Candyfloss & Dreams

Tag: family holiday

Isle of Wight Holiday & Vlog July 2021

We recently visited the Isle of Wight for our summer holiday. It was a trip for three adults and two children, one almost 11 and one almost 3. We stayed in July 2021 at Nodes Point Holiday Park and this is what we got up to. If you’d rather watch than read you can take a look at my vlog below.

What We Did on Isle of Wight Summer 2021

As you can see from the video we had a fun filled and busy week with lovely sunny, warm weather. Well apart from our first day where there were flash floods all around. The trip was a great way to get out of the home and honestly I have come home feeling inspired and ready to properly get back into writing again. I’ve really missed blogging but it’s been so hard to keep up with it recently. I have a lot of content ideas and I really want to get back to filming regularly for YouTube and tip my toe in the water when it comes to Reels and making better photos. Anyway, back to our trip! We really did have a fantastic time. Our base was a Freshwater Lodge situated at Nodes Point Holiday Park. Our holiday was for three adults and two children; Evangeline is (almost) 11 and Felix will be 3 in October.

Planning days out to keep everyone happy can be a challenge but I think we managed to accomplish it for everyone. Our first day was spent, mostly, travelling with a ferry trip from Southamptom over to East Cowes and then on to our holiday park. We booked early check in from 1pm so we could make the most of our break. I decided to book and take the kids swimming whilst Adam and his mum went to Tesco for a food shop. After a check of the lodge me and the kids got our swim stuff on and walked over to the pool. We managed to go three times in total for 45 minutes each session which was really good. Adam arrived with the shopping shortly after we got back so we had some much needed chill time before ordering a takeout from a local Mediterranean inspired restuarant. I always find on the first night I don’t want to cook so a click and collect option worked well for us. We got a few bits and all kind of dug in with a medley of Greek and Italian food. When Felix was fast asleep we had our first dip in the hot tub which was a really nice way to unwind.

Visiting the Isle of Wight steam train

On the Tuesday we headed over to the Isle of Wight Steam Railway and had a ride on the train before a look around the museum and a play in the park. It was a lovely sunny morning and as we were a little late arriving we ended up with a carriage upgrade and were placed in First Class which felt very fancy. We booked in for the pool again in the evening before coming back for some dinner. I think on the first night we had mushroom stroganoff which is a nice and easy meal to cook for the family. Then we went to grab a drink in the show lounge and catch some of the entertainment before an evening stroll down to the beach to look at the rock pools.

Midweek seems to be our busiest day, and it was also the hottest. We had tickets booked for the Zoo but little Felix I think was feeling a bit overwhelmed. After a year and a half of doing very little we were suddenly in a new place and very busy doing all kinds of things. I think he was tired, hot and really could have done with a chill day. I’ll take my lesson from that and remember when planning our next break. We had some down time playing in the park after looking at the animals with an ice cream before walking over the road to Sandown beach which is really nice. Then we went into Dinosaur Isle which is a museum back across the road. Both kids really liked the displays inside and as it was later in the afternoon it was really quiet. When we got back we were all pretty hungry so we went over to the onsite restaraunt. I wrote a review of our experience at Nodes Point holiday park if you want to hear more about the facilities there.

Evie and Felix at Isle of Wight Zoo enjoying an ice cream

On our last full day we had a late morning swim before heading into Shanklin which is a little seaside village around 40 minutes away from Nodes Point. It’s really beautiful. We’ve stayed in Shanklin a couple of times and had a really lovely holiday. Unfortunately I was struck down with a migraine so we only really made it to lunch as I wasn’t feeling up to a walk through Shanklin Chine. We did, however, visit the Old Thatch Teashop which is a beautiful pink cottage complete with fairy garden and a must visit. You can call up to book a table to avoid missing out. The food is delicious. A firm favourite is the afternoon teas and fresh crab sandwiches. Dogs are welcome too and the place is just beautifully quirky. I would absolutely love to own a pink cottage like that; it’s just a little bit of me.

A little snapshot of The Old Thatch Cottage in Shanklin – I love this shade of pink

With the end of our holiday in sight we came home and cooked a big pasta bake using up the last of the food in the lodge and our final evening hot tub dip. It was a really lovely break and I can not wait for our next trip!

July 20, 2021
Freshwater Lodge with Hot Tub at Nodes Point Holiday Park
Reviewing the Freshwater Lodge at Parkdean Resorts Nodes Point Holiday park on the Isle of Wight. We stayed on a Monday-Friday break in July 2021.

