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How to spend 2 days in Great Smoky Mountain National Park with kids

Hiking & Camping | National Parks | Tennessee

How to spend 2 days in Great Smoky Mountain National Park with kids

Have you heard of this 50 cent train ride?? 📍

Have you heard of this 50 cent train ride??

📍 Riverside Park in Independence, Kansas

If you are looking for a great spot to explore this summer, check out this Kansas park!

Only 2 hours from Wichita, this is one of our favorite day trips.

🚂 The 50¢ train ride
⛳️ $2 mini golf
🎠 5¢ carousel rides
🏰 Run, climb and explore in fantasy land
🐒 The FREE Ralph Mitchell zoo
🛝 Multiple playgrounds and picnic areas
🚂 Antique locomotive that you can climb in and explore
💦 Cool off in the splash pad

Plan to spend the whole day here- this park has so much to see and do! And don’t miss the Elk River Trail only 15 minutes away! Doing both makes a perfect day trip!

How many times would your kids ride the train?

Add this ✨FREE✨ family event to your summer bu

Add this ✨FREE✨ family event to your summer bucket list! ☀️🍉🍿 (ad)

Riverflix at Exploration Place is going on every Friday night, now through October

🧺 Pack a picnic or grab dinner from one of the onsite food trucks, then cozy up with blankets and pillows to enjoy one of the family friendly movies played on the big screen in the Wichita Foundation Amphitheater, located right behind exploration place.

🎥 Seating opens at 6pm, and the movie starts playing at sunset.

This weeks movie is Lilo & Stitch 🏄🌺🌊

🚗✨ Calling all Disney Cars fans! 🌟🏁

⭐️ Did you know the inspiration for the character Mater came from this small town in Kansas? When traveling along Route 66, the Pixar production team discovered an old wrecker truck in an empty lot in Galena, and Mater was born.

📍 Galena, Kansas

Step into the real-life Radiator Springs and meet your favorite Cars characters. This hidden gem is home to amazing replicas from the beloved Cars movie, perfect for a family adventure!

Things to know:
📸 Snap pics with Lightning McQueen, Mater, and other iconic characters! Your kids (and you) will love it!
🕰️ Wander through the historic streets of Galena and enjoy its small-town charm.
🛍️ Check out unique shops and grab a souvenir to remember your trip.
🍔 Don’t miss the local diners for a delicious meal – a perfect pit stop for hungry explorers.
🎨 Discover the fascinating story behind the Cars replicas and the town’s rich Route 66 heritage.

Would your kids love this stop?

Hey, hi 👋🏻 I’m Kristen, an adventure mom

Hey, hi 👋🏻

I’m Kristen, an adventure mom from the Midwest who loves finding incredible places close to home

If you want to discover and explore the middle of America, follow along! From hidden gems, to weekend roadtrips to the best hiking, we do it all.

If you’re new here, say hey in the comments and let me know where you’re from!

#midwestexplored #midwestadventures #midwest #midwestmom #midwestfamily #hiking #adventurefamily

10 epic Midwest hikes to try with your kids this s

10 epic Midwest hikes to try with your kids this summer ☀️🥾😎

✨ Community Caves Trail, South Dakota. 0.6 miles out and back, rated difficult.

✨ Maquoketa Caves Loop, located near Maquoketa Iowa. 1.7 mile loop, rated easy.

✨ Elephant Rocks Braille Trail, located near Belleview, Missouri. 1 mile loop, rated easy.

✨ Giant City Nature Trail, located near Carbondale, Illinois. 1.0 mile loop, rated easy.

✨ Bridal Veil Trail at Pikes Peak State Park, located near McGregor, Iowa. 0.9 miles out and back, rated moderate.

✨ Dells Canyon and Bluff Trail in Matthiessen State Park, near Oglesby, Illinois. 2.2 mile loop, rated moderate.

✨ Trail #3 at Turkey Run State Park, located near Parke County, Indiana. 2 mile loop, rated moderate.

