We’re kicking off our “series” in our own backyard, Crabapple. Crabapple is a loosely defined area on the border of Roswell and Milton. You’ll know you’ve arrived when you pass the red roofed silos that served as grain storage for a local farm once owned by the Hughes family. Locals were so smart to preserve these silos and have even created a local park so visitors can see old photos and enjoy the silos up close. I’ve included some interesting links at the bottom of this post if you care to learn about some of the locals for whom the roads have been named. They include two major league baseball players!
We took a long walk up Crabapple Road, passed the silos and entered what is now called “downtown Milton”. City Hall, a small amphitheater and lots of shops and restaurants make up this tasteful area. There are beautiful neighborhoods behind the shops and many of the homes have those gorgeous front porch swings that I’ve always wanted.
We ate lunch at Nest Cafe. There is a second location in downtown Alpharetta-another neighborhood we’ll be visiting! The restaurant is charming and the menu has a lot to offer. We started with beignets which were fantastic-how can they be bad?! I had a made-to-order omelet that was good. Leah had a smoothie that she liked and my son and husband had breakfast sandwiches that we very tasty. My youngest daughter had the “Nest Salad”. I think this was the winner as it was covered with fruit, veggies and sunflower seeds.
There are lots of great boutiques as well. We wandered through stores selling home decor, clothing and art. I especially love the consignment store, Twisted Thread and it’s neighbor Indigo Home & Design.
Helpful Links:
Nap Rucker-Brooklyn Dodgers Pitcher, mayor of Roswell
Johnny Rucker-“The Crabapple Comet”, played for New York Giants, featured on cover of Life magazine April 1, 1940
The area is filled with eateries. If you cannot find something to eat here, you’re not looking! There are cafes serving quick bites and fully-staffed restaurants. Some of my favorites include Vintage Pizzeria, Grand Champion BBQ (can’t speak for the meat, but the mac and cheese is killer) and my numbero uno, Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails! We’ve been going to Milton’s since we moved to Roswell when none of this area was developed. Back then, it was Mr. John B’s and the restaurant was housed in the original home of John Broadwell who developed prize-winning Broadwell Big Boll cotton (aka Double-Jointed Cotton). Milton’s is pricey and, quite honestly, as a vegetarian, there aren’t a lot of options. However, the service is impeccable and the setting is second to none. Perhaps they’ll elaborate on their veggie options one day soon.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through a link on this page, I may get a commission, at no cost to you. Any recommendations that I make are for products or services I have personally used and highly recommend.
Tootsie’s Bottom Line:
Savannah: A gorgeous, historic city. It’s a must see although not for young kids-no glitz
Dolphin Tour: departs Historic Jekyll Wharf, had a fun tour with Captain Phillip, saw both dolphins and manatees
Savannah
Summer was passing quickly, and I realized that a variety of commitments would prevent us from taking a family vacation this year. So, I stole a couple of days away with my girls for a quick trip to Savannah, GA and Jekyll Island, GA.
When I arrived in Atlanta over 20 years ago, I expected sweeping lawns, huge oak trees and large homes with oversized porches. Oh, and palm trees. Clearly, my knowledge of geography is abysmal. Instead, I found a busy city that over 4 million people called home with a continuously running billboard showing how quickly the population was increasing!
Shortly after moving South, we had some friends traveling to Savannah. They asked that we meet them there and I had a required reading assignment, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. I started the book but hadn’t come close to finishing when we went. We made the four-hour drive to Savannah, and I fell in love. This was the South I’d imagined. My friend and I toured the city, devouring everything we could find that related to “The Book”. “Midnight” by John Berendt was published in 1994 and called the New York Times bestsellers list home for 216 weeks! The non-fiction novel follows a sophisticated antiques dealer as he stands trial for murder. When I returned home, I read “The Book” (twice!).
