vacation Archives - mapsgirl.ca

Summertime is Quality Family Time!

July 21, 2017 by bigdaddy

Each year, we try to maximize the amount of time we can in our trailer trailer, affectionately known as the #SilvaBulletRV.

Last year, we took an amazing trip down to Florida with our trailer. The girls really wanted to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando. We are all huge Harry Potter fans, so when they asked, we all got really excited.

A post shared by bigdaddykreativ (@bigdaddykreativ) on Sep 14, 2016 at 6:45pm PDT

Next thing you know, we are planning our trip. We decided to tow our trailer down, and make it an extended 3 week trip. By doing so, we were able to visit places we had never been before, and see some of the great places in the US along the way.

A post shared by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Jul 31, 2016 at 1:32pm PDT

The trip south

We booked 3 campgrounds on the way down. Our first campground was Wally World in Loudonville, Ohio. We had stayed at this campground before, and absolutely loved it. We stayed at Wally World for 2 days.

A post shared by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Aug 1, 2016 at 6:36am PDT

Volunteer Park Family Campground in Heiskell Tennessee was our next stop. We stayed there for one night.

Our third stop was Southern Trails Resort in Unadilla Georgia. We stayed there for one night. While there, we met people from our home campground in New York State. Such small world!

A post shared by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Aug 6, 2016 at 5:38am PDT

Florida!

When we arrived in Florida, we stayed for 3 nights at Ellenton Gardens in Ellenton. It was a small RV park with an awesome pool.

A post shared by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Aug 31, 2016 at 7:03pm PDT

We visited friends, and spent some time at the beach on Anna Maria Island. One of the best beaches I have ever been to. The kids loved it there!

A post shared by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Aug 9, 2016 at 7:58am PDT

Our second destination in Florida was Sherwood Forest RV Resort in Kissimmee. This was a beautiful park, and would be our home base for the time we spent going to and from Universal Orlando.

A post shared by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Aug 10, 2016 at 10:37am PDT

Universal was awesome, and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter did not disappoint.

A post shared by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Aug 10, 2016 at 9:18am PDT

It was time together we will never forget!

A post shared by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Aug 18, 2016 at 9:27am PDT

The trip home

The first campground we stayed at on the way home was Barnyard RV Park in Lexington South Carolina, where we stayed for 2 days. This was less than an hour from where Wendy’s cousins live, so we were able to get in a visit before we left.

A post shared by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Aug 19, 2016 at 5:29am PDT

Our next destination was Fort Chiswell RV Park in Max Meadows Virginia. The scenery was stunning! We were in the mountains, so cell reception was not the best… but none of us cared.

A post shared by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Aug 20, 2016 at 2:37pm PDT

Our last 2 nights were spent at Rocky Fork Ranch Resort in Kimbolton Ohio. Wendy and the girls got in some geocaching while there.

All hands on deck

As you can imagine, with an itinerary like this, we needed all hands on deck. Wendy and I shared the driving, and the girls helped in every way they could. They helped cook meals, clean up, and pack up the trailer.

When we arrived at a campground, they helped put the wheel chocks in, set up the stabilizers on the trailer, and unpacked the trailer. When it was time to leave, they helped with clean up, and the reverse order of set up. Having all hands on deck makes easier work for everyone.

A post shared by bigdaddykreativ (@bigdaddykreativ) on Aug 8, 2016 at 1:08pm PDT

Quality Family Time

21 days on the road + 5517kms traveled + drove through 11 States (New York, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania) = Quality Family Time.

While it was tiring at times, I wouldn’t have passed up this opportunity for anything. We love spending time together as a family, and this was the perfect time to do it.

A post shared by bigdaddykreativ (@bigdaddykreativ) on Aug 3, 2016 at 5:23am PDT

As well, we couldn’t have done this trip without the organizational skills and superb planning of my tag team partner for life!

If you are thinking of taking a road trip, be sure to check out Furkot to help with your trip planning. It helped keep us on track, and gave us a very detailed itinerary.

