Posted in Sharing on February 2, 2012
Me: I am going to start writing on the Internet. About our travels.
My Husband (with a laughing look in his eyes): Hmmmm…ok.
You see, my husband knows that I collect hobbies the way some people collect stamps. Whenever I tell him that I am picking up a new hobby, he just looks at me and smiles. I am so very lucky that he puts up with me. He didn’t realize how much fun (or how obnoxious) being married to someone who fancies herself as a travel blogger would be!
Usually, I only share pictures of the places we visit or of the kids. I don’t normally put up a bunch of pictures of me or my husband but for this Photo Friday, I want to share some of my favorite pictures of my husband.
He spends a lot of time looking at maps and guiding our way…
He participates in the silly activities like putting on the blue puffy coat to slide down a block of ice with my video camera in hand. Twice.
He doesn’t mind if the only picture I really want to be perfect is the one with Anderson Cooper (though he does draw the line at taking him home with us).
He just smiles and nods at the people looking on as I do things like hopping into an Airstream trailer to hand our kids a snowcone. And he takes pictures of it.
He is first in line to do the things that I am not too keen on doing.
Sometimes, he is the cause of a photo do-over.
He is always ready for the photo opp.
We may not be traveling the world indefinitely with our possessions on our backs, but I think that I’ve got it pretty good…
Stop by Delicious Baby to see other Photo Friday submissions.
Posted in Atlanta on February 1, 2012
Have you ever been so excited to visit somewhere, but when you visit it just didn’t turn out the way you wanted it to? Is there a city or an attraction that you really want to love but just couldn’t for one reason or another?
I really, really want to love the Georgia Aquarium. If there is an aquarium nearby, we visit it. We love wandering around and looking at all the fish. There is so much to love about the world’s largest aquarium from the beautiful displays to the hands-on activities. It is one of the few places to see whale sharks, there is a dolphin show that the kids love and a 4D theater. We have been to the aquarium several times and I just can’t love-LOVE-it…until now. Sort of.
The number one reason that I just can’t love the Georgia Aquarium the way I want to is because it has always been ridiculously crowded when we have been. It is crowded with grown adults who are acting like they don’t see the little children all around them just wanting to catch a glimpse of a fish swimming through the water. People are pushing and shoving to get past you. Just when you get to a viewing window, someone jumps in front of you. I have been to the aquarium during holidays, the middle of the week, early in the morning, and late in the afternoon but it is always packed wall to wall with people.
On this visit, though, we took one of several behind the scenes tours that are offered. We were able to see the top of the Ocean Voyager exhibit which houses the whale sharks. We got there just in time for the 10:30am feeding where we watched aquarium staff float on top of the water dropping the whale sharks their mid-morning snack.
We also saw the top of the live coral reef exhibit, the commissary where they prepare the food for the fish, and the veterinary clinic. We learned how you can look up to see a water wonderland and not this:
There are several options for Behind the Scenes tours for various budgets.
Here are a few of our tips to help you make the best of your visit and enjoy it.
Book a Behind the Scenes tour in advance if it is in the budget. This will give you a look at some things you might have missed and tours are limited in size. The Quick Dip tour is only about twenty minutes in length and costs $14+tax per person.
If you haven’t already booked a time, head to Guest Services as soon as you arrive to pick up your show times for the Dolphin Tales Show and the Deepo’s Undersea Wondershow. Both are included in your ticket but times are limited and are first come, first serve. We got our movie times booked at 12noon and the next available show was 4pm.
Get in line early. Ticket entry is done on a timed basis. You will choose your time when you purchase your tickets. If your entry time is 2pm, do not expect to walk up to the aquarium at 1:59pm and be inside by 2. We waited in line for almost 30m before we got into the aquarium.
Save money by visiting during off-peak times. Ticket prices vary and they are lower during the traditionally off-peak periods.
Leave the strollers at home unless absolutely necessary. Because the aquarium gets crowded, strollers just get in the way. Consider wearing your little one in a sling or something similar. There are a number of places where you have to leave the stroller to enter an exhibit.
