Canobie Lake Park, brothers and girlfriends

Yesterday was our first time at Canobie Lake Park - my first impression - wow, this is so close and so clean, second - this is so expensive!

The boys had an epic time and it was really nice for us to get an outing day.  I miss the outing days terribly.  In fact, I started this post on Tuesday and now I am home, waiting to work for the 4th weekend, and I am super sad and miss my boys in general. Alas, here we are.  But we should still do Canobie Lake justice.

So, it was expensive, but we found $4 off coupons at McDonalds, which was nice - I got a $1 coffee and then $4 off so it was a negative $3 coffee.  The coupons only worked for adults though, so really not so hugely worth it.

Going on a Monday was nice.  We waited just a little bit for each ride and some we walked right on.  The biggest wait was the Ferris Wheel - which I am told is always the biggest.  We got that out of the way first and then enjoyed the varying rides - enough for children of all ages.

The park was super clean, in fact each time we went to a restroom there was someone there cleaning it. The food also did not look too bad either.  It has a nice location right on a lake - seriously, it would be a fun place to go to in the middle of the summer at night.  There is even an old ski lift that goes over all the rides - which I was a little scared to bring my wiggly littles on.

I can see ourselves coming back again and again until the boys are older - like high school older, and then maybe they will come back again and again and not want us there.  Take away moment of the day was watching Joel hold hands with Laurel in the park, then Laurel leaves and he holds hands with Maddie.  He is a lady killer I tell you.  Or just a friendly gentleman.  Hmmm.

Memphis

We enjoyed 5 days with an almost four year old in Memphis.  It was awesome.  I have always wanted to visit Memphis, not sure why.  They other good things about this trip - we went with friends and their almost three year old daughter.  It was great to catch up and see them and they love to eat more than we do - so we knew we were going to get some good meals in.  Finally, we have been so busy with so much going on that we hardly had time to plan.  So, we pulled together a few plans but for the most part winged it.  Sometimes winging it works out well and here it certainly did.

General awesomeness of the city

People are really nice here, like really nice.  And, they genuinely want your children to have a good time.  No matter where we went people were smiling and checking in with my son, and in a good way - not in a creepy way.  Families are welcome, encouraged to have fun - it seems as though the place was built for kids - with all of the delicious food options, the many museums and zoos - even the Music had our little's toe tapping the entire time.  I am proud that my guy went here, and now he will know who Elvis is his entire life. 

Tips

You must rent a car, be prepared for a walk to the rental car place too when you land in the city - but parents can split up - one with bags and the line and the other with kids looking at the awesome fountains in the airport while waiting for your car.  Everywhere in Memphis seems to be 15-20 minutes apart.  Cars are imperative if you want to see most of the sites, and parking is readily available at most of the sites as well (usually for free).  We found that sometimes you drive through areas which are not the nicest, so having purpose in your destination, and being prepared with a phone GPS is a must. 

Food

There is no shortage of good food in Memphis. Of course there is barbecue, there is also catfish, fried chicken, some amazing breakfast places - lots of sausage and biscuits and donuts, and lots of really good things to drink.  Taking the kids to the go-to restaurants here is easy, because all of the go to places are casual joints.  Order alacarte from sides in a BBQ joint no problem.  Screaming child in the burger place? Whatever.  Wiggly child, stop in for some amazing fresh baked donuts - no need to stay too long.  The whole family will eat well and feel like they are Tony Bourdain in Memphis.  Even the fancy places, like the Peabody Hotel, inherently caters to children- so it's 4pm and you are tossing back one of their signature Jack Daniels drinks while your child is 20 feet away running around their lobby fountain? No worries, raise your glass and toast to the parents next to you.  

General food for thought- Memphis restaurants generally did not have milk, chocolate milk or apple juice as options. Get used to drinking water, kids.  I'll have another beer. 

We ate at some of the best places to go to in the city:

Central BBQ - two locations in the city, we ate at one near Central Ave twice.  The chips here are a must do and they were one of the only places we visited the entire time that offered Mac and cheese, a must for our guy.  The ribs were to die for, be sure to know the sides you want when you order as it seems like everything came with two sides.  Paper towels at the table, they call your number when it is ready, only a few beers on tap.  Lots of locals, we knew we were in the right spot!

