Jason had to attend a conference in DC while in grad school and loved the little bit of time he got to explore during that trip. For about 7-8 years he’s talked about us going back together and we finally made it happen!
>>Getting Around
Metro – considering traffic, lack of parking, and cost to renting a car we opted to get metro cards and use that the whole trip (even from the airport) – for each of us we did the “7 day short trip pass” and it probably would have been cheaper to load it up and pay at as we go, but it was only $40 per person for this option Bikes/E Scooters – you’ll see bikes & scooters EVERYWHERE to rent, had it been only me and Jason we probably would have used them a good bit to get around and do less walking but the rest of our party isn’t too fond of bicycles Rental Car – available but does not seem like a good idea at all unless you’re staying outside of the city
I decided I wanted to turn 35 in Mexico. After discussing old people things like safety issues at the Cancun airport, we decided Cozumel seemed a safer bet for us this time since there is power is numbers and frankly… this trip ended up just the two of us.
>>Getting Around
CozuShuttle – we opted not to book the very expensive transport through the resort & took this instead, there is a little desk for it at the airport exit and they charged us $10 pp to get us to our hotel. Jeeps – many of the friends we made did a Jeep tour for the day and loved it, you get to drive your own and follow a guide around the island to the “wilder” side with rougher waves, do some snorkeling, make chocolate, and taste tequila; these tours meet you just outside the gate of the hotel. Taxis – taxis are a direct option that should not be expensive for whatever you want to do, especially if you want to go bar hopping in town
>>Stay
Secrest Aura Cozumel – this is the island’s only ADULTS ONLY all inclusive so obviously it was where we chose; you have access to the connected family resort but they do not have access to yours; the snorkeling at the resort was great and the water was only calm enough for it on our last day; the buildings are older but the grounds are lush and stunning; our room was 1424 with cold AC and plenty of hot water in the shower so we were very happy.
>>Eat
*Barefoot Grill/Oceana – nice little spot on the beach for meals all day long, good variety, Leonel made us some kickass drinks there too *Bordeaux – it sounds goofy but bring your man a pair of pants so y’all can eat here, it was so good that we wanted to have dinner there again but were too tired the day we planned it Coco Cafe – decent coffee shop, order 2 of whatever you’re getting because they are small, maybe 3 of the little bitty ice cream but everything did taste good & it’s open 24 hours Gohan Sushi Bar – complete waste of time, only restaurant I would absolutely say no to Windows – hit and miss depending on what you order, my food was inedibly bland but other people in our group (we made friends on this trip) had meals that were good Market Cafe – for a buffet this wasn’t bad, especially at breakfast, but we usually moved on to an actual restaurant after *Sunny Side Cafe (at Sunscapes)– walk across to this little restaurant near the bar with swings on it, everything was delicious Carlos & Charlies – if you’re tired of the resort’s food or just want a little change of scene you can walk down the beach a little ways and order anything you want Mexican food wise, the daiquiris are huge and so good
>>Play
Resort Bars – Sky Bar was a cool place to hang out at night after the pool closed, Preferred Club swim up bar was our daytime spot (they will also serve you drinks in your pool or beach chairs), Desires is VERY quiet before the DJ starts and we never made it down there for it, the Swing Bar at Sunscape was cute and had a few beers on draft VIP Tours – Rogelio was great to work with, he met us and made sure we got on our catamaran snorkel tour and back to the resort safely, he also lined up our cab rides, he is happy to help with any excursions you are interested in and his rates are way cheaper than the resort’s Snorkeling – I really wanted to visit El Cielo but it was too windy, honestly the snorkeling right off the beach at the resort was perfect for me! There are lots of fish, I saw a few starfish, and some interesting coral formations; I swam from one end of the roped off area to the other and it’s a huge amount of space
Other Stuff Worth Mentioning – we did not use our pool floats but probably would have if we did a swim out room, a blow up drink holder seemed like a better idea, BRING STRAWS because the resort didn’t have any – I carried reusable ones in my bag, there is a lot that can be done on this island but our trip was short and we went to kick back and relax more than adventure for this trip
We LOVED Disney in 2018, but did not make time to visit “Harry Potter World” on that trip. Jason was only able to take a couple days off work which made this the perfect opportunity to use a shorter vacation to finally visit Universal Studios. Also, they don’t enforce masks (what a time to be alive!).
