At the beginning of May I surprised the boys with a trip to Blackpool for the weekend. I picked them up after school, cases in the car and off we headed up the M6. Blackpool is a popular location with there being over 500 hotels to choose from but I would recommend doing your research before you book!
We stayed at The Hopton Hotel which is situated approximately 2 miles away from Blackpool Pleasure Beach (or a 20 minute walk). It is also close to other attractions such as Blackpool Tower (15 minute wall), Madame Tussauds (10 minute walk) and Central Pier is less than a mile away. Upon arrival at the hotel, we were greeted by Silvia who sorted out parking for me (I hadn't booked prior to arrival), helped me bring my cases in from the car and showed us to our room after taking our breakfast order. We stayed in family room which had bunk beds for the boys and a double bed for me, all which were SO comfortable and clean. Breakfast was included, I had a full english and it was one of the nicest I'd tasted. The boys asked for pancakes when we went in and staff were happy to accommodate even though they hadn't pre booked on arrival. The hotel and staff were just fantastic our entire stay and we'd definitely go back and stay here! It costs us £168 for two nights for the three of us so was a bargain.
On the Saturday we started off our 20 minute walk to Blackpool Pleasure Beach and on arrival we headed straight towards Nickelodeon Land so the boys could go on the rides there. Although the theme park opens at 10am not all of the attractions open until a little later on so keep in this in mind if you're thinking of visiting. Nickelodeon land has plenty of attractions for little ones of all ages and the boys loved it so we spent most of our day here. George is 7 and was tall enough to ride The Avalanche which is over in the main part of the park and as he's a big thrill seeker he absolutely loved it. Our favourite rides were The Avalanche, The Nick Streak and The Blue Flyer.
After a very tiring day we headed back to the hotel, having a look in all the shops along the front as we walked (which definitely helped little legs). We went out of season so not everywhere was open but there were plenty of things to see along the front and the boys loved looking in all the shops full of holiday, seaside tat. We got chips on the way home, some snacks from the shop and curled up in bed watching Pitch Perfect. Bliss.
Sunday meant it was time for the waterpark! I've always wanted to visit The Sandcastle Waterpark since I was a kid but it never happened. The Sandcastle is the UK's largest indoor waterpark with over 18 slides/ attractions and a tropical climate. The boys were really excited because they LOVE waterparks. We had a locker and a prepaid wristband so we could purchase food/drinks when we were in there and not have to worry about going back to the locker for cash. In all his daredevil ways, George had me on the sidewinder with him which is a HUGE half pipe type slide that you use a rubber ring on and I was terrified. It wasn't as bad as it looked and I actually went on a second time with him (G went on 7 times). There's plenty for younger kids to do though as well, with there being rapids and smaller slides and a wave pool. We had a 3 hour slot and we also ate in there and once you've ordered food you can get a wristband that gives you an extra 30 minutes in the park so you don't miss out.
We had the best weekend and even though I wasn't sure what to expect taking them away on my own, they were so good and I can't wait to make more memories and do it it again!
Rachael xo
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