26 Glacier Cruise – Must Do Day Trip From Anchorage

Disclaimer: Included in this post are links to tours I have personally taken or booked for clients on Viator. If you book these tours thru the links in this post, as a travel agent, I will receive a small commission.

You just cannot visit Alaska without seeing a glacier. How about seeing 26 in one day from the water? You can do so on this must do day trip from Anchorage to Whittier for a cruise thru Prince William Sound.

Phillips Cruises and Tours offers both a self drive and coach tour option from Anchorage. Since I did not rent a car while I was in Alaska, I opted for the coach tour. I definitely recommend this tour as I enjoyed the stops along the way and learned so much from the commentary on the coach. Things to keep in mind though, the coach tour was a good 11-12 hours long, which is pretty long. It’s also a large tour bus, which I know some people aren’t that into. While I’m ok with a large tour, I have taken quite a few small group tours lately that I definitely prefer especially as a solo traveler. I think that after reading this post, you will be able to learn what makes the coach tour so special.

The tour started with a pickup at the Hotel Captain Cook in downtown Anchorage. When I arrived at the hotel I was met with a line of tour buses and so many people waiting outside. The hotel is definitely the go to spot for not just tours but also for the cruise lines. With so many buses lined up I started looking for signs and saw none. I ended up having to ask each bus if they were with my tour. Thank god I had arrived early enough to figure out which bus was mine. Of course, it seems everyone else arrived extra early as the bus was already pretty full when I got on.

Coach Ride to Whittier

The cruise leaves from Whittier which is about 60 miles from Anchorage. The drive into Whittier involves going thru a one-lane tunnel (more on this later) that is open for traffic going into Whittier on the 1/2 hour. They recommend leaving at least an hour and half before the tunnel time to guarantee you will not miss the tunnel opening. Our tour bus was scheduled for the 11:30am tunnel opening, and we left Anchorage at 9:15am which left us plenty of time to make a couple of stops along the way.

The drive took us out of Anchorage and onto the Seward Highway. The Seward Highway features some amazing scenery and many turnouts to stop and take in the views. Our first stop was at one of these turnouts along the Seward Highway. We stayed for about 10-15 minutes to get some photos and fresh air. The views of the snow-capped mountains of the Chugach National Forest were stunning and definitely worth the stop.

Our next stop was not far from the tunnel to Whittier at Portage Lake. Portage Lake is a popular spot for a day trip from Anchorage. At the lake there is a visitors’ center with information on the area. The views of this glacial lake were beautiful but not nearly as beautiful as they used to be. Nearly a century ago, you would often see the west end of the lake filled with icebergs, but as the Portage Glacier began to retreat, the icebergs became few and far between with now just a random small chunk of ice showing up in the water on rare occasions. The lake is still beautiful to see and is a wonderful example of a glacial lake in Alaska. There are many tours you can take from Anchorage that will take you to Portage Lake and the nearby Portage Glacier.

When we were leaving Portage Lake, the bus driver counted everyone on the bus and was coming up one short of the number he was given. We were only about 5 to 10 minutes tops away from the tunnel but had to make sure to get to the tunnel for the 11:30am opening otherwise if we missed that we would be late for the cruise. After a few stressful minutes the driver was able to call and find out the number of passengers they gave him was actually incorrect and we were all actually on the bus. This was the one negative aspect of taking the coach tour, while I understand things happen, it was so stressful wondering if we would miss the tunnel opening and as a result miss the cruise!

Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel

We were finally on our way and arrived at the tunnel in time, what a relief! The history and information that we were given about the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel from the bus driver is one of the biggest reasons I would suggest taking the coach tour over driving on your own. I found the information about the tunnel just fascinating.

While Whittier is the gateway to Alaska’s Prince William Sound, it is home to less than 300 people and the only access to and from it via car is thru the one lane 2.7-mile-long Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel. The tunnel only opened to auto traffic as recently as 2000.

During World War II, the US Army looked for a location in Alaska for military base that would be pretty much inaccessible and hidden from the enemies. With the large mountains surrounding the town and the lack of ice on the adjacent Prince William Sound, Whittier was the perfect location. They only issue was the military needed access other than by water or air, so they built a rail tunnel thru the mountains. It was quite the engineering feat, and the rail tunnel would eventually be named the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel after the army engineer who led the construction of the tunnel. Two buildings were built in Whittier to house the construction workers on the tunnel. One was destroyed during the 1964 earthquake in Alaska and the other remains and houses the majority of the just under 300 residents of the town today.

In 2000, they transformed the tunnel to accommodate automobiles. This transformation made it the longest shared rail and vehicle tunnel in North America. As mentioned earlier, the tunnel is one lane with alternating one-way traffic every half hour. You must arrive prior to the tunnel opening time and line up as there is only so much time for the one-way traffic to get thru before the tunnel is cleared for the traffic in the other direction. This is why it was so stressful when we were held up leaving Portage Lake.

There are multiple different lanes to line up for the tunnel for safety reasons, specifically fire safety. As I’m sure you can imagine, God forbid there was a vehicle fire in the tunnel, it could be catastrophic. Luckily the engineers of the tunnel thought of all of this and took precautions. The Fire Department monitors all activity in the tunnel thru video surveillance and makes sure there is ample room in between cars and buses entering the tunnel. The tunnel has fire safe shelters located every 1000 feet that can hold up to 50 people and are equipped with food, water and a restroom in case of emergency. Buses which cannot have more than 50 people including the driver, are sent at 1000 feet intervals into the tunnel so that there is a shelter for each bus in case of emergency.

While it may be a little nerve wracking to think of something catastrophic happening in the tunnel, it’s also very comforting to know all the precautions that exist to help eliminate any tragedies in the tunnel.

M/V Bravest

After we got thru the tunnel, we arrived at the cruise port and headed onto the M/V Bravest for our 26 Glacier Cruise. The seating on the ship was assigned and I happened to luck out with a seat right by the door to the outside deck which made it easy to go outside when we slowed down or stopped at different spots during the tour. The seats were all at tables as the tour came with an included lunch of salmon chowder, which was quite delicious.

The M/V Bravest has a fascinating story. It was originally a ferry in New York City and played a part in helping to ferry people out of lower Manhattan after the 9/11 terror attacks of the World Trade Center and to ferry emergency workers to the World Trade Center in the weeks after the attacks. It also played at part in the rescue of the plane that crashed in the Hudson River in 2009.

While lunch came with our ticket, the ship also features a bar that sells drinks and snacks. Water, coffee and tea were available for free. At one stop they took some glacial ice from the water and used it to make their specialty drink a Glacier Ice Margarita. They also offer a gift shop and have binoculars available to rent.

26 Glaciers Cruise

The cruise itself takes 5 1/2 hours and covers 150 miles of the Prince William Sound passing by, you guessed it, 26 glaciers. The cruise took us into fjords and gave us up close views of glaciers and even wildlife. Before I go into the details of what we saw on the cruise, I’d like to first talk about some of the different types of glaciers:

  • Tidewater Glaciers – Move towards the water and end at the ocean’s edge. These are the glaciers that you will see “calve” into the water. Calving is when ice breaks off from the glacier and comes crashing down into the water below. It’s quite the experience to see and hear, it sounds like the loudest thunder you have ever heard. These are the types of glaciers that cause icebergs to form in the water.
  • Hanging Glaciers – These glaciers start higher up in the valley and hangs down part of the way to the main glacier.
  • Valley Glaciers – These form in the mountain valley and flow downward. These are the type of glaciers that you will see away from the ocean.

We were lucky enough to see all of these types of glaciers on the cruise. I must admit though, the tidewater glaciers were definitely the most impressive to me.

The cruise headed north thru Prince William Sound into College Fjord. This fjord features five tidewater glaciers, 5 valley glaciers and dozens of smaller glaciers. College Fjord was discovered back in 1899 by railroad Magnate, Edward Harriman and his crew. Harriman’s doctor suggested he take a vacation to rest, and he decided to go exploring in Alaska for Kodiak bears, not quite the rest his doctor had ordered. He took a crew of biologists, zoologists and other experts with him. Among his crew were professors from east coast colleges including Harvard and Amherst. They ended up naming the glaciers after East Coast colleges, the ones on the northwest side were named after women’s colleges like Smith and Wellesley and the ones on the southeast side were named after men’s colleges like Harvard, Yale and Dartmouth. As someone who lives and grew up in the Boston area, this was very interesting to me, nothing better than hearing familiar name from home while you are traveling.

Harvard Glacier was directly in front of us and as we got closer to it, there was more and more ice in the water. You could hear the ice as the boat was going over it. I actually wasn’t expecting there to be that much ice in the water. We stopped at the glacier for a while, it was calving in two different spots. They gave us some tips on photos and videos while we were there. One tip that resonated with me was to keep taking photos from all different angles as the glacier will look different from each angle. I tend to take lots of pictures of things I see in my travels and usually from different angles. I was lucky to have the video going on my phone when the glacier was calving.

After we spent some time at Harvard Glacier, we headed back south in Prince William Sound towards Esther Passage. As we navigated thru the ice, we saw numerous sea otters playing in the water, they were just so cutie! I wish I had an actual camera with a good zoom to get a picture or video of them because my phone just wasn’t cutting it. But as I was taking pictures of the ice in the water, we came up to one piece of ice with this adorable harbor seal just hanging out on the ice posing for me! It’s still not the best of pictures, but so cute!

We took the Esther Passage into Blackstone Bay and the scenery seemed to take a dramatic turn even though we were still among the fjords. From the icy waters and glacial mountainsides, we went to green trees along the mountainside and were in search of bears and mountain goat along the shores. While we had no bear sightings, there were some mountain goats that those with binoculars saw in the distance high on the mountainside.

As we made our way on to a couple of more glaciers to stop at we passed some amazing waterfalls from the glacier and snow melt. The color of the water where these waterfalls were was just stunning, such a beautiful shade of blue due to the glacial waters.

From this point on in the cruise we saw quite a lot of waterfalls. I never realized just how many waterfalls occur right at a glacier. Waterfalls and glaciers are both beautiful, adding the together is like a dream! We stopped at two glaciers, both with waterfalls. There was some calving happening at one of these glaciers as well. It was interesting hearing the rush of the waterfall and the calving of the glacier at the same time.

As we were at the final glacier we noticed jet skis in the water. I did some research and there is actually a company who hosts Glacier Jet Ski Tours. How much fun would that be, might have to head back to Alaska just to try that! Sounds even more adventurous than the Glacier Hike I took on this trip. You would definitely get a whole different perspective of just how massive in size the glaciers are from a jet ski than from a boat.

