I’m a little late to post this but last month we visited and stayed two nights at the Great Wolf Lodge in Charlotte/Concord, NC! This is our second time visiting and we still found it just as fun, if not even more fun than the first time!Read more
Blissful and Breathtaking Bonaire
We have been cruising through South America and the Caribbean on the Carnival Sunshine! It’s been an amazing trip! I have many things to share…pictures and stories but I wanted to first share about one of the first ports we visited…Bonaire! We’ve never been here and honestly hadn’t heard much about it but we were really anxious to check it out. I worked with Tourism Bonaire and had the best experience! Bonaire wasn’t only one of my favorite ports from this trip, it was one of my favorite ports ever!
When we first got off the ship, I couldn’t help but notice how beautiful the area was! Usually when you get off cruise ports, the surrounding area isn’t always the best, it’s usually industrial or filled with souvenir shacks. This one was beautiful with restaurants and well-kept stores. It also felt so safe and it turns out, it’s one of the safest islands in the Caribbean! Its considered a special municipality within the Netherlands. 
After walking through some of the shopping district, we arrived to the Tourism Bonaire office and met the friendly staff. Then it was time for our tour. 
We had an amazing tour guide, Rolando who was informative and entertaining! As he drove us around, we saw so many beautiful beaches with scuba divers getting ready to dive! I had no idea that Bonaire was voted one of the top places to dive in the world year after year! When we visit next time, this is a must for us! I spoke with a few divers while we were there and one said, “Imagine paradise underwater, that’s what you have here!”
Next, we noticed these huge pyramids and “pink bodies of water”. Turns out these are salt pyramids. Bonaire has a thriving salt industry. Cargill Corporation is responsible for the salt production here. It was actually really beautiful to see!
These are slave huts by the salt ponds that are still standing from the 1850s.
As we were driving, all of the sudden Ella yelled, “FAMINGOS!”. Sure enough, we looked out the window and there were hundreds and hundreds of flamingos!
It was breathtaking. This is the island’s signature bird. The area is protected so you can’t get close to them but you can see them on the drive, planes also aren’t allowed to fly over the flamingo reserve!
Then it was time for one of the prettiest beaches I’ve ever seen, Sorobon Beach! There is a public beach here and a resort, Sorobon Beach Resort. We rented a cabana for the afternoon at the resort, it was paradise!
Look at this water! I have to admit, this is the prettiest water I have ever seen!! It just didn’t even look real, it was that beautiful!
We all took a nap (that’s Ella under the towels, haha), played in the water, watched the wind surfers, built sand castles, and relaxed for a few hours!
That’s Judd and Camden wayyyy out there! This beach was so cool because you could walk really far our and the water was still till our waist! Not to mention it felt like bath water and was crystal clear!
Rolando picked us up and took us to lunch at Karel’s Beach Bar! We were treated to a delicious lunch! I had a chicken sandwich that was SO good, Judd had a burger, and the kiddos had chicken nuggets and fries. We ate this while looking at beautiful water views and the cruise ships! I highly recommend this place!
If you’re looking for a place to relax with beautiful water and beaches, a place to scuba dive, or just a place to escape I highly recommend Bonaire! It is postcard perfect! If you’re planning a trip, be sure to use Tourism Bonaire to help plan!
A HUGE thanks to Tourism Bonaire and Karel’s Beach Bar for hosting us! We had such an amazing day!
The Most Charming of them All…Georgetown (D.C. Trip)!
I’m so excited to share about our trip to Washington D.C.!!
I have been to Washington D.C. several times but never have been to Georgetown. I’ve always wanted to though because I’ve heard it is charming, so this trip to D.C. we decided to stay in Georgetown!! We stayed at Georgetown Suites which has the best location. It’s centrally located and right by the main streets that take you into D.C..
As soon as we arrived to the ADORABLE area of Georgetown (you’re probably going to get tired of me saying this but it is so adorable and charming), we checked into the hotel and went up to our GORGEOUS room!!
You can see our room tour here:
It takes a lot to “wow” me on rooms but this is by far the biggest hotel room we’ve ever had and we all were in awe!! The main reason we picked this hotel is we wanted larger than a standard hotel room for our kids to run around! Our room was the Penthouse in the Harbour Building (there are two buildings: Harbour and Courtyard) and we all had more than enough room! It was 2 bedrooms with a den and had 3 full baths and 1 half bath. The room was spotless too, I didn’t notice one thing that was dirty or out of place!
