Travel - Things to do in the Outer Banks!

After spending a long weekend in the picturesque villages along the Outer Banks, I can't believe it took me this long to visit!  Yes, it is a 10-hour drive from the north side of metro Atlanta, but it is truly worth every minute it takes to get there!  We only went for 4 nights but we should have stayed at least a full week - there was so much more to see!

On our first day, we went to Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, which is located on Roanoke Island, in Manteo.  It was about a 15-minute drive from Kill Devil Hills. 

Earthen walls are all that remain of Fort Raleigh

Fort Raleigh is where the Lost Colony was last seen.  If you don't know this story, it is fascinating.  And over 400 years later, it is still America's longest unsolved mystery. 

Schedule your visit to the site so that you can take part in the Ranger talk.  The Ranger has great information about the history of the Fort and shares some of the possible theories of what happened to the Lost Colony.  You can walk out back and see the ruins of the original earthen walls of the fort.  The Visitor's Center has a wonderful exhibit about the history of the area, as well.  We spent about 2 hours there and enjoyed it so much! 

Down by the water, if you're there during the season, you can watch a live performance of The Lost Colony.  This Friday, May 31, they open for their 82nd season!  I hope to go back in the next year or two and see this! Here's the FB page for the play.

While you're on Manteo, visit the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island. It's really close to Fort Raleigh.   The prices are affordable, and it's a great aquarium! We really enjoyed the Turtle rescue/hospital area, and the sting ray touch tank!  The jellyfish and sea horses are always my favorites at every aquarium, and this one didn't disappoint!  There are plenty of interactive displays for both little and big kids. 

Outside there is a long pier to walk on, a dinosaur fossil dig, and other cool things to see! A great place to visit for a few hours, for sure!!

I hope you enjoyed these fun things to do! Click the links for pages or websites to get all the information!

Thanks for stopping by!

Travel - The Outer Banks of North Carolina

We just returned home last week from what turned out to be one of my favorite trips ever!

For Spring Break, my husband, son and I drove from NE Georgia to the Outer Banks. It was about a 10 hour drive without stops, almost 13 for us with stops and a longer break for a BBQ lunch with my Aunt in Wilson, NC.

We stayed in Kill Devil Hills, at the Days Inn Mariner.  It's an older motel, but right on the beach, and the two-bedroom suite was wonderful for our family!  Great wifi and free hot breakfast every morning made this a great choice for us.  And those beach sunrises - ahhhh!

Over the next week or so, I'll share some of our favorite places we discovered.  It was an amazing trip and I cannot wait to go back again!!  I'll leave you with one of the best parts of our vacation - seeing the beautiful Inn at Rodanthe house from the movie Nights in Rodanthe.  It's spectacular in person, y'all!

**This trip was not sponsored in any way, I just loved the places I plan to share with y'all!

Check out Medieval Times ATL for Spring Break! #MTFan #MedievalTimesAtlanta

We were able to visit Medieval Times Atlanta on Sunday night for a wonderful show and delicious dinner!  We're so lucky to have Medieval Times here in metro Atlanta - it's a great place for a fun family night out, or to celebrate events or groups!

Haven't been to Medieval Times yet? Oh my goodness!! You need to go!! We like to arrive about 30 minutes before the show starts. When you arrive you'll get cards showing your color for the evening, and crowns for everyone to wear.  You can get your picture taken with the King and Princess, and enjoy drinks for the whole family at the bar.  Then they begin seating guests.  VIP's get seated first - you can upgrade your dinner ticket to several package options.   We were seated after the VIPs, and found we were in the center, red and gold section.  We enjoyed cheering for our knight! It was a great night - ours won the tournament, too!

Our server was so much fun.  Her name was Chelsea and she was a hoot! She started out by filling our drinks.  You choose from Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Sweet Tea, Unsweet Tea or Water.  (Or you can order a drink from the bar!)  Then she served us soup, followed by garlic bread, roasted chicken, potatoes and corn on the cob.  Dessert was a lemon pound cake, served with coffee.   If your family doesn't like eating with their hands, be sure to pack some plastic cutlery!! And don't forget to tip your server appropriately- they work hard taking care of guests during the show!  You'll have the chance to purchase your photo with the King, plus banners, light-up swords and such, and banners while you eat dinner.

A toast from the King!

The show was spectacular, as always! The knights put on quite a show.  The horses are beautiful and magnificent to watch.  The Falcon was awesome too.  My 13-year-old always loves visiting Medieval Times because of the adventurous, action-packed show the knights provide!  Despite the fact that he's been several times before, he's always amazed by the skill shown by the knights as they joust and sword fight.   It's fun for kids of all ages, and parents will be entertained, as well.

