The Best Children's Museum in US | 全美最強兒童博物館

/

(Please scroll down for English translation.)

Indianapolis Children’s Museum
印第安纳波利斯兒童博物館

館方資訊

地址：3000 N Meridian St, Indianapolis, IN 46208

網站：childrensmuseum.org

門票：平日（大人$30、小孩$25）週末（大人$34、小孩$29），每個月第一個星期四下午4點到8點只要$6。

全美第一名的兒童博物館，絕對名符其實。還沒開到停車場時，已經看到恐龍破壞建築進入和出來博物館，立刻進入情境。雖然離我們家開車兩小時，但好玩到我和UN立刻升級為年票！

博物館一共五層樓和室外將近8英畝的戶外運動區域（冬天僅限室內活動）。每層樓都有超多好玩和有趣的互動體驗，從外太空到恐龍化石，從歷史人物介紹到亞洲文物介紹，我們學到好多新知識，小孩們也玩得很開心。

我們一家人最喜歡的區域是Playscape，開放給五歲以下的小朋友玩，連還不會走路的小寶寶都有專屬空間。有小寶寶的家長，這裡有哺乳室和全家用的廁所，有過敏體質的人也不用擔心，這整區是防過敏區（不能在這裡進食，除了餵奶和喝水）。進去Playscape後，小孩能穿上防水衣開始玩水，這一區我們就能待上快一小時。館內還有STEM相關玩具、樂器館、沙堆、美術活動⋯等等。在Playscape輕鬆帶一整天絕對不是問題！

戶外空間3月中剛開放，相信我們一家人一定會玩得超開心。結束後，我們在Bru Burger Bar用晚餐。這家是我們住在這裡的朋友推薦的漢堡店，超大份nachos和很香很油的漢堡。

Information

Address: 3000 N Meridian St, Indianapolis, IN 46208

Website: childrensmuseum.org

Ticket: weekday (adult $30 and youth $25), weekend (adult $34 and youth $29). First Thursday night from 4pm to 8pm is $6 for everyone.

Well deserved title of the No. 1 children’s museum in the US. Before you even enter the parking lot, you will spot dinosaurs breaking into and out of the museum, really catching your attention. Even though we live two hours away, but it’s so much fun here that we didn’t even think twice about getting the annual membership!

Museum has 5 levels and an 8 acre outdoor sports exhibit (closed during the winter months). Every floor has many interactive and fun things to do. From space to dinosaur fossils, from human history to artifacts from around the world, we all can learn so much with the kids.

Our favorite area is the Playscape, it is open to kids below the age of 5, and there’s even an area for crawling infants. There’s also nursing rooms and family restrooms. The entire space is allergen free as no foods are allowed inside except for milk and water. As you enter Playscape, kids can put on splash vests and start playing with the indoor fountain. There are various STEM related toys, music room, sand pits, arts and crafts, etc. It’s very easy to spend the whole day here!

The outdoor space opens in mid March, and we can’t wait! We went to Bru Burger Bar for dinner afterwards, recommended by our friend who used to live in Indy. Huge portion of nachos and gourmet hamburgers. Yum!

Summer Camping in Ohio

/

(Please scroll down for English translation.)

四位九月寶寶一起去露營，沒刻意安排行程。三天兩夜由小孩帶領，卻意外讓我們在營區裡大大收穫。肯定是大自然的力量，讓小孩在野外過得特別開心。早上醒來，立刻開機在草地上跑。看來，我們得多加利用還未轉冬的天氣，帶寶寶們出去露營。

Stonelick State Park 
2895 Lake Dr, Pleasant Plain, OH 45162

Four September babies camping. We purposely didn’t plan any activities, wanted to see how the kids do. All three families enjoyed some great bonding and laughter at the campsite for three days and two nights. We must take advantage of the last bit of summer and do more camping!

Stonelick State Park 
2895 Lake Dr, Pleasant Plain, OH 45162

Vancouver: Asian Food Heaven | 溫哥華：北美亞洲食物天堂

/

(Scroll down for English translation.)

