Editor Reviews
Congratulations! You’ve made it to the end of the school year! Packed lunches, homework nights, parent-teacher conferences, book fairs, school zones, standardized tests… it all comes to an end on May 31, the last day of school for The Woodlands area! We figured you’d be needing a break, so we set off to create the perfect antidote for your busy, stressful, hurried life!
Surprise! We found an amazingly relaxing escape for our readers, and it’s right here in our backyard. Read on to learn how to “get away” for the weekend and return home after a night or two, ready to tackle the summer break. It’s only minutes away from your humble abode, but it has all the ingredients to help you get your groove back.
The Lodging – Embassy Suites Hotel
Our recent springtime visit was a delight for all six of my family members; and now that summer is here, the Boardwalk is even more exciting with fireworks, live music nights, special discounts, and more. I just really love the feel of this place. It's energetic and lively and somewhat nostalgic, and so much fun!
Here are a few highlights from my recent visit:
The Crayola Experience is an exuberant, color-crazy adventure! It wasn't too long ago that Keri gave us a look at Crayola Orlando, and now it's Karen here - checking out the newest (much closer) Crayola, the fourth location for this popular attraction. Crayola Experience Plano, Texas' most colorful family destination, opened at The Shops at Willow Bend (6121 W. Park Blvd.) last month, and this place is rocking! If your family enjoys making the occasional drive to the Dallas Metroplex, you'll be happy to have one more family-friendly attraction to add to your list when visiting the area.
Unlike a buffet, Chi has guests order anything they want from a specific All You Can Eat menu that includes soup, salad, appetizers, sashimi, nigiri, cooked and raw rolls, fried rice, udon, hibachi items and dessert. If you're out with sushi-phobic friends, there's plenty of choices to keep them happy.
The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is a smooth four hour drive north of The Woodlands and offers plenty of options for family fun, perfect for an extended weekend getaway.
One of my absolute favorite attractions is contained within the grounds of the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. The expansive Rory Meyers Children's Adventure Garden is a beautifully designed garden with interactive exhibits for kids.
Our Orlando trip was quite flexible and I was eager to visit Orlando Science Center, a favorite of our friends that live nearby. I knew the museum had exhibits for preschoolers but I wasn't so sure what to expect. Boy was I ever surprised! Imagine a science museum virtually ENTIRELY for kids! It was just our luck that we visited on the first day back to school from winter break for Orange County schools, so we had a lot of the museum to ourselves with mainly preschoolers, no tourist hordes and no field trips.
On a day of rest during our week-long Orlando trip, I mentioned to my oldest son that we had a special dinner planned. "Donuts?! I really hope it's donuts," was his response. Imagine his surprise when we approached a medieval castle! Our family was about to enter the Middle Ages to dine like kings and queens while cheering on knights at Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament.