In celebration of my good friend’s marriage, me and seven close buddies rented an incredible AirBnb in the heart of Breckenridge, Colorado. We had a great four nights at the slope-side cabin and were able to enjoy three awesome days of riding. Check out the videos below for the recap of our adventure!

This “bachelor party” was a bit unorthodox in the fact that the bachelor had already been married. We celebrated my good friend Tommy’s marriage to a beautiful girl named Megan back in November of this past year. With the pandemic shuffling everything around, we had to push back the bachelor celebrations until after the wedding. No big deal to us, as this only allowed the trip to fall in the perfect timeframe for a snowboard trip. And what better way to practice social distancing in this day and age (minus travel, of course) but by being up on top of a gigantic, wide-open mountain.

Most of us had booked the same direct United flight out of RDU leaving early Wednesday morning, and after a rather uneventful trek across the states we were touching down in Colorado around 10am local time. After grabbing all our baggage and meeting up with two others on different incoming flights, we were on our way to pick up our rental car from Enterprise. My good friend Jake–an Enterprise legend, mind you–was able to secure us two large all-wheel drive vehicles.

After stopping for a quick sandwich at Jersey Mike’s, we were on our way heading up the mountain to Breckenridge. The drive up is always breathe-taking, as the interstate crosses 11,000 ft in elevation when heading through Loveland Pass. Enjoying the ride too much, we were in town before we knew it. We were able to find the house no problem as it was nearby an area I have had previous experience with.

The house was perfect–4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, a huge kitchen, nice living room with fireplace, and two awesome decks, one with a good-sized hot tub that we definitely took advantage of. I was able to snag a bedroom on the 2nd floor of the house, and after throwing down my things on the bed, the festivities began.

Before getting too wild, a group of us headed out to purchase some supplies at the grocery store. Since we all agreed to stay away from the public as much as possible, we bought a ton of food–three meals a day worth. For eight dudes that adds up pretty quickly. Of course the first trip didn’t get us all the way through, and a second party went out later in the week for reinforcements. Nonetheless, we had plenty to get us started for the first couple of nights.

Our first day on the slopes turned out to be my favorite. In conjunction with the lowest crowds of our stay, the weather was absolutely perfect. A high of 40 degrees in the afternoon with an abundance of sun. It was the best way to be welcomed to Colorado, and a nice transition into the full three days of riding ahead.

The snow conditions for our trip were good but they definitely could have been better. Up until the time of our trip, pretty much all of Colorado’s snow totals had been way below average for this time of year. We were lucky to get a couple more inches in the days leading up to our arrival, but another few good storms would have been nice. The snowmaking and grooming at the Vail Resorts is always top notch, so we were able to ride some awesome blue groomer’s especially some of our favorites in Claimjumper and Northstar. Check out the conditions in the top to bottom run below:

Unfortunately, a lot of the high-alpine terrain was not open during our visit, and Peak 6 only opened halfway through our penultimate afternoon on the slopes. We were able to ride the far right side of the mountain, but the conditions were still sub-par as the snow totals were low and the peak had mostly been blown-off. We definitely made the best of it though, and we were even treated to a couple inches of fresh on our last day (Saturday).

We were also lucky enough to watch two Carolina Hurricanes games (both wins) as a group, and had countless laughs and good times in the house together. The AirBnb choice turned out to be perfect, as the house was ski-in/ski-out within a few hundred feet of the base of the snowflake lift. It was awesome to be able to come back to the house each day for lunch, saving some money and getting some much needed rest in the process. I was a little worried going into the trip, as I was the one who convinced the group to take the dive on Breckenridge. I am happy to say, everyone had an incredible time–no regrets at all. And even better, all negative COVID tests upon our return. A huge win in my book.

As mentioned, we were treated to a full day of snow on our last day. Unfortunately, the crowds came with and we were only able to get around so much due to some longer lift lines. We made the best of it and ended up getting plenty of turns in some fluffy fresh powder. It was a fantastic way to end the trip.

Our trip home proved to be a bit trying, as we were at the airport pretty early in the day for a late afternoon flight. We made the most of it though, and spent an awesome couple hours eating and drinking before heading back to the real world. Although we were sad it was over, we had a great vacation and were ready to come home.

I hope you enjoyed my quick recap from my recent “bachelor weekend” trip to Breckenridge. If you have any questions about any of the details of our stay, feel free to reach out–I would love to offer some recommendations for the area. Thanks again for your support, and be sure to stay tuned for the next update from T-R Travels!

– Walker

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For the 2020 Holiday season, Olivia and I decided to make the quick trip down to South Florida to visit her family for a few days. Only a short hour and a half flight from RDU to Fort Lauderdale (and another 20 minutes to her parents in Boca Raton), we always jump at the opportunity to head south to spend time with the in-laws. We always have so much fun together, and it certainly doesn’t hurt escaping the winter temperatures of North Carolina. Check out the video below for a recap of our trip:

Our plans for this vacation had been altered significantly, as we were originally planning on bringing my whole family down to Boca before heading north to Orlando for a few days of fun at the parks. As we got closer to trip-time, my parents made the difficult decision to stay put in Raleigh (given the current COVID-19 climate). We adjusted our plans and cancelled our stay in Orlando to extend our time in Boca with Olivia’s family. It was a bummer that my parents could come along for the trip, but it was definitely the right call and it will make next time together all that more special.

