tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85425552749904695882024-03-16T22:23:02.220+00:00Entertaining ElliotA Family & Travel Blog by a Dorset MumEntertaining Elliot & Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361231779235423707noreply@blogger.comBlogger435125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542555274990469588.post-12402011944738211342024-03-14T19:58:00.005+00:002024-03-14T19:59:45.590+00:00CARFEST - THE BEST FAMILY FESTIVAL IN THE UK?!<p> We love taking our kids to festivals and we usually try and book one in every Summer. Over the years, our favourites have been Camp Bestival, Gone Wild and Lamer Tree Festival but this year we wanted to try something different. </p><p>Step forward...Carfest! Billed as the UK's biggest family fundraising festival, Carfest successfully blends motor shows with live music and entertainment for the whole family. It was founded by radio DJ Chris Evans and has raised millions of pounds for children's charities. It ticked all our boxes - lots of fast cars for Elliot to see, a huge kids area for Erin, plenty of yummy food and drink for my husband and an amazing line up of live music for me. We were excited to experience it all! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcY7WPYJ9NH2aMat03kKUXGLiUMsCwdKJq80JH8MzbT-jY253OFyod9Iv-otPJWC_c8Do9bpUGfh6WVLgF2IOhSOsE75N6kPdIDTMSXrKiwAbf7DzgqucpMQ-gUiKU0PNN9kzMyvghaL4upNCkAdxoWAU7ohTLuqPZc9olC7waqHvOo9OXW5yYq8mBxyKf/s4000/carfest.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcY7WPYJ9NH2aMat03kKUXGLiUMsCwdKJq80JH8MzbT-jY253OFyod9Iv-otPJWC_c8Do9bpUGfh6WVLgF2IOhSOsE75N6kPdIDTMSXrKiwAbf7DzgqucpMQ-gUiKU0PNN9kzMyvghaL4upNCkAdxoWAU7ohTLuqPZc9olC7waqHvOo9OXW5yYq8mBxyKf/w640-h298/carfest.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;">Day 1 - Saturday</h2><p>We had weekend tickets but decided to stay in a local hotel rather than camp. It just meant having to take way less stuff and who doesn't love a comfy bed after a busy day at a festival! We left bright and early from Poole and arrived at the festival site around 9am. We found it nice and straightforward to find the carpark and it was well sign posted from the main roads into Overton. Unlike Camp Bestival, the walk from the carpark wasn't too bad and it probably only took us around 10-15 minutes. </p><p>We were soon picking up our weekend wristbands and deciding where to explore first. The festival is split into different areas including Starfest, Spafest, Adventurefest, Kidsfest, Foodfest, Retrofest and then of course the card and music! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBcb5bFqMxGN1aeeiMT95jANTYzj0MsNF73-p7BkPpL6yRfBk_tZTrZGS9zYiR01w6OpOfxifpW7IjYKMZHiVw-2nuetYrmOl8_yhQK_TOOPX9mUDSGMe_YjrI25ALglLvRnpV4Y2ph_4kAN8nIOuE8jXBse5eKY-1KL4s5uYpGqfH9mGjpY4Ur8JNMY7R/s4000/elliot%20and%20erin%20carfest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="1800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBcb5bFqMxGN1aeeiMT95jANTYzj0MsNF73-p7BkPpL6yRfBk_tZTrZGS9zYiR01w6OpOfxifpW7IjYKMZHiVw-2nuetYrmOl8_yhQK_TOOPX9mUDSGMe_YjrI25ALglLvRnpV4Y2ph_4kAN8nIOuE8jXBse5eKY-1KL4s5uYpGqfH9mGjpY4Ur8JNMY7R/w288-h640/elliot%20and%20erin%20carfest.jpg" width="288" /></a></div><p>Our first port of call was the Costa area - Costa are one of Carfest's sponsors and we had heard great things about the giveaways! Paul was happy - coffee for him whilst the kids tried their luck on the digital spin the wheel. We didn't win the Nintendo switch but we did come away with bubbles, lots of coffee, brownies, biscuits and even a really nice travel mug. I'd definitely recommend visiting this bit with kids! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbtaCxwfC_eLunJ6WN8vGOn7NED-MLIEB3rFNm8PKkr1JsykDgW-SjWKvxahdcsluo4AlSit8WfH5IRmhLIn1ASbGpMAVUcDxx11pDwfMOCHZ1PJLcfFR4Z8W3jVpP_Q014aY3Hpp16S6d0Q-wEeIiTyjCTdaQfR2UPfFPg9nBzbZwGFMRNw0b04IvjruP/s4000/costa%20carfest.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbtaCxwfC_eLunJ6WN8vGOn7NED-MLIEB3rFNm8PKkr1JsykDgW-SjWKvxahdcsluo4AlSit8WfH5IRmhLIn1ASbGpMAVUcDxx11pDwfMOCHZ1PJLcfFR4Z8W3jVpP_Q014aY3Hpp16S6d0Q-wEeIiTyjCTdaQfR2UPfFPg9nBzbZwGFMRNw0b04IvjruP/w640-h288/costa%20carfest.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>One thing about the music/stage area at Carfest that we quickly realised was people pitch up in the morning with their chairs/wagons/flags etc and just leave their stuff for the day. This seemed to be a bit of a contentious subject on the Carfest Buddies FB group but for us, it made sense to leave our festival wagon. It gave us a central base to return to throughout the day if we needed to and saved lugging everything around! It also meant we were guaranteed a good spot for the evening music. </p><p>We spent the next few hours exploring the cars and there was so much to see. We caught some fantastic displays and the roar of the engines and being up close to the race track was something else! Elliot is car mad so he was in his element. We even bumped into Richard Hammond at the Smallest Cog workshop which was exciting although Elliot got confused and thought it was Ricky Gervais 😁</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEpEJirCnEXHLpifyVD9_c0qsTLHr7Hm4Wk2UpFCNOzZYNl9Ab3fYXJ0rLfIaVdu0wBcPAtJXlbcvWgxgSLmf3sD0u8HuUAlXClW5Kry4ZPOmAMk2i4a1BYOSoI4_X7zgwC1mPt0JgOZBV99LJpmuoZ_hrXCDhyphenhyphenTpU0OHTfomCdgdo0gdiwI99XvzxwfX7/s4000/Richard%20Hammond%20Carfest.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEpEJirCnEXHLpifyVD9_c0qsTLHr7Hm4Wk2UpFCNOzZYNl9Ab3fYXJ0rLfIaVdu0wBcPAtJXlbcvWgxgSLmf3sD0u8HuUAlXClW5Kry4ZPOmAMk2i4a1BYOSoI4_X7zgwC1mPt0JgOZBV99LJpmuoZ_hrXCDhyphenhyphenTpU0OHTfomCdgdo0gdiwI99XvzxwfX7/w640-h298/Richard%20Hammond%20Carfest.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Richard Hammond - The Smallest Cog Workshop</td></tr></tbody></table><p>When we're at a festival we don't like to be too strict about timings and prefer to explore and see what we stumble upon but one of our must sees was kids favourite Andy and The Odd Socks in the Kidsfest area. We've been fans of Andy's since Elliot was a toddler and it's always great to see his band and their live show. And of course we had to get some selfies after the show 😎 </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8qIhl_epXVvL-FblmZEchaurVLGOWV8EkAKH_lVum2TgPdLinepigO5vyFjaQGj2w_yTp3XzljgoWVNJKcubJibOPhJlnZ5DKooZ5aXuhNxqD7fhuwAkqcTmij9bUoh5jhOBvpFNN6ts2ej3nAIrZlsRGKZIEUI8R5KWAglY9Ag6ly8kBVc13DxCmcB9D/s3648/oddsocks%20carfest.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8qIhl_epXVvL-FblmZEchaurVLGOWV8EkAKH_lVum2TgPdLinepigO5vyFjaQGj2w_yTp3XzljgoWVNJKcubJibOPhJlnZ5DKooZ5aXuhNxqD7fhuwAkqcTmij9bUoh5jhOBvpFNN6ts2ej3nAIrZlsRGKZIEUI8R5KWAglY9Ag6ly8kBVc13DxCmcB9D/w640-h480/oddsocks%20carfest.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivVvjvA7BgJBZHfRHyldB_JSfRD_VuUVMPJ-rT1vuzpOMpZRMpCSDnPW61_sx3hyA_94mKEkeqSnVipNooVoVUURNDM_swdhXC4jtaFvlfbMSOaFsyXJashrQst__GiPpYBlAibm1L8wqMI6eHQpZYg-7S3vN9mcTm2pPdq7NodpfxrVlwm8wKFue7bJXX/s4000/andy%20and%20the%20odd%20socks%20carfest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivVvjvA7BgJBZHfRHyldB_JSfRD_VuUVMPJ-rT1vuzpOMpZRMpCSDnPW61_sx3hyA_94mKEkeqSnVipNooVoVUURNDM_swdhXC4jtaFvlfbMSOaFsyXJashrQst__GiPpYBlAibm1L8wqMI6eHQpZYg-7S3vN9mcTm2pPdq7NodpfxrVlwm8wKFue7bJXX/w640-h288/andy%20and%20the%20odd%20socks%20carfest.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andy and The Odd Socks - Carfest</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The Kidsfest area was home to Pudsey's Spot and there were lots of chances to meet some familiar faces there over the weekend. We met Bluey and Bingo and I'm not sure who was more excited, me or Erin!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5yokuBe2yHRpo6bnyT5NoS76dWTvXx5zDXLu42jCuvKuRrn5rDAWlzJqWO07CJVbn66J26rI3I-XxshoE1lP17yoGWpAKCAa40eUteQ7cx8zyYp0H_zfpmSWEC7N4N5JB_ZZxG5ei5jzlL1IHnBeFJFaRYCySe_Qey5FRJrxfXVK_4QPEfS8jgNCg7_I-/s4000/bluey%20carfest.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5yokuBe2yHRpo6bnyT5NoS76dWTvXx5zDXLu42jCuvKuRrn5rDAWlzJqWO07CJVbn66J26rI3I-XxshoE1lP17yoGWpAKCAa40eUteQ7cx8zyYp0H_zfpmSWEC7N4N5JB_ZZxG5ei5jzlL1IHnBeFJFaRYCySe_Qey5FRJrxfXVK_4QPEfS8jgNCg7_I-/w640-h288/bluey%20carfest.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>The rest of the afternoon was spent exploring the food festival area and there was something for every taste bud at the Farmers Market. Packed full of stalls selling everything from gourmet brownies to spicy sauces, we managed to pick up lots of yummy treats including some amazing scotch eggs. We also caught a few demos by Candice and Bryony from GBBO which was really interesting. There seemed to be a lot going on in this area such as foodie workshops, book signings, chef talks, cocktail making - even a pop up pub with live music. We could have spent lots more time here and feel like we only scratched the surface but there was so much more to see...</p><p>We spent some time checking out the cars - there are regular track shows through out the day and it's nice and easy to find a good viewing spot along the side. Even for a non car-fanatic like me, it was exciting seeing some gorgeous cars up close and the kids loved the theatrics of the skids and hand brake 360s! There are lots of car brands at the festival and many opportunies to pick up freebies...which, lets face it, who doesn't love a freebie. The kids were buzzing to win hats, air freshners, tote bags, mints and even a few pens along the way. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXr2JzwD745na0JBGJSY2-xXG8nOVqR24Rk6yErE-c5uR9DmwsfZ2WTKXpmmzaxZD5a8d24tGoMuPSxqCJsRU-YAErSchCpwNcflTBP7hmt30fqlyTGBKoRuISJ60sXnMJjUfOqZiaq3zM3WLjw5TBWnpYLO1G1OfKLisB36g0jxTu_wfFtyxV_7RcYEMh/s4000/cinch%20carfest.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXr2JzwD745na0JBGJSY2-xXG8nOVqR24Rk6yErE-c5uR9DmwsfZ2WTKXpmmzaxZD5a8d24tGoMuPSxqCJsRU-YAErSchCpwNcflTBP7hmt30fqlyTGBKoRuISJ60sXnMJjUfOqZiaq3zM3WLjw5TBWnpYLO1G1OfKLisB36g0jxTu_wfFtyxV_7RcYEMh/w640-h288/cinch%20carfest.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Soon it was time to head back to the main stage for the evenings musical entertainment. There are plenty of food stalls near the stage for when you get hungry and although it was busy, we never really had to spend long queueing. Prices were quite steep however (think it was almost £30 for two lots of burger and chips) but it's a festival and you do expect this. We shared a couple of meals between us, plus I took lots of snacks to keep the kids happy. I did get talked into a very expensive milkshake though! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwgEhvelmvFvff192caFpuu-cOfMcvIiEz_boT9P9IpUqFVZwp5K-SvFwLwe8OHzMI8dqvcfFNlVJj9zmmWqrYvUhk7ufmXRYRcLsvpbmM2YAQMM4mRaa5E4gtK5Ms6re5p290C41DaCaod_jG6tyDAGwD-sOoZONHxFTX238TfSryLM5zmDRH4vAZSEiS/s4000/milkshake%20carfest.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="1800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwgEhvelmvFvff192caFpuu-cOfMcvIiEz_boT9P9IpUqFVZwp5K-SvFwLwe8OHzMI8dqvcfFNlVJj9zmmWqrYvUhk7ufmXRYRcLsvpbmM2YAQMM4mRaa5E4gtK5Ms6re5p290C41DaCaod_jG6tyDAGwD-sOoZONHxFTX238TfSryLM5zmDRH4vAZSEiS/w288-h640/milkshake%20carfest.jpg" width="288" /></a></div><p>The music for the evening was brilliant, kicking off with the Bootleg Beatles. I loved hearing the crowd singalong to Hey Jude! The star of the evening for us though was undoubtedly Rick Astley. Never realised just how talented he is - he doesn't just sing but plays a multitude of instruments. Elliot really likes his songs so he was so excited to see him live and Rick didn't disappoint! It was such a great atmosphere with the lit up funfair behind us, and families of all ages singing along. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidhb9LN3gTpYjl7npMGdRXI5av4HDU5npS71bUVCxd4O9DasTo4C55suY0sy_MemHTcljcXB9zyuVq2uck30-88Uc6lk9Q-UWLiT547alOVZf343B3XdkB6jXgpdjYD2YdA5H5E2RcQ-T77nyCwiNdgHrtuh-Zl_If-697LSkZIpFQ8_LUwgW4197uLiTB/s4000/fairground%20carfest.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidhb9LN3gTpYjl7npMGdRXI5av4HDU5npS71bUVCxd4O9DasTo4C55suY0sy_MemHTcljcXB9zyuVq2uck30-88Uc6lk9Q-UWLiT547alOVZf343B3XdkB6jXgpdjYD2YdA5H5E2RcQ-T77nyCwiNdgHrtuh-Zl_If-697LSkZIpFQ8_LUwgW4197uLiTB/w640-h298/fairground%20carfest.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>We headed back to the car after a long day of festival fun but couldn't wait to do it all again in the morning. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfocYpgAwuFnmCc59D1GX8FCN9o8gxu8YEA6RcSU4eqlkcAsS_m8oUtLZ52s7gjU-UPISANcRP1XZiB-X7xIwmyPkbQo34dBRtoZOCne2gzPGum0_mQ_HOTAhJx_vbEB_oP3s7WtvEGwL8cOmwuaWc5Po4TJcip84DWH9l7ad-dIGPmNltx1GwK9Oj_XfL/s3648/betteridge%20fmaily%20carfest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="2736" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfocYpgAwuFnmCc59D1GX8FCN9o8gxu8YEA6RcSU4eqlkcAsS_m8oUtLZ52s7gjU-UPISANcRP1XZiB-X7xIwmyPkbQo34dBRtoZOCne2gzPGum0_mQ_HOTAhJx_vbEB_oP3s7WtvEGwL8cOmwuaWc5Po4TJcip84DWH9l7ad-dIGPmNltx1GwK9Oj_XfL/w480-h640/betteridge%20fmaily%20carfest.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;">Day 2 - Sunday</h2><p>After a quick charge of the car and a Mcdonalds brekkie at nearby services, we were heading back to Overton and looking forward to seeing what was in store for the day. We had no set plans but did want to explore the areas that we didn't visit yesterday. </p><p>Our first port of call was to set up our chairs and area in front of the main stage. We then spent a bit of time exploring the Retrofest area. You can find all sorts here, like retro clothing stalls, cars, games and we even stumbled upon some energetic aerobics displays featuring lots of lycra! Some of the highlights of Retrofest included an area set up with old war vehicles and weapons. The kids were allowed to sit in the landrovers and even hold the guns, Elliot was living his best Fortnite life! We also found The Deloreon which was pretty impressive - the owner was so knowledgeable and we loved all the little bits of memorabilia inside such as a hoverboard and hologram photo.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBV0yCRDA7jry5lvLSFd7-cmbMuSxZriOpCmMq0YtUP4DOK6CMGljvgklDID8tGh892D73FK78iNLQ0PwtwXeIoUrG6zFIW4NaAk544bVOF5D5QfvRjnblZpJw69RYKc2UPmJLmeLl2cUlQ3tCfsLnqx3SGVDcqxREPT9e7LVDAnnytuCWhwGtENLSBOa_/s4000/retrofest.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBV0yCRDA7jry5lvLSFd7-cmbMuSxZriOpCmMq0YtUP4DOK6CMGljvgklDID8tGh892D73FK78iNLQ0PwtwXeIoUrG6zFIW4NaAk544bVOF5D5QfvRjnblZpJw69RYKc2UPmJLmeLl2cUlQ3tCfsLnqx3SGVDcqxREPT9e7LVDAnnytuCWhwGtENLSBOa_/w640-h298/retrofest.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>We caught a few car displays and especially loved seeing the Ghostbusters car doing the laps! The track winds throughout the festival so it's not hard to find a spot to watch the live shows. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu0PxIP2VliE6JlAA5frGeblG-ozu2vCIA5ial4GhdMOrtIuCDabbG_ZskAh9wMsMiSW_kSZa5WLCAANCsWIz2ncs2s30Gapvzh_Dc5r3i35wBdxS9ZRqrmtUWC-RGsQt4UsU2bMhuxuki98X-F5ZirpL0Wy8IZ6K7PYAvTMtqHt-V0im_SyYW8bv872Hw/s4000/ghostbusters%20carfest.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2252" data-original-width="4000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu0PxIP2VliE6JlAA5frGeblG-ozu2vCIA5ial4GhdMOrtIuCDabbG_ZskAh9wMsMiSW_kSZa5WLCAANCsWIz2ncs2s30Gapvzh_Dc5r3i35wBdxS9ZRqrmtUWC-RGsQt4UsU2bMhuxuki98X-F5ZirpL0Wy8IZ6K7PYAvTMtqHt-V0im_SyYW8bv872Hw/w640-h360/ghostbusters%20carfest.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>We found ourselves in the Adventurefest field and this was probably one of our favourite areas. There was a large scouting section run by Hampshire scouts and the kids made a bee line for the climbing wall - rather than than me! We had a go at archery, and the kids added their Beaver/Scout troop to the Scouting map. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBZdahahbHDuj_N_FAPUPFWiJo5dIejbQZf9s_lMmB_tEnnPJQG3v1yjj2uJHPJBd1rv-7_XgIwRWcnCkFIrDCldzxw_PMEGblpxQtJ2faghPAFgxsedDXq99J-lH6nDSYKJRA6sIms9-F9gPUfPkJr8QpHWTaOF7_G1pbF4IRR-P2N5q01T5FBkVzevKV/s4000/scout%20map%20carfest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBZdahahbHDuj_N_FAPUPFWiJo5dIejbQZf9s_lMmB_tEnnPJQG3v1yjj2uJHPJBd1rv-7_XgIwRWcnCkFIrDCldzxw_PMEGblpxQtJ2faghPAFgxsedDXq99J-lH6nDSYKJRA6sIms9-F9gPUfPkJr8QpHWTaOF7_G1pbF4IRR-P2N5q01T5FBkVzevKV/w640-h298/scout%20map%20carfest.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>We were also very fortunate to catch Tim Peake who was chatting to the scouts - Elliot managed to say hello and shake his hand which made his day! My husband was rather envious that he missed him but he did get to watch a Q&A with Tim later on in the afternoon at the Discovery Hub stage. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbbJo5S3VYV9HDGQz3BtrQLbL0vRAaVAu6k6g6JVvsVuekv7xCUog4Xc8pBE5OzkLdPmQL3NYUMD_AiqzvZfn2QSodasksMiHaIJKQUYapVvlOyqALCzr6eMabW27jDApwEkPdfZD78VBCEI3fSBK8KTK8ZHBTCBBOMfroz4oj4FgnOCzkuArSoPHLPKal/s2400/tim%20peake%20scouts%20carfest.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbbJo5S3VYV9HDGQz3BtrQLbL0vRAaVAu6k6g6JVvsVuekv7xCUog4Xc8pBE5OzkLdPmQL3NYUMD_AiqzvZfn2QSodasksMiHaIJKQUYapVvlOyqALCzr6eMabW27jDApwEkPdfZD78VBCEI3fSBK8KTK8ZHBTCBBOMfroz4oj4FgnOCzkuArSoPHLPKal/w288-h640/tim%20peake%20scouts%20carfest.jpg" width="288" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meeting Tim Peake at Carfest</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Adventurefest was also home to Bugfest which as the name suggests, was a great place to get up and close to lots of creepy crawlies. This was one of the few paid for activities we did, and I think it was £5 per person to enter the Bugfest tent but the kids loved it and it was money well spent. There was no time limit and they were able to hold a tarantula, millipede, stick insect and many more. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiITnMJmZ4EE9kipy_gblUCUU5-pDzwUyQP-1qeuw_9E64mt6alrT1EY-kqaZYyaIgMjwqHG4bW0d-hCx1cGoqB852v0fTMLYxJP273gxHyh6T7snmV9nMOSx2JeCrlaSpO1fgyh6kz6BZ_4V9zajjVgNuwL47iJqYRmLxPXUhNA_0IrIpLCfOXki0q6H-v/s4000/millipede%20carfest.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiITnMJmZ4EE9kipy_gblUCUU5-pDzwUyQP-1qeuw_9E64mt6alrT1EY-kqaZYyaIgMjwqHG4bW0d-hCx1cGoqB852v0fTMLYxJP273gxHyh6T7snmV9nMOSx2JeCrlaSpO1fgyh6kz6BZ_4V9zajjVgNuwL47iJqYRmLxPXUhNA_0IrIpLCfOXki0q6H-v/w640-h298/millipede%20carfest.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BugFest</td></tr></tbody></table><p>We dipped back into the Kidsfest for a quick bounce on the giant bouncy castle and we made sure to pick up some freebies from the Capri Sun and Pip Organic stalls. We also headed back to the farmers market where we couldn't resist another scotch egg! </p><p>With the afternoon almost over, we decided to spend some time exploring the Motorsport Paddock where Elliot was in his absolute element! It was a chance to get up close to some of his favourite cars and he thoroughly enjoyed spotting lots of Aston Martins. Aside from seeing Rick Astley, I think this was probably his favourite part of the weekend. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqVWNXRPte9l-xY0R3MMd54F8SyiDuPclJe6XB_qoNooDuIvqQmvm_pmVM79PDP3xTsk49ChnY9Ogl1IS3CyMMqTRhKdhzykWhS0ECrxrPCUdWInZVb7Af1r0Lprij1SfqFxu77xNWaDXlVrLcYQCtWzDo-niRE5DiNm-t1nUuQzj-kM21lO6iCkbjhuwa/s4000/motorsport%20paddock%20carfest.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqVWNXRPte9l-xY0R3MMd54F8SyiDuPclJe6XB_qoNooDuIvqQmvm_pmVM79PDP3xTsk49ChnY9Ogl1IS3CyMMqTRhKdhzykWhS0ECrxrPCUdWInZVb7Af1r0Lprij1SfqFxu77xNWaDXlVrLcYQCtWzDo-niRE5DiNm-t1nUuQzj-kM21lO6iCkbjhuwa/w640-h298/motorsport%20paddock%20carfest.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Back at the main stage, we grabbed some food and settled in for the evening. There was a real variety of acts including Alex Horne's Horne section, Ricky Wilson from Kaiser Chiefs, The Feeling and The Village People. Unsure of how many of the original Village People line up were left but it was entertaining nonetheless! (Even if they did take an awful long time to start their performance)</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnrF_kDjBVjwl8qh8gAEUG-RB6zHrdkN6T7i5u4imAA2F13w7QI2tfZBSqWbY1Zhjr4Ehn9TG3H9WzLpWsTNpaMOn-UXHGEL4fd2XFCrjQEvgsmuHK8KBZ0yMEw4DMXrRuf2cyGls9UBuR4_7gscCf7mW5OTAC349Lwxx0UTViVd98qJd2TrpyNDo98tAi/s4000/village%20people%20carfest.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnrF_kDjBVjwl8qh8gAEUG-RB6zHrdkN6T7i5u4imAA2F13w7QI2tfZBSqWbY1Zhjr4Ehn9TG3H9WzLpWsTNpaMOn-UXHGEL4fd2XFCrjQEvgsmuHK8KBZ0yMEw4DMXrRuf2cyGls9UBuR4_7gscCf7mW5OTAC349Lwxx0UTViVd98qJd2TrpyNDo98tAi/w640-h298/village%20people%20carfest.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Village People - Carfest</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Texas were the headliner for the Sunday night and I would have loved to have stayed to see their entire set but we decided to call it a night a few songs in with some very tired children in tow. We did however stumble across a silent disco at the Bp Pulse tent so of course we had to stop and have a little boogie! </p><p>We had such a brilliant weekend at Carfest and there were so many memories made - too many to mention in this blog. Highlights included meeting Tim Peake, dancing to Rick Astley, and hearing the roar of the engines on the track. </p><p>Carfest certainly lived up to it's reputation and I feel like we only scratched the surface of the activities on offer. The kids are already asking if we're going again this year. We might even be brave enough to camp 😃</p><p>Ticket are already on sale for Carfest 2024 and can be found <a href="https://carfest.seetickets.com/event/carfest/laverstoke-park-farm-overton/2757174#op1" target="_blank">here</a></p><p><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">*Disclaimer - We were gifted weekend tickets for Carfest but all thoughts and opinions are honest and we genuinely had a fantastic time! </span></i></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Entertaining Elliot & Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361231779235423707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542555274990469588.post-29015957577722538542023-12-29T16:20:00.000+00:002023-12-29T16:20:19.281+00:00Winter Family Activities To Enjoy During The Christmas Holidays<p> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Winter Family Activities To Enjoy During The Christmas Holidays</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-0985f0a4-7fff-5d78-ca85-eb282ced0074"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Winter can feel like a drag, forcing everyone to snuggle indoors for what may seem like an eternity. Unfortunately, staying indoors for too long has some </span><a href="https://www.vinmec.com/en/news/health-news/healthy-lifestyle/health-effects-of-staying-at-home-too-much/#:~:text=Most%20people%20will%20start%20to,you%20will%20feel%20stagnant%2C%20down" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">mental health consequences</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. Thankfully, the cold and snowy months also present an opportunity to bond with your family, with work and school responsibilities temporarily out of the way. There’s plenty you can do with your loved ones to make the cold holiday season fun and memorable instead of locking yourselves up. So, start retrieving those winter boots, scarves, coats, and socks to enjoy these fun winter activities with your family during the </span><a href="https://www.entertainingelliot.com/2016/05/101-little-things-to-do-in-dorset-with.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">holidays</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">.</span></p><br /><ol style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">Catch a Christmas show</span></p></li></ol><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 400px; overflow: hidden; width: 602px;"><img height="400" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/sXbzj60V0ceD1uKQCRj02j1R-7pb72f38QCLBaH9rRjvF933Czyuq9iLEKciFw139vhQeYPvOZGbYwB5M77kk3Oc05sebYSMz7uSxDMznpbIXpJC2fQozZs5hdzHaqVpXzDQS_GFqupeuRl2M6hPFVg" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="602" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/gray-bubble-jacket-1719571/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Image credit</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The holiday period is a season for pantos and parades. From the </span><a href="https://www.manchester.gov.uk/news/article/9386/the_manchester_christmas_parade_is_this_weekend_-_all_you_need_to_know" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Manchester Christmas Parade</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> to other yuletide events, these fun activities have become a part of the holiday tradition in most places. These dazzling and spirited events are usually characterised by colourful displays, jingles, outdoor festive decor, Christmas carols, melodies from marching bands, large-size mascots, floats, balloons on bicycles, and so much more. The cherry on the top is always an appearance from the special character of the moment, Father Christmas (or Santa Claus, depending on where you are). But it’s not just about the sights and sounds, as there’s usually so much to eat and drink. This is something your little ones will truly love - an excellent break from being indoors for too long. </span></p><br /><ol start="2" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">Go ice skating or figure skating if you prefer</span></p></li></ol><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Whether ice skating or figure skating, they essentially mean the same thing - skating on ice. For clarity purposes, the activity of ice skating has given rise to figure skating and speed skating as two distinctive sports. But you can enjoy any of them during winter. Depending on your location, you can find several centres open for ice skating activities with free entry. All you and your loved ones need are pairs of high-quality </span><a href="https://www.skatehut.co.uk/skates/figure-ice-skates" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">figure skates</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> and some basic manoeuvering skills on the ice, and you’ll have a blast. </span></p><br /><ol start="3" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">Take the family sledging</span></p></li></ol><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 401px; overflow: hidden; width: 602px;"><img height="401" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/jq2JuP2XtkGB06ud3uIYldl96wR71SLQqLv4hpg5F-5GDl3O7aYJBnzK7uwQ7ZJU4Cus4_3NcOUYkkApAjjFHnW6hefMP-gEqbg_LQmrzsyzlx_RxVPfFncEJGsPJxhSvuU_kATYvpWob2kLDcvHl8Y" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="602" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-man-and-a-woman-pulling-sled-on-the-snow-with-their-children-6617796/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Image credit</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">If you want something a bit more inexpensive, consider sledging. All you need to have an amazing experience is a sizable hill covered in snow; no need to travel too far. A little bit of courage is also crucial, especially when going downhill at top speed. You can use a flat-bottom plastic saucer or a traditional wooden sledge with runners, but the experience will almost be the same. It’s fun and exhilarating, particularly for kids, but please make sure they stay within sight. It’s also best to avoid taking unnecessary risks to minimise the risk of injuries. </span></p><br /><ol start="4" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">Take a winter hike</span></p></li></ol><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Understandably, bundling up for a winter hike in the snow is not what many will consider a fun way to spend the holidays. While winter hiking might seem like more trouble than it’s worth, nature can look breathtakingly beautiful in the snow - something worth seeing and experiencing. Plus, studies have uncovered many health benefits of going for a winter hike, including building muscles and helping burn calories and fat. Winter hike locations are also less crowded, so you’ll enjoy some serenity. Alternatively, you can go for shorter walks in the snow around your neighbourhood. This option is less physically draining if you have little kids. </span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div></span>Entertaining Elliot & Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361231779235423707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542555274990469588.post-2117182146186352102023-12-17T23:34:00.002+00:002023-12-17T23:34:13.465+00:00Cinderella at the Tivoli Wimborne - Pantomime Review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHbPWM_q1v4LJubhto7p2xFo-ShKJJBs9jHdg9BW5c0MNkiEXp_QAFk0WbkrgywgkG4YRyCU_dEaozJ3dIruTSJ1K5DDXD8OmZ7h1B5M8vRhSywmfSsza6hULLQ6uNTcPuEfqt6ZXYD-rGNuHwJyUahyQAswqCrhnNVZ8JfvmH7iKORB77LtH__9MSPB3W/s1800/377506048_334580302275038_9084210880467807442_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHbPWM_q1v4LJubhto7p2xFo-ShKJJBs9jHdg9BW5c0MNkiEXp_QAFk0WbkrgywgkG4YRyCU_dEaozJ3dIruTSJ1K5DDXD8OmZ7h1B5M8vRhSywmfSsza6hULLQ6uNTcPuEfqt6ZXYD-rGNuHwJyUahyQAswqCrhnNVZ8JfvmH7iKORB77LtH__9MSPB3W/s320/377506048_334580302275038_9084210880467807442_n.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br /> <span style="color: #374151; font-family: Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji"; font-size: 16px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Wimborne, a quaint town nestled in the heart of Dorset, has once again transported its residents and visitors to a world of enchantment and magic with its annual <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TivoliPanto" target="_blank">pantomime</a>. </span><span style="color: #374151; font-family: Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji"; font-size: 16px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Tivoli Theatre, with its historic charm and intimate ambiance, served as the perfect stage for Cinderella's enchanting tale.</span><p></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8zryHr7_4egkBejWf0vxiwJ3DhxbJ_oTYbf35e-yyA15kELs44o6J2LINEzkqBymoJkU3y28z4kHGRAuk5FckiMEdpFXUDdrnXoEkEgh4OjZ36Ybpjy1qR2TgJ_QH2-3E3Asw1oHnh6Pz4Kacp8ueVmWitzQzm2ga6NTeUbz95Hp8QNIZjvHiM2q5OLB9/s4000/20231215_174515.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8zryHr7_4egkBejWf0vxiwJ3DhxbJ_oTYbf35e-yyA15kELs44o6J2LINEzkqBymoJkU3y28z4kHGRAuk5FckiMEdpFXUDdrnXoEkEgh4OjZ36Ybpjy1qR2TgJ_QH2-3E3Asw1oHnh6Pz4Kacp8ueVmWitzQzm2ga6NTeUbz95Hp8QNIZjvHiM2q5OLB9/w640-h288/20231215_174515.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cinderella at the Tivoli, Wimborne</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p><span style="color: #374151; font-family: Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, Segoe UI, Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, Noto Sans, sans-serif, Helvetica Neue, Arial, Apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol, Noto Color Emoji;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">We were excited to be invited along to opening night of Cinderella and knew we were in for a treat from the very beginning. Regulars to the Wimborne panto will recognise lots of faces from previous shows and I was excited to hear that Courtney Jackson was returning, this time playing the the role of Fairy Godmother. Also returning to the Tivoli are Luke Attwood and Brandon Nicholson - we saw these two as the ugly sisters back in 2018 and they were very funny.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #374151; font-family: Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, Segoe UI, Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, Noto Sans, sans-serif, Helvetica Neue, Arial, Apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol, Noto Color Emoji;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRgZiMzsCY8VQu6RNE4127lx84ijkzZKJLYw5mJWvlrB-Lxg_k_3K4Bcti8Xt5RNF4VDXQnC8-yjq6KU5UF2xIEurupKwsd_7gQGDfecTfZO024sEw-zgF0fiJQ6f3cA0COBLNerWJZrOmt2ybjETz7ksS6xO9DrAEXuU_Sy7UMgAg3bX_1hSt-fOiaROE/s4000/image0.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2252" data-original-width="4000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRgZiMzsCY8VQu6RNE4127lx84ijkzZKJLYw5mJWvlrB-Lxg_k_3K4Bcti8Xt5RNF4VDXQnC8-yjq6KU5UF2xIEurupKwsd_7gQGDfecTfZO024sEw-zgF0fiJQ6f3cA0COBLNerWJZrOmt2ybjETz7ksS6xO9DrAEXuU_Sy7UMgAg3bX_1hSt-fOiaROE/w640-h360/image0.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtney Jackson and his pumpkins</td></tr></tbody></table></span></p><p><span style="color: #374151; font-family: Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, Segoe UI, Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, Noto Sans, sans-serif, Helvetica Neue, Arial, Apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol, Noto Color Emoji;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">The auditorium was full of families and large groups of beavers and cubs (including my children!) and there was a real buzz in the air as the lights dimmed and the panto began. </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #374151; font-family: Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, Segoe UI, Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, Noto Sans, sans-serif, Helvetica Neue, Arial, Apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol, Noto Color Emoji;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">The show was full of high energy singing and dancing, and plenty of jokes that sailed right over the children's heads! The set design was vibrant and each scene moved flawlessly into the next. The carriage scene was absolutely magical and children will gasp in wonder! </span></span><span style="color: #374151; font-family: Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji"; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The costumes were fantastic, and a special nod must go to the Ugly Sisters who had quite the wardrobe and wig collection!</span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCkmkP9b-kubpCOjvgsb1xh8Yk77FtFfWsraypOB-Cu6BrKZGm3fC6DbhNxGUP6-96vPp1l5uVD02elSnw3GC7t_HM7vAtOaeAuyZUI-rTQV0WPjXp6Ef2XIdnQjAwTB9IaT4fkFB-N92fg7cUNHua5VRFea1gxv1WTz-yN9UbCckCTnheGiEFiL46UHk5/s4000/image2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2252" data-original-width="4000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCkmkP9b-kubpCOjvgsb1xh8Yk77FtFfWsraypOB-Cu6BrKZGm3fC6DbhNxGUP6-96vPp1l5uVD02elSnw3GC7t_HM7vAtOaeAuyZUI-rTQV0WPjXp6Ef2XIdnQjAwTB9IaT4fkFB-N92fg7cUNHua5VRFea1gxv1WTz-yN9UbCckCTnheGiEFiL46UHk5/w640-h360/image2.