Leave the guns, knives, matches, lighters, and fishing poles (yes, it really does say fishing poles on the website) at home. This may seem silly but my husband had to turn in his pocket knife, which he carries everywhere. You aren’t surrendering it forever; you check it, and get it back later. When we were picking up the knife at the end of our visit, we saw the box of lighters that had been collected during the day. There must have been 1000 lighters in the box!
Know that there is a security check. Purses and bags are all checked before you are allowed to enter the aquarium.
See the Dolphin Tales show and get there early. I thought the Dolphin Tales show was a little bit Sea World meets Las Vegas and my kids adored it. They loved the storyline, the dolphins jumping in and out of the water, and the performers swimming with them.
You can not bring food into the aquarium. There is a small restaurant, but it is pricey. We needed a snack so we bought a brownie, a bottle of soda and a bottle of water for 10 dollars. If you are buying your ticket online, you can purchase one of three meals ahead of time, Cafe Aquaria Combos, for $10 each (at a savings of up to 17% compared to regular pricing). A sample meal is a hamburger, french fries, whole fruit and a fountain drink. No substitutions can be made at time of purchase.
You will have to pay to park. You can also purchase parking ahead of time with your ticket. We walked from our hotel during the visit but we have parked in a nearby parking garage during past visits.
Have you ever had an activity or city that you wanted to love but something prevented it? Was there something that made you change your mind (like the Behind the Scenes tour changed my mind about the Georgia Aquarium)? Share with us in the comments!
*Thank you to the Omni at the CNN Center for providing us with tickets to the Georgia Aquarium. As always, opinions are mine with no outside influences.
Posted in Sharing on January 26, 2012
Do you know what is devouring its mid-morning snack here?
Here are a few hints:
- Although the mouth looks imposing, it actually prefers plankton over humans (thank goodness, right?!?).
- The largest one of these measured was 40 feet long, about the length of a school bus, but the species is thought to grow even bigger.
- They are the largest fish in the sea.
Stay tuned for the answer! Meanwhile, stop by Delicious Baby to see other Photo Friday submissions.
Posted in Atlanta on January 20, 2012
This past weekend we went to the Georgia Aquarium. Even though we have been to the aquarium two other times, this weekend, we got a Behind the Scenes tour that was amazing and worth the visit. More on our visit later but I leave you with the one reason I highly recommend the Behind the Scenes tour if you are headed to the Georgia Aquarium…
Visit Delicious Baby to see other Photo Friday submissions!
*Thank you to the Omni CNN Center for covering our cost to the Georgia Aquarium. As always, opinions are always my own and not influenced by any outside influences.
They stood in front of a screen that was bright green but they were confused. My kids could see that they were standing in front of a green screen but when they looked at themselves on the television, the monitor showed them standing in front of a map of the United States. Both of their heads swung back and forth from the television to the screen behind them and looked up at our tour guide, Kimberly, with questioning eyes.
From the front row of our tour, I could almost hear them talking to themselves. My son would say, “Hey?!? How on earth does that work?”
“This is totally freaking me out,” my daughter would exclaim. That is her new favorite saying and as she looked for me in the small crowd I could see it in her face.
This was the second stop on our Inside CNN Tour at CNN’s World Headquarters, the largest of 48 worldwide. The first stop was a brief introduction and a little bit of information about how the shows are produced. It was interesting to me after teaching Journalism I, which included a 6-week unit of broadcasting. It seemed to hold my husband’s attention because he is actually a CNN (of the Internet variety) junkie. Surprisingly enough, my five and seven-year-old children were captivated. When I first found out that we were scheduled for this tour, I was a little concerned that much of it would be over their heads and not entertaining enough. Well, that is what I get for worrying.
My kids were beyond thrilled when our tour guide called them both up to show everyone how the green screen worked. She grabbed a matching green sheet and threw it over their bodies so that only their heads were showing. Then, she pulled the sheet up over their heads so it was almost like they were hiding under Harry Potter’s invisible cloak (at least on camera!).
