Back in January, I was perusing Southwest Airlines' website, as one does when bored and found a roundtrip flight to sunny Orlando, Florida in early August for the low, low price of $200. Perhaps it was the grey weather in Raleigh that prompted this impulse purchase or my dear friend Ashley's proximity to Orlando but at any rate, I immediately booked my flights and anxiously awaited my trip to Florida...8 long months away.
Last weekend my trip finally arrived and now you get to read all about it! Aren't you peanut butter and jealous?
Thursday
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| Isn't she gorgeous?! |
My short flight from Raleigh to Orlando left at 5:25 PM so I worked almost a full day prior to leaving. After a few delays at the airport, I finally was boarded on my plane and took off to my vacation. Not an ad but I love Southwest Airlines. The attendants are usually happy and humorous plus who doesn't love free drink tickets? I was armed and ready with 2 tickets I had saved specifically for this trip and my attendant didn't even accept my ticket so I still have 3 tickets to use on future flights (yay free booze!).
I arrived in Orlando and was greeted by the most confusing airport terminal I've ever experienced. The monorail from the Southwest gates to baggage claim wasn't clearly marked and I ended up just following the flow of traffic and hoping I didn't get lost but luck was on my side because as soon as I found my appropriate baggage claim area, my bag was the first one off!
Ashley picked me up and we started the hour and a half drive from Orlando to New Smyrna Beach where she lives. It was absolutely fantastic to catch up with her after a year apart. Quick note about Ashley: this doll of a human being and I met because both of our significant others at the time were in the same fraternity. We became very close and I love her bubbly personality and positive spirit immensely. She's the type of person you cannot help but fall in love with.
Despite the late hour, we decided to grab some grub and she took me to one of her local haunts, Houligan's. We went to the Port Orange location. We sat outside because the night was surprisingly cool with relatively low humidity, something practically unheard of in Florida during August.
Décor: I didn't go into the main restaurant so I can't speak to their décor but the outside was very standard bar. Beer signs, sports team schedules and many, many televisions. The tables outside were mainly 4-seat high tops with a decent sized U-shaped bar.
Food appearance: food was much like the décor: standard appearance. Paper-lined baskets, plain ceramic plates, paper napkins.
Food taste: I ordered the Veggie Wrap with Seasoned French Fries and Ashley ordered Loaded Buffalo Chips.
I decided to order my Veggie Wrap grilled rather than cold and I think this was a mistake. My wrap was 1) way too hot to eat with my hands and 2) greasy. How does one make a greasy veggie wrap? The ingredients were all fresh (broccoli, roasted red pepper, If I ever return to Houligan's, I will try the cold version and hope for a better outcome. The fries, however were on point. Double fried and dusted with French fry seasoning. Made even better when dipped in house made ranch dressing. Everything is better with ranch.
Ashley's overflowing basket of chips was drizzled with house made buffalo wing sauce (tangy with a kick!), big blue cheese crumbles, crumbled bacon, and more ranch dressing. I was experiencing some major food envy.
Service: the service was definitely lacking, which Ashley said is pretty typical. She also mentioned that a large number of their clientele were students at the school located directly across the street. We were seated about 5 minutes before being acknowledged by one server and then she was promptly replaced by another.
Our replacement server seemed tired and annoyed by having to serve us. We had to ask her for silverware and napkins and she wasn't very attentive.
I would most likely not give Houligan's another shot because it was just lackluster but I'll allow you to form your own opinions.
Friday
Friday morning was spent at the beach because it would certainly be a shame to have gone to Florida without spending at least one day in the sand. I'm not sure which beach we visited but it was definitely more of a "locals only" spot and off the beaten path.
We set up our beach towels, cracked open some wine coolers and watched the waves all the while hoping the storm threatening overhead would quickly blow over. Spoiler alert: the lightly sprinkling rain lasted all of 10 minutes before transitioning into clear, blue sky.
I watched a lot of crabs dig homes, pelicans dive into the water and waves roll in and out. It was the epitome of relaxation and vacation vibes. It was absolutely perfect and Instagram worthy.
I am going to be honest with you, despite being a marine life enthusiast I am terrified of any open bodies of water including the ocean. I refuse to get in water above my kneecaps. I am a weenie and I fully accept it. However, I did get into the water to say that I did it and then promptly returned to the stand to get some color.
After the beach we decided to check out the Marine Science Center located near the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse. This center, however was under construction and very much lacking in exhibits. There was an artificial reef with a variety of fish and a bright green moray eel, some smaller varieties of turtles, an urchin, an octopus, a tank of seahorses, a few lion fish, a "touch pool" and 5-6 rehabilitating green sea turtles.
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| Shark jaws on display at the Marine Science Center |
The "touch pool" was most disappointing. There were three animals in this tank, and they were all bottom dwelling. Hopefully the Center becomes fully operational soon.
