What to Do, See, and Eat while you are Traveling this year!

 

I have teamed up with some of my favorite Bloggers to offer you an amazing list of our RECOMMENDATIONS of what to See, Do, and Eat in our Home Towns! So, if you happen to be traveling this holiday season, be sure to check out these places!

I am new to the area, well, moved here just over three years ago, but since San Antonio is so large, I still consider myself a newbie! I am still getting used to the warmer weather (I moved from the NE) but the thing I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE about San Antonio is that there is SO MUCH to do, especially around the holidays!

If you are traveling to San Antonio this Holiday Season, of course you can check out the Holiday Shows at Sea World and Six Flags, but I also suggest checking out the following fun places:

• ·         University of Incarnate Word is amazing; with thousands of beautiful and colorful lights lighting the trees through the University – it is definably a MUST SEE! We took the kids and they were all in awe!
• ·         The San Antonio River Walk – is another MUST SEE! San Antonio prides itself on the wonderful River Walk filled with many restaurants, bars, and events. Even better, during the holidays, they light the way with 1.4 MILLION lights! WOW!
• ·         Santa’s Ranch – Santa’s Ranch is a bit of a drive from San Antonio, but well worth it. It is a beautifully organized and put together drive through light show, featuring scenes children and adults of all ages love to see!

Now, you can’t visit San Antonio without noticing the HUGE AMOUNT of restaurants we offer! Some of the best ones, that I highly recommend are:

• ·         El Chaparrel – You can’t come to San Antonio without indulging on some wonderful Mexican food, which is why I recommend El Chaparrel! Not only will you be delighted by the yummy food, but the wonderful environment will make you smile.
• ·         The County Line – Another wonderful thing about San Antonio is the BBQ, YUMMY! One of the BEST places to get some mouthwatering platters is at The County Line! Not only are their beef, brisket, ribs, sausage, and chicken amazing, but their breads just melt in your mouth!

San Antonio is definitely a wonderful place to celebrate the holidays with friends and family… I wish you all a very happy and safe Holiday Season!

Written by: The Adventures of My Family of 8

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1.       Regardless of the weather make sure to stop by Faneuil Hall Marketplace.  This historic site in the heart of Boston features 35 food stalls, 49 shops, 44 kiosks, 18 full service restaurants and a comedy club.   There are often live performers and entertainment as well as events such as the Candyland Tournament or tree lighting ceremony. Not only is this a great spot to bring the whole family for a day but it is also a perfect spot to start your day and then head out to see the rest that Boston has to offer.  Faneuil Hall is within 5 minutes walking distance to the New England Aquarium, The Old State House, The Children’s Museum and Paul Revere’s house. Further away but still within a reasonable distance are Fenway Park (home of the Red Sox), The Boston Public Garden, and the Museum of Fine Arts. The adults can plan to come back to Faneuil Hall in the evening for dinner, drinks and dancing!

2.       If you are a lover of authentic Italian food, there is no better place to eat than the North End in Boston.  There are over 86 restaurants featuring the most scrumptious Italian food in the North East.  There are so many amazing restaurants to choose from that you will want to come back to try them all.  If you do check out the North End, make sure to leave some time to walk around and see the building and the streets in the area (Prince St and Hanover St come to mind).  It is such a quaint little sub-section of Boston and the area is rich with culture that it is nice to sit back and take it all in.    There are often Italian feasts and festivals being hosted so be sure to do some research on events being offered during your visit.  Lastly, make sure to leave some room for a cannoli and hot chocolate at Mike’s Pastry on Hanover Street.  This shop is infamous in Boston and there is always a line out the door to partake in their amazing desserts.

3.       The last recommended spot to check out is actually not in Boston but it is a must see if you have the means to travel about 35 minutes outside of the city.  Patriot Place is located in Foxborough, Massachusetts and is the home to the New England Patriots.  Sitting adjacent to the impressive stadium is an outdoor mall with dining, shopping and entertainment.  Some of the highlights are The Hall at Patriot Place (Football related), 5Wits (Interactive spy themed adventure), Cinema de Lux, Bass Pro Shops and more!  In the winter there is also outdoor ice skating while the stadium looms above.  There is something for everyone at Patriot Place and it is truly a family friendly adventure even if you are not a football fan.

