Going Seaside for a Bit – Lunch and Waves

reposted from the i.seekissimmee.com website...

Before heading out of St. Augustine, we figured we desperately needed to take in some rays and waves. But of course, after a day of sightseeing and mini-golf – it was time for some food! We moseyed down A1A in search of a scrumptious lunch. We found this cute little restaurant called Coquina Beach Club, just a stones’ throw from the St. Augustine shore. With a nice selection of seafood and a can-you-say-yummmm Brown Sugar Rum Bread Pudding, there was little to complain about. A children’s menu would’ve made it a bit more family friendly, but all in all, we enjoyed our meal.We had a nice sampling of their daily special and apparently got there just in time for the arrival of the local Flip Flop Til You Drop participants! What a bunch of fun people and all for a good cause. 

With a combination of full bellies and good company, we finally headed over to the beach to soak up some sun! Right now there are sections of the beach that are closed off while the City of St. Augustine continues to build a new Splash Pad area for everyone – but if you’re willing to drive a little further down, you can find a nice expanse of soft sand and beautiful sand dunes. We took turns collecting shells and playing in the waves until we finally decided to head back to Kissimmee. As for visiting the Nation’s Oldest City, we certainly had a great time doing new things! And with it just being about an hour and a half to two hours drive away – it makes a great gas-tank vacation!

St. Augustine’s Red Sightseeing Trains

reposted from the i.seekissimmee.com website...

Today was our final day in St. Augustine and we thought we’d do the whole sightseeing thing in the morning! We went back over to Ripley’s to catch a ride on the Red Train Tours [parking is free with paid train tour – which is a big bonus in both price and the ability to FIND a place to park!] and take a tour around the town. The nice thing about the sightseeing trains is that they pretty much run all day long, and you can hop off and explore and just catch the next train! If you stay on the train the whole way through, you’ll probably be sitting for about an hour – so it’s nice to just hop off and wander a bit.

There are so many interesting sites to see while on the route, so there’s pretty much anything that catches your fancy. You can stop at the Fountain of Youth or tour the Whetstone Chocolate Factory… or even better – have samples and take home a bottle for yourself from the San Sebastian Winery. The tour guides are locals and as you drive along they like to share interesting facts and local stories about each location. It gives the whole tour a little bit of historical charm.

Our final hop off was at Bayfront Mini Golf. Here you can play a round of putt putt for only $1 [with paid Sightseeing Train ticket] in between stops on the Red Train tour. It’s also a great stop to catch a ride on the boat tours (or a pirate ship), freshen up (hooray for nice clean restrooms!) or just have an ice cream bar at the Mini Golf  stop! We caught our train back to Ripley’s after a pit stop by the fort and went off in search of lunch.

Up Close & Personal: Marineland

reposted from the i.seekissimmee.com website...

Today we started our “2 Days Away Staycation” in beautiful St. Augustine. One more reason I love Kissimmee, is that it’s central to so many other places, and you can do a quick getaway for a day or two to nearly anywhere in Florida. We chose St. Augustine because we love it there. History geeks that we are – what holds greater appeal than the Nation’s Oldest City? To begin our stay, we headed over to Marineland Dolphin Adventure, which recently joined forces with the Georgia Aquarium. Apparently, this fixture has been here since the early 1930’s  – something this Floridian never even knew about! The good folks at Marineland Dolphin Adventure gave us a one-on-one up close and personal tour, and I have to say, I’ve never enjoyed myself more!

Our tour guide, Meredith, who also happens to be the Education liaison [think Summer Camps, School Groups, etc.] led us to the first tank. Here we were able to meet several playful bottlenose dolphins and also learn about them via the many informative signs posted nearby. She told us about Nelly, the world’s oldest [in captivity] dolphin – who at age 59, continues to break records every day. We were able to see her “baby” and in turn, their baby… so it was neat to see the generations! We continued on past the other tanks, stopping to look and observe the many dolphins there at Marineland, before heading down below for a true “Behind the Seas” tour.

Here we were able to see other marine life in their environments, learn about feedings, safety and health of the sea creatures. The kids were particularly fond of the turtles and crabs, while Kevin and I were fascinated by the quarantine tank! Lol. Then we were led into what they call the “Event Room” – a cozy room, with historical paraphernalia that dated back to Marineland’s opening, a comfy couch, and the coolest window ever… looking right into the dolphin tank! After taking a break in the cool air, we headed back up top to really get up close and personal.

