The Pike Place Market is one of those things that I hope to see someday. After reading Keryn’s Travel in my Town post about Seattle, I realized that my kids and I hadn’t yet made it to our very own fish market in Pensacola. I had been years ago but haven’t been since I had children. A few weekends ago, we made the trip downtown and Joe Patti’s did not disappoint.
The kids cracked us up about how they thought the place smelled (um…like raw fish!).
They loved trying the bread samples and we picked up some piping hot bread fresh from the oven.
They tried to talk us in to some gelato but we had already had a treat that afternoon so the answer was no. I guess we will just have to go back soon!
We picked up some mahi mahi that became the most delicious fish tacos!
Disney World can be an expensive vacation. Because we live in Florida, we are lucky enough to be able to take advantage of the Florida resident discounts offered throughout the year. We are also able to make the trip in a long weekend without having to take 7-10 vacation days to make our trip worth the money spent. Before you make the trip to Disney World, buy these few things to save some money. Sure, Disney World has stores everywhere and you can certainly purchase them there, but you will be glad that you saved money on these items by purchasing them before your trip.
Ponchos – Go to your local dollar store and purchase a stack full of ponchos. They are packaged perfectly for travel and cost one dollar. You will be glad you have them because it always rains at Disney World.
Souvenirs – You may be wondering why you would buy your souvenirs before your trip! Head to any store that carries Disney items and pick up a few ahead of time. You will find many of the same items at the theme parks and at a much higher price. The Orlando Targets and Walmarts also have large displays of Disney merchandise. We go shopping ahead of time and surprise the kids with little souvenirs throughout the trip. If they find something in the parks that they just absolutely have to have, we discuss it then. My kids know that this is the case and the begging every time we come out of a ride and get dropped into a gift shop does not bring out the “I want this now’s,” thankfully.
Sunscreen - I forgot my sunscreen and bought a bottle of spray sunscreen for $12.99 at the hotel. Enough said.
Batteries - If your camera takes batteries, be sure to pack extra. They will cost you more just as the sunscreen does.
Spray Bottles or Fans – These are sold all over the theme parks. You can find them sitting in ice filled coolers. Florida is hot. And humid. Buy your kids a spray bottle or fan for just a few bucks before you go.
Snacks and Drinks – This is one of our biggest money savers when we head to Disney World. You can bring in a soft-sided cooler full of drinks, snacks and even lunch. Purchase them ahead of timeand bring them to the park. Freeze water bottles and use them as ice packs. When the bottles defrost, drink them.
What do you bring with you on your Disney World trip?
Please welcome Farrah from The Three Under. She is sharing her favorite family friendly activities in Greenville, South Carolina. I have driven through Greenville several times but have never spent any time there. I know my kids would love to visit some of these activities. Be sure to visit Farrah’s site where she talks about bringing up her kids and everything in between.
I am really enjoying my new Travel in My Town series because I am learning more about places that have long since been on my list to visit and adding some that weren’t previously on my radar. Do you want to share your favorite things about your town? Send me an email at jennifer at twokidsandamap dot com.
Welcome y’all! Today I am thrilled to invite you to check out Greenville, South Carolina. We’re about 2 hours northeast of Atlanta, two hours southwest of Charlotte, and two hours south of Asheville, NC. Pretty much in the middle of an awesome area with fabulous (and I am not exaggerating) weather year round. The city of Greenville itself has gone through a remarkable transformation over the past 10 years- and is now one of the fastest growing cities in the country. It’s gorgeous, friendly, and has so much to do I don’t have enough time to tell you about it all.
