Crash Course in Self Planning a Trip to Walt Disney World During Peak times

Because we had a trip out to NC for a wedding over the week prior to Thanksgiving, we decided to go ahead and put together a trip to Walt Disney World. We’ve been putting it off for about two years; but we wanted to go at least one more time before my oldest son graduates, and also, since my little one was four when we went last- he doesn’t remember much.

So, when we realized we’d be purchasing tickets out east anyway- we said why not?!? Because it was Thanksgiving week, I was very leery because I have heard that the crowds could be insane. Since we were staying off site, we could have hired a Magic Maker for about $100- which if you don't have time to plan; is a great option. If you are staying on a Disney property, there is no extra charge and I highly recommend utilizing their planning services. However, if you will be staying off site, I thought I'd offer some tips for those self planners out there.... 

Self-Planning tips:

The first step in self-planning your trip would be to create an account on the Disney World website and then download the app. I realized when I logged in that I had created an account about 2 years ago when we first started talking about this… I had not downloaded the app- and you may be wondering why in the world you’d need it before you’re even setting foot on the property- but I’ll get to that in a minute.

In advance of our trip- as in about 90 days prior- I spent tons of time on pinterest planning and researching, since we have such a short amount of time, and it's such a busy time of year for Disney- the devil is in the details. So, I found this site which has been an amazing source of information- if you are not staying on site, and/or not using a Magic Maker to plan your trip. (At this point, with the amount of research I've done, I could just about qualify, LOL). Anyway: here's the super handy website that I've got pinned all over my travel pinterest boards: http://wdwprepschool.com/. That site has everything about each park, dining options, fast pass plans, and more. 

Dining Reservations:

Book dining reservations up to 180 days prior (even without ticket purchase) for busy times. I will tell you right now, that the dining reservations saved our lives. Dining in Disney is pricey- but at busy times when everyone is cranky and there are no reservations and no tables to be found at quick service locations (or a curb to sit on for that matter), it mattered. I don’t think we could have covered so much ground at the parks in two days had it not been for dining reservations. More about specific dining locations later- but I did book at least one character meal (that was on Thanksgiving Day at Chip and Dale’s Garden Grill so that we could have a pretty authentic Thanksgiving meal). At about 90 days prior- most in park locations were booked for the Wednesday and Thursday of Thanksgiving- so when I spotted reservations- I snatched them up quickly. You can cancel without charge (otherwise $10/pp) up to 24 hours in advance of the reservation, and Disney does send you reminder emails so that you can change if you need too.

We ended up with a table service reservation for lunch in Animal Kingdom the first day (at Yak and Yeti); and browsed and sampled Epcot’s Christmas dishes for dinner that evening. However, I was extremely lucky to find the Yak and Yeti reservation for lunch a couple days prior to our trip- so don’t give up and don’t quit checking the app- even while you're in the park. I had originally booked a character dinner in AK for that evening at 8:00 (that was all that was available at the time), but we got through the park with our fast passes so quickly, we were able to call and cancel that reservation about 5 hours prior. We were prepared to pay the fee- because character dining is the most expensive option and we would still end up ahead of the game even cancelling- but when they asked why we were cancelling and replied that we would be finished with the park and hopping on, they cancelled it without a fee- presumably it’s easy to refill the reservation since the park was so busy.

Thanksgiving Day I had booked the lunch at Chip and Dale’s Garden Grill since they had somewhat Thanksgiving-ish fare and all the other TDay dinner locations were booked up. I didn’t have anything planned for dinner on Thursday night. So, after realizing how badly our feet needed the sit-down dinner- I kept checking the app on Wednesday and Thursday until I finally landed an open spot at Tony’s on Main Street in Magic Kingdom. Granted, that dinner reservation was at 9:55pm. But we got it; and it worked out great since we had a late lunch and a Mickey pretzel snack in between. If you want reservations- shoot for off times to eat; or during parades of fireworks shows. Again, don't quit checking the app because people cancel all day and new reservations popped up. 

Fast Passes:

We knew we would use points to stay off site- so we were allowed a 30-day window to book fast passes as long as our Disney tickets were purchased online in advance. (If you are staying on site- you have a 60-day window). We set reminders in our phone 30 days prior to our trip to obtain fast passes online (you will need to login at 7am EST/6am CST on EACH day of your trip) and got up at the crack of dawn- actually before- to book passes. The first three allowed passes for a day must be booked in the same park. After your last fast pass has been used/expired, you can continue to login in to the app to get another, and then another, and then another; and these do NOT have to be in the same park. If you are going over Thanksgiving or any busy time of the year- booking time is key. I logged in right at 6am for our first ticket day and did great getting good fast pass times. The second day (actually our Thanksgiving day ticket) I logged in at 6:07 because I overslept a little, and believe me- the good fast pass times got snatched quickly and that ended up affecting our whole day’s plans… The app came in very handy as we did all of this from our bed.

Refer to pinterest and the wdwprepschool link above for some great recommendations on fast passes. I stuck to their plan and it worked out great for us. We booked three passes in Epcot- “burned” one by just scanning in so that we could get another pass earlier since it was an attraction we didn’t feel the need to do. After that, we booked one for Buzz Lightyear (my kids have happy memories there) in Magic Kingdom; and then another at Pirates in MK. We realized after using the 10:00pm fast pass at Pirates that no more fast passes were available for our date. I don’t know if that means that no more were available because of a cut-off time; or if they were all simply used up.

We’ve been to Disney in years past when fast passes were not an option, and this made all the difference in the world. I can’t stress how much more enjoyable our trip was with only having to wait in limited lines. Try to get them to early/midday if possible so that you can maximize the number of fast passes you’ll get to use.

A note about Flights of Passage, Avatar:

This was the most amazing ride I’ve ever been on. We did not secure a fast pass for this attraction- they were long gone at 6:00am. However, we got to the park at Animal Kingdom and were through security by 7:30am. While we didn’t use it, I confirmed a tip I had read on Pinterest that you can cut through the Rainforest Café gift shop to get ahead of the crowds to make your way to the Pandora. But we almost ran to the attraction, and by the time we got there it was a line already up to 90 minutes. I am not the type to say that waiting in a line that long for anything is worth it. But I will tell you right now that the line itself is a beautiful wait. I was never bored looking at the sights. I would have been sad if I’d missed all that because of a fast pass. It moved fairly quickly; and once inside- the ride is the most advanced thing I’ve ever ridden. I will let you experience it for yourself.

Our lyft driver from the night before had ridden Flight of Passage I think 3-4 times and hasn’t gotten tired of it. He told us to skip the Navi River ride, so we did. From what I gather, it’s a standard Disney boat ride- so waiting 215 minutes was not in the cards for us, and we don’t regret that.

Parking/Transportation into the parks:

We had a rental car. However, the first night we had reservations at Hoop de Doo Revue at Disney’s Camp Wilderness Campsites, and I had heard that it’s hard to access due to limited parking. It also has beer/wine included with the meal, so we opted to look for a ride over. We checked in with the concierge at our hotel, who told us that Lyft is typically better in Orlando than Uber (which we normally use). We used the app to order a Lyft driver, and this turned out to be great because he was full of information that we tucked away for the rest of the trip.

