Search Results for: blog museums and pets

Remembering Cher Ami and Other Veteran Carrier Pigeons

When Wayne and I took a trip to Washington, D.C. last year, I was blown away. I’d never been there before and didn’t really know what to expect. I sure wasn’t expecting to become so smitten with the place. It captured my heart and still has yet to let go. (I’m thinking it probably never will. I absolutely loved my visit there.) The museums were all incredible. And something I thought was really neat was how I found a story about an animal detailed in almost all of them. Animals Make Up Our History, Too Like when we were in … Continue reading →

The Pets Blog Week in Review for May 14-20

I flew solo again for part of the week until Thursday. Then Aimee came back with, among other things, tales of her adventures with Lally and Moose during their cross country trip to their new home. Here’s what other topics were addressed in the Pets Blog: Monday, May 14 Um, everyone needs one day off, right? Tuesday, May 15 Tabby, Tabby, Tabby. It was all about Tabby. First, an account of how even the best vets goof, then about her “disturbing” new behavior. Wednesday, May 16 I’ve really been into themed days lately, so when I found one about Sea-Monkeys, … Continue reading →

Museums and Pets

Do you ever have days or weeks that revolve around a theme? Like you’ll see mention of a certain something in more than one place? This happens to me a lot. I remember the first time I really took notice of the phenomenon. I was a sophomore in high school and we had just started studying Shakespeare. Suddenly everywhere I turned I’d bump into references to his plays. Or when my old car, a 1992 Honda Civic, started having problems that required frequent maintenance, I knew the time was about to come for a new car. I really had my … Continue reading →

Portland, OR: The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI)

One of our favorite Portland destinations is the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, more often known by its initials OMSI. OMSI is geared toward the 6-12 crowd, but children of all ages will enjoy it. There are tons of hands-on displays demonstrated different aspects of science. Chemistry, physics, and computer labs are manned by professionals who help children explore their interests. Upstairs is a paleontology lab and reptile room (yucch!). There are static and changing displays to challenge and ignite your child’s mind. My favorite permanent exhibit there is one on reproduction and fetal development. The babies are real. … Continue reading →

Win a Trip to See Some Dinosaurs!

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Does your young child have a fascination with dinosaurs? Would you like to be able to afford a trip to take your kids to see some awesome dinosaur exhibits? Enter the Big Adventure Sweepstakes that is being held by Amtrak and The Jim Henson Company. Someone will win a family trip for 4 to see dinosaurs! I think that the majority of kids go through a “dinosaur phase”. This can affect both boys and girls, and typically hits when the child is between the ages of 4 and 7. It is a phase where a kid discovers dinosaurs and immediately … Continue reading →

Family Fun in Mississippi

Forget about Manhattan, the Muppets are taking on Mississippi, and they want you to come along for the ride. “Jim Henson’s Fantastic World,” a new interactive exhibit at the Mississippi Museum of Art, offers fun for the entire family. It doesn’t matter if you’re not a die-hard fan of the quirky, hairy puppets, which used to have their own television show. One stroll through the “Fantastic World” and you’ll be mesmerized by the magic Jim Henson has created. In addition to the weird-looking, fanged puppets, which performed skits on “The Muppet Show,” the exhibit also features more familiar characters, such … Continue reading →

What’s This about the Obamas Getting a Puppy?

Barack Obama’s win was, naturally, the talk of all the news yesterday. But of course the thing that caught my ear was the focus on how the Obamas were considering getting a puppy. The Puppy Speech I’d tried to stay awake for Obama’s victory speech Tuesday night, but instead I ended up falling asleep. I guess if I would have watched it I would have heard for myself the part where he said he was going to reward his daughters’ support and patience during the campaign with a puppy. I was surprised to hear they were considering a puppy. I … Continue reading →

Family Travel: Cheap Thrills in Washington, D.C.

Who says you have to mortgage your home to pay for a family vacation? With the skyrocketing price of gas and the exorbitant cost of airfare most families would agree that taking a trip these days requires some major financial wrangling. However, there are ways you can make the most of a family getaway—-no matter how cash strapped you may be–if you look in the right places. For example, Washington, D.C. is loaded with free and cheap attractions that will appeal to everyone in your clan. Many of the area’s museums, monuments and other star attractions are run by the … Continue reading →

Kid-Friendly Hotels Getting Friendlier

Toys and goldfish delivered to your room, goodie bags at check-in, kid suites, and baby sitting services—now that’s my kind of hotel. Hotel chains such as Embassy Suites and Omni, which consistently rate well with business travelers, are stepping up efforts to please pint-sized guests–just in time for the busy summer travel season. In fact, Embassy Suites (which is a Hilton-owned chain) recently launched a children-only website — embassykids.com — where kids can build their own online drinks and omelets and print out packing lists and coloring sheets. Meanwhile, Omni Hotels has started giving out free backpacks with small toys … Continue reading →

Cats, Dogs, Pollywogs…How Is It They All Get Along?

As part of my New Year’s resolutions I decided to make an effort to find out what kinds of topics interest Pets Blog readers. So I posted a thread in the forum asking what you’d like to see from Pets in ‘08 and to my delight I got a few responses. Keeping Peace in Multiple Pet Households On of the issues people expressed interest in learning more about and understanding better was maintaining harmony when more than one pet –-same species or not– shares a house. In one of her replies, Mcmama remarked: “Having a peaceable kingdom is something that … Continue reading →