I just noticed your post - guess they're there by now??? Well, was going to suggest maybe a campground with a tent (or two). (Or, hide the kids in car, get a cheap hotel for two adults, bring air mattresses or sleeping bags, & make sure the kids are QUIET! LOL!) Well, it's probably too little too late. My son graduated from a "tourist trap, college town" several years ago. His graduation was going to be in June, and as it happened, it was the same weekend of "Fathers' Day", AND all schools were out - people getting early start on vacations. I did research on internet (new to me at the time), and got the free maps/books from auto club. I found NO hotels for less than $200.00 per night, and most were booked anyway! I did some local shopping, and found an 8' x 8' tent for $50, TWO sleeping bags for $20 each, a "queen sized" air mattress with a foot pump for about $30 or $40, and a cmaping lantern for about $20 or so... Anyway, I spent just under $200 on "gear", found a very nice campground @ about $11.00 per night. We spent 5 nights / 6 days there for about $500.00. That INCLUDED GASOLINE in the car for an approximate 1400 mile trip (plus the extra wandering we did along the way), PLUS, we STILL HAVE now a tent, sleeping bags, camp lantern... I took old bed sheets, blankets, pillows, towels...(I can't throw ANYTHING away - LOL!) We had a wonderful time!

I love to cook, and have finally reached a point in life where I've been able to afford high quality cookware. Out of all the various cookware I have used over the years, cast iron is my favorite. Le Cruset is excellent, and is wonderful for simmering a pot of spaghetti sauce all day, but Lodge cast iron is my favorite for all other cast iron cooking. I have several Le Cruset pans, and I still revert to using the old fashioned Lodge cast iron most of the time. It is also very inexpensive considering the quality. The enamel interior of Le Cruset will discolor from certain sauces after awhile, but I haven't found that it hurts anything. I have also found that I use only a few favorite pieces and will most likely downsize and give my children the pieces that I seldom use, but they would be thrilled to have. I like my black seasoned Lodge cast iron better. I feel it fries a better crust on food than the Le Cruset and makes for more flavorful "brown bits." If you like cornbread, the Lodge cast iron makes it awesome. The Lodge people told me to bring the ingredients (if you have time) close to room teperature. While mixing up the batter, put your lightly greased cast iron pan in the oven while it is pre-heating. Then remove your pan from the oven and put the batter into the hot pan. It will cook slightly faster. It comes out SO good. I've had the All-Clad all stainless collection, and while it is good cookware, it's not as good as the All-Clad copper clad collection that they offer. I have a couple of saucepans for those times I need a non-reactive pan, and a small fry pan. The copper core pans that they offer are superior to the all stainless for temperature control and even heating, but oh my, the price tag is high. Most likely, you will end up with key pieces of cookware that are of differing materials. Purchase what you really want, even if it can only be one pan or pot at a time. Cast iron is heavy in comparison to some other cookware, but many of the Lodge frying pans come with an assist handle on the end opposite the handle. Really helps with moving it. Good luck with your decision. Sandy

Lou - no, I've never seen Maggio's around here. I'm HORRIBLE with names lol!! I can see the containers of the two most popular brands we have here, the label designes and everything, but can I think of the names? No!! It'll come to me. I haven't had a chance to deal with my Lodge pan yet - I usually have to cram everything in on the weekends. I never have time after work to get much done and now with gardening season here, if I do get anything done, it's usually in the garden! I plan on taking care of it this weekend tho. And I'm going to check out ebay as well. Besides the nice way they cook and all, I really like that if you need to, you can take the cast iron from the stovetop to the oven. They're just so versatile. And not having to replace pans a couple times a year because they're ruined will be great as well!! I hope I can find some of these older pans everyone else is talking about! I go to flea markets all the time, but I was never looking for cast iron before so I never paid attention to what's available! Hopefully the cat isn't quite out of the bag yet on how great these old pans are and there's still a lot out there to pick from!! Lisa

This may be more for next year but there is a lot to do in PA for kids-- a home base in Phila or the Phila suburbs would make for easy drives to the Crayola Experience, Legoland and the Strasburg Railroad -- also while our own Jococo's Longwood Gardens is not a children's venue, children love it! There are wide open spaces to walk and a magical children's garden. I don't know if they allow children-- but you'd have to make a stop at Baldwin's Book Barn also! There is plenty to do in Phila proper too. Spruce St Harbor is just a nice place to relax with hammocks and Adirondack chairs right on the water-- and I have always loved the little parks at Washington square, Rittenhouse square, etc. Nothing more than benches and greenery but still a nice place to break from the concrete. Em is probably a little too young for the Franklin Institute but I'd check out the exhibits to be sure. Some of these places are an hour or so from Phila.. I listed only Strasburg railroad from Lancaster but there are many other attractions there too and a vibrant downtown art/food culture that you'd never expect from a region known primarily for the amish culture. And then of course, closer to my neck of the woods is Hershey with all its attractions. I definitely think you could have a fun time-- crafted to your adult interests and Em's too!