Deals For FL Residents At Orlando's Theme Parks

When your snowbird home is near Orlando, FL you get visitors from the north who want to visit the theme parks.  We would love to join them but they are so expensive to get into these days.  I started to wonder if there was any way to get discounts to make a visit a little more affordable.  I found out that all of the parks give some kind of discount or easy payment plans to Florida residents.  That's perfect for us because we decided to stay 6 months and a day in Florida and we are now officially residents.

Disney World - I was surprised to find any discounts here but I actually found a couple of options that would work for us as Florida residents.  There is a 3 day ($159 plus tax) or 4 day ($179 plus tax) package that we could purchase and be able to use between Jan. 4 through June 24, 2018.  The tickets can be used to enter any of the Disney parks but only one park per day.  Considering that a one day adult regular ticket for Magic Kingdom costs a minimum of $119 plus tax, (regular ticket price, prices are higher at peak times of the year) this is an amazing deal.  If we think we will be visiting the parks more than 3 or 4 times, we might consider getting one of the annual passes.  Anyone can buy an annual pass to Disney but Florida residents have a choice of two additional options not available to the general public.  The Disney Silver Pass ($439 plus tax) gives us access to all 4 parks, park hopping and parking.  There are blackout dates, though, which are basically the weeks that schools are closed.  The Disney Weekday Select Pass ($289 plus tax) is the same as the Silver except that the weekends are also blackout dates.  I am thrilled with the Florida resident deals.  We will definitely take advantage of these deals if our guests want to do Disney when they visit.
If you are not a resident:  The cheapest way to buy tickets through Disney World (see other options below) would be to buy them online.   If you are planning to visit the parks 3 or more times within 14 days you can save $20 compared to what you would pay at the window.   There are also annual pass options for non-residents.

Universal - It costs $115 plus tax, at the cheapest time of the year, for a non-resident to visit Universal, and a little more at peak times.  But we can take advantage of resident pricing here.  For $164.95 plus tax we can visit one park per day, Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure, 4 separate times.  Or if we think we might want to make more than 4 visits to the parks, we can buy an annual pass for as low as $259.99 plus tax.  Right now there is a sale going on that gives us 3 extra months free when we buy an annual pass.  This makes this deal really worth the price.  There are blackout dates but will still work for us right now.  It will not work when our grand kids get to be school aged though!
If you are not a resident:  There is a deal here that is hard to pass on if you are  planning to visit the parks 5 times in one week.  The ticket will cost you  $224.99 for 5 admissions, which is the same price you would pay if you were buying a package of 3 one park per day tickets.  It's like getting 2 days free!

Sea World - The cheapest way to purchase tickets for a day at Sea World is to buy them at least one day ahead of time online.  The ticket will cost $79.00 for non-residents and residents alike, instead of $99.00.  There are no Florida resident discounts here unless you are a teacher.  The only perk a resident could get would be to be able to make monthly payments when purchasing an annual pass compared to having to pay in full.  The annual pass is $175.   Parking is included and there are no blackout dates which makes this a very good deal even without a discount.

Busch Gardens - The only deals you can get here as a Florida resident is free yearly passes for Florida preschoolers and, like Sea World, you can make monthly payments when purchasing your annual pass.  So whether you are a resident or non-resident, your annual pass is $168 and includes unlimited visits with no blackout dates, free parking, the ability to purchase tickets for your guests at a discounted price and other perks.  A one day, one park ticket costs $89.99 and parking costs $18.69.  It is definitely worth thinking about buying an annual pass and spending two days at the park.  It would mean your second day would cost only $60.00 and would include parking.

Legoland - For only $99.99 Florida residents can purchase an annual pass.  The perk that makes this really worth buying is the $25 discount you can get for your guests, up to 4.  Saving up to $100.00 on tickets for our guests sounds like a great deal to me.  Cypress Gardens was the theme park here before Legoland.  I was thrilled to know that Legoland kept the gardens and their website claims that it is even more beautiful than ever.  I always loved those gardens and the fact that Legoland is only about 30 minutes from my Florida home makes me think we will take full advantage of the discounts we can get here.
If you are not a resident:  Buy your tickets at least 2 days in advance online and you can save $14.00 per ticket.  A one day ticket costs $88.99 at the gate.   There is a annual pass available to non-residents that will cost you $149 and will get you a full year of admission to the theme park and water park with no blackout dates and includes parking.  You also get unlimited admission to the Coca Cola Orlando Eye, SEA LIFE Aquarium and Madam Tussauds in Orlando.  (For more information on these amusements see our recent blog post here.)  This is definitely worth looking into if you were planning to enjoy more than one visit to Legoland on your vacation.

There are great deals for us now that we are Florida residents.  We will look into deals we can get in other ways too before I buy our theme park tickets.  I know we can buy discounted tickets with our AAA membership .  We have also gotten a great deal for Busch Gardens when we purchased tickets online from visitorlando.com.  Groupon and Trip Advisor are also worth taking a look at.  An added bonus is getting 4% back from Ebates when you buy tickets through Trip Advisor and 9% through Groupon.

Do you enjoy any perks in the city you reside in?

What Destinations Are On Your Bucket List?

I was curious to know what destinations were on my friend's and family member's bucket lists.  These are the people who have traveled as far as Japan with us.  They have hiked in a couple of national parks and camped in almost every state on the east coast with us.  We have traveled as far west, in the US, as Seattle, Washington and have cruised together.  We traveled so much together that, years ago, we decided we needed a group name.  We called ourselves the Rockland Rollers.  (Most of us live or lived in Rockland County, NY.)

I asked the group for the top 3 destinations on their bucket list.  It is a big world out there,with many places to discover, so I was ready for a very varied list.  But there were eight places that made many of the lists.  I had to find out more about these places just in case one of these destinations turned into another group vacation adventure! 

