Annapolis & Baltimore in three days - Not bad...

I had planned a three day trip to Annapolis, MD; however, after a bit of research I concluded there was not enough to do there for a family over three days. So I expanded out, and included a day or two in Baltimore (where there is a lot to do).

We left Long Island around 10:30am and got to Baltimore around 3:15pm (should have taken 4 hrs, but there was traffic). It was a toss up whether to go to the Baltimore Museum of Industry or the American Visionary Art Museum - they are not far from each other on the same street. We pulled into the MoI, and after finding out it closed around 4pm, we opted for the Visionary Art Museum. I would still recommend the Museum of Industry for another trip - it looked cool.

The American Visionary Art Museum is hard to miss. It looks a little like a homeless person has tried to decorate the outside of the building. Still it is cool - complete with a giant bird (made out of iron and steel) standing next to a giant nest which has been attached to the second story of the building. The kids really liked this stuff, as well as most of the exhibits (including the 5 foot high ball made out of bras). I would call most of what I saw "non-traditional folk art." Folk art is art made by people who have not been "trained" in the arts. (There is a great folk art museum in Williamsburg, VA - be sure to check it out if you are ever down there.) Non-traditional Folk Art is a little more "out there" - like the bra ball. Most of it was interesting, and the kids enjoyed it. We opted for a family membership (it was about the same price as a single day entry, and lets us come back again for 1 year). Staff was helpful and friendly. No photography was allowed. I asked why - since it was only us, and two other people in the museum, I though any publicity would be helpful for them. The answer I was given was, "We don't know what could happen to those pictures...they might end up on the net - who knows where." Sooo... if you do go there, tell them you saw pictures all over the "net". It cost us $35 total, and we were there almost till closing. It filled the first day well.
For dinner we went to Cactus Willie's - it is an "American Food - Buffet style" place - food quality is about a 6 out of 10. The place is clean, and the staff is friendly. There are two big pluses to this place: 1) You get up to get your food, so there is no waiting; and 2) it is cheap: $33 for the five of us.
For lodging we always stay at Hampton Inn's. They are clean, relatively nice, have Internet, and include a "hot" breakfast (i.e. *some* item that they are serving is hot.) The one we stayed at this time was in Glen Bernie, MD - halfway between Annapolis and Baltimore. Also, since Glen Bernie is in the middle of nothing important, we paid $93 per night (instead of the $217 they wanted in the Inner Harbor).

