Grizzly Jack's Grand Bear Resort offers great $79 deal

Here's a great deal to help melt away those winter blues - $79 for a family suite for up to 6 guests. Good on two dates only.

Take a break from the snow & cold... Bring your family to join ours for some fun!

$79 in Family Suites for up to 6 guests!

Valid February 19 & March 19, 2014 ONLY - does not include taxes/resort fee.

Grand Bear Falls Indoor Waterpark is open from 2-8d Forest Amusement Park

at Grizzly Jack's Grand Bear Resort

February 19 & March 19 only

 - does not include taxes/resort fee.

Grand Bear Falls Indoor Waterpark is open from 2-8pm

Enchanted Forest Amusement Park is open form 7-10pm

Jack's Place Bar & Grill is open from 7pm - Midnight

Rate includes a hot breakfast on Thursday morning 8-10am before heading back into the winter's cold. Call 866.399.3866, press ONE for reservations and let them know you want to stay on WINTER WEDNESDAY!

Can't stay the night? Grab a Waterpark Day Pass (for that day only) $10.95 per person!

A day of fun away from the cold awaits you...Come Join Us!

Upgrades and expansion in Santa Claus in 2013 drew additional visitors

If you have followed the blog or Facebook page, you know that the Santa Claus, Indiana area is one of our favorite places to travel as a family. Our most recent visit was this past fall as we enjoyed the Halloween season at Holiday World and Lake Rudolph Campground & RV Resort. This press release arrived in my inbox recently and I'm excited to hear that 2013 was such a good year for Spencer County. Here's hoping 2014 is even better!

Local Business Investment Adds to Spencer County Tourism Growth

January 16, 2014 (Santa Claus, Ind.) –The Spencer County Visitors Bureau reports that continued investment by local businesses contributed to a successful tourism season. More lodging choices, new water slides, additions and improvements to county attractions, and special events helped make 2013 a successful year for attracting visitors to the county.

“Tourism businesses offered enhancements and additions in 2013, which led to a great year for Spencer County,” says Melissa Brockman, executive director of the Spencer County Visitors Bureau. “Businesses continue to show a commitment to growing the county as a family destination by constantly improving and offering new visitor experiences.”

Highlights of the past year include:

•    Four new in-the-dark water slides in a complex called Hyena Falls, a classic teacup ride named Kitty’s Tea Party, and the Holidog Express train were added at Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, as well as a larger high-dive pool, stage, and seating area to replace the current theater.
•    A new lodging facility, Holiday Guest House Suites, opened near Dale.
•    Santa’s Splashdown, featuring five new water slides, and 22 additional Rudolph’s Christmas Cabins were added at Lake Rudolph Campground & RV Resort.
•    Three more cottages and a basketball court were added at Santa’s Cottages.
•    A new bedding program that includes pillows, blankets, scarves, and skirts was introduced at Comfort Inn & Suites in Rockport.
•    The Lincoln State Park camp store kitchen was upgraded.
•    The newly restored original Santa Claus Post Office for visitors to write letters to Santa was opened as part of the Santa Claus Museum & Village, along with the release of the Santa Claus history book and new events.
•    Santa’s Stables upgraded the trails and fencing, and added horses.
•    The second year of Family Fall-O-Weekends packages contributed to a 7.4% increase in innkeeper’s tax collected during September and October.

The Visitors Bureau encourages guests to stay overnight and visit county attractions, shops, and restaurants.

For more information about Spencer County as a year-round destination, call (888) 444-9252 or visit www.SantaClausInd.org and www.IndianasAbeLincoln.org.

Talbot Hotel offers Valentine's stay and dinner special

Looking for something romantic to wow you mate with on February 14? Check out this offer from the Talbot Hotel and Little Market Brasserie.

Share the Love this Valentine's Day with Love Notes

WHO: The Talbott Hotel and Little Market Brasserie WHAT: ...introduce Love Notes this Valentine's Day where everyone feels the love. Book an overnight stay at the Gold Coast boutique hotel on February 14 and enjoy a special 4-course menu for two at Little Market Brasserie that evening. On Valentine's Night all guests dining at the hotel's popular restaurant will receive a special "love note" offering a variety of prizes to redeem from the restaurant or hotel on a future visit. Prizes include: Complimentary One-Night Stay in a One-Bedroom Suite at The Talbott Hotel plus Breakfast in Bed from Little Market Brasserie 20% off your entire check at Little Market Brasserie 50% off the food portion of your check at Little Market Brasserie Ice Cream tasting served family style for up to five guests Complimentary bottle of wine under $50 And more! Rates for a Standard King Room and 4-course dinner for two starting at $275. Love Notes package is only available on February 14. To book guests must call 312-944-4970. Please see the Valentine's Day menu below. Valentine's Day Menu  Beverages must be purchased separately from the dinner menu. Tax and gratuity are not included. For more information on The Talbott Hotel's Valentine's Day Love Notes package please visit www.talbotthotel.com.     WHERE: The Talbott Hotel  20 E. Delaware Place 312-944-4970 www.talbotthotel.com WHEN: February 14, 2014; dinner reservations start at 5 p.m.

Beech Bend Park: Bowling Green, Kentucky

Oh, what a bad blogger I've been. So much attention these days goes to the food blog and other deadlines and I neglect this one. But this year I really do intend to share more of our travels here. Tonight I happen to come across photos from one of my favorite trips - one to Kentucky. We've been there 4 times now, I believe, and each time visited Cave Country and and I love how much there is to offer and how many varying types of attractions there are.

We've toured several caves and even took a boat ride through a cave. We've walked among life-sized dinosaur replicas. We've seen Corvettes on the assembly line. We've watched an Old Wild West show. We've ridden an Alpine Slide, bumper cars, cable cars, horses, carousels, go karts and more. We've swam and gone down water slides. We've seen deer grazing outside our window when we stayed in the National Park. We've visited the Wildlife Museum. We've seen Australian animals close up, milked cows and fed exotic birds. There's just so much to see and do.

On most trips, the kids beg to seek out some kind of amusement or theme park and there are several of varying sizes in that area. One that we have visited twice and really enjoyed was Beech Bend. It's got an ample size amusement park and a nice water park. On this below zero day here in Chicago, it's nice to peek at these summer scenes and know they aren't too far away.

Corn mazes part of the fun at Holiday World's Happy Halloween Weekends

Santa Claus is one of our family's favorite vacation destinations. And until this year, we had only been there to visit in the summer. A visit to the area is not complete without taking in the fun at Holiday World and last year, the theme park extended the season to include a Halloween makeover of the park.

Along with the rides and shows that we've enjoyed in the summer months, there's now fall decor everywhere you look from pumpkins to spider webs. There's also the addition of two corn mazes, a junior corn maze, for those who are looking for a quick jaunt through the field and the corn maze, which has a challenging intricate design that can keep you going in circles for quite some time.

With the addition of the corn mazes and hay ride that delivers you there, it makes the general admission charge of $29.95 ($19.95 for guests under 54" and Seniors of age 60) a real bargain. Admission covers not just rides, but several shows and attractions (like Holidog's 3D Adventure) and the two corn mazes and hay ride. You can also purchase a next day pass for $15 before you leave.

Halloween weekends began September 21 & 22 and run until October 26 & 27. For more information, go to www.holidayworld.com.