 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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 Regional Family Vacation to Double Tree by Hilton North Shore a Success By: Amy, Kelly & Melissa Recently the Cape Kids Cast kids and some moms from our blogging team were invited up to visit the Double Tree by Hilton North Shore and Coco Key Water Park in Danvers. As you know many times people have differing points of views when it comes to experiences. For our review this time we decided it would be better to get the viewpoints of the 3 mothers on the trip as well as get their feedback on traveling and vacationing with the kids via a podcast! You can listen to our podcast focusing on traveling locally with the family below or visit our Parenting Podcast page here. Be sure to also check out Amy, Kelly and Melissa's other suggestions, feedback and tips below! Amy's ReviewHaving been to Double Tree by Hilton North Shore before I knew what to expect for the weekend and how much fun the kids would have. We had stayed in the family rooms previously but this time we were treated to the King over sized room with a sofa bed. I loved the size of the room overall because it gave us room to spread out affording us some additional comfort as well as have a specific place to eat. It gives the allusion of having almost separate space which was useful during our times we took a break from the water park to decompress or before bed. I loved having the fridge in our room which was the perfect place to store juice boxes (and the delicious secret tray of brownies with caramel sauce we brought for the parents). Breakfast was included with our stay and the buffet offered a plentiful assortment of options. I was partial to the homemade Belgian waffles that you could make yourself however the kid in me wished for chocolate chips as an option to put on top. Our server for both mornings was excellent and very friendly. She handled our large party with ease even with the dining room being packed. We opted to order from room service our second night for dinner which looking back on it was a SMART decision on our part. The kids were exhausted after such a fun filled day. The water park was a lot of fun and because I had purchased a waterproof case for my phone, the kids were able to take it down slides and in the pools so we could capture some really funny moments. We were able to utilize a cabana the first night we were there which did make it easy to condense all of our things together plus gave the kids a quiet place to take a break. The safe in the cabana was an added bonus so that valuables could be locked up. Overall we had a fantastic time. We discuss our trip in more length on the podcast but I have also included some Parent Tips below that we discuss that may make your life a little easier! Parent Tips
Kelly's ReviewWe were lucky enough to stay and “play” at the Doubletree Hilton North Shore and Coco Keys Water Park and I can gladly say we had a fabulous time. The hotel was great and upon checking in the kids were thrilled to receive their homemade cookies!! What a great treat for them. We had a great room which was spacious and comfortable and right across the hall from our friends. We would have preferred a room with 2 double beds because the mattress on the pull-out sofa was very thin and uncomfortable. Of course, the kids were more than excited to get their bathing suits on and get to the waterpark!! We were lucky enough to have a cabana reserved for us which was perfect. We got there Friday evening, so the park was quite full and without the cabana we wouldn’t have had a table or chairs because they were all taken. The kids loved the fact that there was a TV in the cabana, however, it wasn’t connected or working which was a little disappointing. The kids played in the water and on the slides and had a great time while we waited for our dinner. The following day we planned to spend at the waterpark and although we were there as soon as it opened there were no towels. The kids continued to have fun in the water and on the slides but were very disappointed that the lazy river still hadn’t been opened. Luckily, we were able to use it later that afternoon and it was one of their favorite parts despite having to wait in line for over 30 minutes. We had a great day, but I suggest having more than 1 register open to order food or have a section where pre-made salads are available to “grab and go”. I waited in line for 45 minutes for a Caesar salad…which was delicious but frustrating having to wait that long. The arcade was fun but overpriced compared to other arcades and quite a few prizes were out of stock when the kids went to redeem their tickets. For dinner that night we decided to order room service. The menu offered some great items and the food was great however, quite a few items had been forgotten but delivered shortly after. The kids had a great time and the kids are already asking when we can go back.
