Three Things to Add to Your #Clearwater Itinerary #Florida #travel @VSPC

I discovered three new things to do when visiting Clearwater. I can't believe after visiting Clearwater so many times this was the first time visiting all of these! 

I have been to the Clearwater/St Pete area at least 25 times, including a trip this past March. I'm shocked that in all that time I have never been to: 

• the Clearwater Marine Aquarium
• the Dali Museum
• Frenchy's Rockaway Grill

Three very different experiences perfect for all ages. I suggest combining a visit to the Aquarium with Frenchy's for lunch since they are located quite near to each other. 

Clearwater Marine Aquarium:
The Clearwater Marine Aquarium is a hospital for injured marine life, but their goal is more than that. At the Clearwater Marine Aquarium they also strive to educate and encourage preservation and conservation of marine life and their habitats. FYI Parents: Their programs include kids educational activities and camps.

Interesting Fact: You may not realize that the movie Dolphin Tale is based on a true story, and that Winter was sent to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in the hopes of saving her life and rehabilitating her. Winter and her closest friend Hope, also a rescued dolphin live permanently at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. As part of the cost of admission to the Aquarium you can take a trolley or boat ride over to a secondary location where you can enjoy Winter's Dolphin Tale Adventure. You will find loads of information about Winter, her prosthetic tail, and props from the Dolphin Tale movie sets. 

Image courtesy of Clearwater Marine Museum

Image courtesy of Clearwater Marine Museum

Frenchy's Rockaway Grill:

Reasons to go to Frenchy's Rockaway Grill: 1) Fun lively atmosphere, 2) location location location, it's right on the beach with a fantastic view, 3) great food and service. The view of Clearwater Beach makes it the perfect destination for lunch, but the delicious food and great service is why I'll be returning many many times in the future to Frenchy's.

Interesting Fact: Frenchy's has their own seafood company making daily deliveries to each of the Frenchy's locations, so you're guaranteed the seafood is always fresh. So fresh that they're known for their grouper dishes, and I can personally attest to the fact the Grouper sandwich is indeed delicious! I highly recommend it! My Mom enjoyed the She Crab Soup and her Shrimp Scampi which came with a very tasty Coleslaw (I may have stolen a bite or two). For those who like a non seafood option my Dad and Thing 1 both very much enjoyed their Burger and Chili-Dog served with chips. We all left totally satisfied with out meals and the experience, and I think that is key; it felt like an experience rather than just a meal. As I was leaving I caught a glimpse of the Seafood Ceviche which looked delicious, and it will definitely be the first thing I order on my next visit!

FYI: Frenchy's has several locations.

The Dali Museum and the Dali and Disney Exhibit:

I wasn't really sure what to expect, but The Dali Museum is well worth the visit. I was pleasantly surprised and how much I enjoyed it. Besides the permanent collection which includes an amazing collection of Dali's work in a unique building that is an art piece in itself, there is a magical garden, a children's education center, a cafe and a wonderful gift shop. Gallery public tours and audio guides are free with admission.

I had the pleasure of seeing the Dali and Disney: Architects if Imagination Exhibit. It was interesting to see how their lives overlapped, and how they influenced each other's work. Interesting Fact: Both Dali and Disney were on the cover of Time Magazine. 
FYI Parents: The Dali has an interactive education center for the children visiting the museum. 

I can think of nothing but positive things to say about the Dali Museum; the staff is friendly and knowledgeable, it's very well run and organized, and I'll definitely be recommending "The Dali" to my friends and family.

Well that's my take on three great options to add to your To Do list on your next visit to the Clearwater-St Pete Area. Looking for a few more ideas? Check out my post on things to do in the Clearwater-St Pete area and be sure to take a look at the Visit St Pete Clearwater website for all sorts of information on events, links and ideas for your next trip to the St Pete-Clearwater area.

Yep, just me Cathy thinking out loud about 3 new things I tried on my visit to Clearwater - St Pete Florida this spring.

Note: I received admission to the Clearwater Aquarium, The Dali Museum and a meal at Frenchy's Rockaway Grill for the purpose of this post. All opinions and recommendations are my own and reflect my personal experience. 

