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This bakery beat Bobby Flay with their empanadas on the Food Network! When I found out they had a location in my hometown, I just had to try it for myself. This is the view from the street when I arrived. I wasn’t expecting the …
If you’ve never been on a cruise and just want to try one out, I highly recommend going on the Margaritaville at Sea cruise where it’s 5’oclock all the time. It’s Jimmy Buffet’s themed cruise and it is so much fun! If you do your …
My goal is always to inspire others to get out and travel. It’s always fun to visit new places and experience different things. Road trips are great because you can go at your own pace, stop anywhere you want, and eat at local mom-n-pop restaurants. Our road trip to and through Missouri did that for us. Come along with us as we show you the best that Missouri has to offer on our road trip adventure!
First, we made a pit stop at a place that many friends have recommended, Buc-ee’s. It’s a luxurious gas station/convenience store. It is huge! Apparently, Beaver Nuggets is a popular snack so I just had try them. We all liked them. They are very sweet and tastes almost like sweetened pork rinds.
Secondly, we spent an entire morning visiting the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Our road trip started from our home in Florida to our final destination of Branson, Missouri so we decided to stay at the nearby Huntsville Drury Hotel and make this stop.
The Drury Inn & Suites prepares you for a great start to your day because they offer a free hot breakfast!
Hungry yet? Oh boy do I have the best BBQ ribs ever for you! For dinner, we ate at the Hickory Log Restaurant & Lounge. It’s located in Dexter, Missouri and you will not be disappointed.
Let’s start with our final destination of Branson, Missouri. We arrived at The Suites at Fall Creek where we slept every night of our trip. Even though we ventured out to St. Louis and Springfield, we always came back to The Suites at Fall Creek. Make sure to click on this link to read all about this resort –> https://mackintoshtravels.com/the-suites-at-fall-creek-time-to-unwind/
One main thing you must do while in Branson, also known as the Live Entertainment Capital of the World, is check out the downtown area.
There are 7 things that our family did that I would also recommend you do at Branson.
This place is a fantastic way to spend a day at an awesome theme park. If you want to read all about it and our experience, make sure to click on this link –> https://mackintoshtravels.com/family-fun-at-silver-dollar-city-theme-park/
This park is stunning! There is also a museum, shop, and restaurant that served me the best rueben sandwich I’ve ever had! At marker #22 you can literally have one foot ins Missouri and another foot in Arkansas. If you have good walking shoes and you’re used to walking a lot, I would highly recommend you walking this. However, they do have a tram for an extra charge. We walked it. Let the pictures speak for themselves how beautiful Dogwood Canyon Nature Park is.
Both the Preserve and the Museum are located in the same place and both are included in the price of the admission. I honestly did not think it could have gotten any more beautiful after visiting Dogwood Canyon Nature Park, but I was wrong.
Top of the Rock was truly my favorite place to visit in Branson! It is owned by Bass Pro Shops. You can either take a guided walking trail or you can rent an electric cart and drive it yourself which is what we did! There are many places that you can stop to park the golf cart, get out, and take photos. The views of the waterfalls, rock formations, and the views of the Ozark Lake are out of this world! You can even stop with your electric cart and ride into a cave with Bat Bar for a drink (additional cost for drinks). Top of the Rock is a very unique destination that I highly recommend to everyone that visits Branson, Missouri does!
There are quite a few mountain coasters in Branson, but we found this one to be more into the mountain, if that makes sense. Copperhead Mountain Coaster may not be the longest, but it was a lot of fun, unique since Florida has nothing like this, and a manmade attraction nestled in a natural environment. If you’ve never done a mountain coaster, try it at least once!
We went here on a whim because we saw the fun décor that gave a 50’s vibe and wanted something sweet. This place was amazing with their full menu and variety of flavors. As a matter of fact, they just opened one very close to our home!
Branson Landing is a real nice spot to spend some time, shop, and eat. They have a fountain show every 15 minutes in sync with music that resembles the fountains at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. It is spectacular!
Shows
Let’s talk about Branson shows. Wow! Some people underestimate their shows, but they are authentic to Branson as they can be. There is something for every member of your family. We actually went to FIVE! That’s correct – FIVE!
This show was very good! Although I thought he didn’t look like Elvis, he made us believe he was because his on-stage motions, voice, and the outfits were really good. However, I believe if you have young children they might be bored because they have no idea who Elvis was. This was a fun show located at the Americana Theater. The Americana Theater houses a few different shows.
