This is a sponsored post. A big thanks to Magic of Lights for teaming up! Regardless, all opinions are my own.

Magic of Lights Coupon Code Cleveland

Looking for something FUN to do this holiday season? I have a coupon code for Magic of Lights!

My family has been going to Magic of Lights for years!! This dazzling, drive-through holiday lights experience features favorite holiday scenes and characters of the season using the latest LED technology and digital animations.

Best of all, you can experience Magic of Lights from the comfort of your car as you wind through the sparkling path of Northeast Ohio’s favorite holiday tradition.

Best of all, you only pay ONE price per car (not number of people).

Magic of Lights Coupon Code:

You can use code RACHEL24 for $3 off your ticket. You can grab your ticket here!

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The Magic Of Lights opens November 27th and runs through  January 4, 2025 at Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds, Middleburg Heights, OH.

• Open 5:30 – 10 PM Nightly
• Closed December 1-3
• Open Dec 4-Jan 4th 7 days a week / Village closed after 12/29

Disclosure: My family was offered free passage on Miller Ferry and a golf cart to use for the day. Regardless, all opinions are my own.

This post was created in 2021.

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Our family was looking for something fun to do outdoors! Last week we visited Put-In-Bay and found it was the perfect island vacay! Best of all, you can hop on a ferry and be there about an hour from Cleveland!

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A great way to get to Put-In-Bay is with the Miller Ferry. They have awesome prices, which are great for the whole family. Kids under six are free, ages six to eleven are $1.50 each way, and adults are only $7.50 each way. You can even bring your car if you choose.

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We’ve been to Put-In-Bay several times and I personally think it’s such a jewel in Ohio’s crown! While there are a few things we do every time we visit the island (FAV), this trip we wanted to try out a few new things that we had never done before (NEW).

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NEW: This was the first time we brought our car along on the Miller Ferry. While we had planned to rent a golf cart, we also wanted to have options after we turned in our cart for the day and have an easy way to get back to the ferry in the morning. It was a lot of fun to ride the ferry along as the waves on Lake Erie splash a bit. Since we were in our own car we didn’t have to worry about masks either. If you aren’t bringing your car there is more than enough room to stand or sit elsewhere on the ferry.

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FAV: Renting a golf cart on Put-In-Bay is a tradition. It makes you slow down, enjoy the scenery, and, well, it’s just plain fun! There is nothing like feeling the wind in your hair and the cool breeze from Lake Erie on your face. They have a large selection of carts for any size group or family up to 8 people. Best of all, they are located at the top of the ferry dropoff. Just go up the hill and turn right. You’ll see the si for E’s!

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NEW: If you love lobster bisque, the Upperdeck is where you want to go! I’ve had a taste of it before, but this time I brought my family. We enjoyed a scrumptious lunch while looking at the gorgeous views of Lake Erie. If you are looking for an amazing meal and views that can’t be beaten, the Upperdeck is your place. Ask for an outdoor table if the weather is nice.

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NEW: On this trip, I was on a mission to find the South Bass Island Lighthouse, which is located at the southern point of the island. The lighthouse was first lit in 1897 and is much the same as it was when it was first built. While the lighthouse wasn’t open when we were there, it was a really pretty area to walk around and take pictures. When open, visitors can climb the stairs to take in stunning views of Put-in-Bay and Lake Erie. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the grounds are open to the public from dawn to dusk, with occasional closure for private events.

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NEW: We’ve passed Aventure Bay quite a few times, but this time we stopped in! It’s a fun stop if you are a thrill-seeking go-kart enthusiast! Our whole crew jumped in and had a blast trying to come in the first place. It’s $10 a cart, and it fits up to 2 people. Masks were worn by all while driving around the track but were taken off for a picture.

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FAV: Who doesn’t need an afternoon pick-me-up? Dairy Isle is a favorite for my family, and with delicious burgers and ice cream treats, who couldn’t love it? We ordered our treats to go and ate in our golf cart while driving around town. Yummo!

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NEW: On this trip, I found something new – a public beach. While we didn’t stay long, it’s a place that we will definitely be visiting again. This public beach is tucked away at the end of Delaware Avenue, near the downtown area.  Here, guests can swim in Lake Erie while taking in great views of Perry’s Monument.  While it is a small area, it offers picnic tables and grills. Great for families!

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FAV: We always make a stop at South Bass Island State Park, as it’s the perfect place for skipping rocks. We have contests to see whose rock can go the furthest. This unique 33-acre park offers visitors great views and access to Lake Erie. It offers both primitive and electric sites along with a stone beach, fishing pier, and more! It’s a great place for a lakeside picnic and offers a quiet retreat from the bustle of Put-in-Bay.