At this point we had seen our 26 glaciers, some up close and some from a distance. Now it was time to head back to port. As we got closer to the dock, we passed yet another beautiful set of waterfalls. These particular waterfalls had me wondering if I was in Alaska or Hawaii. They reminded me of the waterfalls I saw along the Road to Hana in Maui. Check out the photo below, what do you think, does this look like it’s in Alaska or Hawaii?

At these waterfalls, there were thousands of birds. They were part of a colony of Black-Legged Kittiwake which are prevalent in Prince William Sound. This particular location is home to over 10,000 kittiwakes and they use the sea cliffs by the waterfalls to nest. Check out the video below to see just how many of these kittiwakes there were.

This brought an end to our 26 Glaciers Cruise. We got back with plenty of time to all get back on the bus prior to the next tunnel opening time. The ride back was quiet as we all reflected on the amazing day we just had and while many people took naps as it was a long day.

Although this tour is a long day and can be quite tiring, do not let that turn you off. The experience is worth the long day and this tour should be a part of any Alaska trip that takes you to the Anchorage area. Beyond The Miles Travel would love to help you plan an Alaska vacation that includes the 26 Glacier Tour in your itinerary.

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Hiking a Glacier – The Ultimate Alaska Bucket List Activity

Disclaimer: Included in this post are links to tours I have personally taken or booked for clients on Viator. If you book these tours thru the links in this post, as a travel agent, I will receive a small commission.

The bucket list has become quite the popular term in recent years. The 1999 movie of the same name featured two men with terminal cancer creating a list of things they wanted to do before “kicking the bucket”. Although a bucket list has some morbid origins, it’s a great term to use for goals that might take you years to accomplish, especially travel goals.

We all have those travel bucket list of places that we want to visit, but do you have a bucket list of activities you would like to do around the world? Have you ever booked a trip and researched things to do in that location and found an activity that should have been on your bucket list, but you weren’t even aware you could do this or that you even wanted to until you were planning your trip? This is what happened to me as I was planning my most recent trip to Alaska.

In 2014, I visited Alaska as part of an RV trip with a group of friends. Being that I was heading back to Alaska to run a half marathon as part of my quest to run a half marathon in all 50 states, I knew I wanted to find some new and unique activities for this trip that I did not experience in my prior visit to Alaska. While researching, I came across, a Glacier Hiking Tour with 907 Tours.

On my prior trip, we had hiked to a glacier, but I never would have thought that hiking on a glacier was possible, and I decided right then that this was one of those bucket list items I had never knew existed but would definitely be high on my bucket list. I’m not a big fan of the cold, snow and ice, but something about glaciers just fascinates me! So, I booked the tour and off I went on a great day trip from Anchorage out to Matanuska Glacier.

Is the Tour Right For You?

Hiking on a glacier is an exciting experience, while most people are physically able to take this tour, it might not be for everyone. Like all hikes, you need to take your physical capabilities into account before booking this tour. The tour will consist of walking on uneven terrain (although crampons will be provided for your shoes) for about 2 to 3 hours for a total of about 2 miles. It may not be the right tour for you if you have back or knee problems or are in poor health. As I’m sure you can imagine, the glacier is also not wheelchair accessible.

I would consider this a moderate hike and I only had some problems on the downhill portion mostly because I’m ultra careful going downhill in all hikes, but especially on ice. The guides were great with lending a hand to help us on the icier or more difficult spots.

What’s Included in the Glacier Hike Tour

  • Anchorage Hotel Pick Up and Drop Off
  • Roundtrip transportation
  • Knowledgeable guide from 907 Tours
  • Knowledgeable hiking guide at Matanuska Glacier
  • Helmets (required for hiking on the glacier)
  • Crampons for your shoes
  • Hiking Sticks if needed (It was recommended to only use the sticks if you have an injury that may require it. Otherwise, they could cause you to lose balance on the ice)
  • Bottled Water
  • Snacks

What you will need for a Glacier Hike

Below are the items you will need for a summer glacier hike:

  • Dress in Layers – In the summer, the weather can be all over the place, it can be warm (as it was for my hike), rainy or even cold. Dressing in layers gives you the option to adjust depending on how you feel during the hike. Keep in mind it’s a bit colder at the glacier so plan on bringing one extra layer than you think you may need.
  • Rain Gear – Rain is definitely pretty common in Alaska, although you wouldn’t have guessed that from my sunny trip to Alaska, make sure to bring a raincoat or poncho and a hat.
  • Hiking Boots or Shoes – While they do provide crampons for your shoes that make walking on the ice much easier, I still recommend a good pair of hiking boots or shoes. If you do not have any, athletic sneakers will also work.
  • Sunscreen and Sunglasses – Ice reflects the sun, so make sure to protect yourself with sunscreen and sunglasses. If you have polarized sunglasses, those will work best. Our guide did have a few pairs of polarized sunglasses available.
  • Credit Card and Cash – While a stop for lunch is included, the cost of lunch is not included in the cost of the tour. Also, make sure you have some cash so you can tip both the guide at the glacier and the guide from 907 Tours for help making your day so amazing.

Note: If visiting in Winter – Yes, they have hikes in the winter, this requires a lot more layers, snow pants, winter boots, wool socks (a couple of pairs is a good idea), gloves, hat, face/neck gaiter and ski googles.

Heading to Matanuska Glacier

The tour started with a hotel pickup in Anchorage, with the last pickup around 8:30am. There were 9 of us on the tour, which was a great size, not too big but also it was nice to have a great group to enjoy the day with. In our tour group, we had guests from US states of Massachusetts, New York and Indiana and also some guests from China. I really enjoyed having a group of people from different locations, since my favorite thing about traveling is meeting people from all over the world. Our tour guide with 907 Tours was Derek and he was quite amazing!

As we headed out of Anchorage, Derek gave us some information about the area and also about himself. I believe he was from Southern California and had lived in Alaska a number of years after spending some years in Japan. The one interesting thing I realized in Alaska, was how many people moved here from other parts of the US and even the world. Some of them even came to work for a season and then loved it so much they ended up staying for years. In fact, there were very few people I spoke with on my visit who were actually born and raised in Alaska.

The ride out to the glacier takes about two hours. About 45 minutes into the ride, we stopped at a rest area to use the restroom and also grab some food as we would not be stopping for lunch until after our hike on the glacier. After our rest stop, we headed out on the Glenn Highway with some spectacular views for the ride. As we neared Matanuska Glacier, we got a great view of the enormous glacier that we would be hiking a very, very small portion of. We also got an added bonus of a quick look at a moose and it’s calf by the river while riding in to the glacier hiking area.

Hiking Matanuska Glacier

Matanuska Glacier is 27 miles long and 4 miles wide. It starts from the highest peak in the Chugach Mountain range, Mt. Marcus Baker which is 13,176 feet high. For such a large glacier, you will only be hiking a very miniscule portion of it yet still be able to see a lot of the glacier’s features.

As we arrived at the glacier, we were given our required helmets and met our guide who would be guiding us on the glacier along with Derek from 907 Tours. We then took some photos of the glacier in the distance before heading out on our hike.

The hike started with a walk along a manmade walkway over the small lake caused by the melting of the glacier. Once over the walkway, we were given our crampons to put over our shoes. For people that may not know, crampons are spikes that slip over the bottom of your shoes to make it easier to walk on the ice without slipping. The thing about hiking with crampons and on ice is you have to make sure to always walk with your feet facing forward. This means for someone like me who likes to walk sideways going downhill, I had to hike differently than I normally would. If your feet aren’t facing forward as you are hiking, you risk losing your balance and falling.

Our hiking guide, who as a side note, reminded me of Yukon Cornelius from the Rudolph Christmas cartoon, took us to different spots in the glacier to see different features. He gave us some tips on how to have a safe hike, one of which was to stay in single file behind him so that we were walking in the spots that he deemed as safe. We had two people in our hike who weren’t part of our group with 907 tours and one of them kept going off outside the single file line. As a rule-follower and someone who wanted to have a safe hike, this really annoyed me. Don’t be this person, the rules are for your safety and safety is always number one.

We hiked to several different spots on the glacier and stopped for photos and to ask questions and learn more about the glacier. One of our stops was at a point in the glacier called “The Wave” because this part of the glacier resembled an ocean wave.

We then took some paths that headed up the glacier. Hiking up seemed somewhat easy but in my mind, I kept thinking about the hike back down on ice and even with the crampons on my shoes, I was quite nervous about slipping. But the views as we got up to a bit of elevation were stunning and worth the fear of slipping on the way down. It was fun to look down at other hiking groups to see just how far we had gone up the glacier. Quite the feeling of accomplishment!

Speaking of other hiking groups, one of the things I loved was that all the groups seemed to take their own path on the glacier, so we were never in another group’s way and made for a somewhat personal hike experience for our group.

Thankfully both guides were amazingly helpful when it came to going downhill on the glacier. Derek gave me his arm to hold onto as I was walking down nervously on the ice telling myself over and over in my head not to put my feet sideways like I normally do in tricky downhill sections of a hike.

Glaciers constantly evolve throughout the year from melting in the summer to freezing over again in the winter. With all the melting during the warm weather in the summer, there were quite a few lakes, rivers and even waterfalls in the glacier. Glacial water is some of the purest water you can have, and we stopped at a few spots to fill our water bottles with the water and give it a taste. It tasted great and was so clear, cool and refreshing. They even recommended that we empty the water that was currently in our water bottle to fill with the glacial water. It definitely tasted a lot better than the spring water I originally had in my bottle.

The most beautiful spot we hiked to in the glacier was the lake that also included a small waterfall. It was absolutely stunning, definitely one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen! It’s truly amazing that I never thought of all the water features a glacier can create just by melting a bit from the heat or sunshine. The life cycle of a glacier is definitely quite amazing.

We were almost at the end of our 2-mile hike which took us about 3 hours at this point. Our final spot was to a chunk of the glacier that we were able to break pieces of ice off of to enjoy. I couldn’t believe just how clear the ice was once I broke a piece off. It was a refreshing way to cap off one of the most amazing hikes I’ve ever been on.

After the Hike

After such an amazing hike we were all ready to refuel with some lunch. We went to the nearby Long Rifle Lodge and had a delicious lunch. The food was really great, and they have a pretty amazing view of Matanuska Glacier, so I highly recommend stopping here for a meal after your hike.

