Adorable Travel Books For Kids – And Travel With Children Advice

Brandon Rudd, Publisher of the new travel book series for kids – Cooper’s Pack Travel Guides – has some tips and tricks on traveling with your kids- and of course, some cute books as well. Cooper’s Pack has launched four children’s travel books (so far) featuring London, Seattle, New York City and Alaska. Little Man loved checking these out- they are a fun way to introduce kids to new cities, and travel in general.

1. Learn about where you are going before you go.

EXAMPLE: Read a travel guide, search the internet, talk to a relative or
friend about their experiences there). Everyone wins when they are invested
in trip.

2. Bring a friend…

EXAMPLE: Bring your best friend…if they can’t go, bring your favorite
stuffed animal friend. Stuffed animals love to travel too!

3. Take a camera!

EXAMPLE: Take pictures of your favorite sites, stuffed animal and things
you can’t see at home.

4. Bring a small backpack

EXAMPLE: Bring a small [Read more…]

Wordless Wednesday – Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head…(PLUS LINKY)


[Read more…]

The Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center

One of the nicest resorts we have been to in a long time, the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center was a vacation all in itself. With lovely rooms, several restaurants and dining options right on site, as well as shopping available, and it’s own pool and water park, you won’t need to leave the campus to have a great time. Beautiful gardens with running rivers and waterfalls, fish (including mangrove snappers, redfish, snook, stingrays and tarpon) and koi fish, alligators, turtles, and other aquatica abound in over 360,000 gallons of water, you may forget you are indoors as you [Read more…]

Wingate by Wyndham- Universal Location

If you are looking for a hotel that is close to Universal Studios, Orlando, and the airport, feel free to check out Wingate by Wyndham Universal and Convention Center. Great for business or pleasure- or a mix of both- the Wingate is a great place to stay that won’t break the bank.

I am traveling with my son, who is 5. I know this is terrible of me, but I really liked the fact that there was an IHOP, KFC, and Taco Bell in the parking lot of the hotel. He almost never eats fast food, but when on vacation, [Read more…]

Dining With Al Capone

The Kissimmee area has much to choose from when it comes to dining, but our favorite is dinner and a show. It’s a fun way to experience some local flavor, and who cares if it’s raining?

We ate at Capones Dinner and Show, an interactive experience that is cute for all ages. It was a whole lot of “kitch” and meant to be fun and silly. It reminded me of another restaurant chain’s slogan- “Delightfully tacky, yet unrefined”. It for sure fell under that category. One of the running gags of the evening was “Fork You!” while brandishing- you guessed it- a fork.
[Read more…]

Daily Deals

Plum District has 2 big savings for the Legoland/Sea Life right now!

Pay $365 for LEGOLAND SEA LIFE Aquarium Hopper Package with an Ocean View Room for Two Nights – a $599 Value

OR

Pay $485 for LEGOLAND SEA LIFE Package with One Bedroom Villa for Two Nights – an $815 Value.

Right now all Grandparent’s Day Cards are only $0.99 with code: CCK2099. Grandparent’s Day is September 9th.

Right now at [Read more…]

5 Top Family Activities in Turkey

It’s great to get away for a couple of weeks over the summer with the family, but while the
sun, sea and sand is often entertainment enough for the adults, it’s a good idea to have a
few child-friendly day trips in mind to keep everyone happy. Cheap flights to Turkey also
mean a family break doesn’t have to cost the earth. There are lots of attractions around the
towns of Antalya and Marmaris in the southwest of the country that the little ones will love,
and you might even find you’re enjoying a day out at one just as much.

Dinopark, Antalya
Jurassic Park fans will love this one. Europe’s biggest ‘dinopark’ is located in Antalya, on
the coastal road between Konyaalti and Kemer. It features life-sized animatronic dinosaurs,
including a big T-Rex head which can comfortably fit in 3 children for a photo opportunity.
There’s an option for budding palaeontologists to dig for fossils, and a water park there to
cool off in at the end of the day. Admission is free for children 6 years and under.

Minicity, Antalya
Admittedly, I am quite a fan of model villages, but this place really is great! An amazing
amount of detail has gone into creating miniature versions of some of the most iconic
Turkish buildings and monuments, including Istanbul’s fabulous Hagia Sophia and the
Dolmabahce Palace. It opens at 8am and everything is outside so it’s best to get there in the
morning before baking temperatures set in. Entry is just 5 Lira (under $3).

Atlantis Water Park, Marmaris
Atlantis Water Park [Read more…]

@Kia – My Favorite Way To Travel

Over the past week I had the extreme pleasure of driving the 2012 Kia Optima Hybrid around Florida. This was my first time driving a hybrid, and I have to admit I am impressed. (This may be the only car I will ever rent again…)

The Kia Optima Hybrid is a very interesting vehicle. This car is a hybrid which means it runs on gasoline and electric. It charges by breaking, and driving. It also saves you gas money and charges by coasting, [Read more…]