My wife and I just got back from a great weekend at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort off of Universal Drive in Orlando and my initial reaction is wow, this is one nice resort. If you ever get the chance to stay here you should. In fact, you should make the chance because you will thoroughly enjoy what this place has to offer.
Just a quick run down of the property and you will get the picture what a great place this is to stay at. Remember, it is a resort, so everything you need is right here including coffee shops, a grocery store, other shopping, restaurants, bars, a spa, gym, golf, a long beautiful walking and jogging trail and 3 pools to splash in after a day of recreation and fun.
The rooms at Shingle Creek are first class with top of the line furniture, granite vanities, plus bedding, a 36″ widescreen television and more. We had a beautiful view of the golf course, tennis courts and lake from our 4th floor room. There are 14 floors in the resort and rooms range from the standard size hotel room, although quite luxurious to 3 presidential suites of 1,770 square feet.
Yes, this a nice hotel, but don’t forget when you are at a resort, everything is expensive. It costs $10 to get into the gym, $10 a day for internet access and an 18.25% gratuity is added to every restaurant bill you get and that includes bars as well. I made the mistake of essentially giving out a 33% tip for 2 glasses of wine at one of the bars we stopped in at. No big deal, you’re on vacation right, but just be aware of the costs at a resort like this so you know what you are spending your money on. Since my wife was at the Smart Marriages Conference we did get $10 length of stay internet access and 25% off in one of the restaurants, so the costs overall weren’t too outrageous.
We only go to stay one night because my wife was actually attending the end of the Smart Marriages Conference and went to a 1 hour training on Sunday and an all day workshop on Monday. We were able to spend most of the day together on Sunday and on Monday I pretty much spent the day by myself except for meeting Jean for lunch.
I actually had fun hanging out at the pool in the morning and then blogging and doing a little work in the afternoon while sitting in the hotel lobby. I did go to the pool bar and order a Headwaters Margarita (the hotel’s signature margarita) which was, let’s just say, pow-er-ful. Even after putting about another half cup of ice in it, it still had quite a kick. Unfortunately I didn’t stay out at the pool bar because I couldn’t access the internet from there. I could get on the hotel network, but no access to the net, bummer, I was getting into being outside in the warm breeze.
Overall the short 2 day stay a the Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando was relaxing and a lot of fun, I’m sure you will enjoy your stay here. A little tip on making online reservations, prices for the standard hotel rooms vary quite a bit, all the way from $200 a night to only $89 a night. However, you have to poke around a lot to get the $89 and $95 rooms and they’re only available Friday and Saturday nights I believe. Of course, if you have to make reservations for a specific date you will just be at the mercy of their somewhat hard to understand pricing system, but if you have a choice of dates choose a 2 night stay starting on Friday that’s priced at $95 instead of $190. Your room prices won’t show up until you pick the dates of your stay, so like I previously stated, just poke around a bit and see what you can find.
Enjoy your stay at the Rosen Shingle Creek resort.
Tags: Florida
For those of you that don’t like the cold winters, but do love the beautiful mountain scenery, it’s now time to start your Gatlinburg vacation planning. If you have never been here before, then you are in for a real vacation treat. Many people come to Gatlinburg Tennessee because it is the host city to the most visited National Park in the United States. Some 10 million people come to The Great Smoky Mountains National Park every year to enjoy its breathtaking scenery, brisk mountain hikes, wild whitewater rafting and just enjoying the beautiful outdoors.
Others come to the Gatlinburg TN resort area because they simply love the feel of this incredible vacation spot. Even though this area gets millions of visitors every year, it has a distinctly small town feel amongst its many shops, restaurants and entertainment venues. Many vacationers, including myself, spend time just cruising the streets of Gatlinburg venturing in shops, watching taffy and other candies be made and sipping a cup of coffee enjoying a relaxing vacation.
Of course, to enjoy either the scenery of the Smokies or the relaxing atmosphere of the downtown Gatlinburg area, you have to start planning now for your late spring or summer vacation. One of the best ways to enjoy this area is to rent a Galinburg cabin and experience this fun resort from your own private getaway instead of staying in a small hotel room. There are thousands of cabin rentals in and around this area ranging from 1 bedroom honeymoon cabins to giant 10 bedroom lodge like cabins for large church groups or family reunions.
Don’t miss out on a great opportunity to spend your next vacation in an incredible Gatlinburg Tennessee cabin rental. it is an experience and wonderful vacation you won’t soon forget. Start your planning today by looking around our vacation blog and cabin rentals website.
Tags: Gatlinburg
Lake Tahoe Entertainment includes just about everything that you could imagine. While outdoor activities abound in all seasons, the hotels and other facilities around the vast lake provide some of the best entertainment that you might find anywhere. By taking the time to check out these places, you might end up spending more time indoors enjoying the entertainment than you originally thought.
While many people flock to this resort area for skiing and Lake Tahoe snowboarding at some of the resorts such as Squaw Valley, the many resorts and lodges that have popped up also contain endless entertainment for visitors, including shows, concerts, shopping, and many first class golf courses that you can visit during the summer months.
