The Swamp

As part of an epic road trip (where I am sure I will threaten to "turn this car around" and say "park is closed, moose outside should have told you" 74 times), the family vacation this summer includes a stop in Lake Placid. Any swamp recommendations for things to not miss? I am intrigued by a summer bobsled or wheeled luge run. I am also pretty sure I will get some biking in (road or mountain).

Okay bumping this to see if I get any ideas
road trip with a 4.5 year old and 8 year old
Home->Gettyburg->Rhinebeck,NY->Boston ->Ticonderoga->Placid-> Either Hersey,Pa or Allentown -> Home

If that last segment represents a choice between Hershey Park and Dorney Park, go with Hershey. To be fair, I haven't been to Dorney Park in years, but Hershey Park is really nice.

I enjoyed the Saratoga National Historical Park near Saratoga Springs, NY when I visited it last year. I hiked a trail that hit several of the battlefield sites, but that might be a bit much for a 4.5 and 8 yo. There's a driving tour you could take that would be more palatable for the youngsters. They have several cannons on display at various points on the trail.

Is Rhinebeck family or is there a destination I'm unaware of?

mister d wrote:Is Rhinebeck family or is there a destination I'm unaware of?

in-laws. Makes a nice stopover on the way to Boston after all day in Gettysburg (free lodging and kids see grandparents). Was going to try and sneak a date to the Culinary with the Mrs. but don't think that is going to happen

There's a new brewpub in Poughkeepsie (easy off Rt 9) that's pretty solid. You could go there and drink a beer or eat some food or both.

North Pole in Wilmington NY. Can also drive or hike to the top of Whiteface Mountain. Mt Van Hovenburg (Bobsled) is fun.

Blue Mountain Lake has the Adirondack Museum that is really great. The Olympic Museum in the Olympic Centre is ok, I've heard its improved lately.

Lake Placid Brewery has good eats and pretty good beer, the UBU is their most famous brew.


On the way from Boston to Ti, the Maritime Museum is good, the ECHO museum is great. New England Culinary in Montpelier has multiple restaurants that you can check out in Montpelier, the Three Penny Taproom in Montpelier is stellar in terms of beer and food.

Anything just let me know I grew up in Wilmington, which is where Whiteface is, and went to school in LP. (Say hi to my mom if you see her.)

For the central PA area...

I'd skip Hershey and Dorney. Do Knoebels instead. Depending on sports... Williamsport and the LLWS are coming up(Mid August). The Harrisburg Islanders are a minor league soccer team that plays on an island in the middle of the Susquehanna.

Need any bike trails? There are plenty of rails to trails that are easy for kids that age.

You can also do a tour of Yuengling in Pottsville or Troegs in Hershey.

My favorite is still Roadside America. It's a model train layout that my 5 and 8 year old boys love to visit. http://roadsideamericainc.com/ It's off I-78 in PA a few miles from I-81. I'd recommend it if you are driving by and need somewhere to release the kids.

testuser2 wrote:For the central PA area...

The Harrisburg Islanders are a minor league soccer team that plays on an island in the middle of the Susquehanna.

Really? One of the fields I played soccer on growing up often became part of the Susquehanna during the Monsoon Season. Or 2 days of decent rain. Can't believe they still use that park. And don't get me started on our practices at a field officially named "The Flood Plain."

testuser2 wrote:My favorite is still Roadside America. It's a model train layout that my 5 and 8 year old boys love to visit. http://roadsideamericainc.com/ It's off I-78 in PA a few miles from I-81. I'd recommend it if you are driving by and need somewhere to release the kids.

Huh, had no idea that was there! Heading to my parents we take 78 to 81, but I cut up 33 by Easton. I think my kids would love that. Plus, who doesn't want to go to a town called "Shartlesville"

testuser2 wrote:My favorite is still Roadside America. It's a model train layout that my 5 and 8 year old boys love to visit. http://roadsideamericainc.com/ It's off I-78 in PA a few miles from I-81. I'd recommend it if you are driving by and need somewhere to release the kids.

I've always wondered what that place was like, but never stopped.

We got a flat tire once (heading West) right along that stretch of the highway. Good times. Had to drive to H-Burg on a donut, got ripped off by Pep Boys (I watched the fuckers strip one of the lug nuts, which they then denied), and my (then very young) kids had a meltdown at a nearby Barnes and Noble while my wife tried to keep them entertained. Then a couple of months later, the car completely shit itself and we had to get rid of it and the two month old tire. Great times.

The Sybian wrote: Huh, had no idea that was there! Heading to my parents we take 78 to 81, but I cut up 33 by Easton. I think my kids would love that. Plus, who doesn't want to go to a town called "Shartlesville"

Have you ever taken 61 through Centralia? That's a bit past I-81.

