Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari

Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari is one of those amusement parks that you want to visit because you know it’s going to be fun- and you want to support the business because of the history. This is a 3 generations old family business that is focused on providing fun and safe thrills and giggles for families.

This park started out as Santa Claus Land in 1946. The park was comprised of a toy shop, toy displays, a restaurant, a few themed children’s rides, and Santa. The park was started by Louis Koch. Louis’ son, Bill, took over the family business after returning from World War II. Bill married Patricia Yellig- Yellig’s father, Jim, had started the tradition of Santa Claus being an integral and real part of the town. Jim Yellig first started playing Santa while in the Navy during World War I and then took on the role when he was back home in Santa Claus, IN. Back in 1914, Postmaster James Martin began writing return letters to the children who wrote letters to Santa that wound up at the Indiana post office. Yellig picked up the tradition and ran with it- organizing groups to help cover the cost of postage and the work required to reply to each and every letter. That tradition carries on today.

So Yellig’s daughter married the son of the man who started Santa Claus Land. Bill and Pat Koch then made Santa Claus Land their life’s work with a serious dedication to building the town, serving families, and creating this dream.

In 1984, the park expanded to include other holidays besides Christmas- Halloween and the 4th of July- and the name was changed to Holiday World. Thanksgiving was added in 2006. Splashin’ Safari- the waterpark- opened in 1993.

Now, in 2010, the park has ample rides and entertainment to keep adults and children of all ages entertained, encourage them to let loose, relax, have fun, get some sun, enjoy a few thrills and all in a family friendly environment.

I shared pictures from my phone during the day that we were there and, of course, have more to share!

We were first treated to a tour of the grounds- which gave Teagan the opportunity to scout out what she wanted to ride first. The carousel, of course! Zach was in no mood to deal with any rides the day we were there. We tried a few times and we hit on a few positive experiences and the rest were no-go’s for the boy.

We rode the Carousel (no music which really lessens the experience of a carousel, in my opinion; Jeff tried to do his own music but Teagan didn’t seem to appreciate his efforts). EDIT June 8: There was, apparently, a technical issue the day we were there. There IS usually calliope music playing with the carousel!! We went to Holidog’s Funtown and rode the train, played on the playgrounds, and Teagan “drove” an explorer Jeep. Went and had lunch at The Alamo (I really wanted to go to the Plymouth Rock Cafe for a real holiday meal with all the fixins but the family voted for tacos instead).

Quick note about food at Holiday World- and this is really cool, in my opinion. If you have food allergies or dietary needs- this is the place for you to vacation. This season, Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari rolled out an expanded menu of pre-packaged foods that do not contain: wheat, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, milk, soy and eggs. The special diet options have been available for several years but are now more widely available and also include vegetarian and sugar free menus items.

From the press release: “Pizza, chicken nuggets, and turkey corn dogs which do not contain the most common food allergens are available at Kringle’s Kafe and Safari pizza; those restaurants also have designated equipment for preparing gluten-free and dairy-free items. In addition, the park also offers gluten-free sandwich bread. Prepackaged applesauce and fruit cups are available as an option to fries." For dessert, snickerdoodle cookies which are free of the most common food allergens are available. Gluten- and wheat-free brownies are offered at Plymouth Rock Cafe and Mrs. Klaus’ Kitchen. In addition, 2 types of dairy-free ice cream bars plus soy milk are now available. Vegetarian selections added to the parks’ menus include veggie burgers, pasta salad, and fettuccine alfredo. Sugar-free ice cream and sucrose-free fudge will also be available.”

One of the coolest things about visiting HW&SS is that the drinks are free. Yep, free. There are drink stations throughout the park. And it isn’t a limited selection- a full line of Pepsi products, Gatorade, iced tea, coffee, water. Anytime you want something to drink, you stop and get a cup and have one. Free. We did buy milk when we had our dinner before leaving but I was so happy to be able to keep my kids hydrated all day long!

Also offered- free- all day long is hand sanitizer and sunscreen. There is no charge for parking or for intertubes or for life jackets. You pay to get in and you pay for food. And the food isn’t insanely priced, either. Our lunch was around $24 for the 4 of us and we ordered way too much food- 4 complete meals when we really only needed 2.

