2019 was a good year for being on the road visiting places that I've been and checking out new areas. From Virginia Beach to Cape Cod, New York to Orlando, it was definitely a good ride.
The trips began with the road trip to Orlando, FL for, you guessed it, Walt Disney World Resort. My family have a tradition to caravan down to Orlando to visit the parks and see what's new. We're all big Disney fans so I guess you can imagine just how into the drives that we get. BUt this kind of road tripping can be hard. You have to combine your driving habits with the other drivers, which can lead to some tensions, especially if you've been doing this awhile. Regardless, there were some tense moments but eventually we made it down there. It was my sister-in-law's first time to Disney World and her first time taking a drive that long to get there. There were a few points where we all enjoyed the ride and a few points when cabin fever set in. There's a reason to try to stop often to get out the car. We ended up finding some good places to stop such as South of the Border on the North Carolina and South Carolina state border. The once truck stop has turned into the tourist destination on I-95 that anyone on the road should see at least once. Stops at many different hotels along the way were for the most part it reminded me about why exactly I look for places such as Hampton Inn and Hilton Garden Inn. Some of the places don't have the greatest customer service, but they weren't bad places for the night to get some sleep.
The next trip was to Philadelphia, PA. What became of a easier way than than having my wife wait hours in a layover for a flight home, was staying at a really nice hotel and exploring the area outside of New Hope, NJ. The area we stayed was virtually a quiet area and a few nice restaurants in the area made the trip well worth it.
Back on the road again in July was the trip to New Hope, NJ for my brother's wedding. We stayed at the Golden Plough Inn which is part of the Peddler's Village area. A beautiful area filled with shopping and attractions for visiting, New Hope proved to be a beautiful area and the drive down was equally just as beautiful. Again, caravaning proves to be very difficult, but if you can work out the logistics it can prove to be rewarding.
For my wife and I, the biggest trip of the year is always the yearly trip to Virginia Beach is always the best way to cap off the year in road trips. This city we always hold dear to us especially that becomes the place to celebrate our anniversary. Nothing says romance like staying at a beach side hotel and walking the pier along the beach at night. We'll always find time to go back as like with Disney, it's begun to be a yearly tradition.
2019 was a particularly difficult years but with time on the road and exploring new places, there was some sense of revival; which is one of the many reason that getting in the car and escaping to some place new is the chance at freedom in four wheels.
Sunday, March 29, 2020
Planning for a Weekend Getaway (the remedy for surviving another week.)
So let's paint a picture, shall we?
Monday starts off rough with the car not starting first thing before heading to work. The kids are fighting with you because they don't want to go to school. You get to work and everything is going wrong; the computer deleted your files, your boss is riding your butt to finish a proposal, and Janis in accounting keeps emailing you with the same stupid questions. Now it's 5 o'clock and you're in rush hour traffic trying to get home. You walk in the door to a pile of bills and screaming kids about how hungry they are; and you haven't even gotten your shoes and coat off. After hours of arguing with the kids and fighting them to get to bed you finally are able to climb in the shower for a few moments to relax. It's at this point you realize it's only Monday. Things don't change for the next few days. Thursday you decide, "This is it. I need a break!"
This sound like a typical week to anyone?
This is when a simple weekend getaway can be the difference between being able to take on what comes next week; or make the brash decision to quit your job and send the kids to Boot Camp. But many people get a little scared from the idea because the thought of having to spend too much money comes to mind (memories of having to take kids on vacation). A weekend road trip does not have to cost a lot of money, nor does it have to be that long of a drive to be a nice relaxing trip. When My wife and I need a break from everything one of our favorite places to stay is the Hilton Garden Inn™ in Danbury, CT. It's about an hour and a half from home but the idea of getting out of the house, away from the kids, and going out for a nice weekend date is what we need every now and then to keep up with the stresses of everyday life.
What sounds like the perfect weekend getaway?
