Traveling with a Tot

As you may have noticed my absence, my husband and I decided to do the unthinkable: travel with the baby.  If you haven't taken a road trip with a 6 month old, don't leave without a plan of action.  No baby wants to be in a car seat for over three hours.  And no adult wants to be in a car with a baby who has been in a car seat for over three hours! 

Since we were going to Virginia (4 hours without traffic), we needed a halfway pit stop.  That landed us in Baltimore, Maryland, which is surprisingly kid friendly.  After a little research, I found Port Discovery, one of the nation's top five children's museums in the heart of Baltimore.  We were particularly attracted to the museum's "Tot Trails," an entire floor dedicated to activities and toys for newborns and infants.  What better place to let the baby get a much needed stretch from the car? 

Despite the sticker shock of a $13/per person entrance fee, it was well worth the visit.  Tot trail had a giant cushioned tumble area decorated like the sea with plenty of toy fish to play with.  There was also an indoor sandbox, a "butterfly" catching station, a reading area with plenty of good children books, a fish tank for kids to view, and a "mountain trail" for toddlers to climb.  The best perk was a family restroom with changing table. 

We spent a good hour and a half with the baby well entertained, but all good things must come to an end.  If I lived in Baltimore, I would be a member of this incredible children's museum.  It was a young kid's dream come true for unlimited fun.  We saw a three story tree house, "tiny diner" (where kids make parents a meal, a kid run "grocery store" complete with plastic groceries, cash registers, and even an "ATM machine."  I never saw a kid without a smile in Port Discovery, and that's saying something! 

The only bummer about the place was that there wasn't a real cafeteria, only vending machines.  For the health-conscious parent, there were sugar free juices available....but it was hardly enough to satiate an appetite built from all that playing.  I'd pack a lunch to bring along if you ever made it there.

The experience at Port Discovery made me want to check out other children's museums, but more importantly made me question why Phoenixville or the surrounding area doesn't have one of our own?  The closest children's museums are the "Please Touch Museum" in Philadelphia and the "Hands on House" in Lancaster, both of which I'll be touring in the future.  I think we could, and should, get a children's museums in the works for the kids in Chester county.  We certainly need one!