Five Fantastic Summer Activities

{via}

Summer is here! Although I am quite convinced Michigan has forgotten summer altogether, there are plenty of other places around the world that are wonderfully toasty right now. We will be taking a break from this cool Michigan summer for a warmer destination in a few weeks, but until then, I have all these summer-centered activities to keep me warm. 

Skim Boarding

Skim boarding is a bit like surfing, except you are being propelled towards the water by your own energy. In this activity, you throw a thin, fiber glass, board over the water so it glides across the top. Then, you run and jump on it. Most people are already running by the time they throw there board down.

As you can imagine, there is a lot of running, coordination, and balance involved. But, there is also quite a bit of fun! To start, try skimming over the water that is only about five inches high, once you have mastered that, you will be skimming over waves in no time. If you try your hand at skim boarding for just one hour, you will be burning upwards of 400 calories!

Botanical Gardens

Spring and summer are great times to visit your local botanical gardens. Botanical gardens tend to have most of there plants blooming in the late spring and early summer months. This is also a great way to relax and see some plants that are not indigenous to our back yards. Our local botanical garden has a complete atrium of orchids, it is beautiful! Michigan also has an incredible botanical garden in Ada. The Frederik Meijer Botanical Garden in Ada, Michigan includes an English garden, a huge atrium with tropical plants, wetlands, and an outdoor concert area.

Rollerblading

Rollerblading is coming back in a big way, and it is no wonder. For one, this activity is super fun and can be done with the whole family, and two, you are getting a massive leg, back, and core workout while you do it. Most walking and cycling paths allow rollerbladers, so you will also be able to see some beautiful nature paths along the way. If you are going on any trips this summer, bring your rollerblades along; they are much easier to pack than a bike and will get you seeing places that you may have missed otherwise. You can also count this sightseeing activity as a pretty great workout since you will be burning about 400 calories in one hour!

Canoeing

I know that we have talked about kayaking in the past, but we have not talked much about canoeing. With all of the rain most areas have seen this year, canoeing down a river is going to be extra fun! Most canoe rental facilities charge extremely low prices for canoe rentals and most canoes can fit up to three people. This makes canoeing an extremely budget friendly, fun, family activity.  

If you are going on any trips this year, I would highly recommend checking out some canoe or kayak rental areas. This sport is a fantastic upper arm workout and gives some amazing views that you may not be able to get from land.

Theme Parks

With all of the new expansions both Disney and Universal Studios have made throughout the year, it would be silly to not add them onto the list. I have heard fantastic things about the new Transformers ride at Universal Studios Hollywood and Orlando. Plus, Disney has opened two new areas in both Disneyland and Disney World Resort. Do not think theme parks are out of the question if you are visiting other countries either. Disney has recently finished expansions of there parks in Tokyo, Paris, and China. All of these parks are well worth the visit, no matter how busy.

Father's Day Gifts for the Healthy Guy

We are taking a break from our usual Meat Free Mondays to talk about something pretty important, Dads. Father's Day is coming up and there are a great plenty of gifts for every type of healthy Dad out there. Healthy Dad's come in all shapes, sizes, and health levels. These gifts will cover the novice healthy Dad, all the way to your marathon running, yoga doing, fitness machine father. Like most great Father's Day gifts, these come with a heaping load of tech!

Fitbit Flex Band and Scale

The new Fitbit wristband and the Fitbit scale are a match made in beginner health heaven. This gift combo has all the fun tech aspects any Dad will go crazy over, and it will help keep your favorite Dad around a bit longer. The band encourages healthy living by showing calories burned, steps taken, stairs climbed and fitness levels throughout the day. All of this information is kept online and on a handy app. The scale measures weight, BMI, and percent body fat.  All of this information is wirelessly uploaded to the online database and to your app. One of the best parts about the scale is that is catalogs weight on an ongoing graph. This makes for easy visualization of increased and decreased pounds of fat compared to BMI and weight. 