Our accommodations for the week were in nearby Deerfield Beach at the Wyndham right on the main strip of the beach. This is actually a hotel we stayed at last year when I brought my mother down for a few days, so we kinda knew what to expect going in. I was also able to secure a corner room that provided for some awesome sunrises/sunsets, so that was a nice bonus.

Just as our last trip, we had an excellent stay at the Wyndham. The hotel is clean, modern, the staff is awesome (shoutout to CJ at the hotel bar), and you can’t beat the location being just steps from great dining and the beachfront. We were also able to enjoy the pool this time around, which was super secluded and offered a nice alternative to the sandy beach.

In terms of dining this time around, Olivia’s family made some excellent choices for our nightly meals. Her brother Austin also flew in on Christmas eve, so it was great to have the whole crew together for the holiday. Our big Christmas day meal was at a quaint Italian restaurant called Novello. It was absolutely perfect; they had a covered outside dining area lined with heaters that kept us warm on the brisk afternoon. The food was some of the best Italian I’ve had, and we paired it perfectly with a delicious bottle of wine. It was an excellent meal to finish of our Christmas celebration.

We were fortunate to have a few days of good weather, so Olivia and I certainly took advantage of some good sun on the beach. As mentioned earlier, after getting tired of the crowds and the beach we would grab a drink from CJ at the bar and head to the pool deck. The pool was super secluded and made for a great afternoon napping spot.

The other outdoor activity that is being to become a tradition for Boca visits was a trip to the local miniature golf track, Putt’n Around in Delray Beach. It is one of the coolest places I have ever been. Two excellent courses; both challenging and replete with awesome theming and water features. They also do Halloween and Christmas overlays during the months of October and December! If that isn’t fun enough, they are loaded in the clubhouse with some great snacks and a full bar–they will even deliver you drinks on the course mid-round! It was a heated battle this time around, but Austin managed to win the day with a birdie on 18.

Our original plan was to return home on the 27th of December, but after not wanting to pack our things and leave our family, we decided (mid-way through Breakfast) that we would extend our stay an extra night. We lucked out with hotel availability for our room, but switching our flights was a piece of cake. It turned out to be a great decision as we got one more day of sun and I was able to celebrate my birthday (a day early) with Olivia’s family. It truly was a great end to the trip.

Thanks for taking the time to read about our Christmas trip to Florida! Although the beginning of January should be pretty slow, keep an eye out for my next adventure towards the end of the month when I head out west for another snowboard trip to Breckenridge, Colorado!

– Walker

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Olivia and I recently took a life-changing trip to the beautiful mountain resort of Beaver Creek, just outside Avon, Colorado. About a two hours drive from Denver, Beaver Creek truly is a one of a kind experience. Although I was fortunate enough to visit pretty frequently with my family (growing up), showing Olivia the ropes for the first time was a treat. Be sure to check out the video recaps below to get a taste of our vacation:

We began our journey with the relatively painless nonstop flight from RDU to Denver–just over three hours gate to gate. In terms of skiing out west, this is for sure the most convenient option, save perhaps flying the extra 500 miles to Salt Lake City in Utah. Since we didn’t land until about 6pm on a Sunday, we decided to spend some of our Marriott points and stay at a hotel just off I-70 in Golden, Colorado. This would allow us to get an early start on the drive up to BC the following morning, certainly aided by the two hour time change. We were up and ready to roll by 6am, and after a quick bite to eat, we were on the road headed up the mountain.

The drive was excellent–great weather and no traffic to speak of. With such an early arrival (around 8am), we made a quick pit stop at the grocery store in Avon to pick up some breakfast and snack items for the room. For our accommodations we decided to go with the Osprey of Beaver Creek, a resort perfectly situated right at the base of the main mountain. It is as ski-in/ski-out as it gets, and between the concierge, the front desk staff, the ski valet, and the hotel bartender, everyone was as nice and welcoming as could be. I would highly recommend the Osprey to anyone visiting.

Thankfully, our room was cleaned and ready to go by the time we arrived. It was by far the best at the hotel, with (corner) views of both mains village lifts, a nice big balcony, and a sleek gas fireplace. After admiring the digs for some time, we changed into our ski clothes and were ready to hit the slopes.