Then it was on the road again for the two-hour ride back to Anchorage. As we started back our tour guide Derek told us about a fun event that takes place in the area each year on July 4th. The 4th of July Car Launch has taken place in Glacier View each year since 2005. It all began when a man living on a bluff decided to launch a car he no longer wanted off of the bluff. It’s now become a local tradition to come watch the cars launched off the cliff “Thelma and Louise” style each year. This definitely sounds like an interesting event if you happen to visit this part of Alaska over the 4th of July holiday.

On our way back to Anchorage, we did make one photo stop to break up the ride at a beautiful area overlooking the Matanuska Valley.

Hiking Matanuska Glacier is definitely one of those once in a lifetime experiences that everyone should have on their Alaska bucket list.

While you could drive from Anchorage on your own and schedule a hike at the glacier, I feel the tour was more than worth the money. I learned so much about glaciers and Alaska itself on the ride there and back that it really added to the experience and my trip as a whole. If you are interested in booking this tour, you can do so at this link.

In the meantime, I’ll leave you with a video of my experience hiking Matanuska Glacier.

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Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort

Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort is a moderate priced resort located within the Walt Disney World Resort. With the Caribbean theming and the tropical Florida weather, its the perfect resort to make you feel like you are on an island in the Caribbean.

The Caribbean theming of the resort is evident in the colorful buildings and the buildings are in villages within the resort with each village named after a Caribbean island: Aruba, Jamaica, Martinique, Barbados and Trinidad. Of course, the tropical climate of Florida with its natural palm trees adds to the Caribbean feel of the resort.

I will be the first to admit that in the past the Caribbean Beach Resort was not one of my favorites at Walt Disney World. The resort is very large and depending on which village your room is in it could be quite the lengthy walk to the main building where reception, food options, gift shop and the main pool are located. There are also quite a lot of bus stops throughout the resort making the bus rides to and from the theme parks quite long. before you even leave the resort. This made the resort not as popular with guests as some of the other Walt Disney World resorts.

Disney’s Skyliner

All of this changed with the introduction of Walt Disney World’s newest transportation option. The Disney Skyliner transports guests between select Walt Disney World resorts and Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Not only is Caribbean Beach Resort one of these select resorts, but it is also the Disney Skyliner hub. This means it’s a direct flight on the skyliner from Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort to Epcot as well as a direct flight to Hollywood Studios. The other select resorts (Pop Century, Art of Animation, Riviera Resort and the Epcot resort area which includes Boardwalk, Yacht and Beach Club and Swan and Dolphin Hotels) require a change between skyliner lines at the Caribbean Beach Resort Skyliner station.

The first time that I stayed at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort after the skyliner opened, I was lucky enough to get a room in one of the buildings right across the street from the skyliner in the Jamaica village of the resort. I timed how long it took me to take the skyliner to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. From walking out of the door of my hotel room to getting to the entrance of the theme park, it took 7 minutes. I could not believe how quick it was and it was very lucky it was that quick that morning as it was the first weekend that Star Wars Rise of the Resistance was open, so it got me in the park with plenty of time to spare before the virtual queue opened. How incredibly convenient is the Disney Skyliner transportation, definitely a huge plus for Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort!

Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort Rooms

The Disney Skyliner is not the only advantage of staying at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. The resort is also one of the few on property that offers a 5th sleeper option and for families that have three children, this is such a great option so you do not need to pay for two rooms. The resort offers the following room options:

  • 5th Sleeper room Standard View
  • 5th Sleeper room Water or Pool View
  • King Bed Room
  • 2 Queen Beds with Standard View
  • 2 Queen Beds with Water or Pool View
  • Preferred Rooms with 2 Queen Beds located closest to the main building

Up until late 2022, they also offered Pirate themed rooms which I honestly loved, I mean who doesn’t love a pirate theme? It’s a shame that these rooms are no longer available as they were pretty cool and I’m sure little kids that like pirates would really love them.

While these rooms, located in the Trinidad village were a bit removed from the rest of the resort, they were fairly close to the skyliner which made them convenient. The rooms at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort definitely needed an upgrade though, so these rooms which are 5th Sleeper rooms were remodeled with an Under The Sea theme. These much more modern rooms opened in 2023 just in time for the release of the live action Little Mermaid movie. They are not a separate room category, so if you are wanting to stayin in one of these rooms, it’s best to book a 5th Sleeper room and put in a request for the Trinidad section of the resort.

Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort Dining Options

From sit down to quick service to a tropical bar, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort has all your dining needs covered.

  • Centertown Market – Quick Service restaurant open for breakfast, lunch and dinner featuring typical American fare such as burgers and some Caribbean dishes such as a Caribbean Omelet for breakfast and Fried Yucca Bowls and Arroz Mamposteao for lunch and dinner.
  • Centertown Market Grab & Go – For an even quicker bite, head to the Grab & Go location in the Centertown market featuring snacks, bakery items, coffee and other assorted beverages.
  • Spyglass Grill – This second quick service location offers American and Caribbean dishes and is located in the Trinidad section of the resort. It’s a great option for guests staying in this section since it is a bit removed from the rest of the resort.
  • Sebastian’s Bistro – This sit-down restaurant features family style Caribbean food and after having dinner there for the first time this year, I can honestly say it’s a true hidden gem! And at only $35 per adult, this family style meal is quite the great deal for a restaurant at Disney World. Your meal starts with rolls and guava butter and the most delicious salad with key lime dressing. Next up you have a choice of either Caribbean meats or plant based entrees that are served with cilantro rice and beans and vegetables. And to top it off, dessert is coconut-pineapple bread pudding served with caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream. Is your mouth watering yet?
  • Banana Cabana – Located just outside of Sebastian’s Bistro across from the resort pool is the tropical lounge, Banana Cabana. Featuring tropical beverages like Mai Tai’s, Margaritas and Mojitos as well as a variety of frozen beverages, it’s the perfect place to cool off at the end of the day. They also offer appetizers, salads, sandwiches and burgers.

Activities at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort

Similar to other Walt Disney World Resorts, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort offers many activities to keep you busy, making it a great spot to enjoy a resort day if you are needing a rest from the theme parks.

  • Pools – There are six pools located throughout Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. Within each of the 5 villages there are leisure pools for a more relaxed and quiet atmosphere located closer to your hotel room. The highlight of the pools at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort is the Fuentes del Morro Pool. This pool is themed after a Spanish fort from the Caribbean and features 2 water slides (one of which is 102 feet long!) and a shipwreck play area for the littlest children. For the adults, there is also a hot tub and the Banana Cabana bar is located just outside of the pool area if you would like to enjoy an adult beverage by the pool. They also offer scheduled activities such as pool games and trivia at the pool that are fun for the whole family.
  • Beaches – Being that the resort has a Caribbean theme, there are beaches scattered throughout the resort. While you are not able to swim in the water, they are a great spot to relax on a lounge chair or hammock or play in the sand. At the beach in the Martinique village there is even a sand volleyball court and nightly campfires activities.
  • Caribbean Cay – Located in the middle of the resort is a small island oasis, Caribbean Cay. Here you can relax on a hammock or even go fishing. It’s also a very relaxing little island to walk through and get away for the business of the rest of the resort. Nightly on Caribbean Cay they also have movies under the stars.
  • Jogging Path – Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort is located around Barefoot Bay with Disney’s Riviera Resort along the other end of the water. This makes for a great jogging path if you need to get a short run in while vacationing at Walt Disney World.

I have always loved all things tropical and when I was younger Florida seemed to be the closest I could get to the Caribbean. I always dreamed of staying at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. If you are looking for the perfect moderate level resort with some Caribbean vibes the convenience of the skyliner transportation, definitely look into staying at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort.

If you would like to compare Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort to other moderate resorts located at Walt Disney World, check out my post on Disney’s Port Orleans Resort.

As always if you need help planning the perfect Walt Disney World vacation, Beyond The Miles Travel would love to help!

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Day Trips From Boston By Train – Rockport

As a City of Boston resident who does not own a car, I’ve become quite familiar with the locations outside of the city that you can visit by train. One of my favorite places to visit is Rockport, Massachusetts. If you are visiting Boston, I highly recommend taking some day trips and the train is a great way to do so.

Rockport is located 40 miles north of Boston on the tip of the Cape Ann peninsula, just east of Gloucester which many of you may have heard of from the movie Perfect Storm. Other than its border with Gloucester, the rest of the town is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, making it the quintessential New England seaside town to visit.

At first Rockport was part of neighboring Gloucester and was a major supplier of granite along the east coast of the United States due to the quarries in the area. In 1840, Rockport became its own town and continued to supply granite as well as become known for its fishing harbor and a popular vacation home due to its beaches.

Today, Rockport is still popular with tourist and there are lots of lobster fisherman in the area.

Fun Fact About Rockport – While the movie The Proposal starring Sandra Bullock was based in Alaska, did you know that they actually filmed it in Rockport? When you visit Rockport you will see the similarities with coastal communities in Alaska.

Getting to Rockport

Rockport is easily accessible by train from Boston. From North Station in downtown Boston, you can take the Rockport line of the MBTA’s commuter rail to the very last stop, Rockport. On the weekend, the train runs every couple of hours, with more frequent service on weekdays, especially during prime commute hours. Tickets cost $24.50 roundtrip during the week and on the weekends, they offer a special $10 weekend pass which gets you unlimited rides on the commuter rail all weekend long. For a ticket that normally costs almost $25, the $10 weekend pass is a great deal, you must take advantage of it. Check the mbta website for the train schedule.

Motif No. 1

One of the top things to see in Rockport is the most painted building in the United States and some even consider it the most painted building in the world.

Motif No. 1 is located on Bradley Wharf along the Rockport Harbor. The building that stands today is actually a replica of an old red fishing shack that was built in 1840 and destroyed during the blizzard of 1978. Due to the building’s popularity, the replica was built shortly after the blizzard. Over the years, the building got recognized as a popular painting subject due to the composition and lighting of the location. And I mean who wouldn’t want to paint this perfect New England seaside harbor scene!

Local painter Lester Hornby was the one who first started referring to it as Motif No. 1 after the students in his painting class all seemed to pick the building as the subject of their painting assignments. Now it’s become quite famous not just for painters but also photographers. On any given day in Rockport, you will see multiple people snapping photos of the building. While the view in the photo above is definitely the money shot, I highly recommend getting a view of it from all different angles while walking around Rockport.

