So helpful! Never thought about doing the resort club option. And I loved your suit! I ordered joggers and the same suit the next day 🤣 you’re right! It does suck you in all the right places.
I used a packing cube for a work trip because of your suggestion. Loved having my clothes all bundled up and not loose in my suitcase. Thank you! Great tips
Great video! I love hearing your trip recaps! They are very helpful in giving practical tips I wouldn't really think about otherwise! Also, your hair looks great in this video!
Great tips! I've not stayed at many resorts, but after hearing your suggestions, can definitely see the benefit in it. I did stay at Lost Pines a few years back for a work trip and it was a fabulous place! Thanks to you, I think it will make the short list when we plan our next vacation. Cheers!
What a fun trip! I always love the way you light up when you talk about your children and husband! 💕. And you look just as beautiful in casual wear as you do dressed up!
I'm so glad it was a great vacation for you and your family! I love these debriefings. Very informative. And girl, you rock that turquoise bathing suit! xo ~ linda
TFS, Marnie! Love your channel and your wonderfully witty personality. Your advice about the club upgrade is the best! We discovered it years ago when an airline canceled our flight until the NEXT day but comped us a night at an airport hotel with Club privileges. Have paid for it several times since but have also been lucky to have it offered as a comp twice at close-to-home resort we splurge on every few years. Best, Marbs💕
The boys didn't get their own room? So nice that you all stayed together! Tfs your wonderful trip. We love the Hyatt Residences. Always stay at the one on Siesta Key beach, when it isn't red tide of course. ☺
Love, love, love active vacations...can’t get enough kayaking, zip lining. hiking, exploring, fine dining & of course road trip games. Machu Picchu up next!!!
Great video Marnie, very helpful. What a great vacation idea and definitely the kind I like with lots of family time. We did this type of vacation quite often and miss them now that my kids are older💕
Hi, Marnie :) We love the LPHyatt and have been there numerous times. Will have to go back and try club level. Great idea! Love the debrief blog idea. Thanks for the video!
Loved this!!! What great tips! You look GREAT Marnie, but my favorite part was the throw back pic of y'all when the boys were little and the skeet shooting! (bc that's my life!) xoxo
These are awesome tips! I think we will look for a club level service next time we go to a resort, more variety and probably cheaper than room service. Thanks for sharing your vacation photos, such a good looking family, and the family bonding time is so important!
This was really helpful! We have a two year old son now so our days of trekking through Asia etc are probably done for a while. We like to rent a condo by the beach usually or do an all inclusive at a resort otherwise I spend the time getting worried about how much money we’re spending (my own fault but I can’t help it!)
I loved hearing about your vacation. It's nice to see you glowing thinking about it. Everyone says teenagers don't hangout with their families, you prove that wrong.
Great tips, Marnie, especially about club level. Looks like you all had a great time- how fun is it that you met up with Lisa?! LOVE that family photo of everyone in their kayaking gear- so cute!!
My sister and I take our families (kids all under age 9) to HLP every summer. We all love it! Moms can sip the best piña coladas in the world whilst bobbing down the lazy river with the kids, & dads golf. There’s a sandy beach attached to the pool - it’s an excellent family place! Roasting s’mores around the huge campfire & pony rides are a hit w/ our young crew. Thanks for the club level tip Marnie! We are going to do that next summer & save a ton. It was so fun to wake up and see that your fam loves HLP too! :) Thanks for sharing!
All great advice! It totally pays to be organized right down to all of the activities which should, if possible, be scheduled before arriving at your destination. They can certainly dictate your vacation schedule.
Great tips! Several years ago I stayed 10 days, at a resort, off season; so, it was already discounted. They had an 'entertainment/education' night; so, my friend and I negotiated an additional discount in exchange for each of us giving a presentation in our area of expertise.
Nice to know what others take (helpful hints) going on vacations. I try to pack cotton sun dresses, capris and a few tops. We stay at resorts that have a kitchen so we can prepare our food and maybe have one meal out everyday. Loved your video Marnie.
I LOVE YOUR TRAVEL TIPS! My husband and I have family all throughout the Midwest and we travel a lot to see them in Indianapolis, St Louis, Chicago and Milwaukee. All big cities with heavy price tags. I love saving any money any which way I can. I am glad you told me about the Club Levels. I never knew that!
Thanks for sharing your tips. We have done the resort club option whenever it is available specially at high end resorts. The restaurants at Atlantis in the Bahamas are particularly exorbitant, and we are a family of five so we upgrade to the clubhouse option there. What we have been doing over the past eight years is to rent a condo/vacation home within the resort. We love doing this mainly because with three kids a traditional resort room is just not enough space. We love to stretch out and we usually get a three bedroom condo with fully stocked kitchen and washer/dryer. We ALWAYS do this at Disney World. Since we rent a condo/vacation home, as soon as we arrive, I hit the nearby supermarket to stock up for breakfast food items and snacks. We do breakfast in the condo, lunch and dinner out, but sometimes we like to actually cook dinner in the condo as well which is fun for us. We much prefer the condo/vacation home option and we get to do our laundry before we head home which is yet another perk.
