Disney's Military Salute 2011

Only a few days left for this offer, but I might as well reprint this one to as I transfer over from my website. Watch soon for the details of a 2012 offer.

Here is the official Disney Press release for the 2011 Military Salute. The prices are not quite as good as past years, but it is still a great deal. The bonuses this year are that Disneyland is offering discounted tickets again this year (they did two years ago, but not last year) and the dates for eligibility are longer…starting now and going through September 2011. Don’t forget to also call and request special hotel discounts (not available when reserving online).

As guests of Disney Parks share Disney vacation memories through the “Let the Memories Begin” program in 2011, America’s military personnel will have opportunities to make memories through special offers on theme park tickets and accommodations.

At Walt Disney World Resort – now through Sept. 28, 2011, active and retired U.S. military personnel (including active and retired members of the United States Coast Guard, National Guard and Reservists) or their spouses (but not both) can purchase:

• Disney 4-Day Military Promotional Tickets with Park Hopper Option for $138 each, plus tax
• Disney 4-Day Military Promotional Tickets with Water Parks Fun and More Option for $138 each, plus tax AND
• Disney 4-Day Military Promotional Tickets with Park Hopper and Water Parks Fun and More Options for $165 each, plus tax

At Disneyland Resort – now through Sept. 28, 2011, active and retired U.S. military personnel (including active and retired members of the United States Coast Guard, National Guard and Reservists) or their spouses (but not both) can purchase:

• Disney Military Promotional 3-Day Park Hopper Tickets for $99 each

Disney Military Promotional Tickets can be purchased at participating U.S. military sales outlets only by active and retired U.S. military personnel for themselves and up to five additional family members or friends. No more than six Disney Military Promotional Tickets may be purchased and (if applicable) activated by any eligible member of the U.S. military (or spouse) pursuant to this offer. In addition, all six must be purchased at the same time and one of the six must be for use by the eligible member of the U.S. military (or spouse). Valid military identification is required.

All tickets and options are non-transferable and may not be used after Oct. 1, 2011. In addition, Disney 4-Day Military Promotional Tickets (including any options) for the Walt Disney World Resort may not be used on the following blockout dates: Dec. 27, 2010, through Dec. 31, 2010, and April 17, 2011, through April 23, 2011, at all Walt Disney World Theme Parks and other gated attractions; and July 4, 2011, at Magic Kingdom Park; and Disney 3-Day Military Promotional Tickets for the Disneyland Resort may not be used on the following blockout dates: Dec. 24, 2010, through Jan. 1, 2011, Feb. 18, 2011, through Feb. 21, 2011, April 17, 2011, through April 23, 2011, and July 1, 2011, through July 4, 2011, at the Disneyland Theme Parks.

Don’t forget to ask about special room rates at select hotels at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts.

For complete information regarding Disney 4-Day Military Promotional Tickets for admission to the Walt Disney World Resort (including official eligibility requirements, restrictions and black-out dates), or to make room reservations at the Walt Disney World Resort, military personnel may call (407) 939-7830 or participating U.S. military base ticket offices. For information regarding Disney 3-Day Military Promotional Tickets for admission to the Disneyland Resort (including official eligibility requirements, restrictions and black-out dates), or to make room reservations at the Disneyland Resort, military personnel may call (714) 956-6424 or participating U.S. military base ticket offices.

National Cherry Blossom Festival

Reprint from my website as we switch over to blogs.

This year’s National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D.C. is in full bloom! Not is this coming weekend smack in the middle of the exciting activities offered, but the blossoms hit full bloom this week as well.

The National Cherry Blossom Festival is a two week festival celebrating the 1912 gift of friendship from Japan. If you have not been to the National Cherry Blossom Festival, then you may wonder why there is such big deal of commemorating a gift. Can I truly give you the reason on why it is a big deal? No. I can give you the history of it, but the reality is that if you want to read that it is already written up on sites like the National Park Service’s website for the Cherry Blossom Festival.  The real life answer though is that it is fabulous to see over 3,500 cherry trees in full bloom around the Tidal Basin and East Potomac Park–a photographer’s haven. Add to that two weeks full of concerts, parades, fireworks, and other special events, and you have a little something for everyone.

Timing a visit to the National Cherry Blossom Festival is a personal preference coinciding with why you are there. My reason for attending is to see all of the beautiful pink blooms. Nobody forewarned me last year that the blooms do not last as long as the festival. I decided to wait until the last weekend in hopes that there would be less crowds. I got my wish on the crowds not being very bad, but there were only a few trees left with blooms. This year, I have been tracking the peak bloom time period on the National Park’s Bloom Schedule hoping that there will still be blooms left when I visit. On the flipside, some people like to time their visit based upon the entertainment schedule (linked above under special events).

