Review: Busch Gardens Christmas Town

We were so excited to be invited to visit Bush Gardens Williamsburg for their Christmas Town festivities! We were offered opening day tickets- which ended up being very well attended.  It was Friday, November 27, which was also my eldest son's 12th birthday, so we were excited to spend his special day at the park!

Pictures of my birthday boy!

(This is my not-so-little guy with his Uncle Brendan who'd been staying with us for a few weeks- Brendan made him a special banana treat for his birthday) 

Driving down was a bit of an adventure because our GPS program decided we needed to do a scenic detour around William and Mary.  It was also the day after Thanksgiving so we sat in a little traffic.  Be ye not so dumb and don't go on an awful traffic day.

We printed our tickets out before we arrived, which ended up being a HUGE timesaver. We got to skip the will-call and purchase lines and go straight to the gates.  Note that there is a bag check involved in the process.  We did bring backpacks, though, because while we lucked out and got a fantastic day weather-wise, we knew it'd get cold as soon as the sun went down!

When we first entered the park around 3pm, it was very....cozy.

But by the time evening rolled around, most of the people had left for the day.  The Festhaus was so busy they were on a total standstill in the line, so I suggest booking your dinner time, but after dinner, there were really very few people- my boys rode Alpengheist three times in a row! Even at its busiest, we didn't wait terribly long for rides, which is what my boys were in it for.  Usually 2-3 cycles of a ride and we were in.

The lights were AMAZING.  Seeing them in the daylight you realize there are a lot of them, but when they start going on it's just incredible.

 The lights on the Festhaus dance to music- which is just beyond.  I highly recommend doing one of the "people mover" options- either the train or the sky ride- to just sit back and enjoy the lights around the park.  We brought my mom with us, and she's got some serious fear of heights, so we went with the train.  It was just amazing to see all the gorgeous lights!! On foot, one of our favorites was the bridge where they are playing "Let There Be Peace on Earth" with a light display above the water that reflects back up.  It was just charming.

We spent from 3pm until 10pm at the park, and we honestly did not get to do 1/2 of what we could have done.  There's so much to experience and the kids had a blast.  My kids are definitely daredevils and wanted to ride everything they could.  Not all of the rides are open, so they were able to focus on what they really wanted to get to. If you're going, be sure to check out the Busch Gardens website- they've actually created plans for you to get around the park and focus on what's most important to your family. 

There's so much I could tell you about this event.  It's the SAME PRICE as another Christmas event in our area, which you will not spend half as much time at.  It's absolutely gorgeous.  I definitely had a great time, and so did my kids. Let me tell you about my two favorite things, and then I'll just leave you with some pictures:

1- The North Pole
Holy heck you guys, the North Pole.  Looking in the large window at Santa meeting with children while the "snow" falls around you? Stop it.  It's magical and I don't even like Santa. Most of the bloggers I've read recommend you go to see Santa ASAP, but honestly, even if the wait is longer I wouldn't go until the North Pole is fully lit up because it is just incredibly breathtaking to walk around the corner into the Christmas lights and have that full experience.

2- Twas the Night
There are several shows that you can see while you're at Christmas Town.  We only got to one, and honestly, I'm pretty sure it was the one to see.  Twas the Night is an on-ice spectacular based on the classic poem Twas the Night Before Christmas.  The ice is small, but they use it incredibly well.  My daughter was amazed by Santa "really going down the chimney!" The skaters are all talented, the costumes are beautiful- we loved everything about it.  We ended our night with this show and then grabbed the last train out of New France back to the gates in England, and it was a perfect way to end our evening.

I would most definitely recommend Christmas Town.  We had an amazing time and I only wish we'd had a longer day to spend at the park! I think it would be great if there were more roller coasters open for the older kids, and depending on the weather I think you could have more or less fun, but if you're looking for a Christmas event, this is the one I'd go for.  My iPhone pictures really don't do the lights justice!

