DisneyWorld 2018

DisneyWorld in July. Call us crazy! Long lines, humid heat, all the things you want to avoid on vacation. And despite all the negatives, we had the best time! We hit the parks in the morning and night. We took breaks for naps and swims in the heat of the day. And we let the kids have some freedom to roam the park while we (the parents) did our own thing. 

That may have been the best part for mom and dad :)

We wanted to do something special for Kyli's graduation so we let her pick the destination. She picked Disney because that's her thing. Her friend from California joined us and we road tripped to Florida from North Carolina. Super simple 8 hour drive.

We had four days of park hopping thanks to our military tickets. And we got to enjoy the early & late hours, thanks to our military hotel on property. We will miss our military perks in 2019!

Here are a few fun pictures of our DisneyWorld trip.

Magic Kingdom

Epcot

Hollywood Studios

and Animal Kingdom.

Yes, Magic Kingdom is awesome. It's the iconic Disney place. However, we enjoyed Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios way more! Less crowds, shorter lines, and more thrill rides.
When you have teens that is what they want.

They also wanted freedom to go off on their own and ride Dinosaur four times in a row while being completely obnoxious (I'm sure). We, the parents, were also able to do adult things, like ride the "slow" rides and eating Dole Whips!

It was a blast for our last DisneyWorld trip. Disney is always a good time!

I admit I'm ready to graduate to something a little more grown up though :) 

Stay tuned for those adventures!

SaveSave

Holidays In The City

Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays. Happy New Year. I wish this season of joy and kindness could last another month. Our family may not have made a Christmas bucket list or advent countdown, but we have enjoyed December all the same. There is just something about the holidays that make people re-prioritize the right things. I hope you have seen the lights, drank the hot chocolate, baked the goodies, donated the stuff, and snuggled the ones you love all month. Of course, you can continue to do that after December 25th :)

Today I am sharing our trip to NYC! Going to New York City during the holidays was a dream come true. I don't even know other words to say about it. It surpassed all my expectations and I want to go back as soon as possible. Some times I find myself justifying a weekend trip  to get out of town. Sadly, I don't live in a world where I take weekend trips to New York City :( So I have to suffice with planning an in-the-future trip :) and hoping that means in 2018 future!

 

We made the trip by car A.) because that is how we travel and B.) it made more sense for car travel versus air travel. By the time, we drive to Raleigh (2.5 hours), get there a couple hours early (2+ hours), fly 2.5 hours, do the whole unload/luggage pickup (1hour), AND THEN travel to our hotel (apx.1 hour) plus the expense, car travel looked like the better choice. How can that be? I was happy to drive up north to be able to travel through new states. I'm soaking up all the East Coast things!   

We arrived Monday evening at Navy Lodge Staten Island. For all my military people, this is the way to go! Yes, I would have loved the convenience of staying in Manhattan. However, for the price, Navy Lodge Staten Island is the way to go. If you are staying in prime tourism season (aka holidays), then staying outside the city is going to save you big time. The lodge is nice, well kept, and sizable for families. We were technically on a Coast Guard base which has some amazing lookout points of the river, the bridges, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and all the other places that converge in this area. It was AMAZING. We never went back to the lookout (pictured above) in the daytime but that would definitely be on my list next trip. 

Tuesday morning was our first day in the city. We drove our car to the Staten Island Ferry terminal and parked in a lot nearby. The lot had a shuttle bus which we used when the weather got colder; otherwise, we walked the quarter mile every time. The Staten Island Ferry is free and hundreds of people use it every day. It is heated, there are plenty of seats, lots of security, and food/drinks are allowed on board. There are also bathrooms. I was really hesitant about the Staten Island Ferry because I didn't know much about it. Rest assured, Staten Island Ferry is the way to go. Did I mention it is free? When you arrive on the Manhattan side, there are a few subway stations right out the front doors of Whitehall Ferry terminal. So easy for someone who has never been to New York City.

We had tickets to the 9/11 Memorial museum mid morning. We took our time walking up through the financial district seeing the sights. I liked this area of the city because it wasn't crowded and busy. We missed a lot of big things down here like the New York Stock exchange and Federal Hall. We did see the Charging Bull, Wall Street, and St. Paul's Chapel of Trinity Church which was pretty cool in real life. We also saw One Freedom Tower and the 9/11 

tribute.

