{"id":82,"date":"2017-01-18T06:48:19","date_gmt":"2017-01-18T06:48:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.myvacationpants.com\/?p=82"},"modified":"2017-01-18T06:48:19","modified_gmt":"2017-01-18T06:48:19","slug":"put-on-your-year-in-review-vacation-pants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/myvacationpants.com\/index.php\/2017\/01\/18\/put-on-your-year-in-review-vacation-pants\/","title":{"rendered":"Put on Your Year in Review Vacation Pants"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Showing off my Redwood Tree Vacation Pants in the lovely\u00a0Humboldt Redwood Forest in Northern California.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Well, it’s been a whole year since I started the ole travel blog and I decided to reflect on the last year of travel. \u00a0I am going to talk about the best place(s) we ate (sometimes it is too hard to choose one), the best place(s) we visited, the best place(s) we hoteled, and the best thing(s) we did. \u00a0Of course, I will give you an overall snapshot of our travels at the end of the post, so you can get some travel inspiration. \u00a0Sit back, relax, and make 2017 the year you get out there and travel in those vacation pants!!! \u00a0Hope you start planning that next vacay, stat!\u00a0<\/p>\n

Top Vacation Pants Destination(s) 2016<\/strong><\/h2>\n

And the winner is…<\/p>\n

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HOT SPRINGS, Arkansas<\/p>\n

We visited some amazing places this year,\u00a0(please see our little travelogue overview at the end of this post) but Hot Springs was like no other place we have ever visited before. \u00a0I wrote a travel guide to this little gem. \u00a0Check it out here<\/a>. \u00a0The combination of affordable travel, hotel, and activities, plus the overall wonderment of this turn of the century town and national park made this place stand out. \u00a0My daughter has already planned a trip to go back when she turns ten, so she can try the bath house. \u00a0If you want to see the Southern United States and get a taste of what life must have been like in the early 1900s, I would definitely check out this town.<\/p>\n

Honorable Mentions – Destinations<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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COKI POINT, Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands<\/p>\n

One of our stops on the Disney Cruise we took this year was the gorgeous island of Saint Thomas. \u00a0We took a taxi across the island to Coki Point and taught our 5 year old and 7 year old how to snorkel. \u00a0The water was crystal clear and warm. \u00a0It was pretty much a tropical paradise. \u00a0We tipped a nice guy five bucks to watch our stuff on the beach while we snorkeled the day away. \u00a0It was a great experience for all.<\/p>\n

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SABINE WILDLIFE REFUGE, Louisiana<\/p>\n

What ended up being a bathroom stop ended up being a wonder to behold. \u00a0The picture above is just a glimpse of the beauty of the swampland of the south. \u00a0On our short little hike we saw alligators, turtles, snakes, and more. \u00a0Don’t miss this precious little gem if you are ever driving through southern Louisiana.<\/p>\n

Top Hotel(s) of 2016\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

and the winner is…<\/p>\n

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HICKSVILLE PINES AND CHALETS<\/a>\u00a0in Idyllwild, California<\/p>\n

Technically this is a cabin in the woods, but this newly opened retreat is just too cool to not stay at. \u00a0There are 9 themed rooms that are unique in their own right, but then add in the free rec room\/arcade, jacuzzi hot tub under the trees, and selection of fun things to do in your room and we never wanted to leave. \u00a0We are already planning our next vacation there. \u00a0We highly recommend the Nerd Room. \u00a0It has a bunk bed and a Dungeons and Dragons Room, plus a vintage table top arcade cabinet on free play, so you can play to your heart’s content. \u00a0Enjoy!<\/p>\n

Honorable Mentions – Hotels<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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HOTEL CERVANTES<\/a>, Old San Juan, Puerto Rico<\/p>\n

I have never been to Spain, but my hubby has, and he told me that San Juan has that old Spanish feel. \u00a0Hotel Cervantes had that elegant old world charm that exceeded my expectations. \u00a0The pic is of my son on the balcony that was attached to our room. \u00a0Our in-laws stayed in the suite and had the classiest room I’d ever seen. \u00a0(I’m talking elevator-opens-into-your-hotel-room kind of cool.) \u00a0It was conveniently located within walking distance of the beautiful Castillos and amazing places to eat. \u00a0It truly was a delightful stay.<\/p>\n

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SQUAW PEAK HILTON RESORT<\/a>, Phoenix, Arizona<\/p>\n

Well, if you are looking for one of those “don’t have to leave the resort to have fun” getaways, then this is the place for you. \u00a0First off, all the rooms are suites, so that’s a major plus for traveling families. \u00a0It also has a water park that is included in your stay and it is open (and heated) year round. \u00a0Hello???!!! \u00a0Lazy river, water slide, and more. \u00a0We also putt putted and hiked around the area. \u00a0At the end of the stay, we didn’t want to leave.<\/p>\n

