Thanksgiving Break 2019

I love to plan trips and type it all out in one spot.  Throw back to the days of planning trips before smart phones I suppose.  I was actually explaining to Ryan about how we used to have to print out mapquest directions too before we would leave.  Times have certainly changed in just a few short years!  I do love me some google maps and rerouting and avoiding accidents :)  Here's the cut and pasted version of the word document that I used to organize ideas for our break last week.  We had so much fun!  I LOVED the Great Wolf Lodge, highly recommend it.  We did the tubes over and over and over [boing].  The Hornets game was fun too, even though they're terrible!  And the best part was out hotel was literally across the street.  Like maybe 20 yards tops.  Perfect planning on Daddy's part booking that hotel.  Abby loved the Kings Mountain National Battlefield and all the history.  Fourth grade studies the Revolutionary War in depth.  I didn't realize how far south the battles were fought and what a turning point the battles in the Carolinas were.  Thanksgiving and Black Friday were with Nana and Auntie Sarah and the rest of the Greenville family.  Lots of fun, playtime, good food, ugly sweaters, beautiful weather.  We met Blossom, the Zerings' new sweet pup.  She and Maya played well!  It was a wonderful, wonderful week.  But also really nice to be home and sleeping in our own beds!

THANKSGIVING BREAK 2019  - THREE VACATION DAYS  [TWO HOLIDAYS ON THURS AND FRI]

Friday 11.22.19  - drive to Barbara’s sometime after school/ work.  Spend night there, leave Maya

Saturday, 11.23  - wake up in Greenville,  Ryan and Amy – 5k fun run with Zerings at 8:30 - 

Cancelled because of rain?!  Bummer!

Saturday at 10am – hang out with Tyler, Nichole, Kenley - won’t see Tyler’s crew at end of week

Leave around 2pm.  Drive two hours to Charlotte.  Eat before game?  Within walking distance is Vida Mexican, Fuel Pizza, Rooster’s Wood-fired Kitchen, Mert’s Heart and Soul [ma&pop southern], etc  **Went to Fuel for pizza and wings - yummy!!**

               Hornets [NBA] game vs. Bulls at 7pm.  Spend night in Charlotte –

SpringHill Suites Charlotte Uptown  311 East 5^th St

                        Confirmation Number: 98266733  check in 3pm, checkout Sunday 11am

Sunday, 11.24  - explore Charlotte some – Walked Clarks Creek Greenway and ate lunch at Tijuana Flats [where we eat in Florida with Grandma & Grandpa a lot!] 

check in to Great Wolf Lodge at 4:00pm, about 20 mins from Charlotte/hotel 

Room check-in does not begin until 4:00 p.m. or as your room becomes available. However, you can arrive as early as 1:00 p.m. to begin using the water park. There are changing rooms, lockers and showers available for you.

               Our room was ready when we got there at 1:00, yay!!!  Water park followed by showers and dinner at Freddy's - burgers, fries, an amazing strawberry milkshake

Monday – GWL                    Reservation Number: 27823654

Bagels in the hotel room, waterpark with a pizza for lunch, Coleson and I took turns running, gift shop, showers, dinner at PDQ [chicken]

Tuesday 11.26 – check out at 11am [add $55 to stay until 2pm] Dunkin Donuts room service for breakfast!

somewhere fun for lunch in Charlotte?  Tacos 4  Life - I loved this lunch spot.  Perfect kids' meals - two tacos, cheese dip, and a drink.

Slowly work our way back to Barbara’s, explore someplace on the way?

Kings Mountain National Military Park?  Free with 4^th grade pass?!  Abby LOVED this spot!

Back to Barbara’s in time to spend the night

Wednesday –  in Greenville - hung out at Auntie Sarah's some - crafts and games, dinner at Barbara's

Thursday, Thanksgiving!  - in Greenville.  Auntie Sarah hosted, Ryan spent the night.

Friday, Black Friday – in Greenville.  Amy, Barbara, Sarah shopping and ugly sweater pictures

             Coleson took girls to Big Air.  Ryan still with Uncle Christian and cousins, they went to Frankie's.

Disney on Ice at 5pm, Mommy/Chloe/Nana/ Auntie Sarah – tickets purchased!

Left for home about 7:30pm.  Zero traffic and no stops, we were home by 10:00.

Saturday, 11.30 – home, watch football [uga vs gt at noon], Christmas decorating, recover 😊

Sunday – around the house, home!  Abby- Taylor’s bday party

                    After church, we went to Cheeseburger Bobby's for lunch, Target to purchase gifts for the Christmas tree at church, and to the super fanyc Christmas tree farm in the Lowe's parking lot to pick out our tree.

Costs:

GWL would be about $700 for two nights with bunkbed rooms – not including dining package [so glad we did not bother with dining package!  nothing special for food there and a TON of good options right outside the hotel]

 Total: $610.16   $305.08 charged when booked, second $305.08 due at checkin

Didn’t add any packages – bring breakfast food and snacks to keep in the room

a few random meals  - hotel in Charlotte Saturday night $150+parking – Hornets tickets $138 – Disney on Ice $36

Kings Mountain National Military Park is about halfway between Greenville and Charlotte.  **Get free fourth grade pass.  Revolutionary War which Abby is studying in depth this year!  Never did figure out how to get the pass, link appears to have been broken for months.  But there wasn't a charge to get in the park anyways!