Day2 - Friday: Breakfast at the hotel, then off to Annapolis to hopefully catch the 11am tour. This tour (either this or the 11:15am tour) stops to view students "forming up" to go to lunch - it is like a mini-parade and impressive to watch. The additional bonus to visiting on Friday is that Friday is like a "dress up" day - students dress in the uniform of what they will do when they graduate - pilots wear jumpers, those who will be assigned to a ship wear tan uniforms, etc.
Overall, the Naval Academy is a "must see". The tour last about 1.5 hrs and costs $8. You learn a lot about the traditions and history of the Academy. You will leave proud and hopeful. It is very comforting to see that there are college age kids willing to work so hard for something they believe in.
After Annapolis, we grabbed ice cream in town, and then headed back to Baltimore, toward Fort McHenry. If you are already in the inner harbor, you can take a water taxi there. Since we were already driving, we opted to just drive there. It's free to park, and you can walk around at no charge. If you want to enter the fort it is $7 per adult (16 and older), and kids are free. We thought it was worth the $7. Go around 4:20pm, and you can see them "change the flag". They lower one flag, and the kids catch it and help fold it. Get opposite where everyone else is (with the sun to your back, and the flag in front of you), and you can catch a real "photo opp". After they lower the super huge flag, they raise the "president's flag" which flies until morning. This is the fort that took a beating in the War of 1812, and held out (thus inspiring Francis Scott Key to write what later became "The Star-Spanged Banner"). You can see where powder was stored, how the men lived, and how the officers lived. The highlight for the kids was walking along the bastions (it is a star shaped fort). They liked being "up high." While offering great views, the bastions are not "kid safe". Hold small children's hands, or run the risk of them falling about 20' (there are no safety rails). The fort closed at 4:45pm - and they were quick to kick us out.
After the fort, we drove a short distance to "The house where Babe Ruth was born." To be accurate, Babe Ruth was born there - but he never lived there. We did not bother with the tour, but did take a picture out front. The building is not far from Camden Yards, so if you are going there anyway, this is a quick, and somewhat fun stop.
From here we went for dinner. We ate at a "China Buffet" directly across from the Hampton Inn. It was as remarkable as any other Chinese Buffet we have eaten in. Reasonable prices ($10.95 per adult), reasonable cleanliness (though the bathroom looked like a bomb went off), and reasonable variety of food (they have pizza for when the kids are looking for something different).
After dinner, we spotted a Super WalMart. We went there to buy cough syrup, and ended up doing a 1.5hr "WalMart stroll". We will do these "strolls" in WalMart, Lowes, Home Depot, Costco, or BJ's. We find them relaxing. I guess it is the suburban version of "going for an evening walk." Since we rarely buy much, these tends to be fairly inexpensive jaunts, and a good way to wind the kids down.
Day 3 - Saturday: Breakfast in the hotel, then off to The National Aquarium in Baltimore. This is a fairly good aquarium - neat, clean, interesting and a good dolphin show. Important things to know:
-It ain't cheap ($28.95 per adult, and kids are about $10 less). This price includes the dolphin show, and their "4D show". The 4D show is a 3D movie where the seats spray you with water and air (like in "Honey I Shrunk The Kids at Disney). If you are three or younger, it scares you and you cry. If you are older than three, you laugh politely and think it is lame. It runs 15 minutes. If you pull it from the ticket, you have $4. I would recommend skipping it.
-Entry is timed. We got there at 11:15am (took FOREVER to find parking - and at $18 for the day). The ticket we purchased allowed us to enter the aquarium at 11:45pm. At about 11:40am, people with an 11:45am ticket start lining up to go in, and at 11:45am, they let you in. The wait was no big deal, since you are right in the inner harbor, and there are boats and things to look at.
Once we got in, we started working our way through the place. It is laid out a lot like IKEA - they keep people moving along a set path. You can deviate from the path if you like, but if you stay on the path, you see just about everything. The exibits were interesting and informative, and most were well setup for children (ledges for them to stand on to see better). We took a break at 3:00pm and went and got lunch at Five Guys Burgers ($21 for the five of us) which is in a food court about a block from the aquarium. NOTE: if you are going to leave the aquarium and return later, get your hand stamped. There are no signs to warn you of this. We just kept searching till we found someone with "the power to stamp".
After a 15 minute lunch, we went back and checked out the frog exhibit and Australia Exhibit at the equarium. Both are organized and fun. The frogs are a lot of fun to try and find in the exhibits (the kids were amazed to find out frogs could be the color of rocks and leaves).
All in all the aquarium is not cheap, but is interesting. Five to six hours pretty much gets you though the whole place (including the dolphin show). To do it again, I might try the science museum (which is $10 less per person). We opted for the aquarium since the kids were "lectured out" after the previous two days, and we thought something very visual would be a good break. They were good through 6:30pm when we left.
After the aquarium, we started driving home, and stopped at a "Golden Corral" for dinner. We first discovered this chain in Florida. Food quality tends to be a 4-5 out of 10, but they are generally clean and inexpensive. They can be found as far north as New Jersey - generally close to I95 (like Cracker Barrel). What makes them a total home run for the kids, is that they have ice cream with all kinds of topping options that the kids put together themselves. Obviously, "healthy eating" is not part of the Golden Corral Mission Statement.

Overall Conclusions:
Annapolis is a great place to spend some time - if it is just you and your significant other. It has a "quaintness" that you might find in Conn. or R.I. It is a great place to relax - without kids. The Naval Academy is a great place for families to visit - great lessons and important reminders for all. But after that, you will want to head for Baltimore.
Baltimore is a great place for families with a lot of things to see and do. I would say we only saw 1/3 to 1/4 of what we might be interested in seeing. We plan on going back at least once more - probably twice more. What makes Baltimore really great, is it's proximity to Washington DC. If you get tired of Baltimore, the sights of DC are only about 40 miles away. Enjoy!!!!!!

Heart of Portugal - does it get any better?

Heart of Portugal (www.heartofportugalrestaurant.com) is truly a great restaurant. They are located in Mineola. We had our second party there (a communion) and food & service were outstanding. We have been there many times before for dinner, and whether it was for dinner or a party, we have always been pleased with everything.

The food is Portuguese (obviously) which means a lot of seafood. If you have never had Portuguese cooking, I would call it a cross between Spanish and Northern Italian (to give you a guesstimate of what to expect).

Service is outstanding. The owner Mannie makes sure you are happy, and makes sure service is smooth and consistent. Waiters do not hover, but still manage to make sure you have everything you want when you want it. Visit Heart of Portugal to see how service "done right" is done. The lost "art of anticipation" is practiced by the waiters. Have one roll left in your breadbasket? There is no, "would you like some more bread?" Rather it just appears there. Same for water, wine, and basically everything. Want to literally be treated like a king? Go to Heart of Portugal.
Food and Portions: What is better than a variety of well prepared food? Lots of it. My family is all Italian, and as you would expect, we like to eat. You will *NEVER* leave hungry from Heart of Portugal. Even better, you will not leave poor either. Prices are reasonable.
Atmosphere - they have an inside and outside. Inside is warm and friendly. Outside is great in the summer.
Overall: This is a great place to go for an adventure (with or without the kids).

Broadview Phone Service - Does it get any worse?

