I really enjoy visiting New York City to experience Christmas in the city.  I only travel to New York on the Amtrak train, it’s a great way to travel.  It’s so easy to drive to the BWI airport – just 20 minutes from Annapolis and parking costs $9 per day. They have very convenient parking and the terminal is small and very easy to navigate.

Here are a few tips I have learned from taking the train over 40 years…

1.  Bring a special snack – if not they have better snacks in the cafe car than they used to.

2.  Coach tickets are not reserved so be prepared to split up if you travel during peak times.  I went to NYC in early Dec once and had no problem finding seats, this week we had to split up and move around as people got off.

3.  On that note, pay attention at train station in NYC because they announce the track at the last minute and if you get on early you can have your pick of seats

4.  I actually like the cafe car – especially for families.  You can play games, eat snacks – altogether in one place.

5.  Bring a charger in your carry on – nowadays there are outlets at most every seat.

6.  Dress in layers – going to NYC the train was really hot, coming back it was much cooler.

Happy travels!!

 

 

I have been to New York City many times, and even lived here a short while.  I have never seen such crowds, as I did this week.  We arrived on Monday the 26th and stay until the 29th.  I purposely chose to leave before New Year’s because you couldn’t pay me to go to Times Square then.  Well, I would go if I were in a suite overlooking the chaos and ordered room service for days!

Everywhere we have gone, there have been massive crowds and hours waiting in lines.  I can’t stand too long due to a back injury.  We ended up forgoing several major attractions because of the crowds.

I do have to say that one of my favorite experiences was the lunch at Han Palace Seafood Restaurant (formerly Golden Sand) in Chinatown today.   There were no crowds of tourists – no line to get in – just a suitable crowd of locals who know good Chinese food!  Food and drink was served within minutes of entering the place and my husband (a foodie) was in heaven.

They came around several times offering us various Chinese (real Chinese) – such as dumplings, bok choy with garlic sauce, pork buns and some other delicious pork dish we couldn’t audibly understand.  There were only 3 non-Chinese tables and the staff hardly spoke a lick of English.  We will definitely be back!

So if you’re going to New York City during the holiday season – think outside the box or schedule your activities before the insanity begins.

P.S. I was told to go to the American Girl store when it opens at 9!

It was an easy taxi ride ($11) from Penn Station to the W Hotel on Lexington Avenue in New York City.  The hotel is very centrally located to Central Park, Times Square, Radio City and many other attractions.  I am visiting with my husband and 5-year old daughter.   I booked a Fantastic Suite on the Starwood website – at a special pre-paid SPG rate.  It was a little expensive but every hotel is expensive during the week of Christmas in NYC.

We arrived at 1 and despite a 3pm check-in we were allowed to check-in.  This property did not have an SPG preferred check-in line so we had to wait. That was disappointing because expedited check-in is one of best benefits of hotel status.  We were offered a late check- out so that was helpful.

My daughter enjoyed the fireplace in the cool lobby.  There is a lobby bar and restaurant where you can grab a bite or just relax after a day in the city.

Our room is situated on the 6th floor – in a mostly quiet corner. The room reminds me of one we stayed in at the Aloft at Arundel Mills. It is fairly spacious (especially for NYC) Suite with a small queen bedroom (who needs room to sleep?), fairly spacious ensuite bathroom and a nice size living room/office. The decor is modern and hip. There’s a large sofa bed perfect for kids or another couple, as well as a decent size flat screen TV, free bottled water for SPG members, dual thermostats, snacks for purchase and a nice desk.

The W New York is a nice place to stay, whether it’s for a family getaway, romantic trip or on business.  It has a little something for everyone.  Don’t forget – Starwood and Mariott Hotels have merged so you get more options and benefits now.

I often write that you don’t need to go far to “get away”.  My hometown of Annapolis is featured in Travel & Leisure’s “America’s Best Towns for the Holidays” – very cool.  I couldn’t agree more.  The article mentions many holiday events such as midnight madness and the Eastport Yacht Club Lights Parade – but they also forgot the Annapolis Towne Center Tree lighting (childrens’ chorales singing and an appearance by Santa Clause); the holiday market (First Sunday on West Street) and the Santa Speedo Run; to name a few.  If you’re looking for a great holiday weekend getaway – look no further than the quaint capital of Maryland.