Bearskin Neck

As the town of Rockport was known for its fishing industry, the harbor was the focal point of town. This commercial harbor has turned into the main tourist attraction in Rockport and is called Bearskin Neck.

You may be thinking, that’s a strange name for a harbor area and I agree with you. Of course, there are multiple theories on how this name came to be. The most popularly accepted reason is the name simply came from a bear that was caught in the tide and killed back in 1700. I personally prefer to go with the more interesting explanation. Years ago, a local man was attacked by a bear by the harbor. He ended up fighting the bear and eventually winning. He skinned the bear and left the bearskin out on the rocks. The fisherman coming into the harbor saw the bearskin and ended up giving the area the name Bearskin Neck. There is even a sign over one of the stores, The Pewter Shop, which depicts the local man and the bear. You can somewhat see this sign on the red building in the photo below.

Bearskin Neck is where you will find many shops and restaurants. The street gets busy with many pedestrians and also the occasional car driving down the street, so stay alert while walking in the street and keep an eye on the little ones. The shops range from your typical souvenir shops to a general store to one-of-a-kind shops with unique gifts to art galleries.

One of my favorite shops is the Rockport Candle Company and I always make sure to buy a new calendar each time I visit. I noticed the most recent time I was there that you can even make your own candle, which is always fun to do.

Many of the shops are family run businesses, some of which have been around for quite some time. The Pewter Shop has been in business since 1935, making it the oldest shop in Rockport. All the pewter they sell is made onsite.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I always work up quite the appetite while shopping! There are plenty of food options available in Bearskin Neck to help satisfy that appetite. From quick bites to sit down restaurants, there is plenty to choose from. Here are just a few great food options:

  • Seafood – Being a coastal town, there are many options for fresh seafood, and you can find it on the menu at most restaurants. There are also plenty of restaurants that specializes in fresh seafood. The Fish Shack and Roy Moore Lobster Company are two of the more popular spots.
  • Waterfront Dining – On a nice day, it’s always a good idea to have a great waterfront view while enjoying your meal. My Place By The Sea and 7th Wave Restaurant are two great waterfront dining options.
  • Ice Cream – On a summer visit, ice cream is a must! The Ice Cream Store is my personal favorite and judging by the line every time I’ve been there, its other people’s favorite as well.

Rockport Breakwater

If you walk thru Bearskin Neck towards the water to the very end you will come to Rockport Breakwater. The breakwater is 1/8 of a mile long and it’s a great little walk with spectacular views of Rockport, the harbor and the ocean.

While the breakwater has been rebuilt in 2015 and now features mainly flat rocks making it easy to walk to the end, you should still make sure to wear proper footwear. Make sure to hold your belongings tightly as I did see someone’s insulated water bottle fall out of their hand and thru a hole between the rocks down into the ocean. It’s definitely a fun activity for the whole family to walk out along the rocks.

Once you get to the end, you are at a great spot to sit and relax for a bit. Also, from the end you get a nice view of the Straitsmouth Island and its historic lighthouse. There have been three lighthouses on the island, the first built in 1834 and the final one built in 1896. The lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. Straitsmouth Island and the lighthouse are now part of the Massachusetts Audobon Society as a wildlife Sanctuary.

Kayak and Boat Tours

If you would like to visit Straitsmouth Island, a great way to do so is by kayak. North Shore Adventures has kayaks for rent as well as many different tours available, including:

  • Island Kayak Tour – This tour will take you 1 mile out to Straitsmouth Island and additional 1.5 miles to Thatcher Island further out in the ocean with stops on the islands.
  • Seal Kayak Tour – This tour goes to a outcropping of walks 2.5 miles from Rockport to see seals and birds in the area.
  • Coastal Kayak Tour – This tour is great for beginners who want to stay a bit closer to coast.
  • Evening Kayak Tour – This tour is great for those really hot days as it will be cooler in the evening and depending on the time of year, you might catch the sunset on this tour.

If you prefer to not have to do the work of kayaking, why not take a tour on a lobster boat! Captain Jim’s Rockport Seaventure offers tours on its lobster boat, First Lady, on the weekends and holidays. Not only will you learn more about Rockport on this boat tour, but you will also learn about catching lobsters. I haven’t done this tour just yet, but it’s definitely on my bucket list, what a unique experience!

Beaches in Rockport

Being on the coast there are many beaches in Rockport including a couple within walking distance of downtown. While there are many beaches in the area that are much larger, these beaches are still a great alternative if you are looking to spend a bit of time at the beach while visiting Rockport by train.

The first beach you will come to walking from downtown Rockport is Front Beach. This is the best beach if you are looking to sit in the sand and enjoy the warm weather. The beach is staffed with a lifeguard making it a good choice if you are at the beach with young ones. Even if you don’t plan on spending time on the beach, I definitely recommend taking a walk by the beach as it’s pretty beautiful to see.

If you continue walking past Front Beach, you will come to Back Beach. This beach is much more rocky than Front Beach and not one for laying on the beach. Back Beach is actually known for its scuba diving. This is also a great beach to walk along or just sit on the larger rocks overlooking the beach and enjoy the views.

Rockport definitely has plenty to keep you busy for a day trip from Boston and all is just a quick walk from the train station. This is one of my favorite places to visit outside of the city of Boston and a must visit for anyone visiting Boston.

Beyond the Miles Travel would love to help you plan a trip to Boston with Rockport as part of your itinerary, contact us today.

This article is now featured on GPSmyCity. To download this article for offline reading or create a self-guided walking tour to visit the attractions highlighted in this article, go to Walking Tours and Articles in Rockport.

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Speedy Visit to Indianapolis

I recently took a very quick 2-day trip to Indianapolis. Being that Indianapolis is known as the Racing Capital of the World, it probably makes sense that it was such a speedy trip!

Before planning my visit, I did not know much about the city of Indianapolis, and I was definitely pleasantly surprised that there was so much more to do there than I originally thought, I kept thinking that maybe my trip shouldn’t have been such a speedy one. Indianapolis is the capital and largest city of the state of Indiana. It’s the third most populous city in the Midwest behind Chicago, Illinois and Columbus, Ohio and it’s also the fourth most populous state capital in the US. It’s higher than my city of Boston, which comes in sixth, I found this very surprising! Being such a large and populous capital city, the downtown area was full of energy, with plenty to see and do.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

As the Racing Capital of the World, no trip to Indianapolis is complete without a visit to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway which is located in a suburb of Indianapolis, conveniently called Speedway, Indiana. As someone who has never watched a car race in my life, I can honestly say it is worth visiting even if you are not a race car fan. Located inside the speedway is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. Open daily, except for Thanksgiving and Christmas, the museum is the spot for race fans and a great place for the non-race fans to learn a little about racing.

There are a number of exhibits located in the museum, one can’t miss exhibit is a film about the history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The 2.5-mile-long oval racetrack was built in 1909 after Indianapolis businessman, Carl G. Fisher wanted to build a facility for car racing after seeing that racing was very popular in Europe. The speedway was met with tragedy from the very first race series in August 1909 with a driver, 2 mechanics and 2 spectators suffering fatal injuries at the event. It was determined that the original gravel track was unsafe, so it was then paved with over 3 million bricks which is how the speedway earned its nickname of “The Brickyard”. Racing was back and much safer starting in 1910.

In 1911, the famous Indianapolis 500 took place for the first time. This premier racing event is held annually at the end of May during Memorial Day weekend. There are several qualifying events the week leading up the big race. Thirty-three cars compete in the main event for 200 laps on the 2.5-mile-long track to win the 500-mile race.

For the car lovers, there is an exhibit featuring the Winning Cars of the Indianapolis 500 in the Winner’s Gallery. It was really interesting to see the older cars from the early 1900s compared to the cars from more recent years.

Across from the Winner’s Gallery is the Second exhibit, featuring the stories of the second-place drivers. It was crazy to read just how close some of the races were. Every time I would read a second-place finish time being just fractions of a second behind the first-place driver, I would end up seeing one that was even closer. The record for the closest finish was held by Scott Goodyear in 1992, when he came in just .043 seconds behind winner Al Unser, Jr.

One of the most fun exhibits is definitely the Traditions exhibit. In this exhibit, you can see the Borg-Warner Trophy which each winner has their face and name engraved on.

This exhibit has stories about some of the speedway traditions. One such tradition is the winner drinking milk after they finish. This tradition started when the 1933 winner requested a glass of milk after winning the race. When he won again in 1936, he requested it once again and the American Dairy Association took notice and decided this should be an annual tradition.

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway? Well, you are in luck, they have simulators available for you to get your chance to race the Indy 500. This was a lot of fun, but it made me realize, that I would probably crash right into the wall very quickly, guess I won’t be quitting my day job to become a race car driver! lol

When you look at the Indy cars, you can see just how low to the ground they are, but have you ever wondered just how low the drivers are sitting? Here you have your chance, there is a car available for a photo op that you can get into. I just kneeled down in fear I wouldn’t be able to stand up if I actually sat in the low seat. I really wasn’t meant to be a race car driver! Definitely a fun photo op though.

You can tour the museum on your own or if you would like you can book a guided tour of the museum. They also have a Basement Collection Tour where you can see rare artifacts.

If you would like to get out on the racetrack, there are a number of tours you can book:

  • Kiss The Bricks Tour – This 30-minute tour will take you on a bus ride around the 2.5-mile racetrack with a stop at the finish line where you an kiss the historic bricks just like the winners do.
  • View From the Top Tour – This 30-minute tour will take you to the victory podium and the top of the 153-foot-tall Pagoda for an ariel view of the racetrack.
  • Golf Cart Tour – This 90-minute tour combines the experiences in the other two tours with more behind the scenes experiences like Gasoline Alley and the Snake Pit

If you’re a runner, a really fun way to experience the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is to run the Indy Mini Half Marathon which is held the first Saturday of May each year. Starting and finishing in Downtown Indianapolis, this race includes a lap around the racetrack and was definitely one of my favorite half marathons that I have run.

