Massachusetts Archives - Dad of Divas

The John Carver Inn in Plymouth, Massachusetts is Made For Families

July 1, 2016 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

From Boston we headed south and headed to Plymouth. While I had always heard the stories of Plymouth rock and the Pilgrims I had never been to the city so I was excited to see and explore the city for myself.

In arriving in the city I was surprised to the size of the city itself. It is not a sleepy community but a thriving city that has a large amount of businesses and while the largest industry in the community os tourism, you can tell that this is not something that is lacking in numbers!

We stayed for our first night at the John Carver Inn. This Inn is right outside of downtown and is centrally located to many of the Plymouth attractions. For us staying at this Inn on this night was perfect. After a long day in Boston the kids wanted to simply veg out and have fun on a pool and the John Carver Inn delivered an amazing pool with waterslide, waterfalls, a hot tub for adults and plenty of room for the kids to simply have fun.

Both my daughters made fast friends with a few other girls that were in the pool and they were off having fun. I tried out the waterslide and can tell you that it is a lot of fun and the water in the pool is the perfect temperature and felt great!

The rooms that we had were the perfect size for our family of four with two queen beds and even a refrigerator and a fireplace in our room. The beds were very comfortable and we found that we all slept very comfortably in the accommodations.

The John Carver Inn does not provide complimentary breakfast for guests, however, they do have the Hearth and Kettle restaurant as a part of their location that offers reasonable prices and a family friendly environment for feeding your family at any meal of the day.

The John Carver Inn is only one of three locations within Cape Cod. They also have similar locations in Hyannis and in Sandwich.

The John Carver Inn also offered a spa, though it was not open when I was at the location.

We had a wonderful stay at this great Inn and if you are looking for a family-friendly location, this is definitely one to keep on your list!

Here is a video with my thoughts on the Inn

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Taming Our Inner Witches in Salem, Massacusetts

June 29, 2016 by dadofdivas 1 Comment

Thanks to the great people with Destination Salem my family and I had the chance to experience a ton around Salem, Massachusetts. I can’t say that I knew what to expect when we arrived in Salem, Massachusetts, but we were surprised to find that it was a much larger, bustling city than we had originally thought. That being said we were excited to explore the city and see everything that it held for a family like ours.

One of the first things that I noticed was how old everything was throughout the city. In the downtown area you cannot go anywhere without seeing signs on the doors of homes with the names of the original owners and the year that the home was built. It was remarkable to think about homes standing for hundreds of years and still being standing today and in great shape too!

We walked around town before we decided to go on our first tour with Salem Historical Tours. We were offered the chance to try out two of their tours and the girls selected a general history tour as well as the haunted footsteps ghost tour.

The first tour that we went on was very cool. While it did not explore the witch trials, it went into the general history of the sity itself. The city of Salem has a long history that goes back a long time. There are so many potential turning points in American history that could have changed things that we were not aware of such as the fact that Salem was in consideration to be the capitol of Massachusetts but the Governor was still hurt after his son had died in Salem so it was not selected. Also there was a stand-off between the British and the Patriots in Salem which could have escalated to the first battle of the Revolutionary War, but instead it was alleviated and instead it happened in Lexington and Concord not long after this occurred. We also learned that Alexander Graham Bell invented and had his first successful phone tests in Salem! Talk about interesting things!

After our tour we wanted to learn more about witches in Salem. While we knew from our tour that the city of Salem has basically sealed any documents regarding the witch trials until they were released in the 1960’s, but we still were interested in learning more. We decided to explore the Witches Dungeon . This attraction was great as it allowed you to get a feel for what the witch trials were really like before going down into the most authentic witches dungeon that is in Salem, Massachusetts. The dungeon itself was surprisingly small and this tells you a lot as in the presentation you learn that at the peak of the witch trials they had 150 accused in one area and people would get hurt, sick and more. The actors within the show were great in their acting and very believable.

We swung over to the oldest home still standing in its’ original location called the Witch House (The home of Jonathan Corwin). We found it to be amazing that this was still standing and in as good of shape as it was. There were some great artifacts within it. For us though, it was remarkable to see how they built homes to truly last centuries. They did it right! This house is living history and really offers some great insight into life in the 17th century. There also was a very knowledgeable docent on staff that was more than willing to answer questions that we had about the house!

