Florida

Our Saint Petersburg Mural Walk

June 27, 2018

There are endless fun things to do in Tampa Bay. Going on a Saint Petersburg Mural walk is a fun way to see creative, colorful work by awesome artists.

I love exploring where we live!

Florida is such a great place that has so many activities for everyone of all ages. It feels like we are never more an an hour from some awesome activity, like the beach. a museum, zoo, or theme park. But even then, just strolling around town is so much fun!

We recently loaded up the kids and the dogs to head over to Saint Petersburg (aka St. Pete), about a 45 minute drive from where we live, for a fun afternoon of walking around to check out the beautiful murals that are all over the arts district.

I told Autumn that we were going on a “Saint Petersburg Mural Walk” to get to see different pictures on walls. At that point it was a good reminder to tell her that artists got permission to create art on the buildings, and that it’s not okay to just color on the walls. HAHAHA!

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Adventures in Honeybell Orange Picking

March 29, 2018

I grew up going apple picking, so when I moved to Florida 2 years ago, I was a bit worried that I wouldn’t get to experience the joys of getting to pick fresh fruit while living here.

But, Florida has providing me with plenty of great opportunities to get out and pick fresh fruits and vegetables, just not apples. While I miss getting to pick apples, I have enjoyed picking tomatoes, blueberries, and strawberries. Now I can add picking oranges to the list.

We recently went to Dooley Groves, about a 20 minute drive from our house.

Dooley Groves is a family owned grove that was started in the 1960’s. They offer a wide variety of citrus that is available from November to April.

Beside their shop and their you-pick groves, you can order their citrus for home delivery.

I had heard such good things about Dooley Grove from friends that we knew that we needed to check it out. Plus, getting bunches of oranges is so yummy and fun.

We went to pick Honeybell Oranges, which are a hybrid of Duncan Grapefruit and Dancy Tangerines. They are bright in color and densely packed with really sweet juicy meat. Honeybells are in season for a short period of time, which makes them in high demand.

While Hunter was just along for the ride for our picking adventure, he did enjoy the Honeybells when we got home. Man, he loves oranges!!!

Watching this bee buzz around all different flowers was so cool. His legs were packed full of pollen. Off to the hive buddy!

Autumn had a blast at the grove.

She was eager in selecting which Honeybells to pick and to help load them up in our bag. Can’t beat getting to run around in rainboots on a sunny day while picking fruit. Gotta love when 4 year olds dress themselves.

This behemoth is a Ponderosa Lemon. So cool.

Once our bag was full, we headed back to the shop to pay for our Honeybells

Besides selling freshly picked citrus, they sell delicious juice, jams & jellies, and fun Florida centric gifts.

I’m looking forward to going back to pick some Ortaniques. yum!

Dooley Groves

1651 Stephens Rd

Ruskin, FL 33570

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Hanging Out with Manatees – Manatee Viewing Center

March 2, 2018

Manatee. Sea Cow. Floating Couch Cushion. Gary.

No matter what you call them, manatees are pretty cool.

We are pretty lucky that we live less than a 5 minute drive to the Manatee Viewing Center, run by Tampa Electric, in Apollo Beach, Florida. It’s about a 30 minute drive from Tampa, so it’s a great place to visit if you are visiting the Tampa Bay area.

We stop by often as it’s so close and admission is FREE. Can’t beat a fun, educational, attraction that is so close to home.

The Manatee Viewing Center is open from November 1st to April 15 for viewing of Florida Manatees and Stingrays. We go so often to check out the manatees and to visit the touch tank. Autumn loves getting to touch the rays. Or at least dip her hand in and yank it out just before touching them, squealing with delight.

While we don’t love having a view of the 3 stacks of the Big Bend Power Station from two of the second floor rooms in our house, we do enjoy this perk of it. (At least it’s a very clean Power Station, and the largest solar array in Tampa Bay is located down the road. The Big Bend Solar Power Station has over 200,000 solar panels, powering 3,200 homes.)

The Big Bend Power Station is a coal-fire power plant that attracts large numbers of manatees in the cooler months, as they are looking for warm water. The power plant discharges clean, warm water that has cooled Unit 4 in the power plant, that the manatees use to stay warm. Once the waters in Tampa Bay hit 68F, they head up the discharge channel to relax in the waters that are in the 80’s.

It is a federal offense to feed the manatees so they just come for the warmth, before heading out into the Bay for vegetation again.

You can view these manatees by walking along the platforms that take you out, over the waters of the canal. The discharge canal is a state and federally designated manatee sanctuary that helps protect the gentle, slow animals that seek refuge from the cold winter waters.

You can also view them from the Tidal Walk. The 900-foot long walkway is part of the Great Florida Birding Trail takes you out, along the canal. You can view the manatees coming and going up the canal from this vantage point.