The first day started pretty slowly as we were just trying to get our legs under us. After returning to the room for a quick lunch, we ended up getting a decent amount of riding in, even with the somewhat limited terrain. For so early in the season, the snow conditions were even better than expected. The snowmaking and grooming at Beaver Creek is world-class, so even with the absence of natural snow the team did a great job with what they had to work with. Check out the video below for a taste of the snow conditions on our trip:

After a full day of riding, we decided to call it and head back to the room. The fire was perfect after a long day on the mountain, but even better was the resort’s pool and hot tub. We spent plenty of time recovering in the jacuzzi, and with the lack of mid-week guests at the hotel we always had it to ourselves. With a quick rinse in the shower back at the room, we were changed and headed off to the village to explore.

The village is quite possibly the coolest aspect of Beaver Creek, as it truly reminds you of a Bavarian/Swiss alpine village; it certainly does not feel like Colorado at all. There are plenty of delicious restaurants and quaint shops, so there is always something to do even when you aren’t skiing the world-class mountain. To enjoy a few pre-dinner drinks and an appetizer, we landed at the Dusty Boot Saloon at the far end of the village. Olivia and I shared an order of buffalo chicken tots that were to die for, and after a few adult beverages we were ready to head over to try the main course.

For the first night at the resort I had to take Olivia to my family’s all-time favorite pizza joint, the Blue Moose. The pizza was as good as I remembered and even Olivia agreed it lived up to the hype. With a quick stop for gelato on our return trip, we were back at the room and settling in for the evening.

The second day brought even more shredding, as this was essentially our last full day on the mountain. The plan all along was to ski the first two days (Monday/Tuesday), then have a nice chill rest day (Wednesday) before riding one more morning prior to our flight home on Thursday. This turned out to be an excellent proposition, as we were able to get in plenty of time on the hill but also time to rest, recover, and explore more of the resort.

Tuesday also brought another longtime favorite restaurant in The Coyote Cafe, a Tex-Mex spot that has always been a staple for warming up with some lunchtime margaritas. For dinner, we were back at the good old Dusty Boot. Technically a sports bar, we were able to take in some college basketball that was on that evening. Another fantastic day in the books.

Wednesday was our off day, and we were excited to be able to sleep in a bit for a change. Once we were able to get ourselves going, we hopped in the car and made the quick fifteen minute drive over to the Vail Village to explore and potentially grab some lunch. Vail is of course another world class ski resort but I always enjoy checking out it’s village area as well. After perusing the shops for a bit, we were some of the first customers of the day at a popular Mexican restaurant (Los Amigos) backing up to the main lift at vail. Although we only snacked on some chips and queso, it was great to take in some sun and enjoy the afternoon with Olivia.

Just a few moments later, this afternoon would also bring one of the best moments of my young life as I proposed to Olivia on the ice rink in the center of the village. It was absolutely amazing and everything fell into place so perfectly I couldn’t have asked for it to go any better. Olivia was incredibly surprised and thankfully she said yes. I had previously hired an awesome photographer (Michael Rawlings, ) to hangout at the rink and snap some pictures of our special moments. Mike was so awesome to work with, and afterwards he spent another hour or so with us getting more engagement shots around the resort. It was definitely a whirlwind but so incredibly exciting. I’ll be posting a more in-depth recap (with all our photos) sometime in the near future.

We returned to a thoughtful letter and a bottle of champagne from the amazing concierge staff at the Osprey–I cannot say enough about Stacey and the rest of the team. Stacey was great in helping me pick out our final dinner of the trip, an evening at the Grouse Mountain Grill just a short five minutes drive down the mountain. Our meal was absolutely perfect, from our delicious bottle of wine, to the hand-rolled tater tot appetizer, and finally to the expertly prepared main courses (beef tenderloin for me and scallops for Olivia), everything was a 10 out of 10. It was a great way to celebrate our memorable day, and we were so appreciative to the staff for making us feel so special.

We were back to the early mornings on Thursday as we actually made it to the main lift before the posted 9am opening. Our eagerness was a bit expected of course, as this was our last half-day to ride before making the trek back to Raleigh. Although not cold by any means, our last day was overcast and a bit chillier, but we were still able to get in some great last turns. With a late checkout granted, we were able to shower and pack and get on the road by 1:30pm heading back to Denver.

We were sad to be leaving but it surely was a trip that both of us will never ever forget. Every aspect of the vacation truly was amazing and I am so thankful that we scheduled this trip. Although the early-season is always questionable, the snow conditions turned out to be better than expected and the crowds were essentially non-existent. At times it felt like we were the only ones staying at our hotel. It was truly a one of a kind experience, and I certainly hope to get back to Beaver Creek as soon as possible. Thanks again for reading and stay tuned for the next adventure!

– Walker

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With a perfect day at the Magic Kingdom under our belt, we had the remainder of our four days in Florida to spend at Universal. From our nearby hotel room just across the highway, we had an absolutely incredible Halloween weekend. Check out the video recap below of our adventure!

Olivia and I typically make our annual trip at the end of September to celebrate Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando. Sadly, we learned back in August that the actual Horror Nights event would not be taking place this year, and we decided to cancel our vacation to central Florida. Of course, even 2020 couldn’t keep us away, and after Universal announced they would be opening two of their would-be haunted houses for this year, we knew we had to come check them out. With a coinciding road-trip to Boca Raton to visit Olivia’s family, we were easily able to squeeze in a few nights in Orlando.

