USS Hornet

Investigate with the best and sleep aboard for the rest!

Richard and I purchased the Admiral Package that allows you to spend four hours (9PM-1AM) ghost hunting the USS Hornet with our celebrity guest ghost hunters and then retreat to the berthing areas for a night of sleep (or lack thereof!). The package also includes a seat in Chip Coffey's Group Gallery Reading, Autograph Meet & Greet and Kristyn Gartland's "Paranormal 101"!



We met Kristyn Gartland "TAPS", "Ghost Hunters", "Ghost Hunters LIVE ".
Kristyn Gartland is the TAPS Case Manager and regular cast member of the TV show "Ghost Hunters". She has had her fair share of personal family experiences with the paranormal in the past and actually got involved with TAPS around a decade ago, following a plead for paranormal help. Kristyn, now one of the most experienced female investigators around, teaches her own class to the public (Paranormal 101). She has appeared at numerous conventions, ghost hunts, lectures and other events, where she shares her expertise with everyone.



We attended a group reading with Chip Coffey "Paranormal State", "Psychic Kids".
Chip Coffey is a World Renowned, psychic-medium and investigator of the paranormal. Chip has been serving clients as an active psychic since he was ten years old. Often compared to medium channeler John Edward (Crossing Over), Chip has a unique and proven ability of being a precognitive, clairprescient psychic. Essentially meaning that Chip can forecast future events by tapping into his spiritual guides from beyond. He is also blessed with the rare ability to communicate with the dead.
Chip has been featured on A&E Television's "Paranormal State" and Co-Hosted his own show on the same network called "Psychic Kids". He has also appeared on the Maury Povich show, Montel Williams, Airline, Larry King Show and Entertainment Tonight to name a few.



All in all it was a really fun weekend and a great way to hang out with friends, eat great Pizza, and enjoy a late night action packed ghost hunt.




No we didn't see anything really exciting, but we sure had fun checking the ship out in the dark by flashlight.

MakeNewFriendsWhile

Remember the Nursery Sing Along - Make New Friends?

"Make New Friends but keep the Old, one is Silver and the other Gold."

Making new friends is one of my favorite parts of traveling. That's one reason I always stay in local non brand hotels. I have started taking some small gifts, McDonald's lunch toys, free marketing giveaways, wrapped candies, pens, or postcards of our region to share with folks I meet on the trip. It is especially helpful when meeting people with children, they like to have the kids learn a few things about where you live.


I also try to be a good listener, asking questions about their trip or the area, and listening carefully to the answers. It is easy to talk and interact with people when outdoors walking or hiking, shopping, buying regional local foods for picnics or a snack. Don't make the mistake of talking only with those in your group. We all tend to talk only to each other when we have a group we are traveling with, try and break out of that habit while traveling. You will learn so much more.

Make friends by asking about local customs, the weather, hand crafted items, history of the area or building, local music or anything else of interest. Don't be afraid to ask follow-up questions if you need more information.

Stay a Week or More in One Place, Ask for Help, Ride the Bus, Visit the Local dining and shopping places. Living like a local, washing clothes downtown, shopping for food at a farmers outdoor market, having dinner in the local restaurant allows one to ask questions and chat casually.

It never hurts to approach people for assistance in reading the map, finding a nearby waterfall, finding the best hiking trails or locating a restaurant that serves vegetarian food. Going by public transportation or train puts you closer to local people and how they live. it also gives one plenty of time to see the scenery as well as chat with other travelers and locals alike.

I enjoy making new friends and I still keep up with a lot of my new friends via facebook and email. I have even met up with them again on other trips, or when they happen to visit California. Try it!

GAMES to play in the car

Car Games

Odd or Even
What are the chances? Game for two players - Have each child guess if there are more license plates that end in an odd or even number. (plates that end in a letter do not count)
1. Give each child a blank sheet of paper and a pencil, or something to mark with.
2. Set a time limit, usually 10-15 minutes.
3. Have one child look for plates that end in an odd number, and the other look for an even number.
4. A tick mark or dash should be marked for each car they find. (For extra learning, have them group the marks in sets of 5)
4. At the end of the time limit, have the children add up their marks. (Counting by 5's if grouping was used)
I Spy Pick out an object that everyone can see. Then give them a clue by saying, "I spy something ..." (Say its shape, color or size) The other players ask questions about what you see and you only answer with "yes" or "no". The first player who guesses right becomes the new spy.
A to Z Find words beginning with "A", on signs around you. Have the players take turns, after "A", go to "B", and so on. Can you get ot "Z" and finish the alphabet? Alternate the starting person at the start of a new game, so that everyone gets a chance with the challenging letters. (For younger players you may want to skip the difficult letters.)
What did I bring on my trip? Start this game out by saying, "I'm going on a trip and I'm bringing..." . The first player should name an item that starts with the letter "A". After "A" , the next player will say the same thing but with the letter "B", and so on.
Guess the number Let your child think of a number between a stated range of numbers. You try to guess the number by asking questions. Here's a sample of how it might go: Your child: I'm thinking of a number between 1 and 100. You ask: Is it more than 50? Your child: No. You: Is it an even number? Child: No. You: Can you divide this number into three equal parts? And so forth. After you have guessed the number, let your child guess a number that you are thinking of by asking similar questions.
One benefit of this game is that, by asking questions about numbers, it helps the child to develop an understanding of some concepts, characteristics and meanings of numbers. If your child doesn't know the difference between odd and even numbers, this is an opportunity to explain and help them understand.

License Plate You call out the number on a license plate and see who can add up the numbers correctly. Ask, How did you do that? Another license plate game is to copy down the number on the plate. Ignore any letters and read the number out loud, for example: M663218 would be six hundred sixty-three thousand, two hundred eighteen.
Are We There Yet? Try grappling with the Are we there yet? questions with a little diversionary questioning of your own. Ask your child questions about how far you're traveling. Yards? Miles? Kilometers maybe? How fast are we going? If it's 3:15 now, and it takes us two hours to get there, what time will we arrive? How far have we gone?
Some of the other activities you might try while in transit is to have the kids watch for numbers on streets and buildings, phone numbers on the sides of trucks and other vehicles, dates on buildings, or business signs with numbers in them.

For a list of car games you can print out and take with you on the road go to: http://travelwithkids.about.com/cs/printgames/a/gamesprint.htm