By Jeni Weisiger

Over the river and through the woods … more like, over the long miles and through the tollbooths!  Traveling with toddlers during this busy holiday season should be fun, not frightful!

Traveling with toddlers is tough, but following these simple rules might make the holiday a little cheerier in the backseat. Credit: Flickr, Zach Alexander

As always, to make things easier, set up expectations before you leave; letting toddlers know they will be in the car for a long ride can help them prepare.

Beyond the simplicity of setting expectations, you can offer a smooth ride by preparing ahead of time.

• Try printing some maps of your trip for new and interesting coloring pages. This means you will need to also provide a tray for coloring upon.
• Make a short personal story for your child about their trip with pictures of things they might see along the way, and what they will see when they arrive: Grandma and Grandpa’s house, cousins, aunt, uncles, friends, etc.  You could include holiday specific pictures as well according to your family traditions.
• Buy small toys, or if you think you could get away with it gather toys from home, and wrap them for opening along your trip. Wrap in newspaper for a free alternative to wrapping paper.  Your toddler will love the activity of opening a “gift” and the toy or book will be “new” and hopefully entertain for good amount of time. (Be sure not to bring items that will drive you mad!)
• Look up and print off some holiday tunes to teach your toddler.
• If you’ve got them this is a good time to bring out holiday DVDs or CDs because your children probably haven’t seen them in a year!

If you have a toddler who is learning to use the potty, holiday travel can be a major challenge! A few tricks;

• Stop often — I mean OFTEN! nothing is worse than putting a child back into a wet seat or trying to change in a public bathroom, yuck!
• Put your toddler in a pair of thick center panties or undies, just in case!
• Bring along your potty seat from home to help your child feel comfortable in public restrooms, or bring the whole child’s potty and put it in the back of your vehicle so if there is need for a quick stop on the side of the road there will be somewhere to go.
• Of course remember plastic bags, potty wipes and disinfecting wipes!

Get that extra energy out!  When you stop during your trip, make it worthwhile:

• Have a race, in a safe area, to the door of the rest stop.
• Play Simon says outside of the car and make sure to include lots of jumping, toe touching and silly word yelling.
• Most rest areas have maps or pictures of the area, check those out.
• Find a restaurant with an indoor play place.

Jeni Weisiger is a Developmental Specialist in the Early Intervention Program and teaches infant massage classes to parents and caregivers. She is new to the area and looking for ways to be involved with early childhood in Champaign County.

Related posts:

1. Toddler Trick-or-Treat: Making Halloween a Little Less Scary
2. Top Five: Holiday Travel Tips for Parents
3. Remarkable Aunt-ics: Kids and Choices

Credit: Ellipsis-Imagery, Flickr

by Amy L. Hatch

I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve had to travel for business since my children were born.

Over the last seven years, I’ve averaged about one trip per year–and on one of those trips, I took my daughter with me. But in the next 10 days, I will take two round-trip flights to two separate cities. This weekend we go to Boston for my sister-in-law’s baby shower, and I turn around three days later and fly to New York City for business.

And, of course, our little man has suddenly developed a case of separation anxiety of epic proportions. It doesn’t help that his big sister gets to come along on my Beantown jaunt. For days I waffled about when to tell Henry about this double betrayal. Emmie solved the dilemma for me, by the simple fact that she is constitutionally unable to keep a secret.

The day before our departure drop-off at school was…difficult.

The boy who never looked back on his very first day of school ever cried so sadly when I left him at the elevator that one of the teachers was compelled to pick him up. As he wailed, I caught a glimpse of his face over her shoulder and, well. It hurt.

The entire week was fraught with similar scenes, so I shouldn’t have been surprised. I know that he and his dad are going to have a blast while Emmie and I are busy guessing the circumference of my sister-in-law’s belly. They will dine on French fries and I heard a rumor that there was a trip to Sweet Indulgence in the works.

The last time I left the boys home to their own devices, Henry learned how to play his toy piano with his feet.