There is so much to learn about the Florida Manatees that live off the coasts. The Education Center on the 2nd floor of the Viewing Center is for for kids of all ages. You learn about the local manatees and how the power plant runs and attracts them. Exhibits feature manatee bones, games, and interactive displays.

Adjacent to the Education Center is the Gift Shop.

You can’t pet the manatees, but you can touch stingrays in the tank that is located on the ground floor of the Viewing Center.

The Stingrays reside at the Viewing Center during baseball’s off season, when they move to the touch tank at Tropicana ballpark to hang out with the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team.

The stingrays are pretty social as they come up along the sides and flip their wings (is that what you wall them?!) and splashing water. You can gently touch them, but be sure to follow the directions to properly do it to keep them safe and happy.

After we stop by the touch tank, we always swing by the butterfly garden. There, we get to look at the beautiful flowers and the butterflies that are in various stages of development in an open air cage.

I am pretty strict about not buying stuff at a gift shop, but I couldn’t resist getting a wax figurine that is made right in front of you for just $3 during one of our recent visits. We now have the dolphin, but will have to get the manatee in the future.

Before you leave, take some time to walk the trails that originate from the Viewing Center.

You will enjoy getting to hear and feel the One of the trails leads you to a wildlife observation tower that gives you great views from 50′ up.

We really enjoy getting to say ‘hi’ to Florida Manatees, I bet you will too.

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Manatee Viewing Center

Apollo Beach, FL

Nov 1- April 15. 10am-5pm

Admission: FREE

Celebrating the Holidays at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

November 24, 2017

We had such a blast during out visit to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween (even with getting poured on!), that I was trilled when the opportunity to attend Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party arose. I was so eager to check out the Magic Kingdom all decked out in it’s Christmas best.

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Having fun at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

September 28, 2017

I still can’t believe that it is September! The year has sped by and that just means that the holidays will be around the corner before we know it.

I love living here in Florida but I have to admit that I do miss the fall season in New England. The cool mornings are refreshing, the color changing leaves are stunningly beautiful, and the decor is spot on. At least we can enjoy the decor here.

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Adventures in Strawberry Picking at Hunsader Farms

February 24, 2017

When my brother and his family were visiting last week from CT, we took everyone strawberry picking. It was a great, delicious activity for everyone, especially the kids.

Strawberry picking is fun but it’s a great, affordable activity for young kids. They get such a trill finding a ripe berry to pick. And depositing it into the bucket (or their mouths) is the best. There is a great sense of accomplishment when you have picked something.

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Our Disney World Anniversary Trip: Epcot

October 2, 2016

It was Day Three of our Disney Adventure to celebrate our First Wedding Anniversary. We did Animal Kingdom, we did the Magic Kingdom, now it was time for Epcot.

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Our Disney World Anniversary Trip: Magic Kingdom

September 10, 2016

The second day of our Disney vacation to celebrate our First Anniversary brought us to the Magic Kingdom.

We took the free bus from the Coronado Resort and to get to the Park. (You can arrive by boat if you stay at the nearby Grand Floridian or Polynesian (among others).

The Magic Kingdom is the jewel of Disney; it’s amazing, it’s unbelievable, it’s magical.

To get to the magic you need to be prepared to wait in some long lines to get through security if you have a bag with you. Once you make though security you are taken back in time and place to Main Street USA.

It’s so cute with nostalgic looking, gingerbread ornamented shops, and stores with a little park at the center. All your senses become engrossed with the small train going by, the Barbershop quartet singing, or the caramel shop opening. It is the head of Main Street where you get the view of the Magic Kingdom. The one that will have any kid young or old saying “WOW!!” Everyone stops for that photo, you kinda have to.

We walked down Main Street USA looking in all the shops and stores for goodies to eat or trinkets to buy. It was early in the day so we stay away from filling our bellies too soon or have to walk around with bag all day but we did get ideas for things to buy later. The castle beckons everyone to go to it, off we went.

We took a bunch of pictures in front of the castle. The gardens and flowers were so beautiful around the castle all just in bloom which was amazing. Our walk continued up the stairs of the castle, where you have a great view back towards Main Street USA.

With a few thousand steps already under our feet, our bellies began to growl. We stopped off at the Sleepy Hallow Refreshments for breakfast. I got the Belgian waffle and Price got a Funnel Cake. Of course we couldn’t resist topping it off with strawberry sauce and whipped cream. The sweet smell was just so intoxicating. We sat in some shade next to the castle munching on our breakfast right by where a couple had just gotten engaged, magic!

After a short break we checked our map and decided the Pirates of the Caribbean Ride would be our first ride. The line was short so we didn’t have to use our Magic Bands just yet.

The Pirates of the Caribbean Ride was fun and easy. For the two of use it was a good start to the day since the seats are made for two. The ride takes you through all the Pirate movies and a glimpse to key scenes. Plus you get a short and much needed break from the Orlando Summer heat which had bitten Price early.