As I stood there watching two of the people I love most in this world, I couldn’t help but get teary-eyed. I know it sounds cheesy and I am typically not prone to emotional bouts but while they stood mesmerized in front of that green screen, my mind was racing a million miles a minute as I fast forwarded through their lives. The mental picture included them in high school journalism and then behind a broadcast desk much like the one that we saw Kyra Phillips sitting behind. It brought tears to my eyes and a smile to my face as I wondered if this would be the one experience that clicked.
We are working hard to teach our children that they can be anything that they want to be (and that a backup plan is a healthy part of career planning as well!). I wonder which of these things we expose them to will be the one thing to stick. Which one of these travel and life experiences will make a lasting impression and guide their career choices later in life?
Who knows? Maybe it will be that one trip to Atlanta where we got to pretend to be on CNN.
*Thank you to the Omni Hotel at CNN Center for covering our tour cost. As always, all opinions are my own with no outside influence.
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina consistently ends up on top family vacation hot spot lists every year and for good reason. The hotels and attractions are reasonably priced and there seems to be limitless activities that children of all ages can appreciate. The one downside to a visit to Myrtle Beach is that although everything seemed reasonably priced for the most part, you will pay for everything. Besides a visit to the beach, we didn’t find too many other free activities. Our ticket admissions and meals added up very quickly.
I have to admit that this trip was not my finest travel moment. I think that is why I haven’t been able to bring myself to post about any of the fun we had and we did have fun. This trip was a week-long road trip that I took with my children by myself. This was the first time I had traveled this long by myself with the kids when we had no extra help in the form of grandparents, my husband, or friends. We went from Pensacola, Florida to Cashiers, North Carolina to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and then back to Pensacola, totaling about 1400 miles. I would consider the whole trip a success but by the time we made it to Myrtle Beach we just wanted to hang out in our beautiful condo unit or by the pool at the Holiday Inn Club Vacations South Beach Resort. We did finally pull ourselves out of our beach chairs to do a little bit of exploring. This was our three day itinerary.
Day One – A Round of Mini Golf and Lounging by the Beach and Pool
We arrived at the Holiday Inn Club Vacation South Beach Resort, got checked in, explored the property and spent the rest of the day at the pool and the beach. There are many different types of properties to choose from in Myrtle Beach. I highly recommend the South Beach Resort because you get both condo and hotel amenities in your room. The only downside is that it is not directly on the beach but that wasn’t an issue since the South Beach Resort offers a shuttle service.
After living on the Gulf Coast for the past fifteen years, we are spoiled when it comes to beaches. As my kids ran out on the sand excitedly, they were shocked at the dirty, rocky sand! I have to admit we weren’t fans so we only played at the beach for about thirty minutes before returning to the pool. That being said, if you are visiting from a landlocked area you might want to spend more of your vacation sitting on the beach.
Myrtle Beach has more miniature golf places than I have ever seen in one place. Well, it sure seems like it! We spent the late afternoon playing a round of miniature golf at Jurassic Golf, where we were surrounded by water, fog, and dinosaurs!
Day Two – Alligators, Fish and Shopping
We devoted day two to exploring some of the more touristy areas of Myrtle Beach. Spend the morning wandering around Barefoot Landing where you will find a number of shops, attractions, and restaurants. The kids love walking across the boardwalks and spying turtles and fish. Alligator Adventure, one of the world’s largest reptile zoos, is located at Barefoot Landing. Although adult tickets are $17.99 (children’s tickets are $11.99), the second day within seven days of your first visit is free. If you love alligators, bats, komodo dragons, and more, it is probably worth a visit.