The Rockland Rollers Top Eight Bucket List Destinations

1. Greece - was on the top of at least half of the group's lists.  Because of it's many islands, when we think of Greece, we think of beautiful beaches and gorgeous weather.  There are too many islands to choose from, though, so I think one trip here would not be enough.  The most visited island is Corfu where you can enjoy elegant Italian architecture and walk the many romantic pedestrian-only streets.  The most dramatic island is Santorini with it's clifftop towns of Fira and Oia.   They are both considered romantic destinations and are popular for weddings and honeymoons.  Swimming at the black volcanic sand beaches sounds like a wonderful way to relax.  The most glamorous island is Mykonos where you can stay in boutique hotel, eat delicious meals at classy seafood restaurants and enjoy the many live music venus.  If we stayed on the mainland we might want to discover Delphi built on the slopes of Mt. Parnassus.  This was a sacred site where people came to worship Apollo.  We could explore the ruins of many temples, a theater and stadium all dating back between 8th century BC and 2nd century AD.  Or would we want to see the symbol of Greece and Athens, the Acropolis, a rocky mound where the Parthenon stands.  Yes, one trip here would definitely not be enough.

2.  Thailand - was almost on as many lists as Greece was.  I was really surprised and curious about this choice because I have never thought about ever going to Thailand.  The more I found out about this exotic country, the more I thought I needed to get there one day.  But one day or one vacation would not be enough time to explore Thailand.  I found one adventure after another when I started researching this very interesting place.  Some of the must-sees here include the Grand Palace complex in Bangkok where we could see royal residences, throne halls, government offices, Buddhist temples and priceless works of art.  Wat Rong Khun or White Temple is both a place of worship as well as an art piece.  It looks like one of those things that a picture of it wouldn't do it justice.  You'd have to see it for yourself to really take it all in.  Damnoen Saduak Floating Market sounds like a  really unique, not-to-be-missed experience where you board a boat and go shopping to buy food, souvenirs, clothing and fresh produce from vendors who are in their boats.  Another fun shopping experience can be found at Chiang Mal which hosts a night bazaar every evening but the best night to go is Sunday when there are more arts and crafts for sale and local musicians and street performers show up.  There is definitely lots to see, do and experience in Thailand that I really could keep going on forever about it.

3.  Australia - is on lots of lists and is on my bucket list mostly because I would love to get a chance to see the cutest wildlife on earth, in my opinion anyway!  In a recent post (see other must-sees here), I researched a city where koalas could be seen sitting on people's lawns.  That would be a sight to see!

4.  Africa - People who had Africa as one of their top destinations, immediately added because they would love to experience an African Safari.  There are many safari's to choose from.  How awesome would it be to join the safari that takes you view the migration of wildebeest and zebra.  This migration is called the "greatest wildlife show on earth".   Or maybe one around the Ngorongoro Crater which is a massive depression that serves as a protective enclosure for over 25,000 large animals.  You are guaranteed to see each of the Big Five of Africa.  I know, from teaching about them when I worked in a pre-school, that they are the lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo.  The animals are a big draw for wanting to explore Africa but how amazing would it be to see the largest  body of falling water at Victoria Falls in Zambia.  It's twice the height and many times wider than Niagara Falls.  I thought Niagara Falls was powerful!  I can't imagine falls more than twice the size.  Chrissy crossed Africa off her bucket list when she was asked to go as a representative of the company she works for, Vitamin Shoppe.  Not only did she get to go on a safari, she also was able to experience the people and culture.  The stories she came back were amazing and are wonderful memories she will have forever.

Photo Credit: Sophia Billikopf, Vitamin Angels

Photo Credit: Sophia Billikopf, Vitamin Angels

5.  Iceland - made many of the Rollers' bucket lists.  Most added that they would love to see the Northern Lights.  I can imagine that this would be the most sensational light show we would ever witness in our lives.  So what else could we see or do in Iceland?  Iceland sounds like the perfect place to go whale watching.  We have a pretty good chance of seeing the Blue Whale here, the largest animal ever to live on earth.  Another interesting animal to see here is the Icelandic Horse.  We can choose to go horseback riding on these short-legged, muscular animals.  If it's glacier we want to see, it sounds like Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon is the place to see them.   We can watch, as well as hear, them crashing into each other.  We can do this on a boat or just watch them from the shoreline.  An added treat would be also watching the seals here playing around us.  It takes a bit of luck, and a very knowledgeable guide, to be able to see the Northern Lights.  If we ever get to Iceland that would be the hope, but there are so many different and interesting things to see and do here that a trip here would be worth the trip anyway.

6.  Alaska - The natural beauty and delicious seafood are only two of the many reasons we would want to visit the largest state in America.  It is on mine (see the rest of my list and read more about Alaska here) and Soko's lists as well as a couple of others.  I'm sure we would want to visit one of the National Parks, but which one.  Denali National Park has the highest peak in North America.  We can marvel at the glaciers, grizzly bears and "drunken trees", trees that have tilted because the frozen ground is melting around them.  Glacier Bay National Park is where we would want to go to enjoy many outdoor activity opportunities like hiking, kayaking and fishing.  Or would we want to get a glimpse of whales breaching or eagles soaring at Kenai Fjords National Park.  And when we are in Alaska we would definitely have to check out the glaciers.  Heidi and Frank were lucky enough to make a trip to Alaska and checked out the Mendenhall and Spencer Glaciers among others.  Although, Heidi has been able to check Alaska off her bucket list she still dreams about going back again to explore more of the interior of this beautiful state.

