Imagine my surprise, when Whit provided me with the opportunity to do it as part of a project on a much grander scale.  Anyway, due to some slip ups, I am only getting started, but I will be joining a band of most excellent bloggers (check out the About Us page for the list of stars I will be trying to live up to) , writing at UpTake.com.

Yesterday was actually the official launch, and you can check out the official launch of their Travel Network Blog.  For those that like read such things, there is even an official press release of the launch event (that I missed), for everybody else, just go and check out everything they have to offer, because with real reviews and blogs written by real people and not, say… imaginary gnomes, UpTake is … Your first Step to a Great Trip.

First step we took was downsizing our plans.  Switching from a Premium to a moderate hotel.  But as things progressed, it was starting to look more and more like Disney was just not going to be in the plans and that we would have to call the whole thing off.

Business is (seemingly) starting to stabilize, which is good, but we still weren’t sure we were going to be able to swing it.  Then Disney had to come along and came out with a buy 4 nights get 3 free deal, and well, that as they say is that.  Our trip has been saved.  We will definitely be at the House of Mouse in June.  Let the countdown commence.

Update:  Have I mentioned lately how much I love the Disney Blog for keeping me up to date with all things Disney?

For me, it was a week of volleyball, softball, Karaoke, playing with my new camera.  For TheWife, it was lounging around reading and shoe shopping.  For LatteGirl it was making new friends, reconnecting with old friends, spending too much money in the arcade, and lots of swimming.

I thought last year LatteGirl had really spread her wings, but it was nothing compared with this year.  I guess I can thank the game room and her need for quarters, otherwise I am not sure I would have seen her all week (well other than meal time).

I covered how I thought that this was the perfect vacation, when I first found it, so I won’t repeat myself.  (If you didn’t see it then, you can find it here.) The only thing I didn’t cover then was the friends you make.  This was our third year going to Chestnut Grove, and what makes it special is the people.  Not only do I look forward to being there, I look forward to seeing the same faces year after year.  Its the friends you make, even more than the place itself that makes it such a great time.   Most vacations…such as when we went to Disney last year… well, I need a vacation when I return from them.  Not here.

I played a little too hard, drank a little too much, laughed a little too lound, and now I am actually ready to come back and face the world again as I count down to when we do it all again.

I depart early tomorrow morning, for a show that starts… tomorrow.  No pressure though.

So… any bloggers in the Baltimore, MD area want to meet up for a drink and tell me all the good things in the Inner Harbor area?

Me on the other hand… well… I opted out. Not solely out of fear of another injury (but I will admit it was part… conditions, granular but icy, were just too similar for my comfort.  I may have even had a flashback as I stood there looking up at the mountain.), but also so I could play a supporting role in ensuring that LatteGirl and TheWife’s first trip skiing was a pleasant experience. So, I played pack mule, and arranger, and of course photograher, so all they had to worry about was enjoying themselves. And they did.
I have to admit, by the end of the day, part of me (the part that was fearful earlier) was regretting not getting up the nerve to get back on those skis. The part of me that was exhausted just from trying to ensure everything went right with this excursion however, was glad that I didn’t try to do all of the little things that I had to do and try to ski on top of it.

So how much fun did the two of them have?  Well, let me put it this way.  Next Monday, while I am at work, and they are enjoying a day off (Martin Luther King Jr. Day) they are planning to hit the slopes again without me.  I guess they don’t want me and my nerves dragging down their mood.  But who knows, as enthusiatic as they are about it right now, they just might be able to get me back on the slopes yet.

To make a short story long, back in January of 1986 was the last time I could be found on a pair of skis. On that day, conditions were a bit icy under some fresh snow. On that day, that fresh snow covered a sign that showed which path belonged to my green square, and which led down to the double diamonds. I had no business being on the slopes I wound up on. And to keep this story from getting too out of hand, I broke both ankles by the time I rolled back into the lodge.

The slopes never beckoned loud enough for me to ever think about it again.  (Insert wavy picture here as we return to modern day).  Now, TheWife and LatteGirl have decided that they would like to hit the slopes.  I had no real desire, though I agreed to tag along and have the Hot Chocolate ready for when they returned.  As LatteGirl pressed me on why I didn’t want to go, without going into details, I told her that I had a bad fall the last time I was skiing.

And that is when she hit me with it.  “You always tell me, that when you fall you have to dust yourself off, and get right back and do it again.”  No amount of “yeah but”s would deter her, and she pounded me with my own sage advise.  (Why yes, I did call my advise sage.  Full of myself?  Nah!)

So, now backed into a corner, 21 years later, quite a few pounds heavier, and no where near as good shape as I was then, I will once again find myself on a set of skis, since it was obvious that I had to put my money (or advise in this case) where my mouth is, and lead by example (even if I am “leading” by kicking and screaming that I don’t want to the whole way).