All of the 220 rooms at Georgetown Suites have a fully equipped in-room kitchen which is perfect for families traveling and for people in D.C. for business! There are a large range of rooms you can choose from: Studio Suites, One Bedroom Suites where the bedroom is separate from the living and kitchen areas, One Bedroom Suites with a Jacuzzi, Double Suite, Two Bedroom Suites, Townhouse Suites which have a separate entrance onto the street (makes you feel like you really live in Georgetown), and the Penthouses! I was able to tour some of these rooms, here are some pictures:
After getting settled in our room, we decided to head downtown to D.C. to watch the sunset!
We went to the Lincoln Memorial and then walked along The Mall towards the Capitol Building! It was such a beautiful night!!!
After a good night’s sleep (I have never slept so good as I did here: the bed was so soft, the room was dark and silent)!! I woke up to these cute kiddos wanting to jump on “Mommy’s bed!”
It was time for breakfast! Judd went downstairs and brought breakfast up to our room. We ate breakfast while looking at beautiful D.C. (we could see the Washington Monument from our windows)!
Another thing I should mention, Georgetown Suites offers many amenities too: free Wifi, complimentary breakfast, discount dining card, 24 hour business center, pet friendly rooms, on site fitness center, and so much more.
Then it was off to explore!! We spent the early afternoon exploring Georgetown! Seriously, I think its the most charming city that I’ve ever seen!
They have a beautiful canal!
The streets are filled with old gorgeous townhouses that are perfect for taking pictures!
There are tons of shops and restaurants. The kiddos especially loved picking out cupcakes at Georgetown Cupcakes.
We even found this adorable pink flower shop, you know I had to get a picture.
It was then time for lunch. We decided to head back into D.C. and eat at Shake Shack! This was our first time eating here. It was good but I think I built it up initially so it wasn’t as good as we had hoped.
On this D.C. trip, we decided to see the things we’ve never seen so our first stop was the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing. It was a really nice tour. We couldn’t take any pictures inside but we got one outside.
We then headed back to the car. We drove everywhere because my kiddos are in car seats and the Metro/walking would’ve been too much for them (and us). Camden and Ella fell asleep so Judd decided he’d drive around so they could nap and I went to the Smithsonian- National Gallery of Art. It was a win-win for everyone, the kids needed a nap and I love looking at art (no one else in the family does yet).
I saw several famous pieces that I studied in college:
After the kiddos woke up, we had reservations to tour Ford’s Theatre!! This was SO cool! You get to go into the actual theatre and the museum has a lot of really interesting artifacts and information in it. We learned so much!
You then get to go in the Petersen House which is the house that President Lincoln died in.
I often get asked how my kids travel so well. We try to do a lot of age friendly activities with them but sadly, most of our time in D.C. was on a Tuesday and all the young children museums were closed for some reason. When Judd and I want to see something that we know they won’t be entertained in, we pull out their I-pads! They were totally content while Judd and I read and looked at everything!
They are actually really cute even when we are walking too, they always want to be holding hands!
After Ford’s Theatre, we decided to call it a day and head back to the hotel! We picked up Italian on the way home and had a feast in our room! Staying at Georgetown Suites made this trip so easy especially when it came to meals (the kiddos aren’t always the best at eating at restaurants right now).
We spent the rest of the day relaxing and hanging out together in our amazing Penthouse! 🙂
You can tell that Camden made himself right at home! haha
The next morning, we checked out and then had a tour scheduled for the White House…watch out for a future post on that!
A huge thanks to Georgetown Suites for hosting us on this trip!! We loved staying with y’all!! Just in case you missed it above, here was our Room Tour Video. Overall, our trip to Washington D.C./Georgetown and our stay at Georgetown Suites is one that we won’t ever forget! At the end of the day, all that matters is love and memories!
Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island
We just got back from my birthday trip to Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island! It was a vacation we won’t ever forget! We chose this resort because of how beautiful it looked and how much the resort had to offer (pools, spa, several restaurants, stunning grounds, right on the beach, activities, etc).
We checked in after lunch on a Monday, the kids thought the decorations in the lobby were amazing!
The reception desk told us the “Feed the Turtles” activity was getting ready to start. I knew our kids would love that so we went straight there. Camden and Ella thought this was the coolest thing!
Then it was time to check out our room!! The room was perfect for us, it was large, beautifully decorated, and very clean! It had a mini fridge, safe, and lots of storage space! Random but the bathroom had the best smelling shower gel ever! I meant to take a picture to see if we could order some when we got home!
Look at the view from our room! #paradise
As soon as we got unpacked, it was time to go check out the pool! If you’ve been following me for a while, you know swimming is our thing! Isn’t their main pool just gorgeous?
They also have this other gorgeous that would be really relaxing to hang out at!