They will be fine. Better than fine. They will have a chance to hang out, just the guys, that they rarely get. And my daughter and I will have the same. A day in Boston visiting my  alma mater and her dad’s, too, and a little shopping on Newbury Street, followed by an afternoon filled with estrogen, tea and cookies.

But that face over that shoulder…it cracked my heart a little.

But isn’t that what motherhood is, really? A series of cracks in your heart? Eventually they fill in. And when you’re done, when your babies are gone, I imagine it bears no resemblance at all to the smooth, strong organ that beat cheerfully along before pieces of it were walking around your living room in a pair of Superman underpants or a pink sundress.

The night before I left, Henry gave me a run for my money. He couldn’t hold still. He ran away from me when it was time to get his medicine and wash his face. He repeatedly, emphatically threw his entire body against the frame of our guest-room bed, where we watch TV before tuck-in time, thud thud thud!

Finally, he was snug in bed. While we cuddled under his covers he looked at me and whispered, “I don’t want you to go to Boston.”

Craaaaacccck!

Related posts:

1. From There to Here: Fright Night
2. From There to Here: Going Under
3. From There To Here: Letting Go

Trish Gulley gets to shop for a living! Well, sort of. Find out what this week's Chambana mom to know does in the fashion industry.

Trish Gulley is a Peoria native who never imagined she would return to central Illinois to raise her kids. She and her husband Josh lived in New Mexico, Indiana, and Colorado before he was hired as an associate professor in psychology and neuroscience at the University of Illinois. Trish works in the children’s fashion industry (more on that below!) They have three children, 12-year-old Olivia, 8-year-old Ethan, and 5-year-old Elliot; the family resides in Champaign.

See why we think Trish Gulley is a Chambana mom to know.

Q: You sent your youngest child to kindergarten a few weeks ago, and your oldest is now in middle school. How does it feel?
I often feel conflicted.  You nurture your little ones to be independent and go off to school, and when they do you are sad.  Then, your oldest is in middle school, almost as tall as you are, and wearing a larger size shoe – it makes you feel old.  Sad and old is not a great combination.  But, when they come home excited about their day and all they are learning and experiencing, it makes it all worth it.

Q: You have a really neat job. Please describe what you do.
I do love my job!  I am a sales director for Goldbug, a Denver-based children’s accessories company.  I have been with Goldbug for just over 10 years and I work with a talented team to design, produce, and sell children’s socks, shoes, hats, swimwear and other accessories to retailers worldwide.  Goldbug designs and manufactures product for store brands (for example, Sonoma and Jumping Beans at Kohl’s, Circo at Target) and national brands (for example, Carter’s, OshKosh, Disney, and Eddie Bauer). I work primarily with the buyers at Kohl’s, so if you have ever bought a pair of Sonoma socks, a Jumping Beans summer hat, or a pair of Carter’s shoes for your child at any Kohl’s store in the nation, you have purchased one of the products that my team and I placed in the store.  My family and I really appreciate that I am able to work from home most days.  I travel about once a month – to NYC for buyer meetings, Kohl’s headquarters outside of Milwaukee, and Goldbug’s home office in Denver.

Q: Does that mean your kids are the best dressed kids in town?

The Lion Slippers.

They definitely have lots of socks!  But, unfortunately, they have outgrown most of the other products we produce.  To clear out my sample closet, I’ve been known to bring bags of socks to a meeting or book club and let my friends “have at them” for their kids.  Elliot, my 5-year-old, is in love with a pair of lion slippers that made their way home a couple of years ago.  He loves them so much that he wears them even in the summertime!

Q: Do you have any sneak peeks into fashion trends for kids for the upcoming year?
For fall, dots and stripes are still big along with monkey and frog characters.  Look for Fair Isle patterns on tights and socks along with argyle.  We are working the spring 2012 lines now and the newest looks will be tribal prints in deep, bold colors and black and white ink graphics.  It looks like ruffles for girls will be back in a big way and 80′s neon is going to be even stronger.

