The Massive Pizza Bar!

So far the forecast is telling us that the temperatures are going to be over 100 this Labor Day.  That type of temperature is simply unbearable.  In fact, the UV index is so high that you can be burned in just 4 minutes in the sun.  THAT is unbelievably HOT and not healthy for adults or children to be in for too long.

Though we’re sure many have great cookouts planned (great if you have a pool), you might add something else to the mix particularly if you have kids who have just started school and are itching to dip back into summer fun.

Every year we go to John’s Pizza Co. in Stockton.  We’ve been there for birthday parties and one corporate event but typically we go when the weather is just not good enough for the kids to be outside.

Here’s why we enjoy going to John’s and why you might like it too:

1.  If you are hungry, this is the place because they feature an all-you-can-eat buffet of pizza, salad, pasta and even dessert.  This means trouble for those of you trying to lose weight but I guess you can always eat from their extensive salad bar!

2.  Parking is easy, which is always a pet peeve of mine when we go to other amusement parks.  At John’s you can just park directly in front and be in the door in a minute or two.

3.  Cost just works out for us.  You pay for the cost of the buffet then for credits to ride the rides and play the games.  It’s incredibly affordable when compared to  something like Disneyland.

4.  The rides and games are simply incredible.  They do a fantastic job of mixing up the choices with the twister, bumper cars, glow golf and many ever-changing games.

And most important for this weekend is the fact that John’s is all indoors.  You can have the fun of an amusement park without getting a sunburn or dealing with excessive heat.  For the kids, it’s just the best option and one you should consider.

This Labor Day weekend give John’s Incredible Pizza in Stockton a try.  They are located at:

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It’s incredibly hot again this Labor Day weekend so to be safe, head indoors with the kids and stay there until the sun goes down.   In fact, today it was reported that the UV index is so high, you can burn in just 4 minutes!

There are many options for indoor fun, some better than others. Remember, young kids have short attention spans and they really like variety. One of the best parties we’ve been to was at John’s Incredible Pizza Company in Roseville.

The first time we went to John’s it was for a birthday party, which had a really cool setup.  The food is great and that’s not just because it’s all you can eat. The staff is constantly bringing out fresh pizzas, pasta and salads with a variety of toppings. You no longer have to worry about catering to the tastes of 20+ children. They get to pick whatever they want, and the same goes for their drinks and desserts (if you set them free there!).

The facilities are huge, so big that they have indoor rides like bumper cars (my personal favorite) and even a mini roller coaster.  And although they have all of the latest video games for your kids, they also have a number of retro video games for the parents and other interactive, ticket-dispensing games.

Your kid’s and their friends will not run out of things to do. In fact, it’s pretty hard to leave. I actually got stuck playing video games myself and riding the bumper cars while the kids were working on getting as many tickets as they could.

The actual get together where you cut the cake, sing and open presents is in a private, reserved room. This is nice because you can get away from all the action for a bit to take pictures and video. John’s provided the sign and decorations but also had a television and dvd player for use.

Since our first visit, we’ve been back to John’s a number of times including our son’s 8th birthday party. We also go to John’s when it’s too hot for outdoor activities, so it’s not just about birthday parties, it’s also a great escape from the Summer heat or rainy days.

Birthday parties are a bit more involved than Labor Day fun so it gets even easier to organize this holiday fun. Grab the kids and their friends and head over.  We’ve been to John’s on every Labor Day and 4th of July weekend for several years.  It’s been great!

This HOT Labor Day weekend, we strongly suggest going to John’s Pizza.  It will keep the kids cool while giving them a great outlet after a couple weeks of school!

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Many kids this year went back to school already at the beginning of August.   As a parent of 3, I feel like summer just started so it’s hard to see all of our friends heading back so early but times are certainly changing.

Fortunately, there is a chance for one last hurrah in summer fun department. Even though school started at the beginning of August for most in the area, kids and parents can look forward to a long holiday weekend that Labor Day brings.  This helps ease the transition and gives the kids something to look forward to during their first week at school. Particularly if your child has some apprehension (first day jitters) or difficulty adjusting to the new routine, providing her or him with a fun-filled holiday weekend may be just the thing to keep them going and keep them motivated to hit the books when they should.

With the economy still in a mess, we like to stay close to home.  Even a trip to the beach can be costly given gas prices so sticking with something within a few miles is just easiest and most cost effective for us.

With the heat, we need to find fun things to do with the kids indoors. Somewhere that is air-conditioned and conveniently has everything we need in one place.

Where do we go?  Our whole family has a great time at John’s Incredible Pizza Co. complete with their all you can eat buffet, wine and beer for adults (2 drink limit), special themed dining rooms, and a huge game and rides room.

