Dutch Wonderland

Well, I am a new fan: Dutch Wonderland is awesome!

Perfect for kids under 10. People have been telling me about it forever, and finally we went... There are tons of rides perfectly suited for toddlers and young kids! Lilia and Grace were is awe from the moment we arrived, to the time we left. I thought it was a beautifully designed amusement park, with landscaped gardens surrounding it, and Amish farmland as a back-drop. From the moment we arrived, we ran from ride to ride.

Granny & Grandad came with us, and stayed in our hotel room. This meant Jeff and I could escape for dinner in Lancaster, while Lilia slept. Somehow, we all had pretty good nights' sleep! Granny & Grandad helped look after Lilia while we took Grace on some of the big-girl rides... It was the perfect set up for such a trip; we could come and go freely depending on the kids' rising & falling energy levels, but we had just enough help to make it easy on the parents. :)



There was a princess story-time, which was a highlight for Grace. Lilia loved the bulldozer ride (surprise, surprise!). She screamed and cried when it was over, just to prove it!

The highlight for me, was seeing the girls get to ride real ponies. Grace loved this part and Lilia, too! Lilia especially has always loved horseys--her favorite song is "ney, ney, ney; hear the horse in the early morning." She sings it all day!

As we had a two-night hotel stay, we were able to spend time in Lancaster. It was beautiful. I really loved the beautifully tended to farmland and houses, and all the horse-drawn buggies. Grace got a new handmade teddy bear with her name on it. On the way back, we stopped in Gettysburg. We had the most awesome lunch in the Dobbin Tavern--a colonial restaurant lit only by candles. Food was great.

I wish it wasn't over...A truly wonderful weekend.