Food Fun Family

Snowland at Great Wolf Lodge: A True Winter Wonderland!

Lolli — Sun, 16 Dec 2018 05:26:44 +0000

My family and I were invited on an expense-paid FAM trip at Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg at the beginning of the month. Although our accommodations and activities were covered, all thoughts are our own. I’m happy to answer any questions about staying at Great Wolf Lodge – there were so many things that didn’t make it into the post (I could just go on and on!).

I’ve always been curious about Great Wolf Lodge, but we’ve typically been the type of family that takes vacations to visit family and friends out of state. Somehow we just never made it to Great Wolf Lodge, which is just a couple of hours south of us in Williamsburg, Virginia. Now that we’ve experienced Great Wolf Lodge, we are counting the days til we can go back. It was an unexpected hit with the whole family!

I was initially worried that my kids would be a little too old to appreciate Great Wolf Lodge (my last 3 kids at home are 13, 15, and 17), but I was surprised to discover that there are a ton of engaging activities for kids of ALL ages.

We stayed in a standard family suite, which sleeps up to 6 comfortably (it’s so hard to find a good hotel room for bigger families, but this was perfect for us!), but there are a host of amazing options for families of all sizes and needs, like upgraded themed suites with bunk beds and fun decor!

Snowland at The Lodge

From the moment we walked into the lodge, we were transported into a winter wonderland. The atmosphere was delightful! Great Wolf Lodge has four seasonal themes each year, corresponding to the four seasons: Spring-a-palooza, Summer Fun in the Sun, Howl-o-ween, and Snowland.

I can’t wait to experience all four seasons at the Lodge!

We spoke with the director of guest services and found out that staff decorated the lodge for Snowland for about 9 days. They have 30 trees in the property, and 20 of them were new this year. It even “snows” every night in the main lobby. It is simply magical!

Santa makes an appearance every night between December 7th and the 25th and is available to take pictures with guests each night. Bonus: photos are complementary for guests and they are happy to snap pictures with your phone or camera for you!

Another fun winter season treat: you can get warm cookies and milk delivered to your room at night!

Year round, there are 10-20 activities available for guests of all ages each day, from morning yoga to story time at night, from dance parties and character appearances to arts and crafts. Activities are a little heavier on the weekends, but weekdays are still full of fun.

We enjoyed bowling, hours of fun at the 24-hour arcade, sharing cups of candy from the candy shop, and just hanging out together. We highly recommend the Paw Passes to get the best value for the paid activities like bowling, MagiQuest, miniature golfing, the rope course, etc.

My personal favorite activity was my 30-minute deep-tissue massage in the spa (they’ve got a kids’ spa, too!). I had the best, most relaxing massage of my life!

MagiQuest at Great Wolf Lodge

MagiQuest was a surprise hit for all three of my teens. We started our first afternoon off with a visit to the MagiQuest store, where they each picked out a wand, and chose a “magical” name to register and activate their account. The great news – they can bring their wands back to Great Wolf Lodge each time we visit again and only have to pay to activate a new game.

MagiQuest is an interactive game that sends kids exploring all over the hotel (there are stations on three floors). Kids can run from station to station on quests, interacting with things throughout the hotel and earning points along the way. All three of my kids agreed that MagiQuest was both fun and a great workout! Throughout the day, you’ll find kids thoroughly engaged in completing quests and gathering coins. It is nearly as popular as the waterpark with the older kids!

Great Wolf Lodge purchased the rights to MagiQuest so the game is ONLY available at Great Wolf Lodge. They release four to five new quests each year, so you can have a totally new game experience each time you visit.

The Indoor Waterpark

The enormous indoor waterpark is one of Great Wolf Lodge’s biggest attractions. No matter how cold it gets outside, it’s a comfortable 84 degrees in the waterpark. The slides were so much fun (we even got on one ride with all 5 of us together on a raft!) and we were sad when we had to end our day at the park. We could have used several more hours of water play time!

The Food

My husband could not stop talking about the French toast at the breakfast buffet in the main restaurant. He said it was the best French toast we had ever had. The dinner buffet was equally as enjoyable, with a huge variety of delicious foods. We also enjoyed a casual pizza night in our room while we watched a movie and had a burger and fries lunch while we were hanging out at the waterpark.