We had several younger kids seated around on this visit, and it was so much fun to watch them enjoying the show for the first time - the wonder and joy in their eyes is wonderful to behold!  Hang out after the show and you can meet the knights, get photos with them, and they'll even sign your crown or banner!

There's a great gift shop you can check out before or after the show, too.  Lots of fun souvenirs to choose from.

Are you planning to stay in town for Spring Break?  Medieval Times would love to have you and your family join them for dinner and a show in the Castle!  They are offering discounted tickets to my readers - You can get Adult tickets for $37.95, and Kids & Students get in for $29.95 with code SB17BLOG.

Visit their site to get your tickets now, and enjoy Spring Break at Medieval Times Atlanta!

Have you been to Medieval Times before?  What did you think? Leave a comment below this post and let us know your thoughts!




We were hosted by Medieval Times for dinner - no other compensation was received.  All opinions in this review are my own! 

Have a Spring FUN Break at Stone Mountain Park!! #SpringFUNBreak

Hey parents - looking for something to keep the kids busy for Spring Break? I've got a great option for you!  Stone Mountain Park is one of Atlanta's best attractions, in my opinion.  There is something for everyone to do, all year round, and Spring Break is no exception!  Visit through April 10th to enjoy these Spring FUN Break activities!

We always like to start our visits at the Great Barn.  David could spend the whole day there! Four floors of cannons, ball drops, trampoline floors, interactive games, stairs and nets to climb - so much FUN!

The Scenic Railroad train ride is different every season.   I enjoyed hearing the history of the mountain during our ride around the base of the mountain on this visit.  David, his friend Seth & I took plenty of pictures of the beautiful views as we rode along.

Some new things to experience this Spring Break:  

The Great American Duck Race, where Mallard Ducks race to the finish line and you could win prizes!  You can visit with the ducks and even feed them before the races.  

Visit the Azalea Stage and see Magic Mark & Einstein the Rabbit!  Kids will really enjoy this magic show!

Check out the April Fool's Indoor Lasertag!   Make sure you wear closed toe shoes for this awesome five minute, 20 player lasertag experience.

There are so many other cool things to do at Stone Mountain Park, like:

The Great Locomotive Chase Adventure Golf,  or watch the Yogi Bear 4-D Adventure movie, or get splashed at Geyser Towers!  (you need closed toe shoes for Geyser Towers too!)  You can even trek through the treetops on SkyHike if you are brave enough!  You can take the Summit Skyride to the top of the mountain, or hike up if you feel like it.

If you get hungry, Stone Mountain Park has plenty of places to enjoy a snack or meal.  During this visit, David had pizza, Seth had a BBQ sandwich, and I tried the BBQ chicken nachos. YUMMY!

You can upgrade your daily ticket to include a meal, or to add a ticket to ride the Duck.

The Lasershow will be offered this Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, too.  This is one of our favorite things at Stone Mountain - the music, the fire, the lasers - WOW!

Be on the lookout for the grand opening of The Jump - a thrilling new experience coming to Stone Mountain Park this Spring!

So take a short drive to Stone Mountain Park and check out all of the fun things they have to offer for Spring FUN Break - the kids will have a ball, and you will too!

Check the calendar at Stone Mountain's website for all the details on dates/hours/prices.


Disclaimer: Stone Mountain Park hosted us for the day to experience the Spring FUN Break activities.  All opinions shared here are my own! 

Spring Break Junior Knight Training at Medieval Times Atlanta!

Hi friends! 

It's almost Spring Break, and I know some of y'all will be stay-cationing here in Atlanta.  I just found a great option for a memorable Spring Break family dinner with your family! 

Medieval Times is hosting a great program for kids during Spring Break ~ Junior Knight Training!  Kids between the ages of 4-12 will have the opportunity to get down in the sand before the show and train with the knights. At the end of the training, they will all be knighted by the king! (Please keep in mind that closed toe shows are required to participate.)

Kids and students are just $29.95 and adults are $36.95, and Junior Knight Training is free with a paid admission to the show. (Use Offer Code SBWEB16)

Below are the dates and times of the Junior Knight Training shows offered at Medieval Times in Atlanta:

Today, March 24 - Show starts at 7:30pm & Junior Knight Training begins at 6:45pm

Friday, March 25 – Show starts at 6:30pm & Junior Knight Training begins at 7:15pm

March 30 and 31 – Show starts at 7:30pm & Junior Knight Training begins at 6:45pm

April 1 - Show starts at 6:30pm and Junior Knight Training begins at 7:15pm

April 4-7 - Show starts at 7:30pm and Junior Knight Training begins at 6:45pm

April 8 – Show starts at 5:00pm and Junior Knight Training begins at 5:45pm


Find out more at the Medieval Times website! 
The Atlanta Castle is located at:
Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament 
5900 Sugarloaf Parkway, Suite 517 • Lawrenceville • GA • 30043 

Disclaimer: My family and I will be attending one of the Junior Knight Training Dinners.  No other compensation was received.   Any opinions given are my own.  MT provided the images and information about their new Junior Knight Training program for me to share with my readers. 

