Hershey Park This Summer! A Pennsylvania Must Do!
Hershey Park This Summer! Two New Water Rides To Enjoy! A Pennsylvania Must Do!
One thing I love about visiting Hershey Park in Hershey, PA is that there is always something new to enjoy. This summer when you visit there are two new water rides at The Boardwalk, a waterpark located within Hershey Park. We tried them both and they were equally amazing although the majority of the family did choose Whitecap Racer over Breakers Edge Water Coaster.
Whitecap Racer is Hershey Park’s very first rafting mat race water ride. It is also touted as the world’s longest mat coaster. The water ride has six people racing on mats down individually colored lanes and has a start and finish line. There are even two sets of looping tunnels! The ride records your time and keeps track of your time in order to rank you for 1st Place to 6th Place. I won’t tell you what place I came in, but my sons did come in 1st and 2nd Place!
Breakers Edge Water Coaster is the first hydromagnetic water coaster and has people go in a four person raft. This is great for a family or friends that want to ride together! It’s filled with thrills. There is also plenty more to do at The Boardwalk inside of Hershey Park. We love the wave pool (The Shore) and the lazy river (Intercoastal Waterway). Choices! Choices! Check out all of The Boardwalk by clicking here! There are also have a beautiful cabana packages you can rent if that is your thing.
When it comes to rides my family is definitely in the thrill seeker category. Hubby and my sons love coasters. I love them, too but most times I am hanging out with Emm on the sidelines. There are a slue of coasters at Hershey Park and really it would be tough to choose a favorite, maybe Fahrenheit!?! There are so many, okay, top three- Fahrenheit, Sidewinder and of course, The Comet! We do love there are family rides as well that we can all do together. Our family favorites are Reese’s Extreme Cup Challenge, The Twin Turnpike and The Scrambler! You can check out all of the family friendly rides by clicking here!
All of the rides at Hershey Park are categorized by candy names. You can check out what category your child can ride before even entering the park so you are well prepared. The youngest children can enjoy any ride tagged with Hershey’s Miniatures. Children a little older (and taller) are tagged as Hershey’s Kisses. Children 42 to 48 inches are in the Reese’s category. 48 to 54 inches is the Hershey Bar category and can basically ride just about anything. The last two are Twizzlers (54-60 inch) and Jolly Rancher (60 inches and taller). You can also stop by guest relations at the top of the hill once you enter Hershey Park and have your children measured and given a wristband so they do not have to be measured at each ride. There are also Children’s wristbands available that have your family information on them in case you are separated from your child during your day at Hershey Park! I would recommend getting both wristbands on the way in. You can never be too careful! There is something for everyone at Hershey Park! You can check out all of the height restrictions and find out more about the rides by clicking here.
When you do visit Hershey Park make sure you leave enough time for a stop at Hershey’s Chocolate World located just before you enter Hershey Park. Hershey’s Chocolate World is a free to enter attraction filled with a bigger than life candy store, dining, a bakery, Make Your Own Chocolate Bar Experience (paid attraction) and it’s also home of the famous Hershey Factory Tour Ride (free) that takes you on a tour through a make shift factory. You will not want to miss this attraction! Check out more about Hershey’s Chocolate World by clicking here.
When it comes to accommodations in the Hershey Park area our favorite two resorts are The Hotel Hershey and The Hershey Lodge. During our recent visit we stayed at The Hershey Lodge. The lodge has everything you would expect from a resort centered around Hershey’s products from characters in the lobby to sheets and pillowcases adorned with embroidered Hershey’s Kisses. There is even Kisses themed wallpaper in the restroom. Every room comes with a turn down service where surprises will be left on your pillow. It’s a dream come true. There is also a Children’s Check in each day where characters greet your children and special activities are available. You won’t want to miss it if you are visiting The Hershey Lodge. The resort also has dining available in a few locations throughout the lodge. Check out more about The Hershey Lodge by clicking here.
When it comes to a water experience, The Hershey Lodge has you covered. Their new resort attraction, Hershey Water Works at Hershey Lodge is a mini waterpark right inside the hotel. There is even a Red Twizzlers themed waterslide that you will love. There is a pool with ride on dolphins, basketball hoops, sprinklers, slides, and more. They have a 14+ Hot Tub is just utopia after a day in the park! If you stay at the Hershey Lodge make time to check out the pool area, you won’t be disappointed.