As a Hilton member, we stayed at our trusty Home2Suites right across the highway from Universal–fantastic as always. Every night before bed we were able to fill out a (to-go) breakfast order for the next morning that actually had some pretty solid options. The staff was excellent and even Ellie enjoyed her stay! Not to mention, it is ridiculously convenient to drive less than five minutes to be at the parking deck at Universal.

The four years that I have attended HHN event (this year would’ve been five), we have never visited anytime close to Halloween, let alone the month of October. That made this year extra special. A good percentage of park guests were sporting their costumes and it was just a great spooky atmosphere overall.

This blog will more or less be a review of the Halloween specific offerings of the park, as we are frequent visitors of Universal and I have written about most of the regular park in previous blogs. Besides, that was the main focus of our trip, and we really did some different things that we don’t typically do—it was a nice change of pace. Didn’t even ride the Hulk if you can believe that!

Here is a quick summary of the individual Halloween experiences that we were able to try on our visit:

• The Bride of Frankenstein Lives – Haunted House

The first of two houses that were slated to be open, we started off with this one as we heard from others it was the best. We were definitely not disappointed, and even with masks and plexiglass to keep scare-actors and visitors safe, the house was incredible. Super scary, great set design, and a great backstory to go with it. It was super well-done and we knew right away this one would be tough to beat.

• Revenge Of The Tooth Fairy – Haunted House

Another solid house, albeit not as scary but still tremendously well-done given the circumstances. This one had a bit more of a confusing storyline, but the sets were incredible as always and the tooth fairy characters were absolutely terrifying. A great house to compliment Brides.

• Beetlejuice – Haunted House

This was the surprise of the entire trip, as this house was only open for two days, October 31^st and November 1^st. Universal did not make any previous announcements about the opening and kinda just dropped it out of nowhere. The house was only accessible via virtual queue reservations that were released both mornings just shortly before 8am. An early morning at the park Sunday did not go unrewarded, as I was able to snag two different return times for us to walkthrough around five that afternoon.

We actually had recently watched Beetlejuice to refresh ourselves with the storyline, but this house absolutely blew us away. Even in a regular Horror Nights year it would have been up there as one of the best. The house captured the vibe of the movie perfectly, and the sets were some of the most impressive I had ever seen. Apparently due to contractual obligations, in order to reopen this house for HHN 2021 Universal had to open it for at least a weekend in 2020. Strange, but I’m definitely not complaining. I was so happy to be able to experience it, even though we’ll probably catch it next year as well.

• Halloween Tribute Store – Special Halloween Experience

This was only the second (maybe third?) year that they’ve had the Tribute Store if I’m not mistaken, and it gets more and more intricate every year. I think they may have added more to it once Universal got word Horror Nights was to be cancelled, but regardless the additions were very welcomed. The store had four different rooms, each with their own unique theme and associated merch. The third room contained a display case for some awesome Halloween treats that all looked to die for—we had to do our best to not try everything they had to offer. It was a cool walkthrough and I really hope they continue to grow the tribute store experience going forward.

• Monster Cake Pop – Special Food Item

This is the treat we landed on at the Tribute Store, and I think we chose the best one in the place. This thing was chocolatey as all get out–almost like a fudge type chocolate so it was nice and rich while not being too overwhelming. I’m not the biggest chocolate person in the world, but this one was definitely a hit.

• Skeleton Bar – Special Halloween Experience

This was an extra bar/walkthrough experience that we got to checkout on our last day at Universal. Nothing too exciting but it was cool to see a heavily-themed bar experience for the first time at Horror Nights. We didn’t try any of the drinks this go-round (they had previous signature HHN drinks for sale), but we certainly enjoyed stopping in and checking out the scenery.

• Pizza Fries – Special Food Item

Our first time trying pizza fries! These are a Halloween Horror Nights staple that have eluded us until this year. While they are simply crinkle fries smothered with cheese, marinara, and pepperoni, the flavors go together remarkably well. We devoured this dish in a matter of minutes and will definitely check out in years to come.

• Chicken & Funnel Cake – Special Food Item

This was an extra food item that came from a newly-introduced food truck within the park. The food truck is only for seasonal events and the menu changes with each, but this offering for Halloween was near the top of my list. As you may know, I am a huge sucker for chicken and waffles, and a funnel cake is the perfect substitution. The dish had some super tasty strawberry and vanilla glaze on the chicken that was unique but very delicious. The chicken was just your run of the mill theme park chicken tender, but all together this snack was probably my favorite of the event. A menu item I would’ve come up with as a kid.

• Ocean Attack – Cocktail

Not necessarily a Halloween snack, but I wanted to include this drink that we got from the Chez Alcatraz bar near the San Francisco area of the park. It came highly recommended from a few of the theme park bloggers that Olivia and I watch, and we were pleasantly surprised. I’m usually not into “fruiter” cocktails but this one was actually delicious and refreshing. The bartender was also super cool and put on a nice show for us while pouring the drink. Definitely would suggest checking this one out!

