t been to these incredible museums (I practically lived at the Met when I stayed in Manhattan), you should take advantage of this great opportunity. There are also participating museums across the United States, too. See more details here. And if the kids complain about going to *another* museum, tell them it’s better than watching TV commercials for colon cleanser!