Downtown-Main Street area
For starters- Downtown Greenville has completely revitalized their downtown area. It’s a very pedestrian friendly, tree covered walk from start to finish down Main Street up to the West End. There’s great shopping, hotels, restaurants, cafes and the stunning Falls Park. As a family, we love to park in one of the numerous garages right off of the main drag and just take our time strolling and window shopping. My preschooler always wants to stop at O.P. Taylor’s charming toy store right in the heart of downtown. One of our frequent stops along the street is to hunt for the Mice On Main- a series of life sized-bronze mice hidden along your path as a tribute to the story Goodnight Moon, always a kid favorite. A few favorite restaurants are The Cazbah, Sobys, Sassafras and those along the sidewalks that are all kid (and dog) friendly.
Greenville Zoo
Another attraction in the heart of downtown Greenville is our wonderful zoo. It’s not going to be the largest zoo that you ever see in your life, but by far and away it’s a terrific (and affordable) zoo to walk through with your children whenever the whim may strike. Don’t let the size fool you- you’ll see beautiful habitats set up for the lions, giraffes, elephants and alligators. With plenty of shady trees and a generally mild-to moderate crowd to contend with, it’s a refreshing change to some of the larger zoos in big cities. Admission is $7.75 for adults, $4.50 for 3-15years and under 3 is free.
Children’s Museum
Opposite from the zoo downtown is the three year old Children’s Museum of the Upstate. I have been to a few different children’s museums over the years- but it’s clear that I’m spoiled rotten with ours. It’s touted as the 7th largest in the country and I love it. There are so many different hands on attractions for your little ones to encounter- you had better plan on spending the most part of an afternoon enjoying it. My oldest is now 3 and in my opinion he is getting more out of it than ever before. There is an area specifically for younger toddlers- but you’ll enjoy it the older you kids may be. A littler pricier for admission, but worth it: Adults $10, children 2-12 $9 and under 2 is free. They do have member prices as well.
Greenville Drive Baseball
We miss having a major league baseball team locally- but the Greenville Drive does not disappoint. As the minor league team for the Boston Red Sox, they have a mini version of Fenway Park to call home. It’s clean, friendly, and much less expensive than a major league game! There’s also a small play area just for kids to burn off some energy. A family of 4 can purchase tickets and snacks for under $40. Let’s see you do that at Fenway! Ticket prices vary but range $5-$9 each, depending on your seats, and kids under 2 are free.
These are just a few of the gems hidden in the downtown area of Greenville. There are several parks, gardens, water areas, play places and more waiting to be discovered. It’s so nice to be in a place that values time together as a family and Greenville has surely earned a place in my heart for providing so much for children. The many outdoor festivals that are held throughout the year celebrate the city and keep us coming year after year. You cannot go wrong with a trip downtown Greenville- easy to navigate and find some parking (imagine that!) it’s unintimidating to be sure.
Farrah is the overcommitted mom of 3 boys under 3 trying to get a word in edgewise at her blog, The Three Under, when she can.
At the risk of showing my age, I have to share something. Every time I visit a Gaylord property, I can’t help but think about the movie, Bio-Dome. You know the one I am talking about, right? Pauly Shore and Stephen Baldwin find their way into a biodome when they are trying to prove to their scantily clad girlfriends that they are environmentally correct. They end up getting stuck in the biodome for a year. I can’t help but think of the movie anytime I visit a Gaylord biodome.
The last time I visited the Gaylord Opryland Hotel was about ten years ago. We were right outside of Nashville visiting family and they told us that we just had to see the Gaylord Opryland Hotel all decorated for the holidays. I remember wandering through the hotel looking at the beautiful Christmas decorations and twinkling lights. I remember thinking the property was ridiculously huge and couldn’t get over the fact that there was a river complete with a boat tour.
A few months ago, I headed up to the Gaylord Opryland Hotel for the Blissdom conference. In between sessions and socializing, I toured the property and explored the different things that the Gaylord Opryland Hotel had to offer.
Accommodations
The Opryland is set up in several different sections: Magnolia; Delta; Garden Conservatory, and Cascades. Each section is set up with rivers, ponds, waterfalls and more. We stayed in the Cascades in a typical two bed hotel room with a bathroom. I liked that there was a small sink area with a mirror outside of the bathroom. I was sharing the room with an old friend so it was nice to be able to have both areas so that we could get ready in the morning in a timely manner.
