Tomorrow I will hanging out at Lake Naomi, PA!

August 10, 2011 by 7 Comments

So!  I will be away tomorrow, dear bloggy buddies!
Where will we be hanging out?  At Lake Naomi, in the Poconos, PA.
Here is a little information about Lake Naomi- you can be sure I will give you lots more information, photos, and video when we get home.  Have a fun day!

Lake Naomi Club is a premiere Pennsylvania Recreational Community, located in the pristine Pocono Mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania.  At the heart of our Resort Community is a 277-acre lake with Boating, Fishing, Swimming and Sailing, but that’s just the beginning. Lake Naomi Club also features two outdoor Olympic Sized Pools, including the largest heated outdoor pool in Pennsylvania, a 9-hole Executive and Private Golf Course, the #1 rated Tennis Center complex in Pennsylvania, a Clubhouse with Restaurant and Pub and a dedicated recreational staff offering activities for all ages. And the best just got better with the addition of a 48,000 square foot Community Center which boasts a myriad of amenities including an indoor pool, indoor tennis, fitness center and activities for the entire family.

Surrounded by nature and nestled in mountain serenity, Lake Naomi and Timber Trails offer Pennsylvania Vacation Homes and Rentals at a great value considering the unique mix of peaceful retreat and convenient shopping.

Lake Naomi and Timber Trails are two communities that comprise the Lake Naomi Club. Here you will find Pennsylvania Vacation Homes and Rentals to meet any budget or style. Lake Naomi Club is located within two hours driving time of Philadelphia, North Jersey, and New York and is easily accessible any season of the year. The short drive encourages weekend use. It is also within minutes of three ski resorts. Lake Naomi Club surrounds one of the largest private lakes in the Pennsylvania Mountains and it is recognized as one of the leading vacation communities in the country.
But it is not just a Pennsylvania Recreational Community. It is also a safe, family oriented luxury retreat committed to providing exceptional recreation for the whole family. Lake Naomi Club is a place where lifelong friendships are born. Second generation children are already returning with their own families. This is more than a weekend retreat…it’s a way of life.
Oh did we mention the Kids Clubs???
Kids Klub
Each week during the summer season Kids Klub themes provide a different focus for games, crafts and trips, and coincide with the Tuesday Night Cookouts and other community events. Activities are planned for each age group. It’s a bit like summer camp filled with sports, crafts, and just plain fun. There are even field trips planned to amusement parks, local theaters, overnight camping and sport facilities. Kids Klub is available to children 4 – 13.
KUB Klub
Kub Klub is Lake Naomi‘s latest addition to its summer recreation programming. Kub Klub is available to those members and guests who are 3 years of age and potty-trained (no pull-ups or diapers will be accepted).
If you’ve ever wished for one of those perfect Pennsylvania Family Vacations, the kind where you could be like a kid again and go to summer camp, or join your kids at summer camp, you’ll love Lake Naomi. It’s a place to unwind, find recreation and experience life the way it’s meant to be.


Disclosure- Tomorrow we will be visiting this location in order to provide a review. 
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Dinosaur World- a MUST SEE when traveling!

August 9, 2011 by 17 Comments
Those are my kids near the feet!!!

What child doesn’t love dinosaurs?  There is just something about them that appeals to almost every child that I know.  Dinosaur World is something a bit out of the ordinary- part museum, part dino-shopping-center, but mostly- a fun activity-based adventure to have with your little ones.  Dinosaur World in Cave City, Kentucky, is a great way to spend the day.  The idea of spending the whole day with all sorts of pre-historic beasts was just too exciting for my Little Man. Walking amongst dinosaurs?  Not just bones?  Well, that seemed almost too good to be true for a little boy, the day before he turned four years old!  (We even got to dig for our own fossils, which all children get to keep!  How is that for fun?)

Check out who is INSIDE the dino’s mouth!  🙂

There are true-to-life sized dinosaur re-creation statues, each made by an employee of Dinosaur World and based on the most current scientific information available.  They are made of fiberglass, steel, and concrete.  Dinosaur World Park officials consulted with European open-air Dinosaur Museum owner, as well as experts on prehistoric life to create these models.
Dreamed up by a European businessman, and first opened in Plant City, Florida, there are now three Dinosaur World locations you can visit.  (The third is in Glen Rose, Texas.)  Not just any other day in the park- here you will be face to face (or at times, knee to face!) with your favorites dinosaurs, mammoths, and prehistoric eggs, nests, and more!