I decided to share one of my favorite cities with my girls. We arrived in Savannah, and it is still one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen. This is the deep south where the pace is a little slower, the drawl a little longer, tea so sweet your spoon stands up in the glass and no one apologizes for enjoying a slower pace. Who could blame them? Savannah sits on the Savannah River and is home to 22 historic squares. The squares are like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Beautiful historic homes wrap the perimeter of each square with, what I would call, an urban garden in the center. The squares have a line of sight in each direction, allowing for communication long before anyone heard of a phone. You can walk on sidewalks right though the center of the squares or enjoy the longer route on the perimeter. Sadly, several squares were torn down before their value was truly realized.
We just stayed one night but enjoyed our time walking the squares, doing a little shopping and savoring a hugely different part of our beautiful state. We stayed at the Westin Riverfront which is across the river from the historic district. It can be reached by car or ferry (free). The hotel is beautiful, and service was excellent. Our room overlooked the water, and we enjoyed some time in the hot tub before sitting around a fire pit to make s’mores. Only downside is that you’re not in the historic district the minute you walk out the door, but the view is very nice and access is easy.
We ate breakfast before leaving town at one of my favorites, Clary’s Café. Clary’s is in “The Book” and I can assure you that despite having a steady flow of diners, they are not reinvesting much into the business. The food is very good and portions are generous. Mike took great care of us while we were there. Clary’s opened in the 1930’s as a drugstore and soda fountain. I’m guessing that Clary’s embraced the fame of “Midnight” and eliminated the drugstore to become a full service restaurant. You can easily find it if you’re walking the squares; it sits between Calhoun and Lafayette Squares. Great place!
Jekyll Island
Marriott Residence Inn, Jekyll Island
I made my first trip to Jekyll Island for our first Thanksgiving in Georgia. What a gem! If you are in fifth gear in Atlanta, you’re in second in Savannah and you’ll enjoy the gentle downshift to first when you arrive on Jekyll Island. Jekyll is one of the barrier islands on the coast of Georgia; it’s about a 90 minute drive from Savannah. As with so many places, its’ history is fascinating. This was once a winter haven and hunting ground for wealthy Northerners. In 1886 they established the Jekyll Island Club, it quickly became known as “the richest, most inaccessible club in the world”. The members, which included J.P. Morgan, William K. Vanderbilt, Joseph Pulitzer and William Rockefeller, built large homes they called cottages and a country club to enjoy meals and sporting activities. They built the charming “Faith Chapel” with the most beautiful stained glass windows, “David’s Window” by Louis Tiffany and “The Adoration of the Christ Child” by Maitland and Helen Armstrong. We did a tour of the property and I recalled what the guide told me 20+ years ago; “wiggle around in that pew, one-sixth of the world’s wealth sat in those seats at one time. Maybe some will rub off on you”. Fascinating that so few held so much and that they congregated on this small island!
We checked out two Marriott hotels for our brief stay. The first night was spent at the newly built Residence Inn. They’d opened a few weeks prior and were eager to make our stay as enjoyable as possible. We paid a pricey $400+ for one night but were traveling the week of July 4th. The king suite had a bed, pull out sofa and full kitchen. The hotel is ocean front with a pool, hot tub, fire pits and corn hole boards. A short walk over the dunes puts you on a beautiful quiet beach. Our stay included daily vouchers, $10 at the hotel market, $10 in food/beverage from the bar/restaurant, and free bikes for 4 hours for two people.
Lobby at the Westin, Jekyll Island
We spent the second night at the Westin just down the street. We stayed in a double queen room for about $350. Also ocean front, the lobby is beautiful and the hotel has a nice pool and hot tub. Another short walk over a bridge and you find yourself on the same beautiful beach with lots of quiet. No fighting for a place to sit on this island. No free perks at this hotel just for staying, bikes are available for rent and food/drinks are available.
The island is flat so biking is relaxing. We rode on the road and took a few trails through the woods. It was flat, easy riding. I often marvel at the courage of cyclists in the Atlanta area. Nothing to fear here!
We enjoyed a 90 minute dolphin tour that started at the Historic Jekyll Wharf near the Jekyll Island Club. We were on Captain Phillip’s boat. The tour was very relaxing and we enjoyed watching dolphins, birds, and manatees! Our hosts were Captain Phillip and his wife and they are not only funny but shared some interesting history of the island and the creatures that make their home in these waters. Definitely worth giving it a try.