First of all, we discovered that parking at Disney ranges from $20- 40 depending on how close you want to get to the gate. Our Lyft rides into the parks (Animal Kingdom/Epcot) were about $16-18 one way. Which isn’t bad considering you don’t have to walk to a car (and believe me, ow, ow, ow) or sit in traffic. Our Lyft driver told us that they can drop you right at the front for Animal Kingdom and Epcot because there are drop off lines. Boom, you’re at the gate without the foot ache. Magic Kingdom was a different story because of having to access the monorail or the boat over. So, he told us to be dropped at the Contemporary and walk over.

Side note: When we did this- we thought we had to take the monorail but the line that we got on runs to the transportation center followed by all the resorts and finally the Magic Kingdom. That’s four stops to the Magic Kingdom versus walking across the street- about 15 minutes. Lesson learned. We actually opted when we were leaving to walk it from the front gate to the Contemporary lobby. So that’s an option if the lines are long and if your feet are still up for it. Getting into the Magic Kingdom was the most confusing part of our trip; and the signage for the monorail was confusing. We could have taken the boat- which is fun if that’s your first trip; but we opted to use these options because they’re faster (as long as you don't get on the monorail going the wrong way- ha!).

Side tips:

• Utilizing the app will suck your battery dry before the end of the day. Plan to bring a backup brick (they were available for purchase in the parks for $30). Or, you can be like us and fight the system. We looked for outlets hidden (and well hidden, because it is, after all- Disney) in the flower beds and on columns, and charged our phone when we stopped for snack, meal and bathroom breaks.
• Because we had our final meal at Tony’s on Main Street right at 10:00, we saw the mass exodus after the fireworks show. We noticed that as people left- the restrooms in the restaurant (which includes a gift shop) were largely un-used. So, rather than using the restrooms on the way out of the park, I would step into this building where there were no lines if you’re exiting right at fireworks time. This is an especially good tip for us girls, since almost every bathroom line is double what the guys get since all the moms are stacking themselves plus at least one kid in a stall. Sigh, motherhood.

How was the trip with older kids versus young ones? Amazing! Different, but good. When the kids are little, they are all full of wonder and excitement; but they're dragging by the end of the day and everyone's melting down. Traveling with older kids allowed us to conquer more of the parks at a faster rate- but enjoy things like the good food, and the sights versus characters and kiddie rides (but Pluto did have my teenager laughing at Chip and Dale's Garden Grill). I wouldn't give up on a trip with your older kids, just because they're older- we had a blast!

Coming soon, reviews of Hoop de Doo review, Yak and Yeti restaurant, Chip and Dales’ Garden Grill, and Tony’s on Main Street. 

On Relationships

It’s been a pretty long while since I started composing this blog, but it’s taken me quite a bit of time to feel like I’m ready to share it. And to be honest, it's pretty long. And raw. And has nothing to do with travel unless you count the journey called life. And really, I wrote it for me, and not necessarily my reader- which is the complete opposite of what I usually do. So I will not be offended if you stop reading. 

Unfortunately, a long-lasting relationship of mine has recently come to a screeching, abrupt end (disclaimer- in no way am I referring to the relationship with my husband). Technically, the relationship was already slowing falling apart; and I don’t think it was an abrupt ending in any way except the way in which shots were fired and heard round the world after it came to my confronting and examining some issues, drawing some boundaries and asking for some space. Those shots fired publicly did not come from me; and were hard very hard for me to process. It’s a shame really because there might’ve been hope for the relationship again one day, had all the knee-jerk reactions not occurred. But isn’t that how it always goes when two fallible people are involved? All I can think of is Ross and Rachel “taking a break” and knee jerk reactions ensuing, resulting in almost beyond repair damage.

As I reflect over the broken relationship, I realized I’ve learned a few things….

I once heard it said- never marry someone you would be afraid to divorce. Meaning, like afraid. Not just sad. The way someone would react if you ever hurt them for one reason or another- on purpose or inadvertently, really does say a lot about their character. I think the same can apply to friendships and relationships. At least, I realize now that it does. If you can’t trust someone not to launch and pounce on your insecurities or private discussions after a “break up”, then you probably don’t want to have them in your circle. Go with your gut on this one, because I can tell you my gut knew. I can’t believe I’m just now learning this lesson at 40 years old. Boy, I’m now a little gun shy of how much I will share about myself. I find myself thinking frequently- if I admit to this fear, or share this about myself- will it haunt me later? There’s a saying- “we could never not be friends, because you know too much”. If that scares you, take heed.  

The marriage thing brings me to another thought. A non-marital relationship is obviously not a marriage. I am not bound by God to love, serve, obey for all the days of my life, no matter what. That sounds pretty damn harsh- because I do believe in doing those things in a relationship, absolutely- I mean except obey, of course. But I do choose to do those things because I care. The way I demonstrate love to someone is usually acts of service. I will scrub the dirty bathtub in your new house. I will wash your dishes and keep the kitchen running if you’re having a party. I will show up when you have a baby. Things like that- are how I love and serve. Not everyone loves that way- some are very, very good at encouraging words, and some are very, very good gift givers; and not everyone needs love returned in that way. Those things are all great and necessary in a relationship- giving and taking and sharing love languages.

But I do think that in relationships, there should be boundaries- and I do think that the parameters are much, much different for a non marital relationship versus a marriage. Relationships can ebb and flow- based on life’s current situations; and it’s refreshing when that is understood. One of my oldest friendships ebbed away in college, but has recently become fresh again. It is nice when two people can understand the ebb and flow of a relationship and handle the changes with grace. Also, trust in the relationship can be broken, but like marriage- it has to be regained for the relationship to ever be the same.

A relationship should not come above a marriage or family relationship. God put the hierarchy of relationships as God-human, human-spouse, human-kids, and then everything else. If a relationship is putting a drain on the top three, then some boundaries should be established. That doesn’t mean that one should end the relationship, but boundaries can be put in place until such a time as the relationship has more healthy balance. I also believe that mental health in the relationship falls in the first tier of God-Human. If the human’s (my) mental state is in disrepair due to trying to give too much to a relationship, how then can the God-human or any of the other relationships be in balance? When a relationship is taking too extreme of a mental toll, it’s okay to set boundaries to help put the other relationships back in line. Hopefully, the relationship and individual is healthy enough to withstand and understand that.

In this relationship, I had gotten to the point where my love language didn’t feel like a love language anymore. It felt like a chore. That is not love. That is not serving. That is not grace. So, I needed to step back and take some space so that I could work on MY attitude toward the relationship, so that I could love cheerfully and joyfully and compassionately.