Perhaps I should leave somebody with the keys to the blog… you know… just in case.

I’m not complaining really, I am really looking forward to seeing the Sweet Lights, a two mile drive through light display,  LatteGirl is just about thrilled at the thought of playing in “Christmas” snow  (I believe it was the magic of “Christmas Snow” that enabled Frosty to “un-melt” again if I am not mistaken) even if it does mean that Candy Cane Lane (the selection of rides at Hershey Park that are still open this time of year) is canceled  , and of course TheWife once again will be treated to an afternoon at The Hershey Spa.

I am just hoping that I can actually get to the store this evening through the ice to pick up my new camera, to photgraph these travels, as I am hopeful that the snow will make for some great shots, because my current (hunk of junk) Kodak is just not up to the task.

I can’t help but wonder what I was thinking scheduling this so close to Xmas.  I have shopping to do, and work to be done, and I don’t have time for this right now.  It is frustrating in a way, and it seems like it will add more stress later, but the more that I think that I scheduled this at the “wrong” time, the more I also think that this is exactly the kind of break from the hustle and bustle of the holidays.

For the past week though, I have been slowly trying to break it to her that it didn’t look like we were going to be able to see the show.  It is not easy to a child how the show is “there” but not “open.”  And trying to explain why the stage hands went on strike, and what a strike is.

Overall, I guess I had it easy.  I mean, the day they first went on strike, I watched on the news, and saw a woman being interviewed.  She had driven 4-1/2 hours that day up from Maryland with her two kids to see the show.  I can’t even imagine the stress that must have induced, both on the mother and the poor kids.  It was really heartbreaking.

At this point, I was really ready to give up, but just as I have for the last two weeks, before heading off to work, I stopped and checked to see what, if any updates there were on the strike, and saw that they finally came to an agreement and the strike is over.

I don’t know who was more excited.  Me, getting to tell my daughter that we would in fact be going to NYC to see the show this weekend, or her bouncing down the hallway to tell TheWife that we were in fact going again.  Her smile, radiated so brightly that I swear we no longer needed lights on in the house this morning.

So, we will now once again make plans for a trip into NY, try and find a place to dine that won’t bankrupt us, but still will be able to get into with this being tourist season and all.  It should be good and mobbed this weekend around Times Square, and it really makes me question my sanity at the time I purchased these tickets.  But, at the same time, LatteGirl’s smile this morning makes any of that aggravation all worth while.

(I will of course be reviewing the show, probably on Sunday).

Last Year, we enjoyed going to this place, but one of the few problems we had was LatteGirl and her being shy.  It was like she was attached to our hips the entire time.  She wasn’t interested in playing with or getting to know the other children at the resort, and we had to keep her “entertained” the entire time.

We were detemined to try and help her get past this when we went on vacation this year.  We planned, we schemed, we had everything all set and agreed upon so she couldn’t play one parent against the other.  We accounted for every possible scenario.  Or so we thought.  There was one situation we had not taken into consideration, and it took us by surprise.

As it turns out, she was ready to spread her wings and start embarking on her own adventures.  No prodding necessary.  As a matter of fact, we had to strain a bit to reign her in, as she started to show some signs that she was actually getting annoyed and felt we were “cramping her style” and wanted us to just “leave her be.”  I had to actually restrain (no not physically) and occupy TheWife at times to keep her from constantly “checking up” on LatteGirl.  TheWife wanted LatteGirl to find some friends and be more social, but she was not prepared for this and it showed.  (OK, full disclosure.  I am not sure I am(was) ready for this either, but I was certainly better prepared for what we encounted than TheWife was.)

Suddenly, the little girl that wanted us to play games with her, and swim with her, and had to have us within an arm’s reach, no longer cared to have us around.  She did crafts with one set of friends.  Played sports with another.  Karaoke made her one of the most popular kids on the resort as everybody wanted to borrow her High School Musical Karaoke Disc, and at the evening “dances” the only time she wanted to know we were there was when she needed something to drink.  Heck there was one evening when we were tired, and she told us we could go “home” (back to our room), and she would “see us later.”  No, we didn’t allow that… not at 7 (TheWife says not for a few more years, I say not for another 20 years)

So in the end as the old adage goes, be careful of what you wish for… you just might get it.  And if it involves your child growing up… you might get it far sooner than you hoped for.

Well, they were… for TheWife… and for LatteGirl.  Me, not so much.  As I noted in my last entry, things got off to a rocky start.  Well, from there things only seemed to go downhill.  The upside, is that the MCL is not torn, so no surgery is in the (immediate) future.

