Here are the quick reviews of several restaurants, situated in the Tacoma area.

Dolphin’s Seafood Restaurant

Dolphin Seafood restaurant offers classic broiled seafood, appetizers, including calamari appetizers, classic fried seafood, salads and steamed seafood. Here they also offer coupons and specials for dinner and lunch. Customers can order appetizer specials , beer and wines with full menu services from the lounge. There is also an option to held special events at the restaurant in the form of a Tea Party. Customers who are participating in the Tea Party can choose from a wide range of fruits, pastries and salads. Guests will also be able to choose between Green Teaand Black Tea.

Chloe, 22, who last visited Dolphin Seafood in November 2011, says:

«The asparagus I ordered was cooked perfectly, dilectable and crunch . For our special occasion, the restaurant provided us complimentary desserts – creme brulee and ice cream sundae. The waitstaff was the best that I have encountered in all the restaurant I’ve been to. We will certainly return to this restaurant again and again. And there is the great view too!»

Captain Marden’s Seafood Restaurant

This restaurant serves pies , soups, salads and seafood, which includes:

• salmon,
• lobsters,
• shrimp,
• oysters,
• caviar.

At this place they also provide their clients with flavored oils and dressings. In case if the customers want something that Captain Marden’s Seafood doesn’t serve already, they may suggest their ideas and wishes and receive a custom meal especially for them. Captain Marden’s Seafood restaurant is open every day of the week.

Tom, 29, who visited Captain Marden’s Seafood in February 2012, says:

«To be honest, I feel that this food court treats their customers better than the majority of restaraunts where I have been. It’s very friendly, sociable, courteous, and pretty accommodating. About the food… they serve very big portions and everything I had so far was really delicious. I enjoy healthy food, so it’s a bonus that for the fried foods, the chef uses soy oil, so you won’t get trans fats with your meal. In general, the meal price varies from nine to twelve dollars, which is not extremely cheap, but perfectly reasonable for the amount of food you het. I love to eat very mch, and I even get full dining here, so check it out….»

Legal Sea Foods Restaurant

Seafood Platter for One ($55) from Ocean Beach Hotel, Shellharbour NSW 2528 Australia (Photo credit: Vanessa Pike-Russell)

Guests who decide to visit Legal Sea Foods may eat their meals in the lounge or in the restaurant’s dining room. For the customers who want to order their food as a take away, Legal Sea Foods has a drive-through takeout window. The Legal Sea Foods restaurant menu consists of kid’s meals, desserts, dinners, lunchand take-out, and as a bonus they also have a gluten-free menu. There is also private dining available to people who want to host an event or celebrate a special occasion.

Joanna, 32, visited Legal Sea Foods in December 2011:

«What’s amazing is that I’ve never had a bad meal here and the staff has always been above reproach, which is very important when you want to introsuce your children to a new place. What mekes me feel appaled, though, is the people who come here to eat, dirty T-shirts and jeans, baseball hats and just plain slovenliness. Do these people ever look in the mirror or take a bath?

Naked Fish Restaurant

Another kid-friendly restaurant in Tacoma is the Naked Fish restaurant which serves dinner and lunch, and its meny includes gluten-free dinners and lunches. They also have a wine and cocktail menu here. People may host events and parties at the Naked Fish restaurant and the restaurant employees will take care of the details, which includes what music to play during the event and that the decorations will be here. Events and parties can be held in one of the restaurant’s private dining areas or function rooms.

Andrew and Nina, 40 and 26, who last visited Naked Fish restaurant  in March 2012:

«The last three times we have gone here, the proteins of one of our parties’ plates have been badly overcooked. It’s not an enjoyable experience to dine alone from the rest of your party because you’re waiting for your dish to be refired. Unfortunately, even though we love the concept and menu, the food here is going to keep us from returning. It’s really a shame.»

Another attraction of Tucson is the Pima Air and Space Museum, which features over 250 aircraft to check out up close even if you are not a bif fan of Aviation.  There are also the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame and a Titan Missile Museum on the premises.

Old Tucson Studios

These studios are a former Western movie set turned into theme park which includes plenty of family fun, cowboy gun battles, and a train ride.  The whole family will also enjoy the touring the spectacular caves at Karchner Caverns State Park immensely. A lot of other great national and state park areas dot the region. One of the interesting educational sites is the Biosphere II Center, which is a natural sciences research facility offering tours.