Marnie, I love your topical videos that can easily be referenced in the future! Sometimes when you share ideas within your vlogs, it can be hard to find it again later if I want to revisit the info. As a long time viewer, it was obvious to me that this was your intent. I wish the RUclips world would be less cynical and think that everyone is selling their soul to marketers. I hope your newer viewers will find over time that you are incredibly honest, forthright on your sponsorships/ affiliates and give great personal advice. There is a reason you have reached 100,000 viewers and it was not just by creating a few viral videos, but building character based friendships over many years. (I reposted this comment in your general video feed, because I felt like it will be lost as a reply.)
Thank you for being one of the few who understood why I made this video (and this type)! Your words mean so much to me, as does your friendship-we are WAY overdue for a get together!
We purchased the Club Level at a Disney Resort last year and it was terrific. We packed little mini sandwiches from breakfast ingredients for lunches and saved so much money during the day at the park.
I am a kayaker and find the best thing to wear is a bottom bathing suit with quick dry shorts and tank top. So comfortable and don't forget a visor or hat. Sounds like you had a great family vacation!
I've been watching a bunch of these Lost Pines trips this summer from bloggers and it looks like such a fun experience. I decided to contact them myself for the complimentary blogger nights and I'm so excited. I think I'm going to take my family in the fall when it cools off a bit! Looks like they really hooked you up!
I enjoyed this video so much. It was like my bf was telling me about her vacay! Also, I enjoyed the tips, most of which I already do BUT the upgrade to Club was the most interesting. I will have to look into that on my next vacay.
Great video! My rule when we book for our family of four: breakfast is included. LOL!! By the time two adults and two teens have breakfast, it's a $75-100 start to the day. We eat towards the end of the allocated time (usually 10am) which lasts us through lunch, then we either order a snack or two by the pool or I do as you guys do and bring down some stuff from the room. We also keep the fridge filled with drinks and fruit, and I grab a bottle of chemical sh*tstorm creamer to make a coffee every morning. OH! And I take my Yeti everywhere. :D
Ah, ziplining for your kids...been there, done that, too! I loved the ziplining, but the rappelling was what terrified me! I wore Nike dri-fit capris, and a bathing suit top under a Nike top (also dri-fit). You have sold me on nearby resort vacations. The travel time, sitting bunched up on the plane for hours, is what kills long distance travel for me.
No tips Marnie but what lovely memories you and micheal have made with your boys. They will always remember the family times. My boys are grown up eldest son got married last week and is now in Torquay in Devon for a short honeymoon a place we went to on a family holiday when they were small. 😘
I can relate to your husband being the planner. Even though I work for an airline, my husband creates spreadsheets for every trip. Love your take on resorts and Lost Pines. We always tend to take one big trip abroad and then a shorter car trip every year. But we are empty nesters and it's much easier for us to get away now. However, we have 16 grandchildren and have promised to take each family to Disney World when the youngest in that family is at least 5. Yes, we are crazy! Crazy fun! LOL!
Sounds fabulous. This may be a good idea for our Texas visit for June graduation. I use my LV neverful. It's always classic. It's large but not over the top .....
Just took my 16 yr. old grandson there a month ago. Agree fully with the food, The Firewheel Cafe did not have a buffet at night, not the $50 meal! Can't remember the name of the fancy restaurant on the 2nd floor but went there our last night, delicious, pricey but am still teaching table manners etc! Had no idea skeet shooting was offered, I would have loved that. Not far from my ranch so a perfect quick location. We decided that a cruise was our best bet, so he could hangout with kids his age. We, too, had been there when he was younger, so nice to revisit. Loved your take on it and I totally forgot about the club level.
My husband & I spent our 25th anniversary in Palm Desert, CA in Nov and absolutely loved the resort. The Marriott Shadow Ridge Resort is absolutely beautiful & full of amenities as well as a world-class golf course. We are planning another trip simply as a l.o.n.g. weekend. We live near Chicago, so it's a hike for a long weekend but so worth it. We find that we prefer to put the bulk of our spending into where we stay. Other than sights, our hotel is the #1 priority of our getaways. Thanks for the great review & debrief!
I agree staying club level actually saves money. I have two teen boys and a hubby who likes his beer in the pm, so the club level more then pays for itself! I also agree with zip lining, better to wear more clothing because of all the harness. I will say that resort looks stunning, I will have to check it out for a family vacation with my boys and hubby.
Thank you for tips on staying at resort. Great ideas. Thank you for recommendation on Zella joggers. Several colors are on sale Nordstrom the gray and tan. Was able to grab the gray. Hopefully I like them as much as you. 😊
That club level tip is so smart. We did a "staycation" at the Houstonian a couple years ago and did that for the first time. Just hubby and I but we barely ate anything else. I think we got room service once in 4 nights and lunch the one time we ventured out of the hotel. It's also great to have a second semi private lounge space. Hotel lobbies can get really busy and hotel rooms start feeling claustrophobic so that was great when I wanted someplace different to stretch out and read for a bit with easy access to snacks and a soda. I'll be looking into Lost Pines. How was the spa? I was starting to look for someplace within a few hour drive for another trip when we celebrate his chemo finishing next year.. this place sounds fun!