The symptoms of concussion though became more clear once I was no longer so focused on the pain in my knee, and I got the joys of all of that for a day or two.  Fortunately Monday and Tuesday were complete washouts thanks to the rain, so it gave me little incentive to do anything but try and rest up.   However a little tickle then hit the back of my throat.  Didn’t think much of it at first, but it got progressively worse as time wore on.

By Tuesday evening, I could no longer swallow anything solid.  By Wednesday I could no longer even sip on water.  And I was starting to feel warm.  Yup, 104 degrees warm.  And that being after moutains of Tylenol and a cold shower.  So we seek out whatever doctor we can find in the “Greater Swifterwater, PA” area.  They originally said could not take me, but after me then asking where I could find the closest hospital or morgue, they took pity on me and found me a slot.

I started to question the decision, when the doctor finally came in.  Now, I am in no way a racist person, but this lady doctor was such a stereotype rolled up into a person, I would classify her as a Chinese Characature of Chinese Stereotypes.  Not that this is necessarily a bad thing, but as she looks at my chart, she looks at me and says (say this too yourself in your favorite “chinese restaurant voice”)  “ohhhhh…. you sick.  You have big feevah.  I bet you no feel good.”

But, mannerisms, and smirking over this, she was fine, and the diagnosis came down that I was expecting.  Strep Throat.  I had strep throat plenty of times as a child.  Not once do I remember being as bad as the two times I have contracted it as an adult.

So I spent a Rainy Wenesday and lousy chilly and damp Thursday peering out the window of out room, watching others at the resort passing by from one event to another.  With the ocassion visit from the wife and daughter, checking in to ensure I was still alive, before they too headed back out to have some fun, and stay as far away from me and my germs as they could.

By Friday I was well enough to at least get out doors and enjoy the final day before departing for home again.  But all in all, it is definitely a vacation I would rather forget on a personal level.

TheWife and LatteGirl?  Well they had a great time.  More on that to come, as well as my previously mentioned trip, the “family reunion” with the terminally ill in-law to come.

2 – Insist to your wife (husband/significant other) that number one is no big deal when she points out it rained over night.

3 – Play softball, managing to twist you knee and smack your head on a rock on the same play.

4 – Spend your your first night of vacation icing your knee that has swollen to the size of a baloon.

5 – Only after the swelling goes down and your knee begins to feel better do you notice the the ringing in your ears and other symptoms of a concussion.

It has been a good vacation thus far, I only hope I survive it.

TheWife and LatteGirl as I mentioned on Tuesday have been packing for two days. Me? I haven’t even thought about it yet, and have a business trip tomorrow, which leaves me getting up entirely too early on a Saturday morning, racing around to try and pack while hoping I don’t forget too much.

Why am I not doing it now? I’m not home yet. This post coming to you live from the fine New Jersey Transit system. By the time I arrive home eveybody will be asleep, thus curtailing my packing possibilities.

Earlier this week I was trying to figure out if I could get some pre-posting done. As it turns out, I couldn’t even get my regular posts done.

Anybody got a few spare hours that I buy?

This year, we have to pack extra stuff because we are going to our second of two family “reunions” and they have already started packing… on Tuesday!  At this rate, I will be lucky if I can find room for ME in the car.

Now, I don’t know if it was because of the “holiday” week of July 4th, but we were simply amazed by the lack of people in the park.  Throughout our day there, we had to wait on line for a grand total of 2 rides, well actually I had to wait on line for 2, as the girls did not go on the Batman Roller Coaster, so the only real line we had to wait for was the Log Flume.

While planning this excursion I was pleased to see they had implemented a “FlashPass” program (similar to FastPass for those familiar with Disney World and Disneyland).  What was disappointing, was to find out that their FlashPass was not included with your theme park admission, and actually cost $36 (for the first person) and up.  Fortunately, I opted against this additional cost, and since the lines were short to very short for most of the rides we were interested in, this really would have been a waste of money.  I guess if you want to spend your day on the big roller coasters (Great Adventure may very well be one of the best Roller Coaster Parks I have been to, with Rides like Kingda Ka (World’s Tallest and Fastest Roller Coaster), the now somewhat dated Great American Scream Machine, and many others.) If you intend to spend the day with rides such as those, then perhaps the extra money may be worth it on a crowded day, as the lines can wind up being an hour or more each, but if you are not a thrill seeker, or are going with children in tow where you will be spending more time on smaller rides, the additional expense may not (and most likely won’t in my opinion) be worth it.

