Social Gracious

Multiple Moms Gone Wild

Last week we celebrated Diva and Eddie Haskell's fifth birthdays at the most magical place on Earth, Disney World!  We went on their actual birthday because they get in free on that date.  In addition, desperate Disney gave us a FL resident special on a room at the Caribbean Beach Resort of $104 per night.  Ubergeek researched the entire resort and discovered that one area had been renovated and offered pirate themed rooms with pirate ship beds.  Other than being marvelously pirate themed, the rooms are clean and comfortable, but not spectacular.  Give the housekeeping staff a good tip though and they will make cool Mickey shapes with your towels and do some other neat stuff. The resort also has a great pool with a pirate ship kids play area and a pool bar for mommy and daddy.  We arrived Wednesday late afternoon, did the park on Thursday and then checked out on Friday. 

My time at Disney was not over though, the Florida Organization of Mothers of Twins Clubs annual conference was held this past weekend in Orlando.  Friday Ubergeek and the kiddos helped me check into yet another hotel that I was sharing with a friend who was also attending the conference.  The property was literally across the hedge from the Caribbean Beach but it may as well have been across the world.  We booked it via Hotwire and got a great deal, finding out only after our reservation that it was the brand new Hilton Bonnet Creek Resort, sister property to the Waldorf Astoria, SCORE! 

My friend had not checked in yet and the kiddos had spied the on property lazy river and zero entry pool.  I conceded that they could change into their suits and hang out as long as they did not trash the hotel room I was sharing with my friend.  UberGeek and kiddos were bathing suit and pool food service bound.  I kissed the family goodbye and headed over to Epcot using the resort shuttle to meet my friend for the Food and Wine festival. 

When we got back from a day of walking around, hanging with Minnie and tasting various foods and chatting about how relaxing it was to do Disney as an adult we headed back to the hotel.  It was gorgeous and we could not believe we were only paying $89 a night through Hotwire.  When I say gorgeous, I mean granite bathroom, turkish towel, great hairdryer, Crabtree&Evelyn toiletry gorgeous! Diva and Eddie Haskell left the room spotless under UberGeek's watchful eye and I received some sweet love notes left on the dresser. 

Saturday was filled with a business meeting followed by workshops aimed at parents of twins involved in twins clubs.  Bartending was one of them of course since most of our events involve alcohol.  Not surprising considering we are all parents of twins, triplets and more.  Finally, we had a banquet complete with 80s music, hotel food and great company!  It was a lot of fun.  By Sunday we were ready to head back home after a brief stop at the Orlando Premium Outlets for fall kiddo clothes. 
  

The Traveling Crab Cooker

The Traveling Crab Cooker

Whenever anyone talks about visiting my in laws in their home on the Northern Neck of Virginia on the Corrotoman River the first thing they speak of fondly besides my in laws is the crabs. Every weekend during the summer my in laws steamed crabs and Silver Queen corn on the cob in a big pot outside. Then everyone would go out on their huge screen porch and sit on a picnic table covered in a roll of heavy paper and crack crabs, eat and drink lemonade. Afterward, I would usually pass out on a hammock on the back porch, this was long before our children were born when rest was part of my life.

Five years ago my in laws sold the dream home they built and retired in; it was a difficult decision. Although it was the perfect home for them it was in a rural area and not near family or high quality medical care. They decided to move to North East Florida to be closer to the Mayo Clinic where they receive medical care. Their new home is beautiful, navigable water front, Granddad got a new boat, it has an indoor pool and great neighbors. There is just one thing, the crabs in Florida are just not the same, they don't taste right. They have blue crabs but they are not sweet the way they are in Virginia, Maryland or North Carolina. Don't even get us started on the whole garlic crab thing, ick.

After five years my in laws decided to pass the torch, the propane kind that is. We were headed up to Virginia for a quick family picnic on my side of the family. On the way back home we were going to stop at UberGeek's brother's new beach home on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. UberGeek's parents asked us to take the crab cooker with us to give to his brother. We packed it lovingly into the minivan along with all our other trappings.

When we arrived at the beach UberGeek's brother fired the cooker up once more. Great big jimmies met their fate steamed with beer, Old Bay and a touch of vinegar. Even the ceremonial crab hammers with our names on them were there. Whenever a new person marries into the family they receive a crab hammer with their name engraved on the side.  Sitting there with our two families it wasn't quite the same tradition but maybe it was a new one getting started.

The Luxury Recession Vacation Continues

Wednesday of our vacation we went on a snorkeling trip to Egmont Key. Tropical Island Getaway was recommended to us for the trip. Their website and phone service leave something to be desired but fear not, they are great and courteous sea captains. We drove the thirty minutes from Clearwater Beach to Gulfport Marina and packed a lunch. They provide coolers and you can bring your own drinks (including adult beverages if you choose). I absolutely love snorkeling so I couldn't wait. I'm in my element in the water and started swimming at a very young age. I began swimming competitively in high school and was in a pool for four hours a day for years so water and I go way back. UberGeek likes the water, just not quite so much. If there is 18 inches of clear water I will snorkel in it, picking up anything that looks cool and as if it would not sting me too badly.