7.  Hawaii -  I can definitely understand why Hawaii was a top 3 on the Rollers' lists.  Me and Soko honeymooned here and loved it.   Diamond Head in Oahu was one of the sights that were on our must-see list when we went.  If the Parthenon is the symbol of Greece, then for me Diamond Head is the symbol of Hawaii.   We took a trip to the island of Maui and it wouldn't have been complete if we didn't take the Road to Hana.  Amazing!  We also enjoyed watching the very talented hula dancers at a luau and tasting authentic Hawaiian food like poi.  (I'm not sure that I would try poi again though!)  The beaches were amazing and our hotel was across the street from the International Market Place in Waikiki which was a definite thrill for me.  I loved shopping at all the little kiosks.  I had to bring home one of the beautiful carved candles that were a popular buy there.  I heard that the Market Place that I remember has been completely renovated but is still a must-see.  Even though we have visited Hawaii, I would go back in a heartbeat!

8.  Bora Bora - After traveling around the world, we may need a place to relax.  Bora Bora sounds exactly like that place and was the top choice of a couple of the Rollers.  Whether we are relaxing on the deck of our floating bungalow, wading in the water of the lagoon surrounding Bora Bora or taking a leisurely bike ride around the island, this island sounds made for relaxing.  There are sights to see  on this French Polynesian Island, after a lot of relaxing, like Mt. Otemanu for one.  I heard that the best way to see and enjoy this magnificent dormant volcano is by taking a boat ride around it.  On the top of almost every "best things to do in Bora Bora" list is a visit to Matira Beach.  Who wouldn't want to lounge on the white sand and swim in the calm turquoise water.  And, last but not least, snorkeling in the warm, clear water in a lagoon filled with beautiful coral gardens, sounds heavenly.

I have now added more places to see on my bucket list after seeing theirs.  I hope that one day I will be posting my story and adding my pictures of the adventure I had in one of these exciting places.  Even better would be having stories and making memories on these trips with the Rockland Rollers!

Entertaining Our Snowbird House Guests On A Budget

It has been a rough winter in the north this year.  The temperatures have hit record lows and there's been lots of snow everywhere.  In fact, my brother-in-law sent me a picture of his snow filled backyard in New York just yesterday.  Meanwhile, I am looking at it in my snowbird home in Florida and my air conditioning is on.  Needless to say, I have guests from the north who are looking for some sun and fun.  We are in central Florida so the beach is an hour away, not too bad, and we are only steps away from our community pool.  We are also only about an hour away from all the major theme parks and minutes away from Legoland.  We are in a great area for any of our family and friends who want to get out of the snow, enjoy a fun-filled vacation and save on a hotel bill.

We love having company and would love to join them at all the theme parks but we have to be frugal living on a retirement budget.  When my daughter, Lisa, recently came to visit we were looking for something to do.  We wanted to do something touristy but not an expensive theme park.  After researching things to do in Orlando, Lisa found a great deal on a combo ticket for three fun experiences.  The Orlando Eye, a 400-foot tall observation wheel, Sea Life Orlando, an aquarium and Madame Tussands Orlando, wax museum.  If we chose to only go to one of these attractions and we bought the ticket online, it would cost us $25.00 ($27.50 at the door).  If we chose two attractions we could get a pretty good deal paying $39.00 but we chose the $49.00 three attraction ticket.  Florida residents, like me and Soko, get a discount and only pay $44.00.  The free parking and the fact that the three attractions were located in the I-Drive 360 entertainment complex sold us on the deal.  We could have a full day of activity and fun and it wouldn't cost us an arm and a leg as they say!

We bought our tickets online and headed to Orlando.  It was not hard to find the attractions we were looking for.   We just headed towards the giant wheel.  We parked easily in the free parking garage.  We exited the garage and wound up in the I-Drive 360 complex.  There were several restaurants, bars and shops here.  We were very excited about Ben & Jerry's being there and since we were on vacation, or at least Lisa was, we had to have a waffle cone.  (Not pictured.  We ate them too fast!)

We strolled through the entertainment complex until we reached our destination.

It was a little cloudy out when we got to Orlando so we decided to do one of the indoor attractions and wait to do the wheel.  We selected Sea Life Orlando to do first.  Because we got our tickets online, we went directly to the entrance line instead of the ticket line which was longer.

I loved swimming with the lionfish.

There were tons of large fish tanks like this one throughout the aquarium.

The 360 degree tunnel was amazing!

The special exhibit devoted to these little creatures was very interesting.

We really enjoyed the Sea Life aquarium.  

It was still cloudy when we left the aquarium but we could see the sun in the distance.   We decided to check out Madame Tussands while we waited for the sun to reach us.  This was the first time the three of us had ever been to a wax museum.  Lisa was worried that I would be scared of the life-like characters because I am afraid of dolls.  I had a great time and I didn't have any anxiety at all.  Now it would have been a totally different story if I had been stuck in there after hours, by myself...!!

Soko helped Donald Trump with some presidential business.

Lisa was thrilled to pose for pictures with one of her favorite artists, Andy Warhol.

Shaquille O'Neal challenged Soko to a one-on-one basketball game

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Justin Bieber hired Lisa to be one of his backup dancers.

Jimmy Fallon interviewed Soko on his late night show.

I had breakfast at Tiffany's with Audrey Hepburn.

And Soko saved E.T. 

We never thought a wax museum could be so fun.  We were so impressed with how life-like the figures were.  While we were enjoying the museum, the sun finally peeked out so we headed to the observation wheel.

We entered the capsule which was huge.

We will be the next capsule to be at the top.  It's a long way down from here!

The three of us took lots of pictures and were very happy with the view we had now that the sun was out.

The monitors in the capsule showed us exactly what we were looking at.

We enjoyed a very relaxing 25 minute ride!

