CINCINNATI — With the end of summer near, it can be hard to find new and exciting activities to keep the kids busy. That’s why one Cincinnati mom helps vet those experiences for families.
What You Need To Know
- Nedra McDaniel started Adventure Mom, a travel and lifestyle website, in 2011
- After losing her brother and mother, she was inspired to make the most of each day
- McDaniel tests out different adventures near and far, and shares her experiences
- She hopes to inspire others to get out and adventure with your family
As Nedra McDaniel makes her way to the Land of Illusion Adventure Park, she makes sure to grab pictures before getting to the fun.
That’s because McDaniel is the writer of Adventure Mom, a travel and lifestyle website that encourages other parents to take adventures themselves.
“It’s all about making memories and first-time experiences together,” McDaniel said. “So creating those opportunities for families to have adventures together. So I’m always on the lookout for unique experiences, and this is definitely one of them.”
Land of Illusion is just that: a floating water park outside Middletown.
McDaniel vets every aspect of the park and makes sure to share it all on her website.
“It can be very intimidating if you’re going somewhere you haven’t been before. You want to know what to expect,” she said. “So I try to help someone know everything that they have to expect so that way they can just come and enjoy their experience and they already have a heads up, and I already tested it out and tried it.”
McDaniel started Adventure Mom in 2011, inspired to live each day to the fullest after losing her brother and mother.
“I had a special needs brother who had cerebral palsy who passed away when I was in middle school,” she said. “And then my mom passed away from breast cancer when I was in my low 20s. So I think especially because of that, I think that you can’t waste days. Time is not something to take for granted or health. So it’s just really important to make the most of it.”
So now, McDaniel spends her days adventuring, sometimes close to home, but other times across the country or even the world. She encourages parents to take part in the fun.
“As an adult, I highly recommend going out there and playing with your kids, getting your hair wet even though it’s a pain sometimes,” McDaniel said. “Making the memories, let them laugh at you when you wipe out and just doing all that because that’s part of it. They’re going to remember those experiences of you doing it together.”
While it isn’t always easy to get outside your comfort zone, McDaniel sa itid’s always worth it.
“There’s always something new, and so it’s what you look for is what you’re going to find,” she said. “So I think you can always continually find adventure in your own backyard.”