Disclosure: All opinions are that of Diane Sullivan and honest. They do not reflect the views of the parent company represented. A family media invite was extended for this stay at Hershey Lodge and Hershey Park. Thank you Hershey family. We had a wonderful time making memories in Hershey, Pa throughout our stay. Can’t wait to visit again! Contact me at Diane@3decades3kids.net or @3decades3kids across all social media networks.
The Lost River Caverns- Summer In Pennsylvania
The Lost River Caverns- Summer In Pennsylvania
Summer is here and our family is all about finding time to spend together. Every year it’s tougher and tougher for everyone to find time to sync up and spend together. Recently our family found a new place to go. It’s been on our vacation bucket list forever but somehow we have never gotten it done. On our last trip to Pennsylvania we stopped at the PA Border Visitor’s Center and grabbed some information on the local caves in PA. As we were driving we spotted a sign for The Lost River Cavern and went for it!
If you do go follow the signs and directions carefully. It’s a little tricky to get to because it takes you through town and it feels like there would never be a cave there, but there is and it’s worth it! Back when hubby and I were kids our families both took road trips and both visited multiple caves! But, our own kids have never been to a CAVE! We had to change that! And we were about to make it happen. Hubby and I have never been to the Lost River Caverns so it was new to us, too!
We arrived and were on the tour within thirty minutes. The tours are guided and you must stay on the trail and with the guide. Pictures are allowed but no video. My children we really taken off guard by the entire cave experience. First of all, you are going underground so it’s much colder. We had some jackets to wear. If you are visiting during the summer I would suggest that you bring a sweatshirt or sweatjacket. It’s about 52 degrees.
Our tour lasted about 45 minutes including time to take pictures and ask questions. Also if you are visiting it’s probably a good idea to wear sneakers. It’s pretty wet all throughout the walk of the cave. You also have to be really careful because the cave is low in some parts. Sometimes there is a warning, sometimes not!!
We really enjoyed our visit and tour of Lost River Caverns. I would definitely recommend going there. It was amazing to see all of the magnificent stalactite and stalagmite formations. It’s a whole other world underground. It’s also a far cry from being plugged in 24/7. Our favorite part definitely was seeing the Lost River and how it enters the cave.
In addition to the cave there are other things to do while visiting. We loved the gift shop! It was filled with gems and stones and many items you probably cannot find anywhere else. There is also a Nature Trail just off of the parking lot. It’s SO beautiful an reminded me of an enchanted forest. We did go on the trail for little bit but did not complete the entire trail. You can pan for gold at the Gem Mill. If you want to do that you need to purchase a bag of gems from the gift shop and then take it outside to the Gem Mill to find out what treasures you can uncover. There are picnic grounds across the street from the cave that looks really pretty. If we do go back we will definitely pack a lunch!
Thanks for the great day, Lost River Caverns. We loved visiting!
This is the location of Lost River Caverns if you are interested in going.
Lost River Caverns
726 Durham St
Hellertown, PA 18055
Cost:
Adults $13. 25
Kids (3-12) $8.25
Find out everything about Lost River Caverns here: http://www.lostcave.com/
Ocean Resort Casino Atlantic City NJ- A Great Place for Friends and Families!
Ocean Resort Casino Atlantic City NJ- A Great Place for Friends and Families!
By now you most likely know how much our family loves to travel. Although hubby and I like to get away for weekender here and there we do the most part of our traveling with the kids along. With saying that it’s tough sometimes to find a place that is great for adults and yet is friendly to children. When we find a place like that it’s like winning the lottery!
Atlantic City, NJ is place I personally know like the back of my hand. I spent many days and nights there with my mom and a lot of time with my family when my kids were much much younger. Since then I have found that Atlantic City has not been as family friendly as we had hoped for so we kind of moved on. But recently when we heard about the new Ocean Resort Casino opening its doors I was thrilled to find out that they welcomed families. Of course our family had to check it out first hand.
From our arrival at Ocean Resort Casino we immediately loved the look of it. It’s the tallest building in Atlantic City, so you really can’t miss it and it has an enormous golf ball adorning the top of it! The building is gorgeous and every room in the resort has an ocean view. I don’t know about you but I can’t say no to an ocean view! Our room was no exception. We had a gorgeous view of the ocean, the city and Atlantic City’s famous Steel Pier!
