Connecticut… a day trip or weekend getaway!

Living in New England, we are so lucky to have so many options for day trips or weekend getaways! This past summer, I found myself taking day trips with my kids to Connecticut often, as I did in years past. I comprised this blog post to share some of these adventures with you to enjoy with your kids, great weekend ideas for this Fall or any school vacation!

Connecticut Day Trip Ideas… make it a weekend of fun!

• Explore and investigate the Connecticut Science Center. We spent the day in each of the unique exhibits at this museum. It was fun, educational and hands-on for any age under 12-years-old. For an extra fee, check out the Butterfly Garden and IMAX theater. (Mom Tip: Pre-purchase tickets at AAA before arriving for a discount.)
• A quaint and “sweet” day spent in Downtown Mystic, Olde Mystic Village and Sift Bake Shop. My daughter and I ventured to the quaint village of Mystic, CT and explored the village shops and boutiques in Olde Mystic Village and on Main Street. Our favorite stop (which was my surprise event of the day) was visiting Sift Bake Shop owned by one of the bakers on the Food Network’s Spring Baking Championship, Adam Young. We indulged in a few sweet treats and even said hello to Adam who was busy baking away.

• Sugar Factory American Brasserie and Tanger Outlets at Foxwoods Resort. I never thought I would be bringing my daughter to a casino… but this summer we ventured there with one of her friends for a day of shopping at the Tanger Outlets and enjoyed a “sweet” dining experience at The Sugar Factory.  The drinks and desserts were a piece of art! (Mom Tip:  Check out Yelp, as we found a 50% discount for one of their infamous smoking goblet drinks. Both desserts and drinks are large enough for 2 kids to share.)
• Meet and greet ocean life at Mystic Aquarium. This aquarium has been a family favorite for many years. A great way to meet up with friends and enjoy a day with sea lions and beluga whales!
• Visit a hidden historical expedition at Dinosaur State Park. Spend the day on the grounds where 2,000 real dinosaur tracks were discovered back in the 1960’s. An educational day in nature learning about hose who roamed the Earth millions of year ago.

Vacation Ideas… Cape Cod (Take 2!)

A few years ago, I planned a summer family vacation to beautiful Cape Cod, Massachusetts. We enjoyed our week long stay so much, that we decided to return back to the small town of New Seabury (Mashpee, MA) this summer for a second go round…with new and exciting places to explore throughout Cape Cod! You can view our last Cape Cod adventure in my blog post, click here Start Planning Your Summer Vacation : Explore Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard With Your Family

Cape Cod is a perfect location for a fall, spring or summer getaway! Continue reading for more fun and exciting tips in planning your next weekend getaway or vacation to Cape Cod. Here in New England, we have been experiencing summer weather even in mid-September!

Cape Cod … Take 2!

• Explore the quaint town of Provincetown. Take a drive up the National Seashore to Provincetown. Take your time strolling through the town and visit local shops, the public library, art galleries, and The Pilgrim Monument (Did you know that the pilgrims first landed in Provincetown before settling in Plymouth?). Enjoy excellent crab cakes, lobster rolls and harbor views at Pepe’s Wharf Restaurant. Visit The Donut Experiment for a unique way to order a donut…fill out your order form and watch your donuts being made right in front of you! Provincetown is very pet friendly – dogs are welcomed in many of the shops, restaurants, and beaches. Make sure to visit the Pilgrim Bark Park before you head home !
• Enjoy a wine tasting at Truro Vineyards… kids and dogs are welcome! On our way to Provincetown, we took a pit stop at Truro Vineyards and made time for a wine tasting and tour of the facility. They allowed both our dog and children to hang out with us while we sampled their unique local vineyard. (Please drink responsibly.)
• Try something new… Paddleboarding Lessons in Mashpee. The last time we vacationed on the Cape, my son and I kayaked in Ockway Bay, while my daughter and husband paddle boarded. This vacation, we all signed up for paddle boarding lessons and took a guided 1 -hour tour of Ockway Bay in Mashpee! Rentals and lessons available at Mocean Cape Cod located in Mashpee Commons.
• Take on the beautiful views while playing 9 holes of golf in East Falmouth. Cape Cod offers many  beautiful public golf courses. Cape Cod Country Club offers free golf for children after 3 pm and discounted rates for adults after 2pm.
• Tennis anyone? Pack your tennis rackets for a family-friendly tennis match. Check out the local high school courts in Falmouth or any local town for availability.
• Family Bike rides (with dog in tow) to Popponessett Marketplace. We chose to stay in New Seabury again, which was a perfect location for our family. It was near shopping, restaurants, beaches, bike paths, tennis, golfing, and entertainment. It was located near a small town of Popponessett. Riding bikes through the town and on the bike paths would lead us to cafes, shops, entertainment and mini golf. To learn more about vacation rentals in New Seabury, visit http://www.newseaburyrentals.com.
• Visit lighthouses on the National Seashore. Check out the lighthouse photo below, look familiar? It is the Nauset Lighthouse, which is pictured on all bags of Cape Cod Chips! Cape Cod has many historical lighthouses, we visited a few while driving up to Provincetown. (Tip: We took a tour of Cape Cod Chips Factory on our last visit, visit http://www.capecodchips.com for hours and directions for this free tour in Hyannis.)
• You’ll never run out of Ice Cream and Food options. Using the Yelp App, we discovered many ice cream shops and restaurants while visiting Cape Cod. We were never disappointed on this vacation and on our last trip to Cape Cod. Here are a few suggestions from our most recent trip. For breakfast or coffee: Cape Cod Coffee (Mashpee), Moonakis Cafe (East Falmouth), Coffee Table (Popponesset). For lunch or dinner:  Siena (Mashpee), Pepe’s Wharf Restaurant (Provincetown), Wicked Restaurant and Wine Bar (Mashpee), Sesuit Harbour Cafe (Dennis), The Black Cat (Hyannis), Burger Shack at Corporation Beach (Dennis), Bobby Byrnes (Mashpee), Trevi Cafe and Wine Bar (Mashpee).  For ice cream: Polar Cave (Mashpee), Emack & Bolio (Popponesset), Ice Cream Smuggler (Dennis) , Cape Cod Creamery (East Yarmouth).
• Beach hopping, and seal searching!  Cape Cod has many great kid-friendly beaches to offer. Each one was unique in what it offered, from finding starfish and sand dollars, to seeing seals swim so close to shore, lighthouses to tour, to great waves for boogie boarding… Here are a few beaches that we visited and enjoyed: Corporation Beach (Dennis), Mayflower Beach (Dennis), South Cape Beach (Mashpee), Nauset Lighthouse Beach (Eastham).