Florida 2020: Hilton Grand Vacations at Sea World Orlando

Dan has achieved diamond status at Hilton Hotels, so we usually prefer to stay with the brand. In recent years, we’ve discovered Hilton Grand Vacations. Grand Vacations is Hilton’s timeshare properties. We have zero interest in buying into a timeshare, but we have learned that you can still rent timeshare properties, without having to be an official timeshare owner.

The Hilton Grand Vacation resorts are fabulous. The rooms are suites and the amenities are plentiful. For three nights, we stayed at the Hilton Grand Vacation at Sea World Orlando. The hotel is just minutes from Sea World, practically walking distance, and a very short drive from Universal Orlando. It’s in a great location.

Here is a picture of the lobby.

The only minor inconveniance of staying at a Grand Vacation resort is there will be an obligatory sales pitch. They will offer you theme park tickets and other perks for attending a timeshare presentation. Luckily, they usually take no for an answer. At this resort they didn’t even try calling the room with a second pitch.

Our experience with Grand Vacations has been consistent. The rooms have all looked the same. This time we booked a one room suite ( we get a two room with the kids)- it has a large kitchen that is stocked with all of the utensils, a washer/dryer, soaking tub, large living room, and a balcony. It’s really an apartment with plenty of room to spread out. I love having the ability to do our laundry and Hilton includes enough detergent for two loads.

The resort is huge, but we were given a prime spot near the pool. With various Covid restrictions in place, the pool was a pleasant experience. It’s hard to believe, but it was our first time in a pool in 2020. We had no problem finding lounge chairs, which were sanitized between guests. Announcements were made to stay spaced out, so we had a sense of privacy while sunbathing and we pretty much had our own little corner of the pool. The only difficulty with social distancing was keeping kids from playing near us. It’s easy to forget about distancing when you’re outside and having fun. Luckily, most parents were vigilant.

We used the concierge to purchase one-day tickets to Sea World. They made it seem like they were giving us a special rate, but the deal was no better than anyone could purchase online. If you stay here, I’d recommend purchasing tickets in advance, rather than waiting to do it at the hotel.

The hotel is surrounded by every conceivable type of dining option. On our first night, we were in the mood for Italian food and discovered Mia’s Italian Cuisine. I had never heard of Mia’s before, but it is part of a chain of restaurants that includes one of my other favorites. Cafe Tu Tu Tango. We happened to visit Mia’s on the first day that they had opened for dining since Covid. They were low on staff and very apologetic. The restaurant is glamorous with Italian art on the ceiling and chandeliers made from wine bottles.

We pigged out on pasta, cannolis, and a chocolate soufflé. It was absolutely delicious and we look forward to dining here again in the future. The manager at Mia’s personally served us and she was awesome.

There was a seafood restaurant near Mia’s that had the best delivery vehicle. Orlando has it all!

This was my first time staying on the opposite side from Walt Disney World and it was a pleasure. I would definitely consider staying at the Hilton Grand Vacations at Sea World on our next Orlando vacation.

Social Distancing in Littleton: Weeks 28 & 29

It is less than a month before the presidential election and I’ve never felt so unsure about the United States. I’m eagerly checking the mail box for my ballot, as I’m ready to cast my vote. I’ve always taken my responsibility to vote seriously, but it has never felt like such a desperate and somber decision. I voted for Clinton four years ago, but to be perfectly honest, I never imagined that Trump would turn out to be such a destructive president. Other people knew and those people were out protesting in 2016. It took me a little longer to realize the severity of the situation.

Trump is not a leader. He does not care about the United States or its citizens. He only cares about winning. Last Friday, ( or earlier, who knows as the medical updates are confusing) he tested positive for Covid. I sincerely hoped that he might have a change of attitude similar to Boris Johnson. Not Trump. He reacted in the worst and most predictable way possible. He went for a photo op ride around the hospital, so that he could wave at supporters, while the endangering secret service officers that were with him in close proximity. He whipped off his mask when he returned to the White House and he reiterated his thoughts on how Covid isn’t a big deal. His behavior makes me sick.