The Isle of Wight is a holiday happy place for me and we have just returned from a four night break on the island. We purposely booked early check in so we could make the most of our time and get into our lodge straight away. We decided to book a lodge with a hot tub because we wanted something a little bit fancy and, in my experience, it was worth the money. We did, however, book this break last summer and it cost us just under £600 in the Freshwater Lodge situated in Culver View. Splitting the cost over the year made it an affordable family break.

Freshwater Lodge at Nodes Point

Staying in the Freshwater Lodge as a family of 5 we had plenty of space. It was the four of us and Adam’s mum in a 3 bed, two bathroom lodge with an open plan living space which included a fully stocked kitchen and dining area. There was outside seating for six people as well as a large private hot tub on the decking. Inside there was a dining table for six as well as two bar stools. The open plan living space in the freshwater lodge makes it really easy to socialise. There are two bathrooms – one with a full bath and overhead shower, another; an ensuite to the master bedroom – which includes a shower cubicle. Having two spaces to wash really suited our situation.

Our Lodge Tour Video of Culver View 5 is on YouTube

What does the Freshwater Lodge include
- One Double bedroom with ensuite, wardrobe, dressing table, TV with freeview and USB charging point
- Two twin rooms with dressing table, wardrobe and TV with freeview
- Bathroom with bath, shower, toilet and large cabinet for toiletries
- Open plan living space with sofa and two arm chairs, TV with freeview and sliding doors opening up to the veranda and Hot Tub with outside seating
- To the right of the entrance is a large cupboard with boiler, water heater, radiator control (including heated towel rail control) and a washing machine, air drier and ironing board.
- The dining space has a large table and cabinet with plenty of storage
- The kitchen has fridge, freezer, kettle, microwave, gas oven, dishwasher and toaster. There was an issue with our fridge (Culver View 5) which lead to a leak one morning and our food not staying particularly cold. A temporary fridge was put in the corner of the dining area in the interim and a new fridge has apparently been ordered. There is a large pantry space as well as plenty of cupboards. We did find cutlery to be a little sparse but there were plenty of wine glasses (for us none drinkers). There are no plastic or small bowls, plates or cutlery for children so its worth taking your own if you have very young children.
- The seating area was comfortable for us. The TV seems a little tempremental and slow but worked fine for the times we used it.
Review of Freshwater Lodge at Nodes Point, Isle of Wight

I’ll start with the frustrations first because out stay was mostly positive. There was a smell of sewage for a lot of our stay which was really offputting. We found we could minimise it by keeping the entrance door closed and the sliding doors opened but it was frequent in the large bathroom. It was a bit off putting really but we only cooked twice. The other frustrating thing was the issue with the fridge which is hopefully being replaced. It is quite clearly lacking some sort of seal to keep the water in and the ice forming at the back of the fridge suggests its trying to over compensate to keep cool but with no seal around the door. We were told it didn’t need a seal so I do worry they are just avoiding fixing a problem. The solution was to put a temporary mini fridge in the corner which was acceptable but didn’t store a lot of food. We did have to throw a few things out like yoghurts because they just felt like they’d been left out at room temperature and I didn’t feel good about eating them. Some plastic or smaller, less fragile dishes and beakers for kids would have been fantastic too but this was lacking so we bought our own.
The rest of the lodge, though, was really nice. Having a washing machine was really handy especially after a day at the beach. Having two bathrooms between the five of us meant we getting washed and ready was really easy. Having TV’s in each room meant when the kids needed some much needed downtime we weren’t stuck watching an endless loop of cbeebies. I loved the size of the pantry in the kitchen and having the open plan living space was really great for preparing meals and continuing to socialise. The dining table was comfortable and the bench was an ideal place for my son to sit at – the first year we didn’t request a high chair for him! It absolutely felt like a premium holiday accomodation at a holiday park because we had so much space.

We have been to many caravan parks in the past and I think if I saw a lodge coming up for a similar price I wouldn’t hesitate to book again. I believe you can get some of the lodges included in the Sun holiday and I think they are absolutely worth it if you’re going in a larger group with friends or family – even better if you can split some of the cost down. I know a hot tub lodge won’t suit every budget and I’m not saying we will now only ever go for a lodge – because I’m not really prepared to pay more than £800 for a four night break and they do whack the price up – but if you can afford it, and you can comfortably fit the payment into your monthly budget (if booking in advance) then I would recommend it for the extra space. As a family of larger adults, myself on the chunky side and Adam being 6’5 having a bigger shower and shower over bath honestly made this experience so much more comfortable. I really struggle with the normal caravan showers so this was a huge plus for us.