Tucson Children's Museum

The Tucson Children’s Museum is a breathtaking excursion for any family with one or more children. This museum provides a room especially for children under the age of four, as well as other fun exhibits, including play grocery store and a climbing wall.

Tucson has a considerably not big but  very nice zoo at Reid Park. The Reid Park Zoo has:

• otters,
• rhinos,
• polar bears,
• a walk-through aviary among other things.

Additionally to the zoo, this resort also has a playground, a small lake, an off-leash area for dogs, and a rose garden.

Tucson Balloon Rides Resort

A hot air balloon ride can be a spectacular way to see the Sonoran desert for anoutdoor adventure.  Tucson Balloon Rides is offering a special full-basket discounts and children’s rates to make it affordable for families with one or more children.

Dude Ranches Resorts

Especially in the area around Wickenburg, Tucson has long been a popular spot for dude ranches. Ranchos de los Caballeros is a low-key authentic “ranch resort” (i.e. in addition to horse-riding it has golf and spa), with sixty years of dude ranch tradition.

JW Marriott Starr Pass Tucson Resort and Spa

JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort

If your family chooses this resort, you’ll have the nurturing environment surrounding you in all it’s glory.

This resort has the unique desert panorama which is responsible for creating an astonishing place to stay during a vacation. To preserve this lush background, when Starr Pass opened in 2005, the resort donated more than one hundred acres of Sonoran desert to the Tucson Mountain Park, and not long ago it hasbeen increased it to three hundred and thirty acres preserved forever.

While staying in this resort you will explore a large amount of experiences they offer. Hashani Spa is offerring the relaxation and wellness experience to your stay. Starr Pass will allow you to truly escape into the Tucson Mountains with the unwinding evenings, active afternoons and quiet mornings.

The Westin La Paloma Resort and Spa

In the midst of this desert setting, this resort is like a lush oasis of activities, because it has twenty seven holes of championship golf in a rolling green landscape, a complex of five refreshing pools with more than one hundred and seventy foot waterslide, and an almost ten thousand square foot world-class spa.

Natural Wonders to See in Tucson

Petrified Forest National Monument has vast areas of petrified logs which once were living trees before the dinosaurs; and at the north of this forest you can see the Painted Desert.

Prescott National Forest is a great example of the Old West, and here you can see everything you ca imagine in such a place, including chaparral, desert grasslands, mountains, and sights like Horsethief Basin and Lonesome Pocket. There is even the giant saguaro cactus which also appeared regularly in old westerns, and can be seen at Saguaro National Monument.

Grand Canyon is one of the most famous places on America and a natural wonder, though it must be noted that it’s actually not as old comparing to the 225-million-year-old Petrified Forest.

In case if your child enjoys trains, the Grand Canyon Railway is offering a long historical train ride which starts in Williams with a Wild West show. At Christmas-time the Railway runs a Polar Express.

Washington State is famous for its rain and cloudy skies , but there is literally no need to wait for summer to take an amazing family vacation. From water play to snow sports, a lot of resorts around the state are offering a variety of fun winter activities for people of all ages and income levels.

The Pacific Coast of Washington state is offering panoramic views and tranquility of the rocky coastline and ocean. The area is becoming an increasingly popular travel destination thanks to its serene setting. Guests to Washington’s Pacific Coast enjoy many prime fishing spots, wildlife watching opportunities and miles of sandy beach. Popular coast towns are oftenly boasting kid-friendly resorts with comfortable accommodations for the perfect Washington Coast vacation

Whatcom and Bellingham County

Bellingham is one of those places where you can spend a month or a weekend, because there is always something to d here. Whatcom and Bellingham County are particularly rich in opportunities to enjoy the scenic outdoors, whether on a lake, a river, on a mountain, or a forest. You are going to be able to see wildlife of all kinds in numerous habitats, which is perfect for a family vacation. A large amount of the region’s parks provide a lot of opportunities for playing. Bellingham also has some of the tastiest food around and a great arts scene.

