HE SAID:

During our first week in Florida the weather was so cold we couldn’t go outside and do anything around where we were staying, so we decided to go check out the outlet shopping. I don’t hate shopping, but it’s not my favorite thing to do either. My version of shopping is going to a specific store for a specific item, buying said item then going home. That’s assuming I don’t just buy it online. Since we’re on vacation I decided to ease up on my expectations and enjoy walking around the various shops. I figured it would be a good way to get a bit of exercise (Christmas + Vacation = A desperate need to lose some weight) and find some deals.

The first place we went was Pointe Orlando. It was in a busy part of town, but the actual shopping area wasn’t too busy. In fact some areas seemed a little deserted. My three favorite places were Tommy Bahama (geek alert! – I really only went in there in hopes of a Scott Bourne siting as he has mentioned several times on MacBreak Weekly that he shops there and is currently in Florida), Johnny Rockets, which was a fun restaurant similar to the Chicken Burger at home, and B.B. King’s Blues Club. We only went into the gift shop at the blues club, but the best part was the interesting paintings outside on the walls. There were all kinds of Blues legends on the walls, so I had to get my picture next to the best of the best, Stevie Ray Vaughan.

The second place we went was called Orlando Premium Outlets. From the road it sort of looked like a decent sized shopping mall. As soon as we entered the doors we realized it was a massive, sprawling, shopping paradise. All the area between shops is open to the elements, which was nice. As we browsed store after store, we quickly realized that our definitions of “deal” and “cheap” are very different than some people’s. Everything was incredibly expensive, even though it was all marked down. Even though it was all a little too rich for our blood, it was still fun to walk around and see everything.

We shopped all day. We bought nothing. Normally I would consider this a colossal failure, but I decided to look at things differently. It’s kind of fun to look at what rich people spend their money on. It’s not every day that we go into a sunglasses shop and try on pairs worth a few hundred dollars. The high prices kept us from actually buying anything so it made for a cheap day out. I got to see a new place, people watch, browse some ridiculously expensive shops, and hang out with Susan. All in all it was a good day.

SHE SAID:

I’m not the biggest shopper in the world, but when Florida hits record low temperatures, it’s a nice alternative to sitting on the couch next to an electric heater. I had never really visited any big outlet shopping areas so I was excited to see what all the buzz was about. I’m still not sure what all the buzz is about.

Pointe Orlando didn’t have a whole lot to offer in my opinion. There didn’t seem to be a whole lot of shops, but what it did have was Johnny Rockets, my new favourite retro restaurant. The moment you walk through the doors it feels as though you have stepped back into the 50′s with checkered flooring, red vinyl booths and jukeboxes. The menu is very American with a huge burger selection, but that’s expected in a restaurant of this type. We heard from a good source that their milkshakes are delicious and they truly are the best I’ve ever had. They come complete in an old fashioned style milkshake glass and metal holder. If the friendly waitresses with their cute little ribbon tied pony tails and white aprons aren’t enough, surely the jukeboxes at every booth will satisfy for just 5 cents a song.

As the cold weather persisted, we went to Orlando Premium Outlets, the huge shopping centre with over 100 stores, which I don’t think we even covered half of. It was HUGE. I strolled in thinking I would surely walk away with armfuls of shopping bags, but left with zip. I always thought the big appeal of outlet shopping was the great deals you could get, but I didn’t find very many pricetags with deal like numbers on them. Regardless, it was still nice to browse through stores we don’t have at home and take it all in. Apparently the Orlando Prime Outlets have better prices, but we got shoppped out and headed home for the hot tub instead.

If you love to shop and have money burning a hole in your pocket, you will love outlet shopping. However, if the thought of shopping causes your feet to ache instantly, you’re probably better off ordering a milkshake at Johnny Rockets and watching the crowds buzz by.

One of our favorite ways to get out of the house and have fun without spending a lot of money at home is to go on day trips. After going to SeaWorld here in Florida, we wanted to do something a little easier on the wallet, so we got in the car and drove to St. Petersburg.

HE SAID:

Day trips are a completely different animal here. At home, I get in the car and relax as I drive to whatever destination we choose. Most of the time there is no need for maps or brochures as we follow the signs to our small town of choice and then get out and walk around. When I’m driving on the freeways here I can’t relax as much. Though the roads are flat and completely straight for miles and miles, the traffic is much heavier and everything is unfamiliar, so it keeps me on my toes. Thankfully we have a GPS with us so we don’t have to mess with maps.