We were getting hungry but decided to swing into the Salem Wax Museum on the way over to Finz Seafood and Grill for dinner and we were impressed by the artistry in the wax creations. In the museum they have recreated scenes showing things that led to the founding of Salem and some of the challenges that surrounded living in the 17th century as well as scenes surrounding the Witch trials. My girls really liked the ability to etch a gravestone at the end of the tour.

After this it was off to Finz Seafood and Grill and I was excited to try the menu and to hopefully get a famed Lobster Roll that I had heard so much about from others that had visited this area. Everyone was hungry so we quickly explored the menu and to my eyes delight they did have a lobster roll on the menu! Everyone ordered and in no time our food arrived! The food looked and tasted amazing!

The nice this about the menu at Finz and Seafood in Salem is that it has a bit of everything on the menu itself. They even have a large kids menu which is something that I am continually looking for! I finally got to get my lobster roll and it was HUGE! The sandwich tasted amazing and the lobster even better! The food at Finz Seafood and Grill was food that everyone approved of, this is not always something that happens. There also was a very wide array of food available at the restaurant which is important, especially for families with kids. Best of all for the kids they got a Massachusetts original, a Hoodsie for dessert!

Off to the House of Seven Gables House next. This house was well refurbished and the tour was very complete. The tour guide walks you through the house and lets you see how the house was recreated to look like the original while still having some unique aspects that make it a house that it much like the book that Mr. Hawthorne created. Outside of the main home there were a few other homes that were moved to this property such as the home that Nathaniel Hawthorne was both into. All of these homes were very well maintained and we loved all of the details that our tour guide provided us. While I was not allowed to get pictures of the house itself, it still was a ton of fun.

We finished the day with another tour from Salem Historical Tours. This one was their Ghost Tour. Throughout this trip our knowledgeable guide walked us through some of the biggest haunted locations in downtown and talked about the history and the details surrounding the death of these people. While we all tried to take pictures with out cameras, I did not catch anything paranormal this time. We loved being able to say that we learned so much from our guides from Salem Historical Tours. but also on our own too. If you are looking for a great guide in Salem, the tours offerred by Salem Historical Tours. are ones that I would highly recommend!

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Going Back In Time At the The Emerson Inn in Rockport, MA

June 27, 2016 by dadofdivas 3 Comments

We had the opportunity to stay at the picturesque Emerson Inn in Rockport, Massachusetts over the past few days and for us they will be days we will never forget. As you drive into Rockport, you are greeted by a beautiful town right on the Atlantic Ocean. There are quaint shops with cool names, fun eateries and more. We decided to drive around the town and even along the coast a bit before going north of town to the Emerson Inn.

The town of Rockport is tucked back in a nice cove, and just south of the town we found some very beautiful homes as well as some great lighthouses. I became intrigued by the history of Thatcher Island which was an island to the south of Rockport that had twin lighthouses that were a bit run down, but still looked pretty amazing.

After taking our drive, we headed north along the ocean for a short distance and came to the turn off for the Emerson Inn. When we came to the Emerson Inn we were amazed at the grandeur and the location right from the first moment that we laid our eyes upon it. The Emerson Inn is an Inn with a long history. It has been standing since the mid 1850’s. While the original hotel was not in the location where it now stands, the Emerson Inn as you see it now in its’ current location has been here since 1871 running consistently.

As you walk into the Emerson Inn you can feel the history all around you. The name of the Inn was adopted in the past century as a tribute to the most famous guest of the Inn, Ralph Waldo Emerson. You can even stay in the same room that he would stay in when he visited and get inspired as he would.

Staying in the Emerson Inn for two days overlooking the Atlantic Ocean I can see how you could be inspired by the location. The room that we were in had a wonderful view and even offered a balcony with a slider that would allow you to sit and look out, relaxing and listening to the waves hitting the rocks.