Johnston Ridge View of Mount St. Helens

A visit to Mount St. Helens is an amazing opportunity to experience the history of the state. You’ll learn about the 1981 eruption by visiting the four different visitor centers and taking interpretive hike. Plants, foresty, geology, and animalsare all covered in visitor center films and exhibits. You can stay a few days experiencing sites such as Windy Ridge overlooking Spirit Lake or the Ape Caves or you can just spend a day visiting the attractions along State 504. Located inside of Gifford Pinchot National Forest, mount St. Helens National Monument is  the place where you can enjoy such year-round recreation as berry picking, hiking, fishing, scenic backroad drives, camping, and waterfalls.

Riverfront Park in Spokane

Spokane is offering a year-round outdoor recreation, amazing parks, unique shopping opportunities, and very interesting museums to visit. Riverfront Park is packed with kid-friendly attractions and activities, which includes the Spokane Falls Skyride, the Looff Carousel, a tour train, and a humungous red wagon sculpture, which your children can climb on.

Families who are visiting Spokane also have easy access to Coeur d’Alene and Silverwood Theme Park.

Crystal Mountain Family Resort

Crystal Mountain Family Resort

One of the most popular snowboarding and skiing destination is Crystal Mountain, situated about half an hour ride east of Tacoma. Crystal Mountain is offering multi-week and lessons programs for children and adults, with free lift tickets for children under ten. There is even a all-ages class for 2- to 3-year-olds, as well as an adaptive program for people with sensory, developmental and physical disabilities. Crystal Mountain is also snowshoe tours  and guided mountain tours(age 11 and older) for the more adventurous. There are a variety of nearby accommodations and a number of on-site eateries.

Crystal Mountain, Inc.
33914 Crystal Mountain Blvd.
Enumclaw, WA 98022
(360) 663-2265
skicrystal.com

Great Wolf Lodge

You should pack up your swimsuit instead and head to the Great Wolf Lodge, just outside of Centralia, if snow sports are not your thing. The main attraction at this family resort is a gigantic indoor waterpark, where the room temperature is maintained at a toasty 84 degrees. Your family can enjoy the four-story interactive treehouse water fort, a six-story funnel and a raft waterslide  regardless of the chilly weather outside. You can stay in one of the camp-themed rooms and enjoy on-site restaurants, shopping, a fitness center  and an interactive arcade.

Great Wolf Lodge
20500 Old Highway 99, SW
Grand Mound, WA 98531
(800) 640-9653
greatwolf.com

With a fifty-year history that pre-dates Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm is a delightful hidden treasure. Surrounded by big trees in Buena Park, it includes a relaxed atmosphere and a good set of rides.

Knott's Berry Farm

Knott’s Berry Farm was founded in the twenties years of the previous century as a berry farm with a popular roadside stand, and since that time it has become the brand name of two separate entities:

• Jams, preserves and jellies manufacturer of food specialty products, which now is the part of The J. M. Smucker Company based in Placentia, California.
• Theme park in Buena Park, California, which is now owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company.

If you’re searching for unsuspecting starts for today’s major theme parks, you would have to travel to Buena Park, California and back to the 1920s, when the Knott family began making a profit off of boysenberries that they grew at a roadside stand and farming twenty acres of land. Mrs. Cordelia Knott in the year 1934  opened a fried chicken restaurant, and it began to attract the people.

In fact, it was such a large amount of people, that a bit later her husband Walter came up with the idea of constructing a ‘Ghost Town’ attraction, which had rides, and buildings relocated from actual ghost towns across the Southwest to entertain the restaurant’s crowds in forties.

Ghost Town theme park grew throughout the next twenty years, with the year 1968 bringing the official renaming of Ghost Town to Knott’s Berry Farm for the first time and an admission fee to the park. Knott’s brand of preserves and jams became nationally wide recognized, as the Knott’s Berry Farm itself. Theseventies  were years of major change for Knott’s, with the Berry Farm becoming an origin of a number of landmark rides, which would spark trends throughout the theme park industry.

Knott’s Berry Farm Infrastructure

Stores, shops and a restaurant were decorated and surrounded with minor curiosities and attractions until Walter Knott gradually created Ghost Town transforming separate utilities from a way-point thing to a Western themed destination in the forties. World class rides were then built, so the free entertainment cound(and did) drew crowds. Around the same place Disneyland complemented the theme park making Orange County a tourist destination to Los Angeles visitors.