Well, that sounds like a more individualistic kind of question. Some people prefer simple drive out to nice hotel for an overnight stay and a good dinner. Others prefer shopping trips or day or two at a theme park. The options are only limited by time and your budget. For an example in an earlier post I talked about a weekend trip that my wife and I went on up to Massachusetts for an overnight stay at a hotel and shopping at an outlet mall.
We have also driven down to Virginia Beach for long weekends as well. It really just depends on what your preferences are. Here' some good pointers if you are new to planning weekend trips;
Always, and at every opportunity, try to capture the moment as a memory. It doesn't have to be a long vacation for you to make memories. Simple little things can make the best photos and best memories.
I hope this will help you in planning your next weekend getaway. I wish you the best and safe travels. Until next time; keep rollin' on, I'll see you down the road.
Monday starts off rough with the car not starting first thing before heading to work. The kids are fighting with you because they don't want to go to school. You get to work and everything is going wrong; the computer deleted your files, your boss is riding your butt to finish a proposal, and Janis in accounting keeps emailing you with the same stupid questions. Now it's 5 o'clock and you're in rush hour traffic trying to get home. You walk in the door to a pile of bills and screaming kids about how hungry they are; and you haven't even gotten your shoes and coat off. After hours of arguing with the kids and fighting them to get to bed you finally are able to climb in the shower for a few moments to relax. It's at this point you realize it's only Monday. Things don't change for the next few days. Thursday you decide, "This is it. I need a break!"
This sound like a typical week to anyone?
This is when a simple weekend getaway can be the difference between being able to take on what comes next week; or make the brash decision to quit your job and send the kids to Boot Camp. But many people get a little scared from the idea because the thought of having to spend too much money comes to mind (memories of having to take kids on vacation). A weekend road trip does not have to cost a lot of money, nor does it have to be that long of a drive to be a nice relaxing trip. When My wife and I need a break from everything one of our favorite places to stay is the Hilton Garden Inn™ in Danbury, CT. It's about an hour and a half from home but the idea of getting out of the house, away from the kids, and going out for a nice weekend date is what we need every now and then to keep up with the stresses of everyday life.
What sounds like the perfect weekend getaway?
Well, that sounds like a more individualistic kind of question. Some people prefer simple drive out to nice hotel for an overnight stay and a good dinner. Others prefer shopping trips or day or two at a theme park. The options are only limited by time and your budget. For an example in an earlier post I talked about a weekend trip that my wife and I went on up to Massachusetts for an overnight stay at a hotel and shopping at an outlet mall.
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| Virginia Beach, VA; Boardwalk |
- Try to keep the distance short if you're new to this. A good weekend getaway would be very well possible with a distance of maybe no more than 100 miles at most. For some, that can be across the state (Connecticut is relatively small in size), or crossing a border into a neighboring state. This also can translate into no more than a 2-hour drive. Again, this is only if you're just starting with planning the weekend getaways.
- Try to set it around an event, place, or general location. Some weekend getaways are easier to plan if you have an idea of what you want to do. If you are planning to go to a theme park, then you'd want to make sure you have enough money and that you pack appropriately. Which leads me to...
- ...pack what you are going to need for the weekend. It's easy to get carried away and pack everything and anything. For longer road trips, like a vacation to Walt Disney World, packing extra things is probably a better idea to go with. But for a weekend drive an hour or two away it's not necessary to have every little thing with you. With that being said...
- ...don't forget to pack necessary items. I'm guilty of this some of the time. I have forgotten chargers and showering essentials before which has lead me to a late night drive to find a 24-hour CVS or Walmart. The biggest one I overlook is contact care supplies. It's easy to overlook. Make sure that you have important medications or equipment with you. I sleep with a CPAP device so it's necessary for me to pack it and all supplies for it on every trip. A good rule of thumb is if you use or need it daily, you should bring it with you.