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NEW: Get your family out and explore! Put-in-Bay offers several hiking trails, and most are available year-round. Look for birds, get some exercise, and take in the views of these islands’ hidden gems. We spotted several while driving around on our golf cart but wound up only exploring one. Here are more hiking trails to check out while in Put-In-Bay.

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NEW: While we have visited Put-In-Bay many times, this visit, we decided to stay the night. I looked at a lot of options online, but I found the perfect place at Harbour Square Suites. Located downtown and within walking distance of restaurants but far enough away from the nightlife, Harbour Square Suites is great for families and couples. It has suites large enough for groups of up to 10, so great for a weekend with friends too! See my full Harbour Square Suites review.

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FAV: While our kids played at the park around the corner, my husband, brother, and I were able to sit down and relax at a local restaurant. There are a ton to choose from on the island, and with all the safety measures put in place, I felt completely safe. With so many restaurants and pubs on the island, we try to visit a new one every visit.

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My family had such fun two days on the island, and we are so glad we went! I’m always amazed by the beautiful views in Put-In-Bay and it truly feels like a tropical resort town. If you are looking to take a day or two away, check out all there is to do at Put-In-Bay!

Disclaimer: A huge thanks to Canada’s Wonderland for inviting and hosting my family for the day! Our admission and food were free for the day. However, my honest review is my own.

Canada’s Wonderland

I’ve lived in Ohio all of my life and grew up going to Cedar Point, so on our recent trip to Canada, we all wanted to visit the sister park, Canada’s Wonderland! Best of all, you can visit for FREE with your Cedar Fair Platinum Pass.

Canada’s Wonderland is located just north of Toronto and has been in operation since 1981. With over 200 attractions, 18 roller coasters, two children’s areas, and a 20-acre water park called Splash Works, everyone in the family will find something fun to enjoy.

Getting There:

Canada’s Wonderland is located in Vaughan, Ontario, which is less than a 5-hour drive from Cleveland, Ohio. You could extend your trip up north and visit Niagara Falls, as it’s right on the way! This makes Canada’s Wonderland a great weekend trip!

At the time of posting, if you are a citizen of the United States over the age of 16, you will need a Passport, a Passport Card, or Enhanced Driver’s Licence (only issued by certain states – Ohio doesn’t offer this yet) to enter Canada by car. If you are traveling by air, you are required to have a passport, regardless of age. Minors aged 15 and under must have proper identification, such as a birth certificate, passport, citizenship card, permanent resident card, or Certificate of Aboriginal Status. Be sure to check the updated information before you travel!

Five Reasons to Visit Canada’s Wonderland!

New to Canada’s Wonderland? We were too! Here are FIVE reasons you should visit!

#1 Ride 18 Thrilling Roller Coasters!

Canada’s Wonderland is perfect for adventure seekers! They have big thrill coasters like Yukon Striker, Leviathan, and Behemoth for those who dare and little thrill coasters perfect for the whole family. We were able to ride almost every one of them.

Our first coaster of the day was Behemoth which takes you up 230 feet and sends you speeding down at a 75-degree angle of descent with speeds reaching 78 miles per hour in just 3.9 seconds! It was quite a ride!

Another family favorite was the 360-Degree Looping Dive Coaster Yukon Striker, which is the world’s longest, tallest, and fastest dive coaster. On this ride, you’ll hang over a 90-degree drop for three breathtaking seconds, staring 245 feet down into an underwater tunnel. It zooms at 81 miles per hour and includes a complete 360-degree loop.

They have coasters for every thrill level!

#2 Unique Rides

Canada’s Wonderland boasts rides that I haven’t seen at any other amusement park, and my boys rode them all! From spinning rides to drop thrills, there are a ton to choose from.

For instance, the Sledge Hammer is a one-of-a-kind ride (literally the only one in the world)! On this ride, guests spin around while elevated 80 feet in the air and are then taken through a series of hair-raising jumps and freefalls.

The Tundra Twister is a giant 360-degree spinning swing ride and the only one of its kind in the world. It takes guests spinning, twisting, and twirling upside-down at heights of 154 feet and speeds of 75 km/h, while spinning on multiple axes.

#3 The Water Park is INCLUDED

Canada’s Wonderland offers an impressive 20-acre Splash Works Water Park that’s included in your park admission. This water park features 17 different water slides and water attractions on one of Canada’s largest wave pools.

While we didn’t get to enjoy the water park this time, it looked like a lot of fun! You can choose from cliff jumping from a variety of heights at Mountain Bay Cliffs or step into the drop-launch chamber of Muskoka Plunge, where you can free-fall from 60 feet high. They have plenty for your little ones as well in the Lakeside Lagoon with a wading pool and family slides.

