Part 2: Traveling to Boston & The Expo

Traveling to Boston was much easier than I expected. In any and all air travel, I always tend to lean towards non-stop flights, even if it involves a little bit of a drive. In this instance, we flew out of the New Orleans airport which is about a 3 hour drive for us. Again, no layovers and I'm a happy camper! 

Our drive was incredibly easy and we arrived in plenty of time!

We flew Delta on this trip, and Brayden LOVED having his own TV (as apart from the app on Southwest). He was also incredibly happy to see the Paw Patrol move as an option!

I, on the other hand, watched "Without Limits" and oh my goodness, although it was sad, it was a very well told story. Yes, it's an older movie but it was PERFECT for our flight to Boston! I highly recommend this movie for all runners! 

Thankfully, we also made it to the Boston airport and to our hotel without any difficulty. The only snafu was with our first Lyft call. We were waiting in the Lyft/Uber specific pickup area and the driver "arrived" but wasn't anywhere near us and did't know how to get to us. That's the second time something along those lines has happened to me which is rather odd but oh well. It worked out for the best because our second driver was AMAZING! She talked the whole time and gave us several tips about the city. She might have almost kicked me out of her car for admitting that I am an Astros fan...but it was all in good fun. We had several good laughs and it made for a good ride to our hotel!

We quickly checked in to our hotel (the Hilton Boston Back Bay), then crossed the street to visit the Expo. We only had about an hour and a half and I wanted to see it all!

Being at the Expo made this experience feel all the more real! I truly couldn't believe that I was about to run BOSTON!!

Still in disbelief!

At first, I was super confused by the Expo because it seemed really small when compared to others (like Disney)...then we went down a hallway and turned a corner and WOW - we found the rest of it!! 

We spent the entire hour and a half browsing the Expo. I didn't purchase much as I'd bought the jacket prior to leaving home. After dropping our bags off in our room, we set out to find pizza...and pizza we found!

I was shocked this restaurant wasn't busier but I wasn't complaining one bit! The pizza was very good!

After dinner, we decided to explore Boston by foot a bit and also stop for ice cream if we found it. Well, we found it, and while eating outside, it began to slightly drizzle on and off. We truly didn't think anything of it.

Continuing to wander, we wanted to find the Boston Marathon memorial, but found the actual finish line instead!

Taking photos here in the rain was truly a magical experience! I couldn't believe we were mostly alone!!

Incredible.

As soon as we finished our photos, the sky literally let loose and it began to POUR! As we left the finish line area, I went one way and somehow Jason went another. I thought he was following me to an overhang to get out of the rain but he totally wasn't. To make it even crazier, my phone was dead and I had Jason's in my pocket, so there was no way to contact him to see where he went!!

Thankfully, he realized he was following the wrong brown haired girl in a Boston jacket and stopped on the corner of the intersection he was standing on. I'm not sure how I found him exactly, but I'm thankful I did!! 

Back in the room, we were drenched and I thought it was hilarious! At least it made for a fun "adventure" for the night!

Up next: Citgo Team Breakfast and Exploring Boston!

Check out all the Boston recaps here:

• Part 1 - On The Road To Boston
• Part 2 - Traveling to Boston and the Boston Marathon Expo
• Part 3 - Touring Boston & A Pasta Dinner
• Part 4 - The 1st Half of the Boston Marathon
• Part 5 - The 2nd Half of the Boston Marathon
• Part 6 - Post-Race Party & Final Thoughts

Disney 2021: Ice Storm, Traveling, and Pop Century

Our most recent February Walt Disney World vacation had an interesting start to say the least! With a ridiculous ice storm set to cross our area, we had to make a last minute decision that included several changes. In the end, my idea of adding a little extra magic to the beginning of our trip was the option that topped the rest and I wasn't even mad about it! 

Our original plans included: Flying out of Houston, TX on Wednesday (day 3 of the ice storm), staying 3 nights at Pop and 3 nights at Copper Creek, then flying back home the following Tuesday. 

