• Travel

    Everglades National Park

    June 16, 2015 - By 

    After an exhilarating airboat tour in Everglades City, we headed towards Shark Valley, which has an observation tower that provides amazing panoramic views of the heart of the Everglades. click on map to enlarge Right before arriving at Shark Valley (Stop #1), we stopped at Miccosukee Restaurant for lunch. This is a restaurant on the Miccosukee Reservation. The restaurant menu provided lots of variety, which included some traditional Native American dishes, like Frybread, alligator nuggets, and Indian tacos. I’m still kicking myself for not trying their tacos, but I was a bit concerned about having that sit on my stomach…

  • Travel

    Lake Martin Memorial Day Weekend 2015

    June 7, 2015 - By 

    This past weekend we enjoyed another great weekend at the Farrow’s Lake House. We didn’t go Friday night like usual because Caitlyn’s Graduation Party, so didn’t get to the lake till Saturday morning. Even with a shorter trip, we still had lots of fun and made more memories with some of our favorite folks. Swimming Playing in the yard Boating and Tubing Caitlyn got to tube for the first time And a family selfie to wrap up the weekend Already looking forward to next year! Click the link below to read more about the weekend. Water Skiing on Lake Martin

  • Travel

    Everglades Airboat Tour and Gator Show

    June 2, 2015 - By 

    We arrived at Captain Jack’s to get tickets for our airboat tour. Before going there we stopped at the convenient store for some breakfast. I saw Zinger’s and was quickly taken back to the times my Dad and I would stop at a 7-11 and I would get Zingers. Anyway, we got over to the loading place for the airboats and soon our names were called and we were off for an adventure of a life time. You can take a look at this product which is suitable to repair any works while riding in the boat. The tour started…

  • Travel

    Everglades City

    May 26, 2015 - By 

    We left Naples and arrived in Everglades City a little after 2 p.m. and checked into the Everglades City Motel. When we were looking for places to stay in Everglades City there was only 3 or 4 motels, none of which seemed super nice. We booked this one, because it had really good reviews and the price was right. Our room was recently renovated. The furniture was nice and water pressure was good. I loved that they have bikes you can use and the staff was really helpful. We also got a discount on our airboat tour because we stayed…

  • Travel

    Naples, Florida

    May 12, 2015 - By 

    After leaving Sanibel Island, we continued south for a stop in Naples. Naples has lots of metered parking along the streets as well as some parking lots. We probably drove around for a good 30 minutes looking for a spot as well as gawking at the beautiful homes. We were about to bale when we found a spot in front of Oh! Oh! Shoes on 12th Avenue, which was perfect because we were not far from Naples Pier. This area where we parked was filled with upscale shops and restaurants. Beautiful area with gorgeous landscaping and clean streets. It was…

  • Travel

    Sanibel Island

    May 5, 2015 - By 

    We arrived at Sanibel Island and we were starving. We wanted to stop at a local place so we ended up at the Sanibel Cafe, which is in the Tahitian Gardens Plaza on Periwinkle Way. You could already tell we were visiting an island that has as abundance of shells, since all the table were nicely decorated with glass covered tops with shell designed underneath. We enjoyed a nice breakfast. Pictured below is the Pina Colada French Toast, which is what Rob got. Here’s the Breakfast Menu Page 1 Page 2 After leaving there with bellies full and spirits high,…

  • Travel

    Alex’s 1st Camp Out as a Boy Scout

    May 1, 2015 - By 

    Family Friday A couple weekends ago Alex attended his first Boy Scout campout without Rob or us as a family. Boy Scouts is quite different from Cub Scouts in that campouts don’t include parents unless they are certified leaders. Drew, of course, was there. They went to Cumberland Caves in McMinnville, TN. Here they are before leaving. Here are a few pictures provided by the leaders on the trip. Not only did they enjoy the typical educational walking tour through the cave while learning about stalactites and stalagmites, they also got a true spelunking experience. They covered their heads with…

  • Fort Myers, Florida
    Travel

    Before Leaving Fort Myers, Florida

    April 21, 2015 - By 

    On Day 4 of our Florida tour, we woke up from our restful night at the Hotel Indigo got packed up and got ready to site-see the area and then, head further south. While we waited on our car to be brought up from the valet, Drew decided he wanted to climb the large Mangrove tree across the street from our hotel. Here he is after he started coming down. I love this picture of Rob and I, because it shows how mammoth this tree really is. After watching him climb as high as he could go and getting a…

  • Travel

    Spring Training 2015

    March 30, 2015 - By 

    A few weeks ago, Rob and Drew spent a few days down in the Tampa area visiting with his Gramma and going to Spring Training games. Below I’ve outlined the 4 stadiums with a few pictures from each venue.   Atlanta Braves Champion Stadium located at the ESPN World of Sports at Disney Spring Training home of the Braves from 1998-2019 (see this post for new Braves Spring Training Stadium in Venice) Capacity: 9,500 Lake Buena Vista, FL Things to know… Restaurants and village around ballpark Free parking in the small lots around the park Ballpark food selection was good…

  • Travel

    Fort Myers River District

    March 10, 2015 - By 

    After eating a lovely dinner at Capone’s, we went back to the hotel as the kids were itching to swim in the pool. We stayed at Hotel Indigo, which located in the beautiful River District of Fort Myers. The pool is on the roof of the hotel, and Rob and I enjoyed looking around, as there are some great views from there. The pools are clean and safe for the kids because of the Two Brothers Luxury Pool Service that maintains them. The pool closed at dark so the kids got out of the pool, got dressed, and then we…

  • Next time you're in Fort Myers and looking for a unique place to eat, I highly recommend Capone's Coal Fired Pizza.
    Life - Travel

