Travel Archives • diy mama

by Shelly on January 11, 2020 Leave a Comment

Bringing Baby to the Beach

For people who have never taken young kids to the beach, it can be overwhelming. You have thoughts in your head of how you think it will go and it totally doesn’t go as planned. We’ve gone to the beach every February for a while now but this past trip to Anna Maria Island was our first trip with a baby. I’m going to share what hacks we used for bringing baby to the beach.

Expectations

Keep them low. If you’re dreaming about the good old days of taking a nap ocean side or reading a romantic novel, those days are over for a little bit (unless you go on a kid-free trip!) When you have low expectations for a new experience, they usually end up being better! Now, I’m not saying to go into it with a negative attitude, just don’t be overwhelmed if something doesn’t go how you’d like.

Gear

Bags- Wet Bag for any wet gear (or any plastic bag)
Bag for trash
Small Ziplock for your phone (to keep sand off)
A separate diaper bag for baby stuff (quick access)
Protective gear- Sunhat with strap
Sunglasses
Long sleeve shirt
Sunblock
Baby Wipes and Baby Powder (to get sand off)
Food- If your baby is eating solids, frozen fruit is great to help cool them down
Lots of ice water (even if they’re only drinking milk)

There are tons of sites (like mine) with all the cool gadgets and toys to make your trip more fun but these are the essentials if you’re a light packer.

Here are my specific recommendations on Amazon (with affiliate links):

Where are you headed on your next beach vacation? Maybe I’ll be convinced to try somewhere outside of Anna Maria Island.

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by Shelly on January 2, 2020 Leave a Comment

Family Fun in French Lick Part 2

Our family took a very special trip last week to French Lick, Indiana. Thanks to Visit French Lick our family spent two days adventuring around French Lick. I’ve shared day 1 here and today I’ll be sharing all the fun we had one day 2.

We woke up early (as you do when you have a toddler) and ordered breakfast to the room. The in-room dining options were amazing and we enjoyed watching cartoons while having breakfast together. After breakfast, we checked out and headed over to West Baden which is just 5 minutes away. We opted to drive but there is a trolley that runs between the two throughout the day.

Room-service Breakfast at French Lick Springs Hotel

West Baden

West Baden, first built in 1855 as the Mile Lick Inn, has gone through many ups and downs. At one point it was sold for only $1 during the depression. Through many different hands, it was finally revitalized in 2007 and restored to the magnificent resort it is today. Our favorite part of the hotel was the 200 ft. diameter atrium. When we went there was a massive Christmas tree in the middle and each balcony had a giant ornament hanging from it. I’m excited to check out the grounds when the weather is warmer but the holiday decorations are a must-see. Both West Baden and French Lick had stunning dioramas all throughout their properties. French Lick even had an 8 ft tall gingerbread house that they make on sight. The resort also offers a nighttime horse-drawn sleigh ride through the lights that decorate the grounds.

Great Christmas Gifts from French Lick Winery

French Lick Winery- Vintage Cafe

We were hesitant to visit French Lick Winery because neither Jeffrey nor I like wine and we were with the girls. I’m SO glad we did though because it was our favorite meal of the trip! We started off with Pan Bigio and herb oil to dip it in. I could have just had an entire meal of that, it was so amazing! We’d heard how amazing the pizza was so we gave it a try. It was the best pizza I’ve ever had. The crust was made with a sourdough starter from Naples and I’ve never tasted better pizza crust. After lunch, we split a few desserts, including the chocolate lava cake and the rum cake. All I can say is that I wish they were bigger because they were so good!

If you’re not a wine drinker, they have lots of spirits that were made in house as well. I loved the Fizzy Pineapple vodka-based cocktail I had and Jeffrey loved his Pecan Bourbon cocktail. We didn’t do any tastings or tours but those are available. They also have a shop where you can buy their bottles of wine and champagne as well as other gifts.

French Lick West Baden Museum

Our next stop was the French Lick West Baden Museum where we learned more about the mineral water from the springs, the Monon Railroad (which is now a trail that runs through our town), basketball legend Larry Bird, and the French Lick and West Baden hotels. We also marveled at the world’s largest circus diorama. When we got there, the owner challenged Sophia to count every elephant in the diorama. She got the exact right number and was given a gift for her counting skills (and confidence in knowing she was right!) The owner said many adults waiver on the number so she was proud Sophia knew exactly how many elephants there were.

