Archive for the ‘Family’ Category

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Busch Gardens

Thursday, March 19th, 2009

Busch Gardens, Tampa, FL., is a great theme park foe all ages. There are so many interesting things to see and do at Busch Gardens, that one day is just not enough. Busch Gardens offers multi-day passes which allow you to return for another day at the park for very little money. Florida residents can attend the park one-day and receive a “fun card” which will allow free access to the park for the remainder of the calendar year.

For the roller coaster enthusiast, Busch Gardens offers 4 large-scale roller coasters, and one small scale. The newest is Sheikra, which gives riders a 70 mph, heart-pumping experience like no other. Sheikra offers three minutes of excitement on the tallest 200-ft. coaster in FL., with a 200-ft. straight down drop. Montu is another amazing steel roller coaster within Busch Gardens offering a 60 mile per hour inverted ride. Kumba is one of the world’s best roller coasters offering a full 3 seconds of weightlessness and several vertical and spiraling loops. Gwazi is the parks wooden roller coaster which offers twin tracks and 2 distinct tracks, the lion and the tiger, with the lion feeling like a continuous number of spirals and the tiger feeling more like a bobsled ride than a roller coaster. The oldest and smallest of the roller coasters is the Scorpion. This is still a great ride it’s just smaller and shorter than some of the other super coasters Busch Gardens has to offer.

There are multiple activities for toddlers including an entire play area, Land of the Dragons, which is dedicated to the little ones, with climbing nets and splash ponds, a sand box, a giant bounce house and a few rides. There are toddler friendly performances multiple times per day on the Land of the Dragons stage.

For the children, there is the brand new Jungala. This area is great for children of all ages. They can take a ride on a zip line, play tug of war with a white tiger ride the waterfall on the wild surge and climb through the tree tops on a large 3 story tree top canopy play land.

There are many different types of live performances throughout the park, which offer interesting information about Africa and African culture as well as pop culture and music.

The animal encounters at Busch Gardens are like no other. The beautiful natural habitats created for these animals seem more like you are on safari, than observing caged animals at a zoo. There are multiple up close and personal tours available where you can actually feed and touch some of these amazing African native animals.

Busch Gardens is a perfect stop for anyone touring Florida, but plan for more than one day, as there is so much to see and do.

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Posted in Children, Couples, Family, Family Vacations, Florida | No Comments »

Fabulous St. Augustine

Monday, February 16th, 2009

When considering travel in Florida, do yourself a favor and consider St.Augustine. There is something there for everyone. Visitors enjoy multiple sightseeing adventures including it’s vast history, spooky evening ghost tours, fabulous coastal seafood, and beautiful beaches and surfing, just to name a few.

St Augustine is full of History. It is said to be the oldest city in the United States. Ponce De Leon first discovered it in the year 1513, and at that time also discovered the famous “Fountain of Youth” It was the first city to be discovered almost a half century before the English landed in Jamestown. The rich History of St. Augustine is quite interesting even for those who are not particularly interested in history.

The beauty of the city is almost breathtaking. The lush landscaping and the fabulous old architecture are certainly something to behold. The Flagler University building is spectacular. Henry Flagler (oil tycoon) built it in the late 1800’s as a wiinter resort, along with the Cordova and the Alcazar Hotels. These buildings are still standing and operating as a university, a hotel and a museum and are quite fabulous in themselves.

St. Augustine Beach is also known as Anastasia Island. This East Coast beach is breathtaking. There are many exquisite hotels on or very near the beach. The Castillo Real is one such hotel that is not to be missed. A small boutique hotel with only 60 rooms, but a true gem for any traveler.

Shopping in St. Augustine is plentiful. Again there is something for everyone. There are fine bakeries, second hand stores, clothing boutiques, cigar shops, souveneir and novelty shops and a multitude of antique stores.

While touring St. Augustine you will find many horsedrawn carriages available for hire which take passengers on a personally narrated tour, pointing out all the historical places of interest as well as some of the local hot spots. Most vacationers enjoy a day of just wandering through the streets of downtown St. Augustine. This is a really great way to just take it all in. On the downtown streets you will see a little bit of everything. There are many local street performers, artists and galleries and shops of every kind asn so many fabulous little restaurants. The Columbia Restaurant is another must see during your visit, offering amazing authentic Spanish cuisine.

