Laughing Lindsay

Travel Reviews, Giveaways, & More!

Colonial Williamsburg Tavern Room Review

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Last month, my husband and I booked a somewhat last minute trip to explore a historic area of Virginia. We decided to book a Colonial Williamsburg Tavern Room for two nights and were pleasantly surprised by the experience.

Colonial Williamsburg Tavern Room

Colonial Williamsburg Tavern Room

When you visit this historical area, there are several options for lodging. We decided to book a tavern room in a colonial house because it sounded quaint, unique, and close to the attractions. While the room was naturally a bit dated, it was a fun experience that I would love to repeat.

Perks

One of the biggest reasons we booked a tavern room was the location! You can’t choose the house you stay in. However, just booking a colonial property means that you will be very close to the living history museum! We were pleasantly surprised to receive a room in a tavern right in the heart of the town! That made getting around as easy as walking outside! I highly recommend staying at one of the official resorts if you are visiting just for the ease of access!

Another awesome perk of staying with the official resorts is the discounts! For starters, we received length of stay tickets to Colonial Williamsburg! For us, that meant we got to visit all three days of our trip! We also received a coupon booklet with discounts for various restaurants and shops in the area. We used one on our nice dinner of the trip at the King’s Arms Tavern! Also worth mentioning is the discounts for staying here. Since we are Virginia residents, we received a discount on the room! So, take a look at all of the special offers before you book!

Things to Keep in Mind

No room or stay is perfect. So, I wouldn’t say these were complaints, but rather points to be mindful of if you book a Colonial Williamsburg Tavern Room. For starters, keep in mind that these colonial houses are older. While they have modern electricity and plumbing, there aren’t many plug ins or any usb plugins. Additionally, our bathroom was quite dated. The bed was hard and the pillows were flat. If you are wanting a more upscale room and amenities, one of the hotels might be a better fit for you.

Overall, we loved our stay in a tavern room and I wouldn’t hesitate to stay in another one. Have you ever stayed in a tavern room or colonial house?

Tips for Visiting SeaWorld Orlando

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This is a post I probably could have/should have written months ago. I visited SeaWorld Orlando on three separate trips in 2022, so I have plenty of tips for saving money and making the most of your trip.

Tips for Visiting SeaWorld Orlando

Tips for Visiting SeaWorld Orlando

By and large, visiting SeaWorld/Busch Gardens theme parks tends to be a pretty laid back experience, particularly if you are used to planning a Disney trip. So, my tips for visiting SeaWorld Orlando are about saving money and making the most of your day.

Saving Money at SeaWorld

There are a few ways to save money on your SeaWorld Orlando trip.

  1. Book a package. Initially, we booked one of these in February 2022. However, my mom had a conflict at work and we had to cancel the package. So, I can attest to the fact they are really easy to work with if you need to cancel or modify a package. The vacation packages involve booking a room near the park (typically a chain hotel) and comes with several days worth of tickets. It also comes with some additional discounts for merch.
  2. Look out for sales. I said this in my SeaWorld Orlando Animal Tours: What to Expect post. However, I almost always booked our add-on tours using a discount. Their Black Friday/Cyber Mondays specials are typically really good, with discounts being better than an annual passholder discount.
  3. Consider a Fun Card or Annual Pass. If you are going for multiple days, a Fun Card can be a good way to save money on admission. The Fun Card does not come with additional discounts though. An annual pass comes with free bring a friend passes as well as merch and food discounts. My advice: do the math to see if either option saves you money.

Other SeaWorld Orlando Tips

  1. Have a rough outline of the day. SeaWorld doesn’t post their schedule too far in advance, typically. However, a few weeks out you should be able to get a good idea of what shows are happening and when. So, I typically have a general idea of what we’d like to accomplish with a Google Sheet schedule for the day to help guide our day. FYI: the only meal you can pre-book is the Dine with Orcas meal and show. If you want to eat at Sharks Underwater Grill, you will have to join the waitlist at the podium when they open.
  2. Look out for special events. SeaWorld Orlando hosts several special events throughout the year. You can see my Christmas at SeaWorld Orlando Review as well as SeaWorld Orlando Spooktacular Halloween posts to see what you can expect at those seasonal events. They will have specialty food as well as entertainment during those events. So, be sure to pencil those into your day if they are of interest to you.
  3. Download the app. They no longer offer paper maps. So, be sure to have the app downloaded if you need help navigating the park. Additionally, the app has an up to date park schedule to help guide your day as well.
  4. Plan a break. Seeing as how we have never stayed near the park, we typically just sit down on a bench in the shade somewhere and people watch. This gives us a chance to re-charge and enjoy the rest of the day.

So, those are my tips for visiting SeaWorld Orlando. Do you have any others?

Must Try Food at Hersheypark

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One of my favorite things about traveling is getting to eat new things! So, I thought I would highlight some must try food at Hersheypark!

Must Try Food at Hersheypark

Food at Hersheypark

There is lots to see and do in Hershey, PA. However, some of my most memorable experiences involves the delicious food! Seeing as how the Hershey Company is known for chocolate, it makes sense that their theme park would have lots of tasty options. Personally, part of the appeal of visiting here was getting to try chocolate on everything. As you will see, any chocolate or sweet fan can find lots to try here.

Milton’s Ice Cream Parlor

I initially was going to tell you about some delicious ice cream whoopie pies I had here. However, when I went to write this post, I realized they were no longer available. Although, you can get some tasty ice cream to cool off with from Milton’s Ice Cream Parlor! You can also get a big bucket of chicken bites with various sauces here! We tried the chicken and were pleased with it. I don’t have pictures as we snacked on them during a sudden downpour outside and the restaurant was packed! Plus, everything was wet. Nonetheless, I can recommend stopping here for a quick bite to eat.