But what we like most about John’s is basic convenience and a cost that is reasonable.  Parking has never been a problem, in fact, you’ll be just a couple minutes from the door.  Plus, if there is a line to get in, that is established inside the building so you don’t have to deal with the blistering heat.

The cost is the other factor that really helps, it’s just cheap to go there given it’s an all-you-can-eat buffet of pizza, pasta and salad.

This Labor Day we suggest giving John’s Pizza in Buena Park, CA a try!

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John's Incredible Pizza

I love summer and am sad to see it coming to an end.  We swam a lot and went on evening walks.  But we still have about a month to contend with and that means more heat!

It’s difficult to get outside during peak hours of the day when the sun is high and the temperature is unbearable.  Especially with another 100+ degree heat wave coming.  The kids need to get out, and to be honest, I get a serious case of cabin fever some days too.

I’m always on the lookout for fun things to do with the kids in Stockton.  Staying fairly close to home is important to me because of ever-increasing gas prices.

For the most part, City activities are over so you’re on your own for the final 30 days!

We need to get out of the heat and find something fun to do indoors where it is cool.  With another heat wave coming, we’re looking for an indoor retreat from the heat.  When the kids were younger we loved taking them to Chuck E Cheese.  That would be more fun for our youngest, but the 78and 9 year olds need something more geared to their age group.

We have found a place that has something to suit each age group and all of it is indoors.  John’s Incredible Pizza Co. is a welcome alternative and has everything you need for a fun day out.  You can even make a daycation out of it.

Pretty much all you’ll need to bring are the kids.  John’s has a wide variety of food to eat and activities that will engage kids of all ages (Moms and Dads, too).  Even their amusement park style rides are indoors!  Some of the rides are geared toward smaller children, so your toddler can be included.

Here’s what we love about John’s Incredible Pizza:

The Food:  We’ll say this is the best food set up for kids and adults anywhere.  John’s offers and all-you-can-eat buffet of pizza, pasta, salad and desserts.  For each category they offer many toppings, flavors, combinations and choices.  The kitchen is constantly bringing out hot pizza while replenishing the salad and pasta bar.  Beverages are all-you-can-drink with an additional cost of $1-2.

The Fun:  John’s is unique in that it is completely indoors but offers the fun of outdoor style rides and things to do.  Our two favorite traditional rides are the tea-cups and the bumper cars.  We mix up the ride fun by playing video and other games.  The great part is when the kids get hungry from all the play, you just walk back over to the food side and fill up again.  This is one reason why John’s is perfect as an all-day activity for the kids.

A Break for the Parents:  John’s is a very active environment, but they still offer quiet seating for dining in their multiple themed rooms.  The themes range from cartoons to music videos and one with a more log cabin feel, which is intended to be the most quiet of the bunch.  They also offer beer and wine with a 2 drink limit.

We love John’s and have gone for numerous birthday parties and other events.  If you’ve never been to a John’s Pizza, read the reviews.

Hours of Operation:
Mon-Thu:11am-9pm
Fri-Sat:11am-10pm
Sun:11am-9pm

4555 N. Pershing
Stockton, CA 95207
209-954-1111

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John's Incredible Pizza

Summer is just about over with only about a month left.  Do you still have activities left for the kids?

Soccer, ju jitsu, basketball, arts and crafts, day camps, you name it and it exists for your kids even at this late date so do a bit of research and you’ll find the right activity.

Don’t pick too many things to do because your kids will be overloaded and the Summer is supposed to be about relaxation and fun, not tight schedules and running from activity to activity.  This can be particularly bad when Summer is coming to a close and the kids really just want to relax.

Cost of activities could be an issue particularly given the condition of our economy so carefully consider this and maybe just try things at home to save money for a while.

Arts and crafts is another one that if you do a bit of research on-line you’ll find great, inexpensive ideas that are fun for the kids but will also keep them busy and focused.

At some point during the Summer, your kids will want to have some theme park style fun.  Disneyland comes to mind first but the prices seem to have risen exponentially, add in parking, food and whatever else you buy there and the total bill will be close to a several day beach vacation.

One fun place we’ve found is John’s Incredible Pizza in Roseville.  We like it because it offers everything we need for the kids i.e. food, fun and indoors.

Here are some other reasons we really enjoy John’s in Roseville:

1. John’s Incredible Pizza is huge! You’re not going to run out of space or fun things to do here. John’s is easily the largest indoor play area for kids (or adults) anywhere.

2. John’s has many indoor rides and games. These are real indoor rides for kids including the coolest bumper car setup we’ve seen anywhere (still my favorite!).

3. They have interactive and fun video and other games that are addictive given they are ticket-dispensing machines.

4. Multiple themed dining rooms. Themes range from music videos to cartoons, each is easily the size of a standard restaurant.

5. There is great need for multiple dining rooms due to the all-you-can-eat-buffet.

If you are interested in reading more reviews, here are more from Google.

