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‘Beyond-the-Basics’ Summer Packing List

Posted on June 7, 2022



Summer vacation prep often begins with a packing list. If you’re visiting Santa Claus, Indiana, and the sites throughout Lincoln’s Indiana Boyhood home, you’ll want to bring the essentials.
Lightweight clothing? It gets warm here in the summer!
Swimsuit? A must for big and little swimmers!
Sunglasses? Gotta protect those peepers!
But this is a unique area with unique attractions and activities. So, you might want to think beyond the basics before you start loading up your suitcase.

What to Put on Your Packing List 

There are so many fun and exciting things to do in this area. And here are some items you’ll want to have handy to enjoy your visit to its fullest:

Selfie Stick

There are a lot of great photo opportunities around town, including more than 20 Santa statues. To guarantee you get the best #SantaSelfie, a selfie stick is a must! Want to find all the statues? This video can help! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2oEpLAevy0

S’mores Fixin’s

If you’re staying at Sun Outdoors Lake RudolphLincoln Pines Lakefront ResortSanta’s Lakeside Cottages, roughing it at a campsite, or enjoying one of the area's vacation rentals with a firepit, then chocolate bars, marshmallows, and graham crackers should be at the top of your list. Plate with marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolates and roasting sticks set on a sandstone rock

Roll of Quarters

Is Frosty’s Fun Center on your restaurant itinerary? It's a great choice for families. Not only do they offer a menu packed with pizzas, sandwiches, ice cream, and more. But the restaurant also features an arcade with favorite games for the young and young-at-heart. Make sure to bring a pocketful of change so you can play them all! Arcade and retro tables and chairs at Frosty's Fun Center

Nerves of Steel

Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari boasts award-wining roller coasters, like the high-flying Thunderbird, and exhilarating water rides, including Cheetah Chase, the world’s first launched water coaster. But these rides aren’t for the faint of heart. Think you’ve got what it takes? Thunderbird roller coaster at Holiday World appears to bust through a building as it soars along the track

Iron Stomach

If indulging (or overindulging) in local food and drink is your favorite part of vacation, then you better pack your iron stomach... and maybe some antacid! The pork chop dinner from New Boston Tavern is a famous favorite of locals and visitors alike. And hearty eaters will want to give "The Grinch" from S&S BBQ & Pizzeria a try—it's a pizza loaded with a full pound of pulled pork! After dinner, satisfy your sweet tooth with a frosty Frozen Hot Chocolate at Santa’s Candy Castle or a giant cookie from the Santa Claus Christmas Store. Mother and daughter sipping on Frozen Hot Chocolate at Santa's Candy Castle

Pioneer Spirit

This area is where a young Abraham Lincoln lived, played, and grew from a boy into a young man. When you visit sites like the Living Historical Farm at Lincoln Boyhood National MemorialLincoln State Park, and Lincoln Pioneer Village & Museum, you’re invited to step back in time, walk in Abe’s footsteps, and get a glimpse of Indiana life as he and his family experienced it. A boy climbs a peg staircase inside the cabin at the Living Historical Farm at Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial

The Most Important Thing on Your List 

There’s one more thing you don’t want to forget to bring along on vacation … and it’s an important one. If you want to make sure you have a merry, memorable visit, you simply need to bring along the people you love spending time with the most!