There are seven restaurants on the property, and there’s always something delicious to satisfy your cravings.

Big Changes Coming!

Starting in mid-January through the second half of March 2019, Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg will be undergoing a 20 million dollar renovation project, including all guest rooms and public places. The lodge will still be open during the renovations and guests will not be impacted. I can’t wait to see how they redecorate the 405 suites!

Have you been to a Great Wolf Lodge? Our family highly recommends it as a fun family getaway. You can check in and never leave the hotel until you’re ready to head back home! Find out more and book your stay at Greatwolf.com/williamsburg

5 Fun Family Road Trips for Fall Foliage

Lolli — Mon, 10 Oct 2016 18:55:48 +0000

Fall is the perfect time to take a family road trip and enjoy some quality time together on the road. The weather is cool, the crowds may be thinned out, and if you go during the right time, the trees will be full of vibrant leaves waiting to be kissed by the sun.

Exploring the country in the fall means you’ll get to do some sight-seeing at gorgeous locations that are decked out in autumn splendor. America is full of many scenic locations that make for perfect road trips, so why not plan a trip to one of the five below?

Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia and North Carolina

The Blue Ridge Parkway spans 500 miles and is a great route to take for a road trip because you get to enjoy a variety of farmland and forests. The drive takes you near some popular cities such as Asheville, North Carolina and smaller mountain towns like Blowing Rock and Galax, which is a popular destination for bluegrass fans because of the Blue Ridge Music Center.

Another popular road trip destination in Virginia is the Shenandoah National Park. You could plan two separate trips and enjoy the sights that both routes have to offer. The Shenandoah National Park is home to Skyline Drive, which is a 105-mile road that goes through the park and has abundant views.

No matter which route you decide to take, be sure to check the foliage update on the state’s website to go during peak viewing season. You might want to plan ahead and book a hotel in advance during the peak season because rooms go quickly in the area.

Vermont’s Green Mountain and Mad River Byways

Vermont is a very popular destination for travelers who love seeing the fall foliage. You can drive leisurely on one-lane highways that take you through mountains and valleys that are full of color. To get the best views, start where the Mad River flows in Waitsfield, travel through Waterbury, and go on to Stowe. Stowe is home to the highest colorful peak in Vermont. The entire route is a short 23.9 miles.

While you’re there, you can enjoy a cider tasting at Cold Hollow Cider Mill or go shopping at the Cabot Annex, which happens to include the famous Cabot Cheese and Lake Champlain Chocolates. These little attractions are a perfect follow-up after a beautiful drive such as the one in Vermont. Since it’s a short route, you will still have some time and energy to explore the area.

The Coast of Michigan

Michigan’s coast offers plenty of opportunities to view breathtaking fall foliage. The route starts in Traverse City and runs 100 miles through Northeast Michigan. You will see fishing towns to explore and sweet coves from Lake Michigan’s shores as well as beautiful, fiery-red oak and maple leaves contrasting against the green fir, pine and spruce trees of Grand Traverse Bay.

You can stop and enjoy the views from Inspiration Point, walk through the idyllic villages of Omena and Peshwabestown that are located by the lake or visit an attraction from the 19^th Century, the Grand Traverse Lighthouse. There is something for the whole family to enjoy in Michigan.

Lake Moosehead, Maine

Lake Moosehead is Maine’s largest lake and is lined with vibrant trees full of fall foliage for you to enjoy. To see the best views, start at Maine’s white-water-rafting location, The Forks, and travel to Jackman and into the North Woods. Be sure to stop at the Attean Overlook to see its famous views that extend all the way to the Canadian border.

Then go on over to Rockwood towards Lake Moosehead’s shores and stay a while in Greenville before driving under the trees as you take unpaved logging roads that boast beautiful sights. The entire route spans 75.2 miles.

If you and your family are feeling up for a challenge – why not hop on the 3,271 mile path of The Oregon Trail? It begins in Maine and takes you on the path the American settlers took across the nation to Oregon and you’ll see miles of beautiful country along the way.

Before you plan your trip, check the state’s website for the best times to see the leaves at their peak.

New Mexico’s Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway

This 84-mile route is home to some of the best views in the southwest. The Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway runs from Taos to Eagle Nest, through Angel Fire, and then back to Taos again. There are many things to see along the route.

