Under The Sea at Ripley’s Aquarium of Myrtle Beach

A trip to Myrtle Beach is not complete without a visit to one of Ripley’s main attractions: Ripley’s Aquarium.

SLIME

Tristan is at an age where he wants to explore and learn about everything around him. He was so excited to visit Ripley’s Aquarium – especially because of their shark tanks!

There are two levels in the aquarium. The upper level has one of Tristan’s favorite exhibits called SLIME.

SLIME features, you guessed it – slimy sea creatures! The most fascinating one to me is the Green Moray eel.

They look like some kind of sea monster in a sci-fi movie!

After some sting ray, slime and other cool creature features (like mermaids!) we made our way under the sea.

Well, the Dangerous Reef exhibit!

Dangerous Reef

Gliding along on a 340-foot glide path in an acrylic tunnel, we came face to face with sea life big and small – including sharks!

You are literally surrounded by fish in this tunnel. Sharks would drift above our heads while schools of fish zipped passed us on each side.

We loved reaching out when they swam over us as if we could almost touch them! It’s a really cool experience.

Family Fun

Did you get a chance to watch the full video of our visit? No problem! You can check it out on our YouTube channel or watch it right here on this blog post.

If you visit Myrtle Beach I recommend taking a look around Ripley’s Aquarium. You should definitely visit if you have kids or a lover of the sea.

For more information on tickets, hours and show schedules, visit their website.

Thank you so much to Ripley’s Aquarium for welcoming us in Myrtle Beach!

What aquarium have you visited on your travels? Comment below and share this post with your friends!

We were hosted by Ripley’s Aquarium Myrtle Beach, opinions are always our own.

 

Star Struck at Hollywood Wax Museum Myrtle Beach

If you see a celebrity in a wax museum, does it still count as seeing one in person?

Probably not, but I couldn’t help getting star struck on our visit to the Hollywood Wax Museum.

We spent an afternoon at Myrtle Beach’s Hollywood Wax Museum where we saw life-like wax figures of legends and Hollywood stars in music, television and movies.

Located in the popular Broadway at the Beach, this two-story museum is filled with celebrity figures.

Hanging Out With The Stars

Tristan was hesitant at first (keep in mind he is three years old) so he had to get used to seeing the figures frozen in a pose.

We explained to him that they are statues, which he does know about.

After our photo op with the very large King Kong, we made our way in to see the figures.

First off, let me say that whoever created the wax figures they did a great job. The figures really do look real!

Tristan really jumped for joy when we spotted Johnny Depp as “Jack Sparrow” from his favorite movie, Pirates of the Caribbean.

Right across from Johnny Depp was a very cute diner with the fabulous Marilyn Monroe. The boys had to sneak in a photo!

But wait, there’s more!

Three words for classic movie lovers: Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

I could not believe my most favorite Audrey Hepburn movie (besides Roman Holiday) was on display in Myrtle Beach!

There were so many wonderful set ups. We took photos of almost everything.

I’d show all of them in this post but then it would become a photo diary. Watch our video for more!

At the end of the tour we went through two special attractions: Hannah’s Maze of Mirrors and the zombie driven haunted attraction of Outbreak (that one is not recommended for young children.)

Hannah’s Maze of Mirrors

I really loved this, plus I’m becoming a fan of mirror mazes.

Hannah’s Maze of Mirrors takes visitors through a maze inside the Castle of Savannah to go on a mission and save Princess Hannah.

Did you know there are 288 potential turns in the maze? Unlike any other maze I’ve been through, this one seemed endless which made it fun.

Did we rescue Princess Hannah or take the emergency exit out? Find out on our video!

Outbreak

I am not one to do anything creepy like going into a haunted house attraction for Halloween, etc.

When we walked in to Chemacorp’s briefing room at the beginning of Outbreak, the video itself was nerve wrecking enough for me to chicken out!

So we let brave, Meshach go alone. He likes watching The Walking Dead anyway.

Since I didn’t go inside, I can’t tell you everything first hand other than what Meshach described.

He said it was scary and there really was someone dressed as a zombie at some point jumping out at you!

Meshach recommends Outbreak for anyone who loves a good scary attraction, definitely worth the visit.

Have you ever visited any of the Hollywood Wax Museum locations? What is your favorite wax celebrity? Comment below and share this post with your friends!

Our admission to the Hollywood Wax Museum was complimentary in exchange for a review on our blog. 

As always, opinions are our own.

 

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Our Visit to the NC Zoo (VIDEO)

We spent the day at the North Carolina Zoo and saw many animals including a tour of dinosaurs on the Dino Bus! The zoo is located in Asheboro, NC and is one of the largest in the world. Check out our video!