I have to also highly recommend checking out the website for Holiday World because you can totally check out the rides and determine if there are things your family would enjoy.

Gotta say- Teagan did awesome in the wave pool. She so wanted to go in and swim in the big waves. When the water was calm, she would jump around and “swim” to me with her life jacket on. And when the waves were going full force, she and I would stand together and she would jump into the waves while I held her hands.

This is very cool- one of the rides (an “octopus” type ride) is very hand operated!! Most rides turn on with a key but this one was operated by the young woman working at that time. It was really neat to watch!

He looks happy here but that’s only because the ride hadn’t started yet. As soon as it started moving, he started screaming. They stopped the ride, handed him over to me, and started the ride back up. Poor guy just isn’t ready for rides!

Something else really cool- this is a measurement station. They measured Teagan to see how tall she is and determine what limits she would have for rides. She got a color coded wrist band to wear. Best of all, they put my cell phone on her wrist band so I could easily be contacted if she got separated from us.

I have to say- a family vacation in Spencer County definitely has a lot to offer just about anyone. You can hit the amusement park, the water park, go fishing, hiking, camping, find entertaining stuff for history buffs. Main thing is that you and your family can get away from home and work and the routine of daily life and mix it up with some serious fun!

Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial, Living History Farm, Lincoln Bicentennial Plaza, Lincoln Amphitheatre

When we first arrived in Spencer County, our first stop was to visit the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial and Living History Farm. We started out at the Memorial Visitor Center and took a tour through some educational displays. My favorite panel was about political cartoons on Lincoln’s stance on slavery. Also not to be missed is the Abraham Lincoln Hall. I love beautiful rooms and there are so many fantastic details in this space!

Photo provided by Spencer Co press kit

Teagan and I took a walk to the Living History Farm while Jeff and Zach drove up the road to the other parking lot. Teagan and I spotted so many butterflies on our walk!

On the walk, we passed by the gravesite of Lincoln’s mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln. She died at the age of 35 from milk sickness (from the brochure- “Milk sickness occurs when cattle graze on the white snakeroot… the plant contains the toxin tremetol, a poison to animals and to humans who consume the milk products or meat of those animals”).

We met up with Jeff and Zach at the Living History Farm. This is a small living farm- a cabin that replicates the life of Lincoln in his boyhood and some farm buildings. When we were there, we talked with one costumed Ranger who talked with us about the cabin and answered any questions we had. We then walked across a road and down a small path to the Lincoln Spring. We were expecting a small body of water but instead found an enclosed well! At first, Jeff and I had a good laugh but then took advantage of the teachable moment to explain to Teagan about having to walk from the cabin to this point every time you needed water.

Next, we traveled across the street to the Lincoln Bicentennial Plaza and Amphitheatre.

Photo provided by Spencer County press kit

The Plaza was beautiful. I enjoyed reading all of the quotes and the Gettysburg Address while the kids had room to run and play.

Funny story- at this point in the trip, Zach insisted that he had to potty. But the State Park bathrooms have… bathrooms that are without electricity or flushing toilets. Zach was NOT a happy camper and refused to use these facilities. He started crying- “Wanna go home and use potty!” Jeff did finally bribe him with gummy bears. But we had a tense 20 minutes! I also had horrific visions of Zach falling into the toilet- down into the pit below and I had horrible Schindler’s List visions flying through my head.

Anyway, we were next treated to a little visit to the Lincoln Amphitheatre where rehearsals were underway for “Lincoln.” The Amphitheatre seats 1,500 and is nestled into a very scenic part of Lincoln State Park.

Photos below were provided by Spencer Co in my press kit- I wasn’t allowed to take pictures during rehearsal due to Equity rules.

From what I’m told, the story of the show takes place during the 9 hours from the time Lincoln was shot until he died- the story focuses on his flashbacks to his boyhood in Indiana and the moments that formed him to be the man who would become President.

The show opens June 18 and runs through August 7. You can have a full Lincoln Experience by enjoying pre-show activities, a special Lincoln exhibit, visit with various artisans, and enjoy a catered meal before the show.