Our room and bathroom were clean and it was proof positive that the hotel seems to regularly deep clean the rooms. When we arrived, all of our furniture was moved about two feet away from the wall. We left it there and assumed that when housekeeping came by they would fix it. Nope! We called down to the front desk and they got a kick out of it. The women laughed at our story and sent someone up to fix it right away. Once the furniture was moved back to its proper place, our room was quite spacious.
Dining Options
There are a lot of dining options throughout the hotel. You could park your car and not get into it again until it was time to leave if you wanted to. I was pleasantly surprised by the options in all of the different price points. We ate breakfast once at the Cascades American Café. We had a pricey dinner at Solario, a Mexican restaurant. The first day we were there, we ate at Stax Burgers, a build your own burger place. This meal was the most reasonably priced. For only $10, I got a huge cheeseburger and french fries. There is a pizza place, a steakhouse, an Irish pub, a sushi bar, and more.
Activities for the Family
The Gaylord Opryland has two outdoor pools and one indoor pool to keep the kids occupied during your down time. There is a small arcade and lots of gardens to explore. You can grab a treat at Christie Cookie or Haagen Dazs Ice Cream. There is a water show set to music in the Delta Atrium. You can find the Dreamworks characters hanging out during certain parts of the year. SNOW! and ICE! are held during the winter and during spring break, you can celebrate with the Dreamworks friends. During select days in the summertime, you can build Princess Fiona’s Cookie Castle or have breakfast with the Shrek characters. If you attend Summer Fun with Shrek & Friends, you can join in the Madagascar Crack-a-Lackin’ Pool Party, train at the Kung Fu Panda Academy of Awesomeness, watch a movie from the pool, and more. Head to the Delta Atrium and take a ride on a riverboat. This is one thing we really wanted to do but just never found the time.
Things to Know Before You Go
Parking is pricey. You will pay $18 per day to park in their lot and $26 per day for overnight valet parking.
There is a shuttle service but it isn’t included. Shuttle service from the airport is $40 per person for a roundtrip fare. There is also shuttle service to and from various attractions around Nashville. Most of the services begin at $20.
I felt like the Gaylord Opryland is in a pretty central location so it would serve as a good base for your Nashville family vacation.
The Dreamworks characters are not always visiting the Gaylord Opryland. If you are planning a Dreamworks experience, be sure you check the schedule of events and plan your trip around those dates.
I have now visited the Gaylord Opryland and the Gaylord Palms. I am hoping to visit the Gaylord National this summer while we are in Maryland. Have you visited a Gaylord property? Which one?
Baseball season has gotten a little bit more exciting around Pensacola. The Pensacola Blue Wahoos, part of the Cincinnati Reds franchise, opened up their first season on Easter weekend. As partial season ticket holders, we got to attend the open house the night before opening day. We were also there for the third game of the weekend. The kids are so excited that they can go to a game here in town.
What you can’t see in this picture is that the Pensacola Bay is beyond the outfield. It truly is one of the most beautiful stadiums I have seen.
Truth. You will need a baseball glove because you have a chance of catching a baseball in just about any seat in the house.
Stop by Delicious Baby to see other Photo Friday submissions! I am also participating in Friday Daydreaming over at R We There Yet.
Rest stops along the highway not only provide a place to stretch your legs and have a picnic lunch, but they also often have some fun roadside attractions that have something to do with the local area. On my way home from Nashville, I stopped at the Welcome Center just over the Tennessee border in Alabama. This is the first rest stop that you can see before driving into Huntsville, Alabama, where you can visit the US Space and Rocket Center.
At the rest stop, you will find this…
This is the Saturn 1B, a 224-foot rocket that is one of three Saturn rockets that were developed in Huntsville. The Saturn 1B had enough power for orbital missions with the Apollo spacecraft and was the predecessor for the Saturn V, that took American astronauts to the moon.
