Reflecting on a Family-Friendly Summer

School has started, pools are closing and summer is almost officially over. I consider Labor Day the real end of it all. My family has had a whirlwind fun summer. My 4 yr old has truly enjoyed the warm weather months. And, boy have we done a lot! Here are some of the highlights that get the Family Fun thumbs up!

• My son and his pals bowled a lot thanks to the http://www.kidsbowlfree.com/ coupons! I hope this promotion was a success so they'll do it again next summer.
• The Ron Jon Cape Caribe Resort in Cocoa Beach Florida was a kid mecca! My little one and his cousins enjoyed multiple pools, on-site mini golf, arcade games, hot tubs, lazy river, water slides, delicious and kid-friendly restaurant that offered room service, movie theatre, planned kids activities, outdoor sports, expansive beach, and this huge indoor play area that was like the play areas of Chickfila, McDonald's and Jump N Fun all rolled into one.
• Boating with friends in beautiful Beaufort, NC.
• We found Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, TN to be surprisingly fun! They had a very nice kids ride area, lots of yummy regional food and top-notch entertainment. If you haven't tried it, I recommend you add it to your travel agenda.
• Gatlinburg, TN was heaven for my son and his cousins. They enjoyed endless amusement parks, arcades, unique attractions, mini golf galore and junk food everywhere! We especially enjoyed Ober Gatlinburg--- beautiful views from the ski lift and the air tram, carnival rides, 'slalom' rides, live music and lots of mountain relaxation spots.
• Smith Mountain Lake is always a favorite! We spend many weekends there each year with family and friends---boating and swimming. Of all the places we go, this is where summer feels like it should. The kids fish and chase fireflies and just enjoy being young. Our new favorite thing to do is beach the pontoon on Christmas Tree island and let the kids play on the "beach at the lake." They have discovered very powerful water shooters.
• What's summer without Myrtle Beach! Kingston Plantation was beautiful and I always love Broadway at the Beach. If you can sneak out for some adult time, I recommend Collector's Cafe for dinner and the Crocodile Rocks piano bar for some nighttime fun.
• Of all the daytrips we took, SciWorks in Winston-Salem was a favorite.
• Vacation Bible School at Westminster Presbyterian in Greensboro was a wonderful experience for my little one.
• Tumblebees Open Gym times offered an indoor energy burn for the little ones. Open bounce at Jump N Fun, Bounce U and Pump It Up were also big hits.
• Who knew that a sprinkler positioned under a trampoline could be the favorite summer yard activity!
• Center City Park Tunes at Noon provided us with some great music, playtime, killer hot dogs and, of course, fountains. Tuesday music in the garden at Greensboro Children's Museum was also a fun time.
• Our favorite summer camps were Science Camp at Natural Science Center of Greensboro and Kindermusik Summer Camp with Julie Davidson.
• We took lots of nature walks--- Bog Gardens, KCE Library, Bur-Mil and nightime walks in our own backyard with flashlights.
• Backyard camping.
• Bur-Mil Aquatic Center and Wet N Wild offer crazy water fun if you can stand the crowds. Go early or late for best time.
• We spent a glorious afternoon at Krispy Kreme eating their new soft serve ice cream (slurp!) and those mini donuts with sprinkles. Top it off with a donut-making demonstration and our pre-schoolers were thrilled.

That's the list of favs. I hope it will provide some fodder for your next year's summer fun calendar. Now off to bed... school awaits us in the morn.