The cool thing about all of the Lincoln stuff we saw was that it would be an awesome experience for homeschoolers looking for a family getaway with some real educational impact. There were so many opportunities for conversation about Lincoln and all he accomplished and how he got there. And then to wrap it all up with the theatre experience and really understand the emotional impact of this man… well, I think it could truly be something special.

In addition, there are some great things to do in the park that would be fun for the family!

Lincoln State Park

There’s a beach and hiking and camping and paddle boats to take out on the lake. We definitely could have enjoyed a full afternoon there!

Santa’s Candy Castle, The Christmas Store, and the Santa Claus Museum

Yesterday, I posted about staying at the Lake Rudolph Campground & RV Resort.  As part of wanting extra time at Lake Rudolph, I know that any future visits to Santa Claus, Indiana will include a visit to The Christmas Store, The Santa Claus Museum, and Santa’s Candy Castle.

Santa Claus Christmas Store

When I was growing up, my mom and I would drive from Kentucky up to the tip of the thumb of Michigan each August for a family reunion.  I have lots of fond memories from those trips with my mom and her family.  One of the regular stops on our drive up to the thumb was in Frankenmuth and a stop at Bronner’s.  Bronner’s is a Christmas wonderland and was a very magical place with each visit.

I’ve now found my very own Bronner’s right here in Indiana at the Santa Claus Christmas Store.  Collectibles from Willow Tree to Precious Moments to village pieces to any ornament you can dream up to homemade fudge to lights and you can even have a visit with Santa!  Zach fell in love with an outdoor Mickey Mouse and friends train set, Teagan was thrilled to eat fudge that wasn’t even slightly chocolatey and was pink (peppermint).  I picked up my kids annual ornaments for 2010 (a robot for Zach, a Willow Tree angel for Teagan).  I could have browsed for hours and would have kept finding new things to fall in love with!

Photo provided by Spencer Co press kit

In the same little strip mall, you can stop in to the Santa Claus US Postal Service and have letters stamped with the popular Santa Claus, IN official postage stamp!

Santa Claus Museum

I’ll be honest- I was a bit apprehensive about what I would find at a museum dedicated to Santa Claus.  Turns out, the Santa Claus Museum is a little bit about Santa and a lot about the history of the town and the town’s affiliation with Santa Claus and Christmas.  Lots of great memorabilia dating back as far as the 1800’s.

Here’s the part I could have spent a long time pouring over- and I shared one of these via phone pic while I was there.  There is a collection of letters written to Santa that date back to the 1930’s and come from all over the world.

The Museum also has a room dedicated to the history of Holiday World.  I won’t go into all the details because I want you to go there and learn about it yourself… but one piece I will share with you is a bit of memorabilia close to Jeff’s heart:

A map of Santa Claus Land (now Holiday World) from 1976- which is approximately the last time he was there.

The family that owns and operates Holiday World is the Koch family.  Pat Koch, the matriarch, greets guests each day and can be seen on the grounds sweeping trash, checking in with employees, helping kids.  When we came in, her son, the President of Holiday World, Will Koch, was also greeting patrons.  I was eager to meet him- my pastor had told me to introduce myself if I could because Will Koch was instrumental in our church getting its start!  Turns out, the Koch family has been instrumental in getting a lot of things started.  They run Holiday World in a way that benefits the patrons and protects the family friendly environment.  Talking to the various point people at all the places we visited around Santa Claus, Indiana, it seems that the Koch family has somehow been involved in a lot of projects in that little town and beyond.  This is a family that truly uses their good fortune and blessings to serve their community!  So it was really neat to visit memorabilia dedicated to how this family really helped build the town.

Santa’s Candy Castle

This is a must visit.  Seriously.  I had so much fun at this stop!

First, the owner, Kevin Klosowski, really makes the place warm and friendly and fun.  Second, the history of the place is fantastic.  Third, there is frozen hot chocolate that is to die for…

Santa’s Candy Castle was the nation’s first themed attraction.  It was created by Milton Harris- he dreamed of creating a town dedicated to Santa Claus.  The Candy Castle was a small part of that dream and he started it in 1935.  In 1936, he created Santa’s Workshop and Toy Village- buildings that were sponsored by various toy companies.  There was no paid admission and nothing was for sale- it was just a place for kids to come and play (especially fantastic for kids struggling through the Great Depression who didn’t have these toys at home).  Harris’ dream came to an end with the attack on Pearl Harbor as his sponsoring businesses changed focus away from toys to weapons and as tourism came to a stop. Harris passed away in 1950.  Several owners attempted to pick up where he left off but to no avail.  In the 1970’s, it seemed the project was abandoned.