There are also some other great places to consider for your holiday getaway – including Portsmouth, NH, Myrtle Beach and several ski resort towns that will offer that white Christmas kids dream of.  It’s no surprise that number one on the list is Vail, Colorado with it’s picturesque, quaint charm and luxurious vibe all wrapped into one perfect gift.

One of my favorite towns for the holidays is New Hope, PA.  They have tons of quaint little shops, some great restaurants and beautiful bed and breakfasts tucked along the Delaware River.  You can even watch a reenactment of George Washington crossing the Delaware River on Christmas Day!

So what are you waiting for?  Get out this holiday season for an unforgettable holiday weekend.

Our road trip to Florida (to fly to Cuba) was passed with the longest time in Orlando.  I can tell you honestly that my 5-year old and I have been there on three occasions and we have yet to visit one of the amusement parks.   We find so many fun things to do that the days pass so quickly.

At Windsor Hills Resort (where we have a condo) there are so many things to do.  We play tennis, watch movies in the theater, play for hours in the pool (and waterslide), soak in the jacuzzi and take walks around the neighborhood.

Our favorite off-site activity is the Orlando Science Center.  If you go twice, it’s worth it to join as an annual member.  They have so many interactive activities like wind tunnel experiments with whirly birds, hurricane simulators and so much more.  Ellie loves it!

We also recently bought a membership to the Crayola Experience at the Florida Mall.  It was $29.99 for an annual pass and Ellie loves it as well.  There are so many art projects to make.  If you go during a slow time as we did, they let us make as many as we wanted.  We melted crayons into shapes, made things out of modeling clay and Ellie didn’t want to stop playing on the indoor play area.  It’s a great indoor activity for rainy times in Orlando (quite often).  The Florida Mall is also a very nice mall with a very good food court and lots of great shopping.

So next time you are in Orlando, think outside the Disney Box.  Oh I forgot – we have Disney stock – so try something different, as well as, Disney 😉.

WE MADE IT TO FLORIDA!

We had a good stay at the St. Augustine Doubletree.  As a Hilton Diamond member (another good reason to get status) we got a free breakfast buffet.  They were so great to make us up a bag of breakfast foods to go and we ate it on the tour.  The hotel recommended the Ripley’s Red Train Tour and within two minutes a shuttle driver picked us up and took us to the depot.  The tour is $20.99 for adults and $8.99 for children 5-11.  If you buy a combination ticket with Ripley’s and/or mini-golf it’s cheaper.   I bought a combo for all three and they threw in Ellie’s tickets for all three free.  IF I HAD TO DO OVER, I would have booked their competitor, Old Town trolley Tours (sometimes I had to wait 30 min for a trolley 😟with Ripley’s Red Train).

It’s about a 90-minute tour of the old town area (SO BEAUTIFUL) and you can hop on and off as you please.  That’s perfect – especially with a child.  We got off at the marina to play mini-golf.  It was really hot so we kinda pushed through.  I would recommend playing in the evening – it’s a great spot by the water.

We got back on and rode to the Castillo San Marcos, a national park situated along the waterfront as well.  It’s a beautiful vista from the top and I think a must-see on your next visit.  There is a public parking lot in front for $1.50 and hour but spots are sometimes hard to come by.  We got in the castle with our national park pass (if you are military you can get a free 1 year pass to all national parks).

Did you know that if you have a 4th grader you can get in free as well!  This year there’s a special program for the 2015-2016 school year called “Every Kid in a Park“.  It’s an initiative by the National Park Service to give all 4th graders and their families free admission to all fee collecting parks, lands and waters.  PRETTY COOL!  If you don’t fit one of these “categories” the entry fee is $10 for everyone 16 and over, everyone 15 or under is free.

We had a nice tour of the castle then grabbed the train to Ripley’s Believe it or Not (it didn’t actually stop there but we jumped off at light).  We weren’t in there 2 minutes when Ellie freaked out – she hated it.  A worker walked us through the shortest way and refunded our money (that was nice).  Maybe it’s not good for small children.

We had a big morning and decided to grab some pizza for the drive to Orlando.  It was getting late in the afternoon and I thought traffic might be bad – I was right.  There was an accident on I-4 and what should have taken us little over 2 hours took 3 😳.  To get to the resort area you go through the downtown area – avoid it at all costs during rush hour.

