Trip to Lancaster with 2 1/2 year old twin sons

My husband and i are planning a trip to lancaster in August to go to Dutch Wonderland, the Strasberg Railroad and any other attractions that would be enjoyable for my 2 1/2 year old sons. I have several questions that I would love some help with.

We are planning on staying at the Best Western Revere in a family suite. I%26#39;ve been looking on the web and have seen all good things said about this hotel, but then i see people talking about willow valley and best western eden and i wonder if i%26#39;d be better off switching. I%26#39;m wondering if my boys are too young to appreciate the ';indoor water park'; at willow valley. A friend also suggested Netherlands Inn but the reviews seem to be pretty bad. Anyone know about this place.

Any suggestions about other attractions to see? Any suggestions on scheduling these various attractions. Also, my kids are very very picky eaters, any suggestions of kid friendly places (that serve lots of breakfast type foods or pizza).

This is our first real vacation and i just want it to be a great first trip so any help would be greatly appreciated.

Trip to Lancaster with 2 1/2 year old twin sons

I personally think your children are too young to enjoy Willow Valley. The Eden is a great place but so is your hotel. Your location is closer to Dutch Wonderland and the RR. The great thing about the Eden is the residence quarters. You get a bedroom, living room, kitchen, etc. It may be perfect for you with toddlers. And if they are that picky you could cook instead of going out.

I attended a seminar at the Netherlands. The grounds are gorgeous. The view spectacular. The food was very good. But the rooms are outdated. I think you are better off at either the Eden or Revere.

There are numerous restaurants on Lincoln Highway East that your kids should have no problem with. In fact many are all you can eat buffets and will most likely not charge for 2 year olds. So the kids would have any array of foods to choose from for free! We also have several diners that serve breakfast all day. Try Jennie%26#39;s Dinner. It is about 2.5 miles straight down the road from the Revere on the same side. Kids will love it. Breakfast served all day. Portions are huge, it is cheap and food is great. If you have any more questions please ask. By the way when is your trip?

Trip to Lancaster with 2 1/2 year old twin sons

Thanks for your suggestions mom. I really appreciate your help. Our trip is planned for 8/5-8/8. I was also thinking of going to Hershey for Chocolate World (as I know my kids are too young to appreciate the park itself). do you think that is a good idea for their age or do you think they will be bored?

I did some research since I posted yesterday and found some more activities (Hands on Museum, cherry crest farm) and was wondering how many of these activities is it possible to do in one day due to their location and the amount of time necessary at each attraction.

Thanks again for your help and guidance.

Thanks for your suggestions mom. I really appreciate your help. Our trip is planned for 8/5-8/8. I was also thinking of going to Hershey for Chocolate World (as I know my kids are too young to appreciate the park itself). do you think that is a good idea for their age or do you think they will be bored?

I did some research since I posted yesterday and found some more activities (Hands on Museum, cherry crest farm) and was wondering how many of these activities is it possible to do in one day due to their location and the amount of time necessary at each attraction.

Thanks again for your help and guidance.

Sorry about the double post, i%26#39;m new to this.

As a father of twin boys (now 27 years old) who often accompanied us as small children on forays into Lancaster County, I would suggest that you consider a trip to Lapp Valley Farm on 244 Mentzer Road, New Holland. Phone # is 717-354-7988. The Lapp Farm is run by plain people, who make homemade ice cream on site. There is also a petting zoo with some unusual animals, such as llamas, etc., usually present. My kids loved it! I%26#39;d also recommend a restaurant, Isaac%26#39;s, which is an area chain, and has a store in Strasburg where the railroad is. The menu is based on a bird theme, and they have a very nice kids%26#39; menu. See www.isaacsdeli.com for current menu postings. I think your boys would enjoy! The food is also healthier than some other choices in the area.

