Disney World with a One-Year-Old : Navigating a Toddler’s First Visit!

Hi, I’m Katie! Are you new here? I’m a travel advisor with The Magic’s Yours Travel! I send clients on vacations of all kinds all over the world but my specialty is Disney travel. Want to work together? Check out my website katievtravel.com to request a vacation quote or email me at katiev@themagicsyours.com with any questions. I’d love to make your vacation dreams a reality!

Did you know that children under three-years-old can get into Disney World for free? You read that right! I said FREE!

One of the Disney World questions I am asked the most as a travel advisor is “what is the best age for a first visit to Disney World?” Many parents are concerned that children will not remember the trip if they visit too young. Parents think “this is a once in a lifetime trip” and they don’t want to pick the wrong time.

I absolutely get the concern behind this question but that is TOO MUCH PRESSURE to put on one vacation. It’s a recipe for you to become that family with a parent screaming at a crying child in the middle of Tomorrowland at 4:00pm. “Do you know how much we spent to be here?” “Stop it! You should be having fun!” Trust me I have seen it…. many times… and you will see it too. But no one wants to be that family. That family doesn’t want to be that family. My heart goes out to them because they are just overtired, overheated, and overwhelmed by the complexity of a Disney vacation. They probably put too much pressure on themselves for everything to be perfect on their “once in a lifetime trip”. I bet they didn’t work with a travel advisor. 😉

So what is my answer to the question “what is the best age for a first visit to Disney World?” My answers is that any age is the best age. Whenever you have the budget, the time, and the desire to go to Disney World you should go. It doesn’t matter if your child is 18-months-old or 18-years-old. The key is to build a trip that is suited to the stage that your children and your family are in.

Don’t put the pressure on yourself that this is a “once in a lifetime trip”. You don’t know what the future holds for your family. I went to Disney World only once as a child and now it’s literally my job to go and I often take members of my family with me.

Wether or not your children remember this vacation. YOU will remember it. There is a special magic to visiting Disney World at every age and every stage of life. Some of those stages go by quickly.

Even if it is a once in a lifetime trip. Don’t put that pressure on yourself to see and do everything. It is not possible. As a Disney planning professional I give you permission to not worry about doing everything and just worry about enjoying your vacation and this time with your family.

Back to that FREE park entry for children under three. This is a great tip for those with young children looking to save on a Disney vacation.

My amazing friend and travel client Kate took advantage of this saving opportunity when she and her husband took their 17-month old daughter to Disney World for her very first visit. Kate and her husband are frequent Disney World travelers but this was their first visit as parents! Kate has a lot to share about what she learned on this trip.

So without further ado here is Kate with a trip report from her fall 2023 visit to Disney World with her one-year old!

Ah, the ol’ free-before-three trick. You got us Disney, you got us good! Not that we were a very hard catch. Though to be fair, the last time I guest-wrote, my husband and I were pregnant and swore up, down, left, and right we wouldn’t take our child to Disney until they could remember the magic for themselves. Then we realized we wanted to remember the magic of going to Disney and seeing that magic through the eyes of our little girl. 

There was a new challenge though. We were no longer childless Disney adults. We now had to travel and survive the magic with the mayhem of a toddler. So here’s the full report! What can I say except, you’re welcome?

First, take a deep breath, center yourself. That’s it. Zen out and anticipate things going “wrong.” Anticipate not experiencing a perfect, ideal vacation. Perfect is so boring anyways, but having this mindset will set your expectations at an appropriate level for traveling with a toddler. I want you to imagine that you are carrying with you your own personal Jack Jack, and all his superpowers. Because you one hundred and fifty percent are. Embrace the little fireball, and the demon…and the laser eyes…and invisibility…you get my drift. Have ‘nom nom’ cookies at the ready. Here’s what our pictures don’t show you, and the chaos we had to embrace:

  • Two delayed flights.
  • Traveling with a child getting over a cold.
  • Said child brewing an ear infection at Epcot.
  • Teething molars, because why not have that too?
  • A diaper blow-out at Magic Kingdom. On the carousel.

And you know what? It was all okay. That’s the chaos of traveling with your own personal Jack Jack. Embrace the chaos! But that doesn’t mean you need to travel unprepared. Let me elucidate here.

Packing : The (not-so) Bare Necessities

Aside from clothes, toothbrushes, Mickey ears, and the other usual Disney-traveling essentials, this is a list of the things we couldn’t survive without at Disney and I daresay any vacation with a toddler.

The Tush Baby: This was fairy godmother-sent because it got us through every single line from Epcot, to Magic Kingdom, to Animal Kingdom. What is it? A fanny pack…with a built in seat that holds up to 45 pounds of toddler, and takes the weight off your already aching back. You can’t take your strollers through lines at Disney, you have to park ’em and tote your tot into the line and if you don’t have Genie+ to Lightning Lane those habitually longer lines? Godspeed to you and wish upon a star for the Tush Baby.

Bed Bumpers: We decided to opt out of a crib/pack and play (which your resort will totally arrange for you if that’s your baby/toddler’s vibe), and instead bring inflatable bed bumpers. The cons? They take up a hefty bit of real estate in your luggage. The pros? Our girl had an entire queen bed to herself. She slept, and slept well! It worked for us for naps and nighttime sleep, but I do recommend trying them out ahead of time if your tot isn’t used to free-range bed sleeping!

Battery Powered Lights: A little stroller bling! We wrapped white twinkle lights around our stroller so it was easier to find at night in stroller parking. It paid off in spades the first night when we came out of Journey of Water at Epcot and saw our stroller lit up like a Christmas tree from afar! And the second night at Magic Kingdom when our stroller was moved. Please note, cast members absolutely have the right to move your stroller if necessary! It’s usually not far and it’s to accommodate neatly parking more strollers, so don’t give them a ‘tude about it.

Airtag: Speaking of cast members moving your stroller, an airtag is a handy thing to have, just in case your stroller isn’t just moved into the next row over. We bought the Tile, downloaded the app, connected the device, tucked it in the stroller, and boom baby! Airtags also work great to tuck away in checked luggage, which we also did.

Stroller Sign: I can’t take credit for this but WOW was it helpful, especially during the day when lights can’t be seen. Ours was an incredibly thoughtful gift, and it made our black stroller stand out from the hoards of other black strollers! Etsy is your best friend if you want a legit, embroidered sign, but you can absolutely lo-fi it with a paper print out (some type of lamination recommended) easily enough. 

Portable Noise Machine: I take ours on every trip. Our girl can sleep without a noise machine no problem, but you realize on a personal level how nice it is to have when it drowns out the inevitable hotel noises; from the hustle and bustle of housekeeping, the excited hollering of other kiddos, and the responding hollering of adults in a foolish attempt to calm their children down.

A Sick Kit: I never used to travel with an sick kit, but now I never leave home without one. For ours, I packed ibuprofen, infant ibuprofen, saline drops for adults and for toddlers, vicks vapor rub, a bulb syringe, and what saved our vacation – ear infection drops. Our girl started with an ear infection on day one. You just never know what will happen so in the infamous words of Scar, “be prepared.” 

Navigating Disney World With A Toddler

Now that we’ve got our essentials kit, let’s get into the nitty gritty of how we survived! I’m going to get on my soapbox for a little bit here though, bare with me, and understand that how you used to travel as a hip, cool, childless Disney adult no longer applies. Honor your child and their hunger, their exhaustion, and their overstimulation. Also, honor how you are feeling as the parent, and know that feeling exhausted, touched-out, and overwhelmed are all part of the vacation package and you’re allowed to feel that way and any which way. Give yourself a pause and some grace. Now, by no means are you strictly sticking to your routine from home (haha, that’s a funny joke, me) but you’re watching your kiddo (and yourself) for cues. For example, one day we were able to nap on the go with our stroller, another day we went back to our resort to nap, and the third day a nap was a hilarious fantasy and our girl was ready to roll deep. Honor whatever they need and be flexible and adaptable enough to provide it. Understand that you may no longer be able to both rope drop and close down the park. Accept that you might need to leave in the middle of the day to take a snooze, or just to get out of the sun and give yourselves a reprieve from the crowds. Allow you kiddo to fear the characters. Don’t force that fun. For us, Pluto was a no-go and Goofy was treading on thin ice the entire time. If you set your expectations to what your child can reasonably achieve, you’ll be more content with how your days go and pleasantly surprised if your child exceeds your expectations! 

What did this look like for us? It looked like letting our girl sleep however long she needed to in the mornings and we leisurely rolled into the parks. It looked like organizing reservations and Genie+ later in the day. We chose not to do any of the “thrill” rides that our girl couldn’t do. We could have used rider share to ride these attractions ourselves, but we’ve ridden Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain dozens of times so we weren’t sad to miss them in favor of our fifth ride on Dumbo. Speaking of, we rode the same rides multiple times because our girl loved them. Dumbo? Two thumbs way, way up. The carousel brought huge smiles and endless delight. She loved spinning the tea cups. All these things we rode repeatedly because this trip was for her joy, and our memories of that joy. So give yourselves some grace with how you shape your days, relax and go with the flow that your family needs, and trust that you’ll get your magic moments. But if you want a little help finding the magic, here are some areas broken down by the parks we visited:

Epcot: I’ll be honest. This park tested my resilience and it was only day one of our trip. You forget just how big Epcot truly is until you’ve got to haul around a toddler, their big toddler attitude, and all their accoutrements. This was also the day that our girl started with an ear infection so she wasn’t her best self. Still, joy was found!

The China Pavilion in the World Showcase: This is certainly not the first pavilion that comes to mind! But Norway gets choked with guests visiting Anna and Elsa and riding Frozen Ever After, France is clogged with people clamoring to ride Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, I would hazard that Japan is about as busy as Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo, Germany and Mexico are for the drinking enthusiasts, but China? There’s these wonderful little shaded paths with a babbling stream and pond, the primary building that houses Reflections of China is gorgeous, colorful, and more importantly air conditioned, and the quick service dining usually has minimal lines. We caught an hour and a half nap chillin’ in China, ran in and out of the building no less than twenty times, and enjoyed some brews while our girl ran amok in very light foot traffic.

Journey of Water, inspired by Moana: This is a must visit if you have children, especially at night. The ambiance is amazing, the water glows turquoise, and while the goal is to educate visitors about the water cycle and the importance of water, this was basically one big toddler splash pad. Our girl would have stayed all night if we let her. Don’t let that deter you though! The crowds move easily, even though you have lingering kiddos, and there’s never really a backup. The interaction with the various water features is super entertaining, from strumming water like strings on a guitar, to summoning water with your palm. The Te’Fiti at the end is incredible, and definitely one for the ‘gram. Hot tip though, we had the Photopass Memory Maker but those pictures turned out horribly at night. Make sure you have someone snap some pics of you and your family with your cell phone camera just in case. The lighting turns out way better. 

Magic Kingdom: Magic Kingdom is the most accommodating to littles. There’s lots of activities and characters for them, but the biggest issue is the foot traffic. Magic Kingdom gets crowded, and it just isn’t safe to let your toddler ramble out of their stroller. Which makes it hard if you have a big, independent, willful toddler. We enjoyed Magic Kingdom the most in the evenings, when families are tucking in for dinner, waiting for fireworks, or abandoning the park in general. This time frame saw less wait times for rides and (slightly) less foot traffic.

Main Street: We did things we’d never done before with our girl on this trip and a lot of it was right on Main Street; riding the Main Street vehicles, the horse-drawn trolley, and a jitney from 1903. I recommend both experiences for their uniqueness, the drivers are full of interesting facts and tidbits, and most times you’ll either be the only passenger or one of a few. I think visitors might think these experiences cost extra? But it’s amazing what you learn when your toddler just invites herself onto something. The experiences are free! Riding these vehicles was such a leisurely way to travel up and down Main Street, and not feel the pressure of needing to get somewhere fast along with the rest of the crowds. We also got our girl’s first haircut at the Harmony Barber Shop which for twenty nine dollars was wonderful. How many kids get to say their first haircut was a Disney? That’s a real flex. The barber knew how to handle littles, what they needed to distract them from spooky scissors, the entire staff was friendly, and we got a certificate, embroidered ears, and they even wrap up the hair for you in a little drawstring bag for all you sentimental types out there (me).

Dumbo: This is the quintessential Disney experience (in my opinion). But what makes Dumbo a cut above and worth mentioning, you ask? The ride has an air conditioned playground inside the big top. Take a break from the line, let your tot play, and you take a seat. When your kiddo is satisfied, you just slip right back into line. It was amazing. Also I highly recommend watching the fireworks from Dumbo. We rode twice during Happily Ever After and it was an amazing way to see the fireworks without having to stake out a spot hours beforehand in front of the castle.

Animal Kingdom: Honestly, I wish we’d given ourselves more time at this park, but we split the day with Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party so we were limited and really only visited Harambe and Pandora. Of all the parks, I would say Animal Kingdom is the best to give your child a little free rein. It’s big, it’s spread out, and there’s so much to see and do that they can run a little wild – crowds permitting. 

Tusker House: I have said, and will say, that Tusker House is one of the best character dining experiences in all of DIsney World, hands down. I’ve personally been countless times and the experience has stayed consistent. The food is spectacular, the service efficient, and you meet Donald, Daisy, Mickey, and Goofy while you eat. It literally doesn’t get any better. Our girl was so entertained we had to remind her to eat!

Tam Tam Drummers of Harambe: If you’re very fortunate, you can walk out of Tusker House right into the interactive performance of the Tam Tam Drummers of Harambe. They are energetic, enthusiastic, and want participation to clap, stomp, and dance to their rhythms. Our girl was super entertained! If you aren’t so lucky as to walk out of your meal on a performance, they usually perform once an hour with times posted in the app.

Now, all those aforementioned experiences were a few out of many. They were the stand-outs, the moments of magic, what our girl enjoyed most, and I hope that whoever is reading this – from the lovers, the dreamers, and me – find inspiration in these suggestions to explore them and create your own magic. At the end of all this, just remember to be flexible, be adaptable, give yourself some grace, and know that you’ll get your ideal family photo and your magical moments. They’ll happen when you least expect it because that’s how magic works. It comes to you when you aren’t planning for it, when you aren’t forcing it, and when you need it the most. So go, live your dream at Disney, and I’ll see y’all real soon! 

-Kate

Thank you Kate for all of that great insight!

I hope you found this interesting and informative. Considering a trip to Disney World? I’m a travel advisor and would love to work with you! Check out my website katievtravel.com to request a vacation quote or email me at katiev@themagicsyours.com with any questions. I’d love to make your vacation dreams a reality!

Unforgettable Las Vegas Weekend: The Sphere and Flamingo Experience

Hi, I’m Katie! Are you new here? I’m a travel advisor with The Magic’s Yours Travel! I send clients on vacations of all kinds all over the world but my specialty is Disney travel. Want to work together? Check out my website katievtravel.com to request a vacation quote or email me at katiev@themagicsyours.com with any questions. I’d love to make your vacation dreams a reality!

Viva Las Vegas!

Welcome travelers! Who’s ready to talk Las Vegas? I just got home from a long Presidents Day weekend (2024) in Las Vegas to celebrate my husband Scott’s birthday. The inspiration for this trip was to see a concert at The Sphere, a brand new venue unlike any other. We went to Vegas about 10 years ago, so this was a repeat destination for us, but Vegas has so much to do and is constantly adding more entertainment that there were more than enough new (to us) experiences to choose from. Let’s dive into the trip!

