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!

 

This morning we left Virginia Beach and headed to Charleston.  It was about 7 hours direct but we made two stops.  First we stopped at Fuller’s – a very popular barbecue buffet restaurant in Fayetteville, NC.  It was almost exactly half way through and perfectly timed for lunch!  I got the buffet (was a tough call with choice of either ordering a la carte or the buffet for only $8) – crazy deal.  I had a really nice mix of some local favorites like ribs, pulled pork and okra.  Despite being off of a buffet and for only 8 bucks, it was pretty good.   There are Fuller’s in other locations as well and it’s an easy stopping point off of 95 (beats any fast food and it was quite fast).

 

 

Then my daughter and I proceeded to do the tacky tourist stop at South of the Border.  I know, really cheesy but I HAD TO.  We grabbed a quick yogurt shake and a bathroom break and got back on the road in no time.  Even with the stops we made it to Mount Pleasant (Charleston, SC) in less than 8 hours from the Norfolk area.  The speed limit is 70 some of the way and traffic was pretty good.

We found an Airbnb in Point Pleasant and it turned out to be very centrally located.  It’s a nice little condo with our own room and bath – and a very nice and accomodating hostess.  There’s even a pool and tennis – not bad for $49 a night!

We unpacked and headed into the historic area of Charleston to enjoy a beautiful evening.  We took a pedicab for a nice ride around the waterfront area – I love them because you can really see the area at a nice leisurely pace.  We then walked along the waterfront and played at the playground (really nice area with tennis, basketball, baseball and playgrounds).  We swung on big porch swings and watched the sky turn dark.  My daughter splashed around in the fountain (YOU CAN SWIM IN THE FOUNTAINS – there is even a sign that says no lifeguard on duty -LOL!).

Feeling famished we walked by Fleet Landing and managed to get a table out on the waterside deck.   I had a scrumptious low country boil (shrimp, potatoes, sausage, corn) for a good price and had great service.  The only was the mosquitos were enjoying my ankles for dinner.  (IF YOU GO, BRING A LITTLE BUG SPRAY in case).

We did one more spin of the town on the pedicab – cities like Charleston are so pretty at night!  Ellie’s down hard in our home away from home…night y’all.

Today my daughter (5) and I set off in our VW convertible for a road trip from Annapolis, Maryland to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  We have until October 5th to meander down the coast.  We have made no plans in advance and are taking the trip almost one day at a time.

 

This morning I decided to spend the weekend in Virginia Beach.  It’s a great time to be there.  It’s only 4 hours from Annapolis and if you take Route 13 – it’s a beautiful ride most of the way.  We stopped on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel to snap some photos and check in with the fishermen.  Ellie loves stopping there.  They have a cute little restaurant with great views of the Bay if you have time – we didn’t stay very long.

I know not everyone can do this – but we are retired military – so we were able to book a room at the Navy Lodge Little Creek/Fort Story, VA.  It’s 2 minutes off the bridge and has everything.  We checked in to a very nice room for $55 a night (all the hotels on beach were almost $200/night).  We drove down the street to the base beach.  It’s a nice beach with picnic tables and porta-pots and plenty of FREE parking.  We met several families and Ellie played for a couple of hours.

For dinner, I decided to just drive and find shopping centers with restaurants.  I found a packed parking lot – sign of a good place.  We had stumbled upon New River Taphouse on Pleasure House Road and the menu looked VERY appetizing.  They have pizza, burgers and some really great entrees like “Dueling Filet Mignons for $20”. I decided upon a classic – shrimp and grits.  I worked in New Orleans for a while and this was the best I have ever had! WOW!   The restaurant also has a nice patio and my daughter was very content to play on the kids menu and order from the kid’s menu.

Quite a day! If you are looking for a nice weekend getaway, look no further than the Virginia Beach area.

Stay tuned for more adventures with Laurie & Ellie…

 

Alaska Airlines is having a sale on new routes from the west coast to Newark, NJ (EWR) and NYC (JFK).  These nonstop flights allow you to travel during the day and still have time for fun.  Sample fare – Portland to Newark for $119 one-way, taxes included.