Lake Tahoe Entertainment is a very broad category, and getting to stay in one of the hotels in the area will likely be the most enjoyable part of your experience. There are dozens of hotels to choose from all over the area, including both the North and South sides of the lake. Each one has its own amenities and entertainment, which will give you plenty of options to choose from when you need a Lake Tahoe hotel for your vacation.
You can find plenty of resorts and luxury Lake Tahoe hotels on the north side, but if you want the best in entertainment, you need to head to the south side of the lake in Nevada. Here you will find Marriott hotels to marvel those in bigger cities, a handful of casinos which double as hotels, providing endless entertainment and things to do including shows and gambling, as well as buffets, dinner theatres and many other features.
At Squaw Valley, you’ll also find many lodges and resorts that offer Lake Tahoe entertainment at its best. Depending on where you choose to stay, you might have different choices as to the activities that you can experience when it comes to outdoor activities. However, whether you stay on the north or south shore, most experiences are within an hour’s drive, making seeing everything easy no matter which hotel or casino you stay in during your vacation.
Lake Tahoe entertainment begins with the outdoor activities and family fun, which is why people come in the first place. However, it ends with the thing that many people don’t think about- all of the hotels, resorts, and casinos around the lake that provide lodging, and some of the best entertainment that you can find. Whether you’re looking for a good dinner show at a Tahoe restaurant, a casino to gamble in after a day on the slopes, or just a nice winter lodge where you can sit in a common room and enjoy movies or games with fellow travelers, there is something for everyone among the hotels and the Tahoe entertainment scene.
Tags: Lake Tahoe
Having the right pair of hiking boots and hiking equipment can make all the difference in your excursions and outdoor adventures. After all, hiking wouldn’t be very much fun if at the end of the day your feet were covered in blisters and hurt like crazy. That is why you need to take the time to learn about different hiking boots and which ones suit your needs. There isn’t just one type of hiking boot. There are many different kinds, made for different locations and terrain, so knowing your destination will be helpful in your shopping experience.
For example, if you’re going to hike a smooth trail or a relatively simple path through a park, trail walking shoes can provide adequate support and comfort. These are designed to be comfortable, but don’t offer nearly as much support as other boots that are designed for rough terrain and uneven ground. Therefore, if you’re going to go off the beaten path and hike through the rocky terrain on your own, you’ll want to buy a pair of hiking boots that is more supportive for your journey.
You should find boots that have cushioned soles for comfort, sturdy bottoms for keeping rocks and sticks from hurting the bottom of your feet, and ankle support that will help you to keep from twisting your ankle on the uneven terrain.
There are boots that you can buy for the most rugged types of hiking, as well. These generally offer an aggressive tread, which is great for any weather and terrain, along with waterproof material and a higher rise over the ankle to give you total foot stability and protection on your journey. If you are going to be climbing, you should consider a supportive pair of hiking boots that are designed to accommodate climbing accessories.
Ultimately, the location of your hike will determine the type of boot that you need. For example, you wouldn’t wear the same hiking boots to hike through the Grand Canyon that you would wear to walk a path in Yellowstone National Park and visit Old Faithful Inn, and so on. There are many great hiking locations all over the country, and each has its own terrain. The Smoky Mountains are great for hiking in a mild terrain country, while the Rockies might be more enjoyable if you want to hike in a high altitude setting. You can find many hiking trails and parks around the country, no matter where you go. From the hills of Southern Ohio to the valleys of the Southwest U.S., there is a hiking trip for everyone, and there is a hiking boot for every journey.
Tags: hiking
Last night Jean and I were walking around Camden Maine checking out the harbor, the schooners, the scenery and the shops and we happened across Paolina’s Way down a side street. You should explore as much as you can when on vacation because we just thought we were crossing from one street down to the harbor front and walking through an alleyway when we found the restaurant.
Little did we know that it is a good thing to make reservations if you plan on dining at Paolina’s Way because even thought it is out of the way and not on Main Street in Camden, apparently everyone knows about it, and for good reason, it is incredible. It suited our love of healthy food and desire to help the local economy just fine. The only thing they serve in their restaurant that isn’t local is sugar from Florida, organic balsamic vinegar from California, organic olive oil from the Mediterranean and of course wine from various places around the world, but everything else is locally bought from their seafood, to their produce, to their flour.
Luckily, or should I say thankfully, we got the last non reserved table for the evening when we walked in. The place is small, but quaint and the food is absolutely delicious. We ordered a Mediterranean pizza and we had thought about ordering a salad, but as you can see from the picture below, the salad comes on the pizza. We’ve never had a pizza like that before and it was surprisingly different. Normally when we make our usual pizza on Saturday nights, we make a salad to go with it, but this salad was served right on top of the pizza.
If you are down Camden way some time make sure you stop in at Paolina’s way and get a pizza or their special lasagna. Just make sure that if it’s the weekend or a holiday to make reservations.
Tags: Maine