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ugly Sisters and Cinderella</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: #374151; font-family: Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji"; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></p><p>Cinderella's cast were all so talented and leading lady Lucia-Jade Barker had great chemistry with Prince Charming. Buttons, played by Lee Redwood (who also writes and directs the panto) was a joy to watch. From his hilarious DVD gag, to his emotional solo (which the kids loved!), he had the audience rooting for him from the start. </p><p>I love the bits in the panto that go wrong, although you're never quite sure whether the calamity is actually meant to be happening or not! One such moment involved a sock, an ugly sister and a wig and we were in absolute stitches. My kids said this part was the highlight for them! </p><p>This is our 5th Wimborne panto that we have seen and my son Elliot said this was the best yet. We had a fantastic night and left feeling full of cheer. Thank you for having us!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipqxrCnz791Cf7yWaA8AN5Quwe1SATugqFATfxFEe4EtkIJvj7d6OLOxrqqNJRvK1qBQlj9Qn-wYUR4whZOYw8pVDGDVYwR35b41p1Eu9WyeCjOdXsmHnidJLJiamrqBBwqlzdTx3guGdZUQdQieG0OR2NzheAiqatKQA-H_-fm1OB0uJzCsogn_7K6qjy/s4000/20231215_203254.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipqxrCnz791Cf7yWaA8AN5Quwe1SATugqFATfxFEe4EtkIJvj7d6OLOxrqqNJRvK1qBQlj9Qn-wYUR4whZOYw8pVDGDVYwR35b41p1Eu9WyeCjOdXsmHnidJLJiamrqBBwqlzdTx3guGdZUQdQieG0OR2NzheAiqatKQA-H_-fm1OB0uJzCsogn_7K6qjy/w640-h288/20231215_203254.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">You can catch Cinderella the Tivoli right up until 2nd January, so don't delay, go and book those tickets!</p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">*Disclaimer - We were invited along to the panto in exchange for an honest review</span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg78MmyqpZxypUY4ownYDqb4cvCqx8KAHZiTWX1ugfiE0j8ILXZq5_rrokR5xxGhDVk4A0ME8YwM3-IELjgqAUgdT2vquYwmbhSanqJKB3H6fR5Mp5BryAuVY90HG45ZdNFgwn8PCkV6NuI8RM41vDeed5IGnXvqGw_j9i-loWZ0r9-dNR7gPxyzOO7nehO/s821/20231215_175457.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="821" data-original-width="383" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg78MmyqpZxypUY4ownYDqb4cvCqx8KAHZiTWX1ugfiE0j8ILXZq5_rrokR5xxGhDVk4A0ME8YwM3-IELjgqAUgdT2vquYwmbhSanqJKB3H6fR5Mp5BryAuVY90HG45ZdNFgwn8PCkV6NuI8RM41vDeed5IGnXvqGw_j9i-loWZ0r9-dNR7gPxyzOO7nehO/w298-h640/20231215_175457.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Entertaining Elliot & Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361231779235423707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542555274990469588.post-9801386481731324442023-12-13T17:27:00.000+00:002023-12-13T17:27:52.839+00:00Sail with Santa with City Experiences - Poole Quay, Dorset<p> We love to book a Santa experience every year and we've tried out various different ones in the local area and <a href="https://www.entertainingelliot.com/2022/01/all-aboard-polar-express-seaton-tramway.html" target="_blank">further afield</a>. This year we booked to <a href="https://www.cityexperiences.com/poole/city-cruises/sail-with-santa/" target="_blank">Sail with Santa</a> from Poole Quay and were excited to try something different! </p><p>Sail with Santa is run by City Experiences and the Solent Scene boat can be found moored on Poole Quay. Once aboard you will be taken on a cruise around Poole Harbour, passing by the famous Brownsea Island, Studland Bay and more. </p><p>Children will receive a snack and a drink, and there is mulled wine and mince pies for the grown ups. </p><p>Although it's a busy time of year, Santa takes a break from his busy schedule to stop by and all children will receive an age appropriate gift.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Our Experience</h2><p>On the day of our cruise, it was crisp and cold and feeling very Christmassy. However the weather wasn't on our side and the sea mist was coming in fast. This meant that the boat wasn't allowed to leave the Quayside and even Rudolf couldn't help us, it was just too foggy!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfCQNhTM4TIXYrInWdFYeHuj0vf4Dp4UZKUIvnnbfSMcWiq_r81PJF_h26nza01U8DbchJg1qU71yWeN-WgOft_sNSjHAD81XusssjPk-pvWc5WONlxBUa4ZBxm7CYfOoiYgI3PhSuWnSSzw4tbbobi6SBwc1dHNcJl4inVz3bmyIboNfdhwh1vCEKplla/s4000/solent%20scene%20poole%20quay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfCQNhTM4TIXYrInWdFYeHuj0vf4Dp4UZKUIvnnbfSMcWiq_r81PJF_h26nza01U8DbchJg1qU71yWeN-WgOft_sNSjHAD81XusssjPk-pvWc5WONlxBUa4ZBxm7CYfOoiYgI3PhSuWnSSzw4tbbobi6SBwc1dHNcJl4inVz3bmyIboNfdhwh1vCEKplla/w640-h288/solent%20scene%20poole%20quay.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to board the Solent Scene, Poole Quay</td></tr></tbody></table><p>This meant our Sail with Santa experience wasn't quite what we were expecting but what we lacked in views, the staff on board more than made up for with their enthusiasm! Led by Santa's best Elf, there were games and Christmas music and lots of laughs. Soon it was time for the children to meet Santa, and fortunately he had made his way through the fog and found us ok. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPN3Q5_jxem1XauDtISgHQeQiAQIx_DIj2D3ZwQwaIxVM7mLVZ7phsb4zDq5zpMKSVGbegtLfWtmkKl-HgnbK8y9wHgDf4nM8UArrEhJzROXh9hIENUxDzCjMOtVSdRnUoKCV4DpjzydQGRftJR83UfKzZD5LZVEq75Ve4VLhXEOdpXzlyMAYjvrSRrk0g/s4000/Meeting%20Santa%20City%20Experiences.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPN3Q5_jxem1XauDtISgHQeQiAQIx_DIj2D3ZwQwaIxVM7mLVZ7phsb4zDq5zpMKSVGbegtLfWtmkKl-HgnbK8y9wHgDf4nM8UArrEhJzROXh9hIENUxDzCjMOtVSdRnUoKCV4DpjzydQGRftJR83UfKzZD5LZVEq75Ve4VLhXEOdpXzlyMAYjvrSRrk0g/w640-h298/Meeting%20Santa%20City%20Experiences.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Each child was presented with a certificate and a lovely gift. My son is 11 and at that awkward stage with gifts where he's getting too old for toys but he was thrilled to bits with his present. At the booking stage you are able to put what your child is into so the elves can find a suitable present and they did well! </p><p>The whole experience was lovely and I liked the fact that we didn't feel rushed. Erin and her friends (who were also onboard) spent quite some time chewing Santa's ear off and he was more than happy to answer their millions of questions. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRpW0oTa52GtJ4T9ibROP7LKLw3CwY8Uby86Jxcvi-TD0Ogqrmm7YPzcP5YMJtk6BHtQPSwkP4Gp_7LU3uoRo05KraDk-7XEKUbOCOaiyAP84oa8wZ7xgnQ7Hz0h4flw95rANkF4YkphJOJ-ky02Vyv53tGeTzEtMfmXlEt8e-0SHygfGdUnYU1zAtOsm-/s4000/sail%20with%20santa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2252" data-original-width="4000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRpW0oTa52GtJ4T9ibROP7LKLw3CwY8Uby86Jxcvi-TD0Ogqrmm7YPzcP5YMJtk6BHtQPSwkP4Gp_7LU3uoRo05KraDk-7XEKUbOCOaiyAP84oa8wZ7xgnQ7Hz0h4flw95rANkF4YkphJOJ-ky02Vyv53tGeTzEtMfmXlEt8e-0SHygfGdUnYU1zAtOsm-/w640-h360/sail%20with%20santa.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;">To Book:</h2><p>Sail with Santa is running daily from Saturday 16th December (different time slots available on certain days) but if you want to book, be quick as this is sure to sell out. If the weather conditions are too rough, the experience will run alongside the Quay (like ours did) but you will be offered a complimentary Harbour Cruise at a later date so you can still enjoy the stunning views. </p><p>For more information and to book, visit <a href="https://www.cityexperiences.com/poole/city-cruises/sail-with-santa/" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i style="background-color: white; color: #4e4e4e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">*Disclaimer - City Experiences kindly gifted us a family ticket in exchange for an honest review</i> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz0WrYoHrqDTaBtwTDXwt3UuhIRGlHWg0Pg22P0xSqi9zhDFEwxIbr4Q_4mH4pV9lun8yUuSGz4EXRkwE_-Cb8_bTkfOJkGJSCK7aH9AjzizK9iBbeBj4u8MxG0JJaPCh2zMullHMk594_NqKc6siZsPF3lcNaXg3E-k5tes3Zz2kwb0qJ0grIXBCeJFhC/s4000/sail%20with%20santa%20friends.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz0WrYoHrqDTaBtwTDXwt3UuhIRGlHWg0Pg22P0xSqi9zhDFEwxIbr4Q_4mH4pV9lun8yUuSGz4EXRkwE_-Cb8_bTkfOJkGJSCK7aH9AjzizK9iBbeBj4u8MxG0JJaPCh2zMullHMk594_NqKc6siZsPF3lcNaXg3E-k5tes3Zz2kwb0qJ0grIXBCeJFhC/w640-h288/sail%20with%20santa%20friends.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Entertaining Elliot & Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361231779235423707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542555274990469588.post-25527590828917148532023-10-20T16:25:00.001+01:002023-10-20T16:25:33.629+01:00Fun Ways To Spend More Quality Time With Your Kids<p> <img height="416" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/H_By-Idp514m4_zLj8Gq-TwBkTU4apYny1GuHsqaCVfhLrw1QwivcCX-IwIcInH5iRK1zhVxOXtAPURHGDRGXkeVt92iw7wi5M2MSaivpgzJLU4kAuOebouQcpG2xXN6U5dtsxP50RbK-Q1cR7X73I4" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;" width="624" /></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-f37355a1-7fff-e684-fdf2-14b348c1fffa"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-family-having-fun-with-soccer-ball-4148842/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Pexels</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Being a busy and working parent is a tough job to have. You likely have a lot of important to-dos on your schedule on any given day.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Even though you may be a busy person, you also should make sure you set aside family time. You and your children will look forward to these moments where you can grow a deeper bond. If you’re searching for some ideas then you’ve come to the right place. Here you can review some fun ways to spend more quality time with your kids.</span></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Traveling & Sightseeing</span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">One idea is to get out of the house and </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><a href="https://www.entertainingelliot.com/2023/10/coastal-cruising-with-city-experiences.html" target="_blank">travel and go sightseeing</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> with your kids. There are many options for doing so such as taking a road trip or getting on an airplane and going somewhere new and exciting. You may also discover that you and your loved ones enjoy camping and being outdoors. No matter what you choose to do it’ll feel good to go exploring together and to switch up your normal routine. Make sure that no matter where you go you bring your camera to capture all the memories you’ll be making as a family. </span></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Cooking & Baking</span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">You may also want to get busy in the kitchen with your kids and spouse. Be glad to know there are many ways to get your children involved in cooking. There are simple and tasty options for what you can cook or bake. For example, if you all are beginners in the kitchen, then you may want to try making this </span><a href="https://preppykitchen.com/no-bake-cheesecake/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">no bake cheesecake recipe</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. It will be a great starting point for you all to try and you’ll have a delicious treat to enjoy when you are all finished. You can try more challenging recipes and foods as you gain more experience together. </span></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">At the Playground & Getting Exercise</span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">One healthy habit you can teach your kids is to </span><a href="https://www.fawns.co.uk/post/7-benefits-of-outdoor-play" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">move more and exercise</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. Set a good example by working out together such as doing yoga at home. You can also spend more quality time with your kids by playing at the playground. It will feel good to run around and burn off some steam and energy. Playing at the park with your loved ones will be a good time and you’ll all sleep better at night after getting some fresh air outdoors. </span></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Doing Arts & Crafts</span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">If you want to spend more quality time with your kids then pull out the </span><a href="https://www.yours.co.uk/leisure/crafts/easy-craft-ideas-for-kids/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">arts and crafts</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. There are many different types of projects you can do when you get creative. This is a fun way to be with your children and it gives you a chance to deepen your connection with each other as you work as a team. Be sure to hang their projects on the refrigerator when you’re done to show them how much you appreciate their hard work. </span></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Conclusion</span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">It can be difficult to balance being a working parent and your home life. However, it’s vital that you make time for one another. These ideas will give you a starting point as to what you can be doing when you have the free time to spend with your kids.</span></p><br /></span>Entertaining Elliot & Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361231779235423707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542555274990469588.post-92085626607980946652023-10-17T22:05:00.000+01:002023-10-17T22:05:21.607+01:00Coastal Cruising with City Experiences - Poole/Swanage Sightseeing Cruise<p> I might be a bit biased but I think Dorset is one of the prettiest places in the UK - I've lived here all my life and can't imagine living anywhere else. I adore living by the sea and one of our favourite things to do in the Summer is hop on a boat and see Dorset from a different perspective.</p><p>One company who offer these trips is <a href="https://www.cityexperiences.com/" target="_blank">City Experiences</a> who have a wide range of cruises departing from Poole Quay. Last weekend I was invited to take the family on the <a href="https://www.cityexperiences.com/poole/city-cruises/poole-swanage-coastal-cruise/" target="_blank">Poole/Swanage Sightseeing Cruise</a>. </p><p>Throughout the Summer months there are three different departure times from Poole Quay - 10:30, 13:00 and 15:45. It takes around an hour to cruise over to Swanage and you can just stay on the boat for the return trip or you can get off and catch a later boat back. Departure times from Swanage Pier are 11:45, 14:30 and 16:45. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0aKcbFXE5bTJRs7B5zIo_IXFk8CtB5sB-xNBpSDdoMIfe7dsKYOvbOkwSOpD0oRwKi2N2LTBw0RII5qOM5HFl8o98iGh6mE6KFJJPew2Yvth__xxMrWdin9ZKYW66dRt2ROXmt5-qR_3YHbeusW8WB1kpxLlKxscCQOHUCmmYMpwuNoabQy99m_ai0wwe/s4000/swanage%20bay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0aKcbFXE5bTJRs7B5zIo_IXFk8CtB5sB-xNBpSDdoMIfe7dsKYOvbOkwSOpD0oRwKi2N2LTBw0RII5qOM5HFl8o98iGh6mE6KFJJPew2Yvth__xxMrWdin9ZKYW66dRt2ROXmt5-qR_3YHbeusW8WB1kpxLlKxscCQOHUCmmYMpwuNoabQy99m_ai0wwe/w640-h288/swanage%20bay.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swanage Bay, Dorset</td></tr></tbody></table><p>We wanted to spend a few hours in Swanage so we decided to catch the 10:30 boat from Poole. Check in was easy - our tickets were scanned and there were plenty of areas to sit, both inside/outside and under cover. You can also move freely around the boat which is handy if you want to try a different view! The boat also has toilets and a bar. </p><p>Luckily for us, the weather was glorious and we couldn't have picked a better day to travel by sea! Leaving Poole Quay we headed out into the Harbour and past Brownsea Island. Owned by the National Trust, Brownsea is a lovely place to visit and one of the very few places you can spot Red Squirrels in the UK. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqq8VDzDZxjkdyMVJfGNnYwGLtUy_e2GLeWldT7LTEg3_X8fKK-iKPW9cvgzmsfiMxXqjJwiB4JUlAISYv8yz-mwZx_CCMj8MN8UpYRRIKrNhPhTLwSvBZfJ0-g891m36c8iWtCKHLmegMyb5ZF_sIJIWwF7wOeLscSGmRuch7C9gDtvpb0FG-OleHLsY3/s4000/brownsea%20island.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqq8VDzDZxjkdyMVJfGNnYwGLtUy_e2GLeWldT7LTEg3_X8fKK-iKPW9cvgzmsfiMxXqjJwiB4JUlAISYv8yz-mwZx_CCMj8MN8UpYRRIKrNhPhTLwSvBZfJ0-g891m36c8iWtCKHLmegMyb5ZF_sIJIWwF7wOeLscSGmRuch7C9gDtvpb0FG-OleHLsY3/w640-h288/brownsea%20island.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brownsea Island, Poole</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Past the golden sands of Studland Beach (did you know part of the beach is strictly for nudists?!), we sailed by the famous white stacks of Old Harry Rocks. This is the start of the Jurassic Coast - a 95 mile stretch of coastline which is the only place on Earth where you can see rocks from the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods in one place - pretty impressive if you ask me! </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6VQW538p9pFjo1RS1R9IKMNZ5wUGJmtKEjQ4u6CqqbWH1o0B1LryJ6193zpCkVD5gMuc2-70nd4pDZTZ1WPWSE4vJebKPXVIm8ArtV5bhxFKxSYJPsBjCueuEFWuOx-lAigwqphsXXqGK-M6RJSp9ITXaD_BStfZloewQbqwQm5w4vQWRvGNl8czEyJXe/s4000/Old%20Harry%20Rocks%20Dorset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6VQW538p9pFjo1RS1R9IKMNZ5wUGJmtKEjQ4u6CqqbWH1o0B1LryJ6193zpCkVD5gMuc2-70nd4pDZTZ1WPWSE4vJebKPXVIm8ArtV5bhxFKxSYJPsBjCueuEFWuOx-lAigwqphsXXqGK-M6RJSp9ITXaD_BStfZloewQbqwQm5w4vQWRvGNl8czEyJXe/w640-h288/Old%20Harry%20Rocks%20Dorset.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old Harry Rocks, Dorset</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Soon we were heading for Swanage Pier and time to disembark the boat. Our return boat was 14:30 which gave us 2.5 hours to explore. We love <a href="https://www.jurassiccoast.org/explore/towns-and-villages/swanage" target="_blank">Swanage</a>, it's such a lovely little seaside town and definitely worth a visit if you are coming to Dorset. We had a nice stroll up to Peveril Point which gives you a fantastic view over Swanage Bay followed by fish and chips on the seafront. You can't come to Swanage and not get fish and chips! </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKRtjn4XhSZ6fP9D2uxFOKPJZ2-lFR3E9TyIfAFFwXNkll58jM4K7CMF8N_KOGp402NFQdMumIVBIffTNLYltmtot-Vj_oVDbfYV0YDNFbrT0QwsaoeRMP-yvLC7MrJHdXeCujH5nCAYwo80nwOv_JnEUpjLEx0NYrcCAVwPFRAF0t9nTFT5USt3n45Exw/s4000/Peveril%20Point%20swanage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKRtjn4XhSZ6fP9D2uxFOKPJZ2-lFR3E9TyIfAFFwXNkll58jM4K7CMF8N_KOGp402NFQdMumIVBIffTNLYltmtot-Vj_oVDbfYV0YDNFbrT0QwsaoeRMP-yvLC7MrJHdXeCujH5nCAYwo80nwOv_JnEUpjLEx0NYrcCAVwPFRAF0t9nTFT5USt3n45Exw/w640-h288/Peveril%20Point%20swanage.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking towards Peveril Point, Swanage</td></tr></tbody></table><p>We had time for a quick trip to the arcade (again, another essential Swanage must do if you're my kids!) and then as the weather was so lovely we sat on the beach for a bit and enjoyed the Autumn sunshine. It was so warm that the kids decided to have a little swim! </p><p>Soon it was time to head back to the Pier and catch our boat back to Poole Quay. We had a lovely day out and it felt like the perfect way to round off our Summer. </p><p>Thank you City Experiences for inviting us - for more information regarding all their trips from Poole and further afield, check out their website <a href="https://www.cityexperiences.com/" target="_blank">here</a>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Hg67AAMW6zYjKhjtvg2m8V9pPKni2P3u2sYTMZGnBNBkXGQKRf0sXzKgEywYtojcadJBXnhTqgi6KUk8MhNHXH558JXayZ6i6e343apNEqvt-5NFJysWhi6SA3i645EOqdlxni5Pu1VLRJihPaoqQKBHopUH1wwll6sEcS-nm2mu4B-ECA4ZfmWlP97i/s4000/City%20Experiences%20Poole%20Harbour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Hg67AAMW6zYjKhjtvg2m8V9pPKni2P3u2sYTMZGnBNBkXGQKRf0sXzKgEywYtojcadJBXnhTqgi6KUk8MhNHXH558JXayZ6i6e343apNEqvt-5NFJysWhi6SA3i645EOqdlxni5Pu1VLRJihPaoqQKBHopUH1wwll6sEcS-nm2mu4B-ECA4ZfmWlP97i/w640-h298/City%20Experiences%20Poole%20Harbour.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><i>*Disclaimer - City Experiences kindly gifted us a family ticket in exchange for an honest review</i></p><p><br /></p>Entertaining Elliot & Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361231779235423707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542555274990469588.post-75168792718373886772023-08-20T20:20:00.004+01:002023-08-20T20:20:44.699+01:00HIGH SCORE ARCADE POOLE - SUMMER HOLIDAY FUN<p> If you're looking for an activity for all the family then why not head for the newly opened <a href="https://www.highscorearcades.co.uk/" target="_blank">High Score Arcade</a> in the Dolphin Centre Poole. High Score Arcade boasts an impressive collection of classic arcade games such as Pac Man, Time Crisis, Terminator and many more. The variety of games available ensures there's something for every gaming enthusiast - whether you're a casual player or a seasoned pro. And the best part? It's free-play so you can challenge your friends and family over and over again until you win ;)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdM37oXZ9IZLsnR1PI_V9S6jb1L_RVi0Aui4p6yn9Qp--P_ZHEILUVIMxjKcAQSLgsXtjL46UDPCAureUyEaFSZ4kmmWrtLLl3xXGvpOvy0jwLa6CBL9GHOAQNRFPAgtRmOX3nf0zPZY45JipwsbZL3fdAjWrVWZwysBLURcrtvzlTAe9f2aBry2fhQmNy/s2763/poole%20high%20score%20arcade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="2763" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdM37oXZ9IZLsnR1PI_V9S6jb1L_RVi0Aui4p6yn9Qp--P_ZHEILUVIMxjKcAQSLgsXtjL46UDPCAureUyEaFSZ4kmmWrtLLl3xXGvpOvy0jwLa6CBL9GHOAQNRFPAgtRmOX3nf0zPZY45JipwsbZL3fdAjWrVWZwysBLURcrtvzlTAe9f2aBry2fhQmNy/w640-h416/poole%20high%20score%20arcade.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>High Score Arcade Poole is situated in the old Market Gallery unit and it's much bigger than I remembered. This means that there is plenty of space for the machines and never feels too crowded. There is a section for smaller children which Erin enjoyed exploring but she loved trying out the rest of the games throughout the arcade. The brilliant thing about free-play is that she could have a go on something and if she didn't like it, she just moved on to the next one. </p><p>Erin and I both loved the rollercoaster simulator - I don't think she was expecting her chair to wobble as much as it did! </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3eYtv4HGX4ZlRYybZwBQtVi_kPHkpa98s9kNXr78ekqgOa-oaVgfOtLO59XcQ9UqGIkk_fa5UiI1QwoI_sYM8dmhgzBScMy2Zch8U3X5s4aysoedY-6GashFwNXACxl6Tyqy3ygOaLMVEGp6HhVmGcv_PKFecZmUg3e2w-e56Zg4OLBhOfXDqXtXTP1UY/s4000/rollercoaster%20simulator%20high%20score%20arcade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3eYtv4HGX4ZlRYybZwBQtVi_kPHkpa98s9kNXr78ekqgOa-oaVgfOtLO59XcQ9UqGIkk_fa5UiI1QwoI_sYM8dmhgzBScMy2Zch8U3X5s4aysoedY-6GashFwNXACxl6Tyqy3ygOaLMVEGp6HhVmGcv_PKFecZmUg3e2w-e56Zg4OLBhOfXDqXtXTP1UY/w640-h288/rollercoaster%20simulator%20high%20score%20arcade.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Erin riding the rollercoaster simulator</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Elliot is a bit of a gamer so he was in his element - he made a bee line for the Star Wars game and had lots of fun beating his Dad on the basketball hoops!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6otI4sTgJDH8qBzFOQVkt9xWaMxVzdeA810UyHSHexGu8cXMjwqlXNtvBdi1RCIOLANLhr3-1MRcCC2VFQuNBu6oLtYRrytSiNAhFaX8F5AJmQdXPiX7m1K3JkXDgDsF0mUxdxSjRGPZaE3qAdxuV28QIRRVpp2hYkFWMwyOwvyQyMVNMMEDWnZ-xKYZy/s4000/high%20score%20arcade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6otI4sTgJDH8qBzFOQVkt9xWaMxVzdeA810UyHSHexGu8cXMjwqlXNtvBdi1RCIOLANLhr3-1MRcCC2VFQuNBu6oLtYRrytSiNAhFaX8F5AJmQdXPiX7m1K3JkXDgDsF0mUxdxSjRGPZaE3qAdxuV28QIRRVpp2hYkFWMwyOwvyQyMVNMMEDWnZ-xKYZy/w640-h288/high%20score%20arcade.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>The cost for an hours play is £11.95 (under 5's are free) and I think this is great value. They also do family tickets and even concessions for Blue Light Card holders. </p><p>There is no cafe however they do sell water/soft drinks and although you can't take these into the arcade, there is a large seating area called the "Hub" which you are welcome to relax in. </p><p>High Score have some special events on over the remaining weeks of the Summer Holidays - you win free return tickets so I'd definitely recommend checking these out: </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhils4MtR--XHz_eS9QAZgRkorGi3ZBNrg45i00pOgqcNvIb-mxERkoUka2l3jy4zZJvFz7xB01Lc2szQdplNrU9ZhnEUmzBn52aZhlYFWsGeccVIYuYvJ70zkllcXvoVMp3f7D7iBvl2QTGxe5ttoPSwaGRIWT3vGE4sRXZTlXTx6_1dXU0HZr1Cj-Nlwm/s2177/summer%20schedule%20high%20score%20arcade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2177" data-original-width="1519" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhils4MtR--XHz_eS9QAZgRkorGi3ZBNrg45i00pOgqcNvIb-mxERkoUka2l3jy4zZJvFz7xB01Lc2szQdplNrU9ZhnEUmzBn52aZhlYFWsGeccVIYuYvJ70zkllcXvoVMp3f7D7iBvl2QTGxe5ttoPSwaGRIWT3vGE4sRXZTlXTx6_1dXU0HZr1Cj-Nlwm/w446-h640/summer%20schedule%20high%20score%20arcade.jpg" width="446" /></a></div><p>Overall we had a great time and I know we will definitely be back again soon for more arcade fun!</p><p>For more information about opening times and more, please visit the High Score Arcade <a href="https://www.highscorearcades.co.uk/" target="_blank">website</a>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTA3BgY1rgZjUwDmJ7k1oHrPkLLZ3fYmgl3vm5_a8dUQgPaHl3_r6d1MeeDLBOruiZBA94xFevbJb2T8QmaSm3ZFaUPOZUPXxtuOxFaHfuQ72wn1y6JQB4qigz3gWXtPOk5LN9TD8kWyEWIVZli_pSqOgrYBA00mruQU8-KQiOADm7GMtIxqrwWEqSjvTA/s2114/high%20score%20arcade%20poole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2114" data-original-width="1783" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTA3BgY1rgZjUwDmJ7k1oHrPkLLZ3fYmgl3vm5_a8dUQgPaHl3_r6d1MeeDLBOruiZBA94xFevbJb2T8QmaSm3ZFaUPOZUPXxtuOxFaHfuQ72wn1y6JQB4qigz3gWXtPOk5LN9TD8kWyEWIVZli_pSqOgrYBA00mruQU8-KQiOADm7GMtIxqrwWEqSjvTA/w338-h400/high%20score%20arcade%20poole.jpg" width="338" /></a></div><br /><p><i>*Disclaimer - We were invited along for the purpose of this review but as always, these are our honest views</i></p><p></p>Entertaining Elliot & Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361231779235423707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542555274990469588.post-37828928542873174032023-08-08T09:27:00.001+01:002023-08-08T09:27:49.597+01:00Visiting New York City with Kids! <p> You might not think that NYC would be a suitable holiday destination for young kids but let me tell you, there is so much to keep them amused and we had such a fun holiday when we visited last year!</p><p>Because we were only going for 5 full days, I wanted to plan as much as we could to maximise our time. I'll admit it was rather overwhelming at first but I joined a few Facebook groups, did lots of research online and eventually came up with a plan. One top tip if you are going is, group things together in location. Sounds simple but you don't want to be visiting the Empire State Building and then have to dash downtown to the 911 Museum and back up to Times Square after! Splitting the days up into "areas" really helped me come up with an itinerary. </p><p>You'll find that it is quite expensive to eat out in NYC - do your research and don't head for the tourist traps in Time Square. We didn't have a massive budget and we're not really into fancy restaurants so for us it was easier to grab thing on the go. Cheap pizza slices can be found everywhere, but we also found the Amazon shops quite good value for lunch bits. I also took a big bag of snacks from home so that I didn't have to keep buying food every time the kids said they were hungry (very often) and this worked well. </p><p>Another top tip would be to buy one of the passes that are available - you can save lots of money if you are planning on visiting lots of attractions. Shop around because they all vary in price and have different options. We went with a 5 day <a href="https://newyorkpass.com/en-us" target="_blank">New York Pass</a> which cost around $779 for us all. Certain attractions needed to be prebooked but our pass gave us unlimited visits per day so we could squeeze as much in as possible. When I got home I tallied up our attractions and the pass saved us over $400! </p><p>Here's what we got up to: </p><h1 style="text-align: left;">Day 1 - LDN to NYC </h1><p>We flew out with Virgin from London Heathrow and landed at JFK mid afternoon. We decided to use public transport to get from the airport so we used a combination of the Airtrain and Subway. Much cheaper than taxi and relatively simple. There are tons of videos on Youtube to help you plan your trip - definitely recommend watching a few so you know what tickets to buy and where to get on/off. </p><p>It was a short walk from the Subway station to our hotel - we stayed the <a href="https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/nycnhhh-new-york-hilton-midtown/" target="_blank">Hilton Midtown</a> which is located about 10 minutes from Times Square. We got lucky with our room - we were given an upgrade so had a lovely big corner room on the 13th floor with huge windows and views across to Central Park. </p><p>Everyone was pretty knackered by this point but we spent a couple of hours exploring the area. Times Square was certainly an assault on the senses! It is everything you see on TV and more - it is busy, bright and smelly and not somewhere I felt particular safe to be honest. But you can't come to NYC and not see Times Square at night can you?! </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3NhnlC7LjJTgrCS8-g1pGRJPl4Rh8mTkK05G1O6MG4Ja1Jn2gMhEX47xZlKS1rZziC7CUkU6GdN3JbbxK9MJnG5tPmQD7eEuMqE_bowyWmQ5MfrNDeTThEOuXMqkXsS5oaCJjH4feiOTOz624r_U_5QdmJyklIhelM5ZYBT_-LI9SGmiSYD5Eajqv-nsl/s3648/jetlagged%20in%20times%20square.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3NhnlC7LjJTgrCS8-g1pGRJPl4Rh8mTkK05G1O6MG4Ja1Jn2gMhEX47xZlKS1rZziC7CUkU6GdN3JbbxK9MJnG5tPmQD7eEuMqE_bowyWmQ5MfrNDeTThEOuXMqkXsS5oaCJjH4feiOTOz624r_U_5QdmJyklIhelM5ZYBT_-LI9SGmiSYD5Eajqv-nsl/w640-h480/jetlagged%20in%20times%20square.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jetlagged in Times Square</td></tr></tbody></table><h1 style="text-align: left;">Day 2 - Empire State Building/Chelsea Market/High Line/Intrepid Museum/Harbor Lights Cruise</h1><p>Jet lag meant that Erin was wide awake at 330am so that was fun -thank goodness for ipads and snacks bought from home!! We headed out early (not 330am early mind) and headed to our first attraction of the week - <a href="https://www.esbnyc.com/" target="_blank">Empire State Building</a>. This building is iconic and I was so excited to visit but unfortunately weather was not on our side. It was thick fog at the top and we literally couldn't see a thing! Still a fun visit though - we loved the displays inside and there are plenty of things to see on the way up. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC7UT9Mkri9G6bQ4dTO5944pKpt78oUmFXYjveMCkxE_ikGaVCYbsFsbnlLeU41Uakj6lZDnDRe_aaCVZoEvSU28bIiX5f2piegKYTEviz0oQBkoVtEqi8KBh9lE3sCcxcXLz22ymDF2B9xKIaghcrqc34mjQuDJkpXWuff7fbAzaKULJxRGaUyrFmyME0/s4000/foggy%20empire%20statebuilding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC7UT9Mkri9G6bQ4dTO5944pKpt78oUmFXYjveMCkxE_ikGaVCYbsFsbnlLeU41Uakj6lZDnDRe_aaCVZoEvSU28bIiX5f2piegKYTEviz0oQBkoVtEqi8KBh9lE3sCcxcXLz22ymDF2B9xKIaghcrqc34mjQuDJkpXWuff7fbAzaKULJxRGaUyrFmyME0/w640-h298/foggy%20empire%20statebuilding.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What a view!</td></tr></tbody></table><p> From here we walked down 5th Avenue (with a quick stop in the Lego store of course), past the famous Flat Iron building and towards Chelsea. Next stop on our itinerary was <a href="https://www.chelseamarket.com/" target="_blank">Chelsea Market</a>, a foodies paradise and considered one of the world's greatest indoor food and retail marketplaces. So many options and it was hard to pick one but we had hotdogs from <a href="https://www.chelseamarket.com/directory-all/berlin-currywurst" target="_blank">Berlin Currywurst</a> which were amazing. The market was decorated for Halloween and looked so spooky and festive!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8tUNZpzfs0_MNq4j-_QpjsPe93kJdUosIty-edzmm8T5YL06cBxEqSZCsdLby7kelHM2I9jG9D9UVNid6P_mJ6-B0OUQcsvKcXuRmoiRSddj309ZVLYz1tLE0kTHeesttASU1tCVN3N0S1etclLD5xKPjVCbBVMbHr1AJh1NV7TrUqS-T-_2bHE9F-GRC/s4000/chealsea%20market%20halloween.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8tUNZpzfs0_MNq4j-_QpjsPe93kJdUosIty-edzmm8T5YL06cBxEqSZCsdLby7kelHM2I9jG9D9UVNid6P_mJ6-B0OUQcsvKcXuRmoiRSddj309ZVLYz1tLE0kTHeesttASU1tCVN3N0S1etclLD5xKPjVCbBVMbHr1AJh1NV7TrUqS-T-_2bHE9F-GRC/w640-h298/chealsea%20market%20halloween.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chelsea Market at Halloween</td></tr></tbody></table><p>After our hotdogs we headed up to the <a href="https://www.thehighline.org/" target="_blank">High Line</a> which was right outside the Chelsea Market exit. The High Line is a public park built on a historic freight line, elevated above the streets on Manhatten's West Side. This is definitely a must see if you're visiting - it's a great way to see the City and despite the hustle and bustle below, it was actually very peaceful and tranquil. There is are lots of art installations along the walk, plus lots of places to sit an watch the world go by. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7CkuAfwpFLMwGVtEAINGKvcmJQ1DE41gSWtNWBiqERQxiN6gFnsItF6L9HCODUe2WWnOYOUIAhSTEMH5v780gojrrdWDgWR7YOvNbirRGG2bgNf73hy720OyR72sqTwxhJ7Bt7YBuIRLmxdjygFmWKBXOpotzdX2XxF9lu0LlAMgZGMbd5Pml88kDDw49/s4000/kids%20on%20highline%20nyc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7CkuAfwpFLMwGVtEAINGKvcmJQ1DE41gSWtNWBiqERQxiN6gFnsItF6L9HCODUe2WWnOYOUIAhSTEMH5v780gojrrdWDgWR7YOvNbirRGG2bgNf73hy720OyR72sqTwxhJ7Bt7YBuIRLmxdjygFmWKBXOpotzdX2XxF9lu0LlAMgZGMbd5Pml88kDDw49/w640-h298/kids%20on%20highline%20nyc.