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John's Incredible Pizza

It was just two weeks ago that we had temperatures approaching 110 degrees in Southern California.  Since that time, temps have cooled a bit (down to about 90) but they are supposed to go right back up to the 100′s very soon as August begins.

With the heat, activities can be severely restricted.  We’re fortunate to have a nice yard with some shade but when the temperatures get that high it’s still not a good idea to have the kids out there for extended periods of time.

With this in mind it’s a good idea to have some options on hand so the kids don’t get cabin fever.

Our top option for a good indoor activity has always been to head over to John’s Incredible Pizza in Riverside, CA.  It’s the perfect indoor place to consume up to a full day of fun.

Here’s why:

*  You’re not going to run out of space or things to do here.  John’s is easily the largest indoor fun place for kids anywhere.

*  Yes, these are real indoor rides for kids, like the twister that spins you around at what feels like several hundred miles per hour and the coolest bumper car setup we’ve seen.

-Fun and interactive video and other games

-Multiple dining rooms each with their own theme.  Themes range from sports to cartoons and each is easily the size of a restaurant.

-The reason for multiple dining rooms would be the all-you-can-eat-buffet.  The buffet ties the rides for our favorite part of John’s.  Simply said they have more pizza flavors than you can imagine, tons of pasta variations and a fantastic salad bar for those seeking something a little lighter.  Of course if you dine on the salad bar you’ll have room for the all-you-can-eat dessert section.

If you’ve never been to John’s and want to read what others are saying, check out their Google reviews right here.

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John's Incredible Pizza

know how great it is and how fun it can be for everyone in the family.  If you’re new to John’s Pizza, it can be a bit difficult to explain because what they offer is so unique.

The easiest way to describe John’s Incredible Pizza is that it’s an indoor amusement park without all the typical hassles like parking, high cost, and long lines.  If that’s what you are looking for, John’s is not the place.

The cost to get in is simply that of a very reasonable all-you-can-eat buffet.  The buffet includes an incredible pizza selection, salad, pasta and even a dessert bar that is not for those of you on a diet but the kids will absolutely love it!

So if you’re in the mood to really stuff your family with great food, John’s is your choice.

Parking is a piece of cake.  All locations are centrally located with plenty of parking surrounding the facility.  I don’t think we’ve ever had to wait for a space and the walk to the front door is less than a minute.

John’s is split up into two sections, food and fun.  The food side has the buffets we explained but it also has themed rooms that are kind of like mini restaurants where you can watch videos, sports, cartoons or even go for a log cabin feel.

The other side is the fun area where you’ll see all the amusement-style rides and games.  The rides are smaller versions of what you’d see in an outdoor amusement park but remember these come without the annoying lines.  The games are updated often and most of them are interactive or ticket-dispensing.

For kids, the tickets are quite addictive as they later can trade them in for a prize of which they have many.

If you’re looking for a fun place to go to maybe celebrate a birthday or other event, we suggest John’s Pizza in National City.

Hours of Operation:
Mon-Thu:10am-10pm
Fri-Sat:10am-10:30pm
Sun:10am-10pm

Effective 8/30/2010:
Mon-Thu:11am-10pm
Fri:11am-11pm
Sat:10am-11pm
Sun:10am-10pm

3010 Plaza Bonita Rd.
National City, CA 91950
619-472-5555

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John's Bumper Cars

One of the many great things about the internet is the fact that you can get real-time consumer reviews for just about anything.  John’s Incredible Pizza in Montclair, CA is no exception.

Before we ever went to John’s Pizza we talked to our friends first (a great resource) and heard wonderful things from them about John’s Pizza.  Most of them had been to a John’s location to celebrate a birthday party, which seems to be their specialty.

But we wanted to know more so we went to yelp and Google to see what we could find.  We found that people overwhelming support John’s Pizza and go quite often.  If you are interested in reading consumer reviews, just go here to read those from Google.

But before you go, you might be interested in our review given we’ve gone to John’s for a number of different events.

Here’s what we really like about John’s Incredible Pizza in Montclair, CA:

1.  If you are hungry, this is the place because they feature an all-you-can-eat buffet of pizza, salad, pasta and even dessert.  This means trouble for those of you trying to lose weight but I guess you can always eat from their extensive salad bar!

2.  Parking is easy, which is always a pet peeve of mine when we go to other amusement parks.  At John’s you can just park directly in front and be in the door in a minute or two.

3.  Cost just works out for us.  You pay for the cost of the buffet then for credits to ride the rides and play the games.  It’s incredibly affordable when compared to  something like Disneyland.

4.  The rides and games are simply incredible.  They do a fantastic job of mixing up the choices with the twister, bumper cars, glow golf and many ever-changing games.

