a little travel, a lot of eating

when we travel, the three most important things are – and there is no specific order, as they are equally important – the hotel pool, the eateries outside of the hotel itself, and the cleanliness/moderness of the room.  we travel as a family quite a bit, so when looking for places to go and to stay, we have quite a few other ‘trips’ to compare it to.  this was probably one of the best trips we’ve had so far.

we selected a the westin beach front resort in fort lauderdale, florida – namely because we got quite a great deal and we know  that the westin chain has never failed us.  so with the ‘clean/modern room’ and ‘great pool area’ in place, all we had to do was do some research and we were good to go!  it’s actually hard to call the hotel itself and find out information of where else you can eat for decent coin besides the hotel - i think they are actually trained to not divulge too much information, they probably want to keep your money in house as much as possible right?

however, when speaking to the front desk – versus the ‘concierge’, whose duty really is to keep you fed and entertained with all services westin – they did divulge that there were great, affordable places to eat right down the street from this particular westin property, even a starbuck’s on the lower level of the hotel!  i’m sure the java prices go up a bit when it’s attached right to the hotel but, we figured it’s a great last resort for yogurt with granola for breakfast and maybe even sandwiches for lunch.  and who really can complain about an affordable piece of starbuck’s coffee cake for dessert when you are a little cheesecaked out?

so off we jet, to the land of sandy beaches and warm sun…upon arrival, we discover with delight that the hotel is only a $22 usd. ride from the airport, including tip.  i’m sure there is some type of cheaper way to travel there but, with 3 pieces of carry-on luggage, 3 of us and a stroller, taking public transit just does not jive.  and when traveling from vancouver, with the time difference – and this is departing at 845 am pst. – we arrive closer to 10 pm est.  a nice ride in an air conditioned vehicle, that gets you there in less than 20 minutes is exhilarating!

we arrive to the westin property and was not disappointed at all.  great service from the very start, with a friendly luggage attendant, a short 30 second wait at the desk and within 5 minutes we were settled into our king bed room.  it worked out well for us this time as they had a comfy chaise lounger in the room – fit for a little four year old who would rather not sleep with her parents anyways – so that we can indulge, just the two of us, in the comfy, firm king sized bed.

room service is served 24 hours at the hotel, with limited choices and the price tag to fit any type of ’room’ service so we thought we would venture out at around 11 pm that first night to see what was available to eat for dinner.  2 blocks down was a cvs, which is always awesome for anything that you need from toothpaste to beach toys, to books and magazines to yogurt or a 12 pack of corona for $15 usd.  what?!!  $15 usd??!!  don’t they sell it $6/bottle here in canada?  that is why we love traveling to the states!

to our dismay though, most restaurants there close at 11 pm or midnight on weeknights so we didn’t really find anything available that would satisfy our appetite then, we made our way back to the hotel and ordered the expensive room service.  the gentleman ordering a manly burger, and the little one and i each divulged into a kids meal – which i couldn’t finish anyways, which goes to show you another way to save some money on parts of your trip – order the kids meal!!

although we didn’t actually find something to eat that night, we definitely did our part in making note of all the places we will be eating at that week, just so that we are a bit prepared.  one thing that is important too, is a great breakfast place to go to in the morning, your trip is never as satisfying unless you had some great poached eggs, dry toast and fresh fruit to boot.  feel free to contact me if you want to know more, happy holidays!!

Add a comment December 24, 2009

the first step is to take the first step…could this finally be the time i’m allowing myself to actually go ahead with it?

it’s been a few months.  yes, not a lot of time but, a lot of time.  time is precious, that is always what i tell myself yet, i willingly let me convince me to let it pass by without getting anything done.  it’s easy to just make excuses and find other “more important” things to do, like watching that movie you’ve been dying to watch, or go to the mall to buy that “it’s what i’ve been looking for, for sooooo long now!”, or even letting yourself give into that soft, cushy thing called a ‘couch’.  it’s horrible, especially when i know what i can create when i put my heart & soul into something.  that’s right, i can create anything!

not all time has been lost though, of course spending time with my family is precious in itself.  i’ve also redefined my love of books – fiction literature just does not appeal to me like they did before i turned 26?? – reading about real-life characters and their passion for life, others, their missions, their stories…it can’t get any better.  they are truly the ones motivating me to do something for myself. 

a book that i am currently into is called ‘fifteen days’ by globe and mail journalist christie blatchford.  it’s about our canadian soldiers and the war in afghanistan.  it’s one of those ‘pick up and can’t put down’ books and it definitely has made an impact on me, my thoughts, where i am steering my energy, my motivation, and my mission.  i’ve always been one to be hugely impacted by stories of our men and women serving for our canadian forces – and this is not limited to just the army or the navy but, those everyday heroes too…that put their life on the line putting on that uniform and taking to our city streets with courage and bravery…wow, it’s starting to sound corny…i’m sure you know what i mean.

if you have some time this holiday season…check out the book – it would also make a great gift or stocking stuffer!!!

Add a comment December 19, 2009