Mary Angel

(8/2019) It’s September again? That means it is staycation time for my family again! Almost every year since we have started our staycations I have brought you all along for the good times. This year isn’t any different, we had a blast and I hope it will inspire you to make memories with your family as well.

First, for those of you who have never staycationed and haven’t read my past articles, a staycation is when you do day trips instead of going away for vacation. Last year for staycation we did a "best of" year and revisited many of the kids and our favorite spots, including the ones that have become annual favorites. We saw Jesus at Sight and Sound which was absolutely amazing. We returned to Lancaster, PA to see The Wizard of Oz at Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre. The kids also chose a Frederick Keys game and the Army Heritage Museum near Carlisle. We did a home and garden tour and a few other things the kids have loved over the years.

This year we tried to mix favorites with some new experiences. We started, right after church, with a brand new family favorite by eating lunch at Iron Age in Catonsville, MD where you get all of the meat you can eat that you cook over an open grill in the middle of your table. The kids were mesmerized and stuffed by the end of lunch. It was delicious and entertaining and a great way to start staycation. Next we went to an escape room in Gettysburg, PA. The craftsmanship at 1863 Escape Room was beyond compare of the other escape rooms we have enjoyed (and we have enjoyed them all). Unfortunately as the kids get older life gets in the way, so it was only 5 of the 6 of us. My kids would tell you that an escape room would definitely be included in a future "best of" staycation year. This night we just grabbed pizza and brought it home and relaxed

Our second day started on Monday when we piled in the car to head to the Army Heritage Museum. This is a free day trip (I would encourage you to drop something in the donation box next to the gift shop). This is by far one of our families favorite day trips. It is not too far away, there are inside and outside things to explore, a gift shop, and it doesn’t hurt that there is a Red Robin around the corner (Yummmm). After a quick lunch (there wasn’t time this trip for a sit down lunch) we headed to Harrisburg for a second time riding the Pride of the Susquehanna Riverboat. If you have never done this it is a beautiful 45 min excursion. If you are looking for something a little longer they do offer specialty cruises that include meals, adult beverages, and themes like princesses.

The third day was kind of a free day in that I took my son driving and then to take his driving test…and yes we have another driver in the house (and higher insurance – ugggg). That evening we went to a Frederick Keys game. All of the kids love this choice for different reasons. The boys love to watch the game, eat and joke with my husband. The girls like to watch a little game, grab a little something to eat, Wander around talking, and then repeat. This year unfortunately we were rained out by the second inning, but we had a blast and as we headed home (knowing we could exchange our tickets for another game this season) the three younger ones had a blast collecting Pokémon Go characters. We drove all around Frederick with my husband reminiscing and the kids laughing as they squealed about this Pokémon and the next. Everything this day was a little strange and not what we planned but it was extremely memorable and a blast.

It is now day four of staycation and we started a new, very popular tradition we call the Family Olympics! We bowled, played mini golf, laser tag, our family dinner game, and Rummy and everyone got scored according to their placement in each event. Since there are six of us first place got 6, second got 5, and so on. It was amazing to see how all over the board the scoring was. My second son got first in bowling and laser tag, but last in mini golf (I beat him by 2 points) and Rummy (he never got above 0), while my husband scored highest in mini golf and second highest in almost everything else. My oldest had to work most of the day so his score ended very low. My husband came in first place overall and the day was such a success that we are now planning our families winter Olympics.

Day five was also something new, the Hershey Trolley Tour. It was funny and interesting and yummy all rolled into one! This was followed by lunch at, you guessed it, Red Robin and the boys couldn’t have been happier. That afternoon we had to get back for the oldest to go to work. We finished out the evening with some games and a dinner out…kid’s choice!

The final day of staycation took us to Lancaster, PA, or at least close. We went to Bird in Hand dinner theatre. The food was delicious (try the chicken corn soup), the show was extremely well written and the music was some of the best I have seen at a dinner theatre. We had an absolute blast and so did the kids. I love knowing we have two choices in the Lancaster area for dinner theatre options.

I hope we have inspired you to start your own staycation traditions. Remember to throw in free events or look on Groupon and other coupon sites for discounts. Above all remember to have fun, make memories and know it is all about spending time together not breaking the bank!

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