Showing posts with label Family Travel. Show all posts

Philly Photo Pop Winter Wonderland

Fun Things Kids Family activities , Family Travel

Looking for a different and fun way to capture a family holiday photo or something different to do with the family over the holidays? I recently had the chance to check out Philly Photo Pop located in Old City at The Bourse. The Bourse has been renovated on the inside and now is a food hall. Philly Photo Pop is Philadelphia's first interactive art exhibit of its kind. Guests make their way through different rooms filled with 30 interactive displays designed by local artists. Each room is decorated with different winter themes and you can take photos with backdrops and accessories to make the perfect photo. The staff can also assist in taking the perfect photo. I loved the fact that tickets are timed so you have enough time to take a lot of pictures. Another feature I liked was they have hooks located at each scene to hang your coat, this is extremely important this time of year.

Winter Wonderland is now open until January 5th

You can purchase tickets before you arrive and you can use the code DELCOKIDS10 to receive 10% off adult tickets!

For more information: https://www.photopopphilly.com/

Location: Inside The Bourse (across the street from the Liberty Bell) at 111 S Independence Mall E, Philadelphia, PA 19106

This event is appropriate for: the whole family

Cost: - $20 for adults
$12 for children 10 years old and younger
FREE for children under 5

Last Minute Summer Travel Ideas

Fun Things Kids Best places to travel with kids , educational travel

Looking for a quick getaway before the kids head back to school? We have picked out some of our favorite places to visit. All of our picks are driveable and no more than a few hours from the Philadelphia suburbs.

1. Double Tree Resort in Lancaster PA. There is so much to do at this family-friendly resort. This 185-room resort is very family friendly, but it's also perfect for a weekend getaway without the kids. The hotel is about a 10-15 minute drive to the Strasburg Rail Road, Choo Choo Barn, Cherry Crest Adventure Farm and other Lancaster attractions.

2. Kalahari Resort in the Pocono Mountains. If you are looking for a water park adventure then Kalahari will keep everyone happy and entertained. Kalahari is just under two hours away from the Philadelphia area. Kalahari is truly a family oriented place and they have thought of everything to keep all members of the family happy and occupied while on vacation.

3. National Harbor Maryland

The National Harbor area is located on the banks of the Potomac River and it has plenty of activities to keep the family busy, take a breathtaking ride on the Capital Wheel or a spin on the Carousel. Explore the area with Water Taxis or a Sight Seeing Cruises.

There are two great resorts to stay in while visiting the area Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center and The Residence Inn

4. Inner Harbor Baltimore Maryland

Baltimore has something for everyone. Younger kids will enjoy Port Discovery Museum, which offers 3 floors of hands-on activities for the kids. National Aquarium and the Maryland Science Museum are also must see places when visiting the Harbor

If you want to stay check out the Hyatt Regency Baltimore Maryland that is in walking distance to all the attractions.

5. Williamsburg Virgina

The Williamsburg area has plenty of activities to keep your family busy. Head to Busch Gardens for some family thrills. Take a step back in time at Colonial Williamsburg, Historic Jamestown or Jamestown Settlement.

6. Crystal Spring Resort Grand Cascades Lodge

Grand Cascades Lodge is a beautiful and well-appointed AAA 4-Diamond hotel located in Hamburg, New Jersey. The main attraction for families at the hotel is the Biosphere, which is an indoor pool complex with an aquarium, vortex pools, and caves, and lush tropical foliage; year-round outdoor heated pool; 140-foot waterslide. There are plenty of outdoor activities to keep the family busy.

Water Parks in the Philadelphia Area

Fun Things Kids Family Travel , Summer Fun

Beat the heat this summer and head to the water park. Most of the water park offer day passes, but a few require overnight stays. Please check ahead to see their specific requirements.

CoCo Key Water Resort
915 Route 73
Mount Laurel, New Jersey 08054

CoCo Key Water Resort is the ULTIMATE in indoor water resort adventure located in Mt. Laurel NJ.

Camelbeach Mountain Resort
309 Resort Drive

Tannersville, PA 18372

Camelbeach Mountain Waterpark is the biggest water park in Pennsylvania, with over 37 rides slides and attractions.

Sahara Sams Oasis
535 North Route 73
West Berlin, NJ 08091

Sahara Sam’s Oasis Indoor and Outdoor Water Park offers families of the greater Tri-State community entertainment the entire year with 58 of its 68-thousand square feet under a retractable roof system.

Great Wolf Lodge
1 Great Wolf Dr
Scotrun, PA 18355

This indoor water park offers 4 restaurants and a Starbucks. Other amenities include a spa and free parking, while adventure activities and mini-golf are also available. This water park does require an overnight stay.

