Browsing Category: Family Travel United States

There is so much to do and see that it would take a lifetime to do it all. However, Adventures of Abby Girl is all about family travel in the United States.

In this category, learn about awesome family travel ideas such as all-inclusive resorts such as Pine Ridge Dude Ranch in the heart of the Catskill.

Find awesome beaches and climb mountains in Connecticut or learn about family-friendly attractions such as SeaQuest or Museum Village.

Go to Pennsylvania and learn all about places such as Cabella’s or head to Lake George in New York.

You can skip the border into Vermont and learn about some pretty awesome off the beaten path small American towns.

Be aware that we tell it like it is with the good, the bad and the downright hilarious. We always keep it real. No sugar coating. We even might talk about taking the long route and all the things that happen along that route.

So go through these posts in this category and maybe you will be inspired to take your family on some of the adventures Abby girl and her family have been on. Perhaps we will even see you there!

Go Visit: Family Friendly New York, Uncategorized

Affordable Educational Summer Fun in the Hudson Valley

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free-low-cost-educational-summer-fun-hudson-valley

There are so many ways to still learn throughout the summer and have fun doing it with many different hands-on learning experiences throughout the Hudson Valley. If you’re reading this and live outside of the Hudson Valley, read on because many things I mention here are universal to other areas of the country as well. So get ready for some great suggestions for free educational summer activities in the Hudson Valley!

LIBRARY PROGRAMING

Library programming doesn’t take a break in the summer, and most programs are free! My daughter is currently taking a cartooning class at one of our many local libraries. Tomorrow, both girls (almost 4 and 10) are taking a paper puppet class. Earlier in the week, they both participated in a storytime (more geared to the younger one) and met an amazing therapy dog. They also both created dinosaur-themed crafts. All these programs are at the Hyde Park Library. Many require you to reserve a spot, so check the website!

Girl with therapy dog enjoying a Free educational summer activities Hudson Valley at library

Last month, my daughter and I went to a lecture at the Lagrange Library on wolf conservation. It was very informative, and we are very excited to visit the sanctuary when it reopens next year!

Summer reading programs. Every library we can think of has a summer reading program for little ones all the way up, with fun prizes to keep them going and a summer end party; it’s a win-win and a great way to keep learning with many free and fun educational things to do with the kiddos this summer.

Homeschool:

Day programs can fill up faster or be more crowded during the summer months. So keep that in mind!

Historical Sites are another Affordable Option to get learning throughout the Summer!

There are historical sites all over the Hudson Valley and yes, tours can cost money, but many have events and self-guided options that are free or very inexpensive to go and visit. The bonus is that many also have hiking trails on site and beautiful gardens to stroll through for some awesome photo ops! Keep in mind too that your local library has passes that can get you into some awesome places such as historical Sites.

In Hyde Park NY alone, the web says there are 25 historic sites! That’s a whole lot of history to go visit in just one town, and many towns in the Hudson Valley have historic sites you can visit for free or low cost.

Art Events

I just saw that the Wassaic Project has free offerings, and during First Fridays in Poughkeepsie, there are some art galleries open to the public, including the amazing street art.

You can register to participate in one of the many artistic categories at the Dutchess County Fair.

The Catskill Cats, Saugerties dogs, and third is escaping me right now. But artists go and create different themes on these animals in different towns, and the artwork is absolutely amazing. Abby Girl’s favorite Catskill Cats were Lobster Cat and Ozzy Cat. You can find her doing improv dances in front of both on our dance YouTube channel. The Ozzy Cat is right in front of the Mc D’s, and I couldn’t help but wonder what the two guys in the window looking out were thinking as she danced around right outside as they munched on their cheeseburgers. See her dance in front of Ozzy Cat Here and Lobster Cat Here

Create Council for thr Arts in Columbia County has a lot of free things to go see and do. Abby has participated in the past as open and active audience at the Bridge Street Theater.

Ballet Collective has a couple of free classes and a free performance coming up this month. The one workshop is for littles, and the other is for adults.

The list goes on and on for absolutely awesome free educational summer activities Hudson Valley!