We were very impressed by the staff of the Emerson Inn. From the moment that we checked in they were attentive to our every need. While they knew that I was reviewing my stay, they surprised us with providing us not only with one of the suites but also two rooms which we were not expecting. This is always nice, especially when you have your kids with you. We also were surprised with a fruit and cheese plate when we arrived in our room. They had placed us on the top floor of the Inn and because we had many things they grabbed a very friendly busboy to help us. He worked with us, was friendly and even spent time helping us get acquainted with the rooms. All of these touches showed us that the staff really cared and this attention continued throughout our stay.

The Emerson Inn was decorated beautifully and on every floor you will find that the Inn has gone through a beautiful renovation over the last year.

The girls wanted to hit the pool right away and that’s what we did, even before we had dinner. While the air was cool the water was comfortable and the kids had a blast. They explored the horseshoe pits and even started taking selfies together (which does not always happen with the two of them). There is just something about this place that brings people together.

The Emerson Inn offers guests an amazing breakfast buffet, but also has a tremendous dinner that is available at different points during the week. We tried a few of the dishes on the menu including the mussels appetizer, burger and streak fritas. All three dishes were prepared to perfection. We were able to eat out on the huge back deck which is overlooking the ocean. It was a very nice evening so sitting outside was nice and there were no bugs until it got dark outside. We were very impressed with the meal and definitely would have eaten there on our second night if it had been open.

The Emerson Inn was an inn that really surpassed all of our expectations and it was definitely worth the 16 hours that it took to drive here and we would have no qualms in doing it again in the future as it was a vacation that truly brought our family together and it will bring yours together too!
Below is a video with a few additional thoughts on the Inn!

About the Emerson Inn

The natural beauty of Pigeon Cove has been a popular destination for summer tourists for more than 160 years. In the 1850s, Rockport businessman William Norwood turned his famous tavern into The Pigeon Cove Inn. Over the years, several local families owned the Inn and gave it many names, including the Hotel Edward. The most recent owners renamed it after Ralph Waldo Emerson, one of the Inn’s most celebrated guests. Open year-round, the Emerson Inn is located at 1 Cathedral Avenue in Rockport. For reservations, please call 1-800-964-5550 or visit www.emersoninnbythesea.com.

About the Rockport Area

From a leisurely stroll through Rockport or nearby Gloucester, to a marine-life adventure, to a hike amidst the fall foliage or along the shores of the Cape Ann area, the Emerson Inn is surrounded by a diversity of summer and winter activities. With four state-designated cultural districts, Cape Ann ranks as one of the premier destinations for the traveler with an interest in art, theater, and culture. With festivals celebrating Cape Ann’s rich maritime and artistic heritage, along with an active fishing fleet and a picturesque seaside village, visitors to the Rockport area will enjoy the allure of Massachusetts’ coastal crown jewel.

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Visiting the The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

June 25, 2016 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

My daughter plays basketball and I grew up loving the sport. This meant that visiting The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame was a no-brainer when we knew that we were visiting Springfield, Massachusetts.

I did not realize the connection of Basketball and Springfield, Massachusetts until I explore the Basketball Hall of Fame and learned about the woman from Springfield, Massachusetts who started womens’ basketball after conferring more with Dr. Naismith himself.

As you are driving up the The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame you will note the iconic design of the exterior and it was this initially that placed a smile on Diva-J’s face, but it was the basketball courts that you first walk into that really got her heart pounding.

As I mentioned as you walk into The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame you walk onto a basketball court. The basketball court has displays of all backboards as they had been used in the past including the original basket made of peach baskets too. You could shoot on any of the baskets to try your hand at sinking a shot. They also had hoops of varying sizes set up to allow you to dunk on the hoops too.

Once we were complete with this we went up to the third floor to see all of the inductees within the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Talk about a very cool list of alumni. These are the greats in all of basketball history and they are all looking down on the basketball court action that is occurring below their gazes.

On the second floor was a huge array of memorabilia, games and more. On every floor though there was a ton of learning that could and did take place. I had forgotten that Bill Lanier, a Pistons great, was the basketball player with the largest shoes size, a size 22!

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame was an amazing museum that will give you hours of learning and hours of fun for the whole family. Whether you love to play or just love to watch the sport you will leave this experience with a larger love of the sport and the athleticism that surrounds it too.