Photo provided by Spencer Co press kit

In 2005, the Klosowski family purchased the property and began renovation.  In 2006, Santa’s Candy Castle re-opened its doors.  Restoration work continues on Santa’s Workshop and Toy Village.

These are the buildings that comprise what will be restored to become Santa’s Workshop and Toy Village.

In the main round turret, you will find the room I loved the most.  In the center of the room is a low table with computers where kids can have an online chat with an elf at the North Pole!  They answer some questions and the elf then sends a message to Santa to find out if the child is on the Good List… and then the child is presented, with fanfare, a certificate proclaiming them to be on the Good List.  The best part was when the elf reports back, there is a promise the child makes based on the questions asked about what they will work on to do better (for Teagan, it was listening to her parents) and when owner Kevin presented Teagan with her certificate, he explained that the certificate would serve as a reminder of the promise she made to Santa.

But the best part of that room was that it was lined with child height book shelves and held almost any Christmas book imaginable.

The original room:

Photo provided by Spencer Co press kit

And now…

And in case I forgot to mention it… part of the whole point of visiting a place with “candy” in its name would be the SWEETS!  Jeff and I both had the Dark Chocolate Frozen Hot Chocolate.  DIVINE.  Seriously.  I can’t even find the words to describe how heavenly that was.  It was so good, that I bought a bag of the cocoa mix and also bought 2 bags of another flavor (Mexican Spice).  There’s an online store (I also recommend becoming a fan on Facebook) and the cocoa mix package gives easy directions on how to make your own frozen hot chocolate…

Zach loved his frozen hot chocolate but wants to warn you that “It’s COLD!”

The kids each left happily chomping on candy canes.  Teagan had some sort of sour something watermelon and Zach was going to town on a chocolate mint candy cane.  their faces sum it up best, I think.

It really was more than just a candy store or place to buy novelties.  With this fantastic family owning and restoring the place- a family that really believes in the purpose of this place- and with the amazing history behind it, Santa’s Candy Castle is a Must Visit on the list.  I’m very eager to go back in a year or 2 just to be able to see what Kevin and family have accomplished in their restorative efforts!

 

Photo provided by Spencer Co press kit

Coming soon… Lincoln’s Boyhood Home and our day at Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari!

Lake Rudolph in Santa Claus, IN

Lake Rudolph Campground & RV Resort

Loved it.  If you want the short version of our experience staying at Lake Rudolph- that’s it.  Loved it.  Eager to go back and wish we’d had more time to spend there.

If you’re here for details- read on!

First, I want to show you the pictures that were shared with me via press kit.  They captured some pics that I wasn’t able to capture.  Click to see the image bigger and hover over the image for a description. 

How true to life are press pics?  Very!!

What I really wish is that we could have stayed a second night just so we could spend another day exploring Lake Rudolph.  There is so much to do and enjoy!  We arrived late in the day on Tuesday and spent Wednesday morning there and, of course, slept there Tuesday night.  I did not get to experience everything that Lake Rudolph has to offer- not even close.  I did get a lovely golf cart tour of the grounds (Thanks, Laura!) and it really wet my whistle for all they have to offer.

Here’s how our time went: Got to the RV and unloaded the van.  Went out to find a place to have dinner (went to Brick Oven Pizza- they had a buffet that was ok. The pizza was meh but the fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and veggies were pretty good and the staff was hugely friendly and helpful.).  Went to the Candy Castle.  Came back to the RV.  Attempted to make a fire in the fire pit so we could toast marshmallows and make smores.  Got the kids to bed.  Crashed into our bed.  Woke up way too early (before 6 a.m.).   Went in search of breakfast since we didn’t bring groceries.  Played on the playground by the Camp Store.  Went to the Camp Store so we could do the gem sluice thing (Teagan was very excited to find all kinds of pretty gemstones and even an arrowhead!).  Back to the RV, pack up, go to Holiday World.