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking the High Line</td></tr></tbody></table><p>We followed the High Line all the way to the end at 34th Street and then hopped down to ground level where we headed for our next destination, <a href="https://www.intrepidmuseum.org/" target="_blank">The Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum</a>. This was available on our New York pass and was a great way to spend a couple of hours. There was lots to explore including the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid and Space Shuttle Enterprise. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJDZiMgIqNDWIa7E36nf3sT6KoVFQOYecYLx7p7OGKYdk_WdFQbcxQpor8vc_UcavK3Bjvh8BkVYpO03_mZzwS3T_CqencGaYVT_LOyw0eZHLrOeX8C1o-7I3-bOi904CHLHkykO6YWXmy6VC7lKU2FMawL9QJ1fJaHkxON_5QB9EUGvouCVLq82wJYj9z/s4000/intrepid%20nyc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJDZiMgIqNDWIa7E36nf3sT6KoVFQOYecYLx7p7OGKYdk_WdFQbcxQpor8vc_UcavK3Bjvh8BkVYpO03_mZzwS3T_CqencGaYVT_LOyw0eZHLrOeX8C1o-7I3-bOi904CHLHkykO6YWXmy6VC7lKU2FMawL9QJ1fJaHkxON_5QB9EUGvouCVLq82wJYj9z/w640-h298/intrepid%20nyc.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Intrepid Museum</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Our final stop for the evening was <a href="https://www.circleline.com/sightseeing-cruises/harbor-lights" target="_blank">Harbor Lights Circle Line Cruise</a>. Again, this was included on our NY Pass and it was something we were really looking forward to. It was a chance to see the City from a different perspective and the New York skyline was amazing to see as the sun went down. Unfortunately the weather wasn't on our side and whilst we started the boat trip on the top deck, I soon took the kids to sit downstairs in the dry whilst we left Paul upstairs on photo duty! The cruise was two hours long and took us right past the Statue of Liberty which was definitely a moment to remember. She is so iconic and it took my breath away seeing her lit up in front of me. The kids actually fell asleep on the cruise - the 330am start to the day definitely took it's toll but they did well to last so long! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJgdOQLteP8RxJoyEv__DomKTABG1RxuVCTJvKcjxMdz3QLX6KXV43MWyTQIeCBmoh3lQ6MO2Cofsz8T-nE_2NlW9N8Ic41M-f55HzVYpGSgniXTiq7H9uc4Izv9Xtaq3QA-nvrN9hJUpg7u2nrqJHVVBh0PrwqyiBi80rcV1X9y0VU00fkmWjVBiPIDbN/s4000/harbour%20lights%20cruise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJgdOQLteP8RxJoyEv__DomKTABG1RxuVCTJvKcjxMdz3QLX6KXV43MWyTQIeCBmoh3lQ6MO2Cofsz8T-nE_2NlW9N8Ic41M-f55HzVYpGSgniXTiq7H9uc4Izv9Xtaq3QA-nvrN9hJUpg7u2nrqJHVVBh0PrwqyiBi80rcV1X9y0VU00fkmWjVBiPIDbN/w640-h298/harbour%20lights%20cruise.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><i><b>Step Count: 24,462 and 10.15 Miles </b></i></p><h1 style="text-align: left;">Day 3 - Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island/Battery Park/Seaport/Dumbo/Brooklyn Bridge</h1><p>Another busy day planned and we were up early and on the subway by 830am making our way down to The Battery. (Or Battery Park as it was once known as). From here we hopped on the ferry which took us over to <a href="https://www.statueofliberty.org/visit/" target="_blank">Liberty Island</a>. This was included in our NY Pass and one of the attractions that we had pre-booked. It gets very busy so pre-booking is essential, especially if you want to get on the early ferries like we did. It was another foggy start to the day so when we arrived on the Island, the visibility wasn't great but it did clear eventually leaving us with fab views of Lady Liberty! We all really enjoyed the museum and learnt a lot. The kids picked up a rangers activity sheet and enjoyed completing this - at the end they got a sticker and a badge so it was well worth doing. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY4NIzixid-5jAiDOd6PfBZkHXdf9buZ3QHAFdCrbKkSRqC-LDljn1-vXX_hy-eGa4rN03AaWK8S-2fEOZDol9C586mR8_jcZNADfj1IL8ye3ojhSeqQ7aXVzUNOf0Ma7GqW9JJed-0ShpZgfgs1hdMe5CW3wqSTQuF22k-pgFYzP31Xj7kYDbjGkJwNCd/s4000/statue%20of%20liberty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY4NIzixid-5jAiDOd6PfBZkHXdf9buZ3QHAFdCrbKkSRqC-LDljn1-vXX_hy-eGa4rN03AaWK8S-2fEOZDol9C586mR8_jcZNADfj1IL8ye3ojhSeqQ7aXVzUNOf0Ma7GqW9JJed-0ShpZgfgs1hdMe5CW3wqSTQuF22k-pgFYzP31Xj7kYDbjGkJwNCd/w640-h298/statue%20of%20liberty.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Statue of Liberty - Liberty Island</td></tr></tbody></table><p>From Liberty Island we hopped on another ferry which took us across to <a href="https://www.statueofliberty.org/ellis-island/" target="_blank">Ellis Island</a>. This was on my must-do list and I wasn't disappointed. It was so interesting reading about the immigrants who arrived in America and walking through the Great Hall was gave me a real sense of what it would have been like back in the day. Ellis Island was really great for the kids - there were lots of interactive displays plus they got another rangers activity sheet which helped them understand the history. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnEZKae7qRO6862qYA0YFmbIFpLx9GlrpowEP5yWoueblJANvrnBFQ1KjBqvcIIL__3rhUBsPmIrH6CMwPfSCYZVK_Udx29HR_M-yz-_qykpSCbG9YpdZwlliJxtkPuipBO8Bvn0VamMvFORBQP9AT1VPVNLCAsQxMo1IhRUahzfeJSJnk5GwmIF9inkjP/s4000/ellis%20island.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnEZKae7qRO6862qYA0YFmbIFpLx9GlrpowEP5yWoueblJANvrnBFQ1KjBqvcIIL__3rhUBsPmIrH6CMwPfSCYZVK_Udx29HR_M-yz-_qykpSCbG9YpdZwlliJxtkPuipBO8Bvn0VamMvFORBQP9AT1VPVNLCAsQxMo1IhRUahzfeJSJnk5GwmIF9inkjP/w640-h298/ellis%20island.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great Hall - Ellis Island</td></tr></tbody></table><p>We spent a couple of hours exploring the <a href="https://www.statueofliberty.org/ellis-island/national-immigration-museum/" target="_blank">National Immigration Museum</a> and decided to head back to Manhatten when it started to get really busy. We had to wait a little while for a ferry back but by the time we were making our way across the harbour, the mist had completely cleared leaving blue skies and stunning views across to the City. And the sun came out! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAbms0GxBHPmKEaxBnt1imF3MjsaayS5kv0SmJy1vkGq_YrAzVtJzzLShcAgizSJ2cI6ywT32p2oT6at6SBz2iqBVO-mJF5_zJbMv4GTXMRPCruAp4RoR7Ekv7Yc2V9Y-dDSkVwKteMM2mZQbyCSNMBV0H-Ycam7_EmxOgmyB0ABN01gK2EhJGs7gfdSC/s4000/statue%20of%20liberty1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAbms0GxBHPmKEaxBnt1imF3MjsaayS5kv0SmJy1vkGq_YrAzVtJzzLShcAgizSJ2cI6ywT32p2oT6at6SBz2iqBVO-mJF5_zJbMv4GTXMRPCruAp4RoR7Ekv7Yc2V9Y-dDSkVwKteMM2mZQbyCSNMBV0H-Ycam7_EmxOgmyB0ABN01gK2EhJGs7gfdSC/w640-h298/statue%20of%20liberty1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Back at Battery Park we let the kids have a go on the famous <a href="https://www.seaglasscarousel.nyc/" target="_blank">Seaglass Carousel </a>and then let them run some energy off in a nearby park whilst we enjoyed the sunshine. Although our itinerary was quite packed, it's so important to have some downtime with children and they thoroughly enjoyed the time in the park! </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt9rZ3gitWC6VxtY73CQjQqjvIad7zqo_6Ru_vm0wgGUsT7lZU7N_wxcMOHOjE9pj-T60k6ssk4tX16BbYKuJ_hLktq7X_SpcWOjXnjoYgj4hYNdA01lmKOKWgZN-64B6J1Pq4x6qvR7ownzRMyuO7D7IhAGZoth1PV0tjtgEfb-09ozASytOoAtLjsfvm/s4000/seaglass%20carousel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt9rZ3gitWC6VxtY73CQjQqjvIad7zqo_6Ru_vm0wgGUsT7lZU7N_wxcMOHOjE9pj-T60k6ssk4tX16BbYKuJ_hLktq7X_SpcWOjXnjoYgj4hYNdA01lmKOKWgZN-64B6J1Pq4x6qvR7ownzRMyuO7D7IhAGZoth1PV0tjtgEfb-09ozASytOoAtLjsfvm/w640-h298/seaglass%20carousel.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seaglass Carousel </td></tr></tbody></table><p>From here we headed into the Financial District and made our way to <a href="https://theseaport.nyc/pier-17/" target="_blank">Pier 17</a>, picking up some snacks and cold drinks on the way. I'd read that Pier 17 had great views across to the Brooklyn Bridge and the views were actually even better than I'd imagined! We found a really cute pumpkin arch there too and we took some really great photos with the bridge in the background.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1B9G-guRSF2v-HtyscehTxTkcM_wSWnPD209T3jbYrYV18UOajSXFEE2Qh02Z5fBbIvXtNvW999jFkhD_7P_BiUGQcQIpOiToQW9FHS0ZuTh9lBNvNCwzFU66FFpMhJHI4Z0Nn95Yih2LocYy9ODUZV0VXiXFUry7Ohx5wIcnWFL90LlrRdqqNb4ayoUM/s4000/Pier%2017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1B9G-guRSF2v-HtyscehTxTkcM_wSWnPD209T3jbYrYV18UOajSXFEE2Qh02Z5fBbIvXtNvW999jFkhD_7P_BiUGQcQIpOiToQW9FHS0ZuTh9lBNvNCwzFU66FFpMhJHI4Z0Nn95Yih2LocYy9ODUZV0VXiXFUry7Ohx5wIcnWFL90LlrRdqqNb4ayoUM/w640-h298/Pier%2017.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge at Pier 17</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Our next destination was <a href="https://www.nycgo.com/boroughs-neighborhoods/brooklyn/dumbo/" target="_blank">Dumbo </a>(Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) so we caught a ferry across the river and soon we were standing in front of the iconic Dumbo photo location that everyone flocks to. We didn't quite make it in time for sunset but it was a great photo spot nonetheless. We had a little look around the area but we didn't stay too long as the kids were beginning to flag and it was starting to get dark. Instead we made our way up to the Brooklyn Bridge and headed back over to Manhattan. The bridge is just over a mile long and gives you amazing views of the City.....bear in mind though that there are no toilets on there. We spent the entire length of the walk listening to the kids saying they needed a wee desperately! </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpT0GDO3Hsai8UQkISDKxeKJ-sxvwB7y5btNQ7Yb0tE9kKvob2wYiehZ2V3x8AbzsWjdJa0jbiIk51In-6XZhjE89OoUCEUWcO00yYlfLIui3i_VVJuyrbk6-i49UwN1otFVdVKAz8-qOGxAyPs4uJy65KDt_eA6NPgaAabvdVyLxMkunANwuhGgsvo3D6/s4000/dumbo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpT0GDO3Hsai8UQkISDKxeKJ-sxvwB7y5btNQ7Yb0tE9kKvob2wYiehZ2V3x8AbzsWjdJa0jbiIk51In-6XZhjE89OoUCEUWcO00yYlfLIui3i_VVJuyrbk6-i49UwN1otFVdVKAz8-qOGxAyPs4uJy65KDt_eA6NPgaAabvdVyLxMkunANwuhGgsvo3D6/w640-h298/dumbo.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The famous DUMBO photo</td></tr></tbody></table><p>After a quick loo break and leg rest in a nearby starbucks, we took the Subway back to Midtown and the kids were asleep within seconds after another jam packed day. </p><p><i><b>Step Count: 21,678 and 9.01 Miles</b></i></p><h1 style="text-align: left;">Day 4 - Ghostbusters Firehouse/9/11 Memorial/Financial District/Grand Central Station/Marvel Walking Tour/New York Public Library/Top of the Rock</h1><p>We started the day by jumping on the Subway and heading to Tribecca where we located the Ghostbusters Firehouse. It's a fully functioning firehouse and the fireman are happy to pose for photos. We love the Ghostbusters films so it was great to see it in real life - not sure what the fireman thought when the kids rocked up in their Ghostbusters costumes though! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6aur9W01LLdsoCeTvNAgiAxnSEvDwacoyIgY9PFnR3GbjAK8A8fJqODHEaJuM80XJCf9jBQD1twHj5QBE49jY81jx_o1ByFx0lJCOycBjP7YBKKLxu6NrUYMNfvQj8x3z7uuaaspKMz3ZdGrjfTTcBNuzROFpu9DCyOga6ZrX79eWoCLoLFhsIov-EA/s4000/ghostbusters%20firehouse.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6aur9W01LLdsoCeTvNAgiAxnSEvDwacoyIgY9PFnR3GbjAK8A8fJqODHEaJuM80XJCf9jBQD1twHj5QBE49jY81jx_o1ByFx0lJCOycBjP7YBKKLxu6NrUYMNfvQj8x3z7uuaaspKMz3ZdGrjfTTcBNuzROFpu9DCyOga6ZrX79eWoCLoLFhsIov-EA/w640-h298/ghostbusters%20firehouse.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Breakfast was next on the agenda and we stumbled across <a href="https://www.zuckersbagels.com/" target="_blank">Zuckers </a>where we had some amazing bagels. It was really busy with locals so we knew we had found a good spot! </p><p>After a quick costume change for the mini ghostbusters we walked to the nearby <a href="https://www.911memorial.org/" target="_blank">9/11 Memorial</a> and Museum. We weren't able to go into the Museum as it was way too busy but we spent some time looking at the memorial. I found it quite emotional seeing all the names (nearly 3000) inscribed in bronze around the two huge pools of water. It's hard to get your head around what happened that day and the sheer size of the memorial was sobering. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHIvpUpoXMCPGErXkfI1oRSCo-qIH3NJ9BksqkUC6RDMMGr7HMNkckUvQmq5CQiFGO7s_1WX-iZRErer7opX2YKNkP0toUjxllYkhmdb3-_04u2rKMn81c6J5YveklHCYS6xpD4AIfjUdJEQdkPyYUXsS5ovKbuz2EBQZY0lqEl0Mz3unJXeohZrIXKT9k/s4000/911%20memorial.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHIvpUpoXMCPGErXkfI1oRSCo-qIH3NJ9BksqkUC6RDMMGr7HMNkckUvQmq5CQiFGO7s_1WX-iZRErer7opX2YKNkP0toUjxllYkhmdb3-_04u2rKMn81c6J5YveklHCYS6xpD4AIfjUdJEQdkPyYUXsS5ovKbuz2EBQZY0lqEl0Mz3unJXeohZrIXKT9k/w640-h298/911%20memorial.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>From here we heading towards the Financial District and spotted lots of famous sights including the NY Stock Exchange and the Fearless Girl sculpture. And of course we had to have a photo touching the famous Charging Bull's balls! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivBv2u9D4A5S2lGlnDfS2igG4j-SHYgRacsWycZnfzKlOyfTaxelw-fsMKgq67Hn08Q1uXzzbSd2A0j6Rzz68DiFTH8JySLW755IOzhMGhCtJaP46EyMrUGh_KhnhjMammHybO2UztCpxTvJ0dZcBCbJnoq0chAZIZm_a5dfooD_dtVLYt-1FknDyn0B5Y/s4000/bulls%20balls%20nyc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivBv2u9D4A5S2lGlnDfS2igG4j-SHYgRacsWycZnfzKlOyfTaxelw-fsMKgq67Hn08Q1uXzzbSd2A0j6Rzz68DiFTH8JySLW755IOzhMGhCtJaP46EyMrUGh_KhnhjMammHybO2UztCpxTvJ0dZcBCbJnoq0chAZIZm_a5dfooD_dtVLYt-1FknDyn0B5Y/w640-h298/bulls%20balls%20nyc.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimrPtJdY6tQVdejhe4z927nUfeAopcNYsQfjlHeuSmYSVms5z5XduuWjzgKGkKutIJKzrIw-tVuyAQOq6wOVZbnZQIcEcYCtvtt6b1pQgpiPmuVccVOmH-eCAWtAoTylqeumeyGNGdmUa78t-lWtOG4maqD0zYzoNfkQcBIHFYxSeom1v-_PJL_jxuItZr/s4000/fearless%20girls%20nyc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="1868" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimrPtJdY6tQVdejhe4z927nUfeAopcNYsQfjlHeuSmYSVms5z5XduuWjzgKGkKutIJKzrIw-tVuyAQOq6wOVZbnZQIcEcYCtvtt6b1pQgpiPmuVccVOmH-eCAWtAoTylqeumeyGNGdmUa78t-lWtOG4maqD0zYzoNfkQcBIHFYxSeom1v-_PJL_jxuItZr/w298-h640/fearless%20girls%20nyc.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fearless Girl sculpture at the New York Stock Exchange</td></tr></tbody></table><p><a href="https://www.grandcentralterminal.com/" target="_blank">Grand Central Terminal</a> was next on the agenda and it was much bigger than I expected. It's one of those places that just feels so familiar after seeing it in so many films. The architecture is stunning and we spotted the famous four faced clock - once rumoured to have been worth $20 million! </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDXZ8IPUJe2yGL9q_OmDyIcZTRqC8HielJA3HMlfsRpBqCHyvgcDfZjxQo5sOVTDlKLqOvG6YcqxWcpcjjDoK2gOuTdjbHdO_39M1k0ArX6dS247vtzFwZuJgRW1-_P-hAcBOu1P3-muNU3qcvHN_8Jvj09auM2NjFHpP8A2mu2um8zuVsR-37s5GKrwCi/s4000/grand%20central%20station.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDXZ8IPUJe2yGL9q_OmDyIcZTRqC8HielJA3HMlfsRpBqCHyvgcDfZjxQo5sOVTDlKLqOvG6YcqxWcpcjjDoK2gOuTdjbHdO_39M1k0ArX6dS247vtzFwZuJgRW1-_P-hAcBOu1P3-muNU3qcvHN_8Jvj09auM2NjFHpP8A2mu2um8zuVsR-37s5GKrwCi/w640-h298/grand%20central%20station.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grand Central Terminal</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Our next destination was a quick stop off for a late lunch - we grabbed some bits from a nearby Amazon Go store. These shops are really clever, you scan the app on your phone as you walk in and then just take what you need. No scanning, no queuing - IT JUST KNOWS!! </p><p>After lunch we were ready for our next activity - a <a href="https://topdogtours.com/tours/new-york-city/marvel-dc-superheroes-of-new-york/" target="_blank">Marvel/DC Walking Tour</a>. This was booked through our NY Pass and we thought it sounded quite interesting. Our tour guide was really knowledgeable and it was great to see so many filming locations, especially the Chrysler Building which is instantly recognisable!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFSyiW-w7oqZSvoReaw7i65It8dgkrGD08xWA7uu6RGS4tPddcAHFM9fhKhbuSIX-oqBPDQL2fVuGjkjPIPuNmk3OdfOaUpfj5yelUhIn2fOTmpXDwuLD48lEDw8Mv4PoMFmi49SPoHDqQ_cj8D0Ic33NTeEgzwrupmN0P3L3Pnq_uePvTmR0L-6u9zna9/s4000/chrysler%20building%20nyc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="1868" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFSyiW-w7oqZSvoReaw7i65It8dgkrGD08xWA7uu6RGS4tPddcAHFM9fhKhbuSIX-oqBPDQL2fVuGjkjPIPuNmk3OdfOaUpfj5yelUhIn2fOTmpXDwuLD48lEDw8Mv4PoMFmi49SPoHDqQ_cj8D0Ic33NTeEgzwrupmN0P3L3Pnq_uePvTmR0L-6u9zna9/w298-h640/chrysler%20building%20nyc.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><p>When the tour finished we decided to walk back to our hotel via the <a href="https://www.nypl.org/" target="_blank">New York Public Library</a>, another famous filming location for Ghostbusters, and lots more. They were about to close so we weren't able to have a look round but it was handy for a loo stop and a quick break to rest our now very achy feet.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDf2yutqJYA3CCwXwWdRifdG3uoUmJR7NS0esBkPpLkdiSRaEAx_eeoaMpkjSGimAbQZ8F5FABCFKKABz2ngN5dpnQoPkhgiNmI4b00gpOIClNgml9DsxM0QOOHhWxtB3bVISygKBhlc6cSxASaeoGq6Wmppnji_uWlxJTdqPTskCYJXYSb9qfq9PtYQq2/s4000/new%20york%20public%20library2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDf2yutqJYA3CCwXwWdRifdG3uoUmJR7NS0esBkPpLkdiSRaEAx_eeoaMpkjSGimAbQZ8F5FABCFKKABz2ngN5dpnQoPkhgiNmI4b00gpOIClNgml9DsxM0QOOHhWxtB3bVISygKBhlc6cSxASaeoGq6Wmppnji_uWlxJTdqPTskCYJXYSb9qfq9PtYQq2/w640-h298/new%20york%20public%20library2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New York Public Library</td></tr></tbody></table><p>From here we walked down 5th Avenue - despite being absolutely exhausted, the kids were eager to spend some more pocket money so we did pop in a few shops. We discovered <a href="https://www.fivebelow.com/" target="_blank">Five Below</a> which was perfect for the kids - everything was under $5 and they had a great selection of toys and snacks. </p><p>We were intending to go straight back to our hotel after the shops but we walked past the Rockefeller Center and decided to do the <a href="https://www.rockefellercenter.com/attractions/top-of-the-rock-observation-deck/" target="_blank">Top of The Rock observation deck</a>. This was included in our NY Pass and we picked a great time to visit, there were no queues and we went straight in. Being after dark, I wondered what the views would be like but seeing the City all lit up was incredible. Definitely a "wow, am I really here" moment!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp2gt2U9CBUK_3f6laMr6Jjj5-Qg6cGamIqbUMGBkc3LqstvFSUzu1rAHdRrAgWT8n-UP3-lvxtDJ_MUHP9agYUaZwqUQwsHw2YXi2Hw5_sAOQEtG5sav4dFdnwR7kd4NgQdhWvE961iehq-xcr32FJs4MjLKUC0pGTY8vOWnG9OhdF30hHmJx1slM7DYw/s4000/view%20from%20the%20top%20of%20the%20rock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp2gt2U9CBUK_3f6laMr6Jjj5-Qg6cGamIqbUMGBkc3LqstvFSUzu1rAHdRrAgWT8n-UP3-lvxtDJ_MUHP9agYUaZwqUQwsHw2YXi2Hw5_sAOQEtG5sav4dFdnwR7kd4NgQdhWvE961iehq-xcr32FJs4MjLKUC0pGTY8vOWnG9OhdF30hHmJx1slM7DYw/w640-h298/view%20from%20the%20top%20of%20the%20rock.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from the Top of the Rock</td></tr></tbody></table><p><i><b>Step Count: 23,957 and 9.97 Miles</b></i></p><h1 style="text-align: left;">Day 5 - Central Park/Zoo/American Museum of Natural History</h1><p>Today was our last full day and we had lots planned, but we started off with pancakes in a nearby cafe. We definitely underestimated the size of the portions, I thought Elliot was going to pop! </p><p>Bellies full, we headed towards <a href="https://www.centralparknyc.org/" target="_blank">Central Park</a>, another iconic location on our itinerary. We picked the perfect day for it - we had totally blue skies which made the Autumn colours really stand out. The park looked stunning and around every corner was another instagram worthy spot for photos. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHJqv2OeZgo1MNvPGeknS15KGsrn3Kf8CpLhZV9oLchaJpGFef5KBdTM22M_GCL7L7EGM_In3HenHAejwu5c0bTDTJXiodW4pbBXVrEI_W9ihVmVjWogJ3JkTik73yHnBzDcwD8_yOC6Ik-dBjP5kyKgjbQZrQDAy9KFtY0ju1vBV_TjjUdHBQ8Uj7Dzc/s4000/central%20park%20fall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHJqv2OeZgo1MNvPGeknS15KGsrn3Kf8CpLhZV9oLchaJpGFef5KBdTM22M_GCL7L7EGM_In3HenHAejwu5c0bTDTJXiodW4pbBXVrEI_W9ihVmVjWogJ3JkTik73yHnBzDcwD8_yOC6Ik-dBjP5kyKgjbQZrQDAy9KFtY0ju1vBV_TjjUdHBQ8Uj7Dzc/w640-h298/central%20park%20fall.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fall in Central Park</td></tr></tbody></table><p>There are so many recognisable spots in the park and we were especially keen to find the famous Gapstow Bridge which was featured in Home Alone 2. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCPpfu1dlBul5jOUKP04gmAQiSb9sgNJnjZ3TH-ugDUheG2wKCLfbjh0IEUUjT3lA_V9xqYc6ihgqMjxyyj54J9nL4YnNYl0sbY4T40bFk6A-h4RXTnQbpGtAnQqzMLT7sOSfoMW57n4ftwEQvMUMvo2_8n3hySjbex2KdzkSahkypWSN0YuMznHz1OIRA/s4000/Gapstow%20Bridge%20Central%20Park.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCPpfu1dlBul5jOUKP04gmAQiSb9sgNJnjZ3TH-ugDUheG2wKCLfbjh0IEUUjT3lA_V9xqYc6ihgqMjxyyj54J9nL4YnNYl0sbY4T40bFk6A-h4RXTnQbpGtAnQqzMLT7sOSfoMW57n4ftwEQvMUMvo2_8n3hySjbex2KdzkSahkypWSN0YuMznHz1OIRA/w640-h298/Gapstow%20Bridge%20Central%20Park.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gapstow Bridge, Central Park</td></tr></tbody></table><p><a href="https://centralparkzoo.com/" target="_blank">Central Park Zoo</a> was a spontaneous visit but I'm so glad we decided to go in, it might be small in size but the variety of animals and their enclosures was fantastic. We particularly loved seeing the grizzly bears - we were able to view them through the glass panels and it was amazing to see them close up. One of them was having a snooze in the sunshine and she looked so cute! </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSLN3S2pBTBegK86qmZ-oqducbE7qVVK5_GOM9AQIUuP2WwngcEe4MBCDELfKGO-MK2IoJSgFeZZ8R-_lILu4O10YpBNdrZHRjMual2QUpH3eC5RswrNeKECCTIJ7FHtp62fSKdIhaskSPwX2nK6Lc7LIHITQl4yDTO8vYDoz8dA9O3y0jV2mF5ATkSvkY/s4000/grizzly%20bear%20central%20park%20zoo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSLN3S2pBTBegK86qmZ-oqducbE7qVVK5_GOM9AQIUuP2WwngcEe4MBCDELfKGO-MK2IoJSgFeZZ8R-_lILu4O10YpBNdrZHRjMual2QUpH3eC5RswrNeKECCTIJ7FHtp62fSKdIhaskSPwX2nK6Lc7LIHITQl4yDTO8vYDoz8dA9O3y0jV2mF5ATkSvkY/w640-h298/grizzly%20bear%20central%20park%20zoo.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grizzly bear - Central Park Zoo</td></tr></tbody></table><p>We were also quite surprised to see puffins - I've only ever seen one in the wild here in the UK so to see a load of them swimming about in a big tank was lovely. They are much smaller then I thought!</p><p>We probably spent around 2 hours in the Zoo - we had a good look around the enclosures, we watched a fun short film in the 4-D theatre and we even spotted the famous musical <a href="https://www.centralparknyc.org/locations/delacorte-clock#:~:text=The%20Delacorte%20Clock%20spans%20a,am%20and%206%3A00%20pm." target="_blank">Delecorte Clock</a>. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-uY2LICpqcel7kZD0A_2SpbmxKbKgs7CWvxH6GfICvNIRRaWJwj9aqgxH2ylcbtBpf5YFz5Gq6Byxr30qsgYkk1wldPfcJXZIGmKVIuSbHiUPsnLLU6pShKdMKFXSnWd0wdH6cwpp4EkBQ82bxb6BwkxrE7xcEvauJ-h-18VMgpM-9DY28JxMndbRQddo/s4000/sea%20lion%20central%20park%20zoo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-uY2LICpqcel7kZD0A_2SpbmxKbKgs7CWvxH6GfICvNIRRaWJwj9aqgxH2ylcbtBpf5YFz5Gq6Byxr30qsgYkk1wldPfcJXZIGmKVIuSbHiUPsnLLU6pShKdMKFXSnWd0wdH6cwpp4EkBQ82bxb6BwkxrE7xcEvauJ-h-18VMgpM-9DY28JxMndbRQddo/w640-h298/sea%20lion%20central%20park%20zoo.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sea Lion in Central Park Zoo</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The next few hours were spent exploring the park - it really was such a beautiful day and the Autumn colours were so vibrant. We loved hearing the busker in Strawberry Fields, we bumped into William Shakespere near The Mall, we watched skaters on Wollman Rink, we ate hotdogs in Sheep Meadow, we climbed the multiple bedrocks and admired the view, we people watched at Bethesda Terrace and we walked til our feet ached! We also stumbled upon a number of playgrounds which the kids loved playing in. </p><p>Central Park is massive and I underestimated just how huge it is - you could easily spend the entire day there exploring! We spent about 6 hours exploring and only saw a small portion of it. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgP43-eqCa-Rx-8fHF3FdH1MhS1zUuHuq6WyO0XFhlE6JIHbL9xtz3vbOwc_aB9SOmOF2kzx0LLJoL4RJvTRmFJ-q83WqV3eeouFAvN8k-GLa-kCJg836kOJ2gXR5G3suqWZg3jfpBwWnNtnJtfBW33LEXLF9saRZ-v_iDmeukImzw6bQ_LaFSRpXo0i7Q/s4000/fountains%20central%20park.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgP43-eqCa-Rx-8fHF3FdH1MhS1zUuHuq6WyO0XFhlE6JIHbL9xtz3vbOwc_aB9SOmOF2kzx0LLJoL4RJvTRmFJ-q83WqV3eeouFAvN8k-GLa-kCJg836kOJ2gXR5G3suqWZg3jfpBwWnNtnJtfBW33LEXLF9saRZ-v_iDmeukImzw6bQ_LaFSRpXo0i7Q/w640-h298/fountains%20central%20park.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1BK1fXe4p4F8KnDNSSORYbiFtp4J21xT6bVYmAh4tISyssQ8S0IcoPlU5NvAjl5FPssMtxs5pOkjk8vTmYHy10lH8E9JPINTP9eG0ozSpi3sgSO5PN-41oJ4M1syxwCbenT80etFgCqbJ9PC1fFdMYIsCi7La4azBhhMwQ5jhBm6hU9mFawaaWn1WdTmE/s4000/bow%20bridge%20nyc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1BK1fXe4p4F8KnDNSSORYbiFtp4J21xT6bVYmAh4tISyssQ8S0IcoPlU5NvAjl5FPssMtxs5pOkjk8vTmYHy10lH8E9JPINTP9eG0ozSpi3sgSO5PN-41oJ4M1syxwCbenT80etFgCqbJ9PC1fFdMYIsCi7La4azBhhMwQ5jhBm6hU9mFawaaWn1WdTmE/w640-h298/bow%20bridge%20nyc.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bow Bridge, Central Park<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Our last stop of the day was the </span><a href="https://www.amnh.org/" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">American Museum of Natural History</a><span style="text-align: left;">. Having recently watched Night at the Museum, the kids were super excited to look round but due to the sheer size of it we were only able to have a quick visit. We used our New York Pass to gain entry but as it was within an hour of closing, it was free to visit anyway. </span></div><p>The museum has over 45 exhibition halls but with just one hour to explore we headed straight for the dinosaurs which is something we are all interested in. The T-Rex fossil that dominates the Hall of Saurischian Dinosaurs is an impressive sight to see and of course, very familiar from the Night at the Museum films! We were also able to have a good look around the mammal halls where we found lifesize and realistic mammals of every size and description. This section was brilliant and it was a shame we had to whizz through so quickly.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyYrNXKfeTxn_3ML14an3JhoaHT7cZgQ8gNu6rHVc7tqd68urSmiPSOF1gx3NB6SkfGslu8UJwfEX_eWemFGECI5JSltx8Y2_7GFfnimSXPKYGiW5f1nsAhi6tMfLXJ4NkCN9Ax57Le73ememrCohb30mCXOncOXwDzW4vpteezEeOlrB-73Z76LGUogAf/s4000/trex%20amnh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyYrNXKfeTxn_3ML14an3JhoaHT7cZgQ8gNu6rHVc7tqd68urSmiPSOF1gx3NB6SkfGslu8UJwfEX_eWemFGECI5JSltx8Y2_7GFfnimSXPKYGiW5f1nsAhi6tMfLXJ4NkCN9Ax57Le73ememrCohb30mCXOncOXwDzW4vpteezEeOlrB-73Z76LGUogAf/w640-h298/trex%20amnh.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvwUA-9UHwRKNnZKkB7ohrt3hfl1Xmg9fdMN8PTSNk3QQsAfqowVSpJah5gpmafBYwQGNV7Fg-gpBPDLQ8cFPw5VZEcoK6RgEuquxh20aXrEY6DJflVv03cKMsFFJ5jJRrGsD3Z1LJjuQOojTtufwysrCIrCRp9CWphbw_75QpBPrGnX_qpYm1YK_e4xYi/s4000/elephants%20mammal%20hall%20amnh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvwUA-9UHwRKNnZKkB7ohrt3hfl1Xmg9fdMN8PTSNk3QQsAfqowVSpJah5gpmafBYwQGNV7Fg-gpBPDLQ8cFPw5VZEcoK6RgEuquxh20aXrEY6DJflVv03cKMsFFJ5jJRrGsD3Z1LJjuQOojTtufwysrCIrCRp9CWphbw_75QpBPrGnX_qpYm1YK_e4xYi/w640-h298/elephants%20mammal%20hall%20amnh.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>We got kicked out of the museum at closing time and we had dinner in a nearby pizza restaurant followed by an Uber back to our hotel. A long, but very fun day and we all slept like logs. </p><p><b>Step Count: 19,987 and 8.29 Miles</b></p><h1 style="text-align: left;">Day 6 - Times Square/Hudsons Yard/The Edge/Madame Tussards/Home</h1><p>Our final day and with our flight not leaving until the evening we had plenty of time in the morning to pack in some more sightseeing. We decided to visit <a href="https://www.edgenyc.com/en">Edge</a> which is the tallest outdoor skydeck in the Western Hemisphere and a fairly new attraction in NYC. The weather was clear and bright so we knew we'd have a much better view than The Empire State Building! </p><p>We headed for the Subway via Times Square and we stumbled upon a zombie flashmob dancing to Thriller. Such a cool thing to see and it made my whole trip!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm1E4Jl3Lfq9j4E6-RI6bHKVD8xF3YUuhMaDK_41b-QFUGmThSlXf9sC6TTeN0FL8ZGIzlULYPKGPpJ4EIxQ5sqxD_C5SCvYSd8Nk5lkH4ZnlHiYN1X34RhRRBuN-7yGKOp6AA0xQZg5e_ZxA5ENTx9O5_OQ_-WBDDpvx3broAeyOFww4BlVfZIpSUq-qX/s4000/zombie%20times%20square.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2252" data-original-width="4000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm1E4Jl3Lfq9j4E6-RI6bHKVD8xF3YUuhMaDK_41b-QFUGmThSlXf9sC6TTeN0FL8ZGIzlULYPKGPpJ4EIxQ5sqxD_C5SCvYSd8Nk5lkH4ZnlHiYN1X34RhRRBuN-7yGKOp6AA0xQZg5e_ZxA5ENTx9O5_OQ_-WBDDpvx3broAeyOFww4BlVfZIpSUq-qX/w640-h360/zombie%20times%20square.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zombie Flash Mob - Times Square</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdVnvIARFuz_bVvWOqqsq1asE09zT_il5Dp_g1IJTMM1owb8H9kkCRIKkEZDNDHGeOBii_5XjoEZ-yaDxU7q8HlqRGVKpXtIQUZqQVBuTAlksoNd7p_gntB3LCkkU9o4_G4FOwY-TPbBlYDykERWdtLd9LHvfq0iL8iS42v056j1cqZdwW5B2S5knyYIfm/s4000/times%20square%20daylight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdVnvIARFuz_bVvWOqqsq1asE09zT_il5Dp_g1IJTMM1owb8H9kkCRIKkEZDNDHGeOBii_5XjoEZ-yaDxU7q8HlqRGVKpXtIQUZqQVBuTAlksoNd7p_gntB3LCkkU9o4_G4FOwY-TPbBlYDykERWdtLd9LHvfq0iL8iS42v056j1cqZdwW5B2S5knyYIfm/w640-h298/times%20square%20daylight.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Times Square</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Edge is located at <a href="https://www.hudsonyardsnewyork.com/" target="_blank">Hudsons Yard</a> which was a short subway ride from Times Square. We had prebooked our ticket slot and it was relatively quick to get in. It takes less than a minute to reach the 100th floor and before you know it, you are faced with a 360 degree view of New York City in all it's glory. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicxXX6GiX5rYuw_GvkFcFApPhB_fPD4hMsxvOnkAITdvP0bX2HuSsBnkFpxzfT0HO3cAOR7_iWCg2WRmaBziFP5SgCNTZVdx5EE-nH2PNIitTzXnTj9Vewf3TzgasXm81MmySCKZw-_XDCC5aafdT9W8fx52EH_uBMaMrbyoIMGCTDC8Nax7f3MekBWevx/s4000/the%20edge%20nyc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicxXX6GiX5rYuw_GvkFcFApPhB_fPD4hMsxvOnkAITdvP0bX2HuSsBnkFpxzfT0HO3cAOR7_iWCg2WRmaBziFP5SgCNTZVdx5EE-nH2PNIitTzXnTj9Vewf3TzgasXm81MmySCKZw-_XDCC5aafdT9W8fx52EH_uBMaMrbyoIMGCTDC8Nax7f3MekBWevx/w640-h298/the%20edge%20nyc.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>The views are stunning and you can see all the way down the Hudson River towards One World Observatory and even the Statue of Liberty in the distance. You can see Central Park, The Empire State Building and so much more. The angled glass gives the best view of down below and if you have no fear of heights you will love the glass floor area! </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxg4aC_60pqKwxRt3o6BowkYJL901AE4FcLJsyhU-EWVwxL2NysgHUBJfGvj0Z2U6fEbTSXAl2oJpwN4YL9sddPlqDta1jt-WMa-r9p-FoK76jjb0Q_o-tJ_cR7WQkvF22GXkOneAtThTZgRVe0uE7zZthOEABmvHCrAwmWv7GWrmhsEik_07VvgwaAuqx/s4000/glass%20floor%20edge%20nyc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2252" data-original-width="4000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxg4aC_60pqKwxRt3o6BowkYJL901AE4FcLJsyhU-EWVwxL2NysgHUBJfGvj0Z2U6fEbTSXAl2oJpwN4YL9sddPlqDta1jt-WMa-r9p-FoK76jjb0Q_o-tJ_cR7WQkvF22GXkOneAtThTZgRVe0uE7zZthOEABmvHCrAwmWv7GWrmhsEik_07VvgwaAuqx/w640-h360/glass%20floor%20edge%20nyc.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking 100 floors down!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>After a quick lunch at Shake Shack we jumped back on the Subway and headed back to Times Square. We had a little bit of time before we needed to check out of our hotel so we decided to make the most of it and cram in another attraction. We decided to check out <a href="https://www.madametussauds.com/new-york/" target="_blank">Madame Tussards</a> as we were so close and it really was a whistlestop visit! It wasn't really my cup of tea but the kids really enjoyed it and would probably say it was one of their favourite things we did. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM22pHnRdPp7KPkEebuWZ2yAFPO0irWKwHm_nNFi9LOhLiLoiE-1JF-4UOpJDUHT7Nleo7sSpT-S73i7ETMRS0MeF270dJFCVOQigP-sEPzdlziLanIHdMMdEjNLLGPf4pMsRa3y4NnyiWX1ckahyrAIDZnos832oRzEWSypKrf0mgrTsIeZWPFf3HgYSx/s4000/presidents%20madame%20tussards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM22pHnRdPp7KPkEebuWZ2yAFPO0irWKwHm_nNFi9LOhLiLoiE-1JF-4UOpJDUHT7Nleo7sSpT-S73i7ETMRS0MeF270dJFCVOQigP-sEPzdlziLanIHdMMdEjNLLGPf4pMsRa3y4NnyiWX1ckahyrAIDZnos832oRzEWSypKrf0mgrTsIeZWPFf3HgYSx/w640-h298/presidents%20madame%20tussards.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meeting P.O.T.U.S at Madame Tussards</td></tr></tbody></table><p>We headed back to the hotel via Target and the Nintendo store and soon it was time to make our way back to the airport. Again we took the Subway and Airtrain and it was a really straight forwarded and budget friendly way of travelling to JFK.</p><p><b>Step Count: 18,771 and 7.8 Miles</b></p><h1 style="text-align: left;">Final Thoughts</h1><p>We had such a great time in New York City and I feel that we definitely made the most of our time there! The New York Pass was brilliant, not only did it save us money but it meant we could visit a multitude of places, some that we might not have considered normally. </p><p>Budgetwise I don't think we overspent whilst there. We were sensible with food choices and stocking up on drinks and snacks from cheaper places such as Amazon store and Duane Reade was a good option. Places like 7-11 and Mcdonalds are really handy for cheap soft drinks when you're out and about, we loved the huge slushies in 7-11. We found alcoholic drinks to be very pricy and you would definitely need to take this into consideration if you're planning on visiting a few bars while there. </p><p>We found the Subway really convenient and didn't feel unsafe. Yes it was smelly and had some unsavoury looking characters but overall it was fine and definitely helped us get around quicker. Google maps made it very easy to head in the right direction and we liked being able to just tap our phones to buy tickets. </p><p>We found NYC to be really family friendly and would definitely recommend it as a child friendly destination, It was certainly a memorable holiday and has set the bar high for our next trip! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Mu_aNtGoniWlMWcs7JgyoP1tP7Tsz0mXHzS7GYJyA7I5k8UFw9GC3mhaEOEnDMwbbNHATxPTl3NImVD8UvRXCa3mo8qJ4ezoHyKAtkT__JW6T5uNTUnQq861wKbafbxdBM3UV9IbAl_5wNIlpNV7dafZepwTArEdHSR8zjHgQjlhXTXVcA0iswmglA7Q/s4000/pumpinks%20pier%2017%20new%20york.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Mu_aNtGoniWlMWcs7JgyoP1tP7Tsz0mXHzS7GYJyA7I5k8UFw9GC3mhaEOEnDMwbbNHATxPTl3NImVD8UvRXCa3mo8qJ4ezoHyKAtkT__JW6T5uNTUnQq861wKbafbxdBM3UV9IbAl_5wNIlpNV7dafZepwTArEdHSR8zjHgQjlhXTXVcA0iswmglA7Q/w640-h298/pumpinks%20pier%2017%20new%20york.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Entertaining Elliot & Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361231779235423707noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542555274990469588.post-22738250272589670062023-07-15T23:37:00.000+01:002023-07-15T23:37:04.602+01:00UK's Top 5 Family-Friendly Festivals: Unforgettable Fun at CarFest, Camp Bestival, Gone Wild, Gloworm and More!<p>The UK, renowned for its vibrant festival scene, offers a multitude of family-friendly events throughout the year. These festivals are perfect for making memories, with an array of children's activities, gourmet food, and exciting musical performances. Let's explore five top-notch festivals in the UK: CarFest, Camp Bestival, Gone Wild, Gloworm, and The Big Feastival.</p><h1 style="text-align: left;">CarFest - Hampshire</h1><h4 style="text-align: left;">A Family Festival Celebrating Cars and Music</h4><p>Brought to life by the popular radio presenter Chris Evans, <a href="https://carfest.org/" target="_blank">CarFest </a>is a must-visit for car enthusiasts. Hosted annually at Laverstock Park Farm, Carfest successfully blends motor shows with live music and entertainment for the whole family. With popular acts such as <a href="https://www.entertainingelliot.com/search/label/andy%20and%20the%20odd%20socks" target="_blank">Andy and The Odd Socks</a> (our fave!), Rick Astley, Craig David and many more, there is something for everyone. Plus, with a dedicated food fair, your culinary cravings are well covered. Not only that, each year it raises millions of pounds for children's charities! </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC1GwzhgELP6WNyJcPlKQhEF-GUVYENvWiAYFvpUaKZIuSkrE_XKUHdFyS3YY5IxZrtIHCezgoq7ykric2shOvegTUu3tCtpq8WfGYhApPUodpaex51XjGlR03W65Z1GcFC_gglJHgeDUPyVpxwE_klmfTts2PP3mk7kpm08GJQnLN7xs3BuZaziO4Sjkf/s5682/20210826-Carfest-South-Thursday-LS-BigEarly-19.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3788" data-original-width="5682" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC1GwzhgELP6WNyJcPlKQhEF-GUVYENvWiAYFvpUaKZIuSkrE_XKUHdFyS3YY5IxZrtIHCezgoq7ykric2shOvegTUu3tCtpq8WfGYhApPUodpaex51XjGlR03W65Z1GcFC_gglJHgeDUPyVpxwE_klmfTts2PP3mk7kpm08GJQnLN7xs3BuZaziO4Sjkf/w640-h426/20210826-Carfest-South-Thursday-LS-BigEarly-19.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit - CarFest</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><h1 style="text-align: left;">Camp Bestival - Dorset</h1><h4 style="text-align: left;">A Medley of Music, Art, and Adventure</h4><p>Held at the enchanting Lulworth Castle in Dorset, <a href="https://www.campbestival.net/" target="_blank">Camp Bestival</a> is more than just a music festival. Amidst a variety of live performances, theatre, comedy, and literature, kids can engage in numerous creative workshops and exciting outdoor adventures. Adults can relax at the wellness retreat or dance to the beats of some of the UK's top artists. With the beautifully lit castle serving as a backdrop, you'll feel as though you've stepped into a magical realm. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV5nDTYoJ10g0TaUhtebx6IBss727uSu4mr2IVYyzdmCnDU_ectXzMgD4eooy4WpILcVlLGolMjFVnIFX9o4D9yoNrt0S7jWmDjJyPQt_11NmWVchpuXIV7E8tnwWAqwVo71NjW55bleD5UNwIYCqGJiMoRFJ5zQi9uqo2RUACyztaOlqrKDENBrTO1jZF/s3264/camp%20bestival.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV5nDTYoJ10g0TaUhtebx6IBss727uSu4mr2IVYyzdmCnDU_ectXzMgD4eooy4WpILcVlLGolMjFVnIFX9o4D9yoNrt0S7jWmDjJyPQt_11NmWVchpuXIV7E8tnwWAqwVo71NjW55bleD5UNwIYCqGJiMoRFJ5zQi9uqo2RUACyztaOlqrKDENBrTO1jZF/w640-h480/camp%20bestival.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elliot and Erin at Camp Bestival </td></tr></tbody></table><h1 style="text-align: left;">Gone Wild Festival - Devon</h1><h4 style="text-align: left;">Adventure in the Heart of Nature</h4><p>The <a href="https://gonewildfestival.com/" target="_blank">Gone Wild Festival</a>, backed by Bear Grylls and his team, is an exhilarating outdoor adventure suitable for all ages. Situated amidst the stunning scenery of the Devon countryside, this festival gives you the chance to learn survival skills, participate in archery, build rafts, and even try rock climbing. Evenings are spent enjoying delicious food, live music, and campfire stories in the gorgeous surroundings of Powderham Castle.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyEe54kSc5u0DkhHt4OEJgIL6TuCCy5zw4T2AuOy_0M6JcMWuBjS0T2UG6G3bRHLXs88bNmgz_xXo2o4Saars_yLU_nYgbyWXeFYzWf0Mdj2Q-ZidUwJJlYSrJAfPQud3el54Xv0tDVD8XekFqGfIcX0st_A2xWP87-jgpzdBTdeJ8YR8-aagP7Br2Hejz/s4000/gone%20wild%20andy%20and%20the%20odd%20socks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyEe54kSc5u0DkhHt4OEJgIL6TuCCy5zw4T2AuOy_0M6JcMWuBjS0T2UG6G3bRHLXs88bNmgz_xXo2o4Saars_yLU_nYgbyWXeFYzWf0Mdj2Q-ZidUwJJlYSrJAfPQud3el54Xv0tDVD8XekFqGfIcX0st_A2xWP87-jgpzdBTdeJ8YR8-aagP7Br2Hejz/w640-h298/gone%20wild%20andy%20and%20the%20odd%20socks.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gone Wild Festival - Powderham Castle Devon</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><h1 style="text-align: left;">Gloworm Festival - Nottingham</h1><h4 style="text-align: left;">A World of Joy and Imagination for Children</h4><p>The <a href="https://glowormfestival.co.uk/" target="_blank">Gloworm </a>Festival, set in Thoresby Park in Nottinghamshire, is a child-centric event encouraging creativity and play. It features popular TV and film characters, a variety of interactive workshops, games, and performances. Parents also have their share of entertainment, alongside an array of mouth-watering food and drink options. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmt3rntdhSLO6AwkCB0aHU-BroREluQYCasxGVq47uzUten_hEX3Tra0LGZBN2brTDZEQA9CWQO2IQ1g8upu-gUCMTqqEQ7hs7km-49b_RGZZLSduyqgUShcSvTFwfzfXVKMyVQYEl2tBH41XSuL09KRN6aELC9FU7b6kjvuVLqqR-QqBUPzTyjPpC7Wqi/s828/gloworm%20family.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="828" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmt3rntdhSLO6AwkCB0aHU-BroREluQYCasxGVq47uzUten_hEX3Tra0LGZBN2brTDZEQA9CWQO2IQ1g8upu-gUCMTqqEQ7hs7km-49b_RGZZLSduyqgUShcSvTFwfzfXVKMyVQYEl2tBH41XSuL09KRN6aELC9FU7b6kjvuVLqqR-QqBUPzTyjPpC7Wqi/w640-h464/gloworm%20family.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Davies family having lots of fun at Gloworm (Photo Credit: Sue Davies)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><h1 style="text-align: left;">The Big Feastival - The Cotswolds</h1><h4 style="text-align: left;">Where Culinary Delights Meet Live Music</h4><p>Completing our list, <a href="https://thebigfeastival.com/" target="_blank">The Big Feastival</a> at Alex James' Farm in the Cotswolds is a unique fusion of top-class food, live music, and an assortment of children's attractions. With demonstrations from Michelin star chefs and a diverse line-up of musicians, the festival offers an unforgettable experience. For the little ones, cooking classes, circus workshops, and meet-and-greets with children's TV characters are all part of the fun.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8BliJjLPSZnacPHX90PSPuRx1NgPMTMxWbLlm3_SF5dZ29ql3sBSV0uIo3dAqU__U1cgPDgdnlJQJ_hHtBy_8jRl7i9aH54xlysSgGK1Ur6GvroprVeIaWi_0aEmKF6mhhBdhL2jgShqJnOANgtI2oGHrAx108SobEd19cavAcDYVtdiYjqnlSeMqz68E/s300/big%20feastival.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8BliJjLPSZnacPHX90PSPuRx1NgPMTMxWbLlm3_SF5dZ29ql3sBSV0uIo3dAqU__U1cgPDgdnlJQJ_hHtBy_8jRl7i9aH54xlysSgGK1Ur6GvroprVeIaWi_0aEmKF6mhhBdhL2jgShqJnOANgtI2oGHrAx108SobEd19cavAcDYVtdiYjqnlSeMqz68E/s16000/big%20feastival.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit - The Big Feastival</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Embarking on a family adventure at any of these festivals is sure to create lasting memories. Secure your tickets, pack your tents, and prepare for an unforgettable journey at the UK's top family-friendly festivals. Don't forget your wellies! </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0OXloKd8xASgc2HZ84AzEFcLsfx-tV4bNne-X4KM1gVYzb4NwOxQc1yr-92amXuZw5hPMc1hUPcBRx6DXH1jptLROVDJvphooPghxdsnSJ1O15KxrivmHf9MDsOIhyIPrJM5OnlV18PSv5PqNQQtXmg7v5TgNv8fqzkcyTtrArrSH0rm71_KPWWyWrtCr/s960/elliot%20at%20muddy%20camp%20bestival.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0OXloKd8xASgc2HZ84AzEFcLsfx-tV4bNne-X4KM1gVYzb4NwOxQc1yr-92amXuZw5hPMc1hUPcBRx6DXH1jptLROVDJvphooPghxdsnSJ1O15KxrivmHf9MDsOIhyIPrJM5OnlV18PSv5PqNQQtXmg7v5TgNv8fqzkcyTtrArrSH0rm71_KPWWyWrtCr/w640-h360/elliot%20at%20muddy%20camp%20bestival.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elliot at a VERY muddy Camp Bestival :)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Entertaining Elliot & Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361231779235423707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542555274990469588.post-25523846963271997342023-02-01T16:34:00.001+00:002023-04-17T18:19:20.060+01:00Florida Family Roadtrip - 15 Places You Must Visit!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9DsczWDANob0QMEM9Anzf0YUNQKemYL3Yf86j7T4eAmMyUsek-Jhn3XgevhiwAehbtlx5E6I9aBmAMeh_ZZwbA3N4QqCnhMpFKR97U4Q60HUTLC5RCgHml-C84apnP74zknvrPTOGn5GIAQeCNmpjrzn3CAQ5KF6yZetQjHqYmMTzhksXI51-IVu42g/s4000/20220418_194939.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9DsczWDANob0QMEM9Anzf0YUNQKemYL3Yf86j7T4eAmMyUsek-Jhn3XgevhiwAehbtlx5E6I9aBmAMeh_ZZwbA3N4QqCnhMpFKR97U4Q60HUTLC5RCgHml-C84apnP74zknvrPTOGn5GIAQeCNmpjrzn3CAQ5KF6yZetQjHqYmMTzhksXI51-IVu42g/w640-h298/20220418_194939.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator">"You're going to Florida and not going to Disney?!" was a comment that popped up a lot when we told people about our planned holiday. Of course, thousands of tourists visit Florida each year and head for WDW, but we wanted to do something a little different. And it was a trip that due to Covid, was a few years in the making.</div><p>We actually booked the holiday back in 2019 and our original plans included motorhome hire and extensively researched campsites along the way. That holiday got canceled in 2020 so we decided to ditch the RV and campsites and book hotels instead. Tried again in 2021 but Covid had other ideas so it was third time lucky in 2022.</p><p>We used good old Google Maps to plan our route and booked our flights and accomodation via Ocean Florida. We used an excel spreadsheet to keep track of our itinerary and I'll be honest, the planning is almost as exciting as the actual holiday! </p><p>We flew in and out of Tampa and this worked really well as our starting place. Read on for 15 places we visited on our roadtrip that we'd highly recommend visiting.</p><h1 style="text-align: left;">Universal Orlando</h1><p>We LOVE this place and it was high on our to-do list! Universal comprises of three parks: Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios and the most recently opened waterpark Volcano Bay. It is possible to visit both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure in one day but I'd highly recommend allocating a day per park as there is SO MUCH TO SEE AND DO! </p><p>Universal Studios biggest draw is undoubtably The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley has to be seen to be believed and the attention to detail is second to none. <em>Top tip</em> - look up at Gringotts Bank! The dragon will breathe fire at certain points throughout the day and it's very cool. You can also jump on the Hogwarts Express over to the other park but bear in mind you will need a multi-park ticket for this.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA41waInx2QndfxNN5M0w_3u-0LoG6GO7u4OpPuYi7vSK3ATaS9B81yknGLm7QNYjdPFEk0lMwNJs2EKK--cYjA54c1aoI_dLJVRdu1O6P4mThFA9BG1KxBXROePW94rOkeNcJpLxnXaMtKNizSZa25dTttHDPDHUABnhD8twGEfY0IgvwZmTv4R6hxA/s4000/diagon%20alley%20universal.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA41waInx2QndfxNN5M0w_3u-0LoG6GO7u4OpPuYi7vSK3ATaS9B81yknGLm7QNYjdPFEk0lMwNJs2EKK--cYjA54c1aoI_dLJVRdu1O6P4mThFA9BG1KxBXROePW94rOkeNcJpLxnXaMtKNizSZa25dTttHDPDHUABnhD8twGEfY0IgvwZmTv4R6hxA/w640-h298/diagon%20alley%20universal.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Diagon Alley, Universal Studios Florida</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Islands of Adventure is definitely the place to visit if you're a thrill seeker. Here you will find rollercoasters such as the Velocicoaster and Hulk, and a fantastic Marvel area which my kids loved. Top tip - the big rides get very busy so check the app for wait times and consider making these your first port of call as the lines are shorter first thing in the morning.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMdmMe-10Cc5Wa2b9cl9BHM5TLSruB61YKwSvRiWKdnBWz598TRNI9h8wOHLj2DWidTB1DvyTS7omx-9Cu__bx3WOoAJ08Keu6OvNnkRNhA7N1WvgMHIYhsHsUvh6Hzxgx6b9bnFNP27M4DYbhzvegwk1saA7f3zf-7TdWEOkjfo1pjHofSiei_k9wGQ/s1666/velocicoaster%20orlando.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1666" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMdmMe-10Cc5Wa2b9cl9BHM5TLSruB61YKwSvRiWKdnBWz598TRNI9h8wOHLj2DWidTB1DvyTS7omx-9Cu__bx3WOoAJ08Keu6OvNnkRNhA7N1WvgMHIYhsHsUvh6Hzxgx6b9bnFNP27M4DYbhzvegwk1saA7f3zf-7TdWEOkjfo1pjHofSiei_k9wGQ/w640-h298/velocicoaster%20orlando.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elliot regretting his life choices after agreeing to go on the Velocicoaster ;)</td></tr></tbody></table><p>It's not all rides and thrills though - there are plenty of brilliant play areas in both parks. My kids loved the Curious George area which had a brilliant soft ball shooting area inside (noisy but cool!) <em>Top Tip</em> - bring a change of clothes and a towel. There is a fantastic splash pad that is just too hard to resist on a hot Florida day!</p><p>Where to Stay: We stayed at one of the onsite hotels, the <a data-id="https://www.loewshotels.com/royal-pacific-resort" data-type="URL" href="https://www.loewshotels.com/royal-pacific-resort" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Loews Royal Pacific Resort</a> and although it was pricy, it included express passes for us all which were SO useful on the busy days we visited. Our stay also included early access to the parks which is a great way of hitting those popular rides first.</p><h1 style="text-align: left;">Disney Springs</h1><p>If you want a little taster of Disney without going to the parks then a visit to Disney Springs is a must. Here you can find a ton of shops and restaurants including Gideon's Bakehouse where you can pick up one of their famous half-pound cookies. There is a MASSIVE Disney shop which is fun to look around and even a cinema. Top tip - if you need to cool down, head towards the Earl of Sandwich where you will find a splash pad nearby which my kids loved! The sandwiches at the Earl are really good too. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRjK4AD68nAGG6BHuRuCD1Xj_8xcJZYyv2sBtRNf9LtA2u7TWHnDEk-dG_sjyfV4yre1hEL8xBy_uQqLlniF-4oYD9PueeAIYu7j0crk0BbHX1Tzmpz9WvbDooW3NcJsz7Dl19Ei3rl5IU52hfxuLYT9t8G4ry9WscuHLiRkXXfE_3C_B3nmbhQtC3OQ/s778/disney%20springs.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="363" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRjK4AD68nAGG6BHuRuCD1Xj_8xcJZYyv2sBtRNf9LtA2u7TWHnDEk-dG_sjyfV4yre1hEL8xBy_uQqLlniF-4oYD9PueeAIYu7j0crk0BbHX1Tzmpz9WvbDooW3NcJsz7Dl19Ei3rl5IU52hfxuLYT9t8G4ry9WscuHLiRkXXfE_3C_B3nmbhQtC3OQ/w298-h640/disney%20springs.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mickey treats at Disney Springs</td></tr></tbody></table><h1 style="text-align: left;">Paradise Beach, Melbourne</h1><p>From Orlando we headed East for the coast and Paradise Beach was an impromtu lunch stop that ended up being a lovely couple hours spent on the beach! As the name suggests, the beach is gorgeous and it makes for a nice stop if you're doing the Orlando - Miami drive. There's a good shaded playarea near the beach plus lots of places to stop for a bite to eat. (We ate lunch at <a data-id="https://en-gb.facebook.com/jakescrabshack/" data-type="URL" href="https://en-gb.facebook.com/jakescrabshack/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Jake's Crab Shack</a>)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgayG_F_DykQthoVmldFk8yDoPQ-dnM7FDKxlrBsp67Ni_tOE3fEMqtiPjIsbULq2SyJog5FGsc4p8xqnsf4XoTsud_9FxMWcrsTZbQbYEmmdAWF0FyrLCp7mv0R-wP-sn1UiqmcXhyxyRdC9vGFodQh-4461i8Iq5jcHVZMq0j1cyAp6Jxb9qSeZbOow/s1038/paradise%20beach%20melbourne.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1038" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgayG_F_DykQthoVmldFk8yDoPQ-dnM7FDKxlrBsp67Ni_tOE3fEMqtiPjIsbULq2SyJog5FGsc4p8xqnsf4XoTsud_9FxMWcrsTZbQbYEmmdAWF0FyrLCp7mv0R-wP-sn1UiqmcXhyxyRdC9vGFodQh-4461i8Iq5jcHVZMq0j1cyAp6Jxb9qSeZbOow/w640-h480/paradise%20beach%20melbourne.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><h1 style="text-align: left;">South Beach, Miami</h1><p>We stayed at the <a href="https://www.newportbeachsideresort.com/">Newport Beachside Resort</a> which was located in North Miami, but we ditched our car and jumped on a bus to take us to South Beach. There didn't seem to be a great deal of parking so public transport made sense!</p><p>We started our day by exploring the famous Ocean Drive. Here you can find over 800 beautiful Art Deco buildings and it's a fun spot to have a wander. There are tons of bars and restaurants situated along the road and it gets very lively at night time I've heard. We did find the food places very expensive but there are plenty of cheaper options if you head away from the main thoroughfare. (We had lunch at <a href="https://www.flcafesouthbeach.net/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Fl Cafe</a> on Collins Street)</p><p>South Beach is stunning with soft white sand and brilliant blue water. The lifeguard huts are so colourful and made me think of Baywatch! </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUP6lIfKbCBCtcHc2fmkJEzjFvMWng9IEpd9-vzGIN-Laxg-4w6of2QTRxO-yTa_vXj_YWUQptF2P3Yooat5jGXR5MmekM9wthzyLEonA0kmy3Z7tJvsU1u30On7VVkNlmLNnxdforP2PsKLn-PUxMobMzz4Os97jn3KJjKHj_nf4vPZMBfBG4tJw3Xw/s2048/miami%20beach.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="957" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUP6lIfKbCBCtcHc2fmkJEzjFvMWng9IEpd9-vzGIN-Laxg-4w6of2QTRxO-yTa_vXj_YWUQptF2P3Yooat5jGXR5MmekM9wthzyLEonA0kmy3Z7tJvsU1u30On7VVkNlmLNnxdforP2PsKLn-PUxMobMzz4Os97jn3KJjKHj_nf4vPZMBfBG4tJw3Xw/w640-h300/miami%20beach.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">South Beach, Miami</td></tr></tbody></table><h1 style="text-align: left;">Wynward, Miami</h1><p>If you're looking for a bit of culture, head over to the area of Wynward where you will find a hip, colourful neighbourhood best known for it's street art. We just found a parking spot on the road and had a wander, we spotted so many murals and cool art along the way. This is free however you can pay to go inside Wynward Walls, a very cool gallery featuring over 35 hand sprayed murals. An Instagrammers dream! </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHCG3CF0GRqlHBlMnkOz4zwYpvezJxZX3Gzqj2lL7QoUsN8NIryy4epPoIW0j_q9zLa2xE0pV1gubvZ1JMue5b5yBcW94JeOmQ9Oll7wy43d3MENzmEHOz5obRQ7-PAl2KL3WGw3UfCJ1pg44Nq5hqYrVZbP1VI7vGuETSRhq7nXO3h5Hk3TNIc2aKLQ/s4000/20220414_130303.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHCG3CF0GRqlHBlMnkOz4zwYpvezJxZX3Gzqj2lL7QoUsN8NIryy4epPoIW0j_q9zLa2xE0pV1gubvZ1JMue5b5yBcW94JeOmQ9Oll7wy43d3MENzmEHOz5obRQ7-PAl2KL3WGw3UfCJ1pg44Nq5hqYrVZbP1VI7vGuETSRhq7nXO3h5Hk3TNIc2aKLQ/w640-h298/20220414_130303.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wynward Walls, Miami</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Wynward is a real up and coming area with lots of great spots to stop for a drink and a bite to eat. We found <a href="https://zakthebaker.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Zac the Baker</a> via Trip Advisor and had some amazing authentic bagels and sourdough bread.</p><h1 style="text-align: left;">Little Havana, Miami</h1><p>For a taste of Cuba, you can't go wrong with a visit to Little Havana. Here you will find an array of Cuban cafes, boutiques and giant rooster statues. You will also find one of Miami's most popular ice-cream shops <a href="https://www.azucaricecream.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Azucar</a>. We stopped at Little Havana specifially for the ice-cream and we were not disappointed! They sell every type of flavour you can imagine, plus more including some more unusual ones like bourban and dark cherry and sweet plantain. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86KmaUbDd6cuM0UXmmdB8YBIe6TG0KOgZdXxvy9RtjQJNCQHZi96Srf7SKShl9Gs-Z2_XKW0GTFC6J5FD1Pmgm2DCAi55zR3SoRadsuiBHBqa3fRb80beOfygvwvT3AEoipf7cgwcdLXxZDxUAEBXd-CBgWSIfDcHCGnRPmiR_Cea78H7mcQ3GGmLEA/s2000/IMG-20220414-WA0006.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="934" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86KmaUbDd6cuM0UXmmdB8YBIe6TG0KOgZdXxvy9RtjQJNCQHZi96Srf7SKShl9Gs-Z2_XKW0GTFC6J5FD1Pmgm2DCAi55zR3SoRadsuiBHBqa3fRb80beOfygvwvT3AEoipf7cgwcdLXxZDxUAEBXd-CBgWSIfDcHCGnRPmiR_Cea78H7mcQ3GGmLEA/w298-h640/IMG-20220414-WA0006.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Azucar Ice Cream - Little Havana</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><h1 style="text-align: left;">Bill Baggs State Park, Miami</h1><p>If you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of Miami, I would highly recommend heading to <a data-id="https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/bill-baggs-cape-florida-state-park" data-type="URL" href="https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/bill-baggs-cape-florida-state-park" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Bill Baggs State Park</a>. Located just a few minutes drive from downtown Miami, it is the perfect place for some family time. There is a stunning lighthouse which offers guided tours, or you could hike/swim/fish/paddle/wildlife watch. We spotted a family of raccoons which made our holiday!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivw-cCbUJbfKVHBxxr3R2EFdhuLrVi0Mord62wKC8D7a7_BKsguREmsmnGJy5fllDFaUPSkJ3wv2PkOWLSghfrpZL1TtMoZA3TNZTLHsYXZBAxveeY7-jsM6GXLVs_998-FC-U_qtBsIz7FiRRCq2Ybvk4BLd7XucU18R7AWz-YlXeWsUzIgjyaew5Vg/s2048/bill%20baggs%20state%20park.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="957" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivw-cCbUJbfKVHBxxr3R2EFdhuLrVi0Mord62wKC8D7a7_BKsguREmsmnGJy5fllDFaUPSkJ3wv2PkOWLSghfrpZL1TtMoZA3TNZTLHsYXZBAxveeY7-jsM6GXLVs_998-FC-U_qtBsIz7FiRRCq2Ybvk4BLd7XucU18R7AWz-YlXeWsUzIgjyaew5Vg/w640-h300/bill%20baggs%20state%20park.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill Baggs Lighthouse </td></tr></tbody></table><h1 style="text-align: left;">The Everglades</h1><p>A roadtrip in Florida isn't complete without a visit to the Everglades and there is so much to explore, 1.5million acres in fact! Make your first stop at one of the 5 visitors centres where you can pick up maps, check weather and learn about the history of the park. There are lots of easy walking trails nearby - we liked the Anhinga Trail which is located near the Ernest Coe Visitors Centre. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIi5yTKANQVCYGzxrkyJo7YstGJR4hHN-FR2nUFrutEnKGmSf3o0jRS1rXFVS-rhKbvzuHGerED1iq3eZPo670eoe6N6ldyCP9okb4fF_4hJw9pKLa-jXThS54p4KsSfesIkFGA0XJwdaLSgRQMH6ugxyvrb_kteryGiQlTmEn58NEnYAt4jo-Ybm_hA/s2048/alligator%20everglades.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="957" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIi5yTKANQVCYGzxrkyJo7YstGJR4hHN-FR2nUFrutEnKGmSf3o0jRS1rXFVS-rhKbvzuHGerED1iq3eZPo670eoe6N6ldyCP9okb4fF_4hJw9pKLa-jXThS54p4KsSfesIkFGA0XJwdaLSgRQMH6ugxyvrb_kteryGiQlTmEn58NEnYAt4jo-Ybm_hA/w640-h300/alligator%20everglades.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alligator spotting in the Everglades</td></tr></tbody></table><p>If you prefer a guided tour then I'd highly recommend the <a data-id="https://www.sharkvalleytramtours.com/" data-type="URL" href="https://www.sharkvalleytramtours.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Shark Valley Tram Tour</a> . Located right in the heart of the Everglades, the tram takes passengers on a 15 mile loop where you will see an abundance of wildlife. At the halfway point, you will be able to climb the impressive 45 foot high observation tower which gives you a stunning view of the Everglades. We loved this trip and ended up being one of the highlights of our trip. We learnt so much from the tour guide and the amount of wildlife we spotted was very impressive.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3mWQ9nizpbfSt1q1yCW8_cNoN4sjpG27COimgwP4L-6i-jKSOVq6hUFedcxtKLvw-ebdQOJ3-LrOlQVelS7e4OPt8gk-4FmTqYcMFYrpPbZCNjfjRoFy9Q3EVtr9hqL0FLlUvJoYM8cU1xGGZ5eYoLvCoY7ry2D4JTLTF-rXFiZeb6iv80qtfHAQKUg/s4000/20220413_120324.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3mWQ9nizpbfSt1q1yCW8_cNoN4sjpG27COimgwP4L-6i-jKSOVq6hUFedcxtKLvw-ebdQOJ3-LrOlQVelS7e4OPt8gk-4FmTqYcMFYrpPbZCNjfjRoFy9Q3EVtr9hqL0FLlUvJoYM8cU1xGGZ5eYoLvCoY7ry2D4JTLTF-rXFiZeb6iv80qtfHAQKUg/w640-h298/20220413_120324.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Top Tip: If you're heading into the Everglades from Miami, look out for <a data-id="https://www.robertishere.com/" data-type="URL" href="https://www.robertishere.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Robert is Here</a>, a family owned fruit stand and farm where you can find all kinds of tropical and exotic delights. We loved the cherry milkshakes! Nearby is Everglades Gator Grill and this is a great place to try the local delicacy, alligator bites.</p><h1 style="text-align: left;">The Keys</h1><p>Driving from the top of The Keys right down to the bottom is a roadtrip in itself and you could easily spend a couple of weeks here exploring. But if you're pushed for time it is possible to see some great bits in a few hours. </p><p>From the Everglades, our first stop was Key Largo which was around an hours drive. There is lots to see on the way though, my kids loved spotting the different animal shaped mailboxes! We ate lunch at <a data-id="https://fishhouse.com/" data-type="URL" href="https://fishhouse.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">The Fish House</a> and we tried fried conch for the first time. </p><p>Islamorada was our next destination and here we stopped at the famous <a data-id="https://www.robbies.com/" data-type="URL" href="https://www.robbies.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Robbie's</a> Marina to feed the tarpon fish. The tarpon are massive and as you dangle your fish into the water, there is nothing like seeing a massive mouth coming up to grab it! Careful of the greedy pelicans though, we almost lost a few fish to them. This is a fantastic and unique experience, our kids loved it and I'd definitely add this to your itinerary if you are heading to the Keys. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLH33CT0VJJhGcYTrBgeB4O267iHkkT1SgbaDppROmGN1x11vecft2sOKYeESCQkdNVEaTFX1l8GUYc4A2VtZ_g4YD6T-xkswQXOG6rYObisNy3FnkzWn020pp7pcytmeBAGMk-dkn_wDL_lkemePMCff-C_Z5kj1Gn4ayYrU8YB56Z8Gn0joHbeqW_Q/s4000/islamorada.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLH33CT0VJJhGcYTrBgeB4O267iHkkT1SgbaDppROmGN1x11vecft2sOKYeESCQkdNVEaTFX1l8GUYc4A2VtZ_g4YD6T-xkswQXOG6rYObisNy3FnkzWn020pp7pcytmeBAGMk-dkn_wDL_lkemePMCff-C_Z5kj1Gn4ayYrU8YB56Z8Gn0joHbeqW_Q/w640-h299/islamorada.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Taking a drive along the iconic 7 mile bridge is a Florida Keys Roadtrip must do! There are actually two bridges, the newer one for vehicles and the older bridge for pedestrians. The views are pretty stunning but it is also a perfect spot to catch a famous Keys sunset. We parked up next to the <a data-id="https://www.sunsetgrille7milebridge.com/Home" data-type="URL" href="https://www.sunsetgrille7milebridge.com/Home" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Sunset Grill</a> in Marathon - firstly as it gave us a perfect view of the sun going down behind the bridge and secondly so we could grab some Key Lime Pie to take away. It would be rude not to have Key Lime Pie in the Keys right?!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2rTB1Kp5SaBIS0qy8AfHCNyMcf2qTQ6sHkWkAeWfRVtXaUIbwqRW-eumI1w9glVnEEcChLHE7wCsCqX84D9JPR2a3bwUOfpZgwXvDwpa20S2q9ug_YPAvBRxUySKhgApJLv7NAfvD98SG60cbqbu6Ax8qDQ3Xb3FMcx-PZHJ_avUz294vTzdpK5buTA/s2048/sunset%20over%207%20mile%20bridge.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="957" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2rTB1Kp5SaBIS0qy8AfHCNyMcf2qTQ6sHkWkAeWfRVtXaUIbwqRW-eumI1w9glVnEEcChLHE7wCsCqX84D9JPR2a3bwUOfpZgwXvDwpa20S2q9ug_YPAvBRxUySKhgApJLv7NAfvD98SG60cbqbu6Ax8qDQ3Xb3FMcx-PZHJ_avUz294vTzdpK5buTA/w640-h300/sunset%20over%207%20mile%20bridge.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset over Seven Mile Bridge, The Keys</td></tr></tbody></table><h1 style="text-align: left;">Naples</h1><p>We spent 4 nights in Naples and it was amazing to kick back and relax after a pretty hectic roadtrip so far. The beaches are stunning and we spent lots of time on Clam Pass Beach - this can be reached by parking in the carpark next to the Naples Grande Beach Resort and heading for the boardwalk. It's a lovely shady walk through the mangroves but if you don't fancy the 3 quarter mile walk then you can jump on the free golf buggies that whizz up and down daily. The beach is clean with calm, warm waters and one of our favourites of the whole trip. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzAfTPOs7O3Zwv-2l66ICH1ptppMu0ZtrJRG1vjSxDlIdxiBBWQYNM1viJG27MTg0303uzI3YNahLtcCLb7AXLFpzEMzUOHeRRzpb-dki-281M6urPFW9GT5DTlxe1KC2OT4saUa5Unsp178dLvXRY70zAItoAbq4vJEMdUmKyk8bhk4MDXdFxB-Lwxg/s2048/Clam%20Pass%20Beach.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="957" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzAfTPOs7O3Zwv-2l66ICH1ptppMu0ZtrJRG1vjSxDlIdxiBBWQYNM1viJG27MTg0303uzI3YNahLtcCLb7AXLFpzEMzUOHeRRzpb-dki-281M6urPFW9GT5DTlxe1KC2OT4saUa5Unsp178dLvXRY70zAItoAbq4vJEMdUmKyk8bhk4MDXdFxB-Lwxg/w640-h300/Clam%20Pass%20Beach.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Naples Pier is a great place to visit at sunset - we loved watching the local kids fishing from the end, one even caught a shark when we were there!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhszru0mTsmjGom4CrE4LK2RHkOFJ7DgpZJk47mJYwvAdXe4M7lVEvd5xidzfnILIZGvdby9YG7BIO21HxL0sb164UKnEwRZ3kqmHmtWHzBlLEc5rMtfAfrCQYGkd5YDRJ7RWLqm0dKdDewUks488X41SGd8dBJUC4zilhTohG8GjsptmjwzYPd1Xathg/s4000/naples%20pier.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhszru0mTsmjGom4CrE4LK2RHkOFJ7DgpZJk47mJYwvAdXe4M7lVEvd5xidzfnILIZGvdby9YG7BIO21HxL0sb164UKnEwRZ3kqmHmtWHzBlLEc5rMtfAfrCQYGkd5YDRJ7RWLqm0dKdDewUks488X41SGd8dBJUC4zilhTohG8GjsptmjwzYPd1Xathg/w640-h298/naples%20pier.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Naples Pier, FL</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>The restaurant scene is thriving in Naples with plenty of upscale eateries to pick from, but if you fancy a good ol' burger then head from <a data-id="https://brooksburgers.com/" data-type="URL" href="https://brooksburgers.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Brooks Burgers</a> which was voted #2 Burger Joint in America on Trip Advisor. </p><p>We stayed at the <a href="https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/apfnhhf-hilton-naples/" target="_blank">Hilton in Naples</a> which was a lovely family friendly hotel. Whilst not right in the centre, it was within walking distance to a few restaurants and shops. We enjoyed lots of time in the pool!</p><h1 style="text-align: left;">Sanibel Island</h1><p>Sanibel Island* is a shell collectors paradise and you will spoilt for choice with miles of golden sandy beaches to choose from. We went to Gulfside City Park Beach which had toilets/showers/parking and were lucky to get a spot at 9am so bear in mind that the carparking is limited and can get busy. Go early and try and time it with low tide for the best shells! We stopped for lunch at <a data-id="https://sanibelseafoodrestaurant.com/" data-type="URL" href="https://sanibelseafoodrestaurant.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Blue Giraffe Restaurant</a> which was really nice and very welcoming to families. </p><p>The rest of the island is beautiful to explore and I'd highly recommend stopping at <a data-id="https://www.fws.gov/refuge/jn-ding-darling" data-type="URL" href="https://www.fws.gov/refuge/jn-ding-darling" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge</a>. They have a great free Visitor and Education Centre but for a $10 fee you can drive round the 4 mile Wildlife Drive at your leisure. We spotted lots of wildlife whilst we were there including a snake and it was a very relaxing way to see some stunning scenery and learn more about the area. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJKXMChzgy9m4RbzZX2byWsW16QSPnhqGUrwjqAME2WsdCOwSIqcGa-rJL2qWeqOSjJkUGJUWNs8LY8dtkvtbtok4IYbTzTd5SG52hd9sCfJM1JwPtUM3edjcvbafbzxV_f4xvHHDmeqXadLbXp54XvvEbeji8PgL9ztgk7oqVJqfPgnTeh7jgUX6YVQ/s2048/din%20darling.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="957" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJKXMChzgy9m4RbzZX2byWsW16QSPnhqGUrwjqAME2WsdCOwSIqcGa-rJL2qWeqOSjJkUGJUWNs8LY8dtkvtbtok4IYbTzTd5SG52hd9sCfJM1JwPtUM3edjcvbafbzxV_f4xvHHDmeqXadLbXp54XvvEbeji8PgL9ztgk7oqVJqfPgnTeh7jgUX6YVQ/w640-h300/din%20darling.