Take a Hike for Affordable Educational Fun this Summer-

It’s still on here … However, we haven’t updated it in years. But we kept a very lengthy description of every trail we hiked. You can go look through it for some ideas, but check it against something like Alltrails for accuracy because some trails might now be closed. I know the first half of Breakneck Ridge in Beacon is currently closed. But the Hudson Valley has miles and miles of trails. We do review every trail on AllTrails as well and hope to update here as well eventually. For our most up-to-date reviews, watch one of our most recent videos on YouTube- Adventures of Abby Girl.

We spent hours talking about plant life, the animals we see, and the insects that crawl over our feet, and every once in a while, trails (like Vassar Farms) have plaques throughout the woods describing what each tree or plant is.

Final Thoughts

moth close up photo

Places like Facebook are an excellent resource to finding Free educational summer activities in the Hudson Valley. If you have a pass to the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum, many educational events are included. I just read they are dissecting a pig heart soon to learn about your heart. Many places have a day a month that is free also.

Do you have any suggestions that we missed or free/low cost events coming up in the Hudson Valley you would like everyone to hear about? … Send us a comment on your educational find!

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Family Friendly Connecticut Travel

SeaQuest Trumbull CT Part 2: Birthday Parties

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We have gone to Seaquest Trumbull CT as just a family day trip. However, for Abby girl’s sixth birthday, she got to have a birthday party there! Everyone had a wonderful time! This is a sponsored post.

What is Seaquest?

Many People comment and complain that these types of places are simply mall aquariums with some animals on attraction. That the space isn’t adequate or animals are not cared for properly and this is far from the truth. Seaquest is involved in humanitarian efforts and the whole time we were there, we saw passionate caretakers who really cared for all the animals and took a strong passionate interest in all the species on display.  So, if it wasn’t for a place such as SeaQuest, many animals would not survive. See the full article in Part 1 of the SeaQuest adventure.

Furthermore, it’s a wonderful place to have a birthday party whether you are a little or a big kid and since it’s indoors, you don’t have to worry about inclement weather either to have an animal-themed party.

Seaquest adventure

SeaQuest Party Package includes:

  • Admission to SeaQuest for child & parent(s), plus 10 guests. (Additional guests can be included in your party at an extra charge of $14.95 per guest)
  • Access to SeaQuest party room (1 hr & 30 min)
  • A special encounter with an animal of the birthday child’s choice.
  • Feeding tokens for the birthday group. (We will provide 4 feeding tokens for a group of 10, 10 tokens for a group of 20, 5 tokens for each additional 10 after that. Additional SeaQuest tokens can be purchased in-store or on our website here.)
  • A VIP gift for the birthday child.
  • Goodie bags for every attendee (includes a BOGO certificate for next visit)
Seaquest

The Party Room

We had around 25 people at Abby’s birthday and there was still plenty of space in the party room. However, we would recommend purchasing a longer slot for the party room. It felt as if it went by really fast. It’s definitely doable because we did food and cake in the first hour. Then they brought the animal. Afterward, the birthday girl opened presents and then time was up. But, you are free to stay and enjoy the animals for as long as you want. You just have to be completely out of the party room.

Keep in mind that it’s a shared party room where two parties up to 22 people each might share the room or you can rent the whole room. We preferred just having the whole room to ourselves.

SeaQuest Trumbull CT

The Animal Encounter at Seaquest Trumbull CT:

They gave Abby a choice of about five animals to pick from for her birthday. She picked the parrot. His name is Ramsey and loved hamming it up for his adoring crowd. Each child, if they wanted, could pose with the parrot on them.

*you can purchase additional animal encounters too for $15 per animal.


Food/Beverage/Decorations

Outside food is allowed. We had a custom cake made from a local bakery. The pizza was really tasty and on time which is important in a fixed time slot. So, we highly recommend Trumbull Pizza Company. For 25 guests, we ordered 5 pizza pies. Two we requested the slices be cut in 1/16th for the smaller children.


Alcohol is not permitted on site. 
Balloons, pinatas, open flames (i.e. candles, hot serving dishes) can be used. We didn’t even use decorations. There are two big viewing windows where you can see the fish in the party room and plenty of spots for photo opportunities. The children loved taking photos with the surfboard. What they provided was enough for us and less to clean up.

View the Video! Click Here!