Several people in the White House tested positive. Pence is pushing back against safety precautions for the vice-presidential debate. I think Pence is scared to debate Harris and it is his way of diverting attention. I think Trump is also causing a diversion, because he knows that he doesn’t have a clear path to victory. It doesn’t matter the reason, his actions are endangering lives and further hurting our economy.

I don’t doubt that no matter which president had been in power during Covid, that we would have lost lives and jobs. It still would have been a difficult 2020. However, if we had a true leader, I believe the losses would have been significantly less. I’m worried about these coming months.

In the last few days, I’ve heard of former coworkers/friends who have lost jobs in the theme park industry. The cuts are massive. It’s heartbreaking, because I know that this was more than simply a paycheck to them. I’ve heard of one acquaintance who has died due to Covid. This person was my age and healthy. Even though we are doing well, this weights on me. I feel tremors of stress.

The wildfires that are devastating the west coast are impacting our air quality. I know we are lucky compared to many, but when my eyes sting and my chest hurts from the smoke, I’m reminded that this year has been impossible to escape. Here is a picture of our neighborhood from a few days ago.

Our neighborhood is becoming filled with political signs. Many supporting Trump, but even more supporting Biden. On the happy side, we have more houses decorated for Halloween, than we do stating political preferences. Some of the Halloween decorates are fantastic. My favorite is a family that has a whole pirate ship with skeletons climbing on ropes and on the roof.

Other happy news… we went to Top Golf with our friend’s Julie and Ryan. It was my first time and I did okay. We had our own “bay” with plexiglass separating us from other guests, so it seemed a bit safe. We wore masks when walking through the building. I had a lot of fun and I’m eager to go back. My aunt would be so proud that I’m giving her favorite hobby a try. Next step is a real game of golf.

We also went to an outdoor gathering at a neighbors house. It was Oktoberfest themed and also a lot of fun. We met some great “new-to-us” neighbors that we really liked. Generally, it was just wonderful to socialize and laugh. Afterwards, I did feel that there was probably a bit too many people there for Covid safety, but we sat on the outskirts of the party and mostly kept our distance. We stayed outdoors, even when the temperatures dropped. It wasn’t without risk, but I think the risk was minimized.

We’ve booked the kids holiday with us for Christmas. Please send good vibes that this doesn’t get canceled and that it is safe enough to happen. We miss Zoe and Felix so much and it would be devastating to have yet another trip canceled. We haven’t seen them since the summer of 2019.

One last happy thing…we are 1/2 way though the final season of “Schitt’s Creek.” I’m going to miss the Rose family!

And finally, cute cat pictures!

Florida 2020: North Redington Beach, Clearwater Beach, and Tampa

In contrast with many of our vacations, we didn’t plan our getaway to North Redington Beach. It was a somewhat spur of the moment, surprise trip for my birthday. Mostly, we thought that we would just park ourselves on the beach and enjoy umbrella drinks.

However, I could have predicted that we would get bored and feel the need to explore. In fact, the lure of Orlando was too tempting, and we left our beach hotel after two nights: less that forty-eight hours!

In this post, I’m going to share where we dined and what we explored during our brief time on the gulf coast.

The first meal of the vacation was at “The Conch Republic Grill and Raw Bar.”

We arrived late on a Thursday night and Conch Republic was pretty much the only non-fast food option that was still open. It came highly recommended from the front desk staff at our hotel and was just a short drive down the street. If it had been daylight, we could have walked.

The theming at Conch Republic is fabulous, with giant sharks suspended overhead and heavy theming throughout. A really fun atmosphere to kick off our vacation. The staff was friendly too. I ordered my favorite umbrella drink: Mai Tai.

We started with a delicious crispy walnut shrimp appetizer to share.

Although I normally wouldn’t miss an opportunity to order fish, especially in a fish restaurant, I wasn’t feeling very hungry, and went with a tropical chicken salad. It was good, but if we visited again, I’d order fish.

