With the summer of 2021 kind of uncertain, there is a good chance you are going to be planning a lot of mini-vacations this year.  Day trips or short overnight trips to destinations you can easily drive to.

If you are planning your summer trips, you need to look into visiting the Living Shores Aquarium in New Hampshire's Mount Washington Valley

Located in Glen, NH, it is the neighbor of the Story Land amusement park.  The massive aquarium is housed in a building that, until 2006, housed Heritage New Hampshire - a walkthrough of New Hampshire history.

The 32,000 square foot aquarium features a tide pool where kids can touch everything from hermit crabs, to stingrays, to sharks (SO COOL!).  There is also be a rain forest aviary filled with birds and reptiles, an augmented reality sandbox, and education programs.  Other attractions feature over 100 varieties of fish from tropical climates, the New England coast, and the rivers of New Hampshire.

Initially, the facility opened in the late-fall of 2019, but as the pandemic really began to affect New England, they made the decision to close their doors on March 15th, 2020.

Well, in a Facebook post from earlier today (April 12th) they have announced the aquarium will re-open on May 8th.

Tickets are $19.99 per person and kids under 3 are free.

Clearly, there will be COVID-19 related restrictions.  At least initially.   You can get all the details and order tickets HERE.

As a former Heritage NH employee (I was the woodsman at Strawberry Bank and got to demo the Segway), I was really sad to see the attraction close, but I am really excited about the way they've breathed new (aquatic) life into the old building.

9 Maine Staycations Your Family Needs To Take

Since it looks like the summer of 2021 is going to be a little different - not quite as different as the summer of 2020, though - we've put together a list of great staycations you can take with your significant other or, in many cases, the entire family. This list was inspired by Only In Your State. Please keep in mind, due to current COVID-19 restrictions, some places may not be completely open. Let us know what your favorite places to visit in Maine are by messaging us through our app or on Facebook.

Maine Bars & Restaurants W/ Patios & Decks

Who doesn't love enjoying a beer and a burger on a patio (or deck) on a warm summer night? Clearly, as we are still dealing with the pandemic, you may want to reach out to each of these establishments to make sure they have not made any temporary COVID-related changes to their business.

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