Wilstem Ranch

Our most exciting activity took place at Wilstem Ranch where we had hands-on experience learning about animals! The ranch has been featured as one of the top 10 best places to interact with large animals by USA Today. I agree!

While the ranch offers many activities, like horseback riding, zipline tours, ATV tours, and lodging, the animals are what we came to see this time. They offer animal encounters with giraffes and lemurs where you’re educated about the animals while you have a chance to feed and pet them. Jeff Watson from Animal Planet has his bears Bob and Screech there as well! During the warmer months, you can see an elephant get bathed and even have the opportunity to feed it breakfast! Be sure to check their website for appointment times.

Along with the big animals, you can get up close to kangaroos, porcupines, various birds, goats, and tortoise. This spring they’ve announced a brand new ride-through safari! We have Wilstem high on our list to visit when it’s warmer and the girls are a little older so we can spend a weekend doing all of their activities indoors and out. Their efforts in helping these animals stay off the extinction list are wonderful. Many of the animals they have are on the endangered species list and have short life spans in their natural habitats.

Brick Street 33

Our last stop before heading back home was Brick Street 33 for dinner. Upon entering we were greeted with signed sports memorabilia from many famous Hoosier players. Manning, Luck, Bird, Miller…all the names you’d recognize, and the entire place was full of them! After a long day, we were ready to drive home but the menu had us drooling for some delicious food! I got the fish tacos (slightly spicy), the girls got mac n’ cheese and a burger and Jeffrey got the fish and chips. The fish and chips were our favorites with the fish being lightly battered and fried to perfection! Definitely, a fun place to visit if you’re a sports fan or a family with kids.

Our trip to French Lick was one I’ll remember for a long time. What first started as just a ride on the Polar Express expanded to our first-time family bowling, staying at a magnificent hotel, feeding giraffes and already planning our return trip. We were pleasantly surprised with all that French Lick has to offer and we only saw a portion of the town. I highly recommend visiting this destination for the springs, the history, and the activities.

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by Shelly on December 25, 2019 1 Comment

Family Fun in French Lick Part 1

For Christmas this year I wanted to take my family on a small family trip to somewhere special in Indiana. The Polar Express was high on my list for holiday attractions but I wanted to do it big by staying at a hotel when we went. This past week was that trip and I’m so thankful Visit French Lick West Baden hosted us and made our trip extra special.

I’ll be sharing this series in two posts because our family was able to do so much in two days! I’m excited to go back in the summer months to do ziplining, horseback riding, spelunking and a few other activities we missed this time around.

French-Lick-Plutos-Pizzaria — Pluto’s Pizzaria

French Lick Day 1

The Room

We’re only 2.5 hours away from French Lick so we were able to have two full days enjoying French Lick and West Baden. We arrived at French Lick Springs Hotel around 11 and were able to check-in early. Obviously, the first order of business was for the girls to jump on the beds in our beautiful room. The hotel was established in 1845 giving the rooms so much charm. I loved the oversized doors in the spacious rooms.

Bowling and Pizza

After exploring our room we headed to the basement for the girl’s first time bowling! Pluto’s Alley is a six-lane bowling alley that is right next to an arcade and Pluto’s Pizzaria. We had lunch while we bowled and I highly recommend getting the breadsticks! They had bumpers and a bowling assist ramp so the girls were able to do it ‘on their own’!

Pool time

We were very impressed with the pool at French Lick Springs Hotel. There is an indoor pool, an outdoor pool and an outdoor hot tub by the gardens. I’ll admit, the outdoor hot tub on a cold winter day, with 80s music playing, and no kids was pretty epic. Of course, playing inside with my family was also super fun. The hotel offers poolside delivery of food and drinks and the floor was heated! I loved picturing that space in its heyday with all of the poolside chairs occupied and people splashing in the pool!

The Hotel

The hotel has amazing detail and I wish I would have had time to take a historical tour of the property. That is at the top of my list the next time we come. As a hospitality major, I love the historical aspect of hotels. There is an abundance of amenities at the hotel including a free trolly around town, so many beautiful holiday decorations (I’ll show more in my Part 2 of this series), KidsFest (where you can drop off your kids for childcare), free valet parking, formal gardens, multiple gift shops, and a playground. Despite there being so many fun attractions around French Lick, we could easily spend an extended weekend enjoying the French Lick Springs Hotel.

