Sometimes all you need is a little change of scenery! Thats exactly what we did this week when we took a little mini staycation to Kent Island. Just 30 minutes from our house with plenty to do in the area, this was the perfect little getaway for our family!
Where To Stay
We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Kent Island. We booked a suite with 2 queens and a sleeper sofa and it was perfect for our family of 5! We each shared a bed with one of the twins, while my youngest slept in her pack n’ play. There was a half-wall divider in the middle of the room which was perfect to provide a quieter space for my youngest to sleep without being distracted by the rest of us. Our room had a balcony and AMAZING waterfront views. It appeared that every room in the hotel had a balcony and some kind of water view (one side of the hotel faces the water directly, while the other faces a restaurant, with the water further back.) The room included a mini fridge, microwave and a keurig with k-cups.
The hotel has an onsite restaurant and bar. We didn’t try out the restaurant this time, but their breakfast selection and dining area looked nice. They even had outside patio seating for warmer weather! There is a fitness center, indoor pool and hot tub as well. The heater for the indoor pool was not working during our stay so we didn’t swim, but the pool area was lovely with sweeping views of the marina and water. If we had more time we definitely would have at least checked out the hot tub!
Outside of the hotel there is a nice brick promenade along the water, including a pier with concrete picnic tables so you can sit and eat by the water. There are 2 waterfront restaurants just steps from the hotel, The Jetty and Bridges. We really enjoyed our stay here and will definitely be returning in the future!
Things to do
There is so much to do with kids in the Kent Island area, we didn’t even have time to do it all on this trip! Here’s what we ended up doing:
Old Love Point Park
Our first stop was to play at Old Love Point Park. This playground is small but perfect for my kids ages (2 and 4). The equipment is all fully accessible and includes multiple slides and swings for all abilities. There are bathrooms open seasonally (closed for our February visit) and a really nice shaded seating area for parents. The playground sits on rubber tiles.
Cross Island Trail
From Old Love Point Park, we hopped on the Cross Island trail to ride bikes. There are many places to access this trail (including ride across from our hotel!) but we accessed it from the park. The trail is nice, flat and well maintained. It was getting a lot of use on a warm February day!
Ferry Point Park
We enjoyed spending some time on the beach at Ferry Point Park (2 minute drive from our hotel). We have visited here before and it is one of our favorites. You park by the Chesapeake Heritage center and it is about a 10 minute walk (with little kids!) to the beach. The walk is all boardwalk and paved trail, so super stroller friendly. This beach no longer allows swimming, but that wasn’t an issue for us in February đŸ™‚ The girls loved collecting seashells and finding clams in the water.
Other Great Spots
We had a long list of ideas for this trip, but couldn’t fit everything in! Our second day we were with with gale force winds and had to cancel our plans for that day and hung out at the hotel instead. If you are planning a trip here, these are some other great options to visit:
Terrapin Nature Park
Matapeake Beach
Tasty Toucan Ice Cream
Mowbray Park
The Kentmorr
Where to eat
There are SO many great dining options in Kent Island, we had a hard time choosing! For dinner, we walked from our hotel over to The Jetty Restaurant and Dock Bar. I got the grouper rueben which was delicious! They have tons of kid friendly options as well – the girls split a chicken tender platter.
Fields of Heather Bakery
For breakfast we went to the Fields of Heather Bakery (4 minute drive from the hotel). This locally owned bakery serves breakfast sandwiches, a huge assortment of breakfast pastries, treats and coffee. We found everything to be SUPER reasonably priced ($2.50 for a huge cinnamon bun, $2 for a cupcake, $5 breakfast sandwich) and delicious! They were really friendly and great with out kids as well. There is currently no eating in the bakery so we picked this up and brought it back to eat in our hotel room. We got cinnamon buns, cupcakes for the girls (no rules on vacation, right?) and breakfast sandwiches. There were so many great options that it was VERY hard to decide!
Bark BBQ Cafe
Before heading home, we grabbed an early lunch at Bark BBQ. This new BBQ restaurant opened in December and is currently open weekdays for breakfast and lunch and serves BBQ with a unique flair. Sometimes I find places based on recommendations and sometimes I literally pull up google maps and get lucky. This time I got really, REALLY lucky. I am not exaggerating when I say this was some of the BEST food I have had… ever. I had the pork belly breakfast burrito (smoked pork belly, avocado, salsa, black bean, eggs and cheese in a tortilla) and laser cut potatoes (super thinly sliced flakey fried potatoes – unlike anything I’ve seen before!) The girls split a croissant (so flaky and fresh!) and another order of potatoes. We were eyeing their delicious cookies as well but decided to pass since the girls already had cupcakes for breakfast đŸ™‚ This place is located off the of the same road as Terrapin Nature Park, so go and make a day of it!
A break from reality
The best part of getting away from home is escaping the normal routine of every-day life. Yes, we still had to take care of the kids đŸ˜‚ but there was no laundry, vacuuming, cooking or other every-day chores to worry about. We could just hang out as a family and enjoy the different scenery. I highly recommend trying a staycation of your own when you’re feeling like you need a break! The Hilton Garden Inn – Kent Island was the perfect spot for us, and we will definitely be back here in the future!
Maryland Kid Adventures 