Food is somewhat limited although there are far more choices than the last time I was there. We ate at Beach House Restaurant one night. It’s a pretty simple place that includes a little of everything. Nothing special; but we enjoyed wings and salad. Lots of fresh local seafood here and we don’t eat any of it, so please ask for suggestions.
Jeklyll Island is a little-known treasure but very much worth the visit. Enjoy the warm, salt air and the long exhale as you walk the quiet beach and take a step back in time.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through a link on this page, I may get a commission, at no cost to you. Any recommendations that I make are for products or services I have personally used and highly recommend.
Tootsie’s Bottom Line:
A must see if you are visiting or live in the Atlanta area!! This is such a refreshing change from suburban life without the insane crowds that we so often assume will accompany a trip “downtown”. Make time to spend at least a few hours enjoying this great spot that offers so much.
A new landmark in an old landmark; Ponce City Market, is a shopping, dining and entertainment destination. The building was formerly home to the southeast headquarters of Sears, Roebuck & Co. and more recently City Hall East. In typical Atlanta form, history hovers in the background as 21st century living settles in.
History
Like many of my favorite places, Ponce City Market has lived many lives. In the early 1860’s Ponce de Leon Springs, as it was called, became an attraction because of the natural springs that were thought to cure aging. In the early 1900’s, the area continued to draw crowds when it became the Ponce de Leon amusement park affectionately known as “the Coney Island of Atlanta”. On the North side of Ponce sat a four acre lake that was filled in to build a baseball park that was home to the minor league baseball team, the Atlanta Crackers. The team played here until their move to Atlanta Stadium in 1965. In 1925, Sears Roebuck bought the space occupied by the Ponce de Leon Springs and built an 8 story building that served as a retail shop and distribution center until it closed in 1989. Imagine going shopping and watching a baseball game from inside the store! All possible for several decades right here at what is now Ponce City Market.
Getting There/Parking
Ponce City Market is a multiuse development, home to a “dining hall”, boutiques and residential space. Located at 675 Ponce de Leon Avenue NE, Atlanta, in the Old Fourth Ward near Midtown and Poncey-Highland neighborhoods. It sits at the intersection of the Beltline and Ponce de Leon Avenue. Parking at Ponce City Market includes a large deck with direct access to the Central Hall.
Eating
The “Central Dining Hall” has something for everyone including a charming name for a food court with some eat-in restaurants. There is everything from drinks, entrees and desserts. We chose to grab lunch at H&F Burgers and eat at a table in the hall. I enjoyed the veggie burger, while my son and husband had the “Original H&F” . My youngest daughter had the Junior Cheeseburger. Of course, we had to sample the onion rings and fries. We all enjoyed our meals but didn’t feel like our burgers lived up to the reputation-good, not great. Regardless, the Central Hall was a fun place to enjoy a meal and choosing where you want to eat is not easy! You can find what PCM has to offer here.
Shopping
We made our way outside the Central Hall and enjoyed many of my favorite shops and some new ones as well. One of my favorite things about Atlanta is the weather. PCM takes full advantage of being able to enjoy shopping while getting some fresh air. Ponce is filled with stores and kiosks where you’re sure to find something you’ll love!
The ROOF
You need a ticket for this ride, but it’s worth it! Access to the roof is granted with a day or annual pass or a dining reservation. Enjoy cocktails while taking in some of the best views Atlanta has to offer. Restaurant dining is also available on the roof at 9 Mile Station. 12 Cocktail Bar claims to be “Atlanta’s most influential cocktail bar”. Don’t know about that, but it’s pretty cool and offers cocktail classes where you can create handmade cocktails while enjoying a view like none other in Atlanta. The pièce de résistance is Skyline Park which hosts amusement style games and rides. Your trip back in time will include games like skee ball, ring toss and derby races. There is something for everyone here but plan ahead, it gets crowded!
Sounds dorky but Ponce City Market hit all of the right notes. It was a unique outing with good food, great entertainment and a new discovery in our hometown! Certainly a must see if you’re visiting Atlanta and a perfect way to spend a day if you live here.