Atlanta with Kids

The second stop on this summer's road trip (read part one here) was in Atlanta.  We could've obviously spent a ton of time just in that city, but since we're trying to hit all 50 states before the kids leave for college, we're on a deadline.

Atlanta is supposed to have an amazing Aquarium, but we can do that in Baltimore, and they've got some good civil war history, but we live in Manassas for cripes sake, so we don't need ANY MORE of that.  So, we decided to go to the World of Coca Cola Tour.

Now, let's back up.  If you are going to be in Atlanta for a few days, you should GET A CITY PASS. These were actually available in a few of the places we stopped, but we weren't any one location long enough for it to work for us.

For example, in Atlanta, you can visit
World of Coca Cola
Georgia Aquarium (with expedited entry)
Inside CNN Studio Tour
Zoo Atlanta OR The Center for Civil and Human Rights
Fernbank Museum of Natural History OR College Football Hall of Fame

For our World of Coca Cola tickets we paid $16 an adult and $12 a child.  That was a grand total of $84.  The City Pass Tickets are $73 an adult, but the value is $129.  Way better.  If you can groupon it, even better.

Anyway, we paid our exorbitant fee and went in.  It was kind of like being at church for Coke.  There was a movie about all the ways Coke enhances our life, exhibits with things like the American Idol couch (Coke sponsored the segment), a 3D type ride to discover the secret ingredient to Coke (Hint! It's You!), and a walk through the vault where they keep the secret recipe.

It was a little weird for me.

There was also a room where you and your children get a cup and can try all the soda you want from all over the world.

It's arranged by continent and labeled by country.  Very educational.

Plus, your kids can run all over a room (well, run as fast as they can while their feet stick to the floor) and drink ALL THE SODA THEY WANT.  Some of which are delicious.

When you want your children to stop, take them to Italy and let them taste this little gem:

Her reaction is not as intense as mine was.  

When you first sip it, you think it's just club soda, but then you get the distinct feeling that you've just vomited and the flavor is still in your mouth.

Awesome.

On your way out, you get a Coke in a commemorative bottle.

As you can probably tell, this wasn't my favorite stop. I think if you're a person who collects Coke bears or Coke Santas, or you actually drink Coke on a regular basis, you might really connect with their message.  Since we spend most of our time telling our kids that soda is a gateway drug, we didn't really connect with what they were going for.  I think I was expecting more of a factory tour, which could've been neat, but I didn't totally love this.

Next stop- food.

Actually, I believe this is backwards and we went to food first, but I am entirely too lazy to fix it right now.  We went to Greenwood's which is a really eclectic little place tucked away near a Jewish temple and a cemetery from the 1800s.  (I know this because I went on a walk after eating with my boys.  I love old cemeteries, so we explored). 

We got the fried chicken, which is sweet (weird for me, but good) along with a host of traditional side dishes like mac and cheese and collard greens.  I loooove collard greens.  So good! If you ever go, note that the fried chicken takes a full 30 minutes, so order it first and be ready to wait.  Also, the fried chicken is enough to feed 2 hungry adults or 1 adult and 3 kids....so don't be like us and order 3 and have enough to feed the whole restaurant :) 

Yes, that's Elvis.  Yes, he's watching over a totally sarcastic sign listing all the reasons you "Shouldn't have to wait for a table at Greenwood's".  Clearly these are my people.  

What else happened in Georgia...

I think that's it :) From Atlanta, we drove to Alabama.  Did I mention that we spent a good portion of this trip speed camping? We did. You can get great rates in camper villages as a tent camper, so we stayed most of these places for $20-$30 a night, and we just rolled up our tent and hit the road in the morning. 

It was hot, frequently, but it was gorgeous, especially in Louisiana, but we'll get to that later :) 

 I have no idea what my mom and my husband are talking about here....but his hand motion is certainly uncomfortable looking...

Camping! Whoot! 

Next up....Louisiana.

