Adventures on the Road

If you have children under the age of 10, or who are 10 and older and love Legos, I will be quick to tell you to make the 5 to 6 hour drive to Carlsbad, California to visit Legoland. Our kids had one of the best times, and it is definitely the most family-friendly location we have visited thus far.

Our son was free because he is under the age of 3, and we found a smoking deal on the hotel room, plus park entrance, plus aquarium for being a Thursday to Saturday. The trip was a little daunting, but we made plans to stop several places along the drive.

Stop 1: Dateland, AZ. Get a date shake. They are delicious. They are somewhat healthy (with all of the fiber…) and the kids were big fans.

Stop 2: Yuma, AZ. We planned our stop at a park along the Colorado River. There was a large park, covered ramadas and bathrooms. The kids burned off some energy playing, eating, and slept through our next stop in the woods of Glen Oaks.

Stop 3: Alpine, CA. A nice little pocket of pine trees, and some little convenience stores. We made a pit stop, and picked up a few lollipops for the kids for the last stretch.

LEGOLAND. The kids went nuts. The pool was perfect, and sectioned off for the older kids  who can swim, and the younger ones who still have floats. M and C loved playing with the blocks. The next day we had a filling breakfast, and were able to access the park early. Being that it was off-season and a Thursday, there were hardly any lines.
Next to the bigger thrill rides were small playgrounds for the little kids. My husband and I took turns riding with M while C played happily on the equipment. We were able to go back to the room and rest, then head out again before the park closed.

Beach: We drove to the beach to have dinner. The kids splashed a bit, had pizza, and I thought they’d be out. Wrong! We got back to the hotel, and there were Lego characters dressed up for Halloween, and they had a kid-friendly dance party going on in the ballroom. M spent another hour dancing her booty off with other kids around her age. What a blast!

When can we go back? Do it. More affordable than Disneyland, not as intimidating, and there to accommodate all families.