Oprah is on the move and she’s as good as you remember! I bought a ticket to the 2020 Vision tour for her stop in Atlanta. FYI, It’s a day-long event, a pretty important detail that was overlooked in the ticket information when I made my purchase!
Let me say, the ticket is well worth the money. 2020 Vision is a workshop dedicated to helping everyone create a plan to build a life in which the mind, body and spirit are in balance. Upon arrival, each seat held a goody bag with Oprah’s name. It had a workbook filled with exercises for the day. There were also some samples of products and a voucher for lunch. Nice touch!
The day was great! The morning session was filled with Oprah talking and sharing stories in a lecture format, as always though, she’s inspiring. The foundation for the day is identifying one word that will become your “2020 Vision”. She then takes you through supporting exercises with and without the workbook to help create the focus necessary to transform your “word” into your manifesto for 2020. During the afternoon session, she has a guest speaker and continues to share more about herself and how she ended up where she is. I’ve broken the day down into more detail below.
Great music greeted us when we arrived at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. Shortly after 9:00, the day started with some dancing and motivational words provided by Daybreaker. Their goal: “to ignite all five senses and dance with reckless abandon, sober, first thing in the morning.” This lasted about an hour and got everyone out of their seat and fully engaged!
Around 10:00, Oprah took the stage. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard Oprah speak, and let me tell you, she’s exactly as you remember. Despite all of her fame and fortune she is still so relatable. She’s been away from the spotlight for years, and I’d forgotten just how great she is! She came out on stage, and it was just like the old days with her show. She was immediately at ease talking to me (and 12,000 other “me”s) like my best friend would. It’s amazing, really, how someone with so much brings it all back to the most basic thing that we all share, the human condition. We are a work in progress, and Oprah would be the first to say that she is too. This is a life long journey-one we are all on together, and we are better for sharing, learning from and helping each other.
A brief break during the morning session was a short meditation led by Jesse Isreal from The Big Quiet. He kicks off the session with some basic guidelines for the mediation and a reminder to be gentle with ourselves; this is a process! Pretty cool to sit with 12,000 people in near silence and a great way to refocus for the balance of the morning.
The session breaks for a lunch that’s included with your ticket. Following lunch, Julianne Hough comes on stage to get everyone out of their seats and moving again. By the time Oprah returns to the stage, everyone’s re-energized for the afternoon session. The afternoon is comprised of a guest speaker or Visionary, interviewed by Oprah and more sharing that’s geared to motivate even the least interested attendee! The guest speakers change with each location; Dwayne Johnson was the Atlanta guest. He shared stories about his life, how he’s dealing with the recent passing of his father and his secrets for success. A great interview, and of course, motivational!!
As great as Oprah is, at no time does she sugar-coat things and pretend that life isn’t hard. She calls out her own difficult times, both public and private, and shares deeply personal stories. Some I had heard, and some I hadn’t. You walk away knowing that she has worked hard both in her craft and in her soul to be where she is now. I highly recommend attending one of these, if you are able. There’s probably very little here that I haven’t heard at some point, yet there’s so much to be gained from having it consolidated into one day. Thanks, Oprah for giving me an excuse to dedicate a whole day to me (and ultimately the people in my life). It is something that I NEVER do.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through a link on this page, I may get a commission, at no cost to you. Any recommendations that I make are for products or services I have personally used and highly recommend.
Take Care/Of or simply Care/Of is a customizable vitamin supplier. They ask that you take a short quiz to identify areas of concern then recommend vitamins.
Cost: About $35 for a 30-day supply of vitamins customized for you
Opinion: Really impressed with the vitamin combination I received. I have a ton of energy, sleeping great and overall feel fantastic!
Daily packets have your name and an “Interesting Fact”; recommended to be taken with a meal
Overall Impression: Incredible! Outstanding product design, presentation, ease of use and ability to adjust as needed
Brochure with details about daily vitamins
I am super excited to share this! I have to be honest though. While the vitamin world is intriguing, and I occasionally get jazzed about vitamins to supplement my diet with the right things, I’m inevitably overwhelmed by the offerings in the grocery/health food store or online. I found Care/of through a search for something a little more personalized for my needs and want to share my experience.