You have suggested the snack ideas/drinks in room before and it has helped us so much when we travel. Even if we do not rent a car, we ask our driver to stop by a convenient store so we can grab drinks/snacks/breakfast items for our room. Love this idea! About zip lining, we have done this in costa rica (600 feet in air above the rainforest trees) and in mexico. Yes, you definitely want pants or longer shorts and a shirt to wear. Athletic shorts would be too short and the harnesses would rub you. I can't wait to watch the vlog to see all the fun you had that week! :-)
LOL Debrief sounds so funny, it reminds me of my military days. Great video. Where is your next vacation? Can't wait to follow you there. Glad you had fun. oops sorry just finished the video and heard no travel plans...bummer.
These travel updates and do’s/don’t are great. I’m use to traveling to beach locations so, extra suits and flowing long dresses are a must. I usually get my dresses at Venus (wait for a sale) I now have a great collection. SUNSCREEN is a huge tip - Marnie is right $$ at the resorts.
Luv this video . I tried your last recommendation and went to la cantera. I luv that place especially in the fall when there isn’t as many people. Did you like the spa there better?
This was great and very timely! We leave tomorrow for a family vacay to Gulf Shores, AL (about a 7 hour drive from my home in MS). My “children” are the same ages as yours - 20 and 17. I cannot wait! Great tips 😁.
First I’d like to say that look beautiful like you always you do and you’re really rock’in those hoop earrings. Can you please share where you got them, Nordstrom’s recent sale? Thank you again for sharing your yearly vacation. I love watching your vacations as you share your beautiful days and allowing me to live through your lovely trips. You looked totally AWESOME in your bathing suit. Thank you for sharing your vacation-resort tips.
I second the stocking up on food and drink for the room. I also always have some kind of big, light shawl which can second as a light blanket for naps and keep me safe from the airconditioning frost. I tend to bring my own shampoo etc. but often take the little bottles (and shower caps!) home with me for my gym bag.
You look so pretty in this video. I love your makeup and hair...looks so youthful ... Don't get me wrong, you are a very pretty lady but this look was just really stunning to me...
Love resorts vacations! We have ordered food ahead of time from Gardengrocer when staying in Disney and works great. I know several people who have ordered from Amazon and the concierge had their box when they arrived. Always good to have options if you don't have a car. I agree about the extra bathing suit - things can take forever to dry out in hotel rooms. Looks like a great resort!
Good morning and thanks for lots of great information. My husband also loves to plan our vacations and is amazing at it. Egypt is next on the agenda for us. Glad you liked the zip line. I usually wear yoga pants, tee and a ball cap when I have to wear a helmet. If you wear shorts the harness can bunch up your shorts and make them really short and uncomfortable.
As someone who has a family member with an inflammatory bowel disease, I find it very difficult to share a room with only 1 bathroom. Hopefully this means Shane’s disease is relatively controlled because otherwise, 1 bathroom is difficult.
Marnie Goldberg That’s wonderful for Shane and I hope it continues, but I’m wondering why his dr won’t let him fly. How does flying affect his UC if he’s in remission? My loved one’s GI has never given him a flying restriction even when he’s been in remission. This baffles me.
It's not that he won't let him fly, but one of the drugs he's still taking is an immuno-supressant, so it's best to limit flying or spending long periods of time breathing in recycled air.
Marnie Goldberg interesting. Having ppl on immunosuppressants for literally decades, we’ve never had a restriction, flights both to Europe and Asia included. Different GIs, different ideas.
We love staying at resorts too! We’ve stayed at some great Hyatt resorts. Sounds like you guys had a great time. Do you still do one room for all four of you?
We do for now. Not sure if that's going to continue for much longer, which will be a shame, since we have so much fun hanging out at night watching silly tv shows!
Marnie Goldberg Wow, glad it works for you all. It would not work for us and my kids are younger than yours. The only way we do family vacations is by renting a condo or a room with a connecting bedroom though I know that is not always feasible for some people. As far as resort food expense, when my kids were younger and we would go to Disney, we always purchased the dining packages. Yes, you pay more, but it was worth it for us...or we just do all-inclusive resorts outside of the US.
Sounds like you had a FANTASTIC getaway! There's nothing as sweet as family time! I had never even heard of Lost Pines, and we live in (North) Texas. Looks gorgeous! We just got back from Oregon and stayed at THE most wonderful resort called Eagle Crest. If you are ever in central Oregon, I would HIGHLY recommend it! AND its a golf course resort, perfect for the hubs! Its absolutely gorgeous! All sorts of activities, a spa, restaurants, pools, walking trails, wildlife, etc. GREAT FAMILY vacation!
I cannot recommend Oregon ENOUGH! Absolutely one of THE most gorgeous states I've ever visited. I've never seen such diverse terrain in one state before. We saw everything from lava fields, sand dunes, hot springs, snow capped mountains, beaches, sea side cliffs, forests, farms, you name it, Oregon has it! Oregon exceeded my expectations for sure!
