November 2020 Road Trip: Roswell, New Mexico

When we realized that Roswell was just a short detour on our way home to Colorado, we decided to make it a night-stop. Roswell might be the most heavily themed small town in America. It seemed like every business played along with the alien theme.

My favorite was the Dunkin’ Donuts Alien- we ate breakfast hat Dunkin’ after spending a night at a local Hilton Home2 Suites.

Since we were really trying to get home by the evening, we had just enough time for a quick visit to the International UFO Museum. Unfortunately, due to Covid, we could not take a more extensive tour of the Roswell crash site, however, the museum proved to be quite entertaining.

It started in the parking lot…

and continued to the front of the building…

Inside we were greeted by an alien with a gentle reminder that masks are mandatory. We really appreciate the businesses that enforce mask policies and other safety measures during this pandemic.

Tickets were only five dollars, which makes the International UFO Museum one of the best value for money places that we have ever visited. We definitely got our five dollars out of this place.

As a side note, we learned that emotional support animals are welcome when the woman in front of us enquired about her very adorable support rat. Hey, anything goes here, just keep that mask on! I adore rats, so I was happy to see a cute critter at 9am.

One of my favorite pictures of the road trip!

I’m not into conspiracy theories and I’m not obsessed with aliens. I do believe that we are not alone in the Universe, but I’m not sure how much I’m willing to accept the reality of what was proposed at the museum. That said, it was all very entertaining and the exhibits were professional. We spent about an hour and could have easily spent longer, if we had the time.

The exhibits included witness accounts of the incident in Roswell, other alien encounters, how aliens are shown in pop-culture and the alien autopsy. Remember back to the late 90’s when the “Alien Autopsy Video” was all the rage? I remember buying a copy for one of my friends who was obsessed with it!

I get really excited when I see mention of my hometown of Glendale, California. This guy, Andres Gil, had a UFO sighting in the 60’s, and not only is he from Glendale, but I realized that based on the dates there is a possibility that he knew my parents or my aunt. I need to look through their school yearbooks.

I’m glad that we visited Roswell, but this will likely be a one-time experience. It was a detour and although the alien aspect was entertaining, the town has little else to attract us. If you’re big into aliens or near Roswell on your travels, it is worth a quick visit.

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.

Florida 2020: Doubletree Beach Resort Tampa Bay

As a birthday surprise, Dan took me on a short trip to Florida. This was especially sweet, since we moved from California to Colorado in 2019, and I’ve missed living near the beach. There is something about the salty air and the sound of the waves that brings an instant calm. Having a few days by the ocean was the best medicine for this tough year.

We stayed at the Doubletree Beach Resort by Hilton in Tampa Bay- North Redington Beach. I’ve traveled to Florida many times, but this was my first visit to the beaches on the Gulf of Mexico. As much as I love the theme parks ( and I really, really do love them,) it was nice to have the opportunity to explore other aspects of Florida.

This was a typical Doubletree hotel, as far as room size and amenities. We were given the customary warmed chocolate chip-walnut cookies upon check-in. The only small changes were due to Covid, such as only taking the elevator with your own group and wearing masks while navigating the property. These were minor inconveniences that made us feel safe while traveling during the pandemic.

One of the funniest pictures was outside of the elevators. Look at those peepers!

Here are some pictures of our room. I appreciated that we had a refrigerator included. We drank gallons of bottled water!

The rooms with king beds were sold-out, but we did have an ocean view balcony. We bought parfaits and ate breakfast on our balcony both mornings.

Forty dollars provided us with a day rental of two cushioned sun loungers and a huge umbrella. This made our day at the beach far more enjoyable, than if we had been on beach towels or had to lug around our own beach chairs. An attendant came around periodically to adjust our umbrellas, and we could come and go as we pleased. As far as Covid, the lounge chairs were spaced apart, making social distancing a breeze. Even though it was mid-August, the beach was not crowded and we never felt like it was an unsafe vacation choice.

This was my first time swimming in the Gulf of Mexico. The water was warm and clear enough to see small fish swimming around our legs. It was truly the perfect beach day and I look forward to coming back with my step-kids in 2021.

When it was time for lunch, we left our belongings on our beach chairs and headed to the outdoor cafe at our hotel. The cafe is just steps from the beach and we snagged a spot where we could keep an eye on our loungers. We didn’t use it, but the hotel pool is also adjacent to the cafe.

Lunch was fantastic. We shared a croissant club sandwich, a heaping platter of nachos, and tropical cocktails.

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Later in the day, we added some thrills by renting a Sea-Doo. Thirty minutes may not seem like very long, but it is plenty. Dan was the driver and I held on tight, getting some air-time as we bounced over waves. We didn’t tip over, which was my biggest concern. It was a blast.

Our beach day was fabulous and overall, we really enjoyed our stay at the Doubletree in North Redington Beach. The beach is beautiful and the area is filled with restaurants and activities. As much as I’m obsessed with theme park vacations, visiting the Gulf Coast is an excellent alternative.

I will end on these sunrise shots of the beach. I love the soft pastel colors and sense of calm. On our next visit, I want to wake up early and go for a walk on the sand.