I grew up very close to Shartlesville. For every birthday between 5-10 I had my parents take me there. I still remember pushing the buttons to make the trolley move. It's been owned/run by the same family that built it. So it may be a bit strange. They used to have a zoo out back. The last time I went my dad came along and had to go out in the parking lot. He didn't want us to see him getting all dusty.

If you want the true experience you should catch the family style dinner at Haag's in town. I think I've mentioned Potato filling here before. http://www.haagshotel.com/index.html

Meats-
Your choice of three meats Country Ham, Roasted Chicken, Country Sausage, Home Made Meatloaf or Roast Beef
Sides-
Potato Filling, gravy (chicken and beef available), green beans, pot pie, dried corn or yellow corn, pepper cabbage, red beets, homemade apple sauce ,rolls and butter, home made sugar cookies, apple butter, cottage cheese, tapioca pudding and to finish it off apple tart, cherry or shoo-fly pie

testuser2 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 23, 2014 2:42 pmI'd skip Hershey and Dorney. Do Knoebels instead.

In case anyone was wondering who really buys those "I'm a Leo Union Pipefitter Who Loves Monster Trucks and My Three Kids" t-shirts, its people at Knoebels. What a weird fucking place.

What an amazing thread bump.

I was happy w/ the search result.

The Sybian wrote: ↑Wed Jul 23, 2014 3:25 pm

testuser2 wrote:For the central PA area...

The Harrisburg Islanders are a minor league soccer team that plays on an island in the middle of the Susquehanna.

Really? One of the fields I played soccer on growing up often became part of the Susquehanna during the Monsoon Season. Or 2 days of decent rain. Can't believe they still use that park. And don't get me started on our practices at a field officially named "The Flood Plain."

In a weird call back, I learned recently that a guy I played travel soccer with is apparently an all-time fan favorite Harrisburg Islander.

The Harrisburg City Islanders have had a lot of good players come and go over the years. Some players, you could even call great. Then there are a very select number of players who not only played well on the field, not only were nice guys off the field, but they also seemed to capture the spirit of the franchise. Matt Tanzini is one of those players. A true hard working, leave nothing on the field when the whistle blows kind of player. He was the kind of player that when the fans saw him get up off the bench and start warming up they got excited. You knew something was gonna happen when Matt was on the field.

You should totally "well actually" that and then devastate with some anecdote from U12 soccer.

Bobby Warshaw was an Islander too. One of the best contributors to mls' website.

tennbengal wrote: ↑Wed Jul 10, 2019 1:47 pm You should totally "well actually" that and then devastate with some anecdote from U12 soccer.

Oh, I got several. Like the time we played a split-squad game in the semifinals of an indoor tournament. Matt was a really short kid with a weird running form. He would hunch over a bit, and his arms would hang down.I was in goal, he was coming down on a breakaway. I came out, took the ball off his feet and he went down in a heap crying. The coach ran out yelling at me for hurting him, but Matt cried out, "I stepped on my finger!"

Well actually, "THAT doesn't sound very 'hard working, leave nothing on the field'...unless you mean crybaby tears"

mister d wrote: ↑Wed Jul 10, 2019 10:53 am

testuser2 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 23, 2014 2:42 pmI'd skip Hershey and Dorney. Do Knoebels instead.

In case anyone was wondering who really buys those "I'm a Leo Union Pipefitter Who Loves Monster Trucks and My Three Kids" t-shirts, its people at Knoebels. What a weird fucking place.

The people there are an attraction themselves. The middle schooler had his end of year class trip to Knoebels, but he doesn't think anything of it after going to events like the local drywall guys July 4th party at the Lions club.

Did you count the MAGA hats/shirts?

Surprisingly few, although there was a big Trump flag outside one of the campers on the way in.

rass wrote: ↑Wed Jul 23, 2014 3:35 pm

testuser2 wrote:My favorite is still Roadside America. It's a model train layout that my 5 and 8 year old boys love to visit. http://roadsideamericainc.com/ It's off I-78 in PA a few miles from I-81. I'd recommend it if you are driving by and need somewhere to release the kids.

I've always wondered what that place was like, but never stopped.

We got a flat tire once (heading West) right along that stretch of the highway. Good times. Had to drive to H-Burg on a donut, got ripped off by Pep Boys (I watched the fuckers strip one of the lug nuts, which they then denied), and my (then very young) kids had a meltdown at a nearby Barnes and Noble while my wife tried to keep them entertained. Then a couple of months later, the car completely shit itself and we had to get rid of it and the two month old tire. Great times.

Drove out to Pittsburgh (area) this afternoon, past this very spot, and just before I got off 81 at Carlisle the tire pressure alert went off. I got really (and irrationally) mad at the Swamp for bumping this thread, but it turned out one of the tires was low and it wasn’t a flat.