Using the Hot Tub in your hot tub lodge at Nodes Point

The hot tub is in it’s own little gated off area and was much bigger than I thought it would be. It was a lovely addition and we used it every day – sometimes out of obligation really but it was a novelty that didn’t wear off on our break. It was a great way to warm up after the very cold swimming pool. You can use the hot tub after 7pm on your day of arrival, I think this is to give the cleaning chemicals a chance to get working, and between 10am-10pm every other day. Maintenance come around every morning to check the chemical levels and adjust as needed and on changeover days they refill the water and do a clean. The hot tub is kept lidded and locked whilst not in use. The tub was regularly between 37-39 degrees but we couldn’t seem to adjust the temperature. It was hotter during the day when the sun was out and cooler in the evening during the night so I expect this had something to do with it. The jets would go on for 15 minutes at a time which is an indication for how long one should be in a hot tub but I don’t think anyone ever pays attention to that.
July 18, 2021
Isle of Wight Holiday 2019

Last week we had our usual summer holiday caravan trip at Thorness Bay holiday park on Isle of Wight. It’s our third time there and we still love it. It was really nice to explore a different part of the island too. We had a day out in Shanklin which is a beautiful seaside place to visit and a day out at Blackgang Chine which is a small theme park on the southern part of the Island close to Ventnor.

Thorness Bay had everything you need really but it’s not a park I want to return to. It’s not that anything was bad as such it was just a park in the middle of nowhere. It felt a little bit too quiet for us as a family and I think we prefer the resorts on the eastern side of the Island. However, it was a nice break away and had what you would expect on site including an entertainment lounge, bar and resturant, swimming pool, play park and multisports court. There was also walking access to a private beach and bay.

Driving there from the east cowes ferry terminal was fairly straight forward and took around 30 minutes or so. We got to the park, checked in around 3.30pm and unloaded the car before heading back into Newport and going to morrisons for a quick food shop. We also had some dinner in the cafe there as we were all pretty peckish. We decided to skip the evening entertainment on the Monday night as Felix wanted to move around the caravan. We also had trouble fitting the travel cot in any room other than the living room so we had to co-sleep on the first night then we made a sort of makeshift bed on the floor for him. He actually slept pretty well, it’s just a shame Adam and I didn’t.

The surrounding countryside was beautiful to wake up to I have to say and the whole park was really quiet which was nice. We had an early drive down to Shanklin in the morning for a walk along the beach, had fish and chips for lunch and then spent the afternoon at the Sandown zoo. We got back for some time at the indoor swimming pool which Evie and I did alone as Felix wanted to move around again after lots of time in his car seat and then push chair. We went to the evening entertainment that evening after dinner and it was nice to have a little stroll around the park.

Wednesday was spent on site, we had a pretty chilled out morning and then a late morning swim. Felix had his first time in the pool which was really nice for him. He really enjoyed being in the water. I liked the fact that you could walk down into the pool using steps rather than trying to climb down a ladder with a baby in your arms. He had a lot of fun splashing about so we will be taking him swimming again.

We headed back to the caravan for lunch and some chill out time watching TV and giving Felix some time to crawl around on the floor. Holidaying with a baby requires a lot of chill out time really as they get overwhelmed quickly and where crawling and cruising is so new for him now he’s nine months being stuck in a pushchair is just the worst and I don’t blame him really. We then headed back to the resturant for dinner and a bit of the kids entertainment. Evie spent a lot of time in the park and a bit of time in the arcade too.

Evie struggled this holiday. Her behaviour was not perfect and there was a lot of slamming doors and stomping. It was the worst behaved she’s been on holiday and it sort of ruined it for us actually. We really try and put the most into giving her a good, fun summer holiday every year that’s within our budget and the lack of gratitude was really hard to deal with. I know kids don’t see the behind the scenes stuff like the cost and time and effort planning but she was incredibly vocal about how disappointing it was. I am sort of at my wits end with her extra challenging behaviour these days and I’m not quite sure where to turn.

The last day was spent at Blackgang Chine on the south side of the Island and it is a lovely, fun day out. We got there for 10am opening and started walking around. The backdrop is absolutely stunning views of the sea and there is loads to look at. Evie even braved a few of the rides and Felix had his first Mr Whippy ice cream (well, he finished off mine!) We also purchased Trevor the Sloth.

The holiday was fine but it wasn’t the break I was desperately hoping for if I’m honest. It was nice to get away but the holiday park was too quiet with not enough friends for Evie to make which frustrated her. Our caravan was too far from the park so we couldn’t really let her just go off and play to burn off some steam as it was too far for her to go on her own. The beach area was nice but not really ideal for babies. I think it just wasn’t the holiday park for us really. However, it is always nice to have a break and see a few new things and it was full of plenty of firsts for Felix as well as getting loads of lovely photos. We also got a little video of our time there.