We stayed at the Windsor Hills Resort in Kissimmee – 2 miles from Magic Kingdom.  I HIGHLY recommend this Resort because it has it all and it is a nice break from the craziness of staying on property at Disney.  You can also get good deals – about $100 a night for 3 bedroom, 2 bath condo.  The resort has tennis, large pool, jacuzzi, waterslide, movie theater, game room, volleyball, basketball, playgrounds, and a great workout room.  The best part is that it’s all enclosed with a guarded gate.  FULL DISCLOSURE – we own a condo here, so if you want to rent a place here let us know!

Slept like a baby…

 

 

 

 

 

We had planned to head right from Tybee Island to Savannah in the morning but we stayed for a couple more hours on the beach.  It really is lovely there and the new friends we made were staying until 11, so we did as well.  We even found a couple of sand dollars – I’m told that some days they are all over the beach (I’ve never found a sand dollar!).

After a lovely morning we headed on a nice, easy drive for 20 or so miles to Savannah.  Travel & Leisure recently rated Savannah top city in the country so I knew I had to see it for myself.  I found several garages full but with iPhones it’s always easy to find parking.  We parked just a block off Bay – the road that is right before the riverfront area.  It’s a great central location for touring many areas of the city.

We were starving and asked some locals which place was not so touristy (I know we were in the tourist area 😳).  We were told Dockside has some really good seafood and they were right.  I had a really good grilled mahi mahi.  We sat right along the river and watch a gigantic cargo ship go by.  We then ran into the Christmas shop nearby to buy tickets for the hop on, hop off trolley tour ($28.80 for adults and $11.25 kids 4-12 if you buy online) and you can actually get it $2 cheaper there.  These types of tours are always my favorite because if you decide you want to see something or need something (bathroom, food) just get off, then get back on when you want.

Ellie was bored almost immediately and I KNOW better (so many tours abroad) that I usually bring my iPad and headset to keep her occupied.  I gave her my cell instead (thank goodness for iphones).  The tour was about 90 minutes and I really learned a lot.  Did you know that Savannah was built with 24 squares and still had 22 of them?  They remind me of Europe.

On the tour we went by Leopold’s Ice Cream and were told it was THE PLACE for ice cream.  We finished the tour then took a pedicab for a few minutes (really my favorite way to get around because so personal).  Our driver took us to Leopold’s where there was a line out the door (and that was a slow time).  Leopold’s is a family institution that’s been selling ice cream since 1919.  The service is great and the ice cream amazing!! They even have flavors like lavender.  We met the owner (Stratton Leopold) who is a fascinating man – he’s a movie producer and has so many credits to his name.  There is movie memorabilia from films all around the shop.  REALLY neat experience all around.  He is really hands on – bussing tables and chatting up guests.  Would love to go back and have a long chat sometime – sure he has fascinating stories to tell!

We got in the car just as rush hour hit (5ish) so it took a little while to get out to 95 and we headed to Florida!  Plan was to head to Orlando but we were both so beat that we decided to spend night in St. Augustine.  I’ve never been and heard great things.  It was almost 8 so I just booked us into the Hilton Doubletree and walked next door to Raintree – a local favorite.  OH MY GOSH, I am not a big meat fan but the blue cheese crusted filet was to die for!  The meat melted in my mouth, it was incredible.  It’s a really cute place with indoor and outdoor dining and lots of little lights.  We sat in the bar area (also nice) so as not to disturb anyone’s romantic evening.

Wow, what a day! I’m going to need a vacation after this trip … 😳

Well, one of the beautiful things about just going and having no plan is the pleasant surprises you could find.  That happened today.  We left SC this morning expecting to spend the day in Savannah, then driving through to Orlando to spend the night.  It turned out to be such a beautiful day that I decided to make a beeline for a beach.  I’ve heard great things about Tybee Island but have never been anywhere around these parts.  It’s a small beach town, with several restaurants and bars – and a few tourist shops.  It’s very quaint and I think they want to keep it that way.