The boat ride out was fun, we got to watch dolphins jumping the waves made by the boat. Since both UberGeek and I come from waterfront towns this wasn't that exciting to us but the people who were visiting from middle America really enjoyed it. It was pretty neat to see the dolphins racing alongside the boat. I enjoyed the sun, seeing the sights and relaxing.

Once we got there the island was so quiet and beautiful. It's reachable only by boat and is a state park and bird sanctuary. There are both ruins and shoreside area to snorkel and we did both. I picked up star fish, anemones and sand dollars. We also encountered a huge flounder, a couple sting rays and a sea horse which was floating by. We took a long walk on the desolate beach where only a few other people wandered around collecting shells or sunning themselves. The water was so warm, clear and gentle that a few young children seemed to be learning to snorkel as well. Originally we had intended to bring back sand dollars for the kiddos but they were so obviously alive UberGeek voted to buy cheap dead, pre bleached ones at a souvenir shop and pitch our live ones back in.

We slept well that night after a delicious local dinner at the Sea Hags in St. Pete Beach on the way back to Clearwater. Thursday morning it was off to Orlando. We scored a room at the Renaissance Orlando Sea World via Priceline for $70 a night. It was a steal! I couldn't believe how gorgeous our room was when we checked in. Nice marble bath with double sinks, big fluffy bed with European pillows, high thread count sheets, coffered ceilings and a nice sofa, best of all we had a view of Sea World and the night time fire works from our window.

A friend of mine at work always uses Priceline to book hotels, I tend toward Hotwire since you can usually figure out which hotel you will stay in but we decided to throw caution to the wind this time. It worked out nicely. The Renaissance has a great pool, several restaurants and bars and a really great location, even a free shuttle to Universal Studios. It was a bargain and a great place to stay.

Friday we spent the day at Universal Studios; we had received a coupon in the mail which offered one two park single day ticket for $50 and the second ticket for free. So, for $25 each we enjoyed the day at both Universal Studios and Universal's Islands of Adventure. Then we had libations at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville and dinner at another restaurant in Universal City Walk to celebrate my (drumroll please) 35th birthday. The best part about celebrating in a theme park is that they are so stringent about carding anyone who could possibly, with a lot of Botox, pass for 40 that you get carded if you just cover up your greys. So, I got carded on my 35th birthday!

Frenchy's Original Cafe Clearwater Beach

Frenchy's Original Cafe Clearwater
Tasty Seafood

Our second night in Clearwater Beach we decided we wanted to experience some original seaside goodness. By that I mean fried seafood, specifically grouper. The gulf side of Florida is probably somewhat responsible for a shortage of that tasty fish as it is a specialty on nearly every menu. Nobody does it like Frenchy's though. They even have a grouper reuben sandwich that is supposedly to die for. I didn't try it though, in my mind I couldn't get grouper and reuben to go together.

There are a number of Frenchy's restaurants throughout Clearwater Beach, several on the oceanfront. As a teenager and young adult I lived and worked in a resort town long enough to know that you are likely to get better quality food, and service, off the waterfront in a busy resort town. For that reason we stuck with local recommendations and hit Frenchy's Original Cafe at 41 Baymont Street. It's tucked back away from the busy resort streets and only has a few wooden tables inside, so go early.

The menu is seafood, and more seafood. Despite dealing with an abundance of teenager diners who took up three tables and asked for probably fifteen separate checks our server, Nikki, quickly brought us drinks. UberGeek ordered his favorite, fried shrimp, and I ordered the grouper sandwich, cajun style. We also ordered an appetizer of smoked fish spread with crackers which was quickly brought out. Nikki was really attentive and checked back with us throughout our meal. Our food was delivered quickly and it was delicious! My sandwich had a huge piece of fish on it and I ended up pulling it off the bun and eating it with a fork. UberGeek had some of the best shrimp I have ever had, and I am a connoisseur of fried shrimp, if there is such a thing. At the table next to me I noticed that the group ordered the fried grouper sandwiches and those looked divine too. For dessert we indulged in something called Fried Oreos, UberGeek saw it on the menu and decided he had to try them. They were actually delicious, kind of like a beignet with a chocolately gooey center.

We had a great meal and enjoyed the locals at the bar, kind of wished I was able to sit and have a beer with them. Grizzled beards and fishing hats abounded. We had a great meal and a great time. Afterward we walked over to an oceanfront restaurant to listen to music and enjoy some rum runners together. I know I said I would keep track of expenses and let you know what our recession vacation cost. I think the easiest way to do that is to do a final blog post at the end of our vacation with details for all our accomodations, meals, expeditions etc. Can't promise I saved the odds and ends receipts but the big ones we have. Should be fun to see how much we spent, or didn't spend!

Next adventure, snorkeling trip on Egmont Key! 

