tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21821547670804642102023-11-15T22:33:35.626-08:00Been There, Done That with KidsThe mid-atlantic region has tons of spots to take your kids to have fun. From Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, to New Jersey, I'll cover where the best places are to spend your precious free time. Get the inside scoop before you go, because it's always best to be prepared when traveling with kids.Karen Bumbaughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09138936772493263711noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182154767080464210.post-26016697864473499632016-07-30T17:06:00.000-07:002016-07-30T17:06:58.311-07:00Dutch Springs - Bethlehem, PA<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVglKTFFhIDr8SiG19rHCaL6-4R1y93_u8ASWyTPgJdmBVKUsvX8SlZiyUpeEMNUL8OKvPKrcNjJtGSLRPRJcNDIWQDHczSvjn8_0pBDrlOgmAkFbrqRQmoSr08WC1IC-M7m4M9O2M_tA/s1600/IMG_6561%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVglKTFFhIDr8SiG19rHCaL6-4R1y93_u8ASWyTPgJdmBVKUsvX8SlZiyUpeEMNUL8OKvPKrcNjJtGSLRPRJcNDIWQDHczSvjn8_0pBDrlOgmAkFbrqRQmoSr08WC1IC-M7m4M9O2M_tA/s320/IMG_6561%255B1%255D.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The obstacle course and slides</td></tr>
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Dutch Springs may be best known for its scuba diving adventures, but the Aqua Park at Dutch Springs is also a popular place to play during the hot summer months. We headed to Dutch Springs for the first time on a really hot Saturday in July. <br />
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We decided to take advantage of their reduced rates after 4 PM on Saturdays and arrived around 5 PM. The drive there took us through what seemed to be an office park and just as we were about to doubt that we were going the right way, the entrance to Dutch Springs appeared. <br />
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We signed our waivers and paid at the ticket office, though both can be accomplished online. After getting back in the car we gave our tickets at the gate and pulled into a parking space close to the bath house and snack bar. We quickly changed, put on plenty of sun screen and headed for the water. The lake at Dutch Springs is from a man made quarry, and it can be very cold water. I was looking forward to it on this 95 degree day. <br />
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After placing our towels on the grass, we headed to get life jackets which everyone is required to wear. They supply the life jackets and have staff that will help make sure they are the correct fit. We ventured into the lake, and it was very refreshing! We first stopped at one of the trampolines, then the climbing walls, and then the obstacle course. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rock wall with "Fat Boy" in the background</td></tr>
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The wibit inflatables can be very slippery, and I quickly realized that I should have brought water shoes. It was very very physically challenging, though an extremely fun and unique experience. Finally, my husband decided to do the "fat boy" where you leap off a platform onto an inflatable, which makes the person laying on the end of it fly into the air. <br />
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After a total of about two hours, we were tired and ready to head to the snack bar. After eating and getting refreshed, we headed home for the day. After experiencing the Aqua Park, I'd recommend it for older children, and those that are adventurous. Lots of upper body strength helps too!<br />
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Things to Remember:<br />
1. Water shoes would be extremely helpful on the slippery inflatables.<br />
2. You can take your own picnic lunch, but there's also a fully stocked snack bar.<br />
3. There isn't much shade in the grassy lake-side area, but I saw many people with tents.<br />
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Karen Bumbaughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09138936772493263711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182154767080464210.post-18808110588337165532016-07-24T08:04:00.001-07:002016-07-24T13:00:21.583-07:00Beat the Heat with Water Fun! - Map to Waterparks, Splash Pads, and Water Falls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's hot, and I refuse to be stuck indoors like it's winter. So, the outdoor activities have to involve water, and more water. I spent hours combing the web for water-full places. <br />
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Here's what I found:<br />
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Disclaimer: I haven't been to all of these water fun places...yet! So verify their existence and operating hours by doing some of your own Internet research. I hope I covered the hard part for you, by finding these places. Note that some of them are indoors (yay! no sunscreen needed!) and always check operating hours before venturing out.<br />
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Please feel free to let me know if any places I may have missed by commenting on this post. I hope there are more!<br />
<br />Karen Bumbaughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09138936772493263711noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182154767080464210.post-88511852883199267582016-07-15T12:58:00.000-07:002016-07-15T12:58:55.073-07:00My Top Ten Tips for Hersheypark<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN2HsN5qVhhbx-agabU0J4ORczELII7qc-pSlh05XJeEScIG7ccCuhXHKp825jSJu4vH6Tf0v1zrHkPPN3qB0U4Pui2kVy5s5Q4ZZXYzQZYMbq2JDKslVTB1FrooUZ-CJub5MHQ2rsytc/s1600/IMG_6090%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN2HsN5qVhhbx-agabU0J4ORczELII7qc-pSlh05XJeEScIG7ccCuhXHKp825jSJu4vH6Tf0v1zrHkPPN3qB0U4Pui2kVy5s5Q4ZZXYzQZYMbq2JDKslVTB1FrooUZ-CJub5MHQ2rsytc/s320/IMG_6090%255B1%255D.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoy a less crowded Boardwalk by going in the morning</td></tr>
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I've written a blog post about Candylane, Hersheypark's winter season, but after many, many trips to the park since then, I thought I'd focus a post on some of the tips and tricks I've acquired over the past few years. Don't worry, I'm going to try my best to stay away from the worn out tips like "start at the back of the park" and "get there early". Wait, I lied. I'm going to start out with "get there early". It's the most important one. Here goes:<br />
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1. <b>Get there early.</b> This goes for all amusement parks and a lot of other popular places that get crowded. I read somewhere that on a busy day, for every minute that you get there after opening, you'll spend an additional five minutes in line during your day. Using that theory, arriving 30 minutes after opening would equal an extra two and a half hours in line. Whether you believe that or not, get there early, before the gates open.<br />
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2. <b>There's a secret short cut.</b> Well, kinda. I guess it's not really secret, but it seems very <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Shortcut to the Hollow</td></tr>
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infrequently used, and I love it. As you enter the park after the gate, to your right is a stroller rental stand. Turn right there. It's a beautiful path that leads around Spring Creek, a fountain, and it has awesome views of Skyrush. The Skyrush train goes right over your head. After a short (and flat!) walk, you'll come out between the lockers and the Skyrush queue. You've just made it to the Hollow by skipping the Founder's Way crowd and avoiding the hill by the Comet. This path is essential at opening, as you quickly leave the masses of people and end up further into the park, faster.<br />
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3. <b>Beat the rush.</b> While sometimes the main gates may open a few minutes before the official opening time, security will stop you further into the park where you'll wait until it is official opening time. A crowd usually gathers at the gate headed into Music Box Way. Instead, go into the Hollow and wait with a smaller group to cross the first bridge. Once the park opens, cross the bridge, hang a left and go through Pioneer Frontier. You'll eventually meet up with the large crowd from Music Box Way as they race to the Boardwalk / Laff Trak / Fahrenheit, but you'll have walked a good portion of the way in an empty part of the park.<br />
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4. <b>Avoid the lines</b>. Some rides very rarely have wait times, so ride them only when the park is busy. First and foremost, Lightning Racer. A great roller coaster, but high capacity and at the back of the park. Ride this coaster when the queues for the other ones are long. Other rides that don't have a line unless the park is crazy busy: Coal Cracker (log flume), Kissing Tower, pretty much any kiddie ride, RXCC, Flying Falcon, and monorail. These rides seem to always have a line: Fahrenheit, LaffTrak, Comet, The Claw, and Great Bear. The ride that has the slowest moving line: antique cars (in my opinion).<br />
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5. <b>Save time by using their app</b>. Not only are the ride wait times listed and updated frequently, but you can also set alerts on your phone for when wait times go under a certain threshold. The app also has a list of rides sorted by height category, park and Chocolate World hours, and a list of any closed rides.<br />
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6. <b> Water is free</b>. On hot days, water is your best bet to stay hydrated. Take your souvenir cup, cause it's the easiest to carry because of the handle. I often attach it to a stroller or back pack strap, so I don't have to carry it at all. Pretty much any stand with access to ice and water will fill it for you, free.<br />
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7. <b>Use a meal ticket to get a souvenir cup</b>. If it's your first trip to the park for the season, and you plan to visit at least a few more times, get the souvenir cup by purchasing a meal ticket. Since souvenir cups alone cost around $10, for only about $5 more you'll get an entree and a side at many restaurants in the park, including Chickie's & Pete's and Moe's...yum!<br />
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8. <b>Rain policy</b>. I'm not going to pretend to know what Hersheypark's rain policy is. Though, if it rains for more than an hour while you're there and rides close, check when you leave at guest services to see if you are eligible for a return voucher. This, of course, doesn't work for those with season passes.<br />
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9. <b>Go to the Boardwalk first</b>. If you're planning to go to the Boardwalk (water park), and it's a hot day, go there first. Most people will get on rides as they make their way to the water park. This leaves the lines for the water slides short at the beginning of the day. <b>Tip inside a tip</b>: There are large lockers to store your stuff at the Boardwalk, but there are also smaller, less expensive lockers to just hold your phone and car key. I've had success with a water proof pouch for my car key and iPhone, and storing my other items in a free cubby.<br />
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10. <b>Stay cool.</b> We enjoy cooling off during a hot day at the park in the arcade or Overlook Foodcourt in Kissing Tower Hill. For parents with infants, there is an air conditioned nursing / changing room in Pioneer Frontier. Use it to relax and nurse, especially if it's a hot day. <br />
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11. <b>Bonus tip: Best Days to Go</b>. As far as I know, crowd prediction calendars, like there are for Disney, do not exist for Hersheypark. So, with no official data to support this, here are your best bets for lower crowds: choose cloudy days over sunny days, watch the Hershey stadium and Giant Center concert schedule which can increase crowds, Sundays are better than Saturdays especially Sunday mornings, middle of the week is the best time in the week to go. In Spring, the park can get crowded with school field trips, even in the middle of the week. If you're not tied to a school schedule, the best bet is the last week or so in August, after schools start for the year.Karen Bumbaughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09138936772493263711noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182154767080464210.post-47428125812216715242016-07-08T08:25:00.001-07:002016-07-08T08:25:03.667-07:00Virginia Safari Park - Natural Bridge, VA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drive-thru Safari and Animal Feeding</td></tr>
