![Our New Orleans itinerary (save & share this post) 3,000 miles later and we made it to @visitneworleans, the last stop on our road trip! [AD] Exploring the US by car has been amazing and we hope it’s given you lots of ideas.
Day 1: Explored Congo Square in the neighborhood of Treme, the oldest African-American community in the US. It’s the birthplace of Jazz and on Sunday evenings you can experience live music. We had dinner @tableau_nola, ending the night at @artmazing, an art gallery where you become the art!
Day 2: Lunch at @_hearddat_ followed by a visit to Whitney Plantation, the only plantation in the area that doesn’t romanticize slavery, telling history from the viewpoint of the enslaved. New Orleans is known for cajun/creole meals but if you want something different @lucysretiredsurfersbar has great tacos!
Day 3: We took a baking class at the @eatdrinksofab where we learned to make Beignets, Cafe Au Lait and more. Our teacher @lleenypants was amazing and will customize the menu to whatever you like. We took the street car up St. Charles Street which is so scenic ,dropping us off in front of @superiorseafood, you have to try their famous pomegranate mojito!
Day 4: We started the day at @mardigrasworld learning about what it takes to pull the event off and seeing how the floats are made. We had lunch at @parkwaypoorboys then burned it all off exploring @neworleanscitypark at Story Land and pedaling a swan boat on the lake. We admired the work of Brandan “BMike” Odums at @studio_be_ and ended the day at the @mardigrasmuceum for a very special Sip n Sew class with @voicesofcongosquarenola where we leaned the history of the Mardis Gras Indians from Chief Shaka Zulu himself and sewed our own patch for a Mardis Gras suit. We ended the day at @pechenola, which was so good we ate here 3 times!
Day 5: Swamp tour with @cajunencounters and it was so much fun. We saw tons of alligators, snakes, pigs and piglets. We ended the trip with a date night @vyoone’s which has the cutest outdoor courtyard while the girls had a movie night with my mom at our hotel @higginshotel.
What are you looking forward to doing here? If you’ve been/live here what did we miss?](http://thetravelingchild.co/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)
After three stays at Holiday Inn Vacations Club at Orange Lake Resort I’ve finally come around to writing a review. We have enjoyed each stay and even after straying away and staying at the Margaritaville Resort to check out the new Island H2O Live water park on our last trip to Orlando it only solidified it as our favorite resort to stay at in Kissimmee. Here are all the reasons we love Holiday Inn Vacations Club at Orange Lake Resort.
The Best Location for Disney World
The Holiday Inn Vacations Club at Orange Lake Resort is located just 15 minutes from Disney World. The resort offers a shuttle to and from Disney for your convenience. Going to Disney? Here are 6 tips to for a pleasant Disney experience. If you’re Disney’d out here are some things to do in Orlando besides theme parks.
Standard Rooms and Villas at Holiday Inn Vacations Club at Orange Lake Resort
Holiday Inn Vacations Club at Orange Lake Resort has standard rooms as well as 1, 2, and 3 bedroom villas. While the standard rooms don’t come with a living room, dining room, patio and separate kitchens they do have a kitchenette. The kitchenette has a stove top, a dishwasher, a microwave and mini fridge but no oven.
I love that the villas have a washer and dryer allowing us to pack light. They even provide detergent if you didn’t pack any or don’t feel like purchasing. The kitchens are also fully stocked with dishes, utensils, pots, pans, sponges, paper towels, and dishwashing liquid.
North Village Two Bedroom Villas
The first time we stayed at Holiday Inn Vacations Club at Orange Lake Resort we stayed in a two bedroom villa. The North Village was recently renovated so all of these villas have beautiful granite countertops and new furniture. Besides the renovations I love that the North Village are made up of two story buildings versus the massive apartment style building in the other villages. It makes it easier to get to and from your room with no waiting for elevators or walking down long hallways.
East Village Two Bedroom Villas
On our most recent visit we were assigned a two bedroom villa in the East Village. This building is the apartment building style with multiple floors. While the layout of the rooms are exactly the same as the North Village these rooms are older. They are still very clean but you don’t have granite countertops in the kitchen and the bathrooms have an older countertop. Here’s a video of the villa so you can see for yourself the differences.
The Pools at Holiday Inn Vacations Club at Orange Lake Resort
There are seven pools on site at Holiday Inn Vacations Club at Orange Lake Resort spread out throughout the property. No matter which village you’re staying at you’re bound to be near one. The pool at North Village is best for families with young children. There is a small water slide, splash pad and dedicated kiddie pool.
Each of the pools at Holiday Inn Vacations Club at Orange Lake Resort are heated to 82 degrees. This provides comfortable swimming year round! The pool at River Island has a larger water slide older kids will enjoy. For those looking to relax River Island is also where you’ll find the resorts lazy river pool.
Considering other Florida Destinations: Here are our itineraries for Panama City Beach, Tampa, Fort Myers, and Key West
Things to Do at Holiday Inn Vacations Club at Orange Lake Resort
Play Real Golf The resort has a true 18 hole golf course and you’ll see plenty of golf carts cruising around the property going from hole to hold.
Work Out If you’re looking to stay fit on vacation don’t worry, Holiday Inn Vacations Club at Orange Lake Resort has two fitness centers and one exercise room. These are spread out throughout the resort at East Village, West Village and River Island.
Play Mini Golf Enjoy a round of put put or mini golf at either of the two locations at the resort.
Enjoy the Arcade The arcade is the perfect place for a rainy day. Enjoy tons of games and even a small two lane bowling alley.
Go Rock Climbing Test your rock climbing skills at the rock climbing wall at River Island.
Play at the Playground Little ones are so easy to entertain and the playground at the resort is perfect for them to play and burn off energy.
Where to Eat at Holiday Inn Vacations Club at Orange Lake Resort
With 8 on-site restaurants you might never leave Holiday Inn Vacations Club at Orange Lake! We’ve dined at Breezes Restaurant and Bar, Tradewinds Bar and Grill, Paisan Pizzeria, and River Island Grilling company and enjoyed our meals at all four places.
River Island Grilling Company serves breakfast and dinner but we’ve only dined for their breakfast buffet. Buffets have never been my favorite just because I prefer to customize my meals however kids 12 and under eat free and I’m more about savings!
Breezes Restaurant and Bar is by the West Village and right in front of one of the pools. They only serve lunch and dinner and have both indoor and outdoor seating. In the evenings they offer live music which my daughter really enjoyed as she joined the singer on stage and sang baby shark. Even better up to two children eat free with every paying adult and prices are very reasonable with most meals under $18.
If you’re poolside chilling at the North Village pool you can order pizza from Paisan Pizza. They also deliver, perfect for eating in!
Parking at Holiday Inn Vacations Club at Orange Lake Resort
Finally an Orlando resort with free parking! An abundance of parking is available in front of each building and you’ll get a parking pass for your car as not to get towed. Your guests can also park for free, just let the front desk know you’ll be having visitors and they will let security know.
I’m sure you can see why we love Holiday Inn Vacations Club at Orange Lake Resort. After three amazing visits we know we’ll be back the next time we visit Orlando. Did you find this article helpful? Please share it!