Q: You travel a bit for work. What have you learned over the years to make the separation easier for your family and do you have any tips for other parents who travel for work?
Any time one parent is out of town it seems there is juggling of some sort to be done (childcare, activities, etc).  It does get easier as your kids get older.  I have learned to stress less before leaving town.  I use to worry about what my husband would feed the kids or how far behind on laundry I’d be when I returned.  So, I’d run to the grocery store or do extra laundry before leaving.  I have learned to let that kind of stress go.  My husband does just fine with meals and if there isn’t anything in the house to eat, he goes to the grocery store or takes the kids out.  And, I’ve found when I leave the laundry, he’ll do it.  I’m normally only gone a night or two at a time and I’ve come to appreciate the dinners out, the quiet of a hotel room, and uninterrupted conversation with co-workers.  My husband gets extra time with the kids and has a better appreciation for what I do for the family.

Q: What has been your most special family memory from this summer?
My favorite family memory from this summer has to be the last night of our June trip to my parent’s house in North Carolina.  My sister and her family from Denver were visiting too and adults and kids were all gathered in the family room for “awards night”.  The awards night tradition started a couple of years ago during another family reunion in NC when my parents had some left over medals lying around and my husband picked them up and started handing them out to the kids.  The awards were a celebration of something they had done that week.  For example, Elliot once got an award for swimming under water for the first time, Ethan got one for his daring ride on the inner tube behind grandpa’s boat, and Olivia was awarded for helping her younger cousin in the pool.  Each time a kid’s name was called, everyone would cheer as the honoree walked up to accept their medal around their neck.  It may sound a bit corny, but the kids really anticipated this part of the week and they grinned from ear to ear waiting for their name to be called.  So this year, on the last night, following Josh’s presentation of the medals, the kids spontaneously took off their medals and started handing them back out to the adults.  Each adult’s name was called and something the kids appreciated that week was celebrated – for example, Uncle Dave for taking us on golf cart rides, Granny for cooking great dinners, and Grandpa for driving the boat and taking them fishing.  It was a really unexpected and sweet moment where the kids expressed their gratitude in the kind of overt way that kids don’t often do.

Do you want to nominate a Chambana mom or dad to know? Contact us.

Related posts:

1. Chambana Mom to Know: Andrea Aguiar
2. Chambana Mom to Know: Elizabeth Buckley

There’s no question that we’re all feeling pain at the pump. Filling up the tank on our mini-vans in Champaign-Urbana can cost upwards of $71, and that hurts.

According to the website GasBuddy, our local average price per gallon is actual a bit lower then the statewide average of $4.07. Here, we’re paying about $3.80 per gallon. We wanted to give you a leg up on gassing up before you head out of town for Memorial Day, and we used that site to generate this handy graphic:

Where is your favorite place to get gas in town? Where have you seen the best deal? Share in the comments!

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If the cost of gas (and let’s face it, life in general!) has you rethinking your summer vacation plans, there’s one way to go — plan a staycation! As Memorial Day approaches, we’re all itching for summer vacation. And parent sites across the country, including chambanamoms.com, joined together to show folks how to have a staycation in cities and towns all over the U.S. If you’re heading out this summer, check this list before you go. And in case you didn’t see our post, here’s our guide to having a staycation in Champaign-Urbana. 

New England

Connecticut – Parenting Miracles
Boston, Massachusetts – ‎ Maven of Savin’
Manchester, New Hampshire – Common Sense with Money
Western Maine – Bubblegum and Lollipops

Mid-Atlantic

Erie, Pennsylvania – Growing Kids Ministry
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania – Somewhat Crunchy
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania – Family Balance Sheet
Buffalo/Niagara Falls, New York – Coupons, Deals and More
New Jersey – Oh! Diane