This combo pack will set you back about $250 and has a free shipping option from Amazon Prime and Fitbit.com .

Withings Smart Blood Pressure Monitor

The Withings monitor is a simple blood pressure monitor that is great for anyone who needs to keep watch on their blood pressure or those who are extra interested in their health. The monitor connects to your iPhone, iPad, or iTouch devices and uploads data directly. The blood pressure monitor can also store data in a line graph on your computer. This is so great for people trying to lower their blood pressure since they are able to see real results in a very visual format. We got this blood pressure monitor about a year ago and love it.

Basis Health Monitor Watch

This watch is currently on back-order, but will be worth the wait. The Basis watch has some of the most advanced skin sensors available that are able to catalog skin temperature, perspiration, and heart rate. This means that the watch is able to measure, almost exactly, how much effort you are putting out and how many calories you are burning. The three time accelerometer and skin temperature monitor work while we sleep to keep track of healthy sleep cycles and wake you at the opportune time. While the BPM and perspiration monitor track activity throughout the day with some of the most exact fitness monitors.

Basis believes that the biggest gains in health come from knowledge and simple changes based on that knowledge. For that reason, they have priced the watch at $199 and kept the interface extremely user-friendly. All data can be uploaded online and daily info can be seen on your watch. Models come in either black or white. 

How to Avoid Disney Crowds

{via}

Disney has it's busiest time of year over the summer. It is no wonder, kids are off from school and summer is the main time if year that most families take their vacations. If you have only been to Disney World during the summer months, trust me, Disney is way more fun than what you have experienced. During the summer, wait times for rides can reach the triple digits faster than you can eat a churro.

Thankfully, there are a few simple tips to avoiding the crowds on a Disney vacation. Although these tips will not create a magically empty park, they can shave down some hefty wait times and reduce the crazy that is involved in a ridiculously busy theme park. ​

Get to the Parks Early

No matter what park you are planning to visit, it will be least busy in the early morning hours. The slowest time for most Disney parks is between opening and noon. Get to the park a few minutes before it opens and you have a fairly high chance of being able to walk onto at least one of the most popular Disney rides. If you are heading to Magic Kingdom, getting to the parks about thirty minutes before opening means you will get to see the park opening show as well. I was able to see this show for the first time on a recent trip to Disney; it is a fantastic way to start the day.

For those heading to Hollywood Studios, ​going to Toy Story Mania right when you enter the park is the best bet. This line tends to have the longest wait time of any Hollywood Studios ride.

​Those heading to EPCOT should take advantage of early riding on Fast Track or Soarin'. Both of these rides have the longest wait times in EPCOT and both have fast pass options that tend to sell out before afternoon. If rides are your goal, hop on one of these first thing, than get a fast pass for the other.

Animal Kingdom has one of my favorite, and busiest, rides at Disney World. If you get to Animal Kingdom at opening, I would highly recommend getting on Expedition Everest, then heading over to Kilimanjaro ​Safaris. You will get to see the most safari animals in the early morning and late afternoon to evening.

Use Your Apps

There are plenty of apps that will help you on your Disney vacation. One of my favorites is the Disney Parks App. This will tell you wait times for rides, give you parade and show times, allow you to make quick dinner reservations, and has maps of all the parks. The app is quite handy for planning your day at Disney and will even give reminders for events you have scheduled to attend. ​This app is free, but is really only useful while in the park. For an app that can help with pre-planning your trip, try My Disney Experience.

Pre-Plan Park Days

There are a great many websites and companies that have made it their ambition to crack the Disney crowd code. Some of these sites charge, some do not. Some of them work, and some do not. One that does not charge but seems to have pretty solid advice is from Undercover Tourist. This calendar will show you which parks to visit on certain days and which to avoid. It will also tell you about special events going on at each park. The special event calendar is a great bonus since any park with a special event will have quite a few extra people in attendance. 