Friday Arrival

We flew from Baltimore to Las Vegas and landed at LAS around 9:45am. The arrivals section of this airport immediately sets the stage for the kinetic atmosphere of Las Vegas with slot machines lining the halls and huge screens everywhere in the massive baggage claim area. We opted to take a cab to our hotel because the airport cab rates are price controlled and the taxi stand is right outside of baggage claim. Ride share pick-up is also available but is located in the parking garage so you have to venture further. The airport itself is conveniently located very close to The Strip so we were in a cab immediately after exiting the airport and at our hotel by 11:00am. 

We stayed at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino and when we arrived there was a long line at check-in, which is typical of Las Vegas. The wait turned out to only be 10 minutes and we were offered the option to get into our room early for a $60 fee. Check-in was supposed to be 4:00pm and, since it was only 11:00am, we decided to pay for early check-in. Alternatively we had the option to check our bags with the hotel for free and then return for our room at 4:00pm.

Flamingo Hotel & Casino 

I’ll give you my overall review of the Flamingo here. 

For further details and to get a better view of the hotel please watch my YouTube video linked below. (Coming Soon)

The Flamingo Hotel & Casino, a Caesar’s property, is located right in the center of The Strip. It’s the oldest hotel on The Strip with a long Las Vegas history including mob ties. While it is by no means a small property, I found the size much more manageable than some of its’ mega resort neighbors.

Being right in the center means a lot of the sites are easily walkable, plus it has its’ own monorail station making the entire Strip accessible. The LINQ Promenade is right next door which offers tons of dining and the High Roller observation wheel. 

The Flamingo recently completed a room refurbishment and is currently upgrading several common areas. All the upgrades looked great and the ongoing work is needed, in my opinion, as some areas looked a bit aged. I expect this hotel to only improve when the work is completed and did not find the ongoing construction disturbing to my stay in any way. 

There are Vegas vibes galore here! This hotel gives off vintage Vegas in its design and photos from the Flamingo’s past are mixed throughout the decor with tons of flamingo designs and pink decor. The theming here is not nearly as elaborate as hotels like Caesar’s Palace or New York New York but it lives up to its’ name faithfully. I really enjoyed the nods to old Vegas and all the pink!

As far as amenities, the Flamingo, of course, has a casino with both machines and gaming tables. There is a spa and fitness center which was on the smaller side but had all your standard offerings. There are a handful of shops but nothing in the way of high-end shopping you’ll find elsewhere on The Strip. There is a sizable pool complex with an adults-only section. The hotel is centered around an outdoor courtyard with water features and actual flamingos! There is also a wedding chapel and several lawns where you can get some sunshine.

There are a handful of entertainment options at the Flamingo including the main theatre which rotates shows of Piff The Magic Dragon, Wayne Newton, and RuPaul Drag Race Live. They additionally have a burlesque show in its’ own theater.

At present, the dining located within the Flamingo is a bit lacking but you are a quick walk to a ton of great dining options. You also have two new additions coming soon, a Van Der Pump bar and Gordon Ramsay burger restaurant. The current dining options include a small food court with fast food chains, a Starbucks, and a generic coffee shop that offers pre-made sandwiches and hand-scooped ice cream. A few of the shops also have packaged foods and beverages. There are several bars throughout the property. For sit-down dining you have a Mexican bar and grill which is open air and a Margaritaville restaurant. For fine dining there is the very cute and recently re-done Bugsy & Myers steakhouse which even has a hidden speakeasy inside it. Very “old Vegas” vibes here. 

A big draw to the Flamingo for us was the pricing. This hotel has a more budget friendly price point when compared to its neighbors. However, you get what you pay for as this is a budget experience. The accommodations are comfortable and clean but not luxurious. Not necessarily a con depending on your priorities but something to know going into a stay here. 

We stayed in a One King Flamingo Room, which is one of the lower-end room categories offered. The room was clean and comfortable and I especially enjoyed the pink and flamingo touches throughout particularly the mural in the bathroom. There were plenty of seating and lounging spaces. I appreciated the presence of a mini-fridge though there was no coffee maker.

Since no one has coffee makers in their room, the lines at both Starbucks and the other coffee shop were very, very long from around 7:30am-10:00am. I resorted to canned cold brew from the gift shop one morning as waiting a hour for coffee was not on my to do list. However, Scott was able to get coffee at 6:00am with no line so it pays to be early. (The Starbucks was open 24/7.) Most hotels on The Strip do not have coffee makers in the room because they want you to be out and about spending money in the hotel so this is something to plan ahead for if coffee is important for you. 

Back to the room! 

Our room was a good size for two people and it had plenty of storage options. We even had a view of the High Roller which I was not expecting. Overall, I was happy with the room’s set-up. 

Unfortunately, we had a series of maintenance issues that really impacted our stay. The service we received from the staff in addressing them was adequate but it seemed to be one thing after another. Our room’s wifi didn’t work and was not able to be fixed for us by either hotel staff or the Caesar’s technical call center we were directed to. The room phone did not work and the bathroom toiletry dispensers were either broken or not full so we were given bags of tiny bottles instead which was a fine solution but seemed odd.

The biggest issue we had was that our shower was leaking making it hard to sleep the first night listening to it drip. It took a series of visits and a lot of back and forth with maintenance for the problem to be resolved the next day. We had issues getting housekeeping to remove all the soaking wet towels we had because of the leak and the general design of the shower was functionally terrible, leaking or not, resulting in water all over the floor each time it was used.

Unfortunately, at no point were we offered any kind of compensation, a different room, or any perks due to the many maintenance issues. I would have thought at least a small resort credit would have been in order. 

Would I stay here again? Probably not. After all the maintenance issues I would likely opt to stay somewhere higher-end than the Flamingo on my next visit to Las Vegas which would mean allowing for a larger budget or staying further away from The Strip and renting a car, or utilizing more cabs and ride share. That a being said, I wouldn’t be upset if I needed to stay at the Flamingo again in the future. The hotel’s location worked very well for our purposes for this trip and maintenance issues can be hit or miss by the room. 

I think this resort is a good fit for travelers who are prioritizing budget and location and are not concerned with amenities and luxury accommodations. If you are the traveler that “just wants somewhere to sleep” that is going to be clean, convenient, and budget friendly then this is a good option for you. I’m thinking of young adult groups specifically. I do love all the pink for a bachelorette party of which we saw many during our stay. 

Every hotel has pros and cons and is a good fit for some guests and not for others. That’s why you should always work with a travel professional like myself when planning your vacations. 

Alright! That wraps up the hotel review. On with the show! 

Friday In Las Vegas

Once we were checked into our room and I filmed my room tour to share with you all the first order of business was lunch. We walked over to the LINQ Promenade adjacent to the Flamingo and sat down for lunch at Yard House. I have several food intolerances so choosing restaurants can be a challenge and I always have to plan ahead to make life easier while I’m traveling. Yard House had a full allergy dining guide available so that was excellent. Scott had a cobb salad with chicken and I had chicken breast with a cauliflower, quinoa, and corn base. We both really enjoyed our meals here!

After lunch we explored the hotel, said “hi” to the actual flamingos and finished filming my resort tour. Then it was time to unpack and rest before dinner. 

For an early dinner, it was back over to the LINQ Promenade and Off The Strip, an American bistro and sports bar. We both ordered the salmon and brown rice bowl and really enjoyed them. The menu listed what was gluten free and the server was easily able to check with the kitchen for me about any other allergy concerns and offered to make substitutions where needed. This restaurant was another hit for us.

After dinner we had about an hour before we needed to arrive for our evening plans so we stopped at the Forum Shops at Caesar’s Palace. It’s a mall full of high-end shopping but it is so well themed and beautiful that it’s an event just to walk around. There is even a fountain light show here but we didn’t catch it. This kind of crazy over-the-top theming is the part of Vegas that I really love. 

Our entertainment for the night was The Beatles Love a Cirque Du Soleil show. This was our very first time seeing Cirque Du Soleil which has become synonymous with Las Vegas and, though I had some doubts if I would like this style of entertainment, I wanted to give it a chance. After all that’s why we travel right? To try new things. Love has been running at the Mirage since 2006 and is just one of many Cirque shows across Las Vegas. I chose Love because Scott is a huge Beatles fan plus having familiar music made the production more accessible to us as newcomers. 

I thought the show was a true spectacle! The aerialists are very impressive! The production values were high and they created so many stunning visuals. The Beatles music is of course fabulous. The show does not tell a specific story but rather takes inspiration from the lyrics to depict characters from the songs like Lady Madonna and Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds while running through the Beatles catalogue generally in chronological order. 

I’d say this show is a must-see for big Beatles fans. I’d recommend it as a great introduction to Cirque Du Soleil as well. I really enjoyed it and I’d be happy to try another Cirque production in the future! 

After the show it was time to call it a night. 

Saturday 

The next day was Scott’s actual birthday and we had big plans for the day! First up was a birthday brunch at The Bacchanal Buffet at Caesar’s Palace. After a 10-minute walk over we checked in with our reservation and it was time to eat! 

The Bacchanal Buffet at Caesar’s Palace, is NEXT LEVEL! Simply put, this is the most impressive collection of foods I have ever seen. The culinary team here is not messing around. I can’t count the number of people I heard say things like “I don’t even know where to start” or “Wow! They have it all”. They had grab-and-go items, carving stations, made-to-order items like omelets, and bananas foster. There were sections for seafood, pancakes and waffles, Asian, Mexican, smoothies, soups, roasted meats, pizza, and a huge dessert area including a dozen or more gelato flavors.

I was very impressed with the wide variety and quality of food. The overall experience was pleasant and the restaurant was bright and lovely. The carving meats and acai bowls were particular highlights for me. I highly recommend Bacchanal Buffett! Not only is it delicious but it was an experience. Come hungry and plan for this to cover you for two meals. I think a brunch or a late lunch/early dinner is the ticket here. You will leave full!! 

Beverages were available, including coffee, provided by your server. Alcoholic options can be ordered at an additional cost and they even had specialty juices out on the buffet. 

There is an enforced ninety-minute time limit on your dining experience which, at first, I thought oh that’s plenty of time but we were right around ninety minutes when we left. No one said anything to us but our arrival time was posted at our table and I had read previously that they will ask you to wrap things up if you overstay your limit. 

For my allergy friends, all of the items on the buffet were labeled and had allergen information as well as vegan/vegetarian listings. This is huge for me and anyone with food sensitivities or special dietary needs. That being said this is a buffet so if you have cross-contamination concerns this is probably not for you. I wouldn’t say that they were catering to allergies or dietary needs with the food selections but they seemed to have something for everyone. 

I would absolutely dine here again and highly recommend it. 

After brunch we walked around and explored Caesar’s Place as well as some of the nearby hotels including the Bellagio and Paris. 

The highlight was the Conservatory at the Bellagio which is one of my favorite free activities on The Strip. The design changes seasonally and during our visit it was decorated for Lunar New Year and the Year of the Dragon. It was so pretty! Plus, it’s right off the hotel’s lobby so you can check out the fabulous Chihuly ceiling art there as well. 

While being able to walk to so many places on The Strip is fabulous, it does seem that walking anywhere takes longer that you think. You can almost never just walk in a direct path as there always seems to be an escalator, bridge, or divergent path you have to take. The interiors of the hotels are basically mazes designed to keep you inside so it can make finding your way around difficult. It helps to allow plenty of time to get from one destination to another. 

We eventually made our way back to the LINQ Promenade where we stopped in at the Ice Bar. As advertised, it was VERY cold inside! Your admission fee provides you the use of a coat and gloves during your visit and I recommend taking advantage of them. Everything is made of ice including the glasses, tables, seats, and many ice sculptures. We’d never been to an ice bar before and it was a fun out-of-the-ordinary experience but it’s not a must-do. After the ice bar, we took a break back at the hotel before heading out for the night.

Saturday night was the main event, the U2 concert at The Sphere. The Sphere is part of the Venetian hotel complex so we had dinner plans there before the show. We arrived early to explore the mall portion of the Venetian where you can take a gondola ride and do some high end shopping amid Italian ambiance. 

We had dinner reservations at TAO Asian Bistro which came highly recommended from my research before the trip. I will start by saying that the food here was very good. I had sea bass and Scott has a chicken stir-fry and soup. All of it was delicious, however, the experience was not for us. I have no better way to describe it than to say that this restaurant was just too cool for us. I should have been tipped-off by the fact that there is a separate nightclub attached the the restaurant. It was very dark, very loud, and very crowded with tables extremely close together. The waiter was very polite and attentive but constantly trying to upsell us and his answers to my allergy questions were lacking. While I can see some people loving the trendy atmosphere here, the vibes were not for us and I was pretty uncomfortable the entire time. But at least the food was good! 

After dinner, it was time to head to The Sphere. There is a completely interior pathway from the Venetian into the Sphere which is well-labeled and they, also, had staff directing guests. Alternatively, you can enter and exit from the “street” which we did on our way out and walked back to the Flamingo on surface roads. They had plenty of staff directing both traffic and pedestrians on that end of things as well. You get a much better view of the outside of The Sphere by using the street entrance/exit. 

From the time you walk into the lobby, The Sphere feels unique and futuristic. It’s immediately impressive. Just like any arena, there were bars, food counters, and concert merchandise stations as well as grab and go beverage and snack shops. If you want something quick and convenient you can easily have dinner at the venue.

When you enter the concert hall it feels towering and almost looks as if there are dozens of museum quality IMAX screens stacked on top of one another. Be ready to climb some steep steps to your seats! (FYI your seats will vibrate like a 4-D movie seat. U2 used this effect sparingly, which I was thankful for, but who knows how other bands will utilize it.) The opening act was a DJ who played for about an hour before the show began. 

As soon as the concert started, it was clear that this was going to be unlike anything we’d seen before. The production value and the technology is insane! You’re inside a dome and screens surround your field of vision and then some. You are fully immersed. They used all sorts of different visual tools and styles to create a unique experience for each song and at times it was almost overwhelming. I do think those who suffer from motion sickness or vertigo could have issues seeing a show in The Sphere. I had to close my eyes, to collect myself, a few times and I don’t suffer from any motion sensitivity in general. I appreciated a long stretch in the middle of the show when the effects were used sparingly giving the audience a break. A wise decision by the creative team, in my opinion. 

This concert was one of the most stunning visual performances I’ve ever seen. To quote Scott: “It was absolutely worth the trip to Las Vegas just to see the show”. I highly recommend seeing a show at The Sphere because it’s such an amazing and unique experience. 

In addition to concerts they also show a movie during the day for a much more economical price and a shorter time commitment. A great option if you want to see inside and experience some of the technology. 

Sunday In Old Vegas

We had a slow start the next morning before hopping into a cab to “old Vegas” and the Fremont Street Experience. This area of town is adjacent to municipal downtown Las Vegas and is where the original Vegas hotels and casinos were. Eventually, as the mega resorts of The Strip were built, the heart of Las Vegas tourism moved from Fremont Street to The Strip.  

Fremont Street is still home to hotels and casinos, many of which have a more classic Vegas vibe. A portion of the street is covered with a domed ceiling that is actually a video screen on a constant loop. There’s a zip-line across the area, and several live performance stages. We saw a country music band performing and a belly dancer. The area is lined with bars and surrounded by the hotel casinos, it’s an absolute party atmosphere. At night a rotation of shows synced with music are projected on the screened ceiling. This is also a great place to see some classic neon signs which are Las Vegas icons. 

