Sun, Shopping, Sand, Surf, Sweat & Shamu: A Splashin Summertime Sabbatical at SVR!

[pigletto]

Your post with the prices you paid at the outlets just firmed up my Christmas plans. Both the kids want pricier name brand stuff and they don't mind getting some clothes for Christmas (well ds10 isn't thrilled about it but too bad) so I will take some of the Christmas money and shop one day while we are down there. It makes sense and the Underarmour hoody that I was just going to buy for ds was $64.99 here. For a kids hoody.
We'll have fun shopping one afternoon on our trip and I'll wrap it up when we get back and they can pretend they never saw it before.
We're flying Southwest so I am sure I can fill an extra suitcase of things to bring back. Heck, even the toys or electronics the kids might want are so much better there that I might as well do the bulk of their shopping while on vacation. It's going to be a lighter Christmas because the trip is part of their gifts, so I should be able to get some good deals on the rest. DD just LOVES going through an American Target or Walmart and looking at the cosmetics and beauty stuff. She loves the variety and getting things she can't find here.

ETA.. and don't even get me started on gas and food prices here comparatively. It's just awful. We used to go over the border to fill up for the week, but haven't been since the exchange hasn't been so great. Need to start doing that again.

 

[ArwenMarie]

Wow that is a lot of savings!
And then figure the taxes.

 

[Princess Leia]

If you are looking for a fantastic deal on a waterpark day, single-day Aquatica tickets for October (weekday dates) are only $19 pp.

Enjoying your trip report. That's great you are booked up for May. I recognised that downpour from last July except instead of late afternoon it often came on much earlier in the day and kept going.

The $19 rate for Aquatica seems to be restricted to residents of United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Canada has obviously left a good impression on my son who piped up this evening "If Scotland gets independence can we move to Canada?"

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

YIt makes sense and the Underarmour hoody that I was just going to buy for ds was $64.99 here. For a kids hoody

Kids Under Armor hoodies were $39.99. Nike ones.....even less!!

Wow that is a lot of savings!
And then figure the taxes.

Like pigletto is suggesting, we always take an empty piece of luggage or two just to transport our purchases home . We also always joke that what we save on clothing on each trip pays the airfare for the next getaway.

The $19 rate for Aquatica seems to be restricted to residents of United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Canada has obviously left a good impression on my son who piped up this evening "If Scotland gets independence can we move to Canada?"

I don't know why SW restricts their special offers to only residents of certain countries . Up until recently, Canadians were also excluded from their deals. Frustrating, for sure!!

You tell your son he is always welcome in Canada . As long, of course, as he is willing to shovel snow, eat poutine, cheer for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and learn to say "EH!" with enthusiasm!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Saturday, August 23rd .

We neither got up early, nor slept in late. No alarms were employed again this morning...we just allowed our internal clocks to rouse us once our bodies had sufficiently rested. Steve and I were up first, as usual, and eventually coaxed the teens from their beds with the promise of a spectacular day at the beach. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and we had a full hour’s drive ahead of us until we reached our destination.

The kids were pumped for our beach day, so it didn’t take much convincing to get them up and moving. Sweetie had never seen the ocean before, so today was a big deal for her (honestly, she was more excited for our expedition to the ocean than our trips to either Typhoon Lagoon or Aquatica). With beach towels, sun screen, and a supply of ice cold water bottles in tow, we departed the Vistana about 8:45 am en route to Daytona .



The drive to Daytona was an easy one....easier than the previous year’s pilgrimage to Cocoa Beach, to be honest (having no tolls was a huge plus!). It wasn’t long before we were passing by the infamous Daytona Speedway (which seemed to be undergoing some massive construction updates) then passing underneath this iconic sign:



Arriving early was definitely in our favour, as we snagged a prime parking space just steps from the beach and pier. It was definitely well worth the $10 fee. We knew there were sections of the beach that allowed you to drive your vehicle on it, but call us old-fashioned.....we were looking to soak up the sun with the surf and sand as the backdrop, not a sea of cars , SUV’s and minivans.



