Huttopia, Southern Maine

Growing up, my family and I spent every single summer camping in Maine. My family had a trailer and we had the best spot every year, at the end of the path, right on the water. I've always said I wanted to bring my kids there so I was thrilled when my mom messaged me that the campground we used to go to, was bought and was being remodeled into Huttopia.

Unlike other campgrounds, Huttopia does not allow you to bring in your own trailer, and instead you stay in their safari tents and cabins.

In addition to the gorgeous lake, they have a cafe, laundry, a pool, and a great swing set. Additionally, they had activities set up the whole weekend for the kids.  

Rates start around $260 and go up based on your weekend and on the lodgings you choose. 

I love that it was close to Kittery, York, Funtown Splashtown, and York's Wild Kingdom. It made a for a great family weekend! Keep Huttopia in mind as you book your family summer trips!

- Heather

 

High St Food Hall, Boston

Nick and I have been making time to really date again. I know that part of my marriage falling apart was that we didn't prioritize each other and I don't want that to be an issue again in my relationship. 

Nick and I loved going to the The Alice at the Merchant and found our way over to High Street Place after to check out what is being offered. In Iceland, I fell in love with food markets. The idea that I can eat 5 different types of food just makes me giddy. Nick and I usually share one plate from multiple places when we travel, so food courts work great for us to try a lot of food without over eating.

There are currently 19 different food shops, ranging from fried chicken to sushi to donuts to pizza to raw bar and craft cocktails. 

High Street Place hosts so many events including charcuterie board making, trivia and speed dating. It's a great low key meal out that feels more comfortable than stuffy.

I am a sucker for tacos, sushi, and oysters so visiting High Street Place was the absolute best way to spend my night. I'm hopeful I can plan a weekend with my kids this summer to visit the Children's Museum and Freedom Trail, which are right by, and then stop in for a snack or four!

- Heather

 

Blue Man Group - Boston

I have vivid memories of seeing Blue Man Group through out my life. The show is so memorable so when we were offered tickets to bring the kids, I was beyond excited.

Blue Man Group is an amazing, sensory show that combines drumming with big explosions of color and some really funny moments. The Blue Men don't speak, which I think adds even more to the show.

Located at the Charles Playhouse in Boston, it's a great theater where you feel completely immersed in the show. Emmalee's face when one of the Blue Men came close to her was priceless. Tyler's giggles were the best since he found them so enjoyable!

We had great seats just outside the poncho section. Yes, there is a poncho section - you may get splashed with materials if you sit there - but don't worry, they're washable! The show is recommended for ages 3 and up so it's great for the whole family. There are strobe lights and loud noises so keep that in mind if you have nervous kids. My son doesn't so well with loud noises - he literally blocks his ears during his birthday song - but he loved the show! They sometimes offer sensory friendly shows if that's important to you! For more FAQs about the show, you can check here.

The shows run all year, most days of the week. You can grab tickets here and be sure to check out their military discounts and student rush tickets (when available). The offers page always has great offers - 20% off sometimes, or family packs, or you can also upgrade to some VIP perks.

- Heather

Stone Zoo, Stoneham Ma - Zoo New England

We celebrated the first day of summer with a trip to a new to us Zoo - Zoo New England's Stone Zoo in Stoneham, Ma!
Stone Zoo is a great small-medium sized Zoo, taking roughly 1-2 hours to go through all the exhibits. My kids loved the flamingos right at the very beginning in the aviary. The amazing Lego displays out right now, were amazing. Literally, jaw-dropping. 

 

 



 

 

We loved how close we were able to get to the animals and the zoo had the perfect amount of shade pockets so we weren't overheating (even though it was 87*!)

  

Emma mostly loved the great photograph background walls!





Tyler's favorite part was petting the goat!



Stone Zoo is a great zoo to visit!


Be sure to stop by the playground and carousel on your visit!

It's OPENING! LEGOLAND New York is opening!

Massachusetts is opening back up (rather abruptly honestly) and it seems like the rest of the country is too. Okay, let's be honest, Massachusetts is just catching up to what everyone else is already doing, but I'm perfectly content over here in my mask so....

The best part of things opening back up is thinking about summer plans that include traveling! While we loved traveling around locally and finding new ice cream places and playgrounds, real honest to goodness traveling is going to be so exciting! My kids "travel list" includes all the best theme parks, and after a year delay in their opening, our list includes LEGOLAND NEW YORK!

