Valentine’s Day Family Getaways
Of Mice and Moments
Sure, Valentine’s Day is more about romance of the couples variety — and it’s on a Tuesday, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use the excuse of a candy-filled holiday to take a mini-vacation. Am I right?
Personally, I’m a fan of the family theme park outing. Disneyland and Walt Disney World (dinner at Victoria and Albert’s, anyone?) always have something up their, um, glove(?) for Valentine’s Day, which means fun for the whole family. What? Disney is totally romantic.
If theme parks aren’t your thing how about a cabin stay in one of our many state and national parks? It may be brisk out, but a few hours of hiking or mountain biking will warm up the family in no time.
Of course, there is always the option of getting a babysitter and, hopefully, a reservation at some restaurant with a special holiday menu (see, pricy) and being one more sucker in a suit — don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with that, but why wait until Valentine’s Day to do it? Go out on any Tuesday, it will be less crowded and a lot more meaningful. Spend Valentine’s Day with the entire family, that’s the love, people.
Photo by W. Honea
Shag Dancing at Fat Harold’s in South Carolina
Fat Harold’s Beach Club
Myrtle Beach earns popularity for beach adventures and seafood delights but there’s another must do experience for the South Carolina hot spot. You can not leave Myrtle Beach without a good shag. Shag dancing, or the Carolina shag to be specific, is the state dance and there’s no better place to try it than Fat Harold’s.
This smooth-toed derivative of the jitterbug dance is said to have originated in Myrtle Beach during the late 30s and it continues to thrive in nightclubs throughout the area. This stylish swing dance is a point of pride for seasoned shaggers and Fat Harold’s Beach Club is their official headquarters. The dimly lit club is packed every night with dancers gliding across the floor in the required leather-soled shoes. Djs pump beach music or live bands perform mid tempo rhythms perfect for the dance. For the rhythm-impaired, there’s even free weekly shag lessons so there’s no excuse not to join the fun. Imagine sliding across the floor with nimble spins and twirls and you’re half way there. Fat Harold’s is a Myrtle Beach institution with friendly servers and proper rights to the moniker, “home of the shag.” If you’re not in the mood for a burger or hot dog at Fat Harold’s shuffle on over to the Landmark Bar & Grill on the boardwalk and sample the bountiful helpings of fish tacos and chips and salsa.
Photo courtesy of Rosalind Cummings-Yeates
Universal Studios To Add Parade And Night Shows
Universal Orlando will unveil a number of new attractions in the next few months including “Universal’s Superstar Parade” a parade that will run through the streets of Universal Studios daily.
In addition “Universal Cinematic Spectacular” will be a new after-dark salute to the movies, featuring waterfalls, fountains, pyrotechnics, lasers and narration by actor Morgan Freeman. It will be presented on the park’s lagoon. A new Blue Man Group show and upgrades to it’s Spider-Man attraction are also planned.
New I-95 Hilton Head Island Welcome Center Opens
A new Hilton Head Island Welcome Center has opened at Exit 8 off of Interstate 95 at 524 Independence Boulevard, in Hardeeville, South Carolina, directly across from the Coastal Carolina Medical Center. The center is conveniently located at the gateway to the Hilton Head, Bluffton, South Carolina and Savannah, Georgia. The new Welcome Center is open seven days at week from 9 am to 9 pm and offers visitor services and information about vacationing on Hilton Head Island along with maps, brochures, great opportunities for discounts on area attractions, golf, fishing, accommodations, and more!
Visit their new website… http://www.hhiwelcomecenter.com/
Kayaking Through Huntington Beach, South Carolina
kayaking in Huntington Beach State ParkIf you’re a fan of kayaking like I am, you probably enjoy the sensation of of gliding across the water and feeling the gentle waves below you. Well I discovered a different sensation while kayaking through Huntington Beach Sate Park, near Myrtle Beach. I felt it shortly after I started paddling and felt something stuck on my paddle. It was smelly, greenish brown and it’s called pluff mud.
A pelican posingOut guides explained that pluff mud was part of the unique joys of paddling through salt marshes. This thick mud has been known to pull off boots, shoes and paddles that have been stuck in it. Suffice it to say, I really built up my biceps between the pluff mud and spartina cord grass during the two hour tour. Black River Outdoors Center guides kayakers through the marshes and salt water creeks of Huntington State Park and it’s a really unique tour. We paddled through Drunken Jack Island, which is supposed to harbor Black Beard’s treasures and I spotted pelicans, ospreys and herons, though not the alligators that are supposed to hang around the marsh. I highly recommend waterproof pants for the tour because all that splashing doesn’t just land on the kayak. All that paddling works up an appetite so make your way to Bliss Restaurant and Lounge for a relaxed and elegant lunch. Try the pan-seared flounder with prosciutto hash.