Melissa's ReviewWe had a great escape from the doldrums of winter and home life last weekend visiting the Coco Key Water Park in Danvers. The kids all had smiles on their faces the whole time. Even us adults had a blast! I think we were so focused on the kids having a great time that we didn't realize how much enjoyment us big kids would have too! For instance, screaming the entire way down those giant blue slides that wind their way outside of the building, or just relaxing in the lazy river. It was busiest Saturday as they were sold out, so there were long lines for food or towels. To be on the safe side I'd recommend bringing snacks, including water, and your own towels from home. The Double Tree by Hilton North Shore was comfortable and so convenient to the water park! They were all booked for the weekend so, we didn't get to see the themed rooms, but the rooms we stayed in were nice. I believe they mentioned to us during our stay that all the rooms are going through a renovation process. We can't wait to see it upon completion at a future visit! The breakfast buffet was so easy to feed everyone a good amount of food before hitting the water park for the day. They provide a nice selection to choose from, even if you have picky eaters. Room service was a great option Saturday night. We got to have some much needed down time after an exhausting day of playing. Then we ventured out to check out the hotel's arcade located just outside the water park. It goes without saying that the kids had fun playing the games and winning a few prizes too! Sunday we managed to score a late checkout and were then able to spend just enough time in the water park again, until the kids - if you can believe this - were all done and tired out! We had just enough time for everyone to shower, pack up and then checkout. I would highly recommend a later check-out time if you can arrange it. Stopping for an early dinner on the way home was another great idea. Everyone was fed before getting home, so we could focus on a relaxing evening before putting the kids to bed. The giant amount of laundry was saved for the next day! We really had a fantastic weekend together, and as a bonus it was a great way to exhaust the kids! Thank you so much to both the Double Tree by Hilton North Shore and Coco Key Water Park for having us! We are looking forward to a future visit!
Share with us your experiences at Doubletree Hilton North Shore and Coco Key Water Park as well as any travel tips below!  Amy is the founder of the Cape cod Moms blog, a member of the Parent Podcast Team and working mom of two children, Ethan & Olivia, both members of the Cape Kids Cast team. A native Cape Codder she is extremely passionate about her community residing in Falmouth with her husband and extended family. She works full time in the accounting & financial industry for Gary DellaPosta, CPA as well as is an expert travel agent with InTouch Vacations specializing in Disney, Caribbean travel and more. She can be emailed at Amy@intouchvacations.com for vacation planning needs. In addition Amy is a current director, Co-Chair of the Youth Committees, and former Treasurer of the Falmouth Rotary Club; co-founder of the former Falmouth Young Professionals and volunteers actively in the community. Amy has a background in elementary education, special education and was a former competitive swimmer for 15 years.  Full time Catering Sales Manager for PF Chang’s covering the Northeast territory. Proven success in establishing long term business partnerships. Mother of 2 girls. Madeline 11 (5th grade) Charley 7 (2nd grade) who are reporters on the Cape Kids Cast Broadcast Team. Lives in West Falmouth with her husband and 2 children. Developing strong relationships is the foundation of everything I do both professionally and personally. Kelly is also a member of the Parent Podcast Team.  A Cape Cod native who returned in 2013 to open a children's store and raise her now 8 year old daughter, Izzy who is a member of the Cape Kids Cast Broadcast Team. Always in search of a healthy work/life balance she enjoys getting out into nature with her daughter, playing at the beach, yoga, baking, art, crafting, and reading. She is so grateful for the amazing circle of mom friends she has formed on the Cape - it takes a village! Melissa is also a member of the Parent Podcast team.
Cape Kids Cast Family Vacation Special at Double Tree by Hilton Boston & CoCo Key Water Park3/21/2019 This week, the Cape Kids Cast brings you their family vacation special! They visited DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston North Shore & CoCo Key Boston North Shore last weekend. They will share all of their favorite parts of the hotel and water park and we highly recommend considering this for your upcoming family vacation or school vacation plans! Comment below and share with the kids what you thought was the best part of their video! #AD #RIGHTHERE #CAPEKIDSCAST #FAMILYVACATION #TRAVEL  Summer Family Vacation at Red Jacket Resorts in North Conway By: Amy We recently took our annual family vacation up in the beautiful White Mountain region to North Conway. Last year Red Jacket Resorts had invited us to stay with them at Fox Ridge where we had an amazing time. This year they invited us to check out Mountain View Resort as it had been a while since Meghan Kemp from our team had visited. We invited some good friends of ours to come with us and it turned out to be the perfect way to celebrate the end of the school year and the beginning of summer. Choosing Red Jacket Resorts turned out to once again be the best decision we made when deciding what family friendly hotel to stay with.  As many of you know I prefer to maximize my family vacations with the most time and least stress and traffic possible. Kids on vacation already are off the walls and over stimulated anyway, no need to make it even harder on myself. With this in mind we scheduled our trip to Red Jacket Mountain View for the latter part of Father’s Day weekend. We decided to come up very early on Sunday and stay thru Tuesday. This allowed us to leave at 6:00am from Cape Cod on Sunday morning, arrive by 9:00am and be relaxing by the pool while we waited for our rooms. It was honestly the easiest drive I have ever done and would highly recommend this strategy! We even had time to drive part of the Kancamagus Highway to get a few pictures of the kiddos. Going up Sunday also enabled us to visit Storyland on a Monday while school was in session making it easier to ride the rides repeatedly and having less people in the park.  Upon our arrival I was pleased to discover that our rooms were already ready so we quickly unpacked, changed into our swim suits and relaxed. The kids took part in the daily craft activity making a bird house while we got our water park bracelets and lounged around. During our stay the regular family/kid activities were not taking place during the week however the schedule looked like it was packed with fun consisting of: pool popsicles, movie nights, wagon rides, games, wii tournaments, fun crafts, and campfires! They had a fire pit set up right near the playground which was perfect for early evening fun and treats!