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Virginia Safari Park is located in Natural Bridge, Virginia. It is very close to interstate 81, and there are plenty of signs along the highway, leading to the Park. When arriving, admission is charged as you pull in. You can also purchase buckets of animal feed and sticks to feed the budgies at this entrance. We had a long ride to get there, so while we were waiting in line to pay, I took the kids into the gift shop to use the restroom. We hopped back in the car just in time to start the Safari. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Budgies eating in the Aviary</td></tr>
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There is an option to feed from a wagon, but we chose to go through the Safari in our own car. This can be very messy, but full of laughs and fun! The animals are very smart, some will stand in front of your car to get you to stop, while others will approach the windows from the side looking for food. We arrived fairly close to opening, and the animals were very interactive and hungry. The 4-year-old and 8-year-old kids we had along for the trip were having fun and laughing the whole time. The animals will eat right out of the food buckets, but be careful because they can take the bucket right out of your hand.<br />
During the Safari, we saw and fed many animals, including ostriches, llamas, deer, elk, pot-bellied pigs, and many more. The drive-thru portion took about an hour.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3pzDBF3SfpaB-uIYmXFpGNyWoHatJP2pPWhF08SgccQ1wHlrDp1NGdUsYun-XgHRJVJpfkIzylGhKe5cSRI4lCOrrHtZ1Q3p-MpbrpTbGgOtAGh4tHI8ScNlybBqFms1rvV0Mno6LmQ/s1600/IMG_6217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3pzDBF3SfpaB-uIYmXFpGNyWoHatJP2pPWhF08SgccQ1wHlrDp1NGdUsYun-XgHRJVJpfkIzylGhKe5cSRI4lCOrrHtZ1Q3p-MpbrpTbGgOtAGh4tHI8ScNlybBqFms1rvV0Mno6LmQ/s200/IMG_6217.JPG" width="150" /></a><br />
Then, we parked our car and walked through the Village. This portion had a kangaroo pen where you could feed and pet the kangaroos, a place to feed giraffes (they ate special food) and goats, a penguin pen, and the aviary. If you like birds, the aviary is full of colorful parakeets that land right on your arms, shoulders, hands, and anywhere they can! They loved the feed that we brought in, and it was a very unique and fun experience.<br />
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Things to Remember:<br />
1. Ask for extra buckets at the cashier. Then, use the extra buckets to put a smaller amount of feed in to offer to the animals. They will most likely eat all that is offered and you'll run out of food quickly if you offer full buckets.<br />
2. Your car will need to be vacuumed after the Safari, as the animals are not neat eaters!<br />
3. Arrive close to opening, so the animals are hungry and active.<br />
<br />Karen Bumbaughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09138936772493263711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182154767080464210.post-7028624782174321562016-07-01T09:09:00.001-07:002016-07-01T09:09:32.077-07:00ClimbZone - Laurel, MD<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many climbing walls at ClimbZone<br /></td></tr>
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ClimbZone is one of the few places in the country that use the Clip 'N Climb system for recreational wall climbing. It is a new attraction developed in New Zealand and beginning to be seen more in the United States. Kids as young as two years old, and even adults, can participate in climbing, as long as they are within the minimum and maximum weight. The climbers wear a harness and are clipped onto a pulley system on the wall. When they want to come down, they kick off the wall and are slowly lowered down to the floor.<br />
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We traveled to ClimbZone on a Sunday morning to check out their wide variety of unique climbing walls. ClimbZone is located in a new industrial park in Laural, Maryland (a half hour southwest of Baltimore) and was very easy to find. There is also plenty of parking in front of the building. We arrived a few minutes after the facility opened that day and had the place practically to ourselves for about a half hour. After that, the facility quickly began to fill with both kids and adults. There was a wide-range of people of different ages trying out the numerous walls.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkde2zBZKHmf3wjY8qVQgxU_TG7KlUV6AtstsHwllB__QjduLlABoIBK94tVv1ybcgvrp_bUdYIkCC6o238zN9vs9zHy56xHYlwpK_Nd3hPDMTR0sUw8V5QUBU7UqL3ZZcKvp_AoiUow4/s1600/IMG_6056%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkde2zBZKHmf3wjY8qVQgxU_TG7KlUV6AtstsHwllB__QjduLlABoIBK94tVv1ybcgvrp_bUdYIkCC6o238zN9vs9zHy56xHYlwpK_Nd3hPDMTR0sUw8V5QUBU7UqL3ZZcKvp_AoiUow4/s320/IMG_6056%255B1%255D.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing "Mount Rushmore"</td></tr>
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When you first arrive, there is a practice wall where an employee will show you how to properly clip your children onto the wall, and they will put on the harness for you. The system is quite easy, and since we've done Clip 'N Climb before, our tutorial was quick. <br />
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Some walls are easier to climb than others, and my four-year-old struggled with these walls more than she does with some of the easier ones at <a href="http://beentheredonethatwithkids.blogspot.com/2016/01/clip-n-climb-at-spooky-nook-sports.html" target="_blank">Spooky Nook Sports</a>. She was very excited about these walls though, because they are colorful and very creative. These are just a few of the themes of the walls: Mount Rushmore, United States, Tetris, soccer, haunted house, tornado, skatepark, etc. In addition to the walls, there are also two inflatables, and an area for children 3 years and younger to crawl around and play.<br />
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Things to Remember:<br />
1. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes for climbing.<br />
2. Waivers need to be filled out and that can be done online before you arrive to save time.<br />
3. Reservations are accepted and may be needed during the weekend or other busy times.<br />
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Karen Bumbaughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09138936772493263711noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182154767080464210.post-90930132864328601422016-04-26T17:42:00.001-07:002016-04-26T17:43:45.605-07:00Aquatopia Indoor Waterpark - Poconos, PA<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ_i5qcLZDPydj8tpFnUDQ7LJvAb8RNd2qwPbFJOVGwgidGrRPJQIoj_LsOSL4HNIyLCTwrgtE2EkNrzWu2FmBLZhhlxYcqatuoEG5SG761C8eZmpCkNRjLEJhX-aP9GlX96kbeuzPIig/s1600/IMG_5207%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ_i5qcLZDPydj8tpFnUDQ7LJvAb8RNd2qwPbFJOVGwgidGrRPJQIoj_LsOSL4HNIyLCTwrgtE2EkNrzWu2FmBLZhhlxYcqatuoEG5SG761C8eZmpCkNRjLEJhX-aP9GlX96kbeuzPIig/s320/IMG_5207%255B1%255D.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Major water slides - water coaster and Venus slydetrap</td></tr>
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Aquatopia indoor water park and the attached Camelback Lodge was completed in 2015 and offers a wide variety of fun activities. The main attraction, Aquatopia, is an enormous indoor water park that boasts seven pools and 13 slides, including the longest water coaster in the U.S. We choose to go to Aquatopia, out of the several indoor water parks in the Poconos, because it seemed to have the most large slides that a 42" child could ride. Many other water parks' slides required the riders to be at least 48", and my 4-year-old had just hit 42" barefoot.<br />
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Entrance to the water park is automatically granted when you stay at Camelback Lodge, and an overnight stay of at least one night is actually a requirement for entrance. When staying one night, you may enter the water park at 12:30PM on the day of check-in, and you have access to the water park for the entire operating hours the next day. When arriving, each guest receives a wristband that must be worn for the entire stay. It unlocks the hotel room, gives access to the water park, and can be used to charge items and food to your room. It's actually quite convenient to not have to carry a room key, cash, or credit cards with you while in the water park.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin7AnaMszCqIFNt9bTENivrFGh2qbJK8vMpxxHkp8Qc_Y26QsXfyxjgGtvhjcbq-cCMoB3TpoC475IhFzEVxCUbCAgEhC0wN2WPQAHYiuPP2rHQ4dvU8A1EBVG3A9FmBQkZUvZVEv-8zc/s1600/IMG_5281%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin7AnaMszCqIFNt9bTENivrFGh2qbJK8vMpxxHkp8Qc_Y26QsXfyxjgGtvhjcbq-cCMoB3TpoC475IhFzEVxCUbCAgEhC0wN2WPQAHYiuPP2rHQ4dvU8A1EBVG3A9FmBQkZUvZVEv-8zc/s200/IMG_5281%255B1%255D.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Entrance to the lodge</td></tr>
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If your room isn't ready when you arrive, you may use the changing areas immediately to your right as you enter the park. We planned ahead and backed a pool bag separate from our overnight luggage, so that we could just grab that bag to take to the water park when we arrived. Also, upon entering the water park, don't forget to grab a stack of towels that are available on your left. It's also great to not have to deal with wet and dirty towels in your luggage, since they are provided by the hotel.</div>
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The massive wave pool was the first stop for the 4-year-old and 8-year-old. Life jackets are required and provided for those under 48". There are also a few dozen tubes to float in, and an alarms goes off before the waves begin. We chose to sit by the wave pool, since most of our time was spent there. The major slides are located one floor up, and the lazy river winds through the section below the slides.</div>
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There is a wide variety of slides, which kept the adults and kids busy. Some of the more conventional tube slides didn't have any lines. The water coaster probably had the longest line, and though the Venus Slydetrap line looked to be the longest line, it actually moved quickly because several people could fit in the large rafts. The mat slides had some cool light features in them. Every slide we went on was really, really fast.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3c1Xj7y7oX9WicjMpYo2BnC-fBB6dMH4wIlEKlnqkJAUErKsJdl3LkLoaHnUa6Gnb_PNzBpr2HgfEfN2izXjPv9PohUurBJxQSKqM_ZhKYuHH7Vft2HV30x2CjzPnoaRI3MT0PhYITJo/s1600/IMG_5206%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3c1Xj7y7oX9WicjMpYo2BnC-fBB6dMH4wIlEKlnqkJAUErKsJdl3LkLoaHnUa6Gnb_PNzBpr2HgfEfN2izXjPv9PohUurBJxQSKqM_ZhKYuHH7Vft2HV30x2CjzPnoaRI3MT0PhYITJo/s400/IMG_5206%255B1%255D.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">An overview of the park</td></tr>
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Other favorite areas of the water park were the basketball hoops and the obstacle course. This area is also near the three story water structure, which has several smaller slides on it. The top slide has a 48" height requirement, and actually ends with sliding around a "bowl". Then you get up and walk to the stairs that take you back up onto the platform. This was a unique ending that I had never seen on a water slide.</div>
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After a long day at the water park, there are several other activities at the lodge for children. Climbing walls, pottery painting, an arcade, and mini golf are just a few additional things, and each day they have different crafts to do at particular times. Since we were only there for two days, we didn't get a chance to try everything.</div>
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Things to Remember:</div>
