The SC State Museum is not only huge but so entertaining, educational, and fun! Here’s why you should consider a trip to Columbia, SC to explore it.
The South Carolina State Museum has been on my list as a homeschooling parent (actually, before that since my daughter was supposed to go as a third-grader and then the pandemic hit). I had heard it was cool but did not know the extent of exactly how amazing it would be. So I hauled my kids out there for a truly fun day trip.
(more…)Do you have an old car seat to trade in? If you’ve got an old car seat around collecting dust, you can participate in the Target car seat trade-in or Wal-Mart car seat trade-in. All you have to do is trade it in, and the respective store will give you coupons or gift cards. Read on to learn how these programs work. The next Target car-seat trade-in event is coming up April 2024.
Have you visited Cottle Strawberry Farm for strawberry picking? Columbia, SC has one of the largest strawberry patches located on a beautiful, huge farm where strawberries are plentiful. Plus, it is such a memorable springtime experience to visit a strawberry farm. Columbia, SC’s Cottle Strawberry Farm offers both u-pick and prepicked strawberries, plus lots of NEW activities for the 2024 season!
The first thing I noticed when pulling into Cottle Strawberry Farm outside Columbia, SC was the rows upon rows upon rows of strawberries. The place is huge and the berries are juicy, sweet, and delicious.
Cottle Strawberry Farm is run by Ms. Joy Cottle, and the family has been farming the land for about 50 years. They have two strawberry picking locations, one in Hopkins, SC, and the other in Florence, SC. We went to the one in Hopkins, right outside Columbia.
They host field trips and, of course, families and others who want to get outside and pick their own berries. Only school groups need to make reservations, and like we always suggest, it’s good to call ahead before you go since the weather is a constant variable for u-pick farms.
Besides picking your own strawberries, the farm offers locally made strawberry bread, local honey, tomatoes, jams, and salsas. The farm has multiple roadside stands (addresses are listed below) and sells their berries and local goods at farmers’ markets in the area.
Like some other farms, they have cute, painted boards to measure how tall your kids are every year and take photos with cut-out heads in painted scenes on boards. They have lots of new things that they have added for this coming 2024 season as well.
The farm offers two sizes for upick strawberry picking – a quart ($5) and a gallon ($17). They will give you directions on parts of the strawberry patch that are good for picking. Then head out and get those berries. It’s always a good idea to wear closed-toed shoes when strawberry picking due to ants, other insects, and mud. And a hat, sunscreen, and water are also great things to have with you, especially as the weather heats up.
It only took us about 30 minutes to fill up two gallons, so the berries are plentiful, to say the least. There is a lot of space to spread out so even if you are there when a field trip or two are present, you won’t feel crowded.
Check back soon for Cottle Strawberry Farm u-pick opening date for the 2024 season. They are usually open Monday – Saturday 8 am – 7 pm and Sunday 10 am – 6 pm, but remember this can change due to conditions in the field. We will update further as
You pick berries are $5/quart and $17/gallon. Berries picked by the farm are $6/quart, $14/half gallon, and $20/gallon. We pick berries are available at select stands beginning in mid-March.
Cottle Strawberry Farms has two locations:
They post regularly on the Cottle Strawberry Farm Facebook with the latest updates regarding hours and berries available. Also, be sure to get the stamp from the farm if you are working your way through the SC Agritourism Passport!
Roadside stands are located at:
Is there such a thing as too many strawberries?
Spring Has Sprung!
Springtime Things to Do Columbia, SC
Thinking about making a trip to Charleston, SC to visit the South Carolina Aquarium? We were able to experience all the SC Aquarium has to offer and we’re ready to share it with you! If you’re looking for South Carolina Aquarium reviews or information on how to plan your visit, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve got all the info you need to plan your trip and have a blast with your family at the aquarium.
A visit to the aquarium is a fabulous day trip or an awesome part of an educational trip to Charleston.
Thank you to the South Carolina Aquarium for providing media tickets for our review. All opinions are genuine and those of our team member.
In 2019, the SC Aquarium was one of ten recipients of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the highest honor for an aquarium to receive. They received it “not for having a massive living collection of exotic species from around the world, but for keeping its collection’s focus local.” This focus is entirely evident as soon as you step foot into the Aquarium.