Mickey Meltdown Meter – 30%

Our next stop was The Hall of Presidents, which houses a visitor area with historical artifacts along with a huge theater. The show was about 30 minutes long and very impressive. The animatronic Presidents were all dressed in historical clothes and all appeared just like you would imagine. Abe’s Hat, Washington’s coat, and Taft’s big belly. There was even a speech by our current president, Barack Obama.

Besides enjoying the show, it gave us a chance to enjoy some AC. I highly suggest stopping here when you need a real break from the heat!

Leaving just makes you wanna walk outside, blow off some fireworks, drape yourself in the American flag and drink a Sam Adams in the bed of a Ford F-150! #Merica!

Still on the west side of the Magic Kingdom we visited the Haunted Mansion. So at this point, we did the castle, pirates, Presidents, and now ghost. Oh Disney!

The Haunted Mansion was something I did when I was little and always had fun memories of so I was looking forward to doing it again. The line was extremely long but it moved fairly quickly. Plus there’s fun activities to do outside- like play music on the decorations. \

The haunted House is corny, fun, and sweet. It was fun to do again after all these years.

After all our morning activities we had to get inside, get well hydrated, and have a real meal. Prior to getting to Disney we made a reservation at Tony’s Town Square Restaurant in Main Street with our Disney Travel agent. She told us about a brand new deal they had that allows you to get a 3 course lunch and get reserved seats for a parade later. Sounded fun to us so we had to do it.

Tony’s is a really nice Italian restaurant, big portions, good food, ice cold water (I’m sure each place has it but Price was drinking as if he was melting from the insides!!!). We enjoyed great service, amazing food (the tuna! omg!) while there. Unfortunately, my tiramisu dessert was frozen. We received our bill with to free passes to see Tinkerbell, which we presume is due to the frozen dessert.

These character interactions usually have very long lines but not with the free pass, we went right to the fronts.

Meeting Tinkerbell was so neat (and a bit silly). The cast member was on point with anything to say to stay in character.

Tink was a great sport saying ‘hi’ to a friend of mine on video. My bud loves Tink so it was so fun to send her that video. ha!

We started to make our way back through Main Street Disney and towards the Castle. Price splayed out on the “lawn” area with a Mickey Meltdown Meter set at about 50% when we noticed people lining up to watched a parade.

We soon discovered it was time for the Festival of Fantasy Parade. We stuck around to see the characters, floats, and musicians for a long time. The parade ended with a fire breathing dragon. (FB live video!)

The next area of the park that we ventured into was Tomorrowland. The sculptures, exhibits, and buildings appear futuristic or sci fi. It’s silly looking but still fun.

We jumped on the People Mover Ride. This allowed us to loop around above Tomorrow Land in the shade. Bliss.

Then we headed over to the Carousel of Progress. It was personally created by Walt Disney for the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair using cutting edge animatronics technology. It is so dated but fun. It shows how life has changed for the average middle class American family since at points in time from 1900, 1920’s, 1940’s, and ‘today’. That today Act looks like it’s in the 80’s? early 90’s? It’s so strange but fun. (Again, more AC!)

We decided to speed things up from the slow pace of the People Mover by heading over to the Tomorrowland Speedway. Accept there was no speed…

I understand that this is for ‘All Ages’ but it’s really for kids, maybe 12 and under, that would get a thrill of driving on a track but this ride is a huge waste of time and space for Disney. The cars were very difficult to maneuver on the guided track, it was impossible to steer without hitting the middle guiderail that would jerk you to your lane and around the track. The other aspect was that pushing the peddles was very difficult. Price said it took all of his 220 lbs to keep the peddle down the whole time, so how could a little kid do it? In Prices opinion, it was the worst thing about Disney. Mickey Meltdown Meter: 60%

We perked ourselves up with a treat after that lame ride on the Speedway. After all, we couldn’t resist get Mickey shaped ice cream and having the castle in the background.

Towards the northeast corner of the park is the Casey Jr Splash ‘N’ Soak. Sorry kids, the adults need to cool off too. We walked through some sprinklers and cooled off a bit without being drenched the rest of the day. By this time it was mid afternoon but we still had a lot to see and do.

Near the Splash Park is Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid ride….

This was my dream come true!!!!!! I have always loved The Little Mermaid. So this was something we had to do while at the park. I loved every bit of it from the clam shell ride seat to the music and animatronics.

I mean… come on now!!! Ugh! I loved it.

Early in the morning we made a FastPass+ reservation for Space Mountain with our Magic Bands. Good thing because the line was almost 2 hrs long!! We skipped a majority of the line (to the point when the regular line and fast Pass lines meet) so it was a great use of one of the 3 FastPass+ reservations you get a day.

I was really surprised Price did so well at Space Mountain, as he doesn’t like roller coasters much. Space Mountain is dark, fast, twisty, with lots to laser lights all over. It’s was a blast for me but he was glad that we are not going back any time soon. ha!!!