Dan ordered crab legs, which although not shown, came with a large helping of mashed potatoes. He was disappointed. It wasn't that his food wasn’t tasty, but that over the summer, he has become a master of grilling crab legs. Now that we can make them at home, it just seems unnecessarily expensive and less of a treat to order them while dining out. This has been a covid-related revelation!

We shared a Florida classic dessert: Key Lime pie. I’m a huge fan of key lime pie. This particular slice was the perfect blend of sweet, tart, and tangy. Don’t skimp on the dessert at Conch Republic.

Dan felt that Conch Republic was over-priced and would not likely return, but I would happily give it a second chance. I think we ordered wrong, and would likely have a better experience on the next visit. On the way out a member of the waitstaff offered to take our picture with the parrot.

The following day, after spending about six hours baking on the beach, we took our rental car out for a bit of an adventure. We had no idea of where to go, which actually ended up being a bad thing, as we drove around and got stuck in traffic, plus we hit a bunch of toll roads. Florida, with its many toll roads, is not made for exploring.

Our first little stop was St. Pete’s Beach. Our friend Jaime used to live here and raved about it, so we wanted to check it out for future vacations. I definitely think that we will be returning to the gulf beaches when my step-kids visit in 2021. This entire area is a gorgeous vacation spot. I believe their claim of having the top rated beaches in the United States.

We drove through downtown Tampa, which was jammed with traffic, but otherwise had little going on

We also drove through the historic Ybor City. I would have loved to stop here to eat, especially to try a Cuban sandwich, but it also had a funny vibe, I suspect mostly due to Covid, so we just drove down the Main Street.

We headed back to the beach in search of a dinner spot with sunset views. It was crowded on a Friday night, but we manage to snag a table at “Seabreeze Island Grill and Raw Bar.”

We were seated on the enormous back patio with a perfect view of the sun setting over the water.

Seabreeze wins for excellent service, great views, and reasonable prices. They had drink specials that included three dollar margaritas. If you want to get hammered in a tropical paradise, this is your place. However, although cheap and strong, the drinks were not particularly good. On a future visit, I’d skip the specials and pay for something a bit better.

Dinner was also hit and miss. The clam chowder starter was excellent, probably best enjoyed on a cooler night, but it was still a treat. We both ordered the same entree: coconut shrimp served with roasted potatoes and green beans. The shrimp was great, but the sides were uninspired. I absolutely love vegetables, but these were hard to eat, soggy and over-seasoned. On a future visit, we’d probably order the coconut shrimp appetizer ( skipping the sides) and have a burger for a main. We would definitely return for the atmosphere.

After dinner, it was time for mini golf at Smugglers Cove. Smugglers Cove with its outrageous theming caught our eye, but they are also famous for being home to baby alligators…which you can feed! Mini golf is fun, but feeding gators was my primary objective.

I was given five pellets that looked similar to Milk Bone dog biscuits. Outside of the heavily fortified gator pen, was a long pole with a soft clip on the end, where you attach the biscuit. As soon as I dropped the pole over the side, the baby gators came for the treat. They clearly love the biscuits. I think due to their long snouts and position of their eyes, it was a bit hard for them to grab the treat, so there was a lot of attempts before a gator managed to grab it. They were quite gentle as they tried to get the treat, although they definitely all wanted the opportunity.

I could have fed gators all day, but we had some golf to play. The course was fun and well-themed. I liked all of the “pirate” touches, like the parrot skeleton.

And the pirate name chart. Pegleg Stinkbreath Stinkalot here, which seems excessive, but I did have garlic potatoes for dinner!

It was miserably hot and humid. We were getting bit by mosquitos and dripping in sweat, so we bailed at the half-way point. I would have liked to finish the course, but it just wasn’t in the cards that night.

I do love this nod to covid. The golf course, as well as the other restaurants and activities, all had plenty of covid precautions that made us feel somewhat safe, while we vacationed.