Fun with Kids in Charlotte, NC

As I mentioned in a previous post, we did a massive road trip this year for our summer vacation.  We're trying to take our kids to see all 50 states before they graduate, mainly because I like a challenge, but also because it keeps us seeing new places!

Two years ago we did this:

We've currently done: Virginia,  West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, California, Florida, New York, Colorado, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.  That's halfway!! (PS, if any of you own summer homes in Hawaii or Alaska and want to invite us out, we are totally game.)

Do we see everything a particular state has to offer? HECK NO.  That would involve way more money and vacation time than we have.  But we do have a little fun and get the flavor of each state, plus the kids have fun ticking it off a map and doing a little workbook page about each state with its flag, flower, bird, motto, etc.

Anyhow, I thought I'd share a few things from our trip. Like this awesome picture of me imitating a mug:

It's really amazing to me that I'm not more popular. 

The first leg was down to see my cousins in Charlotte, NC.  They're the same age as my kids (second marriage), which is both weird (who wants a bossy adult cousin) and awesome (because they have so much fun with my kids).  Charlotte is a lovely area, and we enjoyed trying out a few things there:

1. Discovery Place Charlotte

We were able to take the LYNX Train to downtown Charlotte, which is about a 3 block walk to the museum.  My kids have ridden the metro enough times to not care one lick that we were taking a train, but my cousins were super duper excited to get to take "the metro".  If you use LYNX, note that tickets are sold in kiosks outside the train and you just keep them with you in case of a spot check. Prices vary for kids and adults, and you'll want to not mess up and click "round trip" on the kids tickets and "one way" on the adults like I did.  #MyBad

It wasn't cheap:

Museum	$15.00	$12.00	FREE	FREE
IMAX Discovery Film	$10.00	$9.00	$5.00	$5.00
Museum + IMAX Discovery Film	$20.00	$17.00	$5.00	$5.00

But the kids had a lot of fun.  If you go, be sure to check out one of the shows, we saw Rat Basketball and a liquid nitrogen show that included a giant ice cloud the kids got to run through.  They were definitely a good time.

PS, I don't understand in any of these kid themed museums why in the heck they charge more for adults.  You know what we're going to do? Sit on a bench and take iphone pictures while our kids do all the fun stuff.  That's what. It should be more for kids and a pittiance of an "observer's fee" for adults.

I digress.  If you are a WIC/EBT recipient, you can get up to six tickets for $1 each.  Bring your card (or whatever you'd use to prove this applies to you).

2. Rock Bottom 

Rock Bottom restaurant was located just across the street from the museum, so we headed over there for lunch.  It was really tasty, I got a side of mac and cheese and a side salad.  

Because I can, people.  Because I can. 

3. Staying with friends and family is great because you can also get in a little freebie/down time.  We enjoyed hanging out at the neighborhood pool, playing games, and the kids tried to get as much time "playing minecraft together" as humanly possible when you need an adult to put a password on your ipod to get to play.  

4. Waldhorn Restaurant

My uncle being something of a foodie, and all of us being part German, he took us to check out the Waldhorn Restaurant.

This was amazing.  My daughter got the cheese spaetzale which was amazing, I had sauerbraten, people had roladen, blaukraut was passed around....noms.

All the noms.

If you don't normally have German food or if you've never tried it before, this would be a good place to start!!

Filial piety compels me to mention that their Black Forest Cake was not anywhere near as good as my mother's.  It's not their fault, they are simply too far away for her to bake for them nightly.

Following our two days in Charlotte, we left for Hotlanta, which will be coming at you next :) 

Christmas/Holiday Fun Guide 2014

I know, I know, I like to let Thanksgiving get it's time in the sun, but then you guys would miss many of these tree lightings, etc. so I'm just gonna post it now.

ALL OF THESE EVENTS ARE ALSO ON OUR CALENDAR.  IF YOU WANT DETAILS OR DIRECTIONS, JUST GO TO THE DAY AND CLICK THE EVENT. 

If you'd like to add your event, please email me.  It's free. It's easy.  Whoohoo.