White River State Park

From the suburb of Speedway, I headed back downtown to begin exploring Indianapolis. My first stop was White River State Park. This urban park covers 267 acres and is home to plenty of outdoor and indoor attractions, including:

  • Greenspaces – White River State Park includes many different greenspaces for all to enjoy. Military Park is a 12-acre park in the shape of a military badge that is home to festivals, charity events, races and farmers markets. TCU Amphitheater is home to concerts, fundraisers, graduations and conference events. Celebration Plaza and Amphitheater is a great open space featuring beautiful views of downtown and even a waterfall.
  • Canal Walk – Located in White River State Park is a 3-mile loop canal. This is the perfect place to go for a walk or run along the canal. You can also rent bikes and surreys. If you would like to get on the water, there are also gondolas and swan paddle boats to rent.
  • Museums – While I personally did not have time to visit any museums while in Indianapolis, there are a few museums located right in White River State Park. If you are a fan of college sports, the NCAA Hall of Champions is located in the park as part of a three-building complex that also includes the NCAA corporate headquarters. The Hall of Champions features two floors of interactive exhibits. For the history lovers, there is the Indiana State Museum cover the history of the state from the Ice Age to the 21st Century. The museum covers the science, art and culture of the state. As a lover of history, I really wish I had time to visit this one! The Eiteljorg Museum features Native American art, culture and history. As one of the few museums east of the Mississippi that celebrates the art and culture of indigenous people in America, it’s a must visit. This museum sounds very similiar to alot of the museums you can visit in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
  • Indianapolis Zoo – Also located in White River State Park is the Indianapolis Zoo. This is the perfect spot for a family to spend the day. Not only is this a 64-acre zoo, but they also offer some really great experiences where you can get up close to animals like dolphins, elephants, sloths, rhinos and aardvarks.
  • Art – Aside from the art that you can see at the Indiana State and Eiteljorg Museums, there is also plenty of free art to see throughout the park. Along the canal walk, there are numerous murals under the overpasses that you definitely must check out if you are a street art lover. Also scattered throughout the park are numerous sculptures. Swipe below to see some of the gorgeous art in White River State Park.

Indiana State Capitol Building

Being that Indianapolis is the capital of the state of Indiana, a visit to the Indiana State Capitol Building is a great idea. Located in downtown Indianapolis, the capitol building is open Monday – Saturday, see their website for the most up to date hours and information. The building can be viewed as part of a guided tour or if the hours of the tours aren’t convenient, you can pick up a brochure and take a self-guided tour on your own.

Even if you do not have time to see the inside of the building, I recommend at least taking a walk around the capitol grounds. I loved seeing the details in the architecture of the building and there were numerous sculptures and monuments outside the building as well. There was even a sign to commemorate Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train which went thru Indianapolis on its way from Washington DC to his hometown of Springfield, Illinois.

Indiana Soldiers and Sailors Monument

I love seeing monuments around the world and there are many cities that have Soldiers and Sailors Monuments to honor those that served. The Indiana Soldiers and Sailors Monument was incredibly impressive to me. The monument recognizes Indiana residents that served in the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Mexican War, Civil War and the Spanish American War.

The monument was built in 1902 and stands 284 feet tall. The details on the monument were stunning, including the statues located at the four corners of the monument which represent Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery and Navy.

The monument is open Fridays-Sunday from 10:30am – 5:30pm. It’s free to walk the 330 steps to the observation level at 230 feet. Or for a couple of dollars, you can take an elevator the majority of the way up but will still need to walk the final 49 steps. There are also 37 steps outside to get to the elevator.

Even if you are unable to go up the tower to the observation level, seeing the outside of the monument is definitely worth it. The monument also seemed to be somewhat of a meeting spot downtown, there were many people sitting outside meeting up with friends and family when I visited.

This was just a fraction of the things to do in Indianapolis. If I had more time, I’m sure I would have found even more to do in this beautiful and lively city.

Time to plan your trip to the Racing Capital of the World!

This article is now featured on GPSmyCity. To download this article for offline reading or create a self-guided walking tour to visit the attractions highlighted in this article, go to Walking Tours and Articles in Indianapolis.

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Moab Utah – Gateway to the Outdoors

Located in the southeastern part of the state of Utah, Moab is the perfect town to stay in to experience all of the nearby outdoor adventures. From national and state parks to hiking and water activities, the Moab area has it all.

Arches National Park

The biggest draw to the Moab area is definitely Arches National Park. As one of the “Mighty 5” National Parks in Utah, it’s a must visit. Covering 76,680 acres, Arches National Park features more than 2,000 arch formations and officially became a National Park in 1971.

Arches National Park has many different areas to visit including:

  • Park Avenue – featuring towering red rock walls and a canyon.
  • Balanced Rock – featuring a 3,600-ton boulder balancing 128 feet on an eroding pedestal shaped rock.
  • Windows Section – one of the more popular areas in the park featuring multiple different arches.
  • Delicate Arch – the most well-known arch in the park is also the largest free-standing arch at 46 feet high and 32 feet wide.
  • Devil’s Garden – featuring multiple long and short trails along the almost 8-mile round trip Devil’s Garden Trail. These trails will lead you to multiple arches.

One of the main activities in Arches National Park is hiking. From the popular hike to the most well-known arch in the park, Delicate Arch to the long or short hikes along the Devil’s Garden Trail, there are many different hikes for all abilities.

It’s not just hiking that will bring you to Arches National Park, there are many other outdoor activities including rock climbing, camping, sunset/sunrise viewing and star gazing.

Check out my post on Arches National Park to learn more about this highlight of your visit to Moab.

Canyonlands National Park

Another one of the “Mighty 5” National Parks in Utah is located just 30 miles from Moab. Canyonlands National Park is one huge park, consisting of 337,598 acres and the majority of us only see a small portion of this expansive national park. The park is split into three sections: Island in the Sky, The Needles and The Maze. The most accessible section of the park and the one that is closest to Moab is Island in the Sky.

In the Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands National Park, there are many different hikes available for a wide range of abilities. From short walks to backpacking trails, there is something for everyone. Some of the more popular hikes include:

  • Mesa Arch Trail – At just 0.6 miles roundtrip, this easy trail will bring you to Mesa Arch which is a popular spot to catch the sunrise.
  • Upheaval Dome Trail – Although this trail is also just 0.6 miles roundtrip, it’s quite steep making it a moderate trail. You can add on another mile onto the trail if you go to the second overlook. The story of Upheaval Dome remains a mystery, some think it was caused by a geological feature called a Salt Dome, while others believe it to be a crater from a meteorite that hit Earth millions of years ago. There is some more recent research supporting the crater from a meteorite, but nothing definitive. I unfortunately did not get a chance to take this hike, I’ll just have to go back and decide for myself which theory I think is correct.
  • Grand View Point – This easy trail is 1.8 miles roundtrip and will take you along the edge of the canyon with many different spots to stop and take in the panoramic views. I really loved this trail and it took me quite a while since I kept stopping and admiring the view.

If you are looking to get down into the canyon, take a ride 1,500 feet down along the Shafer Trail. Make sure to drive it in a high clearance 4WD vehicle. If you want a bit more of a backcountry experience, you can drive or bike into the canyon along the 100 mile White Rim Trail. This trail will take several days and there are campsites along the way. Plan ahead as backcountry permits are required for the White Rim Trail.

Dead Horse Point State Park

So many people visit the National Parks in Utah and don’t realize there are also some really beautiful state parks to visit as well. I was visiting Moab to run the Thelma and Louise half marathon, so I just had to visit the park where the iconic final scene of them driving off the cliff was filmed – Dead Horse Point State Park.

I am so glad that I decided to visit this park, it was absolutely stunning, my only wish was that I had spent more time there.

There are many stories as to how the park received its name. One of the more widely believed stories is pretty interesting but also very sad. Over a 100 years ago, the area was used as a corral for wild horses. The corral was located on the point with the cliffs below. At this point in the story, you probably think that the horses fell off the cliffs to their death, but no that is not what happened. The horses were actually left in the corral for some time without water and ended up dying of thirst just in view of the Colorado River below. A very sad and preventable story!

At Dead Horse Point State Park, there are 8 miles of hiking trails, 17 miles of mountain bike trails and campgrounds to feed your love of the outdoors. The park is a great spot to view the sunset and for star gazing. I highly recommend arriving a couple of hours before sunset to enjoy a hike in the park and then settle down and watch the rocks changing to different shades of red and orange as the sun sets.

Activities Along the Colorado River

Who doesn’t love getting out on the water? When in Moab, you must get out on the river for some water activities. At different spots along the river, there is plenty for everyone, from exhilarating activities to the tamer activities. Below is a list of water activities you can experience on the Colorado River while staying in Moab:

  • Whitewater Rafting Trips
  • Scenic Rafting Trips
  • Scenic Boat Trips
  • Kayaking
  • Paddleboarding

As I am not a big fan of cold water, I tend to avoid the whitewater rafting trips, so when I was in Moab, I opted for a Sunset Scenic Boat Trip. And even though this was not as adventurous as a whitewater rafting trip, it was so worth it!

The views from the river are stunning. You really get a better idea of just how massive the red rock in the area is when you are viewing them from the water. Seeing the reflections of the large rocks towering over the Colorado River in the water was absolutely beautiful.

While on the boat, the tour guide gave us some information and history on the area and even pointed out some arches that are not part of Arches National Park that you can see from the water. One such arch was Jug Handle Arch (pictured below). I love how they name these arches; it definitely looks like a jug handle to me!

While the boat trip did not take place during the actual sunset, it was close enough to sunset time to see the changing of the shades of reds and oranges on the rocks as we were on the Colorado River. After the boat trip down the Colorado River, we received an included dinner and were able to see the sunset from the banks of the river, which was nice.

Other Outdoor Activities Near Moab

I’ve shared with you many places to hike, camp, watch the sunset, star gaze, and enjoy the water. There are so many other outdoor activities you can explore while visiting Moab, including:

  • 4×4 off roading tours
  • Horseback riding
  • Zip lining
  • Hot Air Balloon Rides
  • Canyoneering
  • Rock Climbing

Moab Lodging and Restaurants

Not only can you camp in the National and State parks in the area, but there are also many other campgrounds in and near Moab, including a glamping location. If you aren’t up for roughing it out camping, there are many hotels and vacation rentals in the area. I stayed at the Homewood Suites in Moab. The location could not be beat, just 5 miles to Arches National Park and within walking distance of restaurants and shops in Moab. The rooms come with a fully equipped kitchen and the hotel also offers a great free breakfast.

There are so many restaurants to choose from when in Moab, some of my favorites while I was there:

  • Moab Garage Co – Cafe open for breakfast and lunch, great spot for coffee.
  • Miguel’s Baja Grill – Mexican restaurant featuring delicious fresh food.
  • Moab Brewery – Local craft brewery with full menu of food available.
  • Moab Food Truck Park – If you love food trucks you must have a meal or two at the Moab Food Truck Park, featuring 14 different food trucks serving a variety of foods.