Review: Thermalabs Natural Organic Self Tanner

Recently I was offered the chance to review this Self Tanning lotion in exchange for sharing it on my social media accounts,  and I'm so thrilled I did!  Have you tried a self tanner that leaves you orange, or streaky looking?   This one will not do that - it gives you a beautiful, natural-looking tan!

I tried it one night right before bedtime.  I used a pair of gloves like the ones you get with haircolor.  I applied this lotion to both legs, which are a lovely shade of pasty white this time of year! I honestly didn't expect much of anything thanks to products I've tried before.  So imagine my surprise to find them a nice, even bronze color the next morning!  No streaks, and the only place I had an issue was on my ankle bones - I should have thinned the lotion with a little water and applied it over those areas.  Oh well, live and learn!   The "tan" lasted for about four days, and that was fantastic. I can't wait to try it again - this lotion couldn't be any easier to use!

You can find it on Amazon, just in time for Spring Break! 

America's Best Organic Self Tanner with Free Guide! Indoor Tanning Lotion for Body and and Face [Overnight Sunless Tanning] Streak Free and Waterproof

More info from the company: 

THE SEXY SKIN YOU WANTED BEAUTIFUL, SMOOTH AND TANNED ALL YEAR ROUND!
Get ready to get so many compliments!

Brand new SUPERIOR formula for 2015. We redesigned the bottle too! Hope you love it as much as we do!

• Thermlabs Organic Self Tanner Is America's Golden Standard!
• Our Certified Organic Ingredients: Avocado oil, Olive oil, Shea butter, Cocoa seed butter and Aloe leaf juice! We have the most expensive and exclusive formula to date compared to ALL other self tanners in the market. Don't take our word for it - examine our competition carefully!
• Even and natural-looking tan without the dangerous sun damaging rays
• Moisturizing natural and organic superior lotion builds natural tan with no streaks!
• Our certified natural and organic tanner creates the perfect and smoothest sun-free tan.

We at Thermalabs, care only about tanning. That's all we do, day and night. Oh, especially nights!
We put all the time, effort and money into creating formulas that will provide the most natural-looking tan which fits your skin tone and color, and we make sure it'll work during the night! No sun, no dangerous rays, not even leaving the house!
Don't like the results? Ship it back and get 100% refund! As long as you follow the simple instructions you'll see the results over night!Enjoy the results because it is you. We care about your beauty AND health: Our formula contains certified natural and organic ingredients. 
Join thousands of Thermagirls worldwide that are enjoying our tan on them all year long!

If you are looking for a self tanner that really works, I hope you will give Thermolabs lotion a try!

Stone Mountain Spring FUN Break Part 2

Part Two of our fun-filled day at Stone Mountain Park's Spring FUN Break!

Baby Hedgehog

After our delicious lunch at Campfire Grill,  David and I headed over to the  Wildlife Wonders’ Animal Babies show.  From a baby otter to a kangaroo, animal experts immerse guests in an educational and interactive animal encounter!  We really enjoyed the show, and David was so excited to get to touch the animals.

We learned many cool facts about the baby animals showcased, and got to touch them all, except for the baby otter.  She has very sharp, strong teeth, so no touching allowed!

David was ready to run around and have some fun so next up we headed over to the Sky Hike & Camp Highland Outpost.  The line for Sky Hike (one of the nation's largest family adventure courses) was a little long so we checked out the kid-friendly Camp Highland Outpost.  The low ropes course, three line bridges, and zip line were perfect for my 9 year old! He had a blast!!


Geyser Towers was the perfect end to our time in the Crossroads Section of Stone Mountain Park.  It was getting awfully warm by this time and David was ready to cool down.  The rope bridges and various platforms are so much for hot kiddos to play on, and they are surprised by sporadic "eruptions" of water that cool them off and fill the air with screams of delight! (Note: Kids must have close toed shoes on to play at Geyser Towers.)  We like to end our day at Geyser Towers so David can go straight to the car and change into dry clothes!