Hurry because the sale ends today!

 

I have lived in Annapolis, Maryland about 20 years and I think it’s one of the greatest places in the world.  It has something for everyone – especially in summer.  With Memorial Day just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to plan a trip to the Capital of Maryland.

Annapolis is geographically convenient for many modes of travel.  It is easily driveable and is within a day trip drive of several states.  You can fly into one of three airports – Baltimore-Washington International being the easiest and closest, followed by Reagan National and Dulles.  You could also arrive by boat as Naptown (as we locals refer to Annapolis) is perfectly surrounded by the Chesapeake Bay.

Anyway you get here – just get here.  The weather tends to be warm and sunny – prefect for a tour by water on Watermark Cruises or by pirate ship with Pirate Adventures of the Chesapeake.   If you’ve always wanted to learn to sail, look no further than Annapolis Sailing School or J World.  Or you can enjoy a free show of amazing color as jibs fly in the breeze during Wednesday night races.

The United States Naval Academy is a must-see.  The visitor center offers a free mini-film about the academy that is quite good.  You can walk around the Naval Academy “yard” as it is called as long as you have a valid ID.  There are some good tours but I also recommend taking a long stroll along the sea wall – great for exercise and enjoying a view of the Chesapeake Bay/Severn River.   There are also naval parades often which are open to the public.  Don’t forget to see the crypt of John Paul Jones – the ‘father of our navy’.

City dock has much to offer with free outdoor concerts, delectable restaurants of all kinds and some good shopping.  Don’t forget Maryland Avenue, an historic street with many places to enjoy.

In case you didn’t know, Annapolis was the Capital of the United States at one time and is where George Washington resigned his commission.  You can enter the Maryland State House free of charge, just don’t forget a valid ID.  It really is a beautiful building and in fact it is the oldest one in the country in continuous legislative use.

While you are there walk along the beautiful campus of St. John’s College – a tiny but beautiful institution founded in 1696 as King William’s School.

If you’re looking for nightlife there is Ram’s Head (one of my favorite places with a great happy hour and lovely garden) with famous headliners and so many good local artists at bars and restaurants around town.   There are also outdoor concerts 5 days a week at beautiful venues like Quiet Waters Park and City Dock.  The Friday night series at Annapolis Towne Center is one of my favorites!

If you like festivals you’re in luck! Annapolis is jam-packed with festivals and events.  Just to name a few – First Sundays on West Street,  Irish Festival at the Fairgrounds, Eastport-a-Rockin, (A GREAT) Fourth of July Parade and Fireworks, Maryland Avenue Festivals and so much more!

Throw in one of the best malls in the state; lots of museums; great parks; beaches; great hotels, B&B’s and houses in which to stay – and a proximity to Baltimore and Washington, DC – WHAT MORE COULD YOU ASK FOR IN A DESTINATION?

 

 

This past week I had my first experience staying at a Great Wolf Lodge.  It’s been on my bucket list for a while and I thought with the recent non-stop rain that my four year old and I needed a pick me up.  I considered both the Williamsburg and Poconos locations but went with PA because of its proximity to my mother’s house – a stop on the way home.

The GPS said 3.5 hours and it turned out to be a good trip as we left Annapolis at 1pm and avoided any traffic.   I didn’t realize that it’s right next to Camelback Ski Resort – something good to know if we ever want to come in winter.  That could be a good combo – ski in the cold air then warm up in the waterpark!

I had a little difficulty booking our stay.  I checked their site and they offer a heroes rate – for military, police, etc.  I tried to book a room for 4 nights but it gave me an error message.  I tried calling the 1-800 number and they said the same thing but that I should try calling the property directly as it was the same day I wanted to check in.  ALWAYS call the property directly because hotels will generally give you a better rate if there are unsold rooms.  I left three messages with the reservation manager and she never returned any of them.  I finally got a hold of SOMEBODY and they said just come to the front desk.  I also mentioned that I was considering a stay at the Kalahari down the street and they offered me a good rate.