There is far less advertising around the park than there was when I last went.  That is not to say there isn’t any, but years ago, you couldn’t look in any direction before without seeing a sponsored by sign, or advertisement.  However, the concessions now are all “brand named.”  Where you had the ice cream palor and Pizza Stand, you now see a Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, a Papa John’s Pizza, and so on.  This is not necessarily a bad thing as some of the food was actually better than the junk I remember, but the blatant advertising of it is something of a distraction (to me at least).

It is obvious that they are taking some cues from Disney, and renaming section (or worlds or whatever you want to call them), in a very similar fashion.  It now sports a “Movietown Section”  (think Disney-MGM studios), a couple of Looney Tunes section (think Magic Kingdom Fantasyland and toontown), the only things original is the new Wiggles World section.

Speaking of Wiggles World, my daughter was greatly disappointed with this.  Now she has for the most part outgrown the Wiggles, and the stated age range for the area is like 2 – 6 years old, but at 7 I thought she would find some interesting things here.  One ride.  That was it.  Everything else was clearly for the closer to 3 or 4 year old.

The park was clean, although some parts looked a bit old and tattered and a bit dated.  Though they like to bill themselves (or they did in ads some years back), “Bigger than Disneyland and a whole lot closer,”  they don’t hold a candle to Disneyland (and are a world away from Disney World).

Our favorite rides of the day were Congo River (formerly Roaring Rapids) which is a large “boat” of 8 people riding down the “rapids.”  They use blocks to help shorten the ride a bit, and took away some of the “scenery” around the ride, but since this ride is about going down the rapids, and getting wet, it is still a fun ride.

Movietown Water Scene (Formerly SplashwaterFalls) is similar to any “Flume” ride, except the boat holds far more people than most, there is only one drop to the ride, but that one drop will get you soaked.  The exit of the ride, also gives you a second opportunity to get soaked as it goes directly over the “splashdown” point of the ride.

The Log Flume, yes another water ride (seeing a trend).  This old favorite has been around since almost the beginning of Great Adventure 45 years ago, and it shows.  It is tattered, and worn looking.  But it still gets you wet, and is still a fun ride for people of all ages.

The Runaway Train was the largest roller coaster that LatteGirl could go on (at 44″ she is either 4″ or 6″ shy of the remainder of the big coasters).  It was larger and faster than anything she has ridden thus far.  She absolutely loved it.  Like the log flume, the exterior of this ride looks a bit weather worn, but since it is supposed to be part of an “old mine” it actually doesn’t look as “odd” to be dull and worn as the Log Flume.

Some tattered appearance around the edges aside, tt is still a great amusement park in its own rights, and while I wouldn’t tell anybody not to go to the park, I wouldn’t base a vacation around it either.  For a daytrip (or two with their “bounceback passes”, which give you a second day in the park for $15), it is certainly worth it.  If you are a roller coaster enthusiast, you will LOVE it, but for everybody else, it is a good place if you like an amusement park.

In some ways I have so much to say about this vacation, but in others, I am sure much of it is probably obvious to many (if not all). I don’t want to bore (Hey! I heard that!) , but do want to share some of the ups and even (few) downs from our trip, and the lessons we learned on this first excursion to the House that was built by a Mouse.  It is tough to begin when you feel like you have too much to say, especially when you find it hard to describe how magical (yes, fine, I used it… Magical… It really does fit.) a place it really is, and what a wonderful trip it was.

As I alluded to earlier, Walt Disney World in Florida is simply huge. Until you actually see it, you really have no idea just how big the whole thing is. This is both something that makes for a pleasant surprise, and yet makes it all seem quite daunting.

There are tons of books out there on navigating, surviving and even affording Disney (I will list a few of my favorites later). And now I see why. I feel like I have only scratched the surface, and already, (if I was a real writer type) I could already fill a tome or two with information. When people say you need a plan of attack, to maximize your time, they are not kidding. It is really easy to get overwhelmed if you allow yourself to.

Since I had gone to Disneyland for a day back some 10 years ago or so while on a business trip, I thought I had things, “covered.” I thought I knew the score and what to expect. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Oh Disneyland is nice. It is entertaining, and certainly has some of the charm of Disney. But by and large, it is far more like a Six Flags Park than it is to the grandeur of Disney World Florida.

I will go into more detail later, but just let me say, if you are planning to go to Disney World in the next 6 months, the time to make your reservations for either a breakfast or dinner with the characters, especially the one at Cinderella’s castle, the time to make your reservations is right now. Not tomorrow, not next week, but now. Otherwise you may find yourself on the outside looking in at these events. We did manage to get one breakfast with the Princesses and one with the Playhouse Disney characters, but were shut out from others because of our timing. (And it was only thanks to a cancellation that we were able to get in on the Playhouse Disney breakfast).

