A Simple Wildflower

Welcome New Wildflowers!

August 5, 2018

Thanks for stopping by my blog!

A little bit about myself: I’m a woman in my early thirties residing in Florida with my husband and two fur babies! I love musicals, sunsets, the beach, shopping, and hanging out with my friends and family!

In my blog, I am sticking to themes of beauty, travel, and all things happening in my life. I am going to write about anything that falls into these categories and it will be glorious! Obviously, I’m no expert, but I believe we all have something we can learn from each other!

A Simple Wildflower was chosen as my blog name because I have always loved wildflowers. I love that each wildflower is different, unique, and beautiful. A wildflower does not compete with other wildflowers because, just like my fellow lovelies, wildflowers work better together than alone!

With love,

A Simple Wildflower
Top 5 Things To Do in Denver

October 14, 2019
I love to travel, but, like, what else is new?!

And this year, we chose Denver, Colorado!!

My husband had visited once before, but I had never been and had no idea what to expect. Now that I’m home looking back on my vacation, it’s safe to say that Denver was an absolute blast and I cannot wait to return! Our trip was packed with loads of walking, shopping, and eating, but looking back on our trip, these are the five places I would recommend to anyone making the trip!
1. Denver Botanic Gardens
I’m listing the Denver Botanic Gardens as #1 on my list because it was a collective favorite among each person in our group AND it was a short Uber ride from our Airbnb.

Entrance to the Denver Botanic Gardens

There happened to be a wedding at the gardens which took up two sections; however, even with some of the sections closed off, we were still there for HOURS just walking around and taking photos. We went closer to sunset which made the flowers and atmosphere look amazing!

This is one location I will recommend to my parents because I can picture them staying the entire day. If you love gardens with different types of flowers and sceneries, then I cannot recommend the Denver Botanic Gardens enough!! Just look at these photos!!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

2. Golden Gate Canyon State Park (Raccoon Trail)

I highly debated making this my #1 choice of things to do in Denver, but it was an hour drive outside of the city and may not be an easy drive for some. But if you can make the trip out to Golden Gate Canyon State Park and hike the Raccoon Trail, then you totally should!!

We got SO lucky choosing our weekend to visit. Not only was the weather a cool 79°F, but the aspen trees were also changing into a beautiful gold making our hike absolutely breathtaking!! This was a popular hike with many groups out on the trail, but it makes total sense considering it was a moderate, 4.4-mile hike with views that could make you shed one single tear – it’s THAT gorgeous.

I think we all enjoyed the hike because we took our time, drank SO MUCH water, and stopped whenever we needed to. Honestly, just listen to your body. When you’re tired, take a break. Even if you don’t want to drink more water just drink it and make sure to fuel your body with foods that will fill you up and give you energy. Our group went to the local grocery store to get the makings of a sandwich and cliff bars. Once we were heading down the mountain, we stopped at a bench to make our sandwiches and it was a great hike with no one in our group fainting or getting hurt.

I’m sure my hiking tips sound like a mom going overboard, but I promise you I’m not. That change in altitude is real and can give you a splitting headache if you don’t fuel your body with the nutrients it needs.

To convince you to hike Raccoon Trail here are our photos from the hike!!

3. Scooters & Looking at Denver Homes

This may seem silly at first, but riding around on scooters looking at the front yards of Denver homes was really enjoyable. Riding around on scooters was around the same price as an Uber, but you get to see more of what the city really has to offer and it’s WAY MORE FUN!

Living in Florida, we have HOA’s that control what our homes look like, which means we really can’t have anything in our front yards and our homes are described as “cookie-cutter” (AKA boring!) & that’s that one thing I noticed while scooting around town; Denver homes have such character!

(My absolute favorite house in Denver! This one wins!!)

Each home is different and most have cute little gardens in their front yards so they can live a more sustainable lifestyle. I’m seriously obsessed with this about Denver and I probably looked crazy taking photos of people’s homes, but come on!

4. Union Station

Everyone in Denver suggested we visit Union Station, the former train station turned restaurant hub. We ended up eating at Next Door: American Eatery which was AMAZING! This place had great food and a nice outdoor seating area that I fell in love with (it was also nice and cool out). I really enjoyed this seating area because we had great views of the fountain park-thing that kids can run through and play in. Although I loved spending time at Union Station, we didn’t spend as much time as we could have, so I’ll leave the review for you 😉

5. Green Russell

After dinner, it was time to grab some adult beverages and we had a wonderful drinking experience at a speakeasy nearby called Green Russell.

I’m not a huge fan of drinking alcohol, but this speakeasy was different because it had one thing on its menu that’s truly customizable: The Bartender’s Choice. This also ended up being the drink our whole table ordered except one person because he wanted to sip on a classic Old Fashioned.

The Bartender’s Choice is basically you talking to your bartender (they walk up to your table) about your taste preferences. The first and really only thing you need to decide is the alcoholic base of your drink.

For example, I told our amazingly talented bartender that I don’t like drinking or the taste of alcohol. I continued to tell our bartender that I also prefer sweet and fruity drinks so he couldn’t go wrong there. He took those small details about my taste likings and created such a delicious drink!

My drink had a vodka base (of course) with Elderberry and lavender with a spritz of water to give the very top of the drink a glassy look. & the crazy thing is, I actually loved the drink! I loved it so much I actually finished the whole thing. Usually, I’ll take a few sips and be done, but I downed it!!

Every single person in our group loved their drinks and this speakeasy was such a great end to the evening out with friends. But fair warning, the drinks are around $15 and may not be in everyone’s budget. There are other speakeasies throughout Denver (we didn’t visit them though so I don’t know their prices), but this was the one closest to the Next Door restaurant.

& those were the five highlights from our birthday trip to Denver, CO!

We spent three full days there and I can’t wait to return. I love the mountains, nature, city, and the character of it all. I believe Denver has a variety of activities to satisfy anyone because of its both city and nature.

Have you been to Denver before? What was your favorite thing to do while visiting?
Top 5 Places To Eat in Denver

October 6, 2019
When my boyfriend told me he wanted to visit Denver for his birthday, I was extremely excited, but deep down I was thinking “what the heck are we gonna eat?” Denver wasn’t an area that screamed one particular food, so I had no idea what would be delicious and what wouldn’t.

Thankfully, we have a few friends in Denver whom we trusted with food recommendations. We received so many wonderful options and we ended up eating at the following places:
1. Syrup:
We kicked off our trip with breakfast at Syrup. This restaurant has three separate locations including Cherry Creek and Downtown, but we ended up walking to the City Park location. This popular breakfast spot was only a 10-minute walk from our Airbnb and had a wonderful atmosphere with a very attentive server that had a plethora of one-liners.

Everything we ordered was delicious, but my biggest recommendation would be their crack bacon starter (pictured above). It’s 5 pieces of bacon covered in maple syrup with a sprinkle of cracked pepper – holy moly it was sooo good!!

My Overall Rating: Four out of Five

2. Next Door, American Eatery:

One restaurant we stumbled upon ourselves was Next Door: American Eatery. This restaurant is attached to Union Station and the combination of the food and outdoor seating area was AMAZING!

There was a cool breeze when we visited and since we chose to sit outside, I decided to order something hearty and comforting: the pasta bolognese. My pasta was really tasty and perfectly cheesy, just how I like it. I’d also like to shout out the two appetizers we ordered: the Buffalo Chicken Bites and Garlic Parmesan Smashers. These two appetizers were absolutely amazing just like our experience at this restaurant.