Please know that I am a sucker for great marketing, and these guys have it down! I’m sharing a bunch of pictures because I’m so impressed with the product that I received. They specialize in customizing vitamins for YOUR needs. In order to do that, you complete a quiz about your health issues, concerns, and goals. You’ll need to share your name, age, location, and email(of course).
When you go to the site, you’ll select the the things that you need the vitamins or powders to help with. See the screen shot above. For each of the areas that you pick, you’ll be asked a handful of questions for more specific information about your needs and goals. Once you complete the survey, you’ll be presented with recommendations along with a description of why those are being recommended.
I took advantage of an offer on the landing pageto get my first month’s supply. In order to save some money, I only ordered the pills and decided to give that a try before diving in and doing the powders as well. I’d already been taking some of what was recommended, and some were totally new to me. They also offer free shipping over $20!
The package arrived about a week later, and I was blown away! They’ve created a compact container with the vitamins in biodegradable daily packages (how great is that?!?!) and a brochure explaining the benefits of each of the vitamins included and the recommended powders. Each vitamin pack has my name on the front and a cute daily phrase/fact.
Okay, I know what you’re thinking: packaging is great, but what are the results? Totally impressed! I have been taking my daily dose each morning for a couple of weeks and feel fantastic. My energy is great; I don’t have the afternoon slump that I’d indicated in my survey. As far as the impact of the other vitamins, well, I can’t see if they’re helping. What I can see and feel, I’m truly impressed with. To be honest, I didn’t think vitamins could really make a difference; I looked at them as a nice supplement to my diet. I’m going to stick with my current regimen, and if my needs change, I’ll retake the survey to make the necessary adjustments. Care of has really got something here!
Please be aware that this is a subscription service that you can cancel or pause at any time. If you don’t want the next month’s supply, you’ll need to go to your account and take the appropriate action (see below). Your quiz results are associated with your profile, so you can take a break if needed. To do this, go to Account Settings–>Your Plan–>Pause. You’ll be asked why you want to “pause”. If you choose cost, you’ll be offered the opportunity to reduce some of the recommended vitamins.
If you’re interested, be sure to sign up for the initial offer, and give this awesome product a try. I hope your experience is as great as mine has been! Let me know your thoughts once you’ve tried them!
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through a link on this page, I may get a commission, at no cost to you. Any recommendations that I make are for products or services I have personally used and highly recommend.
What do Larry Bird and the French Lick Resort have in common? They both call French Lick home! Having lived in Boston for a number of years, I was well aware of Larry Bird’s hometown. What I didn’t know is that long before Larry Bird walked into the Boston Garden, people were traveling to French Lick and West Baden, Indiana to visit resorts that share their names!
In 1845, naturally occurring sulfur springs inspired Dr. William Bowles to build the French Lick Springs Hotel and invited guests to experience the “miracle waters”. Seeing the success of the French Lick Resort, the West Baden Springs Hotel was built a few years later just one mile away. Another health resort touting the benefits of the springs. Wealthy socialites would travel up to 100 miles by train to stay at these resorts and enjoy casinos, spas, golf, etc. These resorts had it all! Al Capone is said to have enjoyed his time here and FDR announced his intention to run for president at a National Governors’ Conference at the French Lick Springs Hotel!
Currently, the French Lick Resort is comprised of both hotels, the French Lick Springs Hotel and the West Baden Springs Hotel. The town is so charming and the hotels have been beautifully restored. They remind me a bit of the Biltmore Estate and the incredibly luxury that the wealthy enjoyed. They give you glimpse into the life of America’s socialites in the roaring 20s.
I’ve included links below to great articles about the history of both hotels. They include great pictures from when these hotels were in their infancy and today. If those walls could talk……
It is always inspirational to see where people started. Larry Bird’s roots are modest. No fancy cars or houses. Plain and simple-talent and hard work. From what I’ve read, his childhood wasn’t easy but he certainly made the most of it. We made a quick photo stop outside his house-wonder how many times a day that happens?!