The Arcade Restaurant - the oldest operating restaurant in the city, in the heart of downtown and once frequented by Elvis also happens to be featured in many films.  Stop here and soak in the atmosphere - 50s diner, and not in a cheesy way either - and eat up some delicious breakfast.  The kids fruit salad was fresh and not slimy.  The parents gorged on southern comfort breakfast food which has made the world over of lists from the travel channel to food TV.  As I am a sucker, I went for the biscuits and gravy with grits, but next time I am going to see what those sweet potato pancakes are all about.  Happy about the chocolate milk here!

Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken - when you need a break from red meat - how about take a bite out of the white? We made our way to this place, one of a few in the city, in a massive rain storm. We were welcomed with fried green tomatoes, fried pickles and we got the family style chicken dinner which would have fed and army, or us party of four plus two kids.  The service was awesome here and you could tell we were the only tourists in the place.  The locals agree, this is the place to go for the right fried chicken.  Be careful though, that spice on the chicken is intense, so you may want to grab something else for your little one - or ensure they keep cooling off with some bites of beans and cole slaw in between.

The Peabody - we visited the restaurant here for brunch.  It was an epic feast fit for any little king or queen, all the usual fixins and more and our waiter seemed to really like me as he continued to fill up my mimosa glass.  The bar in the Peabody lobby was a treat for our visit and see more info on the ducks in things to do below.  They had a huge menu of signature drinks that over the five days I managed to enjoy most - our favorites were the volunteer (their version of a sidecar) and the signature drink on the Jack Daniels menu which had peach and sour cherries.  Ask for nuts, and you will want to avoid the place between 10:15-11am or between 4-5pm if you are just going for a drink and do not care about ducks.  Don't worry though, at 11:01 or 5:01 it is all set!

Blues City Cafe- on Beale Street "with the prices to match," this place surprisingly had the best ribs! Surprising because we kept hearing to go elsewhere, but let us tell you that the dry rub ones here were tender and delicious. Also surprising on the menu, the tamales, a must try.  Get the big beer here and you will die laughing, 32 ounces. Right on the corner of Beale Street, so you will be starting your trip down Blues lane correctly. Lots of kids here so no worries at all on noise, we were sad to miss the skillet apple pie, but who has the room?

Rendezvous- supposedly the best dry rub ribs, we started with the lamb ribs which had us feeling great and frankly the 1/2 rack left us feeling dry.  But the brisket was a huge plus, as was the Greek salad on the menu - a nod to the owner's heritage.  Enjoy a pitcher of beer - golden ale from Ghost River is a crowd pleaser. To get there, go down the scary alley way, yep.  Then walk into a basement.  But bring some money for the juke box and have a good time.

Places to go

There is so much to see and do, even with getting to 2-3 destinations a day, we still missed a ton! We decided not to go to the Civil Rights Museum as those visiting might not appreciate our rambunctious kiddos - plus it would be way over their heads and hard for us to learn too. I hear the exhibit is amazing and powerful, so it is on the list for next time.  Sadly, we also do not know anything about the Sun City museum as they did not welcome our littles!  But many, many more places welcomed our little guys and were great to visit, check them out:

Memphis Zoo- As my husband said over and over again - probably the best Zoo we have ever been to.  I am not sure what the feed their animals, but all were active and excited to see us!  Giraffes a few feet away, Pandas sliding down slides, snakes with their heads straight up and actually slithering around.  The kids could not get enough, and neither could we.  It is always awesome to start out your adventure with your littles at the Zoo - because it is something they can relate to and it will make them feel comfortable in the whole traveling thing as well.  And, just for you nay-sayers out there - not all zoos are the same.  Maybe it is me, because I am a Museum person and all - but I love to visit the different places, compare them and learn from them.  This place was certainly an A+, and side tip, on the border of a great park, which we did not have time to see because we were off to the Crawfish Festival!

Pink Palace Museum - Quirky "Cabinet of Curiosities" - learn a ton about the history of Memphis by just what is in this collection.  There is an IMAX here and all that other stuff too - but we just had fun looking at all of the collections - from skeletons, to shrunken heads and an awesome handmade replica of a circus - dr.'s implements, paintings and stuffed animals (the real kid) - lots to see and explore.  Be careful of the dinosaur, it roars!

