CENTRAL MIDWEST Family planner

Squeals of delight, giggles of nervous excitement, awe- MISNOMER filled stares? Just imagine Experience hours the kids’ reaction when you of splashing, sliding and swimming fun pull up in front of a giant at the Still Waters . Or stop at a quirky Resort in Branson, malt shop for a sweet treat. . Or finally get close to a real dinosaur skeleton. Family vacations don’t have to be exotic to be a whole lot of fun. background Some activities are as much fun for adults as they are for kids: Learning about exotic animals, watching a baseball game, playing with craft supplies or eating a meal that’s as messy as it is delicious. City offers ageless entertainment options at every turn, ensuring a thrilling getaway for the whole family (800/767-7700; visitkc.com). itinerary Kansas City Skyline

CENTRAL MIDWEST

D A Y City Zoo houses more than 1,000 animals, including elephants, giraffes, polar bears and chimpanzees. Every trip to Kansas City Kansas City must include barbecue, and luckily, there are many tasty options. Gates Bar-B-Q, with Get your creative juices1 flowing at six locations around the metro, is known for Kaleidoscope’s family art sessions in its zesty sauces; the two Arthur Bryant’s Hallmark’s Crown Center headquarters. Kids Barbecue locations serve especially tasty (and their adults) create art at stations using burnt ends. For a comfortable, kid-friendly getaway leftover card supplies, crayons, markers and hotel, the Holiday Inn Southeast is ideal: other free crafting supplies. No reservations its CoCo Key Water Resort will keep little necessary; check the online schedule at ones (and perhaps big ones, too) plenty hallmarkkaleidoscope.com. The Kansas entertained, and kids eat free.

D A Y starting at $8. At Union Station, stunning Beaux Arts architecture captures the bygone PLAY TIME A romance of riding the rails. Kids, however, seemingly endless are more apt to love the station’s hands-on supply of craft Science City, where they can walk through materials awaits a cloud, play on an interactive floor to make kids at Open-air Kauffman2 Stadium finished a DNA or learn about water conservation. Just Kaleidoscope, at renovation in 2009, giving the 42-year-old north of Union Station, River Market offers Hallmark’s stadium a more modern feel. It’s a fun place plenty of ethnic restaurants and a bustling headquarters in to watch the Royals play ball and catch some weekend farmers market, for any number of Kansas City. sun. And it’s affordable, with cheap seats interesting and inventive snacks. Adventureland Just The Depot Renaissance outside Des Moines, a Minneapolis Hotel A good family-friendly amusement choice for families who park features three roller­ want to stay downtown, coasters and a water park this hotel and indoor water (800/532-1286; adventure- park is close to the Mill City landpark.com). Museum and features a 5 4 skating rink in the winter Places Family- (612/375-1700; thedepot- Kalahari Resort An indoor- outdoor water park, indoor minneapolis.com). to splash theme park and bowling friendly thrill kids in Dells (877/525-2427; around ­kalahariresorts.com/wi). stays MILLENNIUM PARK The zero-depth, black granite Crown Fountain stays cool even on hot days, perfect for the littlest tykes to play in. Tall towers at either end of the Chicago fountain

(in Millennium Rainbow4 Ridge Farms Park) sometimes Bed and Breakfast Goats, shoot water Water Park of America sheep, pigs and ducks, straight out This indoor water park plus a go-ahead-and-get- (312/742-1168; destination, featuring dirty attitude, make this millenniumpark a and lazy Onalaska, Wisconsin, B&B .org). river, slides and a surf (near La Crosse) a perfect fit simulator—all - for families (608/783-8181; theme—is in the Radisson rainbowridgefarms.com).­ Hotel Bloomington by Mall of America (800/333-3333;­ Grand Harbor Resort and waterparkofamerica.com). Waterpark This seven- story hotel and indoor Citygarden A free water park (featuring a ­interactive mecca of tree house and lazy river) sculpture, fountains and stands on the Mississippi greenery claims a slice of STILL WATERS riverfront in Dubuque, St. Louis’ downtown. Visitors RESORT A (866/690-4006; are welcome to play in the marina and grandharborresort.com).­ fountains and climb on the easy access to sculptures (314/241-3337; Silver Dollar City citygardenstl.org). attract families and boaters to a Branson, Missouri, condo- lodge resort (800/777-2320; stillwatersresort .com). Schopf’s Hilltop Dairy Between the homemade ice cream and the corn maze, there’s plenty for the family to do at this Door County, Wisconsin, dairy and dessert shop (920/743- 9779; dairyview.com).

Crown Candy Kitchen 3Ice cream Opened in 1913, this family- Science2 1Mother- owned St. Louis soda fountain and candy store stops serves up old-fashioned museums daughter malts, cones and sundaes. Try the Johnny Rabbit Special: a banana malt with date whipped cream, nuts and nutmeg (314/621-9650; American Girl Place This destination crowncandykitchen.net) . for young girls and their moms anchors Water Tower Place along Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. Shoppers will find plenty of historical-themed dolls and clothing, plus a great cafe to share lunch or tea (877/247- 5223; americangirl.com).

Science Museum of Field4 Museum Sue, the Minnesota The Human largest T. rex skeleton ever Body gallery features the discovered, stands in this Cell Lab, where kids can expansive Chicago museum, perform guided experi- along with several other ments, including extracting dino skeletons. Evolution, wheat germ DNA. Other plants of the world and exhibits in the Saint Paul gemstone exhibits fill a day museum cover mathematics (312/922-9410; and paleontology (651/221- fieldmuseum.org). 9444; smm.org).

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