Midwest

Cedar Rapids, Iowa – Indoor Garden Musings
Mansfield, Ohio – Live the Adventure
Cincinnati, Ohio – Savings Lifestyle~Cincinnati
Mount Vernon, Ohio – Living Better One Day at a Time
Dayton, Ohio – Savings Lifestyle~Dayton
Grand Rapids, Michigan – Kitchen Stewardship
Metro Detroit, Michigan – “Cents”able Momma
Oakland County, Michigan – Bargain Shopper Mom
Warren, Michigan – Saving Dollars and Sense
Grand Forks, North Dakota – Frugal Front Porch
Indianapolis, Indiana – Bargain Briana
South Bend, Indiana – Excuse The Mess
Kansas City, Kansas/Missouri – Kansas City Mamas
St. Louis, Missouri – The Pickledpigsfeet
Branson, Missouri – Getting Freedom from Debt
Springfield, Missouri – I Think I Can
Rochester, Minnesota – Everyday Notions
York, Nebraska – Heavenly Homemakers
Omaha, Nebraska – Mom Endeavours
Madison, Wisconsin – Many Little Blessings
Oshkosh, Wisconsin – A Little Bit of This and That
Chicago, Illinois – Chicagoland Homeschool Network
Champaign, Illinois – Chambanamoms
Black Hills, South Dakota – Little House on the Prairie Living

South Central

Checotah, Oklahoma – Blessed With One Income
Tulsa, Oklahoma – Lynn’s Kitchen Adventures
Gadsden, Alabama – Aint Mimi
Dallas, Texas – Funky Faith Girl
Dallas, Texas – Grocery Shop For FREE
East Dallas, Texas – Surviving The Stores
Fort Worth, Texas – Smockity Frocks
Austin, Texas – Stetted
Houston, Texas – Moms Travel Tales
McKinney, Texas – Wisdom Begun
East Texas – The Full Pantry
Murfreesboro, Tennessee – Life in a Barn
Nashville, Tennessee – The Country Chic Cottage
Mobile, Alabama – A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned
Birmingham, Alabama – iGoBOGO
Brunswick & the Golden Isles, Georgia – Teri Lynne Underwood
Alpharetta, Georgia – Cuponeando
Atlanta, Georgia – See Jamie Blog
Augusta, Georgia – Hyperactive Lu
Athens, Georgia and Mississippi – Tractors and Tire Swings
Little Rock, Arkansas – It’s Real Life

South Atlantic

Ft. Bragg, North Carolina – Military Wives Saving
Charlotte, North Carolina – The Carolina Clipper
Charleston, South Carolina – The Tween & Me
Greensboro, North Carolina – Mrs. Happy Homemaker
Jacksonville, Florida – Saving The Family Money
Orlando, Florida – Orlando’s Best Deals
Virginia Beach, Virginia – The Singley Fam Blog
Richmond, Virginia – Daily Dwelling
Hampton Roads, Virginia – A Home Made by Kiki
Charlottesville, Virginia – How to Have it All
Blackwater Falls State Park/Davis, West Virginia – Holy Spirit Led Homeschooling
Treasure Coast, Florida – The Cardamom’s Pod
Saint Augustine, Florida – Jypsie Visions
Lake Norman, North Carolina – Stretching Pennies Saving Dollars
Washington, DC – The WiC Project
Baltimore, Maryland – The Happy Housewife
Brunswick & the Golden Isles, Georgia, Teri Lynne Underwood

Mountain

Tucson, Arizona – Saving with Pam
Phoenix, Arizona – Mom Endeavors
Albuquerque, New Mexico – The Chou Life
Kalispell, Montana – Our Family Adventures
Salt Lake City, Utah – Just the 2 of Us
Thermopolis, Wyoming – The McDonald Family
Denver, Colorado – Denver Bargains
Colorado Springs, Colorado - Colorado Springs Bargains

Pacific

San Diego, California – Life As Mom
Yosemite National Park, California -Handbook of Nature Study
Seattle, Washington – Queen Bee Coupons & Savings
Whidbey Island, Washington – Manning the Homefront
Olympia, Washington The Coupon Savant
Portland, Oregon – Frugal Living NW
Willamette Valley, Oregon – An Oregon Cottage

Frugal Vacation Tips

Vacation or Stay-cation: Eating without Busting the Budget – Eat at Home

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by Amy L. Hatch

This breakfast is WILD! Credit: Amy L. Hatch

Coming soon to a video store near you! Or maybe you want your thrills on demand! Whatever way you want to watch, you won’t want to miss the newest, sexiest series in town — MOMS GONE WILD!