Mud Island - Quite possible the most awesome exhibit I have ever seen is right here on Mud Island.  Take the tram over, and walk back (or vice versa) so you can get both experiences on the way to this unique place in Memphis.  The island was brilliantly designed to attract tourists and entertain locals.  There is an outdoor amphitheater which made me want to come back for a concert, walking trails and an awesome Museum that teaches you all about the Mississippi.  Enjoy the views of Arkansas and Mississippi while standing on Tennessee soil, and then walk the entire length of the Mississippi River, in exhibit form.  This INCREDIBLE exhibit is a replica, down to the depth and including the bends, currents, and cities of the entire length of the Mississippi.  Luckily, James had his duck from The Peabody and so we put him in at the top and walked the whole length of the River down to New Orleans.  Quite an awesome experience.  We just wish they had a place that served a beer - maybe on the weekends?

Stax Museum - I love music museums, and this one was pretty neat.  The intro video is a must and a great way to get you oriented to the different stax sound and understanding of how important Stax was to the music industry, and to Memphis.  Although not as interactive as the Country Music Museum in Nashville, it was a nice exhibit complete with awesome 1970's car.  James got a little antsy but genuinely enjoyed listening to the Music.  We had a larger understanding of this music and era, bought some CDs and enjoyed them in our van the remainder of the trip (and at home too!).

Graceland - Who goes to Memphis and not to Graceland?  Not us!  I was thinking of skipping it, but I am glad I went.  This place is still privately owned people, by Lisa Marie - and who knows how long it will last.  Not to be a nay-sayer, but in an age where museum attendance is declining, and it is expensive to keep them running - I am not sure who her crowd will be when those who truly remember Elvis get too old to walk through the doors. So, go if you can because it is truly awesome.  I hardly know much about Elvis myself, and I continue to be in the dark - because when you get to Graceland they outfit you with an iPad and headphones and send you off on a guided tour with John Stamos as your leader.  Awesome?  Yes!  If you can actually listen to it.  In order to occupy him I let my 4 year old get the set, which means I guess he now knows everything.  They wouldn't give me another, so I let him be fascinated with the words of John Stamos while I was fascinated with Elvis's home.  It is a PERFECT time capsule.  The house is much smaller than you would think, and it smells and looks like your grandparents home.  Trust me.  It is eerie.  Walking down to the basement I had flashbacks of Hicksville, NY.  Scary!  It can get boring for the kiddos - but it is a neat thing to show them how people lived.  Then, take them to the Car Museum and the planes on the property too.  A plane with a big bed in it blew James' mind. Then he was hungry again for lunch.

Beale Street - A visit to Memphis is not complete without a walk down Beale Street.  It is a quick walk, and your senses will be assaulted!  Don't walk down the middle of the street - this is reserved for the acrobats that flip their way down the entire length over and over again for your tips.  This had the kids fascinated.  There are ample places to listen to music, and to get a fish bowl or enormous drink.  During the day, there are even some great shops.  Obviously, the later the less friendly the crowds and music are for the kiddos, but it was 9pm and we weren't the only ones with littles there.  We could have started our own tip jar with our kids bouncing to the music in the streets.  We didn't bring them into the bars though - the dads had a night to do that on their own. Next time, when they are older!

The Peabody Ducks - A must for littles, and littles at heart.  You should get to the Peabody Hotel at 10:15 am (in time to get a good seat for the 11am ceremony arrival of the ducks) or 4:15pm (in time for the 5:00pm departure) to see the Ducks.  The Ducks are huge, and this is the fanciest hotel in the middle of the city.  For nearly 100 years ducks have been swimming in the hotel's gorgeous center lobby, and now to attract tourists and people to buy $16 martinis, the Ducks are ceremoniously led to their fountain at 11am each day, and back in the elevator up to their homes at 5pm at night.  Come early to secure your seat in the lobby - they will not let you stand around for this show.  The Duckmaster will tell you the entire history behind this strange and awesome ritual and you will get to see the little guys waddle their way in and out of the fountain.  The drinks are great (see above) and the historic hotel is something not to miss.  They also have some good non-alcoholic awesome drinks for those who want to avoid the whisky.  While in the hotel, shop at Lansky (Elvis' favorite) and get yourself some duck things in their gift shop too.  Make your way up to the terrace at the top of the building and you can see awesome views of Memphis, and where the ducks live at night.  

Hopefully you will get to visit Memphis sometime soon, and see it through the eyes of a little too.  It is a great and friendly city, and I hope some day I will get back there!

Storyland, 2013!