French-Lick-trolley-at-night — French Lick Resort Trolley

The Polar Express

The Polar Express was our big draw to French Lick but I will say that it is a destination town with so much to do! I share more in my The Polar Express in French Lick Indiana blog post but I wanted to share highlights here as well. Upgrading our tickets on the French Lick Scenic Railway so we could have a full table to ourselves was key. Our train car was heated, had bathrooms and included souvenir mugs.

The experience was more than I had hoped for a truly magical experience. I wasn’t as fond of the activity tent and gift shop but the actual train ride was really fun. I’m happy we waited until our daughter was 6 (although 5 would have been great too) and paired it with a hotel stay. It made the trip so much more meaningful. We’ll definitely do it again when Lilly is 5-6 years old.

I’ve made a short video of our experience on both days but be sure to check out Part 2 of the series to see what we did on the second day!

If you’ve been to French Lick and West Baden, let me know what your favorite things to do and eat were! We’ll be going back when the weather is nice!

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by Shelly on October 23, 2019 1 Comment

The Best Things To Do In Southern Indiana

We just got back from a really fun family trip to Southern Indiana. The
Clark-Floyd Counties Convention & Tourism Bureau (better known as SoIn Tourism) hosted us for a two-day trip to kick off our fall break last week. We did a little play, a little learning and a lot of eating!

The Best Things To Do In Southern Indiana

Down on the line of Indiana and Kentucky, things get a little blurry of what state you’re in. All I know is it’s extremely charming and I am excited to go back to explore more! We went to Louisville a couple years ago and was pleasantly surprised at the number of things to do for families with young kids. The Indiana side is no different!

Hotel Stay at Home2 Suites

We arrived in Clarksville Louisville North Indiana where we checked into Home2 Suites and are now Hilton converts! We loved the space our double queen studio provided for our little family. Not only was there a kitchenette and a large bathroom, but they had a curtain separating the beds and the sitting area. This provided a super fun toy for Lilly to play peek-a-boo and also worked well for us three girls when we were ready for bed but Jeffrey wanted to stay up. I highly recommend staying at Home2 Suites by Hilton the next time you travel. Also, their breakfast buffet is delicious and the staff could not have been sweeter.

Expelling Energy and Refueling

Trampoline parks are our jam. We love checking out all the newest features everyone is adding. Xtremenasium has a great mixture of things for all ages. With VR in their upstairs area and dodgeball, rock climbing, a ninja course and tons of trampoline space to bounce around, they’ve got it all! It was the perfect stop after a day of driving in the car!

After jumping we headed to dinner at Bubba’s 33. Both Jeffrey and I were pleasantly surprised by how great their food is. We have one 15 minutes from our home but had never tried it. My husband commented that we’ll have to go there for our next family dinner night out because the food choices were abundant, it was loud enough for kids to be kids and the price point was great.

Soph’s pizza was excellent, Jeffrey’s burger was amazing and my grilled chicken salad didn’t even need dressing, it was so good. In true Bergman fashion, we packed up half our food so we could split a dessert. The Turtle Mud Pie is an Oreo® cookie pie crust filled with salted caramel, vanilla ice cream and pecans then drizzled with chocolate and caramel sauce.

Historic (and adorable) Jeffersonville

I just want to preface this by saying how I’m coming back to Jeffersonville for the sheer charm of the town and the people we met. Jeffersonville Main Street, Inc. is the non-profit revitalization organization for Jeffersonville, IN and they’ve done an amazing job keeping the charm while also making it a fun place for community with all the cute activities they have year-round. Jeff Fest sounds especially appealing to me!

Parlour Pizza

Where I live, north of Indianapolis, there seems to be a pizza place on every corner but none of them have excited me like Parlour! The atmosphere blew us away right off the bat being located in a historic home that’s been revitalized to this community meeting space that also happens to serve pizza and pints. Parlour gives so many reasons for me to drive the 3+ hours south to Jeffersonville.