An extra special part of the Cherry Blossom Festival for our family was the Junior Ranger tent. My daughter’s enjoyed earning another Junior Ranger badge doing fun, hands-on activities that taught them the history behind the Cherry Blossom Festival as well as about the Japanese culture. The Cherry Blossom FestivalJunior Ranger Program is found exclusively on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

If the actual Cherry Blossom Festival activities, like concerts, are not the type of thing that you like to do, then there is always visiting the rest of the National Mall. My girls took advantage of the Cherry Blossom Festival being located at the National Mall and also earned their National Mall Junior Ranger badges while they were there. It allows you to stay away from the main festival crowds and still enjoy the beautiful blooming trees.

Another great aspect about the National Cherry Blossom Festival is that free parking is offered around East Potomac Park. If you look at a map, the parking is a little bit of a walk. The walk is do-able, but there is also a free shuttle that runs about every half hour if you are willing to wait.

Assateague Island National Seashore

It seemed that everyone on the East Coast had the same idea as me…escape for Labor Day Weekend. My first instinct was find a hotel where we could visit some sights…or maybe a beach. Unfortunately, most of the hotels in the areas that we looked into were either booked or capitalizing on this high travel weekend by spiking their prices (really- who could blame them). Even though my family is not overly outdoorsy, I decided to look into camping.

Originally, I faced the same issue…everything was booked. I found an abundance of state and national parks that offered camping with varying degrees of amenities. Apparently, all East Coasters knew to book months in advance…not being from the East Coast, I missed the memo. Disappointed, I accepted the fact that we would be spending our extended weekend at home. There was one spot that looked so interesting that I kept checking back hoping that by some small chance we could go…Assateague Island National Seashore. I thought I was crazy checking back. It wasn’t as if the system would all of a sudden show an opening when reservations could be booked 6 months in advance and it was within a week of the holiday weekend, but there it was…a cancellation.

So, what makes this seashore so interesting that I kept checking back? Wild ponies. Imagine camping at a sandy beach where ponies randomly roam through your campsite or you can watch the ponies swim in the surf. At the time, my oldest daughter was 9 years old and I knew that this was something she would love. I told her that at the end of our drive (several hours) there would be an island where ponies roamed free. She only half believed me, but as soon as we drove across the bridge onto Assateague Island our first pony was waiting to greet us.

The highlights of our weekend included being awaken in the morning by the sound of ponies outside the tent, watching beautiful sunrises and sunsets as we played on the sandy beaches, and participating in the Junior Ranger Programs at both the national seashore and state park. The Junior Ranger programs allow children to complete a wide range of activities that help them to learn about the island. Some of activities include simple beach and dune exploration which is great for families with younger children. For families looking for more adventure, they also offer ranger guided kayaking.  The Junior Ranger program at Assateague is intended for ages 4-14; however, they are pretty good about not leaving out the little ones too. My youngest was 6 months old, but still earned her mini ranger badge for playing at the beach with the family, sitting quietly as we listened to ranger talks, and for touching sea animals in the touch tank.

Things to remember:

(1) The animals, including the ponies, are wild. Please respect them as you would any other wild animal. They will bite and kick if provoked.

(2) It is a sandy location; so, bring long camping spikes if using a tent. If you aren’t into camping, many people had RVs. It is also good to bring some sort of covering for shade as there are not many trees.

(3) Check the extended weather forecast ahead of time. We had a storm come in “earlier than expected” and we were at a location where our weather alert radio did not get a signal. (Don’t worry- cell phones do get a signal there.)

Playing in the water

Horseshoe Crab

Horses by someone's camp trailer.

More ponies

Home of the Brave

Reprint from my website as we switch over to blogs.

I just learned of a great getaway opportunity for soldiers who have recently returned from a deployment in a combat zone or soldiers recovering from combat related injuries. The “Home of the Brave” is a 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom handicap accessible country home in Maryland that is available for wounded warriors and soldiers returning from deployment so that they have a place to reunite with their families in a peaceful setting. This property is located within driving distance of Walter Reed Army Hospital or Bethesda Naval Hospital at where many Wounded Warriors are recovering. Don’t worry, this location is not so peaceful that you will be bored as it is only a 25 minute drive from Ocean City, MD or Assateague*.

