It's been a LONG time! Here we come Orlando, Florida December 2014

I know it's been such a long time posting anything on this blog. Well, life got really busy with the kids growing up, extracurricular activities and choosing to work a bit more than part-time as a mom. I hope this entry makes up for some of it.

Our last few trips involved some of the same places that we have been to. For example, Boston, MA & Hawaii (this time Oahu). I will try to post something about those trips later.

For now, we are in Orlando, Fl. We decided on this trip because my husband was working in Tampa and in order for our family to spend Xmas together, we met up in Orlando for a week before he heads back to work. Also, it was an incentive for our youngest son to completely finish reading the Harry Potter (HP) series. He did and couldn't be more excited about our trip to Universal Studios (where HP world is set).

As you all know, I have to be frugal with our vacations due to having a family and just being raised to be frugal. I booked my flights for this holiday time in August because I had been checking on flight fees for the past 3 most prior to Aug. Finally, when I knew that school was going to start again and prices would drop, I would see if the tickets were going to be worth it. And.....they were! I was able to find round trip tickets on United. Now, my expectations of United Airlines are not high.

We chose to stay at the Caribe Royale. After searching on my favorite sites esp. TripAdvisor, Travelocity, Expedia, Caribe Royale came up as a positive place to stay for families. I was happy to say I was correct. The hotel is like an Embassy Suites where there is a living room with a sofa bed, microwave, refrigerator separated by a door. The kids could have their own space, if they wanted. We purchased the special where we receive breakfast every morning at The Tropicale Restaurant on the premises. I think this is a huge savings with 2 growing boys and heading to attractions where we are walking all day. The rooms are clean, the staff is friendly, the pool has a slide and is open till 11pm. This late closing time is crucial considering we are out all day and typically the pools are closed by the time we get back to the hotel. But, Caribe Royale keeps it open till 11pm and the 3 hot tubs are an excellent place for our tired feet and tired adult bodies. Parking is FREE!!!! This is also a huge savings. The Walmart is only a 5 minutes drive from the hotel and there are nights when we don't want to eat out and just get something nuke-able. The breakfast buffet has it ALL. There is an omelette station, potatoes, hot/cold cereal, breads/pastries, bacon, sausages, all kinds of egg dishes, pancakes, waffles, french toast and more. The wait staff will bring you your drinks and the rest is up to you. As much as you want is a great option for our growing boys. There are 2 arcades for the kids to play as the adults have a cocktail. 

I went through Undercover Tourist to get our tickets for Universal Studios Florida. It was a great deal for our family. There wasn't a discount on our tix to Kennedy Space Center so I just went through the KSC site.

We went to Universal Studios and HP World did NOT disappoint. The trick is to get to Diagon Alley first thing in the morning. The ride at Gringott's is brilliant and the line wasn't too bad. So, we went on a few times. Warning: if anyone is sensitive to motion sickness, I would suggest to skip this ride (I didn't think it was that bad) and the ride in Hogsmeade called Hogwarts Ride. You can take the train at Kings Cross to Hogsmeade as long as you have a multi-park pass. It's a clever and easy train ride that fulfills anyone's imagination who has read HP. Olivander's is less busy at Diagon Alley than Hogsmeade. The Butter Beer hot/cold is sweet. The kids loved it, but we adults thought it was a bit too sweet. The Leaky Cauldron is a great place to eat as their are servers helping you and you don't have to fight your way or even look for a place to sit. It's expensive, but our kids were on the verge of losing their tempers due to them being hungry. So, we bit it and paid for our meal. It was a good meal, just expensive. The Dragon Challenge ride is quite fun. The red track is much faster and seems to be more exciting than the blue, but both tracks are still a good roller coaster ride.  





We did get stupyfied by our youngest and purchased him the robe and wand. One can purchase an interactive wand which lets you perform spells throughout HP World. The robe is a nice added plus for our youngest's imagination. All employees speak to him as if he was a Hogwarts student and he LOVED it! Being spoken to : "we'll see you back at school Monday" "please sign for the Ministry of Magic" "would this be on your muggle plastic?" We all loved it!
 


 

After 2 days at Universal, we went to Spirit of the Swamp for an airboat ride through the headwaters of the Everglades. It was a great experience. Our suggestion? Take the earliest tour. We hit it perfectly. 10am tour gave us sights to 5 gators and their babies, turtles, river otters, deer, cows, horses, various bird species and vegetation. The smell of water lilies was amazing. Our captain was Capt. Dale and he was very informative on the land. Our 1-1/2 hr trip went by quickly! It was well worth our trip which was only about 15 min. from Caribe Royale. Capt. Dale suggested The Catfish place to eat. We haven't gone yet, but will in a couple of days. I will review it after our meal. Apparently, they have good gator meat and various exotic meats and good Southern food.



We will be heading to Cape Canaveral for our trip to the Kennedy Space Center soon. I will review that when we have completed that trip. In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed my review so far. Please feel free to comment and ask me questions. I have not commented much anymore on packing due to my kids being older.