This stage theater has different productions throughout the year. We were there to catch “Jesus” and I have to say out of all the shows we saw in Branson, this was my favorite one. It was spectacular! From the stage, sets, lights, acting, and singing it was all top-notch professional. I highly recommend a production at the Sight & Sound Theater!
This show was so much fun! To experience watching an illusionist on stage is mesmerizing. Rick Thomas was very professional and I still don’t know how he does some of his acts! His shows are located at the Moon River Theater.
This is the second show we watched at the Americana Theater. The other one was Elvis-Story of a King. If you were an 80’s kid, I STRONGLY recommend this show because I was singing & moving along with the awesome hits of this awesome decade!
This show consists of a vocal group of four men and a hilarious comedian that is seen & heard throughout the show.
We decided to visit St. Louis because we wanted to see the Gateway Arch. The official name is Gateway Arch National Park. We wanted to see it from afar as well so we booked a river cruise. The architecture of this structure is nothing like I’ve ever seen before in my life! It was massive. To ride it to the top is kind of claustrophobic because you have to get into this tiny seated elevator that leads you all the way to the top for the most fantastic views! It is well worth the ride to the top.
We had a great time in Springfield checking out some of the sights. One place we were recommended to go was Lambert’s Café. The restaurant is unique in the fact that they actually toss you hot delicious rolls. There are also some dishes that come with all you can eat sides. It’s such a fun atmosphere especially when you’re on vacation!
This restaurant had a Groupon and since I knew we would be only 6 minutes away from this restaurant because we had comedy club tickets, I purchased the Groupon. I am so happy I did because this restaurant had one of the best shrimp tacos I ever had!
The restaurant is located inside the second level of the Bass Pro Shop. It is beautiful because it includes a giant saltwater fish tank and on cold days you can eat by the fireplace.
There is more to do at the Bass Pro Shop while you’re there. Aside from plenty of shopping for the outdoor enthusiast, there is a free museum to explore called The Second Amendment Gallery with great views of the store from up above.
There is another museum called Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium, but there is a fee. We actually didn’t have time for this one.
If you’re a history buff, like my husband, you will enjoy visiting this national battlefield by the national park service. We visited on the same day they were having an anniversary event.
Wilson’s Creek was the first major Civil War battle fought west of the Mississippi River, and the site of the death of Nathaniel Lyon, the first Union general killed in action. The costly Southern victory on August 10, 1861, focused national attention on the war in Missouri. Wilson’s Creek NB commemorates and interprets the battle within the context of the war in the Trans-Mississippi West.
https://www.nps.gov/wicr/index.htm
If you’re a collector or have ever been a collector, you need to stop here. This place, in my opinion, is very underrated. The Precious Moments Chapel is not just a gorgeous chapel, but it’s a hall filled with love and memories of the history of these figurines. They also have a big gift shop.
This garden is truly a hidden gem. With only a minimal cost to enter, it is well worth it. It doesn’t take more than 30 minutes to stroll this garden, but you can stay as long as you want. Even though we’ve never been to Japan, and we really want to visit Japan, it gave us a glimpse of what it could really be like to visit a garden in Japan. It truly is a beautiful garden to visit!
The Blue Room Comedy Club is a place we went to because one of our favorite comedian’s was performing there while we were going to visit Springfield, therefore we got tickets way ahead of time back at home. It’s a really cool place to visit and let out some laughter because laughter always makes you feel better. They also have some pretty good food!
Our road trip truly was an amazing vacation! I hope that this post has showed you some of the best that Missouri has to offer and other stops along the way. I would love to hear about your own Missouri adventures so please comment below!
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For more on our Missouri Road Trip check out Silver Dollar City, Hickory Log, and The Suites at Fall Creek!
During our family road trip toward our final stop in Missouri, we decided to have a BBQ dinner at Hickory Log located in Dexter, Missouri. They truly live up to their motto of “Famous for Bar-B-Q Ribs!” This restaurant with its rustic elegance décor has …
Roosevelt Island is not as well known as Manhattan only because most people stay in Manhattan and don’t venture out further. This is a great shame because Roosevelt Island is a fantastic and historical hidden gem that is underrated. Our family trip to NYC was …
If you’ve been hesitant to cruise, fear no more. Let me tell you why now is the best time to cruise! We’ve cruised many times before and now more than ever, it is the best time to do so. Here is why.