>>Getting Around
Universal’s Superstar Shuttle – airport shuttle service for a feethrough Mears, there is no direction or signage to get to it at the airport (does Disney own the airport? lol) so look into this ahead of time Waterway Taxis– our resort offered free water taxis directly to CityWalk with no stops in between, it was a very quick ride both ways and you are dropped off between Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure Shuttle Buses – there is access to complimentary shuttle buses to the parks as well, but this seemed to only be used to visit Volcano Bay water park from our resort so we did not test it out Walking Paths – there is a nice, mostly shaded walking path from the resort to CityWalk that brings you right up alongside Margaritaville and it is not a long or strenuous walk, after a long day of park hopping our feet were often calling for the water taxi vs more walking
>>Stay
Loews Royal Pacific Resort – this place was huge and lush with a ritzy Jungle Book vibe, everything was clean and our room was very comfortable, the staff was VERY friendly and helpful, room keys double as so many things (explained later), the dining options weren’t bad but do not expect anything to be very fast, the pool area was well kept and sprawling (the drinks were REALLY expensive though) Resort Bonuses: We chose this hotel for the added bonuses of free Universal Express Pass Unlimited (room key serves as this), Early Park Admission (again uses room key), Priority Seating at select restaurants, and Resort-Wide Charging Privileges with room key (scan it at checkout to charge things to your room and not have to carry cash/cards)
>>Eat
There were no dining plans at this time due to C-vid & we knew paying for all these meals was not going to be cheap going into this BRINGING FOOD IN: you can bring your own food and drinks in, large chock-full backpack lockers are $2 each vs a small bag or half empty backpack will fit in free lockers, we carried beef jerky and granola bars with a refillable water bottle and fit that in free lockers with hats/sunglasses/phones just fine Jake’s American Bar – located at resort, slower service but good meal, the burger and grilled chicken sandwich were both delicious, beer on tap was nice and cold CW Cowfish – the hostesses were a complete disaster, but our server and sushi were all very good once we finally got situated IA Croissant Moon – grabbed a breakfast there, it was edible but nothing to write home about, the bacon egg & cheese croissant was big and filling, the cruffin was a 2/10 US Bumble Bee Mans Food Truck – this was a decently priced tasty lunch, they serve you 2 tacos with some tortilla chips *US Fortescue’s Ice Cream – highly recommend, I had butter beer soft serve in a cone and it was the creamiest I’ve ever had, Jason enjoyed his 2 scoops of hard ice cream very much as well *CW Big Fire American Grill – we were told to go here for steaks and the filet mignon did NOT disappoint, the prices were fair for what we got, the smoked amber beer was delicious, mac side was not impressive but salt & pepper helped *IA Green Eggs & Ham – hefty order of loaded tots available about 4-5 different ways, I couldn’t finish my delicious buffalo chicken tots, highly recommend those Bula Bar & Grille – ordered drinks at the resort pool and this is where they came from, the price was high but they were good sized and the alcohol was 100% there, get the Mai Tai or the Tiki Smash *CW Toothsome Chocolate Emporium – this place is known for their crazy milkshakes but we went for a meal instead, the CHOCOLATE BREAD *drooling thinking about it* and double chocolate stout beer were worth the visit, the food was pretty good but again needed salt & pepper *US Hopping Pot – this spot in Diagon Alley was frequented by us for drinks with and without alcohol, the Wizard’s Brew and Dragon Scale were both delicious beers on tap that you won’t find anything outside of Harry Potter areas Islands Dining Room – main eatery of our resort, we had a really great buffet breakfast there on the day we were leaving
BUTTERBEER – there are carts selling butterbeer in the middle of the “streets” of both Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade that generally have the regular chilled version or the frozen version, Leaky Cauldron and Three Broomsticks restaurants also serve it both those ways and hot, Hopping Pot served it all 3 ways, only the above mentioned ice cream shop has the soft serve version, HOT was my favorite of the 4 ways to try it
>>Play