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| Small Caribbean 2-Spot Octopus |
After recuperating at Ashley's house, I made dinner for everyone and was pleased to have more mouths to feed rather than just my own. Since we were both Albuquerque girls, I had no choice but to make Green Chile Mac. Everyone enjoyed it (I think, I hope?) and we settled in for the night.
Saturday
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| Yes, I did wear a Star Wars shirt on purpose. |
Unfortunately for us, Walt Disney World is unreasonably expensive to actually go to - though I REALLY would've wanted to. Come on Disney, how is a family supposed to afford a trip? Really? Luckily for us, Disney Springs (formerly known as Downtown Disney) has free parking, free admission and a full day's worth of activities!
We arrived right after they opened at 10:00 AM and immediately went to work wandering around the massive complex filled with shops, restaurants, bars and entertainment. We spent a full 8 hours here and never felt bored once! It was a great experience.
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| This counts as riding the Teacups, right? |
For lunch we decided to go to T-Rex Café. It is a dinosaur-themed restaurant with animatronic dinosaurs, and frankly you all know how much I love dinosaurs. The restaurant's gift shop sold everything from punny t-shirts (I got one that states "eat veggies not friends"), dinosaur poop (slime) and toy fossils to the only Build-A-Dino Workshop where you can be your very own John Hammond and create your own dinosaurs! Not going to lie to you, I was very close to doing this myself.
Décor: we were seated in the "Jurassic" section of the restaurant. There was also an "ice cave" and an underwater themed bar complete with fish tanks and a giant octopus hanging from the ceiling. The ceiling was covered with hanging plants and leaves and near us were 2 animatronic triceratops. It was a dream come true. This space is massive with who knows how many seats and tables, probably in the 300s.
Food appearance: despite the obvious tourist-vibe, food was plated with care. Everything looked appetizing and not at all rushed, which is truly a feat considering the packed dining room with 45+ minute wait on a Saturday afternoon.
I ordered the Chicken T-Rexadillas appetizer, minus the chicken obviously, and it was still more food than I could eat but damn did I try. These spike-shaped items were stuffed with red bell peppers, green onions, Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses and topped with fresh Pico de Gallo and drizzled with Avocado Cream sauce. The tortilla was expertly grilled and the flavors were much more than I was expecting from such a high-traffic and tourist restaurant.
All others in my party ordered burgers and there was very little left on the plates at the end of the meal.
Service: I can appreciate that the service wasn't great because as previously stated, the restaurant was packed with a growing line of people waiting outside. However, our server never even came back to check on us after dropping off our food at all! We didn't see her again until we flagged her down for our check. Like I said, there's not much I can expect or be upset about.
Cleanliness: since this space is so high traffic, tables are turned over quickly simply due to the high demand. I would think most parties are in-and-out of the restaurant in under an hour and then another table is quickly sat and served.
I would definitely eat at T-Rex Café again because it was delicious and fun! Who doesn't love food with entertainment? In addition to the fun atmosphere, every 15 minutes or so the dinosaurs "come to life" and I won't spoil the rest for you.
I would recommend 2 things if you're planning on dining here: 1) put your name on a wait list at least 45 minutes before you want to eat. Do not wait until you're hungry or you will end up grouchily waiting in line with a grumbling tummy. 2) do not expect a cheap meal here. My appetizer portion (which was more than enough food for me) cost $13.99 and most entrees were in the mid-$20 range. So just keep that in mind when ordering.
After more wandering around, Ashley and I stopped at Dockside Margaritas to sip a cold one, get out of the sun and chat while looking over the water.
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| Left: Frozen Strawberry Margarita Right: Passion Fruit Margarita On-The-Rocks |
Décor: the outdoor bar is themed after a 1960s Florida fruit-stand with views of the Buena Vista Cove and live entertainment.
Drink appearance: all beverages are served in plastic cups.
Drink taste: Ashley ordered a frozen strawberry margarita and it was fruity and refreshing. I opted for the "Daily Special" which was a premium tequila marg with passion fruit puree. It was just what the doctor ordered after countless hours in the sun on my feet.
Service: the bartenders were all friendly and helpful and interacted well with the guests. The experience felt more like being on your friend's back porch drinking than a bar.
Cleanliness: the bar is one where you clean up after yourself, so some empty cups were left on the back seating area when we sat down but they were quickly removed by staff.
These margaritas were equal parts strong and delicious - just the way I like them! The bar also had a relaxing atmosphere that was greatly welcomed after wandering through all the crowds of Disney Springs. I would most definitely make this a "must go" if/when I return.
