Jennifer Albaeck

For the past thirty years, the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, has been educating visitors about the American Civil Rights Movement. On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated while speaking with colleagues on the balcony of his hotel room at the Lorraine Motel. James Earl Ray killed Martin Luther King with a single rifle shot from the bathroom window (the window on the far right) of a rooming house across the street from where King was staying. While I think that our kids had a relatively good understanding of the civil rights movement both from school and from being exposed to it at home (we do like our documentaries and American history!), this museum brought it to life and showcased the cruel injustices in American history in a way that they had never seen before.

With all of my kids, it was easy to find engaging books or ones that interested them when they were early readers, and it’s been easy to find ones at a high school reading level. However, the tween years proved to be tough – too old for the cartoony books of youth and too young for most young adult/adult literature. But Explorer Academy from National Geographic Kids totally changed that! And kids will love the codebreaking challenges, future tech, and problem-solving included in each book.

Paddlefish is conveniently docked at The Landing at Disney Springs – and given that it’s shaped like a modern steamboat, there’s no missing the restaurant. In addition to having a variety of entree choices ranging from typical chicken fingers and burgers to filet and crab, kids also get a pack of Wikki Stix to play with while they wait. Like most restaurants we’ve encountered on Disney property, Paddlefish did a great job following the new COVID protocols. * Reservations are highly recommended- you can make them online through My Disney Experience or on OpenTable * Pricing is $15 to $34.99 per adult * Located at The Landing in Disney Springs

You can explore the estate grounds before and after your timed house tour reservation, so we recommend getting there early. The tour is engaging and informative, and there’s even a special audio tour for kids, narrated by the Vanderbilt’s dog, Cedric. In addition to the self-guided house tour and audio tour, Biltmore also offers guided tours. Antler Hill Village, a five-mile drive from the Biltmore House parking lot, connects the past with the present and is where you’ll find much of the dining and shopping on the estate.