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5 Tips For Touring Indianapolis

September 12, 2014 by The Mom Jen Leave a Comment

Indianapolis welcomes millions of tourists every year. As the nation’s 12th largest city, the city offers endless options for fun attractions, unique restaurants, and affordable lodging. While most people know Indianapolis for its famous motor speedway, the city is home to so much more. From cheap lodging to the best places to drink and eat, here are five tips for touring the great city of Indianapolis.

Stay in Affordable Accommodations
Indianapolis is home to many reasonably priced big-name hotels. The Hilton Indianapolis Hotel and Suites is in the heart of the city and is right next to the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. Another affordable hotel is The Westin, which is close to thriving nightlife and the Indianapolis Convention Center.

Visit the City’s Great Museums
There are tons of diverse and award-winning museums in Indianapolis. If you appreciate art, then visit the Indianapolis Museum of Art, which sits on a beautiful park and is completely free to visitors. Another notable museum is the Children’s Museum. It has won awards and boasts one of the largest real dinosaur fossil displays in the world. Finally, don’t forget to visit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum.

Use Inexpensive Transportation
Don’t waste your money renting a car or taking taxi cabs everywhere. Indy is no stranger to cheap transportation for tourists. Buy a ticket for a hop on hop off tour bus with Circle City Tours and get around town for only $25. Uber is pretty big in Indianapolis, too; Instead of wasting time waiting for a cab, you can use your smart phone to request Uber service and you’ll get reliable transportation in no time.

Check Out the Great Eateries
Indianapolis has an amazing restaurant and bar scene. If you’re into farmer’s markets, show up hungry to Locally Grown Gardens, a chef owned and operated café that features an array of delicious seasonal items. If you love craft beer, visit one of the many breweries in Indy, like Sun King Brewing or Flat 12 Bierworks. For a swanky lounge that serves top-notch drinks and food, visit The Ball & The Biscuit. They’re known for their excellent craft cocktails, but their food offerings are also awesome. If you’re on a budget, consider staying at The Indy Hostel, which boasts a quaint bed and breakfast vibe in the quiet neighborhood of Broad Ripple. The clean and cozy guest rooms come with amenities like free wi-fi, bicycle rentals, and a full kitchen.

Get a Free History Lesson
There are interesting historic sites everywhere in Indy. Be sure to make time for the stunning Indiana War Memorial, the Benjamin Harrison Presidential site, and the Crown Hill Cemetery, which is the nation’s third largest cemetery. Another site not to miss is the impressive state capitol, where you can take a free guided tour. September and April are the best months to find cheap flights into Indianapolis. Yet whether you’ve come to Indy on a budget or with no spending limit at all, you’re going to enjoy your time. With a booming culinary and bar scene as well as a long list of museums, historic sites, and outdoor adventures, there is always something fun to do in The Circle City.

Partnered post provided: Leslie is a world traveler and freelance writer for the Hipmunk City Love Project. She enjoys traveling to Indianapolis for its awesome museums and restaurants.

4 Landmarks in Pittsburgh You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

August 15, 2014 by The Mom Jen 1 Comment

4 Landmarks in Pittsburgh You’ve Probably Never Heard Of Image via Flickr by sakeeb

Most people who enjoy traveling and sightseeing know that Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is home to many historical landmarks that are worth visiting. However, there are also quite a few landmarks that many visitors have never seen. The benefit of visiting one of these spots is that there are fewer tourists, so you can take in the sights and enjoy the beauty without feeling overcrowded.

Unique Museums
First-time visitors will probably check out the museums that display historical events of settling Pittsburgh. However, there are a lot of unique places that display things that you may never have seen before. The Bicycle Shop & Museum is near the North Shore bike trail and houses thousands of bikes and parts, with information about the history of bikes and bikers throughout the years. Best of all, it’s free to enter. There’s also the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh which according to Hipmunk.com, is located just across the river from the Westin hotel. The Mattress Factory is another cool spot, and even though the name makes it sound like a manufacturing facility, it is actually a museum with temporary and permanent exhibits.

Primanti Brothers
For foodies that are visiting Pittsburgh, Primanti Brothers is one of the local favorites. The menu features a sandwich known around the world for its flavor and ingredients, piled high with tomatoes, cole slaw, choice of meat, and French fries. The restaurant makes its own fresh bread each day, ensuring a soft and delicious sandwich every time. Other menu items include chili, chicken wings, salads, and sides. Primanti Brothers has been serving up delicious meals for more than 80 years, and this is a landmark that visitors shouldn’t skip.