After Barefoot Landing, we headed to Broadway at the Beach to spend the rest of the day. We started our visit at Ripley’s Aquarium. We love aquariums and if there is one available we make sure to visit. I have to admit that I was disappointed in the size of the aquarium (especially for the cost of the tickets). The exhibits are wonderful and there are several hands-on interactive areas but the aquarium is very small. We received tickets courtesy of our property stay but if we had paid for the visit ourselves, it would have cost me more than I would have been willing to spend. It is only $3.99 for children ages 2-5 so if your children are young that could help offset the cost but adult tickets are $21.99 and children ages 5 and up are $10.99. A pricey attraction considering we were only there for about an hour.
We spent much of our Broadway at the Beach time in Pavillion Nostalgia Park, an area made up of different rides perfect for kids! There is also a Wonderworks, a NASCAR Speedway, a water park, a theater and so much more. Check the schedule before you go because there are often different events like fireworks and festivals. Though my kids loved the rides in Pavillion Nostalgia Park, they especially loved walking the boardwalks and feeding the fish (albeit scary looking ones that attacked each other for the fish food…this is probably why they loved it so much!).
Day Three – State Parks and Beautiful Gardens
On day three, we checked out a garden and two state parks. You would think that my kids would have enjoyed the rides, fancy candy shops and aquarium the most, but this was their favorite day of the trip. We spent the morning wandering up and down the beach at Myrtle Beach State Park. We also walked down the pier to see if we could spy anything in the water (we didn’t). When the kids were ready for a break, we had a picnic lunch in the car as we drove down the road to Huntington Beach State Park.
We explored, Atalaya, the home of noted sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington. It cost us a dollar per person to see the home. We only spent about fifteen minutes exploring the home which is just a shadow of what it used to be because the kids were ready to head to the beach for lunch and some play time. After lunch we drove just a few minutes to Brookgreen Gardens.
When we checked into our hotel, the concierge recommended Brookgreen Gardens if we wanted to get off of the tourist path. If you ask my kids what their favorite part of the trip to Myrtle Beach was, they would say Brookgreen Gardens. The gardens are absolutely beautiful, full of blooming flowers and sculptures. There is also a zoo located at the gardens where visitors can learn more about animals that are native to the Carolina area. Begin your visit at the Visitor’s Center to pick up Activity Booklets for the children. The booklets are full of questions that the kids can answer as you all wander the gardens. Once the booklets are finished, take them back to the Visitor’s Center for a small prize.
Overall, our visit to Myrtle Beach was a good one. A pricey one, but a good one. Over the next month or so, I will post more in depth write-ups about each of the places we visited.
This post marks the 500th post on Two Kids and a Map.
500 posts!
That is almost 4 years of writing.
For the past week or so, I have been trying to think of something profound to write about in my 500th post. I thought about waxing poetic about how travel has changed me and my family. I thought about sharing how keeping up this site has helped me prioritize my life and spending habits. It has enabled us to do things we might not have done otherwise and has opened up some great opportunities for me. I am proud to share how we travel on a budget because, let’s face it, just about everyone is on a budget these days.
This is the 500th post and I felt it should be something special. As I paged through the posts, it was great remembering each travel moment I wrote about. Some of the writing I am so proud of…other posts remind me of how far I have come since I started sharing my words on the Internet. After all that, I decided that I was going to be a little selfish and I am going to share some of my favorite posts from the past three and a half years of blogging.
Bear with me…it was hard to choose! It has been a long road!
I am a Southern Transplant – In which I admit to the entire world and myself that I am a California girl turned southern belle who accepts her CA/southern accent, love for men who wear their baseball hats properly turned to the front, and sweet tea.
Traveling with Kids – Travel Mishaps and Disasters – I can’t believe I wrote this post almost two years ago. It is time to fess up about some of the disastrous moments we have had since then!
The Prettiest Place I Know – We made a trip up to Ashland, TN to visit a dear family member who was very ill. I cried the entire time I wrote this post about arriving at one of my husband’s favorite childhood spots and rereading it still brings tears to my eyes.
Clean Beaches on the Gulf Coast – I don’t typically get controversial around here. I don’t voice my political opinion and I realize that everyone has a different experience. I may have loved something you hated and vice versa. I try to always find the good in something but when I wrote this post about the BP oil spill washing up on our beautiful sands, my heart was heavy.
