ML Interest Tag: portal

Summer Will Rock At This “Choose Your Own Adventure” Camp

by Lenya McGrath

Still looking for the perfect summer camp but the traditional options just don’t appeal to your kiddos? Look no further than Pali Adventures, SoCal’s choose-your-own overnight camping adventure. Nestled in the woods of Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear, Pali Adventures is a camp for a modern kid! It’s not just hikes and campfires here. This camp features up-to-date activities and an empowering schedule, which means campers are given the freedom to choose what they want to do and when they want to do it. With more than 21 speciality camp and 70 elective activities, there are over 25,000 different combinations to guarantee your campers come home saying that was the best summer ever!

21 Speciality Camps Ready To Inspire
The day will start off right at the speciality morning camps where you can pick your own adventure. Action lovers will dig the heart-pounding excitement of the new fantasy LARP camp, Hollywood stunt camp, trapeze and ariel camp or water sports camp. Artistic types can tap into their creative side at options like the popular culinary camp, film camp or even fashion camp. Performers will want to scream and shout at dance camp, acting camp, rockstar camp or magic camp. Taught by experts and industry professionals, these morning camps are all about honing your skills, pushing yourself and having fun with it all week long.

70 Afternoon Electives Full of Fun
Things gets even more interesting in the afternoon with a choice of 70 elective activities to get campers maxing up the fun. Your kiddos can select three activities per afternoon, including zooming through the sky on a 227-foot zip line, tumble and clap at cheer class, fly across the waters of Big Bear lake on a wakeboard, or get in touch with their inner selves at relaxation hour. Campers use an iTouch every morning at breakfast to create their schedule for the day and activities can be increased based on popular demand. Talk about freedom of choice!


Mandatory – Lots of Fun
While you may be able to choose your own camping adventure it is guaranteed that your campers are in for a whole heap of fun. Between the Thursday night Dance Party (where the DJ camp kids each play a set), the midnight rumblings (where the dining hall is turned into a late night dessert fest) or the Friday Water Wars (where you can splash it out with new friends), you’ll be assured your sprouts are having lots of fun. Pali Adventures also pays alot of attention to creating traditions and cultures that bring the group together. “Living on a Prayer” or should we say “Singing on a Chair” is the dancing on a chair anthem before every meal.

Good To Know: The Pali Adventures Basics

  • Pali Adventures overnight camp runs for 9-weeks with campers being able to attend in weekly increments. The ideal camper is at least 8-years-old.
  • The fee includes  all accommodation, meals and activities.
  • Pali is a tech-free zone with all electronic devices held to give the kids plenty of time to be at one with nature, forge new friendships and learn how to tackle any problems without mom or dad being a phone call away.
  • Parents can still keep up to date with all the goings on at the parent portal. Thousands of photos are loaded into the portal daily with the activities and happenings from camp that day. Plus a weekly DVD is created with the help of the broadcasting camp kids crew so the weeks memories are never forgotten.
  • Transportation to and from camp can be organized if needed.

Camp Pali
30778 California 18
Running Springs, CA 92382
(909) 867-5743
Online: paliadventures.com

What would your kids try at Pali Adventures? Tell us in the Comments below.

— Lenya McGrath

Photos courtesy of Pali Adventures

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Just Opened!: One World Observatory

by Mimi O'Connor

New Yorkers are somewhat known for at least feeling like we’ve seen it all. Well, you haven’t seen this! One World Observatory, the top three floors of One World Trade Center that provide a 360-degree view of New York City and its surroundings at 1,250 feet, will open to the public this weekend. We got a sneak preview.  Here’s what you can expect when you visit this new urban landmark, and what we think the kids (and yeah, you too) will think is especially cool.

photo: One World Observatory

Welcome to New York!

The One World Observatory obviously has big “shoes” to fill, given that it’s the presumably new-and-improved version of the similar experience  enjoyed by many at the World Trade Center observation deck. From the moment you arrive at the at the attraction’s “Global Welcome Center”, things feel high-tech, somewhat space age, with a little bit of “waiting-for-the-really-big-ride-at-Disney” thrown in. A large video board features welcome messages in 10 languages, while a world map highlights the hometowns of visitors in real time, using data relayed from ticket scans.

