Add Magic, Aside from the simple pleasures of whiling away an afternoon with some kite flying, the great American road trip might be the best way to escape the pressures of life. So, just imagine the fun of a road trip linked with kite flying.
Well, 2022 is winding down. The months of fall and winter in the Colorado River Valley are ideal for enjoyable kite flying afternoons. And they are the perfect time to begin planning adventures for 2023.
Add Magic to a delightful summer drive along the shores of Lake Michigan. You can even bypass the congestion of Chicago by taking the Badger, a vintage ferry that runs between Manitowoc, Wisconsin and Ludington, Michigan. Door County in Wisconsin and the upper peninsula of Michigan is filled with scenic wonders, picturesque old villages, ghost towns, and surprisingly vibrant and diverse small cities.
And if you plan the drive around the Labor Day weekend, adding some magic is as easy as putting the Frank Mots International Kite Festival on your travel itinerary. First held in 1978 this Kite Society of Wisconsin event often attracts more than 50,000 people to the beautiful Veteran’s Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on the weekend after the holiday.
The two day festival features amateurs with a wide array of kites, and popular regional teams. Some, such as the Chicago Fire Kite Team, travel from as far away as Chicago to participate.
The ABC Zilker Annual Kite Festival in Austin, Texas dates to 1929. It has been recognized as the longest continuously running the kite festival in the United States. Held each March it started as a simple kite flying contest that encouraged children to be creative and make their own kites.
Now managed by the nonprofit Friends of the ABC Kite Fest, the festivalt is free to attend. All proceeds are gifted to Schools of Central Texas and other educational projects.
It is promoted as family friendly event that, aside from kite flying and building, offers a children’s music concert. There is also a pet zone for families that choose to bring a pet to the festival.
Attractions in the Austin area abound. Staying with the family friendly theme, the Austin Zoo, Animal Sanctuary and Children’s Museum are great memory making venues.
For a road trip component consider driving Route 66 from the Colorado River at Fort Mohave, Arizona to Santa Rosa, New Mexico, home of the stunning Blue Hole, before turning south. With proper planning a family adventure on iconic Route 66 adds some magic to the trip and ensures the making of memories that will last a lifetime.
Just imagine taking a break from the road to fly kites over the picturesque ruins of Two Guns along the rim of colorful Canyon Diablo. Or the fun of a lunch at the zany Snow Cap Drive In in Seligman, Arizona, a tangible link to Route 66 history that dates to 1953.
This winter, as you begin planning for a year of adventure with kites, bring the family to Tumbleweeds & Tarantula’s in Bullhead City, Arizona. Then add a road trip or two and introduce a new generation to the joy of the road trip, and the fun of flying kites.
Kite accessories, https://tumbleweedsandtarantulas.com/product-category/kite-supplies/
Written by Jim Hinckley of Jim Hinckley’s America