TICKETS: we had a 3-Day Ticket with Park to Park Option – basically we did everything within the first 24 hours of being there because of this, free upgrade due to our resort type, you MUST have a park to park ticket to ride the Hogwarts Express from one park to the other (this comes in handy because each Harry Potter area is the the very back of each park so it is a ton of walking to get from one to the other without it) EXPRESS PASSES:there are 2 types – you can purchase a pass that lets you “skip the regular line” once per ride the accepts the passes OR one that allows you to jump the line unlimited times per ride, unlimited was included for free with our resort type, if I were paying outright for these tickets I would have been perfectly happy with the once per ride type pass EARLY PARK ENTRY/ROPE DROP: Universal resort guests get extra time in parks that others don’t so it tends to be a less busy – plan to be waiting at the park for it to open to get in line for any major ride really want to get on without a wait (typically this will be rides you cannot use Express Pass for like Hagrid’s or VelociCoaster), only Universal Studios was doing this so we enjoyed Diagon Alley without a crowd then got in line for Hogwart’s Express about 30 minutes before Islands of Adventure opens then we could hustle into line for Hagrid’s at Hogsmeade before the big crowd was there, if you stay in the park until it’s closing you can sometimes hop on rides again with a shorter wait (if you are in line up til 1 minute before closing they have to let you stay in line to ride) SINGLE RIDER LINES: some rides have a single rider line that has little to no wait time
My Favorite Attractions UNIVERSAL STUDIOS: Diagon Alley (not a ride, but it’s a very fun place to be), Men in Black Alien Attack, Despicable Me Minion Mayhem ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE: Jurassic World VelociCoaster (BEST RIDE), Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, Dark Arts at Hogwarts Castle (really cool 3D light show at dusk near Halloween), Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls (water ride), Harry Potter & the Forbidden Journey, The Incredible Hulk Coaster, High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride (chill ride with great views) CITYWALK: this is basically a huge outdoor food court/mall with lots of options to spend time (and $$) after the parks close if you aren’t exhausted enough by 8 pm
Other Stuff Worth Mentioning – don’t try to wear cute shoes because you’re gonna walk til ya drop every day; bring a poncho (some rides will get ya wet); these parks close relatively early compared to Disney – it was barely dark out and everyone heads to CityWalk or their resort/hotel
Our 10 year wedding anniversary warranted a beach trip. Originally we wanted to revisit Mexico because it’s been since our wedding that we’ve been there. We sent in a passport renewal for Jason, then a new president changed things for international flights due to Covid. Keeping it in the US seemed the best bet. I looked into Key Largo, but the drive from Miami airport didn’t seem ideal. After researching the best beaches near Tampa airport we booked in the small town of Dunedin with Honeymoon Island’s natural beach calling our name.
>>Getting Around
ClearwaterJolley Trolley – there is a fee to hop on and off this cute little trolley throughout the Clearwater/coastal area, we saw it pass every so often but did not utilize this option Bikes/E-Bikes – bikes are available to rent and ride around in this pedestrian friendly small town, the biggest appeal would be the 54 mile Pinellas Bike Trail that runs from Tarpon Springs (where the sponge docks are) down to St. Petersburg Rental Car – we rented a car at the Tampa airport (not the cheapest option, but it was the only option after noon on a Saturday) to get to Dunedin and it was only about 30 minutes away, it made traveling to the beach or the liquor store really convenient
>>Stay
Meranova Bed & Breakfast – 9 apartment style rooms in a great central location, free parking, no smoking, kids under 16 discouraged, close walk to anything in downtown, pool with amenities, access to beach day items (chairs, umbrellas, ice chests)
>>Eat
Draught Haus – great beer selection on tap, open for all 3 meals, food was good not great, indoor and outdoor seating available Sandpiper Coffee Roaster Cafe – visited for breakfast, food was okay, cute patio area *Corvo Bianco Pizza Truck – this wood fired pizza was so so good!, unique options, located at HOB brewery *Crown & Bull – fusion style food that was delicious for supper, never made it for brunch but they do serve it, very nice back patio area, the sesame tuna and osso bucco dishes were fantastic Chatterbox Family Restaurant – this was a funny accident in a sketchy looking bowling alley that was FULL of elderly folks at 9 am on a Tuesday, the food was pretty good for a regular ol breakfast and it was super cheap *The Living Room on Main – this place was awesome, the outdoor area was busy every afternoon, another fusion style restaurant that was a happy surprise, loved the unique decor inside Frenchy’s Outpost – decent food and drinks right before the causeway to head to Honeymoon Island, could be a fun atmosphere but it was raining when we visiting, I would say the price of the food was not worth it though Rusty Lion – if the food were seasoned it would have been good, if the beer wasn’t flat it would have been good, very cute spot with rooftop bar Dunedin Coffee Company & Bakery – too much GF/V for our taste, but we tried *Taco Baby – itty bitty taco stand in an old ATM, very delicious, $2 tacos on Tuesday are the way to go, they’re street taco sized so make sure you order at least 3 TuKro Coffee – okay for just a coffee but not for breakfast, the salted chocolate chip cookie was delicious, very cute little place *Cork & Beans – this was my favorite spot for coffee (had it 3 times) and the breakfast was surprisingly good (get the croissant sandwich), they also have wine (with happy hour from 3-6) but we never made it there later in the day *HEW Parlor & Chophouse at the Fenway Hotel – this was our anniversary dinner splurge, we all ordered steak and potatoes that were delicious, the charcuterie board was also very good *Pisces Sushi – if you want sushi, this is the option and it did not disappoint *Wild Iris Cafe – delicious breakfast (should have visited more than just our last day), coffee, and muffins DESSERTS– Kookie Krums for cookies, brownies, cupcakes, Lane’s Lemonade for a fruity soft serve cone, Ice & Cream for obscene amounts of ice cream flavors
