I think by now it goes without saying, but we travel a lot. And we pack a lot of activities into our travels. So to say that my kids are used to our travel pace, isn’t an outrageous statement.
However, I honestly thought I was going to have to leave them at Science City last month!
Let me set the scene…
Our family took a whirlwind 21-state road trip earlier this summer. Prior to setting out, I spent countless hours planning each and every minute of our trip. With a wide variety of destinations and activities, my itinerary was pretty full!
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For 20 days we successfully stuck to my plans. I ran a tight ship, but we didn’t miss anything. We opened Magnolia Table at 6AM in Waco, Texas. We hiked the Grand Canyon and made it to the perfect spot to watch the sunset. From the Mount Rushmore lighting ceremony, to the start of several baseball games- we timed every moment perfectly.
But then we came to day 21 and everything changed.
If you followed along through our travel journals, you’ll know that we flew through the mid-section of the country based on baseball schedules. We had tickets to see the Kansas City Royals one night, and the next night we planned to attend the St. Louis Cardinals game. The two cities are less than 4 hours apart- giving us the better part of the day to explore Kansas City before driving east.
I had several things planned for our time in Kansas City, but it all went out the window the moment we arrived at Union Station and stepped foot into Science City.
My kids were in heaven!
I actually knew I was in trouble when they spent 20 minutes playing with this magnetic sand exhibit that was literally right inside the entrance. From there things just kept getting better and better (for the kids) and worse and worse for my schedule! At some point I tried to rush them along reminding them of all the other things I had planned. It didn’t work.
Brent and I put our heads together and decided to scratch everything besides lunch from our plans to give them more time. We eventually had to drag them out of Science City kicking and screaming (this is not a huge exaggeration. In fact, if I’m being completely honest- my husband was having so much fun that he didn’t really want to go either!) Truthfully, the only way I got my children to leave the building was by promising to bring them back soon!
In retrospect, there are a few things I would do differently. Namely, I would plan to spend a day or two.
Recently I asked my daughter to make a list of the top 11 places she’s ever been. Keep in mind, she’s explored endlessly in 42 different states and 4 countries. Guess what made the list?
Yep, Science City!
In her words: “I’m really into science so to see the inside scoop on how it all works was perfect for me. For example, I got to make my own electricity by running on a hamster wheel and it turned on the lights. I wish I had that in my room.”
Science City is a hands-on museum where kids- and adults- can explore and interact. The museum is broken up into a wide variety of science-related topics. Guests are able to dive into many different concepts and see exactly how things work. I also appreciated Science City’s dedication to making learning fun. There are TONS of cool facts posted with the exhibits.
Kids won’t even realize how much they are learning as they play! Start planning your trip today by visiting their website.
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Travel The Road TO Hana With Kids
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The Most Interesting Place I’ve Ever Been
*Science City hosted Mom With A Map’s visit. The opinions found in this post are uniquely our own.