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1. Take your child's barefoot height into consideration. Even if they are 42" in a regular amusement park with shoes, they may not hit that height barefoot.</div>
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2. The water coast requires a double tube, even if you're going on it alone. There is a sign that says this, but it is easy to miss.</div>
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3. If it's a really sunny day during the summer, bring sunscreen! You wouldn't think about it because you're indoors, but the ceiling is all glass. There are signs posted around the park reminding guests that it is possible to sunbath and get sun exposure while indoors.</div>
<br />Karen Bumbaughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09138936772493263711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182154767080464210.post-39459109834008421602016-01-16T13:48:00.002-08:002016-01-16T13:48:51.626-08:00Clip 'n Climb at Spooky Nook Sports - Manheim, PA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5EI_QU2HP8DlIyOJpwMoNFT11klxEeIUztpIMmf8KJE8WXDA7B47j7AQ8zma4-UXBwst4AQea5szKEbrOSV-ZtSOpE8UL8VwX5J-IeaMF40pxV5axtASqraJ4gz4d6U2FG13YP6808Q/s1600/IMG_4838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5EI_QU2HP8DlIyOJpwMoNFT11klxEeIUztpIMmf8KJE8WXDA7B47j7AQ8zma4-UXBwst4AQea5szKEbrOSV-ZtSOpE8UL8VwX5J-IeaMF40pxV5axtASqraJ4gz4d6U2FG13YP6808Q/s200/IMG_4838.JPG" width="150" /></a>We visited Spooky Nook Sports in Manheim, PA on a Monday in the early afternoon. It was the week after Christmas, so they had special holiday extended hours for Clip 'n Climb while the kids were out of school. I called ahead to make sure that my 4 year old met the weight and age restrictions for climbing. Luckily she did, because I had already shown her photos of the climbing walls, and she was very excited. I also checked to make sure they didn't have a full session at the time we were going. It sounded like it was a popular activity for groups to do, so it can fill up at certain hours. We used the specific GPS address at the bottom of their web page to navigate to this part of central Pennsylvania that we've never been to before. The parking lot for Spooky Nook is humongous, just like the size of the building. We found a fairly close spot and entered the building.</div>
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Clip 'n Climb is immediately to your right when using the main entrance of Spooky Nook. Everyone climbing during that time checked in at the top of the hour. They then did a quick tutorial of how to clip your children and other safety instructions. It takes a few times clipping on to fully get how to twist and unlatch the clip, but it became easy quickly. Everyone spread out to find a wall that they wanted to climb, and even though our hour session was busy, we hardly ever waited for a wall.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0W9qdN7K4KNurXId25FPdsZMgDakx8Uy8wqcJBI7t0NE6KSvArX5KBVFLihJpsccyut7y6yICRHp2vFpKFSW03-pTkU4pVfSkYaElsaYD8nHa2rj00YNlM-m7B2aWGSmNfXB4lGUqHco/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0W9qdN7K4KNurXId25FPdsZMgDakx8Uy8wqcJBI7t0NE6KSvArX5KBVFLihJpsccyut7y6yICRHp2vFpKFSW03-pTkU4pVfSkYaElsaYD8nHa2rj00YNlM-m7B2aWGSmNfXB4lGUqHco/s320/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="320" /></a>Some walls were definitely harder than others, and my four year old quickly found ones that she was particularly good at and could make it close to the top. Several walls have different ways in which they can be climbed to make them easier or more difficult depending on your climbing skills. In addition to walls, there is one climb that is several tubes, arranged like steps, that can be walked up. On this climb, a staff member must help you. My four year old tried to do the tube steps, but they were just too far apart for her to step from one to the other. I saw several older children accomplish this climb fairly easily.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2rVJ4wL8p8UO-IMRNr4yLx3s_8zGqVkTPu5SmbQ4jyFXPB6FMNBuMsvixYXgKQC0FBijDO0pSPXXZBMH7YQTRm0tA7pEZC8ifqhYal5TQot2P3k7cflEI7xnHEfzWniB8IVoGpfEKFKQ/s1600/IMG_4846.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2rVJ4wL8p8UO-IMRNr4yLx3s_8zGqVkTPu5SmbQ4jyFXPB6FMNBuMsvixYXgKQC0FBijDO0pSPXXZBMH7YQTRm0tA7pEZC8ifqhYal5TQot2P3k7cflEI7xnHEfzWniB8IVoGpfEKFKQ/s200/IMG_4846.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leap of Faith</td></tr>
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There is also what they call the "leap of faith". On this equipment, you climb up a pole and then stand on a small platform. There is a punching bag that you jump out and grab on to. They can move the bag closer if your child can not make the full leap. This one also requires special help from the staff, and it has a special cost associated with it in addition to paying by the half hour or hour for the wall climbing.<div>
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My four year old climbed for a half hour and that seemed to be plenty before her arms got tired. Older children in our group stayed for the full hour. We took a break and crossed the hall to the food court. We purchased some nachos and drinks at the snack bar and settled in to a large seating area where we could still watch the climbing. After that, we explored the rest of the building a bit. We stopped at the arcade and also watched a few sports games on the large indoor courts.</div>
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Things to Remember:</div>
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1. Call ahead to make reservations for your climbing time. Also, ask about age and weight restrictions, if you have concerns.</div>
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2. Have your child wear really comfortable clothes and shoes.</div>
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3. Make sure they visit the restroom before their climbing time. Since it's limited amount of time, you don't want to waste it in the restroom.<br /><div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
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Karen Bumbaughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09138936772493263711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182154767080464210.post-43456049254126450572015-12-27T18:46:00.001-08:002015-12-27T18:46:09.658-08:00The KidsPlace at the Whitaker Center - Harrisburg, PAThe KidsPlace is a special section for children 5 years and younger in the Harsco Science Center. The Science Center is part of the even larger Whitaker Center, which also boasts an IMAX theatre. The Whitaker Center is in downtown Harrisburg, with limited on street parking or you may park in the nearby Walnut Street garage. Parking on street is free on Sundays; during other parking times there is a fee, as well as a fee to park in the garage. When arriving at the Center, proceed up-stairs to the ticket desk for admission into the Science Center. There is also a small gift shop on this level.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxOlhorLMGMUh3VxOS2XVIMfFvTw2LR0r5U2_AH0mc8sd4R8ErBRGtuI3F6wL4ZcGIbuVUycZEq1qQhbJeOXiVll-aPA3D1fDgIslcHD63LqF8BUYaimgFDg9MuoCPMyP387nfW-yQvQM/s1600/IMG_4788+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxOlhorLMGMUh3VxOS2XVIMfFvTw2LR0r5U2_AH0mc8sd4R8ErBRGtuI3F6wL4ZcGIbuVUycZEq1qQhbJeOXiVll-aPA3D1fDgIslcHD63LqF8BUYaimgFDg9MuoCPMyP387nfW-yQvQM/s200/IMG_4788+%25281%2529.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cityscape with Slide</td></tr>
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Immediately upon entering the Science Center there are a few kid-friendly exhibits, as well as the gated entrance for the KidsPlace. The KidsPlace contains several exhibits, perfect for the 5 and under crowd. The first exhibit is a cityscape with slide and pulley system to bring play bricks to the second level of the play structure. Across the room is a padded play area for toddlers and a play market with plenty of play food and a place for a cashier to "check-out" the groceries. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waterworks</td></tr>
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Next is a water works area with two baby seats for the<br />
smallest visitors to sit in the water play area to splash around. There are water proof bibs available to help clothes stay dry. Even if the kids get a bit too wet from the water, there are hand dryers to help dry their clothes. The favorite exhibit on the day we visited seemed to be the ambulance, complete with lights and siren sounds. <br />
<br />
After spending at least an hour in the KidsPlace, we ventured downstairs to other kid-friendly exhibits. There was a place to design your own race car with the several different sizes and shapes of cars, and then the cars can be raced down a ramp. It even tells you the speed of your car. You can also make paper airplanes and fly them using a special launchpad to see which design goes the furthest.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0k6_Zd-hYy4Angat3V7BxlkReW7nfwpOhxLTexRJ_U4t3el8eJ3qPwH17EV9FxjI53fsa0mltkwS_wDKL_3ov4d-DESWQk6uZweyYFOQXTViFrJDUMQD-BtevVdJMWTB-IPK30Etsm0s/s1600/IMG_4776.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0k6_Zd-hYy4Angat3V7BxlkReW7nfwpOhxLTexRJ_U4t3el8eJ3qPwH17EV9FxjI53fsa0mltkwS_wDKL_3ov4d-DESWQk6uZweyYFOQXTViFrJDUMQD-BtevVdJMWTB-IPK30Etsm0s/s320/IMG_4776.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Market in KidsPlace</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The bottom floor contains the hurricane chamber, simulating wind speeds of over 100 miles per hour! This floor also houses any special exhibits that there may be at different times. When we visited, there was a Christmas tree display and several hand crank train cars for kids to ride around a track. We ended our day at the Whitaker Center by riding these trains and looking at the special Christmas light display.<br />
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Things to Remember:<br />
<br />
1. In case your child splashes around a bit too much in the water works area, it may be a good idea to bring a change of clothes.<br />
2. Check the Whitaker Center website for any special exhibits that may be there during your visit.<br />
3. Go on a Sunday to take advantage of the free on street parking.<br />
<br />Karen Bumbaughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09138936772493263711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182154767080464210.post-15559934267226714042015-12-20T06:27:00.001-08:002015-12-27T15:53:13.438-08:00Go 'N Bananas - Lancaster, PAGo 'N Bananas is a new family fun center in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It is located close to Route 30, right off Dillerville Road. If coming from Route 30 on Manheim Pike, it is best to pass Dillerville Road and turn right onto Garfield Ave after Sheetz. We visited only a few days after their grand opening, on a Tuesday during the late morning.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPehBDKuWFT8hhP2uF9Jde5WAsTXL6V4Uc6kmKRqU56lXdJxqnGorSp5y37G7PL2jKnoN5Z6EbPrXEnp-HUYVmXCI73DjO-Jw95rLnYAleFeX2qiG-dBnWtHXAJ7U3JVmHY-89JfKMMZg/s1600/IMG_4728.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPehBDKuWFT8hhP2uF9Jde5WAsTXL6V4Uc6kmKRqU56lXdJxqnGorSp5y37G7PL2jKnoN5Z6EbPrXEnp-HUYVmXCI73DjO-Jw95rLnYAleFeX2qiG-dBnWtHXAJ7U3JVmHY-89JfKMMZg/s200/IMG_4728.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ballocity tube slide</td></tr>
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When arriving, you check in at the desk and purchase the activity package that fits your needs - or your child's wants! We chose the Monkey Toddler pass which includes play time in Ballocity, the Toddler Zone, and a $5 game card. The three level Ballocity structure is the first thing you see as you enter. It has two twisting tube slides that start on the third level, as well as three regular side-by-side slides for racing. There are plenty of balls to be thrown, shot out of cannons, or dumped from the large overhead bucket. To get to the higher levels, children must climb up using the angled netting. If needed, you can assist younger children, but the structure is meant for those 12 years and younger. There are cubies for shoes - make sure you bring socks!<br />