I think that just about does it for all the special Halloween treats and surprises we were able to take part in this October at Universal Orlando Resort! We ended up getting to try just about everything we had on our list, and the visit was one we certainly won’t forget for some time. Although not the same as the typical Halloween Horror Nights event that we’ve come to love and look forward to over the years, Universal did a great job with the limited scope they had to work with in this strange year that is 2020. We were just happy to get some sort of Halloween, in it was even more special that we were able to be there the weekend of the 31^st.

Thanks for reading and be sure to stay tuned for our next adventure!

– Walker

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As part of a recent week-long road trip down to Florida to see family, Olivia and I were fortunate enough to spend a few days at the theme parks of Orlando on the journey back home. By coincidence, we happened to plan this trip around the weekend of Halloween, a time we would typically avoid in normal years. With October 31^st being a Saturday, we decided to get our Disney fix in early before the crowds showed up for the weekend. Check out the video below to watch the recap of our Thursday spent at the Magic Kingdom on October 29^th:

I won’t go into huge detail about this trip to the Magic Kingdom, but I will speak quite a bit about some of the special Halloween offerings the park has this season, and of course the changes Disney (and all theme parks for that matter) have had to undergo due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Firstly, I’ll start off with our ride count, as wait times and crowd levels are quite the concern these days, especially without fastpasses being offered. We were fortunate to be some of the first in the park (around 8:30am), and with this I noticed some distinct changes in entry procedures that I was a big fan of. Thankfully, as soon as we entered the park around 8:30am, we were able to head straight to our first attraction to begin queuing. We decided to hit Seven Dwarves Mine Train first as neither of us have done the relatively newish coaster on any trips prior. By the time we got to the entrance, they were already cycling trains and the line was moving quickly, well before official park opening. I could definitely see how some wouldn’t like this, but because we arrived so early, I was definitely a fan. We were off the ride just after 9am. From there we hit:

• Big Thunder x2
• Splash Mountain x2
• Space Mountain x2
• Haunted Mansion
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Barnstormer

We were especially thankful to get a couple good rides on Splash Mountain, given the recent news of its “fast-tracked” re-theme to Princess and the Frog. It is one of my all-time favorite attractions and will be sorely missed. Thankfully I got plenty of good footage from our two rides, and even more great memories to remember.

The real reason that we settled on Magic Kingdom for this visit was to indulge in some of the delicious Halloween treats they had to offer (this would be a recurring theme for the entirety of our week, even at Universal). I’ll present our favorites treats in list form:

• Strawberry Fanta Dole Whip, Sunshine Tree Terrace

If the name alone doesn’t make you want one, add in the fact that it was a typical humid Florida day that we visited and you will be begging for one. This float was the best I’ve ever had, with the strawberry soft serve and fanta mixing perfectly. I wish we got more than one of these bad boys. It was so delicious we forgot to take a picture!

• Buffalo Chicken Tater Tots, Friar’s Grill

Not sure if this is actually a Halloween treat but these were absolutely delicious. I guess, given the name and ingredients, you cant really go wrong. But these were so damn good—tasty chicken, good mild buffalo sauce with cheese and ranch? What else could you want in life.

• Mickey’s Monster Mash Burger, Cosmic Ray’s Café

This was a last minute play call that definitely worked out for the best. I was able to mobile order this burger (a breeze), and we were able to get off our feet for a minute in the A/C inside Cosmic Ray’s. The burger itself was tasty, not anything crazy but definitely an above average theme park burger. The bacon on it was super crispy and the sauce they served with it was interesting as well. Couldn’t really taste the tater tots on the burger but might’ve still been loaded up on them from earlier in the day!

• For Better or For Worse Wedding Cake, Liberty Market

This treat was one of the more anticipated I would say. I was thankful we were able to squeeze it in at the end of our day, and it did not disappoint. One of the better slices of cake I’ve ever eaten. Nice and light as well, not too overly heavy or sweet which was perfect for the Florida heat. Hoping they have this one again next year because it will certainly be tops on our list again.

• Peter Pan Float, Storybook Treats

This treat was unfortunately a miss for me. Sounded great on paper (lime dole whip + sprite), but sadly did not deliver as we hoped. Might’ve been because of the delicious strawberry float that we had previously, but this one definitely wasn’t as tasty.

• Mickey Pretzel

Not a Halloween treat at all, but we had a mickey pretzel and I don’t really understand the hype? Ours was kinda hard and not super enjoyable and the “plastic cheese” had a bit of a funky taste to it. I’m an Auntie Anne’s guy through and through (more on that in our Universal report).