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through a link on this page, I may get a commission, at no cost to you. Any recommendations that I make are for products or services I have personally used and highly recommend.
Tootsie’s Bottom Line
Marriott Avalon: prices vary widely-rooms: standard with 2 queens or 1 king; some larger rooms available. Very elegant hotel for a reasonable price. Parking: self-park $10/day; valet: $15/day
Branch and Barrel: $15+, open for lunch and dinner. Cozy interior; it has potential but our meals were average, at best
Goldbergs: serves breakfast, lunch and dinner; we had a delicious breakfast. Great bagels!
The Hotel at Avalon lobby
Avalon in Alpharetta is one of my favorite places to shop, eat and just be. We decided to make a night of it and eat, shop, and stay! I booked a room at the Hotel at Avalon; it’s one of the Autograph Collection in the Marriott chain.
Standard room with 2 queen beds
Walking into the lobby felt like walking into a hotel in Beverly Hills. The entrance is stunning! The concierge desk is tucked into the back so you are greeted by a beautiful sitting area that adjoins the in-house restaurant, South City Kitchen. There’s a large fireplace in the lobby and lots of comfortable seating. The lobby is filled with the smell of whatever is cooking at South City Kitchen and it smells delicious!! We need to eat here soon!
I made the reservation last minute and was able to get a larger than standard room with two queen beds for the same cost as the standard room! We were given rooms on the 12th floor that overlooked the parking deck and highway outside. Not ideal, but from the 12th floor it was still a pretty view. The room itself was beautiful. The bathroom is spacious with good counter space for storing things and getting ready. Really nice hotel in a great location!
It was a rainy night-not the best time to be at an outdoor venue but we were going to make the most of it. We chose to eat at Branch and Barrel. Even in bad weather, Avalon’s restaurants are jamming. Strangely, at 6:00 on a Saturday night, the restaurant was only half full. This was strange to me since the restaurant is charming inside and the food smelled great.
We ordered a variety of food for dinner. We had the Crispy Salt and Vinegar Brussel Sprouts to start. They sounded delicious, but after a few, the saltiness was overwhelming, and they were left unfinished. My son ordered the Braised Beef Brisket entree with mac and cheese and green beans. According to him, this was basically pot roast with gravy. My husband had the Braised Brisket Sandwich which fell flat and also tasted like pot roast. My daughter ordered mac and cheese off the kids menu that (even after she salted it three times) tasted like a creamy, bland pasta sauce. I ordered a house salad with ranch. The salad was simple but tasty. Unfortunately, after eating it, I noticed two hairs on the plate. We told the waiter who, of course, comped the salad. That ruined the best thing on the table! Plain and simple, this was a bust for us!
We tried Goldbergs for breakfast. They have a wide variety of food from breakfast to salad to sandwiches and burgers. My son ordered a bacon and egg breakfast sandwich from a specials list that was a sandwich made with french toast. He devoured it! My daughter and husband had breakfast plates with eggs and a choice of meat. Both were very happy with the food. I loved my made to order omelet and bagel. Good, solid food. We’ll be back!
The Hotel at Avalon entrance
Marriott Credit Card: Benefits I enjoy: Because I’ve accumulated a good number of points, I get a complimentary room upgrade, when available. With this reservation, the nicest room was priced at the same rate as the smaller room so there wasn’t an upgrade available. When this happens, you either receive additional points or a food voucher. The food voucher at Avalon is for South City Kitchen. We weren’t able to use the food voucher, so I took the points!
Marriott Credit Card Information: I don’t use any credit cards that don’t give me something in return. The Marriott Visa that I carry gives me a free night stay in a hotel every year worth 25,000 points. That pretty much offsets the annual fee. In addition, you get 6 points for every $1.00 that you spend in a Marriott. We don’t travel a lot but try to stick to the Marriott brand when we can.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through a link on this page, I may get a commission, at no cost to you. Any recommendations that I make are for products or services I have personally used and highly recommend.
OK, so I’m a bottom line kind of girl. Here’s Tootsie’s bottom, bottom line!