This year, Joel Andrew being 4 and James being 2 - I thought it would be the pinnacle of our Storyland Experience.  But, I wonder if we have already past that point.  Isn't that crazy?  James loved it all, but was timid and shy to see new things.  Joel Andrew complained he didn't want to do any of the "scarier rides"  and seemed huge when sitting on the storyland attractions.  He also did not want to see the Old Woman in the shoe.  This lasted for about 30 minutes, until Maddy and Emmy came and joined us and the rest of the day was spent having a great time with both boys loving every minute.  Only a tantrum infrequently once we got in our groove.

The trick is to get through all the Story places early, and save the antique cars for last. That way you never have to wait on the antique car line, because by the time you get there you are so exhausted...  Ha!  The other trick was to not do what we did this visit - which was wait in line to go to Cinderella's Castle in the pumpkin.  Should have walked up to the Castle, then taken the pumpkin down (no wait for that)!.

The "lab" experience, with foam balls, continues to be a huge favorite for adults and children alike.  We tried the tractor land this year and loved it too.  We didn't bring food because we thought we would be out in two hours - not so - we were there for almost 5.  It was quite a challenge to try to get James to nap in the car at 3:00pm, in the 45 minute window before dinner at our favorite place (the Muddy Moose) - but we did it.  He was a bit of a mess when he woke up but he forgave us once a plate of delicious ranch dressing was put in front of him which he lapped up like a cat.  Yes, parents of the year here.

It is nice that we are an hour away from the lake to Storyland, but we miss all the other stuff there is there - including the fun looking hotels.  The indoor water park, the train rides, the scenic vistas, the bumper sticker that proclaims my car has climbed Mount Washington.  We will get over it, but once day we will have to make it back, and make it to Santa's Village which I hear is also a good time.

I started out kinda sarcastic, but kinda true too - there are not many Storyland years left in us - I have come a long way from our first trip too!  I asked Joel Andrew if he likes Storyland or Disney World better and he said Storyland...  I then said, ok, no need to go to Disney then and he screamed No!  We can still go to Disney!  Let's see what his answer is in November...

Funtown Splashtown and Old Orchard Beach

Joel Husband took yesterday (Monday) off and we stayed at the lake in order to take a day trip to Funtown Splashtown.  This was fun, except Joel Andrew has reached the "super scared of any sort of ride" age.  Is this an age?  Or is this just how he will be from now on?  You may recall from my previous posts in Disney World last year in October, that Joel loved going on the rides.  Despite being smooshed by me on the Runaway Train in the Magic Kingdom, little 3 year old Joel Andrew could be heard screaming: "Faster choo-choo, faster!"  This has seemed to disapated.  Or disappeared.  He pretty much freaked out at any ride that required you to be 38 inches or taller.  This was quite ironic as James screamed that he wanted to go on these rides, but the kids is only 36-1/2 inches.

We (I) dragged him on the log flume.  Mistake.  Joel Husband dragged him on a water slide.  Big mistake.  James went on the same water slide (which was crazy since they end in a 3 foot pool, taller than the kid himself) - and James loved it.  Joel cried, and cried, and whined and whined.  He wanted to go home.  So sad.

The whole day was not like that though, don't get me wrong.  There are a TON of rides that are for 44 inches and SHORTER only.  A helicopter, a boat, a plane, a canoe, a car, a choo-choo - the list goes on and on and also includes hot air ballon made to look like a ferris wheel and mini swings.  I would hazard a guess that this place has the best and most complete selection of mini thrill rides for minis on the planet.  The boys were endlessly entertained with these items and each one offered a new and exciting thing - the helicopter was probably the most favorite.  They both had a great time on these.

Fair food was eaten, Splashtown was fun too - but I feel like this water park will not truly be realized until the kids are at least 6 and 8.  We will keep with our membership to Water Country for now (did I blog about this, if not I need to...), because it is so close and there are some good kiddie pools and a wave pool and all sorts of things - but I have no need to go to a water park with them again especially if there is another theme park nearby that is better suited - at least until they can go off and have fun on their own and I can stay in the sun reading a Us Weekly.

The one thing to worry about - with Funtown - is when Joel Andrew is too tall for the mini-rides.  I hope he gets in again next year so we have one more good year to visit and go!  It was really sad to see the big siblings be denied to go on the little's rides.