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wildlife spotting on Sanibel Island</td></tr></tbody></table><p>You can't come to Sanibel and not stay for sunset - you will not be disappointed! We headed for Turner Beach for a spectacular sunset and some more shelling :)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-1t_e5Sqtp8ULt82-7cRAu__lHmBntTmL6nUcJ3_k79EqYmUm3EvW9pncYYxCMT7AVcvWalraaI7rPl3M_t1xtJM1xMxwxRm1Z75pTa-W_FqKunY4YdTMDuWx5O1oY_OsVDFFINILty0KrgG2tFZRvHEhwN_sNs67FjnSFYm_aXyEUvj4B0PyELKx9Q/s4000/sunset%20on%20sanibel.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-1t_e5Sqtp8ULt82-7cRAu__lHmBntTmL6nUcJ3_k79EqYmUm3EvW9pncYYxCMT7AVcvWalraaI7rPl3M_t1xtJM1xMxwxRm1Z75pTa-W_FqKunY4YdTMDuWx5O1oY_OsVDFFINILty0KrgG2tFZRvHEhwN_sNs67FjnSFYm_aXyEUvj4B0PyELKx9Q/w640-h298/sunset%20on%20sanibel.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><h1 style="text-align: left;">Caspersen Beach, Venice</h1><p>This rugged beach has been given the nickname of the Shark Tooth Capital on the World and is one of the best places in Florida to find shark teeth. Shark can have up to 35,000 teeth in their lifetime (although not at one time!) so just imagine how many can be found along the shore. We went prepared and picked up specialist sifters from <a data-id="https://sharktoothsifter.com/" data-type="URL" href="https://sharktoothsifter.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Shark Frenzy</a> in nearby Venice but we also picked up some plastic colanders in the Dollar Store which were easier for the kids to use! Shark Frenzy are super helpful and will identify your finds for free too. You can also rent the sifters for a 24 hour period if you don't want to carry your sifter home! Don't forget to take some small ziplock bags to keep your finds in and wear some decent footwear. Flip flops were useless and didn't stay on!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizB9BrSclP8gHs4fovs0Btkiq8ly2AIrZCRP1LoH7I7XGD7NCtwqpJnBO5R8S5SukhKdwDG4hPrCju1WB3mlhZ01-j7bUnINQB44ZRTeCtRk0ILEw7amSmd-7wpqKdRjp8aDn6JHu6JRf_3qs555uM9WZMDkeRtSujEm9W0CX-ngk8kZNuDYNXxgmRPQ/s2048/shark%20teeth%20hunting%20caspersen.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="957" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizB9BrSclP8gHs4fovs0Btkiq8ly2AIrZCRP1LoH7I7XGD7NCtwqpJnBO5R8S5SukhKdwDG4hPrCju1WB3mlhZ01-j7bUnINQB44ZRTeCtRk0ILEw7amSmd-7wpqKdRjp8aDn6JHu6JRf_3qs555uM9WZMDkeRtSujEm9W0CX-ngk8kZNuDYNXxgmRPQ/w640-h300/shark%20teeth%20hunting%20caspersen.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Top tip - visit at low tide for the best chance and concentrate on the area where the waves are hitting the shore, you'll see the sand being churned up and this is where you want to sift through. We actually visited the beach twice in one day and had much better luck in the evening as the sun was setting and the tide edging out.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAOydV0_Kd9sVPTFZrM_YwBbxEX4e7aC-hxoQeVveP_skS3Z9cqS61M2cXxVkJd-yjlYkMBWowMV0UtFckE9uWGz3v8ay-IHLZdvoyXSbhmesXeENnHZTFVqj9eZrUIwUsNh8HhBRQInbGl_wTT9VxeMjfAU8bQcsRMqGIl-MmEm_z1HQqEMEPRWKvgg/s4032/caspersen%20beach.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAOydV0_Kd9sVPTFZrM_YwBbxEX4e7aC-hxoQeVveP_skS3Z9cqS61M2cXxVkJd-yjlYkMBWowMV0UtFckE9uWGz3v8ay-IHLZdvoyXSbhmesXeENnHZTFVqj9eZrUIwUsNh8HhBRQInbGl_wTT9VxeMjfAU8bQcsRMqGIl-MmEm_z1HQqEMEPRWKvgg/w640-h480/caspersen%20beach.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><h1 style="text-align: left;">Historic Downtown Venice</h1><p>After a day on the beach looking for shark teeth, Historic Downtown Venice is the perfect place to unwind. Grab a pizza at <a data-id="https://www.trattoriadamino.com/" data-type="URL" href="https://www.trattoriadamino.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Trattoria Da Mino</a> and then take a wander where you will find lots of quirky shops to browse. You might also spot a mermaid or seahorse on your travels - these are part of a public art project and my kids loved looking for these, they are so colourful. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9agIRcvrrmH60tsLF1Z0Kty143w-y6QxTXGCIsebO-2SRf-mMhB6S37LjA77N8-IWRXHOZplZdt5tYv7Io69PVc-wtptcbmhirut1nmpAFCS0Oek9FOuPo7vz1g3JDRWaOydA7H9XzI64CaFwVbr_t4aFdrTYdh29oeNrPr4R5eQ9DFk0l1efD8Zzog/s4000/venice,%20fl.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9agIRcvrrmH60tsLF1Z0Kty143w-y6QxTXGCIsebO-2SRf-mMhB6S37LjA77N8-IWRXHOZplZdt5tYv7Io69PVc-wtptcbmhirut1nmpAFCS0Oek9FOuPo7vz1g3JDRWaOydA7H9XzI64CaFwVbr_t4aFdrTYdh29oeNrPr4R5eQ9DFk0l1efD8Zzog/w640-h298/venice,%20fl.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>You can find fountains in Centennial Park - a great way to cool down in the hot Florida sun!</p><p>(To break up our journey between Venice and Clearwater, we had one night at the <a href="https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/srqeses-embassy-suites-sarasota/" target="_blank">Embassy Suites by Hilton</a> in Sarasota. This meant we could have a full day in Anna Maria Island before arriving at our final hotel of the trip)</p><h1 style="text-align: left;">Anna Maria Island</h1><p>Quite simply put, stepping onto Anna Maria Island is like stepping into paradise. The beaches are some of the best in the world with powdery white sand and clear turquoise water. The island has a real laidback feel and is a world away from the hustle and bustle of the big cities.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnKSyT-anA1AEwWTNJ6aHfDjSUhuh_Jk88b19L-VrlbsmZE7waTcXpVGpSLI6UTuCAadWftFAZ2AyCTQ2_9fagPr13wBbsnLiKByI1QurAjdTJ5qz3biJLa1PzBAs7lMCGKDgE8aD6Pcw37aN2oha6XwtBUosYvdkKSJ5NjrADU_bD2sjsyGkq6ztlhw/s4032/anna%20maria%20island.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnKSyT-anA1AEwWTNJ6aHfDjSUhuh_Jk88b19L-VrlbsmZE7waTcXpVGpSLI6UTuCAadWftFAZ2AyCTQ2_9fagPr13wBbsnLiKByI1QurAjdTJ5qz3biJLa1PzBAs7lMCGKDgE8aD6Pcw37aN2oha6XwtBUosYvdkKSJ5NjrADU_bD2sjsyGkq6ztlhw/w480-h640/anna%20maria%20island.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>For 5* ice cream, head to <a data-id="http://www.twoscoopsami.com/" data-type="URL" href="http://www.twoscoopsami.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Two Scoops Ice Cream Parlour</a> - with over 30 flavours to choose from, one scoop won't be enough!</p><h1 style="text-align: left;">Clearwater Beach</h1><p>Clearwater was our last stop on our epic Florida roadtrip and we spent two nights at the <a data-id="https://www.marriott.co.uk/hotels/hotel-photos/tpams-clearwater-beach-marriott-suites-on-sand-key/" data-type="URL" href="https://www.marriott.co.uk/hotels/hotel-photos/tpams-clearwater-beach-marriott-suites-on-sand-key/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Marriot Suites on Sand Key</a>. Not only has Clearwater got some of the loveliest beaches in Florida, but it's also a fantastic place to watch a sunset. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYVtomjbHmM2PU2lqE6r7r798dtDrylAYYgiUR9s403CggH07FBXCPM87i5Plv5XAVHuR0IpjAASDYRllLz9sWorvsiVaPxavP9GY9_f_DrX8CTUz_OJP99_QE-FEs9yWq4BeckS7bdpA4S1lmA8gB_0nR9LVnrTUQWF02EqIPZJ8FAcVPug42lwY6TQ/s1121/clearwater%20beach.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="841" data-original-width="1121" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYVtomjbHmM2PU2lqE6r7r798dtDrylAYYgiUR9s403CggH07FBXCPM87i5Plv5XAVHuR0IpjAASDYRllLz9sWorvsiVaPxavP9GY9_f_DrX8CTUz_OJP99_QE-FEs9yWq4BeckS7bdpA4S1lmA8gB_0nR9LVnrTUQWF02EqIPZJ8FAcVPug42lwY6TQ/w640-h480/clearwater%20beach.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Have you ever done an American Roadtrip?!</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></p><p style="text-align: left;">*Since our trip last year, parts of Florida were hit by major hurricanes. This included Sanibel Island which suffered massive damage. They are rebuilding but this will take time and I hope one day we will get to return and see the beautiful island back at it's best! </p><p><b><!--wp:paragraph-->
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<!--/wp:paragraph-->Entertaining Elliot & Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361231779235423707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542555274990469588.post-89509438528641605852022-03-14T21:45:00.002+00:002022-03-14T21:45:17.337+00:00Gift Ideas for Mother's DayMother's Day is almost here but it can be a challenge picking out the perfect gift. Perhaps your Mum loves a traditional bunch of flowers, or maybe they like to have something to drink or eat. I adore receiving home made cards but I have to admit there are a few things on this gift list that I certainly wouldn't mind waking up to on Mothering Sunday. And of course, a lie in would go down a treat!<div><br /></div><div>If you're wondering what to buy, then hopefully the following gifts might give you some ideas...</div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">JOMA JEWELLERY</h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgkQZeQS59D06V29VBrBdwHeLoQWojWQESSPcvC0yOfOWVoxWvN2hiGnUc-FpHudFhmaG6R6kzlnjSxlcKWlySbuYqRSdKFGglb5MJBuDLYu8_78949ubf4JYRVhaK2vJdTaaLVaSL-sLQ_fAeq7E1tkZPujTXC0JMSFHjXjazs87dxvkO05If2N-a_g=s768" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="768" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgkQZeQS59D06V29VBrBdwHeLoQWojWQESSPcvC0yOfOWVoxWvN2hiGnUc-FpHudFhmaG6R6kzlnjSxlcKWlySbuYqRSdKFGglb5MJBuDLYu8_78949ubf4JYRVhaK2vJdTaaLVaSL-sLQ_fAeq7E1tkZPujTXC0JMSFHjXjazs87dxvkO05If2N-a_g=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>If your Mum likes sparkly things then a little gift from <a href="https://jomajewellery.com/mother-s-day" target="_blank">Joma Jewellery</a> would be perfect. I particularly love the bracelets which feature a gorgeous golden and silver plated stretch design and a lovely little charm such as the one above. You can even create your own design using charms and letters. The prices are very reasonable and I even spotted some really beautiful silver earrings for under £10 - why not treat your Mum!</div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">GUYLIAN </h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhbprM7sVI3drU74r7WUkkpjTd_tJ9oUEAqSEjSlX1Gy9y-dvMpEc7yW8UB3PAyahENf0cDyzAaAWplccmLyKVbcweAiNzfvenvWPO1DokzQ-I-5TQzoRaFH7MlfpDBQUOtkOrL88iZwbu6EhOeGLtktI75sg45uqegPu4ONJMIbCDa1EZtwkfI6RpHCw=s6728" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4484" data-original-width="6728" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhbprM7sVI3drU74r7WUkkpjTd_tJ9oUEAqSEjSlX1Gy9y-dvMpEc7yW8UB3PAyahENf0cDyzAaAWplccmLyKVbcweAiNzfvenvWPO1DokzQ-I-5TQzoRaFH7MlfpDBQUOtkOrL88iZwbu6EhOeGLtktI75sg45uqegPu4ONJMIbCDa1EZtwkfI6RpHCw=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Why not show your Mum how much you love her by treating her to some yummy Belgian chocolates from <a href="https://www.guylian.com/us/" target="_blank">Guylian</a>. I personally adore the praline Sea Shells but you can also pick up this gorgeous Master's Selection. Featuring a premium assortment of mini pralines filled with a variety of exotic flavours and topped off with the finest ingredients, this one is special. The Master's Selection is available online at Moonpig and Ocado but you can find the rest of the Guylian range in all major supermarkets. </div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">GLOBAL CARE SOLAR LIGHT </h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPbl4TfY1Dtm-DfJsoCHoltIzoFTaTmO3NERkIe3wmPE9sAPsLxECg3ue6H4d6Xo9yEiWaBBGBD-MwBkjnWZitKXSZaglZUcvl-q-a0SnPmosssc_usUo-lK-dEABGEoayK68qQEcYBChRvKlJ4fCK64sAIfRGEEjmvhID3H6DGlNX6e2TbJx7EgznfQ=s600" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPbl4TfY1Dtm-DfJsoCHoltIzoFTaTmO3NERkIe3wmPE9sAPsLxECg3ue6H4d6Xo9yEiWaBBGBD-MwBkjnWZitKXSZaglZUcvl-q-a0SnPmosssc_usUo-lK-dEABGEoayK68qQEcYBChRvKlJ4fCK64sAIfRGEEjmvhID3H6DGlNX6e2TbJx7EgznfQ=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>If you're looking for something a bit different then you would be doing something amazing by choosing this gift. For £16, you can purchase a <a href="https://www.globalcare.org/product/solar-lamp/" target="_blank">solar lamp</a> for a family in Uganda to reduce the use of kerosene fuel. Kerosene fumes can be extremely toxic and can cause respiratory conditions, plus kerosene is very damaging to the environment. Your purchase will include a gift pack which comes with a card featuring the above image and space for a message to your Mum. For more info, check out the Global Care website <a href="https://www.globalcare.org/product/solar-lamp/" target="_blank">here</a>. </div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">No Longer Last on the List - Jo Bevilacqua</h4><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiH8OYLUiXaC3EhbCBZQZy3z0nswHjSzqGQ6Jq_Zl77XiQOaYou_m41rKAAdPKUtGjEPhXUcXTwnp926mwSU7stNFyfGOvEoVVwTGOo_7RgkpTZHdeBmija8iUmvCnajjIvr27NFX10WmORQvH1LBML19x0OHXPHlr4092CsAT2tX8OsMuZwgpfouewfw=s640" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiH8OYLUiXaC3EhbCBZQZy3z0nswHjSzqGQ6Jq_Zl77XiQOaYou_m41rKAAdPKUtGjEPhXUcXTwnp926mwSU7stNFyfGOvEoVVwTGOo_7RgkpTZHdeBmija8iUmvCnajjIvr27NFX10WmORQvH1LBML19x0OHXPHlr4092CsAT2tX8OsMuZwgpfouewfw=w335-h400" width="335" /></a></div><br /><div>No Longer Last on the List by Jo Bevilacqua is a self-growth guide for tired, busy women who find it hard to say no, or to put themselves first. As a Mum I am often guilty of this and I'm sure the majority of other mums would agree that our needs tend to come last! This book will motivate and inspire you and remind Mums that it's ok to think about ourselves first for a change. A fab read and a great gift for Mother's Day. Find it on Amazon <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Longer-Last-List-self-growth-boundaries/dp/1527274527/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=no+longer+last+on+the+list&qid=1636122995&sr=8-1" target="_blank">here</a>.</div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">LOVE LEGGINGS</h4><div><br /></div><div>Leggings are a staple in most women's wardrobes and finding a pair that are comfy, practical and not see through is something rare! <a href="https://loveleggings.com/" target="_blank">Love Leggings</a> have a wide range of leggings to suit every Mum's need - from sporty, high waisted, classic colours and lightweight crops, there is something to suit every occasion. And most importantly, every pair has been designed with comfort in mind. </div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">BEANIES COFFEE BUNDLE</h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9cyaCSHysBsHed24YXjnaOnFv_HDfU6MsUGLijvZset-Y8Tza40x6-Sxtr9p5VfxQq4C_DhRuREJoW9fFQ3U1Pn95tcXheotouDwW8T1_Z8fkz0HQQarRhBXzAQKfTjr4FvqqqhKr14oqGZEUZQ4BfFYQ4X582CHL-jQQrAnhb4vXP2XYduIHKw56xA=s800" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9cyaCSHysBsHed24YXjnaOnFv_HDfU6MsUGLijvZset-Y8Tza40x6-Sxtr9p5VfxQq4C_DhRuREJoW9fFQ3U1Pn95tcXheotouDwW8T1_Z8fkz0HQQarRhBXzAQKfTjr4FvqqqhKr14oqGZEUZQ4BfFYQ4X582CHL-jQQrAnhb4vXP2XYduIHKw56xA=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>Parenthood and coffee go hand in hand so what better gift than the gift of coffee?! <a href="https://beaniesflavourco.co.uk/" target="_blank">Beanies </a>have a fantastic range of flavoured coffees which are sugar free and low in calories. I love the bundles which you can see above and think this would make a lovely Mother's Day gift. It contains a big stash of the coffee jars, a mug, tote bag and a tin full flavoured sachets. </div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Arran Sense of Scotland </h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLf9EAO1QsQi7LrNrLuW632W8K4cONgYky0zpZFdrBUZCCFE0_pPrL4ZVOztLQUsgdBDIztEqqwPPVupfvraDcP6uo9UCOYGBnXN93bJNKbF0J8a-nx90beIWrceHkff7fp-y5g-wEpQ2UAPWvLGG61jTkXdJ5YhPAFjqUOuirwnB0sbwe4leLvD5nxQ=s1025" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1025" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLf9EAO1QsQi7LrNrLuW632W8K4cONgYky0zpZFdrBUZCCFE0_pPrL4ZVOztLQUsgdBDIztEqqwPPVupfvraDcP6uo9UCOYGBnXN93bJNKbF0J8a-nx90beIWrceHkff7fp-y5g-wEpQ2UAPWvLGG61jTkXdJ5YhPAFjqUOuirwnB0sbwe4leLvD5nxQ=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Inspired by and made on the stunning Isle of Arran, <a href="https://arran.com/" target="_blank">Arran Sense of Scotland</a> have been creating vibrant, evocative scents for three decades. From candles and fragrances to luxurious gifts set, there is something to suit every Mum. I personally love the After the Rain fragrance which is their best seller - close your eyes and you could almost be on the Isle of Arran! </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I hope that's given you a few ideas on how to spoil your Mum on Mother's Day.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">*Contains PR samples </div>Entertaining Elliot & Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361231779235423707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542555274990469588.post-11056525282364961812022-01-31T14:03:00.000+00:002022-01-31T14:03:27.710+00:00All Aboard The Polar Express - Seaton Tramway, Devon<p> We love a festive day out in this house and over the years we have visited some fantastic locations including <a href="https://www.entertainingelliot.com/2014/12/festival-of-light-christmas-at-longleat.html" target="_blank">The Festival of Lights at Longleat</a>, <a href="https://www.entertainingelliot.com/2018/12/meeting-father-christmas-at-weymouth.html" target="_blank">Santa at the Sealife Centre</a>, various garden centres and even a Santa experience at the <a href="https://www.entertainingelliot.com/2018/12/santa-elves-christmas-experience.html" target="_blank">Winchester Science Museum</a>. </p><p>For Christmas 2021 I wanted to do something new so after a quick google, I came across The Polar Express at the <a href="https://www.tram.co.uk/" target="_blank">Seaton Tramway</a>, Devon. The reviews were all very positive so I decided to book it there and then..and I'm glad I did because I've been told this is a really popular event and sells out! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgR7j_6opnB5auc_XWS1CNd1DuI0_tluR-xpwhOXM7QNk6FdnaYd474HJZ3AWOFyo_hCAaDYj_bS4z6GxZMEcGAXZvaU_pEZaAcGsdhPOZRDmoZ4XSUeaR97DeT3ZDgHxTpuahO3Pu8SbWpgteoHcd8KQUT9vP5BRn6UnN4AkCGUPukD0p_d2zQZhqF9A=s260" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="260" data-original-width="194" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgR7j_6opnB5auc_XWS1CNd1DuI0_tluR-xpwhOXM7QNk6FdnaYd474HJZ3AWOFyo_hCAaDYj_bS4z6GxZMEcGAXZvaU_pEZaAcGsdhPOZRDmoZ4XSUeaR97DeT3ZDgHxTpuahO3Pu8SbWpgteoHcd8KQUT9vP5BRn6UnN4AkCGUPukD0p_d2zQZhqF9A=w298-h400" width="298" /></a></div><br /><p>Having booked it in October, we had a little while to wait but before we knew it, December had arrived and it was the day of our trip. We only told the kids that morning - so many things had been cancelled previously so I wanted to save any disappointment if we couldn't go. Needless to say, they were very excited and luckily (thanks to me!) we had watched The Polar Express film a few days before so it was fresh in their minds. </p><p>Clad in their warmest Christmas pyjamas (like the film!), we headed down to Seaton (which is just over an hour away from us) and arrived just as the sun was setting. The tramway is very easy to find once you arrive in the town and there is a large pay and display just a few minutes walk away. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhjUClpkUyuh99yWwR3K9MubbNviZ1AYU6iKY4VAivhddCv0ImEvP9v-UcCD3Ir0WKZluOWERTdduVjiD7DG6waOiVom7shKKBwuOEs2_gsHN_84q2NSTH5rFaNUQEVO2gD0PrMEZQRE19ZqZz4V36x8xlImAjUb819cWlsDa4aSR9G1dnAQP3CgA2HwA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhjUClpkUyuh99yWwR3K9MubbNviZ1AYU6iKY4VAivhddCv0ImEvP9v-UcCD3Ir0WKZluOWERTdduVjiD7DG6waOiVom7shKKBwuOEs2_gsHN_84q2NSTH5rFaNUQEVO2gD0PrMEZQRE19ZqZz4V36x8xlImAjUb819cWlsDa4aSR9G1dnAQP3CgA2HwA=w640-h298" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>We followed the twinkling lights and headed for the entrance where we were ticked off the list and given special golden Polar Express tickets - we were told to keep these safe but you'll find about that a little further on :) </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlTPhc4gdYa6suaiwA8Qr8g5iWjYW-Ty15a4sAtNv9XWAG2tUu3wxFWDIyE0oIJUlfpmSV01EaMjAtE4ToHHn9m0tTl-V4A_NAffvCIKqdVAuBofUhgY31tpYoAU3UHXN9YsoIXxiDyBXeUeyz--7KtsvP1rhoX6txs0gNP2pWj-RrBA3Y9WMZiKDeLg=s757" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="757" data-original-width="353" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlTPhc4gdYa6suaiwA8Qr8g5iWjYW-Ty15a4sAtNv9XWAG2tUu3wxFWDIyE0oIJUlfpmSV01EaMjAtE4ToHHn9m0tTl-V4A_NAffvCIKqdVAuBofUhgY31tpYoAU3UHXN9YsoIXxiDyBXeUeyz--7KtsvP1rhoX6txs0gNP2pWj-RrBA3Y9WMZiKDeLg=s16000" /></a></div><br /><p>Once all the guests had arrived for our time slot we were taken through to the large tram shed. Here we were introduced to some of the "chefs" from the Polar Express and the Conductor who sang and danced for us. The attention to detail was fantastic, even down to the actors all speaking with an American accent like the film! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheBoBcJ0d-bmXrR8u9m6bKyN9dj-BwFk67PrsX2eawGasEVBb97U9RZB_MQvS63acAOWhbv17LDEOr2Fbp__mYO4_l3EWD1NIFtlIrEGTcXOcVP8-Atio6nd13A1HggBfIAe4f9YNc3g-mfNMu7TUm90h5Y14v94Bd7JD-bK0uMQNmVgFA4l9WMs6GDw=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2252" data-original-width="4000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheBoBcJ0d-bmXrR8u9m6bKyN9dj-BwFk67PrsX2eawGasEVBb97U9RZB_MQvS63acAOWhbv17LDEOr2Fbp__mYO4_l3EWD1NIFtlIrEGTcXOcVP8-Atio6nd13A1HggBfIAe4f9YNc3g-mfNMu7TUm90h5Y14v94Bd7JD-bK0uMQNmVgFA4l9WMs6GDw=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSybyjWjLHGOPfaXUVnwqnc8L1tb5IMAg3t5HaQo9FOqcv3VGFu5LvUCjdh-YtGX3jCKlDR-N26p_iU67pqgmcy7KN-TW7_QSIUSLEkIpZi6lU5cEJ3WGDn2ZYmuvwWOZHtXgT7Do5NJDIarDsvO-SPlzHBgZqI9U8mVRtOh8EkyBWSAJQ1DXpI_m6Cw=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSybyjWjLHGOPfaXUVnwqnc8L1tb5IMAg3t5HaQo9FOqcv3VGFu5LvUCjdh-YtGX3jCKlDR-N26p_iU67pqgmcy7KN-TW7_QSIUSLEkIpZi6lU5cEJ3WGDn2ZYmuvwWOZHtXgT7Do5NJDIarDsvO-SPlzHBgZqI9U8mVRtOh8EkyBWSAJQ1DXpI_m6Cw=w640-h298" width="640" /></a></div><p>Soon, the familiar music from the film started, the huge doors of the shed opened and we saw the trams all lit up for the first time. I won't lie, it gave me a lump in my throat - it was quite moving! </p><p>We boarded our trams and soon we were on our way to "The North Pole"..otherwise known as Colyton Station. It's a half hour trip but the time flew by. We were given hot chocolate and cookies, there was singing and a story and before we knew it, the twinkling lights of the station were coming into view. Colyton Station looked so festive, made even more so by Father Christmas on the platform giving us a wave! I think Erin genuinely believed we'd reached the North Pole but she did wonder why there wasn't any snow. It certainly felt as cold as the North Pole!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhOceTwomQJY9TZyeD-rf5Wvhu4-75RouuFj_5r2qvnEGFuPnkgZjWVNVzB7jpVQlZByldDdERPbWQVSMdzLYvpzLWQO2DTEgsm3j_pRT2hkR3JWog32RLQ7qQhvaqDZ1yb8-ofblicualMBCNXXye6HbcBrYSl0PeI1g-AjbBdQSPr3Uml6MyxVHlKIw=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhOceTwomQJY9TZyeD-rf5Wvhu4-75RouuFj_5r2qvnEGFuPnkgZjWVNVzB7jpVQlZByldDdERPbWQVSMdzLYvpzLWQO2DTEgsm3j_pRT2hkR3JWog32RLQ7qQhvaqDZ1yb8-ofblicualMBCNXXye6HbcBrYSl0PeI1g-AjbBdQSPr3Uml6MyxVHlKIw=w640-h298" width="640" /></a></div><p>We had an hour to enjoy Colyton and this gave us plenty of time to meet Father Christmas. Each family were sat at a separate table and he came round with a couple of his elves to meet the children. It didn't feel rushed and the kids loved the silver bell they were given, just like in the film. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdze1W2OV1Oaz_B6-uKhGuYdhBwz8czj4P7SK689D5K9XBBI0LvbR2HDtGIoUliXVkZXCuEUVLjgNuu3CfXbXVbRThlM8YSXJOZ2FxuQqjR2roVNnWpMd7ZTfxAh_GDAWWN33Iv4wSnPiUZk0zdY1Wb7HEcWr6M9yWxRL0XC0ElghKVJilbYD3IRw73Q=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2252" data-original-width="4000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdze1W2OV1Oaz_B6-uKhGuYdhBwz8czj4P7SK689D5K9XBBI0LvbR2HDtGIoUliXVkZXCuEUVLjgNuu3CfXbXVbRThlM8YSXJOZ2FxuQqjR2roVNnWpMd7ZTfxAh_GDAWWN33Iv4wSnPiUZk0zdY1Wb7HEcWr6M9yWxRL0XC0ElghKVJilbYD3IRw73Q=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><p>Afterwards we were free to explore the station before our tram arrived for the return journey. It felt so Christmassy and it was lovely just to enjoy the atmosphere on the platform. There was a well stocked gift shop, plus a kiosk selling burgers/hot dogs and drinks. There was also plenty of time to have a pic with Father Christmas on his sleigh! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQB6CoYh38Tf_79Bh06vU4QUYrJt3TI49R9YEbcSPUPDiSSnNxAtnY0ob3q3c3Gkk8M4m3rS4b78Naz7a8Z1_yXYoC4Uic2DUo2iDTb1JHAV1dHILFIFOGNuAEhTjBvGfzMxtS2EzHyeX3jANXsW0IqjBQg5m6wMV57RGqGSAygLu95n1fxXN7f23iUQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQB6CoYh38Tf_79Bh06vU4QUYrJt3TI49R9YEbcSPUPDiSSnNxAtnY0ob3q3c3Gkk8M4m3rS4b78Naz7a8Z1_yXYoC4Uic2DUo2iDTb1JHAV1dHILFIFOGNuAEhTjBvGfzMxtS2EzHyeX3jANXsW0IqjBQg5m6wMV57RGqGSAygLu95n1fxXN7f23iUQ=w640-h298" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjiavsbIZ-mKa_htE-umFgNXx2m_7mZtOA2xOURn-ihBWOEtBRoaZRjDLjUrSlDMn08R36Ee2iM_enj2dY0KpjerlfodDn_TLskDxwLFxQYkadgdHvH-M7JvP9maeBBBPTpYAOcrkxRBcrlcwDl2TeS-g073fYa4qYatCpa6D082o8cyTF2lKn9L5Y55Q=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjiavsbIZ-mKa_htE-umFgNXx2m_7mZtOA2xOURn-ihBWOEtBRoaZRjDLjUrSlDMn08R36Ee2iM_enj2dY0KpjerlfodDn_TLskDxwLFxQYkadgdHvH-M7JvP9maeBBBPTpYAOcrkxRBcrlcwDl2TeS-g073fYa4qYatCpa6D082o8cyTF2lKn9L5Y55Q=w640-h298" width="640" /></a></div><p>Soon it was time to return back to Seaton Station and we boarded the tram. Again, the journey flew by and the actors made the trip really enjoyable with jokes and singing. We even got our golden tickets clipped by the conductor, just like in the film. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4G8w8VhzlNPeHOVs-OGD94aeWev_N2oJAUsbd8oUFYzuSi21jc_0IxPkpR6m2JSGFIkULcq-gkeYUnPmC6DSRCHjjYtodqBes5NLhcL76Dc-feRFeIJtQerjBs_vq0WrLu6ZDbQ6ZISwN2T2OtwUmq79PmcFDk8BZiIrLO6Fjukva3Tnf-hlQDOuPsw=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2252" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4G8w8VhzlNPeHOVs-OGD94aeWev_N2oJAUsbd8oUFYzuSi21jc_0IxPkpR6m2JSGFIkULcq-gkeYUnPmC6DSRCHjjYtodqBes5NLhcL76Dc-feRFeIJtQerjBs_vq0WrLu6ZDbQ6ZISwN2T2OtwUmq79PmcFDk8BZiIrLO6Fjukva3Tnf-hlQDOuPsw=w360-h640" width="360" /></a></div><br /><p>We had a really enjoyable time on the Seaton Tramway and I think The Polar Express is one of the best Christmas themed activities that we have done. As I said before, the attention to detail was fantastic and all the staff involved were really friendly and engaging with the children. My only criticism was that Father Christmas seemed quite hard of hearing so the kids had to repeat themselves quite a lot when speaking to him! </p><p>The cost of the trip was just under £125 for the four of us which certainly isn't cheap but this might be the last year that Elliot believes so I'm glad we did something special. Opting for an early evening slot made it even more magical because everything looked so twinkly. </p><p>I'm not sure how early the tickets go on sale for 2022 but keep an eye on their socials for updates, I'd definitely recommend booking early. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh5RHWZCv8GpBnshG_3n2mHVkdb4t00ZeBXy9VUuFG0pLnuXccoqYviNJ9psQvyFipXa433dVlYMqGItV8ScDi1KEFseaPs0Ws2yuWAqvIY6IvKGeJxdkrCUQKB18_ULb74swLWmk5J1wbhHlt8sjIaO8YiY2cFZM-YoJM4mbth2CHKcqmFwkggpnnRzw=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh5RHWZCv8GpBnshG_3n2mHVkdb4t00ZeBXy9VUuFG0pLnuXccoqYviNJ9psQvyFipXa433dVlYMqGItV8ScDi1KEFseaPs0Ws2yuWAqvIY6IvKGeJxdkrCUQKB18_ULb74swLWmk5J1wbhHlt8sjIaO8YiY2cFZM-YoJM4mbth2CHKcqmFwkggpnnRzw=w640-h298" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">For more info, check out the Seaton Tramway Website <a href="https://www.tram.co.uk/" target="_blank">here</a>. You can also view my Instagram reel from the evening <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CXqGejAI3ns/" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMJhqURBH44zIjgVozCObih4Hl4K85l7iP2KcCSgBRbf6npv3KM00OhOLYhn5bPyRhDby6hi-n-McEeqljER4kfVN2V7MM1i5cc1ru3TG-n0nfJ766Roo-3F5ll7m7JrYN31_cIigOAlaMl_n8AX5v-a6Rv1Mm4iSiGH64Kh9sEabDo-IShRZYyoxw9A=s3968" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1852" data-original-width="3968" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMJhqURBH44zIjgVozCObih4Hl4K85l7iP2KcCSgBRbf6npv3KM00OhOLYhn5bPyRhDby6hi-n-McEeqljER4kfVN2V7MM1i5cc1ru3TG-n0nfJ766Roo-3F5ll7m7JrYN31_cIigOAlaMl_n8AX5v-a6Rv1Mm4iSiGH64Kh9sEabDo-IShRZYyoxw9A=w640-h298" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Entertaining Elliot & Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361231779235423707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542555274990469588.post-42682288627044821372021-11-29T15:59:00.000+00:002021-11-29T15:59:06.346+00:00Family Photos with Lite-Box Imagery Dorset<p> I am forever taking photos of my children but I find it so hard to get a decent shot where they are both looking at the camera and smiling....and not strangling each other! I have been thinking about getting some professional up to date photos of them for a while but it's one of those things on my list that got pushed to the bottom while school life took over. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh136IDgyzT9CMJo5DZhH0_v9T6l-6i36qeoh4ZQTnGJDQjfeDDecBJzvg7vdblkwkK4vRKqcdQEzZ_6Lg1ebIFfHeH7TNjeugMmOJ8udJXRyjGLE39eI886iByaIOfmQxEky9cV2D1bJCD/s4032/20211128_102800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh136IDgyzT9CMJo5DZhH0_v9T6l-6i36qeoh4ZQTnGJDQjfeDDecBJzvg7vdblkwkK4vRKqcdQEzZ_6Lg1ebIFfHeH7TNjeugMmOJ8udJXRyjGLE39eI886iByaIOfmQxEky9cV2D1bJCD/w300-h400/20211128_102800.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my better attempts!!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I entered a competition on Facebook a few weeks back for a local photography company <a href="https://www.lite-boximagery.co.uk/" target="_blank">Lite-Box Imagery</a> (based in Holton Heath, Poole) and thought nothing of it, you enter these things don't you and never win. But soon after, an email dropped into my inbox to say I'd won! I had won a family photoshoot with a free framed image, private cinematic viewing and a £50 voucher so I was quite pleased :) </p><p>I was able to book a time slot on their website which was really handy - a lot of companies insist on calling you to arrange these things but phone calls aren't always practical with noisy kids around! It was really straightforward and I was emailed soon after with a confirmation and welcome pack. In the lead up to the shoot, I was also emailed a couple of reminders. </p><p>On the day of the shoot we found the studio easily and were immediately made to feel very welcome by Amy. Fortunately Elliot and Erin were happy to smile for the camera and they actually listened to instruction! They even came up with their own ideas and Amy was happy to give them a go. The whole shoot was really relaxed, she didn't bat an eyelid when they got a bit silly and the children really enjoyed doing it. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGLoSZD_WuHEdz62nD0MYoOk_AxpL40fmbS-ZnytMyYFj4dDy9QJV3c82_syOab0Plqu_VGcl1I9TywsOOUxIawewlLbQfuteWAnCRTm7oKyp3F8MM78ys_dG0yS8k5d7ZZHX0zQRsFmf/s2048/1+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGLoSZD_WuHEdz62nD0MYoOk_AxpL40fmbS-ZnytMyYFj4dDy9QJV3c82_syOab0Plqu_VGcl1I9TywsOOUxIawewlLbQfuteWAnCRTm7oKyp3F8MM78ys_dG0yS8k5d7ZZHX0zQRsFmf/w640-h426/1+%25283%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This one was Erin's idea</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>At the end of the session, we were given another appointment to view the pictures and given a brochure explaining all the different pricing options. </p><p>I came back later that week for my viewing appointment and it was great to see how the photos turned out! Amy really captured their cheekiness and there were so many photos to choose from. As well as the free framed image, I purchased a package of 10 digital images. It was so hard narrowing the photos down to 10! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0MqhKo0AeLf0McvIAjoFHqvW3S9icLygItT2CbnSH2fPiM7JL1mHBAKeGDcy7zYNsKvRq33HrG6Aurg7c9QOO0l5CzDMefCYmjhdpvXpoyTBtlf2jOhxdG9m5ddVHgjYce_vAZDEYw42o/s2048/1+%25288%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0MqhKo0AeLf0McvIAjoFHqvW3S9icLygItT2CbnSH2fPiM7JL1mHBAKeGDcy7zYNsKvRq33HrG6Aurg7c9QOO0l5CzDMefCYmjhdpvXpoyTBtlf2jOhxdG9m5ddVHgjYce_vAZDEYw42o/w640-h426/1+%25288%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Once I'd paid, the images were sent via email to me and the whole process was very straightforward. We are really happy with our photos and I'd definitely recommend.<br /><br />If you're looking to have some lovely relaxed photos done, I'd definitely check out Lite-Box on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LiteBoxImagery" target="_blank">Facebook </a>because they have lots of offers and competitions and you never know, you might win a photoshoot like we did! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi40Ew92FVSW0uUUousrCyfmsWDote7vn0csCIGwPytE3ekDYgyuF7u8k7Zq17rMqa3PcYms1P74KYXRM0jdpHJDb4mRTrIXifTnsOP5LqD2J5k1h8jqkFpBI5OXQBIy508mcfmVnHKNFTj/s2048/1+%252811%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi40Ew92FVSW0uUUousrCyfmsWDote7vn0csCIGwPytE3ekDYgyuF7u8k7Zq17rMqa3PcYms1P74KYXRM0jdpHJDb4mRTrIXifTnsOP5LqD2J5k1h8jqkFpBI5OXQBIy508mcfmVnHKNFTj/w640-h426/1+%252811%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Entertaining Elliot & Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361231779235423707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542555274990469588.post-14853844127717016872021-07-21T16:25:00.001+01:002021-07-22T11:30:37.462+01:0010 Top Tips to Survive the Summer HolidaysIt's that time of year again when I'm firstly wondering where this year has gone to, and secondly making plans for the Summer Holidays! Currently the UK is having a bit of a heatwave and I'm really hoping this lovely weather continues so we can get out and about and enjoy the time away from school. <div><br /></div><div>I used to feel a bit daunted by the thought of 6 weeks off school and having to entertain the kids but I've learnt that it needn't be scary, and it doesn't have to cost lost of money. You'd be surprised, some of the best days we've had are the ones which didn't cost anything! </div><div><br /></div><div>Here's my top tips for getting through those 6 weeks....