If you are looking for a summer vacation full of outdoor activities, you can’t go wrong with the southeastern part of the state of Utah and Moab is the perfect place to stay to be close to it all.

Beyond The Miles Travel is more than happy to help you plan your trip to the Moab area, contact us today.

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Yellowstone – More Than Just Geysers and Hot Springs

When people think of Yellowstone National Park, the first thing that comes to mind is the famous geyser, Old Faithful. But while the geysers, hot springs and other hydrothermal features are amazing and a must see there is so much more that Yellowstone has to offer.

Yellowstone was established in 1872 as the first national park. The park covers over 2.2 million acres located mostly in Wyoming but also stretching into Montana and Idaho as well. There are five entrances into the park that lead you to 466 miles of roadway to explore this massive park. I spent three days in the park and feel like while I saw the major sites, that I didn’t even scratch the surface of things to see here.

So what is there to see other than the over 10,000 hydrothermal features.

Wildlife: The other thing that may come to mind other than Old Faithful when you think of Yellowstone is wildlife. Other than Alaska, Yellowstone has the most wildlife of anywhere in the US. There are 67 different types of mammals that live in the park including grizzly bears, wolves, bison, elk, pronghorn, coyote, linx and moose.

It’s not unusual to be driving the roads of Yellowstone and see wildlife alongside the road, crossing the road or just roaming in the road. When you see a bunch of cars parked on the side of the road that’s a sign there was a wildlife sighting. While exciting, remember to pull over slowly and find a safe place to park your car. It’s also important to remember that when in Yellowstone, we are visitors in the animals home and to respect that. For safety, it’s important to stay 100 yards away from bears and wolves and 25 yards from all other wildlife.

While you may spend your trip to Yellowstone searching for a grizzly bear or a wolf and leave without seeing one, the one animal you will definitely see alot of throughout the park is bison. There are over 4000 bison in Yellowstone and they have no fear being around people or cars. They seem to love just walking right down the middle of the road causing the infamous “Bison Jams” that can cause you to be stuck in traffic for hours. I speak from experience as the first day I was there I was in a 2 hour bison jam and the last day I was there it was an hour bison jam that caused me to miss a kayaking trip. Important Tip: Give yourself a couple of extra hours if you need to be somewhere in the park by a specific time.

But even though the bison causes lots of traffice and aggravation, they are still amazing to see. Nothing like them walking right next to your car down the road! Spring is a great time to see wildlife in the park. The animals are coming out of hibernation and this is also when the babies are born. Baby bison are called “Red Dogs” due to them being an orange-red color and they are just adorable. My dream of seeing a bear leading some adorable cubs across the street didn’t come true, but I know that must be quite a great sight!

The best place for wildlife viewing is the Lamar Valley. Often referred to as America’s Serengeti, this is where the largest population of wildlife is in the park. In this area of the park, you are sure to see lots of wildlife.

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone: This is definitely a can’t miss spot in Yellowstone. I could have spent an entire day exploring this area. The canyon is 1,000 feet deep, 20 feet long and reaches 1,500 to 4,000 feet wide in different areas of the canyon. It’s thought the canyon formed by the Yellowstone River eroding the rock that had been weakened by hydrothermal activity.

The canyon is quite the sight to see. There are two drives that you can take, the North Rim Drive and the South Rim Drive.

The North Rim Drive will take you to multiple lookout points to view both the Upper and Lower Falls of the Canyon. There are also hikes at the different lookout points. I hiked the trail to the Brink of Lower Falls. The trail is only 3/8th of a mile but it’s a steep 600 foot walk down. This is a very popular hike and I saw people of all ages and wearing all types of footwear, including flip flops (even as a huge flip flop fan, I must say it, do NOT hike in flip flops, you are just asking for an injury if you do!) The view once you reached the bottom of the falls was just beautiful.

Check out the video below to see just how close you get to the falls and the beautiful rainbow.

Considering the steep drop down to the falls in such a short distance, the hike up was a little challenging especially on a hot afternoon. Luckily there were spots to stop to the side and take a little break without being in other hiker’s way. I’ll admit I had to stop a couple of times. You also get a really great view of just how impressive the canyon is when you look at it from the lower falls. It was absolutely beautiful!

Brink of Lower Falls
Grand Canyon of Yellowstone
Rainbow
Lower Falls view from the start of the hike
Canyon Views
Upper Falls

Along the South Rim Drive are other lookouts and hikes. One of the most popular stops along the South Rim Drive is Artist Point. Artist Point is definitely a must see view in Yellowstone. The view definitely lives up to the hype, it’s absolutely stunning, in fact it’s so beautiful that it almost doesn’t even look real! There is a large parking lot and the view is just a short 5 minute walk from the parking lot.

Artist Point

Waterfalls: The Upper and Lower Falls in the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone aren’t the only waterfalls in Yellowstone National Park. As I was driving thru the park, I stopped a couple of other waterfalls. What’s a visit to a National Park, without a random stop at a waterfall?

Located between Madison Junction and Norris Geyser Basin is Gibbon Falls. The falls drop 84 feet into the Gibbon River. There is a trail along the river to see the falls from different viewpoints.

Heading south from Yellowstone Lake towards the South Entrance, you will pass the 30 foot tall Lewis Falls.

Gibbon Falls
Lewis Falls

Yellowstone Lake: Yellowstone Lake is the largest high elevation lake in North America. It’s 7,733 feet above sea level and is 20 miles long and 14 miles wide. At the bottom of the lake are geysers, hot springs and deep canyons. A popular area on the lake to see is West Thumb where some of these underwater hydrothermal features are located.

A great way to enjoy the lake and get up close to West Thumb is to take a kayaking tour. During my visit, I was signed up for a 6 hour kayaking tour but as I mentioned earlier, one of those infamous “Bison Jams” caused me to miss it.

Fishing is another great way to enjoy the lake. Yellowstone Lake has the largest population of cutthroat trout in all of North America.

You might me thinking, swimming in the lake sounds like a great idea, but think again. Due to the high elevation of the lake, the water stays very cold even during hot days in the summer. The average water temperature is 41 degrees fahrenheit, so swimming is not recommended.

The views of the lake are absolutely stunning and there are plenty of lookout points to stop and take in the view. There is something about a lake with the snow capped mountains in the distance that just seems so beautiful. The lake reminded me a bit of one of my favorite places in the world, Lake Tahoe.

Yellowstone Lake

Yellowstone is definitely the most diverse park you will ever visit. There is definitely something for everyone and it’s a place that should be visited by all at least once.

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Arches National Park

When I was younger, I never had any desire to go to Utah. I knew nothing about the state and just imagined a state that revolved around winter activities like skiing which just isn’t my thing. One of the great things about running a half marathon in all 50 states is it really has taught me a lot about each and every state in the US. I quickly learned that Utah was way more than ski resorts and winter activities. The state is huge and while there are mountainous areas that receive plenty of snow it also has other areas that feature red rock formations, plenty of hiking and gorgeous national parks that are absolutely stunning to visit.

Arches National Park is one of the “Mighty 5” National Parks located in Utah and is definitely a must visit. Arches National Park is located in the Southeastern part of the state in Moab Utah. The closest major airport is Salt Lake City International Airport which is about a 4-hour drive away. Other major airports to consider are Denver International Airport, about a 6-hour drive and Las Vegas International Airport, about a 7-hour drive. You might be thinking, is it worth the long drive from the airport and as someone who hates driving, I can honestly tell you, yes, it’s most definitely worth it.

Formation of Arches National Park

You might wonder just why there are so many arches located in one area. Well it started over 300 million years ago when sea water flowed into the area and then evaporated. As it evaporated, it left behind a salt bed which over the years became covered in debris including sandstone. Over time the weight of this debris above the salt bed, caused the salt bed to lift up and create ridges and domes. Over time, weather and erosion eventually caused these ridges and domes to collapse into fins and eventually arches. Just like they became arches over time, these same arches will end up collapsing over time as well. So, now is the time to see them just in case they were to collapse in our lifetime.

The 76,680 acres that later became Arches National Park were, back in the beginning of the 20th century, only known to the locals who would spend time exploring the area. Eventually the news spread though. Loren “Bish” Taylor spoke about his journeys in this rock wonderland in the Moab newspaper. Then in 1923, prospector Alexander Ringhoffer led hikes in the area for executives of Rio Grande Western Railroad to help and bring attention to the area and more business to the railway.

All of this attention to the are worked. In 1929, President Herbert Hoover established Arches National Monument, which at the time only included less than 5,000 acres. Over the years, the acreage included expanded and in 1971, the area which now features over 2,000 arches officially became Arches National Park.

Arches National Park – Need to Know

Before I talk about my experience in Arches National Park, there are a few things that you should know before planning your trip to the park:

  • Timed-Entry Ticket – When I visited Arches National Park in 2019, timed entry tickets were not required, but like a lot of places, since covid, they now require a timed-entry ticket from April 1st thru October 31st when entering the park between 7am and 4pm. For more information and to reserve your timed-entry ticket, visit the Arches National Park website.
  • Entrance Fees and Passes – On top of making a timed-entry reservation, you will also need to pay the entrance fee which is $30 and allows entry for 7 days. Another option is the Southeast Utah Parks Pass which is a great deal if you also plan to visit Canyonlands National Park which is just under 30 miles from Arches National Park. This pass is only $55 so it will definitely save you some money if you are visiting both parks. If you plan on visiting multiple National Parks during the year, the America the Beautiful Annual Pass is a great deal at $80 for the year.
  • Beat the Heat and the Crowds – As mentioned above, the timed-entry tickets are required between 7am and 4pm. That is because these are the busiest times in the park. They also happen to be the warmest times in the park, especially in the summer when temperatures can rise to over 100 degrees. With not much shade in the park, it is best to avoid the heat of the day. Visiting early in the morning and late afternoon/evening are the best times as far as I’m concerned. I ended up heading back to the hotel late morning to shower, have lunch and relax by the hotel pool for the afternoon before heading back to the park in the evening.
  • Stay Hydrated and Fueled- With the warm temperatures, it’s important to not only stay hydrated but to also eat the best foods to avoid heat stroke. Make sure to bring plenty of water to avoid dehydration. Electrolyte drinks like Gatorade are also helpful as are salty foods like nuts or pretzels since salt will help you retain water and thus avoid dehydration and heat exhaustion.