 While the family relaxed I was treated to a tour of both properties that Red Jacket Resorts owns in North Conway. They offer a few different types of rooms at Mountain View with views of the garden or the mountain. We stayed in the Mountain View Alcove room which had two Queen beds and a small side room with bunk beds and a tv for the kids. I love not having to share a tv before bedtime and the kids enjoy having their own private space! Our room also had a gorgeous view of the mountain range and I pulled up the comfy chair and foot rest right in front of that huge window so that I could read and enjoy the view over a coffee in the morning. Some of the other rooms include regular guestrooms including some with a jacuzzi as well as some with lofts. There is also a beautiful 3 bedroom suite that is located in a quieter part of the hotel and features a lot of room plus 2 bathrooms. They also have several town homes and presidential homes which were stunning. I could see this would be very useful room to reserve if you are traveling with a lot of family. On average most families are now only staying typically 3 days (some do stay longer) which is how we also vacation. However there is just so much to do up in North Conway and at the Red Jacket Resorts that I could easily stay a week and enjoy myself. I am hoping to make next year a family affair with the grandparents and cousins too!  Fox Ridge Resort went thru a few updates since our prior stay last year. Did you know when you stay at any of the red Jacket Resorts that you can hang out and play at all of them? Fox Ridge has the cutest little mini golf course that brings back memories of the old days at StoryLand and a perfect way to prepare for your trip to the park. The kids love playing and checking out the old car too! At this location they only serve breakfast but it’s a complimentary full breakfast every morning. Also you can travel just a few minutes down the road and eat at Mountain View for lunch and dinner and even use the pool if you want. You also have the option to visit the water park for an additional charge. During the summer season the resort offers transportation between the two properties which is awesome! Fox Ridge also boasts the largest indoor pool in North Conway. Last year the kids loved hanging out in both the indoor and outdoor pool which overlooks the mountains.  Now let’s talk about the food! Mountain View has 3 different venues to eat: Champney’s, Palmer’s and the Tiki Tide Café in Kahuna Laguna water park. Our son has a peanut and sesame allergy and the chef was very accommodating with us. I have to say I really enjoyed the breakfast buffet on Monday the best. They had everything you could possibly wish for available: eggs benedict, fruit, bacon, sausage, cereal, pastries, bagels, and more. They even had a chef at an omelet, waffle, pancake station! I made some mini Belgian waffles which I sprinkled with chocolate chips, whipped cream and strawberries. It was absolute heaven. The second morning was table service and I enjoyed the eggs benedict and the kids gobbled up their waffles. Our servers on both days were fantastic and friendly.  Sunday evening in honor of Father’s Day we celebrated by going to one of our favorite restaurants in the region: Moat Mountain. If you have never been here then you are missing out as it has some of the best BBQ I have ever had. My eyes were a lot bigger than my stomach and I could not decide so I ordered a little bit of everything for us to share. I was a little embarrassed though when it came out on a kitchen tray. But it is always a fantastic meal and a must try if you are in the area.
After dinner we decided to turn in early to rest for the day of fun we had planned the next day. The next morning after breakfast we ventured on over to StoryLand where we had way too much fun, interviewed some of our favorite characters and got soaking wet. Be sure to read our 2018 review here to see what the kids thought and more!
After our day at StoryLand, we spent some time at the water park again. Check out what the kids liked best about the water park: The food area was closed which was disappointing but they did have a phone and a message saying that guests were welcome to call for food service which would be sent down from the hotel restaurant. I thought this was a nice touch. We decided against eating at the pool and instead returned to our room exhausted from all the fun we had been having. We chose instead to order some room service which I am pleased to say was absolutely fantastic especially the Jacket Beer cheese fries, the Smoked Mac & Cheese bites, the pizza and the salads! Lucky for me everyone else fell asleep before they discovered the smoked gouda mac & cheese bites – lucky mommy! Seriously those are a must try!