恭喜我們的好友D結婚了，讓我們有機會來溫哥華玩，還能見到好多好久不見的朋友們。婚禮後，我們就開始放縱的吃，目標是吃到褲子穿不起來。我們行程以吃亞洲食物為主，一下飛機馬上來碗越南河粉，連離開最後一晚也要再來一餐牛肉麵。感謝寶寶們的配合，在外吃飯也超乖，平時在家吃飯以西式為主，但在外吃亞洲食物也很適應，果然是正統台灣寶寶！

第一次來溫哥華，猶如一秒把我們送回亞洲！尤其是Richmond，到處都是中文字，連我媽都說這裡他都看得懂（超搞笑！）食物更不用說，我們去的每間餐廳都讓我們直喊天啊太好吃了！謝謝朋友們的推薦，食物清單多到我們想再回來溫哥華玩！也謝謝朋友K&J開放他們的新家，讓我們住！

餐廳

Anh and Chi

http://www.anhandchi.com/

生意無敵好！我們一下飛機，下午三點冷門時間用餐也大排長龍！訂位機制很特別，一人$10慈善機構捐款後就能訂位。店員看到我們有小寶寶，特別推薦比較方便爸媽一手吃的食物，我最愛這樣的店員了！太久沒吃到好吃的越南食物，我和UN吃得好開心！

松林居

kalvinrestaurant.ca

朋友L推薦的美食準沒錯！連我媽高標準都說這家好吃又道地，我們飯扒了好幾碗！連寶寶們也超捧場，只是寶寶座椅只有一把，訂位時要確定一下！太懷念臺菜了！

Dynasty Seafood Restaurant

dynasty-restaurant.ca

和好朋友一家人一起來吃港式飲茶就是開心，我們點了好多食物，吃超撐！溫哥華有小香港之稱，果然名不虛傳！

Mello donuts 

mellovancouver.com

好吃的網美店！裝潢和甜甜圈絕對是能讓你拍照拍不完，只可惜寶寶們在車裡睡覺，我和好友M負責下車買，爸爸們在車上看小孩！很推Everything Bagel Donuts和Cereal Milk Cream Donuts。

Yung Ho Soy Drink

yunghosoydrink.com

就是台灣那家永和豆漿！！太久沒吃到台式早餐，UN一早起來就在等他們開店。老闆娘人超好，一知道我們從美國來還送我們好吃的食物。

Yu Xiang Yuan Restaurant

yuxiangyuantogo.com

點了外賣，在朋友家吃。即使如此，食物還是超香超愛。一定要點涼皮！

Tina Cake Dessert

tinacakedesserts.com

朋友知道我愛這類甜點，晚上我們來這裡吃宵夜！一定要點68號（希望菜單號碼沒改！）

Hey I am Yogost

yogostcanada.com

點了芒果團子酸奶，整杯像是在‘喝’麻糬，超Q的。第一次喝到麻糬配酸奶，原來這麼搭。

Truedan 珍煮丹

truedancanada.com

第一次喝到台灣超有名珍煮丹，但有點小失望。可能是買回來一陣子才喝，珍珠口感已消失。

Sashimiya

sashimiya.ca

天啊，這絕對是這次溫哥華旅行最愛的一餐之一！Sashimiya只提供外帶，但完全不影響品質！我們點的是特選拼盤，各種想吃的都有，而且新鮮程度滿分！

The First Dessert 阿一糖水

​​http://www.thefirstdessert.ca/

楊枝甘露、西米露、薑撞奶，你能想到的港式甜品，這裡通通都有。

Li Do restaurant

https://maps.app.goo.gl/nFkJm7CrJeXLTgdv8?g_st=ic

必點菠蘿包！我的天啊，香濃菠蘿包吃得好罪惡，但一口接著一口，完全停不下來。

Crystal Mall

位在Crystal Mall裡二樓，滿滿都是亞洲店家和食物，有點生疏，但又有說不上的熟悉感，感覺好特別。這裡有繼光香香雞、金狀元土豆粉、還有好多很棒的店家。

Cold fish seafood co. 

