Seaport Village on the Beautiful San Diego Bay

By Jodee Weiland

When visiting the San Diego Bay on our recent trip to southern California, we walked down to Seaport Village to have a wonderful seafood lunch at the San Diego Pier Café, a dark brown building built out over the water and overlooking the harbor. This bay is the third largest natural harbor along the California coastline after San Francisco Bay and Humboldt Bay. It is absolutely beautiful, and no matter how many times we go to San Diego, we will never get tired of looking out across the deep blue waters and watching the beautiful sailboats gliding across the waters.

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Another gem on this bay is the Seaport Village, where you will find over sixty unique shops and restaurants to visit while being entertained by musicians in the courtyards. People of all ages will sit and listen to the music, while others are eating or shopping. It is not unusual to see young children dancing to the music or riding on the Historic Carousel, the 1895 Looff carousel. There is a fountain and gazebo amid the shops and restaurants as well.

https://learnfromyesterday.com

https://learnfromyesterday.com

If you are hungry, you can eat in a bay view restaurant, such as the one we chose, or you can find a wide array of casual dining from authentic Mexican cuisine to Greek specialties to Chicago deep dish pizza and more. People ate inside restaurants or grabbed a quick bite to eat outside while enjoying the music and beautiful sunny day!

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https://learnfromyesterday.com

The shops are just as diversified as the food choices available in Seaport Village. You can visit shops that sell international flags, personalized wooden toys, distinctive clothing and accessories, kites, Indian jewelry and artifacts, shoes, artwork, holiday items, and more. The list goes on and on, but the most unique aspect of shopping and eating at Seaport Village is that while doing so, you will continually catch glimpses of the beautiful San Diego Bay with any number of sailboats gliding gracefully across the waters.

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https://learnfromyesterday.comThe brochures they hand out in Seaport Village will tell you that this is “Where the magic of the sea comes to life.” From my personal experience, I have to agree with this description. On a sunny day, walking anywhere along the San Diego Bay and looking out at the harbor is an experience, you’re not likely to soon forget. So if you get the chance to visit San Diego, visit the harbor and Seaport Village, and enjoy!

 

What is Gazelle and Why Would I Use Their Services?

Gazelle is an online trade in service for used consumer electronics like iPhones, iPads, Macbooks, Samsung Galaxy devices, and many other smartphones and tablets. Gazelle pays you cash for your used gadgets when you’re ready to get new ones – cash you can use to pay for your upgrade, pay a bill, or buy anything you want. In essence, Gazelle rewards people for approaching consumption in a smart, environmentally responsible way. Rather than discard a device you no longer value or use, Gazelle provides original owners with an opportunity to exchange it for cash. The device is then given new life and value elsewhere.

Since 2008, Gazelle has paid out more than $150 million for unwanted technology and kept millions of gadgets out of the landfill. It truly is a win-win-win business. Gazelle buys high-end, used consumer electronics, and sell it to those who otherwise couldn’t afford buying new. It’s called reCommerce, and Gazelle helped pioneer the category. Because you are a valued reader of this site, if you click through to Gazelle you will earn an extra $10 on any iPad with a trade in value of $25 or more! (Offer expires 3/21) Visit Gazelle today, and see what your device is worth!

**FTC Disclosure Statement: This post contains affiliate links which means that I may receive a commission if you click a link and make a purchase.

Lobster Me…Eating Well on the Run in Las Vegas!

By Jodee Weiland

In the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, there is a unique mall restaurant at which to eat well. Lobster Me is definitely eating well on the run in Las Vegas!

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This open style restaurant serves an original “Maine style” lobster roll sandwiches that are really quite good, as well as delicious bowls of New England clam chowder. They have a variety of lobster style sandwiches and salads, but the regular “Maine style” style lobster roll has plenty of lobster seasoned well with a light touch of mayo, lemon, and their own secret spice blend served on a toasted roll you would expect on a “Maine style” lobster roll. This sandwich is full of flavor and for those in the know when it comes to a “Maine style” lobster roll, this sandwich is definitely a competitor.

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https://learnfromyesterday.com

You can find Lobster Mac and Cheese, Lobster Grilled Cheese, or even a Lobsicle, lobster tail on a stick! There are various selections featuring lobster, but in my opinion, why mess with success. Although this sandwich is not the famous New England giant lobster roll served at The Black Cat Tavern in Hyannis, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod, it tastes delicious. The amount of lobster on The Black Cat Tavern lobster roll is more than I’ve ever seen anywhere else, but the Lobster Me original “Maine style” style lobster roll has more than enough lobster and more than one might expect for an open mall restaurant option. The seasoning is perfect and the light touch of mayo  and lemon is just that…light and just enough. The lobster rolls come in two sizes, regular and large, and the price although more than most mall restaurant sandwiches is still less than what you would pay in most places that serve a good lobster roll sandwich.

https://learnfromyesterday.com

https://learnfromyesterday.com

While enjoying a quick bite at Lobster Me, I had a chance to talk to the manager there and found out that the owner of this unique gem will  be opening another Lobster Me in the spring of this year in the Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian. This mall restaurant enterprise has been such a successful business venture that expanding and adding this second Lobster Me is the natural next step. On top of that, the Las Vegas Valley area has a Lobster Me Truck selling throughout the area. I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw more and more Lobster Me mall restaurants opening in the future.