Here we met Pebbles… a playful and friendly dolphin. The kids were ecstatic at being able to feed the dolphins, and since they had no idea about the touching aspect of the “touch and feed” program there – we were totally looking forward to their reactions when it came down to the fun part! As Pebbles rolled over onto her back, the kids and I leaned down to rub her belly. All we could hear were murmurs of “coooool” and “she’s so soft” and “this is so neat” – which merely confirmed that this was the right place to go! Then we learned some tricks, like how to signal for a wave, how to ask Pebbles to do flips, and oh yeah, how to make a dolphin splash you!

We finished our tour and took home our disc full of images… did we forget to mention that a photographer will take tons of photos from your experience that you get to take with you? As most of our girls are Girl Scouts, they were all trying to plan a trip back there with their Girl Scout troop next year. For me, I’m trying to figure out a way where we can go again – as I’d never had as much fun as I did at Marineland. For visitors and locals alike – this little hidden gem is definitely my diamond in the rough!

Time for some Crack-a-Lackin’ pool fun!

reposted from the i.seekissimmee.com website...

This morning we checked into the Gaylord Palms Hotel - I could feel myself relaxing already! Luxurious greenery & the sound of rustling water… we got to walk through the caves that made you feel like you were immersed in the Everglades. Thanks to a very “Consider It Done” attitude – we were able to thoroughly enjoy our stay here. We managed to move to a room that had access to a glass elevator & a nearby staircase. Many would wonder why this is an important thing – but one of our girls is afraid of elevators. The staff was excellent & went out of their way to make our experience memorable. After finally settling in to our room (which was gorgeous, we might add!) we headed down to the Cypress Springs Family Fun Park!

This is a pretty new addition to the Gaylord Palms – and it has BUCKETLOADS of fun! Here, you can find a tree house full of water spigots and splash zones you can explore, a large bucket that dumps gallons of water from overhead, a special toddler play area! We had such a good time that the kids didn’t want to leave! We stopped over at the Haggen-Daaz shop for ice creams too! Later that evening, we all went back down for the Crack-A-Lackin’ Pool Party, hosted by the characters from Madagascar! There was dancing, games, a gargantuous beach ball – so much fun in one pool! We stayed for about half of the movie showing at the splash-in theatre… but I think the kids wore themselves out having so much fun.

Our room was … opulent! I loved the gorgeous views from our balcony looking out towards the St. Augustine inspired atrium. I probably slept one of the best nights’ rest in a long time – and I wasn’t sure if I liked our room or the grounds more – lol. All in all, whether you’re visiting from out of town, or you’re a local looking for a stay-cation … I think it’s safe to say that the Gaylord Palms has all the comforts and entertainment you could ask for!

Bright Lights & Nostalgia in Kissimmee

reposted from the i.seekissimmee.com website...

Today was pretty much a day of R&R – with so much to do right at your fingertips, sometimes you just need to take a vacation from vacation, right? It also holds a special, more personal meaning for me, as it’s my anniversary!  Well, our agenda was basically to chill out, have some BBQ with friends, and go watch the fireworks! I feel fortunate to be able to call downtown Kissimmee my home, as there is so much to do, with special events, movie nights, arts & crafts shows – and so much more! This year, they brought out the Monumental 4th of July and we were looking forward to it! We were sooo excited to be able to just walk on down and join in all the fun.

"...a glorious sight, with the harvest moon set low in the sky and the reflections of the fireworks gleaming in the waters of Lake Toho..."

Early afternoon brought us a Naturalization ceremony for many residents who are becoming US Citizens. What better day to commemorate citizenship than on the 4th of July?! Later on, the festivities began… there was a kids zone and music and plenty of food for everyone that went on right up until the buildup for the fireworks. We moseyed on down to the lakefront (you could still hear the band playing patriotic music in the distance) with the kids, spread out our blankets and got ready for the show.

As always, Kissimmee knows how to do their fireworks! What a glorious sight, with the harvest moon set low in the sky and the reflections of the fireworks gleaming in the waters of Lake Tohopekaliga – well, let’s just say it had the kids quiet for the duration of the whistles and booms and oohs and ahhs! That included my husband, who comes from the UK, and has never really seen fireworks done up the way we like to do them. The finale came, with cheers and clapping from the crowd and the last few strains of Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” – sending us all home with a touch of nostalgia. Hope everyone had a happy & safe 4th of July!

Fun and learning with SCIENCE! And a little bit of MYSTERY too!

Reposted from the i.seekissimmee.com website...

Today was a day for exploring and experimenting! We had the opportunity to spend the day at the Orlando Science Center, and explore four levels of fun. Full of exciting and interactive exhibits, a 360 degree cinedome and a children’s play area… let’s just say we had a lot to keep us busy!

