Things to Do Near Pensacola, Florida

On Saturday, I arrived home after a two-week vacation with my family at Pensacola, Florida. This vacation is a special time for us since we spend it with my in-laws. Although we love finding new places to explore, the main goal of our vacation is to spend time as a family. Here are a few highlights of our trip:

1) The Beach: A trip to Pensacola would not be complete without a trip to the beach. The kids absolutely loved it this year. Last year, they were quite hesitant to get in the water. But this year, they ran right in and did not want to get out.

2) The National Naval Aviation Museum: We actually visited twice because our two boys loved it and it is free! On the second floor of the museum there is The Cockpit Trainers Exhibit, where you can actually climb into the cockpits of a variety of aircraft and pretend you are flying. On our second visit we stopped at the local lighthouse, however decided not to take the 177 steps to the top. We also visited a new addition called Hangar Bay One, which adds 55,000 square feet of space to the museum and hosts the R4D-5L Skytrain nicknamed "Que Sera Sera" which was the first aircraft to land at the South Pole.

3) USS Alabama Battleship: Located in Mobile, this is the first time we checked out the battleship. In the battleship, we took a self-guided tour. I found it very interesting to explore the ship. You have the chance to see the cafeteria, mess hall, bunks, brigs, a chapel, a doctor's and dentist's office, the bathrooms, stores, laundry room, and the infirmary. Some recommendations are to follow the arrows and numbers for the tour, wear sneakers since the ladders you will climb are very steep, and if you are going in the summer, go early. It is hot. There was also a submarine that you could explore as well.

4) Gulf Breeze Zoo: We all really enjoyed the zoo, but it was hot!!! I was amazed that when we first entered the zoo, there were peacocks roaming wild instead of in a cage. This zoo has giraffes, lions, tigers, bears, monkeys, and more.

5) Lambert's: This restaurant is located in Foley, Alabama and we visit every year. With the exception of last year, usually we wait at least 45 minutes to get a table. This year we arrived at 4:00 in the middle of the week and we still waited 45 minutes. The place is absolutely packed, but the food is good and they are known for their thrown rolls. Yes, they throw hot, delicious, rolls at you. I would visit just to eat their rolls.

Our vacation was a lot of fun and we also had plenty of time to relax and enjoy quality time with our family.

Family Vacation at Pensacola, Florida

During the past two weeks, my family and I went on a vacation to visit family near Pensacola, Florida. While two weeks may seem like a long vacation, it went by so quickly. I really appreciate our family vacations where time is spent relaxing and spending time with each other. It is even better when you can spend time with family members whom you do not get to see very often.

While in Pensacola, three frugal activities stand out as our family favorites.
1) Just spending time with our family, whether it is hanging out at the house, going shopping, putting on a movie, or eating at a favorite restaurant. We made sure to stop by Foley, Alabama and eat at Lambert's where they throw hot rolls at you-boy are they delicious.

2) The National Naval Aviation Museum: We actually visited twice because our two boys loved it and it is free! On the second floor of the museum there is The Cockpit Trainers Exhibit, where you can actually climb into the cockpits of a variety of aircraft and pretend you are flying.


3) Pensacola Beach: The boys loved standing near the edge of the water and feeling the waves, as well as finding seashells in the sand. We topped off this adventure with a wonderful lunch at Hemingway's where my oldest son honestly tried fish (Tilipia) for the first time and found out he liked it! Their food is quite delicious-so hats off to our chef!

My Favorites and Freebies at Walt Disney World

My family just spent the week at Walt Disney World-the most magical place in the World. If I had the chance, I would go every year. This was my kids' first visit and what an experience it was. I thought I would share with you my top 10 favorite things to do at Disney, as well as a few freebies I found along the way.

My Top 10 Favorites at Disney World (not in any order):

1) Roller Coasters- Both the Aerosmith Ride and Expedition Everest were awesome. The Aerosmith Roller Coaster is inside in the dark with neon signs along the way. It also goes upside down. On Expedition Everest, we went both forwards and backwards, and at the top of the ride we got a magnificent view of the Animal Kingdom.

2) The Lion King Show at Animal Kingdom.

3) Both the Muppets 3D show at Hollywood Studios and Mickey's PhilharMagic 3D show at the Magic Kingdom.

4) The Enchanted Tiki Room at the Magic Kingdom. The show is very entertaining and I would recommend getting an Orange Slush at the Sunshine Tree Terrace right outside of the show.

5) Character Dining at the Crystal Palace. You get to eat a fantastic buffet, as well as meet Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, and Tigger. We had originally decided not to do a character dining experience since it can be rather expensive. However, after a week of eating lots of hamburgers and french fries, we decided to splurge. It is one of the best choices we made. I would definitely do it again.

6) "SpectroMagic" Parade at Magic Kingdom. This parade is at night and all of the floats as well as characters have lights on them. After the parade, stay for the fireworks, where Tinkerbell flies from the top of the Castle.

7) Fantasmic. This show at Hollywood Studios is a must see. However, to get a really good seat, you need to show up about 90 minutes ahead of time. We were there an hour before and got in the very last section of seating. If you do not get a seat there is a spot for standing. In this show, the Disney Villains try to take over Mickey's imagination.

8) It's a Small World.

9) All of the Character's that you can meet. My children got to see: Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Pluto, Chip and Dale, Pinocchio, Daisy, Tigger, Piglet, Eeyore, Pooh, Captain Hook and Smee, Alice in Wonderland, and the Evil Stepmother and Stepsisters from Cinderella.

10) The Harmony Barbershop.

Freebies at Disney World:

1) You may have noticed my last favorite was the Harmony Barbershop. Did you know that the Magic Kingdom had a barbershop? Although haircuts are not free ($14 for kids and $17 for adults), they do give out a few freebies if your child is getting their first haircut. This is their specialty. My son got his first haircut and it was a special moment. The barber started out by giving him a bunch of stickers and then started putting a sticker on his clothes. My son spent the rest of the time putting stickers all over his clothes. After his hair was cut, the barber gave him his first set of Mickey ears. On the back of the ears it said First Haircut. He also gave him a certificate of bravery.

2) Stop at Guest Relations at any park and pick up a free pin. They have a variety of pins for anything you may be celebrating. They have pins for 1st visits, anniversaries, birthdays, engagements, just married, reunions, and there is a general pin that says "I'm celebrating."

3) Stop by Club Cool at Epcot to try out free samples of soda from around the world. I tried a soda that tasted like ginger ale. However, my husband tried a soda that tasted like medicine.

4) At the World Showcase, keep your kids busy by stopping at Kidcot Fun Stops. At their first stop they will receive a mask, a stamp from the country, and a paper charm. At each of the remaining stops they can get their mask stamped and pick up another charm.

We had a lot of fun at Disney and I can't wait to go again.