Cheers,
Big Daddy

What an amazing summer it is going to be!

July 14, 2017 by Rachel Kreativ

My amazing Summer started off with a trip to Montego Bay in Jamaica! It was awesome, but I will leave that for another post.

I’m so excited for the rest of the summer! So far, I have been hanging out with my friends and having a great time. We’ve gone to the park, the mall, and the movies. We saw the new Wonder Woman movie… it was amazing!

A post shared by bigdaddykreativ (@bigdaddykreativ) on Jun 28, 2017 at 5:49am PDT

Volunteering

I volunteered at the grade 8 grad with my Dad, and my friends Lauren and Ben. I handed out programs to the parents, while Lauren helped with audio. Ben helped back stage. My Dad was taking photos for the yearbook, which he also designs.

This week, I am also volunteering at my church’s VBS summer camp (Vacation Bible School) with my friends. I haven’t been to VBS in a couple of years, as we usually are away camping, but this year, we came back just so we can go.

A post shared by bigdaddykreativ (@bigdaddykreativ) on Sep 12, 2016 at 1:57pm PDT

Another Amazing Summer at Niagara’s Lazy Lakes!

Tonight, we will be heading back to the #SilvaBulletRV at our home campground Niagara’s Lazy Lakes (in Lewiston, New York) for the weekend. We’ll get a couple of days of relaxing at Lazy Lakes before heading off to Ohio with our camping family! I am so excited to be spending a whole week with them at Wally World in Loudonville, Ohio.

A post shared by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Aug 1, 2016 at 6:36am PDT

Wally World in Ohio!

Wally World is one of my favourite campgrounds. There is so much to do around there. They have an activity complex a few minutes down the road with go-carts, high ropes and low ropes courses, a mini golf course and lots more. You can also rent canoes, kayaks, or tubes to float down the Mohican river.

A post shared by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Aug 16, 2015 at 9:25am PDT

A couple of years ago when we were camping there, I canoed 7 miles down the Mohican River with Mom and Lauren. The end point is right by the campground, which is really convenient. Dad followed our journey in the truck and took some awesome pictures.

Another one of my favourite things is visiting the Amish market near the campground. When you walk in, it’s like you just walked into bakery heaven. The awesome thing is that everything there is homemade. I especially like the apple butter and the ice cream.

A post shared by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Jul 10, 2015 at 9:08pm PDT

Camping at Lazy Lakes and Bronte Creek

After a week in Ohio, we will be heading back to Lazy Lakes for a couple of weeks, then a week at Bronte Creek Provincial Park, and then the last two weeks of my amazing summer will be at Lazy Lakes.

A post shared by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on May 22, 2016 at 10:44am PDT

At Niagara Lazy Lakes, there are two pools and a playground. But we always have things to do, whether the weather is good or it is raining. We have lots of games to play, movies to watch, and colouring books. We also have Storm, who loves our attention all the time, and loves to cuddle and run around.

We also get to spend a week camping at Bronte Creek Provincial Park, which is close to our house. We have only been there to visit the petting zoo and play at the activity barn. We have never camped there, so I am really looking forward to spending the week there.

A post shared by bigdaddykreativ (@bigdaddykreativ) on Jul 1, 2017 at 7:29am PDT

The most amazing summer ever!

This is going to be the most amazing summer ever, and the best thing is I get to spend it with the best people in some awesome places!

Cheers,
Rachel

Let The Summer Begin!

July 7, 2017 by Lauren Kreativ

My favourite part about the summer is spending time with friends and family! In the summer we go camping in our travel trailer. It’s called the #SilvaBulletRV.

A post shared by bigdaddykreativ (@bigdaddykreativ) on Sep 12, 2016 at 1:57pm PDT

Camping is so much fun because we get to see our camping family. We have become very close with some friends at our campground. They are just like part of our family. I am so excited for when we go to Ohio because I will get to ride in a go-cart by myself! Ohio is going to be so much fun because we are going with our camping family. I am so excited!