The next morning after breakfast we spent a little time in the arcade. We checked out around 11:00am and headed over to the North Conway train station where we took a ride on the Conway Scenic Railroad. The kids enjoyed the ride and we saw some beautiful scenery and even learned a few things. Check out our favorite parts of the train ride here. We then began our long trek home just after noon time. In hindsight this was the only error I made when arranging our family trip as we got stuck in Boston for a few hours despite hitting the city on a Tuesday by 2pm. This made the return trip last 5 hours. Next year I will probably just spend the whole day in North Conway and head home around dinner time.  Overall I think it was another successful family vacation. It wasn't completely smooth sailing but I judge success based on the amount of smiles, laughter and family memories we are creating. Based on this scale, we were definitely successful. It was mainly due to positive family time but the huge assist was really finding such a family friendly resort to stay at. Red Jacket Resorts has truly cultivated and nurtured an atmosphere that is welcoming to children. They clearly value positive family interactions and go out of their way in all aspects to help you ensure you are spending quality happy time with your family. These are the memories that matter at the end of the day and having a place to stay that helps make the experience better is always a win. Kids will quickly forget most things but they won't forget the quality meaningful time that you spend with them. These are the smiles and memories I will remember long after they are grown and gone. If you are thinking about planning a trip to the White Mountain region then we highly recommend booking with Red Jacket Resorts, a true family business.  Amy is the Cape Cod Moms blog founder and a working mom of two children, a son and daughter. A native Cape Codder she is extremely passionate about her community. She works full time in the accounting & financial industry, is a current director and former Treasurer of the Falmouth Rotary Club, co-founder of the former Falmouth Young Professionals and volunteers actively in the community. Amy has a background in elementary education, special education and was a former competitive swimmer for 15 years.
 Conway Scenic Railroad Delights Cape Cod Kids By: Amy While on our recent family vacation to North Conway we had an opportunity to take a ride on the Conway Scenic Railroad. The kids were excited and enjoyed the old-fashioned railroading experience while seeing the sights including Mt Washington in the distance along the way. We boarded the vintage passenger car and departed from the 1874 station in the middle of North Conway village and journeyed on a historic rail route to Conway. The staff was extremely friendly, knowledgeable and great with kids. The train was open and roomy. The family friendly atmosphere made it very easy to relax comfortably while taking in the journey. We took a shorter trip from North Conway to Conway and back again. They do have longer trips through the valley where the views are even more spectacular. The longer train ride will definitely be on our list for next time! We also learned some important historical information about the train. The train used to go all the way down to Boston once upon a time. The kids were thrilled when they heard this because it was a neat piece of history that helped make it relate-able and a little closer to home!
One of the main highlights on our trip was when the conductor came by and spent some time with the kids while checking their train ticket. He allowed them to try on the official conductor hat and showed them his antique watch! The kids loved seeing the inner gears of the watch  The kids enjoyed seeing the engine decouple, then drive past us to recouple on the opposite end of the train. I had no idea train engines could even do this so it was fascinating to see. We were also given the chance to see the original glass work in the first class car. In addition there were so many beautiful sights as we rode along. We took the train trip on our final day of vacation just before we were to drive home to Cape Cod. It was a nice way to decompress from all the activities of the previous few days and a nice way to say goodbye to North Conway until our next trip! Next time we plan on taking the longer ride and having a picnic lunch in the valley! We also scored a little souvenir on our way out: a horseshoe with a tiny replica train and some "gold" on it. It now sits proudly at the head of Ethan's bed and each night he stares at it before going to sleep! Check out more pictures plus the Cape Cod Kids interview below to hear directly from the kids themselves on what their favorite parts were!  Amy is the Cape Cod Moms blog founder and a working mom of two children, a son and daughter. A native Cape Codder she is extremely passionate about her community. She works full time in the accounting & financial industry, is a current director and former Treasurer of the Falmouth Rotary Club, co-founder of the former Falmouth Young Professionals and volunteers actively in the community. Amy has a background in elementary education, special education and was a former competitive swimmer for 15 years.
 StoryLand Characters Come to Life During Annual Family Vacation By: Amy Last year we brought you some great tips for how to make the most out of your visit to Story Land (click here to read again). This year we bring you 3 additional Pro-Tips as well as some interviews with the kids! During our recent family vacation to North Conway, we ran into several characters at Story Land and because it wasn’t crazy busy we were able to have a little more one on one time getting to know them. I am always amazed at how much the kids love seeing the characters. Check out Ethan's interview with Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, Little Red Riding Hood where he asks them all about how they felt about being in a movie. He then asks Mother Goose later on about her favorite nursery rhymes, what her favorite part of each season is and finds out that Lucy the Goose and StoryLand are celebrating 65 years this year! We are so incredibly grateful to have had the chance once again to celebrate with our favorite characters at one of our favorite places in New England. 65 years is a long time to make children and families smile and we can't wait for the next 65 years! See Ethan's interviews below and our 3 additional pro tips we share this season! Additional tips to consider for your trip to StoryLand! Also be sure to review the tips we share last year to make sure you have a fantastic stress free visit!
