An "Iconic" Family Adventure

Our first trip using our iconic hotels list! We were excited to begin the new year with the kids (ages 4 and 3) exploring a new place. I made sure to cash in credit card points for a gas card and off we went!

Long drives with kids can be difficult so of course we had the snacks, tablets, coloring books, etc. But a necessity, we have come to learn, is the emergency potty LOL. Tip: Besides having an emergency potty, if you could learn beforehand if your kid gets car sick, definitely a plus haha. We have learned to put on podcasts/stories in the car. We decided to take the ferry on over since traffic is usually rough on Fridays and the kids love driving the car onto the ferry. We brought games and just relaxed for part of the trip.

I traveled a lot pre-marriage and kids and it was always important for me to have the kids visit new places (even if it is just a few hours away). We arrived New Years Day at The Inn at Middletown in Middletown, CT. We pulled up, checked in and began strolling through the hotel. There were placards throughout the hotel noting memorable people and moments in history which were interesting.

Food and exploring the downtown were next on the list of things to do. The downtown strip was just down the street, so we were able to walk to the restaurants and stores. Being New Years Day not a whole lot was going on but we got the lay of the land.

Next day, what to do with the kids. For about a week before we left, I researched what was in the area for kids. We ended up at the Children’s Museum in Hartford and it was really great! A big place with so much interactive stuff for the kids to do. We next went to the Dinosaur State Park which the kids also enjoyed…They put a museum on top of fossilized dino prints which was pretty cool. At night a festive drive through Christmas display, very cool for my kids, especially my son who loves light displays.

All in all, a successful, action-packed little trip to begin the new year and start our list. I can’t wait to figure out where we hit next!

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What Makes The Inn at Middletown Iconic?

• Built in 1810 by the president of the Middletown National Bank during the era of grand homes
• Transformed into a National Guard Armory in 1919
• The Inn was the first hotel in Middletown since Harry Truman was president