We were also traveling with a few friends and had a couple of options. We reviewed all of the dates/times to possibly change our flights at the last minute and there was no way anything would work with our tight schedule. Jason worked that Sunday and we had a very small window to work with since the ice storm was set to hit that Monday.

Ultimately, our friends decided to keep their flights, drive up to Houston on Sunday evening (prior to the ice storm), stay three nights at a hotel near the airport, then chance their flight on Wednesday. We debated this option but I knew being cooped up in a hotel with a 4 year old for three days likely wouldn't be the best option. I also didn't like the idea of driving towards the ice storm because I had a feeling we would get stuck. (Not to mention the fact that I would be a nervous wreck the ENTIRE time!)

After a bit of arm twisting, I finally convinced Jason that our best option was to cancel our flights to take the flight credit for a future trip, then leave Sunday night after he got home from work and begin the drive to Florida. It's about a 12-13 hour drive without stops and I knew we could do it. The instagram poll I put out there also had an overwhelming response to drive, so that's what we decided to do!

Despite the chaos, we still took a little bit of time to celebrate Valentines Day ahead of our departure. 

A Valentines Day tradition of ours is chocolate covered strawberries. We've had these every Valentines Day since we began dating so I knew it had to happen this year, too! (circa 2006)

We packed all day Saturday and Saturday evening and on Sunday morning, Brayden and I went to church before returning home to pack some more!

I despise last minute anything, but we got it done! 

One perk to driving was the fact that we could bring our own food and not have to worry about a click-list or insta-cart once we arrived!

Thankfully, my parents were able to keep our dogs for a few days at their house. With the roads projected to be non-drivable, I was worried my dogs would be home alone for days (and they would have been if not for my parents)!

With pipes wrapped and faucets dripping, we crossed our fingers, hoped for the best, and began our drive to Florida.

Since Jason worked all day on Sunday and didn't get home until 7 p.m., we got a late start and decided to stop at a hotel in Pensacola on our way. Pensacola is half way and this plan worked out perfectly for us!

That Monday morning, we woke up and checked our cameras back at home. What's all of that white stuff? It's not supposed to be there! 

If you guys remember, just 6 months ago, we were hard hit with two hurricanes and now this ice storm. My heart went out to those living in campers while fixing up their homes. Our area had power outages and water outages and we couldn't treat our patients for an entire week. Needless to say, it sounded like a hot mess.

Back in Florida, we made it to Walt Disney World around 6 p.m. that evening. I added two nights on at Pop Century and stopped by the front desk to make sure we could keep the same room for the entire 5 nights we would be at Pop. Thankfully, someone behind the scenes had already made it happen! 

Our room was ready upon arrival and we were on the second floor which meant Brayden got to ride the elevators! He was thrilled!!

We absolutely love these renovated rooms at Pop! You also can't beat the Skyliner!

Brayden's favorite part was "his" Pluto bed!

So fun!

After getting settled, Jason and Brayden hit up the pool while I attempted to find dinner. Several friends back at home asked why I wasn't sending pictures and I felt bad about sending pictures of us in the beautiful Florida sunshine while they were freezing away at home!

For dinner, we chose the pizza combo from the Pop food court and it was delicious! It also came with a salad and breadsticks. With no dining plan, we ate on this thing for a couple of days and it was perfect!

The following day was Fat Tuesday and a "play day" for us since we weren't originally planning on being at Disney that early anyway! I love extra and unexpected relaxing days at Disney so I was all for it! 

Up next: Disney Springs and a little surprise!

Disney World Travel Day (November 2019)

Happy frosty Tuesday from the winter tundra of the south! Although it's been a hot second since we returned from our Wine & Dine Disney trip (with Disney Dream cruise), I figured it was high time to share a recap of our trip with all of you!

This trip was a combination of several of our friends and in total, there were 7 of us. We've always talked about doing a friends trip together, and I couldn't believe it was actually happening. We were the only one from our group with a kid, but it didn't matter to anyone and I loved it! 

For starters, I'm going to share our itinerary and link each post as it becomes available.

