“I wrote my first novel because I wanted to read it”
– Toni Morrison
Great Escape Lodge in Queensbury offers winter water-park specials
Four years ago, I was attending a holiday party when my friend LizaBeth mentioned a sweet discount deal at Six Flags Great Escape Lodge. I was so excited that I called and made our reservation right then and there. We’ve done annual overnight family getaways at the advertised special reduced rates ever since, and they’re a real highlight during the cold winter months.
The main attraction is the White Water Bay indoor water park, which is included in the Lodge reservation. Our kids have expanded their water-park repertoire every year, trying new slides as they felt ready for them, and I appreciate the decadent 80-degree temperatures. A recent improvement I noticed is the new locker system where you choose your own combination and no longer need a wristband to pop them open. The water park is fairly loud, which can take some getting used to.
The Lodge has an arcade as well as a new Kids’ Club area for crafts and activities such as storytime with Scrappy-Doo. Johnny Rockets, with its five-cent jukeboxes and indulgent Desperado Plunge adult milkshake made with Godiva Chocolate Liqueur, is right on the premises, which meant that we could eat dinner without leaving the hotel until checkout. The Lodge appeals to all ages, and meeting up with friends can make the entire experience even more fun, especially as the kids get older.
Our friends shared their impressions about their recent experience at the water park. Our son and his buddy Morgan Quinn declared, “There’s no such thing as small at Johnny Rockets, and the arcade is awesome!” Morgan’s Dad Michael Quinn emoted, “I laughed; I cried; it was better than Cats.” His daughter Ama Quinn enthused, “I want to come back; this is a great hotel to live at!” Baby Cooper Quinn clearly loved dancing to the retro music in his highchair at Johnny Rockets and cozying up to Scrappy-Doo in the Kids’ Club.
Right now, the Lodge is still running the special overnight rate, along with a free continental breakfast, including make-your-own waffles, which our kids loved doing. Check the website for details and special events, such as the Scooby-Doo Mystery Weekend coming up in March.
Six Flags Great Escape Lodge is located at 89 Six Flags Drive in Queensbury. For more information, call (518) 824-6060 or visit www.sixflagsgreatescapelodge.com.
Too Much Information at Rosendale & Carlo DeRosa at the Falcon
I love sharing interesting family activities with you via Kids’ Almanac. But to me, one of the most important aspects of being parents is nurturing ourselves by doing what feels good and restorative. For me, that means physical exercise like walking the rail trail, connecting with friends and attending live performances. Here are two of my personal highlights for this week:
The Too Much Information (TMI) Round 5 event takes place this weekend. Listening to people tell their stories feels grounding, inspiring, clarifying, as I alternately laugh and cry throughout the evening. I have attended TMI since its first performance, and I absolutely love the work that Eva Tenuto, Julie Novak, Sari Botton and all the performers do.
Too Much Information Round 5 takes place at the Rosendale Theatre this Friday and Saturday, January 25 and 26 at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $15 in advance, $20 at the door. The Rosendale Theatre is located at 408 Main Street in Rosendale. For more information, visit https://tmiproject.org. For tickets, visit www.brownpapertickets.com/event/296713.
Another event that I’m looking forward to this week is some awesome jazz played by Carlo DeRosa’s Cross-Fade over at the Falcon. DeRosa is a terrific composer and bass player. He’ll be joined by Luis Perdomo on piano, Mark Shim on tenor sax and Justin Brown on drums. This gig is a great chance to hear this New Paltz native play original tunes from his Brain Dance album. Catching DeRosa live at the Falcon means a break from cooking, too, since you can eat dinner before the show: total win.
Carlo DeRosa’s Cross-Fade plays at the Falcon on Wednesday, January 30. Dinner begins at 5:30 p.m. and the music starts at 7 p.m. The Falcon is located at 1348 Route 9W in Marlboro. For reservations or more information, call (845) 236-7970 or visit www.liveatthefalcon.com. To learn more about the performers, visit www.carloderosa.com.
Join the family! 