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Next, we went to the arcade area to spend our $5 game card. It looked as though most of the games were 50 cents and up. Some were as much as $2 to play. The games are all modern and very interactive. My 4-year-old played basketball, a soccer-style kicking game, skee ball, a candy pick up machine, among others. The $5 was spent pretty quickly though. The game card is also used to accumulate tickets, and we turned in our tickets for a slinky-style bracelet.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFvIaeVQupkYjN8hFEWUIuakJQvLNjeiMYuVk_s13Cp81L0LC3IxYrWkb8LVsVsnetnkbmMe_z5_l0TSKUs-mpj53rMOK6GSmptNKEyy6pCBss2ltDOKmQnkmp-vxFsMkRbVoTYM9_UuM/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFvIaeVQupkYjN8hFEWUIuakJQvLNjeiMYuVk_s13Cp81L0LC3IxYrWkb8LVsVsnetnkbmMe_z5_l0TSKUs-mpj53rMOK6GSmptNKEyy6pCBss2ltDOKmQnkmp-vxFsMkRbVoTYM9_UuM/s200/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arcade and ropes course</td></tr>
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While we didn't take advantage of the other attractions, there are many other things to do at Go 'N <br />
Bananas. There is laser tag, a toddler zone with soft climbing toys, two bowling lanes, spinning bumper cars, and an overhead ropes course. The overhead ropes course looks challenging and fun for those that do not have a fear of heights. In addition to these places to play, there is a cafe with Hershey's ice cream, sodas, and many other offerings. I also noticed about four birthday party rooms.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtw7wMNg7d3OVSiCE1Fdqjg0MSM2KbS_aY96OqtvMTr7DaqmhNWvpKo0oz6k02ifaBUSnSms9IM9XFS5afRQrfKumdXAS5sGv1yjVh09f0lQhfEymXNgMUd9gS-QX8T8ZtaygsoQUwX6U/s1600/IMG_4729.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtw7wMNg7d3OVSiCE1Fdqjg0MSM2KbS_aY96OqtvMTr7DaqmhNWvpKo0oz6k02ifaBUSnSms9IM9XFS5afRQrfKumdXAS5sGv1yjVh09f0lQhfEymXNgMUd9gS-QX8T8ZtaygsoQUwX6U/s200/IMG_4729.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spinning bumper cars</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Things to Remember:<br />
1. There is only one entrance / exit to Ballocity, so it is easiest to find a seat near there to keep track of your child/ren. <br />
2. You can keep your game card and any remaining tickets on it by registering your card at the kiosk in the game area.Karen Bumbaughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09138936772493263711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182154767080464210.post-79285670843091594972015-09-13T14:34:00.001-07:002015-09-13T14:36:49.806-07:00Kids Castle - Doylestown, PA<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUsN3VwteWkV-m7HomQHkJs9vtWGUiVibV8UVaSMtgSy2WFIXQbJ8Irzg4rScoLXrxbA9TVb_4PRyWWhyphenhyphenGl4s_HFZIr0QnTlgk3ZmFVu7Af6qRvFZNpsXzbuqjTlbZcZkPuaz2GSS-GG8/s1600/IMG_1654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUsN3VwteWkV-m7HomQHkJs9vtWGUiVibV8UVaSMtgSy2WFIXQbJ8Irzg4rScoLXrxbA9TVb_4PRyWWhyphenhyphenGl4s_HFZIr0QnTlgk3ZmFVu7Af6qRvFZNpsXzbuqjTlbZcZkPuaz2GSS-GG8/s320/IMG_1654.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entrance to Kids Castle</td></tr>
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Kids Castle is located within Central Park in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Doylestown is directly north of Philadephia and about two hours from the York / Harrisburg area. Central Park is a large park with all the usual park elements: soccer fields, playgrounds, a walking trail, and pavilions. When pulling into the parking lot, it's easy to spot the most popular feature of the park. A short walk down a paved trail takes you to Kids Castle, a huge wooden play structure with eight stories of labyrinth-like passages.<br />
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Portions of the Kids Castle play area are undergoing renovation, but it doesn't affect the main play structure of the Castle. We arrived around 11 AM on a cool Sunday morning. It had rained the night before, so a lot of the steps to the Castle were wet and slippery. We quickly realized that the passages inside were perfect for kids, but there were places that adults would have difficultly fitting. There is a path around the perimeter of the inside that is tallest and best for adults. Further in, there are chutes that even a 3-year-old would need to crouch down to enter. Throughout, there is themed artwork to look at on the interior and exterior of the Castle. <br />
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One corner has a popular "elevator" which takes kids, one at a time, down to the lower level. The other favorite feature is the three story twisted tube slides. I even saw some adults who managed to fit themselves down the very twisted slide. While it is easy to lose your child in the complex passages of the Castle, there is a fence around the play area, making it easier to know that your child hasn't left the immediate area of the playground. We solved this issue by having our 3-year-old yell out a window down to us from time to time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDLM8PvUWY5LPidowSPp7nKRGuOxHqC8tmaGjke3i1Z1u9JTRGu9lqJ4hETYUXyiWgAxXlcO5j8P8HqACnMsaXviac4tHtlfnedlZiYtNqre4jFT7vCpf_NUaxdqjhaRyuH9gSYgzmayk/s1600/IMG_4322.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDLM8PvUWY5LPidowSPp7nKRGuOxHqC8tmaGjke3i1Z1u9JTRGu9lqJ4hETYUXyiWgAxXlcO5j8P8HqACnMsaXviac4tHtlfnedlZiYtNqre4jFT7vCpf_NUaxdqjhaRyuH9gSYgzmayk/s320/IMG_4322.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two twist tube slides</td></tr>
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Even though we arrived fairly early on a Sunday morning, the playground quickly became busier as it got closer to mid-day. There is plenty of seating around the Castle, but on this particular day most of the seats were still wet from the rain. There is not much shade, so plan accordingly if it's a hot day. There is a water fountain nearby, but it's a few minute walk over to a pavilion that also houses the restrooms.<br />
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Overall, Kids Castle is unlike any other play structure I've seen. While it isn't that old - built in 1997 - a project is already underway to improve it and "save" it. More play structures, such as a pirate ship, were recently added to the grounds.<br />
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Things to Remember:<br />
1. If you enter the address of the park, 425 Wells Road, into your GPS, it will most likely take you into a neighborhood. Using "Central Park" or "Doylestown Township Municipal Building" for GPS directions that will most likely lead you to the park entrance.<br />
2. The restrooms are a bit of a walk on the other side of the parking lot, in a pavilion near the soccer fields. We asked our 3-year-old if she had to go often, to avoid an emergency.<br />
3. Since it's easy to get lost within the structure, prepare your child beforehand with where to meet you if you get separated.<br />
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Karen Bumbaughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09138936772493263711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182154767080464210.post-7169344640603211362015-02-08T14:38:00.001-08:002015-02-08T14:39:13.880-08:00Curiosity Connection - Harrisburg, PA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJeIvs3jB61Fzi85w8MBH9e0tmWfS3YyUZo-BA0khAxUu5aU1g6bob1Db3Cacd67BrS_tcpetksSD8c-wpjQyKCgJXJHp5I28qjapeD-lHOHUXLSGSvP2Ilr7UNTHc4IwGR5C52ZnaUzQ/s1600/IMG_3655%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJeIvs3jB61Fzi85w8MBH9e0tmWfS3YyUZo-BA0khAxUu5aU1g6bob1Db3Cacd67BrS_tcpetksSD8c-wpjQyKCgJXJHp5I28qjapeD-lHOHUXLSGSvP2Ilr7UNTHc4IwGR5C52ZnaUzQ/s1600/IMG_3655%5B1%5D.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxfMWRRhmqf6KI4t4GRxTyhSD6j1Tk3iJ6G0_yWc70R8W_hSdlo8lAJg-sDGyAl8QY9FzoLlfgjYaENl1Qek7gyejV1WklNa4lrIrMTrmXiEFxy1AsKo6fn6332X9UswXvx4sgKCCVelQ/s1600/IMG_3654%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxfMWRRhmqf6KI4t4GRxTyhSD6j1Tk3iJ6G0_yWc70R8W_hSdlo8lAJg-sDGyAl8QY9FzoLlfgjYaENl1Qek7gyejV1WklNa4lrIrMTrmXiEFxy1AsKo6fn6332X9UswXvx4sgKCCVelQ/s1600/IMG_3654%5B1%5D.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a>Curiosity Connection is a special section of the <a href="http://statemuseumpa.org/" target="_blank">State Museum of Pennsylvania</a> in Harrisburg. If you're traveling from Interstate 83, it's the 2nd Street exit that will take you into the city of Harrisburg. A few more turns, and you'll see parking along the street all around the circular museum. We were there on a Sunday morning and circled the block once before we found a parking space. There are also parking garages in the city. One nice reason to go on a Sunday is that metered parking in downtown Harrisburg is free on Sundays.<br />
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When we arrived at the museum, we found Curiosity Connection to be located right beside the front desk. There is an admission charge to the museum, but the three of us entered for under $20. We headed directly to Curiosity Connection, because the 3-year-old was very excited as soon as she saw it through the glass wall and doors.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6TJeqqD1DSiFUp-Q5lojilQz8c3G4GLzqWIjK0JosK2w2LUwMJvldj7ojy-Z5K8dPupUZV9rvgd0jeEtRMOfAqq5CUekjSh-5o5UPvYA3It3c03WteVCto6-qWvkT3pXx942KvwaP-6s/s1600/IMG_3651%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6TJeqqD1DSiFUp-Q5lojilQz8c3G4GLzqWIjK0JosK2w2LUwMJvldj7ojy-Z5K8dPupUZV9rvgd0jeEtRMOfAqq5CUekjSh-5o5UPvYA3It3c03WteVCto6-qWvkT3pXx942KvwaP-6s/s1600/IMG_3651%5B1%5D.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a>There are different sections of the play area, much like <a href="http://beentheredonethatwithkids.blogspot.com/2015/01/storyville-woodlawn-md.html" target="_blank">Storyville</a> in Baltimore. There is a building materials section, bedroom / house, forest, farm, school bus, and automobile section. The 3-year-old started with the house and immediately went through a small door that adults could not easily fit through. I didn't realize that it was a tunnel that led to a couple of different places, so I waited for her to return to the bedroom play area, and she didn't. The play area isn't very big, so it didn't take long to find her when she came out in the forest. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR9UEPA6fUFZtx7YjSV6-NkZ-DLRkUkMc_oAFVuUkk6D6n7Qauwsn3Dp1tviyalHFv0intOFhBJDEBk5PLm7tMssXRMcJ_Zr6tbbvqij1BTj9cKs5tdm_bdQlre3ysJF2lOUZ_QnQ_lOw/s1600/IMG_3650%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR9UEPA6fUFZtx7YjSV6-NkZ-DLRkUkMc_oAFVuUkk6D6n7Qauwsn3Dp1tviyalHFv0intOFhBJDEBk5PLm7tMssXRMcJ_Zr6tbbvqij1BTj9cKs5tdm_bdQlre3ysJF2lOUZ_QnQ_lOw/s1600/IMG_3650%5B1%5D.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a>The play area was decorated for winter, with a special winter section for building a snowman with large stuffed white balls and an area where the kids could pretend to ice skate. The trees in the forest were snow covered at their roots, and there were a few woodland creature costumes as well as a snowflake costume, which the 3-year-old loved and refused to take off. We played in Curiosity Connection for about a half hour, and then decided to walk around in the rest of the museum, since that was included in our admission. <br />
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The escalators to the three other floors of the museum were a hit with the 3-year-old. She also enjoyed the top floor which had the prehistoric animals, fish, large mammals, and small critters. Older children may also enjoy the collection of wagons, stagecoaches, and the airplane. There was also an interesting exhibit of an archaeology dig site.<br />
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Things to Remember:<br />
1. Conveniently, there's a family bathroom inside Curiosity Connection.<br />
2. The museum is really close to the Capitol Building, so if the weather is nice, it'd be a great walk.<br />