Sounds like a great holiday, great fun. Would be interested in a smaller tote bag we’re off to Key West and really not sure what sort of bag to travel with lol
Great video! I think this would be a great theme for a Marnie and Michael video- how to save and plan for a family vacation! We haven't been in a few years because we fail to properly save and plan every year for one. Would love some advice on how to make this happen!
Good tips. I am sure we don't have anything quite as magical like Lost Pines in the Kansas City area. I guess the closest possibility would be somewhere in Colorado. You just have to suffer through that long boring 10+ hour drive through Western Kansas. I know I would prefer a relaxing vacation instead of a go, go, go type vacation next time.
I had to chuckle when I read this from you. My family for years had a lake house at Holiday Island on Table Rock Lake. It didn't even cross my mind to think of that area. I guess I don't think of the Ozarks as having resort type places, other than golfing. I know that area has grown a lot from when we had our house. I am curious now, so I will have to check it out.
Amanda Lillie I agree about Longchamp Le Pliage, it is my go to bag for traveling, BUT the trick is to use smaller bags inside, otherwise it is just a big black hole.
If you want a tote that is durable and roomy you need a Longchamp Le Pliage large nylon tote! You should be able to fit a ton of stuff in it! I take mine on most all trips flying as well as driving!!!
Hi Marnie. I recently discovered your channel and I have been binge watching! I love it! I notice that you get a lot of mean spirited comments and I really don't understand why? Maybe people are jealous?
I don’t know what the reason is, but it’s still hurtful. But I’m very thankful the majority are like you and are quite kind and thoughtful. Thanks for watching!
When traveling in Alaska I seem to come with my own cooler. So difficult to be traveling and find gluten and soy free up here. That is what I miss about Arizona when I was there in June. It was so much easier to find restaurants that could cater to that specific type of eating requirement.
Hi Marnie! That place looks amazing and your boys are just jaw dropping handsome! Can I please call myself a long time viewer of yours since I clearly remember your RUclips video on the LA vacation?!! ;-). FYI, Linen Wide-Pants are my absolute favorite for the summer. I’m under 5 ft so I have to be careful how I wear them, but I totally recommend these type of pants for the summer! Last October for my honeymoon (2nd marriage) my husband and I returned to a resort we visited about 7 years prior - Marriott in Kauai, Hawaii. I’ve noticed its been featured on the Wheel of Fortune as a prize (they boast having the largest swimming pool in the entire state of Hawaii). It’s a beautiful resort with a bunch of different types of restaurants on the campus - thus while shopping for clothes, etc I pretty much knew what to do. Super casual but chic!
It looks like you had a great time! These family memories are so precious and important. It is great you all got away together.
So helpful! Never thought about doing the resort club option. And I loved your suit! I ordered joggers and the same suit the next day 🤣 you’re right! It does suck you in all the right places.
I think I’m only going to wear that brand from now on! And I just bought the joggers in black yesterday! So fun hanging out with you!!! 😘
You might like lake Austin spa and resort. The dining is included and they are very gluten free friendly
I’d love to go there-but NOT with the kids! 😉
I used a packing cube for a work trip because of your suggestion. Loved having my clothes all bundled up and not loose in my suitcase. Thank you! Great tips
Sounds lovely, Marnie. Your family has certainly created some beautiful memories!
I love watching your travel debrief videos! You give such great tips and tricks. Please keep on filming and sharing these!! 😁
Thank you for great recommendations Marnie. Stay fabulous and enjoy your weekend. Aloha 🌺
Sounds like such a fun trip, Marnie! And great suggestions and tips. ~ Janis from Florida
Great video! I love hearing your trip recaps! They are very helpful in giving practical tips I wouldn't really think about otherwise! Also, your hair looks great in this video!
I love that all of you still enjoy vacationing together
Great tips! I've not stayed at many resorts, but after hearing your suggestions, can definitely see the benefit in it. I did stay at Lost Pines a few years back for a work trip and it was a fabulous place! Thanks to you, I think it will make the short list when we plan our next vacation. Cheers!
What a fun trip! I always love the way you light up when you talk about your children and husband! 💕. And you look just as beautiful in casual wear as you do dressed up!
Thanks for the outfit ideas. I bought the old navy cardigan. Love these videos.
I'm so glad it was a great vacation for you and your family! I love these debriefings. Very informative. And girl, you rock that turquoise bathing suit! xo ~ linda
Thanks for sharing Marnie! Loving these little travel tid bits - super helpful!!
TFS, Marnie! Love your channel and your wonderfully witty personality. Your advice about the club upgrade is the best! We discovered it years ago when an airline canceled our flight until the NEXT day but comped us a night at an airport hotel with Club privileges. Have paid for it several times since but have also been lucky to have it offered as a comp twice at close-to-home resort we splurge on every few years. Best, Marbs💕
The boys didn't get their own room? So nice that you all stayed together! Tfs your wonderful trip. We love the Hyatt Residences. Always stay at the one on Siesta Key beach, when it isn't red tide of course. ☺
Really great tips for vacationing. Wish there was someone like you when I was raising my boys for good advice.
Love, love, love active vacations...can’t get enough kayaking, zip lining. hiking, exploring, fine dining & of course road trip games. Machu Picchu up next!!!