My Overall Rating: Four out of Five

3. Denver Biscuit Company:

The Denver Biscuit Company was a restaurant that I personally find forgettable, but I know everyone in our group loved their meals along with the many locals that gravitate towards this place. The one item that makes this place worthwhile (in my humble opinion 9) was their giant, shareable cinnamon roll. This restaurant had a giant cinnamon roll that was big enough for the four of us to finish and afterward, we all felt completely full and satisfied.

The biscuits were delicious, but if you’re not a breakfast person like me, this place turns into two other restaurants throughout the day, Atomic Cowboy & Fat Sulley’s, that serve pizza and other American foods such as burgers, etc.

My Overall Rating: Three and a Half out of Five

4. Rivers and Roads Coffee:

It may seem like we love breakfast, but I personally think Denver just hits this type of meal out of the park! I know I will always remember Denver for its breakfast varieties. Number 4 on my list is Rivers and Roads Coffee which was hands-down my favorite location.

On the inside, this place had off-white tiles with draping greenery hanging around most corners. Initially, my boyfriend and I tried sitting outside, but a little wasp really wanted our bakery items and would not leave our side. We slowly moved our way inside to run away from the hungry wasp, but if you’re able to sit outside, I would definitely recommend it (just watch for the bees/wasps!).

While sitting outside, we noticed that there was a glass blowing company (because we definitely saw someone put the glass in the oven to mend which was super cool to see) and there were dogs always walking around, which we personally love seeing! Of course, the food was amazing along with their service. Alec ordered a mixed berry muffin while I went for the orange lemon poppy seed bread. Both tasted amazing and they were the perfect size to get our days going.

They also have multiple coffee options on their menu including the Kerigold Butter coffee which I ordered. My college roommate did this all the time and I thought she was the craziest thing ever. When I saw it on the menu, I just knew I needed to try it. After trying this type of coffee, it’s safe to say it wasn’t my favorite way of taking my coffee, but I loved seeing it as an option.

My Overall Rating: Four and a Half/Five

5. Sushi Bay:

Our last meal at Denver was at Sushi Bay and this was such a perfect place to end our vacation. I’m personally a huge sushi fan, but I only like nigiri. I’m not a fan of the fancy sushi rolls with all the toppings. I only want rice and meat of choice, which this time around, was krab stick and pepper-crusted tuna. I paired my sushi with a cup of green tea which was perfect since the weather was definitely on the chillier side. Everyone in our group finished our plates clean and we will definitely be going back next time we’re in Denver.

My Overall Rating: Five/Five

Our group ate at more than just these five places, but I really wanted to share our favorites. However, since choosing my top five wasn’t easy, I want to include a couple of honorable mentions.

Honorable Mention #1: Liks Ice Cream

If you have a sweet tooth while heading to the Denver Botanic Gardens, you NEED to make a pit stop at Liks Ice Cream. This place had really good ice cream, coffee, and an outdoor seating area that was beautifully shaded. I’m not sure if their ice cream flavors change, but our group recommends the cinnamon-flavored Bear Snacks (it tastes just like a Teddy Graham and it may go by a slightly different name) & the Mint Chocolate Chip (pictured below) was also really refreshing!

Honorable Mention #2: Green Russell

If you don’t want your night to end early after walking around Union Station, make your way over to Green Russell; the coolest little speakeasy in the area. I’m not a fan of alcohol myself, but the Bartender’s Choice was unbelievably delicious.

The Bartender’s Choice is a drink on their menu that is made based on your taste preferences. I ended up asking my bartender for a vodka-based drink and told them to make a drink like I’m a first-timer that doesn’t enjoy the taste of alcohol. My group joked that they didn’t put any alcohol in my drink, but I think the bartender made my drink correctly and exactly to my liking. After telling the bartender that I wanted a vodka-based drink that didn’t taste like alcohol was sweet/fruity, he brought back this elderberry & lavender vodka drink with a spritz of water to give the top a glassy look. I loved this speakeasy so much even as someone who doesn’t enjoy alcohol.

Have you been to Denver, CO? What were some places you ate at?
Disney’s Hollywood Studios Itinerary

August 19, 2019

I grew up next to Disney World and shockingly, this was only my second trip to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Without Toy Story or Star Wars Land, this park was just Tower of Terror and an old Hollywood vibe. To be completely honest, I’m terrified of the Tower of Terror. To be even more honest, this the main reason why I’ve hardly visited this park! Now that this park has two new lands (Toy Story and Star Wars), there’s so much more for me than being scared of Tower of Terror!

First things first, the two of us went to Disney in the middle of August and it was HOT and no less crowded. My boyfriend and I were sweating bullets throughout the entire day and even when the sun went down, it was still ridiculously humid. I wanted to start this blog post off with the realistic expectations of the weather in Florida (especially during the summers) because it can be pretty unpredictable. Oh, and speaking of unpredictable, it rained multiple times throughout the day, but with how hot it was, the rain was always welcomed.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios is filled with live-shows and character meet-and-greets. The few rides that are there have the longest wait times and Alec and I won’t wait for a ride longer than one hour; the rides are never worth a wait longer than that. But let’s start off with Toy Story Land because that is the newest attraction and it was the first stop of the day. After waiting in the scorching sun for 40 minutes, we were able to ride the Alien Swirling Saucers. I didn’t know what to expect out of the ride but think of the Mad Tea Party at the Magic Kingdom. The only difference is you can’t control how much you spin, but it is nowhere near as dizzying as the Mad Tea Party. You can’t control it because the ride follows an infinity-shape motion (I see what Disney did there: To Infinity and Beyond!) and once we got off the ride, we both thought it was definitely cute and worth the wait. The other two rides: Slinky Dog Dash and Toy Story Mania had wait times over 2 hours and that was WAY too long because let’s be real the actual ride will last less than 2-3 minutes and you waited for 160 minutes…umm NO!

Once we got off the Alien Swirling Saucers, we were both really hungry for a snack and that’s when we walked over to Woody’s Lunch Box. I was really excited to try one of their pop tarts and I had to make the difficult choice between chocolate hazelnut with candied bacon or raspberry. I know it may seem like a no brainer to some, but I really enjoy fruit-filled pop tarts. But because Alec and I were sharing, I ended up trying the chocolate hazelnut filling with candied bacon (that I could barely taste) and overall it was really tasty. I was really glad I got a root beer float to wash it down as its a little dry and you’ll definitely need something to drink. Alec and I really enjoyed Woody’s Lunch Box and I would like to visit again to try more of their menu.

Next on our itinerary was to meet Mike and Sully, which ended up happening at the perfect time because it started to pour as soon as we were walked into the building. We obviously didn’t mind waiting because it was inside so we were able to get AC and shelter from the rain, but holy moly this line felt like it was never going to move!! A couple of groups in front of us left because we were waiting in the same spot for well over 20 minutes. Once we were getting close my excitement was rising because I couldn’t wait to finally meet Sully. When it was our turn to finally meet the characters, Sully was such a loveable, fluffy character; however, Mike, on the other hand, will continue to give me nightmares because talk about being creepingly realistic. & of course, my interaction with both characters was beyond awkward because the characters can’t talk to you and I don’t do well in situations where there is an awkward silence. Even though I was the most awkward human on the planet that day, I personally think Alec was able to capture some really great candid photos of our interaction.

Afterward, we had fast passes for The Little Mermaid Show, Voyage of The Little Mermaid, and the For The First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration. Personally, I enjoyed one show over the other, but I think both shows are worth seeing.