Dinosaur World has over 150 life sized dinosaur creations, placed in a natural and wooded setting.  This was quite appreciated by yours truly during that Kentucky heat wave!  You will see both well known and favorite species, such as the most famous dinosaur of all (the mighty T-rex!)  as well as the lesser known varieties, and mammoths, too.  I was thrilled that they included less familiar species, it gave us more to read about when we got home.  This has already inspired more then one library trip, and many art projects.  Not just coloring, either!  Shadow boxes, models, you name it, my children are very excited.  We wrote down names of dinosaurs we didn’t know at all or very well, and the expedition to learn about them has continued.

With my Pre-School class’ graduation theme being “dinosaurs”, this came at a great time for my children, because dinosaurs are fresh in their minds, and they were excited to see the dinosaurs we had been learning about.  As fans of educational TV shows like “Dino Dan” and “Dinosaur Train”, like so many other children their age, it was great for them to see the “real” version of the dinosaurs they love to watch on the television.  “Buddy” is a little scary in reality!  LOL
Traditional Museums are wonderful for showing dinosaurs, but they only show pictures and bones.  I highly suggest that if you get the chance, take a trip to the Dinosaur World nearest you.  It will be an adventure your children will talk about for a long time to come, and none of you will forget.

Special note for teachers and parents!  You can have your child’s birthday at Dinosaur World for only 6$ a child, and all educational trips are only 5$ per person.  You sure can’t shake a stick at that!  If we had one of these in my area, I sure know where I would have been having Little Man’s birthday.  Not to mention, what a great day trip for my Pre-K class!

 Don’t forget to follow on Twitter and Facebook and keep up with all the fun  🙂

Happy exploring!

Disclosure- I visited Dinosaur World free of charge in order to facilitate this review.  All opinions are my own. 
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Buy Now and Save Big on a Visit to Cedar Point!

August 9, 2011 by 2 Comments

SANDUSKY, Ohio –- With the start of the school year rapidly approaching, now is the
best time to buy and save big on your next visit to Cedar Point.
There are several opportunities to save at least $12 on a one-day visit to the
Sandusky, Ohio, amusement park/resort. But you must act quickly!

For a limited time, Cedar Point is now offering Pick-A-Date tickets on its
website (cedarpoint.com). Select a specific date to visit the park and save $12
per ticket. Tickets can be used on a different date with an upgrade.
Now through Sunday, Aug. 14, Discount Drug Mart stores in Cleveland,
Columbus and Youngstown are now offering tickets for only $37.99. These
tickets will be valid on any operating day through Sunday, Oct. 30.

Participating AAA offices in the Cleveland area are now offering online tickets
for a one-day ticket to the park for only $35, a savings of nearly $15 per
ticket. To purchase these tickets, Cleveland-area AAA members should visit
www.aaaohio.com. Tickets must be purchased by Wednesday, Aug. 31 and will
be valid on any operating day through Sunday, Oct. 30.

Platinum Pass and Season Passholders at Cedar Point can also take advantage
of Bring-A-Friend Sundays and save $30 on a ticket. Tickets must be purchased
at the park on Sundays through Sept. 4.
Please visit cedarpoint.com for more details. Tickets for juniors, age 3 and older,
under 48 inches tall, and Seniors, age 62 and older, are only $24.99. Children, age 2
and under, are free.

With 75 rides, including 17 roller coasters, Cedar Point has more rides than any park
in the world.
New this summer is WindSeeker, a 301-foot-tall swing ride that spins riders nearly 30-
stories above the Cedar Point Beach. Near the front of the park, Pink’s, a Hollywood
legend for more than 72 years, serves gourmet hot dogs, chili dogs, onion rings with
fresh toppings. It is its first franchise east of Las Vegas.
In addition to its thrilling roller coasters, Cedar Point also has a huge assortment of
family rides such as the 136-foot-tall Giant Wheel Ferris wheel, the Cedar Point &
Lake Erie Railroad and three antique carrousels, plus a variety of entertaining live
shows.

Cedar Point will be open daily through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 5. The park will
reopen for a Bonus Weekend and HalloWeekends, Friday nights, Saturdays and
Sundays, Sept. 9-11 through Oct. 28-30.
For more information about these big savings opportunities at Cedar Point, please
visit Admission (Online Deals) under Plan A Visit at cedarpoint.com or call the park’s
General Information Line at 419.627.2350.