What more could you ask for? Oh, I know- You know how my pet peeve is a clean resort. Nothing sickens me more that staying in a dirty room. I’m happy to report that Ocean Resort Casino is clean as a whistle. In addition, since it’s new- so are all the towels and linens! Bonus! There is plenty or space in the room, enough plugs for all of the devices, and a mini fridge. Did I mention that there is a coffee maker in the room with Starbucks coffee? There is also an incredible double sink bathroom and sit down/stand up shower. My daughter loved the doorbell that is standard to every room. You don’t have to worry about being disturbed because you can set the doorbell to, “Do Not Disturb” if you want privacy.
Please check out our complete Room Tour at the Ocean Resort Casino here:
Now about that view! The view made me never want to leave the room. The fact that I could sit there with my Starbucks and comfy beds watching the ocean, the city and the Steel Pier made me what so relaxed it was tough to go. Thank goodness the view was beautiful at any point of the day or night. We really enjoyed watched the sunset over the city each night and the beach fading into the horizon as the Steel Pier ride lights came to life!
Of course we DID leave the room, as nice as it was to hang out in it. There is SO much to do in Atlantic City especially at the Ocean Resort Casino! The first place we headed to was the pool. WOW!! I can’t begin to say enough about the pool. The pool is incredible in every way. Half of the pool is indoors and half outdoors with a passage to go back and forth. My kids loved it and so did I. The pool was about three feet deep with an island filled with lounge chairs in the center of the outdoor section. The outdoor section also was surrounded by a great deal of lounge chairs surrounding both the pool and oversized hot tub. They have plexiglass between the pool area and the boardwalk/beach for an amazingly beautiful view. It’s kind of like being on a cruise ship! They also have servers circulating to tend to your every need while you relax! The indoor pool area (they connect) is where you can grab your fresh towels and exchange them as often as needed. There are also some pool tables and TVs in there in case you bring along a non-pool fan! The bathrooms inside have full changing rooms and showers so you can even swim on your check out or check in day! Bravo, Ocean Resort Casino! You thought of everything!
Now, although we did love, really LOVE the pool area we could not be across from the beach and the Atlantic Ocean and not dip our toes into it. I mean, it was right there! The resort may as well be on the beach, it’s that close and has a path that takes you directly to the area that most resort guests will probably want to stay on. When you arrive you can rent a beach umbrella and beach chairs. Towels are also provided on the beach so don’t worry about lugging them down from the pool! Ocean Resort Casino makes going to the beach easy! We really enjoyed our time at the beach! My daughter had a boogie board along and the waves were breaking one after another! If you are visiting don’t forget your sand buckets and shovels! Our family can never resist a trip to the beach!
Before we visited Ocean Resort Casino we had all these plans of walking the boardwalk, going to the Steel Pier, getting some taffy, etc. but NONE of that happened during our stay. There was so much to do at the resort that we never ended up leaving the place. That is really kudos to them! Visiting the Ocean Resort Casino is kind of like being on an island with everything you need at your disposal. There is just NO reason to leave! Below pics are some of our favorite décor!
When it comes to dining choices Ocean Resort Casino has you covered. They have everything from snacks in one of the two gift shops to elegant dining as well as dining for the casino’s carded comped players. There is something for everyone. All of the restaurants were not open at the point when we visited. The Ocean Buffet opens this winter and Wahlburgers as well as an Italian restaurant are in the works. The resort opened its doors on June 28th. Our favorite place to dine during our stay was Cafe500 but please be aware there is no children’s menu, but there are plenty of child friendly choices like chicken tenders and wood oven pizza! My favorite choice at Café 500 was the Jersey Shore Wood Oven Pizza adorned with shrimp, lobster and crab! It was absolutely delicious! Please be on the lookout for a separate post all about Café 500 coming up soon!
The one activity we did not have a chance to enjoy but hopefully will on a future trip was Topgolf Swing! Ocean Resort Casino hosts the world’s largest Topgolf Swing Suite! Topgolf Swing Suite is a virtual reality golf experience that caters to both golfers and non-golfers. We took a tour while visiting the property and it’s definitely on our todo list for next time!