 Amy is the Cape Cod Moms blog founder and a working mom of two children, a son and daughter. A native Cape Codder she is extremely passionate about her community. She works full time in the accounting & financial industry, is a current director and former Treasurer of the Falmouth Rotary Club, co-founder of the former Falmouth Young Professionals and volunteers actively in the community. Amy has a background in elementary education, special education and was a former competitive swimmer for 15 years.
 By: Amy This past weekend our family journeyed to Boston for a short surprise mini vacation to see Sesame Street Live. My husband was the lucky winner of the grand prize Sesame Street Live Boston Bound Sweepstakes sponsored by Chrysler Pacifica. We had entered on a whim when we had been searching for something fun to do over vacation that would be good for both of our kids especially our daughter who is obsessed with Sesame Street. No one ever thinks they are going to be the winner, but someone does have to win right? This time it happened to be my husband and lucky for me and the kids he decided to take us along with him!  The event was towards the end of April vacation which this year we had decided to not travel, so it was a great surprise and a nice way to end vacation week. The kids were excited to go and stay in a hotel for two nights while enjoying the pool, an amazing view of Fenway Park (and the Army Navy game), breakfast and more! Mom and Dad were excited to not have to worry about cleaning a house.  Over the course of the weekend I realized just how much we needed this time as a family. Things had been super busy for the past few months and we really had not had a chance to unplug and enjoy some serious quality time together. We do enjoy daily and weekly family things together but to be able to take the time to spend a family focused weekend together with no working was truly a blessing.
 Before the show started we made sure to go up and get some refreshments and stop by the bathroom. Having been to the Agganis Arena before for a family member’s graduation I knew the best bathroom to use is the one down at the furthest end with no line. We also stopped by the Chrysler Pacifica activity table and checked out some of the awesome features in the Pacifica including the vacuum and the screen games on the backs of the seats. The games had everything from Tic-Tac-Toe to the license plate game and more! I honestly didn’t know much about the Pacifica before the event and thought this kid friendly feature was a pretty awesome touch and would benefit families especially on road trips.  The show itself was well done and creative and although we weren’t on the floor, I enjoyed our seats up higher better as we could see everything going on. The kids danced and sang along. My personal favorite part of the show was when Oscar the Grouch made his appearance and sang his “I Love Trash” song. Oscar has been one of my favorite characters for a long time and while today we don’t see characters like this anymore, Oscar teaches important lessons to us and to our children. He reminds us it is okay to be different and to embrace that difference. He teaches us how confusing emotions can be and that one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. My daughter’s favorite has always been Elmo and Abby (who flew across the stage) but Cookie Monster sure made her and my son super happy when he came on stage! And of course she loved dancing along with her favorite friends in the neighborhood!  After the show was over we went back to the hotel courtesy of transportation that was provided which definitely took some stress away from our lives after leaving a really fun show but can leave kids feeling a little over stimulated which can be hard to deal with as parents. Not having to hurry back to parking and deal with traffic certainly made the afternoon a little bit easier. After returning back to the hotel we were so tired we just ordered some dinner, snuggled down and watched a movie together! The next morning we enjoyed some breakfast and packed our things. We spent a few hours in the pool prior to check out and then headed back to the Cape with our sleeping children mid afternoon. Sesame Street Live is currently touring across the United States and they will return to our region to Providence in November. Special thanks to Sesame Street, Chrysler Pacifica and of course the universe for all coming together to make this happen in our lives.  While we were lucky enough to have won this fun weekend away, it got me thinking that a short local vacation can be fun and often we overlook these options as parents especially during vacation week. We are definitely considering another fun mini local vacation for the future. It can be nice to stay some place like Boston or even here locally on Cape Cod and just unplugging with the family for 2-3 days! Find a local event taking place or a fun activity like Duck Boats, ice-cream or mini golf and just relax and enjoy one another. We don’t get long to enjoy our children when they are young so be sure to take what moments you can and soak it all in.   