The rest of our first day was spent walking around the city. We went to Times Square, Rockefeller Center, and the USO New York. Rumor is USO New York City often receives show tickets to give to military patrons. This probably rings true when it isn't the busiest week of the year :) We were totally ok with that. The options for tickets were a little grown up for us so we passed. I was happy to roam the city instead.  

Day 2 was our busy day! We were up early and back late that night. I'm not sure what a NYC bucket list would look like for you but bagels and pizza were on ours. All the research I found said eat the bagels!! You don't have to tell me twice. We went for the best...literally, Best Bagels & Coffee. Of all the flavors we tried, a plain bagel with fresh made strawberry cream cheese was the best. Doesn't that sounds delicious?

After searching for incredible bagels, we headed towards Central Park. We had plans to see Central Park, Museum of Natural History, and a peek of the parade prep. I could have watched them prepare all day. It's like a science to lay those balloons out, inflate them, and keep them contained.

We took a break to tour the Natural History museum. We didn't spend too much time there. I think the SemperFiFam is starting to get burned out on museums. I guess a lifetime of museums gets old?? Opps, who knew? I wouldn't feel right about skipping it all together. It's the Night At The Museum museum! P.S. I love Ben Stiller. 

After the museum, we went to Central Park. Some of the streets had been closed at this point to prepare for the parade so we struggled a bit. The boys got separated from the girls and we used GPS to find our way back together. You can imagine the challenge with the less than accurate GPS system.

Central Park is gorgeous. We only saw a small area of the south side. Central Park would be on my list when we go back again.

We (think) we found the Elf bridge where the snowball fight takes place. So we had to take a picture. We love the Elf movie!

The boys went to find the ice skating rink in CP and we hung out on the rocks. Wednesday night we made a quick tour of Rockefeller Center and Fifth Avenue. We toured the windows and watched the light show outside Saks Fifth Avenue. We also took a quick visit to St. Patrick's Cathedral.

  

In Rockefeller Center, the tree wasn't quite ready. We watched the ice skaters and warmed up in the Lego Store.

Every store in NYC seems to be on board with decorating for the holidays. The Lego Store is always a must visit with the kids no matter their age. We ended our day with some pho and other Vietnamese cuisine which was so good!

I'm going to stop here and come back with a Part 2 of our Holiday in the City :)

Follow Along:

Instagram // Bloglovin // Pinterest

Lake Day at Cliffs of the Neuse

Growing up, when we went to the beach, we were referring to the lake. Times have definitely changed and when our family goes to the beach, then we go to the beach :) But there is something very nostalgic and relaxing about floating in an inner tube on the glassy surface of a spring fed lake. My worries just melted away and we had the best time. I would definitely put Cliffs of the Neuse State Park high on our Best of North Carolina list.

Of course, there was also hiking. Our favorite outdoor activity has been very limited on the coast. We miss our Southern California mountains. It was so easy to hop in the car and hit up a multitude of trails on the weekend on the West Coast. Not only did it keep us in shape but it was a great way to clear our minds. There is nothing better than to stand on the highest point to put everything in perspective! Western North Carolina is more hiking terrain than the sandy flat coast. Thankfully Cliffs of the Neuse delivered on the hiking trails for us. Honestly we miss it so much!

The kids not so much. Two out of three love to complain majority of the trail. I hope one day they realize all the benefits getting out in nature provides, especially living a completely connected life. 

Surprise! There are bears here in North Carolina. Isn't that strange? I don't associate North Carolina with bears but rumor has it ;) I have yet to see one outside of the zoo or dead on the road (which broke my heart). We live in a forest, so you would think we would probably have a pretty good chance but we have never. The visitor center at Cliffs of the Neuse reassured us the rumor is true.

 Not Real! *insert eye rolling emoji*

This is what I call the Disney Kid syndrome which plagues many California kids.

Extroverted dramatic types *insert another eye roll*

They make life fun(ny) though.

If anyone comes to this blog post looking for more info on Cliffs of the Neuse State Park, here is a picture of the concession stand. They have a picnic area as well if you bring your own food. I would recommend it because the concession stand sells mostly frozen convenience food they will pop in the microwave for you.

And this is where they get the Cliffs part. One lonely bluff overlooking the Neuse River. 

We had to see the "Cliffs" for ourselves. I think the lake and hiking trails were a much bigger attraction for us. But, now we know what the cliffs look like when people mention it or we see the tourist signs on the roadside.

