This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Ocala/Marion County VCB for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

Whether you are a new couple or have been together for 50-years, it is always nice to spend time together just the two of you. Not only is it important for couples to take the time to rekindle their romance, but spending time away from the everyday stresses of life is healthy for your relationship. If you want a place to celebrate your relationship and enjoy yourself, spend Valentine’s Day in Ocala/Marion County, Florida this year! Here are some great places to go during your romantic Florida Travel :

Enjoy Romantic Ocala/Marion County Lodging

Ocala/Marion County has lodging that can accommodate any experience you may want to have with your loved one. With great hotels, bed and breakfasts, and cabins, you can make your romantic getaway fit both you and your loved one. Here are some of the top rated romantic Ocala/Marion County Lodging

1. Angler’s Resort Motel: Enjoy a beautiful scenic atmosphere on the Withlacoochee River. With kitchenettes, a Tiki bar, a relaxing atmosphere, live music and good times, Angler’s Resort Motel is the perfect place to spend a weekend getaway or Valentine’s Day.
2. WoodSpring Suites Ocala: This lovely home away from home makes the perfect extended stay. With a full kitchen, stove, and full-size refrigerator, you have the comfort of your home away from daily stresses. Not only is it a romantic getaway, but you can get this amazing suite starting at $179 per night.
3. Shamrock Thistle & Crown Bed and Breakfast: This 3-story Victorian Bed and Breakfast is the perfect romantic getaway. With fireplaces, a hot tub, solar heated pool, and whirlpool suites, you can have a whole vacation full of romantic bliss. Not to mention fresh, hot breakfast neither of you cooks.
4. Horseshoe Lake Park and Retreat: Retreat to a rustic-style cabin along the banks of Lake Park. Each cabin has a kitchenette fit with a microwave, fridge, and gas stove, living room, dining room, and a crystal view of the lake making it a home away from home.

Take Advantage of the Many Ocala/Marion County Activities

Ocala/Marion County offers a little fun for everyone. With activities and events that fit everyone’s interests and getaway needs, you’ll never want your Valentine’s getaway to end! Take your Valentine on a romantic adventure with Ocala/Marion County Activities they will love!

1. Arts and Culture. If you love to take in the arts and culture, you won’t be disappointed in Ocala/Marion County. Discover the arts at the Ocala Civic Theatre featuring the Marion Ballet theatre, go back in time at the Ocala Drive-in Theatre, or spend the day at the Silver River Museum.
2. Enjoy a Romantic Dinner for two. You can always find a great restaurant that will bring you both closer together in Ocala/Marion County. You will want to try Amrit Palace Indian Restaurant, Ivy House, and La Cuisine French Restaurant for a romantic meal you’ll never forget.
3. Take time to See the Sights. Marion County offers a wide range of sights you won’t get to see anywhere else. Take time to see these musts in Marion County: Painting with a Twist, Picasso’s Pallet, Monkey Junction, Endangered Animals Rescue Sanctuary, and Bubba Raceway Park.
4. See the outdoors. If you don’t mind the cool, crisp air, Ocala/Marion County offers you beautiful scenic outdoor activities, zip lining, canoeing, and so much more.

What are you waiting for? Book your trip to Ocala/Marion County, Florida for a romantic getaway you won’t ever forget!    

Moonlight is a new organizational app that helps families explore the great outdoors without worrying about logistics.

Most moms know that planning a camping trip for a whole family can quickly change from a fun, carefree event to a stressful, logistical nightmare.  From juggling the reservation information to figuring out who’s responsible for bringing what, camping sometimes seems like more trouble than it’s worth. That’s why Active Network, LLC created the Moonlight app.

Active Network, LLC, has just launched their Moonlight app for iPhones. Moonlight is a social-based app that aims to help families and adventurers coordinate their outdoor trips.  Whether you’re headed out for a day at the lake or a week under the stars, let Moonlight help you plan your summer getaway.

Moonlight covers all the bases of trip planning.  Active Network’s partnership with ReserveAmerica lets you sync and share your reservation information with all the members of your trip, ensuring that everyone ends up in the same place at the right time.

“We are excited about the release of our new app, Moonlight. We saw a need in the market to deliver this technology using our unique positioning as the largest provider of campground reservations through ReserveAmerica®.  We are already working on exciting new features to be released in the coming months,” says Greg Ingino CIO and Head of Commerce.

More than just a reservation coordinator, Moonlight also includes a comprehensive checklist feature that allows you to divide up campsite responsibilities, pre-trip shopping lists, and assign packing duties.  After you decide what needs to be done, Moonlight lets the user divvy up responsibilities by sharing and exporting the lists. You can even assign tasks to certain people, to make sure everyone does their part! By splitting up preparation tasks, campsite jobs and grocery shopping, Moonlight makes sure nothing will get forgotten, and no one gets stuck with all the errands!

