Travel – Beyoutiful Adventure

Swim with dolphins in Orlando, FL-Discovery Cove

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to swim with dolphins?! You can experience this one of a kind unique adventure at Discovery Cove in Orlando, FL. I’m here to share all the details with you all about our personal experience and also share some inside pictures as well.

We had the opportunity to partner with Discovery Cove in August 2022 and it was an experience we will never forget!

What is Discovery Cove

Discovery Cove is a water theme park in correlation with Seaworld in Orlando, FL. It’s an immersive aquatic experience where you can enjoy swimming with Dolphins, Sting Rays, Sharks, and also explore their many daily activities including a natural lazy river and several encounters with wildlife and aquatic creatures. It’s an all inclusive day resort which means your food and snacks are all included in your price for admission.

What you will experience

There is so much to do and see at Discovery Cove and there are several ways to enjoy it. We got to experience a cabana overlooking the dolphin bay and I cannot recommend a cabana enough for a family. The cabana is an upgrade but it includes a private cabana with chairs, a hammock, a cooler stocked with drinks, a personal locker to store things, and a butler to bring you drinks throughout the day.

You can enjoy several different activities throughout the day including swimming with fish and rays, swimming in several different pools and a natural lazy river which was one of our favorite things to do, visit wildlife including birds, otters, and several other encounters, and enjoy food and lots of snacks throughout the day. For a slight up charge you can experience and up close and personal dolphin swim encounter which I highly recommend adding as this was our favorite part of our day. You can also upgrade and swim with sharks or do the Seaventure experience which is a unique underwater experience where you get to walk on the sea level and interact with fish and other aquatic creatures.

Dolphin Experience

This one of a kind experience is worth the extra cost and make sure to have someone who can snap some photos of you as they don’t allow you to take your phones with you or you can purchase some of the photos they take as well. During this 1 hour experience you get to meet a dolphin or two up close and personal. We got to touch the dolphin several times and swim with it as well and see several tricks. I’ve always dreamed of doing this as a kid and was it an amazing experience.

Admission cost and add ons

They have a special discounted price right now for a full day at the resort plus a swim with the dolphins for $239 per person! This is the best bang for your buck as it includes the whole park plus the dolphin swim. It’s $201 per person for a regular admission day pass. You can also add on other parks like aquatica or Seaworld if you like. Seaventure the underwater experience costs $49.99 per person to add on. You can swim with sharks for an extra $169 per person for the day. The Cabanas start at $299 for the day and go up from there including upgrades etc. The photo packages start at $99 for the day.

This really is a unique and one of a kind experience and I can’t recommend it enough while visiting Orlando, FL with your family!

Hilton Downtown Tampa

Looking for a great place to stay when you visit downtown Tampa?! One of our favorites as a couple is the Hilton Downtown. We had the privilege to stay at the Hilton Downtown Tampa last weekend and had such a blast! Our favorite part was the city views from the rooftop pool and the delicious gourmet food at the 211 Lounge and restaurant.

Stay

This four star hotel has beautiful rooms with great views of the city. We stayed in the king size room which had a full king size bed, sitting area by the window with a couch and a desk, a mini fridge and dresser, full length mirror, closet, spacious bathroom, and a tv with streaming availability. The best part of this room was the beautiful city views.

Amenities

They offer several amenities including a rooftop pool and bar, a gym, a lounge area in the lobby with a gift shop, a full lounge and restaurant for dinner as well as a restaurant for breakfast and lunch, and a full starbucks. They also offer vale parking and can hold events in their conference rooms available.

Restaurant

The food is always a highlight for us and the 211 restaurant and lounge did not disappoint. We enjoyed the most amazing dinner menu items complete with mocktails and dessert. I ordered their pork chop which was to die for with the most amazing flavors and tenderness. Corbin ordered a burger which also had amazing flavor complete with herb fries. Corbin got to try a special basque cheesecake that was so amazing and I got to try some of their raspberry sorbet. Everything was so flavorful and delicious. For breakfast, they offer a continental breakfast or a full menu breakfast where you can order made to order omelets, avocado toast, and belgium waffles. We tried some of both and it was very delicious. We especially loved the omelets!

Location

It’s located right in the heart of downtown within a short walk to the River Walk. It’s also within walking distance to the Museum of Art, Amalie Arena, Convention Center, and Tampa Theatre, and a short drive or street car ride away from the Florida Aquarium. You can easily access the street car which will take you anywhere downtown Tampa.

Things to do

There are so many different activities in the downtown Tampa area from restaurants, to events, to shops, to fun activities. Some of our favorite activities are Zoo Tampa and the Florida Aquarium both within driving distance. We also recommend Yacht Starships to experience their dinner cruise. The Tampa theatre is within walking distance as well as the museum of art. The riverwalk is also close by and is always hosting different events as well.

Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort

We had the opportunity this past weekend to be hosted at the Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort located on Bonnet Creek. This resort needs to be at the top of your list to stay in Orlando and I’m sharing why below and our favorite parts from our stay.