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| My old Jeep Liberty. One of the best road tripping vehicles I ever owned |
I hope this will help you in planning your next weekend getaway. I wish you the best and safe travels. Until next time; keep rollin' on, I'll see you down the road.
Over The Road: A Small Glimpse into the Life of a Truck Driver
Everybody sees them. Some people fear them, some people have great respect for them. They bring us goods. They help us move. What am I talking about? I’m talking about the Tractor-Trailer trucks that move goods thousands of miles everyday.
A little while back I was an operator of one of those massive vehicles. Living the life as an over-the-road truck driver is not as easy as it seems. Most people think you sit behind the wheel and drive all day. Well, I mean that’s partly true. Well, actually that’s mostly true. Anyways there is really a lot more involved in a typical day for a truck driver; and as much as there are drawbacks to this kind of life, there are some great rewards to it as well.
Let’s start with what it takes to become a driver. My journey started off in Wisconsin with a company called Roehl. It’s started with four weeks of very intense training. Not only do you learn about the safe operation of the vehicle, you are learning about running a business. Even with a company, ever driver is their own business owner. Driving goods from place to place per assignment from a dispatcher is one thing.
Managing time and daily operations is another. I was also taught the very strict laws involved in operating a vehicle over the road. The two most important pieces of training however; were the driving (duh, lol) and safety inspections. The amount of work that goes into operating a vehicle is very intense that simply saying it’s sitting behind the wheel and driving is only a piece of the career.
For the year that I drove my truck was my home and my office. I spent about two weeks at a time out on the road and came home for about two days before heading out again. Surprisingly, living in the truck was very comfortable. The interiors of the cabs are designed to be smaller versions of camper trailers used for camping. There were times that I felt like it was a cozy home; and there were times that I wished it included a bathroom.
But outside the lack of facilities, The bed was extremely comfortable. My particular mattress was a memory foam, probably better than the one I had at home. After a few personal touches to the inside of the cab it was literally my home away from home. I was able to add some comfort and convenience features to my cab to really make it home. For instance, for those nights that it was hard to sleep or during downtime in my cab I had my TV and PlayStation for entertainment. It truly does make a difference to have one on board. I have heard that some companies installed TV’s and even satellite services onboard some of their trucks. I wasn’t that lucky, but between a small TV, a PlayStation, and a phone with unlimited data, video entertainment was not difficult to come by.
Some of the other important things I installed in my truck was a refrigerator and a microwave. Learning how to cook over the road was a very interesting experience. My little microwave was a definitely a huge help. I also had appliances like my NuWave Induction cooker and a George Forman Grill. These gave me the ability to have semi-home cooked meals onboard my truck. But let’s face it; there are so many good restaurants out there that it was really 50/50 on what I ate. For the most part it was cooking daily. It was another time where ramen noodles became a good staple (and I so want to thank the creator of the Rapid Ramen Cooker. That particular line of products helped me get through some hard cooking decisions). The living part of being in the truck was not so hard. Others than having to find truck stops and wait for showers to clean and shave. For some people, that’s breaking point in itself.
Driving was the name of the game and getting goods to where that need by a specific delivery time was the goal. Here’s where things get interesting and at some points frightening, especially for other drivers on the road. Most truck drivers are extremely responsible operating their trucks. Keeping within the speed limit, carefully maneuvering through highways and cities, and being aware of other vehicles on the road.
For most company trucks, Limiters are installed to keep the truck below certain speeds. A lot of the independent drivers out there don’t have that equipment in their trucks. They’re mostly the ones that are driving fairly recklessly on the road, mainly speeding. These are the drivers that make everyone on the road fear truck drivers. But there are strict laws throughout the country that have to be followed. For instance, in the USA you are only allowed to drive for a maximum of 11 hours a day and work a maximum of 14 hours a day. This does limit how many miles you can drive a day, but it also ensured safety for everyone on the road. But some companies out there do push their drivers to surpass those laws so that deliveries can be made before time commitments (because the company and dispatcher gets bonuses for deliveries before their set time). This has led to main accidents on the major highways. Also, many other drivers drive far too aggressively around trucks that in order to avoid collisions, drivers make some risky maneuvers. So, when you see a truck, please be careful around them.