I had planned this as a “once in a lifetime” type of trip, and probably spent way more than I should have, but to be honest, at least so far, I do not regret it. We did manage to save a few dollars here and there being smart with things like, getting the meal plan. This was not only a huge money saver, but a plain great deal. It didn’t restrict our eating in any way since we never left Disney World, we got to eat wherever and whenever we wanted, while saving a ton of money over paying for every meal separately.

My wife being far wiser than I was, and knowing full well that we would most likely return at some point, purchased passes for 10 Days. You see the more days you buy, the less it costs per day. And for a small additional fee, the passes never expire. So we used 5 days worth on this trip and for just slightly more money already have the 5 days for our next trip already paid for. Lest I forget, especially if you have children where you may not wish to spend a full day every day in the same park, the “Park Hopper” option is also a great addition to maximize your time, and so you don’t wind up “stuck” one day because the kids are “done” with a particular park early. Again, I will give more details later, but being done with a park early is definitely a possibility with in particular those younger than tweens/teens when you go to Epcot. Epcot is great in its own right, but definitely short on things to entertain the little ones.

I could probably continue this post on forever, but in the interest of brevity, readability (aww, c’mon now! That wasn’t nice.) and to hopefully put this into to sort of order, perhaps I should stop babbling…. for now.

The work is piled high and deep in the office, so I will have to provide more details later, but let me just say, we were all in such good spirits (other than being sad that our vacation was over of course) that on the last day, it didn’t even bother us (too much) that JetBlue somehow managed to screw up our seating, and assigned our, already assigned seats to somebody else.  (They eventually fixed the problem for us… but somewhere at the airport there was going to be some upset people when they tried to board).

I have a full notebook of notes I took, interviews I did with some other guests to get their perspective on some items and of course pictures.  All of which I will get to as soon as possible.

Now if I just had another week to recover before I had to return to work.

I unfortunately have been suffering with a broken Internet connection which has prevented me from posting as much as I would have liked to since we arrived, but fear not, I have taken plenty of notes and will posting as soon as this connection is stable and I have some sleep at the same time. 

I have to admit, I am quite excited. I visited Disneyland in California some years back, but to be perfectly honest, I wasn’t all that impressed. Except for the Disney Theme running throughout, it really wasn’t all that different than Six Flags Great Adventure here in New Jersey, except of course being a whole lot further away, and a whole lot more expensive.

(Side Note: It seems that Six Flags Great Adventure is introducing Wiggle’s World this year, so I guess we will be hitting that park at least once this year as well.)

We will be staying at Port Orleans. Mostly because the wife has a serious love affair with the city of New Orleans, and since I do not see a vacation there in the near future (You did a hell of a job Brownie), this is her trade-off.

We opted to fly Jet Blue, if for no other reason (and their price compared to other was more than enough), but if you have ever traveled with kids on an airplane, you know how entertaining them for the flight can be a daunting task. Well, LatteGirl when she gets excited is no different, but since Jet Blue offers DirecTV at every seat, it will keep her busy and save me from having to answer “Are we there yet” or “How much longer?” about seventy bajillion times.

So have you been to the House of Mouse? Planning to go? What is “can’t miss?” What is over-hyped?

What the hell were we thinking.

Back in May, when TheWife and I were obviously still in control of our senses, we were wise enough to know that this was probably not a good idea, and had two birthday parties for LatteGirl. One for the family at home, and one for the kids that we held elsewhere. We knew plainly that having that many kids in one place was not good for the long term prospects for our home, furniture, etc.

But LatteGirl flashed us those baby blues, and said please in the sweetest way, and has show more enthusiasm for Halloween this year, other than the standard “can’t wait to go trick-o-treating.” So we melted. Melted like a Hershey Bar on the dashboard of a car on a hot Florida day.

I’m joking of course. Sort of. I don’t mind the party. I am actually looking forward to it. But I am dreading what the aftermath is going to look like. Of course none of that is stoping me from baking cupcakes and cookies and coating things in brightly covered frosting (more sugar) and preparing it for the kids.

We purchased assorted games and crafts, we have music and munchies, will order in pizza, and we have more than enough to keep these little goblins at bay and entertained for the afternoon. I hope.

Stay tuned.

I have to admit that I wound up a bit disappointed this time, but to some extent I guess my expectations were a bit too high coming off of our spring trip there. First of all, in case anybody but me didn’t know it (fortunately TheWife did), PA in October is cold. Not freezing, but cold. This makes taking a six year old to the Amusement Park… in costume… at night (it is not open during the day in October, only at night for their “Hersheypark in the Dark”) is a challenge.

LatteGirl of course did not want to be all “bundled up” because then “nobody would get to see her costume.” Once we got past that battle, we headed over to the park, where it was “too cold” so we actually wound up spending more time “getting ready,” waiting for the shuttle, and riding the shuttle to and from the park, than we actually spent in the park.

