Somerville, Mass – One of the many claims to fame of this fair city is that it is the birthplace of Bobby “Boris” Pickett, the voice behind the Monster Mash (it was a graveyard smash). According to his obituary in the…
Fine Dining for Second Graders
Brooklyn, New York – For fun, the New York Times Magazine took a group of second-graders to a fancy French restaurant in Brooklyn. There, the chef Daniel Boulud prepared a special, seven-course tasting menu, designed especially for young palates. Not…
Honey Pot Hill
Stow, Mass – This is an annual trip (which you can read about here and here), but honestly, every year it’s a completely new experience. I never know what to expect: Will the kids dare to venture into the hedge maze? Will they…
Ferry Beach
Saco, Maine – There’s nothing better than a fall trip to the beach: that last taste of summer that is all the sweeter, knowing that the next one is probably nine months away. In fact, it could be argued that a…
Walden Pond, Off-season
Concord, Mass – We spend a lot of time at Walden Pond in the summer (all the benefits of the beach, without the $20 parking), but we do not often take advantage of this natural resource in the off-season. A half-day…
Island of Lemurs: Madagascar 3D
Boston, Massachusetts – Now that it’s September, we’re being hit with the hottest heat wave of the summer. (Good thing all the local swimming pools and spray parks are now closed.) The twins were not up for another day at the beach,…
Finding Neverland
Cambridge, Massachusetts – When I saw this clip of Jennifer Hudson singing a song from Finding Neverland at the Tonys, I immediately bought tickets to take the whole family to see the production at the American Repertory Theater. Later, I…
Jungle Java
Ann Arbor, Michigan – I’m starting to wish that we had an older sibling in our family. Preferably a nine-year-old girl. When we pulled out the grandparents’ Lite Brite, the twins worked on it together for about five minutes before…
Eastland Mall
Detroit, Michigan – When the twins were two, for various reasons we spent a lot of time visiting the grandparents, including during winter months. Michigan winter gave us plenty of opportunities to explore the indoor play spaces of the East…
Belle Isle
Detroit, Michigan – Imagine a nearly 1000-acre island park, an idyllic green space designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and packed with recreational facilities, but easily accessible to city dwellers. Cover it with wetlands, beaches and manicured spaces, replete with picnic areas…