That leads me to truth. If you cannot speak the truth in love in a relationship, there’s an issue. I have never been able to respect a liar, and I respect myself and my relationships enough to not lie when there is an issue; or when confronted. I try my best to speak the truth with sugar and as gently as I can, but I am human, and how I phrase it may not always be the way God would perfectly speak it. I usually feel pretty good about what I put on paper, but this mouth…. Especially if I’m emotional and right in front of you… Try as I might- I usually pray extensively beforehand, and play out conversations in my head extensively; or I edit, edit everything I say or plan to say, because I do want to say it correctly; but I still might fail in delivering it the way the receiver wants or needs to hear it. Why in the world, would I intentionally choose not to gently deliver truth? What good comes from that? That being said, there have been times when I am guilty of “flying off the handle” and not being gentle- and not giving two toots whether I was gentle or not- but I will tell you right now- that is usually when I’m right in front of the individual; and that impulsive mouth gets in the way of my intentions. Not an excuse, just a fact. So, if I’m confronting someone about something in writing- it’s because I hold them in the highest esteem in that moment, and I want to do it right without the obstacle of my mouth. I AM working on being better in person- but Lordhavemercy it’s taking forever.

That thought about speaking truth led me to evaluate my own self. There have been times when I’ve been very sensitive and became easily offended by something someone said or did. Since this has now happened to me, it’s opened my eyes to the fact that maybe I’ve been guilty of reading into, or assuming I can correctly gauge someone’s heart when they’ve maybe just spoken truth to me. This revelation is a slap in the face moment for me, and my prayer going forward is that next time this happens to me, I will ask myself if the statements are truth, and if there is a heart of love behind something that might have been spoken in a way I didn’t want to have it delivered. It’s a hard thing to do for sure. I will also pray that if I’m receiving unwelcome words, that I will harness the knee-jerk reactions that come naturally to us, as humans, and ask God to help me receive with grace, and dignity. And to put myself in that individuals’ shoes. Why would they say that? What is their situation, and what would drive them to feel they should say or do such things?

Wise words were imparted to me in the aftermath of this situation- that it’s not always necessary to defend myself. If the individual is not in a state to even hear a defense, then sometimes it’s best to be quiet and wait for God to show up and defend; and/or when God wants you to speak, He will give the opportunity to do so; at a time where it’s ready to be received. It’s against our human nature to not defend ourselves. And oh, boy is that in my nature. I’m pretty sure there’s a lawyer somewhere here inside me. So, this was hard for me to swallow. That’s probably why I’m writing it all down here. I want to defend myself. I so want to fight back. I have the ammo, I have the words, I could do it. But following Christ means stepping back from that human nature. It’s also usually the more mature response, and once again, that doesn’t come easily to me. So, I will take the baby step of just writing here, and hope that one day, I can get to the point where I really believe I don’t have to defend myself.

Since the original composing of this blog, there has been further dialog with the individual, and after all that happened, I still didn’t feel I could be honest in everything that I was feeling because of fearing more knee jerk reactions- I wasn’t even sure that the person could understand or hear what I was saying. (Henry Cloud talks about this a lot in his Boundaries book, and in his videos online). So, I took a neutral tact in our conversation. This person did apologize, but I’m not even sure that they knew what for- and it felt like they wanted something in return- like for me to apologize for stating how I felt. Of course, I’ve forgiven them, but that doesn’t mean that things can go back to the way they were without some changes; and I don’t think they liked that answer. So once again, I just stayed quiet on the situation.

Lastly, I’ve really had to evaluate who I am. I have not been exactly “on it” in my Christian life lately. So, maybe I’ve forgotten a little of my identity. But it’s important to know who I am so that when the devil launches an attack on my character- through the worst weapon- a relationship; it’s so important to call to mind the truth of the things God loves about me. Kind of like The Help, “You is kind, you is smart, you is important.” I lay in bed this morning, trying to call to mind the qualities that God has given me that are good, thanks to His help. Lysa Terkeurst says that she sometimes prays the prayer- “God, I know that you love me…” I’m realizing that it’s important to remind myself when I feel I’m being attacked or treated wrongly or unfairly. I’m trying to learn to ground myself in the value that God has for me, so that when a human’s perception of my value changes, I will be okay.

Has this choice, this boundary that I've drawn in my life been easy? No. Not in a million years. I've had stress headaches for weeks on end, and heartaches and daily painful reminders of a relationship that was once good; and I've had to grieve. I've been angry, I've been sad, I've been frustrated and I've been speechless. But, at the end of the day, I'm feeling the release of figuring out who I am and what kind of ways I can value myself the way God does- through boundaries. 

All I can do now is pray that good will come of the situation, and with these reflections, I do feel like there is a small glimmer of good coming in that I’m evaluating myself. How can I be a better, true friend? Are the people in my circle worthy of my trust, or do I need to re-evaluate and set some boundaries? How can I better deliver hard truths? How can I grow with grace and dignity so that I’m able to better receive unpleasant situations? And how can I eventually get to the point where I’m good at that in person? And, in the meantime, wow, I need to nurse my identity in my Creator- I’ve been overlooking it for a while now.

Kids Summer Vacation Packing List

A couple weeks ago, I joined some moms by the pool while our kids were swimming. One mom was agonizing over packing her four kids for summer vacation. I could tell she was extremely overwhelmed at the idea, and I suggested that she let the kids pack their stuff- because the oldest three could totally manage. She mentioned that hadn't worked in the past, and I decided to share my solution with her. She liked it so much, she thought I should share it here.

I have a steady lists for packing suitcases- one for summer vacation, one for international trips, one for winter locations. I print a copy of the applicable list for each boy. He then has to put everything together from the list, and lay it out on his bed. After he's gathered everything, he calls me up, I inspect the choices, double check the list, and then it actually goes into the suitcase. We then zip it up, and post said suitcase by the door. Packing is almost never a stressful thing for me, because I'm not having to pack for anyone but myself, and/or the other necessities we might need if we are renting a house (I do also have a list of things to bring or purchase in the case of it being a house rental- spices, etc.- that's a share for another post). Also, it saves me time not having to recreate lists every time we go on a trip.

Now, this will obviously only work if your kids are of reading age; and if they can stay on track. But I do have one kid who will whip through this in about 20 minutes, while I have to give the other one the list at least a day in advance and quite a bit of nagging if I want it done- ha! But for focus-challenged kids, I would recommend making it a game- maybe set a timer and see if they can beat the clock, or make it a contest if you have more than one kiddo- winner gets choice seating on the trip.

Letting the kids pack themselves also eliminates the drama that might come from you choosing their clothes- if that's an issue in your house; and it allows kids to take responsibility for their choices and become more independent. It also eliminates the "Iampackedandreadytogowith82stuffedanimals" dilemma because they will see that all the extra friends and books won't fit!

Packing is a real life skill that kids need to develop over the years, so I never feel bad about asking my kids to do it. For older kids, you can take it a step further, give them the list a couple days in advance (have another on hand in case they lose it); and have them verify that all laundry needed is clean and ready to go prior to packing- maybe even do their own laundry! WHOA, mommas! This makes life so much easier.

Cool little trick I've learned- I let them choose from approved snacks for their trip- and put it in a hard plastic pencil box, so that snacks don't get crunched in their bag. This also keeps them from over-eating junk on the road.

Please feel free to use/tweak my packing list. I added a couple things because I am obviously a boy momma and probably haven't thought of all the extras that come with packing a girl. Also, bear in mind, I didn't put any medications or things on this list- because those are things that go on my master list for either my carry on bag, or the house rental list. If you have suggestions for adding to the list, I'd love to hear them here!