Ice Skating/Ice Events
Outdoor Ice Skating at Harris Pavilion is $8 for adults and $7 for kids under 10.  Skates are available for $4.  Best bet? Go on a Wednesday in January and skate for free from 6-8pm.  Note that on warm days I find this ice to be really soft (this is only a problem if you're a serious skater).

Indoor Ice Skating at Prince William Ice Center is $8 for everyone and $2 for skate rental.  Days and times vary.

Prince William Ice also offers a popular Snow and Story, which you can visit on open days or schedule for your playgroup.

And one day camps

Haymarket Iceplex offers ice skating for $7 adults, $6 for kids 12 and under, and $3 for skate rental.  Times vary.

Tree Lightings
December 5th in Manassas, begins at 5:30pm at the train depot, lighting at 6:30 at the Museum.  Free.

November 28th at Stonebridge 6-8:30pm, includes performances, carriage rides, and more!

Family Fun Days/Larger Events
Virginia Gateway's Festive Family Fun will be December 6th from 4:30-7:30pm and will host Santa, Mrs. Claus, face painters, balloon twisters, and more!

Parades
December 6th in Manassas begins at 10 am.

December 6th at Manassas Mall from 1-4pm (you can spend all day in Manassas!)

Crafting
December 6th at the Candy Factory in Manassas, you can make your own gingerbread house.  Preregistration is required. $27/adult and child couple, $10 each additional child, $10 supply fee.

Christmas History
Join Liberia Plantation for Christmas Past on December 6th from 4-7pm.  $15/adults $7.50/kids U12

It's 1943 and time for holidays on the home front at Rippon Lodge! Join them December 7 from 5-8pm for $5pp.

Learn about past Christmas Traditions and meet Santa at Rippon Lodge on December 7th from 12-3pm.

Take a candlelight tour and see what Christmas was like for those who were enslaved. Ben Lomond Historic Site, December 13th 5-7pm.

December 20th from 10am-4pm, join Leesylvania State Park for a Civil War Christmas.  $2pp or $6/family

Carriage Rides
Sundays in December until Christmas, hop a free carriage ride in Downtown Manassas.  1pm-4pm from the train depot.

Train Shows
December 10-14th join the Center for the Arts for a Train Show.  Admission is a canned food item for SERVE.

Santa
Tickets for the Santa Train will go on sale (and sell out completely in about an hour) on November 24th.  Visit their website for details.

December 6th at Williams Ordinary in Dumfries from 10am-4pm, Pictures with Santa: $5.00 for 4x6 or $10.00 for 8x10, also can make pomanders.

Learn about past Christmas Traditions and meet Santa at Rippon Lodge on December 7th from 12-3pm.

Children with special needs and their families can visit Santa at Manassas Mall on Sunday December 7th from 8-10am.













Performances (@Hylton Center unless otherwise noted)

Northern Virginia Youth Ballet will present their Nutcracker, featuring Russian ballet stars direct from Moscow, on November 29th at 2pm or 8pm.

Gainesville Ballet will present their Nutcracker on November 28th at 2pm or 8pm.

A Chanticleer Christmas will be November 30th at 4pm.

Catch a Big Band Christmas Extravaganza December 4th at 7:30.

Christmas in New York December 5th at 7:30.

Clara's Christmas will be presented December 7th at 3:30pm or 7:30pm

American Festival Pops December 12th at 8pm.

Manassas Chorale December 13th at 5pm.

December 14th at 8pm, Clint Black Christmas.

December 19th-23rd, Manassas Ballet will present their Nutcracker.

Family Friendly Religious Services

Giveaway: Weecycled Wardrobe

Could you use $50 BUCKS?  Weecycled Wardrobe is giving away $50 in Wee Ward Money to a lucky winner good at their Spring&Summer Sale on March 14-17th at the Fredericksburg Field House or May 3-6 in Stafford from 10 am - 7 pm daily.  