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Have a Howling Good Time at @GreatWolfLodge

July 30, 2011 by 20 Comments

This was perhaps my favorite spot that we visited, and I will tell you why. Everything was in one place- you didn’t have to go anywhere else once you got to your hotel- because your hotel was also your waterpark, restaurant, activity center (even a computer area for kids) and and more. And all I had to do was park the car!
Great Wolf Lodge in Sandusky, Ohio(Ohio’s first Great Wolf Lodge) is a great place to spend time with family, and would be a fantastic spot for a family reunion. Their huge indoor waterpark is reserved for guests only, thus guaranteeing that you will never have to wait on a long line. There is also an outdoor pool and waterpark area, open seasonally.

Once you arrive, you are greeted and checked in by friendly staff, and you make your way to your room. We stayed in one of the “themed” rooms, the “Wolf Den”. My children loved it, and I have to say so did dad and myself. It was really adorable, with a sectioned off “kid cave”, complete with bunk beds inside. There is a video came console and TV set in there as well, which you can pay to have access to.
The kids loved to play in there, and that it made them feel like they had their “own room”. I loved that it gave me some privacy, and that I could have some small degree of separation from them, while not really being separate from them at all. (Come on, we have all been on family vacations- the kids go wild, and sometimes it’s nice to be able to have a little “grown up space”. How many times can one really hear Mom? Mom? Mom! Mom?) I can still see them and hear them- there is no door- but they can go into the “cave” and play, and I can re-pack a suitcase or find a missing toothbrush in relative peace, LOL. The room was very large, very clean, had an excellent view of the outdoor waterpark- and even a little balcony you can sit on, or dry your wet bathing suits 🙂

I love the whole “Lodge” look and feel of the hotel- like place in the woods, but modern and with technology and conveniences and comforts, LOL. There were multiple restaurants, as well as a little snack/dessert shop, where you can grab ice cream, fudge, pastries- you know, all the “good” vacation foods! 🙂
Little Man and I deserted daddy and Kamikaze one morning (we were awake, they were not! hehe) and went to Lumber Jack’s Cook Shanty, where they served a family style breakfast at our table. This means that they brought food to our table- pre-fix food, not food that we choose or order- and you can have as much as you’d like. The food was very good, I have to say! It was very pricey, though- for an adult? 12$ plus tax and if you order a beverage, that is additional as well. For Little Man, since he was only 3, I only had to pay $3.49 for his cup of chocolate milk. (Nope, that was not a typo!) I was kind of shocked at the bill. But, it is what it is. At least the food was good- and Little Man can really pack away his breakfast! (I’m sure you have seen my posts on his love of breakfast, LOL- the boy is addicted! No cereal for him, no sir!) He ate more then his body weight in bacon and french toast sticks, I think. I was allowed to have ONE french toast stick- it was better then the ones I make 🙁
Poor me! It was crunchy, but soft inside. I can never get mine crunchy, unless I burn it, LOL. Everything was very [Read more…]

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PEANUTS Happiness Is… @CedarPoint

July 30, 2011 by 2 Comments

SANDUSKY, Ohio – With the help of Snoopy, Charlie Brown, and the other PEANUTS
characters, Cedar Point will be celebrating what individual happiness really means during
PEANUTS Happiness Is… Week.

For one full week, Monday, Aug. 1 through Sunday, Aug. 7, the Sandusky, Ohio,
amusement park/resort will be holding special PEANUTS-themed events dedicated to
having fun.
Starting Monday, Camp Snoopy and Planet Snoopy will have tables filled with a variety
of fun activities for children to do as they take a break from all the rides and shows the
park has to offer.
Kids can partake in a PEANUTS-themed activity sheet that is filled with connect-the-dots,
tic-tac-toe, and much more. The sheets will also allow kids to gain early entry to the 4
p.m. performance of Everybody Loves Snoopy ice-skating show in the Good Time Theatre.
Along with the activity sheets, children will also be able to color their own Snoopy mask
to take home.

Guests will also have the opportunity to create a Chain of Happiness that will allow kids
to express themselves by writing on a strip of paper of what makes them happy. The
decorated strips of paper will then be linked together to form a giant chain that will be
put on display [Read more…]

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Wordless Wednesday! A “New” Way to #Travel :)

July 26, 2011 by 12 Comments

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Let’s talk about Cleveland! @PositivelyCleve

July 25, 2011 by 22 Comments

We begin our adventures in Cleveland, home to the “A Christmas Story” house, Ohio’s first Great Wolf Lodge (technically Sandusky) and more theme parks then you can shake a stick at.  If you are looking for a fun filled, out of the ordinary family vacation- look no further then Cleveland.  And for so many Americans, it’s right in your backyard! 