We enjoyed walking through the classic Golden Nugget hotel and the new Circa which has an 18 and over hotel casino with an emphasis on sports’ betting. Circa is also the home of the classic Vegas Vickie neon sign. I wouldn’t go out of my way to visit this area again but I’m glad I saw it. 

Just a few blocks away from the Fremont Street Experience is the Mob Museum aka the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement. Housed in a historic post office and court house building, the Mob Museum tells the story of organized crime in America with a focus on Las Vegas and the law enforcement authorities who fought against them. I found the museum well put together and interesting and we even stumbled upon a live author talk being given by a former mafia member. On the downside, the museum was very crowded and I think it would have been helpful to have a crowd control system such as timed entry.

The basement of the museum was a speakeasy and moonshine distillery. Tours of the distillery were available at an extra cost. We stopped in the speakeasy and Scott enjoyed a moonshine flight. They also had coffees and light bites available. The atmosphere here was very nice and we enjoyed our time. 

We had a good time at the museum and I’d recommend a visit for history and museum fans. If you are going to visit the museum, be sure to make time for the speakeasy as well.  

For dinner we grabbed an Uber and headed away from the central tourist areas to Weera Thai, a restaurant we’d read some great reviews of. There are several locations and we visited the West Sahara Ave one. I highly recommend reservations as we saw several guests turned away for hour long waits. The restaurant was small and cute and located in a basic strip mall. The menu was huge, with an extensive list of options! The server helped me navigate options that would work for my food needs. I ended up with a chicken pad thai, which was very good, and Scott had a peanut and chicken wok dish that was excellent. Weera Thai was a hit for us and is well worth the trip off The Strip. Also, the pricing was very reasonable which is not often the case on The Strip. After dinner we grabbed another Uber back to the Flamingo and called it a night. 

The next morning we were up and out the door by 6:30am to catch our flight and found getting a cab at our hotel very simple. The airport experience was very straight forward and we were home by the late afternoon on Monday because of the time change. 

That was our Las Vegas trip! I hope you found this interesting and informative. Considering a trip to Las Vegas? I’m a travel advisor and would love to work with you! Check out my website katievtravel.com to request a vacation quote or email me at katiev@themagicsyours.com with any questions. I’d love to make your vacation dreams a reality!

Toronto, Canada Travel Tips: Make the Most of Your Visit

Hi, I’m Katie! Are you new here? I’m a travel advisor with The Magic’s Yours Travel! I send clients on vacations of all kinds all over the world but my specialty is Disney travel. Want to work together? Check out my website katievtravel.com to request a vacation quote or email me at katiev@themagicsyours.com with any questions. I’d love to make your vacation dreams a reality!

I recently spent a few delightful days in the bustling city of Toronto, Canada. Before I dive into all the details from this trip first I’ll review a few basics about Toronto.

Toronto is the largest city in Canada and is located within the province of Ontario on the shores of Lake Ontario. It’s about 80 miles or an hour-and-a-half to two hour drive from the U.S. boarder at Niagara Falls, New York.

Many describe Toronto as Canada’s New York City because it is a busy big city with skyscrapers and is a multicultural city with many international residents and tourists. I would agree with this assessment, Toronto felt to me like a slightly smaller New York City. As an American who has visited many large U.S. cities Toronto felt very comfortable and familiar. While still having small differences that where clearly Canadian. The vibe of the city is perfect for travelers looking to have a fun filled city vacation and explore the many attractions Toronto has to offer.

How To Get To Toronto

Toronto has a large international airport, Toronto Pearson International Airport.

We drove from our home in Maryland to Niagara Falls, New York where we stayed for two nights before driving onto Toronto. Crossing the boarder into Canada was simple and we had very little wait on a Monday around 1:00pm. We crossed at the Lewistown-Queenston Bridge. Passports are required to enter Canada. Make sure to know how to change your speedometer to kilometers and make that change as you cross the boarder. Other than signage being in kilometer instead of miles everything else we experienced while driving in Canada was the same as driving in the U.S.

Find out more about the Niagara Falls part of our trip here: YouTube Niagara Falls Playlilst

The drive from Niagara Falls to Toronto was easy and all on large highways. Avoid traveling during rush hour, the city and surrounding areas have significant traffic.

Driving in the city of Toronto itself is like any other city a bit challenging but nothing too intense. Once we arrived at our hotel we didn’t touch the car again until we were leaving.

Where We Stayed

We stayed at the Marriott Downtown at CF Toronto Eaton Center. I have a full tour and review video on my YouTube channel linked below. I suggest watching that to get the best look at the hotel.

Major takeaways from the hotel:

  • The location is very central allowing us to walk pretty much everywhere we went though we walked several miles a day. The hotel had easy access to cabs, ride share, rental bikes, the subway, buses and is a 15 minute walk to a major rail station. You are in the heart of downtown Toronto.
  • In the surrounding blocks you’ll find the Eaton Center (a huge mall), tons of dining, and several theaters.
  • The hotel itself has lovely amenities onsite including a pool, gym, bar, and restaurant. There is also convention space.
  • The hotel is certainly geared toward adult and business travelers but families with pre-teens and teens would fit right in.
  • The rooms are spacious for a city hotel, comfortable, clean and well appointed.
  • The staff was friendly and very helpful.

I would stay at the Marriott Downtown at CF Toronto Eaton Center again without hesitation.

Day One

After our drive from Niagara Falls we arrived in Toronto around 3:00pm on a Monday afternoon. We drove directly to Casa Loma, a historical home built to resemble a European manor or castle, located in the middle of a Toronto residential neighborhood. Billed as North America’s only full sized castle Casa Loma was built in 1911 as a private home by a wealthy Canadian financier and solider. Casa Loma has had a busy history since then from being used as a military asset during World War II to being a filming location for popular movies, most notably as X-Mansion / Xavier Institute in the X-Men films.

When we arrived parking onsite was easy as they have their own paid lot. Your visit to Casa Loma includes an audio tour. There are three floors, a garden and a detached stables and garage area to explore. You’ll find that many of the rooms are not furnished. You could easily spend half a day here if you listened to every option on the audio tour and read all the displays in each room. We spent around two hours at Casa Loma and were able to see everything and listen to the highlights of the audio tour.

There are three onsite dining options. The Liberty Cafe is a standard museum cafe and the Gardens at Casa Loma is a dinner only table service outdoor restaurant where reservations are required. The Blueblood Steakhouse serves dinner and requires reservations, here you dine surrounded by a vibrant modern art collection inside the castle.

I enjoyed our time visiting Casa Loma, really anytime I can be in a cool castle building I enjoy it. As a movie buff I enjoyed seeing what movies were filmed here and being in rooms I recognized from the X-Men films. I also enjoyed the photography opportunities here with the grand architecture and intricate decor.

I’d recommend a visit to Casa Loma to anyone who enjoys historical homes and sites, as well as architecture fans. I wouldn’t recommend visiting with younger kids but if your teen likes history or would be excited by a castle they’d enjoy it.

During your visit don’t miss:

  • Hollywood Film Gallery on the Lower Level
  • The Conservatory
  • The Gardens – Partial Toronto skyline view from the terrace.
  • The Norman Tower – If you are ok with narrow spiral staircases climb to the top for a great view of the city.

After our time at Casa Loma we hoped back in the car and drove a quick ten minutes to our hotel. We took a little time to unpack and settle before we headed out for the night on foot.

We walked about ten minutes to Planta Burger to grab dinner. This vegan burger counter service restaurant had a handful of burgers, salads, and sides to choose from. We ordered a taco salad and a classic burger with onion rings. The burger was the better of the two and the onion ring sauce was very good. We both enjoyed our meals. It’s a solid option for those that enjoy or want to try plant based dining. The service was quick and polite.

After dinner we walked another 25 minutes to the Rodgers Center baseball stadium to take in a Blue Jay’s game. This was a same day decision when my husband noticed it would fit into our plans and that our hometown team the Baltimore Orioles were the opponents. We checked and there were plenty of tickets still for sale so we thought stopping by the box office and purchasing tickets would be easy. That was a mistake it was a huge hassle. Once we got there around the second inning the box office was closed to new sales and we had to use our phones to buy tickets and the interface was not working well. We would have been better off purchasing online while at the hotel. So that’s my tip to you, go there with tickets in hand.

We lucked out with a really awesome view of the CN tower from our seats. To get this view you want to sit on the left hand side of the stadium if you are facing the back of home plate. The side with gates 9-15. The stadium was nice and clean and had lots of standard ballpark food options, plus poutine.

We ducked out around the 7th inning. It was easy to grab a cab on Bremner Blvd. in front of the stadium for the 15 minute drive back to the hotel. It would have been about a half hour walk back and I wouldn’t have been concerned about walking on these specific streets at night but we where not up to it.

Day Two

We almost always pack breakfast options to eat in our room while traveling as a money saving effort. Instant oatmeal packs made with hot water from the coffee pot, freeze dried fruit, and almonds are our go to.

After an in-room packed breakfast of oatmeal we started the next day with a photo stop at Nathan Phillips Square and the popular Toronto sign. You can also see both the new and old City Halls surrounding the square. This was just a block away from our hotel.

From there we continued on walking about fifteen minutes to the Hockey Hall Of Fame. You enter the Hockey Hall of Fame from within a small shopping mall between high-rises. There is a hockey themed Tim Hortons and a food court in the mall as well. There is also a gift shop accessible without entrance to the museum or mall.

I would put the exhibits at the Hockey Hall of Fame into three categories.

  1. Memorabilia & Artifacts – Walls lined with glass cases full of hockey items ranging from pucks and sticks used in iconic game moments to a VHS copy of The Mighty Ducks and everything in-between. The displays were very engaging, modern and immersive, using audio visual elements as well. There was even a whole locker room replica.
  2. Trophies – Located in a beautiful historic section of the building that used to be a bank you’ll find the Stanley Cup and every other hockey trophy you can imagine. This is also where you will find the literal Hall of Fame listings. Inside the old bank vault you’ll see the first Stanley Cup, and an impressive collection of Stanley Cup championship rings. The way it was explained to us there are two Stanley Cups, a permanently traveling one which the players actually hold and spend time with. The second a perfect duplicate that lives here at the Hall of Fame. You can have a paid professional photo taken of you with the cup or you can take your own. You are allowed to touch it which is cool.
  3. Interactive Exhibits – There are a ton of these including a 4D movie, a Sports Center anchor experience, video games, and virtual hockey experiences including one where you are shooting on the net and one where you are the goalie. These are all included in your admission.

My husband is a huge hockey fan so a visit to the Hockey Hall of Fame was a must do for us. He absolutely loved the experience and got to see so many items he was excited about. I am not a sports person but even I was impressed with the facilities and displays here. Everything was very up to date and well kept. I enjoyed my visit very much.

I’d recommend the Hockey Hall of Fame for any sports fans and even elementary aged sports fans will have fun here with all the interactive elements.

We spent about two hours here and then we were off to lunch. For lunch we took a ten minute walk to the St. Lawrence Market, a large building that houses dozens of food stalls and some other small shops. Top tip here is to bring Canadian cash. We had opted not to exchange any currency feeling we would be able to use our credit cards everywhere and this was the one exception we ran across. Many of the stalls only took cash. The iconic item here is the peameal bacon sandwich sold at many of the stalls but unfortunately we where not able to try one since they were all cash only. It turned out ok though we found some great options.

I had a bagel turkey sandwich at the St. Urbain Bagel Bar which was delicious. The bagels here where nice and soft and they where thinner than most so you where not stuffed with bread after eating one. They also had allergens marked on their menu which was very helpful as I don’t eat dairy. My husband grabbed a chicken taco salad from Carnicero’s which he very much enjoyed. On the lower level we also grabbed some chocolate bars to bring home from Chocosol and they where absolutely fantastic. This market is a really fun experience.

After the market we took a cab to the ROM, Royal Ontario Museum. This museum is deceptively huge, and has so much packed into it. If you really wanted to take time with every piece you would be here all day. The museum was a combination of art and natural history leaning more heavily on the art portion, not many paintings but a lot of statues, pottery and textiles. The vast majority of exhibits here felt dated to me, and the museum itself was a labyrinth with what felt like room after room of glass cases of statuary. There was a dinosaur exhibit but it was lack luster. They did have an impressive Egyptian mummy, and Roman busts displays.

Overall this museum was a miss for us. Now we have visited much much worse museums and while dated the ROM is a high quality museum. The contents where just not for us and the exhibits needed desperately to be updated. I wouldn’t recommend this museum to anyone other then real statuary fans, who I know are out there. My Dad would have loved it here!

We took a 30 minute walk back to the hotel for a few hours rest. On the recommendation of the concierge we went to Konjiki Ramen for dinner just a few blocks from the hotel. My husband who loves ramen was giddy with the spicy red ramen he ordered. He said it was some of the best ramen he has ever had. I don’t care for ramen, so I ordered a vegetable tempura and I really disliked it. I’d say this one is on me for going to a ramen place and not ordering ramen though. So if you like ramen this is a great option, but stick to the ramen.

On the way back we passed through the Eaton Center Mall. It’s huge and had a wide variety of stores included high-end options. It’s perfect for a shopping afternoon.

Day Three

We started the morning with oatmeal in our room again and then we where off to the Aquarium. The Aquarium is located next to the baseball stadium so we took the same 30-minute walk back to that area.

Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada (no relation to the Ripley’s Believe It Or Not attractions) is a moderately sized aquarium with all indoor exhibits. The aquarium felt modern and well kept with engaging exhibits. It opened at 9:00am and when we arrived at 9:40am the crowds where very low and it was lovely and peaceful. By the time 10:30 rolled around we noticed a huge increase in attendance specifically field trips so keep that in mind when scheduling.

The star of the show here is the underwater tunnel where fish, turtles, stingrays, and sharks swim above you. This tunnel was long which was awesome and had a moving walkway you could stand on or you could walk at your own pace. They had a Canadian waters exhibit and I like when there are local touches to aquariums and zoos.

As two adults we throughly enjoyed our time at the aquarium, we spent just over an hour here. We could have stretched it to two but that would have been the max. I highly recommend this for kids, there was a whole play place in the middle as well as exhibits where you could touch animals like stingrays.

Next up we scooted right next door to the CN Tower. Built in 1976 the CN Tower is the tallest free standing structure in the Western Hemisphere and is one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World according to the American Society of Civil Engineers. For 32 years it was the tallest building in the world and today lands at number nine on the list. It is the icon of Toronto.

Arriving right around it’s 11:00am opening the crowd levels where light and the longest line we waited in was about 10 minutes. Once you are in the building you get in line to wait for an elevator that will take you to the observation level. While in line there are displays about the history and construction of the tower. The elevator ride itself is fast but very smooth. The front of the elevator is glass and the floor has two small glass windows in it so you can see how high up you are traveling. The ride itself is only about a minute long, and includes narration.

The observation decks are about three quarters of the way up the tower. Once at the top you can take as much time as you’d like in the observation levels. During our visit the exterior observation level was undergoing a massive refurbishment so we where not able to utilize that area. The indoor observation level was great it was spacious and there where huge windows all around the exterior of this level. We had amazing views of the city, the lake, and into the suburbs. Keep in mind that weather will factor into your views. There where some glass panels on one section of the floor that allowed you to see to the ground under the tower. None of the observation levels rotate as you might expect if you have visited the similar Space Needle in Seattle.