http://coldfish.ca/

很推Candied salmon，送禮自用兩相宜，但送人之前可能自己會先吃光！

Meet Fresh 鮮芋仙

http://www.meetfresh.ca/

朋友K知道我有多愛吃鮮芋仙，從紐約每次見面都在鮮芋仙到現在來加拿大找K，還是要吃鮮芋仙。不用我多說，芋圓絕對是我的最愛！

Chef Rong Noodle House

https://chefrong.ca/shop/

老闆娘非常健談，推薦的豆花麵又香又好吃，只是無敵辣！我們點小辣，但辣到我和UN兩人無法說話，我媽更是直接投降。

景點

Stanley Park

http://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/stanley-park.aspx

著名景點之一，加拿大最大公園，也是大部分遊客會來的景點之一。停在Easy Park，距離Stanley Park不遠。有空來這裡走走，海灣景色，非常舒服。

Vancouver Aquarium

https://www.vanaqua.org/

門票：40-52元加幣
沿著Stanley Park能走到溫哥華水族館，有小孩的必來！

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

https://www.capbridge.com/

門票：$67加幣
一定要來！大自然景色永遠勝過市中心的霓虹燈。雖然門票偏貴，但一定要來一趟，認識當地原住名文化特色和欣賞走在吊橋上的美景！

Metropolis at Metrotown

http://www.metropolisatmetrotown.com/

加拿大第三大購物中心，當然要來買Lululemon，實在便宜太多了！購物中心裡還有T&T，難得見到亞洲超市的我們當然要大買特買！

旅途小插曲：

我們到底發生什麼事了！所以呢，幾乎每次帶我媽出國玩都會遇到航空公司電腦系統把台灣護照搞成中國！清晨五點我們準備check in，系統一直顯示需要簽證才能進加拿大。由於時間緊迫，我們提議我和UN帶著小孩先上飛機，卻發現系統把爸媽阿嬤角色搞混，我們無法帶G上機。 一番折騰後，我和UN終於能帶寶寶上飛機，但傻眼的事，我和UN過安檢時，為了趕上飛機忘了我們的行李箱。

***拿台灣護照到加拿大玩的人，不需簽證，但需要電子旅行證eTA。申請費用是美金7元，馬上能拿到入境許可證。

感謝Delta員工Assma一大早就需要幫我們處理這些事情，在我媽不會英文的情況下還是很耐心照顧我媽、幫我們和安檢人員拿行李、還最後確保我媽能上飛機到加拿大。非常謝謝他的幫忙，當我們問他可不可以送他禮物時，他說請幫他禱告。請各位幫他禱告，讓他心裡充滿平安和喜樂。

Congrats to our friend D for getting married! Thanks to the wedding invite, we are able to visit Vancouver and also meet up with friends we haven’t seen in a while. After the wedding, we wasted no time to start feasting. Our goal is to eat only Asian foods. Our first meal in Vancouver was Vietnamese pho, and our last meal was beef noodle soup. Our babies were so well-behaved, and absolutely love Asian foods as much as we do!

First time in Vancouver, and I felt like I was transported back to Asia. Especially so in Richmond, where Chinese writings are everywhere. Even my mom commented that she could read everything there. Every restaurant we went to was on point! Thanks to our friends for the recommendations. My list has too many places to hit up in just one trip, we definitely need to come back. And special thanks to our friends K&J for hosting us!

Restaurants

Anh and Chi

http://www.anhandchi.com/

This place is so busy! We came here at 3pm and there was a line! You can make a reservation by donating just $10 to any charity. The waitstaff saw that we had little ones and recommended foods that are easy to eat with one hand. UN and I were so happy to have authentic Vietnamese food!

Kalvin’s Restaurant

kalvinrestaurant.ca

My friend L’s recommendation can’t go wrong! Even for my mom’s picky palate, she thinks the food here is very authentically Taiwanese. The girls loved the food here. The only downside is that they only have one high chair, so be sure to check if it’s available when you make the reservation.

Dynasty Seafood Restaurant

dynasty-restaurant.ca

Came here with our very good friends for dim sum. We ordered way too much food that we could barely walk afterwards. Vancouver’s little HK nickname definitely lived up to the hype!

Mello donuts

mellovancouver.com

Delicious photogenic donut shop! Their donuts are too pretty to eat. Too bad the babies were food coma-ing in the car. My friend M and I went inside to order while the dads watched the babies in the car. Highly recommend Everything Bagel Donuts and Cereal Milk Cream Donuts!