When we got in the car we didn’t necessarily have a specific destination in mind. We simply set the GPS for Tampa and let it take us wherever it chose. That wasn’t the best choice. We thought it might take us into downtown Tampa as the high rises appeared before us, but then it told us to exit. As we slowed down and exited off the freeway, our heart rates quickened and our doors locked. Lets just say we probably weren’t in the friendliest part of town. We saw a billboard that said www.tampabaygangs.com and panicked. I whipped that rental car into a U-turn and got back on the freeway as fast as I could. Turns out that website is geared towards warning people against getting involved in gangs.

After that we stopped letting the GPS take us into death traps, so we headed to St. Petersburg. Once we got there we immediately knew we made the right choice. The downtown area was really nice, with brightly coloured buildings, and a view of the ocean. It all felt very tropical.

Our first stop was The Pier. It’s apparently a big tourist attraction, but I had never heard of it until this trip. You can browse little gift shops, or eat at a choice of restaurants with a view of the bay in a building at the end of the pier that looks like an upside down pyramid. To be honest, I found the pier to be more interesting from the outside than from the inside. It’s a beautiful spot, but the shops and food really aren’t that great. There was one exception, though, with a music, movie, and sports memorabilia store inside the pier called D. D. Collectables. It had all kinds of signed pictures, musical instruments, as well as some great display pieces. A lot of the pieces were quite expensive so I didn’t buy anything, but I had a blast looking through everything.

Lastly, we took a trolley tour of the downtown area for a whopping $0.25. It was a great way to quickly get a feel for the town as the driver pointed out all kinds of landmarks along the way.  You can’t really go wrong with anything that costs a quarter.

Our day trip to St. Petersburg and the pier was great. We didn’t spend much, and we got to see a part of Florida that was new to both of us.

SHE SAID:

If you’re in Florida looking for a place to unwind after endless days at major theme parks, St. Petersburg may be the answer. It’s a nice place to stroll around and explore. As Brad mentioned, we went to The Pier, which was a cool shape, but nothing to get excited about. It has a lot of touristy gift shops on the bottom floor with hawaiian shirts and tacky sea shell souvenirs. The second floor houses the Pier Aquarium, which we figured would be a bit of a let down after SeaWorld so we didn’t enter. The fourth and fifth floors are restaurants, but we settled on Captain Al’s on the bottom floor.

Captain Al’s was weird. I was expecting a nicer, cleaner experience considering the nice view. This was one of those times where the food was very average in comparison to the view. I had the cheeseburger sliders (mini cheeseburgers) and Brad ordered a veggie wrap that came with a weird bowl of oil. The food was okay, but the atmosphere made me feel like I had to take a shower. There was chicken on the floor beside us and everything just felt sticky. If that sort of thing doesn’t phase you, you’ll probably get along just fine at Captain Al’s. I’m starting to wonder why restaurants near the ocean always feel compelled to sell seafood. I guess some people expect it, but I think it would be refreshing to have some different cuisine served up. Every single restaurant at The Pier was seafood oriented and all I wanted was lasagna.

There are more things to do than just stroll around, if you’re willing to spend some money. You can rent an electric boat, go fishing off the pier, or go for a cruise on the Dolphin Queen. Instead, we opted to grab a bag of sweets from the bottom floor candy shop and go on a 25 cent tour of St. Petersburg. We found out about this cheap tour when we got on the trolley that takes you from the parking lot to the actual pier. I thought for 25 cents it would be a short ride, but the trolley went for a good 20 minute ride through the town pointing out various landmarks like the Salvador Dali museum and Little St. Mary’s public restroom, a church that the builder turned into a restroom after he was unsatisfied with what the church paid him, or so the rumour goes. You can get off the trolley at your choosing and get back on at various spots along the route.

St. Petersburg was a very nice afternoon trip and picturesque drive across Tampa Bay. If you’re looking to unwind and have a good pair of shoes to walk around for the afternoon, St. Petersburg probably won’t disappoint.

Fall festivals can be a lot of fun for two. They are a great excuse to get out of the house and enjoy the cool air and the fall colours. The Scarecrow Festival in Mahone Bay was something new to us. As we mentioned in our last post, we’ve gone to see the pumpkin people for the past three years, but we weren’t sure how these scarecrows would compare. So we jumped in the car on a sunny Saturday and drove to Mahone Bay to take a look.

HE SAID:

I tend to be the kind of person who enjoys traditions. I didn’t grow up in a family that had very many traditions, but for some reason I really enjoy them. I love the fact that every October we go get our pumpkins and our pumpkin fudge from the same spot and then go drive around and look at the pumpkin people. It’s just what we do. So when Susan suggested the Scarecrow Festival, I have to admit I was worried that:

a) it would mess up our pumpkin traditions (not good people, not good) or

b) it wouldn’t measure up to greatness that is the pumpkin people

Well, I’m pleased to report that I was wrong on both counts.

