Florida is Calling

As excited I am about our trip to Europe in the spring I had to put that planning/research on hold because my Norwegian friend was coming into town and we needed to plan our weekend in Destin, FL. She is here for 2 weeks and although I have been able to keep her pretty busy here in Houston there really just isn't a lot to do. You can click here to check out what we did the first weekend she was here and we're going to be going to the Zoo today too!

Anyway, Saturday we begin our 9 1/2 hour drive to Destin. We plan on making a pit-stop for lunch in New Orleans and seeing the St. Louis Cathedral and having some beignets at a cafe. We are only going to be there for one full day and we plan on going parasailing and a sunset/dolphin cruise. We also hope to catch a gator tour on our way back into Texas!

Check out some of our pictures from the Houston Zoo!

Stay-cation in Houston, TX

Sorry for not blogging on Friday, I have a Norwegian friend in town and we have been all over town doing things. I thought this would make a good "Stay-cation" post. Here are some things we have done so far

1. Shopping - Shopping is very expensive in Norway so she has been supporting our economy by doing her Christmas shopping here.
2. BBQ - We went to Goode Co. BBQ for some of the Texas classic
3. Basketball game - We watched the Houston Rockets lose 115 - 116, good game!
4. Horseback riding - I thought this would be fun and I had a Groupon so it was 50% off, cant beat that!

We still plan on going to the Zoo and taking a road trip to Destin, FL. Very excited that she is here!

Summer Savings and Staycations

Vacations and traveling can always be costly and not everyone has the money to do something grand…or you might not have the time. With school almost out and summer vacation approaching here are a few ways you can have fun while you stay in your own home.

Be a backyard explorer.  No matter where you live there is a state or national park within a day's drive. Explore your own state or the state next door. Try finding a local blog that lists the free or cheap things to do. Here is one for Houston, Houston on the Cheap.

Time it right. If you need to stay in a hotel nights are usually cheaper during the middle of the week when they have less people visiting. If you can't go during the week then maybe a fun camping trip is in order at one the many state and national parks!

Arrive armed with deals. No matter where we go I always search for a coupon book before we leave. When we went to Key West I was able to find some awesome coupons for restaurants and activities. When printing out coupons for restaurants I was print two, you never know how good a place might be and you may just want to go back!

Keep meals cheap and cheerful. When you have a family sitting down for a meal can be expensive (especially if you have growing boys!). Keeping a cooler in your car with drinks and stacks bought at grocery store can save you from the mark-ups gas stations charge. When booking a hotel, stay at one that offers a free breakfast (and take an extra yogurt or two for the road), and plan to picnic at least once a day. And when you do treat yourselves to a restaurant, do it at lunch time when menus are less expensive (and you may have leftovers for dinner).

To see the full list and article, click here.

Affordable US Getaways

Traveling with kids can be hard sometimes most of the time. I remember when I was younger having to sit next to my younger brother in the 3-4 hour car ride to the beach was just the worse! Some of these trips would have made an awesome road trip with friends! So, if you're in driving distance of some of these US cites you're bound to have a good time! Or maybe some of these might be some staycations for you. I have been to 4 out of 10 of these…maybe because 3 of them are in my home state of Texas!

List provided by Yahoo! Travel

No. 1 Kansas City, MO 

Average hotel summer rate is $137. You'll have free admission to three of Kansas City’s main art museums, as well as the Hallmark Visitors Center and the Boulevard Brewing Company. And don’t forget to try some of that famous KC BBQ!

No. 2 Nashville, TN 

As a lifelong fan of country music I have always wanted to go to Nashville but have yet to make it there. Seems like there is so much to do and see. This would have made an awesome road trip in college!

No. 3 San Antonio, TX 

I was born and raised right outside of San Antonio and I do agree that there is plenty to do and see here. You can check out some suggestions I made in a post about Staycations. San Antonio has two theme parks (Sea World & Six Flags and Schlitterbahn is about 45 mins north in New Braunfels) and great zoo! You can also get a history lesson at the Alamo!

No. 4 Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn. 

