Family Fun on a Budget
Do the inflation blues have you rethinking your summer vacation plans? With rising gas and airline ticket prices, you may be wondering just how much fun you can afford. Luckily, there are plenty of great summer destinations right here in our home state. And with easy personal loans from Discovery FCU, you can pad your budget a bit, and enjoy lots of family fun. Here are five of the best summertime weekend getaways in Pennsylvania.
Hershey, PA
Hershey Park
Hershey Park in Hershey, PA is a classic destination. It features 72 rides including the waterpark located inside. For adults who want a little something for themselves, the Hotel Hershey is its own destination with plenty of dining options and a fabulous spa – which even offers chocolate spa treatments!
Indian Echo Caverns
If you want to get into nature, Indian Echo Caverns is only 10 minutes away from Hershey Park. Besides the year-round, 52-degree, underground tours, your family can do a little gem mining and visit their petting zoo.
Dutch Wonderland
Forty minutes away from Hershey in Lancaster is Dutch Wonderland. It’s another amusement park, but just perfect for little kids. It features 32 attractions including a splash area – Duke’s Lagoon – with kid-sized slides.
Water Parks in the Poconos
Great Wolf Lodge
Great Wolf Lodge is known for its indoor water parks, which you can enjoy year-round, and if the kids get tired of swimming, there’s always the arcade, mini-golf, MagiQuest, bowling, and more! In the summer, however, you can enjoy all the outdoor, mountains majesty of the Poconos for off-resort adventures like whitewater rafting and exploring Dingmans Falls.
Kalahari
Like Hotel Hershey, the African-themed Kalahari Resort offers pampering spa options for adults. Like the Great Wolf Lodge, it offers family fun the kids will love with its indoor and outdoor waterparks, a huge arcade, Black Light Mini Golf, VR attractions, and escape rooms. Outside, at Gorilla Grove, you can do more mini-golfing, zip line, or tackle their ropes course.
Camelback & Camelbeach
Like Kalahari, these resorts offer indoor and outdoor adventures for the whole family. Aquatopia gets kudos as America’s #1 indoor waterpark while Camelbeach is their outdoor waterpark. Your kids can even learn to surf at one of their FlowRider Sessions! For more outdoor activities, Camelback features a mountain coaster, UTV tours, bungee jumping, and more. Indoors, this resort features an arcade and VR attractions, plus an indoor ropes course and laser tag.
Erie, PA
Splash Lagoon
Erie offers quite a few to-dos to make a great summer weekend getaway. Besides hitting the beach at Presque Isle State Park, you can have lots of water fun at Splash Lagoon – one of USA Today’s top 10 indoor waterparks. This destination also features the Treasure Island Arcade, the XD Dark Ride Gaming Theatre, and Hologate VR.
Experience Children’s Museum
This hands-on, interactive museum is best for younger kids, up to age 8. It features 50 different exhibits for lots of playtime, including a kid-size town on its Imagination Floor. Plus, during the summer, they offer free admission to military members!
Scallywags Pirate Adventures
On the water, near the Maritime Museum, your family can enjoy an immersive pirate adventure. The show features water cannons, face painting, games, and a dance party!
Laurel Highlands
Nemacolin
This advertises as a luxury resort for families – so you can have the best of both worlds! Enjoy a variety of enticing accommodations from the Chateau, to the Lodge, to private estates for larger groups. For fun, take a spin on the carousel, or swim in their pools at The Peak (and enjoy the swim-up bar). Plus, they offer paintball, Jeep off-roading, 18-hole mini-golf, canopy tours, summer tubing, wildlife encounters, and much much more!
Lehigh Valley, PA
Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom
This Allentown destination features more than 60 rides, shows, and attractions. Planet Snoopy is especially great fun for your youngest ones, and they hold special events throughout the summer like the Grand Carnivale.
Lehigh Valley Zoo
Located inside the Trexler Nature Preserve, this zoo features animals from all around the world, as well as special events for the whole family. The nature preserve itself offers over 1000 acres of outdoor beauty and miles of hiking trails. You can also fish, mountain bike, and horseback ride there.
Crayola Experience
In nearby Easton, kids can get creative at the Crayola Experience. It features lots of activities including Water Works, Stomp and Play, Adventure Lab, Toddler Town, and Color Playground.
Personal Loans for Vacations
No matter where your summer adventures take you, you can do more with a personal loan from Discovery FCU. The application process is fast and easy, and our rates are still low. Check out all your options today!