The Scarecrow Festival has a totally different feel than the Kentville Harvest Festival, largely because of how the towns are laid out. Going to see the pumpkin people involves driving along and enjoying the scenery while getting out to look around every now and then, while the Scarecrow Festival involves more walking, exploring, and bumping into people you know on Twitter.

I wasn’t expecting the scarecrows to be done up in such detail. Most of the celebrity scarecrows were easily recognizable, and even the more random ones were done very nicely. I think my favorite was the vampire one, at least I think it was a vampire. It just seemed so odd to see all these nice happy looking scarecrows and then over near the water is a vampire chasing down some innocent bystander scarecrows.

The other great thing about the festival was all the nice little shops along the way. Every shop is different from the next and they all have something worth looking at. One shop even had cookies and coffee available for it’s shoppers which I thought was really great. Some of the other activities going on were an antique fair, an old fashioned pie baking contest, and at night there is a “magical pumpkin path” which features a display of carved pumpkins that are lit up.

I had a really great time at the Scarecrow Festival and will definitely go back next year. If you are looking for something fun to do for two, do a little research to see if there are any fall festivals going on in your area. It’s a great way to get out and enjoy the fall weather together.

SHE SAID:

When I first heard about the Great Scarecrow Festival in Mahone Bay, I knew we had to go check it out. I was a little worried it might be kind of lame, but it proved to be quite enjoyable.

When I think of scarecrows I think of the ones my Grandmother used to craft out of a broomstick, an old flannel shirt and aluminum pie plates. The scarecrows of Mahone Bay are of another class altogether. For one, they actually have faces and some of them are even famous. Some stand alone, while others are grouped with fellow politicians or musicians.

Of the thirty or so we saw, my favourite was the Michael Jackson scarecrow outside of Sea Witch Cottage. The designer captured him perfectly in scarecrow form, complete with black shoes, white socks and mangled nose. Thriller was even playing in the background. Oh, sweet, straw-stuffed Michael.

If you’re thinking of going next year, I would consider going early. We got there around 10 am and it was a nice leisurely walk, but by the time we were ready to leave 2 hours later, the sidewalks were packed and traffic was crawling. We didn’t get to check out everything that was going on during the Scarecrow Festival, but I’ll be sure to check out the Magical Pumpkin Path for pumpkin carving inspiration.

We were recently invited to go on a local photo tour that was put together by the St. Margaret’s Bay Regional Tourism Association and Colour. The idea behind it was to show that there are so many beautiful and unique places to see that are so close to home. Well, we would like to congratulate them on a job well done because we had never been to most of the places we travelled to.

SHE SAID:

I don’t know if I’ve been living under a rock (or maybe just a pile of school work) but I had never heard of a photo tour before. I had heard of photos and also tours, but not the two combined. Photo tours are now my new favourite thing because I get to explore the outdoors, experiment with photography, and discover the hidden treasures of our province all for a very low price.

Our particular photo tour had a wonderful tour guide named Anne who really added to the experience by telling us little historical anecdotes and facts about the areas we visited. Were it not for her I would still be oblivious to the fact that a castle exists in Nova Scotia!

If there aren’t any photographers or organizations in your area that arrange photo tours, I would still highly consider scouting out a few places to explore on your own. Try the touring section of your area’s tourism website for inspiration.

Also, get a camera and remember that you don’t have to be Annie Leibovitz to have fun. We are definitely rookie photographers, but we still managed to get a couple of nice shots. Now we can make really cheap prints to hang around the house.

HE SAID:

When we got asked to come on a photo tour I was pretty excited. It’s something we had never done before, and since I’ve really gotten into seeing new parts of Nova Scotia lately, it sounded like a great way to spend a day.

Our first destination was Bayswater Beach. It was a beautiful spot with nearly white sand, and plenty of nice scenery to take in. Then we went to a little fishing village not too far from there. Our guide told us the story behind a castle we could see across the water, as well as an island covered in dead trees. Apparently, cormorants (a type of bird which are not native to Nova Scotia) were brought here and ended up destroying all the trees on the island. It was actually a pretty creepy thing to see. I’m sure we would have been making up some pretty wild stories about how it might have happened if we hadn’t been told about the birds.

Then we drove a bit farther and had lunch in Hubbards at a little spot called Dauphinee Inn. It was such a cool spot. The outside of the building was painted in very bright colours, and the staff inside were very friendly. They even gave us a little explanation about the history of the area as well as the Dauphinee Inn itself. The food was a very welcome thing as we had done a fair amount of walking that day. We had fish and crab cakes (which I hadn’t had before), beans, biscuits, and a great blueberry dessert. It was all very tasty. We then took a few pictures of the area around the Dauphinee Inn before we unfortunately had to split from the group and head home.

