The Beesley Buzz: Summer holidays 2019 - Lincolnshire

Whilst I often like to do a daily diary-style set of blogposts when we are away, I thought I'd do one long blogpost this time. Except there were too many photos to fit into one post so I've split it into a few posts.

Earlier in the year, I was thrilled to find out that I was the winner of a competition with Travelzoo. The prize was £1,000 to spend on the last minute section of their website. And although it was described as the last minute section, there was lots of choice and we actually we able to book a couple of months ahead.

The prize voucher stretched brilliantly for a UK break for us all as it covered the cost of a lodge for a week in Lincolnshire. I based my search on somewhere with a hot tub as I find that it benefits my arthritis and back pain and the place we found fitted the bill perfectly.

Saturday 10th August 2019
As we pulled into the entrance to Kenwick Park we passed the hotel and leisure spa and made our way to our lodge. It was a wooden lodge and had a CenterParcs kind of feel to it amongst all the tall woodland trees.

Being in the woods, inside the lodge was quite dark so I didn't manage to get the best photos. It was spacious and this lodge sleeps 6. We often have to go to places with 3 bedrooms when we go away because J can struggle if he has to share a room because of his ASD. This time however, the boys both pleaded to share a room and promised that they would get to sleep nicely and not spend the whole night chatting.

There was a microwave, dishwasher, washing machine, X-box and the hot tub too. The hot tub had instructions and access to the required chemicals to ensure it stayed in good condition which was reassuring. Since having recently purchased an inflatable hot tub at home, we've realised that there is whole lot that goes into hot tub care and keeping the water in good useable condition.

Another thing I was glad to see was coat hooks by the door as well as a shoe rack. It sounds like such a simple thing but so many places don't think about where people can put their coats. It is often these little things that make me happy!

We unpacked and had a little snack that we had brought with us as our online grocery delivery wasn't due until 8pm. Shout out to Tesco for helping us sort out the address via their helpline and to the driver for finding us as it was easy to get lost amongst all those lodges that looked very similar.

We decided to check out the pool. We would have access to the leisure club facilities each day between 11am until 7pm until the day before departure.

To say we were impressed with the swimming pool facilities is an understatement. It actually became the highlight of our stay and we visited EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

Had a spot of dinner once our delivery arrived and to our astonishment J and D DID settle nicely to sleep in the room they were sharing. It meant Miss T got a room all to herself which she was quite happy with too.

Sunday 11th August 2019

We had a leisurely start to the day and decided to have a very local look around the countryside nearby by finding the nearest footpath.

Then it was back to the lodge for lunch followed by a visit to the swimming pool. It was busier today but still great. For over 16's there is an outdoor hydrotherapy pool (bigger than a hot tub but smaller than a swimming pool) with the water temperature nicely warm in there. Indoors as well as the swimming pool, there is also a Jacuzzi, sauna, steam room, ice room, foot spas and a tepidarium for use by over 16 year olds.

Back to the lodge for dinner and a round of scrabble.

Monday 12th August 2019

A good friend had recommended some local places to visit so we headed to Hubbard's hill and Louth today. We took a picnic lunch with us and the weather stayed good.

Back at the lodge we decided to try out the hot tub. With such great facilities at the swimming pool, I couldn't imagine us using the hot tub much after all. As it would turn out, this was our only session in the hot tub all week.

So we headed to the swimming pool for a swim. Whilst the pool is on site, because some of the lodges are a fair distance away, it was easier for us to drive to the pool each day as there is a car park there.

Tuesday 13th August 2019

The weather was due to be nice today so we planned a beach day. Although the downpour of rain in the early hours of the morning made me a but nervous about whether it would stay dry. Thankfully it did.

Mablethorpe beach had been recommended by a family I spoke to at the pool on our first day here.

As we drove into Mablethorpe my heart sank for a moment. It looked like a typical beach town - busy with seaside shops, eateries and even a fun fair. We don't really like "busy" but as we drove through the town past all that, we found beach parking further down the beach where it was blissfully peaceful - it got busier as the day went on but not majorly so.

We spent a few hours there. D was struggling today after J had a difficult day yesterday. As parents of autistic kids it seems we never get to have a holiday where we can relax - it always seems to be one or the other of them struggling or causing us to struggle!