St. Augustine is great destination for a romantic getaway, a girls’ getaway, a family trip, or any type of vacation.

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Posted in Children, Couples, Family, Family Vacations, Florida, Getaway, Girls getaway, Group Travel, Holiday Travel, Spa/Resort | No Comments »

Disney Birthday

Wednesday, January 21st, 2009

The Walt Disney theme parks have started a new promotion this year.  The promotion is a good one for everyone involved.  They offer free admission to any one of their themeparks for your birthday.  This admission is good only on the exact date of yout birthday, but in some cases this works out quite well.

To redeem your free admission you must register yourself or your children online and print a certificate.  Upon arrival th the selected park you will need to show a valid driver’s license, or a certified copy of a birth certificate, along with the printed registration certificate from the Disney website. At this point the birthday guest gains free admission and a button to pin on themselves that says It’s my Birthday and the name of the guest.  This magic button gets you a lot of recognition inside the park.  Every employee who reads it gives you a very warm greeting and happy birthday wishes.  In some cases you may get a surprise dessert at a restaurant, or a token souveneir.  Be certain to inquire on the day of your arrival what specialties are in store for birthday guests.

The other members in your party have to pay full price for admission, which is about $75 for adults at the Magic Kingdom in FL. This birthday freebie is in no way a freebie day for the whole family.  Only the admission for the guest of honor is included. Disney is still raking in the cash on all the food and beverages and souveneirs that will be purchased by the acompanying members in your party. But it is still a fabulous way to spend a birthday, young and old.

There are books and guides available that give you the best dates and times to enjoy the parks, if you are lucky enough to have your birthday fall during one of the slow periods it is a great time to take advantage of the promotion. Mid week is said to be one of the slowest times, when it’s not too close to a Holiday. If your child’s birthday falls at an inconvenient time, you may want to choose to wait until one of the parents’ birthdays.  You’ll save even more be gaining free adult admission, it’s close to $10 more for adults than children.

This is a great way to get families into the park and a great way to make a child feel special on their birthday.  Another brilliant Disney concept.

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Posted in Couples, Family, Family Vacations, Florida, Travel Tips, Weekday travel | No Comments »

Safety Harbor Resort and Spa

Wednesday, December 10th, 2008

Safety Harbor Resort and Spa is heaven on earth to me.  Safety Harbor Resort/ Spa is located in the Clearwater, Florida area in a town called Safety Harbor.  Nestled directly on the pristine waters of Tampa Bay.  This spa/resort is built atop 5 natural springs with much history surrounding them.

The 2,000-year-old Espiritu Santo Springs, meaning “Springs of the Holy Spirit,” are considered a liquid treasure, located beneath the resort. Ancient Indian tribes discovered the springs in the 1400s. Hernando de Soto found them in 1539 when he came upon these shores, and thought he had discovered the legendary “The Fountain of Youth.”

History reports that many others have been attracted to the purity of our mineral springs. In the early 1900s water from all five springs was bottled, and labeled according to the various Healing properties then shipped to eager customers around the world.  In 1936 a doctor purchased and rebuilt the facilities and it was used as a healing retreat. Nine years later, the famous Dr. Salem Baranoff bought the property and transformed it into Safety Harbor Spa.

Some of the spa has remained original, while most has been rennovated and transformed into the four star resort we know and love today.  The rooms are beautifully decorated; some elegant and classical others with a “Tommy Bahama” inspired feel. Some of the rooms have water views, while others are poolside with balconies and patios.  I’ve stayed there many times adn never had a bad room or a bad view.

The treatments in the spa are AMAZING.  I recommend the 50 min massage, and the salt glow body treatment.  My skin felt unbelievable after the body glow and the relaxation massage was the best ever.  They robes they offer for you to wear while in the resort are luxurious as well.  They are available for purchase but carefully monitored to avoid theft.

There is a nice restaurant on site and room service is incredible.  The chef will make you just about anything you want as long as he has the ingredients on hand; this is great for room service.  There is a nice tiki bar by the pool that offers a wide variety of drinks and a small menu.

A weekend at the spa is the perfect retreat for anyone.  It’s a great place for “girls weekend” or for a couple to get away and reconnect.