If someone asked me what the focus of the Aquarium is, I’d tell them conservation and education. It is easy to see how dedicated this nonprofit is to educating the public on the local species right there in Charleston and throughout the state as well as ways to conserve the beautiful animals you’ll see.
My favorite parts of the Aquarium were the two interactive talks given by the volunteers and staff at the Aquarium, which I’ll tell you about shortly. When you visit the beautiful Aquarium, you will no doubt walk away with a greater appreciation for the different climates and environments of South Carolina as well as the incredible work being done by the Aquarium in areas of conservation and the treatment and rehabilitation of sea turtles.
The South Carolina Aquarium is the perfect sized-aquarium for really getting to understand the different exhibits and spending time learning about sharks, stingrays, sea turtles, river otters, and even the resident bald eagle, Liberty. My daughters and I took our time going through the exhibits and attending the two educational talks and in total, spent about two hours there. We probably could have stayed longer if we had a snack at the Sea Turtle Snack Bar or fed the stingrays!
There are two public floors to the aquarium: the first floor houses the sea turtle hospital, the stingray touch tank, the gorgeous balcony overlooking the USS Yorktown and the Ravenel Bridge, and the bottom level of the Great Ocean Tank. The upper level has the kids play area, the salt marsh exhibit, the jelly fish, the mountains to Piedmont exhibits, and the upper viewing area of the giant tank.
There are many hands-on exhibits all throughout the Aquarium, which really any kid will find entertaining and fun. When you enter the Aquarium, you can scan the QR code located at the visitor stand or if you would prefer to print out a copy for your visit, here is a map of the South Carolina Aquarium Exhibits.
At the advice of the Aquarium’s public relations staff member, we timed our visit so we could see the Dive Into the G.O.T and Turtle Talk programs.
The Dive Into the G.O.T. was phenomenal! The G.O.T. stands for the Great Ocean Tank, which holds more than 350,000 gallons of water and is 42 feet deep. There is a diver inside the tank who does a question-and-answer session with an Aquarium staff member and then takes questions from the audience.
We learned all kinds of cool things about how the volunteers and staff feed the animals in the tank, how they clean the tank, and ways to practice conservation on our own. The Turtle Talk was also amazing. The sea turtle care center is really neat and an active place where the sea turtles are taken when they are stranded or injured. Many are cared for and rehabilitated and then released back into the wild.
There are also animal encounters throughout the day. We saw a couple of volunteers and staff offering guests the opportunity to pet a snake. My kids passed on that one unfortunately.
The staff we met were all so, so kind and helpful. They all seemed to really love their jobs and were happy to be working at the Aquarium. The passion they had for the animals and education about them was easy to see.
Also, to add on some more educational fun to your visit, consider doing one of these onsite activities at the Aquarium, which include scavenger hunts, discovery bins, and deeper dives into the exhibits that are grade-level appropriate – looking at you, homeschoolers.
I personally think stingrays are pretty cool and just beautiful to watch, although I’m terrified of accidentally stepping on one while wading on the shore. Yet, seeing them up close and learning about them is fascinating. All of the times I’ve ever seen them in touch tanks and aquariums, they have been very playful and fun.
The ones at the SC Aquarium are no different. They have a huge tank to swim and play that overlooks the Charleston Harbor and it’s just gorgeous. The stingrays will come right up to the edge of the tank like puppies and basically beg for pets. It’s really adorable. They are a little slimy but once I got over that, I was all about it.
You can feed the ocean puppies for $5. I didn’t do that but I saw others who did and they looked like they were really enjoying the experience.
I was really excited to see that the Aquarium has something called “The Trading Post”. If you’re familiar with the Nature Exchange at all at the Roper Mountain Science Center, this is a similar concept. You can bring in up to two natural items found in nature and earn points, which are redeemable for other cool things that the Aquarium has like shark teeth and pretty shells.
There are a few items that the Trading Post will not accept. This includes bird items (nest, egg, feathers), live animals, sea turtle bones, or anything else from an endangered species.
A great opportunity to find shells and fossils can be found with the Sandlapper Water Tours that launch right around the corner at the maritime center. You can go on a morning eco-tour and then head to the aquarium.
The Aquarium is located just minutes from downtown Charleston and right next to one of the places you can take a boat tour to Fort Sumter. The view from the deck is worth the experience alone!