There are two add-ons you can do at the CN Tower. The Edge Walk where you go outside on top of the observation deck and are tethered to the edge while you lean off the tower. Visiting the Skypod takes you in another elevator an additional 33 stories up to the Skypod’s interior observation deck. You can feel the wind sway the tower at that height. We didn’t do either of these experiences. Both come at an additional cost. There is also a fine dining restaurant on the observation level, named 360, the restaurant does rotate. Reservations are required.

When you’re done with your visit you wait for an elevator back down. You’ll exit through the gift shop and they also have a cafe on the ground level as well as a small children’s play area.

I think a visit to the CN Tower is a must see for everyone visiting Toronto unless heights are a no go for you. I’d suggest arriving early to beat the crowds so you won’t have to wait in lines, especially if visiting with little ones as there is not much for them to be entertained by in the line areas.

After the tower we walked about 20 minutes to the Queen West neighborhood. We first visited Graffiti Alley. Which was really more a whole series of allies than just one. This is an area where graffiti is encouraged and some beautiful work covers the brick and concrete walls. Depending on your level of interest in graffiti art work this may or may not be for you. You can take some really cool photos here but keep in mind you are in allies behind shops and restaurants. So they are dirty, smell like trash, and we saw an alive mouse and a dead rat… so just keep that in mind. If I did it again I wouldn’t go out of my way to see Graffiti Alley. Luckily it fit geographically into our plans.

We had lunch in Queen West at Parka Food Co. where they serve vegan comfort food. The restaurant was cute and comfy and the menu had tons of options. We both loved our lunch here. This is the one place we ate that I wish was located where we live. I had the lemon tahini cauliflower wrap with poutine fries. You have to try the poutine when in Canada right? My husband got the chipotle cauliflower bowl. We both loved our meals.

We kept walking about 25 minutes and passed through Chinatown and into Kensington Market a district popular for its dining and small shops. This was billed to us by both the hotel concierge and the internet as a “must see” area full of popular spots. I have to say when we got there the area felt very run down, and in some sections there were folks around that made us feel uncomfortable. It didn’t feel at all like a fun cute city market atmosphere you’ll find in so many cities big and small. There were very few shops we found interesting. There were many intriguing restaurants around but the city is full of restaurants so I don’t think coming here for one is necessary. I recommend you do not visit Kensington Market.

That being said we did graze and a bit here, and got a killer smoothie from The Organic Press. As well as some pastry from Bunners which is a vegan and gluten free bakery. It was good but I wouldn’t go out of your way for it. I know if you are vegan and gluten free it can be really challenging to find dessert options so I’d recommend utilizing their delivery options if that is you.

We moved on and walked back to our hotel another 25 minutes arriving around 2:15pm and we took a brief rest. After the disappointing Kensington Market we had a little more time in our afternoon than we had planned. We wanted to salvage our cute shopping district plans so we grabbed a cab and where off to the Distillery District just a 10 minute ride away. Now this was my kind of shopping district! The Distillery District is an enclosed pedestrian only area made up of several blocks that was originally the home of the Toronto distillery industry. Now it’s full of small shops, art galleries, restaurants, and of course bars all housed in brick Victorian industrial buildings. It’s a very pretty vibe and the whole area was clean and felt very safe. A much more upscale experience than Kensington Market. We loved it here. We explored some art galleries, did some shopping, and grabbed some absolutely amazing handcrafted ice cream, including non-dairy options at Scooped by Demetres.

After ice cream we hopped a cab back to the hotel. Pretty full from an afternoon of grazing we had protein bars and hotel room snacks for dinner and changed for our night at the theatre. Just around the corner from the hotel at the Ed Mirvish Theatre we saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. The theatre itself was beautiful and they had all sorts of Harry Potter touches. Having read the script book when it came out a few years ago I went in knowing that the story of the Cursed Child is just ok, messing with Harry Potter cannon in a way I don’t love, and overall does not rise to the level of the Harry Potter books. But seeing the show was a different experience than reading it. The technological aspects were absolutely amazing, the actors were great, and the story was still the story but it’s less bothersome while watching it. It was really cool to see adult Harry and company portrayed. The show is playing in several cities around the world and I urge any Harry Potter fan to take the time effort to see it. I’d suggest seeing the show and then reading the script book afterwords if possible.

Day Four

We checked out of our hotel around 10:45am and made the 30 minute drive to the Toronto Zoo. Parking was a breeze and crowds where very manageable the whole time.

The zoo overall was not very impressive. While a handful of exhibits like the polar bears and lions seemed updated much of the zoo was old and in need of upgrades. Many of the exhibits where very large and spread out, which is great for the animals but as a visitor meant a ton of walking while looking at nothing. Sections of the zoo were very far apart from one another as well. They did have a paid zoo train tram system and I think utilizing that is a must. Don’t try and walk it all like we did.

If you are traveling with just adults this is a very skiable zoo. But I can’t deny that the zoo in general is a great option for kids. The Toronto Zoo had both a splash pad area and a carousel. If you are going to visit plan on paying to utilize the zoo train. Even with kids I would prioritize the aquarium above the zoo.

There were plenty of counter style food options around the park. This is where we finally got to try a Beaver Tail, which is a Canadian chain that serves flat doughnut-like pastries with a variety of toppings. They had vegan options which was awesome. I had a coco-vanil one on the way out of the zoo and it was perfection.

We left the zoo around 2:30 on a weekday and were headed to Niagara Falls, Ontario. To do this we had to drive back past Toronto itself. This was terrible timing on our part. By the time we got close to Toronto it was about 3:00 and we got into the start of rush hour traffic. Once we were past Toronto we got slammed in traffic around the city of Hamilton. What was supposed to be about an hour and forty five minute drive took over three hours. In hindsight I should have timed this out better.

Then we were off to explore Niagara Falls, Ontario! Find out more about that part of our trip here: YouTube Niagara Falls Playlilst

Toronto City Pass

To save money on many of the locations we visited we purchased the Toronto City Pass in advance of our visit. It worked out perfectly and I’ve used a City Pass in several other locations as well and I enjoy the ease of use and saving. Often we get to throw in an extra activity we otherwise wouldn’t have spent the money on because it is included in the pass. It all depends on what you want to see in a city if it is worth it or not.

The CityPass also prompts you to make reservations at activities as needed. City Pass or not always check if you need a reservation for any activities, museums, etc.

Check out the City Pass here:

https://www.citypass.com/toronto#buy

Conclusions

Overall we really enjoyed our time in Toronto there is so much to see and do in the city. It’s a great option for adults and families looking for a big city vacation.

It’s also a great option for U.S. citizens looking to dip their toes into international travel. The language, customs, and procedures will all be very familiar to you. While at the same time it’s a new country to explore. A great stepping stone of a destination.

Toronto is also a perfect place to pair with Niagara Falls to extend your vacation in the greater area.

That was our Toronto, Canada trip! I hope you found this interesting and informative. Considering a trip to Toronto? I’m a travel advisor and would love to work with you! Check out my website katievtravel.com to request a vacation quote or email me at katiev@themagicsyours.com with any questions. I’d love to make your vacations dreams a reality!

Babymoon at Disney World: Essential Tips for Expecting Moms

Hi, I’m Katie! Are you new here? I’m a travel advisor with The Magic’s Yours Travel! I send clients on vacations of all kinds all over the world but my specialty is Disney travel. Want to work together? Check out my website katievtravel.com to request a vacation quote or email me at katiev@themagicsyours.com with any questions. I’d love to make your vacation dreams a reality!

Hi! This is Katie, travel agent and host of this blog site. This post is a little bit different as it is written by one of my best friends, Kate, who just visited Disney World on her Babymoon! She’s going to share all her thoughts on visiting Disney World while pregnant.

Kate and her husband are Disney veterans and over the past decade have visited Disney Parks about once a year. They have been to Disney World and Disneyland, they have RunDisney, and stayed at various resorts, visited with groups and as a couple. All this to say they are Disney pros!

But this visit was going to be a bit different. As they celebrate the upcoming arrival of their first child this trip was a Babymooon! Which of course meant that Kate would be pregnant during their visit.

I had a blast helping them plan this trip as their travel agent and Kate came home with so many good thoughts we wanted to share them with all of you! So without further ado here’s Kate.

Hi Everyone I’m Kate! I’m here to give you all my tips for visiting Disney World while pregnant but first let’s start with some context for our trip.

We flew into Orlando on a Thursday morning and departed on a Monday morning. This was over Martin Luther King weekend 2022 and crowds were high. We stayed at Coronado Springs Resort in the Destino Tower. We spent 4 days in the parks, Thursday at Hollywood Studios, Friday and Saturday at Magic Kingdom, and Monday at EPCOT.

I was 24 weeks pregnant with my first child during our trip.

General Tips

1. Pack some snacks.  Snacks at Disney, from bananas to Kind Bars to a sixer of Miller Lite, are wildly expensive. And spoiler alert you’ll be hungry. You’re always hungry.

We brought Kind bars and RX bars in our suitcases and finished them all.

2. Wear amazing sneakers. Now isn’t the time to rock a color coordinated,  high fashion Disney Bound (although mad respect if you opt into that). You’re in the parks for the long haul and comfort is key. Your feet (and hips, and back, and…) will thank you. 

3. Don’t be afraid to take a break. Your vacay wont be ruined, in fact it might be saved! Pause in the middle of your day, go back to the hotel, put your feet up. Take a cat nap. Eat a snack. Refresh and recharge yourself,  there’s no shame!

That being said, also don’t be afraid to get a late start! Sleep in, get some breakfast, and be fresh as a daisy when you board the buses to the parks! This became our park-day norm. Mama needed some Zzzs.

4. Get memory maker. I’ll say that again for the people in the back. 

Buy. Memory. Maker. 

Your foggy pregnancy brain will thank you for having those memories captured. Get the t-shirts that say Bibbity Bobbity Bump. Bring your ultrasound photos. The photographers always work with you to make your magical photo dreams come true and (usually) don’t care what props you bring into the photos. It’s one hundred percent worth the price!

5. Prioritize your trip. What’s the goal? To eat your way through the parks? To take all the epic pics? To ride as many rides as you can? Figure out your priorities to avoid hormonal disappointment. No one likes crying at Disney, that’s the opposite of magical. 

6. Time your trip with your trimester.

Twenty four weeks pregnant was a sweet spot. You’re solidly in the second trimester, you don’t quite have a duck waddle going, but your bump is bumpy enough for cute photos. Why bring this up? Because once you hit the third trimester it’s lights out, zero energy, you feel like you’re back to the first trimester except this time you have a small MMA fighter pummeling your insides. You’ll be walking miles and miles in the parks (we averaged 8-12 miles a day) so go at an ideal time. That ideal time? Second trimester. Most doctors prefer you don’t travel after the 28-30 week mark anyways.

Magic Kingdom Tips

Ah, Magic Kingdom. The heart of Disney! Here’s some tips and tricks for MK:

1. If you didn’t bring your own snacks or meals into the park, order food using the app before you get hangry. This will save your life. And your partner’s life. Because you will try to destroy them in your fit of hanger rage.

You can order a full blown meal using the app, or just a Dole Whip. It was super reliable and you get to laugh at the people who didn’t use it and are bemoaning their fate in line.

2. The Liberty Belle Riverboat will be your best friend. I’m not lying to you. Trust me. It’s a guaranteed no-line, twenty minute respite while you cruise along the “river” in Liberty Square. Get out of the sun, hang out in the guest quarters, sprawl greedily across the upholstered benches and dare anyone to try and move a tired, pregnant person. No one will. It was bliss. We did it twice.

3. The Peoplemover will also be your best friend. It’s job is to move people. Let it move you.

4. On the whole, most rides at Magic Kingdom are accessible for pregnant folks. Obviously you can’t rock Space Mountain or Big Thunder Mountain…or apparently any type of mountain, but you have literally dozens of other attractions and it was why we spent two days there. So if your priority is rides, Magic Kingdom is the place to be. 

Epcot

While you can’t drink around the world – don’t worry – you can eat your way around the world. If you can, I recommend going during a festival. All the more food to keep you happy and sated, my dears.

1. Remember that hanger rage? Even if you go during a festival, make dining reservations ahead of time for lunch or dinner. We made the critical error of thinking we’d have enough food at the small booths and pavilions but with Disney’s never ending crowds these days causing longer-than-usual lines we were horribly wrong. I almost threw a fit in the China pavilion that would have rivaled any toddler in the park. It was ugly.

2. Let your partner buy you a sweet treat so you can happily chow down while they ride Mission: Space and Test Track. Is the sweet treat a bribe? Yes. Will you accept it? Absolutely. Plus your feet will appreciate a sit down.

3. Take time to appreciate attractions like The Seas with Nemo, or Living with the Land. They’re indoor, covered, and usually less crowded than the world showcase. Disney does a lot of conservation work and you can see that in The Seas. Also go enjoy Turtle Talk With Crush and watch an animated sea turtle sass young children while their parents laugh and laugh. It’s a delight.

Hollywood Studios

Okay, honestly friends, Hollywood Studios will not be a pregnant person’s fave. You can’t drink. You can’t ride Slinky Dog Dash, or Rise of the Resistance, or Smuggler’s Run, or Rock n’ Rollercoaster, OR Tower of Terror. Can you still have fun? Absolutely. But temper the ol’ expectations because Hollywood Studios is the thrill park, and your body wont be up for much thrilling.

1. While it’s technically suitable for pregnant folks, I don’t recommend Mickey’s Runaway Railway. It was overstimulating; the volume was loud enough to wake the dead and it rumbled right up your booty hole, there were vibrations in the cart that gave me legitimate concern, and the movements weren’t as fluid as, say, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in Epcot. I’d even argue Dwarf Mine Train in Magic Kingdom is more suitable. Just sayin’

2. The nice thing about Hollywood Studios is they sprinkle shows among all those thrill rides you can’t ride. You just have to time it right. So check the showtimes (particularly for Indiana Jones) ahead of time, and map out your day around them. 

3. Let your partner take advantage of the single rider lanes. Hollywood Studios has them for Smuggler’s Run and Rock n’ Roller Coaster. You have the thrill of literally growing a life, let them have their own thrills.

Plus you can always guilt them later for a sweet treat because you were so kind and generous. I recommend a Mickey Ice Cream Bar.

Moral of the Story

1. Plan your day around food.

2. Wear excellent footwear, but take breaks as needed. No one is monitoring your step count.

3. Temper your expectations, but prioritize so you can still have your ideal vacay.

4. Food. 

5. Book your vacation with Katie as your travel agent! Check out her contact details below.

Interested in a vacation to Disney World?

Contact Katie for a quote at katiev@themagicsyours.com

Learn More About Katie’s Travel Advisor Services : www.katievtravel.com

Your Ultimate Guide to Exploring Seattle, Washington

Hi, I’m Katie! Are you new here? I’m a travel advisor with The Magic’s Yours Travel! I send clients on vacations of all kinds all over the world but my specialty is Disney travel. Want to work together? Check out my website katievtravel.com to request a vacation quote or email me at katiev@themagicsyours.com with any questions. I’d love to make your vacation dreams a reality!

