Arkansas, officially known as the “Natural State”, will fill the tanks of history buffs, outdoor addicts, and the lovers of true Americana. The 25th state is the birthplace of Wal-Mart and former President Bill Clinton.
When my daughter asked questions about lions and tigers, we brought her to a big cat rescue. When she asked about whales and dolphins, we took her off the coast of California for a whale watching excursion. It is a bit trickier to bring dinosaurs to life. When she became fascinated with them, I immediately went on the hunt for ways to bring a little bit of life to our picture books and Google searches. Here is what I found.
We decided to take it a step further, and we began to seek out conservations and sanctuaries. What we found was in these concentrated environments you can connect with the animals on a more personal level. We learned the animals’ names and heard their stories. We looked them in the eyes and we made a connection.
When the fresh beach air calls, the seaside town of Santa Monica, located just west of Los Angeles, is often where my family and I end up. It has the charm and appeal of a coastal getaway, but with its sophisticated urban aspect, it is anything but a lazy beach town.