Disney's California Adventures

Our second day at Disney was spent at California Adventures. Our hotel was within walking distance which was perfect.

I'd only been here once before and it was before they added Carsland. I got pretty geeky and decided to visit as many characters as possible.

We got lucky and there was virtually no line for Anna and Elsa. Olaf, on the other hand, had a 45 minute wait. That was fine, I got a fun frozen drink (pun intended).

We checked out Sully's fraternity house and got to see Sully (Hence the pic with Mike and Sully, get it? Bad joke.). 

Mike took me to Cove Bar for lobster nachos and we finished off the day with a trip to Ghirardelli before heading home. Good times!

Disneyland Trippin

Who doesn't love a good old fashioned trip to Disneyland? I know I do! 

My friend Mike and I made a quick overnight trip to Anaheim for our Disney fix. I'd found a really great deal on a room and we had enough time to go to both parks. 

It wasn't too crowded and the weather was perfect. We got to Disneyland in time to catch a character breakfast at the Plaza Inn. 

We stopped by the Marvel set-up inside Tomorrowland (I had never been). I have to say, the guy dressed as Thor was pretty convincing. 

I got my mandatory Mickey ice cream bar. And beignets.

We finished off the day with dinner at Big Thunder Ranch BBQ. Awesome day!

NFR Part 8

My last night out for NFR was actually my birthday (yay).

My friend Michelle and I went to Cleo at the SLS Hotel to grab dinner first since I had a $30 birthday comp (gotta love those Vegas comps). 

The food was delicious. We had hummus.

Some clam pasta.

The most amazing lamb and couscous.

Saffron rice as a side.

And this adorable dessert platter.

Afterwards, we headed to The Las Vegas Bull for the Lucy Hale show.

    

The show was wonderful and I even got a sweet happy birthday from Lucy after the show.

Great birthday!

NFR Part 7

By my 7th night, I was really starting to love the set-up at MGM.

The stage was awesome, the bars were convenient, and most people left after the NFR viewing was done and the shows weren't insanely crowded. 

On this particular night, it was the first show this round for the Swon Brothers. I had gotten lucky and ran into the guys before the show so I got to chat with them for a few minutes.

The show was awesome. I had never watched The Voice but I had seen them at the Toys For Tickets show a few nights before and they were great there too!

NFR Part 6

My 6th night out for NFR was probably my fave because I got to spend it with the bestie.

Melissa is not a big country music fan but when she asked what I was doing for my birthday and I told her "going to see Cole Swindell", she bought a ticket right away. 

Bonus- She even like the music.

I've been a Cole Swindell fan from the day I saw him play a three song set for a Salt Lake City radio station in the parking lot at the Luke Bryan concert. Watching his career grow has been so much fun; especially after all the crazy antics on the cruise. We had an amazing spot for the show at Brooklyn Bowl and it was an absolute blast. 

Bed & Breakfasting in Senoia, Georgia

Upon planning our trip, I found this adorable B&B in Senoia. 

The reviews were amazing and the staff was super friendly when I called so I booked us a night at the Verandah. Our room was adorable and the food was delightful. Even better, it was all dressed up for Christmas and there was a spacious parking lot for our rental car (no street parking). 

\

Foodie Wanderings in Georgia

I really missed the food back home. 

I absolutely love Southern food and I love that the food in Georgia is quite cheap compared to similar food in Vegas. Even better, I got to visit with two of my oldest friends at Pittypat's Porch (Gone with the Wind themed restaurant downtown). So much fun!

Walking Dead Wanderings in Georgia

So back in December, I made another visit home with my mom. Every time I had been in Georgia on the last few visits it had been really hot so we decided to go home in the winter. Added bonus- Flights and the hotels were pretty cheap and everything was quiet. Even better- We got to do our own full Walking Dead tour!!!

We rented a car at the airport and headed straight to Steak and Shake for breakfast (because the one in Vegas doesn't do breakfast). We then drove through Griffin, Haralson, and Grantville where we got a private tour of Morgan's apartment. Here's a list of all the spots we got to see:

The funeral home

Rick's house

Morgan's old house

Terminus (the main entrance)

The mill where Merle led the walkers

Woodbury

What I'm pretty sure is going to be Alexandria

Woodbury Coffee Shop

Chocolate pudding house

In Senoia, we stopped at the Woodbury Shoppe and got to visit the basement museum where they keep Daryl's motorcycle, some of the prison cells, and Penny's cage. They even have the attached Waking Dead Cafe where I got to get some awesome themed cookies. Papier Mache cats, anyone?