Things To Do in St Pete-Clearwater #Florida #SpringBreak #travel @vspc

Fun Things to Do In and Around St. Peterburg and Clearwater Florida 

For years I have been going to Clearwater at Spring Break. From beaches to Blue Jays the Communities of St Pete-Clearwater Area each have their own unique attractions and things for a family to see and do.

Beaches: 

There are lots of beach options in the St. Pete - Clearwater area. Below are a few of my favourites.

• Clearwater Beach: Voted #1 on TripAdvisors 2015 list of Top 25 US Beaches. It has lots of white sand, activities and sunshine. Sunset Fun at Pier 60 Clearwater Beach is filled with fun. Buskers and performance artists entertain the crowds, and along the pier merchants sell handcrafted items. 
• Honeymoon Island State Park: This lovely and quiet undeveloped beach is a perfect location for a family day at the beach, and always a favourite for us when the kids were young.
• Fort De Soto Park: "Fort De Soto park consists of 1.136 acres made up of five interconnected islands (keys). These keys are home to beach plants, mangroves, wetlands, palm hammocks, hardwoods, and scores of native plants." Although I have not been here myself I hear if is very nice. 
• Indian Shores and Indian Rock Beach: I always associate this beach with lots of pelicans since the first time we visited we stayed at a hotel right on the beach beside the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary. At the time my kids were young and they loved seeing all the pelicans on our daily walks on the beach.

Things To Do:

There is no shortage of things to do for all ages and interests when visiting the St Pete Clearwater area. We always divide our time between eating, fishing, shopping, skateboarding and visiting book stores.

• Tarpons Springs: I found this to be a lovely destination for lunch and an afternoon of shopping in the unique shops at Tarpon Springs. In this historical village famous for it's sponge beds you can experience Greek culture and cuisine. The Tarpon Springs Aquarium is another family friendly attraction option. 
• John's Pass Village and Boardwalk: I highly recommend a visit to this quaint village filled with shops and restaurants. It's a free activity to walk the boardwalk and window shop. I found the prices in the shops to be very competitive and perfect to pick up some gifts and keepsakes. In my opinion a visit to John's Pass for lunch, souvenir shopping, and a walk along the boardwalk makes for a perfect afternoon. Pirate Ship at John's Pass: offer another family friendly activity option. 
• Clearwater Marine Aquarium: There are Aquarium Exhibits and the option of Boat and Kayak Tours
• Dali Museum:which currently has the Disney and Dali Exhibit
• Museum of Fine Arts
• Skateboard Parks: Ross Norton Rec Center Extreme Sports Park in Clearwater and Fossil Park, St Petersburg. Although Thing 2 has been to both, we always had to fit at least a couple visits to Ross Norton into our itinerary.

• Fishing Options and Hot Spots: There are lots of fishing options from chartered deep sea day trips to fishing off piers. Skyway Fishing Piers are huge piers you can fish from and a must do at least once for the angler in your family. You can also fish off Clearwater Beach Pier 60.

• Baseball Spring Training: 15 Major League Baseball teams do their spring training in Florida. The Toronto Blue Jays train in Dunedin. Be warned the fans are just as enthusiastic at spring training as in the regular season. 
• Jolly Trolley: The Clearwater Beach Jolly Trolley is a very economical option. It was always a favourite with my kids when they were younger, and was almost an attraction in itself. 
• Other Kid Fun Ideas in St Pete- Clearwater

Some Favourite Family Friendly Eateries:

Some of our favourite restaurants chains to dine at are Panda Express, Chili's and Smokey Bones, but the ones below are particularly family friendly and fun for younger kids.

• Chuckie Cheese: This was a must do for years when my kids were younger. My only real issue is having to share my game tokens with my kids. Kids are sooo demanding. Be sure to do some online searches for coupons for extra tokens, or specials and deals. Chuckie Cheese has locations on in Clearwater and in St Petersburg. 
• CiCi's Pizza: This is one of our favourite budget friendly pizza places. 
• Crabby Bills - Clearwater Beach: I don't think I have ever visited Clearwater without dinner at Crabby Bills after a day at the beach. 
• Frenchy's Rockaway Grill: Known for the best Grouper Sandwich in the area! 

