Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Gatlinburg, TN

Rating: 5 out of 5 STARS!!!

Great Smoky Mountains National Park
115 Park Headquarters Road
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
865-436-7318
http://www.smokiesinformation.org/

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a wonderful treasure filled with the beauty of God’s creations. If it’s adventure you seek, this is clearly the place for you. Explore the landscape on a nature hike, absorb the breathtaking views of the mountainside, cool off or fish in the streams, find a swimming hole beneath a visually stunning waterfall, climb the boulders, photograph animals in their habitat, or bicycle through Cades Cove and take in some history of this majestic environment.

I highly recommend the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for the beginner as well as the enthusiast.

Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies - Gatlinburg, TN

Rating:  5 out of 5 STARS!!!

Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies
88 River Road
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
(Traffic Light #5 Downtown)
888-240-1358
http://www.ripleysaquariumofthesmokies.com/

Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies is an amazing place for both adults and children. There are many opportunities for learning in this interactive environment that is family-friendly. One of the best attributes of this aquarium is the tunnel where you will feel alive as the adrenaline is pumping from being up-close with sharks, stingrays, and various other sea life. You feel as though you are in the ocean with them as you gaze beside and above you…only much safer!!

You will find many kid-friendly activities as you explore the facility: touch-a-ray bay, penguin playhouse, touch horseshoe crabs in Discovery Center, crawl into tunnels inside mini-aquariums, glow-in-the-dark treehouse aquarium, and interactive displays with buttons to push so they participate in learning while having fun at the same time.

Since the kids are involved, you can stay for hours and enjoy their fascination. Along the way, you will find a Dippin’ Dots ice cream stand and a food court to feed the hungry kiddos so everyone can stay and have a pleasant experience.

The customer service was excellent and very friendly. I found this to be on the pricey side but well worth the investment for hours of fun entertainment! I highly recommend Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies. Come and explore the wonders of the water!!!

FYI:  Prices - $22 adults, $11 kids; Parking is cash only. The food court and ice cream stand take debit/credit.

Lefty's Lobster & Chowder House - Addison, TX

Rating: 3 out of 5 STARS!!!

Lefty’s Lobster & Chowder House
4021 Belt Line
Addison, TX
972-774-9518
http://www.leftyslobster.com/

Lefty's is hidden away in a corner strip center behind other businesses and restaurants. This was my first experience at Lefty’s and I was not impressed with its location. With the upscale menu and pricing, I fully anticipated a nicer setting and more ambience as well as superior service and quality food.

The food was good but the service and communication were awful. English was not spoken or understood well by the servers and wait staff thus causing a few problems. It took about 30 minutes after we ordered before they brought out bread for the table. Additionally, it was another 30 minutes before they began to serve the first meals. We were in a party of 17 and ordered an assortment to be served: lobster, Lefty’s pasta with jumbo shrimp, crawfish, and andouille sausage, ribeye steaks, filet mignon, King Crab leg, stuffed lobster, and several other dishes. I do not understand why we had such poor service when they didn’t appear to be overly busy and the place was not crowded this Tuesday night.

I recommend Lefty’s for the food only…for anything else, enter at your own risk!


FYI: One of the people in our party had 2 glasses of wine and found out at the end of the meal that it was $12 per glass, so you might want to ask this question first. The price range is $14-48 per entrée.

Pamela & Co. - Granbury, TX

Rating:  5 out of 5 STARS!!!

Pamela & Co‎.
102 North Houston Street
Granbury, TX 76048
(817) 579-8114‎
www.pamelaandco.com

On this very hot day, we ventured inside to escape the heat and found a refreshing store with cool temps and unique gifts located just off the Square in Granbury, Texas.  Our gift of choice today was fudge - free samples are the bait and we allowed ourselves to be hooked and reeled in.  The fudge is amazing at Pamela & Co. I couldn't decide on a favorite so I took home 3...all were DELISH!!! The fudge is homemade right inside the store and served at its peak freshness for $13.99 a pound. In this large shop, you will find many gourmet jellies, sauces, dips, glazes, gift baskets, etc. Feel free to shop online if you can't make it in.