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I have to say, if you’re going to Las Vegas any time soon, and you enjoy a good lobster roll, you should stop and try the fare at Lobster Me for a quick bite at least once while visiting. You won’t be disappointed. In fact, quite the opposite will be true…you will be pleasantly surprised. Lobster Me is eating well on the run in Las Vegas for sure! Enjoy!

Thank you to the manager and staff at Lobster Me in the The Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood  Resort & Casino for the help and time they gave me and answering my many questions.

Disney World’s Animal Kingdom…Everything from Lions to Dinosaurs!

By Jodee Weiland

Disney World’s Animal Kingdom includes everything from lions to dinosaurs and more!  At Animal Kingdom Park, people who love the animals and elaborate Disney productions, attractions, and animations will find a park they can truly enjoy!

https://learnfromyesterday.comAs always, Disney’s creative designs for this park amaze new visitors every day. Once inside the park, pass through the Oasis, and then cross the bridge over the Discovery River that leads to Discovery Island. This island surrounded by the Discovery River is the center of the park, and the various bridges on the island lead to all the other areas of Animal Kingdom.

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At the center of the Discovery Island stands the 145 foot Tree of Life.  It isn’t hard to spot the Tree of Life due largely to its unique design.  Right away people notice the swaying limbs and the huge trunk with gnarled roots covered with more than 325 images of animals. The tree is covered with carved figures across its trunk and roots that were put together by a group of artists.  Most people identify this tree as the icon of Animal Kingdom Park. For Disney, the Tree of Life is a symbol of the ways all of life interconnects here on Earth.

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https://learnfromyesterday.com

 

 

 

 

 

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Beyond Discovery Island, cross over a bridge to Camp Minnie-Mickey, and you will find one of the best shows produced within the Disney parks.  Festival of the Lion King, a Broadway style show, is a colorful performance of puppetry, pageantry, and live performers putting together a phenomenal and lavish revue in 30 minutes.  The lead characters, except for Timon, are human performers dressed in bold colorful costumes representative of Africa. A creative and dynamic interpretation of the film comes together in a combination of professionally performed songs, acrobatics, and dances throughout this show.  Festival of the Lion King is a definite must see when visiting Disney Animal Kingdom. Be sure to get a Fast Pass for this show.  It will help you to avoid long lines and wait times to get into the show. The theater is now enclosed with air-conditioning and seating in the round, so all views of the show are great and comfortable as well.

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Another must see at Disney World’s Animal Kingdom, is Finding Nemo—The Musical in the park area called DinoLand U.S.A.  The creative and colorful interpretation of the film in this show is done using lavish puppetry with human performers, who become as much a part of their character as the beautifully designed oversized puppets they carry and manipulate during the show.   In thirty minutes, the characters move through the story of Finding Nemo—The Musical, acting, singing, and dancing onstage and out in the audience areas.  This intricately dynamic performance is done in an enclosed auditorium style theater that is air-conditioned.  Be sure to get a Fast Pass for this show as well, so you will have an opportunity to pick your seats and avoid waiting in long lines.

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As I said earlier, Disney World’s Animal Kingdom includes everything from lions to dinosaurs and more!  There are so many things to do and see in Disney World’s Animal Kingdom. Among the many other attractions available, some of the all-time favorites for most people include the extremely popular Kali River Rapids and Expedition Everest—Legend of the Forbidden Mountain in the park area called Asia. Still another popular attraction is the Kilimanjaro Safaris in the park area called Africa.   Finally, two more attractions that rank high on most visitors’ list are DINOSAUR and the Primeval Whirl in the park area called DinoLand U.S.A.  These are just some of the attractions to see throughout the entire park, so be sure to plan your time carefully.

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I definitely advise you to get a Fast Pass for as many of the more popular attractions as possible, for this park, in addition to the other parks. Remember, there is a limit on the number of Fast Passes you may request per day per park. Check online for the latest information on this, since it changes from time to time as Disney reviews the Fast Pass process and attempts to improve it.  Plan ahead using the new online and/or mobile app called My Disney Experience to plan out your vacation dining, rides, fast passes, etc.  With the new wristbands being used to store door keys, eating plans, park tickets, and more, you can set up some Fast Passes for your visit before you even arrive at Disney World.  If you plan well before going, you will probably be able to see and do more while there. Remember, Disney World’s Animal Kingdom includes everything from lions to dinosaurs and more!  So plan ahead, and enjoy!