Review: National Havoc Robotics League – NHRL With Kids

My kid competed at the National Havoc Robotics League (NHRL) in November and has been a few times prior to that too. We went to Norwalk to watch the competition and were blown away by the experience. The NHRL with kids is awesome – they will love it and it’s a great family outing.

3 pound bots competing at the NHRL tournament in Norwalk, CT. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan
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Weekend in Philadelphia: A Few Things to do With the Kids

It’s nice to be able to travel again! We spent a weekend in Philadelphia. If you missed our series a while back about Philadelphia for families, check it out. There’s a lot you can cover in a day or two. Here are some ideas: Federal Donuts, the Constitution Museum, Reading Terminal Market, and the Museum of Illusions.

Federal Donuts

For weekend in Philadelphia breakfast, head to Federal Donuts. There are a bunch throughout the city.

Federal Donuts in Center City. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan
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What to Expect at the Harry Potter Store in NYC

The Harry Potter store opened in NYC in June, and I’m guessing it’s still as busy now as it was when it opened. We went last weekend (mid-December) on a Sunday, which is probably one of the busiest times we could have gone. To find out more about the virtual queue system, scroll to the bottom. Getting INTO the 21,000 foot store is an ordeal. What to Expect at the Harry Potter Store in NYC? Read on.

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Review: the QVC Tour

I have to admit, I’m not a home shopping on TV kind of gal, (or even home shopping on the internet person). Certainly I buy things online, but I rarely browse sites just to see what they’re selling, and if I’m going  to watch TV, it’s not going to be a shopping show.  While I’m not alone in that, I am in QVC’s demographic, of women 35-64, who are educated homeowners. BUT, I can’t resist a factory tour, and the QVC tour of the studio sounded like too much fun to pass up.

Inside the QVC studio. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

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Fossil Hunting With Kids at Big Brook

Did you know that October 12 is National Fossil Day? With a few days off this week, and fall break/teachers’ convention coming up next month, you may be looking for day trip ideas. Think about going fossil hunting in New Jersey! Turns out there are a couple of places that are easy to get to, where you can wade through streams looking for sharks’ teeth, oyster shells, squid fossils, and other items that are millions of years old. Even though you’re not by the ocean, this area was once covered in water.

Big Brook Preserve. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan
Big Brook Preserve. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

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Review: Camelback Ski Resort With Kids

Camelback Mountain

For some relatively local (to us) Pennsylvania skiing, we headed to Camelback Ski resort with kids this year. It’s funny to see the outdoor water park slides covered in snow, as this resort is also a summer destination.

Camelback is in the Poconos. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan
Camelback is in the Poconos. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

Given all the crazy weather this season, we were happy to see a solid base. Plus, they make snow, and we got to experience that ourselves, with snow machines at the base and on some of the slopes. I never realized how loud they are. It’s like going past a jet engine. After one run where about 6 of them were blowing in a row, we had to go in and take a break, as our faces were so cold from the blowing snow.

As for mountain stats: Continue reading “Review: Camelback Ski Resort With Kids”