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The NC Zoo gave us complimentary admission to the zoo and attractions in exchange for a review.

Contact form photo

Stay, Eat, Play: Landmark Resort

This year we visited Myrtle Beach in South Carolina and stayed at Landmark Resort. It is one of the 14 resort properties managed by Vacation Myrtle Beach – the friendliest place on the beach!

Situated along the famous Grand Strand, it is ideal for families, couples, friends and solo travelers.

It’s conveniently located within a few miles away from all of Myrtle Beach’s popular attractions.

With 17 indoor and outdoor pools, lazy rivers, waterpark, kiddie pools, game room, fitness center, and unlimited putt putt, you will not be bored.

There is also private access to the beach so no need to find a parking spot like the public entrances.

Did I also mention Landmark Resort has the only enclosed crosswalk in Myrtle Beach?

Above Ocean Boulevard, it crosses to their parking garage, H2Oasis Waterpark and Putt Putt.

Stay at Landmark Resort

We were so excited to return to another great Vacation Myrtle Beach property. Last year we stayed at Captain’s Quarters Resort which you can read on our blog, here.

We stayed in the Oceanfront Executive Suite at Landmark Resort.

One of the things we love about Vacation Myrtle Beach resorts is the option to cook and dine in our room.

Majority of their suites include a full kitchen – microwave, coffeemaker, stove, cookware, dinnerware and full size refrigerator.

There is also a bathroom, hair dryer, in-room safe and free Wi-Fi.

We enjoyed watching the sunrise each morning from the private oceanfront balcony too.

Tip: If you wake up early, you may spot dolphins in the ocean. This typically happened around 7am when we visited in May.

Not only can you stay for a nice vacation, but you could rent or buy a unit!

Units that are available through the front desk can also be booked via Vacation Myrtle Beach reservations or through Landmark Resort.

The units are individually owned but not all are through the front desk.

To buy a unit, you can do so through the on-site real estate office which is a separate entity from Vacation Myrtle Beach.

Once an owner purchases a unit or before they purchase they are welcome to chat with the Landmark Resort homeowner rep to learn more about joining the rental program.

Eat

Landmark Resort also has year-round dining with 6 on-site eateries.

The Gazebo Restaurant for breakfast, Latitudes Bar & Grill for lunch and dinner, Havana Java Bar is open daily and serves Starbucks.

The fish sandwich at Latitudes was addictive and delicious. I ordered it twice on our visit!

The absolute best dessert we ate was also at Latitudes Bar & Grill. You must order the fried cookie dough with vanilla ice cream – so good!

Seasonal and poolside dining include Tipsy Turtle Pool Bar serving alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, snacks and light meals. Also, Seaside Pizzeria and Shark Bites Snack Bar are available during summer months.

Play

There is so much to do at this resort, especially when you have to keep kids entertained.

I really enjoyed their Putt Putt course at H2Oasis. I can’t remember when it was the last time I played, but it was so much fun!

Of course Tristan tried to cheat the game and walk the ball to each hole proclaiming he’s a “winner!”

Silly toddlers.

Putt Putt is available daily for Landmark guests and you can play as many games as you’d like.

Tip: If you arrive before check-in, you can leave your luggage with the front desk staff and take advantage of all resort activities such as the waterpark, putt putt, pools and beach. They will call you when your room is ready.

Every day was a beach day for us. Tristan absolutely loves the ocean. He also loves indoor pools which luckily there were many to choose from.

The indoor pools came in handy when the weather turned windy and dropped in temperature on our first day there.

Indoor pools are perfect if you visit the resort during cold weather months. They have heated pools so if it’s cold outside, you’ll be nice and warm inside!

Tristan brought along his favorite toy shark since he couldn’t play with it on the shore.

Say “hello” to his new friend, Sharkie!

Friendly Resort

The staff were wonderful! If there was something that we needed (extra coffee for the room, towels, etc.) they delivered right away.

All staff at Vacation Myrtle Beach properties undergo training to specialize in creating happy guests. So much that there are many repeat visitors so Vacation Myrtle Beach is doing something right!

We’d like to thank Landmark Resort and Vacation Myrtle Beach for giving us the opportunity to experience another remarkable resort.

For more information or reservations, visit Landmark Resort or Vacation Myrtle Beach website.

We were hosted by Vacation Myrtle Beach at Landmark Resort in exchange for a review on our blog. As always, opinions are our own.

 

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A Day Trip to the North Carolina Zoo

Our admission, meals and Fun Passes were kindly provided by NC Zoo in exchange for this review. As always, opinions are our own.

Summer is almost here and now families are looking for something fun to do. We took a day trip to the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro.

It is open year round, but you can get a full experience of the zoo during the warm seasons.