They made a big deal out of “Treatville” which was where kids 13 and under could go “Trick or Treating.” They of course put this at the far end of the park, so you had to walk clear across the park to get there, only to be greated by a rather long line. When you finally made it through, you walked the path that would normally have been for the water rides, to gather about 7 or 8 pieces of candy. To me it was annoying. To TheWife is was not worth freezing over. For LatteGirl it was the best thing in the entire world. You must admire their ability to find the good in everything.

Armed with my camera, I got to take some pictures of LatteGirl with the Hershey Characters, which were donning “costumes” of their own. (Yea, so that probably doesn’t make a whole heck of a lot of sense if you don’t already know what I am talking about, so you will have to wait until tomorrow, when I get the pictures up into Flickr.) Taking the pictures, and her big smile made the trip all worthwhile to me.

TheWife. Ah, TheWife. In order to make the trip worthwhile to her, LatteGirl and I once again shipped her off to the Hershey Hotel for a Cocoa Massage. If (when) we go again, I am going to have to see if I can get TheWife to take us along (we usually send her off for some “Mommy time” alone) to the Hotel. We will still give her the time to herself, but I really want to get a look at this hotel. You see, the Hershey Lodge is where we stay because it is advertised as a “family” location. It is by no means cheap, but certainly looks that way when you see that a stay at the Hershey Hotel is twice the price. I just need to see for myself what could possibly make this place worth twice as much.

I think the one thing that left me a bit disappointed was that we did not get to do as many “new” things as well did last time. Of course everything was new last time. This time we had to do some repeats at the beheast of LatteGirl, and we promised ourselves that we would not miss this museum this time (We attempted to go on our return day last time and it did not open until too late in the day for us to hang around). When we got done with the “must dos” we were left with precious little time (and even less energy) to do much else.

Of couse that is the problem with any three day “vacation.” Day One you spend on travel and arrival, and in places such as this check in time is not until 4PM, so by the time you get your room, get your stuff put away, and maybe have dinner. It is night time and half the time you will decide to “turn in early” so you can get an early start the next day. The last day of course checkout time is like, what 4AM? (OK, so it is at 11 am, but still it feels way to early) and you really have to pack up everything as soon as everybody gets showered and dressed, leaving little time to do much after having breakfast except perhaps spending some money in the gift shop for all the people that expect something when you go away.

So out of that you have one solid day. A day, I admit that LatteGirl and I made the best of (OK, TheWife too, but she spent time in the spa). After breakfast, and shipping Mom on her merry way, we strolled the grounds, looking at (and photographing) the Geese and Ducks, then climbing some trees (she does not really “climb” as much as she has me “place” her on branches in trees that are easy enough for her to stand on), then some miniture golf,and swimming before we met back with Mom for some lunch. On to the Museum, then Chocolate Work (that is the simulated “factory tour” that they have rather than actually taking people through the actual factory), shopping in the chocolate store (of course), return for dinner, getting costumed and on to Hersheypark.

When I look over that list it is hard to say what I could have changed to have not been disappointed this time. I mean heck from the time I was there in April to now they installed wireless internet in all the rooms, which I was thrilled to see but still managed to keep myself so busy that I never had an opportunity to actually use it. I guess without the “newness” it can never live up to that first time… at least for me.

LatteGirl still gives it her highest praises. She has even started working on us for a return trip. When she and TheWife made their trip to Sesame Place this year we noted that this would probably be the last year for that excursion since she was pretty much outgrowing Sesame Street. So she brought that back up already saying that this could “replace” her trip to Sesame Place, so that we “could come back every year FOREVER.”

I don’t think we will be coming back every year, but I am sure we will be back. Maybe next time we just need to try to find more than three days. And never again in October.

It is supposed to be cloudy but with temperatures in the sixties for a change it should be an excellent weekend for it. Last year it was so warm, I was lamenting not wearing shorts (although I was happy I didn’t once we hopped onto the tractor for the hayride).

We are heading out on this trip a little earlier than usual this year because next weekend, we decided to take a little weekend excursion out to Hershey PA (yes again… so what?). I mean what better place is there to go around Halloween season than that?

Oh, *&$&&*^%$# I just realized, I still don’t have a costume yet! Nothing like waiting ’til the last minute I always say.

Pictures of course to follow. So what is on YOUR weekend agenda?

I used to walk by this place everyday on my way to and from work when I was in the City, but never actually went it.

Some of these figures are amazingly lifelike. Others are well… obvious in their waxiness.

After beating myself up for a week playing volleyball, softball, swimming and more, the last thing I was looking forward to was hiking along some trails, but the wife and child were adamant and off we went.