I recently visited Seattle, Washington as part of a larger Pacific Northwest vacation. It was the perfect place to end the week long trek from Portland, around the Olympic Peninsula, finally ending in Seattle. As a large city it haaa a ton to offer vacationers and we had a wonderful time exploring the Emerald City. 

If you are interested in details about our time in Portland and the Oregon Coast : Click Here

 

Getting There

Getting to Seattle is easy, they have a major international airport. It is also easily accessible by road making it a great place to build a larger trip around. If you are approaching from the west you even have the option of taking a ferry. We approached Seattle from the Olympic Peninsula and Olympic National Park. We drove from Forks through Port Angeles and took the ferry from Bainbridge Island. They ferry was a wonderful experience! You drive right on and then can park your car. You can get out of your car for a fabulous view. There were also seats for walk on passengers, plus a rest room, and snack stand. It was such a great way to arrive in a new city and to watch it get closer and closer and larger and larger as we approached. If you were staying just in Seattle this would even be a fun day trip out to Bainbridge Island via ferry. I highly recommend the ferry experience. 

Where We Stayed

We stayed at the Hilton Homewood Suites: Convention Center Pike Street. As the name tells you it was on Pike Street it was about a 10 minute walk to Pike Place Market. Located right next to the convention center as well. We were able to walk everywhere that we went from this hotel. It was about a 25 minute walk to the Seattle Center, and about the same in the other direction to the Aquarium and Pier area. The area directly around the hotel had lots of dinning options, and a convince store was right next door. Of course if you prefer an Uber or taxi those were readily available as well. The hotel offered a self parking garage at an additional charge. 

The hotel lobby had a seating area and housed the included breakfast location, a single desk and computer (the business center), and an ATM. They also had a small selection of prepackaged food, and sundry items for sale by the front desk. The included buffet breakfast has a large seating area. The food was what I expect from a Homewood Suites including lots of options with average quality for a buffet breakfast. Since you have a kitchen in your room you can always grab some extra items to store for lunch or snacks as well. They offered coffee and juice and sometimes fruit throughout the day in this same area. There was also a gym available on another floor, which had all the gym basics. 

Our room was a standard One Queen Bed Studio Suite. The great thing about all Homewood Suites is that every room is a suite. So you get a kitchen area and a seating area on top of the bedroom. Since this was a city location the kitchen was much smaller and the seating area was a bit smaller than you might find at other Homewood Suites locations. The largest take away was that the fridge was really a mini-fridge with a connected “freezer” section that barely could stand up to the test of keeping ice cream frozen. Typically Homewood Suites has a full size refrigerator / freezer. But the room as a whole was spacious for being in the heart of a city. There was a lot of natural light and the bathroom was huge. There was also plenty of storage space including a closet with a safe. I throughly enjoyed our stay in this room and at this hotel. I highly recommend it. 

Watch my full room tour as part of my Seattle video linked below. 

Attractions

We used the Seattle City Pass to purchase joint admission to all of the attractions. I love these passes and have used them in other cities before. If you are going to visit several of the included attractions I highly recommend getting a City Pass. It’s also a great way to see what the most popular attractions are in a city. In some cities you even get preferred entry to attractions but we didn’t have that in Seattle. 

Two things included on the pass that we did not do was a harbor cruise and the zoo. I would have been interested in both but didn’t have time to fit them in and we felt the ferry ride gave us a lot of what the harbor cruise would have. 

Click here for more details about the City Pass : Seattle City Pass

SEATTLE CENTER

The Seattle Center is home to many tourist attractions, performance spaces and sporting venues. Between them all is green space, souvenir shops, street entertainment, and a few food stands. 

The Space Needle – This is the crown jewel of the Seattle Center and the most iconic and popular attractions in Seattle. Before you arrive check the current ticket requirements when we visited we had to sign up for a timed entry. When you enter you will still need to wait in line before you can head up to the top. We waited about forty five minutes, half of it outdoors but under cover. There is stringent security and large backpacks have to be placed in lockers before you enter so make sure before you leave your hotel you don’t have any prohibited items. While in line on the left hand side there are panels describing the construction and history of the Space Needle. You get your photo taken on a green screen right before you head to the elevators. This photo download is free as are all the photos taken at the Space Needle so keep an eye out for photographers at the top and download the Space Needle App to get your photos. You will be assigned an elevator and take it up to the top with a tour guide. You’ll be delivered to the top floor. Inside you will find a bar and lounge area. Outside is the observation deck which has very tall glass walls all around and benches. The views are amazing and on a clear day you can see all the way to Mt. Rainer. Be sure to walk around the entire deck to see all of the view points. There are selfie stations where you can take your photo as well as wondering photographers. When you are done here you go inside and down one flight of stairs. This is where you will catch the returning elevator to the ground. But fist make sure to check out to the rotating glass floor here. This level is all inclosed. You take the elevator back to the bottom and exit through the gift shop. We had a lot of fun at the Space Needle and the views were breathtaking. I think anyone visiting Seattle should make a journey to the Space Needle, unless you are scared of heights. 

Chihuly Garden and Glass – This museum features the glass artwork of Chihuly. With expansive rooms featuring huge pieces of art to smaller pieces with lots of detail. I am not normally one for art museums but this was certainly not your typical art experience with the size and style of the pieces. At the end there is a large greenhouse portion with stunning overhead glasswork hanging and where you can enjoy a cafe, or observe a glass blowing demonstration. Then you can walk through the garden with views of the Space Needle and glasswork pieces throughout the flowers. 

MO POP = Museum of Pop Culture – This museum was so much fun and I highly recommend it for fans of pop culture! I am a big movie, TV and pop culture fan so this was a perfect place for me. They had some really exciting pieces like original props and costumes from iconic movies, and guitars from famous artists. There were broad exhibits themed to things like fantasy, science fiction, video games, and horror movies. Then there were more Seattle specific exhibits like a huge Pearl Jam one and a Nirvana one. They also had a few traveling exhibits that rotated while we where there they had a visiting exhibit exploring the history of the LGBTQ+ rights movement, and a visiting Disney Achieves costume exhibit. The Disney one was an additional entrance fee so be sure to check what is going to be there during your visit. 

**** The Seattle Center is also home to several theaters and performance spaces, the new Climate Pledge Area and Memorial Stadium. It is also where you will find the Pacific Science Center. **** 

Other Attractions

Pike Place Market – This is the iconic seafood market that is prominently featured in basically any movie that takes place in Seattle. Located on the water it has three levels, reaches across the street, and spans several blocks. I absolutely recommend walking around the area and grabbing a meal here from one of the many restaraunts or stalls. It is almost always very crowded but you are able to walk though early in the morning before most of the stores are open if you want to take it in without the crowds. Of course there are stalls and stores that sell fresh seafood, produce, crafts, home goods, and souvenirs of all kinds. A few highlights here are the first Starbucks which seemingly always had a very long line unless you arrived extremly early in the morning. They have special merchandise and a special coffee blend served only at this location. In an alleyway on one of the lower levels you have to visit the Gum Wall which is a famous wall of discarded chewing gum. You won’t want to miss the Pike Place Fish Market stall where the workers famously throw the fish orders through the air. Then pose for a photo with the bronze pig statues, Rachel is right in front of the Pike Place Fish Market, and Billie is out back on the top level on the porch. If you take a peak into The Athenian Inn restaurant on the main level you’ll see two stools at the corner of the counter located right up front with plaques on them. A scene in Sleepless in Settle was filmed here and Tom Hanks and Rob Reiner sat on these stools. Pike Place Market is a must visit while in Seattle.

 Seattle Aquarium – The Seattle Aquarium is right on the water appropriately enough. Located among the piers this Aquarium is moderately sized as aquariums go. With a large “touching pool” where you could reach your hand in to touch starfish and anemones. The building itself and the layout was unique. They had several large tanks with Pacific Northwest fish. About half of the aquarium was outside and this was where you would find seals, otters, and sea birds. This part of the aquarium seemed older and the enclosures didn’t provide the best views. But nothing seemed too small or run down or anything like that. The sea otter and puffins were my favorite here. I had a nice time here but I wouldn’t put it on my list for a return trip. For adults it’s a good filler attraction if you need something else to add to your visit. If you are traveling with kids this is a good option with plenty of entertainment value. If you have the Seattle City Pass this is included and I would certainly take advantage of that if it fits in your schedule. 

Miners Landing Pier 57 – Located right next to the aquarium and on the water was Pier 57 Miners Landing. This is your basic tourist trap amusement. It was free to walk around the indoor portion so we checked it out. The Gold Rush theming was fun and they had an arcade, shops, and a casual sit down restaurant. There is also a 4-D virtual reality simulator Wings Over Washington. Outside was a small carnival amusement section with a ferris wheel and a few other things. If traveling with kids this could be a fun option as long as you know what you are getting into, but the cost will add up quickly. 

Kerry Park – Outside the heart of the city this little park had a small playground but was worth the stop to get photos with the Seattle skyline behind you. We made a quick stop between the ferry and our hotel. Free street parking was available. See views in the first photo on this post.

Freemont Troll – Close to Kerry Park is at the famous Freemont Troll the bridge troll statute is a really fun photo op. Free street parking was available.

That was our Seattle trip! I hope you found this interesting and informative. Considering a trip to Seattle? I’m a travel advisor and would love to work with you! Check out my website katievtravel.com to request a vacation quote or email me at katiev@themagicsyours.com with any questions. I’d love to make your vacation dreams a reality!

Exploring Portland and the Oregon Coast: A Travel Guide

Hi, I’m Katie! Are you new here? I’m a travel advisor with The Magic’s Yours Travel! I send clients on vacations of all kinds all over the world but my specialty is Disney travel. Want to work together? Check out my website katievtravel.com to request a vacation quote or email me at katiev@themagicsyours.com with any questions. I’d love to make your vacation dreams a reality!

Oregon is a huge state with lots of travel opportunities. For this blog I will be sticking to the Portland area, and the two beach towns of Cannon Beach and Seaside. I visited this area in July 2021 as part of a larger Pacific Northwest trip.

Portland

Portland is the city most people think of when they think of Oregon and it is the largest city in the state. Portland is known for it’s “weird” culture and as a haven for hippies and hipsters. It certainly lived up to it’s reputation during out visit. The city was eclectic and grungy with touches of historic buildings, and a lot of artwork around. We also observed the presence of many many unhoused individuals in downtown Portland which to be frank at times very uncomfortable as a pedestrian. Overall I was not impressed by the city of Portland and I would not suggest planing on spending more than a day downtown and to have specific plans. The areas surrounding the city however are absolutely beautiful and I greatly enjoyed and recommend them. The greater Portland area is well situated to use as a base, or a starting point for your journey. 

Where We Stayed In Portland

We stayed at the Homewood Suites by Hilton Hillsboro/Beaverton which was about 15 to 20 minutes outside of downtown. This suburb location was a great fit for us allowing us to spend a day in the city and have fast access to the highways that took us to both the Columbia River Gorge and the coast. I also loved being able to go to a grocery store easily in the suburbs and stock up on snacks, etc. for our trip.

This Homewood Suites was exactly what I expect from the brand, free parking, free breakfast, a gym, and larger rooms with a kitchen. These are the reasons I love Homewood Suites as a brand in general. The rooms were a little smaller than some others from the brand I have stayed in. The rooms were not as newly renovated as some but it was not showing age or disrepair of any kind. Our room was clean and I had no complaints. I was happy with our stay and the price point was good. 

Things To Do In Portland

Noteworthy Buildings: These are all landmarks of Portland and if you like architecture I’d suggest walking or driving past each.

  • Portlandia Building with it’s massive statue of “Portlandia”
  • The Pioneer Courthouse & Courthouse Square
  • Portland City Hall 
  • Portland Stag Sign 

Pittock Mansion: The Pittock Mansion is as stunning house built in 1912 by Henry and Georgiana Pittock. The couple both traveled west on the Oregon Trail as teenagers and settled in the frontier town of Portland. They started The Oregonian a successful newspaper that still exists today, and become fixtures in early Portland. They built their mansion on a hill with sweeping views of the city and mountains beyond. The mansion is now a non-profit museum. You can take a tour of the mansion itself, explore the grounds, which include beautiful gardens and lots of wooded trails. Or enjoy the panoramic views of the city. While the mansion tour has visiting hours and paid admission the grounds can be explored at your leisure for a few dollars worth of parking. It’s a great place for photos. We visited one evening for the grounds and views and both were impressive. On the drive to the mansion you see some of the modern day “mansions” or Portland in the neighborhood surrounding Pittock Mansion. 

Museums:

  • Portland Art Museum – Most notable of the bunch
  • Center for Native American Art
  • Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
  • Oregon Maritime Museum

We visited the Oregon Historical Society Museum the crown jewel here is the top floor which features the Experience Oregon exhibit. This takes you from the time the land was created to present day. The exhibit was very up to date and included some interactive elements, videos, and well constructed displays. The museum also had exhibits about the Portland soccer teams, and exploring the everyday lives of Portland residents with video testimonials among a few others. I would recommend a visit for anyone who enjoys history or wants a better grasp on the city. 

Powells Book Store has become an iconic Portland site as the largest independent book store in the world open since 1971. The winding series of rooms you will find here with seemingly endless staircases and twists and turns make it easy to get lost or lose yourself here. Certainly worth a stop for anyone checking out the top tourist destinations. A must for bookstore lovers. They sell new and used books along with board games, collectables and their own branded merchandise. 

Nike Headquarters is located just outside the city in Beaverton the campus has many jogging trails accessible to the public. You can also visit Prefontaine Hall on the campus which has an exhibit dedicated to the history of Nike plus rotating exhibits. 

Places To Eat In Portland

Voodoo Doughnut: Voodoo now has several dozen locations across the United States but these unique, cheeky doughnuts started here in Portland at the Old Town location. The Old Town location frequently has long lines to get in. To avoid that line order online for pick-up, which we did and it saved us a ton of time standing in the sun. When we arrived we got to pop right in to see the inside of the store, grab our order, and pop right out. The doughnuts all have funny and sometimes obscene names. They also offer a wide variety of vegan flavors, including one for their signature doughnuts the Voodoo Doll. As someone who eats dairy free I absolutely loved the vegan flavors, bought a bunch, and had them travel with us in tupperware for the next several days. There are also a few different locations around Portland where you are much less likely to find a line if you don’t care about seeing the original store. 

Saturday Market: Every Saturday this street fair takes place and features lots of food, and craft stalls. We visited and were not impressed as this is the sort of thing we can do at home, but if you are already planning to be nearby on a Saturday it’s not a bad stop to add to your day. It is located right next to the Portland Stag sign. 

For more info on visiting Portland see my vlog linked here. 

Columbia River Gorge

Just a quick 20 minute drive from our hotel in Beaverton was the start of the Columbia River Gorge area. You can take Highway 30/84 or the Historic Columbia River Highway, I suggest taking the new highway to get to your first destination to save time and then take the historic road the rest of the time. The gorge is large and you could keep driving for another hour before you reach the end of the National Scenic Area. There are lots of options of activities in the area, from the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum, playing golf, boating on the river, tons of hikes and parks, small towns, visit the Columbia Gorge Dam, or cross the Bridge of the Gods into Washington. Or simply enjoy the scenic views from the road. There is something for everyone to enjoy here. 