Grabbing our beach bags, we set off to explore the area. The breeze off the water was mercifully cool and made a noticeable difference to the “feel” of the temperature on an otherwise sweltering day. We passed under the archway and were greeted by this view:







Man, how I love the ocean . There really is no place like it. I could stand and watch those waves roll in for hours and hours and never tire of it.





The beach was shockingly empty, considering the perfect beach weather and the fact that it was a weekend (being Saturday, the local kids were not in school so we expected to see an abundance of families there enjoying a day together .... but that really wasn’t the case). We set up “camp” under the pier in the generous shade and headed out to enjoy the water.









The water, like last August at Cocoa, was comfortably warm (which always surprises me....I just expect it to be much cooler than it turns out to be). Despite a full slate of Shark Week programs during the weeks prior to the trip, Jake finally overcame his fear of being eaten (perhaps Sweetie’s not-so-gentle admonishments contributed to that somewhat? ) and he actually went swimming this time. Oddly enough, once we got him in.....he hardly ever came out!!!



Just an arm’s reach beyond the swimmers, a flock of pelicans spent the entire day getting their beaks and bellies full of fish. Let’s just say these weren’t the brightest fish in the ocean...they jumped and jumped (from the shore, we could easily see them flipping and flopping out of the water) so the pelicans didn’t even have to work very hard for their dinner. It was quite entertaining to watch, though, and I was surprised at just how HUGE those birds were in person. I can’t say I’ve ever been in the presence of a real, live pelican before that day, so it was very cool to see.



Up next.....a stroll up the Boardwalk, lunch, and more incredible time on the beach.

 

[greenclan67]

Kids Under Armor hoodies were $39.99. Nike ones.....even less!!

Like pigletto is suggesting, we always take an empty piece of luggage or two just to transport our purchases home . We also always joke that what we save on clothing on each trip pays the airfare for the next getaway.

I don't know why SW restricts their special offers to only residents of certain countries . Up until recently, Canadians were also excluded from their deals. Frustrating, for sure!!

You tell your son he is always welcome in Canada . As long, of course, as he is willing to shovel snow, eat poutine, cheer for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and learn to say "EH!" with enthusiasm!

Gina has it down. If you can do all of the above, you pretty much have a stamped green card.

 

[pigletto]

Those beach pictures are killing me!! I'm glum tonight, it's rainy out, and the cooler weather is here. Boy what I wouldn't give to be at the Ocean. I know the feeling you talk about at the Ocean Gina. I love the way it sounds, and smells and watching the waves. Sigh.

 

[KaraLyn]

"Like pigletto is suggesting, we always take an empty piece of luggage or two just to transport our purchases home . We also always joke that what we save on clothing on each trip pays the airfare for the next"

We do the same thing! Always pack a smaller bag inside a large checked bag as we know we'll be doing some major shopping we've used the storage cubes to fit more inside...they work like a charm.
Gina I love your trip reports...first time I've subscribed to a trip report we did Discovery Cove last year b/c of your helpful hints & beautiful pics! Keep them coming

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Those beach pictures are killing me!! I'm glum tonight, it's rainy out, and the cooler weather is here. Boy what I wouldn't give to be at the Ocean. I know the feeling you talk about at the Ocean Gina. I love the way it sounds, and smells and watching the waves. Sigh.

Oh, my friend, I totally hear you. I hate the change of seasons from summer to fall......seeing the warm and sunny weather slip away into the cool, rainy, dreary autumn.

Do you guys have a beach day planned for your December trip? Or maybe it would be too cold then?

Gina I love your trip reports...first time I've subscribed to a trip report we did Discovery Cove last year b/c of your helpful hints & beautiful pics! Keep them coming

Thank you, KaraLyn! Glad to have you along!

There's lots still coming up: Discovery Cove, SeaWorld x 2, Showcase of Citrus, golfing and dinner at CityWalk, and a whole bunch of little excursions in between. Hopefully I will get to part 2 of Daytona later today .

