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 HOT SUMMER DEALS FOR DISNEY! FREE FOOD, FREE GIFT CARDS! This summer, enjoy a little extra flavor during a fun-filled stay that's sure to delight little ones and grown-ups alike. You can receive a FREE meal per person (ages 3 and up), per night at a select Walt Disney World Resort quick-service dining location when they purchase a non-discounted 4-night/5-day room and theme park ticket package at select Disney Moderate and Value Resort hotels. Offer valid for arrivals most nights from May 28 through August 21, 2019. Book through June 30, 2019. The number of rooms allocated for this offer is limited. Everyone in the same room must be on the same package. Advance reservations are required. Important Details Cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion. Offer excludes Disney's Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter, Disney's All-Star Movies Resort and The Little Mermaid Standard Rooms at Disney's Art of Animation Resort. Children ages 3 to 9 must choose from the children's menu, if available. Most beer, wine and cocktails included. Some exceptions apply. Must present valid ID to be served alcoholic beverages. May only be redeemed with the quick-service meal. Gratuities are not included. Summer ROOM offer with Gift Card Bonus! This summer, stay in the magic at Walt Disney World Resort with this great room offer. Save up to 25% on rooms at select Disney Resort hotels, valid for stays most nights May 28 through August 28, 2019 when you book through August 28, 2019. When we book this offer for you for arrivals May 28 to June 30, 2019, you will receive a Disney Gift Card at check-in—so they can enjoy more magic during their stay! The value of their Disney Gift Card will vary based on Resort Category and original length of stay: Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts: $25 per room per night Disney Deluxe Resorts: $20 per room per night Disney Moderate Resorts: $15 per room per night Disney Value Resorts: $10 per room per night Book through August 28, 2019 to take advantage of this great offer. Please email amy@intouchvacations.com to book or Request a quote!  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.
 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.   Verizon GoPro Hero 5 Session Ensures Long Lasting Memories By: Amy A few months ago, our family had the opportunity to check out Verizon GoPro Hero 5 Session in time for Back to School. We had some amazing adventures and fun with the camera and you can read our review here. More recently we had a chance again to take a GoPro Hero 5 Session with us on a parent only vacation in exchange for sharing what we thought about it. It was an amazing opportunity to record memories from vacation to share later with friends and family! This time we were supposed to check out the GoPro Hero 5 Black, which has a screen in order to be able to see what you are recording versus the Session. Unfortunately there was a little confusion during the shipping process and we were sent the Session again. Verizon had the Black sent overnight to us and it arrived the night before we left however the camera was missing one of the waterproof plugs for the cord connection to the computer so we could not use it in the water. Verizon did everything they could to ensure our positive experience with the camera. But as we know as parents, sometimes things just happen and we roll with it!  Having used the Session before I knew how to secure it and use it, making me a pro this time. It’s so easy with one button operation and voice control and perfect for snorkeling adventures which is our favorite thing to do on vacation. Our most recent vacation we finally took our honeymoon sans children thanks to the grandparents! We traveled down to the beautiful country of Grenada, which is the furthest south we have ever been. One of the reasons we picked Grenada was due to the country’s beauty and underwater snorkeling. There is an underwater sculpture park which is a concept that combines art and coral protection with 68 different attractions dispersed along the shallow waters off Moliniere Point. It’s a great place to go snorkeling. It was created by the British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor. The aim of the project was to build an artificial barrier where the coral and other marine life could migrate to and find a new home in an area that was highly devastated by the Hurricane Ivan in 2004. This has helped ocean life return to the area as well as helped stimulate the economy for the region. Due to the very active hurricane season, our trip kept getting pushed back all week and almost didn't happen due to water visibility issues. Lucky for us by the day before we left, they took us out and off we went with our GoPro in hand!  This excursion was the perfect way to get full use of the Session. The camera takes 4K video and 10 MP photos. It has the ability (again only 1 button!) to take single photos or a burst of photos depending on your setting. The session really does a lot despite being tiny in size it even has the ability to stabilize your videos. The pilot your own boat trip out to the snorkeling was so much fun! I love zipping across the water with the wind in my hair! I easily secured the GoPro to the front of our boat and recorded the sights as we traveled. When we arrived the underwater park took my breath away, it truly is amazing. Each set of sculptures has a story behind it representing the local culture and we learned so much about the Grenadians. I set the GoPro on record and just took video the whole time knowing I could edit upon our return home and the results were spectacular as you can see from the photos and video.  We were also given a rare chance to see a baby turtle release which as you can see from my video below I was able to catch up close with the GoPro. This was pretty amazing to see close up and the GoPro was super easy to get set up near them as they raced to the ocean! There were lots of other people with a GoPro at the resort however 99% of them had special cases for their cameras. Many of them were fascinated with the fact that the Verizon GoPro Hero 5 Session did not need one as it is waterproof up 33 feet! Overall I think the Verizon GoPro Hero 5 Session is a great camera and perfect for families especially with the holidays quickly approaching. It is small, easy to use and gets fantastic video. My only negative was that I couldn’t see any of the pictures or videos on the camera that I was taking until we arrived home. As a result there were a few photos that I wish I could have retaken and would have had I known. There is an app to use with it however being a frugal mom I did not purchase an international plan before the trip so the app would not work for me out of the country. The session does have the ability to automatically upload your content directly to the cloud for viewing, editing and sharing or can make videos quickly via the app. Personally for me I like being able to quickly see what photos I am taking as I do them, but for convenience and all the features this camera really is great and an affordable option for families. I am so glad we had this opportunity from Verizon to capture these memories of a beautiful place and our first vacation without the kids!
 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? |
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