Winter can be tough. Once the Christmas carols leave the airwaves, the twinkling lights are packed away, and the presents have been unwrapped, the realization that the holiday season is over sets in. Even worse is the thought that winter is here for at least another two months. Ugh. With kids, it becomes difficult to find indoor activities that let off steam. January and February call for indoor backyard road trips. One of the easiest and most entertaining takes place just north of Boston. I like to take the family to pick up a treat at the Gingerbread Construction Company in either Wakefield or Winchester, Massachusetts (Winchester is pictured) and then spend the afternoon at Jordan’s Furniture in Reading where there is so much to do. For beating the winter blues this year, come along for the ride with Backyard Road Trips for this trip north of Boston.
Gingerbread Construction Company
The Gingerbread Construction Company has two locations, one in Wakefield and the other in Winchester, both just north of Boston. I had been to the Wakefield branch a handful of times and was looking forward to trying the Winchester location. The Gingerbread Construction Company is as quaint and enchanting as it sounds: a bakery counter meets a gingerbread factory. There are many sweet treats to indulge in. Given their specialty, gingerbread, and the fact that it is not something found on many menus, I always opt for that. The muffins are always tempting too.
My visit occurred during Valentine’s Day season, so my choice was a gingerbread heart outlined in pink frosting. My wife and older son both chose traditional gingerbread people. We also snagged a gingerbread whoopie pie for a treat to be eaten later on. The actual store is small, so we decided to wait to eat our goodies until we reached Jordan’s Furniture. The gingerbread and frosting are crunchy but delicious.
The Gingerbread Construction Company’s Wakefield location is much bigger, with the actual gingerbread manufacture taking place here. The company also sells their stuff through mail order. Their story harkens back to 1981, with a husband and wife team selling seasonal gingerbread houses from their Stoneham home, which led to the brick and mortar Winchester shop opening in 1987, followed by the Wakefield spot in 1995.
Jordan’s Furniture
The Jordan’s Furniture chain is very recognizable in the Boston area (now expanding into other New England states as well) due to owner and spokesperson Eliot’s highly visible commercials and tie-ins to the Red Sox. Jordan’s has revolutionized furniture shopping to make their stores a destination for the whole family. Branches of their stores include such attractions as MOM rides, an IMAX theater, and a ropes course.
Jordan’s made Boston headlines (without the Red Sox) a few years back when they acquired the Enchanted Village. The Enchanted Village is an animatronic Victorian holiday display that was located in the Jordan Marsh department store in downtown Boston. After a few years gathering dust, Jordan’s resurrected the holiday tradition and displays it at their Avon location. The Enchanted Village, just like the Liquid Fireworks display in Beantown at the Reading branch, are both free. This is totally refreshing since they could certainly charge admission for either of these activities.
Jordan’s in Reading
The Reading Jordan’s is the favorite of my family since there is so much to offer (and we haven’t even done the IMAX theater!) Entering through the wide revolving door, kids are transported to the magical land of Beantown. Here millions of Jelly Belly jelly beans are used to construct Boston landmarks such as the Boston Public Garden with its bridge and Make Way For Ducklings statue. A gigantic Wally the Green Monster, perched high atop the wall, is about to have a New York Yankees player for lunch, as his mechanized arm grips the ball player in his hand. Also constructed of Jelly Bellys is a humungous ice cream sundae which drapes over the Erickson’s Ice Cream stand. There is a store selling Jelly Bellys and other candies.
Next to Beantown is BeanStalk which is a ropes course for all ages. The younger kids stay near the bottom at the less challenging course called BeanSprout. BeanStalk is for adults and older children. My older son was interested in this, but we were running out of time; next time we’ll do it! Also on site is a Fuddrucker’s, part of a restaurant chain, known for their quality burgers.
Beating the Winter Blues at Liquid Fireworks
The Liquid Fireworks show is the real reason why we went. We knew this would help in beating the winter blues. This show On a stage-like platform is spouting fountains with music playing. During my latest visit, the music consisted of theme songs from adventure movies such as Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park. Every few minutes though, a spectacular show begins. Music, during past performances that I’ve seen, has included the Beach Boys or 1970s disco tracks. This is synced to the rising and falling fountains which are bursting with all sorts of colors. After three or four songs, the show stops. It starts again after fifteen minutes or so with a whole different display and soundtrack. It’s jubilant fun! We ate our packed lunches and gingerbread cookies in between the sets of the fireworks. During the displays, it was dancing time for the kids! (the photos of the display were too blurry to publish)
I really appreciate the fact that Jordan’s Furniture has so much to offer families. The Liquid Fireworks and Beantown alone are worth a visit. Add in the ropes course, lunch, and the IMAX, and it’s a full-day affair. Oh yeah, and you can also buy furniture. Make sure though, to make a detour to the Gingerbread Construction Company first in nearby Wakefield or Winchester for a real tasty treat! Beating the winter blues is easier to do with a trip to these two spots north of Boston.
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