So, there you have it! Our trip was a total success from dining, to the room, pool, casino and location! If you are looking for an incredible stay with your family, friends or by yourself- Ocean Resort Casino is a great choice. Check out everything Ocean Resort Casino here: https://www.theoceanac.com/ Please check out the video of our trip summary here and see all the fun live! :
Disclosure: Media Invite extended via Ocean Resort Casino. All opinions are that of my own. Contact me for collabs at Diane@3decades3kids.net or @3decades3kids across all social media networks. See you in Atlantic City!
Giveaway: Mountain Creek Water Park- A Summer Must Do!
Giveaway: Mountain Creek Water Park- A Summer Must Do For The Tri-State Area!
Summer is in full swing and we are making the most of every moment. This summer is all about being unplugged and outdoors for our family. Recently our family was invited to Mountain Creek Water Park in Vernon, NJ. Little did we know that Mountain Creek was not only for winter, it is also a great place to visit in the summer!
To our surprise our family arrived at one of our favorite winter spots and found a world we never knew existed. If you have ever been to Mountain Creek you won’t believe it. You park in the same lot and cross the walkover bridge. Then be prepared for a steep walk up the mountain. The water park is located up the hill to the side of the main building. Along the way you can take a ride on the mountain sky ride. It’s included in your admission to the waterpark. It’s a beautiful ride up the mountain and you can exit at the top and walk over to a lookout where you can view three states! Total perk to visiting!
After we finally left the cabana we tested out the High Tide Wave Pool first. Oh my goodness, what a fantastic wave pool. With intervals of calm water and waves it is great for everyone. We spent a while in there and honestly it was one of the best wave pools we have been in. By the wave (way)..lol, life jackets are available in various sizes.
The rest of our day was spent going around and checking out all of the water slides. In addition there were designated areas for younger children to enjoy. The rides and slides are all ranked so you can easily see what is right for you and your family members. The levels include Thrill Level: Easy, Thrill Level: High, and Thrill Level: Extreme! There are also areas for children 48 inches and lower. Please check out the Thrill Level before you ride. There are plenty of workers around who can answer any of your questions about the rides and slides.
When it comes to dining while visiting Mountain Creek Water Park you will love all of the choices! Let me start with the desserts! The Sugar Shack is filled with yum and also Deep Friend Oreos, Cheesecake, Cookie Dough, Ice Cream and more! The snacks from the Sugar Shack were absolutely delicious! As for lunch there are a bunch of places that serve burgers, fires, hot dogs, chicken tenders, pizza, BBQ and more. There are a ton of choices! We can vouch for the burgers, fries, hot dogs and chicken! They were all pretty much yum! And I did see the pizza while I was walking around- looked delish! BUT the deep fried oreos and cheesecake were extra good! In a nutshell, all the food got a thumbs up!
So, if you are looking for a fun day trip in the NJ area, look no farther than Mountain Creek Water Park in Vernon, NJ! It’s a great day for families, friends or school trips! The prices to enter are reasonable and the fun is endless. You can do as little or as much as you want from tanning, to swimming to dining. Whatever you choose it will be a great day when you visit this hidden gem up on the mountain.
Giveaway: We are thrilled to partner with Mountain Creek Water Park to bring one 3decades3kids reader to MCWP for the day! (The prize consists of 4 passes to Mountain Creek Water Park, no parking or food included). Enter below. Giveaway ends July 15th at 11: 59pm. 18+/usa only. Good Luck! I can’t wait to see who is going to be going to Mountain Creek Water Park!
Enter any or all of the ways below:
Follow us on Instagram and then like/comment on our Mountain Creek pic: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bk6UYmkHOQm/?taken-by=3decades3kids
Like our FB page and then comment/like the Mountain Creek pic: https://www.facebook.com/3decades3kids/posts/2498421950172407
Twitter: Follow us on Twitter at @3decades3kids Please tweet us that you are follower. (Example: I follow @3decades3kids and hope to win tix to Mountain Creek!): https://twitter.com/3decades3kids/status/1015396586787164161
Subscribe to our channel on youtube. Like/comment on this video of Mountain Creek: https://youtu.be/wUaf9T5DS8M
Disclosure: All opinions are my own and honest. Visit/parking/food/swag via family media invitation. Contact me at Diane@3decades3kids.net or @3decades3kids across all social media networks.