I would recommend all three exhibits to anyone and everyone of all ages.  Also, there is another add-on to this deal, a day at Legoland.   Your adult combo ticket will cost $99.00 for the four experiences and $94.00 for kids.  Considering that the cheapest ticket you could buy for Legoland is $79.99 per adult (when you buy two days in advance)  this is a terrific deal.  Extra pluses are that you don't have to enjoy Legoland on the same day as the other exhibits.  You have up to 30 days after you go to the first attraction in your package, to get there.  And if you are staying in Orlando and don't want to drive the hour to get to Legoland, you can take advantage of a free shuttle. 

We are so happy that we found this place and I am sure we will take other guests here.  I would not mind doing this same adventure again.  It was that fun!

Must See In Amalfi Coast, Italy - Preparing For Our Mediterranean Cruise

The fifth port of our Mediterranean cruise is Amalfi Coast, Italy.   In parenthesis is Salerno as it the where the port is.  There are a so many interesting excursions to choose from at this destination that it makes it very hard to decide what we want to do.  How are we going to decide whether to explore Capri, Sorrento or Pompei or do we want to choose to enjoy the sights of the gorgeous Amalfi Coast?  How should we do that, by land or sea?  I will research every possibility and then decide.  Our choices range from seeing three destinations in 9 1/2 hours to getting transportation to one destination and exploring it at a leisurely pace.

Port 5 - Almalfi Coast

Salerno - If we have time we would love to look around the port city.  There are museums, galleries, beaches and parks to explore here.  A highlight of a visit here would be going to Arechi Castle.  From this castle we can enjoy spectacular views of Amalfi Coast, Salerno and Gulf of Salerno.

Capri - The thing to see here is the Blue Grotto.  It is a sea cave where when the sunlight reflects on the water it creates brilliant blue illuminations.  It takes 5 minutes to get through the cave but half the adventure is getting to the grotto.  Another must see in Capri which is actually in Capri's second town, Anacapri is the chairlift ride up to Monte Solaro.  Once we are at the top we can enjoy views of the whole island of Capri, Bay of Naples, the Amalfi Coast and the mountains of Calabria.  We can choose to take the 40 minute hike down but will have to consider if we want to navigate uneven steps, loose rocks and few signs.

Sorrento - is a land of lemon and olive groves.  90 percent of their economy depends on tourism so almost everyone speaks English.  We will take Rick Steve's suggested leisurely walk around Sorrento if this is where we choose to go.  On this walk, we will pass Piazza Tasso, a lively town square where we can find transportation, expensive apartments and top cafes; Statue of Torquato Tasso, was a Renaissance poet and the square's namesake; Via Santa Maria della Pieta, is an old street that dates back centuries before Christ; Cathedral, where we will want to check out the interior doors on which scenes of the town are depicted;  Corso Italia & Old Town, is where we will want to find the bell tower with the ancient Roman columns at its base; Sorrento Men's Club, where we will look for the historical marker that describes this beautiful building; Via San Cesareo, is a pedestrian-only shopping street that leads back to Piazza Tasso, lots of lemon products are sold here; Statue of St. Anthony, is located back in the square and is Sorrento's town saint; Cliffside Square is a square that overlooks the harbor with views of Marina Piccola and the Bay of Naples and the Ancient Greek Gate (marks the boundary between Sorrento and Marina Grande) & Marina Grande, is where we can relax with a drink on the sundeck of Ristorante Delfino before boarding a bus back to the center of Piazza Tasso.

Pompeii - I think it would be so interesting  and fascinating to visit this city that was buried in 79 A.D. when Mt. Vesuvius erupted.  2,000 people died here and the city was abandoned until explorers rediscovered the site in 1748.  They found Pompeii preserved under the thick layers of dust and debris.  The buildings, artifacts and skeletons have revealed what life was like in the ancient world.    I think that it would be so cool to walk on the old streets of Pompeii and so much fun to learn about the people and how they lived many, many years ago.  We will take Rick Steve's self-guided tour here if we choose Pompeii as our destination to explore.
1.   Porta Marina - is where the original town gate was.  We will enter the city here.
2.   Pompeii's Streets - On these streets we will find stepping stones.  The Pompeiians would wash their streets every day by flooding them with water.  The steps were used by pedestrians so they wouldn't get their sandals wet.  When we see two rows of stones, we know we are on a two way street.  Three rows tells us we are on a major thoroughfare.
3.   Forum - stands at the intersection of the city's two main streets.  This plaza was where people would gather and business took place in the many two story buildings that surrounded the square.  There are pedestals here that held statues that are now in the museum in Naples that holds many of the treasures found in Pompeii.
4.   Basilica - was a law court.  We can see the original marble on the side walls of this building.  There are unfinished columns that show the method of construction used here many centuries ago.
5.   Via Abbondanza - is Pompeii's main street.  This was a pedestrian-only street lined with shops, bars and restaurants.  We will see large stones that were placed in the street to keep chariots from entering.
6.   Fish & Produce Market:  Plaster Casts of Victims -  We will be looking for frescoes on the wall here showing what the Pompeiians came to buy at the market.  Also here are plaster molds that were made by the archaeologists who found hollow spaces that were created by decomposed bodies.  By filling these spaces with plaster it recreated the final moments of the person caught in the disaster.
7.   Baths of the Forum -  The first room we enter here is the dressing room.  We will see pegs in the walls which were used to hang clothes.  In the next room, we will find a large tub that the Romans soaked in and on the side of the tub, a fountain that spouted water onto the hot floor creating steam.
8.   Fast-Food Joint - The Romans had tiny apartments so usually didn't cook for themselves so there were a lot of take out shops.  We can see marble counters here with large holes that held pots of food.
9.   House of the Tragic Poet - This is a typical style of Roman home.  At the entryway, I will be looking for the "Beware of Dog" sign which is a picture of a dog made of mosaic tiles.  I also want to see the dining room off the garden decorated with frescoes.
10. Aqueduct Arch - is where Pompeii's water supply was delivered.  The water tanks are hidden in the top.
11. House of the Faun - This is Pompeii's largest home.  We will be looking for the Dancing Faun bronze statue.  This statue is a replica of the original that is in the museum in Naples.
12. Original Lead Pipes - These 2,000 year old pipes supplied water to the town.  One pipe ran water to the baths, one to private homes and one to the public water fountains.  If there was a water shortage, the water was shut off to the baths, then to the homes.  The last to be shut down was to the public water fountains which the residents would use for drinking and cooking.
13. House of the Vettii - is the best preserved home but it has been blocked off for years.  There is a small chance that it could be open and we will be able to see large money boxes anchored to the floor, bronze cooking pots in the kitchen and many other well preserved household goods and decor.
14. Bakery and Mill - Every town had a bakery like this.  Here we will see a brick oven that looks just like a pizza oven and flour grinders.   The flour grinders were stone towers that grain was poured into.  Donkeys or slaves would push the wooded bars that turned the stones and ground the grain into flour.
15. Brothel - We will find beds and pillows made of stone here.
16. Temple of Isis - This small but almost intact temple was one of the first buildings discovered during the excavation in 1764.
17. Theater - This theater sat 5,000 people.  We can see part of the cheap seat section, the box seats reserved for guests of honor and the gladiator barracks.
18. Amphitheater - From the top of this amphitheater we can see Vesuvius in the background.