>>Play
BREWERIES/BARS: *Hi-Fi Rooftop Bar at the Fenway Hotel – everyone told us we had to visit for sunset, so we went up after dinner for a cocktail, it was a great view and delicious drinks but if you are afraid of/allergic to bees I would not sit at the bar *HOB Brewing Company – this place is huge and obviously has a lot of money, the beers were great (they had a carrot cake one that was probably my favorite beer of the whole trip) and the outdoor area is really nice Caledonia Brewery – good selection, overly loud music that was not our taste, does offer food inside Dunedin Brewery – smaller, decent patio area, beer was alright Woodwright Brewing Co – also a woodworking shop so that was cool, small selection but beer was pretty good, has the best outdoor seating in the area IMO *Cueni Brewing – smaller, most welcoming vibe, great variety of brews 7venth Sun Brewery – unimpressed, but the beers were flavorful *Soggy Bottom Brewing Co – this was a great place to pass the time on a rainy day, had a pizza special we didn’t take advantage of, pretty good brews, has a stash of games to keep you busy Flanagan’s Irish Pub – the guys walked across the street from our B&B a few times while we got ready for dinner, nice quiet atmosphere with good beer BEACHES: Honeymoon Island – state park ($8 entry) with a very long natural beach, we went early (parked as far north as possible) and stayed most of the day since we packed ice chests of food and drinks, it was extremely clean, I played in the water like a kid, options for a long walk down the beach, nature trails, kayaking, and looking for shells Caledesi Island – only accessible by boat and we didn’t want to waste time with the ferry, especially since Honeymoon Island’s beach was perfect for us Clearwater Beach – we were told how busy it is and that the no alcohol rule is enforced there, so we passed on headingthat direction but it is probably a good one if you have little kids
Other Stuff Worth Mentioning – we grocery shopped for snacks, water, and booze for the room, Luekens was the best liquor store with tons of craft beer options, this town is basically closed down on Mondays right now but we hear pre-Covid there was live music every night, if you drive to the indoor go-cart place make a reservation first because the wait was 2 hours so we left
I saw a video on Instagram of someone hiking the chains section at Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park. The view from the top looked just like The Great Valley from the movie The Land Before Time. I knew I had to go there. We booked this trip pre-Covid, so some of what drew us here changed drastically. Getting hit by back to back hurricanes and losing electricity for so long didn’t make it any emotionally easier to leave home for a long weekend. Despite all of this the trip turned out to be just what we needed.
>>Getting Around
Springdale Shuttle – free shuttle that runs from the south entrance of Zion National Park throughout the town of Springdale Zion Park Shuttle – typically free and runs through 9 different stops up the scenic byway, required prepurchased $1 tickets that sell out within minutes for this trip, half the stops were closed for Covid/damaged trails Private Shuttles – there are numerous shuttles you can hire to drop off and pick up at specific trail stops on the scenic road, often sell out quickly on weekends Bikes/E-Bikes – bikes are available to rent and ride around Springdale and in the park, all e-bikes were expensive and sold out so book before your trip if that’s your thing, arrival at Zion Outfitters at the park entrance when they opened at 7 am resulted in the rental of regular bikes for us Rental Car – we rented a car to get from Las Vegas airport to Springdale (2.5 hours), parking at our hotel was free, driving through the east side of Zion is highly recommended, IMPORTANT: check the address of your car rental place and see if it matches the free airport shuttle car rental address (we had to Lyft)
>>Stay
La Quinta by Wyndham Springdale/Zion – 360º views of mountains, had a more upscale feel (like a little lodge), rooms were spacious and clean, there is a nice heated pool area, free parking and free breakfast (was grab & go style instead of buffet due to Covid), front desk attendants were friendly, deer were wandering around and the place was very cute, beds were comfy and water pressure was good
>>Eat