 

[nancipants]

Ah, you're in my neck of the woods now. I grew up about 10 minutes south of Daytona, in Port Orange.

If you want to go to the beach with just you and Steve, I know a nice quiet place there. It's where we always go to the beach.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Ah, you're in my neck of the woods now. I grew up about 10 minutes south of Daytona, in Port Orange.

If you want to go to the beach with just you and Steve, I know a nice quiet place there. It's where we always go to the beach.

I'm always open to some insider tips, Nancy!! Feel free to PM me the details.....sounds like it might be the perfect spot to go on our kid-free anniversary trip in May .

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Daytona Beach, part 2:



While the kids alternated between frolicking in the water and sunning themselves on the sand, Steve and I took a walk up the Boardwalk.



Situated parallel to the beach and just adjacent to the pier is Joyland Amusements. There are a selection of rides resembling the stuff you would see at travelling fairs or carnivals, but this is apparently a stationary exhibit. We took particular note of the roller coaster (because Steve and the kids are huge coaster fans) but honestly….some of this stuff just didn’t look safe to us. Perhaps, in the glow of the lights after dark, it wouldn’t look so….rickety?....but we decided we’d take a pass. Ditto on the go-karts, not because they looked unsafe though, but more as a result of the searing sun and the fact that the beach was beckoning. When given the choice between the salty waves or go-karts on a sunshiny, scortching day….well, there really was no question, was there?







For the most part, this area of the beach was pretty deserted. We spied a few rollercoaster riders throughout the day, but they were few and far between.

The “Boardwalk” (which is all stone, no boards) offered a huge band shell that looked like it could be the site of some mighty fine entertainment under those beautiful Florida skies:



We also saw the iconic clock tower, originally built in 1936. Not sure if you can see it clearly on the photo, instead of numbers 1-12 on the clock face, letters spell out D-A-Y-T-O-N-A-B-E-A-C-H .



Keeping with the rich history of racing in the area, there were also several large, modern monuments commemorating many of the Daytona notables:







After a while in that sun, we were sufficiently fried and decided we’d head back to our headquarters under the pier. As we strolled back, we enjoyed this marvellous view:



….and were entertained by the multitude of banners being dragged back and forth behind the small airplanes that never seemed to stop.



By the time we reached the kids, they were declaring their need for sustenance and requested that we break for lunch. While we were gone, they had been eyeing up the offerings along the Boardwalk:



…and had already decided on Pizza King.



Steve and I liked that their menu was far from just pizza offerings (which held no interest for us on this particular day) and that we could enjoy the cool comfort of the air conditioning while still soaking in this view:



Apparently Pizza King has been an institution on the beach for a long, long time. There were several news stories framed on the wall of the original owner who was still going strong well into this retirement years, serving up snacks and meals to beachgoers at his little rustic shop.

I have to say, the décor might have been a little rustic (I felt like I was inside a 50’s diner….and old fashioned “greasy spoon”) but the service was top-notch. From the time we walked in the door until the time we left, we felt like they were really and sincerely happy to have us as customers. We felt welcome. That was nice.

The food? Well, it was great. From the main courses, to the funnel cake (which we shared…all those calories in the chocolate-sauce-laden creation were distributed evenly amongst each of our hips!), there was nothing but thumbs up all around. Definitely exceeded our expectations which were established by first impressions when we walked in the door. Steve had a steak sandwich, the rest of us had chicken nuggets and fries, and the onion rings were hand cut and so good.









After lunch, we spent the next few hours just swimming, sunning, and enjoying every moment Oceanside.





Around 3 pm or so, we were baked. That "heat wave" that even the locals had been lamenting was still in full force and we were really feeling it!! We shook the sand from our towels, packed our things, loaded the van and made the easy hour’s trek back to Orlando.