I'm so excited because right now, LEGOLAND® NEW YORK RESORT IS OFFERING PREVIEWS! The full opening will happen later in the summer, but for now Annual Pass and single-day ticket holders will be able to enjoy six of the Resort’s seven themed lands: Brick Street, Bricktopia, LEGO® City, LEGO® Castle, LEGO® NINJAGO® World and MINILAND. The final land, LEGO® Pirates, as will LEGOLAND® Hotel will open later this summer.

Because of it being a preview, single-day tickets will be sold at a reduced price of $49.99 and Pass and ticket holders can reserve a day to visit via online Booking Portal starting tomorrow, May 21st!.  The preview is only until the end of June so get your tickets soon. I can not wait to surprise my two with our tickets!

The Resort will feature 15,000 LEGO models, containing 30 million LEGO bricks.

LEGOLAND New York Resort will take guests on a journey through seven LEGO themed lands: 

- Brick Street – The beginning of the LEGOLAND New York experience. Guests pass under the iconic arch and into a world that appears to be built of LEGO bricks!

- Bricktopia – The land with no  rules, where guests can build anything they can imagine. Here, guests can experience the brand-new LEGO Factory Adventure Ride, exclusive to LEGOLAND New York! Professor Brick’s latest “experiment” will take riders on a madcap journey through a fantastical LEGO factory – and transform them into Minifigures! 

- LEGO NINJAGO® World – In this land, aspiring ninjas can master the ancient art of Spinjitzu. Guests start in Training Camp, and progress to LEGO NINJAGO: The Ride, where they can help defeat the Great Devourer using only their hands  as weapons! 

- LEGO Castle – The home of the LEGO Castle! This land features the Dragon, LEGOLAND’s signature roller coaster, which is sized for a child’s first coaster experience. For younger riders, Dragon’s Apprentice offers the chance to help a flock of baby dragons learn to fly! 

- LEGO City – A bustling metropolis of Minifigures, LEGO City features Driving School, one of LEGOLAND Park’s most popular rides, where kids can receive their official LEGOLAND driver license!

The rides look amazing and I can not wait to sit on the LEGO merry-go-round! The best part for me, is that LEGOLAND is still taking all the precautions necessary like cashless payments, distancing, and mask wearing, so I feel comfy taking my family there.  I can't wait!

Hope we see you there!

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Camping at KOA

I guess summer is officially over.  I've been prepping my class lists and spending time writing lesson plans, so it's that time.

For the past couple years, I've tried to make the last weekend of summer something special because, as a teacher, I go from spending all summer with them to being so busy in the Fall.  Add in all the extra time I've been home with them because of Covid, and I know it's going to be extra hard to go back to work this year.

Because traveling to Disney World (our usual destination) is out of the question right now, we opted for something closer.   

Emma has been asking to go camping for a couple summers now (so much so that it made it onto the 40 in 4 list!) and I decided it was finally time. With it getting chilly and it being their first time I decided that renting a cabin at the Boston/Cape Cod KOA in Middleboro was our best choice.  

The cabin was perfect for us.  It had one double bed and a set of bunk beds, as well as a small table.  We cheated a bit because it had a small heater and electric outlets, but we still had to go use the restroom building and cook on the fire! It was the perfect first time for us!

 

We loved all the extras that the campground offered to us.  Even with Covid restrictions, we were able to play on the swing sets, do tie-dye, play mini golf, and go swimming in the pool!

We had such a great time camping that the kids have already asked to go back (and I've started looking at trailers!) I'm so happy that we were able to continue to make memories even in the time of Covid, and were able to mark another thing off the 40 by 4 list!

Check out the Boston / Cape Cod KOA for a really great family weekend!

xo, Heather

 

John Carver Inn Plymouth

We had such a great time at The Cape Codder, we decided to book a stay at the John Carver Inn in Plymouth for a quick trip! they have the best pool; smaller than The Cape Codder but perfect size for my two littles. And since it's the right in the center of Plymouth, it's right by everything I grew up loving. 

The hotel itself was offering great social distance policies, requiring mask wearing, limiting the amount of people in the pool, and contactless check in.

Additionally, the hotel scaled back immensely on their amenities.  No single serve items other than toiletries, so that things are not left in the room after check out, however you could call and request any of them. We felt safe the whole time we were there and are excited to book again.

xo, Heather