The number of elaborate rides were included in new ‘lands’ grew, big name acts were featured in the immense John Wayne Theater, a fence was built and finally the admission charged. At the time when rides became the focus of the park, pay-one-price admission replaced per-ride tickets and coupon books. Knott’s Berry Farm still continues being competitive in the market with special events such as “Halloween Haunt” and new thrill rides availiable.

Knott’s Berry Farm Rides For All Ages

One of the main advantages to attending one of the less-popular theme parks in Southern California is the lines are surprisingly short and sometimes are even non-existent. This park, while being very popular, almost never feels overcrowded, and it’s very easy to stroll through its old-fashioned landscape. And  not only that, but Knott’s Berry Farm seems to be  trying harder to attract people – Since 1991, the park is offering free admission to veterans through the month of November, and other special events depending on the other holidays throughout the year.

This theme park has rides for the whole family, big kids, and even little kids. Camp Snoopy is aimed at young children, and is offering safe “miniature” rides, which are named after Peanuts characters. For older kids though, the park is offering a large variety of rides, including ten different roller coasters. At the same time the park includes several entertaining shows, which are quite fun for all ages. The “Mystery Lodge” is offering a touching story by a native American about hearing an owl call his name, and The “Calico Saloon Show” is featuring a funny story with western characters and old-time songs.

In 2007, Knott’s Berry Farm was about to be taken for a spin, quite literally speaking, with the addition of the Sierra Sidewinder. The ride, located at the entrance of the Camp Snoopy section,  is a family coaster, which spins riders around through speeds of thirty seven miles per hour and whizzes through 1,411 feet of steel. This ride was designed by Mack Rides and is the second spinning coaster ever made by the company after Europa Park’s famous Euro Mir roller coaster. The ride is also featuring a new style of spinning cars from the company and guarantees that there are no two dulicate rides.

If we talk about kid friendly cities of the USA, we should mention San Diego. The Wild Animal Park in San Diego is really worth seen. A popular sleepover program called “Roar & Snore” that helps make the southern California city one of the best places in America for a family vacation. You’ll find lots of interesting sights and activities in San Diego.There are several theme parks, unlimited outdoor sports, big league ball teams, Balboa Park with all its museums, and certainly a wonderful beach.

Orlando

You can also visit Orlando with its amusement parks or Washington, D.C. with all that civics and history, or New York with all the Big Apple.

Kid Friendly Places in Chicago

Park in Chicago

Another place to talk about is Chicago. There are no theme parks or world-famous landmarks, but though it can be called a kidfriendly city. Surely it depends on the interests of a certain of child, but for some children, that can appreciate world-class art, incredible architecture and iconic American sports team, Chicago is a good choice. The Art Institute, the Cubs at Wrigley, the Skywalk on the 94th floor of the John Hancock Building can also impress  the children.

You’ll see elevated trains, water taxis and more than a hundred miles of bike paths. The city’s tourist office has created a special interactive audio guide, which is called “Chicago for Kids”. It can be downloaded onto an iPod or similar device. And of course you’ll find lots of useful information there, that won’t let you be bored by Chicago. Las Vegas is often called “Disneyland for adults”.

However there is no end of activities, provided for kids and family. So if you plan to stay in Las Vegas for a couple of days, then first you should have the sheer wonder of just wandering around the Strip. There also are the gardens at the Flamingo, the Fountains at Ballagio, and the high-flying Circus acts at Circus Circus. Don’t miss a chance to visit M&M’s World at the Showcase Mall, Mount Charleston, the MGM Grand Lion Habitat and the Secret Garden And Dolphin Habitat at the Mirage. Besides there is a fun children’s park at Town Square.

Destin

If you dream about white sandy beaches and emerald green water, then the Destin is your destination.  It’s a quiet, family-oriented community. So you can enjoy a relaxing time building sandcastles and splashing in the emerald green surf.

Clearwater

White beaches and clear gulf water gave the name for this place. Your kids will have a chance to to sail on a real pirate ship aboard Captain Memo’s Pirate Cruise here. A relaxing family beach vacation in Clearwater can be  also filled with theme park fun.  Busch Gardens Adventure Park is just across the bay in Tampa, and all the theme park thrills of Orlando are only 2-1/2 hours away.