Kalahari Resorts and Conventions

250 Kalahari Blvd.

Pocono Manor, PA 18349

Experience the 100,000 sq. ft. Indoor Waterpark featuring a retractable roof, stand-up surfing or body boarding on the FlowRider, the twists and turns of the Anaconda and Swahili Swirl waterslides, relaxing lazy river and indoor/outdoor family hot tub, tons of activities for the little ones and much, much more!

H20ooohh!
428 Moseywood Road

Lake Harmony, PA 18624

H20ooohh!! is an indoor family water park adjacent to the Galleria at Split Rock Resort in beautiful Lake Harmony, Pennsylvania. With 53,326 square feet of water attractions to enjoy, H20ooohh! has five exciting body, tube and raft slides, a wave pool, activity pool, fun play structure, crossing activity, snack and Tiki bar, and more.

Photo from Kalahari

Fun Things To Do With Kids Review Jamestown Settlement

Fun Things Kids Colonial Williamsburg with kids , educational travel

Recently, my family and I visited Jamestown Settlement in Williamsburg, VA. This is separate from historic Williamsburg but something you should definitely add to your list of places to visit when you are in Williamsburg.

Jamestown Settlement is located near the site of the original Jamestown Colony. Jamestown Settlement is a museum and replica of America's first permanent English colony, founded in Virginia in 1607.

photo courtesy of Jamestown Settlement

Once you purchase your tickets inside the visitor center, you make your way through the galleries that are divided into three major sections. The first gallery introduces visitors to pre-17th-century Virginia. The second gallery explores the relationship between Virginia’s colonists and the native Powhatans. The third gallery provides an overview of the political, social and economic development and expansion of the Virginia colony during the 17th century.

Next visitors travel outside to the Powhatan Indian village. The village has several houses, a crop field and a ceremonial circle of carved wooden posts. Historical interpreters discuss and demonstrate the Powhatan way of life.

Once you leave the Powhatan village, you walk toward the waterfront that has re-creations of the three ships that transported the original Jamestown colonists to Virginia in 1607 – the Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery. Kids and adults will love being able to board the ships and explore them.

Once you leave the waterfront you travel into the re-created James Fort, that has homes, a church and other buildings that historical interpreters demonstrate tasks of the time period.

We really liked that everything was hands on at Jamestown Settlement. Visitors can talk with the historical interpreters and learn more about the settlement. I really liked how the interpreters asked the kids questions and helped them learn more about the time period.

For more information: www.historyisfun.org

Location: 2110 Jamestown Road, Williamsburg, VA 23185

Cost: $17.00 adults, $8.00 ages 6-12. Value-priced combination ticket with Yorktown Victory Center: $21.25 adults, $10.75 ages 6-12. Discount for groups of 15 or more. Children under 6 are free. Parking is free.

Disclosure: My family and I received complimentary tickets to visit Jamestown Settlement in order to facilitate this review.

Review of Crystal Spring Resort Grand Cascades Lodge

Fun Things Kids Best places to travel with kids , Family Travel

If you have been following me on Instagram or Twitter you know that my family and I were invited to spend a few days at Crystal Springs Resort in Hamburg, New Jersey. Crystal Springs in about 2 1/2 hours from the Philadelphia Area, located in the Mountains in New Jersey and 1 hour away from NYC.

Resort

We stayed at the Grand Cascades Lodge which is a beautiful and well appointed AAA 4-Diamond hotel. Minerals Hotel and Mourtain Creek Resort are also part of the Crystal Springs Resort. The views of the Kittatinny Mountain Range were breathtaking. I loved the high ceilings and natural light in our room, with a husband who is tall this was a plus making our family comfortable. We stayed in a room with 2 double beds and we had plenty of room for the 4 of us.

Our Room

The main attraction for families at the hotel is the Biosphere, which is an indoor pool complex with an aquarium, vortex pools and caves, and lush tropical foliage; year-round outdoor heated pool; 140-foot waterslide, My kids loved the outdoor heated pool, nothing like swimming outside when the air temp is 30 degrees.

Biosphere

I had the chance to sneak away for some me time at the Reflections Spa. The spa was ranked #19 in Spas of America’s Top 100 Spas. I can see why it was ranked so high. This was a truly relaxing place to unwind. One of my favorite parts was the post-treatment sensorial room for relaxation.

Dinning

There are multiple restaurants at the resort. While we were there not all of them were open. I liked that we could call down to the lobby and a bus would drive us over to the Minerals Resort to have dinner at Kites. We went there for pasta night and had a wonderful meal! If you wanted to stay at the Grand Cascades there is the Crystal Tavern which offers American cuisine with plenty of options for the whole family from sandwiches to rib eye. I also loved that the ingredients are provided by local growers.