Happy Summering~

Amanda

Chowin' Down on Farm Grown Veggies

A couple days ago, I ran across a new pick your own farm facebook page in the Dallas area, and I couldn't have been more excited. My boys and I have done a couple blueberry picking farms in the area, but most are quite a bit away, and don't feature vegetables other than fruits or pumpkins, or they don't have the option to pick-your-own.

Pure Land Organic is a new-ish, budding farm located on the back farm roads of McKinney, TX. The facebook post I saw mentioned that they would have tomatoes for picking on Thursday and Friday of the week from 9-12. I suddenly had visions of my mom canning my grandma's southern chow-chow relish in our steamy summer kitchen in NC; and a wild hair was born. I would pick those tomatoes and I would make relish. This whole thing is very ironic since as a kid I hated every single ingredient you'd find in this relish (except sugar), but I digress.

I knew this little adventure was straight up C's alley, so Friday morning, we loaded up with sunscreen and bug repellent and set out on the journey to the exotic farm afar. Afar meaning- from my house in NW Frisco, it was about a 25 minute drive. HAHA!

I entered the address- 7505 County Road 201 into GPS and it worked great, and I didn't have any issues finding it other than Siri waits to long to tell you to turn. The scenery was great as we slipped away into the "country" and breathed a little sigh of relief. The weather unexpectedly cooperated in that it was fairly overcast- the sun started to peek through a bit while we were there, but over all, it wasn't too bad for the last day of June in Texas.

We turned into the one-way driveway into the farm, and were greeted by an old farm looking building  containing a tractor and a white tent set up to the side. There were about 5 or so cars parked in the grass- so not too busy. I was immediately greeted by whom I can only assume was one of the farmers- (Megan?) and she was so friendly, helpful and excited to see us.

There were several rows of tomatoes for picking- $3 per pound and a bucket was around $5, and you could choose red or green, regular ones or cherry ones. She did have small scissors on hand for cutting the peppers and explained how to pick the tomatoes properly. We filled one with the green tomatoes for the relish, one with red for other stuff, and then moved on to the bell pepper row. I picked the most humongous green bell peppers for my relish, as well as some beautiful purple ones that I didn't even know existed. The final row in the garden was the hot pepper row with jalapeno and shishito peppers. We took a few shoshito with hopes to recreate a dish we've had at a restaurant recently.

As I checked out, (and she does take cash and cards via square- and I always spend too much so used the card)- I added a bucket of onions, red onions, and garlic at $2 per pound. All were nicely cured and with smooth tight skins and no bruising. Nothing like you'd see in the store- so much better. I chatted quite a bit with the farmer. She mentioned they had already pulled the carrots. The birds had gotten to the little peach tree orchard this year- but they were thrilled because this was the first year they'd gotten peaches at all- I bet next year will be a great crop. She also mentioned that she has black eyed peas that will be ready for picking in a couple weeks, and she's willing to give those away because they are a "cover crop" to help the soil... Black eyed peas are pretty labor intensive to shell and prepare. But, yes, my family loves them so this southern Grits will be heading back to pick some of those, too. And I found a gadget online that I might add to speed it up. She also mentioned having arugula and kale, so I get the feeling they will keep rotating crops year round.

Look closely at the size of those peppers! 

Chow-Chow used a bunch- here's the leftovers.

Pure Land Organics also farms out to several area restaurants known for their organic and local menu selections. There are lots of farms in the area, but pick-your-owns are not as prolific and I learned from her that it's probably because getting liability insurance for agri-tourism is kind of a new and weird thing. Thank goodness she found someone to do it, because all our kids should be seeing where our food comes from! She mentioned that they are open for field trips, and scout outings; and I plan to keep checking in on this little farm in the days to come, until I can have my own big garden one day.

Before visiting, check their facebook page for the most up-to-date picking times.

I wish I had gotten more thorough information and her name, and better pictures, but honestly, I didn't plan to blog about this- it just kinda happened. So sorry and I'll try to do better in the future. This blogging thing is turning into quite a time-consuming hobby but I love it!

In the mean time, I've canned that relish- it's cooling and I can't wait to enjoy it over the Fourth of July holiday. Happy Fourth, ya'll! Enjoy your barbeques!

Newbies at a baseball game

Last night, my family and I were fortunate enough to attend one of our very first MLB games at Globe Life Park in Arlington. It was my second MLB game, and my boys' first. I should state here, in case you don't know us... that despite the societal pressures of living in Frisco, we are not a huge baseball family.- which is probably obviously from the scarity of aforementioned MLB ticket stubs. I mean, we enjoy it, but we don't necessarily tune into to games or hang out at the ballpark, unless we have a dog in the fight... in this case- the Rangers.

I should also mention that Rangers fan wear is bit scarce around here, as well. C, my youngest son is definitely the biggest fan, but even his fan wear had been through the ringer on the playground. So, when Husband said, "Hey, someone gave me tickets to the Rangers game", I did what I always do, and sent my mind immediately into the closet to plan everyone's attire. (See the pantless Seine cruise post, haha!) You might not think this was a big deal, but trust me- it could have ended up that way, so bear with me. My last Rangers fanwear was a Hamilton tshirt, that I ended up donating after he left- only to have him yo-yo back and make me regret my decision.

Now, C had been counting down the days to this game, and reminding us daily about it, so he was psyched. We considered picking up fanwear, but looking at Target, Husband said, "Nah" to the $20-30 price tags for each of us. But when I woke up yesterday, and C was dressed to the nines in his Rangers ball cap, and a FC Chelsea soccer jersey from England (because, hey, it's the right colors!)- I said, NO. This will not do. They are playing the Toronto Blue Jays for crying out loud, and let's not have any mistaking our commonwealth affiliation; while I love anything attached to Her Majesty, we are Texans for crying out loud.

I hightailed it to Walmart, and they did not fail me. I was able to pick up a couple of Rangers tshirts for about $12-15 (which was the perfect price point for "temperate" baseball fans); the women's selection was limited so I just went with a generic Texas shirt and improvised with Rangers colors.

As I began researching the ballpark and what was permitted- (could I bring in a bag? Did it have to be a certain size?, etc) I came across the realization that soft-sided cooler bags were permitted. I texted a friend because the website did not specify what exactly could go in said cooler. She recommended bringing in as many waters as possible, and this turned out to be the best advice ever, because waters were for sale for $5.25 each in the park. I estimate that we saved around $60 by bringing in two soft sided coolers of water.

Also, researching the concession options, we knew that it could add up quickly. You can view their menu here. However, I came across the mention on the site that you could tailgate as long as you don't have an open flame. Now, I know you can do that for Cowboys games, so I'm not sure why that didn't occur to me before- but at that point, I was gung-ho for tailgating. We loaded up the Boy Scout camping grill, and made a run to pick up the usual suspects of hot dogs, chips, fruit, and sodas. Turns out we forgot to bring lawn chairs, but we made do with the back tailgate in true form.

Not bad for $12-15 fanwear. Tailgating at the ballpark was a great idea. 

