The White Mountains of New Hampshire

If you have kids and live in the New England area, you just have to visit the White Mountains of New Hampshire.  There are loads of summer activities for people of all ages – from toddlers to adults, that you will probably have to visit multiple times just to do everything you want to do.

This past weekend, we headed out for a long weekend to the White Mountains before the crowds hit, and tried to do as many activities as possible.  Of course, we only managed to do a few things – so we’ll be back later this season.

We started our vacation at Story Land, a theme park that my kids absolutely adore.  Even though my daughter is reaching the end of the target age for Story Land, she still had a blast.  My son, who is 4, couldn’t get enough.  We spent the whole day there, and could probably have even spent another half day there if we had extra time.

The next morning, we visited the Settlers Green Outlet Village for some tax-free shopping.  It was raining, so we waited it out while shopping.  Luckily, the rain cleared in time for our next stop, Attitash, to open.  Attitash is a ski resort in the winter, but in the summer it transforms into a full adventure park, with water slides, an Alpine Slide, bungee trampolines, a climbing wall, a kiddie pool, and a mountain roller coaster.  My daughter, the daredevil, absolutely loved Attitash, and did everything.  We didn’t bring out swimsuits, but to get full value out of the day pass, I’d recommend that you do bring them.

On that last afternoon, we went to Kahuna Laguna at the Red Jacket Mountain View Resort (where we spent our last two nights).  Kahuna Laguna, an indoor water park, was loads of fun – it’s not too crowded, and has things that appeal to all kids.  My daughter loved going on the slides, while my son preferred the adventure tower with the smaller slides.  Because it’s only open to resort guests, it’s not overcrowded, but you will have to stay at the Red Jacket to enjoy it.

We left knowing that we just have to return – there’s so much we missed this time around!

Photo credit: Jodi Grundig

Disclosure: We had complimentary passes to these activities, and received a two-night stay at the Red Jacket Mountain View Resort at no cost.

The Mirror Lake Inn in Lake Placid, NY

Over Memorial Day weekend, my family made the almost six-hour drive from our home in suburban Boston to Lake Placid, New York.  The vacation was exactly what we were looking for – relaxation, quality time, and family fun.

As guests of the Mirror Lake Inn, we had a comfortable three-bedroom suite, complete with with a gorgeous, relaxing view of Mirror Lake.  It was great to just sit on the porch and look out over that view – especially in the morning and the evening, when it was so calm and quiet.

Memorial Day weekend in Lake Placid, while still busy, is a much slower time than the middle of the summer.  Many of the seasonal activities, including some of the Olympic Village activities, are closed until mid-June.  The weather is also a bit too chilly for beach activities, so the crowds tend to stay away.  For us, this was perfect for our purposes!

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Top Row: The grounds of the White Elephant, the Whaling Museum, Bottom Row: The Atlantic Ocean, The White Elephant Hotel Residences

As is typical in many families during the end of the school year, we have all been exceptionally busy, and haven’t spent much time together later.  Our weekend getaway to Nantucket was exactly what we all needed to regroup and spend some time together.

While we initially considered taking our car over, it was highly recommended to us that we don’t.  It’s incredibly expensive, and there’s really very limited parking on the island.  So, we left our car in Hyannis, and boarded the high-speed Hy-Line ferry.  Once there, we were really glad that we didn’t have our car, because we definitely wouldn’t have used it.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by the White Elephant shuttle and driven directly to our hotel.  Since we’d arrived late, we decided to go to sleep and get ready for the morning.  But first, we explored our amazing hotel – with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a kitchen with toaster oven and microwave.

First thing in the morning, we went to breakfast at the Fog Island Cafe, which offers delicious (albeit a bit expensive) pancakes, scrambles, and omelets.  Then, we headed out to the Whaling Museum, which my children loved.  The museum includes a discovery room for children, as well as a family guide, where the kids can follow cartoon Puritan children Obidiah and Rachel around the museum.  My kids especially loved the giant sperm whale skeleton, and couldn’t believe that it’s real.  We all enjoyed visiting the roof of the museum which offers a beautiful view of the island.

In part two, I’ll discuss our visit to Children’s Beach, the Nantucket Atheneum, and the Brotherhood of Thieves.

Photo credit: Jodi Grundig

Disclosure: The White Elephant Hotel Residences provided us with a complimentary two-night stay, as well as dinner at the Brant Point Grill (excluding alcohol). We were also given complimentary tickets to the Whaling Museum.

Top Row: Carlsbad Beach, The Flower Fields, Norte. Bottom Row: Vigilucci's Steak & Seafood, the Hilton Garden Inn, Carlsbad Beach

My husband and I rarely vacation with the kids, but this past weekend, we had the opportunity to visit Carlsbad, CA for two nights, courtesy of the Hilton Garden Inn.  Although Carlsbad is known for Legoland, since we were kid-free, we opted for a different set of attractions.

Faced with no direct flight options from Boston to San Diego, we instead decided to fly direct to LAX and then connect for a short (as in 30 minutes) flight down to Carlsbad.  The Carlsbad airport is tiny – only one gate – but it’s so easy to get in and out of.  Our hotel, the Hilton Garden Inn Carlsbad Beach, was just a 10 minute ride down the road.  I’d definitely recommend going through the Carlsbad Airport if possible, because of the convenience.

Upon arrival, we checked out the Hilton Garden Inn Carlsbad Beach, unpacked, took a short walk on the beach, and got ready for our dinner at Vigilucci’s Steak and Seafood.  It was absolutely delicious, with perfect service.  Dinner ended late, and jet lagged, we went to sleep. Read More »