We Made It! (through winter)

According to Punxsutawney Phil, winter was over sometime last week after 6 extra weeks, you never really know here in New England. At Crazy Kids Boston, we are calling victory on winter though and declaring it over. Congratulations to all on making it through another one.

With that, we’d like to highlight some of the outdoor venues around the state that we really enjoyed in the last year.

	Southwick Zoo What we said: Southwick Zoo is one of the best zoos in Massachusetts! This place just kept going and going and rivals some of the country’s top big-city zoos. Do not worry about having to sit through a show with your kid – they are short programs designed to keep their attention.
	Mass Audubon What we said: The Mass Audubon sanctuaries take many different forms, from beaches and salt marshes on Cape Cod to woodlands and mountains in the Berkshires. Mass Audubon’s land protection efforts protect more than 34,000 acres of ecologically significant land in Massachusetts.
	Capron Park Zoo What we said: If we lived closer we would be members in a heartbeat. Like the three bears, the size wasn’t too big or too small, it was just right. I wasn’t worried about losing our little one or letting him run around.
	EcoTarium What we said: If you told us that a Bald Eagle, a Polar Bear, a Boa Constrictor, and a Great Horned Owl all lived within 15 minutes from our home in Central Mass, we probably would have called you crazy. That is, until we visited the EcoTarium in Worcester, MA.
	Purgatory Chasm What we said: This was one of my favorite places to go hiking when I was young and I am excited to share that with my husband and son. The best part about the chasm is that the granite rocks keep it cool, so even on a hot, humid day you can stay outside and cool down.
	Davis Farmland What we said: It’s hard to summarize Davis Farmland as there was so much to do, see, touch, feel, and experience. The Davis family really thinks like parents and keeps a stash of safety items on hand everywhere you look: wipes, sunblock, bug spray, and ‘Boo-Boo Stations.’ The food choices they offer are good (they even have baby food!), but they also have an abundance of picnic tables so you can pack food for the family and bring it in with you.
	South Shore Natural Science Center What we said: The SSNSC is one of those “hidden gems.” It was cool to see some of the local animals and learn about the local trees and plants. I can’t wait to go back again with my nephew to see a “Meet an Animal” show.

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Kings Dedham

If you thought that bowling, bars, and kids did not mix, you may want to reconsider. While Kings Dedham’s primary target audience is the 21+ crowd, before 6:00 PM kids are welcome and on a recent weekend visit, we saw lots of families having a blast. Kings features 20 lanes of ten-pin bowling, skee bowling lanes, shuffleboard tables, and a small arcade. With a full lunch and dinner menu, Kings is a good spot for eating out, bowling, or hosting a birthday party.

Kings opened in 2009 and boasts 26,000 square feet of restaurants, bars, and game play. It is a huge facility. There are several different dining areas ranging from high-top tables in the bar area to booth-style dining in a quieter area. The menu offers moderately priced, traditional American fare, so no one should have an issue finding something to eat.

20 lanes of bowling are split between two main bowling areas with a private room with Skee bowling towards the back. Bowling is fully automated at Kings so you don’t have to worry about keeping score, and the animations between players and strings helps to keep the kids entertained. Skee bowling is a combination of Skee ball and bowling; the lane is half the size and Skee balls replace bowling balls. With a set of arcade games, this room is a good place to visit with the kids.

Overall, Kings is worth checking out, but remember that it is not Chuck-e-Cheese, so you’ll have to keep an eye on the little ones here.

Happy Bowling!

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The Botanic Garden of Smith College

The mild weather definitely has everyone thinking “Spring!” Instead of just a taste of it, try being enveloped in it at the Smith College Spring Bulb Show in Northampton, MA. Sure, it’s a bit of a ride, but when you step into the conservatory you’ll forget all about the dreary ride on the Turnpike. Even if your kids aren’t into plants or gardening, the conservatory is an oasis at this time of year and is full of hidden gems waiting to be discovered.

The conservatory is an instructional aide for the students studying botany at Smith College. You can see the map of the rooms of the conservatory on their website or wait and pick one up in the reception area when you get there. Aside from the bulb show, there are seven other rooms and a corridor lined with plants and palms. (There are several rooms that are just for the students, therefore off-limits to the public.) Some of the houses are warm, so be sure to dress in layers. The Stove House is home to the orchid collection and has a pond-like structure in the center, complete with fish and frogs. Keep your eyes peeled! This was a favorite spot for the kids. The Camellia Corridor was lined with different types of plants, but pay close attention to any plants with small white flowers – these are usually orange or citrus bearing plants. These flowers are unassuming to most people, but contain the sweetest fragrance in the world (besides the bulbs!). Those are just some of the wondrous sights and smells you’ll find hidden about the conservatory.

There are two rooms in the middle, labeled Cold Storage and Physiology House, that are used for the Spring Bulb Show. This is the main attraction; while the other houses can get a bit crowded, be prepared for a slow walk through the bulbs. The best feature about the crowd is that you don’t have to worry about taking your camera and pausing for pictures – everyone else is doing the same thing. The bulbs are cultivated and kept up by the students of Smith College and are sold the week after the show ends. As soon as you step into the room your nose is hit with the scents of hyacinths, daffodils, and tulips mixed together. It’s a fragrance that you will want to bottle and carry around with you for the next few weeks! Words cannot describe the amount of bulbs in the rooms; the flowers were literally on top of each other. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

Adjacent to the reception area is the Church Exhibition Gallery, which features exhibits with a botanical theme. The current exhibit is The Inner Beauty of Flowers. The photographer uses x-rays and light to photograph flowers in a way not usually seen. You can view the exhibit online and order prints as well.

Behind the reception area is a walkway leading to the restrooms. Even if you don’t need to use them, be sure to wander up there and see the display of Woods of the World. This is a permanent exhibit of 178 different woods from numerous areas throughout the world. The wood is not stained to be the different colors that they are, which is intriguing. Guidebooks are available on the wall to research the different woods. It is a beautiful, natural display that complements the flowers and plants wonderfully.

In addition to the conservatory and all it has to offer, the grounds adjacent to the greenhouses are beautiful to walk around. We saw some crocuses and snowdrops already in bloom! The front garden, right next to the road, is lined with perennials, while the rest is classified as a “Systematics Garden,” which enables students to evaluate different plant families.

Aside from special events, the conservatory is open from 8:30 am to 4 pm daily. The Spring Bulb Show runs from March 6 through March 21, opening at 10 am and closing at 4 pm daily (members are welcome at 9 am). For two Fridays, March 12 and March 19, the conservatory is hosting special evening hours from 6-8 pm. Admission is free, but a $2 donation per person is suggested. The bulbs will be sold the weekend after closing, Saturday, March 27, and Sunday, March 28. Parking is available along the street that the conservatory is located on, but that is only for the Spring Bulb Show.

One suggestion: walk through the bulbs a few times, check out the other houses and the gallery, then walk through the bulbs again. It’s breathtaking!!

Smith College also hosts a Fall Chrysanthemum Show, which is from November 6-21, 2010. The Spring and Fall shows are a tradition and the dates through 2014 have been determined. Check their website for more information.

The Botanic Garden of Smith College
15 College Lane, Northampton, MA 01063
Phone: (413) 585-2740
website

Check out more pictures in our Botanic Garden of Smith College Set on Flickr

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