Disney Travel Day: Wine and Dine Expo & Animal Kingdom
Disney Day 2: Wine and Dine 10K & Kids Races & Hollywood Studios/Epcot
Disney Day 3: Wine and Dine Half Marathon & Magic Kingdom
Disney Day 4: Boarding the Disney Dream
Disney Day 5: Castaway Cay
Disney Day 6: Nassau
Disney Day 7: At Sea Day
Disney Day 8: Disney Springs and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party

Our trip began with a late start. First of all, Halloween happened to fall the night before we were flying out to Disney. Since we couldn't let Brayden miss one of the best nights of the year for a kid,  we decided to hang back around a bit longer in our home town to let him do a little trick or treating. We had a blast (so did he) and I do not regret it one bit!

We did end up getting on the road about 7 p.m. and because our flight was an early morning one, we decided to spend the night at a hotel near the airport (which was about 2 hours from our home). 

After about four hours of sleep (literally), we were at the airport, through security, and on the plane in no time. We purchased TSA precheck about a year ago and haven't regretted that decision yet. It's so easy and smooth, especially with a little one! On this trip in particular, we were told at first that the precheck line at the airport wasn't yet open (I didn't know they had a time cap?) and we would have to go through the regular security line. There were several of us with precheck, kind of milling around for a minute, and somehow (miraculously), they decided to open the precheck line a few minutes early! YAY!

The flight was smooth and we landed in Orlando without any issues. You could definitely tell it was a race weekend, though - Magical Express was crowded! Thankfully we were at the beginning of the line for Pop Century, but check out that line behind us!

Front(ish) row!

After arriving at Pop, we decided to check our bags since our room was not quite ready yet. While waiting in the bag check line, I literally received a text that our room was ready, so off we went! We were in the 50's building with perfect access to the Skyliner! So much fun!!

We dropped off our bags, then said goodbye to our friends who weren't running any of the races that weekend and headed over to the Expo. (See link for expo recap.)

After browsing the expo for a while, we decided we were hungry and made our way to Animal Kingdom to meet up with our other friends.

Lunch included a stop at Flame Tree BBQ for a little brisket mac & cheese. It was so filling and delicious!

Brayden was WORN out from all of the traveling, so he napped in the stroller while we ate. After lunch, we rode Expedition Everest (dumb, I know) then walked over to see the Festival of the Lion King!

This is one of our favorite shows at AK.

Before long, a local friend of ours joined our party and we all rode Kilimanjaro Safaris together.  (Brayden is here but he's not in the picture.)

For dinner, we hopped a bus to Disney Springs and I made a bee line to the Christmas store to check out their specialty Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend ornaments. I've seen this display for many races, so if you're running a race and want a special memento to remember it by, these make for a great souvenir! They often have the year, distance, or even the race name hand painted on them!

Dinner that evening was at Earl of Sandwich and it was oh so delicious! 

We called it an early evening because four of our six adults had the 10K to run the following morning! 

...and that's a wrap on our travel day/day one at the most magical place on earth! Stay tuned for more! :)

Alaskan Cruise: Travel Day & Boarding the Ship [Part 1]

Happy Monday!

Although we've been back from our Alaskan cruise for a full week, I was seriously worn out, jet lagged, and trying to keep my head above water. Our travel plans home included an overnight flight where we also lost 3 hours of time (and I hardly slept on the plane), so my body was all messed up and it seriously took an entire week to get it back on track!

Now that I feel back to the land of the living, I'm going to share a trip recap of sorts here.

For starters, let me share a little more about our actual travel plans - this cruise was a family cruise (Jason's side - 12 total) where we spent 7 nights on board Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas to Alaska (we began in Vancouver, Canada and ended in Seward, Alaska). This itinerary was different from the previous cruise to Alaska that we took because it was not an out and back - we were definitely able to do and see a little more here with this itinerary!

Today's post will include our travel to Vancouver along with our first day on board the Radiance of the Seas!

Our journey began in Houston where we took a flight to Calgary, followed by a second flight to Vancouver.