We needed another cold beverage and I had to have the infamous Dole Whip. We were on a mission for one so we went across from Tomorrowland to Advenureland to get to the Aloha Isle stand. While Price would have used all our food vouchers on Dole Whip, we shared one and moved on with our day.

During our wait at the Haunted Mansion earlier in the day we saw a bunch of people on an island and wondered how would we get to it. Well, we figured it out!!

It was Tom Sawyer’s Island which was accessed by a few boats and docks. Pricer and I waited around a few minutes until we saw a worker and asked if we could go. There response; “You can now!!” (I assume they were closed for a short while). We had the entire island to ourselves for about 30 minutes; we wandered the caves, we walked the bridges over and over, we got into all parts of the forts, we sat in the rocking chairs, and no one else was around. For a short time, we had our own private island at Disney! We had been surrounded by thousands of people for two days so getting away from everything, was really nice.

We used another one of our Fast Pass+ ride reservations for Splash Mountain. Again, really worth it since the line was crazy long.

Thankfully, we ended up in the front seats since you get the biggest splash in those seats when you down the log flume part of the ride.

Our lunch and afternoon treats were so filling that we didn’t want a ‘real’ diner so we opted for using our Snack Credits from our meal plan to grab a Churro and Pretzel from a cart. I didn’t love the churro that much. It was decent but not stellar. But it was still so nice to just hang out with Price and take a moment to reflect on our busy day.

As the sun began to set we started to make our way back to Main Street, USA to get our seats at the Town Square Viewing Area for the Main Street Electrical Parade.

Man, getting reserved seats with our lunch package was so great! We sat right in front for perfect viewing, without being crowded.

Characters and floats of all sizes will lit up for a fun parade around Main Street. Everyone was there from Tink to Snow White to Pete and his Dragon.

Yeah, this might be the best photo of the day!

Everyone was great, but this guy was extra awesome. He saw me taking pictures and ran right up to my and yelled (in character!) so I was able to snap this.

(The Light Parade is moving to Disney Land in October, so be sure to see it while you can!)

There was a little boy waiting for the nightly fireworks who had just had enough and decided that laying down on Main Street was a good idea. To be more specific, he decided that laying on my right foot and looking up at me was perfectly acceptable. I didn’t even have the heart to make him move since I couldn’t blame him at all. If it was acceptable for a 31-year old woman to lay down and whine on Main Street USA, I would have.

Thankfully, the Fireworks show (9pm) was well worth the wait. It was magical to watch it all. The start of the fireworks was awesome with (an illuminated) Tink flying all around The Castle, and then a real life one flying (ziplining) away from The Castle for the fireworks to begin. The Castle gets all lit up with fireworks going boom all around it.

We were so thankful to get back to the room and just collapse in the bed. It was a day filled with lots of miles walked, lots of food eaten, and lots of fun had by both of us.

My feet were beat and Price’s knees were sore from our endless walking, but so worth it!! Mickey Meltdown Meter 70%

And we still had 1 more day to go!!! Next up: Epcot (Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow).

Our Disney World Anniversary Trip: Animal Kingdom Theme Park

August 22, 2016

It had been just over 20 years since I had been to Disney and over 25 for Price, so when we were trying to figure out what were going to go to celebrate our belated honeymoon/first anniversary we quickly considered Disney. It just seemed like the prefect situation as it’s close by and something we had never done before. The first Anniversary is paper, surprisingly we didn’t spend as much as we thought we would.

We worked with Victoria, a great Disney travel agent at Hi-Ho Vacations to help book and plan out our trip. It was no-cost to us and it was comforting to know that we had someone comparing prices and looking for the best discounts to get us the best deal. We compared a few different resorts and got the best deal by staying at the Coronado Springs Resort with Park Hopper Passes and the Disney meal plan.

Before we knew it our anniversary was here and we were checking into the Coronado Springs Resort.

Leading up to that moment, Victoria sent us information on different plan options for us to book. There were several we could consider at different price points. As well, she sent information on the different parks, restaurants, and attractions we wanted to see. It’s Disney, so the options were endless.

Here’s to one year, and many more!

Now that we live in Florida, Disney is no longer a “maybe next year” or “in our lifetime we will go” now it’s less than a 2 hour drive and Voila, Mickey Time!! We got up early and drove in, around the park, around the complex, and finally to our destination, the Coronado Springs Resort. No lie, the magic is all around you and it better be, because people come from around the world to see something we hopped in our cars and drove to. We checked in which was very pleasant. This is Disney! So of course checking in is an experience. “There are your magic bands… This is where we are… your room is here… pool… restaurants… buses to any one of our parks located here…” I could go on and on but we were given so much information and every question we asked was answered.