There were quite a few people tailgating in the parking lot for a Monday night, and plenty of spaces to park. You can read the tailgating tips HERE. Tailgating and bringing in water allowed us to go into the park and use our budget on more important things like cotton candy, and peanuts, and the ultimately elusive bacon on a stick.

The Rangers lost by one point, but we feel like we won the night with the money we saved, and you can't beat the experience for some family fun- even if you are a "tepid" baseball fan.

Romantic evening dinner cruise on the Seine? Don't forget your pants.

I share this blog with the full disclosure that I will sound like a brat. And probably am. But, being that it might make for some entertaining reading for you guys, I'm sharing. So, give me grace. Being that our anniversary was in February, and our trip was the beginning of March, Husband and I decided to postpone our 17th anniversary celebration so that we could celebrate in Paris, instead. I mean, no brainer, right?

So for weeks, actually- probably months before hand, we started researching romantic locations to dine around Paris. Parisinfo.com was one of the first places we started, in addition to Trip Advisor. And Paris Info did have some great recommendations, and you can find those HERE. But, in the words of Ed Sheeran, "you and me are thrifty", so we took those ideas and ran with them to see if we could do better. It's how we do in the H house.

We could do a dinner at the top of the Eiffel, but then you can't really see the Eiffel, right? And, after looking at a few of our favorite chef's restaurants in Paris, we said- thanks, but no on the price tag; because we also wanted an experience in addition to good food. That led us to check out some dinner cruises on Parisinfo.com; but the prices seemed a bit steep for a mediocre experience (by Trip advisor reviews); and yes, again, this is how we do.

Research led us to a little vessel experience of Bateau le Calife, a 1939 wooden boat that seemed to ooze charm from the pictures on the review pages. We set about booking because at this point- we were less than a month out from our trip, and I was panicked (who me?) that we might not get a reservation. I did a bit of back and forth with the company by email, with the help of google translate (which turned out to be unnecessary since they spoke great English). It turned out that you have to call and actually pay a deposit to reserve a spot, so of course, being the telephone chicken that I am- I delegated that task to Husband. WTG, Husband!

Booking and correspondence was easy, and we were on our way! Almost, of course. For you girls, out there, you know what comes next.... What in the world shall I wear?

There is a whole part of travel planning that you guys will never know about; and that is the planning that goes into the woman's suitcase. One sets about digging through pinterest for other ladies' experiences, recommendations and pictures; followed by checking various sites to verify dress codes and trip advisor to see what everyone else wore; followed by shopping and/or digging through our closets. I mean, obviously, we all usually have some sort of something in mind, but just to be sure...

That is some serious effective packing. 

After all this research and a couple trips to favorite stores around town to scout out the right outfit- I ended up landing on a LBD that was already hanging in my closet. The trip advisor reviews said they saw everything from dressy to business casual, but being that it was a celebration, I decided to go with dressing up on the little black dress, instead of down. I mean, I know Paris should be understated mostly; but I had inherited my mother-in-law's vintage gold chain mail evening bag from West Germany; and by golly I was going to find a reason to use it finally- understated be darned. Some snazzy, black suede stiletto heels and I felt like I was going to be grown-up-looking for a night out. I showed everything to Husband, and he approved. Okay, phew. One outfit out of the way.

Let's cut to about a few weeks later; and it's Monday evening, the day of our cruise reservation, and we are actually in Paris. Remember that little blog I posted about our monster day at the Louvre and Notre Dame? Remember the foot pain and agony and how tired we were??? Well, it's that day.

So, let's say- hypothetically- that a husband and wife come back to the apartment to take a quick nap and rest up and give the barking feet a break before a big night out. You're both pretty chill, and tired, and just hanging out until it's time to start getting ready.

For some reason, wife says something along the lines of (and I will acknowledge that this conversation is not recorded verbatim), "what did you bring to wear?"

Husband says, "Oh, I'm just wearing these pants, and a collared shirt."

Wife glances over to notice that husband is wearing Wrangler blue jeans.


(Silence.)


Wife: "Umm, really?"

Husband: "Well, yeah. Online it said it could be business casual."

Wife: "Business Casual is not jeans. Do you have another pair of pants?"

Husband: "No. I tried to pack light."

Wife: "Did you bring a sports jacket?"

Husband: "Yes."

Wife is sitting on the opposite side of the bed, staring at the closet doors, flashing back to that time in the Bahamas when husband didn't try on the new swim trunks before the trip (even though wife said too), and they ended up being humongous and husband had to spend half a day searching the resort to end up purchasing an $80 pair. Wife sighs as heavily as that run-on sentence.

Husband knows that sigh, and says: "Should I go out and find some slacks?"

To which wife snarkily and brat-ily answers- "For $300 euros? No way. I showed you what I was going to wear, with a gold chain mail purse, why didn't you pack slacks?"

Husband says, "I'll go out and find some slacks."

And round, and round until hubby sets out on foot to search the Boulevard Saint-Germain for slacks under 300 euros.

Wife is surprised when Husband returns, fairly quickly- ecstatic at finding presentable black, albeit skinny European style slacks and a nice sweater, found for a reasonable American price, in a fair amount of time- from none other than the all American Gap. (As suspected, the Parisian pants come with a fashionably hefty price tag).

Husband and Wife set about getting ready, in much better spirits; and aside from Wife's bad hair night- they are ready to catch the Uber to Ponts des Arts, right on time. P.s. Uber guy didn't really know where to drop off and we ended up walking a good ways in my heels, but the rest of the evening was just magical, and I hope you all get to go.

You can read my full review of Bateau le Calife, HERE.

Bateau le Calife

 

The charm and warmth of the boat was so cozy, which was great considering it was still lightly misting and raining at times. We met a couple tables of Americans, and yes, we could have gone a little more casual (not jeans, though); but I wouldn't trade anything for this hilarious memory. It's these little moments that are uncomfortable at the time, that we laugh about later. (Sometimes, much later). And the sparkle of the Eiffel made it all worthwhile.

Disclosure: This story has been shared with the permission and consent and review of both guilty parties.

Ain't no party like a 40th party cause a 40th party don't stop.....

So, some of you might know that a group of my neighbors like to kick off summer in grand fashion, and in years past, we've had some pretty epic EOY (end of year) parties. It all started a few years ago when Paige decided throw an amazing block party to kick off summer. Every year those parties got bigger and bigger and more and more involved to plan. Paige moved on to another neighborhood a couple years ago, but the tradition continued.

This year, my kiddos were on the way out age-wise for the types of parties we've done in the past- games, bounce houses, etc; and also we were getting a little tired of putting in the time to plan and run. We usually started planning super early, and this year got away from us and suddenly it was May! I was about to pull out of the whole thing when the other two EPP's (epic party planners), Angela and Cristi suggested that we do a destination party instead. Easy-peasy! No planning, no problem! The problem came in choosing a place. We briefly talked about Broken Bow, OK but then ruled that out for a variety of reasons, with cabin scarcity being an issue at that time of year and with that short of notice. I wanted to go to Schlitterbahn (um, one of my favorites, and I'll have to blog about that later); but we all agreed that 5 hours down and back was not fun for a short weekend stay. 

