Spas - Mom's Guide To Travel

May 16 2016

Things To Do In Charleston SC Aquarium

There are more things to do in Charleston SC aquarium besides looking at fish. The attraction is an interactive experience both in and outside of the building.

Young kids aren’t the only ones that love it. Every parent and grandparent I spotted in the exhibits shared in the wonderment and excitement with their children.

Things To Do In Charleston Aquarium

Here’s a short video I put together of my son and I enjoying the Charleston aquarium. This is just a snippet of the colorful sea creatures you’ll see if you visit.

If you’re fortunate enough to find street parking outside the private residences near the aquarium, you’ll not only save money but you’ll also spot a well-kept open field for the kids to play. If you don’t find street parking, there’s a parking structure on Calhoun street directly in front of the aquarium.

Liberty Square Park is a nice place to sit for a spell before or after your aquarium visit. There’s a beautiful water fountain with a sculpture of birds in flight next to a pair of swing benches. It’s a peaceful place to sit, swing, and enjoy the Carolina sunshine.

The aquarium experience

As soon as you purchase your tickets be prepared to have your photo taken by an aquarium employee. We did this our first time visiting when my oldest was a toddle but this time I passed. Equipped with my own camera phone, we took photos in multiple picture-worthy locations.

Before entering the aquarium you’ll find an interactive water station. You’ll probably hear it before you see it.

This is the first station where your kids can get their hands wet. An aquatic handler (totally making up that word here) educates visitors about the stingrays in the pool they stand in front of, instructing brave souls how to properly interact with the sting rays.

This is one of several stations where children can touch something. Another popular stop is the hermit crabs on the top floor and whatever other animal the aquarium puts on deck for a close-up encounter.

If your kids are skilled at kayaking and want to get an even closer encounter to fish, consider taking them on an excursion and try your hand at kayak fishing in Charleston with them.

There’s also a 4D IMAX movie experience at the aquarium if you want to add a little extra to your ticket.

Where Is The Aquarium In Charleston SC?

The aquarium is located in downtown Charleston. It has one of the best locations in the city.

Adjacent to the ferry that transfers visitors to Fort Sumter, the aquarium sits on the waters of the Cooper River looking out towards Mt. Pleasant. If the weather is nice, you can spend a significant amount of time on the deck staring out at the water as boats of all sizes sail by.

Best Time To Visit The Charleston Aquarium

I visited family in Charleston for Spring Break and took my youngest to the aquarium. I prepared myself for the worst with the crowds but thankfully, the Southern schools weren’t out for break quite yet.

However, we did run into a school field trip. There’s always a field trip to an aquarium. Always!

Honestly, if you want to avoid the crowds, go on a weekday during regular school hours. The aquarium website suggests before 11 am or after 2 pm. We visited before 11 and I was happy with that decision. Why?

Full tummies so no need to by expensive aquarium food
the facilities were still clean, a product of little traffic early in the morning
smaller crowd

During the summer and holiday months, forget about it! Just accept that it’s going to be crowded. If the aquarium is anything like ours here in Baltimore, I would suggest getting there as soon as the aquarium opens.

How Much Does The Charleston Aquarium Cost?

Admission for adults (13+) is $23.95 for an aquarium ticket only, $29.95 when you add IMAX 4-D experience. Prices for children 3-12 is $17.95, $22.95 with IMAX.

We added IMAX onto our ticket, might as well get the entire experience. It was my youngest’s first time and I hadn’t been there since my 12 year old was 2. Spending the extra money wasn’t a big deal as it’s not a place I visit often.

I’ll have to say this: I didn’t care for the 4D IMAX experience.

We saw Ice Age and although the movie is funny, I don’t like water hitting my face in the dark. I also think it was a little jolting for my son. The bubbles and rocking chair were fine but no water in the face. No no.

It’s not an inexpensive outing so I suggest you keep costs down by waking up early, eating a nice breakfast, packing snacks and going to the aquarium early to spend at least half the day there. Might as well get your money’s worth!