We grabbed a seat on the patio, which is, in my opinion, the best in the area. There’s a great view of the walking bridge and passerby’s biking along the street. They’ve also got, hands down, the best breadsticks I’ve ever encountered. The crust on the pizza and breadsticks are fluffy and have the perfect amount of chew with still having flavor. I’ve now overshared about Parlour and my love for this pizza joint but it was high on my list for our trip!

Schimpff’s Confectionary

The Schimpff family has been making candy in Jeffersonville since 1871. Their history of how they came to America and started their business is fascinating and even more fascinating was how they physically made the candy! We have history of chocolate makers in my ancestry so I was especially interested in this tour.

Jill and Warren Schimpff, current owners of the confectionary, give a candy-making demonstration that is both interesting and hilarious. I had a great time with the candy making demonstration as well as picking out hand made chocolates with my family.

Falls of Ohio

Did you know that the midwest used to be underwater before dinosaurs roamed the Earth? The Falls of the Ohio State Park and its Interpretive Center are the crossroads of ancient lives and future hopes. The park features the largest exposed Devonian fossil bed in the world and is part of a 1,404-acre National Wildlife Conservation Area. We were able to explore the Interpretive Center learning through hands-on methods and videos before heading outside to find fossils embedded in the rocks along the Ohio River.

The Falls of Ohio park also has programs for the public that may be as short as one hour or as long as three days. They include special events, hikes, and educational programs. Free to Falls of the Ohio Foundation members, a variety of programs are offered that explore the park’s themes: geology, history, and wildlife.

Big 4 Station Park

Talk about a cool park! Indiana and Kentucky are joined by a mile-long walking bridge that starts with a beautiful park called Big 4 Station. This park is the perfect spot to ride your bike, roller-blade or take a walk with your family. With tons of amenities like bathrooms, picnic tables, parking, and a playground it makes the perfect spot to check out a local Jeffersonville event.

We also drove over the Ohio River to the Kentucky border to rent a surrey bike from Wheels of Fun (also on the canal downtown Indy) that our whole family fit in. I hadn’t realized we couldn’t ride it on the walking path that connects to Indiana so we headed on their suggested trail to the same playground we visited while watching Thunder Over Kentucky. Sophia said her favorite part of the entire trip was the popsicle she got to eat while riding on the front of the ‘scary bike’. My girl has the biggest sweet tooth and finds great joy in things that make Mommy nervous.

Our deepest gratitude goes out to our friends at SoIn for planning such a fun getaway for our family. We enjoyed Southern Indiana immensely and are excited to return. If you’ve been to ‘Kentuckiana’, what were some of your favorite spots?

Related posts to The Best Things To Do In Southern Indiana:

The Best Things to do in Santa Claus Indiana

The Best Things to Do in Santa Claus Indiana

Family Fun in Hendricks County Indiana

Family Fun in Hendricks County

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by Shelly on October 17, 2019 1 Comment

The Best Things to Do in Santa Claus Indiana

This past weekend we started our fall break early with a hosted trip to Santa Claus Indiana. YES! There is a town called Santa Claus and I needed to know more!

My six year old daughter shares my obsession for all things Christmas with me. We start Christmas music in July and it’s always ok to light a Christmas candle while cleaning the house. Because of our love for Christmas I had to take my family on a small trip to Santa Claus to get into the holiday spirit.

Check-In to the Hotel

We left early on a Saturday morning and headed south to Santa Claus Indiana. We quickly checked into the Comfort Inn & Suites in Rockport IN (20 minute drive from Holiday World). Let’s just say that we don’t stay anywhere that doesn’t have super bouncy beds, a pool and a delicious continental breakfast. Those free breakfasts are the highlight of our stay and the Comfort Inn & Suites breakfast did not disappoint. I’m pretty sure between the 4 of us we tried every single item on the buffet and it was all delicious.

Holiday World Splash & Safari

We’d been to Holiday World 3 years ago with my sister’s family when Sophia was just 3 and it was a BLAST. I couldn’t wait until she was older and brave enough to ride more rides. Happy Halloween Weekends are going on right now and it’s now my favorite time to visit Holiday World.

You’ve heard the commercials where they boast about having free soda, free sunscreen and free parking. All of these are AWESOME but the extra shows and attractions during Happy Halloween Weekends were what made our trip so special. Some of the added attractions include: a 12 acre corn maze, LOL Halloween Magic Show, Monster Mash show and the Scare BnB.

