Well, hello there…hope that you have been enjoying this thing called summer as much as we have been!
Lots of fun day trips, making memories with friends and family, enjoying the simple things in life…the way that I so fondly recall summers of my own childhood.
One recent highlight was a trip to Bay Beach Amusement Park in Green Bay.
So delighted that it is still the epitome of simple pleasures that it was when I looked forward to my annual trip there
Unlike most amusement parks, Bay Beach is still FREE!!!! The admission to the rides are based on a ticket system. Get this, the tickets are $0.25 each. Most of the rides that the kids went on were two tickets. Twenty dollars in tickets lasted us for nearly six hours!
I mean, seriously, where can you find that kind of cheap entertainment anymore!
And, it is actually a park, with trees, grass, swing sets, picnic tables, open space, etc. No admission gate to walk through, in fact, no fences at all! Park where you like, wander in to enjoy what you like, stay as long as you'd like. You certainly don't have to ride rides to enjoy a day at Bay Beach.
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| Landon, Ryker, Grandpa Jim and Alayna…ready to ride! |
There was one (or maybe two) small changes since my last visit, most notably, the arrival of Zippin Pippin, a fun American Eagle-esque wooden roller coaster. Grandpa even rode this one!
Two important notes about this ride…
1. It is the most expensive ride in the park….4 whole tickets = $1.00.
2. The ride for this line was essentially non-existent. We waited much longer for the Ferris Wheel.
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| Alayna and Ryker chatting it up on the Ferris Wheel. |
They had many of the traditional festival-type rides like the Tilt-a-Whirl and Scrambler.
And, to the dismay of my kids, the Scat, wasn't operating that day.
Also, had the Yo-Yo which was another favorite for the kids.
The crowds were at a minimum, which kept the lines down and allowed the kids to enjoy some independence, as there wasn't any concern that we would lose each other.
And, I must admit that I was a little concerned that my kids (almost 9, 10 and almost 11) might be a little too old for it, I was wrong. They had a blast all day long!
There was plenty of shaded benches for Grandpa and I to watch from a far, which keeps it fun for the whole family.
So, if you are in the northeast corner of Wisconsin, or just even passing through, you can't go wrong with this gem. I'm so thankful that parks like this are still around!
One last note...don't forget to bring a picnic lunch! I was so disappointed that we didn't bring our own goodies along, but just couldn't imagine that something so simple could still exist in this day and age.
If I had remembered to bring a picnic lunch, this Chicken & Grape Salad would have been perfect for the occasion.
This cool, crisp, refreshing and filling salad is one of my summertime favorites, from the sweet crunch of the grapes and celery to the satisfying nuts and chicken…so good!
And, so versatile!
Serve it straight up.
On a bed of lettuce.
Or in a wrap of your choice.
It was pretty easy to whip up too!
I just sautéed up some chicken tenders.
Even though I didn't use them all, I cook them all to throw on a salad or toss with some veggies for a quick meal.
Chopped up about 2 cups of chicken tenders (6 tenders) and added 1 cup celery, 2 cups halved grapes, 1 cup chopped nuts.
Admittedly, that was a lot of grapes…works for me, but of course feel free to adjust ingredient according to your preferences.
For the dressing, about 1 cup of mayonnaise, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp ground coriander, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and some roughly chopped fresh parsley.
Add the whipped up dressing right to the mixing bowl.
And, there you have it!
A refreshing and filling summer salad!
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