Inside Ski Training Center, Leesburg VA

I waited until after the summer to write this post, and in all honesty, I am happy that I didn’t jump to write this place up.  Now that summer is over, whenever people ask me what I did during the summer, the first and most unique activity that comes to mind is my indoor snowboarding lesson at the Inside Ski Training Center in Leesburg. From the reservation process to the fitting of the boots to the actual lesson, the employees were friendly and patient.

I did not know what to expect when I got there as I pulled up to a shopping center with a small storefront, but when I went inside, they directed me to the back to a separate room. The room was a big slanted treadmill that had an electronic keypad. Our instructor checked us in and explained how to put on the boots, the board, and how the process would work. The instructor was very friendly, and assured us that it would be safe. On a side note, a great benefit to doing indoor snowboarding is that you can do it any time of year and that you don’t have to be heavily layered in clothing, only needing a long sleeve shirt and pants (to protect during falls).

As our lesson begun, the guide explained the details of the different techniques that we would be using.  advanced snowboarders. This was great to know so that if we decided to take classes rather than a one-time lesson, we could advance to tricks. We felt safe the whole time, and the hour lesson went by very quickly. This does require a decent amount of endurance, and you will be tired and sore when you are done, but it was a great workout, and a fun experience and I would definitely go back again!

Pricing:

They offer different rates for private or group lessons, and the prices also differ between childrens and adults prices.

Website: https://insideski.com/

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Inlet Seadoos, Ocean City MD

If you are in Ocean City, MD. and are looking for fun water activities, Inlet Seadoo is the place to go! These guys pride themselves on their safety record, and from the top to bottom of the organization, every person that we interacted with had a smile on their face, was patient in answering questions, and ensured that we had a great time. Located near the boardwalk, they have this great little tiki hut, which is their central office. From here, you can pay for your activity and get fitted for your life vest (they provide). Reservations are helpful to ensure that you have your spot, but you can certainly try walking up to the desk spontaneously. Additionally, they offer photo packages so that you can look back on your excursion for many years to come!

During our visit, we went on a triple Parasailing ride. My 9 and 11 year old boys and I had an amazing time, despite me being afraid of heights. They offer 400, 600, and 800 foot rides, and were great about explaining all of the procedures before we went up in the air. This helped us to have an understanding of what to expect, and the ride from the boat up into the air was incredibly smooth and steady. Once in the air, we had beautiful views of the ocean, the bay, and the entire Ocean City strip. We were on the boat for a little bit less than an hour, and up in the air for 10 minutes. It was a peaceful and calming experience and we will look back fondly on this activity throughout our lives.

In addition to Parasailing, they also offer Jet Skiing, which seemed quite popular when we were waiting to get our life vests. We hope to try that next time we are at the beach. This is a top shelf organization with a nice balance between peaceful scenic rides (parasailing) and high octane rides (Jet Skis).

Website: https://www.inletseadoos.com/

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Hillwood Estate, Mansion, and Botanical Gardens, Washington DC

In all the years that I have lived in Maryland, I never realized how close I lived to the Hillwood Estate, Museum, and Gardens (Washington DC). I also did not realize just how beautiful it would be and how rich in history the mansion was. The Hillwood Estate was originally owned by Marjorie Maryweather Post (yes, the one Maryweather Post Pavillian is named after) who owned the Post cereal company, and was at one time the wealthiest woman in America with a 250 million dollar net worth! The mansion has 36 rooms, and each room has its own unique flavor while maintaining the continuity of the flow of the house. We very much enjoyed the breakfast room, which had high windows and a great deal of natural light.

She was also a huge collector of art (specifically Russian), which is on display throughout the house.. In addition to the permanent collection of art, they also have rotating exhibits. When we were there, there was a Faberge Egg exhibit, which were intricately crafted and beautifully designed. This museum is a suggested donation payment, and you can pay what you feel comfortable with ( I believe it is a $20 suggested donation).

When we finished in the mansion, we went over to the greenhouses, where they had an impressive display of flora. The rooms certainly were a little bit crowded, but it was nice to be immersed in the different species. Once we got out of the muggy greenhouse, we decided to walk the grounds.  This was without a doubt, my favorite part. The Japanese gardens and sculptures were stunning, and provided a great location to take pictures. We found ourselves watching a turtle in one of the ponds, standing on bridges, and walking between stones across smaller tiered fountains.

While some children would certainly appreciate the beauty of this estate, I would say that kids should be closer to 12 years old before they could truly appreciate the beauty of this location. This activity requires a decent amount of walking.

Website: http://www.hillwoodmuseum.org/

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Salisbury Zoological Park, Salisbury MD

It may not be the biggest zoo…..It may not be the most beautiful zoo……But the Salisbury Zoological Park is a quaint little zoo, that is well shaded, and makes for a perfect stop either on the way to or from the beach (Ocean City, MD). This little zoo is free (and runs on donations) and has a nice sampling of animals. The benefit to it being smaller is that the animals are usually visible to guests. It is also a relatively shady zoo, so visitors do not have to bake in the sun during their time on the grounds. 

Additionally, there is a wonderful and decent sized park in the back of the zoo, so kids really have several options. We always stop on the way home from the beach as it is about 35 minutes from Ocean City, and allows us to break up the drive and have a place to stop and eat lunch. Almost the entire zoo is wheel chair accessible and it is mostly flat. My kids look forward to this stop off every year. 

Website: http://www.salisburyzoo.org/

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Artechouse, Washington DC

Artechouse is a trendy new art gallery that focuses on immersive digital art experiences. Based on the hype, we were expecting a bigger place with many exhibits, but this is a smaller gallery. They have one main exhibit room, and then two or three smaller elements. One of the smaller rooms is a virtual reality headset. It was cool to be sitting in a room with others, everyone in a different headset, and each person in a world that someone else created. We also enjoyed the small exhibit where the visitor could move their hands in front of a projected piece of art and manipulate the picture.

The main room was large, and was filled with beanbag chairs. As we filed in, everyone sat in a chair and watched as the artist’s visions of these different worlds projected on all of the walls surrounding us. Overall, this was a cool experience, but be aware that the whole exhibit can be seen easily in about 45 minutes, and that there is no street parking. There is a pay lot nearby, so make sure that you factor the cost of the parking and the cost of the exhibit into your budget. All in all, it provided a unique experience that even young children could be entertained by for about an hour.

Website: https://www.usa.artechouse.com/

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