Dr. Seuss Museum By Molly This past Sunday my family and I had the opportunity to head out to Springfield, MA for a complimentary visit in return for an unbiased review of the museum. The Dr. Seuss Museum is part of the Springfield Museums which are open Tuesday–Saturday: 10–5 Sunday: 11–5 Monday: Closed and are located at 21 Edwards Street Springfield, MA 01103. There is a small free parking lot by the entrance to the visitors center. Admission is as follows Adults: $25, Seniors (60+): $16.50, Youth 3–17: $13, Children Under 3: Free and Students: $16.50 which gets you into all the Springfield Museums. We arrived at the museum at 10:30 so the kids could play in the sculpture garden before the museums opened. They had a great time running around the Horton Court sculpture and looking at the Grinch and Lorax sculptures. At 11am we entered the Dr. Suess Museum where we spent 90 minutes. We started in the Fairfield Street room (where Seuss grew up) where the kids liked ringing the bell to hear the zoo animals and checking out the Howard Street Armory. In Young Ted in Springfield you can play in a bakery like Ted did in his grandparent's bakery as a child. You can also create your own virtual fish, and build your own zoo out of Duplos. In Readingville you can build a turtle tower, play ABC games of a computer, do Green Eggs and Ham word play, and make your own story with story blocks. On really neat feature that can be found in the Oh the Places You Will Go is you can write down a goal, desire or what you want to be when you grow up and place it in the Things You Can Wish wishing boxes. The last room on the first floor is the pet shop where you can watch old animated Dr. Seuss stories and play with lots of stuffed animals in the pet bed, cat climbing structure, animal carriers and put hats of them.  In the basement you can enjoy reading all different Dr. Seuss books, do crafts, and play games. The basement is setup much the way a preschool classroom might be with an easel that has a sign that tells what the three activities are that day. On Sunday the actives were an apple craft, Fall tangram puzzles, and apple matching game. My seven year old's favorite part was the apple craft and she would have spent lots of time making lots of different apples if we had stayed at the craft room for an hour.
The second floor is less interesting for young children as it is mostly history and artifacts from/about Ted Geisel’s life plus information about the making of the sculpture garden. I didn’t really get an opportunity to look at because the kids were done with being in the museum and wanted lunch. But my husband said there were lots of interesting information and artifacts to look at. You could definitely make a day at the museums. I would recommend going to the Luxe Burger Bar that is 6/10s of a mile from the museum and has something for everyone from vegan to carnivore. Have you been to the Springfield Museums? What was your favorite exhibit?
Local Family Vacations Are A Perfect Way to Make Memories By: Amy ​In our home, we are firm believers in creating experiences and quality time with our kids because these are the things our children will remember. So recently when we were offered a chance to go up to North Conway and check out the family friendly Red Jacket Inn Fox Ridge Resort and StoryLand we were thrilled to have a mini family vacation in order to create some memories with the kids. Both businesses generously offered complimentary stay and admission to help facilitate this review. 
North Conway is only a 4 hour drive coming from Cape Cod. We got an early start though and decided to go via Lincoln, NH so we could drive the Kancamagus highway on the way since check-in for the hotel was not until 3pm.
​This did add travel time to our trip up however it gave us a chance to take our time on a Friday and enjoy the trip up taking some breaks and enjoying the scenery. The kids LOVED seeing the mountains and scouting for moose along the way and at one point we actually saw one walking down the side of the road!  Relaxing in their kid "cave" & excited for StoryLand!
My sister and her family joined us on the local family vacation and we all arrived at the hotel around 3pm. Upon driving in the kids were immediately excited about the giant hill that the resort sits up on as well as the colorful miniature golf course! Our rooms both had great views of the hill and mountains out back with a long patio perfect for us adults to enjoy the view. Our room also had a small room off of the main room with two small kid beds and a tv. This was PERFECT for the kids as they felt they had their own space and I highly recommend booking this room if you have little ones! After relaxing for a bit we decided to head out for an early dinner at Moat Mountain Brewery. If you have never had a chance to eat here then add it to your MUST TRY list right now! The food is absolutely amazing and if you enjoy local beers they have some of the best! It is also a louder restaurant so having the kids there is not an issue.
​TIP: Get there early as it fills up fast due to how popular it is
The next morning we got up and enjoyed the complimentary breakfast offered by the resort. There were a lot of other families there most likely also planning on going to StoryLand for the day so we did have to wait a little bit for a table. The kids wanted to play mini golf and visit the pool but we reminded them we could do this after our visit to StoryLand.
​ TIP: Avoid the popular times of 8:30-9:30am for breakfast. Either plan to go earlier or after the rush so you don’t have to wrangle your minions while fighting off hunger pains and your need for coffee. StoryLand
When we arrived at StoryLand, the line was already pretty extensive, we already had our tickets and my sister and her family had pre-purchased them so we were able to go into a faster moving line. We started by heading out to the antique cars to beat the lines and then off to my personal favorites of the water rides including the Bamboo Chute which we road 7+ times as well as Dr. Geyser’s Remarkable Raft Ride!