Amalfi Coast and Town of Amalfi - If we choose this excursion we have a couple of options of transportation to board to enjoy the coastline.  After our coastline tour, we will have a chance to wander the narrow streets of the quaint town of Amalfi before heading back to our cruise ship.

I am beginning to think that our once in a lifetime Mediterranean cruise might be the first of two trips!  There is too much we want to see and do to do it all in one trip and it is really hard to choose between all these amazing adventures.  Any suggestions?  We can really use some help!

Ten Things I Don't Like About Vacations

First of all, I love vacation!  Who doesn't?  But there are some things that go along with planning, preparing, etc. of the trip that I just don't like.  Is it just me or can you relate to some of these complaints I have?

1.  Planning an itinerary.  Especially for a vacation like our trip of a lifetime to Europe.  I'm pretty  sure that we will never visit these places again.   I get excited about the trip when I'm planning it and that's fun but I also feel worried that I haven't included a great sight to see or food to eat.   To make sure we have covered all our bases in the planning process, first we talk to everyone and anyone who has ever been to the part of the world we are traveling to.   We consider and look into any suggestions of sights we must see.  Then we consult travel books, especially the travel guides recommended by friends and family.  And then the internet has lots of information that needs to be looked at..  Hopefully, after all this, we have come up with the perfect itinerary!

2.  Booking a hotel without seeing it.  Especially when we are booking with fellow travelers and they are depending on us to find somewhere to stay.  We have crossed a couple of hotel chains off our list entirely but sometimes we get disappointed by the chains we have been happy with.   Most times we do not know what we will get until we get there.  If we know someone who has stayed where we are going and they have no complaints we will stay were they did but that rarely happens.  We trusted Rick Steves, whose travel guide we are using to plan our European vacation, when we picked our hotel in Barcelona.  My sister, Sandie, and friend, Susan, planned their trips with the help of his books and say that they were not disappointed.   I feel pretty confident about this hotel selection.  Hopefully it is one that I can recommend to anyone traveling to Spain.

3.  Waiting for the travel date to arrive.  I get so anxious to put the last of my dresses into my suitcase and get to the airport.  The last couple of days before a vacation just drag by.  It used to be worse, though, when I was working.  Retirement days do go a lot faster than work days!

4.  Packing.  Especially if I'm packing for a warm weather trip in the middle of winter.  First of all I have to hunt down the summer clothes.  Secondly, I have to try everything on to make sure things still fit after all the eating festivities of winter.  Then to decide what the weather might be like at the destination of our trip.  While I am checking the weather, I often see that it got warmer where we are going so I throw an extra pair of shorts into the suitcase.  But wait, there's a cold front coming in, throw in a pair of jeans and take out the shorts!  It goes on and on like that the last week of vacation because I don't like to over pack!   I should just solve this problem by buying a bigger suitcase and packing everything.

5.  Leaving the house feeling like we forgot something.  I run the checklist I have in my head off to Soko while we are still in the driveway.  What do we need to make sure we haven't forgotten?  Passports - check, wallet - check, phones - check.  Did we shut off the...  One time, when we were going on a road trip with the kids.   I was going over the list in my head as Soko was pulling out of the driveway.  We got down the block when I started to  panic thinking that I might have left the iron on.  I needed to go back to the house to check.  With the kids moaning in the back seat, Soko headed back.  Thank goodness, because the iron was on!

6.  Getting to the airport on time.  We spend half the day at the airport because I add two hours to our drive to the airport in case of traffic.  Then I want to be there 2 1/2 hours early and add at least another hour just in case there is a problem and delay checking in.  So usually we are at the airport about 4 hours before the flight is due to take off.  The hard part is convincing Soko that we need to leave for the airport at the crack of dawn for a flight leaving late afternoon!

7.  Finding our way around an airport.  I don't know how many times we have run around the airport trying to get to a connecting flight.   The gate is always a mile away and our first flight is always late taking off.  While on flight one, I study the last page of the In Flight Magazine where the map of the gates are and formulate a plan of how to get to the next flight.  As soon as we exit the plane, I am off and running.  Only when we are sitting in front of the connecting flight gate can I breathe again!

