We decided to get away for the weekend and see something of upstate New York.
Up in the Catskills, the air was (slightly) cooler, there were cold lakes to swim in and a ski resort where we took a chairlift up the hill and looked at this magical view. We walked around Woodstock (full of art galleries and new-age stores), ate lunch in a 'pub' (which isn't quite the same experience as in the English countryside - full of men driving up in battered pick ups and hitting the spirits at lunchtime), saw gorgeous little log cabin retreats and dusty looking motels from the 50s.
And the highlight for the Littleboys? Our room at the Holiday Inn Express - a sort of motel version of Holiday Inn - and the swimming pool there.
After our last two roadtrips, we always make a beeline for Holiday Inn Express chain (and this is not a sponsored post, by the way). It may not be glamorous but at least you know what you are getting. The hotels are for the most part brand new, with big, clean rooms that suit a family of four perfectly, widescreen TVs and often a pool. Breakfast (not the highlight) comes on disposable plates and cups and is laden with sugar and calories; however, it's free.
It is not exactly the Ritz, nor even the Marriott.....but, our children love it.
So, when we ask Littleboy 1 what he enjoyed most about the weekend......it was 'the hotel'.
No reason ever to go five star, then.......
11 comments:
Don't ever take them anywhere fancy and then they won't ever know the difference - that's my policy anyway! I've never told them about the existence of Disneyland either.
It sounds fascinating - I love the idea of log cabins and old motels. I imagine Woodstock to be a bit like Glastonbury village. Lots of new agers and crystals.
Ha ha. Because of crap flight connections on the way back from England in August we're using Hilton points and staying at the Heathrow Hilton. Guess what the little guy is really excited about? Room service.
LOL! Our 2 are excited about staying at Travelodge in the UK next week! (We're excited about family rooms that cost less than 20 quid a night - yes, very basic accommodation but less basic and actually cheaper than a youth hostel!!) Meanwhile former students of mine are excited that they got rooms at the Sanderson hotel and the Landmark in London for only $135/night in August! At 135 dollars instead of 300+ quid I'd like to stay there too, but it would be a bad move with the little ones in tow!
Haha. I thought about discussing arranged marriage with you - but I guess that none of the littleboys would get over the shock of my spoilt little L. Bummer.
I'm absolutely with you there. My two get so excited about the hotel, far more than the place we're actually visiting. It's very cute.
brilliant! my friends have always taken the piss out of me for opting for the holiday inn for exactly that reason - it's safe and you know what you are getting. I LOVE the way kids remember the most insignificant detail/thing - they are such simple creatures with simple pleasures, it's great
We went to New Zealand to visit family in April and saw all sorts of amazing sights. The thing that my children remember was going to an all you can eat buffet in which they were allowed to help themselves to whatever they wanted. Nothing else comes close to that memory. So I hear ya on the cheap date front
Deer Baby - Glastonbury is a good comparison, although I think Woodstock is smaller and a bit more chi-chi. (But then, I haven't been to Glastonbury for about 15 years...)
ExpatMum - Ours have yet to experience Room Service. I think they might die of excitement.
Almost American - that's the thing. You can't stay somehwere really smart with two manic children and enjoy it...at least the H.I. Express is full of other noisy families.
MetMum - well, I don't know. I stayed in lots of 5 star resorts as a child and I married a man who only ever went on camping holidays....
GonebackSouth - seems to be a common trait!
Elsie - Having experienced some of the crappier independent motels America has to offer, Holiday Inn is luxury!
HomeOfficeMum - we actually went to a buffet brunch like that on the way back home. But it still wasn't as exciting as the hotel....
Lakes, chairlifts, log cabins - sounds lovely and amazing to be able to go to just for the weekend! We always went to France on holiday when we were little - my brother and I loved the 'Climat' hotels much more than the fancy ones because you got a kids colouring book free with breakfast!
Blissful Mum - anywhere with a free colouring book gets high marks in my book!
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