We hated to leave….but 5-6 hours under the dazzling, virtually cloudless sky was about all our northern bodies could tolerate without succumbing to sun stroke (cue the music...."feeling hot, hot, hot!"). The kids raved all the way home about how much they loved Daytona, and we all ranked it over our 2013 Cocoa Beach experience (though for those looking for a less commercial and more “natural” beach visit, Cocoa would probably be preferable).

Back at the villa, we threw our sandy clothes in the washer, showered and readied ourselves to embark on a search of dinner.

 

[Lynne G]

Funny, we never want to go to the beach when we're in Florida lately. When the kids were very young, we liked Sanibel Island, and would spend a week in early December at a condo on the Island. However, once school started, and the kids interest were rides, we have not been back to Sanibel since.

We also live not that far from the shore towns in New Jersey, so I guess that's why when we are in Orlando, we don't seek any beach excursions.

Nice pictures of Daytona. Glad you enjoyed your time at the beach there.

Oh, and at the Jersey shore, there's always a pizza place every couple of stores along the board walks. When we were in Wildwood, we ate pizza. It was ok, but the fries were the better part of the meal.

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

Just backtracking on your posts Gina, I did the gas calculation and we pay about $8 (Canadian) so feel the pinch every time we fill up

We haven't been to Daytona for years and it looks like you had a great day. Are there beach parks like the one at Cocoa (Lori Wilson park) with restrooms and showers?

 

[ArwenMarie]

Great beach pictures, wish I was there now

 

[August2010]

Great trip report!
I'm not sure why but I am suddenly very hungry! Enjoying the food porn!

 

[Princess Leia]

You tell your son he is always welcome in Canada . As long, of course, as he is willing to shovel snow, eat poutine, cheer for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and learn to say "EH!" with enthusiasm!

He says he will shovel snow, he loves gravy so Poutine shouldn't be a problem, enjoys going to ice hockey games but really needs someone to model how to say "EH!" with just the right inflection.

 

[greenclan67]

Eh will come naturally, as he will hear it every second word!! Eh, it's a Canadian thing!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

We also live not that far from the shore towns in New Jersey, so I guess that's why when we are in Orlando, we don't seek any beach excursions.

Sooooo jealous! The coast (either Atlantic or Pacific) is a plane ride away for us. We have some spectacular lakes and a few rather stunning rivers, but for me.....they just don't compare to the ocean.

Just backtracking on your posts Gina, I did the gas calculation and we pay about $8 (Canadian) so feel the pinch every time we fill up

We haven't been to Daytona for years and it looks like you had a great day. Are there beach parks like the one at Cocoa (Lori Wilson park) with restrooms and showers?

$8 a gallon for gas?? That's awful!!

There were large public restrooms and change areas right at the entrance to the beach/pier. Rather rustic (surprising for such a busy tourist area...I expected them to be a tad more elegant) but functional nonetheless.

Great beach pictures, wish I was there now

Thanks . I am missing it too. The temperatures are supposed to dip to 44 degrees tonight.....definitely no longer beach weather here!!

Great trip report!
I'm not sure why but I am suddenly very hungry! Enjoying the food porn!

Thank you!! I never know whether to include the food pics or not ... the boys always think I should, but they're sometimes not the best judges of what my readers might want to see .

He says he will shovel snow, he loves gravy so Poutine shouldn't be a problem, enjoys going to ice hockey games but really needs someone to model how to say "EH!" with just the right inflection.

There's no right or wrong inflection....you just have to say it with passion.

Eh will come naturally, as he will hear it every second word!! Eh, it's a Canadian thing!

And I don't know why, but this whole discussion has me thinking of this episode of Family Guy. Its rather fitting, eh?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8haHgfq2x4

 

[dancin Disney style]

He says he will shovel snow, he loves gravy so Poutine shouldn't be a problem, enjoys going to ice hockey games but really needs someone to model how to say "EH!" with just the right inflection.

I'm a Scot (my dad lives in Forfar) but born in Canada. I'll gladly teach him all he needs to know.