You can purchase tickets in advance using the Aquarium’s dynamic ticketing system. Admission is determined by day of the week, school calendars, local events, weather, and holidays. You can see what the prices are for different days and purchase up to 60 days in advance.
There is an on-site gift shop as well as a snack bar, which is open 11 am – 3 pm daily. Parking is easy at the nearby Aquarium parking garage, which is $2/hour.
The Aquarium is open daily 9 am – last ticket sold at 3:30 pm and the building closes at 5 pm
Closed Thanksgiving Day & Christmas Day, closes at 1 pm on Christmas Eve.
South Carolina Aquarium
100 Aquarium Wharf, Charleston
843.577.FISH (3474)
Concerned about the human trafficking stories you see in the news and on social media? We were too. KAG Contributor, Kristina Hernandez, visited with SWITCH, a nonprofit dedicated to helping victims of human trafficking and educating parents on how to protect their kids. She interviewed Jesslyn Griffith, the former Community Engagement Coordinator at SWITCH, and is bringing us tips for keeping our kids safe.
Maybe it’s because I’m a paranoid parent or because my work involves following the news – which is almost always bad – or maybe just because I watched Taken too many times, but sex trafficking is something that is consistently on my mind as I raise my two daughters. The fact that Greenville County leads the state in human trafficking cases has not escaped my notice either.
So I have a lot of questions, as I’m sure most parents around here do, about trafficking and I want – no, I need – answers. What is considered by law sex trafficking? What can I possibly do to shield my kids from being victims? What do I need to know about trafficking in Greenville and what do I need to watch for? Are my kids at risk of being snatched by traffickers in WalMart or someplace public?
Thankfully there is a nonprofit, SWITCH, in Greenville that works with the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office to not only help victims of trafficking recover, but also acts as an organization that educates the public, works to decrease demand, and intervenes to help women get out of trafficking and counsel them in recovery. Since their inception of the restoration program in 2014, SWITCH has helped over 115 victims of trafficking,
Jesslyn Griffith, the former Community Engagement Coordinator at SWITCH, became my new friend when it came to learning everything I needed to know about sex trafficking here in Greenville. She answered all my questions patiently and thoroughly, which are below. You can watch our Facebook Live interview with Jesslyn below because you cannot have enough information when it comes to protecting your children.
If you have questions you want answered that we didn’t ask, send us an email or message us on Facebook!
Kidding Around Greenville (KAG): What is the actual definition of sex trafficking?
SWITCH: Sex trafficking takes place when force, fraud or coercion is used to induce someone into the commercial sex industry, or when a person 18 yrs or younger is involved in the commercial sex industry.
KAG: What are the biggest misconceptions about human trafficking?
SWITCH: Trafficking looks different internationally than it does in the U.S. and it looks different within different parts of the U.S. Because we often think it happens like it does in the movie Taken and involves international kidnappings, chains, and dark basements, we miss it.
It’s such an unseen enemy because it involves psychological chains of force, fraud and coercion. A person can be living at home with their parents but being sold by peers on the weekend. So many victims don’t even self-identify because they aren’t in chains. Also, part of training for traffickers is to try to convince the victim it was their idea or choice. A young person who runs away and ends up being trafficked for a place to sleep may think it’s their fault this is happening because they chose to run away. Traffickers will exploit any vulnerability they can.
KAG: At what age are kids commonly trafficked? What do they have in common?
SWITCH: Nationally, the average age is 12-13 years old; in SC, the average age is 14-16 years old.. Traffickers are so good at what they do – finding someone’s vulnerabilities and unmet needs and then meeting those needs to build trust and establish a strong connection for the sole purpose of exploiting that person through the vulnerabilities and unmet needs they have. It’s the highest level of manipulation and deceit.
The number one way traffickers are reaching youth is through social media. A young person will complain about their parents and the trafficker will jump on that, relating to the youth, becoming a trusted friend, They then begin the process of grooming the young person and isolating them from people they are close to so they can break and turn them out into the commercial sex industry more easily. In our country, 300,000 youth are lured into the commercial sex industry every year.
KAG: How are kids usually recruited into the trafficking industry? Is it in person, online, through friends?
SWITCH: In SC, most cases involve recruitment by a family member.
KAG: Wait, what?! A family member?