The Waiting Game

Some long, winding corridors lead to the elevators, and chances are most visitors will spend some time standing in line in these halls. Thankfully, some entertainment is provided in the form of “Voices,” a 14 minute film featuring the personal stories of the men and women who built One World Trade Center. Displayed on a video wall made up of 144 individual monitors, the piece includes thoughts from the engineers and architects, to construction workers and foremen. (One person calls it “the Superbowl of construction,” while another recalls clouds blowing through the high floors before the walls were completed. Visitors also get a reminder of the havoc Hurricane Sandy caused at the site.)

The landscape then changes to resemble the bedrock on which the building is constructed, the famed “Manhattan schist.” Facts about the bedrock are projected onto the (faux) craggy surface, and dramatic lighting adds to the subterranean feel.

photo: One World Observatory

The Ride to the Top

A bank of five elevators do the literal heavy lifting of delivering visitors to the 102nd floor. Dubbed “Sky Pods,” these cabs get there in 47 seconds and are the fastest elevators in the Western hemisphere. Don’t think you (or your kid) can handle shooting up that fast and seeing the ground fall out from under you? Don’t worry: the interiors of the cars are lined with floor-to-ceiling LED screens, which ironically, provide one of the highlights of the experience: as the cars ascend, the walls of the elevators display a virtual time-lapse of the development of the New York City Skyline, starting in the 1500s. The photorealistic animation contains nearly 35,000 different objects (tall ships in the harbor!) and 2,000 historical images, including the appearance and disappearance of the Twin Towers.

On a Clear Day

Following the fast ride up, visitors enter the “See Forever Theater,” where a razzle-dazzle two-minute video showcasing the sights, sounds, and energy of New York is screened. (Cool fact to impress your child: apparently the film was edited and scored to a tempo based on pedometer data of the “average” New Yorker.)

The Main Event (and Supporting Players)

And then, it’s on to the big attraction, the view itself. Is it great? Of course it’s great, and the space seems like it’s big enough to handle large crowds. The observation area is tricked out with a couple additional features for visitors to take in. The first, the “Sky Portal,” is a 14-foot wide circular disc which creates the illusion of looking down through the floor to the streets below; the “view” is real-time high-definition video from cameras on the building’s exterior.

The second, while kind of cool, is probably more for out-of-towners. “City Pulse” is a sort of interactive set of monitors controlled by “skyline concierges” — One World Observatory employees who use City Pulse to help groups learn more about areas of interest. (The idea is that one person may want to know about sports in New York, while other visitors might have interest in the city at the turn of the century.)

The Extras

One World Observatory is a tourist destination, so you’ll find green screen photo ops (with the chance to buy your photo as you exit), as well as three dining options of varying formality. The most casual is the One Café, which serves baked goods, sandwiches, soups, salads and more. And of course, there’s a gift shop, for all you One World Observatory tchotchke needs.

Tickets are on sale now at the One World Observatory box office and online at oneworldobservatory.com.

One World Observatory
One World Trade Center (entrance on the West Plaza alongside West Street near Vesey)
Open daily, 9 a.m.-midnight
Tickets: adults 13-64/$32; kids 6-12/$26; seniors/$30, kids under 5/free (but must be ticketed)
844-696-1776
Online: oneworldobservatory.com

Will you visit One World Observatory? Let us know in the comments!

—Mimi O’Connor

 

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All Aboard! Top Toy Stores with Train Tables

by Jenn Wade

Sure, trains were the hot new mode of transportation in 1875, but according to your kids, the buzz hasn’t yet worn off. And for the little engine-obsessed, there is nothing better than a train table—a little imaginary world standing squarely at your kiddo’s level. We’ve rounded up welcoming Bay Area stores that not only sell train tables but have them out for all to enjoy—perfect for children with choo-choo on the brain and parents in need of a few free minutes to shop.