After the Party Room

Everyone went and spent time exploring all the awesome attractions around SeaQuest. It was nice having unlimited time to explore. What’s really awesome is you will see staff members walking around with animals from time to time too. They are very eager to show you the animal and tell you all about them. They have many types of encounters from land to sea and everything in between. Some cost additional tokens and many others are included with admission. There are some non-animal experiences too such as the simulated hurricane. Then of course, before we left, we visited the gift shop.

SeaQuest Trumbull CT

Additional Add-ons

Marina, the Mermaid can be included in your party at an extra charge of $45 per hour. This is the one thing, I wish I would have booked and didn’t. My daughter loves mermaids.

What are the birthday hours?

SeaQuest birthdays can be reserved any day of the week. The time slots will be dependent on the current reservations but happen on the even hours (10 AM, 12 PM, etc.) We suggest booking as soon as you know the date/time of your event so that your spot is reserved. 

SeaQuest Trumbull CT

Final Thoughts on Seaquest Trumbull CT

For a unique birthday that is great for all, consider SeaQuest. We visited the one in Trumbull CT. However, they have locations throughout the United States. Just remember that each SeaQuest will differ. But, the fact still remains, that this will be a birthday for the books because everyone will have a fintastic time!

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Family Friendly Connecticut Travel

Family Adventures at Seaquest Trumbull CT

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Seaquest is an awesome place to adventure with your family. In fact, it is a place families will want to return to over and over again. Every time you go, there is a new experience or encounter. Since a lot of the animals are rescues/surrenders, new animal arrivals are common! We got to meet a few of these new arrivals on our trip to Seaquest in Trumbull CT and had several brand new experiences. This is a sponsored post.

What is Seaquest?

Many People comment and complain that these types of places are simply mall aquariums with some animals on attraction. That the space isn’t adequate or animals are not cared for properly and this is far from the truth. Seaquest is involved in humanitarian efforts and the whole time we were there, we saw passionate caretakers who really cared for all the animals and took a strong passionate interest in all the species on display. If it wasn’t for a place such as SeaQuest, many animals would not survive.

rescue
a rescued bird they are rehabbing

Our VIP Experience-

Last year at SeaQuest we celebrated 1,213 live births from eight species, giving us the ability to help with conservation of endangered, vulnerable & threatened animals.

1Two-toed Sloth
*Threatened Species*

400Axolotls
*Critically Endangered

*4Asian Small-clawed Otters
*Vulnerable Species*

https://trumbull.visitseaquest.com/new-about-us/https://trumbull.visitseaquest.com/new-about-us/

They also are actively involved in community organizations and non-profits supporting the education of children as well as other causes.

The VIP Experience usually allows for up to three VIP encounters and does not include admission price (unless you are a member). However, so we can share all we learned, we opted to do all five!

Snorkel with Stingrays-

Snorkeling with stingrays is a lot of fun. They provide wet suits and snorkels. Don’t forget to bring towels and something dry for afterward. Trust me. I forgot to pack my husband’s spare underwear. Don’t be like me.

You then are allowed to snorkel around this huge tank and look at all the different species swimming around you. Even children can go in and explore. Abby loves it and is only 5. I opted to be the photo taker on this trip.

Seaquest
Seaquest

Hang with a Sloth-

The sloth is so cool. You go and feed him. While the sloth is occupied with food, you can pet its head and belly. Also, be aware, he really likes cameras.

Fishy Kiss Experience-

This is a foot spa where little tiny fish nibble at your toes. Abby is very hyper and didn’t last the whole time. She said it tickled a lot. I found it relaxing despite the fact that they only seemed to like my one foot. In particular, my heel. My husband didn’t try it as he really doesn’t like feet. But, he was a trooper and got plenty of footage of the experience instead.

fish spa

Asian Otter Interaction-

In this exhibit, people slide raw fish down a tube for the two Asian Otters to enjoy. In the end, people can feed each a mussel in the shell (it’s something new Seaquest is implementing). It’s fun to watch them try to crack them open. The final part is picking out a sparkling rock to put in the tube. They love playing with these and hiding them!

seaquest

Kinkajou Experience-

We went into the party room and they brought in the baby kinkajou. The most adorable part of our visit! People can feed it honey and fruits and vegetables. Be aware that these are very curious creatures. It crawled onto my backpack and tried to crawl in.

seaquest

Why Seaquest is so awesome for homeschoolers!

Homeschooling is on the rise. Many families who never thought they would homeschool are put in a brand new position. I am one of those parents. I am also one of those parents that believes hands-on experiences are far more valuable than sitting in a classroom with a textbook learning about the same things.