July 11, 2019
A Visit to St Michael’s Mount, Marazion, Cornwall

I think it was the sunniest day of our trip to Cornwall that we were lucky enough to visit St Michael’s Mount. St Michael‘s Mount is located in Marazion which is about 40 minutes from Helston by bus. You can get the number 2 bus towards Penzance from the Blue Anchor stop in Helston. If you just want to visit the village at the bottom or stroll across the causeway, there’s no need to pay. When tide is high you can get a boat over which is a few pounds. We were able to walk there and back on the day we visited in July 2017. We walked across the causeway to visit the Mount which opened around 10 o’clock. It only takes around 10 minutes to walk across the causeway over there are a lot of cobbles so it’s not very accessible for wheelchairs or pushchairs. St Michael’s Mount is closed to the public on Saturdays to give the residents on the mount and the family living in the castle a day to themselves so it’s wise to plan your visit accordingly.

St Michael’s Mount is a national trust site so it’s free for members to visit and for those that are visiting from the day you can buy tickets from the ticket office. There are family discount tickets available. We made our way up the steep climb towards the castle after collecting our tickets. On the day we visited there was story time on the lawn every hour, on the hour. You can take a look at the website for more events happening on the Mount.

On a sunny day like it was on our visit, storytime would be the perfect way to enjoy the scenery before the climb up to the castle or to help recover after with an ice cream. I feel I need to exaggerate the climb towards the castle a little bit because it is incredibly sleep. The climb is relatively steep so wearing proper walking shoes is ideal. You might even want to consider a trekking pole. Hiking and walking activities happen all over Cornwall so it’s something you could use throughout your holiday.

There are handrails all the way up to the top however the path is full of broken stones and cobbles. I wouldn’t recommend this climb to those who are not fully mobile. Any babies or young children that may struggle with the walk will need to be carried as you will not be able to get pushchairs up this hill. There is a buggy park at the bottom. I think I struggled more on the way down than on the way up but I am aware I’m very, very clumsy so falling over is a frequent experience for me. There are gaps in the cobbles and it’s quite easy for small toes to slip between and cause slips and trips. I can imagine walking up these cobbles after it’s been raining can be a real challenge. I feel St Michael’s Mount is a place to visit on a dry day.

St Michael’s Mount is located in a really unique setting. I really enjoyed walking across the causeway to visit the mount. During high tide there is the chance to get a boat ride back however we were still able to walk back. You can easily check the causeway opening times on them St Michael’s Mount website. I would definitely suggest having a look at the website to help plan your visit. You need a few hours to visit the mount to fully enjoy and appreciate everything it has two offer. There are a few shops and places to eat we enjoyed lunch in the sail loft.

As well as being a national trust site the castle is a residential home and there are parts of the castle that are off-limits. You can get a ticket to include visiting the castle and the gardens surrounding the mount. The tour through the castle is a one way walk and it can get very busy and crowded.

I feel we enjoyed the sites and scenes and had enough time to appreciate everything the castle had to offer.

My daughter also enjoyed taking part in the children’s treasure hunt which led to her getting a gold medal. She was very pleased with herself. After exploring the castle we Took a slow walk back down towards the Sail Loft. Here we had a delicious lunch for £29.95 this included a ham and honey mayonnaise sandwich a new Lynn crab sandwich and a children’s lunch bag. For this type of attraction I think the food was good value as it was very tasty. The staff at the Mount were incredibly helpful and made for a pleasant trip.

I think the best thing about St Michaels Mount is the stunning scenery which can be seen from all angles. The castle is very high up and you can really get a gorgeous view of Marazion bay.

After our lunch we took a stroll down to the village with our ice creams which were really tasty. Evie enjoyed a chocolate ice cream in a waffle cone, Adam had mint with chocolate chips and I enjoyed raspberry and white chocolate. You can get ice cream just outside the sail loft. The ice cream was so lovely and we really enjoyed them sitting just on the grass outside the ticket office watching other people paddle in the sea. We also got to try the passionfruit sorbet which was really delicious and would recommend this option if it’s particularly warm to cool down, it was quite sweet but very, very refreshing and I really recommend it.! The two boys working in the Ice Cream hatch were very friendly and great at recommending flavour choices. On the way back we enjoyed a stroll along the beach paddling in the sea before catching our bus.

Our trip to Cornwall has been really lovely and a very special family holiday. We have enjoyed lots of sites and St Michael’s Mount has been a real highlight. For anyone that is visiting South Cornwall particularly close to Helston or Penzance then I really recommend a trip to Saint Michaels Mount particularly if you’re already a national trust member.

