Sunshine-n-Wine

The Tini Martini lit up for the holidays. We needed one more night in a Marriott brand from hubby to keep his Platinum status for the year, so we decided to take an overnight trip to St. Aug, a place we've been a couple of times already. Lodging Fairfield Inn - We usually stay outside the city, and this hotel is a good option.  Clean rooms, newer hotel, and continental breakfast to prep for a day of walking around.  It's a good affordable option. Restaurants The Back 40 Urban Cafe - I found this little gem on Trip Advisor a couple hours before leaving for St. Aug.   You will need a car to get here since it's a little outside of the old city downtown.  They have a happy hour hour each day from 3-6, and it's a hot spot for locals.  While we were eating, a couple about our age came in and ordered.  We asked them if they had been there before, and she said that they are there a couple times a month.  Hubby had the wet burrito, and I had the ta...

The River Street Inn - a nice example of the riverfront architecture. Hotel Fairfield Inn Savannah Midtown - We stayed in this hotel one night and decided to book another hotel for Saturday night.  It was a little bit rundown and not very convenient to get to the historic part of downtown  The price savings did not make it worth staying for a second night. Savannah Residence Inn Downtown/Historic District - Switching to this hotel was a much better option for us. 1) It was more convenient and within walking distance of many more things.  It is right next door to one of the Visitor Centers. 2) The fare-free DOT public transportation passes right by. 3) If you can find parking on the street (we got lucky with a spot in front), there is no need to pay for the valet parking. 4) The hotel is in much better shape with more amentities than the Fairfield.  I wish it hadn't been pouring outside Saturday night because I really wanted to relax with a glass of wine by t...

I really wanted to take my mom on her first cruise, and I chose this 4-night out of Port Canaveral because I thought it would be a good place to start for her. Date: October 3rd - 7th Home Port: Port Canaveral Parking: Park Port Canaveral (at the Radisson) $7.95/day + tax (free shuttle) Price: $520 total incl taxes - Porthole cabin R23 Ports of Call: Nassau, Half Moon Cay (private island) Embarkation Day Recommend making a parking reservation at Park Port Canaveral . Easy, cheap, convenient, and quick. They have shuttles running pretty much non-stop and nice staff. Check-in and boarding was smooth and the fastest yet!  Food Your typical Carnival fare.  The Lido deck buffett area is small, but there are still enough choices to find something to eat.  I was surprised to find out that Elegant night was the evening as Nassau (port from 12-8).  Needless to say, dinner wasn't all that crowded. Dessert suggestion on Elegant night - order Che...

The hubs travels often for work, and it was great to finally have the chance to join him over Labor Day weekend plus visit my cousin at the same time.  Here's a rundown of our weekend  - we ate a lot and the rest was family time for me so not much touristy stuff. Hotel Crown Plaza Metro - W Madison & Halstead - Hubs always stays here when he has to go to his corporate office, and it really is in a great location.  My favorite things about it?  It's close to Greektown, right off the highway, is convenient to CTA buses, and is within walking distance of Union Station.  Restaurants Amarit Thai & Pan Asian Cuisine  - Good food, reasonable prices.  600 S. Dearborn Blokes and Birds - Such a neat little pub-style restaurant just south of Wrigley Field.  I had the lamb sandwich, which was just OK.  Hubs got shepherd's pie - lamb-based.  Very good!  The service was fantastic!  We got there abo...

The Breeze ports in Miami and does several different itineries.  We chose an 8-day, which included Curacao, La Romana, Grand Turk, and Aruba. Parking in Miami Premier Cruise Parking ( premiercruisepark@bellsouth.net ), 1415 NE 2nd Ave. Parking Garage $8 per day, including tax.  Free shuttle to port.  The wait for the arrival of the shuttle at the parking garage going to port can be a little long, but it's worth it to us.  We've used this garage twice and will use it again.  I believe that it is better to prepay so you don't have to do it there. The Food The steakhouse is very much the same as any of the other Carnival steakhouses, but still very good. We also ate dinner in Cucina del Capitano - excellent food and service!  Highly recommend!  We also made use of Guy Fieri's Burgers several times - hello yumminess!  Tandoor Indian cuisine (aft pool location) and Blue Iguana burritos were also amazing.  We did not starve on this trip! ...