Mike W
Latest Reviews
Moody Gardens
This was a really great way to spend a day down in Galveston!
So if you're like me and you really didn't have much idea of what you'd be getting into here, I'll explain. For starters, the value pass is the way to go. You get to experience everything, and that's what's important to know.
There are 3 pyramids at Moody Gardens - one is an aquarium, one is a rain forest, and the last is the discovery center. With the value pass, you also get to see a movie in their 3D theater, their 4D theater, and get access to the ropes course and are able to take one of the two daily 45-minute cruises on their paddlewheel boat.
The aquarium pyramid was our favorite! They have a large penguin enclosure with viewing access from many different points. The other various tanks and enclosures also have several viewing areas. The jellyfish room is fantastic as well!
The rain forest pyramid is a little smaller but has a lot of live animals to see and is populated with trees and plants from all over the world.
The discovery center was the weakest pyramid in our opinion; it has a museum on the second floor but it was underwhelming compared to the aquarium. Downstairs is a 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea 4D ride, which is included with the value pass, but didn't live up to our expectations. My biggest issue is that it sprayed way too much water on the audience, it really ruined the experience for us.
Sadly, the wind was too high and the paddlewheel boat wasn't running. The ropes course was open, but my son isn't crazy about heights and neither am I, so we didn't take part in that.
The food was OK but was pretty expensive. It's about what I expected - nothing special but certainly not bad either. Overall, the whole experience was great and we're glad we spent our day there!
So if you're like me and you really didn't have much idea of what you'd be getting into here, I'll explain. For starters, the value pass is the way to go. You get to experience everything, and that's what's important to know.
There are 3 pyramids at Moody Gardens - one is an aquarium, one is a rain forest, and the last is the discovery center. With the value pass, you also get to see a movie in their 3D theater, their 4D theater, and get access to the ropes course and are able to take one of the two daily 45-minute cruises on their paddlewheel boat.
The aquarium pyramid was our favorite! They have a large penguin enclosure with viewing access from many different points. The other various tanks and enclosures also have several viewing areas. The jellyfish room is fantastic as well!
The rain forest pyramid is a little smaller but has a lot of live animals to see and is populated with trees and plants from all over the world.
The discovery center was the weakest pyramid in our opinion; it has a museum on the second floor but it was underwhelming compared to the aquarium. Downstairs is a 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea 4D ride, which is included with the value pass, but didn't live up to our expectations. My biggest issue is that it sprayed way too much water on the audience, it really ruined the experience for us.
Sadly, the wind was too high and the paddlewheel boat wasn't running. The ropes course was open, but my son isn't crazy about heights and neither am I, so we didn't take part in that.
The food was OK but was pretty expensive. It's about what I expected - nothing special but certainly not bad either. Overall, the whole experience was great and we're glad we spent our day there!
Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center
The Gaylord is a huge resort with a fantastic atrium and a lot of a dining options!
To get it out of the way: everything is expensive. They have a fantastic breakfast buffet, for example, but it'll end up costing you around $40 per person after tip. But the food is fantastic, all the drinks are unlimited and included. This theme of good food and high prices is mirrored throughout all the dining options.
The rooms are great and the cleaning staff is very good. My only complaint, and this doesn't affect my review, is that in some visits my room has been very far from the convention center, despite being booked with a special rate as a result of the convention. You'd think that knowing the room is being used by an attendee that you'd be placed closer to the convention center.
Overall, a great experience. It's not "just" a hotel by any means.
To get it out of the way: everything is expensive. They have a fantastic breakfast buffet, for example, but it'll end up costing you around $40 per person after tip. But the food is fantastic, all the drinks are unlimited and included. This theme of good food and high prices is mirrored throughout all the dining options.
The rooms are great and the cleaning staff is very good. My only complaint, and this doesn't affect my review, is that in some visits my room has been very far from the convention center, despite being booked with a special rate as a result of the convention. You'd think that knowing the room is being used by an attendee that you'd be placed closer to the convention center.
Overall, a great experience. It's not "just" a hotel by any means.
Jones Point Lighthouse
My wife and I decided to take the relatively short walk from Old Town to this lighthouse. I didn't look ahead at other reviews, and I have to say I was a little disappointed when I realized this is literally a house with a small rotunda on top serving as a lighthouse. The walk was nice, the scenery is beautiful, but the end result was just a tad underwhelming.
Old Town Alexandria Waterfront
Definitely a great place to stop and spend some time! Lots of restaurants and shops in the area and it's a very scenic area. It's a short (20 minute) walk to Jones Point Park, and it's right off King Street which is lined with great, unique restaurants and shops! If you're thinking about visiting Old Town, make sure you start here!
District of Columbia Boundary Stone
It's a stone. It can't disappoint because it's a stone. Plus if you walk from Old Town to here, you can tell people you walked from Virginia to DC to Maryland.