My top reasons why you should cruise now:
Throughout this post I will incorporate these reasons of why cruising is best now (watch for the 1, 2, 3, 4, superscripts), based on our personal recent experience, and everything we did on and off the Freedom of the Seas ship by Royal Caribbean to make our 25th wedding anniversary the most memorable ever!
It was a very pleasant surprise to see how Royal Caribbean has been dealing with the pandemic. I have to give them huge credit for all the work they’re doing to keep their passengers safe and healthy. All of my top reasons I listed above1-4, in other words the consequences because of the virus, is what makes 𝙉𝙊𝙒 the best time to cruise.
If you want a buffet, you got it. However, if you want to serve yourself, it’s not happening. I actually like it better this way because people are just messy sometimes when they serve themselves. Plus, everyone is touching the serving utensils.4 You can go up as many times as you want and you can also tell the servers to give you an extra portion, but you many not do it yourself. As for places to eat, there are many options! Our ship had a pizza place (buffet), Johnny Rockets (extra charge), the main dining room (more formal & not a buffet), Hibachi restaurant (celebrated our anniversary here & an extra charge), Italian restaurant (an extra charge), steakhouse (no photos & an extra charge), poolside food (we didn’t partake), Windjammer Café (buffet & we ate here a lot), and island port food (buffet).
Pizza is all they have here and they have about 3-4 different types of pizza.1 It’s located in what I call the mini-mall. It really does look like a mall with shopping, bars, and food. Photos to come below.
The food at the main dining room was delicious. It’s more formal, but jeans, t-shirt and flip flops are just fine. I wouldn’t recommend shorts and if you’re in a hurry, I also wouldn’t recommend it here. The menu consist of fixed dishes and you can order them every day if you want, but they also have new menu items you can try every day as well. There were two appetizers that I really wanted to try one night and they said it was alright to get both so I was excited! Also, as you can see I loved the desserts. We had fantastic service from our waiter and assistant waiter.3
I can’t say much about poolside food because we didn’t try it. However, it is an option and it’s great to have options.
This is where we really celebrated our 25th anniversary. What a surprise it was when Izumi brought out a chocolate dessert plate in honor of our anniversary!3 It was the perfect ending to our dinner! Everyone in the restaurant sung us Happy Anniversary to the tune of happy birthday. The food was spectacular and there was a lot of it! The waiter made it very special because we were the center of attention at our table and he made a heart out of the rice.
It’s nice to see an old favorite onboard the ship. If you love burgers, this place has almost every kind burger imaginable. We have eaten at Johnny Rockets in the past and that’s why we skipped it onboard, this time. There was plenty of food to go around on the ship at other locations!
We didn’t eat here, but I just had to take photos of this restaurant because it’s beautiful! I’m sure their food is up to par with the main dining room. We had a tough decision on deciding where to have our anniversary dinner from many of these restaurants on board, but we ultimately decided on Hibachi.
Since we’re talking about food, I had to include the one port we stopped at, Coco Cay. Since Coco Cay is a Royal Caribbean Island owned by the Bahamas, all the food was included just like the buffets onboard the ship. It was great not having to worry about money on the island. The food was Caribbean themed and included tropical non-alcoholic fruit punches, water, and desserts! Chill Island is the section where the buffet is so we just made ourselves cozy on the beach nearby. I will talk more about our island port below.
It seems that everywhere I go, I take more dessert photos than anything else! I wish I would have taken photos of the quantity and quality of food this place has! These are the reasons why we ate here most of the time. It’s open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.1 The café has two very long hand washing stations (one on each side) and it is strongly recommended to use them before you enter the café.2 They have staff there making it a fun experience as a reminder to do so with their “washy washy” slogan.
There is something for everyone. I understand there are other cruise lines that are more famously known for families with children. However, don’t underestimate Royal Caribbean. You will not be bored not even for a minute while on Freedom of the Seas. Here’s why!
Our room was serviced by our steward twice a day.2 However, even if it’s the cleanest room we always wipe it down ourselves before making ourselves comfortable. It’s a habit I have especially once the pandemic started. He was there in case we needed anything throughout our journey. We opted for a balcony room and we are so happy we got it. I’m not sure if we can ever go back to a room with a porthole window or none at all. There was plenty of room for the two of us with even a small couch, cooler, and safe!