Eagle Nest is home to Wheeler Peak, a 13,161-foot peak. Along the route, you will see aspens in shades of orange, cinquefoil in purple and cottonwoods in red and yellow. You might spot some of the wildlife as well, such as black bear, eagles and elk.

In this area you can visit Elizabethtown, which is an old gold-mining town, or stop by the Taos Fall Arts Festival if you’re in the area when it’s open.

So the next time you get the itch to enjoy a long drive on some open road with beautiful scenery, consider one of these destinations during the fall. Grab a map and plan your trip so you won’t miss out anything. All that’s left to do is pack your suitcases and load up the family for your next adventure.

About the Author

Jennifer Landis is a foodie, mama, and healthy living blogger. She loves yoga, tea, and running really far (but not really fast). Follow her on Twitter @JenniferELandis and check out her blog, Mindfulness Mama.

The Chocolate Lab at The Hershey Story

Lolli — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 21:07:13 +0000

My family visited the Chocolate Lab while we were visiting Hershey, Pennsylvania as part of my Sweetest Moms ambassadorship. Although our overnight accommodations at Hershey Lodge and Hersheypark tickets were compensated, we payed for the Chocolate Lab experience on our own, because it was something we wanted to do. We loved the Chocolate Lab and it ended up being one of our favorite memories on our trip!

What is The Chocolate Lab?

The Chocolate Lab is an interactive experience inside The Hershey Story – The Museum on Chocolate Avenue, located at 63 West Chocolate Avenue in Hershey. You can expect a fun hands-on chocolate activity inside a “real” lab, made more fun by the fact that everyone must wear aprons and hair nets/bonnets! Get ready to roll up your sleeves and lick your fingers!

Not only do lab participants get to make their own chocolate creation (dipping, molding, mixing, and adding mix-in ingredients), but they learn about the chocolate making process and get a little historical background on Milton Hershey and his love for chocolate.

We even got to taste chocolate nibs – even “darker” than dark chocolate!

Each lab lasts about 45 minutes and is led by one of the Herhsey Story’s resident chocolate gurus. Of course, at the end of the lab, everyone can take home their chocolate creation (although ours only lasted a few minutes outside the lab doors!).

Choose From a Variety of Chocolate Lab Experiences:

Workshops vary and all of these may not be available when you visit. When we were there, they offered 7 classes between 9:45 am and 6:00 pm. Check with the front desk at the Hershey Story for a listing of workshops for the day you are visiting, check the website, or call ahead.

S’mores Galore – Have some summer fun as you make your own, sweet variation on S’mores (without the fire, of course). Learn the origins of this campfire confection and some Hershey’s trivia. You’ll also learn about chocolate from tree to graham cracker.

Build a Bar – Follow in Milton Hershey’s footsteps as you design your own candy bar. Discover the business behind the product as you choose ingredients to add based on flavor, appearance and your own preferences.

Chocolate Beach Bars – Celebrate summer by designing your very own sea shore-themed milk chocolate bar using edible decals and plenty of “sand.” Take a walk along our “chocolate beach boardwalk” as you learn about Hershey’s classics. Also find out where and how “cacao” is grown, harvested and processed into your favorite chocolate confections.

Planet Chocolate – Learn some delicious geography by finding out more about the many places around the globe where cocoa beans are grown. You will be guided to recognize differences in cocoa beans’ appearance and taste and make your own unique bar to take home.

We attended the Build a Bar lab and had the opportunity to pour our own Hershey’s milk chocolate into a special Chocolate Lab mold, tap out the air bubbles, and then add toppings as desired. My kids liked their chocolate pure and simple (nothing wrong with that!) but I chose to add white chocolate chips to my bar (PS – we learned what white “chocolate” is during the lab, too!).

I think the favorite part of the lab for just about everyone in the room was when one of the lab assistants gave everyone the green light to finish off all of the extra chocolate from our bowl. There were lots of smiles during that portion of the lab!

Chocolate Lab Tickets:

You can purchase tickets at the front desk at The Hershey Story. It is recommended that you arrive early and get tickets about 60 to 90 minutes before your desired lab is set to start. You can always use your waiting time to walk around the Museum (separate admission). Each lab time has limited seating and they do sell out. They told us to line up about 10 minutes prior to the lab start time. Once the doors opened, one of the chocolate gurus seated all families together.