Like we mentioned before, John’s is the perfect place for a birthday party but they also do corporate events and other large parties.

Here’s their contact information:

Hours of Operation:
Mon-Thu:10am-10pm
Fri-Sat:10am-10:30pm
Sun:10am-10pm

Effective 8/16/2010:
Mon-Thu:11am-10pm
Fri:11am-11pm
Sat:10am-11pm
Sun:10am-10pm

5280 Arrow Hwy.
Montclair, CA 91763
909-447-7777

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It seems like just yesterday temperatures were nice and cool but now Summer has given us its hottest month, August.  This means it’s time to start putting together activities to keep the kids occupied while also keeping them cool indoors.

We always try to mix it up with arts and crafts, physical activities and day-trips.  Although the kids enjoy arts and crafts and the sports camps we sign them up for, they seem to like the day trips the most.

Some of our favorite day trips have been those to the beach and amusement parks.  When we talk about amusement parks, most people think about Disneyland.  Every year we’ve had annual passes to Disneyland but the prices seem to go up every time we get them.  Given the economic environment that just can’t seem to get its footing, it’s just gotten too expensive for us.  As much as we’d like to go, the cost of the tickets, gas and food is just too much for a single day.  It actually can approach the cost of a regular,week-long vacation.

We’ve learned though that there are amusement park alternatives that won’t break the bank while also providing just as much fun for the kids and conveniences for us adults.

John’s Incredible Pizza is located in Modesto, CA though there are many other locations if you’re outside the Modesto area.  John’s is a complete indoor amusement park on one side of the facility and an all-you-can-eat buffet on the other side.  What better combo could there be?

Personally, I love the video games on the fun activity side and the wide-ranging pizza selection on the other side, though I’ve also been known to stuff myself with the salad and pasta bar.  The kids simply love everything, it’s just a great and fun environment for them that can easily eat up an entire day.

Here’s a few more things we love about John’s Pizza:

1.  All-you-can-eat-buffet of pizza, pasta, salad, dessert and fountain drinks

2.  They offer beer and wine at an additional charge (2 drink max)

3.  Multiple themed rooms that will take care of any mood you may be in

4.  Rides, fun and games that are relevant for very young ones all the way up do adults

5.  Super easy parking, love this one!

If you’ve never been to a John’s Incredible Pizza, just read the reviews and you’ll have a very good idea of what to expect.

Hours of Operation:
Mon-Sun:10am-10pm

Effective 8/16/2010:
Mon-Thu:11am-9pm
Fri-Sat:11am-10pm
Sun:11am-9pm

2225 Plaza Pky.
Modesto, CA 95350
209-523-0000

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It has been hot this Summer.  We’ve already exceeded temperatures of 100 degrees in many California cities and although we’re granted a few cooling off periods each Summer, you can

The Twister

plan on many more hot ones.  It’s relatively cool now (90′s) but high temps are on the way again.

If you have a swimming pool you’re guaranteed immediate relief from the Summer heat but eventually the kids will want to mix it up a bit and get away from the house.  Remember, for most Summer vacation is out due to lack of funds, but half-day and one-day activities are in as they’re more cost effective while providing a much needed get away from work and home.

If you’re looking to consume a half or full day, you’ll need something with extensive offerings and lots of variety.  Our choice has been John’s Incredible Pizza Company because they take care of the food, the fun and even provide a little break for the parents.

John’s has the best food set up for kids and adults anywhere.  John’s offers the best all-you-can-eat buffet of pizza, pasta, salad and desserts.  For each category they offer many toppings, flavors, combinations and choices.  The kitchen is constantly bringing out hot pizza while replenishing the salad and pasta bar.  Beverages are all-you-can-drink with an option of beer and wine for an extra charge.

John’s is unique in that it is 100% indoors but offers the fun of outdoor style rides and things to do.  Our two favorite traditional rides are the twister and the cool bumper car setup they have.  We mix up the ride fun by playing video and other games then take a break from the action with a game of laser tag.  The great part is when the kids get hungry from all the play, you just walk back over to the food side and fill up again.  This is one reason why John’s is perfect as an all-day activity for the kids.

John’s is a very active environment, but they still offer quiet and somewhat private seating for dining in their multiple themed rooms.  The themes range from cartoons to music videos and one with a more log cabin feel, which is intended to be the most quiet of the bunch.

Heat is on the way again so be ready for a cool break at John’s Incredible Pizza in Fresno.

If you’ve never been to a John’s Pizza, read the customer reviews!

Hours of Operation:
Mon-Sun:10am-10pm

Effective 8/22/2010:
Mon-Thu:11am-9:30pm
Fri:11am-10:30pm
Sat:10am-10:30pm
Sun:10am-9:30pm

7095 N. Cedar
Fresno, CA 93720
559-323-1111

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