Voyage of The Little Mermaid was really cute because the puppets were neon-colored which looked really cool with the stage’s blacklight and of course, Ariel looked stunning and I couldn’t keep my eyes off of her. But that’s probably because I’ve always wanted to be Ariel with her mermaid fin! Even though I really enjoyed the colors of the animals and Ariel, the show as a whole seemed a little too gimmicky. The perfect example of this is the show stuffed Prince Eric’s shirt with multiple pillows to make him appear bigger/stronger than Ariel, but he just ended up looking ridiculous. When he came on stage, I legit laughed out loud so bad that I couldn’t help myself!

When The Little Mermaid show ended, we made our way across the sidewalk to see the Frozen show, and while it felt long, it was a really cute show that I thought was planned out really nicely. First off, this show is a sing-along so plan to belt your heart out or sit there miserably while everyone else does. The show starts off with Anna looking for her sister Elsa, but of course, we cannot find her! The two Arendelle Historians stall by telling us the “history” of Arendelle, which is you watching the song portions of the movie (except for Reindeer are Better Than People, For the First Time in Forever Reprise, and Fixer-Upper). Although they didn’t play every single song, the show still felt like it was dragging towards the end, but I personally believe the ending is the best part. In the end, you find Elsa and the whole auditorium starts to snow as Elsa is singing Let It Go; it’s pretty epic!

After seeing both shows, we walked over to see if the Beauty and the Beast had any showings, but they were done for the day and we went to Tower of Terror instead. If you know me then you know how much I HATE rides that just drop you straight down; but Alec had been such a trouper that day taking photos that I wanted to make him happy by joining him on this terrible, terrible ride. The standby wait time said 40 minutes, but the line felt like it was constantly moving so we didn’t mind the wait. I love the details that Disney put into this ride while waiting in line, but if you’re like me and hate the drops, you’ll hate this ride. The silver lining is the actual ride is really short and is over before you know it, but when I got off the ride my legs were shaking. BUT…getting on the ride I had a huge ping of guilt because I had a middle schooler to my left and Alec had an elementary schooler to his right so I thought, “if they can do it so can I.” Well, when the ride was over they both freaking loved it and I’m over here looking like a newborn deer with how badly my legs were shaking.

The very last thing on our Hollywood Studios visit was our Fastpass to Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith. This was another ride I had never been on so I had no idea what to expect, but this is a true roller coaster in the sense that it shoots you really fast in the beginning then immediately flips you (this part thinks of The Hulk at Island’s of Adventure). However, the rest of the ride reminded me of Space Mountain at Magic Kingdon because I felt like it was the same ride just different effects. I really enjoy roller coasters and the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith was a great way to end our Hollywood Studios trip.

Alec and I had such a fun time at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but it continues to be my least favorite Disney park. I mean, come on, how can you compete with Magic Kingdom or Epcot (my two all-time favorite parks)? But I know once Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge opens, this park will be able to compete with the others. Have you visited Disney’s Hollywood Studios before? What were some of your highlights from your trip?

With Love,

A Simple Wildflower
New Orleans Itinerary: Celebrating Birthday #26

July 4, 2019

Our trip to New Orleans was packed with eating, walking around the city, and eating some more! This was a huge trip because we were celebrating my 26th birthday!! & this is my energy level when I’m celebrating my birthday!

We recently moved to North Florida which means a road trip to New Orleans is only 6 hours and like I’ve said before, 6 hours is my limit on road trips; any more and I’m hopping on a plane. My top 3 city choices that were within the 6 hours driving distance were New Orleans, Atlanta, and Charleston, SC. I ultimately chose New Orleans because Alec had never been. We both had already visited Atlanta a few years ago to see a musical and I want to save Charleston for another trip; maybe for an anniversary trip?

& with New Orleans being filled with food and music I figured this was the best choice for a birthday celebration!!

Alec booked us a room at the Avenue Plaza Resort which is within walking distance of the Garden District and the Lafayette Cemetary I. Even though we made the walk from our hotel to the French Quarter, I would suggest Ubering around New Orleans regardless where you stay. I suggest this because not all of the common New Orleans bucket list items are within walking distance.

The hotel itself was absolutely stunning and the staff was unbelievably friendly and helpful throughout our whole stay. I highly recommend staying at this hotel because their customer service is completely top-notch, it’s a beautiful hotel, and it’s in the perfect location for Mardi Gras!

When we rolled into the hotel Friday, we stayed in for the night because we were exhausted from the drive. When we woke up on Saturday morning, we slowly got out of bed and went downstairs to the hotel’s courtyard to have coffee before heading out into the hustle and bustle of the city. We were unable to get photos of the beautiful courtyard because we forgot our phones in the room, but we didn’t mind because we were engulfed in each others company.

Once we finally got dressed for the day, we walked all the way to Jackson Square! After that LONG walk, we were really hungry and stumbled into Stanley’s. We didn’t want a big meal, so I ordered a side of the Creole Breakfast Potatoes with a glass of orange juice. The potatoes were not what I expected, but really delicious and would recommend them!

Our first museum stop of the day was to the Mardi Gras Museum. On the outside, it may not look like much, but on the inside, it was filled with rich Mardi Gras history and the costumes there were wonderfully over-the-top!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Some outfits I wanted to wear myself and thankfully the owners already thought about this and had a room in the front where you can take photos with fun Mardi Gras props and costumes. Overall, I’m really glad the two of us got to walk around and get a little taste of the biggest parade, like EVER!

I probably have lice now!

While walking back to our hotel, we decided to visit the WWII Museum. This was a HUGE museum and our self-guided tour took up a couple of hours of our day. There was SO much to see here! We weren’t able to take photos, but this was a MAJOR highlight of our trip and a must-do for all the history lovers out there!

Once we got back to the hotel, we were so worn out from walking around in the heat that we took a nap until it was time for our dinner reservation at 8:30 PM.

Dinner was an absolute treat!! Alec loves to make the restaurant we go to for special events a surprise. He kept my 25th birthday dinner a surprise and he said he loved my reaction so much that he wanted to do that again this year. & for good reason because of look at this entrance!

Cafe Amelia is absolutely breath-taking and I would love to visit again to sit outside in the courtyard. Unfortunately, even with our reservation, we didn’t want to wait to have outdoor seating and was immediately seated inside, which was still just as beautiful. The food was equally as great as their atmosphere and was probably our favorite meal in New Orleans.

For starters, we ordered the Chicken and Andouille Gumbo and the Bubba Grit Dip. Both of these items were really delicious and would want again. The gumbo had flavor, but not too much heat and the dip had a grit base that was perfectly cheesy!!

& if you didn’t know:

For our entrees, I ordered their seasonally-inspired chef’s pasta, while Alec ordered the Chicken and Andouille Jambalaya Pasta. We were absolutely obsessed with my pasta dish and Alec’s pasta dish was just as good! After dinner, we walked around Bourbon St. and then went back to the hotel.

Waking up on Sunday, I was immediately ready to celebrate my birthday, but we first needed coffee!

Today was all about relaxation and taking things slow, so we sat in the courtyard again to enjoy each others company. There wasn’t a ton on our to-do list today, except for Cafe du Monde at night to cap off my birthday. I really loved the idea of ending my birthday stuffing our faces with beignets and powdered sugar.

The first birthday stop was a much-needed breakfast. We originally tried eating at The Ruby Slipper Cafe, but took one look at the line and walked over to Daisy Dukes and decided just wait in that long line because we were so hungry.

The service and the food were great! Alec ordered the Popcorn Shrimp Po-Boy, which he thought would have been perfect if it was half the serving size because it was heavy on the bread. I ordered the Biscuits & Country Sausage Gravy with a side of Pancakes.

After breakfast, the rest of my birthday was spent walking around town and exploring. We walked into my favorite store (SEPHORA!!) and splurged on some great items!

