YOGI BEAR'S JELLYSTONE PARK

Waller, TX
www.campjellystone.com

I have officially reached the age where my body has decided that it does not like to camp.  No questions about it.  No more back-aching sleepless nights on the ground for me.  And absolutely NO tip-toeing into the darkness when nature calls.

Buuuuut, if you want to call "sleeping in a motorhome with running water, A/C, and a cushy bed" CAMPING...then I'm all in!

So, a few weeks ago, my kiddos and I got the treat of spending two nights at Jellystone Park with my mom and stepdad in their motorhome.  It was all the joys of camping...without really camping.

Our humble abode for two nights.
Inside...

...and out.

WHAT IS YOGI BEAR'S JELLYSTONE PARK?

It is a franchise network of campgrounds with approx. 75 locations throughout the US.  Check out all of their locations HERE.  Their goal is to provide great family vacations for all ages while offering comfortable accommodations and lots of fun activities, all the while being easy on the wallet.  Score! What I think is really great is that Jellystone isn't solely for RV enthusiasts or crazy tent-camping folks, but also offers cabins if that's a little more your style.

Considering this was my very first time on a trip in the motorhome, I can't really compare this park to any others.  But what I can do, is tell you all about the fun we had at Jellystone (because frankly, they're website stinks and doesn't tell you about all the fun stuff so I told them about it and they even agreed).


HOW WE PASSED THE TIME AT JELLYSTONE PARK:

While grandpa was hooking up the motorhome after our arrival, we simply went on a little tour of the property to see what all they had to offer.  OK, basically I was trying to keep my kids out of his hair so that he made sure not to mix up the sewage line with the fresh water line (if that's even possible but I didn't want to take any chances).  And, my planned worked great!  He set it all up perfectly and we were able to get a couple of fun photos in and even stopped in at the arcade.  The arcade was a cool place to beat the heat but a little disappointing as several of the games were out of order.  My kids came out of there though with 6 bouncy balls and a pocket full of candy for 3 bucks a piece so it was awesome in their eyes.

My mother photo-bombed her own grandchildren!  

Can you see her in Yogi's armpit?

Every morning at 9am Yogi Bear arrived at the flagpole to say the pledge of allegiance with his fellow campers.  Of course the pledge only lasts a few short seconds but it was a great way to get my kids up-and-at-'em in the morning.  

My oldest even got Yogi's signature.

(She must still be scarred from Disney when we didn't get one character signature.)

After visiting Yogi, when the Texas sun hadn't quite hit scorching temps, it was a great time to play a little mini-golf.  The course was surprisingly well-maintained and included some fun obstacles.  We played both mornings and we all left with our teeth intact despite my 4 year old wielding a bone-crushing iron club for 18 holes.  

She was pretty serious about her game, but allowed me to take this one picture.

Next up was the train ride.  It was brightly colored and choo-chooed and I'm sure all the toddlers loved it, but it was just a tour of the park for us.  And even though I nearly fell asleep, I am glad I took a ride because I was able to see just how big this park really is.  After that I realized why so many folks had rented golf carts from the park in order to get around.  Thankfully we had picked our site to be right in the heart of the action so there was no need for transportation.  Next time though, I'll be sure to pack my kiddos bikes as there was ample room to cruise around.

Another fun activity that my kids enjoyed was this awesome climbing structure.  It's kind-of like an McDonalds playground, but way better.  

Although that looks like my dad at the door, it's not.  

And those are someone else's bratty kids delightful children. 

Zipline!

 Hanging rings!

Super slide!

When the weather just didn't allow for us to be outside any longer, we took advantage of the activity center.  Here we found free coloring pages, board games to play, and crafts for sale.  Although there may have been more, the crafts we saw were ceramics to be painted and t-shirts to be colored.  While we were there, the new and improved activity center was under construction and it looked to be nearly twice as big.  Gonna be some good (crafty) times going on in there real soon!

With quite a selection, they had a hard time making a decision on which bear to paint. 

But once they did, they were happy little painters!

So what do you think?!  There's some fun things to do at Jellystone park, right?  And I haven't even listed them all.  Check out just a few of the other things I wasn't able to snap a picture of...