And I think that’s it! We broke up our day into two separate visits essentially, with us coming and going around lunchtime to return to the hotel to let Ellie out for some exercise. I was pleasantly surprised with how easy it was to come and go, as the transportation at the TTC was very organized and efficient. Definiely made our day quite a bit less stressful. In terms of crowd levels, I thought the park was extrememly manageable, and the longest queue we stood in all afternoon was Pirates at around 30 minutes. We did notice that most of the posted wait times were severely inflated, something to definitely note for a future visit.

All in all, we had a tremendous day at the Magic Kingdom. I’m super pleased with our choice in park as we only budgeted one day for Disney. Everything went according to plan (as much as you can ask for with a day at a Disney park) and we felt extremely comfortable with all of the safety measures they had in place. Mask enforcement and social distancing was excellent. Disney and Universal are definitely setting a high standard in this regard, which is great to see.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for my next update on our time at Universal Orlando Resort!

– Walker

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Olivia and I took a recent road trip to the beautiful tidewater Virginia area to experience the Halloween Harvest event at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. We were able to snag some last minute reservations and decided to make the short 3.5 hour drive up. Check out the video below for the full recap:

We arrived somewhat early to our hotel as I needed to finish up a few loose ends from my workday. For our quick one night stay, I booked the Residence Inn near the airport in Newport News–a short 15 minute drive from Busch Gardens. The hotel was perfect for what we needed and even allowed our little dog Ellie to stay with us! She always loves a good road trip and we were happy to bring her along.

After a quick happy hour meal at Mellow Mushroom, we arrived at the park just before the 5pm event start time. We were pleasantly surprised by the low crowds entering the park, and it would be a precursor of things to come for the rest of the evening. Temp screening was a breeze and we were in the park easily.

Walking into the entry area of England, we were hit with our one (of two) minor disappointments of the evening. There was not a single Halloween decoration in sight! Not even a singular pumpkin to be found! I know they are trying to limit their budget but I thought this was a little odd.

As we were heading towards our first ride of the evening, we were met by a short crowd at the entrance to the Festa Italia area. Just as I suspected, the rope dropped and everyone booked it for Apollo’s Chariot–the largest attraction open at the event. Olivia and I made the clever decision to head a different direction and attempt to get our first rides on Verbolten, a fun Mauer launch coaster with an intense indoor section and an awesome finale drop to the river. After being surprised by two or three energetic (and hilarious) scareactors, we found the ride was operating and we were able to be the first in line.

We were able to ride Verbolten three times in a row without getting off. What an awesome way to start the evening! We decided to slow things down a bit and check out the nearby drink offerings at the Frost bar across from the exit to the ride. The drink we chose was called the Vampire Bite, and it was delicious. It was still warm out with the sun up so the frozen beverage was the perfect thing to keep us cool. I’m always a sucker for a good slushie.

After slowly heading back across the bridge to the front of the park, we were able to snag back to back rides on Tempesto and Apollo’s Chariot, both with no waits whatsoever. Apollo’s was great as usual but I did notice a slight rattle sitting all the way in the back row. Tempesto is always a good time and with it being a bit lower capacity I was happy to see it still be a walk-on.

The Festa Italia area did seem to have a bit more Halloween spirit with a few more decorations and three additional scareactors roaming the midways. I will say, although there were only a few of them, all the scareactors were fantastic! Super high energy, fun to interact with; if only they had better sets and other things of that nature to work with (i.e. fog) the event would be even better. Quality of quantity in this situation I guess.

After walking by a stand selling some nicely themed Jello shots in syringes, Olivia and I had to oblige. The shots were super tasty although Olivia nearly gagged herself by shooting it straight down her throat (lol). This definitely made the video highlights so be sure to check that out above.

Heading back even further towards the main entrance of the park, we managed to get a sunset ride on the classic Arrow looper Loch Ness Monster. The coaster was running fantastic and will always have a special place in my heart, much like the rest of Busch Gardens. The back row allowed for some of the best airtime I’ve ever gotten on the first drop of this beast. A must ride for sure.

After checking off all the available coasters for the evening, we decided to try out one of the snack options and headed over to Grogan’s Pub in Ireland to try out the pretzel nuggets with beer cheese. This was our second and final disappointment of the evening, as the pretzels were downright terrible. Stale; flavorless; and not at all what we pictured. Although the beer cheese was tasty, it wasn’t even warm. Major flop on this one. I did however manage to compensate by taking a dive on a local IPA that was delicious. Don’t recall the name unfortunately.

Our last “big” ride to check-off was Busch Gardens newest addition, Finnegan’s Flyer, an S&S Screamin’ Swing. This large flat ride is always a blast because of its setting alone. If you are seated on the correct side, the attraction swings high above a river–quite the experience. From here, we decided to head to the car to grab our hoodies and warm up for a brief minute.

The rest of the evening was filled with rerides on our favorite coasters, a few more awesome interactions with scareactors, and a big win on the basketball shooting game near Apollo’s. We randomly had a $10 bill on us and happened to notice a particular prize we wanted when walking by the booth. $10 got us 6 shots (3 each), and we had to make 3 to win the prize we were after. Olivia hit one and I was able to hit one on my second try. While missing my third shot, the ball bounced out of the game area and all the way back to me. The attendant was so kind (and super bored I imagine) and let me shoot one more which I was able to sink. Definitely made for an exciting ending to the night. Not to mention the back to back to back night rides on Apollo’s.