After Sephora, we walked around Jackson’s Square walking in and out of different shops, stopped by Fat Tuesday to grab a drink to cool down from the heat, and continued walking. When we were done walking, we took a quick power nap (the heat will wipe you out like that) then went back out to walk past Lafayette Cemetary I/Garden District. & after this we finally made our way to Cafe du Monde around 10:30 PM to end my birthday on such a sweet note!

In the morning, Cafe du Monde will usually have a theme park-sized line and there was no way we wanted to wait in the sun for that long. This was the best part of going to this restaurant at night because we were seated immediately…AFTER going to an ATM to get cash because it’s a cash-only establishment. Thankfully there is an ATM right around the corner, but that wasn’t something we were expecting.

The menu here is basically beignets, coffee, and hot chocolate, which is exactly what we ordered! This little midnight snack was absolutely delicious and a complete New Orleans staple, but I’m going to let the photo below speak for itself.

(I was able to buy this coffee mug that had my hot chocolate in!!)

After getting a huge sugar rush, the two of us needed to walk around before heading to the hotel and the perfect place was, of course, Bourbon Street!

The rest of the trip was spent heading back to the hotel to pack our belongings because we wanted to be on the highway by 11 AM. Because the rest of the trip was uneventful, here are some random photos from our NOLA trip!

(The bright pink wig I bought for my birthday night out!!!)

If you made it to the end, I congratulate you! I also hope I was able to help give you some great New Orleans tips for your upcoming trip because we didn’t know what to expect before we went. I was really glad I got a chance to visit the city with the best part, for me, being the food! I gotta say those beignets covered in powdered sugar won me over! One expense I would make sure to save for is transportation because you could either Uber/Lyft around the city or pay for a trolley pass. My least favorite part is how alcohol is the center of everything in this city. If you aren’t a big drinking fan, then there wasn’t a ton to enjoy on Bourbon Street. But ultimately, I really enjoyed my time here and wouldn’t mind booking a room at the Avenue Plaza to view Mardi Gras IN.REAL.LIFE!!

Have you ever visited New Orleans? What was the favorite part of your trip? Did you love taking in the Voodoo history or are you more of a foodie like Alec and myself? If Alec and I go back in March, I can’t wait to try more restaurants!

With love,

A Simple Wildflower
Savannah, GA Roadtrip

June 27, 2019
If you live anywhere in Florida, then Savannah, GA is a relatively short drive away! My boyfriend and I lived in Boca Raton and our trip took us roughly 6 and a half hours. Any more than that and I would have said “no way!” to a road trip and hopped on a plane.

I chose Savannah for our third-year anniversary destination because it always came across as such a down-to-earth, quaint town and I was needing a little bit of that slow-as-molasses lifestyle. & since this trip was for celebrating our 3-year anniversary, I thought this would be a great location to have a relaxing/romantic vacation.

Our Stay

Victorian Bakery Apartment $120 per night booked on Airbnb.

I would highly recommend staying at this Airbnb! Our host, Debbie, was so sweet and attentive! She even made sure we had a great stay even while she was dealing with a family emergency out of town.

On your first morning at the Airbnb, you receive a complimentary bakery item; however, since the bakery was closed during our first morning, Debbie made sure to have two bakery items in the fridge before our arrival. AND we were welcomed with 2 cupcakes; yes, they were DELICIOUS!

We Ubered from this place once and found that it was quite a walking distance from the main part of town. But we’re also people who really don’t mind walking semi-far distances.

Things to Do/Places to See

The best way to describe Savannah is it’s a walking city! We would get to the center of town and walk everywhere! And because we were able to walk around, that allowed us to discover some pretty cool squares, bars, and stores.
- Forsyth Park: If you went to Savannah and didn’t go to Forsyth Park, then I have to believe you were deliberately trying to avoid it. This park is so stunning! We sat on a bench near the fountain and watched a nearby wedding that was about to start. We sat and watched the groom as he was anxiously waiting for his bride, a dad that was keeping the flower girl entertained, all while the wedding photographer snapped away capturing all those small, perfect moments. We didn’t stay long , though, because it was May which translates into we were getting kind of sweaty!
- 22 Squares: Savannah has historic squares scattered around the city, and if you’re walking around, you’ll stumble across most of them without even trying. The most famous square in Savannah is Chippewa Square. This is where the bench scene from Forest Gump was filmed. The square looks different than in the movie, but it’s still really cool to see where the movie was filmed.
- City Market: This is another staple of Savannah! This area is filled with amazing restaurants, bars, and shops. We really enjoyed this area of Savannah because you can legally walk around outside with an alcoholic beverage. City Market is filled with plenty of bars, which left us with the perfect opportunity to bar hop around town with a drink already in hand! Just tell the bar you want your drink to-go and they will know what to do!
- The Savannah Waterfront: This is the one area in Savannah that we spent, hands down, the most time at. This is another location that is full of restaurants and bars! The weekend during our stay, there was a local market going on that was filled with local art and food. And I seriously kid you not, we purchased artwork 2.5 seconds after reaching the local market. We purchased 2 artwork pieces carved out of wood, one is FSU and the other is Penn State. After making our purchase, we walked to Wet Willie’s for one of their signature frozen drinks! & don’t judge but we definitely went to Wet Willie’s more than once!
- Jones Street: It might sound silly to have a local street as a must-have item on your Savannah bucket list, BUT I am 100% certain when I say this street is gorgeous and I’m so glad we found it. Jones Street was voted one of America’s most beautiful streets, and for good reason! This street is lined with historic homes, each home with a different personality than the last, and huge canopy trees that hang over the street. We walked down this street in awe! Most of our photos are from Jones Street.
Places to Eat

I don’t want to lie and tell you that the food we had in Savannah was amazing, but I think we were slightly disappointed because our expectations were high. While some places left us wanting more, the restaurants I list below were the biggest standouts!
- Goose Feathers Cafe: This is the place where we had, hands down, our best meal in Savannah! This is a budget-friendly breakfast place that had a line out the door! And honestly, that’s the reason we chose this restaurant. If a restaurant has a line outside the establishment, it’s usually safe to assume they have that line for a reason. And that is definitely true with this place. Although there was a long line, we had no issue finding a table. The reason why is they don’t allow people to save tables while you’re standing in line, which makes finding a table easier after paying. Once we had our food we quickly realized that the owner of the restaurant was the women who took our order! I just love that! I can seriously go on and on about this place, so I’ll let the photo below just give you a good sense of the place!
I ordered a croissant sandwich with a side of cheese grits and a delicious latte! While Alec got the Breakfast Panini, regular coffee, and a side of bread pudding, which was freaking delicious!!
- Treylor Park: On Yelp, this place is #3 on Best Lunch Places in Savannah and it was one of the biggest letdowns! Alec liked his meal; however, it definitely wasn’t his favorite meal of the trip. This place, for some reason, had raving reviews everywhere! And that’s why it was so shocking to us that we just didn’t enjoy it. With glowing reviews, I was expecting something amazing that doesn’t look like something I could make at home. When we arrived for lunch there was already a 40-minute wait. We didn’t want to walk around to find something else, so we sat at the bar until our table was ready. I ordered a Caprese Sandwich with no tomatoes (that’s probably what ruined my sandwich, but I HATE sliced tomatoes) and my sandwich came out very bleh. It was completely cold, they put two thick slices of bread over sliced mozzarella and some pesto. I think the sandwich would have been better if it was toasted or grilled, but it was just a cold sandwich I could have easily made at home.
- The Olde Pink House: This restaurant has such a STUNNING atmosphere and was decorated beautifully! The Olde Pink House has an old historic vibe which pairs perfectly with their dim lighting, which is why we went here to celebrate our 3-year anniversary. It’s VERY romantic!! However, the food left us unsatisfied. The meal was good, but something that tasted like any other restaurant. Although the food left us wanting more, the service we received here was top notch! They really do want you to have the best dining experience at The Olde Pink House. & it was such a cool experience sitting in the historic Study near a fireplace.
- River Street Sweets: A great spot if you have a sweet tooth is River Street Sweets! While you are walking along Savannah’s Waterfront you MUST walk into River Street Sweets. You will be hit in the face with a wonderfully SWEET smell of freshly baked Pralines. When we walked in, the person making the pralines gave us a sample and it was love at first bite!
I know Savannah didn’t sound like the most exciting trip of the year and the food was decent, but Savannah was everything Alec and I needed at that moment. We wanted to travel to someplace more romantic (that wasn’t the beach) with a more relaxed pace for our 3-year anniversary trip and Savannah fit the bill perfectly! We thought our 3-day weekend was plenty of time to take in the city and have downtime at the Airbnb. If you’re stuck on time, 2-days in Savannah will be a good amount of time to soak everything in.