I hope I have given you some ideas to add to your St. Pete - Clearwater trip itinerary. 

Happy Travels!

Yep, just me Cathy thinking out loud about visiting Florida.

Note: I was not compensated for this post. It's purpose was merely to share my experience and information with my readers. All opinions are my own.

Life Long Love Affair: #DisneyWorld Over the Years. #travel #familytravel #traveltuesday

For me Disney World is a magical place, where so many memories have been made.

Disney Over the Years

I was in Grade 7 the first time I went to Disney World. It was a big deal, and the first big vacation our family had taken. Back then Magic Kingdom was the only Disney theme park, with Epcot opening a few years later. The trip took place over the Christmas holidays, and Santa brought me and each of my siblings a Mickey Mouse watch. Mine had a clear back so the gears could be seen, my older sister's was a huge wall clock that looked like a watch, my younger sister's was a cute red banded one, and my brother's was a fob or pocket watch. 

It was the beginning of a life long love affair with Disney World. We stayed at a resort called Lake Buena Vista that was one of the three Disney Resorts that existed at the time, the others being the Contemporary and the Polynesian. Each time the mono-rail stopped mid-trip 25 feet above the ground, it provided endless entertainment as we all immediately mimicked the automated announcement "Please take all small children by the hand and watch your step". 

On our first trip with the kids Disney's Animal Kingdom had just opened and it turned out be almost as awesome as Magic Kingdom. We stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort, in my opinion a fantastic choice for families with young kids. and had a wonderful time in spite of the fact Thing 2 aka danger boy fractured his collar bone falling off the bed he was jumping on. Not really a big shock when he become a skaterboy just a few years later. While at Animal Kingdom we foolishly bought a large stuffed Tigger, and realized moments after paying we'd have to carry it around the park all day. Before I could even voice my concern we were told it could be delivered to our room. It was posed looking out the window as if watching for us, when we returned to our room later that evening. 

I love that everything from the luggage tags, to the waffles are Disney themed. There are perks to staying on-site like extended or early park hours, character meals, Tigger delivery service, and twice when we have gone at the end of August a free meal plan promotion, which was a huge savings.

When we returned a few a few years later I was surprised at how many rides and attractions the kids remembered when we returned a few years later. Thing 2 was only 18 months old on our first trip. The Tiki Hut apparently left quite the impression. This was the trip the Buzz Lightyear ride became an all time favourite. This was also the trip that marked the start of the Downtown Disney Lego store tradition. We visit and buy at least one Lego keychain on each visit to Disney. We stayed at a very nice hotel close to the parks called the Bohemian Hotel Celebration.

For our next trip to Disney World we once again returned to the Caribbean Beach Resort, for another wonderful memory making trip. Both times we stayed at this resort we were extremely happy with the rooms, dining options, service and selection of activities available right at the hotel. I would happily go back, and always check price and availability here before looking for other accommodations. It was on this trip we were introduced to the lanyard and collector Disney pin exchange. We had a riot with the Disney staff both at the parks and the resort exchanging pins and finding out which ones were limited edition or rare.

In keeping with tradition ... we head back again, this time staying off-sight at the Caribe Royale - Orlando, The hotel is very nice, but we were there at Spring Break and traffic getting in or out of the hotel and around this part of Orlando was brutal. We could literally walk faster than the traffic was moving. So if you plan on going out for meals or to theme parks, we found it very frustrating. Also local calls and wi-fi were not included in the cost of the room. In general that is a deal breaker for me, but this trip was planned last minute so our options were somewhat limited. 

Yep, back again! This time staying at the Hilton Buena Vista Palace an Official Walt Disney World Hotel located directly across the street from Downtown Disney. The hotel is beautiful and service and room were great, and we loved everything about it except the unexpected resort fee of $22.50 US per night. We were informed about this mandatory resort fee at the time of check-in. I gather this is quite common for Orlando hotels now but multiply that by 7 nights and it adds up. The resort fee included free local calls, internet and park shuttle service, but personally I find fees like that sneaky. If I don't have a choice add it to the price and show me the true cost so I can budget accordingly. We did used the shuttle bus to the parks for the first time ever and that was convenient, easy and included in the cost of the room. Each evening we walked over to Downtown Disney for dinner,a visit to the LEGO store, to shop and take in the many activities and performances. 