Royal North Beach Hotel Clearwater Beach, Florida

Royal North Beach Hotel
A Great First Stop

The first stop on our Luxury Vacation, Recession Style was the Royal North Beach Hotel in Clearwater Beach, Florida. UberGeek, master of all things Internet, has a way of finding out of the way boutique, niche or otherwise non mainstream hotels. Royal North Beach fits in this category, it's a motel, most likely built in the 1950s, that appears from the exterior to maintain its fifties deco appearance. In fact, if you didn't know what the rooms looked like inside you would probably just drive on by.

 

The grounds are unremarkable, mostly tidy patterned concrete, with a few tropical bushes and plantings. There is a sparkling pool once inside the gates, plenty of lounge chairs, umbrellas and even beach chairs, clean beach towels and coolers for guests. Once inside your room however, you realize what a little gem the Royal North Beach is. The door is frosted glass and opens into a good size living room with couch, arm chair, coffee table and television armoire. Everything is tastefully decorated in a beachside theme. Rooms are cleaned every third day although you may request daily cleaning, we preferred not to. Each day you may have your bath towels replaced by staff and they will also take out your trash. In the kitchen paper towels and dish soap were also provided, a nice touch that often is not in rentals. The management also provided Kleenex brand tissue and moderate quality toiletries.

There is also a full kitchen with granite countertops, full size refrigerator and eat in area with table and chairs. There is a separate bedroom with a comfortable mattress, plenty of fluffy pillows, a dresser and a roomy closet. Between the bedroom and the tidy bathroom is a walk in closet, in case you have a lot of luggage or stay the winter I suppose. The bathroom is not large but it is clean, with new cabinetry. Hot water was plentiful as were the towels provided.

Just across the street was a quiet, beautiful white sand beach that seemed to stretch on forever. We walked over there and felt as if we had an entire island to ourselves. The Royal North Beach is on the North end of Clearwater Beach, hence the name, and it is quieter there without all of the crowds. The location is close enough to walk to many restaurants, shops and even live music at night. If you have children there are a number of parks and playgrounds within walking distance. We did see several families staying here although the units are very quiet so we never heard of them once inside our room. It seems as if it would be very convenient with kids, one or two bedroom units with a full kitchen, pool and just a short walk to the beach.

The Royal North Beach is not the Ritz but it is clean, spacious, comfortable and definitely luxurious for the price. We paid $139 a night for two nights and received the third night free as a promotion. A great deal in a resort town for a full size suite with full kitchen and separate bedroom.

 

Luxury Vacation, Recession Style

UberGeek and I arrived last night for our first child free vacation in five years. To say we were excited would be an understatement. We are looking to fall in love all over again. Unlike our honeymoon, however, this time expense is something we are considering. Ten years ago, on our honeymoon, no expense was spared, we flew first class (airline miles), stayed at one of the world's top luxury hotels, a yacht & breakfast, wine country mansion, and really enjoyed ourselves. This time, we wanted to enjoy ourselves just as much at a fraction of  the cost. UberGeek and I are very competitive. So, the challenge between us has become finding the most luxurious vacation for the most rock bottom price.

Among our friends this has become a trend of late. One of my girlfriends, accustomed to buying Nieman's and Macy's $200 maxi dresses has, after losing her well paying medical sales position, resorted to purchasing the Old Navy version for $25. She still looks gorgeous as usual, but at a fraction of the cost. Other friends are eschewing the $12 per hour babysitters, instead choosing to swap nights with friends to save cash. Many of us have begun to clean our own homes (sigh, gasp) much to our own dismay when it leaves us less family time. These things pale in comparison to the families who have to skip real necessities in order to make ends meet.

Our vacations are no different. We are tightening the belt but we still wanted a relaxing couples vacation. How would we do this for a rock bottom price? I like thick towels, luxury toiletries, comfortable mattresses, oh my!

I also confess a love of the odd. If there is a tin contraption on the side of road pouring smoke from the top with an old man in a lawn chair sitting by the side of it, I must stop and purchase the barbecue for sale there. Likely it will be the best barbecue I have ever eaten. UberGeek is more timid, preferring the assurance of chain restaurants and a lack of e coli bacteria. I am like a carp, I can eat whatever and remain unaffected. Tonight, on our second day of vacation we passed by a seedy locals bar called the Shipwreck, loud music was oozing out, a floozy female wooden pirate was bicycle locked to the door. I was intrigued. I knew I had to have a drink there before our vacation was over. UberGeek, knowing me, had already asked at the pizza joint across the street what the Shipwreck was like, "safe, local, and smoky" came the reply. "My wife will have to go there" he said.

This morning we went for a run too late, 8:30 and it was brutally hot, but we slept in. Then we had a quick breakfast and hit the beach. It was like having the Gulf of Mexico all to ourselves at the quiet North end of the beach. We swam around in the water, sunbathed, read and relaxed. Then it was naptime, dinnertime and rum runner time. I am going to dedicate the next few days of my blog to detailing our stay. Where we stayed, what we spent, and what we experienced. Just in case anyone else is interested in a recession style vacation. So far, so good.