When you do get to your destination, there’s a lot of paperwork that needs to be done and sometimes a whole lot of waiting around for warehouse workers to unload or load your trailer. It’s usually a good time to eat or take a nap.
But driving wasn’t just about the deliveries; being over the road offered some amazing views and scenery. Some of the sights over the road were absolutely breathtaking. Even at certain times of the day. Truck stops were also something to behold as well. Two in particular were South of the Border on the South and North Carolina border; and the Iowa 80 truck stop, which is one of the largest truck stops in America.
But there were many drawbacks.The biggest one is always loneliness. Being away from family and friends and knowing that while you’re gone, their lives were going on and you are missing out on so much. That’s why even for the two days of being home I tried to spend as much time with my family as I could. But my family supported me in this journey by calling and letting me know about things happening at home so that I wouldn’t miss out (even though I still did). And that really is the most important thing about being a driver; the love and support of family and friends is extremely important. Without them, it’s hard to do the job.
That’s the very small peek into being an Over-the-Road truck Driver. It’s a hard and, at some points, a dangerous life. But it can be rewarding, mostly dependent of how you look at it. But if not for anything else, it will always be memorable.
Let’s start with what it takes to become a driver. My journey started off in Wisconsin with a company called Roehl. It’s started with four weeks of very intense training. Not only do you learn about the safe operation of the vehicle, you are learning about running a business. Even with a company, ever driver is their own business owner. Driving goods from place to place per assignment from a dispatcher is one thing.
For the year that I drove my truck was my home and my office. I spent about two weeks at a time out on the road and came home for about two days before heading out again. Surprisingly, living in the truck was very comfortable. The interiors of the cabs are designed to be smaller versions of camper trailers used for camping. There were times that I felt like it was a cozy home; and there were times that I wished it included a bathroom.
Driving was the name of the game and getting goods to where that need by a specific delivery time was the goal. Here’s where things get interesting and at some points frightening, especially for other drivers on the road. Most truck drivers are extremely responsible operating their trucks. Keeping within the speed limit, carefully maneuvering through highways and cities, and being aware of other vehicles on the road.
When you do get to your destination, there’s a lot of paperwork that needs to be done and sometimes a whole lot of waiting around for warehouse workers to unload or load your trailer. It’s usually a good time to eat or take a nap.
But driving wasn’t just about the deliveries; being over the road offered some amazing views and scenery. Some of the sights over the road were absolutely breathtaking. Even at certain times of the day. Truck stops were also something to behold as well. Two in particular were South of the Border on the South and North Carolina border; and the Iowa 80 truck stop, which is one of the largest truck stops in America.
But there were many drawbacks.The biggest one is always loneliness. Being away from family and friends and knowing that while you’re gone, their lives were going on and you are missing out on so much. That’s why even for the two days of being home I tried to spend as much time with my family as I could. But my family supported me in this journey by calling and letting me know about things happening at home so that I wouldn’t miss out (even though I still did). And that really is the most important thing about being a driver; the love and support of family and friends is extremely important. Without them, it’s hard to do the job.
That’s the very small peek into being an Over-the-Road truck Driver. It’s a hard and, at some points, a dangerous life. But it can be rewarding, mostly dependent of how you look at it. But if not for anything else, it will always be memorable.
How I got into Road Tripping
This is going to be a relatively short post and that is because I want to try something new. I was asked about how I got into road tripping and why I'm so passionate about it. After sitting down and discussing it with and family I came up with an answer. But I feel you should hear it more than read it. So I'm posting up the answer to those very questions. Just click the link below. I hope you enjoy.