Things to do in Arches National Park

There is so much to do in Arches National Park, no matter your activity level, from scenic drives to hiking, everyone can experience the beauty of this national park.

  • Scenic Drive thru the park – A drive along the 36-mile roundtrip road in Arches National Park is a great way to see the park if you are short on time or maybe just want to avoid spending a lot of time out in the heat.
  • Photography – While on the scenic drive, there are many spots to stop and photograph the arches and the unique scenery in Arches National Park.
  • Hiking – From short 10-minute hikes to multiple hours long hikes, there is a hike for every ability in Arches National Park and the best thing, unlike other National Parks such as Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park, no need for bear spray here. But remember there are no trees to provide shade, so make sure to bring plenty of water.
  • Camping – From March thru October each year, you can camp in the Devils Garden Campground right inside of Arches National Park.
  • Sunrise and Sunset Viewing – Arches National Park is a great spot to view the sunrise or sunset. Delicate Arch in particular is a very popular spot for sunset.
  • Stargazing – Being so far away from a major city has its advantages, Arches National Park is a great to enjoy the night sky and the park is open 24 hours a day.
  • Ranger-led Programs – From guided walks and hikes to star gazing events, there are many free ranger-led programs that are available. Stop by the visitor center on your way in for a current schedule.

Areas of Arches National Park

Now that you know of all the activities you can partake in at Arches National Park, lets talk a bit about the different areas of the park.

  • Park Avenue – This is one of the first areas that you will come to when driving into the park. Park Avenue features towering red rock walls and here you will find a viewpoint as well as a short mile hike into the canyon.
  • Balanced Rock – You may have seen photos of this rock formation before. Balanced Rock features a 3,600-ton boulder that is balancing 128 feet high on an eroding pedestal shaped rock. Over time the rocks will erode even further, and eventually balanced rock will more than likely end up falling. The rock can be seen from the road, but there is a small parking lot for a closer look and walk around the base of it. Balanced Rock is also a great spot to view the sunset and for some stargazing.
  • The Windows Section – This was one of my favorite areas to visit in Arches National Park. I loved it so much that I went around sunset (highly recommend this time of day if you are looking for a less crowded time) the first night I was there and then returned on my way out of the park mid-day the following day. It’s a very popular area and has quite a few different arches to see with not much hiking involved. The two main arches here gave the area it’s name – North and South Windows Arch.

The great thing about the Windows Arches is that you can hike right up into the opening of the arch. From here you can get a great view and can even hike down to the back of the arch, which I highly recommend, especially if you would like to escape the crowds a bit.

Also located in the Windows Section is Turret Arch. While you can hike up to this beautiful arch, I really enjoyed the view of Turret Arch from North Window Arch.

Double Arch is made up to two arches which share the same foundation. It’s definitely a very impressive arch to see, it really blows me away imagining how something like this is formed naturally.

  • Delicate Arch – One of the most well known and most recognizable arches in Arches National Park is Delicate Arch. It’s such an iconic symbol that it is even featured on the Utah state license plate. It’s the largest free-standing arch in the park at 46 feet high and 32 feet wide. The best way to see Delicate Arch is to hike the 3 mile roundtrip trail. This trail has an elevation of 480 feet and can be a bit strenuous in the heat of the day. If you are not up for the hike there are two viewpoints for the Arch. Both the Lower and Upper Delicate Arch Viewpoints offer great views from afar, with the Upper viewpoint offering a less obstructed view. I unfortunately decided against hiking up to Delicate Arch as I had run a half marathon the day prior (as well as a half marathon the week prior at home in Boston), so I was quite sore and didn’t think my legs (specifically my calf which I had pulled a muscle in) could handle the hike. While the viewpoints were nice, I really think doing the hike and seeing the arch up close is probably the way to go if you are able to. I guess I’m just going to have to plan another trip back to Arches National Park specifically to do this hike.
  • Devil’s Garden – This area features multiple arches and a lot of hiking opportunities from easy to difficult trails. The most visited arch in Devil’s Garden is also the longest arch in North America, Landscape Arch. When you look at Landscape Arch, you will see just how delicate it is, in fact in the 90s, parts of the arch came crashing down.

The 7.9-mile roundtrip Devil’s Garden Trail will take you to Landscape Arch and many other arches along the way and beyond. The 1.9-mile roundtrip hike to Landscape Arch is the easiest part of the Devil’s Garden Trail and I highly recommend it. Not only is it fairly easy, but the views along this trail were just stunning!

The photo above was the view ahead of me but when I turned around and saw the view behind me, I was floored at how beautiful it was with the red rocks and the snow-capped mountains behind. I don’t know what I did on my phone’s camera settings, but I have not edited the below photo. The view was so amazing, it practically looks more like a painting than a photo.

Along the trail to Landscape Arch, you will pass both Tunnel Arch and Pine Tree Arch along the way. I did not get a photo of Tunnel Arch, but below is a photo of Pine Tree Arch, I love the view thru the arch. Looking at the people in the photo, you can get an idea of just how massive these arches are.

If you are up for a difficult hike, continue on the trail past Landscape Arch towards Double O Arch. I attempted to continue on for a bit but decided it was a bit too much for me. Not only was I sore from the race the prior day as mentioned above, but there was quite a bit of rock scrambling that required you to be on your hands and knees. As I was traveling alone, I didn’t feel comfortable doing such a technical hike without someone with me. From what I’ve been told, the views are stunning and definitely makes the difficult hike worth the while.

  • Other Arches in the Park – While driving thru the park there are many other arches to hike to or just see from viewpoints along the park road. One of my favorites was Sand Dune Arch. Take the very short and easy trail that is just under a half mile roundtrip to find this somewhat hidden arch. The sand in the area had me feeling like I was in a completely different park.

The trail after Sand Dune Arch continues on for another couple of miles roundtrip to Broken Arch. If you are not up to continue hiking, there is also a viewpoint to see Broken Arch from the road. When you see it from the road with the field in between, it’s hard to believe all that sand near Sand Dune Arch is so close by.

Another great arch to see is Skyline Arch. This is located near Devil’s Garden and is just a short half mile roundtrip trail.

Were you like me and didn’t realize just how beautiful Arches National Park is? I bet you are adding this to your bucket list now. Beyond The Miles Travel is ready to help you plan this bucket list trip to explore Arches National Park in Utah.

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Disney’s California Adventure Food & Wine Festival

Updated December 2023

One of my favorite things about visiting Walt Disney World is attending the multiple festivals they have each year at Epcot. And one of my favorite festivals at Epcot has always been the Food and Wine Festival. When I found out a few years ago that Disneyland had a Food and Wine Festival as well and that it occurred during my birthday month, I just knew I had to check it out some year. 2023 was finally the year that I flew across the country to attend Disney’s California Adventure Food and Wine Festival for my birthday.

The Food and Wine Festival at Disney’s California Adventure started in 2006 and is held annually in March and April each year. What started off as just two food booths in 2006, has grown to a full-blown festival with 12 food and beverage kiosks throughout the theme park as well as special festival items on the menu at restaurants throughout the theme park.

The Food

Due to Epcot having the different country pavilions around the World Showcase, they tend to have international cuisine available at each country’s kiosk. At the Food and Wine Festival at California Adventure, they feature cuisine made with fresh ingredients grown in the state of California. The festival features the following food kiosks:

  • LA Style – featuring Glazed BBQ Pork Belly and Impossible Gyro-Inspired Naan
  • D Lish – featuring Beef & Barley Poutine and Cubano Slider
Cubano Slider
  • Peppers Cali-Ente – featuring Chile Relleno Empanada and Camarones a la Diabla
  • I ❤️Artichokes – featuring Artichoke Pizzetta and Artichoke Toast with Olive Tapenade
  • Avocado Time – featuring Impossible Nacho Mac & Cheese and Impossible Al Pastor Taco
  • Cluck-A-Doodle Moo – featuring Smoked Honey Habanero Chicken Wings and BBQ Beef Brisket
  • Nuts About Cheese – featuring Petite Burrata and Mickey Mouse Shaped Macaron Made with Snickers.
  • Golden Dreams – featuring Elote Paleta and Roasted Beef & Goat Cheese Flatbread
  • Garlic Kissed – featuring Grilled Top Sirloin and Carbonara Garlic Mac & Cheese
  • Berry Patch – featuring Kenny’s Family Cheesecake and Blueberry Buttermilk Pie

As you can tell from the list, there is quite the variety of food, from main meal items for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians to delicious desserts. You could definitely create a full meal with a few items from the ten food kiosks mentioned above.

On a side note, I highly recommend the Mickey Mouse Shaped Macaron Made with Snickers and it’s huge, so definitely something to share with others or you can be like me and have it all to yourself.

The Beverages

While it’s called the Food and Wine Festival, there is definitely plenty of delicious California wine to drink as well as many other beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, as well.

At the food kiosks you can purchase some really delicious drinks both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.

The alcoholic drinks available at the food kiosks are mainly mixed drinks. Some examples of what’s available are below:

  • D Lish – Sake-Melon ’75 and Apricot Tequila Colada
  • Peppers Cali-Ente – Cantarito-Style Paloma
  • I ❤️Artichokes – Passion Fruit Rum Cocktail
  • Cluck-A-Doodle Moo – Chipotle-Pineapple Bourbon Sour and Smoked Cherry Mezcal-iki Cocktail
  • Golden Dreams – Central California Cooler
  • Garlic Kissed – Raspberry Limoncello-Ade and Guava-Lychee Mule

Some examples of the non-alcoholic drinks are listed below:

  • Berry Patch – Blueberry Pancake Cold Brew
  • Avocado Time – Blackberry-Lavender Lemonade

In keeping with the name of the festival, there is a whole kiosk devoted to wine. I’m sadly not a wine drinker since it gives me terrible migraines, but I must admit, given how much wine comes from California, I would have thought there would have been more than one kiosk devoted to wine. Regardless, the Uncork California kiosk features wines from some great California Vineyards:

  • Daou Vineyards in Paso Robles California
  • Duckhorn Vineyards in St. Helena California
  • Garnet Vineyards from Sonoma Coast California
  • Robert Mondavi Vineyard in Napa California

Uncork California offers wine by the glass as well as mimosa, white wine and red wine flights.

As many wine lovers there are out there in the world, there are just as many beer lovers so of course there is a kiosk devoted just to beer.

