Whistler British Columbia

We took a family vacation to Whistler British Columbia and there are no words for how beautiful Whistler is..well Canada in general.  We flew in to Vancouver and had a car pick us up so we could really get to see the scenery as we drove in to Whistler..which was a 2.5 hr drive.  It was about 21 degrees when we arrived.  Of course we had no clothes for this type of weather so we purchased jackets, boots, etc before leaving.  San Antonio doesn't usually require long johns or snow boots during the winter.:)

We stayed at the gorgeous Fairmont in Whistler.  The hotel was amazing and the views breathtaking.  

The actual town of Whistler was very quaint...lots of shops and great places to eat.  We came across the Olympics sign which was really neat.  I can't imagine what Whistler was like during the 2010 Olympics.

Cash got to take ski lessons and of course he was a natural.....which is so not like me..but like his father.  He had a blast and we wished we had enrolled him for two days vs one...by the third day he would have been skiing on his own.

While Cash was at ski school Ben and I got to enjoy brunch, the spa, and walking around town.  I am 3 mths pregnant here and we were all so excited at the summer was going to bring for us...our sweet Emma Beth.

Cash had a ball sliding down one of the hills right outside the hotel. 

One morning we took a gondola ride up to one of the highest points...which for someone that is afraid of heights (ME) that was a bit nerve racking...but absolutely beautiful!

As our vacation came to a close we had these pictures taken together as a family of 3..soon to be a family of 4.

Food for thought:  If visiting during the winter have a car pick you up as the shuttle bus stops at other hotels, etc and takes an additional hour to get to Whistler.  If visiting during the summer take the train from Vancouver to Whistler as that route is suppose to be breathtaking.  Stay at either the Fairmont or Four Seasons (they are next to each other).  Get with the concierge before arriving if you have children you are enrolling in ski school so they can get pre-registered.  Go to the spa if staying at the Fairmont (I am sure Four Seasons is terrific as well) if you can!!  Its beautiful as its below the hotel and you see built up snow outside the windows of your treatment room.  Just very different from what this Texas girl is used to. Its best to make dinner reservations each morning through the concierge as well.  Restaurants get very busy.

Disney World

I am placing this post at the start of 2013 although this trip was taken in April of 2012.

So I don't really have a bucket list per say but on the "list" of things I wanted to do was take Cash to Disney World.  So mid 2012 we started planning for our big trip.  This would be Cash's first plane ride and how exciting that it would be to Disney World.  Megan B. had just gone to Disney the year before so I was able to get some great tips from her before booking our trip.

I will never forget the morning we left.  I don't know who was more excited me or Cash.  I was just so excited for him and could not wait to see his face and hear what he had to say as he experienced all of these "firsts".

We were only going for 3 nights and 4 days so there was a lot to pack-in those 4 days.  I planned everything out by day.  I was afraid we were not going to be there long enough but much to my surprise...it was plenty of time for the McPeak family.  To say the least I was rather shocked when my 5 year old was not as enthused as I thought he would be.  The pool was a focal point for him....which was not exactly what I had in mind when planning our Disney vacation. 

Of course I had to take Cash to get snacks for the flight..which is also my favorite thing to do.   He was so excited to just be in the airport and then to get all the snacks he wanted was just a whole other level of excitement.:)  He met this little girl while waiting for our flight and they were having a ball looking at the planes coming in to the terminal.  She was also headed for her first trip to Disney.

We boarded the plane and got Cash all set up with his snacks and a movie for the flight.  He was so good on the plane.  He wasn't nervous at all...much braver than his mommy.

After arriving at the airport in Orlando we headed to catch the Disney Magical Express bus.  It would take us from the airport to the hotel.

We were staying at the Contemporary Resort which was so nice.  It was on property and the monorail ran through the middle of the hotel so it was so east to ride that to Magic Kingdom.

That afternoon we got settled at the hotel and then headed out to Magic Kingdom.  It was so beautiful and truly overwhelming.  We got to take in some rides and it was fun to see Cash find out what he liked and didn't like where the rides were concerned.  He did ride Space Mountain which shocked me that he would want to and after a few scared "woohoo's" we quickly realized that after the initial shock wore off he had a blast!

We ate at _____ which was in the _____ part of Magic Kingdom.  It was family style eating and on top of that Thanksgiving family style eating.  Was it the best food...no but it wasn't bad compared to the other food we experienced while there.  You definitely aren't at Disney World for the food.

After dinner we got our place "in line" so to speak for the night parade.  This was about the time I realized that my 5 year old little boy was not the Disney World lover I thought he would be.  The parade was so beautiful and truly magical and through a tinge of disappointment I did enjoy the magic of it all and we ended the evening exhausted.   Cash was half asleep before his head even hit the pillow.

The first morning we had our character breakfast at Chef Mickey's which was at our hotel.  Cash thought it was so great to see all of his favorite "Mickey Mouse Club House" characters "in person".  They danced and came around to meet all the kids.

We headed out to Animal Kingdom shortly after breakfast.  We took the safari ride which I have to say was pretty neat.  The animals were spectacular.  We rode one of the big water raft rides and we all had a blast!  We were soaked and laughing non-stop.

We headed to Hollywood Studios that afternoon and that may have been Cash's favorite park.  We went on the haunted elevator ride which takes you to the top and makes you feel as though you are free falling to the bottom.  That is another ride we got the scared "woohoo's" out of Cash.  Hearing those "woohoo's" from Cash was definitely a highlight.  He was so funny as he tried to work through his fear to get to the enjoyment.  Again, one of the things I absolutely admire about him...he is very much like me when it comes to being fearful to try something he is uncertain of but he is never so afraid that he doesn't try.

So one of the most exciting things at Hollywood Studios for Cash was the American Idol experience.  We got to sit in the audience of an American Idol audition.  This was an actual audition for an opportunity to be on the actual show.  You would have thought Cash was actually at American Idol in LA as he was so excited...clapping and voting his little heart out.  Ben and I were cracking up....at his innocence and just pure excitement.  

We had dinner that evening at the Brown Derby...which was to say the least not good but it was a means to an end as we were able to get in to the show Fantasmic...which was so amazing!  I think Cash really enjoyed that even though he was winding down pretty quick toward the end of the evening.

The next day we headed Epcot.  This wasn't our favorite park but we had great respect for what the park had to offer.  The grounds were gorgeous and it was really fun to walk through the different cultures represented.  We enjoyed some Chinese food while in "China".:)  There were a lot of characters at Epcot so we got our picture taken with them when we could.

We left Epcot and headed back to the hotel for a bit.  Cash wanted to swim so Ben and I decided to take advantage of that time and get massages.   While I was enjoying my massage Ben and Cash rented a boat and went for a ride.  I think that may have been the highlight of the trip for Cash.  

Later that evening we head back to Magic Kingdom for some late night fun.  We took in some more rides and then headed back to the hotel for some much needed rest.

The next morning we got up, ate and headed to the airport.  We were glad to head home and I felt like the trip was very telling of what Cash likes and doesn't like.  After taking our trip to Whistler in Jan 2013 we realized that Cash loves the snow and would much rather be in the mountains somewhere or at the beach...but Disney World ...not so much!! 

Since our big Disney trip Cash has asked when we are going again..and of course I say never and of course he will tell me that we have to take Emma.  I am not sure I can endure another Disney trip but I do think it would be so fun to experience Disney through a little girls eyes.   Let's see how I feel when Emma turns 4 or 5...stay tuned.