In June 2006, I started using Broadview Networks for phone service at work. It still ain't right!!!!!!
Part of my weekly routine is going over the bill and then calling Broadview to explain my current questions, as well as go over "still unresolved" questions. These customer service is second to none (as in "no customer service would actually be better"). They give new meaning to unprofessional and untrained.
Phone service has become a commodity. It should be shopped. We have about 48 total phone lines where I work. When we shopped for a new phone provider (Verizon was killing us) we selected Broadview because of the promise of great customer service. We are two years into a three year contract. I will probably switch at the end of year three. The service is way lacking, and it just takes too much time to stay on time of them. To give you an idea of the magnitude of the problem, in the last year and a half, we have received close to $4,000 in credits due to billing errors.
In Short: Broadview Networks - take a pass.

Update on Brookdale

Brookdale Resort has been for sale since the summer, and was sold last week. The new owners (a company from Texas) plans to temporarily close the place as of April 28, 2008 to make some changes. They have a lot of work ahead of them....

Caesar's Pocono Resorts - Brookdale

Caesar's Pocono Resorts at Brookdale is billed as a "super family friendly place" - it is not. To be more accurate, it is a dump to be avoided. Run Away, Run Away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In my never ending search to find a place like Woodloch Pines (only not as pricy) we ventured to Brookdale in February. We had reservations for 4 days, and ended up staying for about 2 1/2. Tip off #1 came when we got there and asked to see the schedule of events for the day. Events did not start before 11am. Not a great sign. Listed as the 4pm "event" was "take a nap till diner." As future advice for myself (and anyone else): When you see "naptime" listed as an activity, CLEAR OUT!!!
Things to know about Brookdale:

• It is an old resort. Some of the rooms have been redone. We stayed in one of these "fresh" rooms. It had a fireplace, 2 bathrooms, and easily slept the 5 of us. The room was the best part of the resort.
• The rest of the resort has seen better days. Old carpets, plastic flowers, broken video games, and ancient decor all send the message, "You should have been here 35 years ago..." Austin Powers would be right at home...
• Breakfast and dinner are buffet. Food quality is low. Think Sizzler. I have seen better breakfasts at Hampton Inn's. Dinner is slightly better, though not by much. Cleanliness is not a priority. Also, there is a smell...
• They do not serve lunch. You are welcome to go downstairs and buy lunch at a "snack Bar" fresh from 1960, but with prices from 2016 (I am assuming a 4% inflation rate). We thought we would have a large breakfast, and not even be looking for lunch; but with a less than stellar breakfast, and little to do all day, the kids were looking for lunch each day.
• The activities are almost non-existant. The weather was warm the day we got there and super cold the next day. No matter what the weather, there was little to do inside or out. They have a single snow tube run which they need to "check" each day, and declare open or closed. They opened it the first day we were there, but with the warm weather it was a mud run (funny to watch people shoot down some snow into a huge mud puddle). For the next day and a half, they decided it would not be opened. What did that leave for us to do? No much. Day 1 had a scavenger hunt which was OK (ran from 12-1:30pm), then there was a "guess the cartoon" competition (they flash up a picture and you have to guess from which cartoon it comes - kids liked it). After that - nothing. Day 2 we got desperate and decided to go do the archery (ever do archery in freezing winter winds?). The kids played a lot of pool (as in billiards). There are three tables in the lobby, and that is the main activity. In a separate building there is a a roller rink (about 20'x30'). Next to this is a pool (really a large bathtub) that looked skeve at best. Between the two is a fitness center/minute golf course (6 holes made out of plywood). As you would imagine, the kids get bored with the "golf course" and start playing on the fitness equipment. Thus the main noise in this part of the resort is a lone worker constantly yelling, "kids, you have to get off the fitness equipment, it is for grownups only."
• Nightly entertainment consisted of a DJ one night, and a talent show the next. The talent show was better than the DJ.
• Side amusement: the resort is highly spooked about legal issues. They make you sign a liability waiver whenever you do anything: take out archery equipment, sign a waiver...go roller skating, sign a waiver...go roller skating again, sign a waiver again... To amuse ourselves we took to signing different names on the waivers: Mickey Mouse, Richard Nixon, Ronald McDonald.
• The place is woefully understaffed. As a result, service and cleanliness suffer. Example - we ate dinner the first night (which is the only night that was not a buffet) and service was *VERY* slow in coming. We wound up getting a lot of bread/rolls. Next night, we find three rolls and lots of crumbs still on the floor from the previous night (you sit at the same table each day). We went on February break week - probably a week the resort would choose to "staff up." There was 1 person to run the day's activities (yes, 1 total) - thus the limited activities. If you go on a non-vacation week, perhaps the guests run their own activities...

With nothing to do, we decided to check out early. When we told them we were leaving, there were not questions of "was there anything wrong?". Instead, they just treated like it was a usual occurrence.

In retrospect we should have taken the hint the first evening, when we realized half the place was empty (on February break week).

Overall: Avoid this place. Don't even go there in desperation hoping they have changed. If you want a family resort getaway, go to Woodloch Pines. If you can't afford Woodloch, try Rydin Hy. Rydin Hy is a resort where the staff/owners will bend over backwards to make you happy. Look for my post on Rydin Hy soon.