The California Craft Beer kiosks has beers from craft breweries all over Southern California:

  • Unsung Brewing Company in Anaheim California
  • Brewery X in Anaheim California
  • Ballast Point Brewing Co. in San Diego California
  • Golden Road Brewing in Los Angeles California

They also offer a few different flight options: Bright & Balanced Beer Flight, IPA Beer Flight and Fun with Flavor Beer Flight.

I cannot recommend trying the Brewery X Pineapple Vanilla Milkshake IPA enough, it was so incredibly delicious, it just may be one of the best beers I’ve ever had. And it’s part of the IPA Beer Flight which was how I first tried it and since it was so good, I ended up getting a full size one later in the day.

The craft beer industry has grown tremendously in the US over the past few years, and California is no exception. Over 90% of Californians live within 10 miles of a craft brewery. There are over 1,000 craft breweries throughout the state and 28 of them are featured at Disney’s California Adventure Food and Wine Festival.

There is also a festival beer garden where you can enjoy even more craft beer options from California.

Along with the food and beverage kiosks, many of the quick service and table service restaurants throughout California Adventure theme park also have special festival food and beverages available.

More about the festival

There is more to the festival than just the food and beverages kiosks, including the following:

  • Alice’s Wonderland Bakery Unbirthday Party Culinary Demonstration
  • Cathay Circle Winemakers Reception
  • Cocktails at Sonoma Terrace Beverage Seminar
  • Live musical entertainment
  • Kids craft area
  • Festival Marketplaces to shop for your favorite festival souvenirs
  • Artist signings each weekend
  • Photo opportunities with Chef Goofy
  • Special magic shots available like the one below with Remy from Ratatouille

Sip and Savor Pass

Do you plan to visit the festival on multiple days and want to be able to try many of the different food offerings at the festival? The Sip and Savor Pass could be a great value for you, depending on the price of the food items you are wanting to purchase.

In 2023, the Sip and Savor Pass cost $59 and includes 8 tabs redeemable for food or non-alcoholic beverages at the festival. If you are a Magic Key Holder or a Disney Visa Cardholder, you can receive a slight discount on this pass.

These 8 tabs can be used at any point during the festival in the year it was purchased but do expire at the end of the festival that year.

Disney’s California Adventure is a special theme park to visit and the Food and Wine Festival definitely adds to the fun you can have there. If you are looking for the perfect place to stay while visiting the festival, The Disneyland Hotel is one of many hotels within walking distance, so you can fully enjoy the beverages at the festival without needing a designated driver.

In 2024, the festival runs March 1 thru April 22nd. Beyond The Miles Travel would love to help you plan your trip to this delicious festival.

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Staying at Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek for runDisney Weekends

As many of my regular readers may know I like to combine traveling and running races. My favorite races to travel to are runDisney races. There is just something so magical about these races and who wouldn’t enjoy running thru their favorite place in the world?

runDisney

I’ve always stayed onsite at one of the Walt Disney World Hotels which offer free transportation not only to the theme parks but also to all the races. I’ve been running runDisney races off and on since 2003 with more recently running at least two race weekends a year since 2017 and have always had good experiences with the buses. Over the years I would hear horror stories of other runners who waited forever for buses or buses that got lost but this never happened to me, until November 2022 at Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend.

I was at the bus stop at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort for the 10K around 3:20am (yes, your day starts early for these races, first bus is usually 3am and you need to be on the bus by 4am for the 5am race). There were already quite a few people that had been there waiting already including some who had been there since a few minutes after 3am. The bus did not show up until 4am and then instead of going to the start at Epcot it drove all the way to Magic Kingdom before we told them they were going the wrong way. I could go on, but long story short, I experienced ALL of the bus horror stories I had heard about, and the race had already started by the time I arrived (thank god I’m slow and start in the last corral).

This got me thinking of the special Marathon Weekend packages I had heard about at the Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, so I decided to look into it.

Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek

Before I go into the special package details for runDisney weekends, lets talk a bit about the hotel itself.

Located on Walt Disney World Property, but not part of Walt Disney World, is Bonnet Creek. This area has many different hotels including Signia by Hilton, Waldorf Astoria, JW Marriott and Wyndham. These hotels are all Walt Disney World Good Neighbor hotels that include some of the same benefits as Walt Disney World owned resorts including early theme park entry and theme park transportation.

One of the great advantages to staying at Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek is that it’s part of the Hilton Hotel chain so if you are a member, you can earn and use points and get all of your same benefits just as you would at other Hilton hotels. In these times of inflation and skyrocketing hotel prices, the ability to use or earn points has become quite valuable.

The following hotel room types are available at the Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek:

  • King or 2 Queen Beds
  • Pool Views
  • Disney Views – these are perfect if you want to catch a glimpse of the fireworks from your room before your early bedtime the night before your runDisney race.
  • Peloton Wellness rooms – these are perfect for people who like to keep in shape while they are traveling as they include a Peloton bike, Theragun and Wave Roller in the room.

There are many dining options available at Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek:

  • Muse – 24-hour coffee bar featuring coffee, salads, sandwiches, pastries and snacks.
  • Beech – casual, outdoor dining next to the pool, open for lunch and dinner (weather dependent).
  • Myth Bar – Lobby bar featuring drinks and food, open for dinner.
  • Harvest Bistro – Casual Restaurant open for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner that also offers grab and go items for a quick meal on the go or back in your hotel room.
  • Zeta Asia – Open for dinner, this restaurant offers sushi and other popular Asian dishes. Open for dinner nightly.
  • La Luce – This signature restaurant features homemade Italian dishes inspired by Napa Valley chef, Donna Scala. It’s open for dinner Thursday thru Tuesday nights.
Beech Poolside Restaurant
Myth Lobby Bar

Spending a lot of time in the theme parks can get tiring and expensive, so you may find yourself just wanting to spend a day at the resort. Well, there are plenty of ways to keep the entire family busy at the resort:

  • 24-hour Fitness Center featuring 4,000 square feet of exercise machines and free weights with beautiful views of the pool area.
  • Funzone Family Arcade will keep your kids busy for hours
  • Pool Area – The pool area at the Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek has been rated #1 in TripAdvisor’s Top 10 Fantastic Hotel Pools and I most definitely agree with this rating. It’s definitely a top reason to stay here. The pool area is open from 7am to 10pm daily and features a zero-entry pool, waterslide and the highlight for me a lazy river. Who wouldn’t love just floating around the lazy river on a sunny Florida day, nothing more relaxing than that! It’s definitely a great spot to relax after your runDisney race. There are also poolside cabanas that can accommodate up to eight people available for rent. The cabanas come with welcome refreshments (water, soda and snack backset) as well as Wi-Fi and a flat screen tv.

The great thing about staying at the Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek is that guests can also use the facilities at its sister property next door, Waldorf Astoria Orlando. The Waldorf Astoria features multiple restaurants, a pool area, kids club, spa and golf course.

They also share bus transportation to all four Walt Disney World theme parks as well as Disney Springs. The buses are much nicer than the Walt Disney World transportation as they are tour bus type buses, like the ones that Disney’s Magical Express used to use. These make for a very comfortable and spacious ride to and from the parks. The buses are never overcrowded like the Walt Disney World buses, and they run on a schedule that you can find on the following website: Bonnet Shuttle.

In my experience, the buses were always on time, so it was nice to know when it would arrive. The fact that the buses were on a schedule, sometimes an hour or even two hours apart was a bit of a downside though. Some other downsides to the buses were that they do stop at multiple parks making for a longer bus ride and the Magic Kingdom bus drops off and picks up at the Ticket and Transportation Center as opposed to the bus stalls right outside the park. All the negatives aside, the buses were much more reliable which was a big plus!

Marathon Weekends at Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek

The resort sounds great, doesn’t it? Well, I bet you are wondering what the advantages of staying here for a runDisney weekend are. I stayed here for Princess Half Marathon Weekend in 2023 and as much as I love the Walt Disney World Resort hotels, I think this may be my go-to hotel for runDisney weekends.

With the special Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek Marathon Weekend rate, you will get all of the following benefits:

  • Special room rate exclusively for runDisney runners
  • 10% off food and beverage during your stay
  • Carb load specials on Friday and Saturday evening on the menus at La Luce and Harvest Bistro (separate cost).
  • Guaranteed late 2pm checkout on the Sunday of race weekend
  • A welcome runners gift – for Princess Half Marathon Weekend, it was a pink towel.
  • Runners’ Concierge in the lobby to help answer any questions you may have. For Princess weekend, their hours were 4pm-8pm on Friday and 11am-2pm & 4pm-8pm on Saturday. As someone who visits the parks all day, I felt the hours were a bit inconvenient for me. I wish instead of the 11am-2pm time slot that it was earlier in the morning, and I could have visited them prior to leaving for the parks. For those of you who are smart and get to bed early, I’m sure it’s easy to just stop by before they leave at 8pm. Visiting the runners’ concierge was necessary as you had to register for the race transportation.
  • Transportation to the Sunday race only – the marathon for Marathon Weekend, the half marathon for Princess and Wine and Dine weekends and the 10-Miler for Springtime Surprise Weekend. I felt so happy to have dependable race transportation, it really was quite the relief. And the bus drops you off in the same area as the Walt Disney World Hotel transportation. It is important to note that there is no transportation for the 5Ks, 10Ks any of the weekends nor the half marathon on Marathon Weekend.
  • Send off Party – There are a few buses that leave the hotel for the race with the first one leaving at 3am. Starting at 2:45am, is the sendoff party. This party includes people cheering you on and snacks and beverages to help you fuel for the race. I’m not usually a big eater prior to a race, but I was very happy for coffee. They had not only coffee, but tea, water, bagels, fruit and snack bars.
  • Transportation back to the hotel after the Sunday race was also offered. The only downside to this was the walk to the bus. The buses to the Walt Disney World Resort Hotels are all right near the finish area in the Epcot parking lot. For the bus back to Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, you had to walk to the bus parking lot outside of the Epcot entrance. It was quite the walk, but I guess it’s also a good way to stretch out the muscles a bit.

One of my favorite things about staying at this hotel was how supportive of the runners the staff was, they were all really great and made sure to wish us all good luck and say congratulations upon returning to the hotel after the race.

I would highly recommend looking into staying at Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek for your next runDisney weekend. It’s really a great hotel and helps to make the race experience run smoothly.

Beyond The Miles Travel would love to help you plan your next runDisney trip to the Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, contact us today.

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