Blackpool: Our first holiday

  We just got back from an amazing little family break in blackpool. 

In April, we took mini for a birthday trip out to Chester Zoo. Unfortunately she was suffering from a chest infection, and it was badly raining and so didn't get to enjoy the experience as much as we had hoped. 

I had been eager to get her to the zoo again, and this time we chose to visit Blackpool Zoo. 

The tickets cost us £55 for the 3 of us (Nyla was free), including a meal deal each. We found this to be really good value for money. They had cheeseburger, beef burger, chicken burger and pizza meal deals. They also had double options. Unfortunately, what they didn't mention, was the extra charge. It cost 80p to add a slice of cheese to the burger. I paid it, but when i saw the actual size of the slice of cheese i was more than disappointed. The food tasted ok, but it was a bit of a robbery the cost of something so simple added. 

The zoo was very clean and there was a lot to see. The big cat enclosure was closed as they prepare for a new exhibit next year, so we didn't get to see these, but the other animals were all there to see, nothing hiding away. 

Nyla especially liked the Flamingos, Penguins and Giraffes, as she recognised these from her books at home. Giraffes were one of the animals she missed at Chester too so i was really pleased she got to see them this time. 

It wasn't too packed out, which meant we could let Nyla walk around and not have the risk of being pushed over, and she could easily see everything the zoo had to offer. 

We decided that for this trip we would spend the night and make it 2 days, and had booked the Travelodge South Shore hotel. We had unlimited breakfast and an evening meal included in our stay. 

The hotel was hard to find at first, since both of our phones decided to take us the longest possible route. I worried Nyla would start to get inpatient, but there was lots for her to look at on the way to keep her entertained thankfully. 

When we did find the hotel, we were pleased to see it was very clean, and the staff were friendly. They said they would arrange a travel cot to be brought up to our room for when we got back, and showed us where the phone was for taxis etc. We headed up, dropped our things off and had toilet breaks, before we got the taxi straight to the zoo. 

After the zoo we got ready to head down to dinner. Dinner was served 5pm-10pm which was perfect and in line with Nys usual dinner time. It wasn't too busy, and the menu had a wide range to offer. From burgers, pizzas, to chicken dishes and Curries. I had the chicken Skewers, Dom had a burger and for Nyla, a pizza. Again a hidden cost here, as at the time of booking we were not told that the kids meal was not included, and so had to pay for this. 

They brought Nylas pizza out first thankfully, and when i asked if it was hot, they said "it may be". Taking the plate from her i was glad i didn't put it in front of her. It was piping hot. 

Our food was ok, nothing special, but we then were left waiting a lifetime for our desserts (chocolate fudge cake and ice cream.) Nyla fell asleep, so she missed out on her yogurt dessert, and Dom had to go and ask why it was taking so long. It took well over half an hour. 

In the morning for breakfast, which was served 7am-10am, it was a bit of a disappointment. Sausage, scrambled egg, beans, mushrooms and bacon were available. As well as toast, pancakes, croissants and cereal. Sadly the sausages were over cooked, and the eggs had a strange taste, so in fact myself and Nyla didn't eat anything. We would possibly book the hotel again, but not with breakfast. If you are staying in this hotel, don't expect much. 

After breakfast, we headed out on a walk. The forecast was for rain, so we left the spade and bucket behind. We were out early so nothing was open yet, but we had such a lovely walk along the promenade. Nyla had never seen the sea before, and she gave it a little wave as we walked by it. She had so much to look at, that she didn't make a single fuss. 

We went by the tower, but i'm afraid of heights so we gave it a miss, and walked pier to pier, before stopping for a coffee (and some breakfast for mini). On the way back, things were starting to open, so we headed into one of the arcades for some fun. Nyla was amazed by everything and really excited. We put her on a few of the little baby rides. She loved a rocking unicorn one, but wasn't so keen on the carousel. 

Back at the hotel, a lot quicker than the first time we walked there now we knew the right away, we packed our things and checked out. There were no staff around but we dropped our keys in the drop box and headed out. 

Back on the promenade everything was now open, and blackpool was coming alive. While Nyla took a much needed nap after waking at 5am, we stopped off for some lunch. Every few steps in blackpool is an opportunity to buy sweet treats, fish and chips, souvenirs or have a gamble. The roads are full of horse drawn carriages you can get a ride in instead of a taxi, and the smells of fresh donuts make your mouth water. 

It started to rain heavier, but everyone was in good spirits. 

Once Nyla woke up, and had some lunch herself, of course we had to get some fresh hot donuts. I had been talking about them all day! 

The look on Nys face the whole time we were there, was worth every single penny we spent. She loved every minute of it! I can't wait to take her again one day for longer and maybe a trip on to the pleasure beach when she is a little bigger. 

We were gutted about the weather, because we really wanted her to get to play on the beach and experience that, but she was just in awe looking at it, especially from the top of the pier. 

Blackpool is one of those places that is fun for all the family and we really enjoyed ourselves. We went just before the holidays started as well, which meant that we didn't encounter issues with travelling on the train, and our train out wasn't packed either.