3. Curiosity Connection is only for children five and under, so make arrangements for older children.Karen Bumbaughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09138936772493263711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182154767080464210.post-12246172559275215792015-02-01T15:32:00.000-08:002015-02-01T16:24:02.508-08:00Central Market - York, PA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBM5NLjm2u84C_5vsWJJgovFXizXiPJ19Bic7CDja_m2-Ak6dXVHq0_9VqHyvBH60ojnt7cB9h8_iVRXSVBo7Ld_0hSLRsTb0LgkZQ3CEFhaLOJ4-zHBE-6brjR4WtdGXK1SO5MnuvFLM/s1600/photo+(22).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBM5NLjm2u84C_5vsWJJgovFXizXiPJ19Bic7CDja_m2-Ak6dXVHq0_9VqHyvBH60ojnt7cB9h8_iVRXSVBo7Ld_0hSLRsTb0LgkZQ3CEFhaLOJ4-zHBE-6brjR4WtdGXK1SO5MnuvFLM/s1600/photo+(22).JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.centralmarketyork.com/" target="_blank">Central Market</a> in downtown York is located along Philadelphia and North Beaver Streets. It's simple to get to from Route 30 in York, by taking George Street into the city and turning right onto Philadelphia Street. There is a large parking garage across the street from the Market, and it's free to park on Saturdays. We visited the Market on a very cold Saturday morning.<br />
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We entered the historic Market using the doors along Philadelphia Street, and the 3-year-old immediately saw the candy shop. Our rule for trips to the Market is that she must walk up and down all the aisles before she decides what she'd like to purchase. We kept her walking and enjoyed looking at all of the fresh vegetables, delicious desserts, and crafts for sale from the wide variety of vendors.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsIgWBIzkV4D4XWKYuDTH7YHT2vJRqfw2lx8B3n8xNYKezBsyJMbbqJ-5mY0fa9dUahqR95bJLFK3jI9qFHEaDXNN9tOddHyXTZRbxYlAYPL5N-qpA_nDkxm27nKxr1WEm7C-HHBavfC0/s1600/photo+(24).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsIgWBIzkV4D4XWKYuDTH7YHT2vJRqfw2lx8B3n8xNYKezBsyJMbbqJ-5mY0fa9dUahqR95bJLFK3jI9qFHEaDXNN9tOddHyXTZRbxYlAYPL5N-qpA_nDkxm27nKxr1WEm7C-HHBavfC0/s1600/photo+(24).JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a>Eventually, we made our way to <a href="http://yorkitchen.com/" target="_blank">YorKitchen</a>, which is a commercial kitchen incubator that has activities for kids on Saturdays. Since this weekend was Superbowl Sunday, the kids had to throw a football through a goal to win a prize, which was a small football. There were also a few other cute games for them to play. Usually the activity includes decorating food in some way, for example on Valentine's Day weekend they decorate rice krispie treats with chocolate and sprinkles.<br />
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After seeing all of the goodies that the Market had to offer, the 3-year-old decided that candy was her choice for a treat, and we headed back to the candy stand. There are various bags of candy, most $1, but ranging up from there. Normally, she picks a cookie from a bakery stand, and now and then we get a pretzel wrapped hot dog. There is plenty of kid-friendly foods at the Market, as well as many exotic treats to keep adults happy. There are tables throughout, though the best seating location is a small loft overlooking the entire Market. <br />
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The Market is a great place to wonder around with the kids on a Saturday morning or early afternoon (they close at 2 PM), but there are also special events for kids throughout the year. These events include a special New Year's Eve kids countdown; the Market is also a great place to get a treat before or after the York Saint Patrick's Day parade on Saturday, March 14th.<br />
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Things to Remember:<br />
1. If it's warm outside, bring a cooler to keep the goodies you buy cold until you get home.<br />
2. Check the <a href="http://yorkitchen.com/" target="_blank">YorKitchen</a> website to confirm hours for the kid's activities.<br />
3. There are other small shops to check out around the Market, so consider walking the streets a bit.Karen Bumbaughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09138936772493263711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182154767080464210.post-38610110329841779422015-01-26T15:23:00.001-08:002015-01-26T15:23:55.282-08:00Storyville - Woodlawn, MD<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqPipHFf_yDO5CRl5__ivX_AmdnAjnXzeYm4Cfxed2ZsJoquFt8IrdLEyZdgH9m2fgYnMD9irOrH8c9YMsNk6u9s3c0mPAzQKPSVhOHjMkPYEWIZvalOb2DF3cdyNyXLn827CGoXhmOMc/s1600/IMG_3533%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqPipHFf_yDO5CRl5__ivX_AmdnAjnXzeYm4Cfxed2ZsJoquFt8IrdLEyZdgH9m2fgYnMD9irOrH8c9YMsNk6u9s3c0mPAzQKPSVhOHjMkPYEWIZvalOb2DF3cdyNyXLn827CGoXhmOMc/s1600/IMG_3533%5B1%5D.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
Storyville is located in the Woodlawn and Rosedale branches of the Baltimore County Public Library. It is a kid-sized village where children age five and under can interact with specially designed elements that foster early learning and literacy skills. We visited Storyville in Woodlawn on a rainy Saturday around noon.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_DkevaQ2Y155z7_V08DjkxFz409ZDTxfMZr2gRPCCAbaDRO4Z8YD75vVgWP-ZHgiIvqo39KC2zNMZ4MKs8XcJbk0purz6ZmUgn4QBg5vylevwtECEGaL_aStqcihQZW_MZLAwUWyNgbw/s1600/IMG_3545%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_DkevaQ2Y155z7_V08DjkxFz409ZDTxfMZr2gRPCCAbaDRO4Z8YD75vVgWP-ZHgiIvqo39KC2zNMZ4MKs8XcJbk0purz6ZmUgn4QBg5vylevwtECEGaL_aStqcihQZW_MZLAwUWyNgbw/s1600/IMG_3545%5B1%5D.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a>The Woodlawn branch is close to I-695 at the Security Blvd exit. The entrance to the Storyville parking lot is actually before the library when coming from I-695, so watch for a sign that says "Storyville". If you miss it and turn into the library parking lot, you can walk through the library to the entrance of Storyville, which is in the back corner of the main library area. At the entrance to the village, there are two family bathrooms, a water fountain, and an area to hang coats.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grocery Store</td></tr>
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At the front desk, you're asked for the first names of the people in your group, and then you are assigned one badge per group for one person to wear throughout the visit. This is to keep track of how many people are inside the village, as they do have a maximum capacity. When we entered, the 3-year-old went directly to the grocery store, which had a lot of fruits, vegetables, types of dairy, and meats to add to a basket and then check out with cash registers. We were in this area for quite some time before she went exploring the other rooms.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Separate Play Area for Babies</td></tr>
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Other rooms include a dress up area with stage, post office, construction zone with Lego table, library, house with upstairs loft and kitchen, trolley, puppet show theater, and forest. There's also a separate play area for babies. The kitchen was a big hit with the 3-year-old. She loved the pretend kitchen sink, refrigerator, and all of the play bowls, cups, and food. This was the most crowded room, since all the kids seemed to enjoy it.<br />
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In the back of Storyville, there is a small, traditional library space lined with books and some comfy places to sit and read. We took notice to some backpacks along the wall in this area that were filled with books. Each backpack was for a certain topic, such as "animals" or "things that move", and they could be checked out of the library as a package to learn more about that topic.<br />
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Storyville is free of charge for children and adults, and a great place to spend an hour or two learning and playing at the same time. <br />
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Things to Remember:<br />
1. Storyville has a maximum capacity with a wait list, so you may want to call ahead to see how busy they are on a particular day.<br />
2. Only children 5 and under can play in Storyville, so make arrangements for older children.Karen Bumbaughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09138936772493263711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182154767080464210.post-73781508033161270332015-01-25T08:35:00.003-08:002015-01-25T17:36:50.737-08:00Rollingcrest-Chillum Splash Pool - Chillum, MDThe Rollingcrest-Chillum Splash Pool was second on my list of indoor pools to visit this winter. The first was Germantown Indoor Swim Center, which you can read about in my post <a href="http://beentheredonethatwithkids.blogspot.com/2014/12/germantown-indoor-swim-center.html">here</a>. I apologize for the lack of photos of the pool accompanying this post. There are signs throughout the facility indicating that photos and videos are not allowed in the building. This may explain why there are so few photos of this pool on the web. In my opinion, the few photos that I did find through Google were not representative of how large it is and how many fun elements the pool had built into it. So, if a photo is worth one thousand words, then I will try to be as descriptive as possible.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main entrance to the splash pool</td></tr>
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We headed to the splash park on a Saturday afternoon. I called ahead to make sure they were still open, because we have about an hour and 45 minute drive to get there. The pool wasn't difficult to find, but the parking lot entrance comes up fast. Go slow after turning onto Sargent Road, so you don't miss it. When we arrived, we paid at the front desk, and they pointed us toward the family locker rooms located right by the pool entrance. There were two of these, and the rooms included a toilet, shower, two hand dryers, and a sink. The family locker rooms were big enough for the three of us, but a larger family may feel cramped.<br />
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After changing, we couldn't find any lockers to put our clothes in. I looked in the ladies locker room and still could not find any place to put our clothes. We asked at the front desk and apparently they do not have lockers right now. We took our bulky stuff out to the car, coats and such, and left the rest of the stuff sit on the pool deck. There are a few benches and several hooks for towels on the deck.<br />
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I was pleasantly surprised when we entered the pool. There were more slides than I thought, and the whole pool area was larger than I imagined. There are two areas, a large, main swimming area, and one for children 48" and below (parents can accompany their children). Children 48" and below could still go into the main pool, but taller children could not use the "kids" pool. It wasn't very busy on Saturday around 1:30 PM, but it got a bit busier as the afternoon went on.<br />
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The main pool includes a drop slide, rope and lily pad walk, tube slide, flume slide, whirl pool, and a crocodile and snake to climb on. The kids pool had a smaller flume slide and a play structure. The play structure had two double slides of different heights and a curved tub slide. We started in the kids pool, and it took a while to convince the 3-year-old to go down the slides. The play structure is one of those with water dumping and squirting everywhere. You can't head up the steps to it without getting wet from above. My 3-year-old doesn't like that and always tries to avoid the water. She eventually worked up the courage to do it, and then she wouldn't stop using the slides. One thing to note about the kids pool is that it is colder than the main pool. We thought this might be because of the large windows and doors that are on the end of the building by the kids pool.<br />
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The big difference between Germantown Indoor Swim Center and Rollingcrest-Chillum Splash Pool was the depth of the water at the bottom of the slides. At Rollingcrest, the water depth at the slide exits was about 6 inches and there is padding at the bottom of each slide; the 3-year-old did not need to be caught at the end of these slides. Germantown had much deeper water, maybe 3 feet or so. A small child would probably prefer to be caught on these slides, since they would most likely go underwater when entering the pool at the end of the slide.<br />
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After playing in the kids pool, the lifeguards blew the whistle to signal everyone to get out of the pool. There is a 15 minute break in every hour, which starts at a quarter till the hour and ends on the hour. It was a great time to convince my 3-year-old to take a break and use the potty. <br />