Meshach and I have been to this zoo before, but it was such a better experience bringing Tristan along!

If you haven’t done so yet, watch our video of our visit on this blog post or on our YouTube channel or on Tristan’s channel.

There are many exhibits and attractions that adults and kids will enjoy. We began our trek through the Africa zone.

The Africa zone will take you to a world of majestic elephants, rhinos, baboons, giraffes and more of Africa’s beautiful wildlife.

You could also join a safari through the 40-acre Watani Grasslands on their Zoofari which runs Thursdays thru Sundays.

Their Aviary exhibit is a sanctuary for birds of all kinds – from exotic to domestic, also including over 3,000 tropical plants.

Hop on the zoo’s free tram (or walk) to the North America exhibit where you will meet animals from different regions of North America.

You’ll discover all sorts of wildlife that can be found in many habitats such as swamps, prairie, desert and the arctic coast.

My favorite is the Polar Bear.

Endangered Species Carousel

Tristan absolutely loved the Dino Bus and Endangered Species Carousel.

This is not your typical carousel. It’s fun to ride but also features endangered species which was an eye opener!

Tristan doesn’t do well with the animals riding up and down so we sat on a very cool rotating seat.

Dino Bus

Absolutely one of the best attractions at the NC Zoo! It was really cool riding the Dino Bus and spotting animatronic dinosaurs along the way.

There are two tours: Africa Loop and North America Loop.

Depending on which loop you want to start with first, either way your ticket is good for both loops.

Since we entered through the Africa zone, we took the North America loop from Junction Plaza. At the end it dropped us off at the North America entrance so we went back inside to view the animals in that zone.

On our way back to Africa (where we parked) we jumped on the Dino Bus at Junction Plaza and did the Africa loop.

It worked out great because it ended in the Africa parking lot and it was the end of the day so we were leaving for home anyway.

Dino Island 4-D

We thought it was an entertaining movie but Tristan got a little scared after two minutes into it and Meshach took him outside.

I liked how the dinosaurs seem to leap out of the screen and the occasional mists of water really made me feel like I was flying across the ocean!

Some other attractions are the Dragonfly Paddle Boats, Acacia Station Giraffe Deck, Air Hike Ropes Course and Zoofari: An African Wildlife Adventure.

Fun Pass

If you have kids, they may want to see or ride something more than once (Tristan did for the carousel!) This is when the Fun Pass comes in handy!

With the Fun Pass, you’ll have unlimited rides on the Dino Bus, Dragonfly Paddle Boats, 4-D Theatre and Carousel.

Dining and Shopping

We ate at Junction Springs Cafe at Junction Plaza located in the center of the zoo.

You should really try their ciabatta sandwich, it’s delicious!

There are many snack bars and cafes around the park so you will not go hungry or thirsty.

You also have the option to pack a picnic lunch and eat at one of the picnic areas located outside of the park. Don’t worry, your ticket allows re-entry!

Need to Know

– Expect to spend an entire day at the zoo. They open daily April – October 9am – 5pm and November – March 9 – 4pm, closed on Christmas Day.

– Both Africa and North America zones will take at least 2 to 3 hours each to explore.

– Zoofari, Acacia Station Giraffe Deck and Air Hike Ropes Course are additional costs.

– The average cost of meals at the cafes are $8 for entrees, $3 for sides and drinks

– Wear comfortable shoes for walking! By the end of the day my activity tracker measured 16,000+ steps and 6 miles!!

– Bring water bottles, you will get thirsty if walking a lot.

– There are many opportunities for bathroom stops along the way.

– Animal feeding schedules and sessions with the keepers are posted at the habitats and on the zoo’s website.

The North Carolina Zoo is not just a zoo. They are dedicated to the conservation of wildlife and want to educate people about the world around us.

They also have many partnerships with other organizations including the development of software used for monitoring wildlife and illegal activity on protected grounds.

This is a big step in reducing the number of animals threatened by poachers.

For more information about the zoo, tickets, and special exhibits, visit the NC Zoo website.

What is your favorite animal? Comment below and share this post!

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Spend The Day at North Carolina Zoo (VIDEO)

Watch this on Tristan’s View! We spent the day at the North Carolina Zoo and saw many animals including a tour of dinosaurs on the Dino Bus! The zoo is located in Asheboro, NC and is one of the largest in the world. Check out our video!

SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel for more informative and fun videos!

HANG OUT WITH US!

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/JaMekaRamnath
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/gotthetrave
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/gotthetravel
PINTEREST: https://www.pinterest.com/jtylerr/
YOUTUBE – Got The Travel Bug Too 

YOUTUBE – Tristan’s View 

The NC Zoo gave us complimentary admission to the zoo and attractions in exchange for a review.