Eagle's Nest Sports Grill - Ft. Worth, TX

Rating: 4 out of 5 STARS!!!


Eagle’s Nest Sports Grill
8455 Boat Club Rd.
Ft. Worth, TX 76179
817-236-8881
http://www.eaglesnestsportsgrill.com/

On this fine Monday afternoon, we hit the jackpot in our search for a good burger and fries. When you walk in, you immediately notice the TV screens and décor indicative of a sports grill and a wait-staff dressed in the typical attire you would expect to see at a grill such as this...not exactly “kid-friendly” so keep that in mind when you consider bringing the family.

We ordered the Build Your Own Burger off the lunch menu. With the burger comes a choice of fries, onion strings, or pop chips for $6.95 which is very reasonable. The base one is a half-pound patty, lettuce, pickles, and tomatoes. You can add additional fixins’, about 12 to choose from, for $.50 each. I took away the tomatoes and added mayo, cheese, bacon, and avocado slices to mine making for a fabulously juicy and delicious burger that tops many I have tried. I chose the seasoned, thick-cut fries and found them to be the perfect accompaniment. The ingredients are fresh, cooked to perfection, and placed in a large-squared honey bun where the flavors mingle well together and you capture a little of all the ingredients in each bite.

The portions are huge and very filling. Our waitress was friendly and we did not have to wait long before our food arrived. Come and enjoy a burger or something else from the varied menu or live bands too!!

FYI: This establishment is located near Eagle Mountain Lake and caters to a night audience & has various events - check out the website for more info.

Frisco Commons Park - Frisco, TX

                                              
Rating:  5 out of 5 STARS!!!

Frisco Commons Park
8000 McKinney Rd.
Frisco, TX 75034
972-335-5555

Frisco Commons is a 63-acre park fully equipped for a day of family fun in the sun and in the shade.  A wooden play castle, spray park, grand pavilion, fully-stocked pond, amphitheater, Veteran's memorial and water sphere, walking/biking trails, covered picnic table area with BBQ grills, and a clean restroom facility are amenities you will find here at this wide, open-spaced park that was completed in 2004.

It was voted Best Family Park in the Metroplex and received a Park Design Excellence Award as well. Our group enjoyed rollerblading, scooters, frisbee play, playing catch with the baseball, jump roping, volley in the courtyard, the playground, water guns, the grills, and the shaded picnic area. These are just a few ideas of things to entertain you while enjoying this wonderful park and its masterful layout. Contrary to the name, this is definitely not a common park!

FYI:  You should reserve the pavilion area to get a guaranteed spot, especially for large groups. Otherwise, it's on a first come, first served basis.

After enjoying rollerblading, we observed a sign that said "No rollerblading or Skateboarding".

Sprinkles Cupcakes - Dallas, TX

                                                               
Rating:  4 out of 5 STARS!!!

Sprinkles Cupcakes
4020 Villanova Drive
Dallas, TX 75225
(in the University Park area)
214-369-0004
http://www.sprinkles.com/

We enjoyed the black and white cupcake as well as the red velvet cupcake today from Sprinkles in Dallas. The red velvet one is a southern style light chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting…it was outstanding!!The black and white is a Belgian dark chocolate cake with creamy vanilla frosting and chocolate sprinkles…it was delicious!!

Of the two we tried, the red velvet was our favorite. The cupcakes are heavily frosted, fresh, moist, and are kept at the perfect temperature. I have to say that I love the concept of individual cakes. It is much more convenient - no cutting, each person gets their favorite flavor, perfect portion, and you can have endless options for the overall cake/shape design…it just makes sense!

At Sprinkles, expect to pay a little more since these are not your typical cupcakes but it’s comparable to, or less than, many restaurant desserts which makes it a good option. Try a Sprinkle or two!!


FYI:   $3.25 each or $36 dozen. On the box they pack them in for you it says:  Our cupcakes contain no preservatives, trans fats or artificial flavors. As a result, we encourage you to enjoy them at their freshest, on the day of purchase. Do not refrigerate.