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When traveling with kids, the same “out-the-door” routine applies, just without everything from the comfort of your house at your fingertips. Get dressed, brush your teeth, comb your hair.
And eat breakfast? The most important meal of the day often winds up taking more time than anticipated at a sit-down restaurant, costing more, or not providing enough nutrition to last the family while on-the-go until lunchtime.
Residence Inn’s new breakfast options
Residence Inn knows the importance of starting the day off right with a hot meal by offering guests a free hot breakfast with their stay.
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It was a lonnnnng year. A cold, dreary, not-so-great winter before the start of a beautiful, albeit BUSY summer. So before the first bud sprouted on the tree outside my window, my sister proposed an all-girls weekend in sunny Florida. She didn't have to ask me twice - I was sold.
After putting our resources together, we booked our flight (me: Jetblue - what else?) and our hotel room. This took more thought than the airline, but after some research and a tallying of Starwood points, we decided on the W Hotel in Ft. Lauderdale.
Leave the kids at home, the W is a luxurious pick without kid-friendly touches. Since this was an adults-only weekend, just the thought of staying there excited me. But like any hotel, the W had its pros and cons.
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Mom Central’s VP, Michelle Fernandez, recently experienced Marriott’s Spirit to Serve New Orleans voluntourism package in New Orleans.
Read how she joined other volunteers and Habitat for Humanity to build homes for victims of the Hurricane Katrina at Marriott’s New Orleans Drum Beat at The DeBroff DeBrief.
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My desire to ascend to the top of the Empire State Building happened after watching movies like An Affair to Remember and Sleepless in Seattle dozens of times. My husband wanted to go thanks to watching King Kong. (Sigh.) No matter. We both wanted to go, even though our reasons for being there were polar opposites of each other.
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Seeing the the Statue of Liberty
Of course, we made the journey out to the Statue of Liberty during our stay in New York City. We ended up taking the tour later in the afternoon and was incorrectly told that we would be able to ride around on the boat around the statue, but not go on the island. This was incorrect.
The tours inside the statue were filled, but we could wander around her base and get spectacular photos. We were relieved we didn't listen to the bad advice and sought our information from another source.
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My New York City adventure begins
For this trip, we didn't plan anything except dinner with friends for two of our nights. This left our first night in New York and all of our days wide open. We unpacked and left the hotel to head for Times Square. We figured this would be a fantastic way to spend our first night in New York. What a perfect choice.
Grand Central Station
We decided to walk instead of taking a cab so we could get our bearings. (That never did happen for me, but we had a wonderful walk.) On our way, we stopped in Grand Central Station and a movie was being filmed in the location. Bonus!
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Mystic Aquarium’s encounter programs
The aquarium offers an impressive schedule of special events and encounter programs. For additional fees, you can get closer to your favorite sea creatures. For whale-lovers, you can feed, train, or wade in with the beluga whales. Another program gives visitors time to learn more about the African penguins in an hour-long session with a penguin expert.
There are also a variety of holiday events centering around Halloween and Christmas. Classes are also scheduled for children from preschool age and up.
Planning your Mystic Aquarium visit
If you’re heading out to Mystic for a trip to the aquarium, take a moment to visit their website and purchase tickets online. Currently, the aquarium is offering a promotion that allows you to purchase your ticket online and for an added dollar, you’ll receive lunch with your admission. If you’d like to return within the next two days, tickets can be validated for a return trip without an added expense.
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I recently visited Madame Tussauds wax museum for the first time. Founded by a French wax sculptor named Marie Tussaud over 200 years ago, there are locations in Amsterdam, Bangkok, Berlin, Hollywood, Hong Kong, Las Vegas, London, New York City, Shanghai, and Washington, DC. Each museum displays waxworks of movie stars, musicians, historical figures, film stars, athletes, and famous murderers.
I went to the Madame Tussauds in New York City, and I have to admit I was slightly disappointed. Tickets were over $30, which I found extremely overpriced, but I guess that's typical for a New York City attraction. The tour starts with you going into an “Opening Night” cocktail party with a variety of celebrities like Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts, Brangelina and Oprah - all in attendance. Each room after that has a different theme.
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Be honest, you play the What-If-I-Had-Millions-Of-Dollars Game. You dream of the house you would build, where you would live, how you would spend the millions. Some people don't just play this game, they know the reality of life with seemingly limitless amounts of money. One of these individuals was William Randolph Hearst. He inherited his fortune, created even more wealth in the newspaper industry, and built homes all over the world.
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