A Winter Weekend Getaway
After the holiday weekend of Thanksgiving and Black Friday shopping anyone can justifiably be worn out before heading back to work on Monday. But how about you add the first major snowstorm of the year right after that holiday weekend? Now how are you holding up? That's how my wife and I were feeling after that long week. Wednesday came and we began to joke about just running away for a weekend. By Thursday night we had our reservation set and we began to plan our road trip to Massachusetts. It wasn't far out but it was good enough just to recharge the batteries. Especially before the major holiday week sets in.
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| Embassy Suites in Waltham, MA |
Weekend getaways don't have to be expensive and sometimes depending where you look and the time of year your traveling, you may be able to find good deals. We particularly like to start our planning using the website, Expedia™. It's a great place to begin looking for the deals. But if you use the same methods don't hold yourself to just those deals. Shop around. Expedia.com is known for having great deals but there are sites that may have a slightly better deal (especially if you're really pinching the pennies). Sometimes becoming members of the sites or for other travel reward groups will help you gain better deals. I happen to be a member of the Hilton Honors™ rewards program. I'll go through these types of programs in a little more detail in another article but just to get idea; theses reward programs entice you to stay at there properties by offering points and free nights for stays. After comparing rates, we chose our weekend getaway home away from home; the Embassy Suites in Waltham, MA. In later posts, my plan is to start reviewing these places. It would be nice to share the great places with everyone, and maybe shed a little light on the amazing ones (and the not so amazing ones).
Saturday afternoon after our kid was sent to Grandma's house, we began the drive to Massachusetts. We weren't to sure what to expect. Weather on the radio was saying a chance of snow but was absolute on the fact that it was going to be bitter cold. Regular maintenance on your vehicle can mean the difference of being nice and cozy in the car or sitting on the side of the road in the cold waiting for a tow truck. Luckily, the Camry was ready to take on the cold. It was about a two hour drive to the north where it was much more noticeably cold. Winter in New England (and it's not even officially winter yet). After checking into the Embassy Suites and exploring the hotel a little bit, we went to check out the pool and hot tub. I mean, who stays at hotel and doesn't go swimming (sometimes that's the whole reason for staying at hotel, lol) Shortly thereafter, we dressed and headed out to dinner at one of our favorite restaurant chains; The Cheesecake Factory™. Dinner was great and with a quick ride around town (and a stop at Target to get a fan) we were back to the room to relax.
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| Christmas Tree in the center of the Wrentham Premium Outlets |
Sunday morning started with breakfast at the hotel. Some of the more upper ended hotels offer a free breakfast of sorts. This happened to be a free hot breakfast buffet. When we were finished we packed up our belongings, checked out, and were on our way to the days activities.
Despite the cold we decided to head to Wrentham Premium Outlets™ for a day of Christmas shopping (or so it was the thought). The outlets were busy, despite the cold temperatures. We started by trying to find gifts for the family and realized that there was a lot there that we needed, in particular, clothes; the outlets specialty. We spent about two hours there before the cold got to us too much. From there it was lunchtime (closer to dinner). We headed over to nice Chinese Buffet called Sky Buffet. The food was reasonably priced and was very good. After filling up on a variety of foods we got back in the car and took the two hour drive back into Connecticut.
It started from a little joke about running away, to a little research, to having a great weekend getaway, which was really needed after the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and before the Christmas/New Years' holiday week. Weekend road trip getaways don't have to be extravagant or expensive. With a little research, you can find deals out there that can help you plan your own getaway. You just have to be willing to look for them.
I hope you enjoyed our trip. It's your turn. If you want to learn more about the Embassy Suites in Waltham, MA, I'll be posting a review of the hotel in an upcoming post.
Happy planning and enjoy the ride!!!