$12.50 for adults
$9.00 for children 4-12
Note: children under 4 are not permitted
Children under 13 must be accompanied by a paying adult

Note: family members that are not interested in attending a Chocolate Lab can still watch through the glass to see how much fun those inside the lab are having!

7 Tips for a Successful Staycation

Lolli — Sat, 09 Apr 2016 21:00:41 +0000

There is nothing quite like a relaxing vacation – especially after a cold, long winter. What is it about being cooped up inside during the cold months that makes me itch to get out of the house and travel? Spring break is already done for the year here, but with the return of some spring-time cold weather (boo!) I’m eager for a getaway.

With kids in school and busy jobs that keep us tied to home most of the time, planning a decent vacation can sometimes seem a daunting task. Not to mention the COST of traveling with a family of seven! We’re fans of summer-time road trips to far-away destinations, but we can’t afford to spend that much time on our vacations most of the time. And who wants to wait ALL year for the next vacation?

According to Dictionary.com, a STAYCATION is “a vacation spent at home or near home, doing enjoyable activities or visiting local attractions.” It’s a relatively new term, but the idea is timeless!

Staycations can be a great way to save money on family travel. You also “save” on post-vacation recuperation time when you can avoid the wear and tear of travel. Staycations are also great because you can plan a ton or nothing at all and still have a blast.

That’s why we’re such fans of staycations!

7 Tips for planning a successful staycation

Treat your staycation like a “real” vacation. And it IS a real vacation…just without the cost and time of traveling somewhere. Make sure that you put yourself in full vacation mode. In other words, put your feet up and relax…or do whatever it takes to unwind. You’ll feel the difference when you do.

Act like a tourist. There’s something so enjoyable about sightseeing in your own hometown. Look at sites and attractions from an outsider’s eyes. Not only will you have fun while you’re doing it, but you might just discover something new!

Take advantage of the extra time. Since staycations are vacations without the travel time, put that extra time to good use. You can check in to your hotel early to take a nap before heading out for some night-time fun on the town or use that time to explore a new museum or see a show. (I’m not the only person out there who loves napping on vacation, am I?)

Enjoy the off-season. When you take a staycation, you can pick the perfect time and avoid the typical tourist crowds. Not only will venues be less crowded, but you can often get better prices when you’re there on the off-season.

Unplug! That’s right. This is nothing new for anyone, but it’s worth repeating. Make your staycation even more powerful by unplugging and making real face-to-face connections. Yes, Instagram and Facebook and even email will be there when you get back (you can even post “latergrams” if you’re eager to share pictures of your fun staycation. It’s ok to delay!

Try something new. Eat out at a restaurant you’ve never been to before. Try a new show. You might just find a few new favorites that you can visit for a future date night or family activity.

Plan ahead and search for deals. Sign up for a few of the local deal sites (like Groupon or CityDeals) and take advantage of coupons and specials (especially for off-season times).

Have I convinced you that it’s time for a staycation? Well, you’re in luck, because Radisson Hotels want to get you started on the perfect getaway! Bonus: as great as staycations are, heading out of town is pretty amazing too. Where would YOU go if you won Radisson’s #TakeMeThereSweepstakes 5-day trip for two?

I chose the Radisson Hotel in Melbourne so that I can dip my toes in the water and enjoy a peaceful day or two in the sand.

When you tweet a postcard of a location you’d like to visit, you’re entered to win a prizes from Radisson (details here) but you ALSO receive a 10% off e-certificate just for sharing. So basically, EVERY tweet is a winner.

Speaking of winning, I’m going to make this #TakeMeThereSweepstakes even more fun. When you tweet your entry from the sweepstakes page, you can come back here, share your postcard and be entered to win $40 paypal or Amazon cash from me! This giveaway will end 4/22/2016 at 11:59 pm ET and a winner will be chosen at random and notified via email. Good luck!

Please note: this giveaway requires that you have a social media account (Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest) to enter. I apologize in advance for my readers that do not use social media.

Tip: to grab the url of a social share on twitter or facebook, just click on the timestamp and copy the link in the search bar at the top of your page. It should look like this: https://twitter.com/foodfunfamily/status/718835951489937408

Entry -Form

PS – although this post is sponsored by Radisson Hotels, this giveaway is self-funded by me.