On our way home there was a sign for Old Orchard Beach and Joel Husband swung the car around so we could go.  It was a good last minute decision and timely as that morning I had just read from CNN.com the top 20 Piers to visit in the US - I had been to half, but not the closest one to me, Old Orchard Beach (OOB) - well, here I went.

We walked the pier, had a drink and snacks at the end, and played the games.  Joel Andrew got an inflatable guitar to match the guitar Mommy won for James earlier in the day.  Please take note, the games at Funtown are much less expensive and more reasonable than the ones at OOB!

Good times were had regardless.  At one moment, while eating fried shrimp like crazy, and sitting in my lap, James looked up at me and said, out of the blue: "I love you Mommy."  I had to check with Joel Husband to ensure that actually happened.  What a great moment.  Joel Husband verified, it was a great day.

Now, I can't believe the next time we get here they will be so big.  It is all happening too fast!

Water Country

Yep.  I have done it twice now.  And, what's worse, we even bought Season Passes - for 2014 - so I am guaranteed to do it at least three more times in the next 365 days...  We hung out in human soup all day long, at Water Country.  No photos, I apologize, but it is difficult to lug the big fancy camera with all the towels, snacks, and the worry of someone taking it at such a place.  So, I finally wised up and left the camera home.

We woke up thinking we would go to Funtown Splashtown.  We got in the car thinking this, but after lots of hesitancy by Joel Husband, I finally convinced him today was not our day to make that large trip, that is much closer to Sebago anyways.  As we were turning to go home, and they boys were saying "Awwweeee" with extreme disappointment, Joel Husband got the idea to go to Water Country instead, only 25 minutes from our house... Opens at 10:30 (it was 10:20 at the time), we had all the necessary equipment - it was capped off by extreme cheers from the back: "yay!" - so we did it and off we went.

It took a while to get set, get in with the passes, get a locker and life vest (if you get your deposit at the end, the life vests are actually free and much easier than adding another thing to lug in the park), sunscreened up and potty stop - we were off.  To the pirate ship we went and it was a good time.  James was hesitant, and he pulled a "shades of Mommy" thing...  He would climb to the top of the slide, full of confidence but once he got to the top he would turn back down, screaming in terror at the thought of actually sliding down.  He does not have this problem with dry slides, so I think it had something to do with the water at the bottom.  Finally I convinced him to go to the top, and I held his hand, and he went down, loved it, and we did this again, and again and again, until finally when he reached for my hand I pulled it away and he slid down by himself.  If I did this to Joel Andrew, he would have been mad at my non-trustworthy move, but James - was elated he did it by himself and wanted to go back up immediately.  I tried to take a (mental) snap shot of James' face, at the top of that dolphin slide with full grin, yelling: "hold my hand, Mommy" - so cute.  He is not going to grow up anymore is he?

Joel Andrew had a great day too.  He was off doing his own thing, going down the slides and "swimming" in the water.  We took both boys down lazy river, which was a disaster.  Whoops.  At the end of this ride Joel Husband said, we should go again - to which Joel Andrew did not reply anything - but just gave a blank stare as if to say: "are you kidding?"  It was perfect.

On the way home we stopped at the Airfield Cafe which is incredibly underutilized by this family.  It serves breakfast and lunch all day, and sits literally on an Airfield.  You can watch little planes take off and land.  Sadly none were doing that while we were there this time, but we will be back.

Good day for Daddy to play hookie!  We might only have one more this summer, Funtown will happen, we swear! Starting in September though, I think the kids will go to school 4 days a week and Mommy will adjust her schedule to being 5 hours at work a day.  This is supposed to allow me more time to go to the gym and get groceries done without having to lug the boys.  Also, it is a lot to program a 2 and 4 year old without a normal schedule...  There has been lots of fun and activity and visiting fun places, but also lots of TV watching for sure.  Hopefully with the new schedule I can take them out of school with enough time to have an activity at the end of the day sometimes, we all might win?  Even daycare, who will charge us more!

Annual Trip to Maine Wildlife Park

Joel Husband took the doggies home so we had the day to ourselves to meander back home from Sebago Lake, and we made our annual trip to the Maine Wildlife park.  We had to go see the moose, duh. It was a good time, and I am realizing more and more that the stroller is no longer necessary, and/or is actually a hinderance.  How could we have reached this point so soon?  But alas we have.  For this trip I actually brought the big red wagon, and looking around at all the other smarter parents I noticed that they were making their kids walk through the park.  Seeing as we had a long ride back to Hampton Falls after this outing, and I was hoping we could have some quiet time at home when we returned so I could regroup, I should have thought this through.  Instead I was pulling and carting my two almost 40 pounders around dumbly while they sat like princes.  "Go to the wolf, Mommy!"  "I want to see the bear again, Mommy!"

