7 Amusement Parks, 6 Cities in 30 Days: Part 3. Cities

Article & Photos Julia Lucio

Road trips offer the flexibility to do more.

On our travels, we were fortunate enough to experience 6 of the most wonderful cities in North America. We’ve seen and done so much!

Traveling is definitely an educational experience for the kids. It forms them. It molds them. It opens their eyes to different ethnicities and cultures. It turns them into caring individuals who respect the world around them.

Here are the six cities we visited aboard the Troublesome Trailer.city

Chicago

Chicago is one of the biggest U.S Cities and is located in Illinois, on Lake Michigan.

Unfortunately, our attempt to contact the tourism board as unsuccessful and we resorted to online resources to plan our visit.

We quickly found out that purchasing a CityPASS (www.citypass.com) would be greatly beneficial as it provides discounted access to many of the city’s most notable attractions.

$98 will give you access to VIP entry to the Shedd Aquarium, a fast past to Skydeck Chicago, VIP entry to the Field Museum, your choice between entrance to the Museum of Science and Industry or the 360 CHICAGO and your choice between entry to the Adler Planetarium or the Art Institute of Chicago.

To be noted, the Art Institute of Chicago has been voted #1 museum in the world by TripAdvisor in 2014 and is well worth seeing.

St. Louis

Who has never seen the Iconic St. Louis’ Gateway Arch!

It is a 630-foot stainless steel monument located on the west bank of the Mississippi River and is the world’s tallest arch.

CityPASS does not offer booklets for St. Louis, but you can find a variety of websites that do similar things and offer discounted pricing for several attractions. One of them is http://www.familyattractionscard.com/.

The St. Louis tourism board was extremely helpful and recommended restaurants and accommodations. They found us a great campground located minutes away from the Six Flags.

While in St. Louis, you may want to visit one of the many museums or go to the zoo. If you are traveling as a family, take the kids to the magic house, an interactive children’s museum that lets kids sit at the President’s of the United States desk in the Oval Office–well, a replica of it, and has a gazillion things to stimulate your child’s imagination.

You can also check out the many local breweries, walk down the Delmar Loop for shopping or a bite or catch a show at the live theater.

Dallas

The peeps at the tourism board of Dallas were kind enough to provide us with CityPASS booklets for some of Dallas’ main attractions.

We did the Geo Deck Reunion Tower and got a 360 view of the city while eating chips and queso and enjoying a cold beer on a hot day. The tower is very interactive with touch screen kiosks and very informative, giving info on the city’s landmarks. Oh and observation deck offers free binocular viewing!

Included in our CityPASS were the botanical garden, the zoo, the Georges W. Bush museum and the Perot museum. The zoo is definitely the one to do if you have kids, otherwise, the JFK could be the most interesting.

The attractions are geared more towards adults, but it was fun nonetheless.

San Antonio

San Antonio is home, so I didn’t really contact the tourism board for anything. I have my own tourism board there: family.

San Antonio is definitely one of the most beautiful U.S. Cities there is. Part of the charm comes from the Spanish style of architecture that you will find downtown and or course, the 2.5-mile-long River Walk. The breathtaking canal, with its taxi boats and gondolas, along with the many restaurants and nightclubs, really makes you feel like you’re in another country.

The Alamo is a must see. The site, where a pivotal battle in the Texas revolution took place, offers a wealth of informational and historical facts.

San Antonio is home to many museums and parks. Some attractions to see include the zoo, the children’s museum, Perseal Park where you can skateboard, hike, exercise or play, Six Flags and Seaworld.

With too many restaurant options to count, San Antonio is a foodie’s paradise. If you visit, try the local chains Taco Cabana and Whataburger. You also have to check out the Sushi. It’s massive. And grab yourself some Big Red, a local soda that tastes like no other.

Atlantic city

Oh Atlantic City! With its beautiful beaches and its many casinos, it’s a paradise for young and old alike.

The tourism board of AC was probably the most helpful of all tourism boards we contacted. This is a touristy place and these people get it… We were guided to campgrounds, food option and attractions and even provided with a media pass to visit several places.

The Boardwalk is definitely the main attraction to see. It dates back to 1870 and offers a variety of shopping, dining and accommodations on top, of course, of the many casinos.

Visit the Steel Pier, a pier that extends 1000 feet into the ocean and on which you’ll find an amusement park and restaurants.

On the Boardwalk, we dined at the LandShark Bar & Grill, a cozy restaurant featuring a lovely terrace, breathtaking ocean views and live entertainment.

Of course, being on the ocean allows for many water-based activities. Visit the aquarium or get wet by going parasailing, fishing or boating. You could also simply relax by visiting one of the many spas.

Montreal

Yes, although Montreal is practically local, it is also a very fun city to take on. And it’s right in our backyard!

There is much to see and much to do in this one-of-a-kind, European flavored metropolis, but today, I will focus on the touristy areas of Old Montreal and its Old Port.

Over the last 10 years, the Old Port has really developed into a hub where you can do a wide variety of cool things in one location.

Take a cruise, visit the shops, rent a pedal boat or a bicycle, chill on the beach, go to the spa, try a zipline or even catch an IMAX show. All that and more can be done in one visit. Then, grab something to eat at one of the many restaurants located in Old Montreal, specifically on St. Paul Street, and put down some brews while listening to live music at “Les Deux Pierrots”, a local folk landmark that’s been there for over 40 years.

In conclusion…

I hope this 3 part serie has given you the taste to travel with a camper as a family, no matter how troublesome the trailer is.  It will create memories that will last a lifetime.

READ

Part 1

http://theseeker.ca/7parks_6cities_in30days/22756/

Part 2

http://theseeker.ca/22820-2/22820/