Category: Budget travel

Here and there and everywhere


Recent visit to Downtown Disney
Recent visit to Downtown Disney

Here and there and everywhere

I have been busy spending time with family and friends the last few months or so, and am having a great time doing so. However, I also have been putting my blogging duties on hold while venturing on a move from Port Charlotte, FL to Kissimmee, Central Florida; quite a task. Before you ask… Kissimmee is part of the Orlando Metro area and, we are in the same county where that famous Mouse lives!

My new mantra is: “Wherever I go, I must find something new to do” while there. Especially, in my favorite destinations in Orlando and Atlanta, with Miami running close behind…

Speaking of which, my original intent as I get back into blogging, was to focus on highlighting places that are not as popular to visitors as the theme parks Orlando is known for, but after living here for the past eight months; I’ve decided I can highlight both the theme parks and the lesser known venues. As I go about discovering my new city I will post my findings, so when you visit you can do as the locals do.

All of these cities have some major entertainment options available and many popular and recognizable “places to go and fun things to do” but my mission is to find some of the not so familiar places to enjoy.

I should point out here that visiting shopping malls is almost always part of the equation. In Orlando alone, I can pass through so many malls while driving around town, that I sometimes lose count. But, I have my favorites: Florida Mall and the Mall at Millennia. And, for the serious shopper, the Premium Outlets on I-Drive are a must; people from all over the world shop there and they bring empty suitcases, talk about  serious shopping.

Same goes for Atlanta, having lived there for about two years I had more time to find shopping outlets so the list there is a bit longer; I always go back to the familiar and favorites Cumberland , Town Center, and Perimeter malls and of course outlet malls abound.

By the way, if you love to eat out the choices are many, all cuisines are well represented; one of the things I love about my new hometown is that I can satisfy my cravings for Latin foods almost anywhere I turn in Orlando and as a good Latina, my preference is for the foods that remind me of home like a good plate of rice and beans with steak, plantains and  a salad. Yummy! There are a few restaurants I like, but I will eat from a food truck too. Good food is good food!

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Happy New Year!


Christmas time in New Orleans
Christmas time in New Orleans

I missed the Christmas greetings last week but I have a great excuse, I was traveling around celebrating the holidays with family; especially the little ones, yes all three granddaughters together in one place, Orlando. Grandma’s heaven for sure!

Making a list and checking it twice with NOLA’s Santa! Lauryn and dad (Michael)

I will come back next week to update you on all the excitement of the season and the New Orleans trip. In the meantime, here are a couple of photos I took during my travels.

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The Creole Queen Paddle wheeler sailing around the Mississippi River

Happy New Year, stay safe and enjoy the festivities, I’ll be doing the same!

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Inspiration…or lack thereof!


English: The USS New Orleans (LPD-18) passes b...
English: The USS New Orleans (LPD-18) passes by downtown New Orleans on the Mississippi River (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Over the last few months I found one excuse after another for not writing on this blog; not sure why this happened but I knew at some point inspiration would reappear and I would get going again or maybe not.

As the holidays approach there are many thoughts going through my head, mostly they have to do with friends and family, those near and far. In my case they are mostly far, even though only within a 3 hours drive or plane ride north or south from where I live.

Here’s an example, typical I think. I’ve never been to New Orleans even though it has been on the bucket list forever. A few weeks ago our daughter calls me up with the news that Airtran was having a sale, and she wanted to take advantage of it by taking a trip to New Orleans and wanted to know if I would join her and her family, I said yes of course. After all it would be her treat. Well, after much discussion I backed out, for no good reason, while she went ahead and booked the flight as originally planned–read cheaper here. Anyway, a week or so later (after the sale, of course) I decided I really wanted to go to New Orleans, mostly because I figured it was on the bucket list, and if not now–when?

So back to inspiration and the reason I am writing this post. Yesterday, Natalie and I spent a couple of hours on the phone going through what today (hindsight) I find was a hilarious quest online to find a place to stay while in New Orleans during our 4-day visit. Remember I said online; my experience with travel sites such as Priceline, Hotwire…etc. is limited, though I am generally aware of how they work. Basically, it is a no brainer you tell them what you are looking for and how much you are willing to pay and they “negotiate” a deal for you. Kind of like going on a blind date, you don’t know what you will get until you pay for it.

I don’t think they (the travel sites) planned on meeting people like my daughters; they will manage to spend enough time and strategy to score big deals online and will walk away if not met with what they want. In this case, a great 4-star hotel on the banks of the Mississippi River was the reward for perseverance and at a great price.