Embassy Suites of Waltham, MA.; the inner city jewel
This will be the first of many hotel reviews so bare with me. Please note that I am no where near a professional critic like sites such as yelp.com. These reviews are based off of my own experiences in the hotel and the things that I like or dislike in the hotel. For more in depth reviews of the properties, you can visit sites like yelp.com, expedia.com, or hotels.com; to name a few. But if you are looking for a review of a hotel by an average guest, then please enjoy this post. And with that being said, let’s dive right in and explore the Embassy Suites in Waltham, MA.
From where my wife and I live it was about a two hour drive to Waltham, MA. From an earlier post, you know that my wife and I love to plan weekend getaway trips for just ourselves or for a weekend getaway with the kids. This was definitely one of those getaways from the family for alone time to relax from the Thanksgiving weekend. We came across the difficulty of trying to navigate to the property when our GPS could not pinpoint the best directions to the entrance to the hotel. We were able to figure it out but it didn’t have any real affect on what we thought of the hotel.
Walking through the lobby toward the elevator we passed by the bar/restaurant that was available in the hotel. The whole lobby was very well kept and the restaurant was beautifully placed in the middle of the lobby. We usually have the tradition of checking out the pool and hot tub as soon as we get in, but we weren’t able to locate it. We figured we’ll get settled in and then we will head down to the pool.
We got in to our room and we were deeply surprised. The rooms were setup as two-room suites having both a living room and a separate king bedroom.
This is definitely a property that you can stay at with your kids and still be able to close yourselves off for some privacy and relaxation after a long day with the family. Each room had it’s own TV and sat on either side of a kitchenette that felt like it was a little more.
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The living room itself felt very inviting to everyone who just wanted to relax from a busy day, before they wanted to head out for the evening. To be honest, it felt like a smaller apartment than a hotel. It was laid out nice and comfortable. The sofa was fairly plush and contained a pullout bed for other guests. This why I had mentioned earlier that this would be a good choice to stay as a family or with other guests.
It was privately situated away from the door way into the the master bedroom located on the other side of the kitchenette and the bathroom. As far as the kitchenette goes it held a microwave and a mini fridge which is standard in most hotels nowadays. The kitchenette did have silverware and dishes on the ready for guest who wanted to eat in, and with the restaurant in lobby
offering room service it was easy to see how people could make
The bedroom was extremely comfortable with a very plush king sized bed as its main focus. Hilton properties are known for going out of their way to bring in some of the most comfortable brands of bed into their properties. The Embassy Suites is no exception. The bed did offer a comfortable nights rest. But the room itself seemed more Like a standard room that you would find while staying at any of the other mid-rated chains.
The room offers a simple design that includes the dresser/tv stand. In the corner of the room sits a desk designed for people who are staying for a business trip. I will give the setup this much; the room would be excellent if you were staying in the area for business. The desk offers many different charging outlets including an outlet station that includes multiple USB ports. The TV that is offered was a 42” LED TV with a good offering of channels but also offered the chance to order in-room movies. Another option that they added was the ability to see your bill and get information about the area all on the TV. A good portion of the Hilton properties have this available, which is nice so you don’t have to go down to the front desk to get information on a charge. They truly went out of their way to make everything as convenient as possible.
We got ourselves settled and headed down toward the pool. It was difficult to find. For this property the access to the pool was on the second floor from which you walked down a set of stairs back to the first level to the pool area. My thought is that the pool was after the hotel was built so maybe this was the only access point to the pool. Still, it was an adventure to find the pool and hot tub. The area was really well designed with a large pool and a fairly large hot tub that can seat about 12. The staff did a very good job of keeping the area clean with an attendant checking in every 30 minutes to restock towels or clean the area. After a good swim and some relaxing time in the hot tub, we decided to back to the room and change to head out to dinner.
The lobby lead directly into the restaurant and bar area. It was a bit quiet but there was also a special event going on at the hotel. I was impressed that they were able to keep up the high level of service even though they had a large group being entertained on the mezzanine level. From here, we headed back up to the room and had a great night’s sleep.