Sometimes it’s the small touches that make a difference and Royal Caribbean delivered. The towels were so cute the way our steward folded them into animals or objects. The daily cruise directory was set out for us by evening time turndown so we knew exactly what activities and important information were happening the next day.3 Also, don’t forget that with Royal Caribbean you are allowed to bring a 12 pack of soda per stateroom. Check with their rules prior to boarding though in case these rules change.
Who doesn’t love this?
𝙃𝙞 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚!
We were supposed to dock at Nassau, but Royal Caribbean had to cancel that port. We were still able to dock at Coco Cay, the private island for Royal Caribbean owned by the Bahamas. My husband and I were there 25 years ago and this time it looked very much developed. There is more to do here than you may think. From chilling at the beach, zip lining, to a water park, there is something for everyone and very well worth getting off the ship and enjoying.
We decided not to book any excursions this time around and just chill at a section of the island literally called “Chill Island.” The location was fantastic because the lunch buffet was nearby! Waiters came to service us with drink options. By the way, ALL food and drinks (except alcohol) are included. The food was delicious and so were the tropical drinks.
Since we didn’t do anything else but chill and snorkel, we decided to take the free tram around the island and that’s how I took all the photos of the other spots you can visit. The tram will even take you back all the way to the ship!
We had an amazing 25th anniversary trip on the Freedom of the Seas by Royal Caribbean. If you’re not sure whether to cruise now or not, in my personal opinion NOW is the best time to do so!
If you have any questions that I can answer about this cruise or others we have taken, please feel free to comment below and I will answer them. And if you have cruised recently, what did you like best about your experience?
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A visit to Safety Harbor, Florida will place you in a quaint town of shops, restaurants, and a renowned resort & spa. Safety Harbor is located on the west shore side of Tampa Bay, Florida. Pinellas County, the county in which this city is located, …
If you’re in Las Vegas, make sure to stop by this famous chef’s restaurant located on the Las Vegas strip. It is inside the Tropicana Las Vegas Casino Hotel Resort. It’s a great place to hang out with your friends, eat delicious food, and possibly even …
We are big fans of “The Walking Dead” otherwise we would not be writing about much less pay to tour the filming sites. Our trip started with a road trip from our home in Florida to Georgia.
We had booked a tour with the “Georgia Tour Company.com” which is located right on one of the main streets of Senoia, GA. This quaint town is so cute and then you really start envisioning some of “The Walking Dead” scenes that were shot here.
“The Georgia Tour Company.com” is a small store that has a good selection of “The Walking Dead” souvenirs. However, if you want souvenirs, you might want to check out “The Official Walking Dead” store, which I’ll mention about later.
This is Jeremy, acting as “Shane”, our tour guide. This is prior to our tour and he thought I was recording. Video recording during the tour is strictly prohibited. Photos, thank God, are just fine. 
Our tour started at the store and then we strolled through the town of “Woodbury.” These are real businesses in this city.
As we walked, our guide pointed out several spots where scenes were filmed. You might recognize many of them here!
Unfortunately, we were not allowed to go inside “Alexandria.”
And here we have arrived at Terminus. Oh, my!
In the photo below, “Carl” was hiding behind this wall in one episode.
You’ll find many interesting souvenir items at this store, but it doesn’t end there! They also have many props, autographs, and photo opportunities.
This restaurant is owned by Greg Nicotero, the producer of “The Walking Dead” and Norman Reedus also knows as “Daryl Dixon.” It is a great place to have lunch or dinner. We ate lunch here after our tour because we wanted to try it and, frankly, we were hungry. It was delicious! It is located on the same street as “Woodbury” just a few businesses down from the “Georgia Tour Company.com.”
Our tour was fantastic. It was a rainy day, but the rain didn’t hold us back from enjoying and being in the moment of it all. At the end of our tour, our guide took the below photos of us. It’s more of a before and after photo.
Now for one of the best parts! We really have met many cast members of “The Walking Dead.” These photo opportunities have mainly happened at the Walker Stalker Convention and other Con’s.
Are you a fan of “The Walking Dead?” Who is your favorite character?
Ceviche del Rey This Peruvian restaurant, located in La Fortuna de San Carlos near the Arenal Volcano National Park in Costa Rica, has many food options that will leave you satisfied. It is was not crowded at all when we visited. In fact, we had …