Oscar’s Cafe – a local favorite, fusion Mexican & burgers, local beer on tap, my bacon avocado and turkey sandwich was delicious Zion Canyon Brew Pub – higher priced with great views near park entrance, snacked on yummy nachos that were on homemade potato chips with bacon jam followed by bread pudding, good selection of different style brews on draft Zion Pizza & Noodle Company – cool atmosphere, the recommended glass of wine was very tasty, good pizza, okay pasta FeelLove Coffee – interesting coffee/tea selection, very hippie vegan friendly vibe, the vegan ice cream was actually very good (they had free samples out), our iced coffees were fantastic *Deep Creek Coffee Company – worth the wait, decent hot coffee, very good breakfast, outside seating at picnic table only due to Covid *River Rock Roasters (in La Verkin) – one of my favorite meals, short drive from Springdale, the coffee beer ($4 draft pints!) and food (I had pizza & Jason had a HUGE salad) was all perfection, the views are gorgeous and you can hear the river Jacks – more American food style sports bar, they smoke their own BBQ and it was tasty but not very seasoned (to be expected) *MeMe’s Cafe – I wish we’d eaten here more than once but we didn’t go until our last day, the food was both our favorite of the whole trip (Hawaiian & Cubano sandwiches), also had a few local beers on tap Casa de Amigos – the only true Mexican place around, very large portions (think 2 tacos instead of 3-4), delicious chips and dip, the margaritas looked good but we went with Mexican Coke
>>Play
ZION NATIONAL PARK: *Angel’s Landing – this is exactly what we came for, the trail takes time due to numerous switchbacks and the one way “trail” of the chains section (which luckily reopened just 4 weeks before we visited), mentally challenging trek for many, the views were worth it Lower Emerald Pools – the waterfalls were barely a trickle, I imagine this can be beautiful but everything was pretty dry when we visited so we skipped middle and upper pools *Pa’rus (aka bike trial) – we rode this on our bikes on our way down the mountain and it was wonderful, no cars go this way, the scenery from down in the canyon is amazing, the only spot where we saw mountain goats! Riverside Walk (leads to Narrows) – enjoyed this trail on our walk back as we thawed from the water at The Narrows, beautiful water and lots of greenery, be prepared to walk in sand The Narrows – not our cup of tea, it is very pretty but the water was WAY too cold for us so we did not go very far and have no regrets about it Watchman Trail – gradual winding easy hike to a view looking out over Springdale, pretty but not amazing Grotto Trail – connects trailhead from Angel’s Landing to Zion Lodge where you can buy snacks and drinks, we opted for hot coffees to finish thawing out, more practical than scenic *Canyon Overlook – on other side of tunnel when you drive east, really great hike with pretty scenery, views all around from the top, cool rock formations to climb once you’re up there Checkerboard Mesa – this is right off the road and easy to climb on, the scenery/mesas on this side of the park are vastly different from what you see from the scenic drive Closed Hikes – we were unable to Weeping Rock, Observation Point, and Hidden Canyon because they were closed Wilderness Trails – there are way more trail options than where these shuttles drop you off, but there is only so much time in one day and we did everything we could in our long weekend, this just gives us a good reason for a return trip ALL TRAILS APP – I didn’t think to utilize this once we were driving through the east part of Zion because there is very little cell phone reception there, PLAN AHEAD and map out where some unlisted trailheads are because there are a few more (shorter) trails we would have liked to check out GRAFTON: Ghost Town – minutes south of Springdale there is a small road called Bridge Road (can ya guess why?) where you can swing the next right and keep on driving, the scenery is gorgeous and the road turns to dirt, eventually you will get to the quaint but beautiful Grafton Ghost Town, there has been preservation of buildings that you can walk through Cemetery –back track a little to see some really old graves, then venture on the bike trails for a nice hike for some better views, it was way quieter and there were no crowds on these trails SPRINGDALE: besides eating, there are a few ice cream shops, gift shops, and some really great local art galleries to stroll through with the mountain scenery surrounding you on all sides
Other Stuff Worth Mentioning – we stocked up on beer and water for the mini fridge at Walmart in Hurricane on the way in, it’s cool at night and warm during the day this time of year so bring some easy layers, park entry for 7 days in a car was $35 and we only did this on our last day #facepalm, whether you want to actually hike in the park or not this area is gorgeous and worth visiting!
I wanted to go on anniversary trip and Jason needed CE hours. I did some research because he can get CEUs at a lot of cool places, I found one that gave him the most credits where he only went to class until lunch daily. The issue was what do I do alone for half the day on 4 days of vacation? Enter the travel squad! Vancouver is an extremely pedestrian friendly city that is clean, beautiful, and welcoming.
