Category Archives: Travel

Family Travel // Buena Park- Pirate’s Adventure Dinner

November 18, 2015

Disclosure: As is traditional with travel blogging, my family was hosted, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

We recently return from an amazing week in Southern California, and had the best time!  I’m excited to share with you our adventures in hopes that it will inspire you to travel with your family and make some special lasting family memories!  I know some of our most magical memories are made while on vacation as a family.
We wanted to spend some time in Southern California, but were interested to see what kind of adventures and fun we could have without having to do Disneyland.  We love Disneyland, and have been there before, but it seems like everyone assumes that if you go to California, you are heading to Disney.  I wanted to experience some other adventures that California has to offer, and quickly discovered there are many!
We spent our first few days in California in Buena Park.  Home to Medieval Times, Knotts Berry Farms, Pirate’s Dinner Adventure, the California Welcome Center (be sure to head there to purchase discounted tickets all in one place), and more!
We checked into the Holiday Inn Buena Park which was the perfect location, just down the street from all the activities we had planned.  With convenient freeway access, and minutes from Knotts Berry Farm, Medieval Times, Pirate’s Dinner Adventure, and Disneyland.  It is a great option for a family friendly place to stay.  The pool is large and nice, and the rooms and hotel were very clean!  Kids eat free at their restaurant with a paying adult, which saved us a lot of money on food!  This is the perfect hotel for spending a day out at an amusement park or exploring, then coming back to a nice clean room for the night.
Things to know about the Holiday Inn Buena Park: 
  • Close to many attractions: Knotts Berry Farm, Medieval Times, Pirate’s Dinner Adventure, Disneyland, Titanic Exhibition.
  • Large Pool area
  • Free and easy access to Parking
  • Easy freeway access, overall good location
  • Kids eat free at the Ventana’s Restaurant on location. The food is very good, and the kids meals were large and filling.
  • Very clean rooms, and well kept grounds
  • Fitness Room: I woke up early and used the fitness rooms both days, very nice selection of equipment
  • Free Shuttles to many area attractions
  • For Special packages and discounts go to: visitbuenapark.com

After settling in our room, we headed off to Titanic the Artifact Exhibition.  We were not allowed  to bring cameras on our tour, but the kids really enjoyed it!  We went back in time aboard the Titanic and got to see what life was like on the ship before the tragic day it sank.  My kids learned all about the great ship and the history.  There was a very impressive tour guide that wore clothes from the time period and gave us all the details.  She paid special attention to my children pointing out artifacts, and telling stories.  My kids loved it!  They were very sad upon hearing the news that the Titanic sank, and used their boarding pass to see if their name survived.
Unfortunately we found out that the exhibit will close permanently on January 2, 2016.  So, if you get a chance, try to go before the new year when it closes.  We did find out that it will be replaced by a butterfly pavilion, which we are excited to check out when it opens!
Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition
711 Beach Blvd Buena Park, CA
Phone: 657-529-7224
Closes Jan 2, 2016
Discount Coupon can be found at VisitBuenaPark.com
Next, we headed to the Pirate’s Dinner Adventure.  It is an interactive Pirate Adventure show that includes a four-course dinner.  The pirates are very interactive, and they seat you in a certain color section.  We cheered on the blue pirate all during the show, and he made sure to give my kids a lot of attention, which they loved!
They waived their cups, and cheered on the blue pirate, and yelled, and hollered for the blue team!  My boys even got called up on stage to be honorary Pirates and thought it was hilarious and fun!  My kids thought it was the best show they have ever been to, and can’t stop talking about it!  I for one had so much fun watching the show, but even more fun watching my children watch the show, and see their delighted expressions on their faces.
Things to know about the Pirate’s Dinner Adventure:
  • Reservations are required, 24 hours in advance, or at least 5 hours in advance.
  • Parking is free and on site.
  • Show up at least 45 minutes to an hour early for the pre-dinner show and  complimentary appetizers.  They pass out several appetizers and have a little pre-show before the doors open.
  • The food was much better than I expected it to be.  We were served drinks,  appetizers, soup or salad, chicken (bottomless, you can request as much as you’d like), steak kebabs, mashed potatoes, and vegetables.  Dessert was a brownie and ice cream.  You can also request a captain’s kids meal if you’d like more “kid friendly food.”  Vegetarian options are also available.
  • My kids had a hard time remembering that they needed to eat an watch the show, they were too engrossed in the action!  We had to keep reminding them to eat!
  • Dress up!  It’s such a fun interactive show, if your kids have any Pirate garb, allow them to dress up and get into the show!  They do sell souvenirs and Pirate garb in their gift shop on site!
  • The show is a little over an hour an a half.  My children were entertained the entire time, if you have a baby or toddler, it may be easier to sit towards the top or at the end of a row since they can be pretty skinny to walk in and out a lot.
  • Between Pirate’s Dinner Adventure and Medieval Times, my kids had to think long and hard, it was a close one, but they concluded if they had to pick one the Pirate Dinner was their favorite!  But, they really enjoyed both.
  • Be sure to stick around after, the Pirates and Princesses are available to take pictures with your family.
  • Gratuity is not included in the price.
  • Discount coupons can be found at visitbuenapark.com

