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| First trip as a family of 6. |
After much talk of actually going on vacation, we took a road trip to Sea World San Antonio. It was great. Really. It was a short 2 night/3 day adventure, only involving one day at the park. I have written a post about tips for traveling to Disney and found myself kicking myself for not remembering a couple of those tips.
Let's start with the drive. Not bad at all. Helped the that 2 of the kids have been potty trained for well over a year. The other 2 in diapers. No real emergency stops. We left mid afternoon, perfect time for little ones to nap in the car. We got to the hotel in time to check-in, unpack and get some dinner.
Rudy's BBQ was just down the street. Can you say yumm?! A big, tasty mess. The girls tore up the 1/2 chicken we got. Seriously, I think I got 2 bites. Since we were outside at picnic tables, I didn't have to worry about noise. That place is right off the freeway and loud anyway. Olivia turned heads when she faked drinking my beer. I wanted to die. I turned to get plastic-ware, seriously 2 steps away from the table. I turn to see that she picked up my bottle and had her head all the way back like she was chugging. The cap was still on, not an open bottle. While people at the next table looked on with alarm, then amusement. I responded with horror, then embarrassment. I didn't see the humor until I was well-fed and rested, a few hours later.
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| Woohoo, big beds! |
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| Little Rina, taking notes. |
The hotel. I am running the risk of sounding snobbish here but here it goes. During the first 9 years of our marriage, Sidney and I traveled quite a bit. We were a dual income household with no kids. We stayed at pretty nice hotels. Traveling as a family of six, as a single income household, quite different. There was absolutely nothing wrong with Staybridge Suites, except for the lack of non-slip lines on the tub floor. It fit the travel budget nicely. A hot breakfast was included in our stay. Reminiscent of my dorm days, we stood in line to make our own waffles. There was a variety of cereals, breads, fresh fruit, good coffee. Our suite had a kitchenette, fridge, dishwasher, 2 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, a living area. I just kept wishing that the room would magically grow in size and that the hotel had quieter clientele. There, I said it.
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| Group hug from Zoe. |
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| Zoe loved Nico! |
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| 1! 1 hug! Ah, ah, ah! |
They originally had us on the 5th floor. Which would have been great for not hearing other people's kids stomp on the floor all night long. However, I agreed with Sidney's request to move us to the first floor and close to the exit. Made unloading our brood and bags mush less hectic. We didn't know that you had to request maid service on the weekends but they came to our room to empty trashcans right away when we called. We only stayed 2 nights, so that was not a big deal. While we were literally down the street from Sea World, the shuttle was a nice free perk. It wasn't really the $15 we would save in parking. Even though it wasn't too crowded, there is something to be said for being dropped off and picked up right in front of the park. Especially picked up, not having to walk any further than that sidewalk after pushing two occupied double strollers for 5 hours. Yes, totally worth it. I was exhausted. Sixty plus pounds, yea, exhausted.
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| Cookie's got my sister!! |
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| Livvy and Ernie. Her favorite. |
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| All warmed up now. |
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| Sabrina is in awe. Her favorite! |
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| Hugs from Abby! |
Sesame Street gang was the biggest thrill for my girls. I am telling you, it almost rivaled Disney World. Dare I say, better in some ways. Smaller park and more accessibility. We saw them more than once, more than enough photo ops. Elmo Rocks show was great. There is space in the front for kids to stand by the stage. High fives galore from characters, from the stage. Really, we could not get more of a rock star experience at this age if we tried. This was not in our plan. We just wanted to beat the summer heat and crowds. It was a stroke of luck that we made it the month this Just For Kids festival was taking place.
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| Yes, she is still 1 yr old. |
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| Zoe during Elmo Rocks show |
Meal plan, worth it. We were only there one day. It costs $30 something for adults and $18 or $19 for kids. You just have to fall in line, pick 1 entree, 1 snack & 1 drink, and show your band. It was the typical nuggets, fish filets, burgers and pizza. There was one restaurant, Sea Star, I think that offered a healthy alternative like wraps and sandwiches. BUT at every restaurant except for Rosie's there was fresh fruit as a side choice. The big clear cup full of strawberries, orange slices or grapes. We would fall in line twice to get more fruit because my girls can't ever get enough. I felt like this somewhat balanced the nuggets. Oh, and you can take the food into all the shows, Shamu, Elmo Rock, wherever. We were there before the summer crowds and on a Sunday, so lines were not long anywhere. This was an easy way to eat and decrease what I had to pack in my bag. Now, if we were going for a few days in a row, I am sure I would have been tired of the same old choices but for the one day the meal plan was money well spent.
What were the tips I forgot? A nightlight and ziploc bags. Those orange slices, strawberries and grapes travel around the park better in ziploc bags than in an open cup. Especially in the hands of toddlers. And the nightlight, slapping forehead. Duh! Whenever we travel while the kids are little we will always stay in a suite set up. Next time!
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| Franklin is a new regular. |
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| Waiting for Shamu. |
All in all, it was great get-away! I highly recommend it. If we were to stay another day, I think we may have taken in the San Antonio Zoo or the Alamo. When the kids are older, Fiesta Texas. But we are just getting our feet wet with our family trips. This was a good training exercise. :)
