Laughing Lindsay

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Graystone Lodge Boone Review

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Back in May, my husband and I spent the night at the Graystone Lodge in Boone, North Carolina. Seeing as how there’s not too many reviews on it, I thought I would post one.

Graystone Lodge

Graystone Lodge

When my husband and I visited Tweetsie Railroad back in May, we opted to spend a night at the Graystone Lodge in Boone. It’s a recently refurbished and re-branded hotel in the Choice Hotels chain. It’s a part of their Ascend Hotel Collection, signaling it’s a touch nicer than some of their other hotels.

King Bedroom

We spent the night in one of their King rooms. We loved having a huge bed to spend the night in! I was impressed with the refreshed room. The lighted picture of the mountains on the headboard was a nice touch! It felt authentic to the area.

The room was more than sufficient for our one night stay. The bed was ok, not the best or the worst. The sheets were a little scratchy on my skin, but nothing too bad. I appreciated how quiet the room was, as that’s not always the case in hotels.

The best part was probably the free breakfast! I loved the selection of bagels and donuts from a local bakery! They even had biscuits and gravy! I will often skip a free hotel breakfast, but this one is worthwhile!

Pros

  • Had hot water – Some hotels have just warm water. Not here. You can get legitimately hot water here.
  • Nicely decorated – We enjoyed the subtle decorations about the hotel that really suited the area.
  • Beekman toiletries – I was thrilled to discover the Beekman 1802 shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in the bathroom. It’s a nicer brand that I was tickled to try and made for a luxuriating experience.
  • Great breakfast – It’s nice when a hotel comes with a free breakfast. This is one of the better ones. I love that they get bagels and breads from a local bakery.
  • Recently refurbished – I didn’t notice anything broken or in dis-repair. Everything looked well done.

Cons

  • Water can get too hot quickly – While I appreciate the hot water, it did get too hot a little quick. So, be careful.
  • Sheets were scratchy – I have sensitive skin and had just shaved my legs that day. I found the sheets to feel a little scratchy on my legs in particular. It may be just me though. Also, it didn’t keep me from sleeping.
  • Small sink counter – If you are someone who needs a big bathroom sink to spread out, that will be a problem here. If you don’t require much space, then you should be good.

Is the Graystone Lodge worth it?

We paid $190.77 for the night we stayed. I think it was totally worth that amount, especially if you think about how much breakfast can cost. I enjoyed my stay here, but I might also look at other options in the area if I visit Tweetsie again. So, have you ever stayed here?

Solo Oogie Boogie Bash Tips

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Are you considering taking a solo Oogie Boogie Bash trip? Then, here’s a post for you!

Solo Oogie Boogie Bash

Solo Oogie Boogie Bash

Disneyland‘s annual Halloween party began on Sunday! So, you may be planning or contemplating attending this year’s event by yourself! If so, I have some experience that I can use to tell you about to help put you at ease!

My Experience

I attended the 2024 OBB by myself and had an excellent time! In fact, I may be heading there by myself again this year. 😉 Suffice it to say, I really enjoy myself at this seasonal party. I love seeing the park decked out in Halloween decor and getting to meet the characters dressed up for the occasion! I also love the parade at this party! Let’s not forget the treat trails and Villains Grove!

Last year, I had a light dinner and a peanut butter coffee to start my night! I relaxed around Pixar Pier while eating my dinner on a bench and people watched. Finally, at 6 o’clock the party began! I headed over to the plain treat trail nearby (the one without a character) to get a good start on filling my bag. Then, I hit up the Sid treat trail (which had a pretty good wait at that point in the night). I decided then and there to attempt to visit all 12 treat trails in one night.

Next, I enjoyed some snacks at the dessert party and watched the parade. I then beelined it towards Villains Grove before everyone else had the chance to head over after the parade. Then, I ran around hitting up the other 10 treat trails! Once I finished those, I decided to ride Radiator Springs Racers! There wasn’t much of a wait around the second parade and it was nice to see it at night.

After that, I was pretty tired and decided to call it a night. I headed back to the room with a bag overflowing with treats!

Tips for Attending by Yourself

  • Have an idea of what you want to do – I decided early on in the night that I wanted to attempt to hit up all 12 of the treat trails. So, that set the tone for the night. I ran around the park just to hit them all up.
  • Go fast or go slow – Being alone, you can move much quicker than when you have to wait for someone else or discuss plans. However, the opposite can also be true. You set the pace and you can decide to sit and rest for a bit. It’s up to you how fast you go.
  • Don’t be afraid – People are enjoying themselves and don’t care if you are by yourself. The characters won’t care either. Although, if you attend the dessert party, you will be seated with other single folks or couples.
  • Consult the map or app – Most of the party will happen after sunset. So, you may need to consult a map or the app to figure out where things are. It can be helpful to get an idea of what you want to do in the daytime and then try to find it beforehand.
  • Have fun! – It’s your night! Do what you want! Enjoy it!