The Resort

This resort is located less than 5 miles from Walt Disney World Resort and offers 62 acres of fun and enjoyment. When you book with the Wyndham Grand Orlando you get access to five different pools, two lazy rivers, and eight hot tubs. Two of the pools have water slides for kids. They also offer access to an 18 hole mini golf course and access to four Walt Disney World golf courses. There are a bunch of walkway paths and views of the lake.

Rooms

They have several different rooms including a couple with bunk beds for kids. Our spacious king room had a living area, full king sized bed, tv, dresser, coffee bar with a mini fridge, closet, and full bathroom with a walk in shower. Our favorite part was the balcony out the back where you get a view of the pool area and the Epcot fireworks every night at 9 pm.

Dinning

They have four onsite restaurants at the resort and several more on the surrounding Club Wyndham property. They offer two places for breakfast including the Tesoro Cove which is a buffet style breakfast with an omelet and waffle station as well as the Bistro which offers the full starbucks coffee menu and quick on the go breakfast items. Both offered plenty of allergy friendly options for me. For lunch, they have a restaurant called Back Bay which is located right by the pool area and has amazing salads, sandwiches, burgers, and appetizers. Their main dinner restaurant is the Deep Blue Seafood and was absolutely amazing! They have a wide range of seafood selections offered here and amazing views of the sunset. They also offer room service dinning all day.

Additional Ammenities

Some of their extra amenities include shuttles to Disney World Parks, free self parking, fitness center, lots of beautiful walkways and swings to look out over the lake, arcade, gift shop, bell service, concierge service, and an ATM.

There is so much to do and see here at this resort and it’s a great place to relax especially between Disney parks. We highly recommend checking them out for your next stay in Orlando. It is truly an unforgettable experience! Follow us for more Florida couples travel and adventures.

Unique Date Night in Tampa Bay-Yacht Starship

Corbin and I constantly get asked about date night ideas and places to visit in FL. Tampa Bay has a lot to offer and so many things to see and places to check out. We recently visited downtown Tampa and stayed at Embassy Suites and got to experience Yacht Starship. We wanted to share all of the details about this dinner cruise and what to expect on this unique date night.

Yacht Starship dinner cruises include a full 3-course meal, free drinks, a live DJ and beautiful views of the sunset. This cruise lasts for 2 hours and cost $80 per person. They also offer a sightseeing cruise that includes drinks, live DJ, and views for $50 per person. They also have a brunch cruise that is offered on Saturday and Sunday for $54.95 and includes food and drinks.

Yacht Starship has two locations, one in Tampa Bay and one in Clearwater. They also have private charters for special events as well and you can host events like weddings on any of their Yachts. They are also connected to the Lost Pearl which is a Pirate boat experience that is great for kids.

While cruising, we enjoyed a 3 course meal of delicious food, drinks, live DJ and beautiful views. This is a great romantic date night and such a great experience! We highly recommend checking it out next time you’re in Tampa and you won’t want to miss this one of a kind experience in Tampa.

Embassy Suites Downtown Tampa

We had the opportunity to partner with Embassy Suites Downtown Tampa for a hosted stay this past weekend and had the best time. It was our first time in downtown Tampa and we loved it! There is so much to do and see in Tampa and we are sharing all of the details about our stay and places to visit while in Tampa.

Stay

Embassy Suites is a beautiful hotel made up of all suites. We got to stay in the King Suite and it was so gorgeous. All of their rooms have a full living room area with a couch, chairs, desk area, and a tv. They also have a full length mirror and a small kitchen area with a fridge, microwave, sink and storage for food. Their bathrooms are super spacious with a walk in shower. Each suite is complete with a comfy bed, window with a view of the bay, and another tv.

Amenities

Some of our favorite amenities include their beautiful heated pool with a view, Starbucks shop, complimentary breakfast, and Taste their full restaurant. The complimentary breakfast was amazing and complete with an omelet station. The best complimentary breakfast we’ve ever had. We also loved having a Starbucks to grab our coffee both mornings before heading out on our adventures.

Restaurant

Taste is their full restaurant that has some delicious food. We got to try items from their upcoming summer lunch menu and it was amazing! So many great flavors and they also made all of the dishes gluten and dairy free for me. My favorite was the plantain cups that had fish, avocado, and spices in it. Corbin’s favorite was definitely the ahi nachos and bread pudding. Sharing some photos below of all of the delicious food.

Location

The Embassy Suites Downtown Tampa is connected to the convention center and conveniently located near the Amalie Arena, River Walk, Sparkman Wharf, and the Aquarium. The street car stops right in front of the hotel as well for easy access to different places in downtown Tampa.

Things to do

There are so many different activities in the downtown Tampa area from restaurants, to events, to shops, to fun activities. We got to enjoy Zoo Tampa and the Florida Aquarium while visiting and both are such fun activities! We also got to sail with Yacht Starships and experience their dinner cruise. The riverwalk is also close by and is always hosting different events.