One of my favorite experiences at the Orlando Science Center has always been to visit the dinosaurs… so I dragged the kids upstairs to go see them in all their glory. Mind you, their only experience seeing a dinosaur in the past had been to see ONE bone – so Wow! were they in for a surprise! The ooohs and ahhhs as we walked in and saw the humongous tyrannosaurus rex made it worth all the while. We showed up just in time for one of the staff to make a presentation about what kind of food certain dinosaurs eat, we were able to touch a real triceratops tooth, and pass around petrified dinosaur poop [which was the highlight of the experience]

Currently, the science center offers an exciting exhibit called PLAY! where you immerse yourself in music and art and science! You can ride simulators, play life-size chess, watch sound waves and more! You can also take part in the current films showing, in this case, a series of natural disasters at the Dr. Phillips Cinedome. We decided to watch Tornado! and had a whirlwind experience as we drove into the eye of a storm.

Before we left, we made it a point to stop at the KidsTown exhibit where the kids could really climb, jump and explore! Here you can not only see unique reptiles and amphibians, but also learn about their environment. You can also learn about the Orange Grove Renovations and see what it looks like under the city streets!

All in all, I’d say that there’s a little bit for everyone at the Orlando Science Center! With four levels of interactive fun and learning – you’re sure to never be bored. Add in the great volunteers who show special exhibits and talk about what there is… it makes for an awesome day!

... a mystery is afoot... 

Later in the evening, my husband and I took advantage of a kid free night to celebrate our 1^st anniversary. We headed over to Sleuth’s Mystery Dinner TheatreSleuth's Myster Dinner Theatre – a first for the both of us! We should have known we were going to have a good time when we first walked in to a life size figure of a detective. As people chatted and snacked on hor d'oeuvres, they took turns posing and taking pictures with the great sleuth!

After checking in, we were ushered into a different room – which is, of course, the main dining theatre. You are seated at a table of 8, mixed with other guests from all over! We were the only locals at our table, as we were seated with some guests from North Carolina and a lovely family all the way from Australia. All of us were there in celebration of some sort or another. While we chatted and got to know one another, a frisky maid and a very staid butler meandered through the crowds… we knew this was going to be a fun night! Then they passed out our drinks: your choice of unlimited soda, beer or wine – and that was our cue that we were going to have a WONDERFUL night lol!

The show started in it’s typical manner, with a lot of slapstick and comical clichés – and we were already looking for clues to the mystery. Together we worked with our tablemates to try and discover the murderer, but it was mixed in with eating a scrumptious dinner and talking about where we were from. We had a wonderful time, and even though there were several double entendres, it was still a show I’d feel comfortable taking our 7 year old to. The cast were excellent and hilarious and posed afterwards with the guests for pictures. We didn’t guess the murderer correctly – actually, not many people did – but it was so well done, we’ll definitely make it a point to come back for another murder!

i.seekissimmee.com

So there's nothing better than being able to travel and to get a little moolah back for your time! It's not like I don't chronicle everything we do already (see facebook addicts anonymous) as I've already been told that a status "update" should not consist of a formal paragraph. Pffft! In any event, in the normal NO DRAMA LLAMA ALLOWED posts that I put on fb, I figure I've essentially blogged... so why update here? I know, I'm lazy!

But I digress... Roll back to when I see a post from my friend Jen, author of The Little Black Rain Cloud [blog], about the opportunity to blog for the VisitKissimmee website and get paid for it! I jumped at the opportunity and rush-rush-rushed to fill out the application. Imagine my excitement when I was selected as a guest blogger! Fast forward to um, right about NOW! Our week that we selected was the first week in July! Mind you, when I first applied, I kinda sorta forgot that I was pregnant and that my nieces were going to be with us for the summer. Oh yeah, and that it was Kevin and I's 1st anniversary. So now, we are going to begin our journey - where I've committed to sitting down and chronicling our adventures for locals and visitors alike! Because we live in Kissimmee, we get to go visiting outside of the immediate Central Florida area - which is exciting, since Kevin and I absolutely wanted to celebrate our anniversary in St. Augustine. But as a local, I felt compelled to share some of the other attractions (aside from Disney and Universal Studios) and also introduce our daughters to all this fun! I'm hoping that this initiative will give me enough motivation to keep on blogging. Mostly it's going to be about traveling - but that whole "life in between" means I get to brag, blabber and b!%$@ a little along the way! For now, I'm just looking forward to getting a "forced" vacation with my family! You can check us out on the i.seekissimmee.com website as well (Note - Those posts will be these posts!)