Mickey Meltdown Meter – 0%

After getting our stuff set up in our room in Casitas 4, we headed over to the closest bus stop (#2) to get to the Animal Kingdom theme park. A short wait and then a bus ride later, we were at the park for some much needed fun.

We didn’t really have a plan, aside from dinner, when we got there so we wandered around checking out the animals a bit since it was just fun to be there. We ended up heading over to the Tree of Life since pretty much centrally located in the resort on Discover Island. Plus, it’s just so cool. The central location basically screams “um yeah, I’m the Tree of Life”

On our way there, we noticed we were perfectly timed up with heading in to the “It’s Tough to be a Bug!“ show. We didn’t know what the show was about but decided to just wing it and head in. It was geared more to younger kids with the animation and he characters from It’s a Bug Life, but it was fun to learn about bugs. Plus, the special effects were just cool. I recommend it for anyone.

Then we wandered some more taking it all in.

Plus, we didn’t prepare and make FastPass+ reservations with our Mickey Bands to sign up for up to three events, shows, rides, etc. And we didn’t know which ones to pick from that worked around our dinner reservations. Thankfully we didn’t really need to use it right away since there were plenty of attractions with short rides.

Checking out the monkeys in in the Asia part of the park!

Again, the lines were short and quick so we didn’t need to use our Magic Band Fast Pass Reservations for the Dinosaur ride in Dinoland, USA section of the park.

Ultimately, we needed to head back over towards the Africa section of the part, as our dinner reservation was in that area.

We took a quick stop off to visit the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail before dinner. It was so fun to check out all the animals they had on display. We learned to much from the cast members in the area. We learned the grooming and social habits of the Angola colobus monkeys (pictured above and below). I think they have nicer hair than me they groom it to much!

There were so many animals in there to check out and learn about

Plus, it was nice to walk around in the shade under the canopy holding hands enjoying all the sights. So romanical.

We walked all over and worked up a real appetite so we couldn’t wait for our dinner reservation at the Tusker House Restaurant, which featured a great buffet. This was one of those places we researched from what Victoria sent us weeks before our trip. It had great reviews for the selection and quality of food.

We were so, so hungry by that point that we immediately dug right in. Who wouldn’t be hungry!?! Our Fitbits were telling us that we both crushed our 10k step goal wandering around the park.

We got to take some pictures with Safari Mickey, Goofy, Donald, and Daisy. It was so silly but wonderful. Even as an adult they come over to make your night special.

Also, there were a few outlets here so I was able to charge my nearly dead phone for some juice. Finding outlets to be able to charge your phone around the theme park was tough so I was happy to get some time to give it a decent charge.

Our next be adventure took us on Safari! An after dinner safari, sure why not!?!

We went on the Kilimanjaro Safari ride that loaded up groups into jeeps to go on a safari. The guide set up the experience to to guide us on a 2 week Safari, when in reality it was about 20 minutes long.

Why did the Rhino cross the road?

Rhino does what Rhino wants!

There were some natural barriers to keep animals away from the jeep, but for the most part they could roam all over. It was so cool to animals in the ‘wild’.

Both of us were so impressed with the amount and variety of animals we saw on our safari. We have been to plenty of zoo’s before but have never had seen animals like this before. They were active, playful, and were happy to just go about their business while we drove around.

We used one of our three FastPass+ reservations for the safari. At this point we found out how to easily use the magic band by signing up for reservations at kiosks around the park. So long 55 minute wait, let’s go to the front!!

While we didn’t do it, Disney set up a new Nocturnal Encounters experience which allows you to check the African Safari out at duck/night so you can check out the animals when they are more active. The animals were so close you just wanna reach out and touch them. BUT DON’T!

After dinner we also went on the Kali River Rapids, which was so much fun. Plus, it was just so refreshing to get wet on that hot June night.

Since we didn’t drink at dinner we decided that we needed to grab a drink to enjoy while we walked around the park. We stopped off at walk up bar at the Thirsty River Bar and Trek Snacks as we crossed over into the Asia section of the park. We split the Khumbu Icefall ($8.50), which was a frozen drink make of Cruzan Guava Rum Blended with Coconut and Raspberry Puree, and the Himalayan Ghost($9.50), which was Snow Leopard Vodka, Guava, and Odwalla Lemonade.

As expected, alcoholic drinks are pricey, but can be hard to come by, depending on what park you are in. Understandably, no vendor in the Magic Kingdom has alcohol, which we learned the hard way the following day.

Mickey Meltdown Meter – 20%

We headed over to the Tree of Life with our drinks to enjoy the Nighttime Awakenings light show that is illuminated on the tree. We just missed one show so we snuck to the front of the viewing area to get the best spot for the next show. So worth the 10-15 minute wait between the shows, especially with our frozen drinks on the hot Florida night.

By then we had been on our feet for hours and hours so we were so ready to head back to the room to crash.