Have you been to Savannah? What are some things that were on your must-do list? Did you find any food place that you absolutely loved that I need to check out next time? I would love to hear about your Savannah trip! What did you like and what didn’t you like!

With love,

A Simple Wildflower
My Key West Itinerary – Romantic Birthday Getaway

June 23, 2019
Key West was the BEST destination I could ever dream of for my 25^th birthday! It has everything your heart could desire and then some! The Keys left my boyfriend and I feeling so refreshed and relaxed, we started looking up real estate…seriously!

Our Stay

Website: caribbeanhousekw.com

Caribbean House

I would highly recommend staying here for several reasons, but the most important aspect for us, budget-friendly travelers: cost! Caribbean House was one of the cheapest hotels we could find which is crucial because Key West is EXPENSIVE! Expect to spend roughly $200 per night at any hotel in Key West. We booked our hotel during the slow season, so we were able to score a room for less. We also loved this hotel because of the convenient bicycle rentals at the front office. Bicycles are the only way we got around town. We would not have made it if we had to walk everywhere. Oh yeah! – breakfast is included!

Things to Do/Places to See

Oh gosh, where to even begin! There are so many things to do in Key West, and for 4 days, I think we did a good amount!
- Southern Most Point: We tried going once before, but there was a long line and we didn’t want to wait just for one photo. On our last day, we woke up around 7:30 am and headed for the Southern Most Point one more time and I’m so glad we did. Going in the morning, there was only one group taking a photo. A local who took our photo told us that by 9 am, this place will be packed! Beat the long line go in the morning!
- Mallory Square: This is a must do if you’re traveling to Key West. Every evening around sunset there is a Sunset Ceremony. Although it was unbelievably cloudy during our trip, there was still a huge celebration at the square every evening. Mallory Square is a lively party that is a must see!
- Shopping!: I was pleasantly surprised when we were walking down the street and found a couple outlet stores! I love outlet malls because I always want to buy multiple items at once. The two stores I noticed, and personally love, were Banana Republic and GAP.
- Canoeing in the Mangroves: Unfortunately, we couldn’t take any photos while canoeing. We had to leave all our personal items on shore. We went through FURY Marriott Beachside Key West Rentals. We loved this experience; however, be prepared for a looong bike ride there! I’m sure you can find other canoeing experiences closer to your hotel with a little research.
- Dry Tortugas: This is our honorable mention. When I planned out my trip to Key West, Dry Tortugas was always a part of the plan. Unfortunately, we were looking at $185 per person and just couldn’t save up enough money to go. We plan on returning with the sole purpose of visiting the historic landmark. I would describe this as a true once in a lifetime place to visit.
Places to Eat

So many good food places! There were some places Alec wanted to visit again and some places we found just by walking around!
- Sloppy Joes: Sloppy Joe’s must be on everyone’s list! Grab a few drinks and enjoy the environment that is Sloppy Joe’s! This was the one bar we went to more than any other. Hemingway was a regular patron of Sloppy Joe’s and if you go during July you will witness the Sloppy Joe’s Hemingway Look-a-Like Contest.
- Better than Sex: This was the one place I really wanted to try. How can you go wrong with chocolate covered wine glasses and dessert? The atmosphere of this place is darkly sensual. The inside is dark and intimate, and you will always be seated next to each other rather than across.
- Latitudes: This restaurant is something special and was our one splurge meal. Alec made this reservation for my birthday and kept it a secret until our dinner reservation and I was totally shocked! You first have to take a short 8-minute boat ride to a nearby island. Once you get off you step foot onto the cutest island that we did not want to leave. The food, service and atmosphere was perfect. Alec wanted so badly to have our reservation for sunset but couldn’t. If you can plan ahead make a reservation around sunset!
- Caroline’s Café: We ate here for dinner. We were seated outside next to multi-colored Christmas lights and 100% humidity. I ordered the peel-and-eat shrimp, and my boyfriend ordered a shrimp po boy. We both really enjoyed our meal.
- Blue Macaw Island Eats & Bar: This restaurant was a short 2-minute walk from our hotel. We ate outside for lunch under a bush (which gave us some well needed shade). This is a very chill, relaxed area to grab a quick bite. The only thing that I wish I didn’t get was the alcoholic drink. It was a frozen margarita that basically tasted like water.
- Charlie Mac’s: We stumbled upon this place on our first day without even trying. We were so hungry that we walked into the first place we saw, and we got so lucky on this gamble! Try the Spicy Pork Mac n Cheese Balls (6ea) these were AMAZING!!! Loved this freaking appetizer so much and wish I had some right in front of me right now! I like spicy foods but don’t like too spicy and I thought these were perfect. I know Alec’s mother hates spicy anything and I know she wouldn’t like these for that reason.
- Honorable mention: Vicky Bakery. This is an honorable mention because this was our first stop on our road trip. This is a Cuban café that is all over South Florida that we are obsessed with! Our friends from Miami showed us this spot and we have been obsessed ever since. We will always get the Cubano (which I call little coffee) and a few Croquettes (we usually go with ham croquettes)
(Latitudes is on this small island, it’s like a small town! It even has a fire-station)

(This island was so rich in color! I’m OBSESSED with these flowers!)

That is our whole trip to Key West! This was, hands down the best way to celebrate my 25^th birthday! And you can make Key West whatever you want. If you want it to be adventurous with a lot of outdoor activities, you can do it! If you want to have a relaxing vacation, then this place is perfect as well! All I know is you won’t want to leave and then proceed to look up real estate like us, then reluctantly head home.

With Love,

A Simple Wildflower

24.555059 -81.779987
Epcot’s Flower & Garden Festival – Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside

April 11, 2019

This is the second time going to Disney’s Epcot Flower & Garden Festival, once in 2017 and this past March and if you have the chance, try to make it because this event ends June 3rd, 2019!

My two cousins and I went on March 16th and it was pretty crowded that day for it opening up just the weekend before. I firmly believe that Epcot is just as crowded as the Magic Kingdom, so, just pick your poison.

We got to the park at 9:00 am and this is what the park looks like when you first walk in.

This morning we had SUPER cloudy weather!

This area was right after showing your Disney ticket and giving them a fingerprint. Even at 9:00 am, this area was starting to get congested and this was an area we could find that didn’t have too many people in the background for photo taking.

The world showcase doesn’t open until 11:00 am, which means you need to wander around the front of Epcot riding the few rides they offer: Frozen Ever After, Mission: SPACE (we did the least intense option), and Test Track. (These are the rides we rode. I personally don’t care for Epcot rides, they leave me wanting more.