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After the break, we headed to the main pool. The adults wanted to try the drop slide, but it was closed that day. Instead, we headed to the large tube slide, which was for children 48" and above. They will check and measure the children. The tube slide exits the building and comes back in right at the end of the slide. So, it was impossible to see how long the slide actually was. I was pleasantly surprised at how long it was, and it was fast when laying down...except at the end. Right at the end, somehow I slowed down to a stop. I saw a lot of other adults doing the same thing. Don't worry, it was at the end and not abrupt, and I just pushed myself the last foot or so. I didn't even go under the water when exiting, so it was nice not to get my hair wet.<br />
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We ended our day at the splash pool by playing on the crocodile and the snake and taking a few rides down the double hump flume slide. On this slide, the water will really splash in your face at the end. It's quite a surprise the first time. Overall, we had a great time at this pool, and it is really low cost, even for those that don't live in the Maryland counties that receive a small discount. <br />
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Things to Remember:<br />
1. There's a fifteen minute break every hour. Prepare your children for this, so they are not disappointed when they have to get out of the pool.<br />
2. Don't bring a lot of extra stuff into the building until they get the lockers replaced. We took our bulky winter coats to the car; luckily it was warm that day.<br />
3. Be prepared that your taller children (over 48") will not be able to play in the kiddie pool. Two adult chaperons would be useful if you have one child above 48" and one below.<br />
4. With all of the water dumping and flowing, it is pretty loud in the pool area. If your child is sensitive to constant loud noise, you may want to prepare them for how noisy the pool will be. It's one of those things you stop noticing after being in the pool for a few minutes.Karen Bumbaughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09138936772493263711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182154767080464210.post-56017069075200539722015-01-20T19:07:00.001-08:002015-01-27T15:04:12.016-08:00York City Ice Arena - York, PA<a href="http://yorkskate.com/" target="_blank">York City Ice Arena</a> is located near Bob Hoffman Memorial Park on Vander Avenue in York City. It is also across the street from the roller skating rink, Roll 'R' Way and sits beside York Catholic High School. The ice rink opened in 2001 and boasts twin NHL-sized sheets of ice, a hockey pro shop, and a second level that overlooks the ice.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHVT_X8zO0LVB5o2MlIPKGyc6lL6AMdaj2QesJhUaNXi2Oj9ZHiRKXAK-0nl9UHPg4JgXQwc3QxdedIEMOf1WxCM6h_W7P0Vpx5wBwvOss7pXh7vh0rjH0KLT5ga8a1SW2Flu5nXoZGac/s1600/photo+(21).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHVT_X8zO0LVB5o2MlIPKGyc6lL6AMdaj2QesJhUaNXi2Oj9ZHiRKXAK-0nl9UHPg4JgXQwc3QxdedIEMOf1WxCM6h_W7P0Vpx5wBwvOss7pXh7vh0rjH0KLT5ga8a1SW2Flu5nXoZGac/s1600/photo+(21).JPG" height="240" title="York City Ice Arena" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the two sheets of ice at York City Ice Arena</td></tr>
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I attended an afternoon public skate session to try out ice skating with my 3-year-old. We arrived just after the 1:30 session started and quickly checked in and got our wrist bands. My daughter got rental skates and it took a good 10 minutes to get her skates on, my skates on, and her helmet on. I wanted her to try some skating without holding on to me, and I felt that a helmet would make it a much safer activity. I also took my time lacing her skates, as the tightness of her skates is important to help her balance and control.<br />
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We headed out onto the ice and made our way slowly around the perimeter, holding onto the wall. The session was well attended for a weekday afternoon, but I assume it was busier than usual since it was a school holiday. After a few slow laps, the little one got up the confidence to let go of my hand and made some of her first few glides by herself. We didn't stay much longer than that, as her pants started to get wet from falling so much. She seemed to have a good time, though, and we even got information on learn to skate lessons.<br />
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Things to remember:<br />
1. Gloves are a great idea...especially for those who may fall often.<br />
2. Stay to watch the Zamboni. Your child may enjoy watching this large machine resurface the ice.<br />
3. Weekday afternoon, less crowded, sessions may be better for a new skater.<br />
4. Lace those skates tight! That will help your child have more control on the ice.Karen Bumbaughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09138936772493263711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182154767080464210.post-37816698670581343752015-01-19T05:49:00.003-08:002015-01-19T08:00:45.675-08:00Ski Roundtop - Lewisberry, PASki Roundtop is a mountain resort that has fun activities throughout the year. During the winter, their main activities include skiing, snowboarding, and snow tubing. We headed to Ski Roundtop on a late Saturday afternoon to try the "kiddie tubing hill" with our 3-year-old. Snow tubing can be an expensive outing, but kiddie tubing for ages 4 and younger is very low cost compared to the big hill at Roundtop. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kiddie Tubing Hill</td></tr>
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The mountain is a few miles from Interstate 83, and there are signs leading there after exiting 83. We turned into the parking lot that had a huge "Snow Tubing" sign, and climbed out of the car. Be careful! While the parking lot was alright for driving, there are patches of ice. After getting our little one bundled up in snow pants and a heavy coat in the lodge, we headed outside to sign waivers and pay for tubing.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Large Tubing Hill</td></tr>
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Even though we were planning to just supervise our child and not snow tube ourselves, we still had to fill out the waiver forms. We paid at the window, and the 3-year-old got a tag for her coat. The kiddie hill is on the other side of the large hill, so you must walk past the queuing area for the large hill. It is a slightly narrow walkway, and we had to watch people who were sliding their large snow tubes into our path. At the kiddie hill, there are smaller tubes with different designs. Of course, it was difficult to decide which tube was the best. I pointed out a blue one with snowflakes, and that became the winner.<br />
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There are three lanes for the kiddie hill, and many more lanes on the large hill. We waited until the lane was clear and gave her a push. The tube can spin a lot, so we were concerned at first that she would not like that. At the bottom of the hill, an attendant will take the lead of the snow tube and return your child to you. We had to walk fast to retrieve her at the base of the hill, but running down is not really needed since the kids just wait in their tubes to be handed to their parents. Thankfully, she seemed to love the fast ride and the spinning. I would ask after each ride if she wanted to take a break, but she wanted to do it over and over again. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "Magic Carpet"</td></tr>
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For the kiddie hill, it's a short walk back up and not extremely steep. The large hill has a "Magic Carpet" covered area that you can stand on and be taken up the hill. It was a little under 30 degrees that night, and my bundled 3-year-old tubed for 45 minutes, took a short break to warm up in the lodge, and then tubed for another 20 minutes. It was worth the drive and the cost, since she is still talking about how fast she went down the hill the next day.<br />
<br />
The lodge has a snack bar, complete with the usual foods. I saw a lot of people eating pizza and french fries, and of course, drinking hot chocolate. There is a fire pit outside the lodge, as well as a nice fireplace inside to get warmed up. It was very tempting to try the large hill that night, but kids must be five years old to use it. We also have a Double Take Deal to use at Avalanche Express in York, so we'll wait to try the big hills there.<br />
<br />
Things to Remember:<br />
1. It's obvious, but bundle up. I had on three pairs of socks and two pairs of gloves.<br />
2. Check out the live webcams on their website. They can show you the conditions and the size of the crowd.<br />
3. Have your child hold the rope on their tube when they go down. Sometimes it gets caught under the tube during the slide and slows them down.</div>
Karen Bumbaughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09138936772493263711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182154767080464210.post-51778594049331230492015-01-17T06:48:00.002-08:002015-01-17T13:28:06.341-08:00Sky Zone - Mechanicsburg, PASky Zone is an indoor trampoline park franchise. They have locations in many countries and states. Recently, two Sky Zones opened in Central Pennsylvania. One location is in Lancaster and another, that we visited this week, is in Mechanicsburg (Harrisburg area). I've also been to the one in Lancaster, and it looked very similar to Mechanicsburg Sky Zone. There were just slight variation in the layout of the trampolines.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhadNZVlOOD9vB1m46ikjSk3wCtL50_sd96OFdE26yQsmzlVxrXnpD6GzSrKOQnNvvw9QEWmsK70htKyTBktNSlfk5gwQ_L_xIN_4AZuPaY97Dde4HW6OwmGbQNY5Wyr4vUfstpfg6Nr8M/s1600/photo+(15).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhadNZVlOOD9vB1m46ikjSk3wCtL50_sd96OFdE26yQsmzlVxrXnpD6GzSrKOQnNvvw9QEWmsK70htKyTBktNSlfk5gwQ_L_xIN_4AZuPaY97Dde4HW6OwmGbQNY5Wyr4vUfstpfg6Nr8M/s1600/photo+(15).JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Regular Trampoline Court</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We visited on a Wednesday evening. It is possible to make reservations online, but I called that morning and was told that they usually are not busy on Wednesday evenings. Sky Zone recently offered a GroupOn deal, and I figured the middle of the week would be the best bet to avoid the increased GroupOn crowds. When we arrived around 6:30, it was not busy. Waivers can be filled out online in advance, or there are several touch screen kiosks to fill it out onsite. Take note that you need your driver's license number for the waiver. When we visited in Lancaster I left my wallet in the car and had to go back outside to get it. After the waiver is filled out, it's pretty simple. The bouncers get a sticker with the time frame they've paid for printed on it. Sky socks are included in the price and must be worn. They are fairly nice socks with rubber on the bottom. They have sizes from toddler to adult.<br />
<br />