I would highly recommend the Pirate’s Dinner Adventure if you find yourself in Southern California!
My kids gave it huge two thumbs up, and it was great family fun!
The evening of the Pirate’s Adventure Dinner,  I wore my best flowy embroidered top to make sure I fit in with the Pirates, wink.  It was a fun ensemble for a dinner with Pirates!
Here’s my Outfit Details:
Maroon Hat- Tai Pan Trading
Embroidered Top- Tai Pan Trading
Jeans- Old Navy High Waisted Rockstar Jeans
Shoes-  T Strap Clogs Old Navy (similar)
Watch- Arvo Watches
For our recap on more activities we did in Buena Park check out our posts:
Knotts Berry Farm
Medieval Times
For other ideas, and things to do in Buena Park California, be sure to check out www.VisitBuenaPark.com for more ideas and resources.  

Travel // Favorite Essentials

November 13, 2015

There are a few essentials that I have to have while traveling.  Over time, I’ve come to find my favorite travel outfit, and other favorite items.
For long travel days I prefer to dress comfortable.  I found these “fancy sweats” as I like to call them. They are soft and stretchy and comfortable, but also fancy enough that you don’t look like you are wearing pajamas.  They have proven to be just as comfortable as pajamas, and help during long flights or road trips.
Here’s a full list of some of my Favorite Travel Essentials: (This post contains affiliate links)
  • Baggallini getaway roller: It’s the perfect size for a carry on, and can extend to be bigger with a zipper.  The wheels move in all directions which is nice maneuver around.
  • Baggallini Avenue Tote bag:  It fits perfectly on top of the getaway roller, and has a zipper in the back to open and slide the handle of the suitcase through making it easy to maneuver in a crowded airport or train station.  
  • Baggallini Horizon Crossbody bag: Crossbody bags are essential for travel.  Being able to wear it on your body and be hands free is invaluable while traveling and managing other luggage.
  • Baggallini RFID Passport Case: A great passport holder and wallet for ID and other essentials.  I like the zipper has an attachment that you can hook inside of your bag to ensure it doesn’t get lost.
  • Baggallini Mini Complete Cosmetic Case:  This has been a lifesaver!  It is nice to be able to keep all my toiletries items together in the same case, and kept organized and clean!  The hook is very convenient when you are at a hotel and can hang your case up for easy access to your items.
  • Yosi Samra Foldable Flats: Whenever I have a long travel day, I always wear my Yosi Foldable flats.  They are super comfortable, and easy to slide on and off.  They also pack very well for travel since they fold in half.
  • Comfortable T-shirt:  The one pictured above is from Perfectly Peach
  • “Fancy Sweats”: I found these at Nordstrom Rack before our trip to Vietnam.  Shop a similar style here, here, here,  here and here.
  • PERI Go Charge: Ultra Slim Portable Power Bank.  Portable On-the-Go phone charger.  This is a lifesaver while traveling.  When I travel we tend to stay out all day and am not tied to a wall charger.  However, I use my phone like crazy when I travel for maps, directions, looking up hotels, restaurants, taking pictures, social media.  My battery doesn’t last long!  I recently used the Go Charge for a day at Knotts Berry Farm with my family, and I was able to fully charge my phone twice with no problem.  It truly was a lifesaver! Use Code: ARMELLE for 30% off your PERI Go Charge good until November 20, 2015.  I am also giving away one PERI Go Charge over on my Instagram, so be sure to check it out!  Giveaway ends Friday November 20, 2015 at noon, so be sure to head on over to enter!
  • iPhone and Sonix Clear Coat iPhone case:  As I said above, I constantly use my phone while I travel, so protecting it with a good quality case is very important.  A stylish one from outfityours.com is always a bonus! Use coupon code ARMELLE to get 25% off any iPhone case on their site!  (expires December 15th 2015)

