Do you know where your kids’ kites are?
April is National Kite Month and one of my family’s most favorite times of the year. (Now, if we could only get the snow to melt and the temperatures to rise above freezing we’d really be in business.) Spring is one of the best times to get out and let your kite carve through the crisp April air. And while you don’t have to travel any farther than your own backyard (if it is large enough) to set your kite soaring there are some places around the country that kite-flying experts consider the best of the best.
Here are just a few:
CALIFORNIA
San Diego’s Mission Bay is considered one of the best kite-flying venues in the world, according to kite experts. It’s the place where the San Diego Kite Club gathers each week to practice their awe-inspiring moves. Skilled four-line kite fliers practice individual and team maneuvers for crowds of unsuspecting visitors. The club also holds a major event each New Year’s Day, when some of the country’s finest kite makers turn out to test their newest creations.
NEVADA
Ivanpah Dry Lake Bed in Primm, Nevada is a hot spot for a new kite-related activity called kite buggying. The unusual sport has participants racing around in high-tech, three-wheeled go-carts powered by kites. And because Ivanpah is home to miles of smooth, hard lake bed and wicked winds it has become the gathering place for kite buggying fans. Each April Ivanpah hosts the annual North American Buggy Expo where new equipment is unveiled and the country’s best riders show what they are made of.
RHODE ISLAND
Brenton Point State Park in Newport, Rhode Island is one of the East Coast’s premier kite-flying spots. The sprawling park is located on the water and features large open areas where you can set your kite aloft. The breeze off the water makes kite flying easy. The park is also home to a number of hiking and bike trails that allow you to enjoy nature at its finest with or without a kite in hand.
WASHINGTON
Long Beach, Washington is home to the World Kite Museum and Hall of Fame and is considered as one of the finest kite-flying venues along the Northwest Coast. Kite festivals take place here all summer long. The largest is the Washington State International Kite Festival, held annually during the third week of August.
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