Roland Garros: signs to other majors
Cruise ports are not always near your desired destination. Know upfront that significant time can be spent travelling
We didn’t book any tours through our ship because research told us that the smaller tours gave more bang for the buck BUT, you have to do your research. We used Trip Advisor and Cruise Critic.com as our primary sources for information as well as tour providers’ sites and good old fashioned research.
Figure out which places are most important and spend your tour dollars there.
Trevi Fountain-making a wish to return to Rome
If you do group tours, be flexible and accept that you may not see everything you want.
Remember, you’re only sampling the destinations.
Weather: we traveled in late May/early June and found it warm to hot
Dress code: like the U.S., most places don’t have strict dress codes; however, many churches require covered shoulders and knees. Bring a backpack to add/remove what you need
To maximize your dollar, eat a big breakfast before leaving the ship, eat lightly during the day and return for dinner and entertainment. The cruise allowed us to let someone else worry about logistics-travel, meals, etc. Sounds crazy, but sometimes having fewer choices makes life easier!
Eat local specialties when it fits your diet. In our case, lots of gelato! Finally, this was an incredible opportunity for my daughter and I to have some time together sharing this adventure before she sets off on the next big step in life.
Bored or exhausted?
Sunset on cruise
We have a tendency to go until we literally cannot go anymore. If you read the Paris and Barcelona blogs, we started our days super early and often didn’t get back to our hotel until 11:00 PM or later having walked much or all of the day. An unexpected but HUGE perk of the cruise was the departure times of the ship. We had to end our day by late afternoon most days so we put in full days, but not so full that we were exhausted. That allowed us to relax on the ship rather than try to squeeze one more thing into the day. Instead, we had relaxing dinners, talking about the day and either went to an evening show, watched a movie on the pool deck or just talked.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through a link on this page, I may get a commission, at no cost to you. Any recommendations that I make are for products or services I have personally used and highly recommend.
About six years ago, following the blur of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s, I made the time to sit down and total how much we’d spent on eating out during the holiday season. It was staggering!!! If you know anything about me, you know that I am far from a foodie which means that I/we spent all of this money eating at sport bars and other family-friendly restaurants. I’m not a budget person or one who watches every dime, but I knew that I’d let far too many dimes slip out of my hand and not enjoyed them enough.
I decided to make one simple change in my life. Each week, I’d withdraw $200.00 cash. It was going to be used for groceries and eating out. Now, I’d be lying to say that this has worked flawlessly, but it immediately changed my life! I adore Target and was there most days of the week just grabbing something for dinner and whatever else I saw and needed or liked. My kids were still pretty young so it was one-stop shopping at its best! Target immediately came off my list of places to shop. I simply didn’t go, so I wasn’t tempted to overspend.
I was a faithful Publix shopper so I went back to making grocery lists and meal planning. My kids will tell you that I still say, “if it’s not BOGO (buy one get one free), then, it’s no go”. I truly made my meal choices based upon what was on sale; the exception is always produce which I try to buy on sale. Of course, all of the meal is unlikely to be on sale, but it’s often the case that several to many of the ingredients are on sale, at least at Publix. I am back at the grocery store mid-week to refresh my produce and because a new sale starts on Wednesday at Publix; I benefit from two sales each week!
For the weekdays, I planned meals most Mondays through Wednesdays and Thursday is leftover night. Friday always has been, and still is, pizza night. Instead of eating out in restaurants, we bring it home. Our $50+ pizza night went down to $15 plus the cost of drinks that we already have at our house. We still eat out, but try to make it occasionally so that it’s a treat and we enjoy it. There are certain times of the year that we seem to eat out a lot; and honestly, I use most of the $200 for groceries now that my kids are older. Sometimes (seldom) when I was running low or out of cash, we’d have breakfast for dinner. It’s inexpensive and my kids thought it was fun to eat eggs or pancakes for dinner!
The cash approach spilled over into clothing and travel. I love to shop but I also LOVE to do research, and I don’t need anything so badly that I can’t wait. Most things go on sale, even if it’s only for a weekend. I wait patiently, try to combine offers when I can, and if there’s something I really want, REALLY want, I just pay full price. It’s rare though.