As we were leaving, we decided on an impulse to visit the Antebellum Plantation & Farmyard, located right off the road we take to exit Stone Mountain.  I have been visiting Stone Mountain since I was a kid, and I don't know that I've ever taken the time to visit the Plantation.  I am so thrilled we took the time to do so this visit! We've been missing out on a hidden gem at SMP.

You enter this part of the park through a general store.  If you purchased an Adventure Pass for all of the fun over at Crossroads, then you may also explore the Plantation area with no additional charge.  If not, you can purchase a pass just for the Plantation.   You get to take a self guided tour through a collection of original buildings from Georgia, built between 1783 and 1875.  All were moved to SMP, carefully restored and furnished with period furniture and accessories.  The plantation homes are beautiful.   I think I should have lived during the Antebellum era - this speaks to my heart! The homes and their furnishings were just lovely.

The slave cabins, cookhouse and doctor's cabin were very interesting to see and read about.  The gardens are lovely.  We enjoyed ducking under the shady canopy of a huge magnolia tree - it was so much cooler under the shade!

We also ducked into the barnyard for a visit.  I quickly found out that there is one young goat who really, really likes pink - whether shirt, bag, shoes - he will find you if you have pink on! He had half my shirt in his mouth before I even realized it, lol! So don't wear pink! :)    Keep an eye out for this one:

We loved that the rest of the goats were all together on the path enjoying a nap in the sunshine. They patiently let my boy brush them.  There were also little piggies and lambs to see. 

This garden of herbs had signs explaining what each was used for medicinally.  Loved it!

After we spent about an hour wandering around the various buildings and gardens, we were pooped.  We could have stayed for the Laser Show, but we were so tired!  

So instead, we got in the van and headed north, back to our part of town.  We had spent the most delightful day at Stone Mountain Park during our Spring Break staycation!  Can't wait to see what they have to offer this summer, and over the holidays! It is one of Atlanta's best destinations for family fun!

Stone Mountain Park offers a variety of value-priced options for families to enjoy the park and the special SFB activities. 

Adventure Pass

$28 Adults/$22 Children 3-11 (tax not included)

Includes all of the SFB activities and other popular attractions such as the new Journey 2: The

Mysterious Island – The 4-D Experience, Geyser Towers^®, Sky Hike^®, the Summit Skyride, the

Great Locomotive Chase Adventure Golf, The Great Barn^®, Scenic Railroad, the Antebellum

Plantation & Farmyard and Memorial Hall Museum.

Mountain Membership Annual Pass

$56 Adults /$44 Children 3-11 (tax not included)

Pays for itself in two visits. An annual pass lets families come again and again throughout the

year to take advantage of the park’s attractions, special events and exclusive discounts. 

Family Value Pass

$125 for a family of four (tax not included).

Saves families 30 percent. Sold exclusively online, pass includes Adventure Passes, meal tickets

and complimentary cups with unlimited refills all day.

Families may also enjoy great vacation and staycation accommodations right inside the Park at two Marriott hotels. Family Escape Packages, beginning at $189 a night, include a one-night stay at the Evergreen Marriott Conference Resort or Stone Mountain Inn, 2-day Adventure Passes and breakfast.

Listed in Frommer’s 500 Places to Visit with Your Kids Before They Grow Up and cited by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as one of “35 Natural Wonders in Georgia You Must See”, Stone Mountain Park is located 16 miles east of downtown Atlanta. To get to the park, take I-285 to Exit 39B, Hwy. 78 East. Stone Mountain Park is Exit 8 on Hwy. 78. More information on Spring FUN Break, Stone Mountain Park attractions and hours of operation is available at www.stonemountainpark.com or by calling 770-498-5690.

Disclaimer: I was provided free passes to SMP in order to review the shows and attractions for the blog.  No other compensation was received and as always, all opinion are my own!

Spring FUN Break at Stone Mountain Park

Got the kiddos home from school this week? Or just looking for something fun to do this weekend? You've got to head over to Stone Mountain Park to see what's during their Spring FUN Break! David & I were there yesterday and had the most FUN day!

First we visited the Great Barn.  It is ALWAYS one of David's favorite destinations at SMP.  It's a 4 story building where kids gather fruits (foam balls) in bags to harvest.  If you go upstairs there are interactive stations to put the fruits, or you can shoot them across the barn or down on people below!  There are also slides and bridges and other fun stuff to check out up there.  We stayed for about 20 minutes and had a great time!  