The next morning we woke up and headed down to the lobby for a hot breakfast. Many of the Hilton-owned properties offer a free hot breakfast buffet. The Embassy Suites is no exception. However, this was probably one of the very few times that we weren’t impressed with the hotel. The breakfast ended up being cold, and we had gotten down there pretty early. Check-out was a very easy process and after we had finished we were once again thanked for being Hilton Honors members and with that, we were on our way.
The overall feel of the experience at the Embassy Suites was that it was an amazing property with some of the best guest service I have experienced since staying at the Walt Disney World Resort. I show high praise for this hotel that even though they were an off season, they still treated us like high end clientele. I would definitely recommend anyone choosing this hotel. It has a high-end feel for a mid-level price.
Tuscan Village: A Hidden Paradise in the Center of the City
Hilton has been known for its unique hotels in locations all over the world. From Seattle to Miami; New York to London; and so on, Hilton has made a name for itself in establishing beautiful properties, amazing experiences, and one-of-a-kind guest service. They also have a knack for standing out among other resort and hotel groups, especially in tourist destinations. The Central Florida area attracts thousands of property owners who serve the millions of tourists that descend the known tourism destination of the world. In Lake Buena Vista, FL, Hilton has set in a few properties. My wife and I got a chance to experience Hilton's Tuscany Village Resort.
The resort sits right outside of the Orlando Premium Outlets on Vineland Ave, right off of I-4. It was extremely easy to find. A good deal of the time if a resort sits in the middle of a city right off a main highway or road, you can't ever really relax because of the sound of traffic. Property developers designed Tuscany Village to be easily accessible to all of the guests, but offer up enough seclusion to make you feel that you are much further off the beaten path than you are. This style of design has only been apparent to me in one other property; the Walt Disney World Resort. But it's this kind of design that transports their guests from the hustle and bustle of Lake Buena Vista to a tropical paradise.
The resort is situated around a beautiful lake with a walking path traveling around the resort. Aside from being next to the entrance to the Orlando Premium Outlets, it has its own dedicated entrance into the shopping center allowing guests to walk to their favorite outlet stores. Tuscany Village is also located within minutes of the Disney, Universal, and Seaworld theme parks. Located right off of I-4 puts it 30 minutes from Downtown Orlando and a little more than an hour to either coast for Florida's well known beaches. Parking is very easy at the resort and does not cost anything. If you decide you don't want to drive while on vacation, the resort offers transportation from their own convenience vans to offering to call a taxi or an Uber for you. Another transportation offering by the city of Orlando is the I-Drive trolley. These fun trolleys will take you to any and all destinations on International Drive. But enough about location. Let's take a look at the inside of the property.
Driving onto the property, valets greet you and offer to unload your vehicle as well as park it for you. If you choose not to use the valet service, there are numerous parking spaces available nearby each building giving you easy access (and not a whole lot of walking) to your room after a busy day in Central Florida. It's also very convenient when trying to avoid getting soaked from one of Florida's signature afternoon thunderstorms.The beauty of the resort shows in every corner of it's design. My wife and I were awestruck at the pure sight of the property. True to form; the first thing we did was to check out the pool. You'll learn as you keep reading these blogs that we have a certain way of doing things. We both love to swim, so the pool and hot tub are high on our list and thus one of the first things we check out. Sometimes you can get an idea of how a property is kept up by how the pool area looks. What we saw amazed us.
The pool sat in the center of what looked like a courtyard. Flanked by both a a cafe and a pool bar, there were many reasons why a stop at the pool should be part of the vacation experience. The pool is located in the secluded canter of the resort giving privacy to all of the guests staying there.Tuscany Village offers many different activities for kids and family including dance parties, games, and on select nights, movies at poolside.