Raccoon Creek State Park
While Pittsburgh isn’t always known for its natural beauty, Raccoon Creek State Park is the exception to this rule. The park is 7,572 acres and includes a 101-acre lake where locals and visitors enjoy spending time swimming and catching some rays on the beach. The park offers rentals of rowboats, paddleboats, kayaks, and canoes, and there is a tackle and bait shop inside the park for guests who enjoy fishing. With more than 400 picnic tables located throughout the park, it is a great spot for families to enjoy the beautiful summer weather.

Hartwood Acres
Hartwood Acres is a unique landmark where locals often congregate for picnics and family get-togethers, or simply to relax in the sunshine. It is a 629-acre property that houses the beautiful Tudor Mansion built in 1929. Guests can rent the mansion for weddings and other events, and it provides a breathtaking backdrop for photos. During the summer, the park is home to free live concerts every Sunday, so visitors should bring a blanket and stick around to hear a sampling of the local music scene. Picnics are also welcome in the park.When planning a vacation, travelers should consider making a stop in Pittsburgh. Both singles and families can enjoy seeing the sights and learning more about the history and culture of this diverse and thriving area. When visiting one of the lesser-known landmarks, guests can fit right in with the locals and enjoy the scene.

What are some of your favorite underrated Pittsburgh destinations? Let us know in the comments below.

Guest Author Bio:
Allie Muelleck graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in English. In her free time, she enjoys running, spending time with friends and family, volunteering at the animal shelter, trying out new recipes, and hanging out with her husband and their two cats, Caesar and Sully. She has recently taken an interest in travel writing and has worked with companies such as Hipmunk.

How to Keep Your Car and Home Mirrors Fog-Free and Clear

July 31, 2014 by The Mom Jen 1 Comment

Creating a functional and stylish bathroom in a home is the aim of many people and there are a few requirements for this. For some, bathroom mirrors are the centrepieces of their shower and that is why they exert so much effort to purchase the right one. Once found and installed, you also need to consider how to effectively keep it from fogging up and the following are a few tips for this.

Shaving Foam
This is a common item in most bathrooms and can be useful for more than just shaving. Spray a layer to completely cover the surface, leave for a couple of minutes and then wipe off with a dry towel. It does the trick of stopping glass misting over in a steamy bathroom and should keep working for a week or two.

White vinegar and Water
White vinegar is known as a useful natural cleaner that is effective on glass. It can be used to get a sparkling, streak-free finish, but also has the added benefit that it will act as an anti-fog solution. Make a 50/50 mixture of clean water and vinegar and apply with a lint-free cloth. Use a scrunched up newspaper page to clean the surface and you will have a mirror that does not steam up for a few days.

Car Defogger
Defogging solution is commonly available for a car although it works just as well in the bathroom. It can be found in an automotive retailer and is easy to use. Spray it on the surface and wipe away any excess with a paper towel. It’s as simple as that, so keep the spray can in a bathroom cabinet to make it available for regular use.

A clear mirror in the bathroom is a great help in getting ready at any time of the day. Keeping one from misting over is not particularly difficult and there are a few ways to achieve this. The ideas shown above are some to consider for getting the job done so you have the best view as you get yourself ready to face the world.

Special guest post provided to Jen is on a Journey.

Family Holiday Bucket List: 5 Must-see Destinations with your Kids Before they Grow Up

June 30, 2014 by The Mom Jen 1 Comment

Family Holiday Bucket List, Walt Disney World Everyone talks about what they want to put on their bucket list, whether it’s something as challenging as climbing a mountain or learning a language, or as serene as watching the sunset in a certain destination or flying in a hot air balloon. And British organisation English Heritage recently revealed its list of 50 activities to do before children reach 11-and-three-quarters, including playing conkers and having a snail race.

But what about where you go with your little ones? Time flashes by so quickly that before you know it your toddler is a teenager. There are certain destinations that really need to be visited before their childish exuberance is a thing of the past. Here are just some of the must-see places to take your kids before they grow up.