At Seaquest, the people who work there really took the time. They were very knowledgeable about every animal we encountered. The number of facts we learned or they gave us was mindblowing. They give you fun facts too. Not just dry boring ones. That really kept our interest.

Here are a few we learned from Seaquest Staff-

The two-toed sloth goes to the bathroom once every five days on the ground.

The sloth has two toes and you tell by the front claws, not the back. The back claws are all three.

A Guitar Fish is extremely curious and would not leave my husband’s toes alone as he went on his snorkeling expedition with Abby Girl. Remember how much he loves feet (sarcasm)

The nine-month-old kinkajou is on a flipped sleep schedule and loves their sloth stuffed animal in the pouch they are carried around in (yes workers take turns carrying the baby around and it’s beyond adorable!)

Asian-small clawed otters are escape artists. In fact, some escaped from a zoo in England and formed a colony in the wild. I actually researched it when I got home and the fact-checked out!

Britain has a new species of carnivore, living and breeding in the wild. But farmers and country folk can take comfort: this is no sheep-eating Beast of Bodmin. The Asian short-clawed otter, found from India eastwards to Borneo and Java, has established itself on rivers and canals near Oxford after escaping from captivity. Sightings over 10 years have satisfied naturalists that a small population has managed to breed successfully.

https://www.zoochat.com/community/threads/asian-small-clawed-otters-wild-in-the-uk.462366/
  • seaquest
  • seaquest

Watch our video here!

Beyond the VIP-

There is a whole bunch of other stuff to see too and interact with too. We shared some of our random highlights in the slide show above. We love that you can purchase tokens and feed a lot of the animals. There is also a great gift shop. Having a birthday here or a special event would be really awesome.

Final Thoughts About Seaquest-

If you are looking for a family adventure that will make memories that last a lifetime, go visit Seaquest in Trumbull. Not from the area? There are Seaquests in other parts of the United States too. In fact, there is one about an hour further from us in the Hudson Valley than the Trumbull location in Woodbridge, NJ. Tag us on social media if you go! We will share your photo in our stories! You can follow Seaquest on social media too. Adventure on!

Need to book a place to stay overnight? Read our first-time experience at an Airbnb!

Wondering how you become a Christian adventurer like us … Read this nifty how-to article!

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Go Visit: Family Friendly New York

Vlei Marsh Preserve a Special Place to Visit

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Vlei Marsh Preserve just opened in the month of June after months of planning and creating by the Winnakee Land Trust. It is truly a special place.

What is Vlei Marsh Preserve?

According to the website, Vlei Marsh Preserve is…

The second-largest wetland area in Rhinebeck, Vlei Marsh consists of 165 acres, 90 acres of which are DEC designated wetlands, including 1,300 feet of headwaters of the Fallsburg Creek. The property is designated by the DEC as a Core Forest in a Forest Linkage Zone. It is also designated as a DEC Significant Biodiversity Area in the Hudson Valley and is home to a rich diversity of bird and amphibian life and beavers. Its trails consist of 1.5 miles of two, looped trails, Offering visitors picturesque views along the wetland and through forested areas. There is also a partial connection to the Landsman Kill Equestrian Trails. This property is owned and managed by the Winnakee Land Trust since 2020.

https://www.winnakee.org/vleimarsh/
vlei marsh preserve

But Beyond That …

It is a truly special place. We went while the natural art exhibit is still dotting the landscape (shoutout to the artist, Richard Prouse). There are creatures from sticks and sculptures like something out of fairytales. In fact, as my child ran through the woods during the late afternoon, a light rain was falling and it just was indescribable. Picturesque.

We came up to a lean-to in the forest. It had all kinds of woodland decorations on it and inside, a bunch of fairy houses. My child let out a shriek of joy as she sat down quietly amongst them. This is a child who never sits still. She quietly whispered to me that the fairies made all this. Abby Girl begged me to find out if she could come back at night to see the fairies awake. I told her that the trails close at night. But, we could come another day to Vlei Marsh and as many times after that.

fairy house

Even after this art installation closes (June 19th), Vlei Marsh will still be a magical place. There is something about it there that draws you in and the swamp is amazing. According to the website, after July 15, people can also paddle the swamp. I would love to try that too! But, for now, we will just stay on the trails.