8.  The last day of vacation.  No matter how much I tell myself that I am still on vacation and that I have a full day left, I always have it in the back of my mind that it is the last day.  I don't like the feeling I get knowing it is the last day.  I am never ready for a vacation to end.

9.  Unpacking.   I'm usually too tired to unpack the first day back from vacation and sometimes can't get to all of it by the second day and then something comes up the third day and I am still looking at the unpacked suitcases.   And where am I going to put all the souvenirs?!  Why did I buy so much?!  I remember why once I start unpacking and looking at all the things I brought back.   Because these knick knacks are wonderful and it reminds me of the great time we had!

10. Waiting for the next vacation!

Cruising: A Budget Friendly Vacation

Have you've been thinking you would like to go on a cruise but couldn't afford it? Cruising can be a budget friendly vacation as you will find out out when you read this post.

If you are planning to travel to Europe on your cruise read our post, Packing For Our 12 Day Mediterranean Cruise, before you start packing.

I can't believe we have been retired for 2 1/2 years now.  I have to say that we are enjoying every minute of it.  One reason we are so happy with our new life is that our dream of traveling, when we retired, is really coming true.   Since retiring, we have made several quick road trips that brought us to Washington, DC, Charleston, SC, Columbia, SC,  Gatlinburg, TN and Cherokee, NC.  We enjoyed a vacation in Cancun, Mexico, our first all-inclusive ever.  We spent a week in Vegas with family and friends and just got back from our second cruise.  I thank my kids for gifting a couple of these trips to us and for my sister for inviting us to Gatlinburg to join her and her husband when she was offered a free hotel stay there.  We did treat ourselves to the two cruises though.  Traveling is wonderful but does cost money and being retired means not having the income we used to have.  But we have found that we can enjoy a wonderful vacation on our tighter budget by cruising.

We definitely had to tweak our budget since we retired but when we did, we made sure that we were budgeting enough for vacations.  For a look at how we've been budgeting you can read our two previous posts:  Keeping Track Of Every Penny and How We Save On Groceries To Have More For Vacations.

So how do we make cruising work for us. 

1.  When we cruise for the sake of taking a very nice vacation, we worry less about where the cruise will take us and more about the best deal.

The cruise we just came back from took us to Cozumel, Mexico and Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.  We have been to both of  these destinations before.  We cruised to both places on our very first cruise 15 years ago.  But we found a great deal on Carnival.  The cruise cost $279.00 per person and they were giving $50 onboard credit per room.  If you have not cruised before keep in mind that there are Cruise Government Taxes and Fees, $186.50 for this cruise, and mandatory gratuities charge which we prepaid when we booked our cruise and that added another $129.50 to the price of the cruise.

2.  We are not fussy about the cruise line we choose.   

We will go with the line that is offering the biggest bang for the buck.  We look at the deals of all the cruise lines.  We have only vacationed with two cruise lines so far, Royal Caribbean and Carnival and have been very happy with both.  

3.  We cruise out of the ports we can drive to.  

We save a ton of money on not having to fly to a port.  Now that we are snowbirds and live half the year in Florida, we have 3 ports all within a 2 hour drive and Miami is 4 hours from us.  We do need to park our car for the duration of the cruise.  It cost us $75 to park for 5 days at the Tampa port.

4.  We skip the expensive excursions and get to the beach on our own.

We went to the beach in both Cozumel and Grand Cayman.  Our friends recommended that we spend the day at Mr. Sancho's Beach Club if we wanted to do the beach in Cozumel.  It cost us $40.00 round trip total by taxi to get there and we spent another $10.00 for drinks.   We paid $20.00 total round trip to get to Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman and $10.00 to rent two lounge chairs at Public Beach.  There was no charge to get onto either beach.  Compare that to the $69.99 per person excursion that gets you transportation to the beach and a chair at a beach in Grand Cayman.

5.  We drink the water, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, lemonade and iced tea (and juice and milk during breakfast hours) and not purchase the beverage packages.

We had a few beers from a machine where you dispensed your own.  Soko loved it!  It cost slightly less than if we got a beer from the bar.  After using the onboard credit we had, we were left with a bill of $38.00 at the end of the trip for drinks (and bingo!).  Compare that to $56.95 +15% gratuity per day per person for the beverage package.

When all was said and done, we spent a grand total of $1,057.00 for a really nice vacation.  Where can you go and spend only $212.00 per day and get a room (a really tiny room) 3 meals a day (and a midnight snack), 2-3 comedy shows a night (the comedians, Spike Davis and Kelly Terranova, were hilarious) live music (in different venues around the ship) and a stage show every night (I didn't want the Epic Rock show to end.  It was amazing!)   

Cruising gives us a chance to try new food like this eggs benedict with salmon instead of ham.  Yum!

Cruising definitely works for us as far as staying within our vacation budget and we enjoy all they have to offer!

Good To Know: If you are new to cruising, you might want to check out this website to see which cruise line is a perfect match for tastes and interests.

Check out this post before you book your Mediterranean Cruise.

Pros And Cons Of A Mediterranean Cruise Vacation

Did you just come back from your first cruise? Please let us know how you liked it by sending us a comment. We would love to hear what you thought of it.

Being Prepared For An Emergency During A Road Trip

This is a sponsored post.  All opinions are my own.

We have dreamed for years about road tripping around this great country of ours once we retired.  We finally did retire two years ago and are living our dream.  We have been on a number of road trips but haven't gotten a chance to venture too far from our home in North Carolina and snowbird home in Florida.  This year will be a very busy year for us as our first grandchild is due in April and our youngest is getting married in September.   These glorious events will keep us close to home but we are looking forward to road trips we will be taking next year.

We always prepare our car before we hit the road and you can read about how we do that in our recent post.  But a story we heard a couple of months ago about an elderly couple getting stranded in Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument when their rental stalled made us think beyond just getting our car ready.