Summer 2013 - Ko'Olina was much preferred to Aulani

We went to Hawaii to celebrate my mom's 80th birthday. It was a wonderful trip with a lot of swimming (pictured above). We stayed at the Ko'Olina Beach Villa where we rented a gorgeous condominium for 5 of us (my sister joined us from the East Coast). WE love staying at Condos with kids, even if they are older. Why? Because we love having breakfast together as a family and still be in our jammies. What was the best was that our lanai (balcony) faced the beautiful ocean.
We loved this side of the island in Oahu because it was more quiet. We were next to the Disney Aulani which looked nice, but was too loud for us. There was a lot of things going on there and this time we wanted serenity, peacefulness, and some fun for my mom AND the kids.

At Ko'Olina Beach Villa, we were able to walk to the "loud" pool and the "quiet" pool (easy for my 80 year old mother). The loud pool was the place for kids and across the other side of the property (not that far) was the adult "quiet" pool. They always had towels for us. They even provided a wheelchair for my mom at no expense so we can take her a long the property when she was too tired to walk. Our kids enjoyed it so much with the grills near the pools for families to make lunch or dinner. Although, these grills did fill up quickly. Click here to view these pictures larger

Razzle Dazzle Nov. 2012

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We are in Chicago visiting with my boys and our husband who is working on Les Miz's revival. We have been very lucky that the weather has been temperate. Our first week has been in the 50's. For the windy city in November, the weather has been great!

One of our favorite stops?.........................The Lincoln Park Zoo. It's one of the few zoos that are free in this country. The boys still love it! They were preparing for Zoolights and it looked phenomenal!

During this time of year, we typically hit the Light Festival Parade. This year would be a great time since the weather wasn't terribly cold. However, everyone else in Chicago thought the same thing. Michigan Ave was PACKED!!! There were so many people that it felt almost dangerous. So, since we were staying at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, we were able to see Michigan Ave which is the street that the parade was on. Also, the fireworks were over the river. We were on the 33rd floor and it's a great floor. All the corner rooms have a little refrigerator. We were very happy to have snacks and drinks while looking out of the window at the parade.

We also took the METRA (train system in Chicago) to the Museum of Science and Industry. The train ride was fun for the boys and they love this museum because they can run around and try everything. For us as parents? It's a great way to expend energy!

 






We also went to Daley Plaza for their annual lighting of the Christmas Tree, but also for the bratwurst! My boys love the German in them and this is a celebration of German Christmas (Christkindl). I was able to have some delicious Gluhwein, bratwurst with sauerkraut, potato pancakes, and delicious German chocolates.

Another one of my son's favorite place is Giordano's pizza. He loves deep dish Chicago style pizza. We go there all the time when we're in Chicago. I, personally, think there are other places that might be better, but this isn't that bad and my son loves it there.

A Remington

 My favorite place to go in Chicago is the Art Institute. It has the most beautiful art collections on display. My boys tend to do silly things with the art, but if that is what helps them remember the art, then so be it. It is huge and can take a few hours to get through. Nonetheless, the boys have learned to enjoy the art there and hopefully, our discussions will stimulate their minds and teach them the important of art in our world/culture.

The Millennium Park is a great place to just walk through and enjoy the sites. The Silver Bean is a fun place that my boys enjoy. In the winter time, there is a skating rink right below the Silver Bean. Near the park on Randolph Street is another favorite spot of ours for breakfast. It's called Wildberry. On the weekends, the lines are out the door, but if you can get in there on the less popular times, you will get seated. The breakfasts are VERY good!!!! Wildberry's is not overly prices. Great meal for the start of the day!

Staycation's all I ever wanted...........scraaatch. Summer 2012

Well, since we had made no arrangements to travel this summer due to my husband working at the Orpheum Theater here, we decided to make it a staycation. However, we were delighted to hear that my husband's bestfriend was getting married in New Hampshire. We have never really stayed in NH. We have only driven through it to get to Maine. So, we quickly made arrangements to fly into Boston and rent a car and drive up to New Hampshire for the wedding (it was only a 2hr 20min drive north).

Our vacation stay in N.H. Really cool and rustic!

Our friend's wedding in Freedom, N.H.

The pond

The party begins in the barn! So cool!

The great thing was our timing! We coincidentally went the same time as one of my older son's best friend. The same friends that we met up with last year in Boston (they are Bostonians transplanted to California). We decided to stay at the Residence Inn at Cambridge, MA. In my previous blog, you will see that we stayed at a Residence Inn in Washington, D.C. Because my husband travels so much for work, we had a nice elite status and they gave us a very commodious room with 2 bedrooms each with its own bathroom. Now, most families don't typically get a 2 bedroom apartment-size hotel room with full kitchen.We were very lucky and loved it! I have always said how a kitchen, when one has children, will always make life so much easier.

We flew to Boston in JetBlue. It was a pretty full flight, but I have to say, this airline gave a lot more snacks than most other airlines. Of course, you could always purchase a meal. The movies had to be purchased, but with individual tv monitors, the kids were happy with the children's channels. It is a lot easier, I have to admit, travelling with older children. Mine are now 11 y.o. and 8 y.o. and they are well-seasoned travellers after having to travel everywhere as little babies.