With that, the event was over, and we were actually some of the last people to exit the park. It was creepy being the only people in the England area as we were leaving, but we were able to snag some great footy.

The event was a huge win in my book; pretty much exactly what I expected and it was just so awesome to get back on some coasters again and experience (half of) Busch Gardens again. Although we wished they had upped the theming just a bit we still managed to have a great time. The fall temperatures and creepy music alone made it feel like Halloween enough.

Thanks so much for reading my recap on Busch Garden’s Halloween Harvest! Be sure to stay tuned for our next update as we travel south to Orlando, Florida for Halloween weekend!

– Walker

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I’m fortunate to have some good friends that live in cool places, and with one of those friends recently moving out to the Lakewood area of Denver, Colorado, I (of course) had to take him up on his offer to couch surf and play a few rounds of golf together in the mile-high city. Check out the video recap(s) of our four day trip below:

Between four courses, we were able to get in 63 holes of golf over the extended weekend. I’ll give a brief description of the courses we played below:

Day 1:

– 18 holes at Fossil Trace in Golden

After a short nonstop flight from RDU to Denver, we grabbed some lunch and made our way over to the course. The clubhouse was situated on a nice tall hill (mountain essentially) that basically cut the front and back nines in two. The practice green here at Fossil Trace was the craziest I have ever seen, with a triple-tiered putting surface that had an elevation change of nearly ten feet at each individual level. Never seen anything like it before.

The course itself was in great shape. The back nine was far more memorable as some of the more scenic or signature holes were on the final stretch in. For jumping off a flight and pretty much straight to the tee box, I was pretty happy with the way I played. We definitely started the trip off with a bang, and I knew this track would be hard to beat.

Day 2:

– 9 holes at Fox Hollow Golf Course in Lakewood

We actually didn’t even plan on playing the second day (Friday) as we started our morning off with a great hike about 20 minutes outside of the Denver area. On the way back, my buddy (naturally) took a look at the online tee times for Fox Hollow, a course just a quick five-minutes drive from his apartment. We decided to go for it, and by the early afternoon we were back swinging the clubs.

Fox Hollow had three individual nine-hole courses, and was immediately next door to another good looking public track called The Homestead. Both seemed to be in fantastic shape and offered some really cool (and tricky) shot opportunities. The change in elevation in some of these holes was nuts and it was difficult adjusting my distances. I struggled a bit this afternoon but still enjoyed myself immensely. Would highly recommend this course as well, especially for a more budget-friendly outing.

Day 3:

– 18 holes at Red Hawk Ridge in Castle Rock

This course was actually a sleeper hit for me, and quite possibly my favorite of the weekend. Out of the three that I knew we were playing going into the trip, this one was the least anticipated. Like a good percentage of the nearby courses, Red Hawk seemed as if it was just plopped down on the top of a mountain. With so many elevated tee boxes, it made for some tremendous views.

I also thought this course was the best maintained–the greens were perfect and there were no dead areas on the course. The grass was a stunning shade of green amidst the oranges and yellows of the fall foliage. I definitely played my best round of the weekend at Red Hawk, and on top of everything the guys we played with that morning were super cool. Just an awesome day of golf all around.

Day 4:

– 18 holes at Bear Dance Golf Club in Larkspur

Our final round was the epitome of Colorado golf. In a nutshell: a course in the middle of nowhere with ridiculously stunning views of the Rockies. This one felt like a top tier resort, and it was by far my most anticipated of the trip. I actually found out when we arrived that this course is the home of the Colorado section of the PGA. The practice areas were expansive and it definitely fit the mold of a top flight course.

The greens, which were actually surrounded by elk fences when we played, had recently been punched but were still in excellent condition. The rope elk fences were slightly annoying but really just influenced our pictures more than anything. Even though I was running out of steam towards the end of the round, we both really enjoyed playing this course.

That’s it for my quick recap! Be sure to stayed tuned for more stories about our upcoming Halloween adventures.

– Walker

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Olivia and I recently made the short trip over to visit our good friends Jake and Paige in St. Louis, Missouri. Jake is a good hockey buddy from way back and we have tried to get together multiple times prior in the two years they have lived there. We had an amazing three and a half day trip to STL, and I invite you to join us in the journey with our video recap below:

I will admit this post is written about a month or so after our visit, so some of these descriptions might be rather brief, but feel free to reach out with any questions about our experience and I’d be happy to fill in the blanks.

Our adventure started mid-morning on Friday with a short connecting flight to STL through Nashville. Upon arrival and setting down our bags, we made the quick walk over to a nearby restaurant called Kingside Diner, one that we would actually come back to for our last meal on Monday morning. After a delicious brunch, we explored the area a bit more then headed home to rest and wait for Paige to get off work for the weekend.