-karaoke (kids were on stage singing their hearts out and my ear drums were about ready to POP out)

-ice cream social

-fishing pond

-basketball court

-outdoor movie every night (don't forget your popcorn!)

-water park    

HOLD THE PHONE!  Did I just say WATERPARK?!!  You can bet your little bikini I just did.  Buuuuut, this post has gotten so long that I am going to tell you all about it in another post.  You can check out that post right HERE.  

****************

Overall experience: The kids and I (and I believe I can speak for the senior citizens too that were with us) had a really great time.  We definitely want to go back, but maybe during a month that isn't quite as hot as July.  We've heard October is a ton of fun as this park loves Halloween.

Before arriving, I had read a few reviews where people stated this park was dirty.  Let's remember, this is "camping".  It's not a Hilton resort so there will be dirt, the bathrooms won't be spotless, and a popsicle wrapper may occasionally be floating in the pool.  And even though we experienced all of those things, it didn't bother us one bit and we'll be sure to return real soon.

HAVE YOU BEEN TO A YOGI BEAR PARK?  

TELL US YOUR FAVORITE PART!

This post has been linked up to the Best of the USA blog hop.

ST-MARTIN / ST MAARTEN

www.loteriefarm.com

In early April, I was blessed with the opportunity to join my husband on a work trip to the island of St. Martin.  This is a yearly trip he makes and I've been fortunate enough to tag along a handful of times.  Although it doesn't top my list of favorite places to vacation (due to everything being pricey, congested roadways, and lots of litter in non-touristy areas), I certainly enjoy relaxing poolside with an ocean view while catching up on a little leisure reading.  Ain't nothing wrong with that!

If your geography is as bad as mine, here is a little help in locating the island.

And here's a little evidence to prove that much of my time on the island was spent with my hiney firmly planted in a lounge chair with a frozen, virgin drink in one hand and my ebook in the other.  I seriously polished off 3 novels on this 4 day trip and loved every second of it!

Soaking up some sun at The Westin - Dawn Beach

But, I can only stay vegged out on my rear end for so long, so the hubby and I did take one little adventure on this trip.  We braved the local traffic and headed over to the French side of the island (the island is divided between France and the Netherlands) to Loterie Farm for our first ever zip-line adventure!

Arriving at Loterie Farm we kind of felt like we had stepped onto a whole other island.  The landscaping was well groomed.  The vegetation was lush and green. There was no trash littering our view.  And we loved watching several large iguanas cruise around the property like they owned the place.

Isn't he a doll?

Loterie Farm not only offers zip-lining, self-guided hiking adventures, and a luxurious pool with cabanas situated near a flowing stream, but also features a bar with lounge area and restaurant.  It really had a trendy, treehouse kinda vibe and we enjoyed hanging out here until it was our turn to zip.  

Walkway leading up to the bar and lounge area

Inside the lounge

We had done plenty of lounging prior to this point, so we only stayed long enough to indulge in a piece of blueberry pie (and then a fruit plate to make ourselves feel better about the pie).  And then it was time to get down to business...

All suited up and ready to fly!

I was getting pretty nervous at this point and still trying to figure out why our tour is called FlyZone EXTREME.  I wasn't so sure I wanted my first zip-lining experience to be extreme.  But at this point there was no time for being a sissy, so after a few safety instructions, I clipped on, took a brave jump off the platform and enjoyed the ride...

...and I LOVED it!  Soaring high above this lush canopy of protected forest with a view of the Caribbean Ocean to the right was spectacular!!

Here goes hubby soaring over the tropical forest.

It didn't take long for us to figure out the meaning of extreme on this tour.  Between zip-lines we had to navigate a series of interconnected obstacles snaking through the trees.  This really added to the adventure and made us earn our free ride along the zip lines.  Here's just a couple of pictures of the obstacles...

Along the tour we had a great experience with our guide who was very knowledgable, extremely helpful and patient, and always looking out for our safety.  We never felt rushed and were allowed to move at our own pace.

After an hour and a half of high flying fun and a short hike, we arrived back at Loterie Farm a little bit sweaty and a whole lot wind-blown, but with big smiles to prove our first ever zip-line experience was an awesome success!!