How to Save Money on Your Next Vacation

Lolli — Mon, 14 Mar 2016 19:45:27 +0000

This post on how to save money on you next vacation is part of a sponsored series with Socialstars and Shell; all opinions are my own. #ShellCrowd #fuelrewards

Summer is just around the corner. Unbelievable, isn’t it? We’ve had several beautiful spring-like days this past week, and I’m looking forward to more sunshine in the days ahead.

As much as I’m not a fan of heat and humidity, I LOVE summer because it’s the time of year when we can do more traveling as a family. Vacationing with a family of seven can hit a little hard on the wallet, so we’ve had to be creative in our efforts to travel as a family. The good news is that there are many ways that families – regardless of size – can make traveling affordable. And when you don’t have to worry so much about travel expenses, you can spend more time focusing on having fun and creating memories together (which is what family trips are all about, right?).

Here are a few of our tips for saving money on vacations:

How to Save Money on Your Next Vacation

Start saving now. It’s amazing how far a few changes throughout the year can go. A few things that have helped us save money throughout the year (so that we have more to spend on travel) include:
- cut back on eating out
- reduce unnecessary extras on monthly bills (ie, check your cable or your internet bill. Are there features that you aren’t utilizing that you could cut out?)
- put a little cash aside each month in a vacation fund
Spend wisely on the road. One of the biggest expenses we have when we’re traveling is eating out. Instead of eating each meal at a restaurant (which can be pricey with a family as big as ours!) we try to make sure that we find places to stay that offer a free breakfast. We bring snacks along with us so we’re not tempted to grab junk food at every gas station we stop at, and we stop at a local grocery store for sandwich fixings for lunches on-the-go instead of eating lunch at a restaurant. Instead of spending money on a fancy lunch, we spend time together at a park for a picnic lunch. Not only are we saving money, but we’re creating fun vacation memories, too!
Use a trip-planning tool or travel app to find the best deals wherever you’re heading. You can often find discount tickets to attractions at local grocery stores or online. We also like to find hidden, free gems that the locals love and recommend. Sometimes the off-the-beaten-path discoveries end up being our favorite experiences on our travels.
Save money on each fill-up. We love to take long road trips together, but the price of gas can add up fast. In order to save money on gas, we use the Shell Fuel Rewards® program to save money on each gallon of gas. Check out the details below.

Did you know? When you use the Shell’s Fuel Rewards® program when you fill your tank with gas, you can save 3 cents per gallon EVERY time? Also, if you link a Mastercard, VISA, or American Express credit card to your Rewards account, you can EARN 5 cents/gallon or MORE for every $50 you spend (this is not just on money you spend on gas…anything you buy is included!).

You can even COMBINE savings – earn 10 cents/gallon when you use your linked card to dine out, 15 cents/gallon when you shop online at participating retailers, 20 cents/gallon when you book a flight through the Rewards program. You can STACK those savings and pay 45 cents/gallon LESS at the pump (this is just an example). When you use those stacked savings on your next vacation, just imagine how much LESS you’ll be spending at the pump!

BONUS: New members get a 25 cents per gallon Sign Up Bonus

Find out more about the Shell Fuel Rewards® program at my first post HERE!

How do you save money on family travel? Share with me in the comments below!

Family. Time. Together. {Give Me Your Best Shot PSF}

Lolli — Fri, 15 Jan 2016 05:26:29 +0000

When we got back from our family vacation, “real life” hit me so hard that I hardly had time to reflect on our vacation and the wonderful time our family had together. Frankly, I should be in bed right now and not longingly looking through vacation pictures, but such is my life, right?

I need to start off this post by saying that I have decided to discontinue Give Me Your Best Shot/Photostory Friday. This will be the last link up. Maybe at some point I will decide to start up another photography link up, but I have not been giving this series the attention or the passion that it deserves, and I think it’s simply time to move on to things that I AM passionate and excited about.

And there really ARE things that I’m excited about, both on the blog and in that “real life” that hit me so hard last week.

I have also become very passionate about improving my photography in my Instagram stream, so I do hope you’ll join me there if you haven’t already.

Before I show off a few of the family vacation shots that we captured in Florida, I thought I’d share the VERY FIRST Give Me Your Best Shot post, from almost exactly 7 years ago. SEVEN years! No wonder AJ looks like a baby here!