All in all they were very good boys.  They loved the moose and Joel was enthralled with the constant movement of the coyote.  The smaller animals were in hiding this year, but they have all new bathrooms there which is super exciting. We had a nice snack - I neglected to pack a full lunch, but no worries, fruit, pretzels, cheese sticks did the trick.  And, as we were eating nicely and calmly on the picnic tables I watched around me as swarms of parents struggled with their kids.  The more micromanagement, the more they struggled.  One mom was pretty much forcing a sandwich down her son's throat.  Since I was day 2 after the annual cleanse, I just didn't have the energy in me to micromanage.  And, wouldn't you know it, my kids were angels.  I wonder what comes first?

Please note: sorry for the multiple posts in one day, but for some reason blogger was not letting me post the past two weeks!

Storyland Take 2

This weekend we went to Storyland, and it was so, so much better than last year!  So much better!  Last year, if you may recall, Mommy left in an epic tantrum.  This year although the parental units did have some commotion in the beginning, we all had a great day!  We rode the rides, had some bad for us snacks, took pictures with the storybook characters, and in general had a great time.

I thought this might solidify for us that it is either a good or a bad idea that we are leaving James home for Disney World.  And, it is a good idea we are leaving him home.  he was too tiny to ride the real rides, and so the parents had to keep switching off to go on them.  The one parents getting stuck trying to entertain the little, who is easily entertained - no worries.  But translate this into Disney parks and we would be in trouble.  Storyland was pretty nice this past weekend, the weekend after Labor Day.  We didn't wait more than 15 minutes for any ride, and even then it was only the antique cars.  We could have gone on the log flume 80 times if we wanted.  And, Mommy would have wanted too, but Joel Andrew was a bit unsure.

So, poor James will be without a Disney trip this year, but he did have a lot of fun at Storyland.  The boys all had a good time playing together in that science lab type thing, and really had a great time soaking everyone in the nile river boat ride.  James even got squirted in the head by a jr. high kid, but he didn't mind.  My little tough guy.

Joel Andrew insisted on riding the choo-choo, which he loved but also admitted got a little boring.  Note to self to use the choo-choo to get around at Disney, and not as a ride.  Storyland is really quite impressive, and in a little town with lots to offer too.  Next year maybe we can take the train ride there? Or eat at the restaurant everyone tells you to go to (name?).

After a fun filled morning we ate lunch at the Muddy Moose, which was nice and then it was off to Bago Lake and a nap home.  James was so tired he continued his nap once we got home, and Joel Andrew and Mommy watched the Pirate Captain for the millionth time while Daddy got his last Jet Ski ride in.  WE closed up Bago Lake, Mommy and Joelly got to go on one last walk.  I love it when he says, impromptu: "I had fun with you today Mommy."  I hope he always says things like this.  I had fun with you today too, Joelly.

Now it is time to get back to the groove, get things done like drycleaning and grocery shopping on the weekend.  It is time to watch football, and pick apples, and most of all - get ready for DISNEY!

Storyland

Let's just say that some things are better left unsaid. I did not enjoy this experience, and will not go into detail about it. However, I do not want to turn others off. I can just tell you that lots of worlds collided for us to have a bad day. But, all was not completely lost. As you can see, the Joel's managed to have some fun.
Joel Husband's favorites, the antique car ride, and the Old Woman in the Shoe were done. Joel Andrew loved them both. Next time we will arrive EARLY. We arrived 20 minutes after the park was open, and it was already a zoo. We will also not go on the weekend, especially one of the last Saturday's in August. And, Mommy will come prepared, mentally for the experience.
Other things to note, make sure your child is over 36" if you want to go on any of the "fun" rides. Though I guess you can get on a ton without meeting that height requirement. We ate at the Muddy Moose (or something like that) in town - and it was pretty good, very friendly. Maybe next time I can get a beer, and enjoy it! The town also looks fun, with shops, awesome playgrounds, a real train ride experience. I can see how you can make a full weekend out of it and the kids will never get bored. It is literally a town built for young families. Maybe next year we will make a few trips, again, mid-week...