Category: Travel

Posted in Travel, usa

Redman’s Candy Factory and World’s Largest Gift Shop

Posted on by teacherscoutmom

330 W. Pine St

Phillipsburg, MO 65632

Redmon’s Candy Factory

Candy Factory Picture from Redmon’s Website

On our last road trip, we discovered this little gem located off Interstate 44 in Missouri boasting the world’s largest gift shop and candy factory. It looked like a great place to stop and stretch for a bit so we decided to check it out.

When you walk into the Candy Factory, the first thing you see are aisles and barrels of candy. Candy is mostly sold by the ½ pound, which can get a little pricy if you aren’t careful. (My son found the taffy display and the next thing I knew, we had a ton of taffy that actually lasted us for the entire two weeks.) In the back, by the registers, is where the fudge was sold. You can buy it by the ½ pound or higher. In the same area, popcorn, taffy and other assorted sweets were also being sold by the ½ pound, in bags and individually. T-shirts and other merchandise for sale featuring the classic Route 66 Americana brand are located all around the perimeter of the store.

If you navigated all the way to the back of the store, there is a glassed-in area where candy makers are rolling out giant slabs of fudge. While I was waiting for the kids to get finished gathering candy, I took in the sights of the many people enjoying themselves shopping and looking at all the varieties of candy.

After spending about 35 minutes in the candy store, we realized we needed to get back on the road, so unfortunately we didn’t make into the gift shop. That is an experience that we are saving for the next time we head that way.

Their website is linked above. It doesn’t have a lot of information on there but it does tell how they opened the candy factory and the gift shop. If you find yourself traveling down Interstate 44 in Missouri, just follow the billboards. It’s a great stop and we highly recommend it.

Please check out a few of our other travel posts…

Posted in Travel, usa

World’s Largest Ketchup (Catsup) bottle found in Collinsville, Illinois USA

Posted on by teacherscoutmom
World's Largest Ketchup Bottle, Collinsville, Illinois, USA
World’s Largest Ketchup Bottle

So…  Ever found yourself wondering where you could find the World’s Largest Ketchup Bottle??  Well, look no farther than Collinsville, Illinois USA.

This water tower was built in 1949 and stands 170 feet tall.  It’s an amazing example of the Roadside Americana era of the 20th Century.  History of this awesome structure can be found  on their website here.  In August of 2002, it was named to the Historic Places Register.

We decided to drive by and experience it on our recent road trip.  It was pretty neat, however I was disappointed that there wasn’t more to do.  I was hoping for a little museum or something that you could go in and buy souvenirs or even a nice picnic spot.  Unfortunately, we were able to just drive by it and take pictures.   It also may have been the time of the year that we went. If we had waited and went in July when they hold a birthday party for the bottle, that’s when the activities come out with ketchup tasting, eating contests and much more.   It was definitely worth the trip off the interstate ( about 5 miles) just to view it and it gave us some excellent conversation after the trip with our kids.

 

 

Brooks’ Ketchup is still around today.  To try some of it, Amazon has it for purchase here.  You can also buy it from the World’s Largest Ketchup Bottle site as well.

 

 

Branson Ferris Wheel,
Posted in Travel, usa

Branson Ferris Wheel

Posted on by teacherscoutmom

Branson Ferris Wheel,

My family loves visiting Branson, MO and we have been doing so for a little over a decade.  We have seen most every show, and stayed in a handful of motels/hotels.   We have been so many times, that we even had the pleasure of watching Branson’s Ferris Wheel being built.  Each time we drove by it, a new sectio
n would be in place.  When it was completed, we were very excited to finally ride it.

My family arrived on the Thursday of our area’s Spring Break Week.  It is usually a very busy time for Branson.  However, the Ferris Wheel wasn’t crowded.  We walked almost immediately up to the ticket window.  After a picture against a green screen, we were led to the waiting queue.  The first thing I noticed is that the wheel doesn’t stop to load or unload passengers.  This is a huge time saver for when the crowds get heavy.