(Beginning of the Frozen ride)

This was my first time on this ride and I really liked it, but I would never wait more than 30 minutes for this ride because it’s short and I wasn’t a huge fan of the drop at the end.

(I’m in the second row, all the way to the left. My two cousins are sitting next to me)

But, of course, the part in the ride where they play ‘Let It Go’ was obviously EPIC and my cousins and I were belting our lungs out along with our main girl, Elsa!!

After we got off Frozen Ever After, the world showcase was about to open its doors in roughly 30 minutes, so we made our way to the first country (Mexico) and waited in line at the La Cava del Tequila. We noticed there were only two groups standing in line for this lounge, that we jumped right in to be the third group to be seated once the doors opened.

We ordered chips and queso with a round of margaritas!! I stick with the Classic Marg 😉

The chips and queso came with the white queso pictured above and with two other red salsa-type sides. And, the water is there to remind you that you should drink water during every country or every other country because water is free (except for bottled water) and you need to stay hydrated while drinking outside in the Florida heat!

(Beautiful flowers right next to the Mexico Pavilion)

The next country on Epcot’s world showcase route is Norway, but I only have the video from the Frozen ride. However, I wish I was able to get a video of the two Norwegian Vikings walking around talking to the guests.

The third country on the route is China and we spent the whole time in this country looking for our Chinese Zodiac (Chinese New Year Animal). I was born in 1993, which means that I am a Rooster according to the Chinese Zodiac.

For anyone born in 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, or in the future year 2029, does this description sound like you?

“The Rooster is a hard worker; shrewd, outspoken, and definite in decision making. Because of this, you tend to seem boastful to others. You are a dreamer, flashy dresser, and extravagant to an extreme. Born under this sign, you should be happy as a restaurant owner, publicist, soldier, or world traveler.”

Next on the route, which happens to be one of my favorite countries at Epcot: Germany! And the reason it’s my favorite country is because of their Werthers Caramel store. It’s seriously drool-worthy!

Waiting in line to get my bag of Caramel-covered popcorn!!

(Just staring at chocolate while I wait. Look at those chocolate-covered apples in the back!)

Next on our list is Italy, and honestly, unless you’re hungry you will leave this country feeling extremely underwhelmed. Since we made our lunch reservations for Japan, we went to the one restaurant that offers a wine bar so my one cousin could order her wine to-go.

The next country we walked to after Italy was…The United States!!! Hello, my home country!!! I personally think they did a great job of recreating colonial America.

But, if you’re a key lime lover like my cousin is then you definitely need to purchase the Key Lime Funnel Cake at the American Pavilion. I don’t like key lime but I had a piece of the funnel cake and it was perfect; so warm and soft.

(The key lime flavor is only available during the Flower & Garden Festival. Just an FYI!!)

The next country on the list is Japan and this is where our lunch reservations at Tokyo Dining were. If you like sushi, then I HIGHLY recommend this place for either lunch or dinner. I literally made a sound when I made my first bite the guy at the table next to us said ‘isn’t it good?’ it was seriously that good and fresh!

Front view of Tokyo Dining & Teppan Edo

The view from up top. Straight ahead are shops

(The yummy salmon & tuna sushi I ordered and the napkin display when we were first seated at our table)

Before and after our lunch reservation you could hear Japanese woman play the drums that seem to echo across the whole park. There is a station where you can watch someone open up an oyster revealing a pearl and in that area is a HUGE area to shop Japanese merchandise.

Morocco is one of my favorite countries to walk around in at Epcot and thankfully that was next on our route because we were all feeling a little full after lunch. I also really enjoy Morocco because it is very shaded and that is basically solid gold here in Florida; even during our cloudy weather (hello, humidity!!!).

The one area that made me stop in my tracks was, however, smack dab in the sun but that was okay because it was totally worth it!

I mean, COME ON, how beautiful is this tree and with the lamp post right there, it seriously looks unreal!

I loved this little spot so much, I shamelessly started taking selfies in front of it!

SHAMELESS SELFIES!!!!

This area is a serious hidden gem because look how amazing this shot looks of my cousins! The tree is big enough that it can be seen while standing in this spot, the wooden ceiling above them is the cutest thing to ever exist, and there are flower petals scattered across their feet. I’m obsessed with this photo!!!

We’re starting to get towards the end of our journey across the 11 countries at Epcot and we can definitely feel how crowded the park has gotten while heading towards France! Holy moly! We didn’t even want to spend time in France because of how crowded it was and it just felt more claustrophobic than anything else. While leaving France, we saw Belle in her village outfit and it was so sweet seeing her hug the next child going up to see her.

Of course, I got the most important picture of all though while at France.

Belle and the Beast! 🙂 (sorry this was the only angle that didn’t have people)

Next is the United Kingdom and it was honestly WAY too crowded to get a drink or even stroll through. We immediately went in and out, so to make up for not having photos from the United Kingdom area of Epcot, here are more photos of characters disquised as plants.

We got The Lion King!!!

We got Mickey & Minnie!!!

& we got The Toy Story characters: Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Bo Peep, and her sheep!!!

I will say that Canada grew on me this time at Epcot. I usually don’t like this country because they pretty much only serve beer and their attraction is a movie narrated by Martin Short, and honestly, that sounds boring to me and we passed on the O’ Canada Movie (Sorry, not sorry Disney).

BUT, what Canada lacks in attractions they completely win in flowers and being one of the most visually stunning countries at Epcot!!!

(My fanny pack is from Amazon, but it’s by Lounge Fly)

And, tucked away in the back where the movie plays is a stunning waterfall that makes you feel like you’re in the Canadian wilderness.

SHAMELESS WATERFALL SELFIES!!!

(This video will pan up to the top of the waterfall so you can see the full effect)

AND THOSE ARE THE ELEVEN COUNTRIES AT EPCOT AND WE ARE FINALLY FINISHED WALKING AROUND THE PARK!!!

All three of us at this point are completely beat after walking around Epcot twice, once for drinks and then we got hungry around 5 pm (the time we got to Canada), and a second time for small bites that were set up throughout Epcot specifically for the Flower & Garden Festival. Before leaving though I bought a Flower & Garden Festival jersey shirt because I love long sleeves and the color is absolutely stunning! I just couldn’t say no. I also didn’t want to say no to the Mickey Ears specifically designed for the festival, but both together would have been too expensive. And, knowing myself I would wear this long sleeve enough to justify the higher price tag.

Don’t mind my couch! But can we all please drool over this amazingly bright fuchsia!!

Once we were finished walking around Epcot we took the Disney bus back to our hotel room at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort. If you’re looking at places to stay on Disney property, then I highly suggest looking into the Port Orleans Riverside or the French Quarter Resort.

We stayed at this resort for one night then we drove back to our homes not too far away. So, I wish I could have a more in-depth review of the Riverside Resorts amenities but unfortunately, I just have some photos. I will give us some slack though because we really wanted to try out their barside pool after a LONG day at Epcot, but it was a complete downpour on the bus drive back to our hotel room and it ended up raining the rest of the night. Freaking bummer! AND, THEY WERE HAVING SMORES UNTIL 7 PM THAT WE MISSED BECAUSE OF THE RAIN!! BUMMER!!

Some of the hotel rooms.

The area near our breakfast. SO CUTE!!!

My boyfriend and I are also magnet collectors, so I purchased this one from their gift shop. Well, it was the only magnet they had for this resort, so I didn’t have much of a choice. Good thing it’s really pretty and looks good on my fridge.