So, our local options were Great Wolf Lodge, Gaylord, or they mentioned the Hilton Anatole. I haven't been to GWL- I'm sure it's fun, but pretty pricey, and definitely more kid driven; we wanted adult stuff to do too. I've stayed at the Gaylord, but wasn't sure about the water park because I hadn't done it, and again, pretty pricey. I was thinking, why in the world would we go hang out at a HILTON with our kiddos, until Cristi says, "Oh, it's got a waterpark." I had no clue that was the case- I thought it was just a convention hotel in DT Dallas, but that changed everything! Turns out they renovated everything last summer and put in a pretty sizeable water park. They must've figured out they were losing some business to JW Marriott in the Hill Country because that place is the bomb, and I need to blog on that too. 

It was my birthday weekend, so I would be sharing this celebration with the kiddos- so my vote was heavy in the direction of Hilton Anatole so that we could use Hilton points since the weekend was likely to get expensive with everything else. (Regular rates range from $189 and up a night). Fortunately, the other EPP's agreed with me on the Hilton and we were off. 

It is also a tradition that every year the EOY (End of Year) party is nearly cancelled because of the threat of rain and storms. We have been lucky every year- but last year; we moved it and it didn't rain (of course). This year was no exception and the threat of weather loomed, and we had the added bonus of baseball challenges with tournaments looming the whole weekend. I'm thankful that we are not a baseball family anymore because this control freak could not stand the unpredictability. Turns out baseball tournaments were not the problem since it rained cats and dogs on Friday. Days before hand, we had to decide whether it would be worth it to burn through the points since we would also have to board the dogs, and who wants to sit in a hotel room all weekend with your kids while it rains? We decided to take a chance and keep the reservation.

24 hour period from Friday to Saturday evening. That's a little rain.

Turns out, we're glad we did! Yes, the rain was coming down sideways when we checked in Friday afternoon; but the hotel had so many other options and the kids just love staying at a hotel anyway. And Moms and Dads all got to hang out in the lobby and have drinks, play cards with random people later, and hang out guilt free! It was an EOY with little planning and almost "built in babysitting". EPP's for the WIN! 

You can read my full and thorough review of the hotel and the restaurants on Trip Advisor, here. Here are a few ways we saved money during our stay (and you will want to do that because everything is kind of overpriced): 

1.  Kids under 12 eat free with each adult entree purchase at Media Grill and the Counter Bar. We used this on Saturday night to get meals for my two sons (teen and pre-teen) so that they could stay in the room and/or go to the movie while we went to dinner. $16 out the door, versus $100 I heard someone paid for two burgers  and drinks through room service. 
2. Free breakfast in the Gossip Bar for Hilton Honors members and snacks in the Executive Lounge (although, based on other reviewer's experiences, I'm not sure if this was a weekend thing). We took advantage of this both days. 
3. Free water stations around the pool, and the wait staff was always on hand to bring waters. Also, you can bring bottled water and personal tumblers in. Some mentioned that their bags were checked, but that was not the case for me any of the times that I went in with a bag.
4. While you could not bring food or beverages (besides water), there were picnic tables outside the pool area. We didn't use them because we didn't think of it, frankly, but others did. 
5. Biggest money saver of all was that we knew we would have two mini fridges in our suite. So, since I knew I'd have 3 teenagers and a pre-teen, I made an $80 Target snack run that paid for itself for the price of one hotel meal. I stocked up on chips, tortilla chips and salsa, pb&J, bread, mayo, mustard, pop tarts, donuts, lunch meat, veggie tray, cheese and pepperoni tray, hummus, cheese, lettuce and tomato, soda, a two gallon jug of water, and a million other goodies that teenage boys might eat. I felt like either the worst or the best mom ever at that checkout line. You decide. We took a break mid-day at the pool to run up and eat lunch. That cooler of food was worth it, and they even had leftovers. With two mini fridges, we could have easily packed more. Don't forget paper plates, cups, forks, napkins! I remembered everything except knives and napkins. Somehow the kids went through all the cups playing soda pong though. 
6. We kept a stash of wine, beer, mineral waters and other beverages locked in our king bed room. 
7. Use a personal tumbler if you are hanging out with a beverage in the lobby, or you will get called out. 
8. Side note, apparently the coffee in the hotel is terrible. I'm not a coffee drinker but so many people mentioned it. So I would add that to your shopping list and maybe make it in the room. 

My son bragged to me this morning that he only spent $3 at the hotel and that was because he wanted a Hershey bar. I like that frugality, son! 

Jade Waters features splay/slide area, water slides, lazy river, water b-ball; swim up bar and more. 

We brought a Switch and Classic Nintendo gaming system that the boys could use.

Hilton Anatole a prime choice if you need a place to celebrate for a summer event (like a 13th or 16th birthday party) and want to stay local. 

Saturday and Sunday's weather ended up being great. While hanging out at the swim up pool bar, us adults decided that 40th birthdays are supposed to be celebrated all year, so I'm just going to roll with it. What's next? Cheers y'all! 

Wiping the Mud off their Hearts

Martin did the research on booking our tour to Normandy, and he absolutely went the perfect route in choosing Oliver with Normandy44 Tours. We were traveling with our two boys- 10 and 14 and they will tell you this was their favorite part of our whole trip to Paris and France; and I agree. You can read my full review of the tour HERE.

We took the train from Paris, which I believe would be much better than traveling in a van full of strangers, and Oliver met us at the station- perfectly on time. As we arrived, Oliver mentioned that the gray, misty and muddy day was very much like the weather on that day in June, 1944. It was damp, wet, a bit chilly, and definitely muddy from the previous days’ rain.

He wasted no time getting the tour started- we boarded the van and began the drive down the small streets of that little town. Oliver talked as he drove, and we just tried to take it all in. We made our way to our first stop by way of a small one-way farm road, and Oliver remarked that we were lucky there wasn’t a tour bus coming the opposite direction to share that little road. I was thankful for that.

The first stop was a group of German bunkers, known as Longues Sur Mer, still housing disabled cannons- set remotely away from the sea with a large field in front of it. Not where I thought we’d start, or even what I expected- so far from the actual sea. But it became immediately obvious that Oliver would take us off the beaten paths that we saw the other tours exploring. He explained that this area housed anything but the “top brass” of the German artillery. These guys were the youngest, oldest and least shiny of the bunch. This was important, because actually, this was one of the first lines of the defense against the allies, these cannons could fire far enough into the ocean to attack the incoming fleet.

We were given time to explore these areas; and this was the moment we realized we had NOT come with adequate footwear for this task. We slipped and slid down the top of the green, grassy hills built around the cannons, and I just prayed prayers I wouldn’t end up fanny down in the mud. Of course, this was a kid’s dream, and we left our first stop with tennis shoes covered in mud (I should add- one kid had brand new, fancy kicks covered in mud).


We drove on through the village- and as we wound through the little town, I asked how many civilians were killed during these battles- approx. 25,000 was the number he gave. I marveled at the idea of having your homes centered in the middle of this awe-inspiring conflict. The town has stayed much as it was- the locals have left it as both a tourist sight, but also to remember. It’s amazing to me how you can sense the rich reverence of the War, of the people in Europe. We have no clue here in the US. I suppose there’s no point of reference when it’s not in your own backyard.