At this point we were ready to bounce. The majority of the bouncers were on the dodge ball court, which I knew we wouldn't be visited by our 3-year-old and 10-year-old bouncers. We started on a regular bounce court. The Sky Zone staff member directed the kids which side to bounce on. I am guessing that adults and older kids were kept to one side, while the smaller kids were on the other. The kids bounced happily for about 10 minutes, until the 10-year-old left the court because she needed to rest already. It must be a real workout!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRC-cQ8oMmP_OMXMzLGkp5_55e0XtKiRs7bGcWq8AjMocd9LUY-LXExoJV6ah-KeqOQr8TLiniramecfilixnK3-Qk-xvCU817iLTeRzMrUriglb1cI2kpEBMv-AupUAmO9aYePrjbKE0/s1600/photo+(17).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Sky Zone pit" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRC-cQ8oMmP_OMXMzLGkp5_55e0XtKiRs7bGcWq8AjMocd9LUY-LXExoJV6ah-KeqOQr8TLiniramecfilixnK3-Qk-xvCU817iLTeRzMrUriglb1cI2kpEBMv-AupUAmO9aYePrjbKE0/s1600/photo+(17).JPG" height="200" title="Pit Trampolines" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pit Trampolines</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Next, we headed over to the pits. At the Mechanicsburg Sky Zone there are three trampolines to bounce into a pit of foam. The kids had a lot of fun doing this, though the 3-year-old barely made it very far into the pit. Those younger than three may need some assistance to get out of the pit. Adults should make sure their keys and/or wallet is not in their pockets! I can't imagine fishing it out of the pit.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ5B6oNYqcEal_8QvMS7CLmHZVKDGs5yETDgAjSM35LWtOkLo9Lh6ByQn8o9GFh6L9n7vZqvZvaiAT6N2K0hd5ocobGU2M2VVVB0KyhHjBmC77K5JYrlYqp3Gh3yS0jzVYOK1F5llEal4/s1600/photo+(16).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ5B6oNYqcEal_8QvMS7CLmHZVKDGs5yETDgAjSM35LWtOkLo9Lh6ByQn8o9GFh6L9n7vZqvZvaiAT6N2K0hd5ocobGU2M2VVVB0KyhHjBmC77K5JYrlYqp3Gh3yS0jzVYOK1F5llEal4/s1600/photo+(16).JPG" height="200" title="Sky Zone Sky Slam Dunk Courts" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slam Dunk Court</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We spent the rest of the hour going between regular bouncing, the pit, and a slam dunk basketball court. We got some reasonably priced ($1) Popsicles at their small snack bar while the kids took a break. There was also pizza, Icees, and soda. One hour of bouncing was more than enough for us, as it was a very tiring activity for the kids.<br />
<br />
Things to Remember:<br />
1. Fill out the waiver prior to arriving to save time.<br />
2. Groupons have been available in the past. Check for one for your Sky Zone.<br />
3. The socks are yours to keep. Though, we managed to lose one of each of ours...oh well.Karen Bumbaughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09138936772493263711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182154767080464210.post-17718289236630240532014-12-31T12:02:00.002-08:002015-01-27T15:05:49.875-08:00Germantown Indoor Swim Center - Germantown, MDWhile doing a massive amount of Googling looking for indoor water parks, I came across a few unique community pools. It feels like there is way too long of a time during the winter when we don't get to go down water slides and splash in a pool, so I am always looking for a great place to play in the water indoors. We've been to a few indoor water parks, including Great Wolf Lodge in Texas and Sahara Sam's Oasis in New Jersey, but I was looking for some less expensive options.<br />
<br />
I found a few community pools that I am hoping to check out this winter:<br />
<ul>
<li>Cub Run RECenter in Fairfax County, VA</li>
<li>North Arundel Aquatics Center in Glen Burnie, MD</li>
<li>Rollingcrest-Chillum Splash Pool in Chillum, MD</li>
<li>Germantown Indoor Swim Center in Germantown, MD</li>
</ul>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY-C6fwjbspcx3Z9xbdqeNVJPnTdccXj0gvYYnufx9o01wQGsyi7QKwF6-bUt2XeFGROeIatmMKQoxulxu9z8pXt6y0uel_evW0jTHkrLTywlRvfUroLcjXklf9skmLnj6XlCiUS6hNW0/s1600/photo+(9).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY-C6fwjbspcx3Z9xbdqeNVJPnTdccXj0gvYYnufx9o01wQGsyi7QKwF6-bUt2XeFGROeIatmMKQoxulxu9z8pXt6y0uel_evW0jTHkrLTywlRvfUroLcjXklf9skmLnj6XlCiUS6hNW0/s1600/photo+(9).JPG" height="240" title="Germantown Indoor Swim Center" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Largest of 3 pools at Germantown Indoor Swim Center.<br />
Notice the water slide entrance in the upper right.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
I was particularly drawn to <a href="http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/rec/thingstodo/aquatics/germantown.html" target="_blank">Germantown Indoor Swim Center</a> because it had many water slides that I thought would cater to the ages of the kids we would be taking to the pool, a 3-year-old and 7-year-old. Since it's almost a two hour trip for us, we decided to go on a weekday during Christmas break. I was nervous about how crowded it would be, so I called ahead. The woman I spoke with confirmed my fears, she said that the previous day's afternoon crowd was the biggest she's ever seen. With this information, we decided to go to the early swim time that started at 11:30 AM on that particular day. The pool facilities were following a special holiday schedule all that week. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsyYlR3G3TETbzZ5X594lp9GdtCpEBF0AW0uclqKKXfPPb-eLeRjiI1Id73HITQHvAUWF7jxIMF62_2faCu1shy_KgUDT5EM9ByYQr8D4wX5Ox3AUp-estW8MUzCP4OpxKLzH6InQFkyE/s1600/photo+(10).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsyYlR3G3TETbzZ5X594lp9GdtCpEBF0AW0uclqKKXfPPb-eLeRjiI1Id73HITQHvAUWF7jxIMF62_2faCu1shy_KgUDT5EM9ByYQr8D4wX5Ox3AUp-estW8MUzCP4OpxKLzH6InQFkyE/s1600/photo+(10).JPG" height="240" title="Germantown Indoor Swim Center" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A portion of the splash pool. <br />
The girls' favorite slide is in the upper left.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
We arrived around noon, and while the pool was busy, it wasn't overwhelming. We went downstairs to the locker rooms to change into our swim suits. I would assume you could bring your own lock for the lockers, but I didn't see anyone using one. When we went out to the pool, I was happy to feel that the water was warm, and so was the air. The 7-year-old immediately went down the smallest slide, which is in the shape of a clam. The 3-year-old eased her way in by playing in the small fountains in the kiddie pool area. We tried to get her to go down the clam slide, but it had water shooting out at the top. She is quite the dare devil, but doesn't like it when water shoots at her. The 7-year-old tried out the tunnel slide, which is short, but fast. The 3-year-old followed her, and when my husband caught her coming off the slide, he said she was going pretty fast.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCGBShVd2s_y-nBzxCO7jeONHhKLxbKYo35XvjY7l_cohFCAo1YdBS7ok7dnFmWh_jhhBlwK1JU9VWEL0iP6ryoEcZPneAUZNFY-E2h7O6mazoWK-h4M3t2Z-sRQAoxc_cnZNudIY9uVk/s1600/photo+(11).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCGBShVd2s_y-nBzxCO7jeONHhKLxbKYo35XvjY7l_cohFCAo1YdBS7ok7dnFmWh_jhhBlwK1JU9VWEL0iP6ryoEcZPneAUZNFY-E2h7O6mazoWK-h4M3t2Z-sRQAoxc_cnZNudIY9uVk/s1600/photo+(11).JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a>Next, the 7-year-old and I raced down the double slide, and then I went to try the two big water slides while my husband stayed with the girls who wanted to splash around in one of the larger pools. The height requirement was 48", and the 7-year-old just missed it. I noticed they were checking heights at the top of the big slides. For my first ride down the big slide, I sat up as I went down and it was pretty slow. Next time, I laid down and got a nice, fast ride. Finally, we went to the last slide we hadn't tried in the corner of the splash pool. It has one turn in it, and the girls must have gone down this slide thirty times. They loved it. I was able to sit on the side of the pool and watch, while my husband caught the smaller child each time she came down. This slide was just the right size for them!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
When we decided to leave after almost two hours both kids were sad to go, but very tired! I got the kids changed back into their clothes, and I let them stand under the hair dryers while I got dressed. We went back upstairs, and I noticed that there was a nice viewing area with seating. It was a perfect place to snap a few photos of the pools to remember our trip.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Things to remember:</div>
<div>
1. Get ready to catch your younger children at the end of the slides. They come fast!</div>
<div>
2. Towels can be brought to the pool deck and hung on a hook.</div>
<div>
3. I was told by front desk staff that there are free lockers for your valuables upstairs. Ask about that if you'd like to lock up your phone or wallet.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Karen Bumbaughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09138936772493263711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182154767080464210.post-78191865638005119092014-12-30T16:47:00.003-08:002015-01-03T15:44:16.823-08:00Hickory Falls - Hanover, PA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzv7s0zW_gTH12wJR89evw2uiGfCbot06gIRTNcnID8MFgBvGhZy0NmGUzKC58qJ9U4Q3xSq1-usMNTXKALojxu-6I6Fkq_JUYspDeq7LNMUUzZADnia7b_ADLtZoufIQ_HQcpy9hqG08/s1600/photo+(8).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzv7s0zW_gTH12wJR89evw2uiGfCbot06gIRTNcnID8MFgBvGhZy0NmGUzKC58qJ9U4Q3xSq1-usMNTXKALojxu-6I6Fkq_JUYspDeq7LNMUUzZADnia7b_ADLtZoufIQ_HQcpy9hqG08/s1600/photo+(8).JPG" height="240" title="Hickory Falls Family Entertainment Center, Hanover, PA" width="320" /></a></div>
Hickory Falls Family Entertainment Center is located along Broadway (Route 194) in Hanover, PA. It's easy to get to from the traffic circle in Abbottstown along Route 30. We have been here several times, and we can find something new to do each time.<br />
<br />
There is a mini golf course, indoor play area, water wars, laser tag, go-karts, rollerball bowling, snack bar, and an arcade. The arcade games are very interactive and mostly involve throwing a ball, spinning a wheel, or picking up an object with a claw. There are game cards instead of tokens, and the game card also collects the amount of tickets won from the arcade games. The tickets can be redeemed for the usual arcade prizes, though I noticed a decent amount of popular Frozen and super hero items. <br />
<br />
After playing the arcade games, the kids (3 and 7 years old) spent about 20 minutes in the indoor play area. There's one long twist slide that exits the structure and another two slides within the play area. There's a rope swing and trampoline-like areas, which the kids seemed to love. There's only one entrance and exit that's gated, making it easy to keep track of your kids. There's also a bar with several chairs facing the play area, where parents can relax, eat, or check their messages while the kids play. <br />
<br />
Hickory Falls also has a unique indoor/outdoor go-kart track. This track was added within the last year or so, and it uses electric go-karts. The track can be closed to the outside and form an oval, or it can be extended to the outdoors in good weather. I really enjoy driving these electric go-karts, they just seem so much smoother and cleaner to me than the gas ones.<br />
<br />
We ended our trip to Hickory Falls by choosing prizes from the arcade and taking a few more turns at the candy pick-up machine. We have a few dollars left on our game cards, so I'm sure we'll be back soon.<br />
<br />
Things to remember:<br />
1. Bring socks for the play area<br />
2. Hickory Fall often runs specials during the week. Check their website and Facebook page for details.<br />
3. Game cards are reusable. There is a nominal fee to get one, so hang on to yours for next time!Karen Bumbaughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09138936772493263711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182154767080464210.post-39493566847886438632014-12-28T08:05:00.003-08:002014-12-31T12:05:52.527-08:00Hersheypark Christmas Candylane - Hershey, PAIt was a seasonably mild late December day (after Christmas), so we decided to take our 3-year-old and a 10-year-old to Hersheypark Christmas Candylane. Before we left for the park around 4 PM, I checked Hersheypark's app on my iPhone and confirmed what I thought - it was a busy day at the park. During the winter, a handful of rides are listed with wait times on the app. This includes the Dry Gulch Railroad, the Claw, Kissing Tower, and a few more. During the summer, the rides with wait times listed in the app are mostly reserved for the popular roller coasters.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPv8e0P_dq1ISoNqX7JwyV4R_TbBclxQAAJ5oXDae8FccJe5TZcgI88H9rA_A2T794dkh2K-bLyhkYvSa0Qu-9e3UpHqen_NvBrJt43As2DUCfWCsgwvpCJ2JHEDfuXIPJy7vNhATdJ-U/s1600/photo+(7).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPv8e0P_dq1ISoNqX7JwyV4R_TbBclxQAAJ5oXDae8FccJe5TZcgI88H9rA_A2T794dkh2K-bLyhkYvSa0Qu-9e3UpHqen_NvBrJt43As2DUCfWCsgwvpCJ2JHEDfuXIPJy7vNhATdJ-U/s1600/photo+(7).JPG" height="133" title="Hersheypark Christmas Candylane, Hershey, PA" width="200" /></a>When we arrived at Hersheypark, our original plan was to go to Chocolate World first, and hopefully the park would clear out a bit after we rode the Factory Tour ride and got a bite to eat. "Bad choice", as my 3-year-old would say. As we entered the Chocolate World main doors, I could see that it was jam packed - pretty much the busiest I have ever seen it. The Factory Tour line was spilling into the retail space. It was difficult to walk. We quickly turned around and headed into the park, which was very busy as well.<br />
