 This summer, my family left the Cape for a weekend and headed to one of our favorite vacation spots, the White Mountains of New Hampshire. It’s a destination that I personally have been enjoying annually pretty much since I was born. My aunt used to have a timeshare in North Conway, and we’d always book it for a week in the summertime with my cousins. Every year we’d make it a point to spend a day at Story Land, a tradition which I have continued now with my own family.  Although the park has changed quite a bit since I was a kid (we all especially miss the Silver Mine attraction!) it’s still a blast to enjoy with your own little ones and it’s not at all difficult to spend an entire day there. First there are the rides; there is definitely something for everyone. There are a few small roller coasters there but nothing too extreme. The Bamboo Chutes coaster features a slow climb and a decently long plunge, but my son who’s 8 went on this ride 3 times and a row and loved it. My personal favorite was Dr. Geyser’s Remarkable Raft Ride, which consists of a rotating, four-person raft which tumbles down a fairly flat waterway track, with geysers and other water hazards all around. You’re definitely gonna get wet. We probably spent over a half an hour at the Splash Battle attraction, in which a group rides a boat on a water track in a circle, while others on the “shore” spray water cannons at you. The ride you’re on also features water cannons, so you can give it all back! Again, probably best to bring a dry shirt.  My daughter, who’s three, was mesmerized by the Farm Follies Theatre, which is a periodic performance featuring animatronic fruits, vegetables, and other colorful farm characters that seems to take place every fifteen minutes or so. There are plenty of different songs, jokes, and characters to keep just about anyone entertained. We truly didn’t have the easiest time getting my little girl to leave!  The older part of the park is where it gets its namesake from, as many of the attractions are centered around popular children’s stories. There’s a full-time Mother Goose on duty, as well as Humpty Dumpty, the Woman in the Shoe, and Cinderella. The youngest of visitors will probably find this to be exciting, as there are plenty of replicas of famous story locations for them to explore. Aside from the attractions and the rides at the park, I was impressed with the food available there, as the prices were fair and healthy options such as salads were available as was typical fare food, with some slightly heartier choices like BBQ pulled pork, which was great. We keep coming back to Story Land every summer, and there really is enough to see and do here to keep it interesting and make sure the experience doesn’t get old. Check it out for yourself!  Brian lives on the Cape with his family and 2 children. He is the owner of Millennium Archery where he not only teachers archery but also makes custom arrows and products. Brian also enjoys cooking and trying new healthy recipes with the family. He enjoys spending time outdoors in nature and appreciating all that the Cape has to offer. Brian will be guest posting on the blog as we add in our new feature called Dad's Den which will share blogs from Dad's point of view.
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 Tactical Dad Packs was founded by two new fathers, is expanding on its already-successful line of D.O.D.D. (Dad On Diaper Duty) Diaper Packs with a brand new project, launching through Kickstarter on August 24th, 2016. Though the initial backpack became available in 2014 and saw much success, founders Scott Bagala and Bryan Fikes felt something was missing. It wasn't long before the solution became clear: the system needed a simple, effective baby carrier. These bags are a perfect bag for dad to get for a gift and is a great present idea for any new dad! Two prototypes have been tested and Tactical Dad is ready to move to the next step. The Kickstarter aims to meet a $30,000 dollar goal to fund the expedited finalization of the baby carrier and diaper pack combo prototype, ensure all child safety codes are met, begin mass production and distribution to backers, as well as bring the product to market.  "Our mission is to help fathers be prepared," co-founder Bagala says of the D.O.D.D. pack. "Right now we're in the second of five design phases. We're going to raise $30,000 to help us get to that fifth design phase so we can secure the proper buckles, fabrics, and liners so our front carrier pack is safe for your children and ours.” The goal of Tactical Dad since its inception has been providing dads with a functional, cool alternative to the ultra-feminine diaper bags currently flooding the market. The D.O.D.D. backpack is not only organized and convenient, it also offers numerous features to ensure a parent is always prepared, including plenty of storage, padded shoulder straps, easy release chest clasp, a changing pad, bottle holder with insulated lining, and even pen slots, because your diaper bag should function beyond just carrying diapers. With the addition of the baby carrier option, the new pack will offer even better functionality for both new and experienced parents. Check out their website by clicking here or Visit the Kickstarter campaign here.  Cave Tools Looking Great on my father in law's grille By: Brian
Okay, so I'll be honest. I wasn't much of a griller until recently, more specifically the summer of 2014. I had been a vegetarian for several years and then gradually went back to eating meat (sort of) though it didn't exactly remain a staple of my diet. Anyhow, I had been asked to review this set of BBQ Grill Tools Set - 3 Piece Utensils kit of grilling tools from Cave Tools in exchange for my honest opinion, so I figured it was as good an excuse as any to fire up the old, clunky (and perfectly functional) two-burner propane dinosaur that occupies a third of my deck throughout all four seasons of the New England year. I'll be honest again. I was using this set of three tools (a spatula, grilling tongs, and a two-pronged grilling fork) to cook burgers, so I didn't really need the grilling fork for anything. It did, however, have a nice, streamlined design and fit ergonomically into my hand. The sharp, precise design of the fork carried over to the other two tools as well, as they are sturdy, weight-balanced, and clearly well-made from quality materials. The tongs were easily the best of the bunch. The two ends have half-moon shaped grippers for whatever you're picking up with them, and the grippers are serrated so you can easily cut into whatever it is you're grilling. The shape and balance of them was perfect, and they have already replaced my other pair since they're easy to close when you're picking something up with them. My previous pair was too wide when the tongs were open and didn't fit in my hand too well, frequently causing me to drop them during use. The spatula was, well, a spatula. Worked just as well as any spatula I've ever used, and looked really nice to boot. All in all, this set of three Cave Tools grilling utensils appears to be a well-made and quality purchase and would be useful for anyone who's serious about grilling, whether they're a novice or a pro. These would make any guy happy to receive for a gift especially Christmas! You can purchase them from Cave Tools here and SAVE on the Grill Set with 15% Off using code FWOBWJHP |
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