And this was my drive home. This photo was taken when I was about to turn into my neighborhood and good timing because I got this sunset at the right time! I hope you enjoyed this blog post about my time at Disney’s Epcot Flower & Garden Festival and staying the night at Riverside Resort. I had such a blast that day and can’t wait for my next Disney trip!

Have you been to Epcot’s Flower & Garden Festival? Did you love it or are you more of a Food & Wine Festival lover? Or have you stayed on Disney property before? I need to know if they’re worth the price or not! I thought the Port Orleans Riverside (even French Quarter) was a great option because they’re usually one of the cheaper Disney resort options and I really loved the theme of this resort; felt like I was in New Orleans and I could see Princess Tiana at any moment. I’m DYING to stay at the Grand Floridian, but other resorts such as the Contemporary or the Boardwalk Villas, I would like to know from you all if the price matches the expectations.

With Love,

A Simple Wildflower
Glossier’s Miami Pop-Up Shop + My Haul

April 8, 2019

Glossier is easily becoming one of my favorite brands because I love that their whole vibe is to enhance the beauty you already have in the most natural way possible and I’m really excited to continue trying out products from this brand.

So, when my friend told me there was a Glossier pop-up shop in Miami, I knew there was absolutely NO WAY I wanted to miss out on that! When we arrived, the pop-up shop was MUCH smaller than I expected but that didn’t bother me because it wasn’t crowded when we went. I also loved that their Miami theme was revolved around mangos; so fun and bright!

Cute mango cart covered in Glossier’s Balm Dotcom!!

For the small space they had, they really did the absolute most with it. The mango cart, pictured above, was one of the first things you see when walking in and it perfectly sums up their Miami-mango theme! Tucked in the back was their mango room, which would have been a perfect place for photos but their lights flushed you out majorly!! But, still a fun and colorful room!

Holy moly! Those veins on my hand

(More veins, it’s like my Glossier bag weighs 30 pounds!)

And, of course, we couldn’t go to the Glossier pop-up shop without taking some shameless mirror selfies!

(Me going home with my Glossier purchase, they also spelled my name wrong on the sticker but what can you do?)

But, I know you all clicked on this blog post because you want to see what I purchased and what my thoughts are on each product; so, let’s just get into it, shall we?

First thing’s first, your Glossier purchase will come in a plastic, bubble-wrapped baggie which I kind of like but kind of really hate. I like the fact that it has bubble wrap on the inside because it keeps your products safe from breaking. However, I don’t like them because they’re made of plastic. I try to reuse the bags as something purposeful; like my last Glossier baggie is now my nail polish bag so, my nail polish doesn’t break or I’ll use them as a travel bag to keep my breakables safe.

It’s a cute, pink baggie at least!

Let’s start with my more expensive item, the perfecting skin tint in shade G11 which retails for a whopping $42 for a mere 1 oz bottle.

I’ve used this product maybe 4 or 5 times and I just can’t justify how sheer it looks on the face for its price tag. I prefer a sheer foundation and was maybe expecting too much from this product because I heard a lot of good things about this specific foundation and I REALLY wanted it to work.

I’m obviously going to keep using this product a bit more because I spent my own money on this and I want to see how using a brush or beauty blender will make the coverage look. So far, I’ve been putting this on my fingertips and rubbing it upwards, per their directions.

My favorite brow product ever & a repurchase!! To be fair, this is actually the only brow product I’ve ever tried but I don’t feel the need to try anything else!

Before this product, I used to NEVER wear anything on my eyebrows even though they’re blonde and I have missing hair (scar) on my left eyebrow from a childhood accident but as soon as I bought this product on a whim, I was hooked!!!

The reason I love this product so much is for the simple reason that it’s easy to use, it grooms my eyebrows with minimal color (they also have a clear brow gel), and it’s 1, 2, 3 done!

Generation G was something I wanted to purchase the first time I made my Glossier purchase and was the first product I told the check-out lady I wanted.

Zip is described on the Glossier’s website as a poppy red and crush is described as a hot raspberry pink and honestly, I’m becoming obsessed with both colors! This sheer matte lipstick is waxier than I expected but it gives my lips such a wonderful flush of color that this is now going STRAIGHT into my purse!

I would also like to purchase shade cake which is a subtle peach.

And, of course, they put in some lovely stickers and a sample of their Milky Jelly Cleanser. I’ve heard good things about their jelly cleanser and will see if it lives up to my standards.

Fun keychain I purchased from the Glossier Miami pop-up shop! & I had no idea, until today, that my keychain purchase went to a charity; which is always a nice thing to see!

Have you tried anything from Glossier? If so, anything that I need to try right away?

P.S. My jeans are from Target’s, Wild Fable line. I’m so obsessed with these mom jeans, that I bought them in this and a black wash. I believe they were about $26 each. 🙂

With Love,

A Simple Wildflower
Trip to Wynwood Walls

March 22, 2019

When old college roommates embark on a spontaneous weekend trip to visit you in South Florida. Miami was the obvious city to go to!

Miami seriously has something to do for everyone and you can easily spend a 3-day weekend here, but we only had a few hours to visit this vibrant city. With only a couple of hours in Miami, we all decided to make Wynwood Walls our main event. Alec and I had driven the outer portion of the Wynwood District but we never made it to the actual walls themselves.

We arrived at Wynwood in the early afternoon and was able to find parking in a nearby parking lot. Parking was $5 for 2 hours, which was plenty of time for us to visit the walls and walk to a nearby smoothie place to people watch for a little bit.

When we walked through the Wynwood Walls entrance, we were all shocked and pleased to find out that it was free entry; not commonly seen in Miami. This was such a nice surprise for being in a city that is known for being expensive, however, we couldn’t even find a donation box which was disappointing because we all had a few singles to spare. If you’ve been to the Wynwood Walls and saw a donation box, please let ya girl know because when I visit again, I definitely want to show my love and appreciation for the amazing and talented artist that have their artwork shown.

Seriously, the murals/artwork that we saw throughout were absolutely stunning and I couldn’t even dream of ever being that talented! There are 3 main sections (big outdoor squares) that you walk through, but to my surprise, this place is much smaller than I’d imagined. Still amazing but smaller than I had anticipated.

Here are some photos,

This is where you enter Wynwood Walls. Hi, Kitty!!!

First wall you see when entering Wynwood & every time I look at this photo of myself the only thing I can think of is how pregnant I look; I can’t even call it a food baby

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Seriously obsessed with all the talent!!!!!!!!

Can’t wait to see what new artwork will be displayed when we all go again 😉

With Love,

A Simple Wildflower
Disney’s Magic Kingdom – Thanksgiving Season

December 1, 2018

Alec and I went to Walt Disney Worlds Magic Kingdom the day after Thanksgiving and boy, was it an amazing time! I will say however, it was flippin’ crowded! That will be my word of caution for this post because if you are worried about crowds, I can confidently tell you that this day felt like a nine out of ten on the crowded scale.

With that being said, the two of us had such an amazing time and we decided to go on this trip because I found a reservation for the Be Our Guest Restaurant. The date and time that they had available when I checked were, yep, you guessed it, the morning after Thanksgiving but I reserved that time as soon as I saw it because until then, I had yet seen an open reservation for the restaurant pop-up on the Disney website. Alec, of course, was on board and the plan to go to Disney the day after Thanksgiving was set! We are very fortunate to live in a place that is only two and a half hours away from Orlando which allows us to make spontaneous plans to the park whenever we have the money for it. I wish it was whenever we please, but that will come someday. Because I had made the reservation for the Be Our Guest Restaurant, I continued to check the dining website to see what else would pop-up for that day and that’s when I stumbled on the Crystal Palace. Unfortunately, it wasn’t during their breakfast time – they’re popular for their Mickey shaped waffles – it was for dinner. Crystal Palace has always been a place I’ve wanted to try because of their character dining experience with Winnie the Pooh, Tiger, and Eeyore and booked it right away!

