Fun PA Trip

 

Well, I figured since it has been a very long time, that it was finally time to update my blog.  The good old blog!  One thing is for sure: if anyone should chance upon my blog after a 4 month hiatus like I have had, they will not sit around waiting for my NEXT post.  It could be tomorrow, it could be 2 years from now....who knows?  

Anyway.  We took a lovely little trip down to PA this past week just for a few nights (3 to be exact).  I wanted the girls to be able to go to Knoebels Grove once this summer, and the rest of our summer and fall is filling up and looking like it'll be very busy.  So I quickly planned this little getaway.  We left NY Sunday afternoon and made it down to PA to a place called Pine Grove to spend the night.  It was a fun little spot, semi-exotic (for us at least), since it was on an old airfield.  The Hangar was nearby and there was an older airplane model sitting out in the field.  The place we stayed in had a loft that was perfect for Gwen and Lucie to sleep in.  They loved it so much.  When they saw the loft with it's ladder to climb up, Gwen said "Now we're just like Laura and Mary (Ingalls), because they always climb a ladder to their beds too!" 

Monday morning, I made breakfast and Dan and Gwen tried out the jacuzzi, though Gwen claimed it was too hot after dipping just her toe in.  We packed up and left, heading for Hershey's Chocolate world.  We rode the free tour ride twice and then headed for Lancaster area.  The only thing I REALLY wanted to go to in Lancaster was to Shady Maple Smorgasbord (where we had our wedding reception).  We stopped at a huge playground and the kids played for an hour or so, then we got to Shady Maple, where I really enjoyed eating.  

When we finished, we headed back to Selinsgrove, where we would spend the next two nights.  We were staying at a lovely Bed and Breakfast where there was a pond and lovely walking trails.  We took a walk, the girls went wading in the pond, and we played a few rousing rounds of hide and go seek before retiring for the night.  

Tuesday morning, we ate the delicious breakfast that was prepared by our hostess, and I packed up our cooler of picnic lunch and we headed for Knoebels. 

I had already purchased our tickets online (buy one get one free) and so we got to start riding rides pretty quickly after getting there. 

Just a few pictures of some of our favorites. 

Eliza, standing in front of the fudge shop. 

It was a fun day, and one the girls will talk about for awhile.  

On our way back to the bed and breakfast, we stopped at Hoss's to eat and I discovered that Eliza had a tick on her upper leg.  It must have gotten on her during our walk or hide and seek the previous evening.  THANKFULLY, Dan is skilled at removing ticks fully without leaving the head and such.  After that, it was a nice dinner.  

Wednesday morning, we packed up the van, ate the last breakfast of our stay, and said our goodbyes.  We drove straight back to NY and were home in time for me to teach the ladies Bible Study at church and for my husband to have a counseling meeting with someone that evening.  

It was a fun trip, but it's also good to be home.  

Okay, I'm determined to not be such a stranger this summer.  I'm recently a HUGE fan of writing to-do lists and my days have been extremely productive of late.  Perhaps I will add "edit blog" to my lists to ensure that 4-month gaps in posts are not the norm.  

Vacation 2020

A few weeks ago we were able to use our yearly purchased vacation certificate at a resort in Pennsylvania.  We originally scheduled our vacation for May in Cape Cod which I was very excited about because it was near to Plymouth Plantation.  However, due to the closing of the resort, that vacation was cancelled.  While this place in PA wasn't exactly the cape, it was still a nice place.  The resort itself was nothing like last years' in that the actual "clubhouse" was completely closed to the public- so that meant no dvd or book rentals, no shuttle service, no game rentals, no activities, no boat rentals...etc. But where there's a will, there's definitely a way to have fun.  Surprisingly, the resort was pretty booked, so because our girls are early risers, we spent most of our time in the morning outside when most everyone was asleep.  

The buildings almost look like apartment buildings....because technically they were.  They weren't as nice as last years, but they were clean, and we literally had a lake in our backyard, so that was really nice!

Though the clubhouse was closed, we were given a card that gave us access to the playgrounds which the girls loved, and also a private beach. 

We went to the big state park a few days and went on hikes.  The girls learned to find fun things to find and look at- acorns, leaves, caterpillars, etc.

They could have kept throwing stones in the river all day if we'd let them!

When we finished our hike that day, we drove through a small town called White Haven that we were told was home to the BEST diner ever.  We went to the diner and for sure, the burger they made for me was a big as the plate.  Plus, the waitresses were friendly, down-to-earth and didn't treat us like we carried every germ known to man because we have kids.  So that was Nice!! :-)

The next day, we were to the private beach.  We were the only people there because it was cloudy.  

Dan bought the girls water guns to squirt and they loved them...'til Lucie chewed them up haha!

Our vacation mostly consisted of hiking, and playing on the playground as you can see. :-)

I wasn't about to go buy sand toys for the girls just for a few days, so we improved and used a tupperware.  :-)

Our last day there we filled with lots of fun activities.  We went back to the state park, and saw a waterfall (which was hard to get a good picture of because everyone and their brother was half-naked, playing in it....)

Instead of spending much time at the waterfall, we went upstream and waded in the water and sat on rocks.

Then we went to the Boulder Field in the state park.  

I've never seen anything quite like it on the east coast!

Then when we finished there, we ate a quick lunch of leftovers and drove to Knoebels Grove Amusement Park while the girls napped in the van.  I haven't been to Knoebels since right after we got married, but I used to go yearly with my family as a child.  I never used to understand how my parents were totally cool with not riding any rides themselves except for the ferris wheel.  Now I get it....as a parent, it is SO MUCH MORE FUN to watch your children having fun than to be tossed around in a ride and get headache after headache.  That's how I know I'm getting old! haha!  Rides never used to give me headaches at all. 

We all got on the Ferris Wheel, which was nice.  Of course, I wore my Trump hat there, and got tons of compliments on it by the way.  

The girls had so much fun!

These little ponies were definitely Gwen's favorite.  She still talks about them a few times a week.

Because we were required to wear masks, I was fully expecting to only stay an hour or so, but we ended up staying the full four hours.  There was a christian singing group at the theatre which was near where we were the whole time.  

In general, this area of PA where we went on vacation doesn't have a ton to do, especially with the scamdemic, but we found fun all around us.  We also were able to go to a WONDERFUL church full of amazing, friendly people who encouraged our hearts.  We invited the Pastor and his family over to our place and it was lovely time of fellowship.  As a Christian, it should be second nature to be able to find commonality with other believers and seek to be a blessing.  When we do that, in turn, we are blessed.  More about that subject to come!

Stay posted!!