Our Favorites at Holiday World

Our two favorite Halloween additions were the Holidog’s 3D Halloween Adventure and The Wacky Workshop of Wonders. It’s perfect to head to the Ice Cream Shop right next to The Wacky Workshop of Wonders 30 minutes before showtime to get an ice cream to enjoy while you watch. Also, if the line is short for the Pumpkin Funnel Cake please get one for me and let me know how it is! Every time we went to check it out the line was 50+ people long. Also, our favorite ride in the park was the Turkey Twirl!

TIP: If you’re planning a trip to Holiday World, get excited by listening to their podcast with your family. They’ve got some great info and tips there. Also, if you’re going in October, be sure to bring lots of warm gear because it could get cold at night. Next time, I want to stay in the Lake Rudolf Campground and RV Resort because they do lots of fun Halloween activities for families and everyone decorates their camp sites!

Things to do in Santa Claus

There is so much to do as a family in Santa Claus Indiana. History of the Town of Santa Claus and Lincoln’s boyhood home draw in a huge crowd. If you want a truly magical Holiday, spend it in Santa Claus doing all the classics!

Santa’s Candy Castle

I am smitten with Santa’s Candy Castle and the history behind the first themed attraction in the US.

The first building in Santa Claus Town was Santa’s Candy Castle, a red brick building with all the elements of a real castle that looked as though it was lifted from the pages of a fairytale. It was sponsored by The Curtiss Candy Company, the creators of the Baby Ruth and Butterfinger candy bars, who were famous for their larger-than-life advertising campaigns. Santa’s Candy Castle was dedicated amidst tremendous fanfare on the cold, snowy day of December 22, 1935.
-Santa’s Candy Castle Website santascandycastle.com

We spent over an hour just looking through every type of candy, rembering having them as kids or even having our parents sharing them as candy they had as kids. By far my two favorite things in the shop were the Goo Goo Cluster and the Frozen Hot Chocolate. TIP: Do not skip the Frozen Hot Chocolate! Ask for Kevin, the owner, to get an idea of what the perfect candy is for you and hear more about the 2006 restoration of this historical landmark.

Santa’s Museum and Village

Santa’s Museum and Villiage is home of Santa Claus’s original post office, a 22 ft statue of Santa, a Museum on the history of Santa Claus and a church built in 1880. Within Santa’s Post Office you can write a letter to Santa and have him reply before Christmas. Santa’s Museum is a wonderful testimate to this special town and the magic it holds. The staff working there has great knowledge on what to do in Santa Claus and they have brochures to help you decide what to do next.

An awesome history of Santa Claus including letters to Santa dating back to the 70s.

Santa Claus Christmas Store

We easily spent an hour in this ‘all things Christmas’ store. It would have been much longer had we had more time to visit. There’s an entire room of Christmas villiages for every theme! There is a bakery with cookies the size of your head. There are more ornaments than you’ve ever seen in one location! Also, the big guy himself is there to have a meet and greet with! If you have that certain person in your family that is hard to buy for, you’ll definitely find something for them here!

There were so many beautiful Gingerbread Houses. I wanted them all!

Don’t mind my barefoot baby tasting the tree.

We had such a magical time in Santa Claus, Indiana. Thank you to the Spencer County Visitor’s Bureau for hosting our family on this fun trip. I would love to know where you like to eat and play in Santa Claus!

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Bringing Baby to the Beach

Expectations

Gear

Family Fun in French Lick Part 2

West Baden

French Lick Winery- Vintage Cafe

French Lick West Baden Museum

Wilstem Ranch

Brick Street 33

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Family Fun in French Lick Part 1

French Lick Day 1

The Room

Bowling and Pizza

Pool time

The Hotel

The Polar Express

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The Best Things To Do In Southern Indiana

The Best Things To Do In Southern Indiana

Hotel Stay at Home2 Suites

Expelling Energy and Refueling

Historic (and adorable) Jeffersonville

Parlour Pizza

Schimpff’s Confectionary

Falls of Ohio

Big 4 Station Park

The Best Things to Do in Santa Claus Indiana

Check-In to the Hotel

Holiday World Splash & Safari

Our Favorites at Holiday World

Things to do in Santa Claus

Santa’s Candy Castle

Santa’s Museum and Village

Santa Claus Christmas Store

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