The aquarium is open from 9 am – 4pm with the building closing at 5pm so you have plenty of time.

Members of the military get a discount and you may be able to get a few dollars off with AAA membership. I always ask.

Whatever you decide to do, you’ll enjoy the aquarium and its location. I think it’s a fun attraction for the entire family to experience with each other while in Charleston.

May 03 2016

The 2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Best Features Review

Pictures and videos speak much louder than words. I don’t want to WRITE about the 2016 Hybrid Sonata best features, I want to show you:

Hey listen, you can check out Hyundai’s site to see all of the specs and a laundry list of features. I’m not going to give you atypical car review talk here.

As a mom and a woman who likes pretty cars, I break down what features stood out for me.

I’ve tried to tap into my creative side as best I could to take photos of individual features and short 10-second snap videos. Be sure to let me know in the comments what you think.

The 2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid drive modes

Sleek and sexy, I drove a Sonata Hybrid in Seaport Mist exterior with Blue Pearl on Blue Pearl interior leather seats.

Panoramic Sunroof with Tilt and Slide

The sunroof was hands down one of my favorite features of this car. It made the car feel like a convertible.

Seriously, I had urges to stand up and raise my arms the way you do in a roller coaster when you’re strapped in and need an extra sprinkle of adrenaline. (As if the fact that you’re strapped in a roller coaster going at death-defying speeds isn’t enough adrenaline.)

5-inch Color Touchscreen Audio Display

The touchscreen was the hub for just about everything important to press in this car. Only thing missing was back seat entertainment for the kids.

Now THAT would be a nice upgrade – independent headrest video players. Add that Hyundai (no aftermarket please) and I’m sold!

Blue Link Connected Care

At the press of a button and through your voice, you can get directions from Google right in the dash of the 2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. There’s a complimentary trial where enrollment is required for this feature.

This was great! Talk about being spoiled. I didn’t have to worry about accessing my phone for this info. Not sure how much enrollment costs but if you take a lot of road trips, I can see where this could really come in handy.

Fuel Economy

The 2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Limited averages 41 MPG combined city/highway. Hyundai’s published specs are as follows:

2.4 gallons per 100 miles
39 city
43 highway
Annual Fuel cost of $1,100
Fuel Savings of $3500 over 5 years compared to the average new vehicle.

I don’t know about all that except I drove 499.5 miles on one tank of gas!

LOVELY!

I take it back. THIS might be my most favorite feature of the Sonata Hybrid….anything that’s gonna save me money!

So what do you think? Would you want to give the 2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid a test drive? I had fun driving it for Mazda USA. It was hard giving it back. Both me and my oldest son wanted to cry. Because they didn’t let me have it, all opinions herein are my own.

Overall this is a solid car and a solid ride.

Apr 26 2016

What’s New In The 2016 Mazda CX-5

The 2016 Mazda CX-5 is a sleek fuel-efficient cross over vehicle that’s fun to drive. What’s new in the 2016 CX-5 ranges from exterior updates to interior upgrades and drive system enhancements. Although driving the Mazda 6 was sexy, crazy and cool I much rather being higher up on the road. Guess I’m just an SUV kinda girl.

But let’s take things one step at a time, shall we?

With SKYACTIV Technology, the Grand Touring AWD model is nothing short of a suped up family SUV.

2016 Mazda CX-5 Fuel Efficiency

At 26 MPG city/highway, and gas prices at less than $2.00 per gallon I spent only $18 to fill the tank. With two separate school drop-off and pick-ups those are fuel-economy numbers I can get behind.

Since I drive a lot It’s important that a vehicle can support my driving habits. Mazda estimates average annual fuel costs at $1750 which is higher than what I’m spending now on gas for a 2005 Ford freestyle.

At current gas prices in Maryland, we’d probably average 39% less than Mazda estimates.