A post shared by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Jul 23, 2016 at 11:48am PDT

l love to go to the park and play with my friends at camp. Going swimming at the campground’s pool is so much fun. I get to make big splashes when I jump in! Swimming is the best this year because I can go to the pool with friends, and not have to have Mom and Dad come with me. I never swim alone, because it is not safe.

A post shared by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on May 29, 2016 at 10:16am PDT

Summer break is awesome because we don’t have to do any school work! Lots of popsicles and freezies for all those hot days. Even if it rains, we still have fun! I like to ride my bike and go on bike rides with my friends!

A post shared by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Aug 10, 2016 at 10:39am PDT

Last year in the summer was lots of fun. We went to Universal Studios! I went on a few of the roller coasters!

We went to 3 campgrounds on the way to Orlando. While in Florida we stayed at 2 campgrounds. We stayed at 3 more campgrounds on the way home. We were so excited to go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It was amazing! We tried some Bertie Botts every Flavour Beans, Butterbeer, Frozen Butterbeer, and Chocolate Frogs. We had lots of fun at Universal Studios.

I cannot wait for the rest of the summer. We have a lot planned. It’s going to be so much fun!

TTFN,
Lauren

Ready for some sand and sun! Tips for planning a family vacation #travel

April 18, 2017 by Wendy S

Life has been busy. Too busy. We need a break!

A post shared by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Aug 31, 2016 at 7:03pm PDT

Craig and I have been talking about taking a trip and just getting away. This year will be our 15th Wedding Anniversary which is another great reason to put our feet in the sand and relax.

Picking a date

With 2 full-time jobs, a part-time job, various activities and other commitments, finding the time to go away is not easy.

We sat down with our calendars, figured out when activities would be winding down and when commitments wouldn’t be impacted and chose 2 potential times — a week in June or beginning of January.

Figuring out your budget

Yes, vacation is supposed to be fun and you don’t want to miss anything, but coming home to a mountain of debt is not the best way to end a vacation.

Craig and I have been putting some money away in a vacation fund. Plus we have some gift certificates to Flight Centre that we’re going to take advantage of.

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We did a few searches on the internet to get a ballpark idea of what our options might be. Then we headed to Flight Centre, sat with an awesome travel advisor and, asked a ton of questions. Knowing the amenities at the different resorts, what the beaches are like, and activities for the girls is just as important as the cost. During the conversation, we decided to focus on the June dates as the prices for January were just too high (almost double?!?).

After the conversation, we walked away with 4 different resorts in 2 different places that were all within our budget.

Do your research

With the 4 locations in hand, our next step was to read reviews and talk to friends.

TripAdvisor.ca is one of our “go-to” sites for travel information. There are a lot of reviews on all 4 of the places we were looking at. It’s good to read the good and bad reviews to get a broad sense of people’s experiences.

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Craig and I started a spreadsheet to keep track of the pros and cons of each place we were considering. We noted things like the cost, the number of stars, the number of pools, activities for the girls, types of restaurants and links to the resort’s website and Trip Advisor. Seeing all of the details in one place makes comparing so much easier!

With the magic of social media, we got lots of opinions from friends when Craig asked on Facebook. A few people had been to one of the resorts that we were looking at and we actually had one friend who had been to both! She gave us some great information as she was able to do a great comparison.

Making the final decision

With all of the options laid out in our spreadsheet, we started making the decision of exactly what we wanted. One resort has a waterslide. Another has more restaurants. And on it goes.

The girls were very excited about the idea of a kids club and teen activities. The waterslide is a must. And, of course, they liked the idea of free wifi.

The girls were all for free wifi, but truly that is not a deciding factor for us. Most resorts have free wifi in the lobby, some have wifi available for purchase in the rooms and a small number have free wifi everywhere. Craig and I have Roam Like Home with Rogers which is available in both countries that we are interested in which means that if we need to get in touch with family, we will be able to. Plus being able to share our memories with friends and family right away on social media is really nice too! They can see all the fun we are having. I like to back up my photos to Google Photos so having access to data is important to me.