Our Thoughts on The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

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Olfactory Overload, Deals and Family Memories at Yankee Candle

June 25, 2016 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

Everyone always says that smells can bring back so many memories. What about building memories while surrounded by so many different smells that are pleasing to everyone? Anyone that knows candles knows Yankee Candle. However, I did not know that Yankee Candle started in Deerfield, Massachusetts and their main factory still remains there today.

We got up early today to experience this huge store. It was about 25 minutes north of Springfield but the drive was pleasant and I was amazed to see all of the familiar colleges and towns that I had heard of before including: Smith, Amherst and more.

When we got to the flagship Yankee Candle store we were initially amazed at how large it seemed from the outside. Let me tell you, what you see from the front does not give this store justice as it is tremendously large and you have the ability to go between housewares, food, Christmas or fragrant candles. Add on Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, popcorn, and more and you have a store that is more then a store.

As we walked into the Yankee Candle store we were very impressed by the friendly, outgoing staff that we were introduced to. We were given the opportunity thanks to Yankee Candle to try the different activities that they have for kids such as dipping your hand, dipping a creatures and making a candle ourselves. All three of these activities were SO much fun and even the adults partook in the fun.

Also, there were a number of family friendly activities that were also happening on the day that we arrived because it was the first day after school got out and they do an annual event every year to show the community how much they appreciate them and their kids.

We ended up staying at Yankee Candle longer than I first thought we would and we could have stayed even longer if we had wanted. There also were some very fun other activities in the Deerfield community that would have been fun if time had allowed it.

We did have time to do some shopping and while we did not purchase the whole store, we could have based on the number of things in our cart.

This is definitely an experience you will not want to miss if you are in the greater Springfield, Massachusetts area.

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Setting Off On A Vacation To Remember

June 25, 2016 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

Yesterday my family and I packed up the 2016 Kia Sedona that I was provided from my friends at Kia and Driveshop and we started our journey. This is a journey that has been a few months in the making, but it is a vacation that the whole family has been looking forward to immensely.

You see, this past year, my oldest, Diva-J just completed fifth grade. During this year her school explored colonial America. As timing would have it, I had been asked to come and explore Hotel that was making a grand re-opening in May 2016 called the Emerson Inn in Rockport, Massachusetts and with this being so close to Boston and to so many of the important founding places for our American Heritage I could not miss out on this learning moment to reach out and try and plan a vacation.

Long story short, things worked out and this week we are traveling from Michigan to Boston and back in an amazing vehicle, the 2o16 Kia Sedona. Of course Kia would not just provide any vehicle, but they provided us with a top of the line Kia that completely rocked our world and as you can see, the girls were in heaven, especially with the footrests and the reclining seats and DVD player. The amenities in this vehicle really bale a 14.5 hour first day go by very quickly and the vacation go smoothly.

My thoughts on the Kia Sedona

We ended up taking a bit of a longer route to get to our first destination, Springfield, Massachusetts. We could have gone through Canada, but chose to go around the Lake instead which added a bit of time, but that was ok. The Kia Sedona got great gas mileage as we were getting over 24-25 MPG on the highway and I would even try and see what I could do to do even better as we started to get into hills and had more downslopes that I could coast on!

While I have driven in Michigan and Ohio extensively I have to say that I do not have a lot of experience driving through upper-New York and Massachusetts. Talk about beautiful country. The rolling hills and vast expanses that you are afforded are amazing. Unfortunately, much of the trip that we took were on turnpikes so especially in New York this got a bit expensive with having to pay over $15 in all for tolls. Other than that I was surprised to find though that the traffic was relatively light and because the 2016 Kia Sedona was as comfortable as it was, the trip went very well.

When I say very well, I mean it. No fighting between the girls, no complaining about the amount of time it was taking. This is saying a lot when you are on the road for 14.5 hours!

As we finally hit Western Massachusetts, we were amazed at the beauty of the area. The 50+ MIles between the State line and Springfield is mountain-filled which was not expected and so lush with greenery. I have only really been to the Boston area in the past or driving aong the East Coast so this was a nice change.

We are excited about our first day of vacation in Western Massachusetts exploring the Greater Springfield area thanks to the great folks at the Greater Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau.