I have to say…it was a whole lot easier and more fun to take pictures of adorable toddlers. Teens seem to like to give me weird faces more often than they like to smile pretty for the camera. Still, we were able to get some great memory shots during our family vacation (all shots taken on my iPhone). Don’t you think?

(this is the moment that the girls realized that their big sister was asking them to be her bridesmaids!)

Please feel free to link up your photo posts below. I’m going to miss this weekly link up, but I’m excited what is in store for this little blog of mine. Don’t be a stranger!

An InLinkz Link-up

Road Trip Tips for Traveling with Teens #MomHacks

Lolli — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 17:06:07 +0000

Do you love to travel by car? We do! Be sure to scroll down to read my best road trip tips for traveling with teens.

Unless you live down the street from your entire extended family, then most likely the holidays include some sort of travel plans – either you’re traveling to see family or family is traveling to see you. If those travel plans include extended time in the car, then chances are you need some tips for traveling by car with kids (or if you’re like me, then tips for traveling with teens. Eek!).

Autotrader provided the Happy Kids, Happy Ride Kit giveaway below, and the winner will be chosen at random by me. All thoughts are my own.

Are you heading on a road trip with your family this holiday season? We love taking family road trips, and I’ve been very fortunate that my kids have almost always been very good travelers. But hours upon end in a car is tough for anyone – even the most seasoned traveler. Even I need a few reminders every once in a while.

Autotrader, the leading authority in car buying, has put together an amazing list of #MomHacks for driving in the car with kids. I love their idea of putting colored pencils and paper inside old DVD cases for coloring in the car. Now, that’s portable entertainment!

Also worth reading is this article by Autotrader about holiday road trips.

“Holiday travel doesn’t just have to be about getting to where you’re going,” said Tara Trompeter, managing editor at Autotrader. “Family time in the car can be a great opportunity for making memories — or a recipe for grunts and grumbles. A little bit of planning ahead before you get on the road will go a long way toward filling the experience with more fun and laughter for everyone involved.”

Getting ready for a road trip with your family?

You need these tips!

I think my favorite tip of all is #1…Which tip resonates with you?

High Ropes Course at the Museum of Natural Curiosity #PSF

Lolli — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 01:25:32 +0000

My kids and I have been to the Museum of Natural Curiosity at Thanksgiving Point (Utah) many, many times, thanks to my mom’s Grandparent’s Pass. So my kids had seen the High Ropes course and commented on it dozens of times. At the end of this summer (yes, I’m still making my way through my summer adventures) we decided that we MUST finally go to the museum just to do the ropes course.

CandyMan did the course with the older kids (four of mine and three of my sister’s kids), my mom and sister stayed down and played with the younger kids, and I ran all over the museum trying to catch pictures of them on the course.

It’s hard to tell just how high the course is since I climbed up pretty high to get these pictures, but the course is actually 40+ feet in the air, suspended above the museum. My teenagers were terrified (see them above in my favorite picture from the day) and my husband was exhausted at the end. I think the 8 to 12 year olds were actually best suited for the course. Note: there’s a minimum age of four to do the course.

If the kids want to do it again next time we’re in Utah, I think I might join them.

And now for the pictures…

Admission to the High Ropes Course is $8 with paid Museum of Natural Curiosity Admission, $12 without admission, and $7 for Thanksgiving Point Members. Everyone tired out before their time was up (You get an hour to climb and explore).

What have you been up to lately? Link up your photo posts from this week.

An InLinkz Link-up

Grand Canyon, North Rim: Family Travel Spot #PSF

Lolli — Fri, 25 Sep 2015 02:15:52 +0000

One of the highlights of our recent road trip was visiting the Grand Canyon for the very first time. Since we were driving in via Mesquite, Nevada, we headed toward the North Rim (which is the less-busy side) and absolutely fell in love.

I would have loved to stay in the Grand Canyon for several days so that we could take our time hiking all of the trails and soaking up the incredible peace that we felt there. Honestly, the Grand Canyon was different than I expected – I was expecting a busy, noisy touristy place. What we found was calm and quiet and pure beauty.

Here are just a few of the views that we caught in the half day that we were there.

We explored a few trails and overlooks…but I think our favorite place was a little stone room and window underneath the lodge. It was cool – a welcome relief from the heat – and it had a breathtaking view. I loved being there with my family – although I do think I would have been beside myself with worry if I had been there with little kids.