We’ve got moms of all shapes and sizes, moms going TOTALLY WILD when they’re away from home! Yes, they’re out of town and they’re going WILD WILD WILD!

Our raw uncensored clips show moms getting WILD WILD WILD! They drink coffee after 8 p.m. and stay up ALL NIGHT talking about THEIR KIDS!

We caught one mom in a TOTALLY HOT UNCENSORED MOMENT, grabbing a sweet box of FROSTED FLAKES! Yes, these moms are eating high fructose corn syrup for breakfast! Look away if it’s just too HOT for you to HANDLE!

We have moms piled into the back seat of the car — all six of them smashed into a Honda Accord! They’re laying on one another, all the way to TRADER JOE’S!

These moms are SMOKIN' HOT AND WILD! Credit: Hollee Schwartz Temple

These moms get crazy and go grocery shopping after 9 p.m! They’re caught on tape holding boxes of peanut-butter cookies! That they ATE at 11 p.m.!

Moms stay up late in our raw footage, wearing their sweet yoga pants and fuzzy socks. You won’t be able to look away!

HOT HOT HOT!

Staying up past 10 p.m.! Wearing make-up JUST BECAUSE THEY CAN! Eating milkshakes and TATER TOTS for DINNER!

They even hang out with women WHO AREN’T MOMS!

You won’t believe the HOT HOT HOT time these moms had while they were away from home! You know what they say — when the cat’s away, the mice drink wine with dinner!

Hurry, get your copy of MOMS GONE WILD for the LOW LOW price of $9.99! Order now from www.howsad.com! Don’t miss your chance to watch the moms in YOUR neighborhood getting TOTALLY WILD!

Amy L. Hatch is a founder and editor of chambanamoms.com, and she’s nursing a corn syrup hangover. She spouts off on all things parenting every week in her column “From There to Here.” She can be reached at amy@chambanamoms.com.

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by Amy L. Hatch

Credit: Nicholas_T, Flickr

I’m writing this in the car on the way to Nashville.

Laura and I are headed south for a conference, one that will definitely help us make chambanamoms even better than ever.

The week before I have to leave for an extended trip — we won’t get back until Saturday — is a little bit like preparing for an major military exercise.

There’s laundry. And getting the babysitter schedule squared away. Planning for meals (heh, who am I kidding, they’re just going to eat Burger King all week).  Making lists.

Dealing with the guilt.

I’ve written before about the transition from working some of the time to working a wee bit more than full time. My emotions as a mother and a spouse are all the map when it comes to finding that elusive “work/life balance” that people talk about.

What is it? How do I find it? Can I buy it somewhere? Because that sounds like the easiest way to achieve it, if you ask me.

Never do these emotions come into play more than when I’m on my way out of town. I want to go. I don’t want to go. I need to go. I don’t really need to go.

This trip, this four-day jaunt to Nashvegas, falls somewhere in a gray area.

I should go, to support Laura who is speaking on a panel about hyperlocal websites.

I need to go, to network with professional women in the same field.

And, finally, I want to go.

I’ll get to see a lot of women I really enjoy. This little project here that Laura and I launched has connected me to some really awesome people who are like-minded.

I’m really going to have fun this week.

It was hard to leave my babies Tuesday afternoon. Emmie was home sick from school and Henry has been clingy the last few days. He wants me, even when he doesn’t want me.

I knew the suitcase by the front door would be greeted with tears, and my premonition came true in spades.

I hugged the two of them and left them in the capable hands of their sitter, who loves them very much. They will be with their father, who is one of the best partners I could ask for, especially when it comes to the daily care and feeding of our children.