When pre-planning, it is also good to check showtimes and parade times. Most parks have multiples of the same show and Magic Kingdom has multiples of the parades. You can opt to watch one viewing of any show or parade, then take that other parade/show time to ride some of the busier attractions. Rides and eating areas will be less busy anytime a show is nearby. Try to plan meals and attractions around shows and parades you do not wish to attend in order to shave as much as thirty to forty-five minutes off a wait time.

Know Extra Magic Hours

If you are staying on site at a Disney hotel, you have the ability to stay in parks longer than non-hotel guests. Check the Extra Magic Hours calendar before your visit. These times vary between parks and can happen before the park is open to all guests, or after it closes. For those able to use these Extra Magic Hours, this is a great time to ride some of the more popular attractions, or get some food without waiting thirty minutes in a line. ​

If you are not staying at a Disney hotel, it is still good to know when and where these extra hours are happening. Parks with Extra Magic Hours before the park opens tend to be busier in the morning. Likewise, parks that have Extra Magic Hours at night tend to get busier a few hours before closing. Avoid parks that have this perk for a few hours before or after they take place. ​

My Top Disney Resorts

For most of my life I never stayed at a Disney resort. We lived close enough to Disney World that most trips included heading home that night or staying off property and leaving the next morning. Although that is still something we commonly do, I must say that I enjoy staying at a Disney resort so much more than anything else. ​

One of the biggest reasons that we never stayed on property was because of the price. It is true, the Disney hotels cost more and are not as nice as the off property options in the same budget point. But, when you stay at a Disney hotel, there are extra perks that you will not get anywhere else. Free transportation to parks, extra park hours exclusive to Disney resort guests, free delivery of in-park purchases to your room, and free evening entertainment. 

These resorts are my favorites at Disney World depending on preferences and price point.

Port Orleans Riverside

{via}​

Good for families, couples, and vacations on a budget. ​

We have recently stayed and the Port Orleans Riverside and I loved it. This hotel ​is huge and has about fifty different areas and pools. The central pool area is on its own activity island while the hotel "pods" are around the main lobby. Each room has a two queen/ one king option along with a sitting area and pull down toddler bed. This resort is a bit bigger than the Port Orleans French Quarter and has more activities during the day. The staff also seem to be a bit more accommodating at this resort.

The hotel has buses going to all other parks along with a boat that takes you to Downtown Disney. There is also boat, kayak, bicycle, and suri rentals outside the lobby. Prices range from $160 to $230 per night, depending on time of year. ​

Coronado Springs Resort

{via}​

Good for couples, budgets, those looking for more food options

This resort is a similar price to the Port Orleans, but does not include the toddler bed option in king and queen rooms. The Coronado Springs Resort is quite large. Because of this, there are plenty of food options, especially when compared to most other resorts in the budget point. If you are a couple or a family with older children, this hotel is a great option. Park buses are in no short supply and there are plenty of stops outside most the hotel buildings.​ Like the Port Orleans, this hotel also has boat rentals along with plenty of activity options.

Coronado Springs has a quick shop food option along with a super nice bar and restaurant. ​There are also plenty of outdoor dining areas by there one, giant pool area. Prices range from $160 to $250 per night depending on time of year.

The Swan and Dolphin Resort

{via}

Good for Starwood members, families, the best beds at Disney, and dining

Disclaimer, the Swan hotel is my favorite hotel in the entire Disney World Resort. This is the only non-Disney hotel on the property that has all the perks of being a Disney hotel guest. Plenty of buses, boats to Hollywood Studios and EPCOT, character dining, about twenty different restaurants, and ultra nice customer service. This hotel also has Sheraton Hotel beds and rooms. Can I say again, it is fantastic. ​

There is one large pool between the two hotels along with plenty of dining options in each. The Dolphin is more of the family based hotel while the Swan tends to be for more adult guests. Both hotels are a walk away from Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, the Boardwalk (and all the Boardwalk entertainment), and the Yacht and Beach Club. Rooms range in price from $150 to $350 depending on suite option and time of year. ​