San Francisco

Ambassador Toys
Ambassador Toys is an institution. With three locations across the Bay Area, these toyshops are best known for their unique collections of educational toys, many of which are wooden. Walk into any Ambassador Toys and you will be wowed by color and an endless assortment of awesome playthings. It’s amazing for those who love variety but a little dangerous for excited kids who could easily knock down hundreds of items within minutes. Enter the train table! Set up at the West Portal and Palo Alto locations, Ambassador Toys’ train tables are available to play on for free and to purchase for $199.

186 West Portal Ave.
San Francisco, Ca
415-759-8697
Hours: Daily 10 a.m.–7 p.m

Town & Country Village
855 El Camino Real, #33
Palo Alto, Ca
Hours: Mon.–Fri., 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

Online: AmbassadorToys.com

Peninsula

Five Little Monkeys
Toys ‘R Us got you thinking Elsa is the only toy ever created? Burlingame’s Little Monkeys is the cure. While the store is intimate, it offers thoughtful favorites organized by age, with doll, truck, book and dress up sections (an not a Frozen character in sight). A fun marble maze greets visitors short and tall followed by a few play pianos and then the super-popular train table. Even after multiple visits and purchasing nearly everything in your child’s age-range, you will find reason to return, if only for the fun. Plus, the Burlingame Train Station is less than a block away from the store so there’s a good chance you will hear the horn on your way in or out. The Thomas the Train Island of Sodor Table is $249.

1111 Burlingame Ave.
Burlingame, Ca
650-342-4411
Hours: Mon.-Thurs., 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sun., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Online: 5LittleMonkeys.com

Good to know: Peninsula parents will be happy to know there are Five Little Monkeys in Albany, Novato, and Walnut Creek too!

Photo credit: G N. via Yelp

Tablots Toyland
Talbots is the Disneyworld of toy stores, exciting people of every age and interest. Like hobbies? There’s a room for that. How about dolls? An entire wing is lined with play babies and collectables alike. Are you into bikes? There is a dedicated space (and separate entrance to Talbot’s Cyclery) to feed your need for outdoor speed. And then there’s the main store: Once you walk through the stuffed animals, arts and crafts, books, dress up, balls, and baby gear, you will find an area for kids to crawl through a ladybug tunnel, play house in any one of many structures, hula hoop, or go loco with motives at the train table. The great news about Tablots’ train table and play section is your kids will forget whatever they were demanding you buy them; the bad news is that you may never get to leave. Talbots offers a trio of train tables for purchase: The Thomas the Train Island of Sodor Table at $249, Brio Railway Set with Play Table at $199, and the Step Two Deluxe Train and Track Table at $99.

445 S B St.
San Mateo, Ca
650-931-8100
Hours: Mon.-Sat., 9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Online: TalbotsToyland.com

South Bay

Learning Express Toys
Chase your kids straight to the back in this store and then get ready to relax. You will find tons of toys for them to enjoy, including a Thomas the Train table. Once your littles are happily choo chooing, discover a space packed with skill builders, imagination inciters, and adventure starters. Game on! Complimentary gift-wrapping, a friendly staff, and regular crafts and toy demos by storeowners add to the appeal of this top shop. The Nilo Train Table is $239.99.

1350 El Paseo De Saratoga
San Jose, Ca
408-871-0499
Hours: Mon. – Fri., 10 a.m.-7 p.m. ; Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Online: LearningExpressToys.com/stores/san-jose-el-paseo

The Wooden Horse
Want to get nostalgic and make sure your kids are on board? Head to The Wooden Horse for train table shenanigans, piano ballads and toys that stand the test of time. This well-organized shop is separated by age group on separate walls plus areas for traditional girls’ toys, kinetic toys, small toys and model toys. The Nilo Train Table is $229.99 while the PlanToys Train Table is $249.