We took the majority of the afternoon to catch-up and play some classic board games with our good friends–of course with a few adult beverages to celebrate the occasion. After a few hours of working up our appetite, we were ready to eat again (what else is new?). Friday night’s dinner was much anticipated from our residents of St. Louis, and I will admit it definitely lived up to the hype. The landing spot was Mission Taco, one of Jake and Paige’s favorites in the area. The food was delicious but the margs and beers with the best company definitely made the evening. With most nearby restaurants serving outside on the closed city streets, we took a stroll through the surrounding area to take in the sights before returning back to the homestead for a quiet first evening.

The second morning (Saturday) brought an early tee time for the boys while the ladies headed off to Orangetheory for a workout. The track was the public Forest Park Golf Course which turned out to be fantastic. An awesome layout, some really picturesque holes, and just an overall blast to play. Not to mention Jake and I are probably the easiest people to play golf with. Never taking it too seriously, we were able to enjoy the beautiful morning and mild temperatures with a few tall boys and some “decent” (for us) golf.

We met up with the girls at the apartment for a quick shower and change. After a short ride back to Forest Park, we took a quick lap around some of the gardens and headed to our lunch spot for the day, The Boathouse. This place was tucked away in the middle of Forest park, right on the bank of the large central pond (hence the name). They had an awesome menu, filled with local craft beers, BBQ, and other delicious looking items from the grill. I went for a double cheeseburger and was not disappointed in the slightest. Two nice “smashed” patties with plenty of cheese and a nice toasty bun? Yes please. With some delicious fries to top it all off? Perhaps my favorite meal of the trip. I know, I’m super cultured.

We then went on to explore a good bit more of Forest Park, including the sites designated for the 1904 World’s Fair. As a history nerd, this was extremely interesting to me. The main highlight of the tour was checking out what was called Art Hill, just in front of the St. Louis Art Museum. This hill was a massive green space that overlooked the beautiful fountains of the park. There were people laying out and taking in the sun, others were flying kites; it was just a super wholesome area. Not to mention the diverse groups of people we noticed, it was truly a melting pot of all different types of humans simply enjoying their weekend. A great example of the nearby community–we thoroughly appreciated the experience.

Saturday’s dinner was an excellent choice as well with a visit to Antonino’s Taverna. It was a great traditional Italian spot that had some of Olivia’s favorite choices on the menu. They also had some killer pizza which is what I ended up going with. With my side salad, it was enough to fill me up as we were already pretty full from all the drinks and food that we had taken in prior. We retreated back to the apartment for another round of board games and were ready for bed before we knew it. A long but incredible Saturday.

Sunday morning started off slow, then ramped up a bit when me and Jake decided to get on the bikes and cruise through Forest Park. After a nice bike ride checking out some more sights, we got up with the ladies and headed for our Sunday brunch location: Polite Society. Another solid choice from our hosts, I enjoyed a huge plate of my favorite (chicken and waffles) while Olivia indulged in a tasty-looking omelette. A couple of mimosas later and we were energized for the afternoon ahead, as we had plans to explore the downtown area of the city.

Our Sunday afternoon was a whirlwind, stopping at a variety of different places to explore and enjoy some of the local culture. We had to checkout Busch Stadium (St. Louis Cardinals ballpark) and the surrounding bars and entertainment. A Cards game is high on my list so we’ll definitely have to make a return trip at some time. We had a blast playing some skeeball and bubble hockey at a fun bar just outside the stadium, then proceeded to head towards the river to get a better look at the iconic St. Louis Arch. I have seen the arch before but only at a distance, so it was super cool to be right underneath and fully appreciate the scale of the structure. This was an incredible experience and we were able to snap some awesome pictures. I was even lucky enough to find an area to fly the drone! Be sure to checkout the video above to see some of these stunning videos.

The last stop of the afternoon was at the rooftop bar atop the downtown Hilton, called Three Sixty. We were immediately in awe of the beautiful view of the arch from the second we walked in. We had a round of drinks and chatted some more, but mostly took in the amazing panoramic views of the city. A picture-perfect capper to an incredible day together.

Our Monday morning was mostly subdued as both of our hosts had to return back to the real-world. With both Jake and Paige leaving early in the morning for work, Olivia and I made one last return trip to Kingside Diner before our early afternoon flight home. Again, the local spot did not disappoint and we headed back to the apartment to pack–extremely happy and satisfied with our trip. After throwing our clothes in our bags and locking-up, we were on the way to St. Louis-Lambert to fly back to NC.

All in all it was an incredible three day weekend and we are so thankful to our gracious hosts for allowing us to come visit. Although, with this group we could literally sit at home and have a blast just enjoying each other’s company, Jake and Paige planned the weekend perfectly and we were thoroughly entertained from start to finish. It was a great way to see a city that both Olivia and I have yet to visit, and we can’t wait to make a return trip. Thanks for reading and be sure to stay tuned for some more exciting adventures from TR Travels!

– Walker

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