Our next stop was Omaha Beach. Shortly thereafter, a group of US plain clothes soldiers arrived on the beach, lighting cigars. I think this is a rite of passage for them- to come here and remember the sacrifices. Our guide, while great- was apparently allergic to cigar smoke and shooed them away, and I immediately bristled. No one has more right to be there than they.


Nothing can really prepare you for the vast expanse of exposed beach that these men had to cross. The best I can describe it- would be if you’ve ever been to California’s Santa Monica Pier. I remember visiting that beach on our honeymoon, and I laughed and laughed because it took me so long to cross it from the parking lot to reach actual water. I was used to warm, North Carolina Atlantic beaches that are eroding by the moment- and you’re pretty much there when you step out of the car. So, this beach, at low tides was pretty much not that. Oliver explained that the German cannons were not facing directly out to sea, but pointing left and right on the diagonal along the sea line. So as these guys were coming up the beach- they could not look into the barrel of the cannons and know where fire was coming from- no- the cannons were strategically placed so that no matter where a man entered the beach- he was immediately in the cross fire, coming from left and right.

The men on those boats entering Normandy were not necessarily Marines, either. One such boat had National Guardsmen- not trained or skilled or even knowledgeable of “Sea legs” so they exited those boats- sick as could be; fighting against the sea, fighting to stay alive before they even got their socks wet; only to face one of the most bare, expansive beaches I’ve ever seen- with just small concrete x’s (used to keep enemies away at high tide) as barriers.



It was fitting that after that visit- we toured the American cemetery. My kids have never been to Arlington National Cemetery, so they were not prepared for, but were awed by how the crosses and Stars of David went on for rows, and rows and rows. We walked among them, and I noticed how the dates went on for months, and months- it didn’t stop at D-Day. The fighting went on, and on, and on. Brothers, buried side by side; rich families and poor- but all equal in their ultimate sacrifice.




The next stop was Pont du Hoc. This one was even more terrifying to me. These soldiers had to scale the side of a sea cliff, under fire- to overcome their enemies. As I walked along this sea wall, I marveled to Martin that it was absolute, concrete miracle that the Allies won this day. The odds, the overwhelming obstacles were so many. The bravery and courage that it must’ve taken these men to knowingly charge in, and win- I am still at a loss for words.






Our next visit was one of my favorite stops. Angoville au Plain was a little church where two medic paratroopers, realizing they had landed in the wrong location, rallied to set up a “hospital” for wounded Allies, Germans, and citizens of the town. They saved 85 lives there; and it is now covered in stained glass honoring the US Paratroopers from that day. I could write a whole blog about this little church, and my feelings there.





We also toured Utah Beach, Sainte Mere Englaise, and finally the German Cemetery. We toured the last because my husband is German, and war takes lives of many- both willing and unwilling. They are all brothers, husbands, sons and fathers.

We returned to Paris that evening, by train. Tired, worn out, completely muddy, and completely changed by what we had seen that day. My kids will talk about it for years to come. I learned that day that war is an art, even a grisly science; but that you also need a bit of luck and a lot of God’s face shining on you.

My kids stripped off their shoes, as did I; and I grabbed paper towels to begin peeling off the mud of the day. As I wiped it off, tears came to my eyes. I thought about how those survivors must have felt- maybe wiping mud, and sand, and blood from the day off their shoes, their clothes, their faces; and trying to wipe it off their hearts. We threw our shoes in the washing machine, and they came out almost as good as new. That would not happen for them. I know now why they call them the Greatest Generation.

Every living veteran I know would implore you to not thank them, the living, this Memorial Day. They would simply ask that you remember the ones that are not here- this is their day to be remembered. There’s another group of men and women out there fighting a war that has gone on for many years. I heard last night, it’s the longest war in the history of the US. Let’s not forget them this year. Let’s remember the fallen this Memorial Day; and on Veteran’s Day- please remember the ones who are wiping the mud of the day off their hearts.

With respect to the fallen, and love to the survivors,

The Hueneke Family

Pack a suitcase

Here's a great little packing tip that I found on facebook. Putting it here for future reference. :)

Pack a suitcase

Day 3- Rameses? Like Gordon Ramsey? Our tour of Louvre, Notre Dame, and St. Chappelle

This day was particularly hard to get started, after the 20,000 step day before. It was no joke getting out of bed, but thankfully, the construction guys started bright and early at 7:50 and ensured that we got the day started. After a breakfast at the apartment we set out to conquer our pre-determined itinerary:

·        Louvre

·        Lunch

·        Notre Dame

·        St. Chappelle

·        Seine River Cruise for belated anniversary dinner

Louvre Museum: Closed on Tuesdays; hours on other days range from 9am-6pm; with late nights on Fridays until 9:45pm (*See note on Metro in notes). First Sundays are free, but I’ve heard busy; otherwise 15 euros for adults and under 18 are free. We used Museum Pass.

So, everything I had read on the Louvre said, plan, plan, plan. Every source said that if you went in there without a plan, you’d get lost, not see all the best pieces, and be there for days. The problem was, for me- how to plan. I found the website to be user unfriendly, and couldn’t seem to find a good way to find the Mona Lisa quickly, much less figure out which pieces were highlights. This museum is HUGE. I mean, there’s really no way to describe it until you see it for yourself. On the morning we woke up, it occurred to me to check and see if they had an app I could download. I kinda struck out with that- because I did want one that would work offline so I wouldn’t have to turn my out of country data on for the day. HOWEVER, I hit the jackpot on the $5.99 bundle app- Paris Museums Bundle by Museum Tour Guides LTD. This app bundle included the Louvre, Rodin (too late for us), Musee D’Orsay and Musee de L’Orangerie. I 100% feel this was money well spent. The apps include a map, tour options, and find art, art descriptions and notes, as well as information like hours and ticket prices for the museums.

For the Louvre, this app allows you to choose the 4 hour, 1 day or 2 day tour. We previewed the pieces and decided that the 4 hour tour covered the pieces we most wanted to visit. The 4 hour tour covers 50 pieces, and we hit them all with the exception of about 5-6; and then previewed the 1 and 2 day tours to see if there were any additional pieces that we wanted to see. I will say, the downside to this app, is that it appears to not be updated to reflect parts of the museum that are closed for renovations, or pieces that may be on loan to another museum.  

We took the Metro down to the museum, and it dumps you out into a jam packed, crowded mall. You may see signs that point to purchasing Museum passes in little shops, but if you already have yours, just skip that and go straight up the escalators to the road level. Security was pretty tight, but I will admit that I was a bit unnerved that they missed checking my bag, but checked everyone else’s. So, tight, but maybe not so thorough, which is unnerving considering recent events. Anyhoo, after you go through security (we entered at the pyramid), you go down some escalators to the actual museum lobby. It will be packed. We immediately briefed the kids on what to do if they got separated, since their cell phones were not in use. There is a rendezvous point there in the lobby, but we showed them the uniforms on the staff, etc. There is a “locker room” of sorts, where you can “rent” a locker to store coats and bags, and an umbrella stash- you just follow the directions on the wall and enter a code. Just remember to take a picture or write down/remember your locker number because there are a lot of them.