SWITCH: This is a hard one for me to understand as well. SC is the #1 state in the country for reported cases of familial trafficking. Recruitment is the way people are brought into the commercial sex industry. The sad thing is, it often becomes a normalized way of life for people eventually and sometimes the only way they know to survive. There are many things traffickers will do to keep victims trapped in this lifestyle as well: criminal records, ruined credit, and drug addictions. It’s often hard for people to escape the commercial sex industry once they have been forced, frauded, or coerced into it.
KAG: OK – back to the original question – how are kids recruited?
SWITCH: The second most common method is someone pretending to be a boyfriend which is known as a Romeo Pimp. Peer trafficking came in as the third highest method of recruitment. This could be someone already in “the life” of the commercial sex industry who is now recruiting for their trafficker or a peer who is using threats and blackmail to coerce a classmate to have sex with others. There are numerous tricks, traps, and schemes used to force and trick kids into this.
KAG: What steps can parents take to educate themselves on signs that their child may be trafficked and educate their kids on the dangers of sex trafficking?
SWITCH: As part of our prevention program, we have a presentation for parents to help educate them on what to look for and how to talk to their kids about this. It’s important to be a safe person for your child to talk to. Be mindful of your reactions when your kids open up and share things with you. Keep an open line of communication with them and know who the influences are in their lives. Be so careful with technology and social media.
You’re trying to guard and protect your kids from as much of this as possible but they need to know what’s happening so they can help protect themselves as well. Love146 is a wonderful resource for parents as well and be sure to check out our website as we will be updating it to provide more information on all of this.
KAG: Anyone on Facebook nowadays reads about moms who are followed at WalMart or someplace like that and are petrified that someone is trying to kidnap their child for trafficking. Are those legit concerns? Do pimps really prey on kids like that in public places?
SWITCH: Anything can happen and it’s always good to be aware and cautious. With that being said, our local law enforcement does not receive calls about this type of thing and they aren’t handling cases involving this type of situation. We’ve done a great job teaching our kids about stranger danger and that’s important. With sex trafficking, the exploiter is someone the young person knows and trusts which is one of the most difficult things about these situations. It’s really important youth understand their own vulnerabilities and also know what a healthy relationship looks like as well as red flags to indicate it might be turning into an unhealthy relationship.
KAG: Does SWITCH help victims escape or do you work with other organizations who do that and then you take over on the business and counseling side?
SWITCH: Escape is tricky and looks much different depending on the situation. Some are desperate for a fresh start and do the hard work necessary to heal and start a new life. Not all situations are like that though. For a girl being sold by the man she considers her boyfriend, the level of manipulation is so deep. Even though she is being mistreated and abused, she may be in love with him and willing to endure the situation. Sometimes, people are trapped by the circumstances created by their traffickers like ruined credit, criminal records and drug addictions which makes it harder to break free.
For all victims though, there is an incredible amount of trauma to work through. A person has to be ready to leave the life they know behind in order to pursue a healthier future. Healing is not easy though and there’s a great fear of the unknown. People know what to expect from their abusive situations and find ways to cope. It may feel safer to keep surviving what they are than to step into a situation where they don’t know what they can expect. Readiness for change is such a key to success though. We encourage them, love them, guide them, but it’s important they make their own choice.
KAG: Greenville County has one of the largest number of sex trafficking cases in the state. That’s concerning. Why is that and what is SWITCH doing to lower those stats?
SWITCH: We’re on the I-85 corridor connecting Atlanta, which is often the highest ranked city for trafficking cases reported and Charlotte, who is usually in the top ten. We’re a convenient location between the two. Also, we currently have two dedicated officers focused on sex trafficking. It’s possible the rest of the state has as much activity but not enough man power within law enforcement to expose what’s really happening.
KAG: What resources does SWITCH have for parents who are looking for help on learning about sex trafficking, especially locally?
SWITCH: In addition to the coming updates to our website, we’re glad to speak to groups in order to raise awareness and train in prevention practices.
About SWITCH: SWITCH was founded in 2012. The idea behind our name is when you switch a light on, the darkness flees. We push back the darkness of sex trafficking through five programs: awareness, prevention, demand, intervention and restoration.