Waterfalls: The most popular attractions in the gorge are the waterfalls, there are 26 in all. Some are right next to the roadways and some require hikes of various lengths to see. They are very well marked on the historic highway.

Multnomah Falls: The tallest, and most popular of the falls this one is a must see. If you have ever looked at Portland travel brochures or the like you have certainly seen a photo to these falls. The parking here is limited but there is a very small lot right next to the entrance off the Historic Highway, I wouldn’t shoot for this one unless you are looking for handicap parking. The second lot is off the “new highway” and is larger. You have to walk on a paved path and through a tunnel to get to the park entrance, its a fairly short walk. Come EARLY the parking lot opens officially at 8:00am we pulled up at 8:05am to the larger of the lots and it was about a third full. By the time we left an hour and a half later it was totally full. Parking here was free as was entrance to the falls area this was the case throughout the gorge. There is a paid shuttles offered from a further parking lot if these lots are full.

At the entrance there are restrooms, a coffee cart, gift shop, and restaurant housed in a historic stone building. It’s a very short walk to the bottom of the falls. You can take the trail up to the bridge which is about a 10 minute hike up a paved path, but is at an incline. I’d recommend anyone that’s able do the walk to the bridge. After the bridge you can continue on up the trails to the top of the falls. The trail is well maintained but it is a long hike to the top and it is all switchbacks that just get steeper. We went a little bit further and then turned around. Don’t feel you have to walk to the top, you can get similar views from other vantage points you can drive to. 

Multnohmah Falls is worth the hype, it is a must see in my opinion if you are going to be in Portland and the wonderful thing is it doesn’t have to take up a large portion of your day. 

Bridal Vail Falls: We also visited Bridal Vail falls, the falls are much shorter here but you can get so much closer to them. This parking lot was right off the historic highway and was unpaved, but there were restrooms. This trail was unpaved but very well maintained. It was about a half mile to the falls. Once at the falls there are stairs to an observation platform or you could walk down off the path and right up to the falls. There was also a river nearby that offered some fun exploring opportunities. There were additional trails beyond the falls as well. I enjoyed being able to get so close to these falls while still feeling I was in a very safe situation. Plus the hike did not have a lot of incline. Again the parking and experience here was free. 

Bonneville Hatchery – Five minutes beyond Multnomah Falls was a fish hatchery. The visitors center of the hatchery allows visitors to see hatching ponds, a salmon run (seasonally), and some exhibits of different kinds of fish in ponds including trout and sturgeon. There are also restrooms and a store, as well as a historic building. This was a lovely little stop and the whole operation is historic it was first constructed in 1909. A fun stop for kids or anyone who likes to see animals. 

For more info on visiting the Columbia River Gorge see my vlog linked above. 

Cannon Beach

After our time in Portland we made our way to the Oregon Coast with our first stop being Cannon Beach. The drive was an hour and a half, scenic, and very easy. 

Cannon Beach is a small coastal town full of small hotels, inns, and rental properties. It was very quaint with a main street shopping district full of tiny coffee shops and sandwich shops, as well as boutique craft stores. The vibe was of a higher end beach town and reminded me of New England. We parked in the public lot in the middle of town right next to the Sleepy Monk coffee shop we arrived around 10am and the lot was nearly full but there was street parking around. There were public restrooms nearby too. 

From there it was about two blocks to the beach. It was a foggy morning and at times even drizzled a little and the beach was absolutely stunning. There were not large crowds at all. The rocks were breathtaking and the beach stretched out in front of you was beautiful. Very few people were actually in the water and most of those were surfing in wetsuits as it was cold even in July. 

Cannon Beach is home to the famous Haystack Rock, it was huge and looming over the beach and you could even see it from the road driving in. The rock is home to lots of birds including seagulls, murre, and puffins. The puffins are very popular. If you want to see them bring good binoculars or plan your visit to coincide with one of the times the town is hosting a binocular viewing and you can use their equipment. Our binoculars were not quite good enough but we did see puffins but there were very small.

Check out the city’s website on details about the puffins and viewing opportunities: 

After our time at the beach we got back in the car to take the short drive to Ecola State Park. Once in the park it was a winding 10 minute drive to the Indian Beach parking lot, where you will find the Clatsop Loop trail. This looped trail is a total of 2.6 miles, with the option to go further to view the Tiilamook Rock Lighthouse. The trail takes you through the woods and loops you back along the shoreline toward Indian Beach with wonderful views and overlooks of the beach and ocean. If you are lucky you could even see some whales or other wildlife. We hiked a bit of both ends to the trail. The end of the trail in the woods is very well marked and surfaced but it is uphill. The end of the trail on the coast is not so uphill but much more treacherous, though nothing intense. If you don’t like heights this may not be for you. There are pit toilets at the trailhead and halfway thought the loop. There were a few picnic tables in the parking lot area. 

For more info on visiting the Cannon Beach see my vlog. 

Lewis and Clark

This whole general area of the country is full of Lewis and Clark related sites. About 10 minutes outside of Seaside we visited Fort Clatsop, a location where Lewis, Clark, and their party spent the winter after they reached the Pacific Ocean fulfilling their goal. Run by the National Parks Services this site offered a reproduction of the fort which was very well done and allowed you to walk through the different rooms. There was also a small museum, which was rather outdated in its style, but had a lot of information about the Lewis and Clark exhibition. Admission for the park was $10 per person and I found that a little step comparatively speaking. There were several programs going on around the fort, with seating available. Park rangers were giving talks on various topics and had some artifacts and reproductions you could touch. There was also a system of trails that you could take all the way to the shore. We opted to just go as far as the boardwalk system that took you to the river where you could see remnants of the logging industry. If you are a history fan this is worth a stop, my husband actually teaches this period of history so we made it a point to visit. If you are not interested in the history you can skip this and be secure that you are not missing anything monumental. 

Seaside

Seaside is just 15 minutes north of Cannon Beach. The town of Seaside is larger then Cannon Beach with larger hotels, and more of a vacation beach town vibe, with a small aquarium, a longer beach full of people camped out for the day, volleyball nets, a playground, an independent movie theatre, lots of traditional beach shops selling souvenirs, bathing suits and candy, even an arcade and a ton of dining. A paved path along the beach front known as the Promenade will lead you to the main strip with all these places. The Promenade offered a great walking or running path as well. This seemed like a town that was a specific vacation destination for visitors. The beach itself was very sandy with some dunes, and rocks in the distance. This location seemed to have a lot more that would appeal to children vs. Cannon Beach. 

We stayed at Best Western Plus Ocean View Resort which was right on the beach and about a 10 minute walk to the center of town. I was very pleased with the room, it was very large, clean, and had a lot to offer such as a kitchenette and small dining table, plus a couch, and even a fireplace. Of course the ocean view balcony was the best part. I would stay here again in a heartbeat and the price was reasonable. There was a restaurant in the lobby and a gym onsite, parking was free. It is a Best Western though so don’t expect luxury here. Though it was one of the nicer Best Western properties I have stayed at, thus the plus in the name.

For more info on visiting the Seaside see my vlog linked above. 

During my time in Oregon I much preferred the coastal areas and the towns of Seaside and Cannon beach to the city of Portland. But I do think that the waterfalls or the greater Portland area are not to be missed and grab a doughnut while you are at it. 

That was our Oregon trip! I hope you found this interesting and informative. Considering a trip to Oregon? I’m a travel advisor and would love to work with you! Check out my website katievtravel.com to request a vacation quote or email me at katiev@themagicsyours.com with any questions. I’d love to make your vacation dreams a reality!

I Visited All 50 U.S. States: How I Did It and What I Learned

Hi, I’m Katie! Are you new here? I’m a travel advisor with The Magic’s Yours Travel! I send clients on vacations of all kinds all over the world but my specialty is Disney travel. Want to work together? Check out my website katievtravel.com to request a vacation quote or email me at katiev@themagicsyours.com with any questions. I’d love to make your vacation dreams a reality!

My husband and I have had a goal to visit all 50 United States and we recently achieved that goal! Our only rules were that we had to visit the state together and we had to do something there. This could be as simple as a scenic walk or as iconic as visiting Mt. Rushmore. Oh, and airports didn’t count. 

We both grew up in Maryland and our travel history as kids was mostly beach vacations on the southern east coast, visiting family, a few Disney World trips, plus a weekend or two in New York City during college. My husband lived in Alabama for his sophomore year of high school so he saw a lot of the South during that time. I went to Hawaii with my high school friends after graduation thanks to the very generous parents of a good friend. So we had seen a sampling of the country but much of it through the eyes of a child or teen.

We started this journey in early 2013. We were 25 years old and had been married a little over a year. We didn’t have kids and we still don’t. Our travel history together was a few family vacations not too far from home and our honeymoon to the Bahamas which was the first time either of us had traveled internationally.

All this to say we were FAR from travel pros when we decided to do this. 

So back to early 2013 when we knew we wanted to take a vacation somewhere but didn’t know where. We decided on Dallas, Texas for three reasons. We would be traveling in the winter and it wouldn’t be super cold there, my husband is a Dallas Cowboys fan and wanted to see the stadium, and it was cheap. We liked the idea of going somewhere that wasn’t a typical vacation destination and of seeing a new part of the country. We had a lot of fun in Dallas and it inspired us to see more of the country we never had before. 

I can’t remember if it was during the trip or once we got home but we soon had an idea, an idea that felt really big and important, though I can’t quite put my finger on why. “Let’s travel to all 50 states!” We agreed on the rules and pulled out a map. We made a list of the few states we could already check off and started dreaming about the rest of them. 

We didn’t set a time limit but it became clear that this wasn’t going to be a lifelong goal. This was going to be as fast as we can with our schedules and budget goal. Both of which became more flexible over the years but never unlimited. We knew we didn’t want to do a cross country road trip or plan vacations where we would be driving 12 hours a day. So for most of the trips we clustered the states into groups and we would fly to an area, rent a car, and make our way around visiting each state in the cluster. Sometimes that meant a week-plus journey through the West or New England and sometimes it meant adding on a morning in Michigan and an afternoon in Wisconsin when we went to Chicago, IL for 4 days. 

The best explanation I can give of why we decided to do this is that we love America, it’s our home, and we wanted to see more of it to both experience and understand it’s past and present. I was a political science major in college with a focus on American government, though neither of my jobs has anything to do with that. My husband is an 8th grade U.S. History Teacher. It’s safe to say we like American history and politics. We were excited by the thought of seeing iconic and historical landmarks, visiting National Parks and coastlines, and seeing what all these different states were really like. While we love America we see her for her faults as well and did our best to incorporate things like the Birmingham Alabama Civil Rights Museum, the Iolani Palace in Honolulu Hawaii home of the Hawaiian royal family in the 1800’s , and the Suquamish Museum in Washington state that shares the story of the indigenous peoples of that area. We wanted to see the good but we didn’t want to leave out the bad and the ugly either. We wanted to experience the whole story of America as best we could.

So let’s talk about how we did this!

How We Did It

To achieve this goal efficiently we grouped states where we could and planned destinations around what allowed us to visit more states at once while not constantly being in a rush. Our longest trips were usually 8-9 days and our shortest ones 3-4 days. Many of the states located near Maryland and on the southeast cost, we visited as one offs since we could drive to them easily and spend just a night or two. For several states we were visiting family there. Here is how we broke things down from a geographic perspective. 

  • New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine & Vermont 
  • Connecticut & Rhode Island 
  • New Jersey
  • New York
  • Pennsylvania
  • Deleware
  • Maryland (HOME) 
  • Washington D.C.
  • West Virginia
  • Virginia
  • North Carolina
  • South Carolina
  • Georgia
  • Florida
  • Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee & Arkansas
  • Louisiana
  • Kentucky
  • Ohio
  • Indiana
  • Michigan, Illinois & Wisconsin (technically we drove through a portion of Indiana here too) 
  • Texas
  • Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa & Minnesota
  • New Mexico
  • Colorado
  • Arizona
  • Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Back To Wyoming & Colorado
  • Nevada
  • California
  • Oregon & Washington
  • Alaska
  • Hawaii 

Favorites

I get asked a lot what my favorite states have been to visit. This is a really hard question but here is my best answer.

** One caveat I have taken Maryland and Washington D.C. out of the running here. Maryland is home and growing up so close to it D.C. feels like home too. Though I know if I grew up somewhere else D.C. would absolutely make this list. **

My Top 5 Favorite States to Visit:

1) Hawaii – It is simply magical. Clearly the landscapes here are unique in the U.S. and there are breathtaking ones everywhere. There is so much to see and do I can’t want to visit more of the islands.  

2) Wyoming – The National Parks here are fantastic.There is just so much nature to explore here. Some of the views at Yellowstone are so vast and amazing that you have to pinch yourself to prove they are real. 

3) New England – It’s hard to pick a specific state here. I really enjoyed the whole region and for a lot of the same reasons. Big cities like Boston and tiny towns like Stowe, VT, costal locations like Newport, RI or Kennebunkport ME, it was all uniquely New England in style. There is also so much history in this area. 

4) California – We spent our time in Los Angeles seeing sites in Hollywood which was so fun as someone who loves the entertainment industry. Visiting a movie studio, seeing the handprints at Grauman’s Theatre, and touring the home of the Oscars were things I had always dreamed of. Plus, it’s the home of Disneyland! 

5) Florida – If you asked my favorites places to visit Disney World is my #1 answer but ranking by states, Florida, is not all the way at the top. Florida has to make the list for being the home of the “Most Magical Place On Earth”

Honorable Mention: 

  • New York City, NY 
  • Alaska 

Reflections on America 

This section is going to sound preachy but it is my honest reflection on this journey.

This journey has taught me a few lessons I will never forget. These lessons are valuable not just for my future personal travel, my work as a travel agent advising others, but my life as an American and simply as a human. 

Climate Change Is Visible Now – We saw it across the country and in places we didn’t expect. The obvious here is the Mendenhall glacier in Alaska,. The park ranger talked about how it was significantly larger when she started working there a decade ago. The most unexpected view was in the desert of Phoenix Arizona, where a rise in temperatures has led to more moisture in the air which means more rain in the desert, a place not built for rain. The rain results in more small brush growing throughout the desert and this brush is the perfect kindling to start and spread fires through the desert. On our ride into the desert our tour guides shared this with us and then on the way out we actually saw a small fire start and spread rapidly. Luckily the tour guides were able to put it out. There were many times we had to worry about extreme weather effecting our trips, as hurricane season stretches longer and longer, extreme heat waves hit place like Portland, Oregon, and fires rage in the West. Climate change is here and it is effecting all terrains now. Something has to be done to stop it.  

There Is So Much History Everywhere – There are important historical landmarks and museums all over. Don’t over look them. While traveling I have learned a lot of history that I only had a passing understanding of before or didn’t know at all. When learning about history being in the actual place brings a whole new level of understanding and connection. It brings a new kind of empathy for the people who lived it. Those who don’t understand history are due to repeat it or so the saying goes. If you want the current country to change you have to know how we got here.

America Is Even More Beautiful Than You Think – There is so much beauty in this country that I think gets underrated. Especially when people are listing places they would like to travel. Go travel the world too but don’t forget to appreciate your own backyard. 