After settling the “housekeeping” options, we grabbed an actual, physical paper map, and I will say, Martin and I both agree that their map is also not very user friendly. Or, maybe it was just us. I’m not sure. Even though we were going to follow a tour guide, the boys all wanted to start at the big ML, and then backtrack through. Okay, c’est la vie. You’re messing with my plan. But, whatevs, go with it Mom.

We got seriously sidetracked by the shiny objects in what I would say was MY favorite- and for lack of the official name, I’ll call it the French Bling Room. I’m talking emeralds, diamonds, crowns, precious jewels, ridiculous grooming items- I was in my element; and ladies- you shouldn’t miss it. The boys tore me away, though- and had to press on for the search for DaVinci’s greatest.

This was the point where we realized, we pretty much had no clue how to read that map, and were grumbling about it when oldest Boy Scout son says, “Let me see it” in a bored, exasperated voice. And voila. The kid has insane navigating skills. I mean, I can’t even describe the looks on our faces as he manipulated that building like no body’s business. Time after time, we were doubting him, and he would lead us up and down stairs, around the corners, and there it would be…. But, I digress….

We finally found the Mona Lisa, and pressed in among the flocks of tourists who were taking selfies like they were on the front row at a rock concert. This is the number one thing that has been on C’s bucket list for years, and poor little guy- his little ten year old frame was not packing enough punch, so I played that card, and kept saying, “I know you’re so excited about this” as I pushed him through the crowd (which was probably about 10 people deep). I kept using that line, and people tend to let kids through with a little more niceness, and he was able to get right in front of it, and take some pictures. M and I scooted off to the side and, yes, we took a selfie. Since so many people had told me that it was small, and underwhelming, I was pleasantly surprised by the size. And yes, it’s a great painting, but there are so many others….. M actually said that this floor has so many other good paintings in addition to the the Mona Lisa; with Delacroix’s Liberte Leading the People being his favorite.

Liberte Leading the People

Favorite highlights- the French Bling Room, the Mona Lisa (and DaVinci’s other works across the hall, which I actually liked more, and M agreed), the Moat part of the museum from the original building, and the Egyptian mummy, sphinx and relics. This was the part of the museum where I said, “Hey, look- this stuff was Rameses’!” and C replied, “Gordon Ramsey’s?” Insert history lesson here…. Also, our tour took us down into an area with amazing wood carvings, and we felt like we’d hit the jackpot because we were literally the only people there. It’s a shame that so many pieces are overlooked for the bigger ones.

This is the moat that the Louvre was built on. Who knew? 

The wood carving room

This museum was the great bulk of our day, and I highly recommend it, but I wouldn’t do it without the app and the map. We completed the 4 hour tour and a few other highlights in about 3 hours, because hey, we have a short attention span. But I will tell you that the walking is BRUTAL.

 There are a lot of stairs, and the elevators will be packed to maximum weight, and the one we rode had us holding our breaths because of it- M was doing a headcount, and said we exceeded the recommended number of people on board. They’re not shy about crowding in Europe.

After touring the Louvre, we were beat, and I mean, beat. The day, plus the one before had killed our feet. We knew we needed a quick lunch, somewhere close by. At this point, we didn’t have the mental capacity to pull out trip advisor for recommendations, so we spied a McDonalds across the street, and off we went. Do not judge me for eating at McDonald’s in Paris. We were at the point of hangry, and it was there, ok? 

Now I haven’t eaten anything but breakfast at McDonalds in probably 10 years, but this McDonalds has machines that you walk up and order from, and then pick up at the counter. Maybe that’s the new norm, I don’t know. But it ended up being a pain because you had to figure out where everything on the menu was; the machine ended up declining our credit card twice, and a different card once, and we ended up having to go up and pay at the counter. The declined credit card in Europe thing gave us near heart attacks, and since we were all hangry and tired, let’s just say, things got a little testy with the family at this point. We forced our way through the throngs of people to get our food, and then went upstairs to find a non-existent table. We came back downstairs to look for another non-existent table. We ended up eating outside in the cold rain (at least it was covered), and quickly discovered they’d left something off our tray and sent M back inside to figure it out in French (HAHA!). All in all, between finding out that our card was indeed fine, and they had 2 pending charges in addition to our actual charge- it ended up being a bit of a tense lunch. C lightened it up by feeding the birds and M by saying he “had to have the Paris chef’s hat” from the souvenir store next door. Side note- the food was better than expected.

I say all this, because I want to express that our mood was less than stellar for our next attraction; and I don't feel like we gave it a fair shake. 

Notre Dame: hours: 7:45am - 6:45pm; free entry for church, but not to go to top. Long security lines move quickly. 

I mean, the faces kind of say it all...

Now, I can’t say for certain if that was the reason, or the fact that we had purchased a toboggan hat for C at the souvenir shop (since he was freezing, apparently) and he promptly lost it as soon as we walked into Notre Dame (we’re talking mere minutes people); or if we have been jaded by the grandeur of Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s Cathedral, but I felt like we rushed through this attraction, and I’ll be very honest- I don’t have much to write about here. (Hello, run-on sentence that feels like my feet felt at this point). At Westminster, we did the audio tour; but here we did not, and I regret that. I feel like I would have appreciated it more if we had. The church is beautiful- as you’d expect, and there are some really cool drawings and such to show how long it took to build. But I feel like I spent the majority of the time trying to catch up to Martin’s back- we’ve tested it and he takes about 1.4 steps to every one of mine.

By the time we finished, we did not have the fortitude to even think about climbing the steps to the top. I’m talking- feet were dying; not to mention it was so cold and rainy and we knew it would be worse at the top.

So, right across the street was St. Chappelle (hours 9:30-6pm; 10 euros for adults, free for kids under 18) and let me tell you- do this one. You will enter on the bottom floor. Use the museum pass- we waltzed right in (well, as much as one can with security these days), much to the chagrin of the people in line. I was prepared to walk in and see the most amazing stained glass in the world, and when we walked in, I was all, Meh.

Downstairs chapel

It was a small chapel- and I’d seen better. I mean, not to be snotty or anything…. But then I realized….. crap, stairs. Really narrow ones. And we all wanted to cry. Apparently, this chapel is attached to what was formerly the royal palace, and the King would enter from his terrace- so the real show is upstairs. If you go, grab one of the brochures that explain the stained glass when you go up, and be prepared to have your socks blown off. It is gorgeous and beautiful and it tells a story, and it is worth the climb. We spent more time here than we did at ND, I think. It was amazing. I wish I could’ve come back several times with different times of day for different lighting.

St. Chappelle

At this point, we were approaching the 4:00 something hour, and Martin and I still had the anniversary dinner cruise on the Seine to go. So we jetted back to the apartment, took off our shoes, took a little nap, and then the day continues….

This has been a really long post, so I will have to split the dinner cruise into it’s own blog. Talk to me though…. If you’ve been to Notre Dame, what did you love about it? I feel like a loser for not giving it the time it deserved….