What to do in the area:

View from High Point State park

If you love golf then this is the resort for you, there are 6 golf courses in the area to choose from. There are many wineries in the area the offer tours. Also there is plenty of hiking in the area. The two places we went to for easy hikes were the High Point State Park, I recommend checking this out for some breathtaking views and incredible pictures. We also went to the Pochuck Boardwalk on the Appalachian trail.

Pochuck Boardwalk

We also visited Warwick New York. This adorable town was a 20 minute ride from the resort. This cute town has shops and restaurants for you to explore. Many people recommended Fetch for us to grab a bite to eat and this restaurant didn't disappoint.

Other options for activities are fishing, horseback riding, skiing, mountain biking and much more.

In conclusion Crystal Springs has something for everyone in you family. This is a year round resort with plenty of activities or relaxation if that's what you need. The resort has plenty of things to do for families, but it's also good for a romantic getaway, or a girls/guys weekend.

For more info: http://www.crystalgolfresort.com

Disclosure: Thanks Crystal Springs Resort for arranging for our complimentary stay to facilitate this review. As always all thoughts and opinions are our own.

Review of Kalahari Resorts in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania

Fun Things Kids activities to do with Children , Best places to travel with kids

If you've been following me on Twitter or Instagram you may saw that I visited the new indoor water park located in the Poconos called Kalahari Resort. Kalahari is just under two hours away from the Philadelphia area. When you visit Kalahari you certainly feel like you've been taken on a tour to Africa.

This family resort is owned by the Nelson family who own two other Kalahari Resorts located Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin and Sandusky, Ohio. This is truly a family oriented place and they have thought of everything to keep all members of the family happy and occupied while on vacation. When you first arrive at the resort you will notice the decor of the resort is African themed. The family traveled to Africa to bring authentic experiences back to the US.

Facts about Kalahari Resort

The resort is home to Pennsylvania’s largest indoor water park and also includes:
457 guest rooms containing one-, two- and three-bedroom suites
An outdoor water park with a huge outdoor pool, a large sundeck for relaxing, indoor/outdoor whirlpools and a swim-up bar
30,000 sq. ft. family entertainment center with dry activities such as mini-bowling, cutting-edge arcade games, a 5-D theater and black light mini golf
Three full-service signature dining experiences
Spa Kalahari & Salon
100,000 sq. ft. convention center
6,000 sq. ft. of retail

Hotel Rooms

1 bedroom suite

The hotel rooms keep with the African theme of the resort. There are many options for rooms they have one-, two- and three-bedroom suites. We stayed in a 1 bedroom suite. It had 2 queen sized beds and a pull out couch. The room also had a large tub and shower. The rooms are equipped with a microwave and a small fridge. We also had a room that had a small balcony that overlooked the Pocono Mountains.

Lazy River

Water Park
Kalahari is home to the largest water park in Pennsylvania. There is truly water fun for everyone in your family. If your not into slides then take a ride on the lazy river. Want a drink, swim up the the adults only swim up bar or take a dip in the outdoor pool. Babies and toddlers will enjoy their own special water park with age appropriate slides, lazy river and so much more. Older kids and adults will enjoy all the choices of slides and pools. There is plenty of seating around the water park. There are also lockers available to rent and a locker room to change in.

Delicious Food

Dining

There are plenty of options at the resort for your family. There are nine different dinning options at the resort. Buffet, quick service and sit down options. There are so many options for everyone in your family.

Plenty of choices in the water park

Conclusion
Overall my family and I fell in love with the resort, we loved that everything was in one place and we didn't even have to carry money or credit cards around with us while staying. We had our credit card linked to our wrist band. The wrist band was our room key and allowed us entrance to the water park. Before we left the resort we talked about special occasions that were coming up and how we would love to come back for a visit.

For more information: www.kalahariresorts.com/pennsylvania

Disclosure: Thanks Kalahari Resorts for arranging for our complimentary stay to facilitate this review. As always all thoughts and opinions are our own.

Fun Things Visits National Harbor Maryland

Fun Things Kids activities for kids during the holidays , Children's attractions

Looking for a family friendly place to visit with the kids this holiday season or even a weekend getaway or summer vacation. I have found the place for you, National Harbor Maryland is located about 2 and 1/2 hours away from the Philadelphia area. The National Harbor has something for everyone. It is located on the banks of the Potomac river, right outside of Washington D.C.. It features remarkable hotels, thousands of residential units, tree-lined streets with shops and offices, a marina and much more. The National Harbor is is about a 15 minute drive from Washington D.C.