You can read about the history of the rocket as well as the history of Huntsville’s role in space exploration. I read that you used to be able to walk under the rocket, but now you can’t because there is a chain link fence around it.
Stop by Delicious Baby to see other Photo Friday submissions! I am also participating in Friday Daydreaming over at R We There Yet.
Anyone who has ever planned a Disney trip knows that it can quickly become a very expensive affair. I have written about some ways to save money on a trip to Disneyworld, but is it even possible to save money on a Disney cruise? Since I write so much about budget travel with your family, I think I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about how and if I could justify a Disney cruise for my family.
This Disney cruise was not my first cruise. About eleven years ago, my husband and I went on a cruise with another couple. I think we paid all of $200 per person for four nights to the Bahamas in December. It was very low budget and we suffered because of it. The ship was small, it was crowded and there wasn’t much to do unless you were interested in gambling, dancing, drinking and eating. The one thing that I can say is that the food was wonderful.
After taking my first Disney cruise, I can whole heartedly say that it was a wonderful experience and, if you are a Disney fan, well worth the money. Disney just knows how to do entertainment. Even if you aren’t a big theme park fan, it is not hard to see that Disney knows how to entertain in movies, parks, books, music, and more. The Disney cruises are no exception but that doesn’t change the fact that the cruises are expensive.
Comparing Cruise Lines
I ran a search on several different cruise lines. I searched for similar cabins, dates close to each other and made sure that all three ships left from the same port and had similar destinations. My conclusion was that the Disney cruise is, in fact, more expensive than the ones I searched. However, in some instances it was only by a few hundred dollars.
If you have read this site before, it should come as no surprise that this would be the type of trip that we would have to save for. I advocate traveling even if you are on a tight budget. There are ways to plan a trip on a budget and save while you are on your vacation. However, I also believe in saving your pennies for a dream vacation. If your dream vacation is a Disney cruise, then start saving.
Before experiencing a Disney cruise, I would have told you there is no way that we would spend that kind of money when there are plenty of other less expensive cruising options. When I consider the Disney cruise amenities though, I can justify spending the money on it if I were to cruise again.
If you aren’t limited to a certain week of vacation, try looking at several different sailing dates. Prices vary significantly depending on the date that you would like to sail. For example, sailing in July can cost you almost $1800 more than sailing in December.
Saving Money on the Cruise
Soda, coffee, and tea are included in the price of the cruise. This may not be important to you but I would put in an IV of Diet Coke in every morning if I could (though I have managed to cut back to one soda a day recently!). This would save me a significant amount of extra money.
Most entertainment for the kids is included in the cost of the cruise. There are no hidden costs in the Kids Clubs or onboard ship activities.
In addition to the cost of the cruise, you have to consider the cost of port adventures, which can be very pricey. I think there was so much to do onboard that by the time I got to Castaway Cay, all I wanted to do was sit on the beach. If I were traveling with my family, this would help me save money. We could skip the port adventures orsplurge on the ones we really want to do, and do a little exploring on our own and enjoy the beach.
Avoiding the shops on the cruise is easy. They are located in an area that can be avoided if you choose the right elevators. One of my favorite tips for heading to the Disney theme parks is to purchase souvenirs before you leave and bring them with you. You can do the same thing on the ship. Purchase some souvenirs ahead of time and give them to your children throughout the cruise.
If I go on a cruise with my family, I would definitely spend the money on a Disney cruise. I think that there is something for everyone and it is worth the extra money. My husband is not 100% sold on cruising. To be honest with you, I don’t think I could cruise for more than four or five days and I would want to choose a location that I might not otherwise visit.
How do you feel about cruising? Is it worth the money? Do you prefer to travel overland?
Thank you to Disney and Traveling Mom for providing my cruise accommodations. I paid for travel there and back as well as other expenses. As always, opinions are mine and mine alone.
