City ❀ Country ❀ Beach
Weeki Wachee is a gem in Hernando County, Florida. If you’ve ever wanted to imagine what it’s like to see a mermaid, this is the closest you’ll ever get! Visit Weeki Wachee and see the mermaids come to life before your very eyes. This Florida …
WARNING: This post may not be pretty, but it’s the truth. Feet & toe photos up ahead. Also, I am not a doctor. Please consult your podiatrist/doctor if your feet hurt for whatever reason. Everything I mention on this post is solely based on my …
If you want a luxurious stay with the comforts of home, Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center is the place to stay.
Walking into the lobby is amazing because it’s clean, sleek, and absolutely gorgeously decorated with lush palm trees and water features.
There is a beautiful colored glass structure in the center of the check-in area with a comfortable seating area.
From the lobby area, you can see some of the balcony rooms that face the lobby.
Gaylord Opryland has done a really nice job of making sure that you are in Nashville and nowhere else. They have added touches of a country feel with country music props such as this guitar in the lobby.
Our room was an extension of the lobby. In other words, it was also clean, sleek, and comfortable. There was plenty of everything and small bottles of shampoo, etc were included. The bed photo and counter photo were taken after we had already set some things down.
This resort has many amenities and for more information make sure to visit their website, but there are two that stuck out to me: the spa and the pool. Both are great downtime activities or after a long walk into town.
Whatever occasion you’re staying at Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center for, you’ll be sure to have a pleasurable experience. And not to mention, the location! The location is one of the best, especially since it is only a 5-minute drive to the Grand Ole Opry!!
For things to do in Nashville and Tennessee in general, check out my other post “3 Great Cities To Stop At During Your Tennessee Road Trip.”
If you have a specific question about this post, please email me.
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Our family has been traveling with our boys since they were as young as 3. There is no reason why children shouldn’t enjoy the benefits of traveling as much as you do. In fact, there are many reasons why travel is great for children and let me explain why.
I have taught children for almost 13 years and I’ve seen time and time again how thrilled they are when they come back from a trip. They are talking all about what they did, what they saw, what they touched, who they saw, who they wish to become, what they wish to become, etc. Their minds are being formed based on their experiences.
Unfortunately, we sometimes see people not understand another person’s view. If we don’t put ourselves in another person’s shoes, it’s hard to comprehend what they must be experiencing. It’s good to have children experience another culture because they can see how similar or how different they are. They can compare and contrast and make informative decisions.
It’s good for them to know that the world doesn’t revolve around just them. It will keep them humble and appreciate the world we live in.
If you have a picky eater, welcome to the club! Our youngest is a picky eater, even at his current age of 16. Now, I’m not going to say that traveling with children while they’re very young won’t make them a picky eater (my experience). However, there is a greater chance that their palates will get accustomed to different foods if they taste them on a consistent basis while they are young. I firmly believe this. If you have children, I would love to hear what is the strangest or most exotic food your child has ever tasted and liked?
Compassion sometimes doesn’t come naturally for some people. That can stem from a lot of different reasons. However, I believe that compassion is best learned from watching others go through circumstances or living in circumstances that are different than our own. Empathy is closely related to my first point of being open-minded. For example, our boys have had the opportunity to go on mission trips every year of their high school life. Their eyes have been opened to different lifestyles and have given them a greater appreciation of what they have. And at times where they’ve seen that other’s have much more than them, they still appreciate what they have and see that hard work pays off and keeps them humble. It puts everything into perspective.
With so many tragedies nowadays, I think this one is important. Kids face so much stress these days that they lack confidence. They are always comparing themselves to other peers. It’s great for them to see that everyone is different and not everyone has to have that top award, that A+, that achievement to be successful. Success can be measured in different ways. I personally believe success is doing better than yesterday. It’s an improvement from what you did before or how you did it before and believing that you can do better. It’s trusting in your own abilities. When children travel, they can see this first hand.
Our family has so many great memories from all of our travels. There is nothing that can ever take that away. I’ve told my husband that if I had to take something out of our house in an emergency, it would first be ourselves, of course, our pets, then our photos. I absolutely love our custom photo albums! Traveling with our boys has kept our family close and we are always excited about our next destination. We always make sure to keep our boys in mind by letting them choose activities and filling them in with our travel plans.
We all know that patience is a virtue. But what are all the virtues? These are a few: courage, self-control, generosity, respect, and friendliness. All of these can be learned while traveling. In fact, for some of these virtues, you will be forced to learn them whether you want to or not. Take patience, for instance. We spend A LOT of time waiting. Waiting in traffic, waiting in lines, and waiting on the phone to name a few. Traveling will do this to you. And when you wait, you must have self-control. Respect comes in when dealing with everyone especially elders. Courage when experiencing something new, like snorkeling or scuba diving. Generosity when tipping. These are all virtues that children can learn from parents while teaching them during traveling.
Think about the core subjects in school: Language, Math, History, Geography, Science, Spelling, and Foreign Language. All of these are hands-on experiences that travel provides. What a great way to learn as you go & do in real time! There are many ways a child learns and some learn best one way than another. But no matter which of the five senses they learn best with, travel provides ALL of these. That is why sometimes you see families with young children be able to travel all the time. They are experiencing all of these while still getting the education from book form. It’s really the best of both worlds (pun intended)!
As you can see, there are many benefits to why travel is great for children. They learn to be open-minded, aware of different tastes, compassionate, have self-confidence, bring family relationships closer, and real-world learning. Don’t be afraid or think that your children will be a burden if you take them on vacation. It’s ok to take a solo or couples vacations. In fact, I highly recommend them! However, take the time to introduce your children into the many benefits of traveling.