Great video Marnie, very helpful. What a great vacation idea and definitely the kind I like with lots of family time. We did this type of vacation quite often and miss them now that my kids are older💕
Hi, Marnie :) We love the LPHyatt and have been there numerous times. Will have to go back and try club level. Great idea! Love the debrief blog idea. Thanks for the video!
Great suggestions! Thanks for sharing, looks like a fabulous time with your family, I love it because you are creating lasting memories! ❤️ Loved it!!
Loved this!!! What great tips! You look GREAT Marnie, but my favorite part was the throw back pic of y'all when the boys were little and the skeet shooting! (bc that's my life!) xoxo
I thought you'd like the skeet shooting part! Jake was killing it (pun intended)!!
Thank you for all the helpful tips! I wasn't able to afford a vacation this year so I'm living vicariously through you! Thanks!
Awesome tips! I'm definitely going to use the club room level idea, thanks Marnie!!
These are awesome tips! I think we will look for a club level service next time we go to a resort, more variety and probably cheaper than room service. Thanks for sharing your vacation photos, such a good looking family, and the family bonding time is so important!
This was really helpful! We have a two year old son now so our days of trekking through Asia etc are probably done for a while. We like to rent a condo by the beach usually or do an all inclusive at a resort otherwise I spend the time getting worried about how much money we’re spending (my own fault but I can’t help it!)
Great idea to find a resort in driving distance! Love these debriefs.
Scout totes are great for the the pool. Lost Pines is beautiful...my girlfriends and I went there for a getaway and we had a blast.
I loved hearing about your vacation. It's nice to see you glowing thinking about it. Everyone says teenagers don't hangout with their families, you prove that wrong.
Marnie, Thanks for keeping me company during my morning cappuccino! As always, love your videos!
Thanks Wendy!
Sounded like a beautiful holiday. Glad you had the time away. Thanks for sharing
Kiawah Island Resort is awesome. Several golf courses, beautiful beach, pools.
Great video Marnie! Looks like a wonderful place for a family vacation. Have a great weekend. xoxo, Cindi
Great tips, Marnie, especially about club level. Looks like you all had a great time- how fun is it that you met up with Lisa?! LOVE that family photo of everyone in their kayaking gear- so cute!!
Spending time with Lisa is always great, but it was even more fun to have the husbands meet and they really enjoyed spending time together too!
Looks like you had a nice time. Thanks for sharing. You look GREAT in your bathing suit.
Thank you Debbie!!
My sister and I take our families (kids all under age 9) to HLP every summer. We all love it! Moms can sip the best piña coladas in the world whilst bobbing down the lazy river with the kids, & dads golf. There’s a sandy beach attached to the pool - it’s an excellent family place! Roasting s’mores around the huge campfire & pony rides are a hit w/ our young crew. Thanks for the club level tip Marnie! We are going to do that next summer & save a ton. It was so fun to wake up and see that your fam loves HLP too! :) Thanks for sharing!
Yes yes yes!! These videos on what was useful for you when traveling are great! I’ve learned lots of tips and tricks . Thank you
All great advice! It totally pays to be organized right down to all of the activities which should, if possible, be scheduled before arriving at your destination. They can certainly dictate your vacation schedule.
That’s how we did it. Having it all planned out (and paid for) before you get there really makes it a true vacation!
What an amazing place. I’m adding it to my bucket list. Great tips too
Great tips! Several years ago I stayed 10 days, at a resort, off season; so, it was already discounted. They had an 'entertainment/education' night; so, my friend and I negotiated an additional discount in exchange for each of us giving a presentation in our area of expertise.
Nice to know what others take (helpful hints) going on vacations. I try to pack cotton sun dresses, capris and a few tops. We stay at resorts that have a kitchen so we can prepare our food and maybe have one meal out everyday. Loved your video Marnie.
I LOVE YOUR TRAVEL TIPS! My husband and I have family all throughout the Midwest and we travel a lot to see them in Indianapolis, St Louis, Chicago and Milwaukee. All big cities with heavy price tags. I love saving any money any which way I can. I am glad you told me about the Club Levels. I never knew that!
Club levels are fun-it’s also a nice place just to hang out. Let me know if you end up trying one out!
Thanks for sharing your tips. We have done the resort club option whenever it is available specially at high end resorts. The restaurants at Atlantis in the Bahamas are particularly exorbitant, and we are a family of five so we upgrade to the clubhouse option there. What we have been doing over the past eight years is to rent a condo/vacation home within the resort. We love doing this mainly because with three kids a traditional resort room is just not enough space. We love to stretch out and we usually get a three bedroom condo with fully stocked kitchen and washer/dryer. We ALWAYS do this at Disney World. Since we rent a condo/vacation home, as soon as we arrive, I hit the nearby supermarket to stock up for breakfast food items and snacks. We do breakfast in the condo, lunch and dinner out, but sometimes we like to actually cook dinner in the condo as well which is fun for us. We much prefer the condo/vacation home option and we get to do our laundry before we head home which is yet another perk.
