The Busy Life of a Single Mom

We’re going to Walt Disney World for Cameron’s birthday, but she has made new friends at our new school, and she really wants to do something with them for her birthday. I think she has me convinced to let her invite just one or two friends and we will make a day trip out somewhere. So I’ve been searching online looking for somewhere unique that we could go. Last year we did Build A Bear and Chuck E Cheese, but that seemed so generic that I don’t want to do that again.  I want to find something that she and her guests will remember and talk about.

I am very excited to have the opportunity to tell you about a great sounding place - Shangri La Gardens and Nature Center. The Gardens are located in Orange, Texas which is an easy drive for us. With Earth Day approaching, Cameron has been really fascinated with all of the “green” things she’s learning in school. She is regularly telling me that we need to recyle this or buy this and plant it. One of the focuses of the Shangri La Gardens is living in harmony with nature, and they are the first project in Texas to win the U.S. Green Building Council’s Platinum certification for LEED-NC. I think anything that can tell Cameron about being eco-friendly will really intrigue her so this would be a definite plus.

The property of Shangri La Gardens has over 300 varieties of plants and also a lot of wildlife. Every day are tours of the facilites that I think would be really interesting called an Outpost Tour. These tours are at 10:30 am and 3:00 pm each day. Cameron really has enjoyed other tours we’ve been on at zoos where they’ve pointed out the wildlife so I think she’d find this really interesting. Finally, there is a cafe on property for feeding Cameron and her guests with some great healthy options.

Looking for something interesting and fun for a family vacation, school trip, or just a child’s birthday? Live in the Orange, Texas area? Check out the Shangri La Gardens and Nature Center website.