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My Review of the W Hotel New York City (Christmas Holiday)

December 26, 2016 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

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Check-in at W New York City

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.

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Relaxing by the fire at the W New York City

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.

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Bathroom at W New York

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.

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Bedroom of Fantastic Suite at W New York

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View from our room at the W New York City

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Fantastic Suite (Living Room) at W New York

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.

Filed Under: Travel Tips, United States

Listening to State Department Travel Warnings

December 20, 2016 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

I wrote recently about the US State Department’s Travel Advisories and Warnings.  State has been warning US travelers to avoid markets, festivals and large group events in Europe over the holiday season.

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In case you have been under a rock or just avoiding the barrage of bad news – there was a horrific attack on a Christmas market in Berlin on Monday.

I will continue to travel, as should you, but do heed the warnings because they are based on valuable information.

Filed Under: Europe, Travel Tips

America’s Best Towns for the Holidays (Annapolis is #15)

November 16, 2016 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

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.

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Homestead Gardens Holiday Display

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!

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Gingerbread House Display in Peddler’s Village, Bucks County, PA

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

Filed Under: Travel Tips, United States

Travel Tips for Cuba (Part 3)

November 15, 2016 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

I recently spent a couple of weeks in Cuba and learned a lot.  Here is the 3rd part of my best travel tips for your trip to Cuba!

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My adopted Cuban family

1.  I cannot emphasize this enough – bring a bunch of tissue packs for the bathroom.  There were so many bathrooms without toilet paper!  I would also say hit the disposable wipes and hand sanitizer aisle while you are at it.  Just be sure to carry them in your bag or in your pocket!

2.  You may want to rent a car if you plan on moving around the country a lot.  Taxis are expensive and public transportation doesn’t often run between routes.  I was told the average rental is about $80 a day.  JUST BE WARNED – THE ROADS ARE TERRRIBLE (filled with big potholes).

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Watch out for young drivers

3.  Learn some Spanish.  I believe one of the reasons we had such a great time and really immersed ourselves was the ability to speak Spanish.  I chose to speak Spanish every possible moment and it really improved over the trip.

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Living the Cuban way

4.  Get to know the people – stay in a casa particulare and have meals with them – every family I stayed with was great!!!

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My Cuban hosts in Santa Clara – Casa Azul

5.  Bring bug spray. They said no mosquitos – we got eaten alive in Vinales and it wasn’t dusk yet.  Also bring sunblock – it’s very expensive.

6.  Bring an umbrella – you will look like a local as they use them for sun. If by chance it rains (one day lots) you will have it for that as well. We did have one house that provided umbrellas in our room.

7.  Bring a bunch of snacks from home – I found it very helpful in car and bus rides.  My favorite is KIND bars – they are a perfect meal replacement in a pinch.  There are no healthy snacks to be found in Cuba (except fruit and you have to be careful with that and your stomach).

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My favorite snack for travel

8.  Phone

I have an iPhone with AT&T.  As I do before all my international trips I called AT&T and bought an international plan with phone and text. For the first week it didn’t work – email and text fine – but no phone. I called from a landline in Cuba and was told no service in Cuba. A couple of days later – got text saying welcome.  Called husband and worked 😳.  Worked for latter part of trip.   I called AT&T to complain and they said they can’t be responsible for reliability of service – a Cuban carrier – Cubacel.  Maybe will work for you.  **Remember to the turn phone of/on again when traveling. Helps to reset the phone to international service.  Always bring the NON-TOLL-FREE number of your carrier in case you need to call for support.

9.  Speaking of non-toll-free, if you intend to call any such numbers in the US – they don’t work from Cuba.

So have fun and get to Cuba before it changes!

Filed Under: Caribbean, Travel Tips

Travel Tips for Cuba (Part 2)

November 13, 2016 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

I recently spent almost three weeks in Cuba with my 5-year old daughter.  I learned a lot and hope that I can help you with some great travel tips for your trip to Cuba.

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Che is everywhere

Here’s part 2 of my tips…

1.  Take some little gifts from your city/country as a thank you for kind guestures by the locals.  (That’s a must pack for all my travels.)

2.  Take a pedicab tour – it’s a great way to see the towns of Cuba.

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Bici-taxi tour of Cienfuegos

3.  Visit Cienfuego, Trinidad, Cayo Santa Maria and Vinales.  Plan at least 2 weeks in Cuba if you want to see some different places.  Havana is fun and interesting but I find the people in the smaller towns much more open and friendly.

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Cayo Santa Maria with Laurie & Ellie

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Cienfuegos from the porch of our Airbnb

4.  Buy a bunch of internet cards if you plan on being online.  Internet is pretty hard to find.  You can usually only find it in town squares (plazas) and some hotel lobbies.  You must buy an internet card for 2 cuc/1 hour from their stores or 3 cuc from resellers in town squares.  Also, hotels will sell them but may charge much more or require a purchase (a drink, for example).

5.  There isn’t much A/C in public places BUT on the tour bus and in two taxis the A/C was blasting so I would definitely take a sweater.

6.  Cuba is very hot and humid – don’t go in July or August unless you love extreme heat.  Oct was a good time for coastal towns but can still be quite warm during the day (nights usually very nice in coastal towns). My daughter cried in Santa Clara because it was so hot.

7.  Keep your passport and visa at the ready when traveling town to town – we stopped to show documents to some police.

8.  Try some street food. Bocadillas are great little sandwiches (with fresh pork).  Always ask how much – they shouldn’t be more than a a cuc or 2 for two sandwiches.

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Eating at the market stall in Santa Clara

9.  Know that there are good doctors in Cuba – 20 percent of the population has an M.D.  We know first hand as we went to the hospital in Havana.