This  home is available for soldiers to use for up to a week thanks to the generosity of its founder Tina Pearson. According to the website,

In 2009, Home of the Brave was inspired by a conversation between founder Tina Pearson and a friend who had served in Iraq. This Army veteran shared the difficulties of getting to know her young son again after she returned home from deployment. The soldier’s story made Tina wonder what could have been done to make the transition easier. What if she offered her quiet country home as a getaway for service families to share a week of relaxing time together?

After talking with people at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, she was assured this idea could benefit many veterans – even those recovering from injuries. As a result, Tina worked with a local contractor who built a separate residence for her and renovated the existing house – making it handicapped accessible. As the project neared completion, community members responded in gratitude to our servicemen and women through their support of the Home of the Brave.

Anyone wishing to find out more information about staying at the home, or donating so that soldiers may continue to enjoy this home for free, may do so at the Home of the Brave website.

"Home of the Brave" photo courtesy of its official website linked above.

Thank you to Tina Pearson and the other sponsors whom make this opportunity available to our soldiers.

*I have written a description of Assateague in a prior article.

Cape Henry Inn

Cape Henry Inn, at Fort Story, Virginia, is one of 5 Armed Forces Recreation Center Resorts. The other 4 resorts are located in Florida, Hawaii, Korea, and Germany. These resorts are full service hotels are geared to provide affordable, family vacation locations for members of the military and their families as well as other authorized Department of Defense users. If you aren’t military, do not fully tune out at this point as I am dedicating the “Out & About”  portion of the website this week to writing about things to do in the Southeastern Virginia area. Watch for future articles covering Fort Story Lighthouse & Cape Henry, Virginia Beach, Jamestowne Settlement and Yorktown Victory Center, the National Parks at Historic Jamestowne and Yorktown, and Busch Gardens in Williamsburg.

My inspiration for writing about the Cape Henry Inn is the fact that they are on their “off season” rates. My first instinct was, “Ooh- I need to get this information out!” as their off season rates are a good deal. However, the truth is that on our stay at Cape Henry Inn, I didn’t get much of a chance to look around as our trip was cut short by a somewhat unexpected blizzard. My older daughter has a birthday in December that always seems to get foreshadowed by the holidays…birthday parties never seem to turn out right as her friends’ families seem to have holiday commitments every weekend in December and other times we have needed to cancel parties due to weather.  We thought we had the perfect plan- do a family trip instead of a party and then she would not be disappointed if another birthday party did not turn out right.

Since the trip was planned last minute, it did not have a big budget. The Cape Henry Inn with off season rates seemed like a nice affordable destination. We looked at other options, but was afraid that it may be too cold in December. With the Virginia Beach area, we thought we could see a few sites or play at the beach and then when we were too cold we could relax in our hotel room. I had checked forecasts for each of our possible destinations as I planned the trip; so, I do not know how I missed a snow storm headed our way. On our way to Virginia Beach, we stopped at a National Park to check out a historical site and it was there that a ranger warned us of the storm headed our way. The ranger told us that if we did not want to be stuck in the area then we needed to head home by the next morning as the snow was now scheduled to hit in the afternoon.

I really did not want to be out the money for the 4 day weekend that I had reserved. My head was spinning with what to do– I did not want to be stuck in the snow and possibly have to pay extra days, as well as mess up my husband’s leave dates, and at the same time I did not want to put the girls back into the car to drive several hours back home making it one extremely long day. Hesitantly, we went on to the Cape Henry Inn. In the back of my mind, I was hoping that the Inn would let us shorten our reservation given the situation. My hopes were dashed when we pulled into an empty parking lot. I thought that there was no way they would let me out of the reservation when we were their only guests. Defeated, I went to check in. I was wrong in my assumptions though. The first thing that the lady behind the counter made us aware of was that the snow storm headed that way. She said that they were not expecting much snow in Virginia Beach, but that if we stayed we may not be able to drive home on time. I was very thankful when she offered that we could shorten our trip to just that one night.

As for the room itself, you get what you pay for. It is a military hotel. I have read reviews that argue that as a military resort it should be higher quality.  If I had paid “in season” rates, then I would probably agree. If you go during the “off season,” then the Cape Henry Inn is a good deal.  For around $50 (rate varies by rank), we had a room with two full beds, a sleeper sofa, a kitchenette, and “private” balcony. The room quality was probably lower two star quality as the room itself was older and was starting to look a little worn; however, a lot of Army hotels are run down– unfortunate fact of military life.  If we were trying to stay in a civilian hotel, without doing Priceline’s name your own price, we would have only found a one star hotel for this price.

The Real “Scoop”

Positives:

+The price during “off season” is definitely worth it.

+ The room had a great view of the Chesapeake bay from the balcony.

+While the room was a little rundown, it was clean.