Photos courtesy of Rosalind Cummings-Yeates
Get Sippy at Grapefull Sisters Vineyard In South Carolina
Grapefull Sisters Vineyard
Wine tasting can be a lot of fun, what with all that sipping of various wines but a trip to Grapefull Sisters Vineyard creates a total wine experience that’s not just about tasting. Located just 17 miles north of Myrtle Beach, this sprawling working vineyard offers gardens, a bed and breakfast, an RV camping ground and yes, wine tasting.
Grapefull Sisters non-alcoholic wine
The 28-acre Grapefull Sisters Vineyard has been in the Suggs family for nine generations. Surrounded by tobacco farm land, the picturesque vineyard boasts a pond and roaming geese and ducks. But the star of the place is the Muscadine grape, native to the area and reputed to be 40 times higher in antioxidants than regular grapes. I can’t attest to the health benefits of Muscadine wine but I can verify the flavorful sweetness. Wine tastings are held every day for $5 and I tasted eight different wines using the handy tasting notes that the sisters provide. Bottles are sold for $12 to $15 and I guarantee you will be compelled to buy a few. The vineyard also sells homemade jams and even non-alcoholic wine. The three-bedroom inn, Inn D’Vine, supplies a country cottage themed cozy space with antiques and handmade quilts. For the more adventurous, the sisters also offer glamping or glamorous camping, in an elevated, heated, two-bedroom tent outfitted with a wine basket and strawberry and blueberry stuffed French toast. For a more traditional hotel experience, Inlet Sports Lodge provides rustic yet elegant rooms and an upscale gourmet restaurant.
Photos courtesy of Rosalind Cummings-Yeates
Disclosure, the wine tasting was part of a sponsored media trip.
Finding Your Inner Artiste At Newton Massachusetts’ The Paint Bar
Mix It Up
I love going to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and marveling at the paintings of the Impressionist Masters. My brother inherited all of my mother’s artistic abilities, so I have always wondered what it felt like to be able to create or replicate something beautiful. When we were invited to a friend’s milestone birthday party at The Paint Bar in Newton, my only question was whether or not alcohol would be served. That’s the only way I could survive an evening of painting lessons.
Our Guide For The Evening
With the word “bar” in the name of the place, it was confirmed that beer and wine would be available and so I confirmed our attendance. When we arrived that evening, we found a very bright and packed room filled with blank canvases awaiting our creative works. After being outfitted with smocks, the appropriate paint, brushes and an adult beverage, we chose our stools and awaited instruction. I must say that the example of the painting we would be recreating as a group that evening was incredibly intimidating. Why couldn’t the birthday girl have selected something perhaps less pretty but far easier looking?
Our Incredible Teacher
Our instructor, Ellie, for the evening was vibrant, fun and reassuring. She made everything idiot-proof and empowering. We were not treated like children (though family days on Sundays are a big hit) or artistes, but instead were considered able adults with hidden talent simply needing to be coaxed out. I knew we were in good hands when she pointed out the importance of distinction between your drink container and your brush water. Picking up a cup of watered down paint instead of your beer or wine is not a mistake you want to make. The lesson here? Pay close attention to your task rather than getting lost in the beauty of your art.
Beer On The Left, Brush Water On The Right
At The Paint Bar, your instructor guides all in attendance through the step by step process of recreating a sample painting chosen in advance. Which brush to use, how much paint to apply, when and how much to mix colors and brush stroke techniques are all provided along the way. As your instructor demonstrates on their canvas, you paint along on your own. While you are completing your efforts the instructor wanders the floor and answers any questions or doles out individual advice as requested. Criticism and comparison are discouraged. Focus on your own creation.
Music of all varieties is played for entertainment and there are those beverages for sale to keep you loose and smiling. During drying time, be sure to grab some take-out from next door so that all those drinks don’t go to your head and interfere with your fine detail strokes. They sell vending machine style snacks and you can bring in your own cake or other food item if you like, but there isn’t much room to lay it out or time to eat it up. Your two hours are mostly spent creating that work of art.
Our Hidden Talent Revealed
As the time went by and the basic background and forms were done, our confidence grew and we were ready to be let loose with our painting to add our own personal flair – treating the guide painting as just that, a guide. At the end of the night, it was amazing to see all the different takes on the same work. I won’t say whose was better – that would be against the rules of fun. But we were pretty proud of ourselves. And of our friends’ interpretations too. We carefully stowed our nearly dry paintings in the car before moving along to snacks and drinks with a belly dancer down the street. It was a night of artistic expression after all. And thanks to The Paint Bar, we’ve got some new artwork hanging on the wall.