The HTC Rhyme is a compact cell phone that has a fantastic camera on it. This camera is so great that if the company let me keep the phone, I would halt my search for the perfect point and shoot camera. A search which, by the way, has been perplexing me for months. While exploring the Disney Fantasy, I got to review this camera…I mean cell phone.
The camera has a number of settings that help you take beautiful pictures while on vacation or just out and about in your own town. You can adjust the ISO, white balance, resolution, and more. You can auto upload your pictures to Facebook or Flickr. There are scenes that you can choose from like portrait and landscape. There is an action burst setting that takes five pictures, one right after the other to help you capture those perfect sports pictures. There is an option for close-up and low light. There seems to be an option for just about everything. My favorite setting to try was the panoramic.
You can also choose from several effects that will change the look of your picture such as distortion, grayscale, sepia and more.
The pictures looked pretty great in the phone and it was nice to have a small camera to use when I didn’t want to carry around my DSLR but I wanted to see how the two stacked up against each other.
To do that, I took a number of pictures with both the HTC Rhyme and my DSLR (with a 28-80mm lens) while standing in the same spot. These are all straight out of the camera or phone with the automatic function. There was no post-processing (besides adjusting the image size). Can you tell which picture was taken with the cell phone and which was taken with the camera.
Taken with the HTC Rhyme
Taken with my camera
Taken with the HTC Rhyme
Taken with my camera
Taken with the HTC Rhyme
Taken with my camera
Taken with the HTC Rhyme
Taken with my camera
I should probably disclose that I am already an Android fan and for the past two years my phone has been a Droid. As for the phone features, I didn’t make any phone calls with it but I did set up the WiFi while on the ship. I was able to pull up a search page, check email and send out a tweet on it.
It sounds great doesn’t? The BIG downside?
The phone does not have a slide out keypad, which is something I depend on greatly.
It does however take a pretty decent self-portrait…or at least one that I like enough to share on my site. Don’t I look all relaxed from my working vacation?!
Stop by Delicious Baby to see other Photo Friday submissions! I am also participating in Friday Daydreaming over at R We There Yet.
*This post is sponsored by HTC. Thank you to HTC and TravelingMom.com for giving me the HTC Rhyme to try. I will be returning the phone to the company next week. Thank you to Disney and Traveling Mom for providing my cruise accommodations. I paid for travel there and back as well as other expenses. As always, opinions are mine and mine alone.
The Disney Fantasy offers a number of different staterooms to meet the needs of each type of family. When I sailed on the media preview cruise, I was in a Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah. The room would sleep three comfortably. It had a queen-size bed and a sleeper sofa. If you are traveling with 4 or 5, there is an upper berth and/or wall pull-down bed depending on the room you choose. The Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with private verandah has sliding doors off of the room.
Approximately nine out of ten staterooms on the Disney Fantasy have a view of the ocean. Some rooms have full verandahs with unobstructed views, some rooms have verandahs that may have obstructed views, and other staterooms have large portholes. The rooms that do not have an ocean view have a Magical Porthole that shows real time views from a camera mounted outside of the ship. Keep an eye on the Magical Porthole because you never know who might swim or fly by.
Except for the Standard Inside Stateroom, each room has a split bathroom. There is a toilet and sink combination in one room and a bath/shower and sink combination in the second room. This would help save a family significant time getting ready in the morning.
Rooms come with plenty of storage space so you can unpack your belongings and still be able to move around the room comfortably. The beds have been raised a bit so your luggage can be place under the bed and out of the way. The desk area has storage space as well as the ottoman.
Disney has put extra thought into making families comfortable. The flat-screen TV is on a swivel arm so that parents or children can watch TV without disturbing the other. There are nightlights that can be turned on to help your children adjust to the new space. The privacy curtain can be pulled so that children can sleep and not be disturbed by the TV.