Mini Donuts

We loved trying the flavor of the month mini donuts from the East Coast Donuts Truck! When we were there, they had these tasty donuts with a marshmallow glaze and Fruity Pebbles cereal on top! This was straight up childhood nostalgia for me and I would eat these again in a heartbeat!

The Chocolatier Restaurant

The Chocolatier is a full-service restaurant and bar that is just at the gates of the park. It is open year round and is certainly a must-do for anyone visiting. The best thing I ate in Hershey was at this restaurant. I got a huge slice of Reese’s peanut butter and chocolate cake that I split with my mom. It was amazing! I don’t see it on the menu currently, but I’m sure any of the desserts here would be just as good.

Hersheypark Foods I Wish I Tried

Seeing as how we spent only a few days at the park, I didn’t get to try everything I wanted to. If I ever go back, I’d like to try the crabfries from Chickie’s and Pete’s as well as anything from The Sweeterie.

New Foods for 2023

Hersheypark just opened for its 2023 season and announced some new foods! The Simply Chocolate dessert shop will have new King Size Shakes flavors! They’ve also added a new Philly Cheesesteak Co. location in the Pioneer Frontier region of the park. Milton’s Ice Cream Parlor is now serving a Chicken Bacon Ranch Grilled Cheese and seasonally exclusive ice cream flavors like Lemon Meringue Pie! Lastly, The Chocolatier will have some new seasonal dishes including a Summer Berry Salad and Peach Upside Down Cake.

So, if you have visited, what was your favorite food at Hersheypark? If you haven’t been, what would you like to try?

How to Remember Loved Ones at a Wedding

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Anyone who has been a long-time reader of the site or follows me on social media knows that my dad passed away in 2012. So, when I got married in 2016, I had to plan the wedding without him. I’ve been wanting to write this post ever since, but I’ve never gotten the nerve up to do it. I guess there’s some guilt for having a celebration without him there. However, there are lots of ways to remember loved ones at a wedding, which helped me on my big day.

How to Remember Loved Ones at a Wedding

How to Remember Loved Ones at a Wedding

Weddings are supposed to be happy days. However, when a loved one is no longer around to celebrate, it can make for a bittersweet event. I found it helpful to remember my dad while forgoing some of the more traditional aspects of the big day. Here are some ways that I discovered to memorialize loved ones at a wedding.

  • Attach a picture to the bouquet. I bought a small photo frame on Amazon and put a picture of my dad on his wedding day in it. Then, I attached the photo frame to my flower bouquet. That way, it was almost like he was walking me down the aisle. I have also seen other brides simply display a photo of a loved one at the wedding.
  • Play a special song. I was initially supposed to dance the traditional father-daughter dance with my dad’s dad. However, my grandfather passed away two weeks before our wedding. So, I danced to a special song with my cousin instead. It was a song that both my dad and grandfather would have appreciated.
  • Serve a favorite food. I didn’t intentionally pick it with my dad in mind, however we served a peanut butter pork at our wedding. My dad loved peanut butter, as do I. So, I think he would have enjoyed that meal.
  • Acknowledge them in the ceremony. It doesn’t have to be something long and complicated. It can be a simple moment of silence to remember those who couldn’t be there. However, not acknowledging their absence can be awkward.

Do What Feels Right

No one can tell you the 100% right way to remember loved ones at a wedding. Do what feels right to you and your family. However, I hope these ideas are good enough to get you going in the right direction.

Loews Sapphire Falls Resort Review

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I made a trip to Universal Orlando Resort in February 2023 with my mom to experience Universal Orlando Mardi Gras again. On that trip, we were lucky enough to stay a few nights at the Loews Sapphire Falls Resort! So, I wanted to share my thoughts on our stay in a standard room.

Loews Sapphire Falls Resort

Sapphire Falls Resort

Sapphire Falls is now considered a Signature Collection Resort. While it does not come with Express Passes, it does have its own boat transportation to the Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, and City Walk! It will have bus transportation to Epic Universe.

This resort has a nice sit down restaurant as well as a classier vibe than the Prime Values. Staying here also gets you into the park an hour early, just like the other official resorts. I am very pleased to note that this resort is significantly quieter than Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Dockside or Surfside.

Standard Room

I really like the theming of this resort. From the individual lights outside each room’s door to the lighted mirror vanity in the room, it really is a nice place to stay. We found the room to be more than big enough for the two of us. You can see pictures of our room in this Instagram post.

Our only complaints about staying here involve the bathroom and they are minimal. For starters, the toilet had trouble flushing off and on. I’m not sure what the problem was, but it was struggling. We also had issues getting the toilet paper to stay on the holder as it kept falling down. It was funny the first few times, but then we stopped putting it on the holder to avoid chasing it. Lastly, I feel like the room could use a few more towel hooks, especially if you were going to have four people staying in it.

Food Options

Food is the category where I think you can really tell the difference between this resort and lower priced options, like Universal’s Aventura Hotel. The values and prime values have just quick service restaurants. Sapphire Falls has a quick service restaurant called New Dutch Trading Co. However, it also has a sit down restaurant, Amatista Cookhouse! I love eating dinner here with their tasty bread service and juicy chicken! The breakfast buffet has some great donuts too! Lots of choices here and I recommend eating here if you happen to be staying next door at Aventura.

Is Sapphire Falls worth it?

Overall, we were very pleased with our stay at Loews Sapphire Falls Resort. We got an annual passholder discount on the room, which made it a good deal. Between the boat service to the parks and good dining options, I would definitely stay here again.