There Really Are Two Americas  – Poverty vs. Wealth. Liberal vs. Conservative. Democrat vs. Republican. The divide is strong, noticeable, and very real. This gap needs to be closed. So many Americans need help to be brought out of poverty. The need is in rural communities as much as in urban ones. I will never forget the first time I drove through an entire town in the rural mid-west that was so run down I could just feel the depression in the air. In the very same state I saw some of the most beautiful city blocks with historic homes. A clearly wealthy area just buzzing with energy.  We need to help one another even if one of these places would be considered blue and one red.  

But We Are Not That Different – Here is my not so exciting travel secret, sometimes when traveling I find myself with a free hour or two having finished the days activities and I go to the mall. I love a mall. It’s also a great way to see the people that actually live somewhere you are visiting. What I have glimpsed in malls and grocery stores across America is people and families are all essentially the same as each other that want the same basic things. America is the great melting pot and we have so many unique sub-cultures and a beautifully diverse population. We are stronger for it. But in the end we are all Americans who just want to pursue life, liberty, and happiness. We all need to remember that. 

What Did This Teach Me About Maryland

It confirmed for me that I love Maryland. Maryland has a little bit of everything. We have beach, forest, mountains, a big city, small cities, suburbs, and tiny towns. I have access to almost every kind of activity I could want to do within a few hours drive or much closer. Maryland is diverse and overall liberal which appeals to me. It’s home and not one of these other states made me think “oh I want to move here permanently.” 

Would I Do It Again?

Yes! I absolutely would and I suggest to every American to see as much of America as you are able to. Prioritize it in your travel plans. But will I do it a second time, nope. There are absolutely places in the U.S. I will go back to. There are also several states like Texas, and California that we only saw a little sliver of and I want to go back to see more. But there is so much more left to see in the world. Not to mention so many Disney vacations I need to take and can take when I am not devoting vacation time to long weekends in Kentucky. 🙂 

What’s Next! 

First I need to commemorate this accomplishment and that starts with this blog. We took photos for the occasion the evening that we finally entered state 50, Washington, which are going to be something I treasure forever. These are the photos throughout this post. I also have a scrapbook and a home movie project I can finally finish. Plus a wall display I need to make some decisions about. 

Everyone wants to know where we are going to travel to next? Do we have another list? The answer is no. We don’t have a list or a real plan. We want to plan our travel without a list for a little while. I know that I would like to do more international travel. Starting with more of the Caribbean, Europe, and Canada. 

The biggest lesson I learned about travel doing this was to give myself little grace. It’s ok if I don’t see everything in a city or everything I had planned to. Make the itinerary but then focus on the moments while you are living them.  A lesson that has taken me a few times to learn but I think I’ve got it now and it will stick this time. 

I do know where I am going next though.

I visited all 50 States and what am I going to do next ….. I’m going to Disney World ….. a lot! 

I’m a travel advisor and would love to work with you! Check out my website katievtravel.com to request a vacation quote or email me at katiev@themagicsyours.com with any questions. I’d love to make your vacation dreams a reality!

How to Experience Boston’s Highlights in One Day

Hi, I’m Katie! Are you new here? I’m a travel advisor with The Magic’s Yours Travel! I send clients on vacations of all kinds all over the world but my specialty is Disney travel. Want to work together? Check out my website katievtravel.com to request a vacation quote or email me at katiev@themagicsyours.com with any questions. I’d love to make your vacation dreams a reality!

When you only have limited time in a city full of things to do it can be a challenge to decide how to spend your time. As part of a larger New England trip in 2017 my husband and I spent just one day in Boston and we wanted to see as much of the city as we could in that time. Here’s how we spent our day!

Getting To And Around Boston

We were staying at a hotel in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and looking to get into and out of the city with relative ease so we opted to take the train. We took the Amtrak Downeaster from Exeter Station into Boston. In Boston the station we arrived at was the TD Garden. This was simple and inexpensive and prevented us from having to drive and park in the city. We were able to walk from the TD Garden to Boston Commons (about 3/4 of a mile) where we planned to start our day. 

Of course driving into Boston is an option but remember that just like most cities you are going to have traffic, and parking can be expensive and limited in key areas. 

If you are flying into Boston then Logan International Airport is going to be your main option. Located in Boston the airport is connected to the T (Boston’s subway) so you can get from the airport to other major parts of the city. 

We found the city to be extremely walkable. For distances that were too far to walk we used the T which has an extensive network of stops all over the city. Of course there are always taxis and ride-share as well or you can drive yourself around town.

Historical Sites

We arrived in Boston around 9:00 am and we had a full itinerary for the day. The first item on our list was the historical walking path that runs through the city and connects all of the major colonial historical attractions, The Freedom Trail. The trail is literally a bricked pathway that runs through the city and is embedded in a sidewalk or other pavement. I highly recommend taking advantage of this trail and all it has to offer. Many of the experiences along the way are free and you will see some truly landmark locations. Plus you can’t get lost! 

Find a map of the trail before you visit or grab one at one of the visitor’s centers along the way so you know what is coming next.  You can even sign up for paid guided tours of the trail. 

Some of the buildings along the trail you can enter some you can not. Throughout the day there are also tour guides, lectures, and performances that go on at many of the sites. 

We started at the Boston Commons which was a great starting location as it is one end of the trail, there is a visitor’s information booth there. This is also one of the ends of the Black History Trail that runs through the Beacon Hill neighborhood. After a peak at the Massachusetts State House and the park that is the Commons itself we were off following the Freedom Trail.

Stoping at Granary Burial Ground we paid our respects at the graves of John Hancock, Samual Adams, Paul Revere, the victims of the Boston Massacre and even “Mother Goose”. 

We continued past the first public school of Boston and a few other sites until we reached the Old State House behind which is the site of the Boston Massacre where you will find a memorial. 

At this point in our day we branched out to other activities after which we returned to the Freedom Trail picking it up at Old North Church the site of Paul Revere’s historic ride. Here we happen upon a free lecture being given by a costumed tour guided. Seated in the church pews he discussed the building and the history of Paul Revere. This was a very nice addition to our visit. 

We continued on and made it to our last stop on the Freedom Trail, the Bunker Hill Monument. There is also a Battle of Bunker Hill Museum here but we did not visit it. 

All of the sites on the trail were interesting and walking the trail gave us a peak at a lot of Boston itself. I highly recommend adding the Freedom Trail to your day. If you plan to walk a good portion of the trial it will take much of your day. 

Museums

I would recommend devoting the second half of your day to visiting a museum or two. Boston has a bunch of museums to choose from. These are some of the most popular options and ones I would recommend seeing if you only have a short amount of time. 

  • John F. Kennedy Presidential Library – This museum and library are the living legacy of President Kennedy. Visit the museum to learn all about the history of the Kennedy presidency and to see exhibits like a replica oval office and some of Mrs. Kennedy’s dresses. The museum also offers guided tours. 
  • Museum of Fine Arts Boston – For art lovers this is where you will want to spend your time. The museum has wide ranging collections from all over the world. 
  • Boston Tea Party Museum & Ship – Enjoy and participate in reenacting the Boston Tea Party with costumed tour guides, a replica ship, and a museum. There are also a lot of kid friendly elements here.  
  • Museum of Science – This is the museum that we visited specifically to see the Science of Pixar exhibit which shows the process of computer animation and the science behind it. As Pixar fans the exhibit was a ton of fun but it was temporary. The rest of the museum is your typical city science museum and a great option fo families traveling with children. 

Sports

Boston is a city that LOVES sports. After a day spent exploring history and museums a great addition to your day in Boston is to attend a game. We choose to add a Red Sox game into our afternoon. After walking the first half of the Freedom Trail and then visiting the Museum of Science we took the T over to Fenway Park for a Red Sox game. We stayed for about half of the game before heading off to complete the Freedom Trail. An evening game would have been ideal for us to fit everything in and be able to stay for the whole game so keep that in mind while scheduling. 

Fenway Park & The Red Sox – The iconic old-school baseball stadium was a fantastic addition to our time in Boston. Even though neither me nor my husband are big baseball fans as a general sports fan he wanted to see Fenway. The Red Sox are something so distinctly Boston that it was a really great addition to our day. The stadium was very easy to access and if you don’t want to attend a game they offer stadium tours on days there is not a game. There were also tons of bars and dining options right next to the stadium. It very much felt like the stadium was jst a part of the neighborhood. 

TD Garden, The Celtics & The Bruins – For basketball and hockey fans this is another great option to take in a game. It is also a much more climate controlled option. Plus the train station is a part of the TD Garden so if you took the train into the city it makes for a perfect end to your day. 

Food

Our lunch was just some hot dogs and snacks at the baseball game. But for dinner while walking back across the river from Bunker Hill we stumbled upon an Italian restaurant that we loved. Fillipo was a great find for us we loved the food and the atmosphere of this classic Italian restaurant. There were photos on the wall of all the notable people who had dined here including a few Presidents which leads me to believe this place is very popular. It was a fun addition to our evening and I highly recommend a meal here. http://www.filippori.st

Boston is a great city to spend the day in and it is certainly on my list for a return visit! 

That was our Boston day! I hope you found this interesting and informative. Considering a trip to Boston? I’m a travel advisor and would love to work with you! Check out my website katievtravel.com to request a vacation quote or email me at katiev@themagicsyours.com with any questions. I’d love to make your vacation dreams a reality!

Travel to Newport, Rhode Island: The Ultimate Guide to Mansions and More

Hi, I’m Katie! Are you new here? I’m a travel advisor with The Magic’s Yours Travel! I send clients on vacations of all kinds all over the world but my specialty is Disney travel. Want to work together? Check out my website katievtravel.com to request a vacation quote or email me at katiev@themagicsyours.com with any questions. I’d love to make your vacation dreams a reality!

Newport, Rhode Island is a small New England city on the coast of Rhode Island. It was a major 18th century port and still has many Colonial era buildings. Newport is the home of many fabulous mansions from the Gilded Age of the late 1800’s. Today sailing and yachting is very popular and prevalent in Newport. It is a popular tourist location with many upscale hotels and dining, many shopping areas, and the ever popular mansion tours, plus all sorts of water sports and activities. 

The weather here is lovely in the late spring and summer with temperatures from May to September hovering from the low 60’s to mid 70’s. This is peak tourist season. During the winter months it gets quite cold with average highs in the 30’s.

We wanted to visit Rhode Island and chose Newport for its coastal atmosphere and the uniqueness of the mansions. It was a perfect location to spend a few days. 

Getting To Newport

Newport is very accessible by car and relatively close to several major cities. The closest major airport is T. F. Green International Airport (PVD) right outside of Providence, RI. We flew into T. F. Green, picked up a rental car and drove off. The drive from the airport to Newport is around 30 minutes. Newport is on an island but you will not have to worry about ferries as there are bridges that connect the area to the mainland. Overall getting to Newport is very easy. 

Accommodations

We stayed at the Homewood Suites by Hilton Newport Middletown, RI. Which was right outside of the city of Newport. It was a 10 -15 minute drive to most parts of Newport including the Thames St. shopping area and all of the main wharfs. This hotel was a significant savings from staying at one of the hotels that was walking distance to this same area. 

The Homewood Suites brands is one of my favorite hotel brands because you get so much space at a reasonable price point. I would qualify the brand typically 3-star hotels with many included amenities perfect for extended stays or families. All rooms include a full kitchen and I find them spacious. This location offers studio rooms and one or three bedroom options. We were in a studio. While the interior at this location seemed a little more dated than some other Homewood Suites we have visited I did not find it to be an issue and nothing felt run down or dirty about it. I love that the room had a couch which allows you somewhere comfortable to sit besides the bed itself. The bathroom area here was also spacious with a separation of the sink outside of the closed off shower and toilet area. This makes it easy for multiple people to get ready at once.

The amenities here include a gym and a small indoor pool. There is also complimentary breakfast which we really enjoyed. On weeknights they even have complimentary evening snacks and beverages. Also coffee, tea, and fresh whole fruit was complimentary in the lobby throughout the day. 

We chose this hotel to get a room with a full kitchen as we enjoy being able to make some of our own meals. The free breakfast is a huge plus for us. The drive into town vs. being able to walk was not a big negative for us as it was so short and we were only visiting for a few days. I always enjoy a stay at a Homewood Suites and this one was no exception. 

Day One 

We arrived in the mid afternoon to our hotel and after checking in and getting settled we took the quick drive over to the Discover Newport Visitors Center. (aka the Newport County Convention and Visitors Bureau) We found this the most convenient place to park. While the inside of the building itself was not impressive they have public restrooms and lots of maps and brochures. This is also a hub for many tour companies. From here we walked to Thames Street which is lined with shopping and dining. Some were higher end chain stores but most were small local shops, mostly selling clothing and souvenirs. We walked over to Queen Anne’s Square for a stroll and then to St. Mary’s Church to see the church where JFK and Jackie Kennedy were married. 

Next we walked over to the wharfs which are full of restaurants, bars, and more shops. Here we could take in the sights of the water and many boats. The architecture here was very interesting as well. After exploring several wharfs it was time for dinner. We had made reservations at The Mooring Seafood Kitchen & Bar for dinner. We sat on the patio on the dock with a view of the water and the setting was lovely. The interior of the restaurant was lovely as well. The atmosphere and service here were great. We enjoyed our meal as well sticking to seafood items. I would recommend dining here. 

After dinner we walked back to the car and went back to the hotel. Though parking at the Visitors Center was the easiest way to go it did add a half mile of walking to the end of our day. There were other paid parking options throughout the area but some of the fees are steep and the small lots seemed to fill quickly. 

Day Two

We got up bright and early to drive over to the historic Cliff Walk for a morning stroll. The Cliff Walk is a 3.5 mile paved trail along the cliff that boarders the ocean. The walk is in the historic mansion district so on one side you have the ocean and on the other side you have many historic mansions. Access to the Cliff Walk is free of charge and it is open to the public. We arrived around 8:15am on a Sunday to the very small street parking area at Narragansett Ave and 40 Steps. We were able to get a spot to park easily but this area fills up rather quickly so planning an early morning was very helpful. There were also some porte-potties here which are the only restrooms available. One feature of the Cliff Walk is the 40 Steps this is a stone staircase that leads down towards the ocean where you can get a lovely view. Even on a very foggy morning the views of both the ocean and the mansions were fantastic. The photo opportunities here are great and the mansion views are better than those you get driving down the street as many of the homes had large walls and gates obstruction their view from the road. Along the Cliff Walk that was not the case and the backs of these magnificent homes were in clear view. The walk itself was rather easy going as most of the pathway is paved or very flat and well worn.  I would absolutely recommend not only taking this walk to anyone visiting but to make it a top priority for your itinerary. 

After our walk we hopped back in the car and drove over to Ocean Drive and the popular scenic route Ten Mile Drive. We saw some more mansions and got a closer look at the rocky shores. There were several beaches and parks along the way. We parked in a few of the parking lots along the route and took a little time to explore the shore. 

After the drive we went back to the hotel to change and have some lunch in our room. Then it was back to the Discover Newport Visitors Center where our afternoon tour was departing. We took the Viking Tours of Newport’s Grand Mansion Trolley Tour with The Breakers (Tour 2B). The tour vehicle itself was an adorable trolley bus, though it does have wooden benches as seats so it is not the most comfortable ride.  The first portion of the tour was about an hour long during which we were driven around Ocean Drive and the tour guide provided narration with history of the area, the mansions, and some notable current residents. It was great to get some backstory on the homes we had seen in the morning and to see even more. 