Moonlight is available for free from the App Store, but users can upgrade to the ad-free, pro version of the app for just $5.99/year.  The upgraded app also includes a database of delicious, expert-approved campfire recipes, a resource to find activities, and an improved app experience without ads.  In the future, Moonlight will include insider secrets about destinations and geo-notification technology!

When planning is this easy, there’s nothing stopping your family from exploring the great outdoors!

 

Known to many as the “Las Vegas of the East”, Macau is a city full of lights and excitement. Situated on the western banks of the Pearl River Delta less than 70 km from Hong Kong, the autonomous territory is not only one of the most densely populated cities in the world but also one of the richest. Exciting discoveries can be made around every corner, which is why it’s no big surprise that Macau has recently become a popular tourist destination for many people around the world. This exciting place has something to offer for everyone. We’ll show you which attractions you definitely shouldn’t miss on your trip.

Senado Square

This beautiful town square will leave you speechless. It’s paved with wave-patterned Portuguese mosaic and in its centre sits an elegant fountain. Take your time to look around and enjoy the splendour of the European-style buildings surrounding you – it’ll be hard to believe that you’re actually in Asia. Senado Square is a listed UNESCO World Heritage Site and from here it’s easy to reach many of Macau’s other attractions, including St. Dominic’s Church and the ruins of St. Paul. You’ll also have no problems finding good restaurants in the area.

Ruins of St. Paul

If you come to Macau without visiting the ruins of St. Paul, then you haven’t really been to Macau. They are the most visited attraction in the city and its most treasured icon. The facade and stairs are all that remain of the early-17th-century church. The former Jesuit church was Asia’s greatest monument to Christianity and even today the fusion of architectural styles show Macau’s interesting duality. It’s a busy place, but it has its own unique atmosphere that is not to be missed. In the evenings ,/the ruins are beautifully lit, so it’s worth visiting them during the day and at night.

 

A-Ma Temple

Built in 1488, A-Ma Temple is the oldest and most famous Taoist temple in Macau. It’s also said that when the first Portuguese sailors arrived here, the locals would only reply with “A-Ma-Gau” (Bay of Goddess A-Ma) thus giving Macau its current name. This is a quieter part of Macau with a rich history and some stunning views, so it’s well worth a visit.

Venetian Macau

When in Rome… or Macau for that matter, you don’t want to miss out on visiting the largest casino in the entire world. The Venetian Macau is a huge entertainment complex on Cotai Strip. Here you’ll find everything you could ever wish for. All of its 3,000 rooms are luxuriously decorated, have Italian marble bathrooms and offer guests over 70 sqm of space. You can shop in one of over 350 exclusive shops, take a ride in a real Venetian gondola or watch one of the great shows.

If you’re interested in luxury, history, shopping, relaxation or a little bit of everything, then Macau is the place for you. This place has everything you could wish for, so it’s not hard to see why it’s getting more and more choose to visit it.

 

 

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Daytona Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

Goodbye summer, Hello fall! I don’t know about you, but it’s hard to believe that It’s already fall! However, I must admit that fall is my favorite season of the year, so I am welcoming it with open arms. While most people love to travel and go on family vacations during the summer months, I actually prefer waiting until the fall season for many reasons.   When many people think of fall, they also think about fall festivals. I LOVE FALL FESTIVALS! So, they are always on my list when looking for the perfect fall getaways. However, did you know Daytona Beach is known as the festival capital of Florida? The area hosts more than 50 festivals throughout the year, and fall festivals make this one of the best times of the year to visit.

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So, this year Daytona Beach is one of our top destinations for our yearly couples only weekend. I would really love to check out the Daytona Blues Festival which I feel would be great for couples that enjoy blues music like we do. I also love that there is so many free things to do in Daytona Beach. I really want to check out the Mary McLeod Bethune Foundation Home & Gravesite. The Bethune-Cookman University is one of the richest resources of African-American historical and cultural exhibits in Florida. Then of course we could enjoy all the outdoor fun that Daytona Beach has to offer like the beautiful beaches and parks. So, as you can see Daytona Beach makes a perfect getaway for couples!

However, It’s also a great destination for families! Daytona Beach has great kid friendly options if you are planning your Fall Family vacation. There is something for everyone! And trust me as a mom I understand that when planning a family trip you have to make sure everyone is happy and entertained the whole time. I feel that Daytona Beach has everything that would make your fall vacation everything that you are looking for to create those special memories!