Someday I hope to visit the South Rim so that I can compare the two locations. Have you been to the Grand Canyon?

Show me your photo posts from this past week. What have you captured lately?

An InLinkz Link-up

10 Things You Should Know About Visiting the Petroglyphs in Vernal, Utah

Lolli — Thu, 03 Sep 2015 19:00:03 +0000

Planning a family trip? You are going to LOVE the McConkie Ranch Petroglyphs in Vernal, Utah, but there are a few things you should know before you go!

One of my favorite days of my summer road trip was the day that I spent at the McConkie Ranch Petroglyphs in Vernal, Utah (up Dry Fork Canyon). While my husband and oldest son were off hiking the High Uintas and my girls were all visiting my oldest daughter’s college campus, my mom, dad, and youngest son AJ headed to Vernal for some exploring. We had a blast. In fact, my mom and I commented that our 2 days in Vernal felt like a true vacation (sometimes road tripping, as wonderful as it is, is not extremely relaxing. Adventurous and exciting, yes…but not so relaxing.

One of the things that caught my eye when we were planning our trip to Vernal was the chance to see petroglyphs (an image or design cut into a rock surface) and pictographs (paintings on sandstone surfaces). The petroglyphs and pictographs that we saw at the McConkie Ranch, a privately owned property, date from about 100 to 1200 A.D. There is huge variation in the style of the drawings but they are all fascinating. We loved the time that we spent there and felt like true adventurers!

Here are 10 Things You Should Know About The McConkie Ranch Petroglyphs

Note: these tips apply specifically to visiting during the summer months, but you can visit anytime!

Wear jeans and good walking/hiking shoes and a hat. We hiked in the heat of the summer, but those of us that wore jeans were much better off than those that wore shorts or capris. Why? The rocks on the main trail are sharp and there are plenty of opportunities to get hurt or scratched.

Bring lots of water. We had plenty of water in the car, but we were not expecting the hike up to see the petroglyphs to be quite so long. Especially on hot days it’s important to be prepared with plenty to drink.

Grab a walking stick. There’s a can full of walking sticks at the beginning of the main trail, outside the little donations building. Upon seeing the can, I thought, “Oh, what a cute idea!” My 10-year-old grabbed one…and the rest of us were jealous the whole hike!

Admission is a $5 donation. And it’s all on the honor system. There’s a shack at the parking lot where you can leave donations. You can also purchase $1 bottled water from the fridge and leave notes of appreciation or stories on sticky notes (the shack was a fascinating thing to explore by itself!). The owner, who lives on site, leaves her cell phone in case anyone needs to get in touch with her with questions or issues. It’s a very friendly place!

Plan on 2-3 hours of hiking to see all of the petroglyphs. Like I mentioned before, there was a lot more walking than we initially expected. Special note: the petroglyphs that you see at the very beginning are not the most amazing ones, which brings me to my next tip…

When you see the fork in the main trail, keep going!There was a path to head back down to the parking lot, but we decided to follow the sign that said, “more petroglyphs.” Keep following the signs until you get to the nobbly kneed twins. The trail keeps going beyond what you think it will.

Remember that there are 2 totally separate areas.The main trail at the parking lot is longer and harder than the 3 Kings Trail. But I recommend doing both! The 3 Kings (and other petroglyphs) are separated from the main section and you literally have to walk around the neighbor’s property to get to it.

To get to the 3 Kings petroglyph (which has appeared in National Geographic and is the most spectacular of the petroglyphs here) we had to walk through a field of tall grasses and thistles. The field was full (and I mean FULL) of bees and grasshoppers and other winged creatures. Bare legs WILL get scratched, and I don’t recommend this part for people with bad allergies – especially bee allergies. We all pretended that the insects weren’t there. Nobody bothered us at all.

Bring binoculars to see the 3 Kings OR a good zoom lens. It’s WAY up there.

Expect crude trails and loose rock and sand.Remember that this is private property…that someone has opened up their back yard to share the amazing art with anyone who has the desire to see it. It is not “National Park quality.” But then again….you usually can’t get this close to history at a National Park. We loved feeling like explorers. It was like we were discovering something no one else had seen before. We loved it!

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