As our kids have gotten older, I must admit that there are many times that it’s quite difficult to plan a vacation for all of us. BUT, I’m good at making the best of things so I set off for some smaller trips for the family and some trips that were for just me and a couple of the kids. It’s been a wonderful summer of memories that I’m very grateful for.
Below I have listed several places that we have gone and what we loved about each place. I hope you’ll explore the links as well as these places I”m sure will make your family photo book fill up with great memories too!
Meadowmere Resort: My summer began early by heading here with my mom and Olyvia. Where can you find a resort in Ogunquit for this price and hop on a trolley to go into town to all the great restaurants and shopping spots? Here!!! They have an outdoor pool, a great size indoor pool, an outside hot tub and a Roman spa. They offer a free continental breakfast with some of my favorite donuts from Congdon Donuts down the way. They are close by to the Marginal Way where the walk is breathtaking. I’m heading here again for our anniversary soon and we got a suite which I haven’t experienced yet. I think my husband said it has a hot tub and a fireplace in the room. My favorite rooms are the ones on the first floor in the garden. Just step out to sit and enjoy the gardens and it’s an easy access to the pools and hot tub too. Looking for a super lobster dinner meal? Head to The Ogunquit Lobster Pound just a few minutes away and pick out your lobster yourself from their outdoor lobster pool! We’ve been eating here with our family for over 25 years! You’ll love it! My husband is crazy over their Seafood Alfredo! You can’t go wrong.
Mountain View Grand: We started going here 5 or more years ago. The first time I went was just with my husband for his company’s black tie event. As soon as we pulled down the long driveway and my eyes set on the the grand hotel, I knew I’d be bringing back all my family very soon. Indeed we did and for many occasions! The activities they provide for the family is ongoing and fun. We have gone for Thanksgiving weekend several times, Easter, Mother’s Day, and this year, we finally made it for a summer overnight.
Mountain Club On Loon: I love it here for several reasons. I love the option of getting a kitchen during our stay or if it’s just my mom and I we can get a traditional room. They seem to have an ongoing special of stay 3 nights, get the 4th free and they include unlimited Gondola rides during your stay. That in itself gives you a great place to hike, go on the cave path and much more. If you’re looking for more to do, the Loon Mountain Adventures is right at the bottom of the hotel where you can zipline, rock climb, mountain bike, experience the aerial forests and more. If you want to just relax, your pool chair is ready and facing the mountains. There’s also waitstaff servers close by for food and drinks. We’ve been going here for several summers and last winter was our first time going with a couple of the boys. They had their first ski lessons here and by the end of the day they were reaching the top of the mountain like pros! The location of the hotel is awesome to find other things to do. You’ll see below several day trips we took while we stayed here.
MS/Mount Washington Cruise: I had never been and have wanted to go to for years. I thought this would be a wonderful thing to do all together before my oldest son was to head to college. I am pleased to say that all 5 of my beautiful teenagers were as happy as I was with this experience. Even today, weeks later, one of my twins said that he was so glad we went on the Washington Cruise together this summer. We went on family night and I was a little leery that it would be just all young families and my kids would be lost in the crowd. Family night was an amazing time for everyone. There were young families and there were families with great grandmothers and there were couples and groups of friends. The entertainment was so entertaining that my cheeks hurt from smiling so much all night. The buffet was delicious and desserts and drinks were set out until the conclusion of the cruise.
I was glad my dad, who is always on the go, could come with us as well. There are many dinner themes through fall, I’d love to take another cruise with my hubby and a few other couples for a great date night. They do offer several specials for the cruise, especially on Family Night, where kids actually cruise free. Check it out, it was an awesome, awesome night!
Clark’s Trading Post: I hadn’t been here since I was a little kiddo and I had yet to take my kids. What a nice day we had and the price for tickets is priced at such a reasonable rate. The shows were comical and entertaining and I really wanted to take a bear home with me!
Chutters: Chutters has the best fudge ever!!!! The only fudge I like is my grandmothers and Chutters! You’ve got to try the Chocolate Orange and every other kind LOL!
Cascade Park: I’d say about 15 minutes away from Mountain Club On Loon, you’ll find off the main road, a neat river spot to slide down the natural rocks and you’ll also find many waterholes. My kids could have stayed here for hours more than we already had.
Camp Calumet: Oh, boy. I hadn’t camped since I was a very young adult and I’ve gotten quite spoiled with all my hotel and resort stays. BUT, I had this urge to go camping with a couple of my boys so I checked into where my parents took me eons ago. Oh, my, I read that they had full hot and cold breakfast served daily at the lodge and it was only $3 a student and $6 for adults. They serve lunch on the beach and dinner is offered in the evening at the lodge as well. You mean I don’t have to worry about shopping and cooking and cleaning? I forgot they offered this, I’m in. Camp Calumet is located on the beautiful Lake Ossipee. They offer canoe rentals and kayak rentals for as low as $2 for half a day. It’s a wonderful family camp ground. My neighbor ended up going with us with her 2 kiddos and we’ve been heading there every other week, having a super time.
One place we go for dinner at once while we’re up there is the Pizza Barn. I went there all the time with all my friends when we camped there, I had to take my clan. They love it as much as I did.
The campground also offers some day trips. We went rafting on the Saco River one time. That was fun and relaxing. There’s a rope swing half way through where everyone stops to jump and some brought a cooler along in another raft and stopped to eat along the beachy edge.
Another time we took a trip ourselves along the Kangamangas to the Lower Falls. What fun to slide down the natural rock waterslides. This was quite a busy spot!
Foxwoods Resort Casino: Until a few years ago, I thought Foxwoods was just a casino, Wow! Was I wrong. Their tagline “Wonder Of It All”, is definitely true. We’ve done a couple family trips and were so busy, we didn’t even fit in all that we had anticipated. They have bowling that mansions would envy. They have a huge arcade treehouse, they have a beautiful outdoor pool, they also have indoor pools. They have a ton of restaurants, they now have the Tanger Outlets, they have a museum. Of course they have casinos and Bingo!!!! Close by they also have the Mystic Aquarium, home of the Beluga Whales, my favorite. You’ll never know who you’ll meet while you’re at Foxwoods. One of my kids highlights was meeting the impractical jokers stars a couple of years ago. They were the envy of their friends when their photos were passed around. We’ve been here as a family, Paul and I have gone by ourselves and a few times we’ve gone with other couples. We went to a show, had a great dinner, played the slots…my sister in law even won $500, lucky her!!!! It’s a blast here. There is so much to do!
Red Arrow Diner: This is a family favorite and even more so when there’s no school. There’s just something about going to a 24 hour diner in the middle of the night with the family. You become the coolest mom and dad, especially if you’re bringing all their friends too. The Red Arrow Diner is a Manchester landmark and certainly has had its guests of famous people sit and enjoy a great meal. Let’s not forget that Adam Sandler loved Red Arrow so much that he made a replica of the diner in one of his movies. How neat is that. Red Arrow is also located in Milford and in Londonderry and rumor has it that Concord will have one in 2017! Follow them on Facebook as they share weekly specials and giveaways and local events too.
Looking for more to do? Check out our Staycation post. Lots of fun to be had!