But I digress. So what’s new in the 2016 Mazda CX-5?

New Features in the Mazda CX-5

Exterior wise, the grille is more refined than the 2015 model. And the 19-inch alloy aluminum wheels were redesigned. Other updates were made to the dash, the center stack and console, an electric parking break and reduced cabin noise.

The 2016 also received new trim accents, more comfortable front and rear seats. A new range of Mazda I-Activesense advanced safety technologies which include Driver assist features such as:

Radar cruise control
Smart Brake support
Blind Spot Monitoring
Rear Cross Traffic Alert

Okay! So now that we’re done with all the boring stuff and I’ve covered some of what’s new in the 2016 Mazda CX-5, let me tell you what I like most about the SUV and how she drives.

The wide sunroof is perfect for letting wind and sunshine in. An accurate in-dash GPS system excellent for helping me not get lost. Bose speakers are ideal for drowning out loud kids and for blasting Prince. Parchment interior color leather seats are perfect for styling, profiling and matching similarly colored purses. They are NOT perfect for messy little boys.

Blind spot monitoring is great for safe driving against people who want to sneak up on your left. 184 horsepower Sport mode is perfect for speeding by people who want to sneak up on your left but with fuel efficiency.

Starting at $21,795 for the basic model, even at a $32,340 sticker price for the model I drove the 2016 Mazda CX-5 fits within my budget and won’t put me in the poor house. The features for the Grand Touring AWD model with optional equipment would give me what I need to chauffer comfortably and roll the way I want to roll.

Check out the standard equipment and optional equipment below for more details on what you get with this vehicle.

I test drove the 2016 Mazda CX-5 for this review. However, all opinions, sly comments, and drooling expressed within are my own.

Apr 08 2016

2016 Presidential Race Heats Up With Captain Obvious

It’s obvious that the 2016 Presidential Race is on every voting age American’s mind (most little kids could care less). What isn’t obvious is who will win this hot contest. At this point, it seems like it’s anybody’s race except that there’s one candidate hanging in the wings, watching, taking notes, and running for President, literally: Captain Obvious.

He loves travel, supports hotels at great prices, and has some good jokes. I don’t know about you but that makes him the obvious choice for me.

How hotels(dot)com and Captain Obvious won my vote

Let me tell you, I’ve used hotels(dot)com at least 5 times in the last 8 months to find quick options for hotels from Maryland to Costa Rica. As a matter of fact, this time last year I was searching the site for a place to stay in Costa Rica for my sister and me.

I had read about several beautiful resorts online when I was researching properties that offered hot springs. I checked prices directly on resort websites but something told me I could probably find better rates elsewhere. This is the normal part of my trip planning process – I search multiple sources before I make a decision.

This is where hotels(dot)com came into the picture. #TrueStory. They are one of several booking sites where I do my research. The site offered ample photos, reviews, and a rewards program.

It’s like they knew that I needed a room because the resort that was at the top of my list just so happened to have a deal on it. Score!

Just like Captain Obvious with this Presidential race, I couldn’t run fast enough to book our room. As a matter of fact, when it comes to a good deal on hotels, I could probably take him in a race. But I have to say, he got jokes. You should see some of his funny tweets throughout the whole presidential race.

You HAVE to see what jokes he had for other states. So far D.C. and NY are the funniest that I’ve watched.

Hilarious!

Back to my experience (cause obviously someone else loves the spotlight)…When I got to Costa Rica, there was no issue at the front desk as happens so often when people book rooms at what they think are great rates only to have to deal with drama in-destination.

It was my first time using the site to book a room. That’s how the booking engine and Captain Obvious won my vote.

Race for President

I can’t give you advice on who to vote for – well, actually I can but you do you (God help us all). However, I can give you advice on a good place to search for hotels based on my personal experience.

Who did I use when I booked a hotel room for my son’s sleepover birthday party in January? Hotels(dot)com.