I’m out of town.

And that’s OK, for everyone.

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by Amy L. Hatch

Credit: Amy L. Hatch

Emmie is convinced that I have Santa’s cell phone number.

She believes this because I told her I sent him a text message, letting him know that we’ll be leaving our little house on the prairie for parts East well before Dec. 25.

She and I were in her bed, having our pre-snooze cuddle, when I asked her if she wanted to see if Santa could make a special drop here at our house before we head off to see her grandmother.

“We could just ask him to bring all your presents and fill your stocking at Meema’s house,” I told her. I held my breath, hoping that she’d agree to skipping Christmas at our house.

It wasn’t because I didn’t want to see Emmie and her brother opening gifts under our beautiful Balsam fir. But it seemed silly to wake up on Dec. 20 and open presents, then treat Christmas day like any other Saturday.

“Mom,” said Emmie, looking at me solemnly. “We have to have Christmas at our house!”

That’s when I sent Santa the fateful text message.

On Monday morning, Emmie got up at the crack of dawn, dancing around at the head of our bed eager to see what was under the tree. We woke Henry up and the four of us walked down the stairs.

The look on Emmie’s face was worth all the hassle. Henry was so excited that he was, for once, completely silent.

The date on my calendar read Dec. 20, but for the life of me, it felt every inch Dec. 25.

We’ll open gifts again on Saturday, with my mother. We held back some gifts for them to find on the “real” Christmas morning.

For a long time, I hated this compromise. I hated not having a “real Christmas.” I hated having to fudge the dates and make up stories about emailing Santa with a plea for an early delivery.

But this year, something shifted. I realized that, for Emmie and Henry, the day we decide to have our holiday at home doesn’t matter one whit. They don’t care at all what the calendar says.

The day is magic all the same.

When you live far away from your loved ones, you have to compromise. You have to decide what’s important to you, and, for us, it’s important that we see our extended families at the holidays.

I know that seeing their grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins will make my children happy. I know it will make me happy, too.

There may come a day when geography no longer interferes with my longed-for holiday at home.

Until that time, I simply need to remind myself that the spirit of the season can’t be dampened by a mere date on a calendar.

Related posts:

1. From There to Here: Fright Night

by Amy L. Hatch

We’re on Day Two of vacation rehab.

After 16 straight days of late bedtimes, mountains of sugar and miles and miles of seashore at which to run, yell and get dirty, we’re back to the Chambana routine of going to sleep while the sky is still light, eating our veggies and washing our hands before every meal.

It ain’t easy, folks.

Who wouldn't want to do this for the rest of their life? Photo by Karen Hatch

Vacations are great, don’t get me wrong. I loved the days we spent at Cape Cod, and I have both the sunburn and the minivan full of sand to prove it. We swam, surfed and snacked to our hearts content and even for me, it’s hard to get back in the rhythm of an ordinary day here on the prairie.

Tempers are short, and maybe our expectations are a little too high. After all, our kids are only 5 and 2 years old. They aren’t 39 (gulp! when did that happen?), with years of experience to help them make the transition.

Oh, who am I kidding? Transitions are hard for me, too. I’d much rather be throwing myself at the mercy of an icy riptide than fighting back waves of clutter from the family room. I hated to leave and I hated to stay, if you know what I mean.

Coming back to Chambana feels (mostly) like home to me, and it has for quite awhile, as I’ve chronicled here.

But coming back from Rochester, N.Y. and coming back from the ocean are two different animals, indeed. I always felt wistful when we crossed the bridge back to the mainland, even during the years when I left Cape Cod for the exciting hustle and bustle of my teen years in London.

There’s just something about the salt air that’s entirely addicting.

So it’s vacation rehab for us. I just hope it doesn’t take 28 days.