The Paint Bar
823 Washington Street
Newton, MA 02460
(617) 872-0720
www.thepaintbar.com
Post by and all photos credited to Molly G. @The Bumbles Blog
New Hampshire’s Primary Diner
The eyes of America are on New Hampshire today, but what about the stomachs? Sure, everyone is making time to vote, but what about time to dine? Ask Bobby (or his girl), dining is important. I’m actually surprised it hasn’t come up in the debates.
I’ve been to New Hampton, New Hampshire (or through it as the case may be), but I didn’t spot this diner. Too bad, I’m a sucker for cool signs, romantic gestures, and bacon.
New Hampshire is a great year-round destination for family vacations. Also, voting.
This post is part of Uptake’s Tuesday Roadside Diners & Attractions Series. If you have a photo of an odd, funny or interesting roadside attraction that you would like to see featured here please submit it via the link in the sidebar with subject line: Roadside.
Winter Family Vacation in the Lake Champlain Region of New York
Ausable Chasm in the Winter
This Christmas break my family hopped in our Toyota Prius and road-tripped to the Lake Champlain region of the Adirondacks. Although the ski conditions near our home in Massachusetts were just awful due to the unseasonably warm weather we’ve been experiencing, the conditions were great in the Adirondacks.
To start, we traveled to Plattsburgh by way of Vermont, taking the Grand Isle to Plattsburgh ferry. It was incredibly easy to take the ferry, which runs every few minutes twenty-four hours a day, and saved us lots of time. Once we arrived in Plattsburgh, it was just a short drive to the Comfort Inn and Suites, where we were staying for our trip.
The next morning, we bundled up (it was cold – about 12 degrees), and headed out to Ausable Chasm, a popular summer attraction that is now offering winter tours. Guests can choose from a 30-minute self-guided tour, or a one or two-hour guided tour. We did both the 30-minute tour and the guided tour, and absolutely loved them. Our guide was incredibly informative and helpful, and the kids loved walking on the paths right by the cliffs and falls. When the paths are icy (as they were on our trip), guests are provided with ice cleat to put on their shoes, and if it’s snowy, guests are provided with snowshoes.
The next day, we drove about an hour and a half to Titus Mountain Family Ski Center for a morning of skiing. The kids were enrolled in ski school, since they’d only skied one time. Of course, by the end of the lesson, my daughter was whizzing by me on the mountain, as I struggled in my class (I’m very much a beginner). Titus Mountain seems to be the perfect place for families to visit – it’s small enough to be approachable, but had lots of really great instructors.
We’ll definitely be back to this area – perhaps in the spring or summer so we can see the gorgeous Ausable Chasm at a different time of year!
Photo credit: Jodi Grundig
Disclosure: We received complimentary lodging, ski rentals, lift tickets, lessons, and tickets to Ausable Chasm for purposes of review.
Winter Family Vacation in the Lake Champlain Region of Boston
Ausable Chasm in the Winter
This Christmas break, my family hopped in our Toyota Prius and road-tripped to the Lake Champlain region of the Adirondacks. Although the ski conditions near our home in Massachusetts were just awful due to the unseasonably warm weather we’ve been experiencing, the conditions were great in the Adirondacks.
To start, we traveled to Plattsburgh by way of Vermont, taking the Grand Isle to Plattsburgh ferry. It was incredibly easy to take the ferry, which runs every few minutes twenty-four hours a day, and saved us lots of time. Once we arrived in Plattsburgh, it was just a short drive to the Comfort Inn and Suites, where we were staying for our trip.
The next morning, we bundled up (it was cold – about 12 degrees), and headed out to Ausable Chasm, a popular summer attraction that is now offering winter tours. Guests can choose from a 30-minute self-guided tour, or a one- or two-hour guided tour. We did both the 30-minute tour and the guided tour, and absolutely loved it. Our guide was incredibly informative and helpful, and the kids loved walking on the paths right by the cliffs and falls. When the paths are icy (as they were on our trip), guests are provided with ice cleat to put on their shoes, and if it’s snowy, guests are provided with snowshoes.
The next day, we drove about an hour and a half to Titus Mountain Family Ski Center for a morning of skiing. The kids were enrolled in ski school, since they’d only skied one time. Of course, by the end of the lesson, my daughter was whizzing by me on the mountain, as I struggled in my class (I’m very much a beginner). Titus Mountain seems to be the perfect place for families to visit – it’s small enough to be approachable, but had lots of really great instructors.
We’ll definitely be back to this area – perhaps in the spring or summer so we can see the gorgeous Ausable Chasm at a different time of year!
Photo credit: Jodi Grundig
Disclosure: We received complimentary lodging, ski rentals, lift tickets, lessons, and tickets to Ausable Chasm for purposes of review.