I hope this helps you find your favorite travel essentials.  I think it can really make a difference if you have the right essentials on long travel days, and during travel to make things easier and more comfortable.
Happy Travels!

Family Travel // Montmorency Falls

November 11, 2015

I’m excited to share a little more on our trip to Canada today!  Be sure to check out my last post all about Quebec City.
While visiting Quebec City, in Canada, we decided to visit some surrounding areas.  Our first stop was Montmorency Falls.  The falls were magnificent and very impressive!  It is hard to see how large they are from the pictures, but they are stunning and fall from 272 feet, that’s 99 feet higher than Niagara Falls if you need a reference!
My Outfit Details (affiliate links used)
Design History Dress– (Similar)
Filanthropik Threads Guate Huaraches
H&M Sweater (similar)
Baggallini Crossbody Bag
Jord Wood Watch
Sunglasses: Glasses USA (similar)
Norah’s Outfit
Gap Kids Denim Jacket
Gap Kids Floral shorts (similar)
Gap Kids Grey Top (similar)
Navy Saltwater Sandals
Ezra
Sweater- Nununu
Converse All Star High Tops
Thomas
Loved by Hannah and Eli Tee
Puma Shoes
Tropic of Candycorn TOC Adventure Pack
My little adventure crew was very serious about our explorations.  Always consulting the maps and planning our routes.  
They took us on the bridge over the falls for a breathtaking view, then through the park and down the large set of over 400 stairs.  My little crew, as you can see in the photo above conquered all the stairs and stood at the feet of the beautiful falls.  Mom was a little wiser knowing what goes down must come up, so I watched from the stairs while they got soaked in the falls, and loved every minute of it!
Here are a few things you may want to know before visiting Montmerency Falls Park.
Montmorency Falls Park: Visitor Info
Time: You’ll want to spend at least 2 hours there.  
Where to Park:  We parked at the top at the Manoir Montmorency Restaurants.  There is a parking fee, but it has a nice entrance to the top of the falls and the bridge.  You can also walk around at the park, and you don’t have to go to the bottom of the falls if you choose not to.
Open: Grounds open daily year round.  Closed December 24, 25.
Website:  Montmorency Falls Park (in French)
Tips: Packing a picnic and staying a while would be a good idea!  They have beautiful grounds, parks, picnic tables, and play areas/ playgrounds for children.  Strollers may not be a good idea if you are planning on going down any of the stairs to view the waterfalls better.  There are paved trails, and the bridge that would be stroller friendly.  
If you are ever in the Quebec city area, I strongly suggest to go!  It was a very beautiful and the grounds were very nice to explore!  The kids loved it!
Be sure not to miss our tour of Quebec City with recommendations on our favorite sites to see, click here.  Happy Travels!
See more of our Family Travels here.
And, as always, thanks for following along on our adventures!