In the end, my Fitbit read I had taken 20,671 steps for the day and had covered 8+ miles, which is pretty impressive all around, especially since we did the majority of our steps/distance for the day while at Disney, not at home.

We hopped on the bus which dropped us near the hotel room and crashed in our big comfy king sized bed.

Next Up: One day at the Magic Kingdom

Our Tampa Staycation- July 2016

July 22, 2016

I think that you should occasionally practice being a tourist in you hometown. It’s so much fun to see where you live in a different way and get to enjoy it differently that you normally do. Sometimes you just forget how great where you live is.

In this case, we have only been in Tampa a few months so we decided to take the opportunity to get out into Tampa to really enjoy it. You know, aside from just working there or making up a trip from where we live, about 15 miles South of downtown, to get to Trader Joe’s.

A few weeks ago we spent the weekend in Tampa getting to explore. It was so perfect!

We first started out by my office to park and to walk along The Riverwalk, a pedestrian urban trail that runs along the seawall for the Hillsborough River. It connects to parks that are filled with beautiful plantings, fountains, and jungle gyms for kids. But really it’s perfect for everyone, at every age. Walking on there is a beautiful way to stretch your legs.

After a quick walk on The Riverwalk, we focused ourselves on some breakfast… donuts!

We crossed over into the river towards The University of Tampa, which is stunningly beautiful. I just love the amazing history of it going from a hotel to the university. The architecture is incredible.

Anyway, we quickly reached our destination… SOHO Donut Company!

We all enjoyed our donuts that were loaded up with goodies. Autumn picked out a Cereal Killer, that was topped off with Captain Crunch cereal. She munched on all the cereal and the fluffy frosting topped donut. So cute!

We then browsed Oxford Exchange, which might just be the coolest shop and restaurant ever. Everything was so beautifully curated and just so cool. They even have a Warby Parker shop in there too. I am looking forward to going back to check out their brunch.

There is other great shopping in the area but we had decided to walk off our donuts and venture towards the Channelside portion of The Riverwalk to check out the sights and activities. Autumn enjoyed the the playground at Cotanchobee Fort Brooke Park.

We had to pry her and her rosy cheeks away from the jungle gym to cool off in the fountains outside the nearby Tampa Bay History Center. They were just big enough for her to run around while still being close by while we sat under the canopies enjoying some shade. Plus, there were bathrooms right there so it was super convenient as well.

By then it was time for lunch so we debated on our options- stay near Channelside and eat or head back towards our hotel- for a bite to eat.

Price was interested in trying out Bamboozle Cafe, by my office, as I always boast about how great everything is there. (I previously wrote about it in my Monday Munchies series)

On our way to Bamboozle, we stopped off at Topical Smoothie Cafe so Autumn could get something refreshing (plus a smoothie always is a safe back up for her for a meal). The kiddie sized Strawberry Banana smoothie was perfect for her to enjoy.

The meal was a hit. I ordered my usual noodle salad, price hd a bon mi and we shared a fresh roll. Everyone was happy and full when we were done.

And we have created a new Pho lover!

Autumn dug into her pho with wild abandon. She slurped up the noodles, munched on the bean sprouts and shredded chicken, and gulped down the broth. I even had to ask for a bit more broth since she dominated her bowl. Makes us proud!

By now, it was time to check into our room at Aloft Tampa Downtown, located right along The Riverwalk. It was just a short walk over for us as it was conveniently located near so much downtown.

From the moment you drive up, there is personal attention devoted to you. Valet handles your car before you enter. Then you are greeted at the lobby with great service. You even get great service when you request band-aids! (I swear I ALWAYS need band-aids at hotels. So random…)

Autumn was super excited about the bench for her and Owl. And we were super excited about a beautiful King Sized bed. Since we currently have a queen, it feels so luxurious to spread out in a king.

We quickly got set up in the room and headed down to enjoy the pool.

The large infinity pool was beautiful and the water was refreshing. The pool is located right along the Hillsborough so the view of the river is stunning. Plus the energy of the active waterfront is a fun too.

There were a few large groups of people there so the pool experienced a few different waves of busyness, but everyone was polite and gave each other plenty of space.

We decided to get a few appetizers to enjoy for dinner. It gave us a good way at affordably sampling what they have to offer at the W XYZ bar.

At first, we selected the loaded fries and blue cheese sliders since Autumn requested burgers. In typical toddler fashion, she decided she didn’t want it once she saw them (even the plain ones we requested for her) so Price and I enjoyed the burgers. The loaded fries were just as good.

Later, Price went through every menu item with her at the bar until they hit the chicken soup, which she really enjoyed. At the point, Price also ordered the Buffalo Cauliflower, which I think I now like more than wings. I have to give it a try at making it myself since I loved the flavor and the texture.

The best part about all of it was that it was during Happy Hour, so several of the menu options were discounted!

