Art&Seek Jr. is one mom‘s quest to find activities to end the seemingly endless chorus of the “I’m Bored Blues” while having fun herself. Impossible you say? Check back on Tuesdays for kid-friendly events that are fun for adults, too.

Mary Beth’s parents loved road trips. Photo: MB Boehm

The other day my co-workers and I were reminiscing about our favorite childhood vacations. My friend Mary Beth jumped in with a story about how she and her parents visited 47 of the 48 continuous states when she was a child. She’s not sure why they skipped Utah. No matter where they were in the state they were visiting, they always made sure to include a side trip to the state’s capitol where Mary Beth would have her picture snapped on the front steps. Not a big deal in states like Delaware, but there would definitely have to be a plan for places like California and Texas. Besides having very dedicated parents, her story also illustrates how road trips from the 1960s and ’70s were a lot less complicated than today’s vacations, but are still just as memorable.

We all like the idea of a vacation to a national monument, state park, or even to see the world’s largest ball of string. It’s the reality of 10 hours in the car with squabbling kids and a car sick dog that makes us balk. If you want memorable, but would prefer to skip the driving cross-country part, check out these 4 events for a taste of something different that’s close to home.

Meet your favorite galactic characters at Reel Adventures in Sci-Fi. Photo: Fort Worth Museum of Science and History

Want to explore new worlds and boldly go where no man has gone before without having to worry about the traffic? Check out Reel Adventures in Sci-Fi at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History this Saturday. An out of this world interactive exhibition where science fiction meets science fact. Kids will get to rub elbows with their favorite Sci-Fi characters, and are guided through science based missions like “To Boldly Mold,” and “Oobleck: Goo or Goo Not.” They’ll also have a chance to use black lights to analyze minerals, test stomp rockets, make mini light sabers, and much more. Characters from the Star Wars 501st Legion and USS Artemis STARFLEET International Organization will be in attendance. After the Sci-Fi activities, guests will have the opportunity to engage in the full dome experience of Star Trek on the giant IMAX screen. It’s not mandatory, but space travelers are encourage to dress as their favorite galactic characters.

Enjoy a road trip across the United States at the C.R. Smith Museum’s interactive exhibition, Trivial Pursuit: A 50 State Adventure. You and the kiddos will feel like you’re part of a board game as you stroll through this educational exhibit created in collaboration with Hasbro. There are touch-screen trivia game kiosks located throughout the exhibit that test your knowledge on U.S. geography, history, arts and literature, science and nature, sports and leisure, and entertainment. The questions range from easy to hard so even little travelers can play. You can experience the game now through Sept. 12.

Find out how Dallas Love Field gets seven million people a year from here to there at the Dallas City of Learning’s Turn Up! at Dallas Love Field event this Saturday at the Frontiers of Flight Museum. You and the kids can explore the inner workings of the airport and see what it takes to keep Love Field flying. Just a few of the many highlights of this free event include: a tour through the new terminal, wind tube experiments, open cockpit exploration, and my favorite–sampling airline food.

It wouldn’t be a summer vacation without a dip in a some sort of body of water. Skip the Gulf of Mexico and Guadalupe River and head to Fort Worth’s Panther Island Pavilion instead for Sunday Funday. You and kiddos can enjoy a day of tubing, tunes, food and fun. And don’t worry about packing the blow up rafts, there will be plenty of stand up paddle boards, pedal boats,and of course, tubes for rent. If you’re not a water person, stay on the shore and play a game of cornhole or washers. If you miss out this weekend, not to worry, the Funday events are offered Sundays through Aug. 30.

Therese Powell is an Art&Seek calendar coordinator and KERA-TV producer. She spends most of her free time seeking out adventures for her 10-year-old daughter, Rose. Tell us about your ideas for quirky kid adventures by leaving a comment. Or e-mail Therese at tpowell@kera.org