As a father of twin boys (now 27 years old) who often accompanied us as small children on forays into Lancaster County, I would suggest that you consider a trip to Lapp Valley Farm on 244 Mentzer Road, New Holland. Phone # is 717-354-7988. The Lapp Farm is run by plain people, who make homemade ice cream on site. There is also a petting zoo with some unusual animals, such as llamas, etc., usually present. My kids loved it! I%26#39;d also recommend a restaurant, Isaac%26#39;s, which is an area chain, and has a store in Strasburg where the railroad is. The menu is based on a bird theme, and they have a very nice kids%26#39; menu. See www.isaacsdeli.com for current menu postings. I think your boys would enjoy! The food is also healthier than some other choices in the area.

As a father of twin boys (now 27 years old) who often accompanied us as small children on forays into Lancaster County, I would suggest that you consider a trip to Lapp Valley Farm on 244 Mentzer Road, New Holland. Phone # is 717-354-7988. The Lapp Farm is run by plain people, who make homemade ice cream on site. There is also a petting zoo with some unusual animals, such as llamas, etc., usually present. My kids loved it! I%26#39;d also recommend a restaurant, Isaac%26#39;s, which is an area chain, and has a store in Strasburg where the railroad is. The menu is based on a bird theme, and they have a very nice kids%26#39; menu. See www.isaacsdeli.com for current menu postings. I think your boys would enjoy! The food is also healthier than some other choices in the area.

Hershey is a 45 minute ride from the Eden. About 55 from the Revere. I don%26#39;t know that I would drive all the way up there just for the factory. You will probably wait in line for the chocolate factory at least an hour if not longer at that time of the year. But once through the ride they have a wonderful food court with everything chocolate and peanutbutter. Cookies, ice cream, candy, shakes. etc. They also have the zoo. Your twins get in free and you and your husband would be $8.50 a piece. Its a decent zoo. Certainly not the San Diago zoo or anything like that. But they do have prairie dogs which are really fun for the kids. They run in these underground tunnels and the all of the sudden pop their heads out of the ground. My kids would have sat there for hours watching those things (In fact we did sit there for hours!) That actually would be a nice day trip.

The hands on house is perfect for your kids. We have been there many, many times. It is about a mile up the road from the Eden. My opinion is that your kids are way to young for Cherry Farms. I think they will be miserable. We went once and I was ready to scream. After 2 hours I put up the white flag and they came and got us out. They say it takes about 5 hours to get through it. It is hot, buggy, claustrophobic and frustrating. We went with 5 other families. We had 10 adults and 13 children ages 2 - 13 in our party. Not one of us has ever gone back. This is just my opinion. Obviously it is not shared by everyone because they get record crowds year after year. This was just not my cup of tea.

Sorry,forgot this Hands on House can take an hour or 4 hours. It depends on the individual child. They have one room that is a mock grocery store and the kids get a basket and the food and then run the cash register, they have one room that is a machine shop that they build stuff. They have an art room. So it really depends on what your kids are into. Our average visit was probably 2 hours but that was usually me saying ';ok, lets go.'; not them saying we are bored.

While in Strasburg don%26#39;t forget to stop in at the PA RR museum across the street from the Strasburg RR. The kids can climb on real steam engines. Down the street from the RR is the Choo Choo Barn (and Issac%26#39;s Deli). They have a great toy train display. The kids will love it (hubby, too). Both the Strasburg RR and Choo Choo Barn have Thomas the Tank Engine $tore$. In the center of town is the Strasburg General Store and Creamery. Great ice cream! I%26#39;d recommend staying in a residential suite at the BW Eden Resort. Indoor %26amp; outdoor pools and a playground. You can eat out or cook in. We stayed at the Netherlands Spa when it was the ';Olde'; (hint) Historic Strasburg Inn. I%26#39;m not sure what upgrades they%26#39;ve made since then. One small warning. Some attractions will be closed on Sundays. Check their websites for hours. I like 800PaDutch.com

Steve

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