Through our awareness program, we speak to businesses, churches, and other organizations to help adults understand what sex trafficking is and what it looks like in the Upstate. Our prevention program takes Love146’s Not a Number curriculum into youth groups, schools, the department of juvenile justice and other organizations with children in the 7th grade or older. Demand is a group of male volunteers who work with men in the Upstate connecting dots between how online porn is fueling the commercial sex industry. They provide resources, accountability and mentors to help break the addiction of pornography so many individuals face. Intervention is a group of volunteers who go into the district and strip clubs to meet commercial sex workers where they are and offer friendship with no strings attached. When people are ready to leave the life, they know SWITCH is a safe place they can come for help.
Find all our Parenting Content on the Kidding Around Parent Page
Looking for things to do when you’re stuck at home? Whether you’re home because of illness in the family, school closings, or because gas is too expensive, you need ideas to help you not lose your sanity and entertain your kids. If you’re looking for things to do at home with kids, we have lots of ideas (because that’s what we do here). This may be the perfect time to cross off some of your bucket list items.
(more…)The action-packed Jurassic World Live Tour is back in 2024! Are you wondering if you should get Jurassic World tickets for your family? We have a full review of what to expect when you see this live dinosaur show! We were given media tickets so we could review the show – all opinions are our own. The show is coming to Columbia, SC, and Charlotte, NC in January 2024, and will be in cities across the United States through March 2024, including Charleston, Birmingham, Baltimore, and Fairfax.
Get tickets to Jurassic World Live Tour.
This article contains affiliate links.
I’ll tell you all about the live show, what to expect, what ages this may be good for, and some mildly scary parts to think about before you go. So let’s go on with this Jurassic World Live Tour review!
I’m a big fan of the Jurassic Park movies and my kids have seen most of them – and we just really think dinosaurs are cool – so when the Jurassic World Live Tour came to town and we had the opportunity to go, I jumped on that like a T-Rex on the bad guys. After all, this is Jurassic World comes to life.
The Jurassic World Live Tour starts with a pre-show that anyone who has a ticket can go to. But you have to get there when the doors open an hour before the show. You’ll get to go right on the floor of the arena and see two dinosaurs – a Stegosaurus and a Triceratops – plus the baby dinosaur, baby Bumpy from Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous. The Jurassic World Jeep is on display as well as the glass globe that you’ll recognize from the movie.
You’ll have the opportunity to take as many photos as you like and get pretty close to the dinosaurs as they move and blink. The show did a really great job with these creatures, making them life-size and super cool to see.
The floor will close to guests 20 minutes before the show starts so you’ll have time to go to the restroom and get to your seats.
The story line of the Jurassic World Live Tour centers on Jeanie, a Troodon dinosaur, and Dr. Kate Walker, her trainer and a scientist herself. Dr. Walker creates a device that goes atop Jeanie’s head and transmits what she is feeling, which the evil guys from Ingen want and try to get throughout the live show.
The show starts at Isla Nubar and gets right into action immediately with dirt bikes and fighting and Jeanie being captured by Ingen. But Dr. Kate Walker and her crew of scientists and hilarious interns track Jeanie down in Chile and then have to fight the bad guys even more, especially when the raptors (my favorite!) show up.
There are a lot of surprises that may make guests jump, like pyrotechnics, but overall, the show is fast-moving and pretty fun to watch. The 20-minute intermission comes about 35 minutes into the show when Dr. Kate and her team have to travel back to Isla Nubar to help Jeanie find her eggs and save the day.
The second half starts off with a possible Triceratops fight after one of the interns mistakes her eggs for Jeanie’s. The Stegosaurus and her baby make an appearance here, as do more Raptors and the flying dinosaurs. The mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex rounds out the show with a bang and a lot of fire on the stage.
What age is Jurassic Live suitable for?
I took kids ages 8-12 and all of them loved it. They got the gist of the storyline, which I don’t think younger kids will understand. But younger kids also won’t care because the show has big, lifesize, and live dinosaurs so really, what’s better than that?
The arena was filled with families who had babies through tweens. I’d say most of the kids were preschool through elementary-aged. I saw some kids cuddle up next to their parents if they were scared but I didn’t think there were a ton of scary parts. It really depends on each child.
There was a lot of (fake) fight scenes between Dr. Kate and her team and the Ingen guys. Dr. Kate gets into a one-on-one fight with a burly guy during the second half of the show and he really looks like he hits her but she gives it right back to him. One of the scientists on her team has a crush on her and saves her from this dude and they share a short kiss before heading off to rescue the rest of their team, who Ingen had captured.
There is one part where a flying dinosaur takes off with one of the bad guys, which is typical Jurassic Park style. There is no inappropriate language and overall, the show is very family-friendly. Some older kids may think it’s cheesy but thankfully my 12-year-old thought it was great.
As for the noise level of the Jurassic World Live Tour show, it wasn’t that loud at all. The biggest noise makers were the surprise pyrotechnics and maybe some of the music and the roars from the T-Rex. If you’ve been to a Monster Jam show, this was less than half that noise level and I don’t think ear plugs are needed.
And if you haven’t ever seen any of the Jurassic Park movies, don’t worry, you’ll still enjoy the show. You don’t need to have seen the movies to enjoy all that the show has to offer.
OK, the dinosaurs are awesome. The Raptors and Jeanie are obviously people and you can see their legs, which are covered in black leggings but honestly, I hardly noticed because the movements and sounds of the dinosaurs is so real. I thought the show did such a great job with this.
If you sit in the premium floor seats, the dinosaurs will come right up to you. It looked super cool and I was mildly jealous.
The bigger dinosaurs are on rolling floor things that make them move so that may take away the “real” look of the dinosaurs but their heads and tails move independently and their eyes even blink. The T-Rex was impressive. It also moves by a controlled floor machine but man, that thing can turn on a dime. It was awesome. The jaws on all the dinosaurs move like you would think a real dinosaur would move so I felt like I wasn’t even watching the animatronics or the people that moved the dinosaurs because just watching them as a whole was pretty captivating.
The set was also fantastic. The show did a great job making it seem like the actors and dinosaurs were in the rainforest in Isla Nubar or the desert in Chile. It was a very thought-out show all the way through and truly, a lot of fun.
Get tickets to Jurassic World Live Tour in a city near you.
The schedule for the Charlotte, NC show at the Spectrum Center is:
The schedule for the Columbia, SC show at the Colonial Life Arena is:
The schedule for the North Charleston, SC show at the North Charleston Collesium is:
The entire Jurassic World Live Tour show runs about 1 hour and 45 minutes, which includes the 20-minute intermission. Ticket prices start at $20.
Have you seen the Jurassic World Live Tour?
Another big arena family entertainment favorite is Monster Jam. Thinking about bringing your kids to Monster Jam when those giant Monster trucks come to town? Don’t miss our Monster Jam review, where we tell you everything you need to know!
Are you thinking about snow tubing at Black Bear Snow Tubing in Hendersonville, NC? Western North Carolina has great snow tubing and Black Bear Snow Tubing is a stellar option for families! They have a huge mountain to get your winter in high gear with a fun snow tubing trip for the whole family! We took a trip up to try out that snow-tubing mountain and it was so much fun! Now we have all the details to share so you can plan your trip!
Media tickets were provided for this review and the opinions are solely those of the author.
While there aren’t any places to snow tube in the Upstate, SC, there are definitely options nearby and one of them is Black Bear Snow Tubing in nearby Hendersonville, NC, just over an hour from Greenville, SC. The snow tubing family-owned operation has been in business for over seven years and they really have a good thing going there, which I’m going to tell you all about in this story.
Take a sneak peek at this video at Black Bear Snow Tubing.
The slope at Black Bear Snow Tubing is 600 feet long with an 80-foot drop and it’s pretty fast. They make their own snow (unless they get a big snowstorm, which doesn’t happen too often) and the hill is well-maintained by their attentive staff.
How it works is that when you get to Black Bear, you go to a little shed to watch a short safety video, where you learn how to get out of your tube on the run and not to start snowball fights, sign a waiver, and head inside the cozy lodge to pay. Then you get your tubes and head to the hill.
They have a pulley system to get you to the top of the hill, which works by slipping the handle of your tube on a cable that takes you, while sitting inside your tube, right up the hill to the top. Once at the top, you’ll wait for a few minutes before being situated into your group by the staff and then sliding down the hill.
I’ve snow tubed at many places in our area and I think Black Bear Snow Tubing is pretty fantastic. Here’s why:
My kids, ages 11 and 8, and I had such a blast snow tubing at Black Bear Snow Tubing. We went down the hill about 10 times (maybe more, I lost count honestly) and had so much fun together. I really love places where adults can carelessly be kids again. My kids are already asking to go back. The hill was super fast and seeing my kids faces light up with joy was special. I love those moments.