Next we went to see the new 4D movie,  Journey 2: The Mysterious Island – The 4-D Experience.   
This 12 minute sequel to Journey to the Center of the Earth engages guests through a 3-D film featuring spectacular 4-D special effects.  Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson) partners with his mom's husband (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) on a mission to find his grandfather (Michael Caine), who is thought to be missing on a mythical island.  Together with a helicopter pilot (Luis Guzman) and his beautiful daughter (Vanessa Hudgens) they embark on an amazing voyage and find incredible beauty amidst grave danger.  

This movie experience is AWESOME.  But it is one of the most intense movies I've seen at SMP.  I do know when my nephews visited the park last week and saw the film they were a little frightened. (ages 3 & 7)  The family behind us had to take their small (preschool age) son out during the film, too.  It is loud, and there are giant creatures coming right at you! (spider, lizard & electric eel). Oh, and you will get wet! Wetter than during the Polar Express and other movies I've seen there.  So keep your phone & camera covered up!  Even so, it was really good!  Loved it enough that if we'd had time, we would have gone again!

We decided to take a train ride after the movie.  Usually we take the train in the dark when we are there for Christmas so it was really fun to see the beautiful features of the land surrounding the mountain for a change! The cars are open so the breeze was fabulous.  We sat in the back car and had a great time.   Except for the pollen. It's bad this week in Atlanta.  Still, the train was still a great way to spend time with my son!

Lunch time!  We tried the new Campfire Grill, which replaced the popular Miss Katie's Restaurant.

It was a blast! Super kid-friendly.  The servers interact with the kids, having them look for animal tracks painted on the floor and table, identifying them and marking them off on their kid's menu.

 There was a bucket on the table that contained crayons, various animal track cards to use in making crayon rubbings, and cards with game ideas to keep kids busy.

 Kids can choose from typical kid-friendly offerings, and I liked that David's grilled cheese came with both fries AND applesauce.   I chose the grilled chicken skewer meal, served over roasted vegetables.  While waiting, our server brought us warm cheddar herb biscuits that were delicious!

Our food arrived in cast iron skillets - a cute, camp-y touch.

 Mine had roasted carrots, potatoes, celery, onions, parsnips and more.  The chicken was grilled perfectly and tasted so good!

David loved his sandwich too!!

We decided to split a dessert and chose the Campfire S'mores Skillet.  Yum!

The decor in the restaurant is quite different from Miss Katie's.  Now each table is a campsite - complete with tent over the tabletop, a flickering lantern, and the aforementioned animal tracks and bucket of fun stuff for kids.  There are faux campfires placed on ledges above the tables throughout the restaurant.  It felt very fun and family-friendly inside.

Stay tuned for part two of our day at Stone Mountain's Spring FUN Break tomorrow.  Find out about baby animals, zip line fun and a barnyard full of animals to pet! 

Date/Time: March 30 - April 13, 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Lasershow, March 30 - April 13, 8:30 p.m.

Location: Crossroads^® at the base of Stone Mountain

Stone Mountain Park offers a variety of value-priced options for families to enjoy the park and the special SFB activities. 

Adventure Pass

$28 Adults/$22 Children 3-11 (tax not included)

Includes all of the SFB activities and other popular attractions such as the new Journey 2: The

Mysterious Island – The 4-D Experience, Geyser Towers^®, Sky Hike^®, the Summit Skyride, the

Great Locomotive Chase Adventure Golf, The Great Barn^®, Scenic Railroad, the Antebellum

Plantation & Farmyard and Memorial Hall Museum.

Mountain Membership Annual Pass

$56 Adults /$44 Children 3-11 (tax not included)

Pays for itself in two visits. An annual pass lets families come again and again throughout the

year to take advantage of the park’s attractions, special events and exclusive discounts. 

Family Value Pass

$125 for a family of four (tax not included).

Saves families 30 percent. Sold exclusively online, pass includes Adventure Passes, meal tickets

and complimentary cups with unlimited refills all day.

Families may also enjoy great vacation and staycation accommodations right inside the Park at two Marriott hotels. Family Escape Packages, beginning at $189 a night, include a one-night stay at the Evergreen Marriott Conference Resort or Stone Mountain Inn, 2-day Adventure Passes and breakfast.

Listed in Frommer’s 500 Places to Visit with Your Kids Before They Grow Up and cited by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as one of “35 Natural Wonders in Georgia You Must See”, Stone Mountain Park is located 16 miles east of downtown Atlanta. To get to the park, take I-285 to Exit 39B, Hwy. 78 East. Stone Mountain Park is Exit 8 on Hwy. 78. More information on Spring FUN Break, Stone Mountain Park attractions and hours of operation is available at www.stonemountainpark.com or by calling 770-498-5690.

Disclaimer:  I received free entry into the park in order to review it for my blog.  No other compensation was received and all opinions expressed are my own !