From here we had to check out our room. After the beauty of the pool we couldn't wait to see where we'd be staying for the next few days. I have to tell you, we weren't disappointed at all. Rooms at Hilton Grand Vacation Properties are known for being roomy and full of amenities. What we saw didn't even scratch the surface.
The rooms were extremely spacious. We a had a single king room, but they have options of two and three room suites on the property making this a great place to stay with the family. The kitchenette was too large to really be considered a kitchenette. It felt more like a kitchen found in a small one bedroom apartment and was fully stocked with plates and silverware for a family of four. Another great feature (at least to us) was a full sized refrigerator. You usually only see this in Condo-type resort properties. And as far as comfort goes, Hilton has always been known for extremely comfortable beds. Each room had its own private screened in balcony for enjoying the beautiful temperatures and views at night.
Service at the resort was some of the best I had experienced form most resort properties (outside of the Disney Resorts). The staff were always willing to lend a hand or to help make to vacation as relaxing and stress free as it can be. From offering to bring your bags to the room, to bringing up needed supplies, to even calling a cab for you. This kind of guest service is not seen in many places and it is truly remarkable to be able to go on vacation in a place where the staff truly wants you to enjoy your stay.
Tuscany Village is truly a high value property but with a surprisingly affordable cost. My wife and I were actually able to stay because of a promotion to visit a timeshare. Sometimes those are just gimmicks to make you buy (actually, most are), but Hilton truly goes out of their way to treat you in the best way they know. For the type of service we received at the resort, we would have expected to pay a fortune to stay here. In looking up the prices we noted that during the mid and off seasons, prices were actually very reasonable.
But between the value, the beauty of the resort, the amazing service, and the central location to major attractions, Tuscany Village shows that it can show itself as a paradise in the center of a city. This is definitely a property to recommend to anyone wanting to stay in the area for vacation and aren't able to stay in one of the major theme park resort hotels. My wife and I both know, however, that Tuscany Village will always be among our top choices of places to stay in Central Florida.
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| Entrance to one of the many buildings |
The resort is situated around a beautiful lake with a walking path traveling around the resort. Aside from being next to the entrance to the Orlando Premium Outlets, it has its own dedicated entrance into the shopping center allowing guests to walk to their favorite outlet stores. Tuscany Village is also located within minutes of the Disney, Universal, and Seaworld theme parks. Located right off of I-4 puts it 30 minutes from Downtown Orlando and a little more than an hour to either coast for Florida's well known beaches. Parking is very easy at the resort and does not cost anything. If you decide you don't want to drive while on vacation, the resort offers transportation from their own convenience vans to offering to call a taxi or an Uber for you. Another transportation offering by the city of Orlando is the I-Drive trolley. These fun trolleys will take you to any and all destinations on International Drive. But enough about location. Let's take a look at the inside of the property.
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| Welcome to your home away from home |
From here we had to check out our room. After the beauty of the pool we couldn't wait to see where we'd be staying for the next few days. I have to tell you, we weren't disappointed at all. Rooms at Hilton Grand Vacation Properties are known for being roomy and full of amenities. What we saw didn't even scratch the surface.
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| A single-king room |
Service at the resort was some of the best I had experienced form most resort properties (outside of the Disney Resorts). The staff were always willing to lend a hand or to help make to vacation as relaxing and stress free as it can be. From offering to bring your bags to the room, to bringing up needed supplies, to even calling a cab for you. This kind of guest service is not seen in many places and it is truly remarkable to be able to go on vacation in a place where the staff truly wants you to enjoy your stay.
But between the value, the beauty of the resort, the amazing service, and the central location to major attractions, Tuscany Village shows that it can show itself as a paradise in the center of a city. This is definitely a property to recommend to anyone wanting to stay in the area for vacation and aren't able to stay in one of the major theme park resort hotels. My wife and I both know, however, that Tuscany Village will always be among our top choices of places to stay in Central Florida.
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| Aerial shot of Tuscany Village; Lake Buena Vista, FL |
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