As we looked out on this somewhat foggy morning and looked at the falls, the sense of tranquility that overcame all of us (yes, surprisingly me too) was quite palpable.

By the time we ended the trail, even I with sore legs, didn’t want to leave.

(Why is this called “Picture Perfect Thursday”? Well you have to go visit Liz over at This Full House for more details. If you do join in, please let me know)

This weekend however, LatteGirl and TheWife are up at Sesame Place, leaving me to accomplish the needed tasks at home. But it also allows that when I do take a break, I am for a change afforded the opportunity to blog.

I should of course be getting the pictures we took from the falls and vacation up into Flickr. Perhaps during the next break I will do that. (Procrastination is an art form… don’t let anybody tell you any different).

Time alone is sometimes good, and I got quite a bit accomplished today, but I must admit, I am feeling quite lonely, and I can’t wait until they get home.

But with those amenities comes a price tag. And with the higher price tag usually comes greater expectations. Now I had expectations when we departed for our vacation this year. In many ways these expectations were far tougher ones to meet. They were colored with fond memories of childhood vacations. Of happy family times. Distant memories that often are far more wonderful in your memory than the events actually were. This is a tall order to meet, and I tried to temper this as best as I could. But as it turns out, I really didn’t need to do so. This vacation turned out to be everything that I had been dreaming of since we made our reservations.

If I however, had come in expecting accommodations as posh as say, when the wife and I went to Ceasar’s Pocono Palace, or some expensive upscale hotel, I may have come away disappointed. If you only stay at 5 star hotels, this may not be the place for you. This is a basic family place. The accommodations are simple, comfortable, and bit understated. But this is exactly what I wanted and expected. This was not a vacation about staying in your room (as I will explain shortly), but your room was simply a place to get some sleep, a shower and refresh yourself to continue on with your vacation.

TheWife was concerned when we initially considered this destination that it would be boring. She scoured the Internet for nearby things to do and see. As it turned out, we left the resort only once, for a shopping excursion to The Crossings Premium Outlets and The Christmas Factory. Plans to hit places such as Camelbeach Waterpark and several other places got put on hold, at least for this year.

The only problem we encountered along the way, was LatteGirl’s decision to be shy and clingy. She was reluctant to socialize with the other kids, preferring to spend her time clung to either mommy or daddy. So in an effort to keep her entertained and to get some relaxation ourselves, we essentially wound up taking turns in being the person she clung to. She would play with Mommy or sit by and watch as I played Volleyball, Softball, etc. LatteGirl and I would usually hit the pool as Mommy got her time alone to take a walk, or just some time to read one of the books she brought along etc. We also put her to work as our ball-girl for some early morning tennis. (It is times like this that I wonder about her whole allowance situation. When we started it, we informed her that “standard chores” were expected and that she was not going to be paid for them, but that things “above and beyond” would allow her to earn additional money. Thus I wound up paying her $2 per day for her additional task of being our ball-girl). If you have to run into a problem on vacation, and this is it, then I would say luck is on your side.

Evenings, brought their own entertainment. Each night they had something like Bingo or “Cruise Ship Horse racing.” Those were followed by a DJ that was as much an entertainer as he usually had games and gifts for the kids, or a magician or karaoke. Things wound down usually by midnight, which was fine, because by then everybody was ready for bed.

I would say that I was very well rested on this vacation. But that would only be true of my brain. With no Internet access, and spotty connections from Verizon Wireless. I was truely unplugged for the first time in about 12 years. Physically however was a different story. I have not been terribly active since tearing a tendon in my ankle a few years back, and I pushed myself this week. I know I mentioned it earlier, but for an aging out of shape guy, my schedule of tennis, volleyball, swimming, softball, swimming and then “going out” that evening is enough for ONE day, but I managed to keep this pace up for 5 days (a bit slower on arrival day, and departure day is a story unto itself for tomorrow). So while the brain is fresh and rejuvenated, the body wants another week to recuperate. But I wouldn’t trade the pain for anything in the world.

It wasn’t the most classy. It isn’t the type of place that sparks comments of “WOW.” What it is, is a place that delivers exactly what it promises. It meeets expecations of a pleasant family vacation destination. A good time was had by all, and 51 weeks from now, we will do it again.

As cliche as these statements are, there is a reason they have become such staples that you can be sure you will hear them from anybody returning from vacation. That reason is, that they are usually true.

But the upside to that truth is, that the reason for it is usually because you had a good time. And that certainly was the case here. To say we had a blast would be a serious understatement. We had such a great trip, we booked the same room and same week for next year. This coming from people that have never done anything exactly the same twice is quite a testament to how great we thought everything was.