Marnie, I love your topical videos that can easily be referenced in the future! Sometimes when you share ideas within your vlogs, it can be hard to find it again later if I want to revisit the info. As a long time viewer, it was obvious to me that this was your intent. I wish the RUclips world would be less cynical and think that everyone is selling their soul to marketers. I hope your newer viewers will find over time that you are incredibly honest, forthright on your sponsorships/ affiliates and give great personal advice. There is a reason you have reached 100,000 viewers and it was not just by creating a few viral videos, but building character based friendships over many years. (I reposted this comment in your general video feed, because I felt like it will be lost as a reply.)
Thank you for being one of the few who understood why I made this video (and this type)! Your words mean so much to me, as does your friendship-we are WAY overdue for a get together!
We purchased the Club Level at a Disney Resort last year and it was terrific. We packed little mini sandwiches from breakfast ingredients for lunches and saved so much money during the day at the park.
I am a kayaker and find the best thing to wear is a bottom bathing suit with quick dry shorts and tank top. So comfortable and don't forget a visor or hat. Sounds like you had a great family vacation!
I've been watching a bunch of these Lost Pines trips this summer from bloggers and it looks like such a fun experience. I decided to contact them myself for the complimentary blogger nights and I'm so excited. I think I'm going to take my family in the fall when it cools off a bit! Looks like they really hooked you up!
What complimentary blogger deal?! We paid for that whole trip in full ahead of time! Totally missed out on the blogger deal! 😂
Oh dear!
I enjoyed this video so much. It was like my bf was telling me about her vacay! Also, I enjoyed the tips, most of which I already do BUT the upgrade to Club was the most interesting. I will have to look into that on my next vacay.
Great video! My rule when we book for our family of four: breakfast is included. LOL!! By the time two adults and two teens have breakfast, it's a $75-100 start to the day. We eat towards the end of the allocated time (usually 10am) which lasts us through lunch, then we either order a snack or two by the pool or I do as you guys do and bring down some stuff from the room. We also keep the fridge filled with drinks and fruit, and I grab a bottle of chemical sh*tstorm creamer to make a coffee every morning. OH! And I take my Yeti everywhere. :D
Good times! Great and super helpful tips. 👍
Ah, ziplining for your kids...been there, done that, too! I loved the ziplining, but the rappelling was what terrified me! I wore Nike dri-fit capris, and a bathing suit top under a Nike top (also dri-fit).
You have sold me on nearby resort vacations. The travel time, sitting bunched up on the plane for hours, is what kills long distance travel for me.
Those BP swing tanks are my favorite! I just ordered another black backup.
Super helpful!!!! Thank you!! What a beautiful resort!!
No tips Marnie but what lovely memories you and micheal have made with your boys. They will always remember the family times. My boys are grown up eldest son got married last week and is now in Torquay in Devon for a short honeymoon a place we went to on a family holiday when they were small. 😘
That’s pretty cool that he’s come full circle-now a married man!! Congrats!
Marnie Goldberg thanks Marnie 😘
Thank you Marnie. Such great information and we love playing games together too!
I can relate to your husband being the planner. Even though I work for an airline, my husband creates spreadsheets for every trip. Love your take on resorts and Lost Pines. We always tend to take one big trip abroad and then a shorter car trip every year. But we are empty nesters and it's much easier for us to get away now. However, we have 16 grandchildren and have promised to take each family to Disney World when the youngest in that family is at least 5. Yes, we are crazy! Crazy fun! LOL!
Sounds fabulous. This may be a good idea for our Texas visit for June graduation. I use my LV neverful. It's always classic. It's large but not over the top .....
Just took my 16 yr. old grandson there a month ago. Agree fully with the food, The Firewheel Cafe did not have a buffet at night, not the $50 meal! Can't remember the name of the fancy restaurant on the 2nd floor but went there our last night, delicious, pricey but am still teaching table manners etc! Had no idea skeet shooting was offered, I would have loved that. Not far from my ranch so a perfect quick location. We decided that a cruise was our best bet, so he could hangout with kids his age. We, too, had been there when he was younger, so nice to revisit. Loved your take on it and I totally forgot about the club level.
My hubby travels for work so he has status with two major hotel chains. If you have status the club rooms access is complimentary ❤️
I loved seeing you and Lisa J - too cute
My husband & I spent our 25th anniversary in Palm Desert, CA in Nov and absolutely loved the resort. The Marriott Shadow Ridge Resort is absolutely beautiful & full of amenities as well as a world-class golf course. We are planning another trip simply as a l.o.n.g. weekend. We live near Chicago, so it's a hike for a long weekend but so worth it. We find that we prefer to put the bulk of our spending into where we stay. Other than sights, our hotel is the #1 priority of our getaways. Thanks for the great review & debrief!
We loved our visit to that area a couple of years ago-it's so beautiful there!
I agree staying club level actually saves money. I have two teen boys and a hubby who likes his beer in the pm, so the club level more then pays for itself! I also agree with zip lining, better to wear more clothing because of all the harness. I will say that resort looks stunning, I will have to check it out for a family vacation with my boys and hubby.
We did the same thing this year. I love just throwing what we want to take in the car.
Thank you for tips on staying at resort. Great ideas.