796 Blossom Hill Rd.
Los Gatos, Ca
888-356-8821
Hours: Mon.–Fri., 10 a.m.-7 p.m. ; Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Online: WoodenHorseToys.com

Photo credit: PlayintheSouthbay.com

Marin

A Child’s Delight
A Child’s Delight is home to all the classic toys we played with (or our parents played with) as kids—dolls, trucks, trains, puzzles, Lego’s, bristle blocks, wagons, stuffed animals, and more—making it a delight for parents, as well. It’s one of many toy stores in Corte Madera’s Town Center, but offers more of a boutique, family-owned feel than others. In addition to train sets, train pieces, train puzzles, train books, and train whistles, A Child’s Delight has a train table and a Duplo table set-up for play. And if there are too many conductors at the helm, you can always head to the front of the store where a tent invites a game of hide-and-seek. A Child’s Delight carries the Thomas the Train Table with playboard decorated with cheerful landscape for $399.99 as well as the Nilo Train Table for $269.99 in dark wood and $219.99 in light wood.

105 Corte Madera Town Center
Corte Madera, Ca
415-945-9221
Hours: Mon.–Fri., 10 a.m.–8 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m.–6 p.m.
Online: AChildsDelight.com

A Child’s Delight also has a small but equally enchanting store in San Francisco and a second Marin outpost in San Rafael.

Photo credit: 365ThingsMarin.com

East Bay

The Ark Store
Aptly named, this two-story toy store is best known for the wooden ark full of stuffed animals taking center stage. The place is pretty awesome, albeit chaotic, with a drum set on one wall, Grumpy Cat sitting amidst a selection of Gund stuffed animals, a rainbow mural, monster magnets and a train set. Rare collectables and seasonal décor make this a must-visit spot for aficionados and passersby alike. Being Berkeley, there are also many a mood ring to choose from. The Thomas the Train Table is $279.99.

1812 4th St.
Berkeley, Ca
510-849-1930
Hours: Daily, 10 a.m.–7 p.m.
Online: TheArkToys.com

The Ark Toy Store also has two locations in San Francisco.

Play Café
Last but not least is Play Café. It’s not a toy store but you can buy a coffee and sit back and relax (or get something good to eat – lots of organic bites to choose from!) while your children play around the perimeter. Play Café is about as kid-friendly as it gets with dollhouses, ride-on toys, tool sets, dress up, a theater area, ball pit and an awesome train table with playboard. Play Café is intended for infants to kids up to five years old though older children and adults of all ages are welcome to come in for some yum and fun. It’s a cool place to host a birthday party for your favorite conductor too!

4400 Keller Ave., Ste. 410
Oakland, Ca
510-638-3712
Hours: Mon., 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; Tues.–Fri., 9:30 a.m.–3 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m.–1 p.m./parties after 2 p.m.; Sund., parties all day
Online: PlayCafeLLC.com

Do you have a favorite spot to get your train table fix?

—Jenn Wade

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A Fresh Look at Old School San Francisco Restaurants

by nicki richesin

Part of the appeal of living in the San Francisco Bay Area is having the chance to visit timeless landmark spots oozing with stories you’d love to discover. Like seeing Dark Passage with Bogie and Bacall in the Presidio, the nostalgia for a bygone era envelopes you like the fog. Speakeasies and saloons aren’t really the best places to frequent unless you like to bring your babies into bars, but here are some historic places to dine with your kids that they’ll love just as much as you do.

Tadich Grill
Tadich Grill is the oldest restaurant in the state of California, which means they’ve been serving salty dog sailors and fortune seekers since 1849. This historic San Francisco landmark is sort of glam and sophisticated although servers are madly barking orders from both sides of the long wooden bar. You can perch on a tall stool bar side to enjoy the show or hide behind a curtained booth for the most delicious sourdough bread in the world. No kidding. I had grown seriously tired of sourdough bread until I bit into their crisp, sweet manna. The food is a little greasy, but still seafood perfection: try the sole meuniere or seafood cannelloni, and for the kids: bay shrimp cocktail and a Shirley Temple or Roy Rogers. They’ll feel so grown up sipping their mocktail at the bar. If you’re lucky, you might just see the San Francisco twins in their adorable matching hats. Open Monday through Friday from 11:00 am – 9:30 pm and Saturday from 11:30 – 9:30 pm.

