Our Travelz

Alaska in February – Alyeska Resort

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This is a beautiful resort. Parking is limited so be prepared to walk from the overflow parking lot which is not so easy to locate so ask the parking attendant before you leave the drop-off area and be certain to drop off your luggage at the door, don’t try to carry it from the car.

The view from our Deluxe room is beautiful.

Food here is very good and the portions are huge, plenty to share. Plan to spend about $15 per entree, breakfast or dinner, in the Aurora restaurant.

Most of the people we met are here to ski – several people here for a convention (great convention space).

An avalanche had closed the roads to the North and to the South so our plans for the day were changed and we got to hang out at the resort. We could hear them blasting the snow to avoid additional avalanches, had some locals explaining everything to us – very interesting.

I am a bit (a lot) afraid of those trams that go up the mountain but I had heard so much about this one, we had to go. We were stuffed (claustrophobic ?) into the tram with all the skiers and their equipment. I didn’t see anything on the way up but did have to hold onto the overhead handle one time when we went over the tower area, not a fan of the big swing.

At the top, we headed up the stairs and went to see what all the fuss was about. OH MY WORD, beautiful cannot even describe it. We just stood in awe – then of course we took pictures.

Travel Tip 1: Get the Ride & Eat tram ticket – costs $10 more and you get a $20 meal voucher.

We split a meal and spent the rest on drinks. The view is amazing so we sat and looked out as we enjoyed another delicious meal and some local brews.

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Alaska in February – Girdwood to Anchorage

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This is a beautiful drive – the train tracks are along the side of the road for much of the way so we are going to assume the ride on the train is also amazing. Be sure to sit on the side next to the water, the right side when traveling south.

We had bad weather driving from Anchorage to Girdwood and good weather driving back. Do NOT be afraid to drive slowly, there are passing lanes in several locations along the way.

Both drives were stunning. There are several picture spots along the way so you can get out and take pictures.

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Alaska in February – Travel Day

We decided to drive to Orlando on the day of the flight instead of the night before – not recommended.

Travel Tip 1: Drive the night before, stay in the hotel – you will get more sleep in the hotel than in your own bed when you are concerned about waking up early and hitting traffic on the drive.

Travel Tip 2: Alaska Air desk opens about 2 1/2 hours before the first flight and if you are checking a bag you must join the line, plan accordingly.

Travel Tip 3: TSA precheck, highly recommended.

This was our first time flying out of the Orlando Airport – nice airport. Our credit card gives us access to a lounge so we went and had breakfast. We did not participate in the Mimosas and Bloody Marys but perhaps we should have.

Travel Tip 4: When in the Orlando Airport and visiting terminal B for the lounge – stay on the return tram to the right when returning so you do not have to return through the security check-point. International flights arriving through that terminal require different security and you don’t really want to deal with that.

Alaska Air – we paid a bit extra for the seats with the additional leg room and were blessed to have 3 seats to ourselves. Right now you must pre-order your meals or you don’t get them. They aren’t charged to your credit card until you get the meal but they are delivered before anything else. You also get a snack, like a cookie or trail mix and a beverage. The upgraded seats include complementary alcohol. Our layover in Seattle was short and we were hoping that the luggage would make it to the new flight and it DID!! We were very happy to have the luggage when we arrived in Anchorage.

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February 2022

Club Med – Sandpiper Bay – Sports

Jan 2021

In our quest to explore drive-able destinations for our clients during COVID, we took a trip down to South Florida and the only true all-inclusive in the USA

Sports at Club Med Sandpiper Bay

Club Med Sandpiper Bay is known for their sports – they have Academies for young people in in Tennis, Golf, Soccer and Beach Volleyball with top notch instructors. As a guest at Sandpiper Bay, you get to have lessons from these instructors as well.

There are daily lessons for Advanced, Intermediate and Beginner levels of Golf and Tennis. We took a beginner lesson each day we were there and the instructor was amazing – a top LPGA instructor for 2021. Continue reading Club Med – Sandpiper Bay – Sports

Club Med – Sandpiper Bay – Overview

Jan 2021

In our quest to explore drive-able destinations for our clients, we took a trip down to South Florida and the only true all-inclusive in the USA. Here is a quick positive / negative list for you…

Positives

- - No Mask Needed Outside and most of it is outside
  - True all-inclusive so plenty of food / drinks available 7am to 11pm
  - Lots of activities, many are sports related (Golf, Tennis, Trapeze, Sailing, Paddle Boarding, etc) with included lessons for all levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced
  - Kids Club available
  - Food is good with many healthy options
  - 3 different types of house wine are included
  - Buffet is handled as pre-plated and works well
  - Themed Nights with special dress
  - Rooms are large and the walk-in closets are great
  - Plenty of HOT water
  - Adults only pool
  - Spa on-site with one price for all options

Thoughts

- - Food is not amazing but many choices and not the same each day
  - I did not like any of the house wine
  - App is helpful but not always updated, I was told they were in the process of hiring someone for that job
  - Not luxury even though there are some luxury upgrades available
  - No late night activities / food
  - We were not on-site for the weekend but we were able to see the scheduled activities and there is much more to do on the weekend