10.  Ask for a price in advance for taxis, bicitaxi, etc.

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The local transportation in Santa Clara

11. Take a ride in an old car – they say 60% of their cars are historic.  They have some incredible convertibles in Havana.

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Historic car

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Great car in Santa Clara, Cuba

Stay tuned for part 3 of travel tips to Cuba!

 

Filed Under: Caribbean, Travel Tips

Travel Tips for Cuba (Part 1)

November 12, 2016 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

Cuba

Travel Tips (Part 1)

1. Take enough cash
No one takes American credit and the US banks do not allow withdraws from ATM’s in Cuba.  If you are not American check with your bank to see if your cards will work in Cuba.  Even so, be aware that there aren’t many ATM’s.  Current financial regulations make it exceedingly difficult to have money sent from the US.

So how much money (effectivo in Spanish) should I take? I exchanged $800 at the airport and got 697cuc.

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Cuban Convertible Pesos

If you eat 3 meals day – plan 5 cuc for breakfast, 5-10 cuc for lunch, 10-20 cuc for dinner depending if drink for an average $35 US per day.  Casa Particulares (b and b’s) average 25 a night.  The cost of transportation and tours vary but keep in mind that taxi’s can be expensive.

2.  Book whatever you can online to save cash on hand.  You can book Airbnb’s in Cuba from the US.  I was unable to use Hotels.com to book or any other website for that matter.

Most people stay in casa particulares – which are rooms people rent out of their homes.  Most are very nice with modern amenities like A/C, private bath, fans, TV’s etc – be sure to read the listing before you book.

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Our Casa in Santa Clara

3.  If you want to stay at a resort or hotel book directly with a tourism office in Cuba (BUT YOU WILL HAVE TO PAY CASH).  My husband found rate of $300 online for an all inclusive which I booked with the tourism office for 110 cuc.   Like most places if you want good deal at the resort go in the off peak time.  October was a great time – our resort was practically deserted.  They said it packed over the holidays and much more expensive.

4.  You might need electrical adapters if you use 110v – houses usually 220 here but some houses had both for different guests.

5.  Taxis fairly expensive – in towns take bici-taxi (pedicab) or caballo taxi (horse pulling cart) – cheap and easy to find.

Try sharing a taxi – in some towns we are able to find someone who put people together (at travel agency office in Trinidad) then by luck in Los Cayos.  It really helps to split the cost on long drives (it was 8 hours by taxi from Los Cayos to Vinales and cost 250 cuc.

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Popular Mode of Transportation

6.  Inter-city transportation

Cuba does not have a rail system and does not have any good transportation system (save for a few busses).  Plan on hiring a private taxi.

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Taxi in Front of Santa Clara Airport

7.  Internet in Cuba

It’s very difficult to get online in Cuba.  They only recently got wi-if and it’s only offered in town squares and some hotels.  You must purchase internet cards for 2-3 cuc in towns and more for hotels.  I recommend buying several at one time as they can be hard to come by.

 

 

Filed Under: Caribbean, Cuba, Travel Tips

Traveling to Cuba – Departure at the Fort Lauderdale Airport

October 7, 2016 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

Well, Hurricane Matthew left Cuba (N/W where we are going) and Fort Lauderdale unscathed! We were delayed from 11 am to 2pm because the airport didn’t open until 11.  I wasn’t sure how much time would be needed to check-in with Jet Blue, get our visas and check bags.  Good thing I decided to give myself more time (arrived at airport 3.5 hours ahead).

There were two lines for check-in, one for US born and one for other.  I was excited to see only a couple of people in line but in fact it took almost an hour to get through!  They only had two terminals for checking in visas.  UGH!  Good thing we have TSA pre-check so after obtaining our visas we sped through security.

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Check-in for Santa Clara, Cuba

Oh and don’t forget to complete the necessary forms for your visa – I did mine but forgot my daughter’s.  The reason is that Jet Blue requires you to have a separate email assigned to her frequent flier number and I never use that email.  TIP – save time by completing your visa form online!

Once we were past security there was a good place to eat – Food Network Kitchen.  I got the black bean and rice burger platter and it was delicious.  Getting ready to board now.  Bidding you farewell and adios!

 

 

Filed Under: Caribbean, Travel Tips

Road Trip To Florida – Orlando (NO AMUSEMENT PARKS)

October 6, 2016 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

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.

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Water slide at Windsor Hills

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Game room at Windsor Hills

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.

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Pool at Windsor hills

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!

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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.

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Make a coloring page of yourself

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Doing a shadow dance at Crayola

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 😉.

Filed Under: Travel Tips, United States

Road Trip to Florida – Day 7 in St. Augustine, FL

October 1, 2016 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

WE MADE IT TO FLORIDA!

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Beautiful Flagler College

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).

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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.

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Mini golf by the marina

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.

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Castillo San Marcos

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Two great traveling nomads

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Beautiful view from top of Castillo San Marcos

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.

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Inside REALLY cool log home outside Ripley’s

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Log home outside Ripley’s

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.

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LIVE IT UP at our condo

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Relax poolside at Windsor hills

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Beautiful Florida

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…

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Travel Tips, United States

Road Trip to FL – Day 6 in Savannah

September 28, 2016 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

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!).

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Ellie boogie boarding in Tybee

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Riding the waves in Tybee

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Ellie and her new friend

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.

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Laurie & Ellie at Savannah’s Riverfront

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.

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On the trolley

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Ellie and the trolley

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.

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One of the 22 squares in Savannah

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!

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Leopold’s famous ice cream in Savannah

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Chatting with Leopold’s Owner

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Ellie having fun with mommy

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.

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Delicious dinner at Raintree

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DInner with my girl at Raintree

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

Filed Under: Travel Tips, United States

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