I have visited this are twice during the summers and it doesn’t get much better! The Land of 1,000 lakes should keep you occupied if you love water sports! Although I haven’t been here for a vacation or to site see I still had a great time.

No. 5 Memphis, TN

I'm not really sure why Memphis made this list since Forbes has it listed as one of 2013's most dangerous cites….let's not go here.

No. 6 Salt Lake City, UT

I bet Salt Lake is wonderful during the summer. I would love to go and get some hiking in if I ever make it out of the airport. While during a layover here is when I was introduced to this wonderful breakfast concoction probably about 10-13 years ago. Toasted bagel, melted cheese, and ham….yum! But only for special occasions :)

No. 7 Houston, TX

What can I say about my current city…well honestly not much and I don’t see why it's on this list. I don’t really think there is a whole lot to here. Since it is such a big city we do get some good concerts and there is always a play or two running at the Hobby Center. We have our professional sports if that’s your thing (but it's not mine) and I guess we're close to a beach (but not a pretty one). There is NASA for all you space fans out there. And its effing HOT!!! Not just temperature wise but also because of the humidity. If you do want to visit Houston come during the winter.

No. 8 Savannah, GA

I have always wanted to go here…I feel like Savannah is the quintessential southern town!

No. 9 Austin, TX

If you're in Austin you're ready to have a good time. The city is youthful thanks to the University of Texas and all off the live music. Don’t forget to hike some of the hills and take a dip in Barton Springs.

No. 10 Providence, R.I.

I have never been to Providence but I can imagine that its wonderful during the summers!

Have you been to any of these cities?

Vacation vs. Stay-cation

Every time I see a headline about how to save money on a vacation I always click on it because I am intrigued. But once I click on the article I am usually disappointed because it’s always about “Stay-cations”. I’m sorry but I think this is biggest load of BS ever! You’re telling me that your kids are going to be okay with staying at home and doing stuff they could do EVERY day versus going someplace new and amazing. Here is my break down on the costs differences between a real vacation and a “stay-cation”. While figuring cost I did not include gas, food or souvenirs. I didn’t include them because it can really very, are you going to be strict and not buy any souvenirs for your kids or are you going to buy whatever they want? Are you going to eat at the theme park where a meal can easily cost $15 for one person or are you going to make everyone eat beforehand? Many variables so I left them out.

Locations: San Antonio, TX vs. Kauai, HI

I picked these locations because I grew up in San Antonio (and it has lots to offer and see) and my next vacation is to Kauai so I am becoming familiar with the island.

Length: 10 days

People: 4 (2 adults and 2 kids, ages 14 and 10)

Kauai

Using the company we booked, Pleasant Holiday, you can get 4 round trip flights, economy car, and hotel for $5047.00! Now I think that is a deal! Kauai is full of free things to do and see. You don’t have to spend a dime on a tour and you’ll still feel fulfilled in seeing the island. There are numerous beaches, trails, festivals and farmers markets to explore. 

San Antonio

For San Antonio I picked 10 attractions (one for each day). Without the sport event you’re looking at $1013.78 and adding on a sporting event you’re looking at anywhere from $1057.78 - $1247.58. And of course, don’t forget to stop and see the Alamo for FREE!

Sea World - $210 including parking (kids here are ages 3-9)

Schlitterbahn - $205.06 including parking (you are allowed to bring your own food and drinks in)

Six Flags - $213.23 including parking

Ripley’s Believe it Or Not & Wax Museum - $70.96 including parking (across from the Alamo)

Natural Bridge Caverns and Wildlife Ranch - $125.46

McNay Art Museum - $24

Witte Museum - $37 (includes HEB science tree house)

Buckhorn Museum - $78.07

San Antonio Zoo - $43 (REALLY nice zoo!)

Sports Event (I couldn’t think of a 10^th option but SA has many sports teams and here are some estimate prices).

Spurs - $233.80 (Men’s basketball)

Missions - $44 (Minor league baseball)

Rampage - $140 (Ice hockey)

Stars - $208 (Women’s basketball)

Obviously staying at home would be cheaper but you have to compare the experiences. 

In SA you can see this…

Or in Hawaii you can see this…

Or this...

Or this...

It’s your choice!

Happy Travels!