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COUNTRY LAKES INN RESORT<\/a>, Hot Springs, Arkansas<\/p>\n

One more place that really knocked our socks off was a little locally owned resort in Hot Springs. \u00a0All the rooms had a beautiful view of the lake and a little kitchen to do all your cooking. \u00a0Let’s be real, we really only used the microwave to zap some meals, so we could play. \u00a0Then there was the swim dock. \u00a0That’s my son diving into the warm waters of Lake Hamilton. \u00a0You can’t beat the price either.<\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

Top Dining of 2016<\/strong><\/h2>\n

So I’m not really a super adventurous eater, and am definitely not rating food on a fine dining scale. \u00a0I rate my dining experiences on service, atmosphere, and most importantly, the taste of the food. \u00a0So I guess you can call me a fast food foodie, if that is even a thing. \u00a0When I travel we always go to local places that we can’t eat at home, so I guess that’s a little adventurous.<\/p>\n

And the winner is…<\/p>\n

BBQ Shrimp Po Boy from Chef Ron’s Gumbo Stop – March 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

CHEF RON’S GUMBO STOP<\/a>, Metaire, Louisiana<\/p>\n

Just outside of New Orleans is a restaurant you have to stop at. \u00a0The wait was out the door, but it was totally worth it. \u00a0My husband often dreams about the BBQ Shrimp Po Boy he got there. \u00a0The Gumbo is out of this world. \u00a0I’m not really a seafood fan, so I got the Roast Beef Po Boy. \u00a0It was so good. \u00a0Cooked to perfection. \u00a0You will come across a lot of amazing food in and around New Orleans, but don’t forget to make the stop at Chef Ron’s.<\/p>\n

Honorable Mentions – Dining<\/h3>\n

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PURPLE COW<\/a>, Hot Springs, Arkansas<\/p>\n

My kids still talk about the purple vanilla ice cream they got to have at The Purple Cow, an adorable little diner in Arkansas. \u00a0We thought it would be a fun atmosphere to hang out with the kiddos in, but it was so much more. \u00a0Everyone that worked there had that amazing southern charm, and the food was exceptionally good. \u00a0I highly recommend the burgers and the buffalo chicken sandwich, and of course a purple dessert of some kind. \u00a0Yum!<\/p>\n

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The Dining Options on the Disney Wonder, Cruise Ship<\/p>\n

I can’t go without giving a shout out to the food of the Disney Wonder. \u00a0I mean, it is the best of the best. \u00a0I don’t think any of us had a single complaint about the food selections. \u00a0Mickey pretzels, Disney Park style chicken tenders, and made to order burgers by day, and steak, lobster, and other fine dining delicacies by night. \u00a0It was quite the adventure for a very unadventurous eater like myself. \u00a0I even ate some escargot and it was pretty good.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Best Activities of 2016<\/strong><\/h2>\n

And the winner is.<\/p>\n

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BIG RIVER BEACH, Mendocino, California<\/p>\n

Big River Beach is a FREE public beach, but if you walk down the beach a bit it becomes your own private paradise complete with waterfall lagoons, sea caves, and ocean views that you never thought possible. \u00a0There is also a nice combination of waves verses calm waters. \u00a0This is because the fresh water from a river meets the ocean here. \u00a0I cannot believe a beach like this exists in my home state of California.<\/p>\n

Honorable Mentions – Things To Do<\/h2>\n

\"img_1750_23792356043_o\"<\/p>\n

THE CASTILLOS OF OLD SAN JUAN<\/a>, Puerto Rico<\/p>\n

I have never before stood in a structure so old and full of history. \u00a0My family had so much fun walking through all the nooks and crannies of the Castillos of San Juan. \u00a0Castillo San Felipe del Morro and Castillo San Cristobal are situated on top of cliffs in Old San Juan. \u00a0You pay a nominal fee to enter one and save your receipt and you can get into the other one. \u00a0There is so much to see and do and both places take you back in time. \u00a0Plus, you get some of the best ocean views you’ll ever see. \u00a0There is even a lookout in the restroom. \u00a0Make sure you check it out when you visit. \u00a0There is also a free tram that goes around the city, so you can catch that and get dropped off at different locations throughout Old San Juan.<\/p>\n

\"img_2645_26173733415_o\"<\/p>\n

ESCATAWPA NATURE TRAIL, Moss Point, Mississippi<\/p>\n

What started as a bathroom stop at the Mississippi Welcome Center turned into a family hiking adventure we will never forget. \u00a0My husband found this trail off to the side of the Welcome Center, so we decided to check it out. \u00a0The area had just gotten a lot of rain at the time we traveled, and the trail was covered in puddles of water at parts. \u00a0We were going to turn back, but the kids insisted we continue the adventure, and I am so glad we did. \u00a0After hiking through some rather large puddles of water we got to some beautiful views of Mississippi that we would have never seen otherwise. \u00a0Sometimes it pays to just follow your nose when traveling.<\/p>\n