Had I paid attention of the drink part of the Happy Hour menu, I would have noticed that beers were just $3 and wine was $5, but I zero’d in on the cocktails, which were not discounted. Damn!! But I have to say that both our drinks were worth their $10 price tags.

I didn’t mention that we were bringing Autumn when booking the room, but when we arrived the staff geared up for her and prompt brought a duffel to our room that housed an inflatable bed, pillow, sheets, Disney Princess comforter, playing cards, and a puzzle. It was such a great surprise when we arrived to the room. And Autumn really enjoyed her ‘special bed’ as well.

Thankfully, there was a microwave in the lobby in the Re: Fuel area so I was able to warm Autumn’s nightly bottle. And while doing that I made a stop at the W XYZ bar to grab a drink from my new favorite bar tender, Alex. Oh man, he was so fun.

Having a solo moment to walk around the hotel was nice too. It’s a fun, chill space.

The fire pit was going, which would have been fun for us to hang around with some drinks, but all that swimming really wore Autumn out and she crashed early on in the night.

To finish off the night, I grabbed a Molten Lava Cake for Price and me to split while lounging in bed. I would have done room service, but I didn’t want them knocking on the door to wake Autumn. Plus, it gave me another chance to chat with Alex at the bar.

The view of the river and blue skies was a great way to start the day!

Since our normal routine in the morning was thrown off because we were staying in the hotel, Autumn was quite adamant on us leaving ASAP. She was quite upset she could not watch her DVR’d Mickey Mouse Clubhouse shows. But the puzzle that was provided in the Camp Aloft bag did help out as it was a fun activity for her to do while was packed up.

Plus dancing in front of the full height mirror helped smooth things over in the change in routine/place.

We could have stayed and grabbed breakfast at Re:fuel but we decided to enjoy ‘vacation mode’ and go out for breakfast.

Yelp reviews helped us pick The Daily Eats, in the Hyde Park neighborhood, just a quick drive from Aloft.

We dove into a wonderful brunch with great service. Autumn was happy with her crayons and pancake kids meal, and we were happy with our buckets of coffee and great entrees. Brunch bliss.

I am so thankful for the time that we took to explore our new home. We have just scratched the surface of all the things that Tampa has to offer too. So much to see and do!!

I am looking forward to getting to continue to explore the Tampa Bay area. Stayed tuned for more of our adventures!

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Check out all these great places

The Riverwalk

Multiple entries and parks along Hillsborough River

SoHo Donut Company

117 South Hyde Park Avenue

Tampa, FL 33606

Oxford Exchange

420 West Kennedy Boulevard

Tampa, FL 33606

Topical Smoothie Cafe

200 N Tampa St #120

Tampa, FL 33602

Bamboozle Cafe

516 N Tampa Street

Tampa, FL 33602

Aloft Tampa Downtown

100 West Kennedy Boulevard

Tampa, FL, 33602

The Daily Eats

901 South Howard Avenue

Tampa, FL 33606

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Thanks for Aloft Tampa Downtown for a wonderful stay at your property in exchange for a feature on the blog. All views and options are completely my own.

Monday Munchies: Bamboozle Cafe- Tampa, FL

June 20, 2016

As part of my Monday Munchies series, I will feature a different eatery for a review on the third Monday of every month. Hope you enjoy!

Bamboozle Cafe is one of my favorite lunch time spots to give me a chance to escape the clutches of my desk and have a great lunch. I am additcted.

I first visited Bamboozle when I interviewed in Tampa last September. I needed a place to grab lunch and was encouraged to check it out as it’s a local favorite. As soon as I dug into my Tofu topped Noodle Salad, I was hooked and have been a fan since.

My favorite dish is the Noodle Salad. It’s a ginormous salad that is packed with green leaf lettuce, Vermicelli noodles, thinly sliced cucumber, pickled daikon & carrots, fresh mint, bean sprouts, crushed roasted peanuts, roasted shallots and a side of our zesty chili dressing. All of that together is amazing with the different flavors and textures.

The zesty chili dressing is s packed with flavor. It has fish sauce (no vegan!) so it has a nice salty umami flavor profile to it.

I typically get the salad with their lemongrass tofu or their lemongrass beef. I love the lemongrass marinade. I swear I would eat a shoe if it had that on there. Okay, I wouldn’t but you get the point.

The Cafe Salad is just as good as the Noodle Salad, but a bit lighter and with some flexibility. You get to select 3 of their freshly prepared veggies to add to bed of green leaf lettuce, cucumber, carrot match sticks.

Personally, I suggest getting some fruit like mango in there to have some contrast in flavors in there.

If you love super fresh, delicious, large Fresh Rolls, then you have come to the right place. I swear that that they are all so good.

They have several rolls that you can just pick from, like their BBQ Pork that is stuffed with picked daikon and carrots, cucumber, red bell peppers, and fresh cilantro. Or their Lemongrass Beef that is accompanied with red bell peppers, cucumbers, jicama, and roasted shallots that is served with a soy sauce vinaigrette.