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Editor’s Note: Two weeks ago we featured a visit to Chicago’s Brookfield Zoo. Many of you raved about the St. Louis Zoo on our Facebook page, so today we bring you a review of it. (By the way, we also featured the Indianapolis Zoo many moons ago). Which zoo is your favorite? Let us know in the comments.

by Rachael McMillan

Literature for the St. Louis Zoo declares it to be the No. 1 zoo in the nation. It’s easy to be doubtful of this claim—that is, until you step inside. Like probably the vast majority of readers, I’ve been going to zoos all my life. I’ve been to three of them in the last six months. And truly, I can’t think of any that I’d put above the St. Louis Zoo.

You might expect a free public institution—and the St. Louis Zoo is such a place—to cheap out on atmosphere, exhibits, extras, etc. On our trip, however, I remember having the distinct feeling that we’ve paid a lot more to see a whole, whole lot less.

Rather than try to describe what the zoo has (yep, animals) I’m going to stick with the highlights of our recent extended-family visit and a few tips/recommendations.

The St. Louis Zoo really is one of the best in the nation - and great for budget-concious families. Photos by Kim Landry

River’s Edge

This theme exhibit has visitors follow an imaginary river as it winds its way through four “continents.” Our favorite part was seeing a hippopotamus swim gracefully through a school of fish—this really brought out the kid in my decidedly full-grown husband.

Tip: Don’t save this exhibit for the end of a long, hot day. It’s lengthy, and once you’re in you have to follow it to the end.

The sea lion show

I won’t go so far as to say “Dolphins, schmolphins,” but I think one could make a good case for the sea lion show being more entertaining than a typical dolphin extravaganza (which the St. Louis Zoo doesn’t have). For one thing, the sea lion show seemed to last longer than dolphin shows do, which made the price of admission—$3 per person over age 2—seem like a bargain. Also, the sea lions perform on “land” and in the water, which means the audience gets to see much more of the animals.

The clincher? At the end of the show the sea lions toss frisbees into the audience. One could argue that this is just a cheap attempt to wow the audience and leave them with a positive impression of the show. However, you have to keep in mind that OH MY GOODNESS THE CUTE ANIMALS ARE TOSSING OUT FREE FRISBEES!!! Outta my way, kids.

Tip: For $10 per person you can purchase Safari Passes which will get you into the sea lion show, the stingray petting area, the children’s zoo, and will allow you access to the zoo train which can be used as transportation throughout your visit, plus a few extras. Considering that the zoo is free, I think this is a deal.

Tip within a tip: the children’s zoo and stingray petting exhibit are free during the first hour the zoo is open.

The butterfly enclosure

You may have been to one of these before, and you may have had to pay extra for the privilege. You won’t at the St. Louis Zoo. Like most of the exhibits, it is free of cost and top-notch in design. Unfortunately, my family unit ran out of time to visit it (hippos were our priority), but my brother’s family went and it was their favorite part of the trip.

Tip: Have your cameras ready; the butterflies like to land in photo-worthy places, such as a loved one’s head.

Did I mention it’s free?

Admittedly I’m a bit of a bargain freak, but I can’t stress enough how impressed I was with the St. Louis Zoo considering that a trip there could cost potentially cost a grand total of zero dollars. Parking is $11 per vehicle, but some street parking is available (get there early to take advantage of this). Coolers and picnic baskets are allowed on the zoo grounds, so visitors should have no need of purchasing food.

Having said that…

I was so impressed with the zoo that I feel compelled to endorse buying SOMETHING from them to help support their services. My choices? Again, a Safari Pass seems like a pretty good deal to me. Also, we did buy food on our trip (actually, Dad bought—thanks again, Padre!), and it was pretty good. Had we known it was an option, we might have skipped the main eating area for whatever was being grilled at one of two locations on the grounds (Ray’s Grill and Safari Grill). It smelled delicious.

Check out their calendar of events to see what’s on the schedule for the rest of the summer, but rest assured, any time is a great time to go. We’re already dreaming of a return trip.

A former high school teacher who now is spending time at home with her two children, Jack and Kate, Rachael McMillan is a freelance writer and reading tutor.

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