Here’s what I imagine a longer stay being like:

Spending a couple of hours at Blitzen Bay (pool) and Baby Blitzen (baby pool).

Participate in the offered activities like: animal stuffing (cuddly stuffed animals, not dead things), tie dye shirts, family movie, bonfire, karaoke, bingo.

Rent a paddle boat to paddle around on Lake Rudolph- and watch The Legend Roller Coaster at Holiday World fly by!

Play the FREE miniature golf and walk the nature trails.

Bring a roll of quarters so I… er, the kids… can play video games in the Game Room.

Go to Blitzen Kitchen for ice cream.  Call up Blitzen Kitchen and order pizza to be delivered to our rental site.

Bring a basketball so Jeff can shoot hoops with the kids.

Bring charcoal and shop at Holiday Foods for hot dogs and buns and condiments so we can cook out for dinner. 

Bring folding chairs to have around the fire pit… and learn how to actually build a camp fire so that marshmallows can be toasted over a wood caught flame instead of burning newspaper…

There is just so, so much to do and I know we could have had so much fun there. 

Jeff had one complaint.  The property is very hilly and the rental RV’s- which are permanently anchored in their spots- are sometimes a bit, well, airborne.

Jeff was a little freaked out everytime the kids climbed up into a bed or ran down the hall or sneezed or flushed or blinked.

The kids had one complaint.  The bugs.  Every bug was a spider or an ant to them.  I think if we were there for a period of more than 12 hours, they would have gotten more and more comfortable with the fact that we had to cohabitate with bugs.

My complaint? Not enough time there!

You can rent a space to pitch your tent and do tent camping.  There are bathhouses available near the pool and laundry facilities, too.  You can rent a space for your RV or camper.  You can rent an RV- standard, king, or super king.  You can rent a cabin or even rent a Legendary Cabin (The Legend roller coaster goes right next to these cabins- you can feel them SHAKE when the coasters screams past) and next year, there will be deluxe cabins (large deck with gas grill, upgraded appliances, larger dining and living space, decorated for Christmas with lights and tree).  We were in a king RV- it had a pop out for each bedroom and the living area.  Plenty of space for our family of 4. 

We had a bedroom with a king size bed and a half bath.  There was the living room (couch) and kitchen and dining area.  Fully stocked kitchen- pots, pans, dishes, silverware.  One point of caution- check the drawers when you get there because I was peeking in and found a large butcher style knife in a lower drawer that I quickly moved up to the cup cabinet so it was out of reach of my kids.  There was a coffee maker, alarm clock, dish soap and cleaning cloth, broom, dustpan, extra trash bags, full size fridge and freezer, small stove and oven, double sink.  If we were to plan a couple of nights there, we would bring food to cook and use the drawers and dishware and such.  Instead, we used one glass and 2 spoons and the broom and that was really it.  Oh- and you bring your own sheets, pillows, and towels.  I advise also bringing paper towels or a dish towel and a box of kleenex (they provide toilet paper).

There was no TV and while there is WiFi onsite and at many locations on the grounds, it didn’t reach our site.  At first, I have to admit that I wasn’t thrilled about not being able to unwind in front of the TV but… it ended up being a really good thing.  Jeff and I spent time just sitting together and reading.  Then we sat and talked about the day behind us and the day ahead.  And then we went to bed.  We just spent time together.  Would have been nice to sit outside around a campfire and hold hands and look up at the stars…. but we were TIRED!

We had gorgeous views out our windows into wooded areas- I even saw a bunny out in the grass in the morning. 

One of the unadvertised parts of Lake Rudolph- and even of Santa Claus in general- is just how friendly everyone is there.  Anytime we drove around the Resort, people wave.  People walking places wave, people outside their RVs wave, people standing around outside the Camp Store or at the playground chat and smile.  So if you aren’t a friendly person… maybe Spencer County isn’t the best vacation spot for you.

I’m eager to go back.  And I’m eager to share more about our trip with all of you!!!  Lincoln’s Boyhood Home and Santa’s Candy Castle and the Santa Claus Museum and the Christmas Store and Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari and… well, it’s all coming!

I definitely recommend staying at Lake Rudolph!