240 California Street
San Francisco, Ca.
415-391-1849
Online: tadichgrill.com

Swensen’s
Swensen’s motto is “Good As Father Used to Make” and boy is it ever. With flavors like vanilla custard, chewy chocolate, and sticky peanut butter, your children will scream for their ice cream. For a grown-up kid who loved ordering the Mr. San Francisco (a scoop of bubble gum ice cream with a sugar cone hat and a lacy whipped cream collar) standing in the original flagship store on Nob Hill, it’s a fine memory to savor. Half gallons are available for sale and also waffle sundaes, floats, and milkshakes. Best of all, you can watch the trolley cars whizz by on Hyde Street. Cash only. Open Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday from 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm and Friday through Saturday from 12:00 pm – 11:00 pm.

1999 Hyde Street
San Francisco, Ca
415-775-6818
Online: swensens.com

Swan Oyster Depot
Swan Oyster Depot has been around almost 100 years, and everyone sings its praises, even Anthony Bourdain. A little rough around the edges with swordfish, tortoises, and maps hung on the walls, it’s the sort of place you’d hang out with your Grandpa. Friendly, barrel-chested waiters in white aprons offer speedy and efficient counter service. Children will enjoy dipping popcorn shrimp in their choice of cocktail or tartar sauce and of course, authentic sourdough bread and everyone’s favorite: packets of oyster crackers. The smoked salmon and whitefish platter is insanely good and fresh from the sea. On your way out the door, you’ll be presented with parting gifts that you can “dip in water and see what happens.” Fair warning: you may have to wait as they don’t accept reservations. Cash only. Open Monday through Saturday from 8:00 am – 5:30 pm.

1517 Polk Street
San Francisco, Ca
415-673-2757
Online: swanoysterdepotsf.com

Manor Coffee Shop
This coffee shop in West Portal is the real deal. Who doesn’t love a coffee shop where you can snuggle in a cozy window seat and eat enormous servings of comfort food? The world just seems better sitting in a red vinyl booth with a giant milkshake in your hands. You’ll get top-notch service by waiters dressed in pink and white uniforms with a ready smile. For kids, choose from all the traditional breakfast menu items like pancakes or omelets and grilled cheese or deli sandwiches, and don’t forget to save room for their custard pie! Cash only. Open Monday through Saturday from 7:30 am – 8:00 pm.

321 West Portal Avenue
San Francisco, Ca
415-661-2468

Sam’s Anchor Café
This is my favorite old-school haunt. Although not technically in San Francisco, you can see the city from across the bay on the back patio of this Tiburon restaurant. I love walking past the old wooden bar in the front saloon and heading for a table on the outdoor deck. Your kids can doodle and color with crayons while they munch on grilled fish and French fries. Order an open-faced crab sandwich and an Arnold Palmer and listen to the fog horns blare in the distance and to the sea gulls cry as they fly above you and the wind whips in your hair. Ahhhhh. Open Monday through Friday for lunch from 11:00 am – 5:00 pm and Saturday through Sunday from 2:00 – 5:00 pm; Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday from 9:30 am – 2:00 pm; Dinner is open nightly starting at 5:00 pm.

27 Main Street
Tiburon, Ca
415-435-4527
Online: samscafe.com

Red’s Java House
Honorable mention: Red’s Java House is an old run-down shack by the bay. Not too enticing, right? But wait, they’ve got hot dogs and a view of the Bay Bridge from the back patio. What more do you really need for a happy afternoon with your kids than sitting on the dock of the bay? Open Monday through Friday from 7:00 am – 5:00 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm.

Pier 30 Bryant & Embarcadero (just south of the Bay Bridge)
San Francisco, Ca
415-777-5626
Online: facebook.com/Reds-Java-House

What is your family’s all-time favorite San Francisco old school restaurant?

— Nicki Richesin

Photo credit: samscafe.com

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