Yung Ho Soy Drink

yunghosoydrink.com

It’s the same Yung Ho Soy Milk from Taiwan! It’s been too long since we’ve had Taiwanese breakfast that UN got up super early to line up. The owner was so friendly, she even gave us some free food after finding out that we were visiting from the United States!

Yu Xiang Yuan Restaurant

yuxiangyuantogo.com

We ordered to-go and ate at our friends’ place. Even so, the food was so tastyI Must order liang-pi (cold noodle)!

Tina Cake Dessert

tinacakedesserts.com

My friend knows I love this type of dessert, so we came here for a late night snack! Must order #68 (hopefully they don’t change their numbering system!)

Hey I am Yogost

yogostcanada.com

I ordered the Mango Mochi Yogurt, and felt like I was drinking a whole cup of mochi, so chewy! My first time pairing mochi with yogurt drink, never thought they would go together so well!

Truedan

truedancanada.com

Very popular boba brand in Taiwan, but to be honest, I was a little bit disappointed. Maybe because we ordered to-go and waited a little bit before drinking, the chewy texture of the boba was no longer there.

Sashimiya

sashimiya.ca

This has to be my favorite meal in Vancouver! Sashimiya only does take-outs, but don’t let that make you think the quality is any less! We ordered a combination plate, every sashimi you could ever want, and the freshness is on point!

The First Dessert

​​http://www.thefirstdessert.ca/

Mango pomelo sago (M1), Sago with coconut milk (J1), and Ginger milk (B1) just to name a few. All sorts of Hong Kong desserts can be found here.

Li Do restaurant 

Must try their pineapple bun! My goodness, the smell of a fresh-out-of-the-oven pineapple bun, and how the crust just flakes off when you sink your teeth into it. There’s almost a sense of guilt with every bite, you know for something this delicious you can’t just keep eating, but somehow you just can’t stop.

Crystal Mall

Located on the second floor of Crystal Mall, littered with Asian restaurants and stores. A strange yet familiar scene, feels like you’re in a totally different world. There’s crispy chicken steak, potato starch noodle, and many underrated yet delicious foods.

Cold fish seafood co.

http://coldfish.ca/

Highly recommend candied salmon, good for treating yourself as well as others. But you may end up eating it all before you have a chance to gift it!

Meet Fresh

http://www.meetfresh.ca/

My friend K knows how much I love Meet Fresh. From New York to Vancouver, we’ve always hung out at Meet Fresh. Needless to say, taro balls are my favorite!

Chef Rong Noodle House

https://chefrong.ca/shop/

The owner lady is fun to talk to. Recommend their Dohua Noodle, flavorful and spicy! We ordered mild, but both UN and I were speechless. My mom didn’t even dare to try.

Sightseeing

Stanley Park

http://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/stanley-park.aspx

Canada’s biggest park, a must see for visitors. Can park at Easy Park and have a relaxing stroll along the beautiful water to get to the park.

Vancouver Aquarium

https://www.vanaqua.org/

Cost: 40-52 CAD
An aquarium located inside Stanley Park, a very kids friendly place!

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

https://www.capbridge.com/

Cost: 67 CAD
A must see! Nature always beats the city lights. Though the fees are high, but you have to come visit and learn about the native american culture and let yourself be mesmerized by the scenery as you walk across this suspension bridge.

Metropolis at Metrotown

http://www.metropolisatmetrotown.com/

I’m in the third largest shopping center in Canada, of course I need to get Lululemon! What a deal! The same shopping center has T&T. We bought a bunch of Asian snacks.

We had a scare on our trip! Every time my mom travels, airline companies would confuse her Taiwanese passport with Chinese passport! As we were checking in at 5am, the computer system showed that my mom would need a visa to enter Canada. Because we didn’t want to miss our flight, we decided that UN and I will go on the flight first with the girls. But as we were going through security, we forgot our carry-on luggage there.

***If you have a Taiwanese passport traveling to Canada, you don’t need a visa, but will need to apply for an eTA. Costs about $7 and will allow you entry into Canada.

Huge thanks to Delta staff Assma helping us sort out our little visa debacle, and assisting my mom who doesn’t speak English and making sure she is fed and hydrated while she waits for her next flight to Canada. I’m forever grateful for her. We asked if we could send her a gift, she asked us to pray for her. Please help me pray that she will be filled with joy and peace.