>>Getting Around
Sky Train –best thing ever, quick and cheap, we paid for passes at the kiosks before getting on & it includes buses (we only spent about $40 on transportation while there for 7 days including to and from airport), map shows you where the 3 train lines run and all the stops, get ON and OFF really fast because those doors slam shut quickly, can reload your paper pass
>>Stay
Fairmont Hotel Vancouver – very fancy, helpful concierge staff, expensive food we didn’t try, high end shops in the lobby, we stayed here bc the conference was here and we got a special rate Hyatt Regency Vancouver – I put mom and Aunt Martina here because it was really close to us & they had no complaints, restaurants were good, right next to a transit station and a free shuttle to the suspension bridge so I’d say overall it’s probably a better bet
>>Eat
*Tacofino Taco Bar – not your regular ingredients on tacos, very fresh and yummy *Butcher & Bullock – great beers on tap, kind of sports pub-ish, went for brunch (chicken and waffles!!) & back for supper *Joe Fortes – this was our splurge, it’s very busy and loud but our food was amazing, well known for seafood Poke Time – they had pineapple dole whip so I had to go, our poke was good too *Grain – check out their happy hour, it’s in the Hyatt hotel and the food and drinks were great Mr Shawrma – food truck next to Hyatt hotel by transit station, so good and filling even though it looks small Steamworks Brewery – did a huge beer flight here and food wasn’t bad Tap & Barrel – we all drank here, but the waiter kind of talked us out of eating there lol, it’s a cool spot on the waterfront Breakfasts: SMAK – neat little healthier option Bel Cafe – interesting menu and coffee options, I liked it more than mom and Martina *Bellaggio Cafe – if you want a regular ass breakfast that’s really good, go here, we went twice Breka Bakery & Cafe – hectic in there but lots of yummy options, we were walking to the water taxi to go to Granville Island & popped in there Cafe Crepe – looks a little sketch but their crepes and NUTELLA coffee were yummy
>>Play
*Capilano Suspension Bridge – free shuttle to get there from the Hyatt hotel *VanDusen Botanical Garden – worth the transit trek (we did skytrain then bus) if you aren’t going to spend a day in Victoria where they have bigger gardens *Grouse Mountain – snowy mountain with bear enclosure, restaurant there was my least favorite place we ate but the view was beautiful, if you want to go further to see bigger mountains you can go to Squamish or Whistler, wear snow appropriate shoes and hiking socks *Prince of Whales 1/2 Day – I’ve wanted to go whale watching since I was a little girl and this was everything I dreamed of, not recommended for small children, GORGEOUS scenery even if you don’t see whales, bring food from Granville Island and snacks in your bag Granville Island – neat place to spend a lot of time leisurely walking around eating and shopping, beware of the giant seagulls, can water taxi there pretty cheap or we took the hop on/hop off bus, the bagel place was so good Stanley Park – this place is HUGE! we did a hop on/hop off bus to see it all (honestly it kind of sucked from the bus because the roof was on), it would be awesome to have a dinner reservation at the restaurant and take a carriage or shuttle tour, it’s bigger than central park and they make sure you know it Gastown – there’s a statue of a guy called Gassy Jack and a neat steam clock that are touristy spots, plenty to eat near there, not a must see area IMO North Vancouver – hop on the water taxi to “Lonsdale Quay” and check out the market area when you get off over there, similar to Granville but much smaller, I liked the water taxi ride toward the mountains Other Stuff – see if the Canucks are playing at Roger’s Arena if you hockey, poke your head into the Christ Church Cathedral (right by the Hyatt) when the open sign is outside because it’s old and pretty, look into concert tickets ahead of time because a lot of good people were playing for cheap If You Take Kids – Science World is supposed to be great, there’s also an aquarium and maritime museum worth looking into
>>International Travel Notes
Cell Phones – AT&T cell phones have service in Canada for no extra cost, just turn on international roaming and you’re good to go Money Conversion – the US dollar was about 30% stronger than Canadian money when we went, so everything SEEMED a little pricey, when really it was pretty cheap Foreign Transaction Fees – check your credit card for foreign transaction fees before you go; mom brought a bit of cash because hers was a 3% fee for using the card out of the country, which wasn’t bad until she had all this weird Canada change we didn’t know how to use; my credit card had no foreign transaction fees so we used it everywhere
We were invited on this trip by some family and friends. Jason had never been to Disney and I only visited once in 2000. Why the heck not? DisneyWorld is magical as it is, but seeing it decorated and lit up for Christmas was amazing. There is SO MUCH to see and do that this is a hard trip to document. We went in with the mindset that this trip was really gonna cost us and honestly, it wasn’t that bad and really worth every penny.