Where did I get a sweet deal on a last-minute getaway for my Valentine’s birthday? Hotels(dot)com. This deal was that much sweeter because it was at a Kimpton hotel in Alexandria, VA nonetheless. Just sayin’.

Choose who you wanna choose when it comes to booking hotels (or picking Presidential candidates). For me, there’s an obvious choice.

About Hotels(dot)com

Hotels(dot)com is supporting Captain Obvious during the 2016 Presidential race because they believe in simplicity as much as he does – and he’ll need a place to sleep at night. They’ll be providing him with running shoes, socks, shorts and everything else he needs for his run.

They see the presidential race as a creative opportunity to utilize Captain Obvious as a way to be a part of, share in the broader cultural experience and to engage.

Mar 31 2016

Travel Tips: Packing For Spring Break and Packing Lists

Spring is in the air which means that Spring Break travel is here. Thankfully the snow has melted for most of us. As we start packing for spring break, lists are void of bulky items such as winter socks, turtlenecks and long johns. Unless of course, you are traveling to the slopes for Spring Break.

Either way, the true savvy traveler knows that packing is hassle-free given the right tools. Aside from a great bag, the most important tool in your packing routine is your packing list.

Why a packing list?

In a nutshell, lists help to keep us organized. It doesn’t matter what type of list it is or what the list is for, lists help us to get stuff done. Our eyes and our brains love lists.

Why? According to neuroscience, most people can’t hold more than four things in their mind at a time.

Lists serve as a quick way for us to get important information.
They provide order to our thoughts.
They keep us on task (productive).
They allow us to remember things.

See what I just did? I wrote a list. It was a not-so subliminal way of reinforcing the information.

Lists in Everyday Life

Think about the last time you went to the grocery store without a list. Did you remember to pick up everything or did you forget something? Chances are you forgot something.

It’s okay to admit it. It doesn’t mean that you’re getting old.

Even the youngest of organized grocery shopping moms carries a list. That many superstar organizers can’t be wrong. If they use lists as their weekly routine, you probably should too.

Now let’s apply this idea to packing. The average traveler takes two to three trips per year. Routine travelers are on the road almost weekly. If you are in the former group, travel is occasional. It isn’t a constant. For habitual travelers, activities like packing are a constant and become part of a routine.

In general, if something isn’t routine for us, 98% of the time we forget one of the actions in the sequence. Packing lists help us to remember particular actions.

Lists help with efficiency

Lists also help us avoid over-packing. If we go through the motion of writing down everything we need by “seeing” our items on a piece of paper, we’re more likely to self-edit and pack less.

When we just “throw n’ go” (aimlessly throwing items in our bags) we tend to forget what’s already in our luggage. Inevitably we pack more than what we need.

Writing items down and checking them off as you go is a sure-fire way to pack efficiently.

So what should you pack for Spring Break?

What you pack for Spring Break really depends on where you go. Your Spring Break packing list for the slopes is going to look much different than your Spring Break packing list for the beach. However, here is a list (there goes that word again) of some essential items:

ID, insurance cards, camera,

batteries, charges, cash/ credit card,

umbrella, hair products, styling tools,

toothbrush/paste, deodorant, body wash,

lotions, face cleansers, vitamins,

socks, undergarments, pajamas,

clothes, sunglasses, shoes/ flip flops/ boots, swimwear, insect repellent, sunscreen,

makeup, perfume/cologne, razors,

goggles, plastic baggies

You can either write down this list or if you want to make your life easier order a pre-designed packing list, especially if you are traveling with family. Family packing lists like the one below are convenient and are itemized for each member: mom, dad, son/daughter, and an infant.

Now everyone can join in on the fun. Aside from the baby, these types of lists allow each person to pack for themselves.

Whenever you decide to travel, whether it is for Spring Break or for a casual getaway, employ lists to take the hassle out of packing. You will stay organized, remember things, and pack more efficiently. As a bonus, you might even pack a little faster.

Buy Your Set Today!