Thank you for recommendation on Zella joggers. Several colors are on sale Nordstrom the gray and tan. Was able to grab the gray. Hopefully I like them as much as you. 😊
I just bought another pair full price (in black)! I love them!
That club level tip is so smart. We did a "staycation" at the Houstonian a couple years ago and did that for the first time. Just hubby and I but we barely ate anything else. I think we got room service once in 4 nights and lunch the one time we ventured out of the hotel. It's also great to have a second semi private lounge space. Hotel lobbies can get really busy and hotel rooms start feeling claustrophobic so that was great when I wanted someplace different to stretch out and read for a bit with easy access to snacks and a soda.
I'll be looking into Lost Pines. How was the spa? I was starting to look for someplace within a few hour drive for another trip when we celebrate his chemo finishing next year.. this place sounds fun!
The spa is very nice-I got the best massage I’ve ever had there! Ask for Michelle if you go. Congrats to your husband almost finishing chemo!! 💪🏻
MZ Wallace metro backpacks ROCK! Nylon and super chic and lightweight
You have suggested the snack ideas/drinks in room before and it has helped us so much when we travel. Even if we do not rent a car, we ask our driver to stop by a convenient store so we can grab drinks/snacks/breakfast items for our room. Love this idea! About zip lining, we have done this in costa rica (600 feet in air above the rainforest trees) and in mexico. Yes, you definitely want pants or longer shorts and a shirt to wear. Athletic shorts would be too short and the harnesses would rub you. I can't wait to watch the vlog to see all the fun you had that week! :-)
That’s good to know about zip lining-although I don’t know if I’ll ever do that again!! 🤣
LOL Debrief sounds so funny, it reminds me of my military days. Great video. Where is your next vacation? Can't wait to follow you there. Glad you had fun. oops sorry just finished the video and heard no travel plans...bummer.
Yeah-gets harder to plan family trips these days. Not sure what Jake is doing over winter break yet.
These travel updates and do’s/don’t are great. I’m use to traveling to beach locations so, extra suits and flowing long dresses are a must. I usually get my dresses at Venus (wait for a sale) I now have a great collection. SUNSCREEN is a huge tip - Marnie is right $$ at the resorts.
Love it! What a nice vacation and thank you so much for sharing!
I had no idea you could ask for things to be in your room.. is that a charge or free?
No charge at all!!
Luv this video . I tried your last recommendation and went to la cantera. I luv that place especially in the fall when there isn’t as many people. Did you like the spa there better?
This was great and very timely! We leave tomorrow for a family vacay to Gulf Shores, AL (about a 7 hour drive from my home in MS). My “children” are the same ages as yours - 20 and 17. I cannot wait! Great tips 😁.
That’s another destination on my wish list! Have a great time with your family!
First I’d like to say that look beautiful like you always you do and you’re really rock’in those hoop earrings. Can you please share where you got them, Nordstrom’s recent sale? Thank you again for sharing your yearly vacation. I love watching your vacations as you share your beautiful days and allowing me to live through your lovely trips. You looked totally AWESOME in your bathing suit. Thank you for sharing your vacation-resort tips.
I second the stocking up on food and drink for the room. I also always have some kind of big, light shawl which can second as a light blanket for naps and keep me safe from the airconditioning frost. I tend to bring my own shampoo etc. but often take the little bottles (and shower caps!) home with me for my gym bag.
I worked for Hyatt (out of corporate) in the 90s (pre-kids) and the Club levels are the way to go.
I appreciate these tips. Almost 100,000!
You look so pretty in this video. I love your makeup and hair...looks so youthful ... Don't get me wrong, you are a very pretty lady but this look was just really stunning to me...
Love resorts vacations! We have ordered food ahead of time from Gardengrocer when staying in Disney and works great. I know several people who have ordered from Amazon and the concierge had their box when they arrived. Always good to have options if you don't have a car. I agree about the extra bathing suit - things can take forever to dry out in hotel rooms. Looks like a great resort!
Good morning and thanks for lots of great information. My husband also loves to plan our vacations and is amazing at it. Egypt is next on the agenda for us. Glad you liked the zip line. I usually wear yoga pants, tee and a ball cap when I have to wear a helmet. If you wear shorts the harness can bunch up your shorts and make them really short and uncomfortable.
As someone who has a family member with an inflammatory bowel disease, I find it very difficult to share a room with only 1 bathroom. Hopefully this means Shane’s disease is relatively controlled because otherwise, 1 bathroom is difficult.
He’s in clinical remission!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻 Otherwise, I totally understand!
Marnie Goldberg That’s wonderful for Shane and I hope it continues, but I’m wondering why his dr won’t let him fly. How does flying affect his UC if he’s in remission? My loved one’s GI has never given him a flying restriction even when he’s been in remission. This baffles me.
It's not that he won't let him fly, but one of the drugs he's still taking is an immuno-supressant, so it's best to limit flying or spending long periods of time breathing in recycled air.
Marnie Goldberg interesting. Having ppl on immunosuppressants for literally decades, we’ve never had a restriction, flights both to Europe and Asia included. Different GIs, different ideas.
PrairieMakeup It’s worked for Shane. Not going to rock that boat!