Unfortunately we couldn’t fit all of our pictures into this blog post, so make sure you click on one of them to see the whole Photo Tour set in Flickr. I think it’s safe to say we both had a blast. Even if you don’t have a top of the line camera (we borrowed one from my sister), or you aren’t an amazing photographer (we were worried about that at first since we aren’t pros) you should still seek out any photo tours in your area. If nothing else, you get to see some places you wouldn’t have otherwise seen, as well as meet some new people. The best part is that it’s a fairly inexpensive way to have fun. Not only that but the scenic pictures you take can be enjoyed for a long time to come (more on that in a later post). I would suggest you dig around on Twitter or Facebook to see if there are any photo tours being planned in your area. If not then why not organize one yourself?

Day trips are a fun thing to do when you can’t go anywhere too far away, but you want to feel like a tourist nonetheless. You get to escape your own town and return home to your own bed at the end of the day. What could be better? On this particular day we went to Mahone Bay, which is about an hour from Halifax.

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SHE SAID

I love visiting little towns. I love the people, I love the atmosphere, and most of all the unique shops! Mahone Bay is one such town that I keep coming back to for its charming, old fashioned feel. Its cute little shops are filled with everything from antiques to candy. On this particular day we didn’t get to all of the shops, but we did happen upon some great finds.

Find #1 – The Eclectic Garage

Don’t judge this one by its appearance. Though it may look like a run down, converted garage, guess what? It is! If you like antiques and unique gift ideas, you’ll love this place. It is jammed packed full of antique bottles, vinyl records, books, dishes, furniture, and it doesn’t stop there. You’ll also find modern gift items dispersed throughout. Though I didn’t buy any antiques this trip, I did find an antique-ish sign I hung in my kitchen. Check out our Flickr album for more finds.

Find #2 – Jo-Ann’s Deli Market & Bake Shop

Though there are quite a few nice places to dine in Mahone Bay, Jo-Ann’s offers quite a unique experience. Not only can you get fresh, made to order sandwiches and seafood lunches, there is a vast array of fresh baked goods to indulge in afterward that are made daily. If you’re looking for something cooler, you can visit the “I.C.U.”, aka Ice Cream Unit, and choose from one of their 16 flavors (and they have waffle cones!). If that’s not enough, you can buy local produce, a large section being organic, and they also have the largest selection of imported cheeses on the South Shore!

Find #3 – Candy Cravings
My sweet tooth was well fed after this stop. This shop is packed full of old-fashioned and modern candy alike. I was a wide-eyed little kid again gazing at the walls full of sugary delights. Once I got a grip, I ended up buying a “tickle stick” (not sure of the name’s origins), which is a wooden skewer full of gummy candies. We also stopped by their fudge station and picked up some chocolate peanut butter fudge. Yum!

I can’t wait to visit this town again. Maybe I can convince Brad to go to the Great Scarecrow Festival and Antique Fair in October!

HE SAID:

Over the past few years I’ve really grown to like the idea of taking day trips. Not only is it a cheap way to enjoy the nice summer and fall weather, but I’ve also gotten to see some smaller towns around Nova Scotia that I wouldn’t have otherwise.

Let’s be honest. I’m a city boy who married a country girl. So as much as I do enjoy a day trip to a small town, you won’t see me singing in the streets in pure joy like Susan. She really lights up when she’s in a town where people consider driving the speed limit to be too fast, where everyone knows everyone, and there are more trees than people.

Having said that, I can appreciate what a great place we live in. The drive to Mahone Bay is full of beautiful scenery. We even came across a parade along the way and stopped to take a look.

On the day we went to Mahone Bay the temperature was pretty high. So, naturally, certain unnamed members of our group decided it would be a good idea to walk to some of the antique shops we planned to visit. While the exercise was nice, I’m pretty sure I almost died of heat stroke. I kept reminding her that the further we walked, the further the walk back to the car would be.

Thankfully the walk was worth it as we came across some really great shops. One of my favorite spots in Mahone Bay is Candy Cravings. I don’t like it for the same reasons as Susan though. She likes the candy, but I like all the little toys and trinkets you can get. It’s sort of like a more tame version of Freak Lunchbox. There’s superhero lunch boxes, funny action figures, and lots more. I was also really excited to find what was labelled “drawer knobs” at an antique shop that used the same stick figures as we have in our logo. They don’t really serve any purpose, but I couldn’t pass them up.

Day trips are a great way to get out of the house without draining the bank account. It’s also an opportunity to check out the areas around where you live. If you enjoy fun drives and exploring new towns then you should give it a try.

Let us know some of your favorite day trip spots in the comments!