Dutch Wonderland

Dutch Wonderland.

Ever heard of it?

If you live anywhere in the
Mid-Atlantic or
lower Northeast
and have young kids,
you MUST go there.

Located in Lancaster, PA,
we started going there
when Kate was a tiny tot
of around 2 years old.

Ten years!

This is a throwback theme park.

The kind there was before
loads of teenagers
and rides that flipped you upside down

twenty times hit the scene.

It is a family oriented,
old fashioned,
clean,
wonderful little theme park.
Even the youngest kids have tons of
rides and fun things to do.
In fact, at five, Trey can do
every ride in the entire park.

Not only that, it is just a sweet
little place.
Lots of trees, tons of nostalgic
old-world, clean fun for kids.

Tell me,
where else can your kids:

Ride down a silo slide?

"Milk" a cow named Bossie?
Cheer for a Princess and Knight,
strolling down the lane?

They can also peek at bunnies and chicks,
go in a miniature one room schoolhouse
and a miniature church
and look into the windows of tiny homes.
One has a replica of an Amish family
and homelife,
one is an animated replica of an Amish quiliting circle,
complete with dialogue in Pennsylvania Dutch dialect.

But most special of all to me
is this sweet little gingerbread house.
Inside this miniature house
is a little scene where figures make candy
to the tune of "On the Good Ship Lollipop".

All my kids have just loved this when they were little.

All of them have stood there,
transfixed,
with their little noses pressed up
against the glass.

My last little one still likes it
but he has moved on to the big stuff,
like the Princess (now called the Kingdom)
roller coaster.
But just for the sake of memory,
he posed for me:

the little candy house

pushing the button for
the Good Ship Lollipop

The last year he will gaze on this scene
with wonder.

As we were leaving, I was telling Chris
there wouldn't be too many more years that he
would want to come here.

"I will ALWAYS want to come here" he declared.

"Naw," I said. "There will be a time when
you won't want to come here any more.
You will be too big for the rides."

He looked crushed at this prospect,
so I took his hand and told him
he could bring his younger cousins here
for many years to come.
He could help with them
but really, he could enjoy it for himself.

And together we strolled down the
tree shaded path
of memory and future,
combined.