From the ground, the Ferris Wheel, in all it’s visual wonder against Branson’s topography, doesn’t look all that tall.  However, when you reach the pinnacle during the ride up, the view is amazing.  The Branson strip can be nearly viewed in its entirety.  The Ozarks visible in the panoramic distance show just how beautiful this part of the country truly is.

The ride took 7 to 7 1/2 minutes to complete the revolution.  When we were coming down to the loading dock, remember the wheel doesn’t stop unless to accommodate a guest, a stewardess asked if we would like another trip.  We happily said “yes”!  We were able to experience the ride for a second time for the same price as only one trip around.

At night the wheel lights up the Branson strip with over 16,000 LED lights that spin and dance many different colored lights that entertains the masses for free.  The lights of the wheel can be seen from great distances.

After our ride on the wheel, we learned from the website, linked here, that the wheel is only new to Branson, but not a brand new wheel.  The Ferris wheel was originally built in 1995 as part of the renovated Navy Pier.  It served as an attraction for 20 years before being sold.  The Ferris wheel has 40 gondolas that can hold up to 6 people each.  That brings the total number of total riders at its max capacity to 240.

Adults 12 and up pay $12.00 to ride.  Children 11 and under pay 8.00 to ride.  Toddlers 3 and under are free.

If you find yourself in Branson, MO and not sure what to do between shows or one more thing before retiring for the night at a local hotel or one last thing to do before driving home, my family highly recommends that you take a spin on the Branson Ferris wheel.

Posted in Kansas City, MO, usa

Canned Food Donations- Kansas City Mall

Posted on by teacherscoutmom

 

2016-02-13-14-34-06
Canned Food Display – Kansas City Mall

 

Last February, we spent the weekend in Kansas City and saw an example of an amazing can food drive.  The mall had an event where businesses created a display out of canned food that represented an object or character.  All food was donated to their local food bank.

But to get even more food donated, a contest occurred with all the displays competing to get votes. In order to win, people voted with… you guessed it can food!

It was an awesome idea.  I’m wondering if our classrooms in school could do something on our next canned food drive.  (On a much smaller scale though)

 

Jake and the Neverland Pirates

 

Mario was our personal favorite!

 

Bliss, cupcakes, Fayetteville, Arkansas
Posted in Fayetteville, AR, Travel, usa

The Best Cupcakes… found in Fayetteville, Arkansas

Posted on by teacherscoutmom
Bliss, cupcakes, Fayetteville, Arkansas
Bliss Cupcakes from Fayetteville, Arkansas

While traveling, we came across this little gourmet cupcake cafe in Fayetteville, Arkansas called Bliss.  They were seriously some of the best cupcakes I have ever had in my life.  They were so good, I had to write an article about them!

You can sit inside the cafe or choose to take them on the road.  The small one in the middle is for our dog.  (Yes, they even make cupcakes for the four legged family members!)  Each day, the menu changes so if you ever get a chance to stop by, you may want to check their website located here.

Inside the box are 2 chocolate vegan cupcakes  located in the back (my son has food allergies and he absolutely thought these were amazing and the fact that they even had a cupcake he could eat made him super excited.)

In the middle to the right is a S’mores cupcake (a graham cracker cake with a marshmallow filling, chocolate frosting, a mini marshmallow, and a piece of chocolate on top.)  The one next to it is a gluten free Butterfinger cupcake (butterfinger cake infused with caramel and topped with a peanut butter frosting and chocolate drizzle plus more Butterfinger pieces on top)

On the bottom row,  a Caramel Fudge Brownie Cupcake (brownie topped with caramel cream cheese frosting, caramel drizzle, chocolate drizzle, and chopped pecans)  and a Cookie Dough Cupcake (vanilla Cake with cookie dough baked right in topped with vanilla frosting and a chocolate chip cookie)

Once back on the road, we began looking for other locations.  Apparently they have two locations in Fayetteville, one in Rogers AR, and one in Jonesboro AR but franchises available.  Hmmm……

Please check out a few of our other travel posts…

 

New York New York, Las Vegas, Hershey's Chocolate World
Posted in Las Vegas, NV, usa

Hershey’s Chocolate World- New York, New York in Las Vegas

Posted on by teacherscoutmom
Hershey’s Chocolate World – New York, New York – Las Vegas, NV

On our last vacation, we found ourselves touring the sites of Las Vegas.  As we were walking, we discovered an amazing store called Hershey’s Chocolate World.  Their official site is located here. 