Negatives:

-“In Season” prices may not be worth it.

-The television is in the living room section. However, there is a hook-up in the bedroom area and my husband temporarily moved the television so that the girls could snuggle and watch a movie.

-There is no type of breakfast included- which a lot of other hotels (even military ones) include breakfast these days.

*Note- There are other styles of rooms and cabins available. I would love input from others who have stayed there as well in order to give readers a well rounded view before they make reservations.

Not a good photo, but it gives an idea of bedroom area at Cape Henry Inn. Go to the Gallery for views from the room.

B&B for Vets

This is a re-post from my website as we transition over to blogs. HOWEVER- it is coming up on the time of year for the B&B for Vets program. If you are active duty or a veteran make sure to check out this opportunity.

Gillum Bed & Breakfast in Shinnston, West Virginia owned by Kathleen Panek whose idea began B&Bs for Vets.

While everyone probably wants to get straight to the scoop of this awesome offer for active duty military and veterans, I think it is more important to first thank the beautiful lady behind this kind gesture…Kathleen Panek, owner of the Gillum House  B&B in Shinnston, West Virginia. In my opinion, this offer- that may seem just like a simple act of kindness- is one of the most generous gifts of thanks being offered to military and vets.

Some of you may wonder, how one night at a bed and breakfast is considered SO generous. When you really think about it, the “Bed & Breakfast” industry is not a high earning industry. Many of these B&Bs have only a few rooms and the innkeepers count on booking as many rooms as possible just to keep income coming in and their bills paid…especially in the economic “crunch” that our country has seen. Through this great act of generosity, the participating B&Bs are willingly giving up the revenue of a room for the night.

In 1998, this act of kindness started with Panek offering a room to Navy officer who was visiting his in-laws. The following year, Panek hosted another family. As of 2010, Panek’s spark turned into not just a flame but a nice sized campfire as she shared her idea with other innkeepers. According to the B&Bs for Vets website, the initiative “has expanded to include 48 states, 4 international locations, and more than 800 inns” that are offering at least one room up for thanking the military for their service.

Getting antsy that I’m not getting to the point? Alright, here are the details:

- The free room is available for the night of November 10th checking out on Veteran’s Day- November 11th.

- The offer is for military and veterans– valid military or veteran’s ID is required. (The offer is not more specific– so, you may want to verify when making the reservation.) **I received an email back from Kathleen Panek and she wanted me to note that Veteran’s Administration ID cards are accepted also…which is a great open door to Vietnam, Korean, and World War II veterans to use this offer as well.

-Reservations are to be made directly through the B&B that you would like to stay at. Many B&B’s only have one room available and reservations are filling up quickly.  The list of participants is available on the organization’s link above.

*If you utilize this offer, please thank the B&B for being so kind as to host you as this is a generous thing that they are offering. Additionally, I have read articles stating that many of the B&B owners that have chosen to participate have either served in the military themselves or have a family member that has or is serving– to include some with family members deployed.

**Image of the Gillum House is the creative property of Kathleen Panek and the Gillum House B&B.

Traffic Jam on the Blog

What do you get when you mix 1 chocolate factory, 2 zoos, and 5 National Parks? Answer- the month of July for our family. Nope, I'm not trying to be a comedian...just one very backlogged blogger. Yesterday, after months of delay, I made this blog fully functional...now, I am committing to keeping it up to date. It will start off a little slow as (1) I have a backlog of interesting topics to talk about and (2) the month of August comes with a lot of productivity that we need to get done at home rather than being out enjoying our usual adventures. Come grab glimpses during the slow time, but be sure to check back in September when life picks up again.

Base Easter Egg Hunt

This weekend the girls and I participated in a sporting event in which I am not a big fan...a public Easter Egg Hunt. If you have ever attended one, then you understand why I refer to it as a sporting event. I was not oblivious as to what I was getting myself into before we set off for this annual festivity. We had given up on these hunts many years ago as my (now) tween also is not a fan. However, this year was the first year that my toddler was old enough to participate. My original intention was to go as a family so that my husband could witness this momentous "first" in our daughter's life...especially as it would quite possibly also be a last. My plans were changed as my husband ended up away on yet another temporary assignment. After re-living home videos of my tween cheerfully participating when she was a toddler, I talked my hesitant tween into accompanying me so that we could capture my toddler's first Easter Egg Hunt on film for daddy.