Camden and Ella were SO happy to be here! Can you tell?
I love zero entry pools like this. As a mom of young kids, it makes me feel more secure! It also had fountains that the kids loved to play in.
Our outgoing child, Camden made a new friend! I forget this ladies name but she decided Camden was the cutest thing ever and played with him for about a hour. I kept checking to make sure she was ok and she said, “He just made my vacation!” This is a picture of them laying together, how adorable is this?!
We swam and swam until our stomachs were growling! Then it was time to clean up for dinner. I came back to our room to find the sweetest surprise from the hotel for my birthday! How nice is this? Thanks so much, Sonesta!!
We ate at the premier restaurant at the hotel, Heyward’s Restaurant. IT WAS DELICIOUS!! 
Judd and I both had the filet mignon which just melted in our mouths. 
For dessert, I had key lime pie and Judd had peanut cola cake. Both were AMAZING! I know I’m probably sounding repetitive, but the food was that good!!!
We finished the evening by walking around the resort and taking a stroll on the beach.
Look at how breathtaking this place is?
The next morning, we ate breakfast at the hotel! The kids had the buffet, Judd got the Nutella pancakes, and I had the berry and yogurt parfait which was scrumptious!
Then it was time for my SPA APPOINTMENT! Ahh, I was so excited for this because I haven’t been to a spa since before we started trying to get pregnant with Camden and Ella, it’s been probably 4+ years! I got the Relax Massage which is a full body massage. It was 50 minutes of pure bliss!!
After, they took me to a relaxing room and put hot water on my feet, a hot pad on my neck and shoulders, and gave me a glass of fruit infused champagne! Much needed mommy pampering!
I met Judd and the kiddos at the pool afterwards! 
We were starving so we ordered lunch poolside, my kind of lunch…easy, relaxing, and delicious!!
We hung out by the pool for the next couple of hours. 
At one point, Camden looked at me and said, “Mom! Nap on chair.” He snuggled right up on me and fell instantly asleep! Ella on the other hand, wanted to go to the room to nap so Judd took her and they both took a little snooze.
An hour later, they were reunited! 😉
I can’t even handle their twin bond sometimes, it just melts me!
We swam until about dinner time and then we decided to clean up and head to Harbour Town. We had planned to go to this awesome seafood place, my bestie told me about but sadly as soon as we got there, there was a downpour for 1+ hours so we ate DQ in the car. L If I had it to do all over again, we would have eaten dinner at the resort and then headed out once the storm passed over.
The storm stopped for about an hour, so we were able to walk around Harbour Town and watch the sunset! 
The next day, we had planned to swim after breakfast but it looked like it was going to storm. 
We ended up taking a final walk around the beautiful resort and then headed home.
A HUGE thanks to the Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island for hosting us! I don’t even have enough words to share how appreciative we are and how many wonderful things we have to say about this resort!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
We don’t usually go to the same place twice, but we will definitely be back. The Sonesta Resort Hilton Head felt like paradise! I also plan to check out the other Sonesta resorts as soon as possible. So…if you are looking for a vacation in paradise, check out the Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island.
Captain’s Quarters Resort in Myrtle Beach
I am so excited to share about our recent trip to Captain’s Quarters Resort in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina! I spent many vacations as a child in North Myrtle Beach so I was really excited to experience this with my husband and our children! Myrtle Beach not only has a beautiful beach but SOOO many things to do and restaurants to eat at! You will never get bored here.
Day 1
On our first day, we went straight to Captains Quarters Resort! We picked this resort becauseof how kid friendly it is, in fact it was rated the #1 Kid-Friendly Hotel in Myrtle Beach by Oyster.com! The resort has everything you could possibly need or want on vacation: 15 indoor and outdoor pools, Ship Wreck Waterpark (our favorite), a lazy river, bowling, an arcade, ocean front, and four places to eat! You will see more of all of these in my post! 🙂
After checking in, we went straight to our room to drop off our stuff and we were SO pleased with our room. We had an Angled Oceanfront Suite. It was incredible!! It had two bedrooms, a kitchen, a living area, bathroom, and floor to ceiling views of the pool and ocean!! 
After we got settled, we decided it was time to eat lunch. I heard amazing things about a restaurant called Johnny D’s Waffles which just happened to be close to our resort! I am a foodie so I love all different types of foods but it takes a lot to “wow” me, this place definitely “wow’d” me. It was DELICIOUS! I got the Waffle Platter with chocolate chip Belgian waffles with strawberries on top, a side of sausage and eggs. Judd got the chicken and waffles. Both were AMAZING!! We actually enjoyed this place so much, that we came back for a second meal our last day (more to come later).