This was our first time to fly West Jet and we really enjoyed it! The cookies that were offered on the plan were delicious and definitely my favorite part!

As we landed in Calgary, I was SO excited to see the Walt Disney World wrapped plane. Now, y'all know this trip had nothing to do with Disney but you also know I'm a huge Disney fan, so seeing this plane made my heart do a little flutter!

Imagine my utter surprise to find that WE were going to board the WDW plane to Vancouver!! I was to the moon!

Of course, I also had to stop and pick up a "real" cadbury chocolate bar in the airport!

Once in Vancouver, we took the airport shuttle to our hotel to meet up with Jason's parents. A first for me on this trip was the fact that I had no input in any plans whatsoever and I honestly liked it! Jason's dad did most of the leg work and for once, it was freeing to release control to someone else. I was seriously able to go with the flow and not really worry about anything. He found all of the hotels we stayed at along the way as well as most of our travel plans and he did a great job!

The following morning (Friday) was boarding day for our cruise! We met at the gorgeous port terminal and sat outside for a while, just enjoying the beautiful day. I also had to purchase another "real" cadbury chocolate bar to take back home with me (since this was our last time in Canada on this trip) as well as a bag of ketchup chips. A friend of mine told me that these chips were a "thing" but I'd never heard of them or seen them. I bought them to share with the entire group and the general consensus was that they tasted like vinegar chips. Brayden on the other hand loved them! While in Canada, right?

Before long, it was time to board! Now, this was our first time ever on Royal Caribbean and I'd heard good things so I was excited to see what this ship was all about.

Boarding the ship was very lackluster. No, I didn't expect the fanfare of Disney, but at least a little "welcome on board"? They literally swiped our cards, then we were ushered into this tiny walkway of a space where tables were crowding the way, attempting to sell us drink, food, and spa packages. Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore, right?

First thing's first when boarding a ship - the buffet! We all headed up to the Windjammer for lunch which was delicious! One thing I loved about the Windjammer was the large variety of food options - they had something for everyone, including vegetarian and gluten free options! Score!

After lunch, we headed over to our rooms to check them out. The view of Vancouver was amazing - it's such a pretty city, I wish we had more time to explore!

Our muster drill was the usual - here's where you stand, come to this area, etc. They also placed a bracelet on Brayden's wrist which was individualized to our specific evacuation area. This was our first time cruising with a kid, so it was interesting to see the new-to-us things they did!

After muster drill, we dropped our bags off in our room then headed upstairs for the sail away party and to let Brayden swim before dinner.

Brayden LOVED the pool. Sadly, this was the only day we had a chance to swim in the outdoor pool as it was very chilly for the remainder of our cruise. We did appreciate the indoor solarium pool which had family hours throughout the cruise, so we were able to take advantage of those!

Dinner on our ship took place in the same dining room every evening with the same wait staff.  I did like that the menu changed each evening, with a few offerings remaining the same. Our waiter (Ronnie) was excellent and the food was delicious as well!

...and just like that, we were off to our Alaskan adventure! I couldn't wait to see what it had in store!

Oh yes, I did sneak away that evening to watch the Welcome Aboard show, where I discovered that this cruise included a live orchestra! Jason's entire family is musically inclined, so they were very excited to see that! (So was I!)

Up next: Our first (and only) At Sea Day & A Stop in Ketchikan

---------------------------------------------------------

For recaps from our 7 night Alaskan cruise on board the Radiance of the Seas, check out these links below:
Alaskan Cruise: Travel Day & Boarding the Ship [Part 1] & VLOG
Alaskan Cruise: At Sea Day & Ketchikan [Part 2] & VLOG
Alaskan Cruise: Icy Straight Point [Part 3] & VLOG (Icy Straight Point & Juneau)
Alaskan Cruise: Juneau & Whale Watching [Part 4]
Alaskan Cruise: Skagway & A Musher's Camp [Part 5] & VLOG
Alaskan Cruise: Hubbard Glacier [Part 6] & VLOG
Alaskan Cruise: Seward and Anchorage [Part 7] & VLOG