We love Storyland!

First let me say that we made the best decision ever to opt NO on a Disney vacation in May and instead take a solo Boston weekend and a family vaca to Storyland in Glen, NH. Having said that, no family vacation can ever be complete without impending doom before it even gets started. Cal came down with the coxsackie virus (otherwise known as hand, foot, and mouth) on Sunday. I didn't realize he had it (just thought he had a fever and a sore throat) so silly mommy sent him to camp Monday and Wednesday to spread around this highly contagious virus. Lovely. He complained of a sore throat all week and true to form by Tuesday afternoon Ben had a fever too. Cal hadn't eaten much in a couple days but was functioning pretty well so I didn't realize he had actual blisters inside his mouth until my sister-in-law, Jill, called to say that my nephew Colin had them and, since they'd all had coxsackie before, knew that's what it was. So now I'm freaking out because it's Thursday and we're leaving the next day and Ben is miserable. We eventually decide he'll be fine once he gets there and sees Storyland! Friday morning Ben gets his finger shut in the door and I think we're never going to get to Storyland without a major injury, but we eat lunch and take off for the 2 1/2 hour ride. FINALLY!

Next stop, Storyland! We get there and it's a cool 75 degree and looks like rain. There's an "after 3pm" deal where you get the next day free if you get there after 3pm the day before. So we arrive at 3:05 just in time to have lots of people leaving because they think it's going to rain. Hahaha...the sun peaks out 30 mins later and it never does rain! So we stay until almost closing at 6pm and head to Applebee's for dinner. Ben ate his first full meal in days and we all ate the first of lots of ice cream over the whole weekend - yum! We've still yet to check in to our hotel and it's getting late and the boys are getting tired (no nap for Cal and only a 1 hour nap for Ben that day). We got checked in and to our suite and I was thrilled! The room was HUGE and couldn't have been more perfect. I'm psycho about everyone getting proper sleep so this was a major deal that the room was so great!! There was a little kitchen area with a eat-in bar type thing that set off the living room area so we set up Ben's pack n' play there and pulled out the sofa in the living room area for Cal's bed. Then we had a separate room with a door that shut for us. The boys did SO well sleeping in the same room together - Cal was super quiet so Ben could sleep and they slept as good as they would at home! Mommy was pooped that first night too and was asleep before 9pm!

Cal was excited to get up and eat breakfast at the hotel (which was free, another plus!) and then get to Storyland when it opened. We packed in as much as we could including a circus show and train ride. Cal's favorite ride was the spinning turtles (think tea cups). Mommy went on it with him the first time and couldn't stop laughing because it whipped around more than I expected for a kiddie ride. Cal LOVED it! Daddy had to go the second time because it was too much for me! There was a farm follies show with a dancing scarecrow that both boys thought was great. We ate a late lunch at Storyland and then decided it was time to head back to the hotel - the boys had had enough. On our walk back to the car Cal said, "Mommy, I'm so tired, can Daddy drive super fast so I can get back and sleep!" Poor thing. After naps they got to splash around in the hotel pool and then have a messy dinner at Friendly's with ice cream of course!

I think everyone living in the New England area should take a weekend getaway to Storyland. It was hassle free - easy parking, no long lines, decent food and at good prices, you name it, they had it! Very happy with our trip and our Holiday Inn Express sleeping arrangements. See pics below of Storyland and our Day with Thomas before we left North Conway.