Follow Along:

Instagram // Bloglovin // Pinterest

National Museum of the Marine Corps Adventure

This post is me making good on my promise yesterday in our Washington DC Day 1 post. The Marine Corps museum would get its very own post. There was just so much to see that I couldn't squish it all into the DC post. Plus Marine Corps...Marine Corps family...it just makes sense!

 I'm sure most of you didn't even know there was a museum (this large) dedicated to the Marine Corps. I wouldn't have either if not for the Marine husband. I feel like visiting the Marine Corps museum has inducted our family into the Super Moto Marine Corps Family Hall of Fame or something. There may be a special spot for you too ;) If you're a Marine Corps family, then it seems like it should be some kind of requirement to visit.  Although, a visit is still totally optional, I admit it was pretty cool. I'm so glad we went!

I'm in love with the outside of the museum. It makes a pretty powerful statement for the Marine Corps. Everything is a little over the top in the best way. 

The inside of the museum is filled with the full history and happenings of the USMC. There is no denying this museum is 110 percent devoted to the history and operations of the United States Marine Corps. The museum is filled with pictures, paintings, weapons, and gear dating back all the way to 1775.

This was my favorite painting in the museum. Norman Rockwell. I love the details in the picture don't even need an explanation and you get it.

Another really moving painting.

There was also a pretty cool spotlight for a squadron near and dear to our hearts.

Definitely a highlight at the museum.

Before we went on our way, we popped into the boot camp section of the museum. Here is dad "explaining" what happens when you get off the bus and meet your drill instructor. Good Marine family fun ;)

 Here is a link to The National Museum of the Marine Corps if you would like more information.

Follow Along:

Instagram // Bloglovin // Pinterest

Washington DC Day 1

I am so thankful for our East Coast location. Everything is within a day's drive. Traveling is so much easier when you don't have extra hotel expenses, plane tickets, and rental cars.  I love that saying "I live where you vacation". Military life has definitely spoiled us with some ideal locations.

While North Carolina and I don't always see eye to eye, I do love its location! Now, if we could have picked any East Coast duty station, I would have picked Virginia. I'm going to dare say it is one of my favorite states. I think I could have been happy there ;) But we will never know! What we will know is between our trip to VA last summer and this quick trip to DC, I still love that state!

If you have been reading this blog for any amount of time, then you know we are all about a road trip.

We road trip EVERYWHERE...

...to IOWA...500 times...

the California coastline...

to North Carolina..

...Florida...

heck, we have even flew to New Orleans just to hop in a car and road trip to FL...

Wow, my kids must hate vacations ;)

Honestly, how are you going to find these cute roadside signs when your 20,000ft above the country?

Traveling would not be the same!

So, Monday morning we took off for DC. Our plan was to stop at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, VA. The kids were not on board with this stop but they took one for the team (aka Dad). This museum did not disappoint. And all the kids felt the same after we finished.

I'm giving the museum its own post tomorrow for those wanting more.

The National Museum of the Marine Corps is linked here.

That is the great thing about DC and much of the area, admissions are mostly free.

Everything we did from Day 1 to Day 3 was free. Isn't that the best?

After our museum stop, we grabbed a quick lunch at a local McDs. Teens always win the food vote :( Next stop, the Arlington National Cemetery, a short 45 minutes from Quantico. It was so easy to navigate our way to the  cemetery from the freeway. I was a little nervous about the traffic around DC. Everyone says how terrible it is but we didn't get into anything worse than Southern California traffic. The surface streets of Washington DC were crowded but we only did that once.

Arlington was humbling. 

Everything is well kept and serene. We walked from the entrance to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to JFK's grave site. 

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is such an experience. 

How can you not feel such incredible gratitude for our service members?

And also for those poor folks in their dress uniform is East Coast heat and humidity. 

So disciplined!

We took a quick stroll back to the JFK gravesite.

 Coming down the hill from the JFK gravesite is an area with a view of the National Mall. The Washington Monument was a clear stand out.

After our time at Arlington, we headed to our AirBnb. We didn't have a great start with that but I'm not going into details. I am curious if you've had good or bad experiences with AirBnB. This was our first time using them and I'm wondering if our experience was normal or abnormal. 

We had planned to go to the National Zoo but it didn't work out. Guess what, the zoo is free too ;) Because it's DC! So, our first day ended here and I will pick up with Day 2 on Wednesday. Tomorrow will be lots of pictures of the Marine museum. I promise it's worth it!

Follow Along:

Instagram // Bloglovin // Pinterest