</div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Brainstorm</h2><div>The first thing we do is make a summer holiday bucket list, get the children involved and write down all the things they want to do. On previous lists we have had simple things like "have a bbq" right up to the extravagant "go to Peppa Pig World"! Obviously you might not get around to doing everything on your list but there's always the half term holidays :) </div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Make a Plan</h2><div>I find it really useful to make a wall planner which you can stick up in the kitchen - it doesn't have to be anything super fancy, I literally got a big sheet of paper and drew out the days/weeks. It helps that the kids can see for themselves what we're up to and I'm not constantly being nagged "what are we doing today?!". </div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Snacks & Crafts</h2><div>I always make sure I do a Home Bargains trip prior to the school holidays to stock up on snacks/ice pops. The kids are always hungry so it's good to have plenty in - also handy if you need to pack up a quick picnic. Much cheaper than buying lunch out. I always restock the paper and crayons/pens whilst I'm there too - good for rainy days! </div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Rainy Days</h2><div>Speaking of rainy days (and I hope there won't be too many of them), the thought of a whole day cooped up inside can be a bit daunting, especially if the children are moaning they are bored from 8am! If you've exhausted the usual crafts/baking/films/board games then sometimes its fun to just get outside and play in the rain. Last summer on one particular day, we had a ton of rain and our road had loads of surface water - the kids went out in their wellies and had so much fun splashing about. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7lxVtwHOFwvykJulW251IyZPNl9rlsquImLxVc1Pf_eri851AEa1SPijpDBfRTv7fgNG-zC1klVw9Jhtvuh7Pv4Wvv2mrQSyEAt554xMH2u1bkeastzH2oJ0oZ26XnpATNTx1ZItj_Bsd/s2048/puddle+jumping.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7lxVtwHOFwvykJulW251IyZPNl9rlsquImLxVc1Pf_eri851AEa1SPijpDBfRTv7fgNG-zC1klVw9Jhtvuh7Pv4Wvv2mrQSyEAt554xMH2u1bkeastzH2oJ0oZ26XnpATNTx1ZItj_Bsd/w640-h480/puddle+jumping.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;">Library Time</h2><div>Local libraries are a great place to spend a bit of time, you can often find treasure hunts and colouring plus most libraries will hold a <a href="https://summerreadingchallenge.org.uk/" target="_blank">Summer Reading Challenge</a>. Our local library even has a little cafe! </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3g8pJyXIC2LthNMBGn4UpT5vExecrFTkRRMLaBSOt83lMrjb_DTx55cpzsOehdz8O43rDHLWFrvvK87Vep5MdFSLZ0a33TZVaGWaCHeOA2Xyj_1RQ_ioieWiKCgKEJOeWStPVITzNgsVc/s1000/summer-reading-challenge-2021.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="1000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3g8pJyXIC2LthNMBGn4UpT5vExecrFTkRRMLaBSOt83lMrjb_DTx55cpzsOehdz8O43rDHLWFrvvK87Vep5MdFSLZ0a33TZVaGWaCHeOA2Xyj_1RQ_ioieWiKCgKEJOeWStPVITzNgsVc/w640-h360/summer-reading-challenge-2021.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;">Summer Hols Scrapbook</h2><div>Encourage the kid to make a Summer Holidays Scrapbook or diary. They can collect leaflets from days out, or draw/write what they've been up to. You can even get holiday journals on <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/My-Summer-Journal-Activities-Children/dp/1081549513/ref=asc_df_1081549513/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=375456468450&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2187589243594165677&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006548&hvtargid=pla-862409022197&psc=1&th=1&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=76471990946&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=375456468450&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2187589243594165677&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006548&hvtargid=pla-862409022197" target="_blank">Amazon </a>which are a fab way of getting creative and a nice way of remembering what you've been up to. Good to look back on for inspiration too! </div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Better With Friends</h2><div>Reach out to your friends and get some playdates booked in. I actually find it less stressful when there's a group of children because they will generally entertain themselves! </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCUXneJ8zOlcbx1A2h7pNsX94tT-eYyz6zCTa-0B4pZSUjrhbaIRKcu6WrOvfWHRH4og04wBRPpSwC2v4ejP8SnUoOUd97XzSbevBKmntbtP6tkoZdBWpyzCqgHrStyTl2gvcPxM8k8sGd/s2048/better+with+friends.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1310" data-original-width="2048" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCUXneJ8zOlcbx1A2h7pNsX94tT-eYyz6zCTa-0B4pZSUjrhbaIRKcu6WrOvfWHRH4og04wBRPpSwC2v4ejP8SnUoOUd97XzSbevBKmntbtP6tkoZdBWpyzCqgHrStyTl2gvcPxM8k8sGd/w640-h410/better+with+friends.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Free Days Out</h2><div>Not everything has to cost money in the hols and there are plenty of options for a cheap, or even free day out. Pack a picnic and visit your local park. Go for a walk and look for wildlife. You can download lots of free scavenger hunts online which are a great way for keeping walks exciting - you can find a great selection <a href="https://buggyandbuddy.com/30-free-printable-scavenger-hunts-for-kids/" target="_blank">here</a>. Geocaching is another great free activity - all you need is the app on your phone and you can start finding caches. There's a great guide for beginners <a href="https://bettertravels.com/travel-tips/family-travel/10-reasons-why-you-should-start-geocaching/" target="_blank">here</a>. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3rYtDczd6Pa4AuhAJUtzvXmpMvQ1RyMMcxBAAEic7Riow7C0YFNvJw7S_Pf4YHVt_5Up4pzImtaloTzOhTlZOsAZK1C7-BN3bVwJ3MwHNptk7iJ0SbrajXaS5jJg_tcBKmJ93yYaicYS_/s1024/geocaching-brownsea-island-1024x498.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="498" data-original-width="1024" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3rYtDczd6Pa4AuhAJUtzvXmpMvQ1RyMMcxBAAEic7Riow7C0YFNvJw7S_Pf4YHVt_5Up4pzImtaloTzOhTlZOsAZK1C7-BN3bVwJ3MwHNptk7iJ0SbrajXaS5jJg_tcBKmJ93yYaicYS_/w640-h312/geocaching-brownsea-island-1024x498.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A massive cache that we found here in Dorset</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Cheap Eating Out</h2><div>It's great to have lunch out now and again throughout the holidays but it can get expensive. If you look around you can normally find some great deals to keep the costs down. <a href="https://www.brewersfayre.co.uk/en-gb/school-holidays" target="_blank">Brewers Fayre</a> do a great breakfast, not only is it unlimited but kids eat free making it a fab bargain. Tesco have also recently announced that kids eat free over the summer when an adult spends £3.50. We'll definitely be taking advantage of this offer - lunch in Tesco and a mooch round the toy aisle would make a great time waster on a rainy day! </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.kidspass.co.uk/kids-eat-free-restaurants" target="_blank">Kids Pass</a> is another good one to look into - currently you can do a 30 day trial for £1 and this will get you lots of discounts, including free kids meals at certain restaurants. </div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Down Days</h2><div>Lastly, don't be afraid to have a day with no plans! I'm always guilty of packing loads into our summer holidays and the kids (and me) end up tired and grumpy. Stay in your pjs, watch a film and just RELAX! </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Entertaining Elliot & Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361231779235423707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542555274990469588.post-72193163659346828272021-06-24T23:27:00.002+01:002021-06-25T19:25:41.237+01:00A Bank Holiday Weekend in London & Surrounding Areas<p> Way back in 2019, my husband booked surprise tickets for us all to visit Warner Bros Studio Tour in Watford. Who'd have though two years later we'd still be waiting to visit! Having rebooked and cancelled several times, we were hopeful the easing Covid restrictions in May 2021 would allow us to finally visit. And thankfully WB Studio Tour opened it's doors to the public on 17th May giving us the green light to go - yay! </p><p>We decided to book a few hotels either side of the tour date to allow us to have an extended weekend break and it was so fun to be able to plan things again - it's been too long! Here's what we got up to: </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Saturday</h2><p>We set off from sunny Dorset and our first port of call was Reading. My husband has a good friend who lives here that he went to uni with so we try and visit if we're in the area. We had a lovely stroll at a local country park called <a href="https://www.dinton-pastures.co.uk/" target="_blank">Dinton Pastures</a> and we found an amazing play area for the kids. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA5UlbCt8xziC0zdNrL3Y3IIAyaF_w3tjDRM3r7rJpTbd4ckBAMBsS4HoKRbRDD9eFp_3S6tfC3HH0Bqrq0B8XJ_Ij7zGwvmEwpEJl_o4-bFdfRB1nOzKGu3bIwDoKJXQVhFZezCii3lFc/s1600/dinton+pastures+lake.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA5UlbCt8xziC0zdNrL3Y3IIAyaF_w3tjDRM3r7rJpTbd4ckBAMBsS4HoKRbRDD9eFp_3S6tfC3HH0Bqrq0B8XJ_Ij7zGwvmEwpEJl_o4-bFdfRB1nOzKGu3bIwDoKJXQVhFZezCii3lFc/w640-h480/dinton+pastures+lake.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPf8Z2WjUlCuN3T7WuB-F45p7od7bqyThkKbZ3lfUDMRXMU26odmX8b0Q6XNfMEw_RYgGR4PqeYReLDdxIx_aw_Kg1PuJaLKwSH6ymkTY2Htoa8jpmsLrsYQrSSgph0RpUg9CxMdNBbZU9/s2048/dinton+pastures.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPf8Z2WjUlCuN3T7WuB-F45p7od7bqyThkKbZ3lfUDMRXMU26odmX8b0Q6XNfMEw_RYgGR4PqeYReLDdxIx_aw_Kg1PuJaLKwSH6ymkTY2Htoa8jpmsLrsYQrSSgph0RpUg9CxMdNBbZU9/w640-h480/dinton+pastures.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>If you're ever in the Reading area with kids I'd highly recommend a trip here - the play area was absolutely massive and there was so much for the children to do. </p><p>We had dinner at a local pub before heading to our first hotel of the weekend, the Holiday Inn Express in Hemel Hempstead. With these kind of chains, you can't usually go far wrong and this HI was more than adequate for a one night stay. It was a bit of a squeeze in the room with all four of us but it was clean which is the most important thing! We found the staff on the front desk really helpful too. Our car is electric and we asked if they had a charger - they let us plug in through a ground floor window and leave it charging all night. Very handy!</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Sunday</h2><p>Breakfast was a bit different at the hotel due to Covid and there weren't any hot veggie options but there were sausage/bacon baps already packaged up and plenty of cold options like toast and cereal. The breakfast was included in the price of our stay and the kids were more than happy when they discovered the nutella sachets. </p><p>We checked out and headed down the road to the Warner Bros Studios Tour and excitement levels were high when we spotted the huge buildings! I will probably do a separate review for the studio tours because it was absolutely brilliant and we had such a fantastic day. The last time I went was 8 years ago and there is so much more there now. I won't ruin it if you haven't been but Gringotts was AMAZING! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEMggrcLBvjJufJzEb9-C4j0IUbnRtt-gV5-ccNH0mpPE_3jTy0zwmwKu3_nq0P20anMp2n2V68SMdhyphenhyphenHo1VENrnYa6s6pklzS6cOl3V80_J1heSQk3qvNevcNhuElFsU9WIWiEuKtfglf/s2048/20210530_105529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEMggrcLBvjJufJzEb9-C4j0IUbnRtt-gV5-ccNH0mpPE_3jTy0zwmwKu3_nq0P20anMp2n2V68SMdhyphenhyphenHo1VENrnYa6s6pklzS6cOl3V80_J1heSQk3qvNevcNhuElFsU9WIWiEuKtfglf/w640-h480/20210530_105529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGig6qsMJ5BAQqS6bWfS34sdUS3zr6YkGKBg6oDqXwc8ixK05D3cNQPykesyKM82hOGagQr2ms-cLOc349dbgh5TdTPNSEW4bHb_lgo-K_vzlqlDynEXxEOoHYYIj0IoMx01DPuxW-zXM4/s2048/20210530_135553.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGig6qsMJ5BAQqS6bWfS34sdUS3zr6YkGKBg6oDqXwc8ixK05D3cNQPykesyKM82hOGagQr2ms-cLOc349dbgh5TdTPNSEW4bHb_lgo-K_vzlqlDynEXxEOoHYYIj0IoMx01DPuxW-zXM4/w640-h480/20210530_135553.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgog8TRSTNLav5g63cIDog6ZSXgFU0F1ziuClMd7jb_wvG512H8L70fnyD5uwD1zm5dyUTSWdQ9CaKifYWG_XoXGkofyeGakWlF6tVYeMHbYIh1rbEq5iDVwurb-u9OgQ0SypD0Y6Egaggu/s2048/great+hall.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgog8TRSTNLav5g63cIDog6ZSXgFU0F1ziuClMd7jb_wvG512H8L70fnyD5uwD1zm5dyUTSWdQ9CaKifYWG_XoXGkofyeGakWlF6tVYeMHbYIh1rbEq5iDVwurb-u9OgQ0SypD0Y6Egaggu/w640-h480/great+hall.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>The only disappointing point of the whole day was the long queues at lunchtime for the Backlot cafe but we made do with ice-cream and Butterbeer 🍦🍺</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNF6ynm6Ps4Hjh97ImBASwU8d1UIIfrUA9-2v-bD4-pjXhWgC-Y0QznmFyd_OYDMpHc_mgYF8thn3B3aVNY4nnAxlUxOL4a_NbRR_DIgMTvLwp5pZDf7LZWITrxmJXe6ZgXhZIjWXoMxbU/s2048/20210530_142459.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNF6ynm6Ps4Hjh97ImBASwU8d1UIIfrUA9-2v-bD4-pjXhWgC-Y0QznmFyd_OYDMpHc_mgYF8thn3B3aVNY4nnAxlUxOL4a_NbRR_DIgMTvLwp5pZDf7LZWITrxmJXe6ZgXhZIjWXoMxbU/w480-h640/20210530_142459.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>The gift shop is of course located just as you exit the tour and if you've never been before, it's pretty big. And they sell all sorts so you'd be hard pushed to leave empty handed! Elliot decided to spend his pocket money on a wand - always useful! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDgMYZgNEgJCCZac8XBDeCPbxguyAaOulJR-AswPFFfYvR8M9WSSaEo31wIRduS8G3-pAjrw7ZZv4-YUI902b09yKlugEt7K8giqYMWeK6AfcSemi1fti_Eban_67EdrHc5hoSJjJI77Ae/s2048/20210530_154516.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDgMYZgNEgJCCZac8XBDeCPbxguyAaOulJR-AswPFFfYvR8M9WSSaEo31wIRduS8G3-pAjrw7ZZv4-YUI902b09yKlugEt7K8giqYMWeK6AfcSemi1fti_Eban_67EdrHc5hoSJjJI77Ae/w640-h480/20210530_154516.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>We bid a fond farewell to the studio tour and started making our way into central London for the next stop on our mini break. </p><p>Our hotel was the Premier Inn at Waterloo and the central location was really handy. We dropped off our bags and headed straight back out to enjoy the sunshine. The Southbank was really really busy - being a sunny bank holiday, everyone in London seemed to be out! We managed to get a table in Giraffe and found it was really reasonably priced for food,especially for the kids. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWlobSJMPvMhqJOB98jHPA8yADiyWdpGqyoFd5XtNkG_vgN2_8M3GhnUOe6Xes4aTh08b_D0u2AkKqQSoLyKei7jIeMHNjRGjx7SDp3eF9e7jqAwc9sawUT3BkfP7OdGbelB4OSiAhuqch/s2048/20210530_203614.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWlobSJMPvMhqJOB98jHPA8yADiyWdpGqyoFd5XtNkG_vgN2_8M3GhnUOe6Xes4aTh08b_D0u2AkKqQSoLyKei7jIeMHNjRGjx7SDp3eF9e7jqAwc9sawUT3BkfP7OdGbelB4OSiAhuqch/w640-h480/20210530_203614.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>We did plan on having a walk right along the Southbank but it had been a long day for the kids with lots of walking so we decided to head on back to our hotel. All in all, a great day 👍</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis5BzkbwFMkOzU7MRmjg7Ut4YRfieJwkAMCTMYQof9lp0B2iIQ-3rJsA-hy365GMcPTCxMGf8rX0JhE5mEOk_8erBSl91fgQUJELEwoiHTTYDw_efvRQB46VbNTjsG5Yc6YFdaE9i2ifKE/s700/20210530_203233.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="525" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis5BzkbwFMkOzU7MRmjg7Ut4YRfieJwkAMCTMYQof9lp0B2iIQ-3rJsA-hy365GMcPTCxMGf8rX0JhE5mEOk_8erBSl91fgQUJELEwoiHTTYDw_efvRQB46VbNTjsG5Yc6YFdaE9i2ifKE/w480-h640/20210530_203233.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;">Monday</h2><p>We were up bright and early due to the hotel only having very early breakfast slots - 645am is a bit early to eat but as we'd already paid for breakfast it was either that or 1030am which was far too late! Bellies full, we checked out and headed towards the tube station (Waterloo) to start our next adventure. </p><p>We hopped on the tube and headed over to the British Museum near Holborn. There are some fantastic FREE museums in London...I'll say that again - FREE! We did have to pre-book a time slot but I think that might just be due to Covid and staggering the amount of people visiting. From the outside the museum certainly looks impressive and we were excited to see what was inside. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbLXkoSekOk9GIsigfnvpeaFVqHBEY4YU45mWMRb_EYaGQO5reTu1KUMDRnqSYeREl3_P91-x60LBQ23rJ1hTgQOmu9Zza0c58h2aFX58UdXgEPTUzb0LpF7_FPiC1BfCqEdXr_WaV_BjY/s2048/British+museum.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbLXkoSekOk9GIsigfnvpeaFVqHBEY4YU45mWMRb_EYaGQO5reTu1KUMDRnqSYeREl3_P91-x60LBQ23rJ1hTgQOmu9Zza0c58h2aFX58UdXgEPTUzb0LpF7_FPiC1BfCqEdXr_WaV_BjY/w640-h480/British+museum.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>The British Mususem is one of the largest museums in the world and houses over 13 million objects, although obviously not all these are on display. The museum has nearly 100 galleries open to the public and you can see two million years of human history. Not bad for a free ticket! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuxUKbn2RoBSJxY_gqDqtF7R-fcV6h54vdJtzEd4zQiYlV601EQCNsIDeEL5tWnyFr2azKzDP-OBy17L2kDm4TYxzYKgeeMcJvyOxzGALX_GDkTRMD0X-BtwmZVfeF6QQpzHBE8orNg1qd/s2048/20210531_101713.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuxUKbn2RoBSJxY_gqDqtF7R-fcV6h54vdJtzEd4zQiYlV601EQCNsIDeEL5tWnyFr2azKzDP-OBy17L2kDm4TYxzYKgeeMcJvyOxzGALX_GDkTRMD0X-BtwmZVfeF6QQpzHBE8orNg1qd/w640-h480/20210531_101713.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Currently the museum has Covid rules in place meaning there is a one way system around the galleries but we didn't feel this detracted from the experience at all. There were lots of staff around the museum who were happy to answer any questions or give some more information about particular exhibits.</p><p>The kids really enjoyed seeing the Egyptian Mummies and it was absolutely fascinating to see all the artifacts that had been discovered in the tombs.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv0SboEI15RIsNwCbdS7NHxd1JYnnwJebkpHPgyh1kUANTXWeq6EpqCt9w9QOr7YRxWN0VzH0PK1v3vd1HtkeA8WOZ3HYBG7saP3YiGLiJ88fv7ouzce_zmBTjkI5haeb8JUhnVIcervaV/s2048/20210531_104608.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv0SboEI15RIsNwCbdS7NHxd1JYnnwJebkpHPgyh1kUANTXWeq6EpqCt9w9QOr7YRxWN0VzH0PK1v3vd1HtkeA8WOZ3HYBG7saP3YiGLiJ88fv7ouzce_zmBTjkI5haeb8JUhnVIcervaV/w640-h480/20210531_104608.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglpmYJcwkt4by7CwUuygUCYNznq4BV215P6akVGLBqhDocBJwenKkwideW67Fu0Ro0wU46ZtwFvEGNIFKyrgWngIlZE5LRoPkIC5w2e56kEkO2t3SNOSZBixJCY96T1gYWvBVfiMmINd5H/s2048/british+museum+egypt.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglpmYJcwkt4by7CwUuygUCYNznq4BV215P6akVGLBqhDocBJwenKkwideW67Fu0Ro0wU46ZtwFvEGNIFKyrgWngIlZE5LRoPkIC5w2e56kEkO2t3SNOSZBixJCY96T1gYWvBVfiMmINd5H/w640-h480/british+museum+egypt.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>There is SO much to see and you could probably spend all day without reading every single information board! I was a little unsure about how much our children would get out of it but we spent a good two hours and it was thumbs up from them. If you visit with children, check out the British Museum <a href="https://blog.britishmuseum.org/visiting-the-british-museum-as-a-family/?_gl=1*120bnsm*_ga*MTM0OTg1MjY3OS4xNjI0NTQ0NzQx*_ga_08TLB9R8X1*MTYyNDU0NDc0MC4xLjEuMTYyNDU0NjUwNC4w" target="_blank">website </a>where you can download activities and museum missions. </p><p>After a visit to the Forbidden Planet shop for some comics, we stopped for lunch at a BrewDog pub. The weather was absolutely beautiful so it was lovely to sit outside with a nice cold drink. Not eaten at one of these before but the food was brilliant - lovely burgers and big portions, especially the kids meals. Check out the size of Elliot's burger! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5N7Q-pCi_Zdpd8yUKOMgLDxlTEOXbMtTU4lSRT33tLqG-RRd2QM3uKtwhWWt2MTp2Obo0lgd9-pnNgkqcIwtwrXEqzyLyIBv7DV5Mfn3VityvoK0frbCT7CI85IE5BZRAGIrTdnomrM7Y/s2048/brewdog+hoppy+meal+london.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5N7Q-pCi_Zdpd8yUKOMgLDxlTEOXbMtTU4lSRT33tLqG-RRd2QM3uKtwhWWt2MTp2Obo0lgd9-pnNgkqcIwtwrXEqzyLyIBv7DV5Mfn3VityvoK0frbCT7CI85IE5BZRAGIrTdnomrM7Y/w640-h480/brewdog+hoppy+meal+london.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6-Ri5ZVqyzFDngpi_USqFGWxQ6c7wqJP1pr-tvf3k7AMU5PUYdOlLJMwpr97ws6fOOnxiUveqewwSbqRw6lpBfupC3k481gyY5_kOVNp_oasLHsyeAUwk2TFkiWjb_xW0Ejcaew5ToFSU/s2048/brewdog+vegan+burger.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6-Ri5ZVqyzFDngpi_USqFGWxQ6c7wqJP1pr-tvf3k7AMU5PUYdOlLJMwpr97ws6fOOnxiUveqewwSbqRw6lpBfupC3k481gyY5_kOVNp_oasLHsyeAUwk2TFkiWjb_xW0Ejcaew5ToFSU/w480-h640/brewdog+vegan+burger.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>We spent the next few hours wandering through central London, taking in the sights and sounds. It was very busy, it's been a while since we've been to somewhere with that many people so it was a bit of a shock to the system. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDofa8ZItMlaYBEp_hFQS3bmGlM15-5Bch__V6kx2wF1fo0S-Hbbzv_rI81FHMpVcY6q8m9sOBC6IlvDNpP_H84BnqwCFQMRNqGdoEXPGGKu-OOzNAkxJ0AQe9MFPdzy8KtJUifBpyiVPS/s2048/picadily+circus.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDofa8ZItMlaYBEp_hFQS3bmGlM15-5Bch__V6kx2wF1fo0S-Hbbzv_rI81FHMpVcY6q8m9sOBC6IlvDNpP_H84BnqwCFQMRNqGdoEXPGGKu-OOzNAkxJ0AQe9MFPdzy8KtJUifBpyiVPS/w640-h480/picadily+circus.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Our final stop for the day was Hamleys - the kids have been getting excited about this for so long and all complaints of being hot and tired went out of the window when they saw the famous red shop! It's not mine and Paul's idea of fun, especially as it was the temperature of a sauna inside, but the things you do for your kids eh! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyxnwE9lgT0rrysFDUwxK8bv8PRbeVArkRh5zV92wYXCEQnw-OppaqMCjebOPv7fpZT2eUKMdmYGt2lWNbuZ6bbqS6avBMvADdf7S9laChLpF1n6HFEQc3xp4yWlBuGoKPAXBiHiqYFBGM/s2048/lego+queen+hamleys.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyxnwE9lgT0rrysFDUwxK8bv8PRbeVArkRh5zV92wYXCEQnw-OppaqMCjebOPv7fpZT2eUKMdmYGt2lWNbuZ6bbqS6avBMvADdf7S9laChLpF1n6HFEQc3xp4yWlBuGoKPAXBiHiqYFBGM/w480-h640/lego+queen+hamleys.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>We explored every floor and eventually the boys split off to find the Lego and Erin and I found ourselves surrounded by Barbies and LOL dolls. It took a while but they finally managed to choose something to spend their pocket money on!</p><p>Back out in the fresh air (thank goodness) it was time to head back to the hotel to pick up the car. It been a long hot day of walking so those last few miles weren't the fastest! Predictably, Erin fell asleep as soon as she got into her carseat, my fitbit said we'd walked 22,000 steps so no wonder she was tired. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJrGGuI7YtY3de08bFZghYn6z4dQi_yMQNWJvQ_4RYYofggQeNAMF6RSiQ9esPZe0DpedXpAWVxmn2VfiRoIxL34q6sQCmWPLs8oq7wYpguok03u7Nn8iwLYuYElS8SRguejMpaV9iZRY5/s2048/river+thames.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJrGGuI7YtY3de08bFZghYn6z4dQi_yMQNWJvQ_4RYYofggQeNAMF6RSiQ9esPZe0DpedXpAWVxmn2VfiRoIxL34q6sQCmWPLs8oq7wYpguok03u7Nn8iwLYuYElS8SRguejMpaV9iZRY5/w640-h480/river+thames.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>We arrived in Slough around 730pm and after a quick stop at the local Tesco for some sandwiches, we checked in at the Holiday Inn Express. We had another family room booked and this was a lovely large room with two double beds. Alot of the time a family room will have a double and a sofa bed/pullout bed which are never very comfortable so this was good to see. Erin was wide awake after her dangernap so bedtime was a bit never ending but we got there in the end! </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Tuesday</h2><p>Big thumbs up for the Holiday Inn breakfast, thought it might just be continental but you could have a full english as well as all the cold options. Really good for a "free" brekkie. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-GLZJ__1l7dyE4_X6fGWVPCg3B573ZOIWbxonEHQYdJmpj8EM2jdauf8UYl3pwMSXeZR9UoW2UaLuC-xbmjjd1guq1fkgCbm-Tw5aC8ggWu9yUVjR0KsdFXYzx8njqR7LXGcMbOClI2a/s2048/holiday+inn+breakfast.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-GLZJ__1l7dyE4_X6fGWVPCg3B573ZOIWbxonEHQYdJmpj8EM2jdauf8UYl3pwMSXeZR9UoW2UaLuC-xbmjjd1guq1fkgCbm-Tw5aC8ggWu9yUVjR0KsdFXYzx8njqR7LXGcMbOClI2a/w640-h480/holiday+inn+breakfast.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starting the day with the all important nutella!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>We checked out of the hotel and made the short drive into Windsor. We parked up in Alexandra Gardens Car Park and headed towards the centre of town. First impressions of Windor were wow, that's an impressive castle! It's one of those places that I've seen on TV so many times and it felt a bit surreal to be stood in front of it. Erin was fascinated to know that the Queen lived there, I think she was expecting her to be stood by the window waving at passers by! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvjWMDFrQDG3c2wS6pU4_K2IuUjREHLjPKeV3gVRKwijYlDAOrUgNyBwYcyAUWGx6-oDi53hFvSZEXtKT6VWxJ4VuUZpjI8zDPuiI_omY30q-TWv2JG7oQnSnWyPmsqSMPe794AG3sBRdX/s2048/windsor+castle.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvjWMDFrQDG3c2wS6pU4_K2IuUjREHLjPKeV3gVRKwijYlDAOrUgNyBwYcyAUWGx6-oDi53hFvSZEXtKT6VWxJ4VuUZpjI8zDPuiI_omY30q-TWv2JG7oQnSnWyPmsqSMPe794AG3sBRdX/w640-h480/windsor+castle.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Our original plan was to walk some, if not all of the Long Walk but the weather was rather warm and we decided to save that for another (cooler day!) - instead the kids were happy chasing each other and pouring water over their heads to cool down! </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8WjB7k_gc1PtTgpMidWv8VYXls5gBe9mxIo0BH4L5_wEwRc_udmWRRVDMWduzdybdYZB7xE4mWggJYXc9m1kjZxVQ1OamS8pHh1-lMlhnJMizhEbHUsc6cuA6RXyt9XHxZArFspLkvu9_/s2048/the+long+walk+windsor.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8WjB7k_gc1PtTgpMidWv8VYXls5gBe9mxIo0BH4L5_wEwRc_udmWRRVDMWduzdybdYZB7xE4mWggJYXc9m1kjZxVQ1OamS8pHh1-lMlhnJMizhEbHUsc6cuA6RXyt9XHxZArFspLkvu9_/w640-h480/the+long+walk+windsor.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></td></tr></tbody></table>We did have a peek through the gates and it was pretty cool to see the Queen's Guards. We were really hoping to catch the Changing of the Guards in the town but sadly due to Covid this isn't happening at the moment. <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqup97ReSH7H1GDqBbv4s3BUQTaYCnUCAibHRjNW5RfWrdxx4WOqrixTdqQoaZoMRsqpipWwR4Uh-CXpBfHnixjHLQseVm_Ku_AETb5cED2URyATfoLzJNUrLcr8li9i3R_LdgIGbI8kVz/s2048/windsor+castle+from+the+long+walk.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqup97ReSH7H1GDqBbv4s3BUQTaYCnUCAibHRjNW5RfWrdxx4WOqrixTdqQoaZoMRsqpipWwR4Uh-CXpBfHnixjHLQseVm_Ku_AETb5cED2URyATfoLzJNUrLcr8li9i3R_LdgIGbI8kVz/w640-h480/windsor+castle+from+the+long+walk.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>We spent the rest of the morning exploring the town and we eventually found ourselves by the river. The boat trips seemed to be really popular with most of the time slots sold out. There were also huge queues to hire out boats, the lovely weather definitely made everyone want to be out on the water! </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk3B7B2w-oqf18jLG-P2sXsJrzq7dsIpcpe7gv4wZJRKinWdf8WUdZp__Uh3xPTL83tCu4_0gzZu65nhK_cmDe5xx_xcC-EsUTKtgFtSzZu7I9_0T3_2YaytgtvAYg86VwU1ln9TLEsNWl/s2048/riverside+windsor.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk3B7B2w-oqf18jLG-P2sXsJrzq7dsIpcpe7gv4wZJRKinWdf8WUdZp__Uh3xPTL83tCu4_0gzZu65nhK_cmDe5xx_xcC-EsUTKtgFtSzZu7I9_0T3_2YaytgtvAYg86VwU1ln9TLEsNWl/w640-h480/riverside+windsor.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>The kids had a quick go on some of the rides in Alexandra Park but we decided to call it a day and head on home. Heat + tired children = cranky everyone! <br /><br />There's so much more in Windsor that we didn't get round to seeing so I really hope we get to visit again one day. If you want an in depth Windsor day out write up, have a look at my blogger friend Sabrina's <a href="https://themummystylist.com/2020/09/05/a-visit-to-windsor-with-kids-berkshire-day-out/" target="_blank">post</a> - she lives in Slough and has lots of lovely photo of Windsor and Eton on there. I wish I'd read that post before we went, super useful 👑</div><div><br /></div><div>Both children fell asleep in the car on the way home, this never happens. So I'm taking this as a sign of an action packed, fun, weekend away! </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Entertaining Elliot & Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361231779235423707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542555274990469588.post-61113708340885418522021-06-15T23:39:00.000+01:002021-06-15T23:39:02.986+01:00The Greyhound - Corfe Castle - Review<p> Nestled right in the centre of Corfe Castle village is The Greyhound, a 16th Century Coaching Inn which is apparently the most photographed pub in the UK. If you've ever driven though the village, no doubt you have taken this very snap! I have lived in Dorset my entire life and have been visited Corfe Castle since I was a little girl, but I never get bored of this view.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR9rxjZmsI6gyavnNPanaC-C2ek6gei13amiUvOmsVhAnToJuf_kWRHlHclzVHsqlqyniPdmZk5fax3KXmwnFfJwDO43rpgDnXXP_d9MkcBPJaa9bA_edg29riFpSBh4pVbRPTugWntNrJ/s2048/most+photographed+pub+in+england.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR9rxjZmsI6gyavnNPanaC-C2ek6gei13amiUvOmsVhAnToJuf_kWRHlHclzVHsqlqyniPdmZk5fax3KXmwnFfJwDO43rpgDnXXP_d9MkcBPJaa9bA_edg29riFpSBh4pVbRPTugWntNrJ/w640-h480/most+photographed+pub+in+england.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corfe Castle on a Cloudy Day</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>We were invited along to try out the food and having eaten at the Greyhound before on a number of occasions, I was looking forward to seeing what was on the current menu! </p><p>We arrived at the pub for lunch and were shown to our table which was on the covered terrace. There were plenty of tables here, plus in the beer garden which overlooks the castle but it did get very busy so if you are planning to visit I would 100% book in advance to save disappointment. </p><p>Standard Covid measures are in place at the Greyhound - masks on until you sit down, hand sanitiser on entry and they ask you to check in using the NHS Track & Trace - the QR code can be found on the menu which is handy. They do have a food ordering app to minimise contact but this wasn't working when we ate - the staff were all wearing masks though and happy to take orders. </p><p>The menu is very varied and has options for vegan/veggies/ GF etc. It was great to see lots of local additions such as Portland crab, Dorset Blue Vinney Cheese and Purbeck Cider. The stonebaked pizzas sounded amazing but I chose Mussels with cider, leeks and chorizo. This came with chips and crusty bread. It's not a dish I'd ever attempt to make at home so I really wanted to try it - and I wasn't disappointed! The creamy sauce was so tasty and the portion was plentiful. The downside is the mess I created, maybe they could supply a bib for messy eaters too ;) </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLuqP07D42ofCoQJZ1w4BvLoeoVjoOqPPk4kF4aUCX8TRndO9f5lez4Ma6mVIWKReVD6REfOvoQ2T0ulGbBDpoHroQ-_kVuQdC7J8CZFRFg6SlztOBSyI8cbmZhI7XbGb52Ez1J_bn-ZZj/s3660/20210610_121124%257E2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2475" data-original-width="3660" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLuqP07D42ofCoQJZ1w4BvLoeoVjoOqPPk4kF4aUCX8TRndO9f5lez4Ma6mVIWKReVD6REfOvoQ2T0ulGbBDpoHroQ-_kVuQdC7J8CZFRFg6SlztOBSyI8cbmZhI7XbGb52Ez1J_bn-ZZj/w640-h432/20210610_121124%257E2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>My husband is vegan and he was excited see his favourite Moving Mountains burger on the menu. His only criticism was that he would have preferred a brioche roll rather than a standard burger bun but apart from that, he really enjoyed it! The sweet potato fries were especially nice. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Qm68aKMe_h6mtw8gR8sr_r1-XnCK5Ebzh2RLuyOT5hKiNE-1fhoyTARveof2NgkMPD4fLd8Y-LW5K9zhyXMkILD3XOIUODXuUTP33xCV-y1Xb81SC2Sb7HMlp646G6q3MlhiTxIC77P9/s4000/20210610_121105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Qm68aKMe_h6mtw8gR8sr_r1-XnCK5Ebzh2RLuyOT5hKiNE-1fhoyTARveof2NgkMPD4fLd8Y-LW5K9zhyXMkILD3XOIUODXuUTP33xCV-y1Xb81SC2Sb7HMlp646G6q3MlhiTxIC77P9/w640-h480/20210610_121105.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>We weren't planning on having pudding but the waitress asked if we'd like to have a look at the menu and to be honest, we couldn't resist! I had vanilla cheesecake which was topped with Biscoff crunch and served with Biscoff sauce and salted caramel ice-cream. How could I say no to that?! Paul had the sticky toffee pudding which came with warm caramel sauce and ice-cream. And a flake! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2PHlUvMjhOm4HsBmFooeniAhUdjX7a6eEdybywr0zhRTSTyBWlmABaoOsSoJ4j_JoBx4W7OSohLHT1CutJMeE77UXrJOAJQN63hxni0bJ7g-qhaouRWCJaXvxGQ2HoTspdnp_mj7e9L2/s3264/IMG_20210610_124717.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2PHlUvMjhOm4HsBmFooeniAhUdjX7a6eEdybywr0zhRTSTyBWlmABaoOsSoJ4j_JoBx4W7OSohLHT1CutJMeE77UXrJOAJQN63hxni0bJ7g-qhaouRWCJaXvxGQ2HoTspdnp_mj7e9L2/w640-h480/IMG_20210610_124717.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdN2tVeAC93mjTgSMIkpZNR_2qkBT9fZnW95zD8fFfwMEjrQHCRZtUXvVQqkk_hvoCzUj1CfT7TKdfduOahdzhyRpADSavWYnvJxIRtCeTIfY5P1QvvRy5Gtfe-2FwTmEg7a0aibpFQBFG/s3264/IMG_20210610_124853.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdN2tVeAC93mjTgSMIkpZNR_2qkBT9fZnW95zD8fFfwMEjrQHCRZtUXvVQqkk_hvoCzUj1CfT7TKdfduOahdzhyRpADSavWYnvJxIRtCeTIfY5P1QvvRy5Gtfe-2FwTmEg7a0aibpFQBFG/w640-h480/IMG_20210610_124853.