Attending Oogie Boogie Bash Solo

I love traveling by myself. I get to enjoy things without worrying about someone else. It can get lonely at times, but there’s lots of opportunities to interact with other guests and the characters at this party. So, are you considering attending or have you attended OBB by yourself?

The Best Halloween Theme Park Events

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It’s hard to believe, but it’s almost time for Halloween theme park events to begin for the year! So, I thought I would do a little overview of some of the various options for people who are trying to decide which one(s) are right for them.

Halloween Theme Park Events

The Best Halloween Theme Park Events

I will start this post by saying that the best Halloween theme park event is highly subjective. Not every event is for everyone. Before purchasing tickets to visit any of these experiences, I recommend you consider:

  • Location – If you don’t have the means to fly across the country, then maybe choose a smaller event closer to home.
  • Budget – Some of these experiences are included with a regular theme park ticket, but most are not. Don’t go into debt just to see something spooky.
  • Comfort with spookiness – I know that lots of people love the horror events. However, not every person has the capacity to endure muchless enjoy these events. There are loads of people and it can be sensory overload. Know your boundaries. If you don’t like being scared, then don’t go to a scary nighttime event.
  • Know your objectives – Do you want to be scared? Do you want some holiday decor and treats with some characters? Those are totally different events. Know what you desire from an event before buying a ticket.

Now, on to the actual events themselves.

Daytime Halloween Events on a Budget

If you have children, don’t want to be scared, and are on a tight budget, then I recommend visiting a SeaWorld or Busch Gardens for Halloween Spooktacular. I wrote a SeaWorld Orlando Spooktacular Halloween post a couple of years ago going over what you can expect at that event. Think fun sea themed characters and trick-or-treating. Plus, it’s all included with your daytime ticket! So, it’s easy on the purse. However, you will have to purchase a bag to trick-or-treat with.

Nighttime Scary Events on a Budget

If you are on a tight budget, I will once again recommend SeaWorld and/or Busch Gardens. In fact, you can enjoy Busch Gardens Williamsburg’s Howl-O-Scream with a daytime ticket! The other two locations require the purchase of a separate ($40-$50) event ticket. Another event that I haven’t attended but have heard pretty good things about is Knott’s Scary Farm. It seems like a good time on a ~$50 budget. Full disclosure: I’ve never attended any of these events and can’t vouch for the quality of them.

Nighttime Scary Events With a Higher Budget

These next ones are a little more expensive for a general ticket. However, it can get really expensive for skip the line privileges and private tours. I’m talking about Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Parks. Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood both have HHN, but there are some differences. Hollywood’s tends to be smaller with fewer houses. However, it still has the same attention to detail as Orlando. They tend to share at least a few IP houses each year, however they each also have unique houses. I’ve never attended the one in Hollywood. However, I wrote a Halloween Horror Nights Solo Tips post as well as Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando: Tips for Anxious Folks. I’ve even done a 2023 HHN Daytime Houses Tour Review. Personally, I attend HHN for the food and vibes. As such, I will probably only attend if there’s an IP that speaks to me.

Nighttime Halloween Parties

Finally, we come to the most expensive event tickets: Disney. There’s Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World and Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney’s California Adventure at Disneyland. I’ve already compared the two parties in a separate post: Disney Parks Halloween Parties Compared. However, suffice it to say these are nighttime events that aren’t scary. They are more about the characters, parades, and candy! At these pricey events, everyone (yes, even adults) can trick-or-treat around the park! I’ve attended both parties multiple times now and have enjoyed it each time! The worst things about these events are the crowds and prices.

The Best Halloween Theme Park Events

While I think Disney and Universal dominate the discussion on Halloween theme park events, they aren’t your only options. SeaWorld/Busch Gardens or even Cedar Fair parks can provide a more affordable alternative for the season. However, you can’t go wrong with Universal or Disney either. It really comes down to your individual preferences and situation.

So, what is your favorite Halloween theme park event?

Dollywood Aunt Granny’s Restaurant Review

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Earlier this summer, my mom and I ate at Aunt Granny’s Restaurant while visiting Dollywood. As per usual, I thought I would provide a quick review of that experience.

Aunt Granny's Restaurant

Aunt Granny’s Restaurant

The most popular restaurant at Dollywood is Aunt Granny’s Restaurant. That’s because it’s an all you care to enjoy family style meal full of homecooked food! As of June 2025, it’s $27.99/adult before discounts, making it a pretty good deal as far as theme park dining goes.