    Capone’s Coal Fired Pizza {Fort Myers, FL}

    February 24, 2015 - By 

    On our Florida Tour, on Sunday after leaving Myakka River State Park, we drove the rest of the way down to Fort Myers, Florida where we were staying at the Hotel Indigo. We checked into the hotel, got settled in and then decided to walk around and find a cool place to eat. We ended up at Capone’s Coal Fired Pizza. Many of us weren’t in the mood for Pizza. However, after examining the menu that was displayed outside we decided to give it a try, because it had pasta and paninis. Drew and Caitlyn both got the Fettuccine Alfredo,…

  • Myakka River State Park
    Travel

    Myakka River State Park

    February 17, 2015 - By 

    On Sunday morning of our Florida tour, we got up and took Gramma and Granpa out for breakfast at Susie’s Grill. We dropped back by their house to finish gathering up all our stuff before to Fort Myers. We got a couple family shots as well. Here’s a few scenes along the way including a couple shot of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. When we were looking for things to do between Spring Hill and Fort Myers, both Caitlyn and I suggested going to Myakka River State Park, which is one of the oldest state parks dating back to 1942 when…

  • Travel

    Weeki Wachee Springs

    February 10, 2015 - By 

    On the 2nd day of our Florida Tour 2014, we took a little break from visiting with Gramma and Granpa and went to Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, home of the Real Live Mermaids! That morning Granpa told us the story of Newton Perry and how he invented the breathing hoses that are used for the show. This is such a neat invention because they don’t have to go to the service for air during the show. There’s 1 mermaid show that they do 3 times each day. I would recommend looking at their website or calling to get show…

  • University of Florida
    Travel

    Quick Stop at University of Florida

    February 3, 2015 - By 

    The day after Christmas was a big day for my family as we got in a rental car and headed south for quite a long journey. You see, last year when my Dad was diagnosed with ALS and we were in Fort Worth discussing with him his final wishes, he said he wanted to cremated and he wanted to have his ashes spread in the keys. So on the anniversary of his death, we started our trek down to the Keys. We had an itinerary that would allow us to not have to drive more 3 hours of total driving…

  • Mississippi Braves At Trustmark Park
    Travel

    Mississippi Braves at Trustmark Park

    January 20, 2015 - By 

    This week for Travel Tuesday, I’m sharing our stop in Jackson, MS. When we travel to Fort Worth, TX we often use Jackson, MS as a mid-way stopping point. Back in 2005, we stopped there and planned to spend the night and go to a Mississippi Braves Game. The Mississippi Braves play in Pearl, MS which is just a few miles outside of Jackson at Trustmark Park. I love going to minor league baseball parks, because they are so easy to get in and out of; more like a college ball park than a major league park with 1,000s upon…

  • Dr. Pepper Museum
    Travel

    Dr. Pepper Museum:Waco, TX

    January 6, 2015 - By 

    On one of our Texas adventures, we were headed from Fort Worth down to Houston, but took a few detours along the way. One of our stops was at the Dr. Pepper Museum in Waco, TX. The museum is housed in the 1906 bottling building, which was turned into the museum in 1989. Now if you’re comparing this to the World of Coke, Dr. Pepper’s got nothing on Coke! However, you will still find this museum to be rich in the history and memorabilia of this most popular drink.

  • Travel

    Must Sees in Piedmont Park Atlanta, GA

    December 23, 2014 - By 

    A few months ago, Rob and I were in Atlanta for a few days. He was at a work conference so I was on my own during the day. I was excited that we were staying in Midtown, because I knew I wasn’t far from Piedmont Park. Piedmont Park Atlanta, GA is the Central Park of Atlanta; just not nearly as big, it’s still a really cool place. It’s nestled just a couple miles northeast of downtown Atlanta. The park runs along 10th Street and Piedmont Avenue in Midtown Atlanta. 5 Things to See at Piedmont Park Atlanta, GA One…

  • Schlitterbahn in New Braunfels, TX
    Travel

    Schlitterbahn in New Braunfels, TX

    December 16, 2014 - By 

    Welcome to Travel Tuesday! This week’s spot is Schlitterbahn. Another detour while traveling in Texas included a stop in New Braunfels, TX, which is about 50 south of Austin and about 30 miiles northwest of San Antonio. New Braunfels is the home of the “World’s Best Waterpark”, Schlitterbahn! Growing up in Texas, you would have thought I’d gone there. However, in many ways I was a bit of a sheltered child… 🙂 The park is divided into a 2 main sections; East and West. The main entrance is on the west side of the park, which is the original Schlitterbahn…

  • Travel

    Minute Maid Park {Houston, TX}

    October 21, 2014 - By 

    Today for my Places I’ve Been… series, I’m taking you Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. I’ll admit that the home of the Astros is not the most picturesque ballpark I’ve ever been to, but it does have a couple of cool features. Out in the outfield is a train that runs along an 800 foot long track, which is always exciting for the kids to see when it moves from one side to the other. Lovers of the Minute Maid park also enjoy that this stadium has a retractable roof. When we were there is was 100+ degrees outside,…

  • Travel

    Atlanta Midtown Getaway

    October 12, 2014 - By 

    This Fall Rob had a work conference in Atlanta. I decided to take a couple days off and go with him. His conference was right near the campus of Georgia Tech. We enjoyed our stay at the Renaissance Atlanta Midtown. This is such a great location for site-seeing by foot, which is what I did during the day while he was working. The hotel had all the necessary amenities as well as some other perks, like free wine every afternoon and a concierge that was more than helpful in suggesting unique places to eat. After arriving Sunday afternoon, getting checked…