Have you ever zip-lined and where?  Would you do it again?

360 BLUE PROPERTIES - FLORIDA

www.360blueproperties.com

When my mom received the 50th wedding anniversary invitation, to be held in Seaside, Florida, for her brother-in-law she immediately started planning.  After much internet surfing, she landed upon the website of 360 Blue Properties and, being the neat freak that she is, just fell in love with the immaculate properties advertised on their site.  Not only were their homes spectacular, but so was the costumer service as they helped to find just the right property for her. 

So here are a few pictures from our home-away-home during our stay in Seagrove.  (Of course you can check out the website here which features much more professional pictures.)

Entry way - notice all the hooks for beach towels and bins for sandy shoes

 2nd floor Living Room - big, comfy couch in front of big, flat screen tv

Kitchen - It's not huge but it had everything we needed and then some.

3rd Floor Bedroom w/attached bath

3rd floor bedroom w/attached bath

Spacious attached bath

Bunk room w/trundle and additional double sleeper sofa

3rd floor wrap-around balcony w/ a little ocean view

Nice, right?!  I just wanted to share my pictures because I know I often wonder if a website's photos are as real as they look.  You know, sometimes they have a way of making a place look nicer or bigger than it really is.  I have no photography skills what-so-ever so what you see is the real deal.

Along with the calming, beachy decor, here are a few other things we loved about this property:

PROS

     -keyless entry to the house

     -4 out of the 5 rooms had their own, attached bathroom (only the bunk room doesn't) and 3 of those 

      rooms had king beds while the other was a queen

     -rooms were spacious with great closet space (my room actually had two closets)

     -every room had a tv, even the bunk room

     -free wifi which we had no trouble connecting to (drives me nuts when they say it's free but it costs 

      me 30 minutes trying to figure out how to get connected)

     -wii gaming console (be sure to bring your own games!)

     -my kiddos discovered a few toddler toys in the bunk room and were thrilled since we only brought

      along a few

     -kitchen not only was stocked with all appliances and cookware but also had a large selection of 

      plastic kids cups, bowls, plates, and utensils

     -4 free beach chairs and 2 beach umbrellas which were set-up by the beach boy and left up during

      our entire stay with a reserved sign on them

     -two great restaurants located just across the street for easy dining

     -customer service was excellent!  We had a small issue with the dishwasher not starting and it was 

     fixed within a few hours of our call

     

     -And here's my favorite:

     -this boardwalk is just 50 yards from the front door of the house and leads directly to the beach

And of course no place is absolutely perfect, so here are a few things we weren't too crazy about:

CONS 

     -there was no door on the bunk room.  Just kind of weird since that's where the kids were staying.

     -there were no games with the wii system.  Thankfully we had games to bring but could be a 

      bummer if you don't already have these.

     -our ocean view was limited.  This wasn't a problem for us, but if you're looking to have breakfast

      with a view, you may want to look for a different property.

     -although this wasn't a problem for our family, this is a 3 story property with lots of stairs (only one 

      bedroom on the first floor, but all other living spaces are upstairs).

     -unfortunately, some previous guests had done some significant damage to the property just a few

      weeks before we arrived (hence the dishwasher not working).  Even though 360 Blue did a great

      job replacing broken items and cleaning up their mess, we still never found the ipod docking station

      that was advertised (but that's really just being a little nit-picky).

360 Blue has properties throughout the South Walton area (which spans from Destin to Panama).  I think by now it's obvious, but I'll say it anyway, I would totally recommend 360 Blue for your next beach home vacation rental!  

SEAGROVE, FLORIDA

www.visitsouthwalton.com/seagrove

I've never really considered myself to be a "beach lover".  I'm more of a "hike along a river in the mountains" kinda girl.  And road-tripping over more than 5 hours really isn't my cup of tea.  But once arriving in the beach front town of Seagrove, Florida, I realized it was well worth the 10 hours of back-aching travel in the car AND I decided I just might be a fan of the beach after all.  Besides, just after a few minutes of relaxing on the white sands of Santa Rosa beach while watching my children giddily jump wave after wave after wave, I somehow didn't care that the wind was whipping my hair in my face or that a little sand had creeped its way into my swimsuit.  My toes were dug into the powdery soft sand, my skin was soaking up some vitamin D, and any stress I had brought along was all drifting out to sea.  