Most of our road trips will revolve around seeing as many National Parks as possible.  We have been to a few and have enjoyed each of them and look forward to enjoying a few more.  The story of this Houston couple made us think about the possibility of getting stranded in one of these parks.  We know that help is not a cell phone call away in places where there is no cell tower around for miles.  We would have only ourselves to help us out of an emergency situation.  We will have more success helping ourselves if we are prepared.

We decided that we need to arm ourselves with an emergency kit to keep in the car before we hit the road.  The couple that I mentioned above were rescued 6 days after they became stranded but were severely dehydrated.  We were thinking of what we would need to survive for a couple of days.  We have come up with this list.

Essentials- Store these items in a backpack and leave in car.
Water.  Gallons, bottles or small boxes.
Non-perishable food items.  Also, granola bars and power bars.
Blankets and ponchos
Flashlight
Whistle

Extra Necessities - Store these items in a bin and leave in car.
First Aid kit - containing different kinds of bandages, sterile wipes, scissors, tweezers, gauze and instant cold pack.
Road flares.
Jumper cables.
Flat tire kit - including temporary tire sealant.

I think that once we secure these supplies we will be ready for any emergency on the road.  I will look on the My Patriot Supply website for everything I need.  They not only have survival supplies you would need to have on the road but My Patriot Supply has supplies for many other emergency situations.

Also, a good idea is to leave your, detailed as possible, itinerary with a loved one.  Check in on this person with a quick text from time to time when you have reception.  They will be the ones who will alert authorities if they have not heard from you after a period of time.

We were very fortunate that when we got a flat tire in the middle of the night, in the middle of nowhere and in the middle of winter, that it happened in front of the only house for miles around.  A very nice gentleman, still dressed in his postal uniform, came out of his house with a flashlight and helped Soko put on the spare.  So we know firsthand that things can happen and we need to be prepared when they do.

Must See In Rome, Italy - Preparing For Our Mediterranean Cruise

Visiting Rome, Italy has the number one spot on our bucket list and it's the reason why we started to think about going on this Mediterranean cruise.  I still can't believe that we have our reservations made and we will be seeing this amazing city in a few short months.  It is truly a dream come true.  Trying to see Rome in the small amount of time we will have there is going to be challenging though.   Our cruise ship is arriving in Civitavecchia, Italy at 7:00 am and leaving at 7:00 pm.  The port is miles from Rome so the first thing we had to figure out was how to get to Rome the quickest and easiest way possible.   We decided to book a Train Transfer By Roma Express that we found on the list of excursions offered by Royal Caribbean.  A shuttle bus will take us from our cruise ship to the train station where we will board a vintage train to Rome.  There will be an escort on the train who will provide us with a map of Rome and who will answer any questions we might have.  The train ride will take 50 minutes and will bring us to San Pietro Station which is a 10-15 walk from the Vatican.  We will then have 6 hours to explore on our own before taking the train back to the port.

Port 4 - Civitavecchia (Rome) Italy

The main reason for us wanting to go to Rome so badly is to visit Vatican City to see the greatest, most important Catholic Church in the world, St. Peter's Basilica with Michelangelo's Pieta and for a chance to see Michelangelo's ceiling in the Sistine Chapel.  If we think we have enough time for anything else, we would like to see the Colosseum, just the outside.   I am pretty sure we won't have time to venture inside.  We would also like to see Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps and the Pantheon but we would not be disappointed if we didn't make it to these sites.  It would give us an excuse to come back!

Our plan at the moment is to buy tickets in advance to get into the Vatican museums.  If we can get them for 12:30 pm it will give us 3 hours to explore the museums and 3 hours to get to the other sites.

This is what our schedule might look like:

10:00 - Get to San Pietro Station.  Look for Bus 64 here to take us to Piazza Venezia stop.   30 minute bus ride and 12 minute walk.  

10:45 - Arrive at Colosseum - This 2000 year old building is one of those sites you dream about seeing in your lifetime.  It was a venue that saw many gladiator contests among other things.  Only 1/3 of the building remains having been destroyed by earthquakes and builders taking stones from here to build other buildings.  The exterior of the Colosseum is not impressive or beautiful as it was built by engineers and not artists.   If you go inside and look down into the arena, you will see the underground passages where prisoners and animals were held.  There are private tours you can book to avoid lines here but I couldn't find any information about getting online tickets in advance from the Colosseum itself.

11:15 - Walk 20 minutes to Trevi Fountain.  

11:35 - Arrive at Trevi Fountain - I will be looking for Neptune in his shell-shaped chariot and Triton blowing his conch shell.  I won't forget to bring a coin to throw over my shoulder to ensure that I get back to Rome one day.

Now it's time to decide if we have any time to do the 8 minute walk to get to the...

Spanish Steps - Many people have spent time hanging out on these steps, which are over 300 year old steps, including British poet John Keats.  I will be looking for the Sinking Boat Fountain at the bottom of these steps.  Then if we somehow have saved time somewhere we will walk 14 minutes to the...

Pantheon - This Roman temple was dedicated to all gods and is what the word pantheon means.  It is now a Christian church.  It was originally built in 27 B.C. but because of a few fires had to be rebuilt  around A.D. 120.  It is a great example of architecture of the Roman Empire.

I would like to have at least 1 hour to get to Vatican City from this area.  The trip back should take 30 - 45 minutes by Bus 64.

Vatican City

St. Peter's Basilica - is free to enter but costs 5 euro if you want to climb the stairs or 7 euro if you take the elevator up to the top of the dome.  We are not packing shorts and making sure all my tops cover my shoulders because of the dress code of this and most of the other churches we want to get in to explore.  We will follow Rick Steve's walking tour here.