Photo Opportunities – This was a Photo Friday in which I share my family’s love for photo cutouts!
The Power of the Grocery Store – In all of our traveling, we have discovered that a stop at a grocery store or market can teach us a lot about a city. It is also a great place to pick up souvenirs.
Photo Session in a Hotel Room – No…not that kind of photo session! We found that a hotel room with big bright windows and a beautiful headboard was the perfect setting for a family photo shoot.
Zermatt, Switzerland and the Matterhorn: Living out #4 of my Bucket List – I have been fascinated with the Matterhorn since teaching Banner in the Sky to a group of 7th graders. After several years of reading everything I could about it, I finally got to see the Matterhorn for myself.
Traveling Mom, Traveling Daughter – I look back on my childhood and share how my mother influenced me and my love for travel, all things road trip, and getting lost along the way.
New Orleans As Seen Through My 6 Year Old’s Eyes – The last time we were in New Orleans, I turned the camera over to my son. He caught some great pictures and took my favorite picture of myself.
A Visit to Haunama Bay 21 Years Apart – I get to revisit one of my favorite memories from living in Hawaii (even though I wasn’t a big fan of swimming with the fishies back then or now!).
A Quiet Moment at Manoa Falls – My husband and I wandered on a hike in the middle of a rainforest and for the most part, we were completely alone.
Priceline – Our Experience – It had been years since I tried Priceline. We got a great hotel room at an even better rate and I share how it happened.
Trip Expenses – 5 Day Road Trip to Asheville, North Carolina – I kept a running tally of every dime we spent on our trip int his hugely popular post. I have been meaning to do this again, but just haven’t gotten around to it. I am going to add posts like this to my calendar.
Posted in Sharing on December 30, 2011
Part of traveling (and blogging about it) is taking pictures during our trips. I love to take photos that can double as family portraits to hang on the wall. They aren’t your typical posed picture but there is just something about seeing a pretty picture of my family in an even prettier spot to help remind me of all the amazing memories we made during the trip.
In jumping on the bandwagon of top things of 2011, I am sharing three of our favorite family portraits from 2011.
My favorite picture from this year is a picture that actually doesn’t show any of us and is from our own city! One Saturday morning, we decided to explore the only sand dunes in Pensacola that you can actually walk on. We were all walking next to each other when I happen to look down and see our shadows in the gorgeous sand.
I have yet to print this picture that I took at Brookgreen Gardens in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina but it is one of my favorites of my kids. Even though we visited the gardens in early spring, there were flowers blooming everywhere we turned.
We took this picture when we were taking a rest stop break during a drive to Orlando to visit LEGOLAND Florida. I have decided that I am a pro at traveling solo with my kids due to the many trips we took with just the three of us this year.
Stop by Delicious Baby to see other Photo Friday submissions.
Happy Holidays! I hope that the past few weeks were fabulous, no matter which holiday you choose to celebrate in your family. Even though I took a little break from blogging here, I did have a few posts that are on a few other sites and I would greatly appreciate it if you could take a moment to visit, maybe leave a comment and surf around a bit. They are great websites and I read them regularly! I will be using January to clean up the site a little and get back to writing.
Family Friday: NYC – A Traveler’s Library – In this post, I shamelessly admit that I am using my children to help me convince my husband to take us all to NYC this year!
Objects that will Drop in the South on New Year’s Eve – Traveling Mom – From moon pies, pickles, and peaches, read about the funny (and some strange) things that are dropped on New Year’s Eve in destinations around the south.
Holiday Fun at the Gaylord Palms – Travel Mamas – We were so honored to represent Travel Mamas at the Gaylord Palms for their Dreamworks Experience. We played in snow, saw amazing ice sculptures and had breakfast with Shrek.
Miniature Golf in Myrtle Beach – Traveling Mom – I couldn’t believe the number of mini golf courses in Myrtle Beach. It seemed like there was one on every corner. Read about our favorite one.