We  had no idea what to expect when we walked into this two story store.  It was floor to ceiling of sweetness and smelled of delicious chocolate!  One of my favorite parts was a Statue of Liberty that was made out of almost 800 pounds of chocolate.

Twizzlers, Hershey's Chocolate World, Las Vegas
Twizzlers had their own department!

Certain different candies had a whole department all by themselves.

Jolly Rancher, Hershey's Chocolate World, Las Vegas
Jolly Rancher area!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Jolly Rancher Wall of Awesomeness!

 

There are even whole walls devoted to Jolly Ranchers and Hershey Kisses!!! (An M&M Wall is located down the street at M&M World!)  You can buy all the flavors you like and pay for them by the bag or pound.  Other types of candy like Reese’s and Hershey Bars received whole rooms to themselves. (Be sure to check out the 5 pound chocolate bars!)   You can see better pictures of the Reese’s room and Hershey Kisses wall on their official site.

If you find yourself in Las Vegas or on a road trip, then I highly recommend this stop. It is definitely worth driving into town if you are nearby.   My only regret, and my children’s,  is that I didn’t have enough room in my suitcase to bring more candy home!

Please check out a few of our other travel posts…

CSI, Las Vegas, MGM
Posted in Las Vegas, NV, Travel, usa

CSI: The Experience at MGM Grand in Las Vegas

Posted on by teacherscoutmom
Outside CSI: The Experience at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV

This past June, my husband and I spent our 20th wedding anniversary in Las Vegas.  We had a great time and spent lots of hours touring attractions and visiting several shows.  One of the attractions that we toured was the CSI Experience in the MGM Grand.

 

This attraction, located on the second floor by the monorail,  was part of a deal that came from MGM Resorts international in which the buyer can get 3 attractions in Las Vegas for only $57.  (3 for $57 Link)  With normal prices being anywhere from $25-$40 a person, it was a great deal for us.

In the CSI Experience (unfortunately you can’t take pictures once inside), visitors are taken to a registration desk and allowed to don official CSI gear.  My husband and I chose the jackets that the actors were always wearing in the movies. It made us feel like we were really going onto the set!  Once attired in correct uniform, visitors are then assigned one of three cases and handed a clipboard with a worksheet and pen.  After a small wait (about 5 min or so), we were escorted into the viewing room where we met Gil Grissom and received our assignment for the night.

A wall separates each of the crime scenes, and once we had our case and scene, we were escorted to our new location. Our scene had a car crash through the house and we had to write down everything we noticed liked blood drops, pictures on the wall, and any clues that we thought were suspicious.  After about 5-10 min observing, we were then shown to the lab.

The lab was divided into stations like the show.  Stations like the fingerprint lab, DNA, trace, and even autopsy with Doc Robbins were a few that we encountered.  Each station was numbered to match our clipboard and we then began to get reports, run fingerprint analysis, study records, and draw conclusions to solve the case.  It was pretty awesome for the science geeks like us!  It took us about an hour or so to get through all the stations.

At the end, there are computers in which you can type up your findings.  If your report to Grissom is correct, then you are emailed a graduation certificate and offered to take photos.  (The certificate is free however the photos are not.)  At the end, there is a gift shop that sells magnets, show memorabilia and other fun science stuff.

I would highly recommend this attraction and if you find yourself in Las Vegas, you should check it out.  I know that we will definitely do it again with a different case the next time we are there.    Their official site is located here.  CSI: The Experience

 

Please check out a few of our other travel posts…