Disclaimer; we received three tickets to Saint Michaels Mount Castle and vouchers for ice cream in exchange for this review. All opinions remain my own.

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August 1, 2017
Disneyland Paris – Travel Diary – Day 2 and 3

Day 2 – Saturday – A very wet and windy morning at Disneyland Paris

If you’re following on from my Day One travel diary then thank you for coming back. Day two and three fell over the weekend for us and the official start of half term for us Brits which meant on the Saturday it as absolutely heaving. If you can visit midweek then I think you’ll be able to enjoy so much more. It was also incredibly wet on the Saturday raining all day which I think caused my daughter to be quite sick that evening with a raging temperature. I would strongly advise taking painkillers, calpol, nurofen or any other medication that you may need just in case someone gets sick. It can get very busy and hectic in the park and it’s noticibly colder. There’s also nowhere on site you can buy any form of liquid painkiller for children and the nearest chemist is Val d’Europe which is around 5 minutes on the train and closed on a Sunday.

In an emergency the hotel can call a fireman over to address the situation and call paramedics if necessary or there are a few small medical centres on site which, in an emergency, will give out painkillers. We didn’t use any of these services so I can’t comment on them, however, I’ve heard that there is no charge, but my word is not gospel!

Day 2 – Disneyland Park, Extra Magic Hours & Parade

We didn’t really have a plan for getting around the park as it was our first time there but next time I think we’ll attempt a few more things and plan a little better so we see some of the shows. On the second day it rained a lot and my daughters shoes were soaked through by 9am so off we searched for wellies. We found a gorgeous pair of Minni Mouse Wellies in Disney Clothing Store on Main Street for €25.99 – expensive but necessary. I think a lot of children either already had these wellies or bought them there too because we saw these red boots everywhere we went.

The extra magic hours are great for those staying in a Disney hotel as it means you can get into the park from 8am and meet a few characters. On the first day we saw Chip and Dale who were great. They loved my homemade autograph book and made a big fuss as well as gave us some really cheeky photo’s. My daughter found them really funny! We were also able to get on to the carousel and have a good wonder around. We attempted to ride Rataouille and queued for around 30 minutes whilst waiting for the ride to be fixed only to have our fast passes returned to us and asked to come back later. It’s a fantastic ride, very innovative but very, very technical and because of this it does break down quite a lot. Still if you use a fast pass you get it again which is great as it means you can go back later and still not wait ages in the queue. This includes fast passes from the machines and the hotels.

Entrance to Ratatouille in Walt Disney Studios Park

After that we headed over to Annettes Diner for lunch which was brilliant. Food was tasty and some of the waiters were on roller skates which made it look like a really fun place to work. I admire their talent, I can’t even ride a bike let alone roller skate carrying food and seating people! Really worth a trip though and for three of us it only cost around €60 which included drinks and a three course meal for my daughter.

After heading back to the hotel we went for a swim in the Sequoia Lodge Swimming pool which was heated but felt very cool. There is a slide in the pool which my daughter loved and went on with Adam a couple of times. The pool also has a jacuzzi and steam rooms which really helped warm me up and I had the steam room all to myself. It’s probably key to note here that men don’t have to wear speedos at Disney! They can wear regular swimming shorts in the Disney hotel pools. However if staying off site and there’s a pool like Explorers hotel, you’ll need your speedos! We warmed up with some hot chocolates, tea time treats and then headed back to the park for the parade at 5.30pm.

Mickey Mouse in the Parade on Main Street

Day 3 – Disney Princess Day

Meeting Ariel at ADC Restuarant

You may have already seen my post about the Dancing Disney Princesses and the video to go with it! Take a look if you haven’t. It’s one of our biggest highlights. Before heading off for lunch my daughter had her face painted which was just under €15 next to our chosen Cinderella’s Restaurant where we had a table booked. We booked with our holiday which cost £145 for the three of us and included two drinks each, three courses and a bread basket. During lunch we met Cinderella & Prince Charming, Ariel and Snow White at Auberge de Cenderillon which was a very rich but very tasty french cuisine restaurant. The Princess interaction with my daughter was just amazing and they all gave my daughter a huge hug and lots of waves. She had a great time seeing them all. Why not take a look at our full Disney Princess lunch experience?

We then headed over to Princess Pavillion and queued for around 30 minutes to meet Sleeping Beauty and she was completely perfect. She spent so much time with my daughter and loved the book we made. We didn’t feel rushed at all which made it a very memorable experience for us.

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February 19, 2016