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Posted in Couples, Family, Family Vacations, Florida, Girls getaway, Group Travel, Pet Travel, Spa/Resort, Staycations | No Comments »

Why Travel at Christmas?

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008

Traveling for Christmas, in my opinion, is not always a good idea.  There are so many reasons not to travel on Christmas (or other holidays).  Christmas travel is always hectic.  No matter how you decide to travel, by car, train, bus, or plane.  Christmas time is usually, in most parts of the country, the WORST weather.  With this bad weather comes bad weather delays to contend with.  Including delays in traffic, and arrival and departure times.  These hours of endless waiting send most people into angry panic mode. This is not fun for any one.

Christmas travel is also very confusing for young children.  They will often worry about how Santa is going to find them.  Then there is the whole ordeal of packing all the gifts, and what size gifts are appropriate.

Once you’ve reached your destination, there is so much pressure to make it a memorable Christmas with the family.  Pressure to participate in many of the Holiday traditions.  Some of which you have chosen to abandon as an adult. You may be forced to attend a church you are unfamiliar with, and leave behind those you worship with weekly.

I feel that there are so many other opportunities to travel and visit with family throughout the year, that don’t involve all the pressure and formalities.  Christmas time is one of the most hectic times of year for everyone, by throwing a big trip in the middle of it I think you are asking for trouble.

I think travel should be relaxing and enjoyable for everyone involved the host and the guests.  It is very hard to relax during this type of trip.  Another consideration, is other friends and family you may like to visit while you’re in town. Some of them may be traveling as well. If they’re not, they are likely busy with their crazy Holiday schedules and it is a hard time to fit in a casual get together.

There’s nothing like waking up in your own home on Christmas morning, and enjoying the joy of your children as they casually open their gifts. Somehow being at another person’s home, or worse, a hotel, takes away the magic for the children.

Christmas-time travel is just bad timing all the way around and I think it should really be avoided.

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Posted in Children, Family, Family Vacations, Group Travel, Holiday Travel, Train Travel, Travel Tips | No Comments »

RV Travel

Thursday, November 20th, 2008

RV travel is a great way to see the country and spend some quality time with your family. Why not take advantage of gas prices coming down and start planning a family getaway.  Traveling by RV is less stressful than other forms of travel because you can control all of the departure and arrival times since you are not at the mercy of the airlines.  Depending on your location, you can also schedule your days to include sightseeing tours, or just go out on your own and find your own adventure.

When traveling with the family it is important to find family friendly sites to hitch up overnight.  The kids can go a little stir crazy if they don’t have some social outlet.  There are many RV parks and campgrounds that are family friendly and offer amenities for entertaining the children, and therefore attract many families. RV travel is quite the social outlet for some families. When you settle into these campgrounds, it is not uncommon to meet other families whom you form lifelong friendships with.  This is a great way for the kids to have some time to play with other kids and for the parents to swap ideas about entertainment in the area and exchange other RV travel ideas.

RV travel is also very popular with retirees. After retirement, many couples choose to sell everything they own and live in their RV’s and travel the country full time.  There are Senior RV clubs that offer social gatherings all over the U.S. and Canada for those who are full time travelers, as well as the weekend warriors. It is believed by many that RV-ing is the best way to see the country and a great way for empty nesters and retirees to reconnect with their spouses, after the hustle and bustle of raising a family and working 9-5 is behind you.

While RV-ing you may chose to “camp out” in campgrounds or off the beaten path somewhere secluded.  This decision may be easy for some that don’t like to “rough it”.  RV travel incorporates a few more conveniences than traditional camping. So many people find it fun and interesting.

You can plan a theme for your trip, like antique collecting, or touring the historic sites in the northeast, or all about the Wild West and rodeos.  There are unlimited possibilities when planning an RV excursion.  Let the road and your imagination be your guide.

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Posted in British Columbia, California, Canada, Children, Couples, Family, Family Vacations, Florida, Group Travel, Pet Travel, RV travel, Travel Tips | No Comments »

Stay-cationing

Tuesday, October 28th, 2008

Vacations are becoming more expensive every day with rising fuel costs, food costs, hotel costs, just about everything is on the rise, making it more difficult for families to afford summer vacations.  The new catch phrase is “staycation” This means you stay close to home and explore the area around you.  Staycations also emphasize what vacations are all about; quality time with your family.