<br />
We skipped the rides in Founder's Circle and went down into the Hollow. The Hollow is where the Comet roller coaster is located, as well as the Wave Swinger and two new rides for 2014, the Teacups and the Sweet Swing. We waited about 15 minutes to get onto both the Sweet Swing and the Teacups, and they were a hit with the 3-year-old and 10-year-old. During Christmas Candylane, the Hollow is also home to the "NOEL!" light show, which is a must see while at the park.<br />
<br />
After the Teacups, we stopped at the bathrooms near Skyrush, the newest roller coaster, also located in the Hollow. I prefer these bathrooms because they are also the newest in the park. The kids saw the Granny Bugs ride after visiting the bathrooms, so they rode them. Granny Bugs was located toward the back of the park in Midway America until around September of this year. When the construction of Laff Trakk (the new indoor roller coaster set to open in 2015) started, the three kiddie rides, which my daughter loved, were removed. The removed rides were Pony Carts, Granny Bugs, and Mini Train. Granny Bugs is temporarily located in the Hollow, and I have been unable to locate Pony Carts and Mini Train. Rumor is that Mini Train has been put in storage indefinitely. That saddens me, because it was one of my daughter's favorites.<br />
<br />
Everyone was hungry at this point, so we went to the Overlook Food Court to get a bite to eat. All of the lines were long and slow moving. Luckily the kids were in decent moods, and we chose a seat outdoors, since the tables inside the Food Court were full. It was a fairly mild night for December - temperature in the mid-40s, so eating outside wasn't horribly cold. We got our typical meal of chicken tenders and fries. I love Hersheypark's fixings bar which includes lettuce, pickles, onions, and tomatoes. They also have honey mustard in ketchup-style pumps, so I pile the fixings and honey mustard on the chicken tenders. It makes for a fairly big meal from just two tenders.<br />
<br />
After dinner, we stopped at the group of kiddie rides near the Food Court. I got on the Frog Hopper twice with the kids. That is always one of their favorite rides. Next was Convoy (trucks), and then the Red Baron airplanes. While the kids were on the airplanes, I ran (literally) over to Kissing Tower Hill to check out the line for the Kissing Tower. The Hersheypark app indicated that the wait for the Tower was 45 minutes, but I found this hard to believe with this high capacity ride. The crowd at the park also seemed to be clearing out a bit, and it was after 7 PM. When I saw the line for the Tower, I became an instant believer in the 45 minute wait accuracy. The line spilled out of the regular queue, past the reflecting pool, and down the hill a bit. I decided not to even mention riding the Kissing Tower to the kids. Instead, after the airplanes we headed back toward the main entrance to the park.<br />
<br />
The 3-year-old happily got on the Swing Thing, a small version of the Wave Swinger. Since the 10-year-old was too big for this ride, I headed to the Wave Swinger back in The Hollow with her, I was pleasantly surprised that the line for Wave Swinger was not long. We got on the next cycle of the ride, and it was cold, but fun! After that, we left the park and went back to Chocolate World. We rode the Factory Tour this time, though we "waited" to get on the ride about 15 minutes. I say "waited" because the queue can be set up to be so long that it feels like you're just walking the entire time through the line. We made funny faces as we always do for the ride photo, and I was happy to see that the candy they were giving out at the end of the Factory Tour was my favorite, Kit Kats.<br />
<br />
We couldn't leave Chocolate World without getting some ice cream, which is sort of a family tradition for us. The ice cream line was moderately long, but moved very fast. We used our refillable milkshake cup, which saves us $3 every time we get a milkshake! After ice cream, we went back to the car to go home. The kids were asleep before we left the parking lot. Even with the large crowds, we had a fun evening.<br />
<br />
Things to remember:<br />
1. Bring tissues! My kid's nose runs like a fountain in the cold weather; she doesn't even have a cold. I always forget to bring tissues and end up using napkins or a glove to wipe her nose.<br />
2. If lines are long in Founder's Circle at the front of the park, save those rides for when you come back on your way out of the park. Near park closing, these lines tend to get shorter.<br />
3. Your reusable souvenir cups from the 2014 season are still usable. I always attach mine to my belt loop until we fill it up. I hardly know it's there, but it's probably not a great fashion statement!Karen Bumbaughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09138936772493263711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182154767080464210.post-71546000515373884032014-12-27T11:15:00.006-08:002014-12-31T12:06:15.354-08:00Roadside America - Shartlesville, PARoadside America is a miniature village of trains, houses, people, and animals - practically everything you could find in small town America in the early to late 1900s. The building that houses it is situated along Interstate 78 in Shartlesville, PA, north of Reading and west of Hamburg, and it's been there since 1953. Since we were in Reading for the day, we visited because our 3-year-old missed our local miniature train display this Christmas, so we visited Roadside America to make up for it. There is an admission charge, and we had to wait approximately five minutes before we entered the room with the miniature village, because the "nighttime show" was in progress. While waiting, we browsed the gift shop, which was full of toys and gifts items which led me to saying "please don't touch" and "put that down" repeatedly to my daughter. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0b7Er-RUd7vS6kK47mseyvfiitmsL3PZQvLfYpHZg4QEYDlW-Gou90WpwHM9D5mAZQBuxS3sv7IP5Pnw6tSs7oSdCewOKC-KLTqqB-GCLGJRcwWuAmmdQI1DrnzOQRXbBco6QmcGC5iA/s1600/photo+(6).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0b7Er-RUd7vS6kK47mseyvfiitmsL3PZQvLfYpHZg4QEYDlW-Gou90WpwHM9D5mAZQBuxS3sv7IP5Pnw6tSs7oSdCewOKC-KLTqqB-GCLGJRcwWuAmmdQI1DrnzOQRXbBco6QmcGC5iA/s1600/photo+(6).JPG" height="240" title="Roadside America, Shartlesville, PA" width="320" /></a>After the short wait, we entered the room with the village, which is set up with a circular path around the display. There is a lower path and a higher one. We couldn't decide whether it was best to take the lower one, since our 3-year-old would be able to see it better up close, or the higher one, where we could get a better perspective of the whole display. Buttons to run trains, trolleys, lights, animals, and cable cars are located on the lower and upper path, and pushing these buttons is what my daughter enjoyed doing the most. It took us approximately a half hour to walk around the display and try out all of the buttons. Had we not had a child with us, we may have taken more time and read each description in the brochure. Each description matched with the numbers around the display and gave a fact about something in that area.<br />
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For the nighttime show, everyone settled into the two steps of bleachers at the far end of the village. Lights are dimmed, music plays, and the Statue of Liberty lights up. It is short, so my daughter was able to sit through the entire show. After that, we pushed a few more buttons, and then headed out the door. Restrooms are located in a small area beside the gift shop.<br />
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Things to remember:<br />
1. There are two high viewing platforms on both sides of the room. Check those out!<br />
2. It's quite nostalgic; a good place to visit with the parents or grandparents.<br />
3. Don't walk around during the night time show, it really does get very dark during certain parts.Karen Bumbaughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09138936772493263711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182154767080464210.post-50359832119401391442014-12-27T10:43:00.000-08:002014-12-31T12:07:01.587-08:00The Works - Wyomissing, PA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmGNA04tx_a7t3hdawfBr755vViLKi8l7-M0vrkV8rBgFeZfKre7g7iMDrhPCccfZWexvHtHZKLwmV3NYN0qTHh_0bnWwWaS2cyzIAZ2k47d7xpzF8wIn0zQXy8CyB3e802xBb-uCQAxs/s1600/photo+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmGNA04tx_a7t3hdawfBr755vViLKi8l7-M0vrkV8rBgFeZfKre7g7iMDrhPCccfZWexvHtHZKLwmV3NYN0qTHh_0bnWwWaS2cyzIAZ2k47d7xpzF8wIn0zQXy8CyB3e802xBb-uCQAxs/s1600/photo+(3).JPG" height="240" title="The Works, Wyomissing, PA" width="320" /></a></div>
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Right outside of Reading, in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, is The Works. Housed in an old industrial plant, the building has been completely renovated into an entertainment and restaurant complex. The main reason for our visit on a mid-December Saturday afternoon was for Ballocity, which is a multi-level playset full of things to climb, slides, and ball canons (the balls are very soft). When we arrived slightly before 11:30, it had just opened. I thought it might be busy on a Saturday, but it didn't get overwhelmingly crowded while we were there. The wristbands for Ballocity are purchased on the first floor, in the game room area. Ballocity has a small toddler area for children 2 years old and under and a large section for older children. There is a staff member stationed at the entrance of Ballocity, who checked wristbands and made sure children were of the appropriate age for the toddler area. It's difficult to see into Ballocity, and therefore hard to know the exact whereabouts of your child. To help with this, there are cameras inside Ballocity that are broadcast on TVs in a lobby with tables. Also, Ballocity only has one exit, so your child would have to walk past the tables to get out of the area. Restrooms are closeby, for those last minute potty emergencies. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuLVZxl10NsATvGrv5jRpZO1b-KnGw9Qa5bLyAJwZdeTs5rRbZodozSuUqmeAzWiLTVhsRo_SN1RXn8rOaI62uHHZdgaVQ4YMAt3_B5TlyTa67VxSbbIvlLUDTvqKPF64z9rxgnr18U8k/s1600/photo+(5).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuLVZxl10NsATvGrv5jRpZO1b-KnGw9Qa5bLyAJwZdeTs5rRbZodozSuUqmeAzWiLTVhsRo_SN1RXn8rOaI62uHHZdgaVQ4YMAt3_B5TlyTa67VxSbbIvlLUDTvqKPF64z9rxgnr18U8k/s1600/photo+(5).JPG" height="200" title="Slick Willy's, The Works, Wyomissing, PA" width="150" /></a></div>
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The gameroom on the first floor had a wide variety of games, some that I have never seen before. Two games that we were excited about were the four-way air hockey table and the huge connect-four game. There's even a small bowling alley and an interactive dark ride. A separate area houses go carts, called "Slick" Willy's Karts, and a snack bar. I got a small drink at the snack bar and had access to unlimited refills while we were there.</div>
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Before we left, we sneaked a peek into the restaurant, which wasn't open yet on that day. We also could not resist one of the huge cookies at the small bake shop near the main door. Next time, maybe we'll try the go carts.</div>
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Things to remember:</div>
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1. Bring socks for Ballocity.</div>
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2. Dress the kids in layers if it is cold outside, so when they get hot playing in Ballocity they can easily adjust their amount of clothing.</div>
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3. Bring a book or iPad! You might actually get a few minutes to relax while the kids play.</div>
Karen Bumbaughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09138936772493263711noreply@blogger.com0