If you have a specific question about this post, please email me.
Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay is fun for the entire family. Whether you have children, teens, or grandparents it is sure to thrill everyone!
With so much to see and do in Las Vegas, I have narrowed it down to this alphabetized complete guide of things to do & see on and off the iconic strip. I have also included fun celebrity chef restaurants! If you’re wondering where to …
Are you looking for some fun things to do on the west coast of Florida, but don’t want to break your budget? Enjoy these fun or nearly free activities in Pinellas County, Florida.
The Florida Botanical Gardens is a wonderful place to get away from the everyday hustle and bustle of life. Take a picnic and sit by the fountains or beautiful gardens. This place is absolutely free and since it’s sunny most of the time in Florida, you won’t be disappointed by the weather, especially if you come in the late Winter or early Spring. Read more about it here.
This is a great idea if you have smaller children. However, this will be a hit or miss visit. There are many firehouses so just google the closest one to where you’re staying. Firehouses are usually booked ahead of time for schools because they will arrive at the school and give a demonstration of their truck and equipment.
I suggest that if it’s just your family that wants to see the firetrucks in person, that you show up at the firehouse with a plan. There is no charge. They usually like 2 weeks notice, but keep in mind that if they have an emergency, they must leave immediately. Also, you NEED to ask for permission to take any photos. Photos here were asked for permission ahead of time and given an ok to post. I want to thank Largo Fire Department #42 for giving me permission to visit and photo usage. And, especially thank you for the firefighters for their service!
Ft. Desoto is a gorgeous beach park with amenities to picnic shelters, swimming, restrooms, trails, playgrounds, historic fort, cannons & ruins, and campground. There is a small parking fee of about $5 and that’s all. If you plan to visit, plan on spending most of your day here. It is a great place, especially for large families! All Ft. Desoto photos courtesy of Erika Rust.
If you’re looking to learn about the historic side of Pinellas County, visiting Heritage Village is the place. Here you will learn about some of the first buildings in Pinellas County and how they used to live. It is a free self-guided tour and you are welcomed to bring a lunch. The Florida Botanical Gardens is next door and you can make a day of both of these!
Largo Park
Largo Park is a beautiful park situated in downtown Largo off of East Bay Drive and Seminole Boulevard. The city of Largo is between Clearwater and Indian Rocks Beach. It is actually not far at all from The Florida Botanical Gardens and Heritage Village.
This park is excellent for exercising, it has a big playground, dog walking baggie stations, and the library, which I will talk about next, is next door. It is also one of my favorite parks to go to because it honors our veterans past & present with a special courtyard.
At Christmastime, this park is heavily decorated with lights, decorations, and fun fair activities in which the park opens for two nights in December that make it extra special for the entire family to attend. For these two nights, I highly recommend you arrive & park early as it can get crowded and there will be a small parking fee, but it is definitely worth it!
If you thought all that is great, one of the most fun activities that the park offers are the trains! Ever since our boys were babies, we have taken them to the trains at Largo Park. There is no age limitation so anyone can get on them. The trains are run by park volunteers, so a small donation is greatly appreciated. The trains are open the first full weekend of every month.
For another fun park idea where nature is at its best, check out Boyd Hill Nature Preserve located in St. Petersburg.
Library
Don’t pass up the library. Our local library is Largo Library, just across from Largo Park. The library has so much more to offer other than just books. For instance, special activities for preschoolers like storytime, movie checkouts, great research tools, and a bookstore you can purchase books from. This is true, I believe, of many libraries so go and visit your library today.
Here is something not many people know about! Did you know that you can get free museum tickets at Largo Library? Make sure to call your local library to see if this is something that is available in your hometown!
Here is a current, as of the
Pier 60 is one of Clearwater Beach’s most iconic pier and is visited by millions of people. There are restaurants, fishing, and, of course, the beach. Clearwater Beach has been named by TripAdvisor as 2018’s #1 beach in America and Top Ten Beaches in the world! If you visit Pinellas County, make sure to make time to stop at Pier 60.
Pinellas Trail
The Pinellas Trail is a stretch of pavement that starts at South St. Petersburg, passes through 7 cities, and ends at Tarpon Springs. It is almost 40 miles in which you can bike, walk, or run the trail. It is a great way to get your sunny Florida exercise in!
Safety Harbor is a quaint town near Clearwater that has a magnificent view of the Tampa Bay waterway. With local shops, a resort & spa, library, and great food, it makes for such a lovely stroll on a beautiful day. Read more about it here.
The Seaside Seabird Sanctuary is located off the Gulf of Mexico on Indian Shores beautiful beaches. It is a not for profit organization that is committed to helping rescue, treat, and rehabilitate birds of all kinds. They want to see the birds thrive to be able to get back into their natural environment. This is a great educational self-guided tour for any age and it is absolutely free! Donations are appreciated.
Tarpon Springs is a large Greek community located on the shore of the Gulf of Mexico. It is historic for its sponge docks along the Dodecanese Boulevard. There is plenty to do here with a lot of shopping, Greek eateries, and charter boats taking you out to the Gulf for dolphin watching. Read more about it here.
If you have a specific question about this post, please email me.
A visit to Tarpon Springs, Florida is like stepping into a whole new world. Engulfed in culture, great food, and shopping it makes for a fantastic day! LOCATION If you love the ocean, you will love to take a visit here. Tarpon Springs is located …