​ After we had sufficiently drenched ourselves and quickly changed we walked on over to the Loopy Lab, another parent favorite. Whoever came up with this attraction idea is a genius and we honestly could have spent our entire day here. The Loopy Lab consists of 2 floors where kids get to gather and fire foam balls across the whole place. Personally we love to go up to the second floor and fire foam balls down at people as well as gather them so they all blow up at once via the vacuum. 
Next we headed out to do a few more rides before lunchtime. My nephew who is obsessed with trucks of all kinds loved the farm tractor ride and the dig play area while my son loved the crazy barn, riding it twice! We then took a little break for lunch beating most of the crowd to the World Pavilion.
​ The kids were re energized after having some food and we continued on to check out a few more rides and games before we headed to the swan boats and Cinderella. The line to see the princess was not as long at this point which was perfect! 
As the kids began to tire out we entered into the shady part of the park and we were able to start to decompress by visiting the animals, visiting Mother Goose and checking out some of our favorite fairy tale houses. The pumpkin house, three bears’ house and the school house were our favorites. The kids enjoyed a nice story with Mother Goose herself, which was the perfect way to start to end our visit. We also spent a few minutes on the now much less crowded grandfather tree (making it easier to keep an eye on the kids), chatting with Humpty Dumpty (no line), and another one of my favorites: Farm Follies!!! We also got a chance to see Christopher Robin and his gang (again no line) on our way out.
​ The last thing we always do prior to leaving is get our annual license photo! This is a must for us as we love to see the kids grow each year in the pictures. Our son has collected several at this point and proudly displays them on his wall while this was a first for our daughter. This is a perfect way to have a unique little momento from your visit. 
Parent PRO TIPS for StoryLand:
After a very busy day at StoryLand we headed back to the hotel to recharge. We decided to brave the fun outdoor pool for a bit and although it was a little cool, the kids had a fantastic time just floating and playing. Meanwhile I enjoyed the view and snapped some fun pictures of the kiddos while researching a good dinner choice for all of us!
​The pool bar was open and had adult beverages as well as juice and soda options available for purchase. We spent about an hour relaxing and swimming around before we headed out as a group to the Muddy Moose, which is a wilderness themed restaurant that was just perfect for all of us to eat at with kid friendly options and tons to look at for the kids! 
After dinner we all decided to enjoy some family mini golf at the hotel which we highly recommend taking advantage of if you can. The kids loved loved the course which features a windmill, an antique car and a teacup which tied in very nicely with our StoryLand visit from earlier in the day!
Our daughter thoroughly enjoyed wandering around the course and set up her camp on a tiny bridge so she could cheer her big brother and cousin on as they played the course, After our golfing session we again enjoyed the pool for a bit before heading back to the room for bedtime. The baby was out like a light while the boys enjoyed some movie time in the kid cave again. The kid cave room has windows that overlook the porch and my sister's room was adjoining to ours. The adults then sat out on the porch for a bit relaxing and enjoying the view while still being able to peek in on the kids who promptly fell asleep exhausted from all the fun they had. 
The next morning we took a few quick pictures before checking out of the kids to send to the grandparents. The kids loved the giant fox chair and I have to say I kind of wish I had one of these in my yard at home too! I would totally sit in it all day as the kids played around!
After checkout my sister headed back to Cape Cod while we headed on over to the Red Jacket Mountain Resort (sister resort of Fox Ridge) to enjoy Kahuna Laguna Water park for a few hours! We had planned ahead to do the water park on our way out of town because it was a Sunday and would be less crowded plus we could spend through lunch there and then the kids could nap during the car ride home. Our family is all about making the car ride easier on mom and dad! 
We basically had the entire water park to ourselves all morning and until we left. Again this was the perfect way to end our vacation as we were able to have some fun, enjoy all the slides and activities with no crowds plus get the kiddos good and tired for the long car ride home.
​Dad played water basketball with Ethan while the baby jumped in the fabulous water swings! Ethan also loved the raft slides and went down repeatedly with Dad while the baby and I watched their excitement! 
Overall our weekend was absolutely fantastic and we had a ton of fun. As we drove back to Cape Cod (always the worse part of any trip) I glanced at their sleeping content faces in the rear view mirror and knew that our weekend was a success. Years from now as they grow they will remember the fun we had as a family and I hope they will do things like this with their kids too!