Oh Florida...I think I might be in love with you.

Maybe it was the time of year we traveled (late April after all the spring-breakers had left to sober up at home and the weather wasn't too hot yet).  Or maybe it was our beautiful accommodations (I'll write a separate post all about it).  Whatever it was, I know I want to go back.  And here's why...

SISTERLY LOVE - they had so much fun there was no time to bicker or fight (at least while we were on the beach). 

SAND CASTLE BUILDING

Even Grandma couldn't help herself from joining in on the fun.

WAVE JUMPING

WILDLIFE FINDING

My step-neices with my two kiddos.

Grandma gettin' crabby.

FAMILY BONDING

Me and my little beach bums

My munchkins with my mom and stepdad

 

Me and my mom just before the storm rolled in 

And, I can't end this post without a little shout out to these two...

my step-uncle and his lovely bride

They are the reason we made this fun little trip to Florida as it was their 50th wedding anniversary.  Congratulations Uncle Raul & Aunt Judy!! 

(If only I had pictures of them re-enacting their very first dance together.  Or of Aunt Judy as she led our conga-line around the beach house...priceless.)

So which do you prefer...smelling the salty ocean breeze or fresh mountain air?  And what is your favorite beach?

Hiking Devils Bridge

Sedona, Arizona
www.greatsedonahikes.com/devilsbr/devilsbr.htm

While visiting my dad in Phoenix during spring break, we set out on a day trip to Sedona to take in the gorgeous red rocks and a little bit of hiking.  Had I known any of the following points, we would have NEVER attempted this journey:

     1. Despite what mapquest or any other navigational device told us, our driving time was 3 hours instead of 2.  (But 20 minutes of that was due to a pit stop as a result of point #2.)

     2. My dad drives likes a drunken looky-loo who can't stay in his lane to save his life in fear he may miss spotting a wild animal roaming the countryside.  Therefore, he slowly drifts into a neighboring lane and then quickly jerks the vehicle back into his own lane inducing motion sickness in all the members of my family.  (Granted, it doesn't take much for my weak-stomached family to experience nausea, but my dad is a seriously awful driver.)

     3. The road to the trailhead was temporarily closed to vehicles due to a parking lot being paved so we had to hike a total of 4 miles instead of what should have only been 1.4 miles.  Doesn't sound too terribly bad unless you are hiking with a 7 and 4 year old.

With all that complaining being said, I am so glad I didn't know any of those facts ahead of time because we would have missed out on a truly incredible day!

Simply driving into and through the town of Sedona is a sight in itself...absolutely beautiful!

Finding the road to the trailhead was very easy, but since we couldn't actually take that road, we parked along the main road and hiked the 1.3 miles to the trailhead.  It was a rugged, pot-hole filled dirt road with little to no shade.  Thankfully we packed in a ton of water because the temperature rose a good 12 degrees from the time we started till we arrived back at the car.  

My munchkins taking in the view.

We also packed in lunch which we ate once we arrived at the trailhead while sitting on a shaded rock.  It was a great refueling break for the kiddos.  

And then it was time to hit the trail.

Although most hiking sites will consider this a "moderate" hike, I found it to be quite easy.  When starting at the trailhead, it's only a 1.4 mile roundtrip hike with most of the elevation gain being towards the end.  Now that last part does get a little tricky, but my 4 year old daughter and my 74 year old father both maneuvered the terrain with only minimal assistance.  

Being that it was a short hike, there was plenty of time for frequent stops and lots of picture taking.  Here are just a few of my favorites:

My dad and I were the pack mules for the trip. 

After hiking nearly 2 miles, they are still smiling!

It wasn't long before we reached the top and the views were just spectacular!  The bridge itself was only slightly terrifying at first glance, but once we actually got out onto the bridge, it was a little wider than we expected.  

Me and dad braving the bridge.