Or you can just pick your protein and pick whatever 4 veggies you want to add to your roll. When you have options likes mango, jacama, Thai basil, pineapple, and chives, and cucumbers, the possibilities are endless!!

All of their rolls are served with various dipping sauces like their zesty dressing and peanut sauce. So good.

Don’t feel like a salad? Then get a Banh Mi Sandwich!

Banh Mi’s are a classic Vietamese sandwich that is served on a toasted baguette. That bread is slathered with mayo and topped with green leaf lettuce, cucumbers, pickled daikon & carrots, jalapeno, cilantro. Traditionally it is served with pate, which they offer, but you can get it with tofu, beef, chicken (pictured), or pork.

I am always so amazing with how fill the sandwiches are packed! I think it would be great to shared a Banh Mi with sides of soup or srring rolls with a friend.

There are a few sides that you can get to that are great to accompany your meals, if you have room. Both the Baked Vegan Spring roll and the Baked Chicken Spring roll are great. I love how they are so crisp even though they are baked. They have a great crunch to them.

I swear, no matter what you get you will love stopping in to dine in the dark, mellow restaurant, or at the outdoor seating

Their Pho Soup Boat is one of the most comforting soup I have ever had.

How can you resist a warm, soup that is has a broth that is made from slowly simmering star anise, cloves, and other spices for hours? That is then packed full of the protein of your choice, rice noodles, thinly sliced red onions, and cilantro, with bean sprouts, a lime wedge, slices of jalapenos, and basil on the side. And don’t forget the hoisin & sriracha sauce!

Like the other dishes you can enjoy this with Chicken, Beef, or Tofu. My favorite is the tofu as I love the texture and flavor of it. The tofu version is vegetarian and vegan. There are so many vegetarian and vegan options for people!

Please try to say Pho correctly. I know it’s tricky since you want to say it like Faux but imagine you are about to swear F!$& but don’t say the CK at the end. Got it!?

If you happen to want to add some heat to your dishes, then try out the different sauces they have to offer. I love a lot of heat so I will add so much that sometimes I will actually sweat from it. The heat is addicting.

If you are looking for something great to eat in Downtown Tampa, then check out Bamboozle Cafe. And be sure to let me know so I can meet you there since I will never turn down a chance to eat there. YUM!

Bamboozle Cafe

516 N Tampa St

Tampa, FL 33602

(813) 223-7320

Monday Munchies: Fat Heads BBQ Stand

May 16, 2016

As part of my Monday Munchies series, I will feature a different eatery for a review on the third Monday of every month. Hope you enjoy!

I believe that you can get some really great food at road side stands. The food has to be good to keep people coming back since there really is no service or decor to help keep people coming back. When you drive by a stand and see people laying food out on the roof of their car and chowing down right there, you know it’s good.

Thankfully, there are plenty of road side stands near where we have moved to here in Florida. They dot the side of the road and are stationed in dusty parking lots.

My current fav is just a few miles away from us. Yes!

Besides the food itself, the thing that I love the most about Fat Heads BBQ Stand is that it is so fresh. They make your order when you order it. No, you don’t chill out in a plastic chair next to the smoke for hours waiting for your pulled pork to smoke, but they make everything to order. It’s take out but it’s not exactly quick, but I appreciate that.

Meaning, they cut the ribs, quarter the chicken, scoop the sides all the order. It’s not just hanging out there for you, it’s made for you with your order. So good.

The father and son duo that run it are so nice and talented. Stan Sr. and Stan Jr have been running the stand for over 5 years but have many combined years of experience of making great food.

I have tried it all and let me tell you everything is wonderful. Just wonderful!!

When ordering the pulled pork, you are asked if you want the sandwich wet (sauce mixed in) or dry and what bbq sauce you want, mild or spicy. I personally prefer it wet with mild sauce. The hot BBQ sauce is good but it’s very spicy. Proceed with caution if you don’t like things that spicy.

Just look at that smoke ring!!!

Their beef brisket is also so wonderful. I love the smokey flavor and the tender texture of the thin sliced brisket.

I think that everything is a great value, but their Family Value Dinners are the best option when you want to try a bunch of things, have a bunch of leftovers, or actually share with your family and friends. There are 2 options, the Fat Head sampler for $23, which ended up being 4 servings for us so that was a great value. The larger Dinner Meal for 4 for $40 which is very generous so be ready for some leftovers for lunch or your midnight snack.

The cornbread is not included in the samplers, but order it… it’s good.

As well, ask for buns when you get the sampler for the pulled pork so that you can make sandwiches.

I’ve enjoyed all the sides we have tried from our various visits. The collards and beans are my favorite. I love collards and enjoyed the sweet tang in their collards. My daughter likes the mac and cheese, which I thought was a little dry one time, but great the other times. I am picky about potato salad but I really liked their’s.