Siesta Key

Siesta Key is located in kid-friendly Sarasota, Florida. It’s “whitest and finest sand in the world”  is extremely popular. It is made of 99% quartz and is cool on little feet no matter what the air temperature. This sand is great for making sand castles.  With it’s year round lifeguard protection and shallow water, it’s one of the safest beaches for small children.  Nearby Marina Jacks, a playground with splash fountains,  along with O’leary’s Tiki Bar & Grill, and water sport rentals.  

Daytona

Actually Daytona is great place for a spending a vacation with tweens and teens.  Lots of activity going on here right at the beach.  The boardwalk is fun for all ages with shops, arcades and amusements on a pier that stretches out into the ocean. Cars are allowed to drive on the beach for a fee. Besides surfing is very popular here.

Sanibel, Captiva

Casa Ybel Resort lies off the mainstream path along the shell-studded natural beaches of Florida’s Sanibel Island. In fact, the beach is literally covered in shells. So if you want to add a perfect shell to your collection then this place is the best place for you. While in operation since the turn of the century, a modern and renovated Casa Ybel offers adults a place to “get away from it all”. And for the kids plenty of adventure is offered. Actually the Casa Kids Club is ready to welcome the kids whose ages are from 4 to 11. The three-hour daily program consists of indoor and outdoor games and the variety of craft projects. Swimming and other activities are sometimes available. But it depends on the ages and abilities of the children in attendance on any given day.

Cheeca Lodge – Islamorada

Islamorada offers luxury accommodations and plenty of activities for every age. This place provides your kids with a half day of fun activities that include fishing off Cheeca’s pier, arts and crafts, lagoon swimming and snorkeling, scavenger hunts, hermit crab races, sand sculptures and beach exploration. All these funny activities are avaliable for children ages 5 and up.

All these people want to find that will allow to work on a reduced schedule. Also many employees want to establish a balance so they can enjoy their leisure time as well. So whether you want to spend more time with a your young children, take care of a sick parent, or pleasant leasure time, you should find a company that respects your priorities.

Family Friendly Company

Let’s talk about what the family friendly company actually is. In simple words, it is an organization that helps its employees to manage the demands of both work and home.

We offer you some questions that you can ask during the interview.

1. First of all, ask what health benefits are offered.

· Does the company offer medical, dental and vision benefits?

· What about wellness? A small company may not be able to afford to build a state of the art fitness facility on its premises, but it probably can offer a YMCA membership.

· Are there any childcare resources?

· What about elder care?

If the company offers you all these benefits, then it is an indication that the company recognizes that you’ve got other concerns, and really wants to help you.
2. Then make that there are flexible schedules offered and used in the company you are going to choose. Look for telecommuting, flex time, job sharing or compressed workweeks. This is a tricky one, because while companies may offer these benefits, the culture may still be one where no one dares to use them. So again, I want to underline that you should make sure that they are really used. Ask, please, by how many people they are used? And in what positions?
3. Ask, whether the company offers individual solutions or not. Consistently working with employees to find solutions that address individual issues is an excellent sign of a family friendly company.
4. It is important to know is the culture results oriented. Is the emphasis on results or on time spent in the office?
5. And the last but not the list is the question: can your career still advance?

Before starting working, it is important to know, if you begin a flexible work schedule, can you still progress up the ladder at the same pace as someone who works a traditional schedule.

So try to observe all these five areas of what a company says it offers, really offers and what happens to employees who accept those offers carefully. Then you can get quite a good idea if a company will truly value you and your work life balance.

Let’s talk about it in this article. Surely if you are going on vacation with your family, hotels will play an important part in your trip. Usually family hotels have such amenities as pools, organized activities, babysitter services and restaurants in hotel, game room, kids stay free, kids eat free, play area or playground and arcade. Here’s a five-point guide to a great hotel experience for modern families.

The kid friendly hotels usually  have plenty of safe, spacious grounds where children can let their imaginations run wild as they let off steam before or after a long journey. No doubt that kids of all ages love interesting places. So in the kid friendly hotels you’ll find acres of grounds to explore. There can be such exaciting features as a labyrinth or a stone circle or two.

Kids Friendly Lodging

Nowadays kid friendly hotels are ready to offer you interconnected rooms. So staying in this hotel will be comfortable for children with privacy for adults. So parents and kids can have their own space. It’s convenient for both children and parents – children feel safe with adults close at hand.