Depending on your location, there are probably many one tank trips you can take with your family. Do some research and find out what’s around you, within driving distance.  Even if it involves a night in a hotel, it’s still more affordable than a plane trip and a week at a hotel, meals…etc.  On a staycation you can also enjoy local things that were always out of your budget.  Again, without  the major travel costs, you can afford these little splurges, like eating at fabulous local restaurants, and taking in local theater.

Vacations are a great tiime for families to regroup after a hectic season and get to know eachother again.  Staycation-road-trips are a good way to do this.  Reconnect with you kids and enjoy local family activities together. There are probably numerous sightseeing opportunities that are overlooked due to busy schedules. Exploring your surroundings together will create just as many memories as visiting the mouse in Florida.

Be certain, no matter what you plan for your staycation travels, that you  DO NOT just stay at home.  When you are at home with unlimited free time, it is easy to fall into the trap of completing all the little projects that don’t get done throughout the year.  Leave the house daily as if you were out of town.  The cluttered closets, the piles of laundry, the dirty grout lines will all have to wait.  Don’t let the daily chores ruin your vacation, because you chose to make it a staycation. Plan your daily activities in advance the way you would on any other vacation.

There are parks and picnics and museums and history all around you.  Enjoy your local resources and most of all enjoy some relaxation with your family.

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Posted in Children, Family, Family Vacations, Group Travel, Staycations, Weekday travel | No Comments »

Tips For Travel With Kids

Friday, October 24th, 2008

Traveling  with small children is so exciting. To see the sights through their eyes is such a delight. To educate them on different foods and cultures are lessons they will keep with them forever. Traveling with youngsters can be challenging as well. You must plan ahead for the little distractions that can arise when a child is out of their comfort zone and out of their routine.

I’ve learned a lot through my travels and learned how to handle the inevitable bumps in the road that will arise when toting small children. First, don’t plan sightseeing for every single minute of every day. If you are in a new area, try to pick out the most important features that must be seen and do those first. Be sure they are interesting for the kids as well as the adults. We all know, when the little ones are bored is when they get into trouble.

Bring plenty of comforts from home. A jar of peanut butter goes a long way when traveling with kids. Some exotic locations may not have the hot dogs and nuggets that our kids are used to. Be sure you have the staple PB&J available for meals. Comfort food is important to little ones as well. Pack their favorite pillow case and a few toys too. Video games are a great distraction for car or airplane rides. A $20 investment in a new/used game will invaluable when traveling.

Include the kids in the planning. Let them see some of the activities available and let them chose which ones they are most interested in. They will be so excited about their “day”. This will truly go a long way during the entire stay. The anticipation alone is enough to make their sightseeing selection the best in their eyes.

Some families chose to travel with a babysitter. This seems to be a win-win situation for all involved. The babysitter gets to go on vacation and see and do some new and exciting things, the kids are excited to have their favorite babysitter along on the trip and the parents can have a little adult time to have a meal or see some sights that would be uninteresting to the kids. A young, trusted babysitter will not cost too much. If you give her the trip and agree on a flat rate for the entire vacation, it will not cost too much for the added peace of mind you will have.

Try to remember that when traveling with youngsters, they will be out of their element. Bringing a few comforts from home and looking at the entertainment through their eyes are key to a well planned memorable family vacation.

 

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Girls Gotta Get a Getaway!

Friday, August 22nd, 2008

Since most women love to travel and we ALL occasionally need to get away, why not start planning a fun girls’ getaway with a couple of your friends or family. There doesn’t need to be a special occasion for a fun trip with ‘the girls’. No occasion at all can be the best reason to celebrate and take a little breather. It may just include a long weekend or three or four days, and needs to be relaxing and/or exciting, but definitely guilt-free.

This kind of small, female group travel is one of the hottest trends today and most resorts and hotels across the country are aware of it. You can find package deals almost everywhere, almost any time of the year. Promotional packages can include spa treatments of every kind, chocolates and champagne or gourmet dinners, tickets to the theater or other special events. They can include cooking lessons, dancing lessons, horseback riding or rock climbing — it will all depend on when and where you decide to go and with whom.