We also love the mix of scenery between the woodlands and swamp area. The rocks we had to skip over and birds we heard greeting us. As mentioned before, this is a very special place. We would even recommend this as a place to come and sit. Just be in the moment and perhaps meditate and pray. Bring your sketch pad or notebook and be inspired.

Getting to Vlei Swamp Preserve-

I used my GPS and passed it the first time. It looks like a driveway with a gate. Just park along the shoulder. Go around the gate and start walking.

Final Thoughts-

We love adventuring to new trails! Vlei Swamp Preserve did not disappoint. It’s fairly easy walking. We encountered rolling hills. However, that was it. So family approved. Let us know what you think when you go to Vlei Swamp Preserve in Rhinebeck NY.

Want another awesome place to visit? Try Locust Grove Estates in Poughkeepsie NY!

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Go Visit: Family Friendly New York

Be Inspired at Locust Grove Estate

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Locust Grove Estate is a great place for the whole family including the chubby dog to visit. They have art, history and lovely trails. A great combo for a day of adventuring at a Hudson Valley Location. 

Getting to Locust Grove Estate-

Locust Grove is conveniently located on rt 9 in Poughkeepsie NY. There is plenty of parking and handicapped accessible. Enter through the gift shop. This is always dangerous for us. Abby got a stuffed animal Eagle that makes the sounds because we saw one on the side of the road on 343 eating with vultures the day before. But, anyways, super easy to find and get into. Say hello to the lovely person or people behind the desk and head through the doors to the grounds. If you need a restroom, it is to the left and down the hall where you first entered before heading into the gift shop.

The estate grounds-

Without even going on the trails, the grounds are lovely to either sit and look at the view behind the house or wander through the gardens. There are also two old cemeteries on the grounds with one for pets and one for people. We love the old horse carriage and big bellowing trees that dot the property. Currently, Locust Grove is having a fairy house scavenger hunt for a ten-dollar suggested donation. We saw one on our way to the trails. But, if you pay the ten dollars suggested donation, they give you a map to find the houses. It will be on weekends through June. 

Fun Fact: According to the Locust Grove Estate Website, the grounds and gardens have been restored to what they were pre-WWII. That’s pretty nifty.

Locust Grove Estates

The Trails-

Follow the path down past the two cemeteries and picnic area all on your right and you will see a big fence/gate. Just go through there to access several trails. There is a trail down a bit to the right. It’s a really easy trail that just brings you back around to the main grounds,

trail

However, on our last trip, we went straight down the hill past the old barn that looks like a beautiful New England painting and followed signs for the Hudson River. You can loop around for a several-mile hike. We decided to just follow a dead-end trail down and then out and back our trip. On our way back from the dead-end trail, we saw a huge black snake on the side of the trail. Not even telling a fishtail, it was seriously huge. You know the arms you make when you say it was “this big,” it was that big, and then some. 

We have traveled many trails over the past few years at Locust Grove and love the varying scenery and even though it can get a little crowded especially on weekends, it is still a really nice place to navigate the trails. It’s also moderately easy. Some hills and rocks. But not bad. 

Tip: Wear bug spray and stay on the trail

Locust Grove Estates
See Video of Snake Here (like/subscribe/comment too!)

Other Events at Locust Grove Estate-

Locust Grove holds other events throughout the year as well. They have artists that show throughout the year too. So there seems to always be something happening at Locust Grove for all people to enjoy

The History of Locust Grove-

Locust Grove was once home to Samuel Morse and Locust Grove now hosts permanent exhibits from his career as an artist and inventor. 

Locust Grove first belonged to the Morse family. After that, it was rented by the Young family. Eventually Annette Young would become the sole owner and her mission was to make this a historic site. This was achieved in the late 1970s. To read the full history, go here. 

Walking Through History

Final Thoughts About Locust Grove Estate-

Locust Grove is a great place to visit. It’s rich in history, available for events, and even hosts some cool events. They have wonderful art on display and beautiful hiking trails to explore. Bring your art canvas and some paints and become inspired like other Hudson Valley artists such as Morse from a time long ago.

Looking for more places to adventure in Hudson Valley? How about along the Hudson River? We have been to so many spots along the river, we couldn’t even list them all in this one post! Visit it here!

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