We love staying at resorts too! We’ve stayed at some great Hyatt resorts. Sounds like you guys had a great time. Do you still do one room for all four of you?
We do for now. Not sure if that's going to continue for much longer, which will be a shame, since we have so much fun hanging out at night watching silly tv shows!
Marnie, I probably missed it, but do the four of you stay in the same room, or do the boys have their own room when y’all travel?
We stay in the same room-2 queen beds. Works out great!
Marnie Goldberg Wow, glad it works for you all. It would not work for us and my kids are younger than yours. The only way we do family vacations is by renting a condo or a room with a connecting bedroom though I know that is not always feasible for some people. As far as resort food expense, when my kids were younger and we would go to Disney, we always purchased the dining packages. Yes, you pay more, but it was worth it for us...or we just do all-inclusive resorts outside of the US.
Sounds like you had a FANTASTIC getaway! There's nothing as sweet as family time! I had never even heard of Lost Pines, and we live in (North) Texas. Looks gorgeous! We just got back from Oregon and stayed at THE most wonderful resort called Eagle Crest. If you are ever in central Oregon, I would HIGHLY recommend it! AND its a golf course resort, perfect for the hubs! Its absolutely gorgeous! All sorts of activities, a spa, restaurants, pools, walking trails, wildlife, etc. GREAT FAMILY vacation!
Thanks for the recommendation! I’ve never been to Oregon but we both really want to!
I cannot recommend Oregon ENOUGH! Absolutely one of THE most gorgeous states I've ever visited. I've never seen such diverse terrain in one state before. We saw everything from lava fields, sand dunes, hot springs, snow capped mountains, beaches, sea side cliffs, forests, farms, you name it, Oregon has it! Oregon exceeded my expectations for sure!
Was the zip line and kayaking included, or was that a separate fee?
That was all separate.
Sounds like a great holiday, great fun. Would be interested in a smaller tote bag we’re off to Key West and really not sure what sort of bag to travel with lol
Great video! I love the resort tips!
Great video! I think this would be a great theme for a Marnie and Michael video- how to save and plan for a family vacation! We haven't been in a few years because we fail to properly save and plan every year for one. Would love some advice on how to make this happen!
Good tips. I am sure we don't have anything quite as magical like Lost Pines in the Kansas City area. I guess the closest possibility would be somewhere in Colorado. You just have to suffer through that long boring 10+ hour drive through Western Kansas. I know I would prefer a relaxing vacation instead of a go, go, go type vacation next time.
I think there’s probably a few options in Missouri. Or Nw Arkansas?
I had to chuckle when I read this from you. My family for years had a lake house at Holiday Island on Table Rock Lake. It didn't even cross my mind to think of that area. I guess I don't think of the Ozarks as having resort type places, other than golfing. I know that area has grown a lot from when we had our house. I am curious now, so I will have to check it out.
Sounds fantastic!
I really like using a Longchamp Le Pliage Tote for travel. They are super light weight and you can fit alot in it.
Amanda Lillie I agree about Longchamp Le Pliage, it is my go to bag for traveling, BUT the trick is to use smaller bags inside, otherwise it is just a big black hole.
Leonorinspired For sure! I have a couple of cosmetic cases I use. I tease my kids that it's a bottomless pit!
My son and his buddies were vacuum cleaners for food when they were teens
If you want a tote that is durable and roomy you need a Longchamp Le Pliage large nylon tote! You should be able to fit a ton of stuff in it! I take mine on most all trips flying as well as driving!!!
Great tips! Thank you!
What's the difference between a resort and a hotel?
A resort has extensive grounds, extra activities, swimming pools, golf, spa, multiple dining options, etc. A regular hotel is usually just rooms.
Hi Marnie. I recently discovered your channel and I have been binge watching! I love it! I notice that you get a lot of mean spirited comments and I really don't understand why? Maybe people are jealous?
I don’t know what the reason is, but it’s still hurtful. But I’m very thankful the majority are like you and are quite kind and thoughtful. Thanks for watching!
When traveling in Alaska I seem to come with my own cooler. So difficult to be traveling and find gluten and soy free up here. That is what I miss about Arizona when I was there in June. It was so much easier to find restaurants that could cater to that specific type of eating requirement.
Hi Marnie! That place looks amazing and your boys are just jaw dropping handsome! Can I please call myself a long time viewer of yours since I clearly remember your RUclips video on the LA vacation?!! ;-). FYI, Linen Wide-Pants are my absolute favorite for the summer. I’m under 5 ft so I have to be careful how I wear them, but I totally recommend these type of pants for the summer! Last October for my honeymoon (2nd marriage) my husband and I returned to a resort we visited about 7 years prior - Marriott in Kauai, Hawaii. I’ve noticed its been featured on the Wheel of Fortune as a prize (they boast having the largest swimming pool in the entire state of Hawaii). It’s a beautiful resort with a bunch of different types of restaurants on the campus - thus while shopping for clothes, etc I pretty much knew what to do. Super casual but chic!
Thanks Michele! Of course you can call yourself a long-time viewer! It sounds like the pool at that resort is incredible! Linen pants for the win!
Very informative thanks!