After lunch, we went back to the hotel and went straight to the pool! Like I said, we chose this resort for several different reasons but their waterpark sealed the deal for me! This pool in particular, the Ship Wreck Lagoon is 2 feet deep all the way around so I didn’t have to worry about Camden and Ella, they could walk around the entire pool without their floaties! They LOVED it! We spent the rest of the afternoon just swimming and having a blast!
We lost track of time but our stomachs let us know it was time to eat, we headed out for dinner and then went to the boardwalk and walked around.
Then, it was time to ride the SkyWheel! We really enjoyed this ride, the views of the ocean and the city of Myrtle Beach were incredible!! I can’t lie, I was pretty relieved when we were back on the ground though. Ha!
Day 2
The next morning, we woke up bright and early and went to breakfast at the resort. Breakfast at Captain’s Quarters is a buffet at Vista 9 which is on the 9thfloor of the resort, it has floor to ceiling windows while you eat breakfast! It was a great way to start our day off!
We then headed to the beautiful Brookgreen Garden and Zoo! This beautiful place has gardens to walk around and a zoo! I was amazed at how clean and immaculate this place was! We had a great time!
The kiddos loved playing with the river otters! I swear the otters were trying to play with the kiddos, it was ADORABLE!
The gardens were ABSOLTELY beautiful!! We didn’t get to stay as long as we wanted because Camden and Ella got pretty cranky and it was time for a nap! We had a 40-minute drive to our next stop so they took a nap in the car.
Next stop…Broadway at the Beach! I loved going here as a child so I was really excited to take my family here! Broadway at the Beach has so much to do: shopping, restaurants, the best aquarium, tons of entertainment, and the vibe is just fun!! 
We stopped for lunch at Wahlburger because we’ve always wanted to try it! It was delicious but the crazy part…I was walking to the restroom and look who I ran into…Paul Wahlberg himself!!! It was his first time at this restaurant and he was just here for 30 minutes to check on things. I introduced myself and asked for a picture, he was SO nice!
We then headed to my FAVORITE place in Myrtle Beach (which is located in Broadway at the Beach)…Ripley’s Aquarium! I’ve been to a lot of aquariums but this one is still my favorite! Their displays, especially the Dangerous Reef Tunnel which is a large tunnel with sharks swimming above and beside you. It is breathtaking.
Camden and Ella kept yelling “SHARK!” and then they’d start singing, “Baby shark, doo doo doo doo doo doo. Baby shark, doo doo doo doo doo doo.” Haha! 
We stopped for some ice-cream! Many people tell me that I make traveling with toddlers look easy. I promise you, it’s not always easy but it’s worth it! Example, you’d never know that I had to take this loud child to the car before she finished eating her ice-cream because she was screaming at her brother! haha! You have to just embrace the chaos!
After having such a busy afternoon, we decided an easy evening was needed!! We went back to Captain’s Quarters and bowled a game!
Then, it was back to the pool where we spent the rest of our evening!!
When we’re traveling with our kids, “easy” is everything which is why I LOVE this resort!! We were able to order a pizza from the Tipsy Turtle Pool Bar and the brought it right to our chairs! Pizza + swimming = perfect evening for the Steele Family!!
Day 3
If I’m honest, Day #3 was my favorite day…because it was the most relaxing one!! We woke up, ate breakfast at the resort and headed straight to the pool!
We swam for an hour or two and then Judd and the kiddos decided they needed a nap! What did I do? Enjoyed 2 hours of silence by the pool with a banana colada!
When they woke up, we ate leftovers by the pool, walked around the beach, and swam until it was time to clean up for dinner!
Can you tell they were having the time of their lives?
We ate dinner at the Loco Gecko Beach Shak which is another restaurant part of the resort. It has such a fun and peaceful open-air vibe! I got a Caesar salad and the garlic parmesan wings which were the best wings I’ve ever had!!
Next up, Hollywood Wax Museum Entertainment Center! My goodness did we have fun here! Not only do they have celebrities made out of wax but each area is decorated with a theme and several had music playing, the kiddos (and us) loved looking at everything. It is such a fun place!
Also, our tickets included Hannah’s Maze of Mirrors and Outbreak (a haunted attraction). We loved the mirror maze! Judd did Outbreak by himself and really enjoyed it.
Our final stop was at Market Commons which is a newer area with restaurants and shops, it’s gorgeous! We walked around and went to Savannah’s Playground. I have never seen such a large and nice playground before! We had such a great time!