Walt Disney World, Florida
It’s a cliché but it’s true. While older children might love the adrenaline-fueled rides at Disney, they will never quite feel the magic of meeting their favorite characters, watching Mickey and Minnie pass by during one of the parades, or seeing fireworks explode over Cinderella’s Castle as younger ones do. And, there are lots of rides specially geared to younger children, like Peter Pan’s flight where you skim over Neverland and the old-fashioned carousel, where you can ride together as a family on different sized horses. If you’re worn out by too much Disney, you could finish your trip by heading down to the Gulf Coast to make sandcastles on sugar-white sand.

The Lizard Peninsula, Cornwall, England

England’s south-western tip is one of its most popular tourist destinations, and with good reason when you consider it has more than 600km of coastline, perfect surfing waves and scrumptious locally-caught seafood. The charmingly-named Lizard Peninsula is one of the best places in the world to visit with young children. There are little hidden coves where your kids can play at being pirates looking for buried treasure, there’s the Flambards Experience theme park, and the Cornish Seal Sanctuary is based here, where you can meet grey seal pups being rehabilitated ready for re-release into the ocean. Cornwall’s Mullion caravan park makes a good base, particularly if you’re traveling with children of different age groups because there are kids clubs for little and big ones.

Legoland, Billund, Denmark

While Lego has never gone out of fashion, the release of the The Lego Movie has seen a resurgence in popularity for these little colored bricks. It might take mere mortals hours and hours just to make a model spaceship or house, but the creations at Legoland are truly awe-inspiring. There’s a whole mini world made from little building bricks. You can visit the US, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, without ever leaving Denmark. You can even travel to a galaxy far, far away at the Star Wars model area. In total, there are 20 million Lego bricks making up the cities and spaceships.

Canal Boating in France

Ratty from Wind in the Willows famously said there was nothing so good as simply messing about in boats. And your children are certain to agree. While boating holidays are for all ages, kids seem to love them most of all as they appeal to their sense of adventure. France is a good choice as there’s a huge network of rivers and canals to choose from. The Canal du Midi is the most famous waterway in the country and, along the route, you’ll find little villages where you can stop for a bite to eat, having a long lunch to escape the heat of the day. Any leftover bread can be fed over the side of the boat to the ducks.

Boulders Beach, Cape Town, South Africa

It’s delightful for anyone. But for children, being able to picnic right beside the penguins who have made Boulders Beach, near Simon’s Town in Cape Town their home is a magical experience. These little black and white birds, called Jackass penguins because of the loud noises they made, are completely unfazed by human company, standing within a meter or so of you on the beach. You can watch as they waddle clumsily down to the icy waters of the Atlantic before they plunge gracefully into the ocean.

Wherever you choose to explore in the world with your children, your trip is sure to provide memories that you’ll be talking about together as a family well after they grow up.

Partnered Post

The Benefits of Giving a Child a Tablet PC

May 21, 2014 by The Mom Jen Leave a Comment

Children are born into a digital age these days and most become familiar with a range of electrical devices as they grow up. Parents can choose to give their kids a variety of gadgets, with one of the most famous on the market being the iPad. This tablet is popular with many people and kids can put it to good use in a variety of ways.

Education

While many will see a computer as a leisure device, this is obviously not its only use for children. An iPad can also be a great educational tool for kids and that is why parents are encouraged to invest on this exceptional tablet PC. Once a child has mastered its use they will find a world of information at their fingertips. This can greatly help them with their school lessons and homework and there are plenty of educational websites that parents can encourage their children to use.

Good Alternative to Television

Since a television became common in almost every home, most kids have grown up spending a large part of their daily routine watching it. There are some great benefits to encouraging them to use a tablet as an alternative to this. It is an interactive device that gets them involved in what they are doing rather than passively sitting watching a screen. A tablet is obviously small enough to take outside and this gets kids out of the house rather than sitting inside watching a television in their bedroom. If parents limit internet access it is also easier for them to control the content on a tablet, which is something they cannot do with television content.

Games

There are plenty of games that are not only fun, but also teach skills. This is especially true with puzzle and problem solving games, which can help the development of children of all ages. A tablet device can install a curiosity and greater eagerness to develop new interests in kids. Using it is also a great way to stop children becoming bored as a tablet can stimulate their imagination and keep them entertained.

Tablets are some of the most popular computer devices on the market and the iPad is generally considered one of the best. It is a perfect PC for a kid and it is definitely something they will enjoy having. As you can see, this makes it a great gift that a parent can give them.

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