Negatives

- - Currently COVID has stopped most of the shows, there are a few but not many and all are outside
  - Only one restaurant for breakfast & lunch
  - Second restaurant open for dinner has limited seating and not everyone can go every day
  - Most sports activities are outside, when weather is bad there are no indoor tennis courts or pools

Compared to a Cruise
Since we aren’t able to sail right now, many of us are dreaming of sailing and this resort has been called a cruise on land, I have to make the comparison. Like cruising, the resort has many activities and many places to just sit and relax. The rooms are much larger than staterooms onboard a ship and they are cleaned daily. On Board ship, most people eat breakfast and lunch in the buffet and the food reminds me of the MSC buffet – plentiful and good but not amazing. I can’t really compare the shows because Club Med is not setup for outdoor shows but they are making it work. There is one store on the property so limited shopping available HOWEVER, unlike a ship you can just get in your car and go to a store anywhere to get what you want. Pricing is similar to a cruise with the ability to purchase off-site excursions and on-site activities like a Jet Ski.

Bottom Line
Positives outweigh the negatives and if you want to spend some time relaxing or learning a new skill, you will enjoy your stay at Club Med – Sandpiper Bay

Recommended

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Review – Island Grove Wine Company at Formosa Gardens

We were heading home after spending a few days at Disney

and saw a sign on 192 for a Winery. We had some time so we pulled in to check it out.

This is my personal opinion / review of
Island Grove Wine Company and Formosa Gardens
3011 Formosa Gardens Blvd Formosa Gardens, Kissimmee Continue reading Review – Island Grove Wine Company at Formosa Gardens

Disney – Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway Ride

This new ride is located in the replica of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre that had held the ‘Great Movie Ride.’ The old ride took you through the different movies and sets via tram like car ride right through the middle of the movie set.

*Spoiler Alert* The following is a description of this new ride. If you want to be surprised, stop here and go ride the ride. You won’t be disappointed!

Continue reading Disney – Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway Ride

Disney with Covid Restrictions – Epcot Food and Wine Festival 2020

Disney’s “Food and Wine Festival” at Epcot – with Covid Restrictions

We arrived at 5pm and the park closed at 7pm – Visited 9/11/2020

The center of the area behind the ball,, with the fountains is currently closed and under construction – you have to choose which way you want to walk around so quite a few extra steps.

As usual, we headed straight for Germany to get a beer and we loved how easy it was to move around with the small amount of people.

There are enough kiosks to have a nice walk around the world and the small amount of people make it easier to find a table or bench to sit and enjoy. I would not have missed the extra kiosks if they were not still in place and closed. There are fewer kiosks and the kiosks that were open had reduced offerings.
** Update 9/29 new kiosks have opened and are still opening **

All attractions were walk-on, including Soarin and Test Track. I imagine there are lines earlier in the day but nothing that late in the day.

Note: my neighbor heard that none of the restaurants around the world were open but later told me that this was not true. You must use the Disney Experience App to make reservations and you must already have your Disney Park Reservations.

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Disney with COVID Restrictions – Lines

Lines

Traveled January 2021, August 2020

Yes, there are lines – but most of them move non-stop. The wait time listed is actually the amount of time it takes for you to walk through the line. In August ’20, only 2 rides had us actually standing and waiting – Slinky Dog and Rise of the Resistance. In January ’21, most of the lines had been moved outside and are very creative in their setup. Look for the person holding the sign that says “Line Starts Here”. For example: Toy Story Mania started near the Incredibles area but was only 30 minutes long.

Every area has markings on the ground showing where to stand – you have to pay attention because they are not always every 6 feet – sometimes they stretch an entire row of a line to make sure people are not standing close to each other. It is a self-policed line and almost everyone follows the signs but sometimes people are busy playing games in the app or small children are excited to be there and the separation gets a little short but it is self-corrected quickly. It is well thought out and most of the lines move very quickly. For example: In January ’21, the Toy Story Mania started near the Incredibles area but was only 30 minutes long and the Pirates line was about 30 minutes long and weaved around outside of the attraction and was only inside the building for a short time.

Some lines have plexiglass between the rows to keep you from having contact with lots of people.

Park Hopping: January: you can now change parks at 2pm – expect a line to form at the new park about 1:30pm but it wasn’t long and it went away quickly.

Bonus: If you utilize fast-pass like we do, you don’t get to see the line areas – since there are no fast passes, you will get to walk through the entire line area and see all of the detail the makes Disney spectacular.

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Disney with COVID Restrictions – Masks & Hand Sanitizer

Masks & Hand Sanitizer

Traveled: January 2021 and August 2020

Disney is still very serious about wearing your mask all the time – It must be over your nose and chin and attach behind your ears. You can take it off to eat and drink but you must be stationary to do this – so you can walk around with a drink but you have to stop and stand still to take a drink.

None of your pictures will appear if the mask does not cover your nose. In January ’21, there were people holding signs at the entrance of Magic Kingdom telling you to keep your mask on when you take pictures.

I do not recommend purchasing a mask from Disney, they are small and the portion that goes around the ear is uncomfortable after a few hours.

There are Hand Sanitizer stations all around so you can sanitize your hands after frequently.

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