We arrived to the hunt realistically early in order to find parking as I know the chaotic level of attendance that nearly every event on base attracts. As I stepped out of the car, my grand illusions began to quickly fade. There were already a couple hundred people waiting in line for the Easter Bunny despite the fact that he would not be arriving for at least another half hour. Another crowd was already gathering around the entrance to the roped off area where the hunt would be taking place. Despite the fact that the egg hunt for the first age group would not begin for 45 minutes, we decided that pictures with the Easter Bunny would have to wait as we knew that the line would not move quick enough. As we wandered around killing time before the hunt officially kicked off, we began to question being there.

As the actual hunt time draws near, the crowd swells and rumors circulate that over 1,000 people are in attendance. I decide that it is time for my toddler and I to join the crowd of parents with their toddlers that were swarming the entrance to the 0-3 age group hunt. My tween is locates herself along the boundary ribbons (within my eyesight) ready with the camera to capture the moment. I clutch my toddler tightly in my arms and question my own sanity as we wait in the crowd of screaming babies and pushing parents. At 5 minutes until the start time, the crowd lurches forward unexpectedly. The hunt was not supposed to begin, but the officials are unable to control the parents at the front. As the crowd continues to surge forward, Round 1 begins. I see a rubber ducky amongst the eggs and head to that spot to plop my toddler down. She reaches for the ducky and I tell her to put it into her bucket. My toddler reluctantly drops the ducky into the bucket as I show her a colored egg. She then picks up the egg and clutches it between her hands. I look around to see parents grabbing handfuls of eggs and shoving them in their children's baskets. Within that quick minute the hunt is done. There are 3 more eggs sitting between my toddler and I; so, I quickly toss those in the bucket as well and retreat. As we head out, I spot a poor rubber ducky getting stepped on...abandoned and unwanted. I pluck up the ducky and add it to my toddler's loot. When I was again safely outside the boundaries, I look around to assess the results of the chaos-- some parents walk away toting full baskets and others console their children who got none. My toddler's final score: 4 eggs filled with 2 crunched suckers (amazing they could put a sucker in an egg), a handful of small hard candies and gum that she can't eat, plus 2 small rubber duckies.

Round 2 came with chaos. Thankfully, I did not have a participant in the 4-6 age group. A mob of young children stood at the entrance as the workers re-scattered plastic eggs across the open field. Surrounding the boundaries were the disgruntled parents mumbling about the fact that they were not allowed to stay with their children. Several parents gave up on the rules and helped their children in from the sidelines as the stampede of children entered from the starting line. I watched in amazement as greedy children pushed and shoved to get the eggs as their parents cheered them on. As chaotic as the scene of children scrambling to steal eggs out from under one another was, the true chaos came afterwards when many of these young children realized that they had no clue where their parents were. The loud speaker began to name off one child description after another as frantic parents called out their children's names...I witnessed many tears shed and not just by the children. As we tried to stay out of the way while we waited for the next age group to begin, we went to say "hello" to a family we know. Their 4 year old boy was crying and the mother explained that he was excited before the hunt began, but as soon as the official said "go," he was pushed down and only received one egg. I told them that it wasn't much, but he could have all of my toddler's hard candy as the only thing she could eat were the suckers and the only thing she really cared about were the rubber duckies she had been clutching in her hands ever since she got them.

By round 3, ages 7-9, the officials were watching the sidelines and the participants were planning strategy...though most people had the same strategy-race to the far end. Once again, we were just onlookers for the greedy chaos. I was thankful that my tween had moved up to the oldest age group as round 3 also had a lot of kids and frankly, a lot of them were bigger than my tween. I thought that I would have been fearful of whether or not she could hold her own as those kids looked like they meant business. My thoughts were founded as we watched one child receive a direct blow to the face after snatching an egg that another child had planned to grab. I couldn't help but wonder how this tradition of greed had to do with the original theme of Easter.

Round 4- ages 10-12, the final round. My tween found herself a good position at the front of the pack. However, as more and more children joined, my passive child was pushed to the very back. Just as the hunt was about to start, my tween partnered up with her friend Jacob. They had a strategy of their own-- Jacob would block for my tween and she would grab. Their game plan was short lived. As soon as another hunter pushed my tween out of the way, she decided to go with a new plan: just grab what she could. The final scores for Jacob and my tween: a bucket of eggs each (all kids in their age group scored that amount), a small amount of hard candies, a few cheap trinkets, and a ton of bunny stickers...neither child scored the coveted slips of paper for chocolate candies or stuffed animals.

Well daddy, I think this is one milestone that you'll never witness as I don't think the girls and I want to brave this greedy pandemonium again. As it is, it is much more fun for the girls to hunt for the chocolate filled ones that mommy hides at home.

Welcome

Welcome to our family blog. This blog "under construction" and will be coming soon.