This is the last week of summer for the boys so we’ve decided to take them on a short road trip and soak up some final summer family time at the great California Theme Parks before they go back toschool. We are very lucky to live in the Central Valley because a 6 hour drive down the coast and we have the choice of Legoland, Disneyland or Universal Studios – three absolute favorites for our boys. Derek and I decided that we’d start at Legoland this summer because we’ve never been there before and had heard that it’s tailored towards the younger kids. With our oldest nearing 10 years old, I’m starting to feel the time clicking away! I have to admit, I was a little nervous about Legoland being a little too childish, even though our boys are both extremely into Legos, but I was pleasantly surprised – the park, the rides and the eats were all worth writing about.
We stayed in Carlsbad for just one night and although our hotel wasn’t fantastic, the location was great, just near the beach. Carlsbad is a pretty little town, maybe next time (yes there will be another trip to Legoland!) we’ll explore it a bit more. This week, we arrived with just enough time to have dinner at a little bistro near the hotel called St. Tropez Bistro. The ambience wasn’t anything special, but Derek thought the Beef Bourgogne was really good and I had a nice Salade Nicoise. I have to admit, the delicious Lemon Tart was also a really nice way to indulge on vacation. The boys were fine with their pasta, but I do wish there were a few fresh options with more protein and vegetables. I’m determined to find places to take the kids that is more adventurous than just the usual 3-6 obvious ‘kid foods’.
The next morning we headed over to Legoland Theme Park. I was surprised how little signage and general advertising there was alo
ng the road, but it was just a few minutes from the hotel and very easy to park. Thanks to Derek, we got there so early we literally took the 4th parking spot! Although normally I don’t love to be as early as we were that day, I have to admit it really worked out well this time. We went over to check out the Legoland hotel, which is really quite cool. There are fun Lego activities all around the lobby and the staff is extremely friendly so the boys had plenty to play around with while we waited for the early open time at the park. And, they had a great little cafe that served terrific coffee for the adults while the kids played around the pirate Lego area and characters wandered around to meet and greet the kids. One additional benefit to the Legoland hotel is that the concierge at the desk can issue tickets from vouchers (we we had purchased online the day before at www.getawaytoday.com for about a 10% discount). And most importantly, if we had actually stayed at the hotel, we could’ve gotten the ‘Hotel Hero’ wrist bands for the kids and gotten on the rides an additional half hour earlier than the park opens. This will be enough reason for us to book rooms at the hotel next time.
The Legoland park is really fun in a lot of ways, the rides are creative and the attractions all build in a little of the humor that Lego is known for, this keeps it interesting for a full day not just for kids but for adults as well. The miniland, which now also has a huge Star Wars area, is truly incredible. And, I love that they offer a MindStorms class, this is one of the great ideas that Lego has introduced to keep older kids engaged and learning the science and mechanics lessons it’s so useful for. This class is offered at a lot of music and educational studios aro
und the country, our boys have been lucky to have one that they’ve attended the past few years and it’s a great foundation for computer and mechanical learning.
Of course, since you all know how important food is to me, I have to give Legoland a review on the food . The verdict is a huge thumbs up on the quality and variety of fresh and he
althy food all around the park. This was a true surprise, both because it was great for our family personally, but also because it means that they believe that it is a good idea to provide food at this level for the public – big win. At lunch, we went to the Garden Cafe which had an incredible selection of fresh fruit and vegetables, including a marinated mushroom salad and beet salad at a great self-serve salad bar as well as plenty of hot and cold options that the kids (and adults) love. At dinner, we decided to try the Knights Smokehouse, which offered fun and delicious options including 1/2 chicken marinated with rosemary and a delicious brisket plate. The best part about the options was the sauces were served table side, so Derek was actually able to have some great meat options without worrying about the typical sauce issues that abound at most restaurants. For the kids, they had a great chicken tenders plate and fun corn grilled on the cob along with plenty of fresh fruit options. Lastly, when it was time for a little treat and pick me up, the cafe near the front entrance had ple
nty of fresh and healthy options alongside the ice creams, but most exciting for me, they carried some of the higher end dark chocolate that deliciously completed an already fun day at the park.
If you have any other fun tips for enjoying the Legoland park or any of the other Theme Parks around California, please post them here, would love to hear from you!