Whether you are looking for a place to bring the whole family, or the perfect spot for a romantic getaway, Daytona Beach has lots of great options for your perfect vacation.

Start planning your trip today!

The beach awaits, to learn more about what Daytona Beach has to offer or to request your own travel guide click here.

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Thanks to my friends at Coca-Cola 
for sponsoring this conversation with an “On the Road” prize pack full of summer road trip essentials for one lucky reader.

 

I think anyone can vouch for the fact that no matter how great of a life you may have, we all need a break sometimes! A break where we can just get away from anything life may throw at us and where we can simply sit back and relax without any distractions or problems. You may want to get away with a loved one, a sibling, friends, or even maybe your whole family needs to get away for the weekend! I love to spontaneously go visit new surroundings and just have a new view for the weekend. I think it personally helps me to stay sane and I try to do it as often as I can, now whether that’s just an hour away or 5 hours away, sometimes you just need to get away from home! Here are a few places that are perfect for weekend getaways and they can cater to any amount of people you have going! Hope some of these are close enough to where you live and you can find one to fit your needs!

Put-In-Bay, Ohio: Put-in-Bay is a small Island located in Ohio surrounded by the beautiful waters of Lake Erie. This place is great for a couples getaway or even a family getaway! It is filled with a ton great restaurants, you can go out on jet ski’s and boats, and there is even an Amusement Park! These are just a few of the many things to do at this lovely place and you are bound to have a blast here!

Wildwood, New Jersey: Wildwood is a great place to go if you’re looking to have a lot of fun! There are 3 Water Parks that are on The Beach, can we just stop there and say that would be a weekend filled with fun right there? Well nope, there’s more! You can ride roller coasters, play games, enjoy some mini golf, and even just hang out on the beach! Definitely a great place to spend the weekend!

Gatlinburg, Tennessee: Gatlinburg is perfect for anyone! You can take any random person there and they are bound to find something there that they’re going to love! It is filled with fun including an Amusement Park, museums, a ton of great food, you can take hikes in the mountains, and see some great outdoors among so much else! This is a great place to take a trip with anyone!

The Grand Canyon: Need I say more? I think everyone should have the experience of seeing the Grand Canyon! It is literally such an amazing view and you can take a really amazing hike throughout the Grand Canyon! Perfect for those who love the outdoors! It doesn’t get better than this!

Chicago, Illinois: Chicago is always such a fun time! There is a ton of stuff to do! Just to name a few: The Bean, Shopping on The Magnificent Mile, Lincoln Park Zoo, Beaches, as well as visiting The Willis Tower are some of my favorite things to do and that’s not even the half of what you can do in Chicago! There is plenty to have a jam packed, fun filled weekend!

Orlando, Florida: Orlando is obviously a really great family vacation spot! In Orlando there is Disney World, Universal Studios, as well as Animal Kingdom! All really great places to visit with a family! Although this may be a bit on the pricier side of weekend getaways, if you live close…it shouldn’t be too bad!

Atlanta, Georgia: I personally never thought about Atlanta being a good vacation spot since I already live here! But since it is actually home to the largest Aquarium in the World, which is so cool! It has more animals than any other aquarium and I am a big fan of aquariums myself! Atlanta is a great vacation spot to take the kids because there is so much history and so much to learn here. Among the aquarium, there is the Atlanta Zoo (which is one the oldest zoos in America), The World of Coca-Cola museum,The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site and so much more! Great vacation spot for any age!

Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin: Wisconsin Dell’s is known as “The Waterpark Capital of the World” and that is because it is home to America’s largest Water park Resort. It is called the “Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort” and it harbors four indoor and four outdoor waterparks all on the property of this one resort! That just sounds like an amazing amount of fun and I don’t know if you could even cover 8 water parks in one weekend, but trust me..you should definitely try to fit it all in!

I hope that if you were looking for a weekend getaway and couldn’t think of a good place to, maybe some of these are close to where you live and you can pack up and head out sometime soon! Take a break from life, everyone can use a break sometimes!

 

Enter to win:

I have partnered with Coca-Cola to give away one lucky reader an “On the Road” prize pack full of summer road trip essentials!

The prize pack will include:

Coca-Cola cooler tote

Mini cans

Hand sanitizer (unbranded sanitizer but Coke branded)

Headphones with Coca-Cola case

Coca-Cola phone charger

$20 Visa gift card for gas

Portion-controlled snacks like trail mix

To enter please leave a comment below telling me where your favorite road trip or getaway spot is. I will pick the lucky winner August 2^nd!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This prize is provided by The Coca-Cola Company. The Coca-Cola Company is not a sponsor, administrator or connected in any other way.