Family Friendly Activities

Visit ICE this holiday season at the Gaylord National
Take a breathtaking ride on the Capital Wheel
Take a spin on the Carousal
Water Taxis
Sight Seeing Cruises
Outlet Shopping at Tanger Outlets
The National Children’s Museum

Movies on the Potomac

Outdoor Concerts

Go Shopping

Where to Eat

You will never run out of options for good food in the Harbor area. You can get anything from delicious crab cakes at the Crab Cake Cafe or steak and seafood at McLoone's Pier House. During our visit we enjoyed every meal. Below are some of our favorites from our trip

Cadillac Ranch (casual dinning, burgers, steaks, salads)
Elevation Burger (fast casual dinning burgers, fires shakes)
Fiorella Italian Kitchen (casual dinning pizza and entrees
Nando's Peri-Peri ( fast casual dinning Portuguese flame-grilled Peri-Peri Chicken)

Where to Stay

The Residence Inn (check out our review)
Aloft
Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center

Hampton Inn & Suites

Westin

Wyndham

No matter if you visit the National Harbor for a day trip or make it a longer vacation there is something to see and do for the whole family.

For more information: http://www.nationalharbor.com

Disclosure: Thanks to the National Harbor Visitors Bureau for arranging for our complimentary stay at the National Harbor to facilitate this review. As always all thoughts and opinions are our own.

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‘Tis The Season For Giving

Fun Things Kids activities for kids during the holidays , activities to do with Children

Verizon is Giving Back This Holiday Season with Access to Great Digital Content from Leading Technology Brands as Part of First-ever “Connection Day”

The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is about to become a little more enjoyable. Verizon Wireless has declared Nov. 26 “Connection Day” and is offering mobile users the chance to connect with everything they love in life – friends, music, books, news, and apps -- on one of the busiest travel days of the year.

Verizon has teamed up with leading content providers to deliver exciting digital treats that any wireless customer can enjoy. Verizon is working with Amazon, Apple, Boingo Wireless, Condé Nast, Gogo Technologies, JetBlue and Pandora on a variety of offers that will make the day before Thanksgiving just a little bit more entertaining.

On Nov. 26, all consumers, regardless of wireless carrier, can receive everything from movies to free wifi to audio books to streaming music, all compliments of Verizon. The complete list of offers includes:

Verizon FiOS: Special mobile access to popular movies and TV shows on November 26, compliments of Verizon FiOS, by downloading the free FiOS Preview app.
Amazon: Selection of 10 free/discounted apps, plus two free Audible book downloads (new members) or $10 Audible credit (current members)
Apple: A special offer from iTunes to be revealed on Nov. 26
Condé Nast: Free Digital Edition downloads of 17 Conde Nast Publications, including Wired, Vanity Fair and GQ.
Free Wi-Fi: Complimentary Internet sessions through Boingo Wireless (at airports) and Gogo (in-flight).
JetBlue: Free in-flight Fly-Fi (Wi-Fi) for flights between November 26th and December 31st.
Pandora Media: Free seven-day trial of Pandora One.

Simply go to www.verizon.com/connectionday to preview the Connection Day treats. Consumers who visit the site before Nov. 26 can get a reminder to return on Connection Day to choose the gifts they are interested in.

And Verizon Wireless customers get a special treat. Starting today, MORE Everything customers who register for Connection Day at verizon.com/connectionday are eligible to immediately receive a one-time gift of 1GB of shareable data applied to their account. Plus, they’ll get another 1GB of data in their next billing cycle.

Not a MORE Everything customer? No problem. You’re eligible for a special discount on themophie powerstation 4000, a great tool to keep devices charged and connected.

“As we approach the holiday season, we wanted to show how much we appreciate our customers,” said Ken Dixon, vice president of marketing, Verizon Wireless. “We hope that not only our customers, but everyone, will take advantage of this day—a day to connect with family and friends, to learn something new about their device, or just to provide a little more entertainment during what can often be a hectic kick off to the holiday season.”

Connection Day – A big “Thanks” from Verizon during the season of thanks.

Fun Things Visits Busch Gardens in Williamsburg Virgina

Fun Things Kids amusement parks with kids , Family Travel

During Spring Break my family and I I had the opportunity to visit Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA. My family and I love to visit Busch Gardens because it has something for everyone. The park is spread out into different European countries. In each country they have different rides and activities. We also enjoy the beautiful flowers and the grounds especially after the long snowy winter we had.