When you’re planning your family friendly hotel accommodation, make sure the hotel has onsite facilities for delicious refreshments around the clock. While exploring lots of exciting grounds on the hotel’s territory, children often need a snack. And parents will also appreciate the opportunity to unwind with a drink and a bite to eat.

In most modern hotels child friendly staff make all the family welcome. Around the hotel grounds, at mealtimes or when your kids have special needs, child friendly staff make the difference between simple accommodation and a holiday experience that children will remember for a lifetime.

And the last but of course not the least is the internet connection for older children. Keep in mind that most teenagers will be keen to keep in touch with their friends even while they’re on holiday. Today the majority of family friendly can provide an access to their favourite social networking or entertainment websites.

First of all it’s a good idea to upgrade your computer  in order to suit the computing ability of your children followed by suggested kid computer game tips.
Then you’d better equip your computer with a cute mouse. While a regular mouse will work with your children, a specialized smaller mouse will help them navigate through your PC better.

Kids Friendly Games

Some words about video time. Of course it is good when the child’s screen time is monitored. Usually the pediatritions recommend not more than two hours of video time including TV time.

Here are the games that children like most:

• Nintendo Kids Games – List of Most Popular Nintendo Games for Kids
• IncrediBubble – colored cube puzzles.
• BabyKeys – designed to satisfy the curiosity of children age’s 6 months through 3 years.
• Origami Master – a magic paper art for children.
• Creative Painter – a magic drawing software.
• GameCube Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix
• Nintendo DS Advance Wars: Dual Strike
• Super Mario Strikers  - it brings a lot of pure fun back to sports games. Especially it’s recommended for soccer fans.
• Mario Kart DS
• Mario Tennis: Power Tour  – it’s really good if you can’t get out and actually play tennis.
• Fox Jones: The Treasures of El Dorado – development of the Bombermann and Eric and Floaters games.
• Foosball Play – play Table Football against the computer or against up to 8 people on a network.
• Gutterball Game – a 3D bowling game. Realistic, fun and attitude filled fast paced game.
• Flip Words You’ll flip over our new word game: Gets the child flipping words and solving familiar phrases.
• Best Friends – Guide Petey and Patty through the jungle world, ice world and dream world.
• Spelvin – A spelling game for kids that will take him to a land of glitter and lights.
• BattlePets: The kid will have fun in catching training and battling against little creatures.

Surely you can find hundreds of games in the internet if you want to.

And sometimes, the menu is such that the kids would definitely not enjoy their meal either. Finding a restaurant where you can take your kids for a lunch or a dinner is not an easy job to do.

So instead of spending your dinner with your hand awkwardly covering your little darling’s mouth, or disciplining him in the stall of a bathroom, take the kids to a restaurant where they’re simply allowed to be a kid.

Of course when the baby is in the infant carrier during first 4-5 months  you can pretty much go anywhere. It’s not a problem for you. The baby is like luggage. But as the time pass, and your child is 1 or 2 years old, it can get realy difficult spending time in the adult-oriented restaurant.

So let’s enumirate what kid-friendly restaurants can provide you with.

First of all there is kid’s friendly menu. Food is  prepared especially for children, it contains less salt and no spices.

Kid Friendly Restaurants

In many restaurants the kid’s menu is free when an adult is having an entree. The majority of restaurants have quite a great menu and they keep allergies in mind. All you need to do is request that they make your dish without gluten, dairy, meat or nuts, and they will make sure that your request be fulfilled.

In the kids friendly restaurant you can find small chairs and nappies changing tables at the WCs. Non-smoking environment is also very important. And of course it is convenient if it is possible it is possible to get inside with a carriage.

Another  very important thing is an entartainment for your kids. Family friendly restaurants are ready to offer your children baby-corners which usually are full of  books with colouring pages, games, toys, and building blocks. There can be even a garden with sandpit.

Parents can sure have a relaxed evening at this restaurant, where mainly families come for their meals. These places are always packed with families and young children. So your kids will have a great time making new friends.

Nobody can deny that you feel less stressed when you know your kids are not disturbing other people. Remember – when you’re comfortable, the baby’s comfortable!