Search Results for: blog fun with flipper

Flipper (1996)

Dolphins are amazing creatures, and they’ve been fascinating us for years. They’ve been the focus of documentaries, movies, symbols on pieces of jewelry and home décor – we can’t get enough of ‘em. 1996 saw the release of “Flipper,” another dolphin movie, this one starring Elijah Wood and Paul Hogan. Wood plays Sandy, a teenaged boy with a huge chip on his shoulder who is sent to visit his uncle Porter (Hogan) to see if said chip can be dislodged somehow. They get off to a rocky start as Sandy breaks the rules and Porter doesn’t seem to know how … Continue reading →

Fun With Flipper

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my. Oh, they used to excite my 2-year-old daughter, but not anymore. Now, it’s more like dolphins, stingrays, and sea lions, oh boy. Christmas is still four months away, but she is already prepping for our annual trip to Hawaii. The first item on our agenda: a trip to Sea Life Park Hawaii. Sea Life Park is a world-class marine attraction located just 15 miles from Waikiki on Oahu’s scenic Makapuu Point. I visited the park as a child, but so much has changed since then. Back then the park catered to the average … Continue reading →

Back-to-School Breakfast Ideas

Now that the new school year is underway, my days as a short order cook are over… at least when it comes to breakfast. This summer, I could have easily earned employee of the month honors as a flapjack flipper at IHOP, but instead chose to use my pancake-making skills to keep my 7-year-old happy and full. Kids need a healthy breakfast in order for their bodies and brains to function properly. However, during the school year, this important morning meal often gets skipped in the interest of saving time or scoring a few more minutes of sleep. Ironically, eating … Continue reading →

Amazing Animal Videos

A while back I wrote about a baby water buffalo who had survived a lion and a crocodile attack –all of which was caught on tape. I was so impressed by that baby water buffalo and his brave herd. (The herd had come back to help save the baby and chased off the lions.) But recently two other amazing animal videos have come to my attention. Dolphins Try to Save Their Own On YouTube there are a ton of dolphin rescue videos. Mostly of people saving dolphins, though. There are a couple of dolphins saving whales, but the other day … Continue reading →

The Nation’s Best Amusement Park

The votes are in and the winner of the best amusement park in the country is… Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. The popular thrill ride park was named the best of the best by readers of Amusement Today. Each year the trade publication surveys hundreds of amusement park guests and uses their feedback to determine the winners of its Golden Ticket Awards competition. This year there were few surprises. Cedar Point won the best park award again—-as it has every year since the awards began. (To read my review of the park, click here.) It probably didn’t hurt … Continue reading →

Uno’s Garden – Graeme Base

Graeme Base is one of the most fascinating illustrators currently publishing on the children’s market. The first time I saw his work was on a poster at the public library about ten years ago, and I’ve been a big fan of his work ever since. In “Uno’s Garden,” we meet a fellow named Uno who wanders out into the forest and likes it so much, he decides to stay. At that time, the forest is lush and green, and he’s surrounded by plants and vegetation. He’s also surrounded by a wide variety of animal life, in this case ten moopaloops … Continue reading →

East Coast Whale Watching Adventures

It’s no secret; whale watching tours abound in places such as Hawaii and Alaska, but watching a humpback whale breach from the murky depths of the Atlantic Ocean is not something travelers get to see everyday. Just ask vacationers who visit the waters off of Virginia Beach. The whale-watching season wraps up along the East Coast at the end of the month. Which means you still have a few weeks to gather the family and sign up for a tour. The Rudee Flipper, which departs from the Virginia Fishing Center at Rudee Inlet on the south end of Virginia Beach … Continue reading →

Adventures in Whale Watching

Looking for a whale of a trip? Then load up the family and head to an area where you can get up close and personal with some of the largest creatures on Earth. My family enjoys whale watching off the Hawaiian Islands, but I recently learned about another group of islands where the whale watching has been hailed as some of the best in the world. The San Juan Islands, a group of small islands off the coast of Washington state, is considered by naturalists as a must-stop destination for whale watching enthusiasts. And the experts aren’t just referring to … Continue reading →

Hawaii’s Free Activities

If you are jetting off to Hawaii for the holidays—congratulations! Spending time in the tropics while others are dealing with wind chills and snow shovels is priceless. However, the price of paradise can be a bit steep at times (depending on where you stay and what you eat). But, there are ways to have fun in the Hawaiian sun without going home broke. Here’s one of my favorite free activities offered by the Sheraton Kauai. They are 6 to 8 feet long, and weigh more than a typical sumo wrestler. Their big dark eyes will make your heart melt and … Continue reading →

Turtle Beach

Recently, I shared with you my 2-year-old daughter’s unusual fascination with all things scaly and skeletal. (Basically, she loves fish, turtles, dinosaurs, and various other reptiles.) With that in mind, I have been researching places that we can visit in order for her to see her favorite “friends” up close and personal. Next month, we will be traveling to Chicago to visit SUE at the Field Museum (she has already visited the Shedd Aquarium) and in a few months we are off to Hawaii where I will take her to Sea Life Park and “Turtle Beach.” What’s that you say, … Continue reading →