We have been stayed at Disney twice at the end of August, and found that time of year has some of the lowest of the year, and in the past have had free meal plan promotion at this time of year. In my opinion staying on-site at a Disney Resort when the kids are young makes everything easier and worth the paying a bit more. The perks, and promotions they often can make it the same cost overall. Certainly the free meal plan makes for substantial savings

My wish is that everyone gets the chance to experience the magic of Disney at least once in their life, because you're never too old for Disney. 

Yep, just me Cathy thinking out loud about the happiest place on earth. 

Note: I have not been compensated for this post. The purpose of this post is merely to share my experiences with my readers.

Go BIG or Go Home: #Shopping at SawGrassMills Outlet Mall #Florida #traveltuesday #travel @ShopSawgrass

Sawgrass Mills Outlet Mall Really Embraces the Saying:Go BIG or Go Home

With 350+ Stores it's "the largest value shopping destination in the United States".

On a resent trip to Fort Lauderdale I managed to fit in some (lots) retail therapy at Sawgrass Mills. My Mom, Big Sis and I participated in several very productive group retail therapy sessions.

Upon hearing about this "huge" outlet mall from my Mom, I thought I would hate it because it was just too big, but turns out I did not. The store and retail selection and variety was great (dah - 350+ stores) but what I really liked was it's largely an indoor mall. If I'm going to cover that much space and spend that much time in one place I don't want to deal with the rain, heat, and the elements. 

The Colonnade is outdoors. This is a new section of high-end stores, many of which have great window displays for window shopping. 

(Above images via Sawgrass Mill's website)

You'll find Sawgrass Mall has a selection of:

"Look-Don't-Touch" Stores like Gucci, Armani Outlet, Burberry, Prada, and Tag Heuer 

"Buy-If-On-Sale" Stores like Coach, The North Face, Polo Ralph Lauren and LaCoste AND

"For-Everyone-Stores" like The Gap Outlet, Clark's, Columbia and Nike Factory Store.

I managed to pick up a few deals, like Clark's Original Desert Boots, a couple of Coach wristlets, a selection of LeSportsac, a LaCoste watch for Thing 1, and a pair of Converse for Thing 2. 

My Take-Aways:

Overall I found the mall size manageable 

with the help of a Mall Directory Map, a List of Retailers and just a little bit of planning and prioritizing. I also strongly suggest comfortable shoes and a couple folding reusable bags that are easily carried in a pocket of purse.

There were deals to be had, 

and each of us managed to find several great ones. For example I purchased my desert boots from the Clark's store (Reg $130 US) for $45, and found Thing 1's watch at the Movado Company Store (Reg $255 US) for $68. I also managed to pick up a great tote from Mandarina Duck (Reg $259 US) for $9! 

The staff and service 

at almost every store I visited was outstanding. Special mention to the staff at Chipotles in the food court (friendly, fast & efficient), Movado Company Store (so helpful), Mandarina Duck (totally delightful experience) and the young gentleman at Clark's (what a card).  

I hate the parking! 

This is a big and busy mall, and the majority of the convenient or close parking spots seemed to be reserved for valet parking. I understand a small portion set aside for valet, but the majority of good spots should reserved for the general public. Let the valets run the 1/4 mile to the boondocks parking spots, since the whole point of valet parking is to have someone else walk so you don't have to. 

Sustenance for Shopping Stamina: 

Sawgrass Mills has two Food Courts (one at each end of the Mall) as well as a selection of restaurants. We loved the Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowls.

Near by (0.9 miles) from the mall is Chili's that we ate at several times and liked the food, price point and the service.

Yep, just me Cathy thinking out loud about retail therapy.

Worth every cent.

Note: I was not compensated for this post. The purpose of this post was merely to share my experience with my readers. All opinions are my own and reflect my personal experience with the brands and products.