We have the pleasure of staying at the great La Quinta in Springfield which is conveniently located in downtown Springfield close to the The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as well as the Springfield Museums whic are two of the main stops for this trip! We also are excited to see one of the Flagship stores for the Yankee Candle company which is located only about 30 minutes north of Springfield, Massachusetts too.

When we arrived at the LaQunita Inn we were impressed, This was a large facility, and it offered a ton of amenities. The girls immediately gravitated to the fact that it had a pool and game room! J-Mom and I loved the fact that it offered a great breakfast. When we got to our room we were expecting that we would have been placed in a regular sized room but found that we had been given a double sized room with 2 beds and a pull out couch which made our stay even more enjoyable!

As you can probably guess after driving 14.5 hours we were a bit tired, so we crashed but we were excited to get up early the next day to start our grand adventure exploring Springfield, Massachusetts.

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Great Wolf Lodge Announces First Resort in New England

September 27, 2013 by dadofdivas 1 Comment

New England families will soon have something to howl about, as Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. begins construction in Massachusetts on its newest resort.

Great Wolf Lodge New England will be a first-class destination resort, providing families with more than 100,000 square feet of entertainment offerings and lodging amenities to enjoy, all under one roof. The centerpiece of the resort will be more than 68,000 square feet of indoor waterpark fun, the largest in the state. With signature Great Wolf Lodge water rides and attractions, including the thrilling six-story funnel slide, Howlin’ Tornado; Slap Tail Pond wave pool and Fort MacKenzie – a multi-level interactive tree house – the new resort will feature water fun for everyone.

“As the leader in indoor waterpark resorts, we are thrilled to expand our brand into New England,” shared Kim Schaefer, chief executive office, Great Wolf Resorts, Inc., “We are bringing a unique, yearound family entertainment resort to the market, as well as introducing new experiences and amenities to the brand that are exclusive to this new property. Great Wolf Lodge New England will feature the very best in family-focused vacations. ”

The 406 guest suites will provide the perfect place for families to relax after a full day of waterpark play. Each suite will comfortably accommodate at least five people and include an inoom refrigerator, microwave and coffee maker. Families can choose from several suite styles, including the kid-themed Wolf Den, and KidCabin suites, which feature bunk beds and colorful spaces.

The resort will also debut never-before-seen suite styles, including the Majestic KidCabin and the Grizzly Wolf Dens.

The Majestic KidCabin will sleep 11 people and feature two bathrooms, a separate king bedroom, two queen beds and a themed cabin for kids, complete with a daybed and a set of bunk beds. The Grizzly Wolf Den will sleep ten people, have two separate bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room area and themed kids Wolf Den, complete with bunk beds.

Families will delight at the wide variety of activities found throughout the entire resort, perfect for children of all ages. Attractions and amenities include:

The brand’s first and only indoor play area, boasting over 16,000 square feet of entertainment complete with a multi-level ropes course and indoor miniature golf;
MagiQuest, a live-action, interactive game where kids use wands to battle dragons and save pixies;
Scooops Kid Spa for ice cream-themed manicures and pedicures;
Ten Paw Alley mini bowling;
Daily kids’ activities as part of the resort’s Cub Club on Wheels program; and
The Great Clock Tower Show and evening Story Time by the fireplace – a Great Wolf Lodge tradition that brings everyone together in the Grand Lobby each night

Great Wolf Lodge New England will also feature several dining options and food outlets including the brand’s new Lodge Wood Fired Grill restaurant and bar, the Bear Paw Sweets & Eats confectionery café, Hungry as a Wolf handcrafted pizza and pasta and a Dunkin’ Donuts^®.

Event planners can also look to Great Wolf Lodge New England for all meeting and event needs. The property will boast more than 12,000 square feet of flexible conference space, six breakout rooms, a dedicated group entrance, built-in audio/video technology, customizable catering options and a world-class team of industry professionals.

Access to Great Wolf Lodge New England’s indoor water park is included with each suite and is exclusive to resort guests, providing a great value and the perfect place for families to spend time together.

Great Wolf Lodge New England will be the company’s twelfth resort. It will be located off Route 2, 45 minutes from Boston and is expected to open in late spring 2014.

For more information on Great Wolf Resorts and its brands of indoor waterpark resorts, visit greatwolf.com/newengland.

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