Do you have a favorite post from your blog or elsewhere that you would like to share? Leave a link in the comments!
Posted in Tips on December 12, 2011
Over the past few posts, I have been sharing some of my favorite books (that come in a series). These are books that were in constant rotation in my classes. When I volunteer in the elementary school library, these are the books that get checked out before we have even put them back on the shelves. Last week, I shared favorite books for PreK children, toddlers, and babies and favorite books for elementary school students. Today, I share favorite books for middle school and high school students. I am not going to lie…I have read each and every book on this list and enjoyed pretty much all of them! I recommend that you read along (or read the book before) with your children. Only you as the parent can decide what is and isn’t appropriate for your children.
Middle School
Brian’s Saga Series by Gary Paulsen is about a 13 year old’s survival after his plane crashed. The first book in the series, Hachet, is a Newbery Honor book. Other books in the series: The River; Brian’s Winter; Brian’s Return and Brian’s Hunt.
Inheritance Cycle Series by Christopher Paolini begins with the book Eragon. Eragon is a fifteen year old who finds out that he is to be a Dragon Rider. Eragon was recently made into a movie as many of the books on the high school and middle school list. Other books in the series: Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr, and Inheritance.
Maximum Ride Series by James Patterson is about a fourteen year old named Maximum Ride. She and her friends have wings and can fly. In the first book, one of the members is kidnapped and the other fight to save her. Other books in the series: There are currently seven books in the series.
Alex Rider Series by Anthony Horowitz is about fourteen year old Alex Rider who is coerced into taking over his uncle’s dangerous work for the Britain’s intelligence agency, M16. The series begins with Stormbreaker which is a favorite of my former middle school students. Other books in the series: Stormbreaker; Point Blank; Skeleton Key; Eagle Strike; Scorpia; Ark Angel; Snakehead; Crocodile Tears and Scorpia Rising.
High School
The River of Time Series by Lisa Tawn Bergren is historical fiction about a teenager who gets sent back in time to sixteenth century Italy. She manages to not only survive but also thrive. I picked up this book when it was offered as a free Kindle download for a few days. As soon as I finished, I immediately purchased the next three in the series. It is a good, clean read. Other books in the series: Waterfall; Cascade and Torrent.
The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare will be a favorite if your child liked the adventure and excitement of The Hunger Games and the magic of Harry Potter. In the first book, City of Bones, fifteen year old Clary gets wrapped up in the world of the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons. Other books in the series: City of Ashes; City of Glass; City of Fallen Angels. Cassandra Clare has also written another series called Infernal Devices. Those books currently include Clockwork Angel and Clockwork Prince.
The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins is hot right now with the first movie to be released in 2012. Personally, I can’t wait for the movie and I hope they are able to do the book justice. Sixteen-year-old Katniss lives in the poorest district of a post-apocalyptic world. Each year, two children are chosen from each district to perform in an annual event called the Hunger Games where only one person survives. Other books in the series: The Hunger Games; Catching Fire and Mockingjay.
Though the Lord of the Rings Trilogy was published over fifty years ago, it still remains a fan favorite. The trilogy is about Frodo and his quest. The adventure begins with The Fellowship of the Ring but I recommend that you introduce The Hobbit as well. Other books in the series: The Two Towers and The Return of the King.
When the Harry Potter series first became popular, I was teaching middle school. My middle schoolers couldn’t get enough of the wizarding series. Those middle school children are now in their mid-20s, Harry Potter remains a popular series and is still widely read. Other books in the series: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone; Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban; Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire; Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix; Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince; and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
I would be remiss if I didn’t add the Twilight series to this list because it is still very popular. With the recent movie release of the first part of the fourth book, its popularity is still a constant with the tween/teen population. Join a teenage girl as she meets up with a group of vampires and a group of werewolves. Other Books in the series: New Moon; Eclipse and Breaking Dawn.
Share your favorites in the comments!