Winter being winter, it’s usually cold when you go snow tubing. I’ve found that bringing hand and foot warmers is a really good trick to keeping everyone warm and comfortable. You can get them at Wal-Mart, Amazon, or most drug stores and they stay warm for hours.
It’s also really important to make a reservation when you know you want to go snow tubing. This is especially true during school breaks and holidays. Snow tubing is an awesome family activity on a day off but a lot of people also have the same thought. Don’t forget to make a reservation.
You don’t need to wear snow bibs or snow pants. I had on fleece leggings, hiking boots, and a couple layers of tops with a heavy coat (it was really cold when we went!) and I was fine. I saw people wearing all kinds of clothes that worked for them like pants, leggings, jeans, and sweatpants. The snow wasn’t wet at all when we went but if you go on a warmer day, you may want to bring a change of pants in case they get wet.
There are port-a-potties outside the lodge to use and no bathrooms indoors.
Double-check Black Bear’s Facebook page before heading out. Snow tubing is very dependent on weather, which changes often in the mountains. They will post current conditions and if they are open or closed most days.
Tickets are $30/hour or $40/two hours for snow tubing. Kids must be 4 years old in order to go snow tubing. You can either sign a waiver when you get to Black Bear Snow Tubing or print one out online ahead of time. Either is fine.
While Black Bear Snow Tubing does take walk-ups, it is much better to make a reservation ahead of time instead of getting there and finding out they are full. Online reservations are fantastic for this very reason so definitely make use of them.
And be sure to check Black Bear Snow Tubing’s Facebook page before heading out to double check they are open and running. Winter tubing runs mid-December through February usually depending on the weather, of course.
And if you want to tube during other times of the year, you totally can! They have warm-weather tubing in the fall.
Black Bear Snow Tubing
373 Kerr Road, Hendersonville, NC
828.685.1155
Want to spend the day in Hendersonville? We’ve got lots of ideas on what to do in this fun town!
Hendersonville is full of family fun.
Check it out!
Stepp’s Apple Orchard is a family-owned orchard in Hendersonville, NC. They have u-pick apples, lots of fun family activities on weekends, and pretty amazing cider and pumpkin donuts.
Stepp’s Hillcrest Orchard is the very first u-pick apple orchard in Henderson County and has been in operation for more than 50 years. They know what they’re doing, and we had to go check it out for ourselves. Honestly, I went for the pumpkin donuts. I love apple cider donuts, but pumpkin? Yes, please!
One thing that stood out to me immediately was just how super nice and helpful everyone at the orchard was. They have u-pick apples, pre-picked apples, a big store that sells homemade soap, t-shirts, and honey, a bakery, corn maze, pumpkin patch, jumping pillow, apple canon, and wagon ride. Some of these activities are only available on weekends, which I’ll tell you about in this review.
Are you curious about Aqua Parks? Need something different but also super fun to cool off during the summer and get out all your kids’ energy? Here are six floating obstacle courses in South Carolina and Georgia to do just that!
Floating obstacle courses are one of my new favorite summer activities. Here’s why:
If you haven’t tried one of these, I’ve compiled a list for you so you can try them all too! I’ve noted the differences between the places to help you out in choosing your adventure. I’ve been to all of the places listed below so these are firsthand reviews and comments. Most are open all summer through September, depending on the weather.
Who says you need a lazy river and wave pool to have a water park, just head to one of these aqua parks on a lake! So, if you have been wondering “Where are the water obstacle courses near me?”, don’t worry. We have all the information you need!
This huge floating obstacle course opened in the summer of 2022 on Lake Hartwell. It is like a theme park on the water! The Splash Island floating water park is situated at Big Water Marina and Campground, which has a sandy beach, hammocks, chairs, shaded spots, tiny cabins, TV pads, and a delicious restaurant, J.R. Cash’s on-site (it has a pirate ship playground!).
Cost: $15/hour; $25/two hours; kids must be 42″ tall (under 46″ are allowed with an adult)
Hours: Thursday-Sunday from 10 am – 6 pm and the two-hour sessions are 10 am – Noon, 1-3 pm, and 4-6 pm.
