Fair Hills Testimonial – Father-Daughter Getaway

We’ve been talking with folks about how they found Fair Hills, what they like about it and what brings ’em back year after year.

We started with Larry Schultz who was so generous with his time and his permission to share his notes. We had hoped to add a photo – but after weeks of searching, we still couldn’t find a picture. (If you can help us out, please let us know!

Notes from Larry…

Here’s why it’s so easy for a single parent to really, really enjoy himself and his children at Fair Hills. First, the organized activities are great and hugely popular with the kids. That 90 minutes in the morning and afternoon when the kids are in very good hands having tons of fun allows the parent to relax, nap, swim, read, whatever he wants to. And guilt – free since he’s not ignoring his children.

There’s still plenty of family time, so to speak, even with the kids’ morning and afternoon scheduled activities. I’m sure the kids actually prefer those organized activities to parent time.

Secondly, three meals a day, meals served to you at your table, assures the parent does not have to cook. And that the children (and parent too of course) are extremely well fed.

Third, the informality of the resort. It’s informal regarding dress and routine. Yet kids don’t run wild. At the resort the kids seem surprisingly well-behaved or at least very much aware that they are in a group setting that may require some self-control perhaps not exhibited while at home. The kids are so well looked after that they are not wanting in any for attention – either by their parent or resort staff. So that tends to greatly reduce melt-downs.

Fourth, the resort really goes to bed early. I love how quiet it gets around 10 PM. Oftentimes I lay in bed reading for an hour or so thereafter. And the silence (at least where we are) is broken only by the waves lapping on to the beach. Or the only other thing I hear at that hour is the retired dentist from suburban Chicago (Dr. Pawlowski) who is next door, coming back from fishing and showing his lovely wife the evening’s catch … if any. It is precious beyond words to hear how excited Dr. Pawlowski is if he caught some fish, especially a walleye or two.

Fifth, and this is the big one, the key: the resort seems to really revolve around kids. Kids having fun. Kids being well taken care of. Kids being kids at the lake. Very well taken care of. And that allows the parent(s) to then in turn do what they want to do entirely guilt-free.

I forgot to mention all the free lessons that are available to the kids daily. And most of those lessons are also available at no cost to parent. Those lessons play a huge role in not only occupying the kids’ time but in giving them something to be very proud of. It’s builds the kids’ self-esteem that in turns makes the kid happier; easier for the parent to handle. I mean in a way, a very fun and effective way, the resort is really taking care of the kids for the parent. AND THE KIDS LOVE IT. The resort makes it so much fun for the kids to join the organized activities and/or to take lessons that the kids on their own seem to plan their own days. I mean how much easier can the resort make it for the single parent? Those ringing bells at 9:30 AM and 2:30 PM signal fun to the kids and guilt-free free time for the parent.

The only real daily worries the single parent has is whether the kid brushed her teeth and does the kid have enough sunscreen on. And to try not to let the screen door slam. The parent in the next cabin or room might be napping!

Tied into the resort going to bed at 10 I think is the absence of a bar. I hope they never ever add a bar. It will change the resort for the worse.

Forgot one thing. The evening activities are fun and parent and child can do together. It puts parent and child back together in a fun (wholesome) way. So the routine has gone full-circle by bringing kid and parent back together. They both end each day having had tons of fun separately and together.

Doesn’t get any better than that.