So I think I’ve got my mojo back with this booking experience, thankfully I booked the flight earlier, paid slightly more but that’s okay; I will report back  on my New Orleans trip and will take time to review hotel rooms, surroundings and of course the attractions and the food, there is always the food!

In the meantime, Laissez les bons temps rouler (Let the good times roll)!

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Port Charlotte? Where is that?


A view of the harbor, from Laishley Park

Port Charlotte? Where is that? It does not sound like a place where there will be much to do. That is usually the way the conversation goes when I talk to strangers, right after the standard introductions; almost everyone I meet says the same thing. To which I respond, as if on autopilot, “we are in Florida, on the Gulf Coast of Mexico right between Fort Myers and Sarasota”.  Suddenly, an Aha moment—as Oprah would say–I know where that is, my grandma’s friend has a house down there somewhere. LOL

Funny thing is, there are enough things to do in Port Charlotte and its surroundings; the area boasts some of the best beaches–Boca Grande, Siesta Key, Sanibel, Clearwater, come to mind—that you can find anywhere on the Gulf Coast, all within less than an hour’s drive. Sunsets are beautiful and plentiful; except of course, on those days when the skies open up and let out the thunderstorms and lightning we are so famous for, which earned the Tampa Bay’s area the dubious “Lightning Capital of the U.S.” moniker.

During this time of the year, when the freezing weather up north ensures our population swells with the arrival of “snowbirds” looking to escape the snow and cold, there is so much going on, locals have a difficult time finding a place to eat where the wait is less than an hour.

Sunset at the beach

Arts, film, and music festivals, and gallery exhibits, block parties, plays and everything else you can think of, are in plentiful supply. In addition, there is always fishing and boating, or year-round drum circles at nearby Venice and Sarasota beaches, where every Saturday evening you can let go your inner hippie while enjoying the music–bring your own drums, food and drinks and prepare to welcome the most beautiful sunsets ever!

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Life is a beach…winter season in SW Florida


Lifeguards on duty

It dawned on me today, after talking about the weather up north and in other far away (from me, anyway) cold places–Ireland, London, Seattle to name a few, that either I have it pretty good or we always seem to think the grass really is greener on the other side. Truthfully, we all have exactly what we need, when we need it.

I lived in New York for over twenty years and never complained about the weather there as much as I do here in Florida; but that is mostly because NY provided relief from heat when Fall, Winter and Spring arrived. There was the change of seasons to look forward to, the anticipation of shedding one type of clothing for another.

Life is a beach, Manasota Key, FL

During winter, of course, you bulked up with coats, layers of clothes, donned boots, and gloves, and hats and whatever else you needed in order to stay warm–leg warmers? I have not seen or heard of those things in years! And even though I did not like the winter months, especially when it snowed, I still looked forward to some of the things that came with it–ice skating (the children, not me), concerts, plays, etc.

Our side of Florida offers no such season changes, but it does allow for the occasional sweater or light wind breaker now and then, and a common outfit for this time of the year might be shorts, sweatshirts and sandals–a compromise I guess.

Most people assume it is hot down here all the time, not so. In the years we have lived on Florida’s West Coast, we have experienced temperatures as low as 30s and as high as the 100s; good thing the average stays in the 80s and the extremes only last for a couple of days. Sometimes that’s good, sometimes not. When it is cold up north during the winter months, our days are pretty good, cold fronts from the north produce really nice weather; mornings and evenings are nice and cool, sometimes even cold (for us) but daytime temps stay comfortable enough to sometimes warrant a trip to the beach.

Row, row, row...

That was the case this week, it started out with a couple of cold days and by Thursday it felt like Summer. So I took myself and camera to the beach, to verify what I already suspected. Our “snowbirds” (tourists) where there, not an empty parking spot could be found at the first three beaches I stopped at–Stump Pass, Englewood, Blind Pass and finally when I arrived at Manasota Key–I found a parking space, and all I wanted to do was to take some pictures.

Aah, yes, I still remember those days when I thought nothing of diving into 65-70 degree waters, brrr… thank goodness that was a long time ago. But still…what was I thinking?

And now… we dive into a New Year, 2012. Does anyone still remember how we were freaking out as the New millennium, Y2K, approached? It came and went along with 11 more years, yikes!!! Time sure flies…

Lea Michelle sings Auld Lang Syne  Happy New Year to one and all, let’s keep on reading and writing, and let us enjoy life!

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