Having a verandah was nice but after touring the other staterooms, I can confidently say that I would be perfectly happy with an inside stateroom. To be honest with you, I would probably prefer an inside stateroom because of both safety and budget reasons. I wouldn’t have to worry about my children out on the balcony (though the Disney Fantasy has a safety lock at the top of the sliding glass door). The stateroom would mostly be a landing zone at the end of a long day. We wouldn’t spend much time in the room because we would be so busy exploring the ship. For this reason, I would rather book an inside stateroom and have the extra money to spend on port adventures and more. If my children were at the tween/teen stage, I would be willing to splurge for the Deluxe Inside Stateroom so that we could take advantage of the split bathroom.
I think that my children would much prefer watching Peter Pan fly across the Magical Porthole than sit on the balcony anyway, don’t you?
Do you spend the extra money on a room with a view or do you book an inside stateroom when you cruise?
Thank you to Disney and Traveling Mom for providing my cruise accommodations. I paid for travel there and back as well as other expenses. As always, opinions are mine alone.
Disney just recently launched the Disney Fantasy and I had the opportunity to sail on one of the media preview cruises. I learned so much about the Disney cruise line and have so much to share with you over the next few weeks. Unfortunately, now that I am home I have come up with a dozen things that I wish I had done or seen while on the ship. Don’t make the same mistakes that I did.
1. Leaving your reusable water bottle in the stateroom or not bringing/buying one. Soda and water are included in your price of the cruise but the beverage stations are located on the 11th deck. You won’t always find yourself on the 11th deck or next to an open restaurant when you are thirsty so bring a water bottle that you can carry around. Also, the cups are small and don’t hold very much.
2. Not Trying the Spa Day Pass. The Senses Spa and Salon offers a pass that gives you access to saunas, aromatic showers, steam rooms, and more. There are two price choices depending on what you want access to: $16 and $27. I was so busy with tours that I didn’t take the time to try the spa day pass. It is priced reasonably and is a great way to get a little pampering in even if the spa treatments are booked up or out of your budget.
3. Leaving the camera in the room. After touring the ship the first day, I left my camera in my room when I was running to the 11th deck (see tip #1). I ran smack dab into Snow White and was so disappointed that I didn’t have my camera. As my bloggy pal, Steve from More Kids Than Suitcases, points out, these events happen often (Click that link to see his review on the characters about the ship…be sure to click the rest of his Disney cruise reviews. I wish I had found his posts before the trip rather than after while I was in the airport!). If you have a large DSLR camera, you might want to bring a camera that fits in your pocket for moments when you want to leave the big camera in the stateroom.
4. Skipping the shows. I went to all three show offerings and I am so glad that I did. The shows are brilliant and as I sat in the theater watching the special effects it was hard to remember that I was still on a ship. I spoke to some people who had skipped all but the last show and were disappointed they missed the first few. Be sure to at least watch one show.
5. Going back to my room immediately after the Pirates in the Caribbean party. Once the party and the fireworks show were both over, we practically ran to the elevators to beat the crowd. We were in the back of the show and didn’t see too much so we thought that it was over. By the time I got to my room, I could hear the horns playing famous Disney songs. I was able to hear it from my verandah but I am sad that I wasn’t on the top deck for it.
6. Eating like a bird at dinner. The gourmet meals served at dinner were delicious. They are portioned well and I didn’t feel like I was overeating (except for maybe when I ordered double desserts each night!). If you want to try something, don’t be shy. It is included in your cruise. That being said, if you are watching your weight, it is easy to stick to small portions if you eat at the sit down dinners.
7. Doing too much in one day. I was on the Disney Fantasy as part of a Traveling Mom working retreat. I was in workshops, panel discussions, and interviews. In between all of that, I was trying to squeeze in as much as possible. By the time, I got off of the ship, I was exhausted. Choose the activities that you most want to do and don’t miss them. Watch the Personal Navigator over the next few days to see if an activity you missed is on the schedule later in the week.
Thank you to Disney and Traveling Mom for providing my cruise accommodations. I paid for travel there and back as well as other expenses. As always, opinions are mine alone.