My dad and I were the only ones in our party to actually go out onto the bridge.  My husband took one look at it and there was no chance he was going out there.  Of course he said he was staying back because he didn't want our girls to go out there, but I know he has a serious fear of heights (don't mind the fact that he flies a jet at 42,000 feet.  It doesn't make sense to me either.)  So, this fear of heights is the reason our picture kinda stinks.  I should have entrusted my camera to a complete stranger who was willing to risk life and limb for sake of a good picture.  Oh well, it's a good excuse to have to go back one day.

Here's the photo I wish he would have taken:

DEVIL'S BRIDGE

 (not my photo, but much better than the one my scaredy-cat husband took)

Pretty spectacular, right?!

One of the other really cool things about this hike was that there was a short cut-off in the trail just before ascending to the bridge.  This cut-off trail was less than 200 yards and took us below the bridge for a totally different perspective.  I think the kids liked this part even better than the top-side of the bridge.

My little family under the bridge.

Unbelievably, we survived the hike with no major falls and little whining from the kids.  They were pretty tired by the end (ok, we all were), but they really were quite the troopers.  I do have to say that my husband carried our littlest one on his shoulders, in spurts to give her a break once in a while, for probably a 1/4 of the trip.  So with that being said, I'll forgive him for the lousy picture-taking.

***********************

Even though this is the only hike I have done in Sedona (or even Arizona for that matter), I'd have to say it's my favorite!  

What's your favorite Sedona or Arizona hike? 

Oh heck, give me your favorite hike ANYWHERE.

TIM HAWKINS - I'd travel to see this guy!

www.timhawkins.net

Tim Hawkins Comedy Tour

Feb 10, 2013 at Champion Forest Baptist Church in Houston, TX

When I say this is THE funniest guy I have ever seen, I am not kidding.  And I have absolutely no reservations to say you are going to think the same thing (unless crude and obscene humor is more your style but even still I'd bet you couldn't help but bust a gut when hearing this guy).

Two years ago I happened upon some of Tim Hawkins' material when I was looking for a video of a female Christian comedian to play at a ladies event for church.  When I came up with NOTHING, and was desperate to find something, anything, funny, a friend recommended Tim Hawkins.  The first video I watched was pretty good.  I giggled to myself several times as I sat alone previewing it in my bedroom.  But watching a 10 year old video of this guy by yourself versus seeing him live with a crowd of a couple of thousand people is a completely different story.

My husband and I first saw him last year in Houston and I literally thought the chili I had for dinner (and the bread bowl it was served in) was going to come back up from laughing so hard.  Half way through the show I was begging for a break and a breath of air.  If you've never seen Tim Hawkins live, I know you think I'm exaggerating.  And that's ok, because I would have thought someone else was stretching the truth too if I had never seen him.  But this dude is crazy funny!  And it's non-stop the whole show.  I dare you to see for yourself and prove me wrong!

But for now, just check out this sneak peak of funniness:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ieOOJwYttok

And here's a look at some specific Christian comedy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=TK2_ezOBa2A

The best part about Tim Hawkins (besides the fact that he's so stinkin' funny)...his comedy is completely clean, from start to finish.  It's totally a family show.  I mean your kids might not understand his jokes but at least you won't have to cover their ears for most of the show.  Even though we would be completely comfortable taking our kids to a show, we don't.  And that's because it is the perfect date night for us!  This is one of those shows that both of us enjoy equally.  It's not like when I have to drag my husband, kickin' and screamin', to a broadway show or something similar that he despises.  If he knows Tim Hawkins is going to be anywhere near our area he will hound me until I buy the tickets. (And that's HUGE for my husband.  He travels by trade so getting him to go anywhere is a big deal.)

So if Tim Hawkins happens to be performing in an area near you, I highly urge you to go.  It's funny stuff, people.  So, JUST DO IT.  I promise you'll thank me for it.

Here's the link to his tour dates:
http://www.timhawkins.net/tix.php

For my friends in Indianapolis, he'll be there in March so plan your date night NOW!  Boise friends, he'll be in your neck of the woods in June.  And Modesto peeps, Big Valley Grace will be hosting Tim in July.  Don't miss it!!!

Have YOU seen Tim Hawkins LIVE? 

If so, am I lying when I say this is the funniest dude around?