Our vacation this summer has been unusual for us…we didn’t plan a big one. Andy and I took the girls to Florida to visit my dad in late March for a long weekend and then we were going to do a big trip this fall, but due to numerous circumstances, we’ve postponed it until next year. But it’s just not us to not pack up for a week and go somewhere. It’s felt a bit odd.
Therefore, we decided to take a quick get-away over to Indianapolis (about 1.5 hr drive for us) for a couple of days. We got up on Sunday morning and drove straight to the zoo. The kids loved it. Andy and I thought it was a really nice zoo. It was flat and I didn’t have to lift the kids much to see the animals. However, the dolphins were on “maternity leave”. So there wasn’t a dolphin show, but we did get to view them so the kids weren’t completely disappointed. The annoying thing about their zoo is that they do not allow you to bring in food. I understand why, but the kids didn’t. They are used to snacking through our zoo. And lunch was definitely pricey. The other major downer was the train ride. Total disappointment. It goes around the out-buildings of the zoo through some parking lots and we only saw one animal just as we arrived back at the station. But, overall, I’d recommend a visit.
That evening we checked into our hotel downtown and the kids just love being in a hotel. It’s so exciting to them. Stella thought it was the coolest thing ever to actually walk to dinner. And the escalator? Believe me, we rode it 100000000000 times. Andy and I love the free drinks at the Manager’s Reception each evening and the free yummy breakfast (big fans of Embassy Suites). And we were so glad we opted for the hotel due to the suite-style. It made going to bed so much easier to have the kids in a separate room.
Monday morning we headed to the Children’s Museum as soon as it opened at 10:00 and didn’t leave until 4:00. It lived up to the hype. It was so much fun. All of the kids did great. No major meltdowns.
Charlotte took advantage of every dress-up opportunity there was. The girl was in HEAVEN.
And their behavior was rewarded at the gift shop. Charlotte picked the most expensive accessory right away and stuck to it. Stella hemmed and hawed over what to get, but finally chose another over-priced purse.
Little buddy? Totally my kid. Picked the cheapest souvenir…a $1.45 car. And he even slept with it. He was definitely a fan of the current Hot Wheels exhibit.
Andy and I realized this was the first trip we took with any of our kids without help. We normally are visiting his parents or my dad for our long-weekend trips. Or we’ve taken grandparents with us on our bigger trips the last few years. And we survived all alone! Go us.
Your vacation was exactly like ours! We went Thursday through Saturday, though, to take advantage of the free museum entry (we split our visit into two sessions). The hotel pool was also a huge hit for us! We contemplated over going to Carribean Cove, but were SO happy we didn’t go there (kids too young still and not quite in love with water).
It looks like fun. We want to take our crew back to Indy soon.
We did a one night overnight in Louisville and the Louisville Zoo…it was just enough time away. Kids also LOVED the hotel. Maybe we will be brave and do something bigger next year….but maybe not!!
how fun! your little family is just so cute!!!
OMG, that picture of Charlotte in full gear is AWESOME! Love the goggles! You’ve inspired me to take C again soon. It’s been a few years b/c it’s a bit too much for J. Escalators are the best!. We head downtown fairly often just to walk the skywalks and ride the escalators. 🙂 Glad you had a nice mini-vacation!