We pulled into town starving so we grabbed a bite at Spanky’s.  There is a nice public parking lot right next to the pier and beach – $2/hour for prepay tickets.  We ran in to Spanky’s as it was right there (I wanted on the beach dining but there isn’t any).  It wasn’t bad and moderately priced.  They have a specialty – basically fried sliced potatoes (breaded).  I didn’t have any as I am watching the gluten but there seem to be a lot of happy diners and for being off season, they had a decent crowd.

I asked for a hotel recommendation – hotels.com gave me several options at a reasonable price (most on or under $100/night).  It is off season and a weekday so the Hotel Tybee was available for $84.  Even though I booked an inside room, the lady at the desk nicely offered me an ocean view king.  The hotel seems a little need of renovation but they have done a nice job of updating decor and keeping it very clean.

We walked right out onto the beach and made friends with a family from Atlanta.  It was a gorgeous day, the water was perfect (one or two rather rough waves) and perfect for boogie boarding.  They have chairs and umbrellas for rent right on the beach.  We were perfectly content playing in the temperate water for hours.

Our new friends (Natalya and Bobby – and family) invited us to tag along for dinner at Sting Ray’s.   The adults each got the steamed platter – a large platter of shrimp, clams, mussels, crab legs, crawdads, corn, potatoes and sausage! WOW – each one was plenty for two.  We took a short stroll up a couple of blocks to the ice cream and candy shop Seaside Sweets.  They have their ice cream made fresh by a chef but they were running out.  Ellie and I had a delicious banana fudge chunk.  Reminds me of a chocolate banana – banana chunks and large pieces of chocolate- YUM!

We walked back to our hotel where Ellie and I went for a walk on the beach.  It was a perfect night and a walk out to the end of the pier was a perfect ending to the day.  There were people taking romantic strolls and even people fishing in the dark.  Ellie’s down hard now – a day at the beach will do it every time.

Good night y’all.  Next time you need a little beach getaway think about Tybee Island, you won’t be disappointed.

I am really pleasantly surprised (bad pun) about my decision to stay in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.  It’s been many, many years since I was last in the Charleston area.  Mount Pleasant is really a great little area with everything and “my Airbnb home” is 2 seconds off Route 17 but also very quiet.  It’s a beautiful ride over the Arthur Ravenel Bridge and only minutes into the historic area of Charleston.  (You can actually walk or bike across the beautiful structure).

Today there was a forecast of bad weather so we chose to do indoor activities for most of the day.  We headed over to Sullivan’s Island because our host said it was a must do for a visitor.  The rain held off while we meandered through Fort Moultrie, a fort from the 1700’s turned into a national park.  Don’t forget it’s the centennial celebration for our national parks – AND IF YOU ARE MILITARY – you get a year long pass into every national park.  We had a nice homeschool field trip and I learned something myself as usual.

The fort has a free movie every hour – we lasted about 10 minutes before Ellie exclaimed her boredom.  We left and perused the small gift shop where Ellie surprised me by asking for a book about the Civil War and one other – two nice books that are both fun and educational.

We drove a short distance to the South Carolina Aquarium, situated along the waterfront in downtown Charleston.  Parking is easy with a large parking garage across the street that charges 1$/30 minutes.   We passed the hours (for $24.95 adults/$17.95 kids) learning all about native sea life and what we can do to help the environment.

We splurged on the Turtle Hospital Excursion – $15 adults/$10 children.  For me it’s definitely worth the extra cost – the proceeds goes toward helping rehabilitate injured sea life.  They take you into the basement where they have a hospital for turtles and give the group an up-close behind-the-scenes tour (at least 30 min).  We were not allowed to touch the animals but it was still pretty cool.  They teach you all about why the turtles end up there – usually fishing lines or boats (humans).  Several of the turtles also had cataracts – who knew?

We really enjoyed the aquarium, it’s not large by any means but they do a good job nevertheless.  People walked around with snakes and tortoises – to touch and ask questions.  Ellie loved the actual touch area where they have rays, crabs, starfish and dogfish that you can touch.  She even got to feed them with lucky timing.

 

I would recommend bringing your own food, they have a poor selection of anything nutritious – mostly junk food. I would also recommend making a day of it and walking next door to the Fort Sumter Monument (and ferry to the island – allow at least 3 hours for that).

So next time you’re in the Charleston area – stop by the aquarium – you’ll be doing yourself and the world a favor!