For the second portion of the tour we were dropped at The Breakers with house tour tickets and told what time to return to the trolley by. We were dropped right at the front gate so there was not much of a walk at all to get to the entrance. The Breakers is the most famous and grandest mansion in Newport. The summer home of the fabulously wealthy Vanderbilt family and built in the 1890’s. The home showcases the height of Golden Age luxury and opulence as it was built to showcase the wealth of the Vanderbilts. Today it is owned by the Newport Preservation Society and is a historical landmark. There are several ways to visit The Breakers, you can simply buy a ticket, visit as part of a larger tour as we did, or there are even more in-depth tours offered. We had the normal house tour ticket and it came with an audio tour. The audio tour was presented on headphones with a digital device that gave a lot of background about what each room was used for, the lifestyle of the family, and the details of what we were looking at. The home itself is nothing short of breathtaking and astounding. The intense level of detail and amount of artwork and craftsmanship is amazing. On the main level each room had something different that would impress you. Upstairs the bedrooms were less elaborate but provided a more intimate look at the daily lives of the former inhabitants. A look into the kitchen on your way out was very interesting as well. Of course there was also a gift shop onsite. The restrooms were outside in a separate area so I recommend seeking them out before you start your tour. Honestly you can’t go to Newport without seeing a mansion and The Breakers is the most noteworthy. I really enjoyed the visit here and recommend adding it to your itinerary. However, if you are traveling with young children I would skip visiting this, or possibly any of the mansions. It’s a relatively quiet affair as everyone is listening to their audio tours and basically everything around you is highly breakable and valuable.

We were back on the trolley at our appointed time and taken back to the Visitors Center.  Using the trolley tour made visiting The Breakers stress-free and easy. I really enjoyed hearing the history of the mansions and being able to ask questions from the tour guide during our drive. This was a great tour experience. 

After the tour we walked back toward the wharfs. On the way we stopped at the Museum of Newport History. While the upstairs museum exhibit was closed for the day the museum store downstairs was open. This shop had some nice resources about the history of Newport for sale. The museum would have been a nice addition to our visit and if I return it will be on my list. 

After a little more window shopping along the way we arrived at our dinner plans, a restaurant on Bowen’s Wharf, The Wharf Pub. We found this location online and it was well reviewed but that was not our experience. The atmosphere was very much of a wharf pub which was what we expected. The burgers and tots that were our main meal were very basic. Though perhaps we should have ordered something more exciting from the menu. What really soured us on the experience was the service. Everyone we encountered had a bit of an attitude where it felt as though they were annoyed we were there. A side salad that my husband ordered came with anchovies and he had ordered the salad without them. When the salad arrived there were anchovies. This is an understandable error but when we pointed it out the server simply took the salad in back and picked off the anchovies. This was clear because the salad still tasted like anchovies which is a very distinct taste. I would not recommend dining here. 

After dinner we walked back to our car at the visitors center and went back to the hotel to pack up as we flew out early the next morning. 

Other Activities 

Of course there are a bunch of other activities in Newport that we didn’t get to partake in. Here are a few highlights. 

More Mansions – There are several other mansions that offer tours and you can even get combined tickets that cover multiple mansions. 

International Tennis Hall of Fame – Tennis fans will want to check out this museum. 

Boat Tour & Water Sports – There are many harbor tours, seasonal whale watching tours, yachting experiences, sailing and more available in Newport. If you want to get out on the water you have many options. 

White Horse Tavern – This is  the “oldest operating restaurant in the U.S.” and is acknowledged as the 10th oldest in the world. This is an upscale dining option serving guests since 1673.

Festivals – There are several annual festivals in Newport that add additional opportunities for enjoyment. These include annual events like the seafood festival, boat show, flower show, and the oyster & chowder festival.

In Conclusion

Overall as a destination I loved my time in Newport. It is the perfect little town for a weekend getaway or as part of a larger trip through the area. We paired our Newport visit with time in both Mystic, CT and New Haven, CT and the travel between the three was very simple by car. 

I would recommend Newport for couples, families with teens or adult children, friend groups, and solo travelers. I think you get a great taste and feel for coastal New England here with the added attraction of the mansions which are unique to Newport. 

Newport is absolutely on my list to visit again! 

That was our Newport trip! I hope you found this interesting and informative. Considering a trip to Newport? I’m a travel advisor and would love to work with you! Check out my website katievtravel.com to request a vacation quote or email me at katiev@themagicsyours.com with any questions. I’d love to make your vacation dreams a reality!

Sailing Alaska With Disney Cruise Line – Part 2: Adventuring in Ports of Call

Hi, I’m Katie! Are you new here? I’m a travel advisor with The Magic’s Yours Travel! I send clients on vacations of all kinds all over the world but my specialty is Disney travel. Want to work together? Check out my website katievtravel.com to request a vacation quote or email me at katiev@themagicsyours.com with any questions. I’d love to make your vacation dreams a reality!

In July 2017 I cruised with Disney Cruise Line to Alaska. This is part two of a two part series about this trip. In this blog I will cover everything I experiences while in the Alaskan port. the ship and the second post will cover everything about the ports we visited during this cruise. 

You can read part one here: Alaska With Disney Cruise Line – Part 1: Onboard

Itinerary:

We flew from Maryland to Vancouver where we stayed for three nights before boarding the Disney Wonder to embark on our 7-night cruise to Alaska. This was my first time visiting both Vancouver and Alaska. 

The cruise itinerary was:

Day 1 – Embark From Vancouver

Day 2 – At Sea

Day 3 – At Sea – Endicott Arm 

Day 4 – Skagway 

Day 5 – Juneau

Day 6 – Ketchikan 

Day 7 – At Sea

Day 8 – Disembark In Vancouver

The Basics

On any cruise the ports along your itinerary are a major part of deciding to take the cruise. For Alaska this is even more true.

When you arrive to a new port there will be a scheduled time for when you can start leave the ship and a scheduled time for “all aboard” when you need to be back on the ship. The amount of time in each port varies. 

Getting back to the ship on time is crucial. They are not going to wait for you if you are running late. Make sure to pay attention to the all aboard time before you disembark and allow yourself plenty to time to get back onboard. You do NOT want to be left behind and have to catch up with your ship. Which in Alaska can involve very expense flights or boat charters.

Excursions / Port Adventures – These are activities booked through Disney Cruise Line and are typically guided tours, or experiences.

Excursion options typically include all of the highlights of a given port. You will find ones geared to families, adults, those who want to take it slow, or those who want to do something really physical, animal experiences, historical experiences, and so much more. 

If you book on your own excursion with another tour company you could find a better price. However, if you book through the cruise line and something goes wrong that makes your tour group late to get back onboard the ship the cruise ship will wait for you or make sure you are taken care of at Disney’s expense. If that happens on a tour you booked yourself with an outside tour company you are out of luck. You also have the extra comfort of knowing that the cruise line has vetted these tours and deemed them enjoyable and safe for their passengers. 

Disney Exclusive Excursions – On some itineraries there are even excursions exclusive to Disney Cruise Line passengers and these sometimes include Disney characters joining you during your excursion. For example you can pan for gold in with Donald Duck.

My Experiences In Vancouver

My cruise started and ended in Vancouver. There were options to book port adventures on embarkation and debarkation days. We didn’t do that instead we arrived a few days early and had some time to explore Vancouver on our own. Here are some of the highlights.

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park – This is a very popular attraction and here you will find a large suspension bridge and a whole course of treetop walkways and bridges. The suspension bridge was a little nerve wracking but thrilling to walk across. The treetop walkway course was a lot of fun. The tress are so big and it feels a little magical to be up high up in them walking around. I would recommend this for anyone who is not afraid of heights. They offered a shuttle from around downtown Vancouver so we were able to use that to get to the park which was about 30 minutes away from the city.

Gastown – A historic district of the city where you will find lots of shopping and dining with Victorian atmosphere. This is home to the famous Steam Clock a historic grandfather clock that stands on a street corner and is powered by steam. 

Granville Island – We hopped a water taxi over to Granville Island. This shopping and dining district had a more commercial feel than Gastown but was quite endearing. The large Public Market has lots of food offerings, and there were tons of stores to explore. Plus there were lots of restaurants to choose from with many featuring seafood. 

Stanley Park – A fantastic place for a drive and even better for a bike ride which is what we did. The park is on a peninsula and you can bike the perimeter and get great views of the bay. Along the way you can stop and head into the forest full of huge trees or stop and see some totem polls. We did just that and it was a lot of fun. There were several options for bike rental in the area and our hotel actual offered the free use of bikes to it’s guests so we were able to bike right on over to the park as it was not too far away. The park also offers tours, horse drawn carriage rides, beaches, a small train, dining, and an aquarium. 

Vancouver Harbor –  Located right next to the Cruise Terminal, Canada Place, the harbor is a great place for a nice walk with waterfront views. Don’t miss the Olympic Cauldron left from the 2010 Winter Games. The views here are great of both the city and the harbor. 

Skagway

Our first stop was in the tiny town of Skagway where the ship pulled right up to the town and we could walk from the ship into the main part of town in about 5 minutes which was great. Before our planned excursion started we explored the main street area of the town which had the look of the old mining town it once was but is now full of shops for tourist. We saw everything that interested us in about an hour and a half. 

Next up was our Port Adventure, we received a paper with instructions in our room the night before telling us where to meet our group. We went back onboard and we met in the designated location on the ship. We were then walked off the ship to a very cute street car which was part one of our tour.

We did the White Pass Railroad & Skagway Street Car City Highlights (SW50) the street car drove us around the town and told us the history of Skagway as a gold rush town and what it is like to live there today as a community based around summer tourism. This took about a half hour after which we were dropped at the train station. At the train station we boarded a vintage rail car and set off on a 95-minute trip up the White Pass & Yukon Route an engineering wonder first built in the 1890’s this trip offers amazing views of the mountains and surrounding landscape. You can get a great view from your seat inside the train car but we spent most of the visit on the exterior platform between cars. It does get colder the higher up you go so be sure to wear layers and bring some gloves and a warm hat. This train ride was a big highlight of the whole trip and I must have taken a thousand photos. It was a real look into the Alaskan wilderness and it was amazing.

When the train arrived in Fraser, British Columbia, Canada we hopped off and got onto a minibus which drove us back to the train station in town. On the way we got some more info about the area from the driver and made a few stops for photos. One of the stops was at the “Welcome to Alaska” sign which was a great photo-op. Back at the station we visited the gift shop and then walked back to the ship which took about five minutes. 

I would recommend this excursion highly, really any of the excursions that include the train ride as there were a few different ways you could ride the train. But if you have issues with heights this might not be for you. The train is basically on the side of the mountain. If you are doing a one way train ride make sure to ask when you board which side of the trail will have the views if you plan to sit for the majority of the ride. 

Juneau

In Juneau we were able to walk off the ship onto the doc but then had to grab a shuttle bus for a 10 minute drive into a transportation hub for the city. Juneau was by far the largest of the three and most resembled a small city to me. We did not have a Port Adventure booked for Juneau but had planned to visit the Mendenhall Glacier on our own. The cruise ship shuttle deposited us at a transportation hub and visitor center area where we are able to get a ticket for a shuttle bus to the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center.

Once we arrived after about a 20 minute ride we were dropped right in the parking lot of the glacier visitors center. From there we walked over to the short path that would take us to the glacier. The pathways here were paved and easy to navigate. You were able to get right up to the water to view the glacier. It was very cool to see a glacier so close! You could feel the temperature dropping the closer you got. There were park rangers around who could answer your questions. There was also a waterfall near the glacier. When we were done we turned around and went to the visitors center and explored some of the modest exhibits they had and a small gift shop. 

We then hopped back on the bus and went back into the center of Juneau where we walked around and saw some shops and grabbed a very basic lunch at a tourist restaurant themed to the Alaskan wilderness, the Red Dog Saloon. Then we made our way back to the ship. 

I enjoyed seeing the glacier a lot and getting there on our own saved some money and was not difficult. If an excursion is not in the budget I would recommend visiting the glacier on your own. But it you want to get closer of a more in-depth look at the glacier or simply maximum ease of travel look into a Port Adventure.

Ketchikan

This was another port were we could just walk right off the ship and into the center of town. In size and scope Ketchikan was between Skagway and Juneau. Instead of being an entire tourist town like Skagway, Ketchikan had just a portion that was themed to its historic roots that catered to tourists, Creek Street. This area was fun to explore and provided us about an hours worth of fun after our excursion.

For our Port Adventure in Ketchikan we went to the Rainforest Sanctuary and Totem Park (KE11). After meeting in or designated spot on the ship we took a tour bus about a half hour to the Hoth Rainforest where our guide met us. We then took a slow and not very long walk through the rainforest with frequent stops for the guide to tell us about what we were seeing. The end of the walk is on a raised walkway in a large open space where you can see lots of bald eagles in their natural habitat. 

Then you enter the Raptor Center where you can see bald eagles and other birds of prey who are being rehabilitated. You were able to get pretty close to them here and that was really great. We also were able to walk through an old saw mill that is now used for totem carving where we saw two artists creating a totem poll. 

I enjoyed seeing all of the components of this tour but the walk through the rainforest I had hoped was going to be more of a hike not a stroll on a path with lots of stops. If you want a slowed paced peek at the rainforest then I think this would be a good pick for you. But I would not pick this tour again for me. I would go with one of the Port Adventures that went further into the rainforest or an alternative adventure. 

Weather & Packing

Weather in the summer in southern Alaska is really hit or miss. We had a relatively dry week with only one day where it rained for most of the day. But you could just as easily get a week with a lot of rain. The temperatures were in the low 70’s during the sunniest days into the low 40s at night. But the only time I was outside at night was on the top deck and that means extra wind chill. Layers were key when packing and dressing. Bringing gloves and a warm hat around with you was a must. Waterproof shoes and a rain jacket with a hood are must packs in my opinion. If possible a higher-end waterproof jacket is a great investment for this trip and life. I ended up with one from The North Face. For shoes I recommend waterproof hiking boots and waterproof socks even if you don’t plan on really hiking.

Overall

My favorite of the three Alaskan ports was Skagway, the train experience was fantastic and the whole look of the town is what I imagined a small Alaskan town to be. 

Vancouver was a great port to have started at with a lot of options for things to do, you could take a trip to just Vancouver alone and have a great time. 

I liked booking Port Adventures through the cruise line because it did give me peace of mind that we would not miss the ship and that we were in good hands. However I did not find it challenging to be on our own in Jueanu. If I cruised Alaska again I would be comfortable going either way. 

Overall as a destination I really enjoyed Alaska. The scenery is one of a kind and so different from other U.S. travel destinations. Cruising to Alaska was certainly the easiest way to see different parts of Alaska. It also makes traveling with kids or a larger group much simpler.

The one downside was that we didn’t get a ton of time to explore further into Alaska. If I were to visit again as a second trip I would think about doing a land stay coupled with a cruise. Several cruise lines offer that type of itinerary as a land and sea package. 

My top suggestion is to really dive deep into what you want to do at each port and have a plan before your cruise then book those excursions early.

Read about the onboard experience here: Alaska With Disney Cruise Line – Part 1: Onboard

That was our Disney Alaska cruise! I hope you found this interesting and informative. Considering a cruise? I’m a travel advisor and would love to work with you! Check out my website katievtravel.com to request a vacation quote or email me at katiev@themagicsyours.com with any questions. I’d love to make your vacations dreams a reality!