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JUNGLE GARDENS<\/a>, Avery Island, Louisiana<\/p>\n

After taking\u00a0the awesome Tabasco factory tour, we headed over to the Jungle Gardens. \u00a0This place was incredible. \u00a0So much wildlife, so much beautiful vegetation. \u00a0Yeah, you can just drive though the whole thing, but you will miss some great things if you do. \u00a0Get out at the stopping points and take it all in.<\/p>\n

South Coast Botanical Garden in Palos Verdes, California<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

RECIPROCAL GARDEN PASS<\/a>\u00a0– All Over the Place<\/p>\n

I bought a year pass to gardens all over the place. \u00a0The main pass was for The LA Arboretum in Arcadia, but we only went there a few times. \u00a0We used the pass to go to so many cool gardens. \u00a0I love that so many cities have gardens dedicated to the beauty and preservation of nature. \u00a0It was fun traveling around to them for a year.<\/p>\n

2016 Travelogue<\/strong><\/h2>\n

So now it is time to check out a snapshot of our year in travel. \u00a0Let me know what you want to know more about and I may dedicate a post to it in 2017.<\/p>\n

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Eating at a very cool diner in Bakersfield, California. – December 2015<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Our amazing stateroom on the Disney Wonder. – January, 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Taking in a park in Baton Rouge, Louisiana – March, 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Playing swamp on our semi-private beach. Stump Beach, California. – June 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Picnic Lunch in Mendocino, California. -June 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
This last year I managed to lose and keep off 50 pounds. This is my milestone pic when I hiked to the top of a mountain and enjoyed the view with my son. -November 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Hiking in Grapevine Canyon right outside of Laughlin, Nevada. -November 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Touring the a turn of the century bathhouse in Hot Springs, Arkansas. – August 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
World Famous Date Shakes. Yum! Hadley’s Fruit Orchard in Cabazon, California. -August 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles. – June 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Our favorite type of hike is a boardwalk hike. Fort Bragg, California. – June 2017.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Attending Daddy’s Panel at Wonder Con 2016 in Los Angeles. -April 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Beach Bums on Coronado Island in California. -July 2016.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Frolicking with my kiddos in Pass Christian, Mississippi.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Digging for diamonds in Crater of Diamonds State Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Eating our way through the French Market in New Orleans, Louisiana. – March 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Audrey having fun in the Oceaneer’s Lab on the Disney Wonder. -January 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Snorkeling in the blue waters of Tortola. – January 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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At a Texan wedding in Weatherford, Texas. – July, 2016.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Tabasco Factory Tour on Avery Island in Louisiana. -March 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Pontoon Boat time on the lovely Big Bear Lake, California. -May 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Legoland California. – April 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Zelda and Link at San Diego Comic Con, July 2016.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Knott’s Scary Farm – October 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Using the private entrance to Legoland while staying at the Sheraton Carlsbad. – October 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Beignets at Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans. – March 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Saint Louis Cathedral in New Orleans. – March 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Following the brick roads of San Juan Puerto Rico. -January 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Exploring Bayou Teche in Louisiana. -March 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The wonderous Pac-Man wallpaper in our Nerd Room at Hicksville Pines in Idyllwild, California – December 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
A day at Disney’s California Adventure. – February 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Enjoying a rainy, but awesome day at Disneyland. – February 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
On a field trip at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California. Yeah, I fit travel in to my full time job being a teacher. -May 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Renting a car from Sixt Rental Cars in the Dallas-Fortworth Airport. They had awesome kiddie cars. -July 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Thank you for following our adventures this year. \u00a0Be sure to follow us on social media and share anything you find helpful or interesting.<\/p>\n

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\nInquiries: myvactionpants@gmail.com<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Well, it’s been a whole year since I started the ole travel blog and I decided to reflect on the last year of travel. \u00a0I am going to talk about the best place(s) we ate (sometimes it is too hard to choose one), the best place(s) we visited, the best place(s) we hoteled, and the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[5,7,9,11,17,19,33,36,41,43,50,55,66,68,69,74],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-82","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-arkansas","category-beaches","category-budget-travel","category-caribbean","category-cruising","category-dining","category-hotels","category-janelle-and-phil-vecchio","category-my-vacation-pants","category-national-parks","category-old-san-juan","category-puerto-rico","category-things-to-do","category-travel-blog","category-traveling-on-a-budget","category-vacation-planning"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p87NkQ-1k","jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/myvacationpants.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/myvacationpants.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/myvacationpants.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/myvacationpants.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/myvacationpants.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=82"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/myvacationpants.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/myvacationpants.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=82"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/myvacationpants.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=82"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/myvacationpants.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=82"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}