Written by – Marie Peters Dexter, I Am A Couponer

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1.  Check out the holiday lights

~ The James Center in Downtown Richmond decorates every year with reindeer and Christmas lights on the building.  You will find these between 9th – 12th and Cary Streets.
While you are there, enjoy a horse and carriage ride through Downtown (weekends only, please click on “Downtown” for the schedule). ~ If you are in other parts of town around Richmond, you may want to check out News Channel 12 for a listing of Holiday Homes. ~ Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden has a “Garden Fest” of lights nightly from 5-10pm.

2.  Grab a bite to eat

~ If you are heading to Downtown Richmond to check out the lights at The James Center, you may as well grab a bite to eat.  There are TONS of restaurants, too many to cover here but here are a few notable ones:

     – The Tobacco Company      – Sam Miller’s      – Capital Alehouse

3.  Shopping

~ Carytown has many boutiques and shops.  Here are some recommended shops to visit:

     – Carytown Cupcakes      – For the Love of Chocolate      – Pink

For more on Carytown eating and shopping, visit their site HERE.

Written by Frugality for Less

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Like most cities, Minneapolis has lots of fun things to do around the holidays. For my family, Christmas just isn’t Christmas without our annual Sunday morning stop at the downtown Macys to see the Christmas display at the 8th floor Auditorium. You and the kids can walk through “A Day in the Life of an Elf” and then hop over and sit on Santa’s lap before you travel up the elevators to the 12th floor for lunch! Admission is Free and the display runs during store hours through 12-30. For those in town a little earlier, the Holidazzle Parade through downtown Minneapolis is not to be missed. Admission is free; the parade runs every Thursday-Sunday through 12-18. My absolute favorite holiday tradition is seeing A Christmas Carol at the Guthrie Theater. A Christmas Carol runs daily through 12-30, check the website for availability and ticket prices. For the ladies (and girls!) who need a break from the hustle and bustle of shopping and decorating, Brit’s Pub has Holiday Tea ($24.95) on weekends through 12-18, complete with carolers on the 10th and 17th. Brit’s also has High Tea ($16.95/ $9.95 for kids) Monday-Saturday every week. Please give 24 hours advance notice for tea. ~ Erin writes at The Slacker Mom

If you are planning on visiting Utah this holiday season, then here is a Visitor’s Guide to help you make the most of your trip! There are tons of great and fun activities for you to do while you are here! One of the most popular for Utah is Skiing! I personally have never skied before, because I grew up in southern Utah where there wasn’t much snow, and now that I am older, and just haven’t been able to find the “courage” to do it, plus I have four small kids…BUT my brother in law loves to snowboard (he is really good) and I have LOTS of family and friends that really loving skiing. So if you are visiting, make sure you try to get to one of the ski resorts. There are 9 of them within 50 miles of Salt Lake City: Alta Ski, Brighton, Deer Valley Resort, Park City, Snowbird, Solitude, Sundance, The Canyons, Wolf Mountain Resort.

Some other fun things to do while you are here are visit Hogle Zoo (and see the Zoo Lights), Red Butte Gardens, This Is The Place Park, Living Planet Aquarium, and the Olympic Oval in Kearns, and the Olympic Museum in Park City. (There are just so many things to list; this is only a small part). Two more things I have to put, if you are an outdoorsman, are the Waterfowl Hunting and the Ice Fishing! These are both great activities and lots of fun! My husband has spent many hours doing both. There are three great places to go waterfowl hunting in northern Utah area: The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, The Public Shooting Grounds, and Salt Creek WMA. Two Great places for ice fishing are: Strawberry Reservoir and Echo Reservoir.

 While you are here enjoying the activities Utah has to offer, be sure to check out these Historic Landmark locations: Temple Square, Memory Grove, The Eagle Gate, The Great Salt Lake, Festival of Trees at Expo Center, Gardner Village, Christmas Utah (5631 Whispering Pine Circle (5631 South 820 East) Midvale, UT 84047), and Christmas Street (3200 Royalwood Dr Taylorsville, UT 84118).

There are also some really great places to eat here in Salt Lake! Some of the favorites are: Bambara, Melting Pot, Stoneground, Market Street Grill, Squatters Pub Brewery, Red Rock Brewing Company, and Spencer’s for Steaks and Chops.

Written by Coralie – Utah Coupon Deals

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