My husband and I have never gone on a family vacation without our parents. The perk of going with your parents is free babysitting. However, in April, we took the chance and drove 2+hours with our two toddlers, and 12 year old niece who turned out to be our saving grace with our boys. We spent four(4) days in the Poconos, and concluded our Pennsylvania family getaway with a visit to Sesame Place.
During our visit to the Poconos, we stayed at the Wyndham Shawnee Village. It has a very cute setup. The rooms look like cabins, except you didn’t feel like you were roughing it while you were there.
When traveling with our kids, having a hotel with a kitchen is a must, and thankfully our room at the Wyndham Shawnee Village was equipped with one. Off to the local Walmart we went to pick up groceries to cook, but since we were out for the majority of the day during our trip, we wound up eating fast food instead. But don’t think for a second that the food we bought went to waste because it didn’t. Whatever groceries we didn’t use came right back home to New York with us.
I love deals, especially since our little family of four is growing so deals are a must, which is why we purchased a groupon for the indoor H2O Water Park that’s on the grounds of Split Rock Resort in Lake Harmony. Our boys had a blast literally and figuratively. It was a very family-friendly water park, and to make things even better, the water was heated. Even though we went for spring break, the outside temperature felt like fall so the heated water park amenities came in handy.
On the second day of our trip we visited the Pocono Snake and Animal Farm. I am not an animal lover but I like reptiles. My boys liked looking at the snakes. They loved being able to feed the goats and monkeys. We even saw a bear that hailed from the Poconos. Apparently, the Poconos has a lot of them. I am happy to say the bear that we encountered was caged.
On our third day we stayed on the resort and did activities at the resort. The kids played dodgeball, went to a coloring and cartoon session, and the arcade. We also spent hours in the pool.After indulging in all of those activities, we were all exhausted. So much so that each night we returned to our room, we ran to our beds. Guess what? The boys didn’t even put up a fight!
On our last day in the Pennsylvania, we decided to troop to Sesame Place since we purchased half price tickets from Groupon. The one and a half hour drive wasn’t too long, and the scenery made it enjoyable. But, at last, we made it to Sesame Place.
Since I’m the type of mom who is always prepared, I purchased Sesame Street t-shirts for my family and myself. My goal is to be a frugal, but fun mom, and I accomplished that on this trip. I think we all looked cute in our t-shirts, especially in family photos.
The weather cooperated while at Sesame Place; however, the water rides weren’t open. Sesame Place, although known for its water rides also has rollercoasters, and my two year old enjoyed his first during our visit there. Yay for firsts! My one year old, although too small to get on most rides, did enjoy and love the parade and the Elmo the musical show. Sesame Place also caters to the smaller children like my one year old by having a play area especially designed for kids my children’s age.
Sesame Place was a fun way to end our mini family vacation. We danced, played and ate, and to my surprise Sesame’s café food was decent. Everyone enjoyed himself or herself during our trip, which places a smile on both my heart and face.
I know when people think of the Poconos they think of romance, but our experience during this trip proves that it is also family-friendly. I can also say that because my husband took the time to plan our trip, I fell in-love with him even more.
Remember to check my favorite site, TripAdvisor for reviews on the places mentioned in this post, oh and you can also book hotels directly through the site.
This post was written by Cherisse P. She’s a teacher, and married mom of two little boys with one more on the way.
What activities do you plan for your family getaways?