>>Getting Around
Magical Express – free airport shuttle servicefor Disney resort guests Bus Transportation – gets you from any Disney resort to any park and from park to park Water Transportation – we took a boat from our resort to Magic Kingdom and back multiple times The Monorail – more direct transportation, runs through some resorts and from Magic Kingdom to Epcot (and vice versa) SkyLiner – was being built while we visited
>>Stay
Wilderness Lodge – this place was big and beautiful, the dining options (shout out to Roaring Fork for all my breakfasts) were good, Geyser Point was on the water and delicious, our balcony had a view on that darn geyser lol but it was only audible from inside if the patio door was open, the Christmas tree in the lobby was the biggest I’ve ever seen, the pool looked nice but we pretty much only showered and slept at the resort plus Jason forgot a swimsuit
>>Eat
DISNEY DINING PLAN: we booked the regular plan (includes 1 quick-service meal, 1 table-service meal, & 2 snacks or non alcoholic drinks per person, per day) – each actual meal included our choice of one regular or alcoholic (obvious choice) beverage; the table service meals were a drink, app, entree, and dessert pretty much everywhere that wasn’t buffet style; we were responsible for an 18% gratuity out of pocket at each table-service meal because our party had 6 or more people (easily paid with our magic band); book your table-service meal reservations 180 days in advance (our Disney agent did this for us); you get a refillable mug to use for coffee, tea, and water all day long at the resorts; at the end CASH OUT everything you have left for airplane snacks, we grabbed huge lollipops and stuff as souvenirs because we somehow still had food credits BRINGING FOOD IN: many people don’t realize you can bring a backpack with all your own food and drinks into the parks, just be prepared to lug it around all day, Jason carried a refillable water bottle that we filled at water fountains all over the parks while I lived my best fanny pack life, when I visited as a teen we had a cabin at Fort Wilderness where we brought groceries and cooked most meals MK Diamond Horseshoe – just don’t, apparently there aren’t any great options in MK EC Biergarten Restaurant – this place is putting on a really fun noisy German Oktoberfest style show while you dine, it was a huge buffet and I’m not a huge fan of any buffet that isn’t breakfast, but I did find plenty to eat and all the guys seemed to really like it here *AK Yak & Yeti – everyone should eat here, we all had great food and paid extra for more alcoholic beverages because they were on point *EC Tutto Italia – another restaurant that was worth every penny, I let the server choose everything for me and there weren’t any crumbs left on any plates, also very good drinks ST Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater – the atmosphere is fun, you sit in “cars” at a drive in movie that plays old cartoon clips, the food was tasty, lots of good burger and shake options *MK Be Our Guest – I am an overgrown child and somehow traded in some quick meal credits to get Jason and I into this place for breakfast before the park opened, you are in Beast’s castle and I had to talk a walk around all the super cool dining areas before choosing a seat, an attendant had to help us order our food at a kiosk before we were seated, everything comes out on carts and it was all really good, chugged mimosas AK Pongu Pongu – this was in the Avatar area, I think I had a bowl of noodles with meat in it, edible but not anything I’d want to eat again EC La Hadienda de San Angel – really large portions of Mexican food, I was so stuffed from drinking in AK all day that I wasted a lot of good food and refused the included dessert
>>Play
TICKETS: we had a 6-Day Ticket with Park Hopper Option – if you’re trying to do this as cheap as possible, you can go regular ticket option, but we enjoyed visiting multiple parks per day and having dinner reservations at any park FAST PASSES:if you’re staying at a Disney resort, use this! – book them 30 days in advance, this holds a spot in a shorter line for you to major rides, I’d recommend researching/knowing ahead of time what you want to do that typically has a wait and snag those ASAP, you have a 1 hour window to use that pass and they cannot overlap, you get 3 in whichever park you are visiting that day and once you use those you can search the app for more, confused yet? I was! But I did all this successfully lol. They just scan your Magic Band and let you in. EXTRA MAGIC HOURS/ROPE DROP: Disney resort guests get extra time in parks that others don’t so it tends to be a little less busy – plan to be waiting at the park for it to open to get in line for any major ride you didn’t get a fast pass for, we did this for the Avatar Banshee ride a few days before our fast pass and for Slinky Dog Dash, if you stay in the park until it’s closing you can sometimes hop on rides again with a shorter wait (think Big Thunder Mountain Railroad) SINGLE RIDER LINES: some rides have a single rider line that has little to no wait time, we rode Everest about 6-7 times in a row within an hour this way, this also got us on to Rock’n’Rollercoaster in about 20 minutes, you just might be sitting with strangers but who cares?
My Favorite Attractions (* = I recommend a Fast Pass) ANIMAL KINGDOM: *Kilimajaro Safari, Expedition Everest, Maharajah Jungle Trek, It’s Tough to be a Bug!, Tree of Life, *Avatar Flight of Passage, Primeval Whirl, Festival of the Lion King HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS (Galaxy’s Edge area wasn’t there yet): *Tower of Terror, Rock’n’Roller Coaster, *Slinky Dog Dash, Toy Story Mania, Frozen Sing-Along, Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage EPCOT: Mission Space (regular & intense options), *Soarin’ Around the World, Test Track, Frozen Ever After, Jeweled Dragon Acrobats – you can meet SO MANY characters at Epcot MAGIC KINGDOM: Under the Sea Journey of the Little Mermaid, Pirates of the Caribbean, Swiss Family Treehouse, Peter Pan’s Flight, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, *Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, *Splash Mountain, *Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, The Dapper Dans, Once Upon a Time (fireworks show), catch a parade that rolls through here too because it’s magic
Other Stuff Worth Mentioning – don’t try to wear cute shoes because you’re gonna walk til ya drop every day; bring a poncho (some rides will get ya wet); there are really great margaritas all over Animal Kingdom; there is NO ALCOHOL in Magic Kingdom; pineapple dole whip is only in MK and AK; your Magic Band pays for everything, gets you in lines, and is your hotel room key
Long story short, my husband (Jason) and I had not been on a vacation in 4 years because he was in graduate school. We were overdue and ready to jet off to pretty much anywhere at that point. Our requirements? Flying, good food, and not needing to rent a car. This landed us in Charleston.