Day 4
On our last morning, we ate our last delicious breakfast at the resort and packed up! If I missed anything, or if you have any questions about Captain’s Quarters Resortor Myrtle Beach just send me an email or message on Instagram, I’d be happy to help! Something BIG that I should mention is they are hosting a huge contest where the grand prize is a condo or $50,000 cash! Almost sounds too good to believe, right? But it’s true! Here is the link for info and to enter.
We headed to North Myrtle because I wanted to show Judd where I spent a lot of my summers as a child. We walked around Barefoot Landing! If you’ve never been here, it’s a beautiful outside shopping area with lots of restaurants. You walk over a lot of bridges that have alligators, turtles, and fish which is always so fun to look at!
We were all pretty tired from the past few days of fun that we decided to get lunch on the way out and head home. We passed Johnny D’s Waffles in North Myrtle and decided to eat there again because it is THAT good!! I got the same thing because I couldn’t turn it down and Judd got the Cinnaroll Waffle which he said was the best waffle ever!
Then it was time to go home!! Until next time Myrtle Beach…
A huge thanks to Captain’s Quarters Resort and Visit Myrtle Beach for hosting us! We had the best time thanks to you!!
Great Wolf Lodge with Toddlers
We just got back from a trip to the Great Wolf Lodge in Charlotte, NC and we can’t stop talking about it!! All of us had the best time!!
We left early Monday morning for the hotel, I got a text from my “personal assistant” at the Great Wolf Lodge telling me our room was ready and it was only 10am! #score. We immediately checked in…I was really happy with our room, we stayed in a Family Suite! It was immaculate and SOOO large! The kids basically had their own room.
We put on our swimsuits and headed towards the fun!! I should mention, the centerpiece attraction at every Great Wolf Lodge (there are 17 of them across the country) is the massive indoor water park featuring water- filled fun for every member of the family…thrilling water slides to zero depth entry toddler water play areas. Outside of the water park, they also have the Great Wolf Adventure Park which is a family entertainment center with ropes course, mini golf, family bowling, arcade games, and MagiQuest (an adventure game for kiddos a little older than mine). They also host fun events in the lobby such as story time, bingo, character appearances and dance parties!
We ate lunch by the pool and then spent the next 3 hours swimming!!
I’m not sure I’ve ever heard the kids laugh so much! They are such water bugs.
Camden could have spent his entire weekend on this jet ski, getting everyone wet.
He yelled as he was turning it, he was trying to scare people. When he got someone wet, he’d let out the loudest laugh ever.
We spent most of our time in the toddler area because it was enclosed and it was the perfect set up for us! I know a lot of people are hesitant to travel with toddlers but Great Wolf Lodge is the perfect set up for families with kids of all ages. They put a lot of thought into entertainment and safety.
Judd and I took turns a couple of times, one of us would watch the kiddos and the other one would go ride the slides! They have such fun slides. Our favorite was the Tornado!
We ended the afternoon in the wave pool. Ella started to fall asleep on my lap so we realized nap time was needed! 
After a quick bath, these two passed out instantly!
After naps, we put our swim suits back on and got a large pizza to share! I love how easy the food options are at this place, perfect for families with kids! They also have nice restaurants where you can sit down and order but we were so busy having fun that we decided not to try those places.
I should also mention, we got these Pup Passes which include a bundle of things for the kids. They were awesome, each kiddo got: a cup of candy to pick out at the candy shop, passes to Build a Bear, arcade money, and one scoop of ice-cream. They also have versions for older kids that looked so fun! I highly recommend these passes!
Then it was back to the pool!
Ella was hysterical! She would just stand in the front of the line, block it for everyone else, and talk and talk. Thankfully the toddlers were also very talkative and didn’t seem to mind my chatterbox daughter.
She made a new friend which soon became a friend of of Camden’s too (I asked her mama if I could post these pictures). 🙂
We stayed until closing time, 8 pm! We decided the kids were going to stay past their bedtime tonight (this rarely ever happens) because we were having such a good time!
We showered and went to the arcade to let them play a few games.
We finished the night with ice-cream and story time in the lobby!
The next morning, we got Dunkin Donuts for breakfast in the lobby and then we headed to Build-A-Bear.
They loved picking out and stuffing their new stuffed animal.
We got ice-cream once more because why not?
Sadly, it was time to head back!
We are already planning our next trip here which might be this summer because From Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend, all 17 resorts started a new a new program called Summer Camp-In. This will be nonstop with pool parties, character appearances, games, music, feasting on flame-grilled barbecue “camp cuisine” and more. It looks like a blast!!
A huge thanks to Great Wolf Lodge for hosting us! We had the best time!
We did make one stop in downtown Charlotte on our way home at the Discovery Place Science. It was a fun place to spend a couple of hours!