St George

On our way home from Zion, we stopped in St. George for lunch and some shopping. No joke, I found the most amazing deals at the TJ Maxx there. Sad but true. So proud.

We wandered the historic district after lunch and did our own little historic homes tour. 

NFR Part 5

The first Sunday of the NFR is usually the annual Toys for Tickets show sponsored by 95.5 The Bull.

It's one of the best events I go to because they raise so many toys for the children in the area. The deal is, you bring a toy worth at least $10 (up to two) and get a free ticket to an amazing show. They always bring in awesome artists and it's a big festive show in an intimate showroom.

NFR 2014 brought in Big & Rich, Maddie & Tae, David Nail, Josh Thompson, The Swon Brothers, and Frankie Ballard. At the end of the show there's always a really great raffle and they bring all the artists up for a Christmas song. I chatted with Maddie & Tae after the show and it was a great night for them because Girl in a Country Song had just hit #1 at midnight! 

London Part 13

So one of my absolulte must stops was Paddington Station. We actually started here when we arrived on the Airport Express, but we had luggage and I didn't want to explore.

One of my close friends was expecting at the time and I knew she loved Paddington so I wanted to get her little girl a stuffed Paddington and book. I also wanted it to be authentic. 

We stopped by the Paddington booth at the station and got to see the large bear himself. 

So worth the stop. Also get some Millie's cookies if you're there because, yum.

Sundaze on Sundays- Pajama Night

The last night on the ship was Pajama Night. 

As soon as I grabbed food after hopping on the ship, I headed up to the pool deck to get a good spot for the Florida Georgia Line Q&A. For a packed deck, it was pretty fun and intimate. The guys made a lot of jokes and told the same stories repeatedly. 

I knew well in advance that people were going to be wearing a lot of skimpy PJs so I took the opposite route with my fuzzy stitch onesie. Let me tell you, it was super comfortable but insanely HOT. Especially under the stage lots in the showroom. 

My outfit definitely got a lot of attention (especially when one girl yelled "You have a tail!" and I hadn't realized the suit had a tail). Maggie Rose loved it since it turns out, she too is a Lilo and Stitch fan. I made friends with another onesie person at the Dallas Smith show too. Since it was the last night, I had packed during the afternoon and just needed to toss the onesie in at the end of the night (well, stuff it in). Pretty epic last night except for the scary waves.

So that was my FGL Cruise experience. I expected it to be a once in a lifetime kind of thing but...
Tomorrow I get to book Round 2!!!

Zion Roadtrip

Towards the end of last year, my mom, Roger, and I took a little roadtrip to Zion National Park and St. George. We found a really really great price on a hotel right outside the park and found some amazing food stops in the area too. The weather was perfect and the view from the hotel was beautiful!!!

NFR Part 4

My last Old Dominion show of NFR was probably my fave.

The crowd was a lot more active and there were more fans who had seen their other shows.

Even better, in addition to playing my song request, Matt introed the song by telling the audience that their friend Melanie had requested it for them. And then he pointed at me. And then all the girls gave me funny looks. 

London Part 12

We also made a stop to the Sherlock Holmes Museum. Really really Google Map the address in advance because there are a million places in London labeled "Sherlock Holmes". That was not fun. The museum, on the other hand, was super cool. Lots of props and great photo spots.

Sundaze on Sundays- Great Stirrup Cay & Private Nelly Shows

It's an amazing thing to be exhausted, slightly hungover, and know you don't have to do anything. Not a single damn thing.

I woke up the next morning feeling kind of gross (drinking all day will do that right) and headed up to the pool deck to grab a towel and ferry tickets for the day. I'd had the foresight to order room service the night before so that I would be well equipped in the morning before meeting up with friends to head to the ferry.

It's kind of awesome to step off a ship onto a ferry boat owned by the private island you'll be spending your day on. It's even more awesome when it's a beautiful day, there are tons of comfy loungers, and Nelly is setting up for a private concert just down the beach. Oh, and there are free Fireball shots. And Monster Rehab drinks to take the hangover away.

We grabbed lunch at the buffet line on site and then lounged around. I fell asleep right until the show started and it was a pretty amazing show. I managed to snag a pretty great spot right in the water (nice and cool) by the side of the stage.