Looking for something a little “wild”?  How about one of Cleveland’s multitude of Live Animals attractions and exhibits?  This year, they also bring on the African Elephant Crossing at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, where you can see elephants from just 15 feet away.  This five acre, state of the art facility, was spared no expense by Cleveland- $25 Million was spent on this habitat, construction, and education and puts it on the forefront of modern elephant care. 
Not only are the elephants amazing, and being so close gives you a real sense of how truly massive and majestic they are, but there is also the educational and conversational component not to be overlooked.  Yes, of course- the focal point of any good zoo trip will be the animals- but don’t you want your kids to walk away with more then a souvenir?  They will be able to learn about the elephants and the animals that join them in their habitat- how we are like them, what we can do to help them, and what the zoo is doing to help.  You and your child can walk away, changed and inspired.  Your day at the zoo doesn’t have to end just because the gate closes- keep learning, reading, and exploring!  Your child (and you!) will be better off for it- not to mention the memories of that day you “met” the elephants will last forever.

Maybe you are feeling like taking a stroll through history.  Check out Hale Farm and Village– “where History Loves Company”!  Not only will your child be delighted with the stables of farm animals such as horses, cows, and sheep- but they can also experience life on the farm at this 19th century living history museum.  Since it’s opening in 1958, Hale Farm has been entertaining guests with it’s heritage and recreation of history.  Children learn so much visually and by participating and doing- what better way to give them a love of learning and introduce them to the past then with with a visit to Hale Farm and Village,  where they can truly get their hands on history? 
Speaking of hands on fun- the Great Lakes Science Center is a great place to spend the afternoon, or even a full day with your brood.  With over 400 exhibits, all of which your children are free to touch, turn, and experiment with, time will fly by  while they learn all about the world around them.  And you will have fun, too!  Build DNA, check out your body heat, and work a mini moon rover all in one day.  You can watch science exhibits put on by the employees- how about something fun, like mentos and diet cola?  Watch a movie in the six-story OMNIMAX theater, and be swept away while you view a tornado blow by in this life-like arena.  Ohio-born John Glenn has a featured exhibit there, along with a the NASA Glenn Research Center.  See a real space flight suit, space shuttles, and more!

You will never be bored in the Cleveland area, because there are more then 6 amusement and water parks!  With the summer heat being in full swing, cool off in one of these fun attractions.  Cedar Point, the number one rated amusement park in the world, is well worth at least a one day visit.  Boasting 17 roller coasters, the brand new WindSeeker and Dinosaurs Alive, themed restaurants, numerous snack and drink stands, and for the kids- Camp Snoopy, Planet Snoopy, and the Jr. Gemini Children’s area.  Meet all your favorite Peanuts characters as they greet your kids, pose for photos, and give hugs and high fives.  A day at Cedar Point will not be forgotten, whether you are there for the coasters, the kiddie parks- or a little bit of both. 

If you are not packing your bags and making hotel reservations yet, wait until you hear this- many area hotels offer specials and discount tickets to area attractions and theme parks.  Check out PositivelyCleveland for all the latest deals.   Once you get to Cleveland, don’t forget to stop by the Cleveland Plus Visitors Center and get your Cleveland Plus Pass.  With these passes (choose your length of stay), you can receive admission to many attractions as well as discounts on dining, shopping, and more- all at deep discounts.  What are you waiting for?  I’ll see you in Cleveland! 
Don’t forget to follow on twitter!  @PositivelyCleve

Disclosure- I recieved travel in the Cleveland area in order to facilitate this and other reviews.  This did not affect my views.  All opinions are my own.

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Fun at Cedar Point, Ohio! @cedarpoint

July 24, 2011 by 3 Comments

Cedar Point to Host Guinness World Record Day
$36 Tickets to Benefit American Cancer Society

SANDUSKY, Ohio – For years Cedar Point has broken records with their high-flying coasters,
but now, guests at the Sandusky, Ohio, amusement park/resort can help the park set two new
world records.

On Guinness World Record Day at Cedar Point, Sunday, July 31, the park will attempt two new
world records: one for the most beach balls in the air at the same time and the second for the
greatest number of people applying sunscreen at the same time.

In addition to setting world records, guests will also be able to purchase tickets to the park
online at cedarpoint.com for only $36, a savings of nearly $12 per ticket. These special one-
day tickets will only be valid Sunday, July 31. Plus, a portion of the proceeds will be donated
to the Northern Ohio Chapter of the American Cancer Society.

Interested guests should be at the park by 9 a.m. to prepare for the first event, which will
start promptly at 9:30 a.m. The first event for the most beach balls in the air simultaneously
at a single venue is a brand new record. To qualify for the new record, a minimum of 250
beach balls must be individually juggled for [Read more…]

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