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Crowne Plaza Fort Lauderdale Airport/Cruise Port

We made a stop at Fort Lauderdale right before a cruise on the Allure of the Seas and checked-in to the Crowne Plaza Airport/Cruise hotel which conveniently offered a shuttle to the hotel from the airport, and a really good rate on a taxi to the cruise port. This hotel was really much more than what we were hoping for, and it was really nice.

We checked in quite late as our flights got in late. Our room had 2 queen beds in the room which was really large and had tons of space. The beds were extremely comfortable, but I’m not sure if it was just me as we traveled all day or if it was a dreamy and luxurious of a bed as I remembered it to be.

The bathroom was a good size bathroom and had lots of counter space. It wasn’t anything special, but it was really nice with a modern design.

This hotel offered many amenities such as parking, pool and fitness room and a restaurant. The food and service at the restaurant was delicious as we ended up eating our late dinner there and an early breakfast before we left. It was an excellent stay and we would go back to this hotel again. It offered fair rates in the area.

The area wasn’t a bad area, there wasn’t a lot you can do within walking distance, but as mentioned it’s a convenient place to stop if you’re going to board a cruise.

Crowne Plaza Ft. Lauderdale Airport/Cruise

455 State Road 84
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
United States

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Royal Caribbean – Oasis Class: Allure of the Seas

I have been very fortunate and was able to go on a family cruise aboard Royal Caribbeans Cruise Line on a ship I’ve always wanted to try – the Allure of the Seas which is currently the largest passenger cruise ship.

We booked a Superior Ocean View Stateroom with Balcony stateroom and we loved it. It was spacious enough and had enough storage for the 2 of us. We had our beds put together as an option – otherwise you can have a stateroom with 2 twin beds.

Once you walk into the stateroom, it would be the bathroom area. Our layout had the seating area first and then the bed right by the balcony. it as very nice. The beds were comfortable and the balcony offered spectacular ocean views through rain or shine. The bathrooms was a typical cruise bathroom shape and size with a stand-up shower, sink and toilet, of course with ample storage space.

In some of the staterooms, you can request a pull out sofa bed in the stateroom. I’m actually not sure if ours was a pull out bed or not – but I’m assuming not. One of my most favourite things aboard this ship was the dining – I enjoyed the dining so much I actually bought a cookbook and got it signed by their chef.

There are tons of things to do onboard the Allure of the seas, from family fun time, spa, sports, pools, bars, buffets and fine dining – the week seemed to have gone by too fast. It was a fun filled week with tons of great memories made and we had absolutely no complaints.

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The Donut Mill – Red Deer, AB

There’s no better little birthday cake than having a donut! We stopped at The Donut Mill on our way to Edmonton for a delicious donut in lieu of a birthday cake so when we walked inside this place that looks like a windmill, we were floored with the selection of delicious looking donuts.

Their display of donuts was quite impressive and there was never a quiet time in line – there’s always someone walking through their doors for either sweets or savoury foods. The selection is huge and they have quite a large dining area as well.

After I ordered my donut, I then saw some eclairs – which was what I really wanted when I was there. They were in a separate display case, but I’m sure that I will be going back to enjoy a giant eclair someday soon!

I ended up picking the Chocolate Venetian which was a donut filled with vanilla pudding topped with chocolate glaze. It was really quite delightful! The donut was really fresh, light, soft and fluffy!

The other donut we enjoyed was their monthly special called Donut of the Month which happens to be a maple donut with whipped cream inside! It was also really nice! The light airiness of the whipped cream inside the donut really was a treat as we’re use to creams, puddings or custards!

Overall, I loved this place and I already know I will be back – to try to eclair and some of their hot and savoury goodies! It’s a great stop whether you’re around this area for a quick bite or an actual meal.

The Donut Mill on Urbanspoon

The Donut Mill

Gasoline Alley Westside – 37420 Hwy 2
Red Deer, AB
(403) 347-8904

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Starlite Diner Car – Bowden, AB

I love looking for hidden jems in the middle of nowhere, and I can definitely say I found one in Bowden, Alberta. We made this stop just before our stop to Red Deer from Calgary just to try this diner car out. Situated just off the highway is Starlight Diner Car which is a diner car decorated to look like an old school diner – with extra terrestrial and alien decoration inside!

Just going inside puts a smile on anyone’s face and this was no different! It was just a wonderful place to experience and the service here was wonderful!

Once we sat down, we ordered a coffee each as it was early in the morning. I ordered their Starlite Breakfast which was a large breakfast with sausage, toast, eggs and hashbrowns. They had a generous portion size which was perfect for a long day ahead for me! The sausages were split in half, but you don’t normally get 4 sausages! It was delicious!

My husband ordered their Sirloin Steak and Eggs breakfast which was quite a large piece of sirloin steak, well seasoned and cooked to perfection. With the steak and eggs, it came with some toast, which was also a large breakfast

Overall, we really enjoyed this place and has recommended it to a few friends and family members — with strange looks on their faces as we tell them about here! But, it’s just fun and a great way to start off a weekend!

Starlite Diner Car on Urbanspoon

Starlite Diner Car

1-3 Heritage Dr
Bowden, AB
(403) 657-3503

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Bistro Praha – Edmonton, Alberta

I was recently in Edmonton to celebrate my birthday and we stumbled to Bistro Praha as it was walking distance from our hotel located in downtown Edmonton. I recognized “Praha” from my travels to Czech a few years ago, so I figured it was European food here – which I loved! We went inside and it was quite busy but they had a table for two, just for us!

We wanted to start the dinner off with some appetizers and we picked some out on the menu – until I found in the soup section some Bistro Beef Goulash “Zhorelec” which was basically a beef stew with some Czech bread, which is known as dumplings. This dish offered tender and juicy pieces of beef flank and with their Czech bread to soak up the sauce, it was almost a meal on it’s own!

For dinner, I ordered the Wiener Schnitzel which came with a salad. The salad was really large and I asked for their green garden salad which the dressing was an interesting vinaigrette! It was light and refreshing, and actually quite tasty!

The Wiener Schnitzel was amazing! A tender piece of veal perfectly tender and juicy – pounded thin with a crunchy crust! Although this is a Vienna specialty, they seemed to have mastered it! It did taste as good as the Schnitzels I had in Vienna! This dish I would recommend to anyone as it was just delicious!

The other dinner entree picked by my husband was their Smoked Boned Pork Hock which I should start by saying I absolutely love ham, and smoked ham tops off my list. Here, they serve this generous portion of ham with some Czech bread and mustard and it was divine! The pork was fall of the bone tender and extremely juicy!

With this entree, we got the tomato salad which was much more interesting than it looks! It was both sweet and tangy and very refreshing! A perfect salad to a hot day!

Overall, this was an amazing place to celebrate my birthday dinner and I would recommend it to anyone for any reason! The food was amazing, service was great and the prices were decent – well worth it for a taste of Eastern Europe!

Bistro Praha

10117 101 St NW
Edmonton, AB
(780) 424-4218