Holy Door - is one of five doors that lead into the church.  The Holy Door is the one on the far right.  This door is only opened during Holy Years and special Jubilee years and on Christmas Eve every 25 years.   The pope will knock three times on the door with a silver hammer to open it.

Charlemagne's Coronation Site - On the floor in front of the central doorway is a round maroon colored stone.  This is the spot where Charlemagne was crowned Emperor.

St Andrew Statue and View of Dome - Near the altar, on the left hand side, is the statue of St. Andrew holding an X-shaped cross.  If you stand in front of it and look up you will find the dome 448 feet above you.  I will be looking above the windows to find Jesus, Mary, saints and angels and further up God.  He is so far up that he will look like a blur of blue and red.

St. Peter Statue - To the right of St. Andrew we will find St. Peter.  There will be a line of people waiting to kiss the big right toe of this statue as a sign of respect.  I will take the suggestion of Rick Steves and kiss my fingers, then touch the toe!

Pope John XXIII - is laid out to rest in a lighted glass tomb in the Basilica.  Some say that it is a sign of a miracle that his body was completely intact after being buried for 38 years.   Because of the amazing condition of the body, the authorities decided to put it in the church for all to enjoy.  Pope John XXIII himself performed a miracle when he cured an Italian nun who had a stomach tumor.

Main Altar - Look for the 7 story bronze canopy and you will find the main altar.  Only the pope can say Mass here, when he is in town.

BERNINI - Dove Window and Throne of St. Peter - In back of the main altar is a smaller front alter that is used for everyday services.  Here we will be looking for Bernini's dove window.  The six foot dove is used as the symbol for the Holy Spirit.  Underneath the dove is the Throne of St. Peter.  It is an oak chair that was built in medieval times for a king.  Bernini encased it in bronze and it is now a symbol of papal authority.

St. Peter's Crucifixion Site - To the left of the main altar we will look for the exact spot (according to tradition) of St. Peter's crucifixion.  When he was told he was going to be crucified like his Lord was he asked to be hung upside down because he was not worthy to be treated the same as Jesus.

RAPHAEL - Mosaic Copy of The Transfiguration is something I will be looking for near St. Andrew's statue.  The actual painting is in the Vatican museum.  Every painting in the Basilica are mosaic copies because the smoke and humidity would damage real paintings.

MICHELANGELO - Pieta is the reason why we will be in this Basilica.  To be this close to the actual pieta after knowing about it all our lives and seeing pictures of it will be more than amazing.  Seeing a mom holding her lifeless son in her arms is just too sad but it is one of the most famous works of art in the world and we can't wait to see it.  I think seeing this piece will be very emotional.

Tomb of St. Pope John Paul II is located under a painting of St. Sebastian, his favorite saint.  This Polish pope was the first non-Italian pope in four centuries. 

The Treasury Museum - is located near the altar and contains the tomb of Sixtus IV along with church ornaments, statues and various objects which are mostly gifts from kings and princes.

Blessed Sacrament Chapel - is located on the right-hand side of the church and is a peaceful place to meditate and pray. 

After you have looked around the church you can go down to the crypt where the tombs of popes and memorial chapels are.  You can also go up to the dome (there is a charge for this) to see the one of the best views in Rome.  Both areas are claustrophobic so Soko can go himself if he wants.

Vatican Museums - is a four mile complex of museums.  It takes 2 hours for a quick look around or 3 to 4 hours, if you have time, to be able to enjoy the museums more.  It is impossible to take it all in on one visit.  We will arm ourselves with a map of the museums and highlight where the must-sees on this list are.  After researching on the web, looking at travel guides and asking friends who have visited Vatican City and the museums, I have come up with this Top 5 list.

Belvedere Courtyard - is where we will find two statues that are not to be missed.  The Apollo Belvedere is a large white marble sculpture showing Apollo just after he has shot an arrow.  There are different ideas about what he has just shot at.  And Laocoon which is a marble sculpture showing Laocoon and his sons struggling with and getting overpowered by a serpent.  There are a couple of stories about who sent the serpent to kill the three and why.

Spiral Staircase - We can't miss finding this because it will be the first thing we see when we walk into the museum but I want to make sure we take it all in and take lots of pictures as it is the one of the most photographed staircases in the world.  Good to know: I read that we should not go through the doors at the bottom of this staircase as it will lead us out of museum and we will not be able to get back in. 

Raphael Rooms - are four rooms that are famous for their frescoes by Michelangelo and Raphael.  We will be on the lookout for one in particular, School of Athens, which was done by Raphael and his assistants.  This fresco gives us a preview of St. Peter's, which was under construction.  Raphael includes great thinkers, Aristotle and Plato and great painters, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo in this remarkable painting.

Sistine Chapel - is the main reason for everyone being in these museums.  I know it is for us anyway.  I will definitely have my map of the ceiling so I can understand what is going on up there.  Basically it is the story of creation with the central panel being the Creation of Adam.  This painting is what I think of when I dream of seeing the Sistine Chapel.  Especially where God's strong hand is reaching out to Adam's limp hand with their fingers almost touching.  After the ceiling, we will look for Michaelangelo's powerful Last Judgment behind the altar, with God separating the good from the evil.  If we are hurrying to get to St. Peter's Basilica  we will take the shortcut exit at the far-right corner of the chapel but if we have time we will go into the...

Pinacoteca Vaticana - where we will find Raphael's last work, Transfiguration.  If we went into St. Peter's first we would have seen the mosaic replica of this stunning painting.  After admiring this painting, we will find the souvenir shop to exit the museum.

Our itinerary looks a bit ambitious for a 6 hour day but we will try our best.  We will get a better idea of timing when we get there.  Only 8 more months until we are boarding the Vision of the Seas in Barcelona!