With both restaurants booked, all that was left to do was wait which was the hardest thing to do! When the day finally arrived, we were both excited to get to the park BUT that also meant that we had to wake up early to get to the parks before our 8:15 a.m. reservation.

A lot of the hotels around Disney were pricey because of the holiday, as one would correctly assume, but we were able to find a reasonably priced hotel a mile away from Disney Springs.

We stayed at the Homewood Suites near Disney Springs and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a hotel near Disney or any of the parks. While many hotels could get quite pricey, we found this gem for only $122 a night and it came with free breakfast; seriously cannot beat that! After spending Thanksgiving with my family in Orlando, Alec and I made our way towards our hotel to check-in then went to Disney Springs. I am SO glad we were finally able to see the area because the last time we went it was still called Downtown Disney! Walking through Disney Springs, I was completely in awe of the changes they had made. It’s so grand and extravagant with so many fancy stores that it took a little bit of walking around to find an area that I recognized. I highly suggest visiting Disney Springs if you can fit it into your schedule because if you can practice some self-control like Alec and me, this area of Disney can be a free one.

Let’s continue with the reason why the two of us even went on this trip, to begin with: the Be Our Guest Restaurant! I had visited once before back when Fantasyland first opened, so I noticed some big changes since that first visit. The first time I went it was like any normal sit-down restaurant; a hostess would show you to your table and ours was in the ballroom area near the wall-length windows. This time, the hostess opens the doubles doors and shows you down a hallway where you must wait in line, so you can order your food on an electric station. The hallway resembled the hallway in the movie where it’s lined with knights. They hand you a menu so you can know what you want to order when you reach the station so it’s one, two, and out! We both stood for what seemed like FOREVER just watching these huge groups standing around the machines clueless of how to work it or control their family. Whomever mentioned childless Millennial’s ruined Disney were simply jealous because those kids gave me a headache within that time frame and it was to just order food.

Once Alec and I ordered our food, we walked out to the ballroom to an open seat. I ordered the assorted cured meats and cheese while Alec got the fest a la Gaston. I would suggest both meals and a nice little touch that this restaurant does is provide a small selection of pastries free-of-charge.

Our first fast pass of the day was for the Haunted Mansion, which is one of my favorite rides in the entire park! Fun fact: my second favorite ride is Pirates of the Caribbean! The one con the Haunted Mansion has is it shows a person hanging themselves in the mini-show before getting on the ride. Personally, I think it’s outdated and could be changed. Otherwise, it is a wonderfully creepy ride where I love to rest my head of Alec’s shoulder. AND while I’m thinking of it, another con is if someone is easily scared in your group this ride might not be the best because it has broken down every time I’ve gone on it. I’m speaking from personal experience because my poor cousin who was five didn’t want to go on and we told her it’ll be okay, that we’ll be there, and she didn’t want it to break and we reassured her it wouldn’t. WELL, it did break down and it was in the room with the floating crystal ball with a women’s head chanting spells. Yep, she screamed, and we most likely scarred her. She’s older now and seems to be fine, fingers crossed!

Because I had made a breakfast and dinner reservation, neither of us wanted to pay another Disney priced meal at the parks, so we went back to our car and went to Chick-fil-a drive thru that was on the way back to our hotel. Another reason to love that hotel location! We left for lunch at around 2:30 p.m. which was a great time to leave the parks because it’s at the hottest and most crowded point of the day. We took our meal back to the hotel, so we could rest our feet and lay down for a few hours. It was also nice going back to the hotel because both of us could change into outfits that would keep us warmer in the cooler weather at night. I even changed my Minnie Ears into Disney’s holiday edition ears so I could get into the Christmas spirit because I knew they had the lights on Cinderella’s castle already.

When we got back to the Magic Kingdom, we had some time until our second fast pass, which was Peter Pan’s Flight, started. It had been YEARS since either of us had been on this ride because, for some reason, this ride is ALWAYS at a 90-minute wait and, honestly, we will not wait that long for a ride that lasts maybe 3 minutes. With our fast passes, we were quickly on the ride and I was so glad we went on because it really is a cute ride but would still never wait 90-minutes for.

It was time for our third and final fast pass: Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. I don’t know about this ride, Alec seemed to know where his laser beam was pointing and was able to rack up some solid points, me, on the other hand, was a completely different story. I couldn’t figure out where my laser was pointing, maybe because I wasn’t wearing my glasses, but I haven’t done this poorly before. Whatever the case may be, this was such a bad game for me and I was getting so tired of missing targets that my face looks SO uninterested in our photos. I really like this ride but I’m a sore loser, so I didn’t at the time.

After we used up our three fast passes, we had some time before our Crystal Palace reservation, so we took this prime opportunity to take photos of Cinderella’s castle all lit up. One of my favorite places that I found to take photos of the castle was on the second floor of the entrance, where the train station is. This spot was particularly nice because you also got the Christmas tree in the background as well.

Crystal Palace is a restaurant known for its Mickey shaped waffles during breakfast, however, the only time they had available this day was for dinner so I booked it because I wanted the character dining experience. Let’s start with the food because we all want to know if the food is worth it and my gut is telling me no. At least for dinner and my reason is that dinner is a whopping $52, and the buffet was nice and had a good selection of food, except their dessert left me disappointed. The food was good, but really heavy with there being a selection of salads, peel-n-eat shrimp, vegetables, mashed potatoes, and even a meat carving station. Alec enjoyed the food while it sat heavy in my stomach and made me queasy all night and we both agreed it was not worth spending $104 plus tip on. That’s just a lot of money for something with the word buffet in the title. I honestly did not realize that it was that expensive, last time I remembered looking at prices it was in the ’40s but who knows, maybe I was looking at the breakfast/lunch prices and not the dinner prices. I am still going to try booking a breakfast reservation because I REALLY want to try those Disney’s Mickey-shaped waffles.

The BEST part of Crystal Palace was their character dining because I got to meet my childhood love and hero: Eeyore! This was one of my mom’s favorite characters growing up and I remember her handing down her childhood toy Eeyore to me and loving him ever since. While we were seated at our table, we were told that it could take up to 90 minutes to meet the characters, and the only one we were able to see was the only one I REALLY wanted to see, EEYORE! I was talking with Alec when Eeyore walks up behind me and puts his hand on my shoulder, I jump and make a screaming noise because I wasn’t expecting someone to come up behind me. Eeyore was so embarrassed that he puts his hands over his eyes and leans on the wall. I was so excited to meet Eeyore that I couldn’t contain my happiness, even in the photos I’m too excited to function.

After dinner, we went back up to the second story train station near the entrance to watch the fireworks show and we thought that was a great place to watch the show. We stayed for 8 minutes of the fireworks shows until we made our way to the monorail and let me tell you that was the PERFECT time to leave because as soon as we got on the monorail we noticed a bigger crowd of people leaving the show and making their way to the monorails and we knew once the show was completely over it would be a madhouse getting out. Every time you leave at night it feels like you are cattle slowly being herded into a cage because you are surrounded by thousands of people going out one exit. If you’ve never seen a Disney’s fireworks show then I suggest staying for most of it (it’s 18 minutes long); however, if you don’t mind leaving the show early then I cannot suggest it enough.

We took the tram to our car and made the 25-minute drive back to the hotel and that was our wonderfully packed day at Disney’s Magic Kingdom!

Now here are more photos of our day 🙂

With Love,

A Simple Wildflower