Sometimes going on vacations, even local ones can be stressful but with a few tweaks and changes to how we plan out the trip, it can be made a little easier! We will definitely be going back next year and can't wait to create new memories with our family. Check the luxurious yet affordable homes at https://precondo.ca/. We hope you find our review and tips helpful and we would love to hear your tips and tricks if you are willing to share them with us!  Staycation By: Molly As I sit on the beach on this beautiful beach day I wish summer was not coming to an end. The kids are happily playing with their beach friends without a care in the world. I am sitting in my chair enjoying the gentle breeze and late afternoon sun (the only thing missing is a glass of wine). This is how my families Staycation began. My husband was able to take off a little over a week leading up to Labor Day this year. We started our Staycation by spending the first few days at the beach. As Summer Vacation draws to a close less beach friends are at the beach each day and we wanted to make sure the kids enjoyed the last few beach days with their friends. Sitting by the bay basking in the late Summer sun was a great way to start vacation.  On Monday after swim lessons I packed a picnic lunch and we head to P-town to the Pilgrim Monument. Since it is the last week of August we didn’t hit traffic on RT6 and made good time getting there. Upon arriving we discovered parking at the Monument was $15 (you do get one person in free to the Monument and museum a $12 value) so we opted to find free on street parking and walk .6 miles to the Monument (and left the picnic lunch behind so I didn’t have to carry it). Admission to Pilgrim Monument and Museum is $12 for adults and $4 for kids 4-12 but we got in free with a pass from the Orleans library. We started by climbing to the top of the Monument a combination of 116 steps and 60 ramps. My three and five year old did a great job climbing all the way to the top and back down with no complaints. They also enjoyed the view from the top but were not very interested in the museum. We ended up taking our lunch to the Province Lands visitors center where we ate up on the observation deck while watching whales breaching and spout in the distance. If you can get a free pass I highly recommend taking your kids for the walk up Pilgrim Monument. On Tuesday we had some friends other and hung out at the beach again.  Wednesday we headed to the Wellfleet Audubon Sanctuary for a hike. We arrived at around 10:30 unfortunately high tide was at 11 something so we could not hike out to the beach (if you want to hike out to the beach make sure to arrive closer to low tide). Admission is free for Audubon members otherwise $5 for adults and $3 for children 2-12. Today at the admission desk there were 6 newly hatched terrapin turtles that the kids and I enjoyed watching; they are beautiful looking creatures. Also in the visitor's center are a handful of tanks with both salt and freshwater creatures to observe and learn about in addition there is a bird observation area, puppets, books, coloring sheets and scavenger hunts to do out on the grounds. The kids lead the hike so we started by walking around Silver Spring where we observed frogs, turtles and lots of lilly pads in the water. Then we headed over to Goose pond where there were a few wading birds (the pond is very low due to lack of rain this summer usually there are lots of birds) and turned around at the observation deck as the kids had had enough walking. On the way out we look at the terrapins again. We really like visiting audubon sanctuaries and all nature lovers should definitely check them out!  Thursday it was raining which was a perfect reason to finally go to one of the Chatham Orpheum Theater’s Summer Family Film Series. Everyday during the summer the theatre shows a movie at 9:30am and only charges $5 per person. Todays movie was The Pirates! Band of Misfits (not my top choice but my kids were excited). When we arrived at 9:20 the movie had sold out but as we were going to leave we lucked out and they moved the movie to the bigger theatre making more seats available. The big theatre’s seats were comfortable and they even have boosters for young kids to sit on for better view. The movie was silly and rather boring for me but the kids loved it and $15 for all three of us to see a movies was a great rainy day activity deal! We also visited the toy store, Rubber Duck store plus Candy Manor where the kids got free fudge samples that they really enjoyed.  On Friday we all ventured out early to Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge Center in Chatham. We arrived at around 9am parking is limited there but there was plenty. Upon arriving we walked along the boardwalk down to the beach and took a right onto the beach. The kids had a great time wading in the water (the tide was low but coming in at high tide you may have to walk in the water to get back to the board walk), exploring the tide pools and collecting shells as we walked. The kids walked for about 40 minutes round trip. As you walk you can take in the beautiful beach/water landscape. Back at the parking lot we visited the visitors center (open usually 10-4) where there are a few small exhibits about native wildlife plus a nice kids area with coloring sheets, activities and nature guides as well as exploring backpacks with nets you can borrow. Monomoy is a great place to take kids an hour or two for a short walk and exploration.
Labor Day Weekend has arrived and the streets and beaches are busier now. We decide to have a low key rest of vacation with some quiet beach days and friends for a cookout. What a great way to end our vacation. What places would you like to visit on a Staycation? Molly Hubner Usborne Books & More Independent Educational Consultant I am always looking for people to join my Usborne team, host parties (Facebook or home), or just share these wonderful books! For more information visit my website or contact me at mollyhubner@gmail.com. Plus follow me on Instagram www.instagram.com/mollyhubnersusbornebooks/ |
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