We met back up with the rest of our party and I checked something off my Disney Bucket List: eat a Mickey Mouse-shaped ice cream sandwich. When I was a young teen, my father and I took a trip to California and spent a few days exploring around Disneyland. It was an absolute dream and several times during our visit I indulged in these sandwiches and will therefore always conjure up happy memories of that trip. So it was important for me to get to have one this time, too.
Ashley, her boyfriend and her youngest sister wanted to go to Amorette's Patisserie to pick out desserts for later on and I went in fully intending to not buy anything until I saw a unicorn macaron! And let's face it, I'm a sucker for themed-food.
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| Cute as well as tasty. |
Last stop in Disney Springs was the Coca-Cola Store Rooftop Beverage Bar. Had I not indulged in a margarita and an ice cream sandwich, I would've most likely ordered one of their cocktails, but that was not the case. We instead decided to share an International Tray featuring 16 sparkling and still beverages from around the globe, which was more than enough for the 4 of us. I think this was the perfect way to end the day - we got to enjoy the rooftop view all while experiencing different international beverages and discussing why we liked them or didn't.
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| Because every girl wants a pair of ears...by the way if anyone wants to buy me these and send them to me, I won't argue. |
After more rest, Ashley, Kyle (boyfriend) and I set out to El Patron Authentic Mexican Restaurant located at 1414 S Atlantic Ave, New Symrna Beach, FL 32169.
Décor: This restaurant is located a stones' throw from the ocean. Who cares about décor when you're practically ON THE WATER?! We opted to sit on the small patio. The tables were metal mesh outdoor tables. Inside the small dining room was decorated like a traditional Mexican restaurant - meaning brightly colored walls and knick-knacks.
Food appearance: food was plated neatly and surprisingly upscale despite the very low price tags. Even the complimentary chips were served in silver bowls!
Food taste: the expansive menu had 2 whole pages dedicated to seafood and vegetarian dishes! Hallelujah! That almost never happens to me and I was constantly wavering between 3 or 4 dishes until ultimately deciding on the Cancun Enchiladas. These were three shrimp enchiladas stuffed with onions, bell peppers and cheese and smothered in queso with a side of Pico, guacamole and cilantro rice. My only 2 complaints about this dish were the low spice level and the piece of steak that was mixed up in one of my enchiladas. Thankfully I saw it prior to eating but it was a tad disappointing.
Service: our server spoke very little English and got a little confused a few times as to what we were trying to explain to him regarding our orders and he disappeared toward the end when we needed to clarify the check. However, food was delivered with an unexpected quickness and plates were removed almost immediately once they were cleared.
Cleanliness: the inside of the restaurant was almost empty, so the inside of the restaurant was pretty much impeccably clean. The patio was a different story. I saw a table nearby ours stacked high with dirty plates and glasses for much of our meal and quite a few guests sat there hoping it would prompt an employee to clean it - this didn't ever happen.
The food and the views are definitely worth a trip out to El Patron but I wouldn't expect stellar service here. Just sit back, sip a marg or three and enjoy the sunset over the water.
Sunday
Sunday was largely spent in sloth. We all slept in, ate a late breakfast (homemade breakfast burritos) and binge-watched movies all day. It was perfect and much needed after all the activity of Saturday.
Breakfast Burritos
2 Tbsp butter
Cooking Spray
2 Tbsp olive or canola oil
7 eggs (for 6 burritos)
3 Tbsp milk or heavy cream
1/4 C chopped green chile
8 pieces of bacon, cooked
1 C shredded cheddar cheese
2 C cooked hash brown potatoes
Salt and pepper, to taste
Garlic powder, to taste
Tortillas, for serving.
In a deep skillet over medium heat, heat olive or canola oil and cook potatoes until crisp and golden. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Set aside
Cook bacon or veggie bacon according to package instructions and set aside.
Heat butter and cooking spray in a skillet over medium heat. Beat eggs with milk or heavy cream and season with salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet and gently scramble. Once eggs begin to solidify, add in green chile and stir to evenly distribute. Cover scrambled eggs with cheese and cover to melt.
Loosely wrap tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave for 30 seconds. This helps the tortillas to be more pliable without breaking - thus making burrito rolling much easier.
Once all your ingredients are cooked, you're all ready to assemble! In the center of your tortillas, portion about 1/4 C potatoes, 1/4 C eggs, 1-2 strips of bacon and roll.
These burritos are Golden Pride inspired. If you read my Albuquerque blog, which I know you all have, you are fully aware that these are my absolute favorite breakfast burritos in the entire universe and nothing can change my mind.
Monday
On Monday everyone had to get back to their normal lives and I had to travel back to Raleigh but this trip was exactly what I needed to take my mind off of Nate being gone and the stress of my day-to-day (being a receptionist is hard work, y'all!)
Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to read my little blog and I hope you find me personable and charming. Stay tuned for some actual recipes coming up!
