This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cracker Barrel. All opinions are 100% mine.
I’m so sad that summer has come to an end. One of the best things about summer to me is our lighter than normal schedule. It allows our family the opportunity to jump in the car and get away for a quick daycation (a day vacation!) when we find a free day from work and summer camps, etc. We recently took a day (during the middle of the week, no less, whaaaat!) just for some special family time and had a blast at a huge water park near Chicago. It was a long, hot, crazy day doing the water rides with four littles but it was so much fun and such great memories were made!
I swear to you Oliver was having fun…at this moment he really wanted back in the wave pool! Darn mom for wanting to take a family picture, lol! If you ever get a chance, get your family to a water park…indoor or outdoor. They are tons of fun. I know it sounds like a lot of work and kinda scary with little ones but you can do it! Usually it is just Clif and I and the kids, no extra help or other adults, and it is totally doable. If we can do it, so can you! You just need to set boundaries and rules before you get started, and then stick to them. 
We had so much fun running around the entire day…in the kiddie pool, the wave pool, the giant water jungle gym, and going down the different slides…that by the time we worked our way to the lazy river at the end of the day Oliver was pooped! He fell asleep right on Clif’s lap and stayed that way for the entire 6 looong laps around (we only planned on one but hated to wake him!)
Afterwards we were all hungry and ready to eat so we stopped at one of our favorite restaurants to visit when traveling….Cracker Barrel! Have you been to one? They are so fun, like a step back in time with all the fun Americana that greets you when you first enter into their Old Country Store. 
We love that they serve breakfast 24 hours a day so even if we stop in in the evening after a long day at a water park we can still get their yummy buttermilk pancakes which happen to be my kids favorite! We are big breakfast for dinner kinda people (which we lovingly call Brinner) so the Cracker Barrel is always right up our alley! They serve lots of other traditional favorites like Biscuits and Gravy with their homemade Buttermilk Biscuits, Grits, Country Ham, and nice big pieces of Thick Sliced Bacon.
If you are in the mood for lunch or dinner they have lots of delicious fresh made food to choose from like their salads, meatloaf, chicken and dumplins, and country fried steak. Real comfort food!!! And they always serve THE best freshly made sweet tea.
Of course, any trip to the Cracker Barrel is never complete without a chance to browse through their Old Country Store. I have to admit that I love all the old timey candy they have…sour cherry candies in a mason jar? You had me at hello!
And I always love, love, love the seasonal products they sell like their home decor. My kids would tell you they love all the vintage-esque games and toys and I would agree that they are super fun too! Who doesn’t love a good game of checkers or jacks?
We always have a good time whenever we get to a Cracker Barrel, it makes for a fun end to a great daycation. And if you ever get a chance to visit one I highly suggest it, if not for the comfort food at least for the Old Country Store browsing!
You can visit their online retail store here to shop from the comfort of your own home: Cracker Barrel’s Retail Store
Thanks for stopping by today!
Love,
Maggie
What a fun day you had! And isn’t breakfast for dinner just the best after a long, tiring day? We love Cracker Barrel. Just wish the closest one (and the only one in our state) wasn’t over an hour away!
Oh my goodness, it sure is! We love Brinner!!!! And ours is about that far too…it’s such a bummer isn’t it!