✨ Toadstool Loop, located near Harrison, Nebraska. 0.8 mile loop, rated easy.

✨ Notch Trail, located in the Badlands National Park in South Dakota. 1.5 miles out and back, rated moderate.

✨ Elk River Trail, located in Elk City State Park in Independence, Kansas. 14.5 mites point to point, rated moderate (we hike the first 2 miles and then turn around).

Which one of these trails are you going to hike this summer?

One of the most beautiful places in the Ozarks, th

One of the most beautiful places in the Ozarks, this state park offers so much beauty and recreation. Perfect for a visit during any season, you can camp, trout fish, hike, picnic, or just enjoy the beauty.

📍 Roaring River State Park

Things to know:
🐟 Bring quarters (or dollars) to feed the tanks of rainbow trout in the hatchery
🥾 Highly recommend the Devil’s Kitchen trail, a 1.5 mile loop that takes you along the bluffs and caves
🦋 Don’t miss the free nature center
🎣 Trout fishing available year round with a daily permit
🏬 Stop by the Roaring Rivers Park Store for fishing gear and any other supplies you need
💧 Don’t miss a stop at the deepest explored spring in the United States. Divers hit 472 feet with no end in sight!

Have you explored this Missouri gem?

Planning a trip to Chicago with kids? There are so

Planning a trip to Chicago with kids? There are so many fun things to do in this amazing city! We spent 4 days here last summer and it was by far one of our favorite family vacations we have done.

🏨 Where we stayed: Hyatt Regency Chicago
Protip: Use the app Spot Hero to find cheap parking nearby!

🚏 We took the buses and L train everywhere, and had no need for our car once we arrived! Download the Ventra app to see public transit schedules.

Day 1️⃣:
🦁 Lincoln Park Zoo & Nature Boardwalk
🦋 Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
🌿 Lincoln Park Conservatory

Day 2️⃣:
🦖 Field Museum
🐳 Shedd Aquarium
⛲️ Take a stroll along Lake Shore Drive to Grant Park to see Buckingham Fountain

Day 3️⃣:
⛴️ Architecture Boat Tour (we did the 45 minute one with Wendella)
🛍️ Shopping at Water Place Tower
🏖️ Ohio Street Beach

Day 4️⃣:
🍦 Museum of Ice Cream
🛝 Maggie Daley Park
🔭 Museum of Science and Industry
🎡 Millenium park for dinner

Have you been to Chicago yet?

This secret slice of heaven, only 90 minutes outsi

This secret slice of heaven, only 90 minutes outside of Oklahoma City, should absolutely be on your 2025 bucket list. It was one of my absolute favorite places we visited last year, and I cannot wait to go back. We visited the first weekend in May and the wildflowers were incredible, and there were baby bison, too!

📍 Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge near Lawton, Oklahoma

With breathtaking mountain views, stunning waterfalls, and so much wildlife, you will completely forget you are in Oklahoma. This nearly 60,000 acre refuge offers so many adventures perfect for the whole family.

Day 1:
🦬 Start your arrival with a stop at the Visitor’s Center, where you can learn the history of the Wichita Mountains, and earn your Jr. Ranger badge.
🦬 Head to the Narrows trail, a 2.4 mile hike rated moderate
Tip: Bring water shoes and let your kids play on the sand banks and splash in the water along this trail
🦬 Then head over to the Forty-foot hole trail, a 0.9 mile trail rated easy with a stunning waterfall at the end.
🦬 Head to Doris campground to set up camp for the night

Day 2:
🦬 Start your morning early with a hike up the Little Baldy Trail (0.8 miles) to view the sunrise
🦬 Then take a nice slow scenic drive to view the bison and longhorns.
🦬 Stop at Prairie Dog town to watch the prairie dogs in action
🦬 Take a drive up to the top of Mt. Scott for some gorgeous views
🦬 Visit the Holy City of the Wichitas

There is truly so much beauty here, so make sure to slow down and enjoy it.

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