My son and I just finished reading Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I was amazed at how quickly a kid can zip through a book when it's all about chocolate! We were excited to attend the Stage Right's new production of Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka, performed weekends through July 22 at Crighton Theatre in Conroe. The musical combines the classic story from the book and favorite songs and dialogue from the 1971 film Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory with a few new songs and scenes sprinkled in.
Editor Reviews
My son and I just finished reading Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I was amazed at how quickly a kid can zip through a book when it's all about chocolate! We were excited to attend the Stage Right's new production of Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka, performed weekends through July 22 at Crighton Theatre in Conroe. The musical combines the classic story from the book and favorite songs and dialogue from the 1971 film Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory with a few new songs and scenes sprinkled in.
BY:
Karen Logan
Congratulations! You’ve made it to the end of the school year! Packed lunches, homework nights, parent-teacher conferences, book fairs, school zones, standardized tests… it all comes to an end on May 31, the last day of school for The Woodlands area! We figured you’d be needing a break, so we set off to create the perfect antidote for your busy, stressful, hurried life!
Surprise! We found an amazingly relaxing escape for our readers, and it’s right here in our backyard. Read on to learn how to “get away” for the weekend and return home after a night or two, ready to tackle the summer break. It’s only minutes away from your humble abode, but it has all the ingredients to help you get your groove back.
The Lodging – Embassy Suites Hotel
BY:
Karen Logan
If you're like me, the next best thing to being home is being somewhere within a 5-mile radius of home! But I have to admit, at times I find it relaxing to just get in the car and drive for a while. (And by "drive," I do mean sit back and read Facebook updates on my phone while my husband drives.) In any case, the next time you get a hankering for a bit of fun-in-the-sun thrills, make your way down Interstate 45 to Kemah Boardwalk, a recent Local's Choice Award Winner for Best Attraction and Best Place to Take a Visitor.
Our recent springtime visit was a delight for all six of my family members; and now that summer is here, the Boardwalk is even more exciting with fireworks, live music nights, special discounts, and more. I just really love the feel of this place. It's energetic and lively and somewhat nostalgic, and so much fun!
Here are a few highlights from my recent visit:
BY:
Karen Logan
The Crayola Experience is an exuberant, color-crazy adventure! It wasn't too long ago that Keri gave us a look at Crayola Orlando, and now it's Karen here - checking out the newest (much closer) Crayola, the fourth location for this popular attraction. Crayola Experience Plano, Texas' most colorful family destination, opened at The Shops at Willow Bend (6121 W. Park Blvd.) last month, and this place is rocking! If your family enjoys making the occasional drive to the Dallas Metroplex, you'll be happy to have one more family-friendly attraction to add to your list when visiting the area.
I love, love, love sushi. Before we had kids, my husband and I used to frequent Chi Japanese Cuisine in Oak Ridge North quite a bit. They have huge rounded banquettes that make for fun, intimate seating for a date night. Now many years later with plenty of kids in tow, we rarely get out for sushi, let alone a date night! I've driven by the location a few times recently and noticed that they now advertise themselves as an all you can eat restaurant. On a recent date night we decided to give Chi a fresh try. Unlike a buffet, Chi has guests order anything they want from a specific All You Can Eat menu that includes soup, salad, appetizers, sashimi, nigiri, cooked and raw rolls, fried rice, udon, hibachi items and dessert. If you're out with sushi-phobic friends, there's plenty of choices to keep them happy.
BY:
Karen Logan
The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is a smooth four hour drive north of The Woodlands and offers plenty of options for family fun, perfect for an extended weekend getaway.
One of my absolute favorite attractions is contained within the grounds of the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. The expansive Rory Meyers Children's Adventure Garden is a beautifully designed garden with interactive exhibits for kids.
BY:
Karen Logan
Our Orlando trip was quite flexible and I was eager to visit Orlando Science Center, a favorite of our friends that live nearby. I knew the museum had exhibits for preschoolers but I wasn't so sure what to expect. Boy was I ever surprised! Imagine a science museum virtually ENTIRELY for kids! It was just our luck that we visited on the first day back to school from winter break for Orange County schools, so we had a lot of the museum to ourselves with mainly preschoolers, no tourist hordes and no field trips.
I have a few friends that live in Orlando and an attraction I constantly see them visiting is Crayola Experience Orlando, located at The Florida Mall. I was excited to visit during our trip and little did I know that we'd spend over 4 hours exploring and creating (and that we could have easily spent a few hours more!).
BY:
Karen Logan
On a day of rest during our week-long Orlando trip, I mentioned to my oldest son that we had a special dinner planned. "Donuts?! I really hope it's donuts," was his response. Imagine his surprise when we approached a medieval castle! Our family was about to enter the Middle Ages to dine like kings and queens while cheering on knights at Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament.
My kids were thrilled to learn they'd be visiting LEGOLAND Florida on our trip to Orlando. They've been reading about the park in the free LEGO Life magazine and had a taste of what might be in store at a 2016 visit to LEGOLAND Discovery Center in Grapevine. I planned our day in the park a bit blindly. I found the online map and website a little overwhelming, so I asked a friend who had visited what her must-do rides were and then read a few reviews online to direct our day. We had a late start and arrived around noon. We were a bit confused by a relatively empty parking lot and when paying for parking I asked the attendant how busy the day was. I was through the moon when he replied " Slow! " Even two hours after opening, we got great parking near the entrance, had no lines at the gates and then just had to navigate to the nearest ride.