Note: Prior to Covid, it was a buffet. However, it’s now all you care to eat served family style.

Also, fun fact: It’s named Aunt Granny’s because Dolly Parton has helped raise her nieces and nephews. So, they called her Aunt Granny. Eating here is supposed to be like visiting Aunt Granny Dolly’s.

The Main Course

The meal begins with drinks and cheddar biscuits! It was a hot day, so I got water. It was good, particularly if you are regular Walt Disney World visitor. No swamp water here. The cheddar biscuits were good and we were sad we weren’t hungry enough to eat them all.

For the main course, you are able to select three mains. My mom and I decided on herb baked chicken, fried chicken, and southern fried catfish. Unfortunately, we were both disappointed with the baked chicken as it was dry. However, the fried chicken was much better. The fried catfish was the surprise hit for me. I really enjoyed it.

The Sides

You are able to select four sides for the table to share. We went with carrots, corn pudding, mashed potatoes, and macaroni and cheese. The corn pudding was easily our least favorite. The mashed potatoes were our favorite. The carrots were pretty good also with the honey and herbs. The macaroni and cheese was good, but somewhat basic. Overall, the sides were tasty and filling.

The Dessert

Finally, everyone is allowed to select a dessert. During our visit, they had 9 different options! Our server was nice enough to entertain my specific questions about the different desserts before I made my selection. Being the family’s baker, I can be pretty picky about my desserts. Haha! My mom and I both ended up picking the dirt pudding. It was light, sweet, and the perfect option for a warm day as it didn’t sit on the stomach heavily. It was also great for our chocolate fix.

Is Aunt Granny’s worth it?

Theme park food is expensive. However, all you care to eat for $27.99 (before tips/taxes/discount) is pretty good! Plus, most of the food was really good. It was also nice to sit down in the air conditioning since the festival food booths required you to sit outside in the heat. This place often has a wait and I think it’s easy to see why. It’s reasonably priced for what you get. Plus, it’s better than most other theme park food.

Have you ever eaten here?

Charleston Indigo Inn Review

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Back in April, my mom and I stayed a night at the Charleston Indigo Inn. I didn’t see too many reviews of the hotel prior to our stay, so I thought I would post one.

Charleston Indigo Inn

Charleston Indigo Inn

After staying three nights in Myrtle Beach, my mom and I made our way over to Charleston for the first time. Having never visited before, we weren’t sure what to expect from the Holy City. However, I was pretty sure we wanted to stay in a central location in the historical district. That’s what lead me to the Indigo Inn.

Traditional Two Queens Room

For this trip, we booked a traditional two queens room for a rate of $286/night. The mattresses were pretty comfortable, although the bed frame was pretty high off the ground. As such, it was a touch difficult for my 5′ 2-3″ mom to get in and out of. It was doable, but she had to stretch.

The other issue with the room was the tiny bathroom. As in, you had to back up against the toilet in order to shut the bathroom door. Basically, if you have mobility difficulties, this may not be the room for you.

The Location

I will say, this was the ideal location for our one night stay. It was walking distance to everything! I intend to do another post at a later date on spending 24 hours in Charleston. However, we were within a short walk to a historical carriage ride, several good restaurants, and the Charleston City Market.

The Amenities

The Indigo Inn has a couple of added perks for staying there. For starters, they serve cheese and wine in the lobby in the evening. They also serve a nightcap of milk and cookies. Unfortunately, we had a busy schedule and missed both of those offerings. My mom grabbed a bottle of juice at the continental breakfast the next morning. I would say the breakfast was somewhat minimal. I wanted to try Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit, so I didn’t grab anything from the hotel. However, I think it’s really nice they offer these extras to guests.

Indigo Inn Pros

  • Location – This was my top reason for staying here. It was central to everything we wanted to do. We were able to park our car and just walk around the city.
  • Peaceful – This inn was peaceful and a welcome break from the bustle of Myrtle Beach.
  • More affordable – Charleston can be an expensive place to visit. This was one of the more affordable places we found.
  • Complimentary snacks – It’s nice they offer afternoon cheese and wine with nightcap milk and cookies. The breakfast is enough to get you out the door and on your way.

Cons

  • Small bathroom – The bathroom and shower were really small. Also, there wasn’t any body wash.
  • Tall beds – These wouldn’t be ideal for shorter/older/younger folks.
  • No free parking – Although, I think this can be an issue in Charleston in general. There’s convenient on-site parking, but they charge you $25/night.

Is the Charleston Indigo Inn worth it?

I think the Indigo Inn is a great choice for a visit to Charleston! It’s the perfect location for exploring the city by foot. Plus, it has comfortable beds and tranquil vibes. Have you ever stayed here?