They have over 25,000 items to choose from all organized on tables and racks by size, age and gender.  Toys, books, games, shoes, purses, backpacks, diaper bags, strollers, exersaucers, high chairs, toddler beds and just about anything you'll need to raise a child.  NEW Consignors welcome.  Volunteers invited to help for 3 hours in exchange for shopping early.  

Visit their website for more info:  www.WeecycledWardrobe.com.   http://www.weecycledwardrobe.com/index.php

 To enter to win $50, use the Rafflecopter below!! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

As always, by entering you agree to our rules, and also as always, this contest is not affiliated with Facebook/Apple/iTunes/Android or anyone else super cool raking in the cash.  

January 20th "Day Off" Recap

We don't typically follow the PWCS schedule in our homeschool, but we decided we'd take yesterday off with the rest of you and have a little fun :)

We started the morning off with my reader meetup hosted by The Animated Child, which my kids were SO excited about, especially the boys, because, in a word, Minecraft.  Am I the only mom out there who really has no clue what Minecraft is? My kids were totally addicted to it before we even had it at home.  I'm so thankful to The Animated Child for hosting all the kids at such a special discount.  Their Parents Night Out programs are typically $35/child, and they had us out for $10/child, plus $3 for lunch.  It was such a fun opportunity and I hope that everyone enjoyed learning more about the center!

I have to remember to invite a photographer for every event I host.  My iphone pictures are horrid :)

As for our moms, we had a pretty good crowd- I should've counted- but I think there were about 25 of us.  Not too shabby for a Monday lunch! If you haven't made it out to one of these reader meetups, I do hope you'll join us in the future. In March I think I'll start doing a playdate type meetup and a moms night type meetup, but we'll see if I survive Silver Sparkles first ;)

After we finished up at the reader meetup, we had to drive to Stafford.

Stafford is usually where I draw the line.  I know that it takes me just as long to get there as it does to get to the other side of the county, but for some reason there's a block in my brain about going south! However, today there was a really great reason for me to man up. 

Sweet Scene Photography hosted a "Tea Time with Belle" which, for $15, included snacks, crafts, pictures with "Belle" and a small goody bag for each girl.  My daughter, Savannah, is almost 6 and she'd been looking for an excuse to get some girl time with a few friends.  While she's definitely mine (she shares my appreciation for pink and sparkles) she would rather wear pink jeans than a dress, but she did humor me and dress up for the occasion.

 There were plenty of coloring sheets, along with a decorate your own crown craft, and the girls seemed to have a lovely time.  I appreciated that the photographer took pictures before she let the girls start in on their teatime snacks (mini cupcakes, fruit snacks, and a few candy options).  It definitely helped keep the pictures frosting-free.

All of the girls got a few professional snapshots of them with Princess Belle (there was a library-themed backdrop) and there was also time for- you guessed it- iPhone pictures!! Yay!  I think if I did this again, I'd ask to have my daughter's group get their pictures together with the photographer rather than her alone- they were sweet, but the fun part of the day for her was being with "her girls".  All four of the ladies that came with us had a really fun time, and I definitely think this was a fantastic special treat, especially with the bonus princess time.  Sweet Scene hosts these fairly regularly with various princesses and they also do "Diva Parties" for birthdays. 

One note- if you decide to go, the studio is on the left hand side of 610 across from the Arby's.  If you pass Sherwin Williams you went too far.  There's a sign for the studio (it's in a shopping center) but it's at the bottom of the sign, and if you are me, you will be late because you passed the Sherwin Williams several times....on both sides of the road...

Luckily my friend told me she did the same thing, so at least I was in good company!

I hope you enjoyed your scheduled holiday- and that you enjoy your unscheduled break today, too!!  I know a few businesses are planning to open- but if you go please call first to confirm and use caution when you drive!
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Disclosure: I paid for my lunch, just like everyone else, as well as for my daughter's tea time with Belle.  The Animated Child is an advertiser with PwcMoms.com.  However, all opinions are my own and were  not requested by any company/business.