While in those fun planning stages, the girlfriends can determine if they want to get away to be pampered or go hiking, be in the sun by the pool or go snow skiing, or just try something they have never tried before. (I’m always for being pampered and relaxing because I‘m practically an expert at it.)

Once your interests and activities have been narrowed down and your destination chosen, research some of the points of interest in the area. Contact the local chamber of commerce or visitors’ bureau. Check to see if there are any specials or discounts available at the hotels or resorts that look interesting in the area.

Pull in all those discount offers you can. Are you senior citizens? Does someone in your group have frequent flyer miles to share? Are any of you AAA members? All the breaks you can get in prices can be spent elsewhere on your trip (or not spent at all).

If you can plan six or nine months ahead (or more), you can all start saving towards the big event. Every pay period, each of you can set aside a certain amount. You may want to consider putting it all into an interest-bearing account. If you plan the financial end of it ahead of time, none of you will feel the squeeze when it comes down to booking the event(s) and coming up with the deposit money.

Whatever you do, where ever you go, allow yourselves enough time in your schedule to regroup and reconnect and enjoy those relationships. And remember, you are not abandoning your loved ones and your responsibilities. You are taking a well-deserved mental health break. You are not only entitled to some “Me” time, you owe it to yourselves (and your families) to leave the stress behind for just a little while. You will emerge a better mom or wife or sister or girlfriend for it. Have fun! Wish I were going.

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Posted in Cruises, Family, Girls getaway, Group Travel | No Comments »

No Vampires at Gilroy Garlic Festival!

Wednesday, August 20th, 2008

Leave the mouthwash at home. Pack your most comfortable clothes and shoes, bring along your appetite and sense of fun, and DO NOT miss the Gilroy Garlic Festival next year.

Gilroy, in southern Santa Clara County, California is, of course, the location for the famous Gilroy Garlic Festival, an annual event that has transformed this little town into the Garlic Capital of the World. Millions and millions and millions of pounds of garlic are produced every year in this lovely farming area. Though garlic is not the only thing grown in Gilroy, it really put Gilroy on the map — so to speak. (Among many other varieties of produce, Gilroy produces a considerable amount of mushrooms too, another favorite of mine.)

Each year, since 1979, the garlic festival has been held and has been a fundraiser for local charities. Individual groups and charities also run booths at the festival, raising additional funds for their causes. Held the last full weekend in July (the last Friday, Saturday and Sunday), it is one of the largest food festivals held in the United States and considered by most to be the best garlic festival in the world.

Like most festivals, there is always something for everyone in the family — from food to entertainment to shopping. For the children, there is a world of fun activities waiting, including rides, face painting, bouncy houses, games, magic, arts and crafts. For the rest of the crowd, there is garlic inspired food of every imaginable kind. Yes, it is true there is even garlic ice cream. There are garlic recipe contests and cook-offs, celebrity cooking demonstrations, live entertainment, arts and crafts and so much, much more, even appearances by Miss Gilroy Garlic and her court. One of the highlights are the fun promotional products.

Um, now about that garlic ice cream, I am told the samples are free and free is for me; however, the basil and garlic stuffed sea scallops wrapped in prosciutto and served with a citrus beurre blanc sauce (one of the 2008 recipe/cook-off winners) has me absolutely drooling.

Garlic, in all its gastronomic glory, is also very good for you and has been used medicinally for thousands of years. It is claimed to help prevent heart disease, including atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and cancer. Now if I can get help fighting off all those things with a few bowls of Garlic Seafood Soup, count me in.

Now if all this information has not convinced you to put this festival on your “bucket list”, then consider the following:

Garlic is known to repel mosquitoes and ticks. They despise or are overwhelmed by the scent of garlic and exposure to a high level of the toxins found in garlic can be deadly to them. So if garlic keeps away the mosquitoes and ticks, it goes without saying that it would make a suitable repellant against those other frightening, blood-sucking creatures of the night — VAMPIRES!

So go to the Gilroy Garlic Festival, stock up on lots and lots of garlic, and you can take it with you on your next trip to Transylvania. Oh, be sure to tell Vlad I spoke well of him.

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