Bluestone Diaries #3

On our last proper day (Thursday) at Bluestone, we began the day with the historical walk which started off from Village Central. I definitely recommend going on the walk if you’re interested in finding out a bit of background about the land Bluestone is situated on. You’ll also be treated to a couple of spooky stories! I won’t give too much away but if you find yourself on the path/trail which runs in front of the car park and behind some lodges in Preseli View at dusk, keep an eye out for a lady in white!

Both myself and the OH found it enjoyable and very interesting, Eliot on the other hand got cranky when we stopped walking and we had to ply him with apple crisps! That’s something to bear in mind if you have toddlers or older children, the walk only lasted an hour but that’s a long time if you’re a little one.

 Our guide was very friendly, clued up on local history and very relaxed about the whole thing.

After the walk we headed back to the lodge as the OH had tree climbing (£13) booked and wanted to grab a cuppa before heading off to Camp Smokey. Eliot was booked in for toddler sensory (£7) at 1:30pm and therefore needed a nap and lunch beforehand. So we didn’t go down to the woods to watch daddy’s tree climb. He enjoyed it but found it challenging and daunting with the height.

When we arrived for toddler sensory in the circus room at the adventure centre there were lots of other tots there too. The session had a space theme and the girl who ran it was fantastic! She was bubbly, enthusiastic and made every effort to engage with the children. Eliot took quite a shine to her and they built a Lego tower together.

 The session started with free play where everyone did their own thing. Eliot had lots of fun exploring the toys and equipment in the room. The host did call everyone together for a few different activities but Eliot would just not keep still and wanted to do what he wanted to do, which meant me following him around the room. He did participate in a bit of dancing and became very excited when the bubble machine came on. I thought it was a lovely session and great for tots but perhaps older toddlers would gain more from it.

Once the session was over we took a stroll down to Camp Smokey where there were a few outdoor activities taking place. The OH showed us the trees he climbed on his tree climb and they looked blooming difficult! He hadn’t done anything like it before and it’s given him an urge to be more ‘outdoorsy’.

I found the woods such a calm, peaceful setting. The fresh air and sound of running water really made me feel like I was away from it all!

Next we finally got round to visiting the Blue Lagoon swimming pool which I’d really been looking forward to taking Eliot to. We were given passes and headed downstairs to the changing rooms. There are separate male and female areas but also quite a few family changing rooms. We managed to get in to one both before and after swimming, they were busy though and I imagine you may have to wait if you visit the resort at busier periods.

Eliot was so excited when he saw the pool an ran towards the little fountains as you walk in. He was happy playing with these for a while, splashing the water everywhere. We took a couple of trips around the lazy river which takes you outdoors. Eliot wasn’t too sure about this and preferred being able to stand in the shallower areas. There was a wave machine which you were warned about before they came on with a loud horn. This enabled you to move or get out if you didn’t fancy riding the waves. We also spent a very short time in the toddler pool, it had a little slide for tots go down and was nice and shallow.

After our splash around we showered back at our lodge and walked down to Village Central for dinner at the Farmhouse Grill. The restaurant offers a range of meat and fish dishes which are locally sourced. There was quite a selection to choose from, They had an offer where if you ordered a starter and main course you’d receive a dessert free. So we decided to share and ordered mushrooms for a starter. For mains I opted for the burger and the OH ordered the pork chop. When ordering, our waitress informed me that the burger was slightly spiced. This didn’t bother me as I love a but of spice! We chose the kids buffet (£4.95) for Eliot which had a small variety of options, pasta, chicken goujons, meatballs, pizza and chips. Unfortunately some of the food didn’t look too appetising as I presume it had been there for a while. If we’d been there when it was all freshly put out I think it would have been good value for money as kids could eat as much as they wanted.

The mushroom starter was gorgeous, we both really enjoyed it and found it very tasty. Salad and bread are also included with meals so you are able to go up and help yourself.

I was actually feeling a bit full after the starter and didn’t eat all of my burger. It was more on the spicy side than I'd expected, so it was a good job the staff were pre-warning people as if you don’t like spicy food I don’t think you would’ve enjoyed it. The OH enjoyed his main and ate every bit!

For dessert we had the Bailey’s ice cream pudding which was had crushed fudge and a shot of Baileys poured over with toffee sauce. We ordered a kids ice cream for Eliot as it’s normally his favourite but I think he was too tired from the busy day to enjoy it.

Our bill came to over £40 which I felt was more than what we normally pay when we eat out. We didn’t have any alcohol which can obviously increase the bill by a large amount. However I think you have to expect to pay a little more when eating on site at a resort. If all the ingredients are fresh and local then I suppose the prices are justified.

We were sad that this was our last day at Bluestone and returned to our lodge for our last night.