Our arrangement, since we only had 3 days in Boston before heading up to the wedding, was to visit Old Sturbridge Village and then Higgins Armor Museum. Both are in or near Worcester, MA.Sturbridge Village is one of the country’s oldest and largest living history museums, depicting early New England life from 1790-1840 with historians in costume, antique buildings, water-powered mills, and a working farm. Visitors can view antiques, meet heritage breed animals, and enjoy hands-on crafts. The kids had a great time as they could run around and not worry about cars! Each home, store, barn had historians dressed in the time of New England life and would share stories about the building they were representing. The children had the opportunity to watch people spin wool and dye it. They played baseball with the rules from the 1700's. There was a river ride and actually saw the sawmill pond in action as well as the Cardi machine which as powered by water. There was a big summer storm coming so we quickly headed to the Village "visitor's center" and was pleasantly surprised by all the activities for children. The adults had some down time and the kids played more. Bathroom stops were there and the air conditioned building felt very good. After the rain subsided, we visited the gift shop and found a lot of great history books for the kids.


The next day was a trip to Higgins Armory Museum. This place is definitely a great place for young boys. In fact, the hubbies enjoyed it as well. It was quite interesting for me, too. We purchased for the kids a blank shield in which they had an opportunity to decorate it according to the anatomy of a shield. It was a lot of fun. This whole museum was very fascinating. The "talk" about the weaponry was ok. I have to say that the speaker was very knowledgeable, but I think he could have curtailed it a bit more for children. It was also long for a 7 y.o. Great for the adults though and fascinating. This gift shop was incredible. I normally can't stand the gift shops since I have to say "no" 100x, but this one had me going.

At the Visitor Center (Old Sturbridge)

Higgin's Armor Museum

Lots of hands-on activities (Armor Museum)

Sebi and Ava pose

Then it was off to New Hampshire. Freedom, NH was our destination for the wedding. I didn't really know what to expect and it was completely breathtaking! Freedom was about 2 hr and 20 minutes from Boston and a very easy drive. There wasn't much in Freedom and we were forewarned that we get our groceries in Ossippee, which was about 30 minutes prior to reaching Freedom. We had a lovely vacation home that was built via mortise and tenon. The interior was renovated for modern conveniences; however, the structure remained the same. There was one post office with maybe 3 parking spots, maybe 2 B&B's, a sawmill pond, a fire station, and a lot of history. We were completely off the grid (which I have to say was quite nice). The only time we had wifi was if we were in the vacation home or someone else's home.

Old dishwasher

I was happy to have known about the bad deer tick issue this year. NH has a lot of forestry and therefore, deer and therefore, ticks. Every local had the Off Deep Woods spray. Fortunately, I was told by the bride early on to prepare for the ticks as I had 2 children under 12 y.o. I went to REI and they guided me to this application (lotion form) using the sponge attached to the bottle called Ultrathon Insect Repellant. They swore this was the bomb for deer ticks. Since I knew I wouldn't be able to keep an eye on my 2 boys every single minute while they were running around, I purchased it. It was the best thing ever!!! I know about the hazards with Deet, but I also know the hazards with deer tick and I was willing to take my chance. My oldest son gets mosquito bites that make him swell up....a lot! During the time we were there and the boys were outside every single minute and into the evening near water and bushes, etc, we did not get one bug bite of any kind!!! I was a happy mother. Would I use it here in California? Probably not, but in NH and all the hiking and running around with the humid weather....definitely! In fact, when we went back to Boston proper after the wedding, my oldest son got a few mosquito bites which caused the bite to swell and ended up taking benadryl. Sigh. So, 2 thumbs up for this Ultrathon Insect Repellant.

The wedding was beautiful. My husband was the best man and we had a grand time. We met up with friends from Ohio that we haven't seen in ages. It was fun to see their boys.

The Buckingham's

It was Greg's Bday and we celebrated in Portsmouth, ME.

 


 Back in Boston we immediately reserved our seats for a Duck Tour through Boston. We tried getting on these last summer, but we didn't make it because they were sold out early in the morning. So, this year we reserved them a couple days ahead online. It was a great ride on these amphibious military vehicles. The driver was hilarious (theater major) and his knowledge of history was well worth the ride. My oldest son had a chance to drive the duck in the Charles River.

Trinity Church

Our duck in the building (reflection)

The Family on the Duck.

JFK's Residence in Boston

He's cool driving the Duck!

Land and Water

 We also visited the Boston Public where the Swan Boats were only $2.75/adults and $1.50/kids.
 
 I had read them Robert McClosky's "Make Way for Ducklings" when they were younger and they also know the story of "The Trumpet Swan" which references Boston. I highly recommend this wonderful and relaxing ride in the Swan Boats. We did a quick stop at Remington's across from the Commons. A stop we used to make when we were performing in the theater. They open late and the atmosphere is casual and great for families. Lovely lunch and then off to see the Prudential Building. Along the way we stopped at the Trinity Church. It's a beautiful church where the stained glass windows have been refurbished ($1 million budget for refurbishing).

Harvard Square

MIT

It was a great trip. We have more to share. I will do that soon! Thanks for listening and reading.