>>Getting Around
DASH Trolley is a free hop on-hop off shuttle – it had a stop near the main entrance to our hotel Holy Spokes Charleston bike share – cute little blue bike stations you see all around the peninsula, there is a fee and we mostly walked
>>Stay
Meeting Street Inn – I would 100% stay here again. The location was fantastic. We walked EVERYWHERE on this trip and used the free DASH system (there is a stop very near the hotel entrance) when our feet hurt. The free breakfast was great and they offer a complimentary wine and cheese social every afternoon (we missed it most days because we were out and about).
>>Eat
Toast – our room wasn’t ready upon arrival so we asked where to grab the nearest beer Sticky Fingers – probably the only place I wouldn’t return to, wasn’t bad but least impressive of all our amazing meals Normandy Farm Artisan Bakery – enjoyed breakfast here Blind Tiger – great beer selection, menu all looked good, shared nachos for lunch Pancito & Lefty – unique & fresh margaritas and tacos, we walked for for this one Carmella’s – drunken milkshakes! *Poogan’s Smokehouse – the only place we ate at twice because it was THAT GOOD Cane Rhum Bar – more delicious adult beverages Closed for Business – great selection of beer on tap Poogan’s Porch – scored a brunch reservation Macintosh – another brunch reservation, this was obviously the weekend lol Kudu – chill place with a nice patio to enjoy coffee and beer on tap Minero – margs & Mexican food, we chased the happy hours *Bar at Husk – we couldn’t get a reservation inside, but the fried chicken & burger (I know, I know… just trust me) on the patio at the bar were amazing *167 Raw – HOLY GUACAMOLE I’m so glad I dragged Jason here on our last day!
>>Play
*Carriage Tour – we did this a few days in and it was fun, I recommend doing this first to get the lay of the land a bit before you venture out
Old Exchange & ProvostDungeon – if anyone doesn’t know, Charleston is really full of history, especially from the Civil War Tavern Wine & Spirits – poked our heads into the oldest liquor store in the US Market – right by our hotel, fun eats and shopping, bands played at night Waterfront Park – nice stroll by the marsh/water, sight of popular pineapple fountain Powder Magazine – didn’t pay to go inside, it’s small but probably neat American Theater – as seen in The Notebook, I just wanted a pic in front of it *Spoleto Festival – we had no idea a huge arts festival was going on when we booked this, but there was a huge art market at Marion Square plus lots of performing arts and concerts going on around town, we were too tired to go see the festival closing featuring The Revivalists and fireworks at a plantation but I’m still kicking myself over missing this Waring Historal Library – medical museum of sorts, caught my eye for Jason, it was small but BEAUTIFUL and packed full of interesting things *The Battery/White Point Garden – beautiful place to aimlessly stroll, the homes are obscenely gorgeous *Fort Sumpter/Ferry Ride – where the first shots were fired during the Civil War, there are still artillery shells in the walls, there is a whole museum INSIDE so don’t waste all your time outside like we almost did, the view of Charleston and all the church steeples from the ferry ride is great Haunted Jail Tour – we did the latest time possible and even though I didn’t experience any paranormal activity, this was a very interesting tour *Churches/Cemeteries – if you walk by a church see if the door is unlocked and go inside, we saw some incredibly gorgeous churches and the cemeteries are more like gardens Other Stuff – rainbow row in some colorful houses that are popular in photos, there are little alleys and cobblestones streets all throughout the peninsula, King St had a day where the street closed and the shopping took over, the window boxes of flowers and colorful doors kept my attention and we enjoyed walking around taking it all in
BUTTERBEER – there are carts selling butterbeer in the middle of the “streets” of both Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade that generally have the regular chilled version or the frozen version, Leaky Cauldron and Three Broomsticks restaurants also serve it both those ways and hot, Hopping Pot served it all 3 ways, only the above mentioned ice cream shop has the soft serve version, HOT was my favorite of the 4 ways to try it
Breauxs Geaux 