Distance from Greenville: One hour
Highlights: Sandy beach, restaurant, hydrobike/SUP/kayak rentals, tiny cabins for rent, restaurant with a playground
Address: 320 Big Water Road, Starr, SC
Kidding Around Review of Big Water
The Shores at Asbury has their giant Aqua Zone floating obstacle course on Lake Hartwell also. It’s situated on a huge sandy beach, with sand imported from Florida, kayak and SUP rentals, and a restaurant on site. They also have a kids obstacle course for kids who are under 47″.
Cost: $18/hour or $25/two hours if bought online; $20/hour on-site; $35/all-day pass, $120/family four pass for all-day access; follow on Facebook for deals on tickets
Hours: 11 am – 7 pm daily, closed Noon-1 pm, and 3 – 4 pm for safety checks and lifeguard breaks
Distance from Greenville: One hour
Highlights: White sandy beach with tents and lounge chairs, kids floating obstacle course, lawn games, a restaurant
Address: 1600 Asbury Park Road, Anderson, SC
Kidding Around Review of the Shores at Asbury
Located in Rock Hill, SC, SouthTown Wake Park has wake boarding plus a big floating obstacle course. This is a great activity to tire those kids (and adults) out, as it takes a ton of energy to climb and jump over the obstacles. Kids have to be 7 years old to participate on the aqua course.
Cost: $18 for 45 minutes
Hours: Open daily Noon-6 pm
Distance from Greenville: 1.5 hours
Highlights: Big aqua park, wakeboarding, disc golf, cornhole
Address: 255 E Rambo Rd Rock Hill, SC 29730
Kidding Around Review of SouthTown Wake Park
The Charleston Aqua Park is super cool because it not only has an aqua park but also the only ropes course over water in the country. It is also one of the area’s only floating water parks. The owner assured us there aren’t gators at Trophy Lake, too. We had such a blast at this park and the water felt so good on a hot, summer day. Plus, it’s really close to the beautiful Angel Oak Tree!
Cost: $19/hour; discounts available during the week and/or if you book both the aqua park and ropes course
Hours: Open daily 10 am – 6 pm
Distance from Greenville: 3 hours and 20 minutes
Highlights: Big aqua park, a little beach, and swimming area for smaller kids, only over-water ropes course in the country, kids summer camps (you can send a kid there for a day while you’re on vacation), covered picnic areas, other water activity rentals
Address: 3050 Marlin Road, Johns Island SC
Kidding Around Review of Charleston Aqua Park
This is one of the most family-friendly aqua parks in Georgia. The park is located on Lake Chatuge in Hiawassee, GA, and also has a sandy beach with chairs and umbrellas for rent. They just upgraded their equipment and life jackets for 2023 and it’s so much better than previous years. They also have a smaller kids course for ages 4-7 years old, making for a great floating playground. We really enjoyed our time at Marina Station Water Park.
Cost: $18/hour or $42/all day; kids have to be 45″ tall or 7 years old for the big course; $150/family of four all-day pass
Hours: Open daily 10 am – 7 pm (last ticket sold at 6:30 pm)
Distance from Greenville: 2 hours and 20 minutes
Highlights: Huge splash island, kids floating obstacle course, sandy beach, chair, and tent rentals, offers season passes
Address: 3379 US Highway 76, Hiawassee, GA
Marina Station Water Park
We loved the aqua course at this outdoor adventure park near Cartersville, Georgia. You can also go wakeboarding here but I’m not coordinated enough for that. There’s also a lot to do in the Cartersville-Bartow area to make your trip here an overnight adventure.
Cost: $24-$28 a person depending on if it’s a weekday or weekend/holiday
Hours: Open daily usually from Noon-8 pm but check the website for updated hours.
Distance from Greenville: 3 hours and 15 minutes
Highlights: Huge aqua course with body slides, climbing wall, cabanas with beanbag chairs for parents/spectators, wakeboarding, big bathroom for changing
Address: 171 LakePoint Pkwy, Cartersville, GA
Kidding Around Review of Cartersville-Bartow (includes Terminus Wake Park)
Would you try out one of these aqua parks? Did we miss your favorite place? Let us know in the comments
If you are looking for more places to swim, check out our Guide to Where to Swim and Splash This Summer!