We were so busy enjoying ourselves, I have far too few photos to share (but will share what few we did take as soon as I can get an opportunity), because we rarely stopped long enough to think about spending time posing for pictures, or even bothering to bring the camera along.

I have lots of details to share, but precious little time as I attempt to get back to the grind of work, and the dozens of e-mails and meeting requests that have piled up while I was away, so details of the trip and more will follow as time allows, at least until I am back in the saddle.

I will be blogging via AvantBlog (if my phone has a signal), but pictures will have to wait until we return (Flickr only works on the PocketPC if you had an account before Yahoo took it over… how unfair is THAT?)

And with that… I am off.

The simple fact is, that despite what it appeared to me on the outside, a simplistic vacation where we could see it all and do everything we wanted to in a couple of days, was simply not a correct assessment on my part. There was far more to do and see than we could fit in a weekend.

Hershey Park – this is bigger and better than I anticipated it being. It may not be the same size as a Six Flags Park (at least not Six Flags Great Adventure here in New Jersey) or Disneyland (yes Disneyland, as in the California one, not Disney World in Florida which would be a total mismatch), but is certainly entertaining enough and big enough to keep everyone happy. Unlike some parks, the number of rides for the little ones competes almost one for one with the rides for older kids/adults. You can very easily spend a day (or two) here and keep everyone entertained between rides and shows. My only gripe here is the concessions. Now I understand that you have a captive market in a theme park, but this was nothing short of sad, with a hamburger costing $9.55 (plus tax). Save your money and pack a lunch, or heck you can walk across to the Hershey Factory Works and eat in their cafe, get better food and pay less.

Hershey Chocolate World – it is sad (probably only to me, but anyway), that you no longer can tour the actual factory and see the chocolate in production. Milton Hershey was proud of his factory and chocolate making process and allowed the world to see it being done. It may not be as glitzy as the new demonstrations are, but it was real and that was what people came to see. That being said, I realize that this is the 21st century and times change. Hershey Chocolate World still provides a glimpse into the world of Hershey Chocolate and how it is made on they “World Chocolate Tour”, give kids a change to become “workers” at the “Chocolate Works” were they get to work on a “production line” filling a container with Chocolate Kisses. There is a 3D theater which we didn’t even consider trying to attend in our short time there, a Trolley Ride that gives you a tour of the city of Hershey PA, and of course a food court and a (huge) shop to buy as much chocolate (and souveneirs) as you could possibly want. You can easily a half a day (without shopping) to a whole day (you would probably need to do some shopping to fill a full day) here all by itself.

Hershey Lodge – this was my most underestimated part of the vacation. A hotel is a hotel is a hotel. I have gotten myself hyped up about exceptional hotels before only to be disappointed. Well, this time I got to be pleasantly surprised. The rooms are nice, clean, well maintained and comfortable. The staff was incredibly (and I mean INCREDIBLY) cheerful, helpful and quick to assist you making me wonder exactly how much sugar they pump into these people everyday. There are three pools, since it is early spring the outdoor pools were closed making the indoor pool and whirpool a bit crowded, but not horribly so. A miniture golf course is right on the premises, as well as tennis and basketball courts. They had activities for young and old alike throughout the day, so basically you could spend your vacation here and never need to leave the hotel. There are three restaurants The Forebay (the “sit down” dining that required reservations, that we did not attempt), LEBBIE LEBKICHER’S which was a buffet style restaurant that had some good food, and plenty of it, The Bears Den which is a sport themed restaurant, if you have a sports fan in the family this is the place to have lunch (or dinner – but more of a lunch/snack place to me) . There is also the Hershey Grill, but that was closed for remodeling at the time we were there. There is even a Coffee Beanery right on the premises serving Coffee, Cappucino as well as pre-made sandwiches and salads plus some delectable (and quite fattening) chocolate desserts. If you put a gun to my head and said I needed to find something wrong with this hotel, the only complaint I could come up with is that everything shut down a little early for my “New Yorker” taste. Now this may have been because it is still early spring, but except to grab a bite in either the coffee house or Bears Den, or grab a drink at the bar, everything else came to a grinding halt around 9PM (now during the summer I know Hershey Park is open later, so perhaps things at the hotel match those hours.)

We planned on and never got to actually see, The Zoo, The Hershey Museum, Take the Trolley Ride, or visit Hershey Gardens. So much to see and do, Hershey lived up to and actually surpasses my cynical view of how much there is to do and see.

If you have the means and opportunity, I rate Hershey a Must See, Must Do.

What better place to bring a child on Easter weekend than to the U.S. Capital of Chocolate?

Of course I will be in charge of “watching her sugar intake” as we tour the Hershey’s Chocolate World and such as the wife goes to the spa for a Chocolate Wrap or a Whipped Cocoa Bath.