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>We visited on a weekday lunchtime and I expected the village to be quiet but it was very busy and felt like a weekend! The outside area of The Greyhound was buzzing with families having their lunch and it was great to see them so busy. The kitchen were doing a fab job in getting the food out fast! </p><p>We really enjoyed our lunch and I'd definitely recommend a visit to The Greyhound. If you're spending the day in the village and have tickets for the castle then you can even get 10% off your bill.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlteG-w-_39G9Kb6go6xp_lWkMfJAmn3GVS-5b-2dFlaE8rk6W_hvLatdwAVUwmiwZzRZqRAbT9L8m0IW1JA-dNa8labHX9jXQlB_4o4UO4v5ltrjmXmRYE1bQZzCHjJlVrIBQL_1SREnA/s3264/IMG_20210610_125615.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlteG-w-_39G9Kb6go6xp_lWkMfJAmn3GVS-5b-2dFlaE8rk6W_hvLatdwAVUwmiwZzRZqRAbT9L8m0IW1JA-dNa8labHX9jXQlB_4o4UO4v5ltrjmXmRYE1bQZzCHjJlVrIBQL_1SREnA/w640-h480/IMG_20210610_125615.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">Have you ever visited Corfe Castle?</p><p style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">*Disclaimer - We were invited for a gifted meal in exchange for an honest review. </span></i></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Entertaining Elliot & Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361231779235423707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542555274990469588.post-55518447100790629942021-04-22T23:38:00.000+01:002021-04-22T23:38:51.822+01:00The Old Thatch Wimborne - Review<p>It's always good to find new local pubs to visit, especially after not being able to visit one in so long! <a href="https://www.theoldthatch.com/" target="_blank">The Old Thatch Wimborne</a> recently opened their (beer garden) doors to the public after being closed over lockdown and it's great to see a business back on it's feet with brand new ideas, and amazing food. </p><p>The Old Thatch is located opposite Stapehill Abbey and is just off the Castleman Trail which links Wimborne to Ferndown and Ringwood to Poole. Dating back to the 17th Century, it's even rumoured to have it's own ghost! Nick Pestana has been the landlord since 2018 and recently he joined forces with multi-award winning restaurateur Andy Lennox to transform The Old Thatch into an elegant Gastro Pub, Kitchen and Country Store. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHSAd72Gg4oEc5EEEDom5rgV8lBrq7QgjFdAwNk_m9S-bTxDPPJLjqfzp2mUjAj-ssPhF9I04FEj5IQXC8zNu_Z6KAu6jAHHfaNqURrP5cxcDgbZaKug_151QCPlckZgBQYjSL7XkCmqEN/s2048/Nick+Pestana+Andy+Lennox+The+Old+Thatch+Stapehill+Wimborne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1757" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHSAd72Gg4oEc5EEEDom5rgV8lBrq7QgjFdAwNk_m9S-bTxDPPJLjqfzp2mUjAj-ssPhF9I04FEj5IQXC8zNu_Z6KAu6jAHHfaNqURrP5cxcDgbZaKug_151QCPlckZgBQYjSL7XkCmqEN/s320/Nick+Pestana+Andy+Lennox+The+Old+Thatch+Stapehill+Wimborne.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nick Pestana and Andy Lennox</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The Country Store will stock an array of freshly baked bread and cakes, local meats and dairy produce as well as general household items.</p><p>The pub menu will be locally focused and will include a balanced selection of butchery, seafood and veg served in a relaxed environment. </p><p>It was our first ever visit to The Old Thatch although having driven past many times. It's a stunning character building set back from the main road, and has a large beer garden at the front which now has a canopy/heaters for wetter and colder visits! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijs2ZGBRn_VGnHsiE0m0DoTsWTAhuyGYV44HaYNr8MgMV2mb1cvXO0vI8Q5968BZo5NO9grXJbAe68OSmZ8NXITYl8UHSoPMJsq6adyXuFnkU0-lWhCn4fQPXJIglwhrdKK6eKog86KbyM/s4160/IMG_20210421_135219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijs2ZGBRn_VGnHsiE0m0DoTsWTAhuyGYV44HaYNr8MgMV2mb1cvXO0vI8Q5968BZo5NO9grXJbAe68OSmZ8NXITYl8UHSoPMJsq6adyXuFnkU0-lWhCn4fQPXJIglwhrdKK6eKog86KbyM/w640-h480/IMG_20210421_135219.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>There are lots of covid measures in place - no indoor seating obviously- but hand sanitiser available and plenty of space between tables. All the staff were wearing masks too. </p><p>Now, onto the food. The menu features lots of pub classics such as bangers & mash, fish & chips and steaks, and there is also an option of some yummy sounding sharing platters. I've got my eye on the "Local and Melted" option for next time - melted cheese and chilli jam to dip you bread into! I imagine once the pub is fully open in May, the menu will be expanded but I found there to be lots of choice and even some vegan options. I'd had a sneaky peek at the menu before our visit and everything sounded lovely but myself and my Mum both decided to have the burgers. Well....what can I say. It was a burger like no other!! Firstly it was absolutely massive, a homemade 8oz burger in a toasted brioche bun. Topped with cheese, bacon and all the trimmings. It was absolutely delicious! It came with spicy slaw and skin on fries which were perfectly seasoned. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYKz_lmaYUqi3EI_ZcuFTirIciYjiJE-npK_BP3bLBnAwGQWJa4AmlazWCXLM4lWzFaT1Xy7pHfFkXGBtQr_4m7CcTRYUyC4zy8Ep2Safb1DHW__uMkDY_cYL9WTRRlp8TXgmJVLlPKzGI/s4160/IMG_20210421_123909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYKz_lmaYUqi3EI_ZcuFTirIciYjiJE-npK_BP3bLBnAwGQWJa4AmlazWCXLM4lWzFaT1Xy7pHfFkXGBtQr_4m7CcTRYUyC4zy8Ep2Safb1DHW__uMkDY_cYL9WTRRlp8TXgmJVLlPKzGI/w640-h480/IMG_20210421_123909.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Old Thatch Burger</td></tr></tbody></table><p>We debated about having a pudding but we couldn't resist the brownie, especially as it came with salted caramel ice-cream. And it was just as good as it sounded! <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9oTj1fnRQB9IR38-xKuty_ANBr5kUu7If4EFOhNVSv4toPS4qmrGd9vNadcNBsjyEesgP5xtvymHP-569p36ftcRaud2cTRLDr0mzNaqQrXnNLvdrt0WISy_N3EVPEozJPS8IDnPiLTA0/s4160/IMG_20210421_133709.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9oTj1fnRQB9IR38-xKuty_ANBr5kUu7If4EFOhNVSv4toPS4qmrGd9vNadcNBsjyEesgP5xtvymHP-569p36ftcRaud2cTRLDr0mzNaqQrXnNLvdrt0WISy_N3EVPEozJPS8IDnPiLTA0/w640-h480/IMG_20210421_133709.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>We had a really lovely lunch at The Old Thatch and were thoroughly impressed with the food. The members of staff that we encountered were all very friendly and helpful. I can't wait to bring the family back, I know the children will be excited to hear there is a play area! </p><p><br /></p><p><i>*Disclaimer - We were invited for a gifted meal in exchange for an honest review. Those yummy food pictures do not lie ;) </i></p>Entertaining Elliot & Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361231779235423707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542555274990469588.post-80624626064223745362021-04-14T16:47:00.001+01:002021-04-14T16:47:33.613+01:00A Visit to Portland Bill, Dorset<p> Now that we are allowed to venture a bit further, we have enjoyed exploring parts of Dorset that we've not been to for a while. One such place is Portland, the southernmost part of Dorset and we took a visit here over Easter weekend. </p><p>The Isle of Portland is connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach. Famous for it's stone, Portland Stone has been quarried for many years and can even be found in St Paul's Cathedral. Although the island is only 4 miles long and 1.7 miles wide, it has lots to offer and makes the perfect day out for a family. </p><p>We started our Portland visit by stopping at the viewpoint at the top which faces out towards Chesil Beach. On a clear day the views are amazing and you can see all along the Jurassic Coast. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-6G-HylHL_fIeTLuHFMD1SXq_18TH5ZrtwrskRtq-BMH7KlAcdBzYUFc1K3Q5Hi4RZ-l6DFeNCbEG4rRxa9loAh0YX-SKPCM2kcSMiD2ufh0UaW8NPaJ1lZGoJtYOb0yo4qMuWluKnFMT/s2048/Portland+Viewpoint.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-6G-HylHL_fIeTLuHFMD1SXq_18TH5ZrtwrskRtq-BMH7KlAcdBzYUFc1K3Q5Hi4RZ-l6DFeNCbEG4rRxa9loAh0YX-SKPCM2kcSMiD2ufh0UaW8NPaJ1lZGoJtYOb0yo4qMuWluKnFMT/w640-h480/Portland+Viewpoint.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Situated at the very tip of the island is Portland Bill and this was our next stop. In normal times, you can go in the visitors centre and even have tours up the lighthouse but due to Covid these have been put on hold. They are hopeful the Visitors Centre can open from 17th May but please check the <a href="https://www.trinityhouse.co.uk/lighthouse-visitor-centres/portland-bill-lighthouse-visitor-centre" target="_blank">PB website</a> for more updates. </div><div><br /></div>We decided to follow a circular walk (<a href="https://bettertravels.com/places/uk/dorset-uk/portland-bill-circular-walk/" target="_blank">this</a> is the route we followed) which began in the carpark - at 3.5miles long it was perfect for the children and very scenic along the way. We headed up towards the cliff with the lighthouse behind us and could see as far as Charmouth and Lyme Regis. <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVC7ZHPK_lFxHSo2PMv_8KK85rL5u5p6K5WIraPoyPdgMG6oJKl3T7D2gshxFL7anSVyDKKQfh-gJztOU-SMHa4YWHnsfpNI-PXlfq15Gpktg8mok5DJg-9Ylh9ZLxsTUeZyLz5YFiHHG/s2048/portland+bill.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVC7ZHPK_lFxHSo2PMv_8KK85rL5u5p6K5WIraPoyPdgMG6oJKl3T7D2gshxFL7anSVyDKKQfh-gJztOU-SMHa4YWHnsfpNI-PXlfq15Gpktg8mok5DJg-9Ylh9ZLxsTUeZyLz5YFiHHG/w640-h480/portland+bill.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>The walk then headed inland where we crossed straight across the Island and back down towards the South West Coast Path. As you can see we made some friends along the way!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCY7WtZO6vp7S4bEs_kT84h8mOHHhstHf4OfAb5w1BI-3pNlbCx2kE7Ha2H_WusfLsmwRaHcynm6PlDCQUeb6K3etOk16Vj-BT82urI94bGsHKoTxXjJWirY0RLRKi-tqox7y9niAF7U4M/s3264/IMG_20210405_124635.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCY7WtZO6vp7S4bEs_kT84h8mOHHhstHf4OfAb5w1BI-3pNlbCx2kE7Ha2H_WusfLsmwRaHcynm6PlDCQUeb6K3etOk16Vj-BT82urI94bGsHKoTxXjJWirY0RLRKi-tqox7y9niAF7U4M/w640-h480/IMG_20210405_124635.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>The final section of the walk led us along the craggy coastline, past the quarries of long ago and again with stunning scenery of the Jurassic Coastline. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnQ7Ag006SPUXrh6o_12dLSM_AhawS_fZLG9V8tPGxYClAacNrps4XX1abxmMM8vcDnFQ-E3N_YBAQphERZ6szNqgaWpFm3DC6dtXbB2ClewmGvPActxTIUdEARQBoC9HSXETnUia0jDsB/s2048/jurassic+coastline.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnQ7Ag006SPUXrh6o_12dLSM_AhawS_fZLG9V8tPGxYClAacNrps4XX1abxmMM8vcDnFQ-E3N_YBAQphERZ6szNqgaWpFm3DC6dtXbB2ClewmGvPActxTIUdEARQBoC9HSXETnUia0jDsB/w640-h480/jurassic+coastline.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF_V9tvankTo4UZQKk3o4Em2lwyPGnoZNolByWKMjFACoFas78RezueAwm5oCgly0TiXzXb2-CFQFYPhKYnX_NZTnmGWF9sgLBpJAxydcbnTQG1DePA-q89d2sKBkbwe-vJfl_cB9Acp8H/s2048/portland+tetris.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF_V9tvankTo4UZQKk3o4Em2lwyPGnoZNolByWKMjFACoFas78RezueAwm5oCgly0TiXzXb2-CFQFYPhKYnX_NZTnmGWF9sgLBpJAxydcbnTQG1DePA-q89d2sKBkbwe-vJfl_cB9Acp8H/w640-h480/portland+tetris.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Along the path you can see the remains of the cranes - these would have been used to load Portland Stone onto the barges where it was then shipped to London. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUZUJkg5cKtTsbJjXJhltnp2HN7nDF4_TYA9cuV6sGwfgSg3caSq40HLNWUuKDvugvpgXoOKuofrEUzup8clVCKO8jKCbsbCss4XsXQWjPtDdESj0tbCR8Xhh9LTnWx5xnaiuEsUfjhFOd/s2048/cranes+at+portland.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUZUJkg5cKtTsbJjXJhltnp2HN7nDF4_TYA9cuV6sGwfgSg3caSq40HLNWUuKDvugvpgXoOKuofrEUzup8clVCKO8jKCbsbCss4XsXQWjPtDdESj0tbCR8Xhh9LTnWx5xnaiuEsUfjhFOd/w640-h480/cranes+at+portland.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Soon we were back at Portland Bill Lighthouse and it was time for a bite to eat. At our time of visiting, the Lobster Pot were serving takeaway food and drink. I did think the prices at the Lobster pot were quite high (£3.95 for a portion of chips) but this didn't deter visitors and there was a steady stream of people in the queue. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh54A6_MqXsuRdiRKdE3lx6NIfNkPduqoddUEerZMbCDizuUBqD79LWQAtWSwoDJ2Sp_LiXaYL4oGsI2qshSi6Ygy4paEWfsQ586T5j_dn0cyJB6zys6pyVK_ycSiYEqD3NUWN-43O46RzL/s2048/portland+bill+lightouse.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh54A6_MqXsuRdiRKdE3lx6NIfNkPduqoddUEerZMbCDizuUBqD79LWQAtWSwoDJ2Sp_LiXaYL4oGsI2qshSi6Ygy4paEWfsQ586T5j_dn0cyJB6zys6pyVK_ycSiYEqD3NUWN-43O46RzL/w640-h480/portland+bill+lightouse.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>If you're heading to Portland, other places that are worth a visit are <a href="http://www.fancysfarm.co.uk/" target="_blank">Fancy's Farm</a> and the Sculpture Park at <a href="https://learningstone.org/tout-quarry-sculpture-park-nature-reserve/" target="_blank">Tout Quarry</a>. The <a href="https://www.southwestcoastpath.org.uk/" target="_blank">South West Coast Path</a> runs all the way around the Island and there are lots of walking trails available. </div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">Have you ever visited Portland Bill? </div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Entertaining Elliot & Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361231779235423707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542555274990469588.post-55128319597183269452021-03-04T00:07:00.003+00:002021-03-04T00:10:16.967+00:00Feeling Spooky at Exbury Gardens & Steam Railway, Hampshire<p> Our October Half Term was a bit of a weird one last year. Obviously we had lockdown to contend with but with the rules relaxed somewhat, we wanted to have a few covid safe days out to make things as normal as possible! </p><p>We love a spooky day out and my kids love nothing more than donning fancy dress so it was with great excitement that we booked a day out at <a href="https://www.exbury.co.uk/" target="_blank">Exbury Gardens & Steam Railway</a> in Hampshire for their special Halloween festivities. </p><p>Managed by the Rothschild Family, Exbury Gardens has over 200 acres of beautiful walks and gardens, suitable for all ages. With the Steam Railway on site, it's the perfect family day out if you're visiting the New Forest area. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht-7Up7y5uOK3RHbO5uDx1PIO_xw4WlYh_LRad_zezMCB_RJCzi5cxxjjh1oxW9Pnl5_tHIJmqNlqcZIFSAmAFf5wBa1OYVSqmQSlGqDjMhjOf9S1IHoLwzhuQD2sgrVBBF5IQD3IzYA_k/s2048/Exbury+Gardens+entrance.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht-7Up7y5uOK3RHbO5uDx1PIO_xw4WlYh_LRad_zezMCB_RJCzi5cxxjjh1oxW9Pnl5_tHIJmqNlqcZIFSAmAFf5wBa1OYVSqmQSlGqDjMhjOf9S1IHoLwzhuQD2sgrVBBF5IQD3IzYA_k/w640-h480/Exbury+Gardens+entrance.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>We raised a few eyebrows as we pulled up with the Grim Reaper sat in the back of the car! We had pre-booked our tickets online and it was nice and straightforward getting in. We loved the spooky decorations in the foyer, one of those witches looked awfully familiar...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiN1tqR5wekN8-dYuV8i8vEtRCwH-j9jAcjP-_wCOWBr4XyezXOgfJiWU4DrMRHumTC39NrKnD2Y9L2GsAyovdhfxf4ap1wv7Ys9fi6LOIX0swCBLbDWQHUVnkb4Bsb_lZql_HuCJROUDR/s2048/exbury+gardens+witches.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiN1tqR5wekN8-dYuV8i8vEtRCwH-j9jAcjP-_wCOWBr4XyezXOgfJiWU4DrMRHumTC39NrKnD2Y9L2GsAyovdhfxf4ap1wv7Ys9fi6LOIX0swCBLbDWQHUVnkb4Bsb_lZql_HuCJROUDR/w640-h480/exbury+gardens+witches.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Once inside, we made our way over to the Rock Garden where the Halloween trail was. This was a big hit with the kids and we spent lots of time looking for the clues and letters. The decorations were brilliant and really spooky, but without taking away how pretty the gardens were. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjegMr5TO9pRzXqbLclp-SJyDq-8VqGHEQcqmChHKTSM8JARwnYhTE_YtL5y00Si7hh8mMVKxG5uUomWJfukvLOIq23MZovo7446qWDmiOy4_8OLsHDIZ6S_Q7p4ylcSDHwD4RKkqLiXI9j/s2048/exbury+gardens+halloween.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjegMr5TO9pRzXqbLclp-SJyDq-8VqGHEQcqmChHKTSM8JARwnYhTE_YtL5y00Si7hh8mMVKxG5uUomWJfukvLOIq23MZovo7446qWDmiOy4_8OLsHDIZ6S_Q7p4ylcSDHwD4RKkqLiXI9j/w640-h480/exbury+gardens+halloween.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKqcMNbax8jjkMhMDUwLisOwpYfKPQw8VkIrlyH8p3CPtf0XwLLAvKoXOG9hJKaHRTnY_TzvhcvLq-SMwcYYMupobmssv6KEjn6v-5JvvKQ9BLzEHDXtOj8buLvHQcPezR1yjHfA98b7CM/s2048/exbury+gardens+spider.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKqcMNbax8jjkMhMDUwLisOwpYfKPQw8VkIrlyH8p3CPtf0XwLLAvKoXOG9hJKaHRTnY_TzvhcvLq-SMwcYYMupobmssv6KEjn6v-5JvvKQ9BLzEHDXtOj8buLvHQcPezR1yjHfA98b7CM/w640-h480/exbury+gardens+spider.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was soon time to board the ghost train and we were all excited/a little nervous about this! The train station was decked out in fantastic Halloween decorations and I loved all the little details like the spooky posters. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQtC4jFkWch3FJcwN9sVi-qsa7QVDezk8H66VO6VTqH05mQHAukZz3Yf4EEJqpeBWBgIH4ACGEC2xGwxoOThrQYG64JiOJKcBSPsfP4TOSPJH3epx069Ligsa1LlGbBfVujH9Y6xsyNSKo/s2048/exbury+gardens+ghosta+brava.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQtC4jFkWch3FJcwN9sVi-qsa7QVDezk8H66VO6VTqH05mQHAukZz3Yf4EEJqpeBWBgIH4ACGEC2xGwxoOThrQYG64JiOJKcBSPsfP4TOSPJH3epx069Ligsa1LlGbBfVujH9Y6xsyNSKo/w640-h480/exbury+gardens+ghosta+brava.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The steam train began it's journey and we were entertained by the ghoulish characters on board who told jokes and sang for us. Along the way we caught glimpses of more spooky characters who popped up alongside the carriage! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyWPVIGEGwkbzndAra6PqjYu7lAVHJeGCfE5yYYXByioGbV1BeeLcMyUI_MfoxDd3saGFKi-ErRhsHYBd6oSEqNqpLgnYzW8nWZqYW97n2uyfq4daHqq1BvSkQUUaUIoOd7ffFVI41CKC0/s2048/exbury+ghost+train.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyWPVIGEGwkbzndAra6PqjYu7lAVHJeGCfE5yYYXByioGbV1BeeLcMyUI_MfoxDd3saGFKi-ErRhsHYBd6oSEqNqpLgnYzW8nWZqYW97n2uyfq4daHqq1BvSkQUUaUIoOd7ffFVI41CKC0/w640-h480/exbury+ghost+train.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb9cISehYz9io1I_3IPiKE07ZHHdCRJs4QpHxpZKswXcogISEt-bZ__9KSOHX3nippRuUFIAU3wtft137LviVk-CKjyxpumPqJlvxNk8u3l9uXjVfMNQqkG1AHDuwklhZfBx7JzkCnd2yL/s2048/ghost+spotting+exbury.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb9cISehYz9io1I_3IPiKE07ZHHdCRJs4QpHxpZKswXcogISEt-bZ__9KSOHX3nippRuUFIAU3wtft137LviVk-CKjyxpumPqJlvxNk8u3l9uXjVfMNQqkG1AHDuwklhZfBx7JzkCnd2yL/w480-h640/ghost+spotting+exbury.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The route around the gardens takes in Summer Lane Garden, Rock Garden, Dragonfly Pond and even through a creepy, dark tunnel. The little ones weren't too keen on the tunnel, especially when the witch appeared and chased after the train! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxxWghifRqPKZXnqyQ8VTAMELH7NO7F4dQuyK3wiRaxeni4NrxktHFxn4soQhEK0k3q_8nUL_rGYg40gO6oKQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuekQ6rZ1jSUup7yU-zo9azWAnjkLiHqHHWx0JkHiZUVxH9Gg57TMYoY7p0jUGO74pFuOlKErh8aEbnSqB8XBjtdnMa6feLwYRIY_j2uwzKi5qR1LzAU49jXiG8P-yhV226wtEl1F8VuVK/s2048/dragonfly+lake+exbury.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuekQ6rZ1jSUup7yU-zo9azWAnjkLiHqHHWx0JkHiZUVxH9Gg57TMYoY7p0jUGO74pFuOlKErh8aEbnSqB8XBjtdnMa6feLwYRIY_j2uwzKi5qR1LzAU49jXiG8P-yhV226wtEl1F8VuVK/w640-h480/dragonfly+lake+exbury.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look carefully at the far side of the lake! <br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;">There are a couple of options for food and drink at Exbury - obviously these depend on Covid regulations and seasonal openings. When we visited, Mr Eddy's Restaurant was offering take-away only but there were lots of options for families and reasonably priced. We picked up some chicken goujons and fries (plus a giant burger for Elliot!) and were able to find a bench outside to eat on. I also spotted a vegan pop up kiosk near the entrance that seemed to be busy! </p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9QC-RSL0PW6aA_BV3oAyPfwFUDZrLnpAsD9IbtxIUOOd4QM6bai0YwzqlBF6teHHfC_qinFvRxmASj8VZL9_8tehOhizqzACHqMCR5Allm5RCKToYQzxPIVUQA2O6tNF7rGBWxREnKkUR/s2048/IMG_20201026_131918.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9QC-RSL0PW6aA_BV3oAyPfwFUDZrLnpAsD9IbtxIUOOd4QM6bai0YwzqlBF6teHHfC_qinFvRxmASj8VZL9_8tehOhizqzACHqMCR5Allm5RCKToYQzxPIVUQA2O6tNF7rGBWxREnKkUR/w480-h640/IMG_20201026_131918.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p></td></tr></tbody></table>We spent the remainder of the afternoon exploring the rest of the gardens and taking in all the gorgeous Autumnal colours. It really is a photographer's dream here in October with so many vibrant colours. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-i3e65crEwzExThbs3enNk4bJl6ifcWH1lS5XkxYxn0exr_sr4M-VoUzskCd0dLXNPBvljAh44qHO429BIFqNADvH8y-N439npBirtXdFBhl1PKA8eGQJ5dkLjThlx-4n2G8nKSbOkVxm/s2048/IMG_20201026_105145.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-i3e65crEwzExThbs3enNk4bJl6ifcWH1lS5XkxYxn0exr_sr4M-VoUzskCd0dLXNPBvljAh44qHO429BIFqNADvH8y-N439npBirtXdFBhl1PKA8eGQJ5dkLjThlx-4n2G8nKSbOkVxm/w640-h480/IMG_20201026_105145.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtwvgB9VNqVWYYanA0SjRDcnFbDxXXOLuYuP_KhsTP-h5K6hw-W9LE9SXxuDuIoOqVQVfXsRaMBY9FTlELqnYYLgKn0D_J-pu2kQZKv1FlIzcPR1uEM90MQ3s0sTjNnfI5krUOYwjD9_a-/s2048/IMG_20201026_140503.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtwvgB9VNqVWYYanA0SjRDcnFbDxXXOLuYuP_KhsTP-h5K6hw-W9LE9SXxuDuIoOqVQVfXsRaMBY9FTlELqnYYLgKn0D_J-pu2kQZKv1FlIzcPR1uEM90MQ3s0sTjNnfI5krUOYwjD9_a-/w640-h480/IMG_20201026_140503.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMJQP8b89SeYHNajAj5DOpJ9xr1kdckIKtQWGvtONRfKtcQJudbXGE7hGQ1ggzc_RncrDDHGS0O_85t0VCaONwH_ST50PbY8A90c4EZcfiR9FGwhMIXkEsSIX77wbQCdEr5btK9O2xjMx_/s2048/IMG_20201026_141559.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMJQP8b89SeYHNajAj5DOpJ9xr1kdckIKtQWGvtONRfKtcQJudbXGE7hGQ1ggzc_RncrDDHGS0O_85t0VCaONwH_ST50PbY8A90c4EZcfiR9FGwhMIXkEsSIX77wbQCdEr5btK9O2xjMx_/w640-h480/IMG_20201026_141559.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">We had a fantastic spooky day out at Exbury Gardens and will certainly return to explore the bits we didn't get to see. We loved the Halloween event, and we won't forget the ghost train in a hurry! </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br />At the time of writing, Exbury Gardens are currently closed due to Covid-19 restrictions but are due to reopen on March 29th 2021. The Steam Railway is scheduled to open on Monday 12th April. If you're planning a visit, please check the <a href="https://www.exbury.co.uk/" target="_blank">website </a>before you go to ensure they are open. </p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsiilESCfK4AuBP-FsQMO7PBWNGby2t1e6RTsFnA49EbIU6XLVr6h_qG3yHWPXcUDsqvSRw5cQWI9owsjaorPQxnUYBWUa6SyEJzu33fM1HAXxP5nFkq-G1AVKCp8duHCAa0SrFyIMraeK/s2048/IMG_20201027_081416_672.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1759" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsiilESCfK4AuBP-FsQMO7PBWNGby2t1e6RTsFnA49EbIU6XLVr6h_qG3yHWPXcUDsqvSRw5cQWI9owsjaorPQxnUYBWUa6SyEJzu33fM1HAXxP5nFkq-G1AVKCp8duHCAa0SrFyIMraeK/w550-h640/IMG_20201027_081416_672.jpg" width="550" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Entertaining Elliot & Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361231779235423707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542555274990469588.post-85823710791282358692020-10-17T16:38:00.002+01:002020-10-17T16:39:10.634+01:00Visiting Stonehenge with Kids<p>Stonehenge is one of the most recognisable locations in the world and features on many people's bucket lists. Thought to be around 5000 years old, <a href="https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/" target="_blank">Stonehenge </a>is a Unesco World Heritage Site. </p><p>Despite living in the neighbouring county to Wiltshire, we've never visited! This Summer we travelled to Wales on a <a href="https://www.entertainingelliot.com/2020/09/wales-roadtrip-in-motorhome-with-kids.html">roadtrip </a>so it was the perfect excuse to make a little detour and finally see the stones. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDbY6i3Nl88qUYZ3KrLSCYL5ZlFrv6cX8Fe-V-Rj-hvp6idfcfPYiMPWK7mmlXr7BgR7d-Tu3SpqQQLeHX4soeTx4vYAY_bUO3-Vdvk60RnEr8WQ9F7hGFS-FdEH3aTe79wxkhvKmr5g8W/s2048/20200724_121406.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDbY6i3Nl88qUYZ3KrLSCYL5ZlFrv6cX8Fe-V-Rj-hvp6idfcfPYiMPWK7mmlXr7BgR7d-Tu3SpqQQLeHX4soeTx4vYAY_bUO3-Vdvk60RnEr8WQ9F7hGFS-FdEH3aTe79wxkhvKmr5g8W/w640-h480/20200724_121406.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>We pre-booked our tickets on the English Heritage <a href="https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/">Website</a> - EH members get in for free, but also National Trust members too which was fab for us! If you're not NT or EH members, you can expect to pay around £55 for a family ticket. </p><p>Tickets need to be booked in half hour time slots and visitor numbers have been limited to keep everyone safe. The tickets are emailed to your phone so no need to take any print outs but don't forget to take your membership cards!</p><p>Our timed slot was 9:30am and we had no trouble finding somewhere to park. Parking is free with pre-booked tickets and there plenty of room for lots of visitors, even ones in motorhomes like us. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj89x5i5Ke2Ka6_XP-tbo8dRm4Voz-E4IiWaTyERnBvtbDz4kO-98QrqqsPPc69Y7d6T96Ok3rNAhQ4-OrOJaGuy18vhp2NE8QaYrY9wnLxN-HLDGolb9hpWamUmWMm1CjrtKRpBkgCmBa1/s2048/IMG_20200724_100249.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj89x5i5Ke2Ka6_XP-tbo8dRm4Voz-E4IiWaTyERnBvtbDz4kO-98QrqqsPPc69Y7d6T96Ok3rNAhQ4-OrOJaGuy18vhp2NE8QaYrY9wnLxN-HLDGolb9hpWamUmWMm1CjrtKRpBkgCmBa1/w640-h480/IMG_20200724_100249.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Once we had shown our ticket confirmations at the Visitor Centre entrance , we decided to look at the museum first. (You can also find a cafe, toilets and large gift shop here) Due to Covid, they are restricting numbers in here but we only queued for around 15 minutes. One of us stayed in the queue whilst the other took the children to see the Neolithic Houses. Really interesting to see what life was like back then. You can also get up close to a replica Sarsens stone and see just how huge they were. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCrTFgZ_miJzkXk-jBlOs_uZM_y7zdivCVZGnCQPr5PrAJTVIeyDmibW4lmZSQ8eHGW5V-Vr7ysNaBfZP7YiZ93UyATL2jL_FKAufW7gIL6sGrTpBQ2pt7mGQijPLx7U_8gkbreepSr9BN/s2048/neolithic+houses+stonehenge.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCrTFgZ_miJzkXk-jBlOs_uZM_y7zdivCVZGnCQPr5PrAJTVIeyDmibW4lmZSQ8eHGW5V-Vr7ysNaBfZP7YiZ93UyATL2jL_FKAufW7gIL6sGrTpBQ2pt7mGQijPLx7U_8gkbreepSr9BN/w640-h480/neolithic+houses+stonehenge.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI_ms3KzFDUhrHW5x9KeEAugVLRwj1tHPjgye3QDZgFPH5vwq93PgJGBj4F-UHoffXkcQRKRmM4nZbOYdb_lg_E6YVKJ8NkchIdoF87JO4qwjxhJJ333Dajl0apY6Z5D7KomLREPU1F40a/s2048/stonehenge+neolithic.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI_ms3KzFDUhrHW5x9KeEAugVLRwj1tHPjgye3QDZgFPH5vwq93PgJGBj4F-UHoffXkcQRKRmM4nZbOYdb_lg_E6YVKJ8NkchIdoF87JO4qwjxhJJ333Dajl0apY6Z5D7KomLREPU1F40a/w640-h480/stonehenge+neolithic.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7qi_pWk1SIib1JqV_-inXmqekeLkYgSgVXh8kB40QUbAPa5RKyLKj0Y0H1wKTQd4IB_xL9gKFWVK4i3YhwIjpMKrWUO2Q7ZmN7dPmzr7mAwbmQ98FVqpRvvngDXJssdGH8PDDnTw4yxxh/s2048/stonehenge+stone.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7qi_pWk1SIib1JqV_-inXmqekeLkYgSgVXh8kB40QUbAPa5RKyLKj0Y0H1wKTQd4IB_xL9gKFWVK4i3YhwIjpMKrWUO2Q7ZmN7dPmzr7mAwbmQ98FVqpRvvngDXJssdGH8PDDnTw4yxxh/w640-h480/stonehenge+stone.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />As you enter the museum you will find yourself in the middle of the stones, in a fantastic audio visual 360 degree view where you can watch the seasons pass, the kids loved it when the snow fell! <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh7qexT_49KrH3KyCH8-AUzKbEtTu4wefNOSaNkl5pnBMmYnwJUfrQSyh7SaQBXRQlN2OuglFJ2zb8vNbUuk3vKMdDgGOBtvaH7YxX5arj8Vydfl9y1wrxhyphenhyphenjzn0nnXIuf6VsIJ4N0Ca_W/s2048/360+view+of+stonehenge.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh7qexT_49KrH3KyCH8-AUzKbEtTu4wefNOSaNkl5pnBMmYnwJUfrQSyh7SaQBXRQlN2OuglFJ2zb8vNbUuk3vKMdDgGOBtvaH7YxX5arj8Vydfl9y1wrxhyphenhyphenjzn0nnXIuf6VsIJ4N0Ca_W/w640-h480/360+view+of+stonehenge.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>I found the museum really interesting and I loved reading about the stones and how they were bought across from Wales. It's hard to get your head around how long this would have taken given the size of the stones. I find it fascinating that Stonehenge is still such a mystery after all these years. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Wk2hmKG-yXqekMayrs9_39R5XwWBjU6Q7sIEC6uTUNU_3NLCgJFFWjYHtfdQFQhwZOTttvsUv2mmbwZSqIABhAtBQEVJFCuD2EIJsvCO3Y7HpKgdW6_G-SzB7bWigob49tXkObELdbrd/s2048/stonehenge+museum.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Wk2hmKG-yXqekMayrs9_39R5XwWBjU6Q7sIEC6uTUNU_3NLCgJFFWjYHtfdQFQhwZOTttvsUv2mmbwZSqIABhAtBQEVJFCuD2EIJsvCO3Y7HpKgdW6_G-SzB7bWigob49tXkObELdbrd/w480-h640/stonehenge+museum.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>Stonehenge has various special exhibitions throughout the year and we were lucky enough to see the latest one, a collection of photos sent in entirely from visitors. It was brilliant seeing the different fashions over time and how photography has evolved into the selfies of today! </p><p><b><u>Viewing the Stones</u></b></p><p>There are two ways to reach the stones, there is a shuttle bus that runs frequently from the visitors centre although currently they are prioritising for those who need it most. You will also need a face covering. </p><p>We decided to walk to the stones, it's an off road path which is around 1.5miles long - it was quite bumpy so you might struggle if you were thinking of taking a stroller. It's a lovely walk across to the stones and the scenery is really pretty - although it really surprised me how far it is from the visitors centre. Having not visited before, I fully expected to see them right away! You'll see ancient burial mounds along the route and if you have the audio guide (this can be downloaded directly onto your smartphone), this will give you lots of information alongside the information boards. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy5hi-Se3gGAK442mUCXI8W24mxwElZrqvE82j98xn6Hk7Vs22VK_BScqHEsqx4h9stGLMiXpz5LPDhyS3447WLc6gduRooEaQSla2pEiyv6BzWkIpew7B5cof3ZznvdMYYVvCO5hk2yOI/s2048/20200724_113513.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy5hi-Se3gGAK442mUCXI8W24mxwElZrqvE82j98xn6Hk7Vs22VK_BScqHEsqx4h9stGLMiXpz5LPDhyS3447WLc6gduRooEaQSla2pEiyv6BzWkIpew7B5cof3ZznvdMYYVvCO5hk2yOI/w640-h480/20200724_113513.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPk-zBGofyychhTzZH_RIPVZV-zhM17dIJg_0cr9MtDtCTNIKgpjB6QGjjjW7e2UGIHbBSxmQyKQUFuqlB6zK43oUFx1AVvY1c_y6qrRO7x-t6FbUSzLiWWdIpaEe0dUOUVdadbzxW_U5R/s2048/walk+to+stonehenge.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPk-zBGofyychhTzZH_RIPVZV-zhM17dIJg_0cr9MtDtCTNIKgpjB6QGjjjW7e2UGIHbBSxmQyKQUFuqlB6zK43oUFx1AVvY1c_y6qrRO7x-t6FbUSzLiWWdIpaEe0dUOUVdadbzxW_U5R/w640-h480/walk+to+stonehenge.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzc6WDp0VEdfOrJS1gF7OyS3U4TUaj6PeVXhvTqxBRjNqXbdfh_tur-CGSlzSbNNVcqt_YZ-JvEmiO_ZW-lrIaBNX9PnVw1uvfNbZVjE5qayzAq8Nacz74sDH-JRN0Lzi3qcihdPkUoo5J/s2048/walking+to+stonehenge.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzc6WDp0VEdfOrJS1gF7OyS3U4TUaj6PeVXhvTqxBRjNqXbdfh_tur-CGSlzSbNNVcqt_YZ-JvEmiO_ZW-lrIaBNX9PnVw1uvfNbZVjE5qayzAq8Nacz74sDH-JRN0Lzi3qcihdPkUoo5J/w640-h480/walking+to+stonehenge.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Once you reach the stones, it is roped off but you can walk the entire way round with plenty of vantage spots for photos. We visited on a weekday so it was definitely quieter, and the restricted visitor numbers are definitely a bonus. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVqyFQi9Cnzve-kLvyWz1iddjQxtkf-IgK0im8uiUjJ4xiSbRSpxpDA5gCgGkrlTVCKEHNSL1KS8rRB0sj4yrQYHHSTRVKaAZPLpms_4XLH1seSYZ0S0MWMYF_F9hHjIzlpmV8wygX7pZ/s2048/20200724_123154.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVqyFQi9Cnzve-kLvyWz1iddjQxtkf-IgK0im8uiUjJ4xiSbRSpxpDA5gCgGkrlTVCKEHNSL1KS8rRB0sj4yrQYHHSTRVKaAZPLpms_4XLH1seSYZ0S0MWMYF_F9hHjIzlpmV8wygX7pZ/w640-h480/20200724_123154.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>It was really impressive to see the stones up close and in real life, I can imagine how amazing it would be to be able to watch the sun rise there on Summer Solstice. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiaYE264XnV40ceNfW2hBMWISt3yjy0aYSTUQcsCw7rjgxHWGf33fWZlljVJUhf4WXdbsgJFQAxWLIzqZ4Q0PE6mFjco2mjtnH9ShqOdbMUJmOUsZV7X_02q-yW5_PV_YddlSogV31WLRT/s2048/20200724_121242.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiaYE264XnV40ceNfW2hBMWISt3yjy0aYSTUQcsCw7rjgxHWGf33fWZlljVJUhf4WXdbsgJFQAxWLIzqZ4Q0PE6mFjco2mjtnH9ShqOdbMUJmOUsZV7X_02q-yW5_PV_YddlSogV31WLRT/w640-h480/20200724_121242.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFpy9ULNVFQ0DnVsQmfLu_MIcw9b7CxoRVRbTtS4ZskXoNjEK1LC8o8uZoHw9daTpQvvVqREpKQWMBJoIrxzjoRUM3accfXy6ZRNUdUu3NAnDSV4U3rHqPjLhN2GB78s8ptzDZ8wO2NeEZ/s2048/stonehenge+rocks.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFpy9ULNVFQ0DnVsQmfLu_MIcw9b7CxoRVRbTtS4ZskXoNjEK1LC8o8uZoHw9daTpQvvVqREpKQWMBJoIrxzjoRUM3accfXy6ZRNUdUu3NAnDSV4U3rHqPjLhN2GB78s8ptzDZ8wO2NeEZ/w640-h480/stonehenge+rocks.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>It's worth remembering that there aren't any toilet facilities or places to eat/drink once you are down at the stones but there are plenty of spots for picnics. </div><div><br /></div><div>We hopped on the shuttle for the trip back and we didn't have to wait longer than 5 minutes for a bus. It was certainly a lot quicker and there were no complaints of tired legs! </div><div><br /></div><div>Overall we spent around 3.5 hours at Stonehenge and I think it's well worth a trip, everyone should visit at least once. I was a little apprehensive if the kids would find it enjoyable but here's what Elliot had to say "I liked seeing the skeleton in the museum and it was fun to get so close to the stones!"</div><div><br /></div><div>For more information and tickets, visit the <a href="https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/" target="_blank">English Heritage website</a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Entertaining Elliot & Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361231779235423707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542555274990469588.post-21169146833010271442020-09-03T22:00:00.000+01:002020-09-03T22:00:07.027+01:00Wales Roadtrip in a Motorhome - With Kids! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Back at Easter we were due to fly to Florida to embark on an epic 3 week roadtrip in a motorhome. Sadly due to Covid, our plans were scuppered and our trip got cancelled. Weeks/months passed, lockdown restrictions started to ease and we decided to get away for a UK holiday. We didn't fancy flying anywhere so a UK roadtrip was the obvious choice!<br />
