For more than 10 years, the Universal Federal Credit Union on 31st Street has provided its younger Club Ed members with an opportunity for summer travel. While these annual road trips are intended to be full of fun-filled activities keeping the kids occupied, there is always an underlying educational theme incorporated with each event. This not only holds true for the younger members, but the entire family as well. Recent years have seen these trips travel to the Cincinnati Zoo, Smokey Mountains, The Center of Science and Industry in Columbus (COSI), and most recently, a trip to the Cincinnati Museum of Natural History and Science.

Last month, three bus loads of active, energetic kids of all ages, along with parents, grandparents and guardians, headed due west in the early morning fog. With the overhead miniature televisions blasting away, enough snacks and water to endure even the most severe survival situation, along with pillows, blankets and computer games, over 100 enthusiastic souls headed for the metropolis of Cincinnati.

The Cincinnati Museum really does have something for everyone. One of the coordinators of this year's trip, Mrs. Drenda Lambert, said that was the very reason this year's location was selected.

"These trips are successful because they involve the entire family." she said. "If the adults become bored, more than likely they will not bring the children back. Events like these are a win-win situation for everyone."

If you look up the word Omnimax in Webster's Dictionary, it will read something like, "all powerful, with complete, unlimited or universal power and authority." The Omnimax Theater at the Cincinnati Museum is that and more. With 36,000 watts of audio power, a wrap around screen from mid ceiling to floor and reclining seats, it's easy to see why the kids were impressed with the performance of "Legends of Flight."

Tanner Keener, age 7, said that the movie was awesome, even more realistic than 3D. Joseph Snyder, 10, said he has never seen a movie that was anything as close to that giant, curved screen. He now wants to fly in a real airplane someday. Dillon Young, 11, said that the movie was so impressive that he would love to come back again someday.

Aside from the Omnimax Theater, there are enough attractions at the Cincinnati Museum to challenge anyone regardless of their age, or background. One such area is the Duke Energy Children Museum for kids up to around 9 years of age. An area that kept Brit Young in continuous motion keeping up with his kids, and a couple of twin nephews.

"This area offers something for every child that came today," said Young. "Our toddler could probably just stay the entire day here if we let him."

Mrs. Kerri Keener mentioned that her 7-year-old son, Tanner, was excited about going to the Trading Post, an area where he could trade natural artifacts from home for other items of interest. It was just about then that Mr. Keener was observed crawling high overhead through a web supported swinging bridge with his 2-year-old son clinging to his back.

Our granddaughter, Hannah Bledsoe, age 9, liked the special effects of the movie, but she really enjoyed exploring through the maze of old hollow logs, secret passageways, swinging bridges and exit slides in the wooded area.

Another area was a grocery store mock-up where kids could load their shopping carts, add their purchases up, check out and pay for their groceries. it was an area of interest for 13-year-old Carole McCoy, whose shopping cart was full of bargains.

Designed for the older kids was the Museum of Natural History and Science. An impressive area with its authentic reproduction of a Kentucky limestone cave complete with waterfalls, fossils and a live bat colony.

Corbin Lovejoy, and Dreaun Jackson, both 11, were totally impressed with the cave. Lovejoy discovered that certain species of bats will each eat thousands of mosquitoes in a single night. Jacob Young, 11, said the cave looked real, especially the small passageways, and water falls. Cody Braley, age 15, was totally impressed with the ice age glaciers. He said that even the temperature seemed authentic, and the animals looked extremely real.

Wanda Waiters, 65, started the advanced side of the cavern tour, but turned around when the passageways got too difficult to navigate for her. "I just wasn't ready for the tight areas," she said. "The beginners side was more suited for me."

Joyce Keith, another one of the trip organizers, brought along her 3-year-old granddaughter.

"This trip will more than likely be repeated," she said. "There was just something exciting for everyone to get involved with. Our granddaughter loved the kitchen activities, and spent over an hour with the hands on water activities."

Brock Waiters, 15, liked the museum, but really enjoyed riding the amphibious motorized World War II "ducks" that drove everyone across the bridge into Ohio and right down into the Ohio River for a 40-minute river ride right past the Cincinnati Reds baseball field. Katie Sturgeon, 9, said that the entering the river and getting splashed was pretty exciting.

By the time we returned home, most of the snacks were gone, the movies were finished, the sun had long disappeared, and the kids so full of energy just a few hours before, laid in various contorted stages of slumber. With visions of prehistoric dinosaurs, ice age fossils, river rides, caves and bats dancing in their heads; the bus sped through the late night hours in silence. A peaceful, restful, blessed, reward of total worn out bliss.

Clyde Beal is an area freelance writer waiting to hear from someone with an average everyday story. Write him at archie350@frontier.com.

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