We arrived at Great Wolf, Scotrun after much anticipation.  I approached reception with some frustration and informed them of my unreturned calls.  The font desk manager was fantastic!  She apologized profusely and speedily checked us in at the “heroes rate” for 4 nights in a 5-person room.  We were happy to oblige.   She also threw in a “wolf pass” – a very cool package that combines all different activities such as MagicQuest (a cool game where you get a magic wand and run around solving riddles no finding “treasure”), bowling, glow-in-the-dark mini-golf, free items in store, arcade money, etc.  IT’S REALLY a cool thing to get!  That really made our trip MUCH more fun.

Our room was very spacious with a queen bed, pull-out sofa, a TV, gas fireplace, mini frig and balcony.  The “kids area” had bunk beds for 3 kids and a TV all set into a little cabin area – Ellie loved to hang out there.  It’s almost a reason to travel with more kids 😳.  The bed was very comfortable and there was plenty of room for me to do yoga.   I only had two complaints – the maid woke us up one day because she didn’t see the ‘DO NOT DISTURB’ sign and the phone didn’t work.  That was really frustrating as I tried to call the front desk several times for important things.  Every time I ended up having to walk down to the front desk and ask for help.  I was so frustrated once that I got on my cell phone and tried looking up the front desk number.  Only thing I could connect with was the 1-800 number and they would NOT give me the direct hotel phone number without my reservation number which I didn’t have.  Are the employees all in witness protection or something?

Other than all that stress I was quite impressed with the overall property.  The manager who checked me in personally emailed me to ensure that we were having fun and continually asked us as we walked by the desk.  They have activities like a dance party, story time by the fireplace and an animated show.

The waterpark is the largest in North America.  I’d like to visit the biggest in South America 😎.  They have: an area for small children with some “baby slides”, a wave pool that my daughter loved, 6 watersides I think, a hot tub for families, a hot tub for adults only, a lazy river, a complex of water guns and waterworks,  an obstacle course and a pool.  The hard part was always finding a chair as everyone plops down towels and never sits.

The food wasn’t bad.  I was very “smart” and brought a few things from home so we only really ate dinner ‘out’.  You’re not allowed to bring coolers into the waterpark but you can bring food in – so either bring stuff that doesn’t need to be in a cooler or run back to your room and eat.  Of course there are a couple of restaurants – casual cafes – in which you can eat at a FAIRLY reasonable price.  I had a salad that was pretty good and big enough to split over 2 lunches.  One night we went out into town to eat and the other three nights we ate at the buffet which was pretty good and totaled $28 for both of us for dinner.  It was all-you-can-eat and they are good about letting you take items out – each time I took an apple and an orange for the next morning and I asked for an iced tea to go.  There is also a Starbucks in the hotel lobby if you need a fix.

I worked out in the gym a couple of times – it’s a little sad with just two elliptical, two treadmills and one machine.  Since it was rainy it was a good way to get a little more exercise – beside the stairclimbing for the water slides!  They have a TV so my daughter occupied herself at least.

With her “wolf pass” she played mini-golf and bowled (duck pin).  I think her favorite was making a stuffed animal (Sammy the squirrel) then taking it around the hotel and interacting with the “clubhouse crew”.  At the end she got an email ‘from the animals’ with a photo –  a nice touch interacting with the kids.   She doesn’t go anywhere without that bushy squirrel now!

We played Magic Quest for hours (they say it can take 8 hours – if I had known that I would have started played it on day 1).  They give you an interactive wand and you run around the hotel following clues and answering riddles.  I thought the spa was a little overpriced (it always is at resorts) so we did not partake – maybe for her birthday.

I rode every water slide (some are really fast) and the lines were pretty fast – I don’t think I would want to go during a holiday due to the amount of people there on regular school days.  It was cold and rainy out but I wouldn’t mind coming in the summer when the outdoor part is open.  We met some nice people and Ellie made some friends (imagine that).  At the time of check-in I wasn’t sure if 4 nights would be too much.  In the end I think it wasn’t too much – it was great mother-daughter time.  When it was time to leave Ellie fussed that she never wanted to leave and she wanted to live there…😳