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We found a local company who rent <a href="http://www.solarmotorhomehire.co.uk/">motorhomes </a>and we were really lucky to secure a last minute 10 night rental. With only a couple of weeks to wait until our holiday it was full steam ahead to plan plan plan! Being peak season, and especially busy with more people holidaying in the UK it was really important for us to get campsites booked asap.<br />
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We decided to head to Wales - there are so many lovely places to visit there and it was a tricky job narrowing down our trips to squeeze them into our 10 days!<br />
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The Motorhome<br />
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The company we hired from are located less than 6 miles from our house so we were able to collect the motorhome and drive it back home to pack. This definitely worked in our favour because it meant we didn't have to pack the car up/unpack/repack the motorhome etc. It also meant I could do a food shop in the morning and load this straight into the fridge. (Although next time I won't buy so much food, I forget that the fridge/cupboards would be smaller than home so it was a bit of a mission finding homes for everything!) . After loading on what felt like half our house, it was time to leave and head to our first destination....Stonehenge!<br />
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We weren't able to collect the motorhome until late afternoon so rather than making the long drive down to Wales and get in late, we decided to stop off in Wiltshire and visit the famous stones. We also had our first experience of "wild camping" - rather than park in a campsite, we parked up in a pub not far from Stonehenge. We found details of this on <a href="https://www.searchforsites.co.uk/">https://www.searchforsites.co.uk/</a> - it's important to know that you can't just pull over anywhere for the night but surprisingly, there are lots of places that let you stay in their carparks. I was a bit apprehensive but it felt very safe, and we had a fantastic meal in the pub too. The kids were excited spend the first night in the van and went off to sleep surprisingly quickly!<br />
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The next morning we made the short drive to <a href="https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/prices-and-opening-times/">Stonehenge </a>and spent a brilliant few hours exploring the visitors centre and then walking down to the stones. We've never visited before and it was quite cool to see them up close and think about how they came to be there.<br />
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We were able to book tickets using our National Trust membership so it made a nice cheap start to the holiday.<br />
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From Wiltshire we headed into Wales and parked up at our first <a href="https://www.happyjakes.wales/">campsite </a>of the holiday which was located around 20 miles from Cardiff. It was good to park up and get hooked up to electric for the first time and see how everything in the motorhome worked.<br />
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The next morning we spent a few rainy hours fossil hunting at Llantwit Major Beach before driving to the Gower. South Wales is one of my favourite places and it always brings back fab memories seeing Swansea Bay and the Mumbles in the distance. We didn't stop in Mumbles this time as it was really busy and we struggled to find somewhere to park the motorhome - one of the downsides of having a large vehicle!<br />
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Instead we headed straight to our home for the next two nights, Three Cliffs Bay. This lovely campsite is perched high on a cliff looking down at one of the most beautiful beaches in Wales and is very very popular. We were extremely lucky to get a pitch right on the edge of the campsite with perfect views to the beach below and the cliffs in the distance that gives Three Cliffs Bay it's name.<br />
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This was a great campsite with a well stocked shop and the cleanest, poshest shower blocks I've ever seen. It's no wonder it's so popular! You can even hire fire pits which came in handy for marshmallow toasting...<br />
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We were able to explore the beach the next day and it was just as beautiful down on the sand. The walk down however was quite a steep one and definitely not buggy friendly! The sea is quite dangerous to swim in here with unpredictable riptides but the kids had lots of fun paddling in all the little lagoons that were left as the tide went out.<br />
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Our next campsite was located in Cardigan Bay so it was a couple hours of driving. We did plan on exploring the Gower a little more but when we left the campsite the weather was pretty rainy and we decided to just press on to our next stop.<br />
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The rain cleared a little on the way so we stretched our legs at Cenarth Falls. It was a bit soggy for any walking but we had some lunch in the cafe and admired the falls. It's a nice little stop but the carpark was £2.50 which is a little expensive if you just wanted to pull over and take some photos!<br />
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Our next campsite was located at Cardigan Island Coastal Farm Park - another family friendly site with stunning views. The camping field was located right next to the farm park and we had a lovely afternoon exploring. There were lots of animals for the children to see, plus we walked right up the headland overlooking Cardigan Island and spotted seals!<br />
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A massive plus point for this campsite was the play area in the park, probably one of the best ones we have found. The kids didn't want to leave! Even the lure of a slice of cake and a hot chocolate wasn't quite enough for them to stop playing.<br />
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The next stop on our Welsh roadtrip was Barmouth - a lovely seaside town in the southern part of Snowdonia. The drive up the coast was stunning with mountains and streams all around us, then the beautiful view of the Barmouth Bridge running over the estuary as we drove towards the town.<br />
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We stayed at <a href="https://www.hendremynach.com/">Hendre Mynach</a> Campsite and we picked this as it was walking distance to the town. As lovely as it is to have a stunning campsite high up on a cliff in the middle of no-where, sometimes it's nice to be able to walk to a pub!<br />
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Things have probably changed over the last few weeks but we did notice that it was really quiet around the town and things seemed to close quite early. We had some fish and chips near the beach and there were more seagulls than humans!<br />
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I really liked Barmouth though, the beach and harbour were so pretty and there seemed to be a good mix of quirky shops in town. I shall putting this one of the list of places I'd like to return to.<br />
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The next morning we left Barmouth and carried on up the coast to Harlech Beach. Overlooked by the impressive Harlech Castle, Harlech Beach is a 4 mile stretch of flat, golden sand that seems to go on forever. It's also one of the cleanest beaches I've ever seen.<br />
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The weather wasn't too sunny but this didn't deter the kids, they were straight in the sea despite the temperature! We had a fantastic time playing on the beach and building sandcastles, the kids also loved the surrounding sand dunes. These made good slides!!<br />
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One of the great things about traveling in a motorhome is having everything with us - when we got back to the carpark, we just showered all the sand off the kids and it was 100 time easier than getting them clean on the beach.<br />
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Venturing deeper into Snowdonia, we headed onto our next campsite <a href="https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/club-sites/wales/gwynedd/coed-y-llwyn-caravan-club-site/">Coed-Y-Llwyn</a> where we stayed for two nights. It was a great base to explore the area and there was a brilliant pub just 5 minutes walk away!<br />
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We spent a bit of time in Porthmadog and it's a nice little harbour town to stroll around. You can also find the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway hubs here too. When we visited, the Covid rules were just starting to change and not all attractions were fully open yet so unfortunately we weren't able to experience any of the trains or castles - maybe next time. Luckily the scenery more than made up for the closed attractions!<br />
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Betws-y-Coed is another nice place to visit if you are exploring the area. Known as the gateway to Snowdonia, it's a bustling little village with plenty of outdoor shops to kit you out for your expeditions! We loved walking over the historical Pont-y-Pair bridge and going for a paddle in the river below. Be careful though, the stones are very slippery and the water is icy cold. Very refreshing on a hot day though.<br />
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After leaving Snowdonia, it was time to start heading South again as our holiday was almost over. On our way to Brecon we stopped at the <a href="https://www.elanvalley.org.uk/visit/visitor-centre">Elan Valley Reservoirs</a> which made for some impressive scenery. The reservoirs are a chain of man-made lakes that provide drinking water for Birmingham.<br />
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If you are visiting, the Visitors Centre is a good place to start and here you can find bike hire, plenty of walks, a cafe, shop, picnic areas and a fab children's play area. The staff are all very friendly and knowledgeable too, the gentleman we spoke to gave us lots of info about driving around the area to see all the dams and reservoirs, and put our mind at ease with regards to driving down narrow roads!<br />
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From Elan Valley, we made the short drive to the town of Brecon where we were booked into a <a href="https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/club-sites/wales/powys/brecon-beacons-caravan-club-site/">campsite </a>for the next two nights. It was a really clean site, with great showers and within walking distance of the town centre which was handy. We were also able to order a takeaway to be delivered directly to our campsite which are one of the bonuses of being close to town!<br />
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The walk into town took us along the canal and it was a really pretty route, the kids enjoyed waving at the barge boats! Brecon is a nice little market town with lots of shops and pubs. It's also a great base for exploring the Brecon Beacons National Park.<br />
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On our last full day in Wales we decided to treat to the kids to a day out at <a href="https://www.cantref.com/">Cantref Adventure Farm</a> , not far from our Brecon campsite. With spectacular views over the Brecon Beacons, Cantref was a great day out to end our holiday. The kids had lots of fun in the play areas, seeing and feeding all the animals, whizzing down a giant hill on sledges, going on a tractor ride, we even met a dinosaur!<br />
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Of course Elliot was in his element with all the goats to feed too :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Those views though! </td></tr>
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We had a brief stopover in the Forest of Dean and then it was time to head back to Dorset via our favourite farm shop, White Row Farm in Frome. We always seem to stop here if we are passing through - it's a great place to have some lunch (the fish and chips are lovely) and the kids love the playarea. The farm shop is brilliant too, the yummy home made cakes and pastries are just too tempting!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White Row Farm play area</td></tr>
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Spending 10 days in a motorhome with two young children probably isn't for everyone and it was definitely a steep learning curve getting used to the small space! The best thing was to be as organised as possible and keep things tidy, although that was a challenge in itself with the kids and all the bits they had with them. Next time I think we could definitely pack less and I'd make more use of the laundry facilities at campsites rather than packing outfits for everyday.<br />
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We really enjoyed covering lots of miles and seeing lots of different places and this is a definite plus point of having the motorhome. However it is a bit restrictive if you want to drive anywhere once you have hooked up a campsite. I can see why a lot of larger motorhomes tow a car on the back now.<br />
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Wales has so much to offer and it's a fantastic place to holiday with children. It's a shame we were a bit restricted with days out due to Covid (no castles open and boat trips hard to find) but we made the best of the situation and I think the kids enjoyed themselves!Entertaining Elliot & Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361231779235423707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542555274990469588.post-11272811041057846902020-08-21T00:17:00.000+01:002020-08-21T00:17:13.560+01:00Visiting the Sunflower Picking Patch in HampshireToday we visited a beautiful sunflower field in Hampshire, an instagrammer's dream! <a href="https://pickingpatch.com/sunflower-picking/">Sunflower Picking Patch</a> is located in Fordingbridge and they are open to visitors throughout August. <div>
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I've been to a <a href="https://www.entertainingelliot.com/2018/11/spooky-half-term-fun-october-2018.html">pumpkin patch</a> before but never sunflowers (the same company run both from the same location!) so we thought it would be a fun visit for the kids and something a bit different. </div>
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You can book tickets in advance or pay on the gate, however they do limit numbers so I would definitely advise booking online. We booked in advance and just had to show the email at the front gate. The cost is £6 per person, however under 4's go free. </div>
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Parking is free and plentiful and the Sunflower Picking Patch is very easy to find if you are coming from the Ringwood direction. It's on the main road and you can't miss it! </div>
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Once you get inside you can head straight for the sunflowers, although a friendly member of staff advised us to leave that until last. You might want to pick yourself a bunch of sunflowers so it makes sense not to have to carry them around with you. </div>
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There are crafts available to purchase and we saw some lovely looking sunflower pails that children were painting. We opted for a tin can bee/ladybird kit and handily this was all contained inside the tin so it was easy for us to take home without having to do it there and then. One to save for a rainy afternoon! </div>
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There was an ice cream van on site, plus toilets and also a fab little play area which our kids really enjoyed playing on. The noisy cars were a big hit! There was a lovely swing that is perfect for having your photo taken on. </div>
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The Maize Maze on site is really impressive and is over 4 football pitches in area with almost 2000m of path! (We got lost and I'm certain we covered every one of those metres!). The maze has been designed with Covid in mind and has nice big pathways so there is plenty of room for social distancing. It's a bit uneven underfoot but you could definitely take a buggy round - my friend did just this and had no issues. </div>
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The maze is bee themed and features 9 fact boards along the way with a surprise in the middle which you might spot peeking over the top of the maize plants. We loved getting to the middle and it was reassuring to know we weren't completely lost! </div>
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The sunflower field was our last stop of the afternoon and it was a sight to behold - hundreds and hundreds of bright sunflowers swaying in the wind. We walked around the entire perimeter of the sunflowers and found the best flowers over the nearest side. Alot of the flowers on the far side were already starting to droop but to be honest, there were so many that you wouldn't have any problems finding the perfect sunflower! </div>
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If you choose to purchase some sunflowers, they are priced at £1 per flower of 6 for £5. You can bring your own secateurs but they do have spares you can borrow. </div>
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There are plenty of perfect spots for photos and lots of little pathways through the sunflowers if you wanted to go further into the field. </div>
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We had a lovely afternoon and really enjoyed our visit. If you want to pick some sunflowers of your own, be quick because you only have until the 31st of August. It's definitely worth following them on social media too because they will update on bad weather closures. And it's definitely nicer to visit on a sunny day! </div>
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<a href="https://pickingpatch.com/sunflower-picking/">https://pickingpatch.com/sunflower-picking/</a></div>
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Entertaining Elliot & Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361231779235423707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542555274990469588.post-37971427348026459082020-08-20T22:08:00.000+01:002020-08-20T22:08:32.110+01:00THE BON BON BOYS PICK 'N' MIX DELIVERY - REVIEWSometimes emails drop into my inbox and it takes me less than a second to hit that reply button....."Would we like to review a box of pick 'n' mix from a new local company?".....er, yes please!!<br />
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Pick 'n' Mix takes me back to my childhood, going into Woolworths and choosing from the vast array of sweets and chocolates. It's just not the same these days, and especially since Covid came along, pick 'n' mix sweets seem to have disappeared.<br />
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This is where <a href="https://bonbonboys.com/">The Bon Bon Boys</a> come in! Spotting a gap in the market in the middle a pandemic, Kalem and Joe launched their brand new pick 'n' mix delivery service and have been getting rave review ever since. They handpick and test all the sweets themselves...I mean, that's gotta be a tough job?!<br />
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We received a "Classic" box (£10.95) - a 9" pizza box stuffed full of sweeties. The kids eyes nearly popped out of their head when they unwrapped the tissue paper and saw the selection in front of them. It was a mission getting any photos because they were so eager to dive in!!<br />
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With over 25 different sweets, there was something for everyone. Featuring classics such as fried eggs, fudge, foam bananas, chocolate mice, fizzy dummies and even a giant worm sitting happily on top!<br />
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There was such a good selection, I don't think there was a bad choice in there! Personally I love the chocolate mice and anything fizzy so these were the ones I went for first but the kids loved all the strawberry cables and sour apple belts.<br />
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Priced at £10.95, I think the boxes are really reasonably priced and would make perfect gifts for anyone with a sweet tooth. Alongside the 'Classic' one, you can also purchase the 'Vegan' one and 'Retro' one (£11.45). Delivery starts at £3 and you can ship one of these yummy boxes to anywhere in the UK. However if you live in Dorset, you may qualify for free delivery which is brilliant - have a look at the <a href="https://bonbonboys.com/faqs/">FAQS </a>for more info.<br />
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The Bon Bon Boys Pick 'n' Mix boxes get a big thumbs up from us...and the kids are already asking about when our next one is arriving 😄<br />
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For more info and to order, have a look at <a href="https://bonbonboys.com/">The Bon Bon Boys website</a> where colourful pictures of all the sweets will tempt you into ordering your very own box.....!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Just one more Mummy!" </td></tr>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">*Disclaimer - We received a complimentary box of sweets in return for an honest review. I think the speed of how fast the sweets disappeared is a testament to how yummy they were!</span></i>Entertaining Elliot & Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361231779235423707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542555274990469588.post-70909359387548441882020-08-06T22:26:00.001+01:002020-08-20T22:10:03.766+01:00Farmer Palmer's Farm Park Reopens! Summer 2020Last month saw the reopening of one of the most popular attractions in Dorset, <a href="https://farmerpalmers.co.uk/">Farmer Palmer's Farm Park</a>. We have been going there since Elliot was a <a href="https://www.entertainingelliot.com/2014/07/fun-at-farmer-palmers.html">baby </a>and it's a brilliant day out.<br />
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They closed their doors back in March due to Covid 19 but have been keeping their visitors up to date with regular emails and social media posts, going into lots of detail about what's going on behind the scenes and the new changes that will be implemented on opening. We were really missing our visits so it was brilliant for them to keep in touch like that and I'm sure a lot of people appreciated still being able to visit virtually!<br />
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One of the most important changes to happen has been the booking system - currently visitors are unable to just turn up, they must pre-book tickets online.There are two slots - morning 9am -1pm and afternoon 2pm-530pm.</div>
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The booking system is really straightforward - we have annual passes so I just logged into my dashboard on the website and then picked a date and time slot.<br />
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On the day of our visit the kids were so excited to return! We arrived at our allotted time and check in was quick. It looks a little different as the front desks have plastic screens up and there weren't any timetable leaflets. However there was a large poster with all the information you'd need including what was open and what time we could see the animals, I just snapped a photo on my phone for convenience. </div>
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Although the indoor play areas (soft play and the play barn) aren't open, there is still lots to do at Farmer Palmers and the kids couldn't wait to explore. They spent ages in Straw Mountain, they like to pile the straw onto the bottom of the slides and slide into it and we always end up covered in straw! We noticed that Erin's actually grown since our last visit and she was able to clamber up to the higher slides with a bit of help from Elliot. </div>
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The tractors are still very popular and this area looks a little different. The bouncy castle has been removed and instead, the tractor area has been expanded with a one way system in place. Most kids seemed to be sticking to this! </div>
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Some of the animal encounters have stopped due to Covid but we were still able to see lots of animals on our walk around the pens. We spotted a Goat Talk on the timetable and this was held in the big animal barn which we've not been in before. The worked out really well because there was lots of space for social distancing and all families had their own little section to stay in. We were also allowed to hand feed the goats which was fun! </div>
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The go-karts are still open and there is a member of staff on hand to sanitise after every go. Speaking of sanitising, there are hand gels available all around the park which is great to see. </div>
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The sand & splash zone and outside play area are both open and we spent lots of time in these. We followed the Trim Trail down to the Maize Maze and we ventured in, hoping not to get lost. (luckily there's no chance of that at the moment as the maze is on a one way system to follow social distancing regulations!)</div>
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The Hen House is now take-away only, but there is lots of extra seating around in the park, including the old animal barn which has been repurposed and is now the "Grazing Barn". The menu looks to be sightly smaller than before but don't panic, you can still get those yummy chips! We didn't get a meal but we did get drinks and a huge slab of the famous chocolate cake. (It's worth noting that FP's are taking part in the Eat Out to Help Out scheme so you can get half price food on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays throughout August)</div>
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Overall, we had a fab visit and I was really impressed with all the extra measures in place. Visitor numbers are limited and this worked in our favour because it felt lovely and quiet, even in the popular sections like the tractors and playground. The staff are so friendly in the park and they really made sure all visitors were enjoying themselves. It's great that families can have a little slice of normality in this strange time! </div>
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For more information and to book tickets, visit the <a href="https://farmerpalmers.co.uk/">Farmer Palmer's website</a></div>
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Entertaining Elliot & Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361231779235423707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542555274990469588.post-30771063412647569002020-07-09T12:29:00.000+01:002020-07-09T12:29:02.033+01:00Visiting National Trust Properties (Dorset) in Summer 2020 with Phased Re-openingsOver the last few weeks, the UK has started to lift restrictions and more of our favourite places are becoming accessible again. <a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/">National Trust </a>has opened more than 100 of their parklands and gardens but visits need to be pre-booked so they can limit the number of visitors.<br />
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Tickets can be pre-booked each Friday via their website and you can pick a slot which suits you. The more popular locations such as Stourhead are getting fully booked almost immediately but we have managed to book tickets for Corfe Castle and Kingston Lacy here in Dorset without any problems. Members and non-members can pre-book but non-members will have to pay in advance. For us as members, we just had to enter our membership number and our spaces were booked. When booking you have to pick a 30 minute arrival time but there are no restrictions on how long you stay, although they cannot guarantee entry if you're late for your slot.<br />
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<h2>
Kingston Lacy</h2>
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Our first place we visited was Kingston Lacy (we've been twice recently) and we love it here, the grounds are so pretty and the kids love the space to run around! When we arrived in the car park there was a member of staff who ticked our name off the list and that was it, we didn't need to show our membership card.<br />
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Our timeslot was 2pm and it was very quiet, although there were cars in the overflow too. We followed the path in and there were clear signs regarding the walks around the garden and woodland trail. There was a one-way system in place which worked well. There were lots of families enjoying the sunshine but it was very easy to maintain a distance, even on the paths.<br />
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The Kitchen Garden is currently closed but we still had a pleasant walk around, passing the Japanese Garden and the beautiful meadow area. I've never actually seen the meadow in bloom like this, the daisys were so pretty.<br />
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The children enjoyed climbing trees, rolling down the hill on the front lawn, and best of all, playing hide and seek in the long grass!<br />
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The cafe was open on both our visits but just as a takeaway, there is no seating in the stables and the picnic tables have been moved onto the grassy area near the entrance. The toilets were also open and there was extra sanitiser available.<br />
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<h2>
Corfe Castle</h2>
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Corfe Castle is another favourite of ours and we were so excited to visit again. We arranged to meet some friends there and we both booked our tickets on the Friday before with no issues.<br />
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When we arrived in Corfe, I did notice that the carpark was very quiet and I assume this was because of restricted numbers in the castle. The visitors centre and toilets were also closed.<br />
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It's a really pleasant walk from the carpark, the path takes you around the foot of the castle and it's away from the road so alot safer for the children. There's a great little trim trail to climb along too which my kids love!<br />
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Once at the castle, we gave our names to the member of staff at the ticket tent and we were ticked off the list. Like Kingston Lacy, we didn't need to show our tickets or membership number. <br />
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Our visit to the castle was much like previous visits however there is a one way route to follow around certain parts. This worked well and due to the low number of visitors, we didn't feel rushed. The children were able to explore and have as much fun as normal!<br />
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If you fancy a treat after your visit, the National Trust tearooms are open (public toilets too!), We decided to order fish & chips from The Greyhound pub which is right outside the entrance to Corfe Castle. We weren't able to sit in the beer garden as there were still restrictions in place when we visited, but we were allowed to take our food back into the Castle grounds where there were tables and chairs available.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfVL4vl_A9_EoHXwKYmqQtugMo9Eiy0Nc0N7uJ88iLgVM-nXrRiul-haMhtt4br5KclpoCebPQqG7N1W9Q1X18gxm9bA0_A0F6KrbZhf1InoEMhlZMvZh-f1ALgg2zFmmtTCXkvzMg3y5B/s1600/IMG_20200617_130531.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfVL4vl_A9_EoHXwKYmqQtugMo9Eiy0Nc0N7uJ88iLgVM-nXrRiul-haMhtt4br5KclpoCebPQqG7N1W9Q1X18gxm9bA0_A0F6KrbZhf1InoEMhlZMvZh-f1ALgg2zFmmtTCXkvzMg3y5B/s640/IMG_20200617_130531.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch with a view! </td></tr>
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It's fantastic that the National Trust have put all these measures in place so visitors can still enjoy a day out at their many properties. If you are thinking about booking a visit then I would definitely recommend going online as early as possible on a Friday morning to give you more chance of getting tickets.<br />
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<b>For more information, please visit <a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/">https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/</a></b></div>
Entertaining Elliot & Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361231779235423707noreply@blogger.com0