Travel can be a lot more challenging with a family and kids on a school schedule. We try to travel in the off-season or as close as we can get. I try to buy clothing in advance, i.e. for the next season, during sales. As much as I love to save, there are just some things that I don’t have the patience for. I have no problem buying used clothes, but have no patience for digging through store racks to find a good deal, either in a department store or a thrift shop. This just isn’t my scene, so I find a happy balance. Time is money after all, and that’s not how I want to use my time.
Give the cash thing a try, let me know what happens. If nothing else, I think you’ll be surprised at how protective you get of those $20 bills.
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Please note that the posts about Barcelona, European Cruise and Paris relate to a single trip. The trip started in Barcelona where we stayed for two days prior to boarding a 7 day cruise. Following the cruise, we flew to Paris for two more days.
Tootsie’s Bottom Line:
Hotel: we stayed at the Marriott Renaissance Le Parc Trocadero. Again, looking to save money, we used hotel points. Location was great-walking distance for us to most things
Tips: the sites we went to were a good distance apart and, in a desire to get some exercise, we walked 15+ miles each day. Uber is an easy and cost-effective alternative
The list of places I want to visit has always been long but never included Paris. Having heard people rave about it over the years, I’d become more interested in visiting. It didn’t disappoint, and like so many others, I feel in love with the city!
The cruise ended for us in Barcelona where we headed to the airport for a quick flight to Paris.
Versailles & Paris
The Palace of Versailles
The trip to Paris was an easy add-on to the cruise. We arrived early from Barcelona, and after dropping off our bags at the hotel, we got an Uber and went immediately to the Palace of Versailles. This was something that Leah really wanted to do, so I wanted to make it happen, if at all possible. If you imagine a palace, this is it! It is absolutely massive and seeing the home of Louis XIV was so cool. The gates, the palace itself, the gardens, there is so much to see. My favorite part of the visit was walking through the gardens. We were there on a Sunday, and music was being played throughout them. We stopped for an ice cream in a cafe nestled in the woods. We spent the whole afternoon there, and could have stayed for days. Throughout the gardens, families were enjoying the warm weekend afternoon. Clearly, Versailles is loved by locals and tourists alike.
Overlooking the gardens at Versailles-notice the golf fish in the fountain
We did the Seine River cruise at 10:00 PM, and it was incredible. Our hotel was about a 15-minute walk to the Eiffel Tower, so we walked over and enjoyed the street vendors and shows on our way there. The boat tour starts at the base of the Eiffel Tower, so we got our tickets there and waited for our tour. We were exhausted at this point, but even after dark, Paris looked magical. What a nice way to end our first day!
Paris
We started our day with a trip up the Eiffel Tower where the views of the city were breathtaking. We walked from there to Notre Dame. Not a short distance but the company was great! Notre Dame was beautiful, but we didn’t stay long as a service was in progress, and we felt a little disrespectful moving around as tourists. Given the fire in April 2019, we are so glad we were able to see this beautiful cathedral.
Johnson & Sock vs. Herbert & Mahut on Court 1 at Roland Garros 2018
We sat with someone on our way from Barcelona to Paris who told us that he’d attended the French Open at Roland Garros. We managed to get tickets in the afternoon for same day play and paid around $30 per person. There were no tickets for the “named courts” (top courts) but given that, we were shocked to get any tickets and we took what we could get. Probably some of the best money I’ve every spent! The venue was small and intimate and there were large screens showing top court play. We had full access to the numbered courts and went straight to court 1 and watched Sock and Johnson (US) play local favorites Mahut and Herbert (FR). It was a great match but the Americans lost in two sets. Our seats were incredible and I still cannot believe that we were able to watch the round of 16 play!
That evening we took an Uber from dinner to the Arc de Triomphe and enjoyed views of the city’s lights. The flame at the base burning in memory of the unknown soldier was especially moving. We stopped for our last chocolate mousse and took the long walk back to our hotel.
Again, Paris had never been at the top of my list of places to visit, but I would love to go back and have more time to spend in the City of Lights. Yes, a city is a city, and each has its own character, but Paris is truly unique and so special. I understand why people fall in love with this magical place. I look forward to my return.