Before You Go

I definitely recommend visiting the Busch Gardens website before you go. This will give you a chance to get an overview of the rides and the park sections which are divided up by countries. You can purchase tickets online too. This will cut down on waiting in line. Make sure you wear comfortable shoes there is a lot of walking and hills in Bush Gardens, so you will get a good workout. Also, download the Busch Gardens App, I really liked using this app to help me remember where I parked the car. It also gives you wait time for the rides, show times and it also has a map of the park.

Once You Arrive

When you enter the park through England, look for the height check station housed inside English phone booths. Your child will be given a colored wristband and a sheet indicating the rides they can enjoy. It definitely takes the guessing game out of which rides your kids can go on.

Also, check out the schedule of different shows for the day. I recommend Pet Shenanigans, Entwined:Tales of Good & Grimm (which is in air-conditioning) and The Secret Life of Predators. If you want to to dine with Elmo and Friends you want to make your reservations at Guest Services in England.

Food
There are many choices when it comes to food at Busch Gardens. There are concession stands throughout the park. Many of the countries have self serving restaurants that offer foods that are related to the country.

Toddlers

Younger children will want to head to Sesame Street Forest Fun for everything Sesame Street. There are shows, a playground and a water playground to keep the little ones cool on the hot days. The rides in this section are perfect for your little ones. They even have a roller coaster for kids 33 inches and taller. Also head to the Land of Dragons for more kids rides and a huge outdoor playground with climbing nets and a tree-house.

School Aged Children

Depending on the height of your child, they may be able to give the roller coaster a try if they are into adventure. Kids under 52 inches will have plenty rides to try in each country. Le Scoot (log flume), Europe in the Air, Curse of the DarKastle, Mach Tower and Verbolten.

Teens and Older

Busch Gardens is the perfect park for those dare devil teens. They have a roller coaster to meet all of their needs. Escape to Pompeli, Apollo's Chariot, Roman Rapids, Loch Ness Monster and much more.

Overall

Busch Gardens has something for everyone. Rides for the younger family members and thrilling roller-coasters for the rest of the family. Even is you're not a big ride person, the grounds of the park are gorgeous and you can catch a show or two. If your heading to the Williamsburg area for a family vacation, Busch Gardens should definitely be on your list to visit.

Family Friendly Travel Review of Virginia Beach

Fun Things Kids Best places to travel with kids , Family Travel

During a recent break from school my family and I traveled to Virginia Beach, Virginia. Virginia Beach is about a 5 hour drive from the Philadelphia Area depending on traffic and weather conditions. Since we were in Virginia Beach in November it was neat to see how the town was decorated for the holidays. One of the neatest holiday events is McDonalds Holiday Lights at the Beach. This is the one time a year that you can drive your car on the boardwalk to see a half million twinkling lights.

The town is very welcoming and so was everyone we interacted with. Everyone was so helpful and wanted to make sure we discovered everything about this fun beach town. It's also very easy to get around by car, bike, or even walking.

Hotels

We stayed at the Comfort Inn and Suites Oceanfront hotel. Click here to read our review of the hotel.
There are plenty of hotels to choose from for everybody's budget.

Food

We didn't have a bad meal the whole time we were in Virginia Beach. We loved the fresh seafood and there are plenty of choices to choose from. One of our favorite restaurants was Rockafeller’s located on the Rudee Inlet. Rockafeller's the slogan is “Good Eats, Good Spirits!” and they definitely have that there. It was so hard to choose from the selection of food was so large. We had a gorgeous view of the inlet and during the summer months you can watch the boats come in and out of the inlet.

They are known for the Oysters Rockafeller so we had to try them and they were delicious. Since we were down south we had to get some yummy hush puppies. I tried the twin bistro steaks and the portions were so big I had to share it with everyone at my table. We also ordered the crab, shrimp, and seafood pasta, another hit at our table. The kids menu has a nice selection of seafood and traditional kids favorites. And you can't leave Roackafeller's without getting the desert sampler, it has something for everyone.

Other great restaurants:
Big Sams Raw Bar
Tautogs
Doc Taylor's
Waterman's Beachwood Grill

Local Activities
Beach Movie Bistro- great to catch a movie and a bite to eat on rainy days at the beach
Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center

King Neptune Statue

Virginia Beach Town Center

Bike Rentals

Old Coast Guard Station

Old Cape Henry Lighthouse

For more information: please visit the the Virginia Beach & Visitors Bureau's web site, http://www.visitvirginiabeach.com, the official source of travel information for Virginia Beach

Note: Thanks to the Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau for arranging for our review of the Virginia Beach Area and for helping with our travel expenses. As always all thoughts and opinions are our own.