#4 Two Kiddie Areas

Have little ones? Children under the age of three do not have to pay for park admission. So bring them along for some fun! Canada’s Wonderland has two family-friendly areas within the park, KidZville and Planet Snoopy. These areas offer a variety of rides for young kids or little kids that don’t meet the height requirements of other rides.

There are a ton of rides to choose from, but you won’t want to miss the Maple Park Treehouse! This large active play area for children offers bridges, slides, and climbing structures. There are areas for parents to rest while supervising playtime. Sounds great to me!

#5 Beautiful and Walkable!

Canada’s Wonderland is absolutely beautiful and very clean! As soon as you walk into the park, you can’t miss the gorgeous waterfall. This is the area where the Victoria Falls High Divers show thrills and delights audiences when they leap off Victoria Falls on Wonder Mountain at a height of over 60ft!

The park is well laid out, and it is very walkable. They fit more than 200 attractions across approximately 300 acres, including 77 rides, 18 roller coasters, Splash Works, world-class entertainment, and special events, but it doesn’t feel cramped at all. I loved that we were able to enjoy so many rides in one day!

My family absolutely loved our day at Canada’s Wonderland! It was still early in the season, and we found that most Canadian kids were still in school. This means the crowds were probably lower than at the height of the season, so that was a treat! We’d love to come back to experience more of the park and the events that they hold. We will definitely be back!

CATS – at Playhouse Square through November 20th!

If you’ve been following me for a while, you probably know that my son and I LOVE live theater! We see many performances every year from small playhouses across northeast Ohio to our favorite, PLAYHOUSE SQUARE, the largest performing arts center in the country outside of New York!

When he saw that CATS was coming to town, a musical neither of us had seen before, we discussed going right away.

Honestly, I knew nothing of CATS. It’s different from other musicals that we’ve seen but there are amazing dancing and chorus numbers that will blow you away with their movements and vocals. If you want to be entertained with an excellent live orchestra, world-class dancers, and singers in costumes that help you suspend reality, this is your show.

The time spent with my teen, who loves theater, is priceless!

CATS is now playing at Playhouse Square November 1-20 as part of a multi-season North American tour. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by calling 216-241-6000 or visiting Playhouse Square online. CATS is part of the
KeyBank Broadway Series at Playhouse Square.

This PUUURRFECT musical was composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and is based on T.S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats. The record-breaking musical spectacular has captivated audiences in over 30 countries and 15 languages. Best of all, it is featuring new sound design, direction, and choreography for a new generation — experience CATS for the first time as it begins a new life, or let it thrill you all over again!

Disclosure: My family was invited to spend the day at Boggy Creek Adventures in exchange for a review. Regardless, all opinions are my own.

Boggy Creek Airboat Adventures

This was originally posted in 2019.

When in Florida, you have to see some GATORS and Boggy Creek Airboat Adventures is the perfect place to do so!

I know that a lot of travelers visiting Orlando come for the theme parks, but there is much more to Orlando than parks! There is no shortage of fun activities and many of them have nothing to do with theme parks. Looking for something NEW and EXCITING to do? Give Boggy Creek Airboat Adventures a try! 

We visited Boggy Creek Airboat Adventures on a dreary Florida day but it didn’t spoil our fun. As soon as we arrived at our reserved time, we had a quick check-in and hopped right on one of the first boats of the morning. Our captain then went over safety percautions and provided us with earmuffs before heading out on open waters. Once the fan started up it was loud but feeling the wind in our hair was amazing.

At Boggy Creek Airboat Adventures, you glide across the headwaters of the Florida Everglades at speeds up to 40 mph. During our ride, we took in breathtaking views of aquatic plants and native birds and wildlife.  While animal sightings aren’t guaranteed on all rides, we were able to see alligators, turtles, and birds, all in their natural habitat. I loved that not only did the boat speed over the water, there was also time that it would stop so we could stand up to take pictures or get a better look.

This was the first time my family had gone on an airboat ride and my kids are ready to do it again! We did the 30 minute tour and it was the perfect amount of time to be on the water for the kids in our group ranging from nine to thirteen years old.

TIP: The best time to see alligator’s is early in the morning, before 10AM during hot weather, and later in the day in the cold.

• Half hour tour:      $28.95 for adult and $24.61 for children
• 1 hour tour:          $48.95 for adult and $41.61for children
• Private 1 hour:     $63 per person
• Sunset tour:         $59.95 for adult and $50.96 for children
• You drive:             $349 2 people, 1 hour

While we took the morning tour, Boggy Creek Airboat Adventures offers a night ride for those feeling adventurous! During this ride you’ll glide through the trails of tall grass without knowing what lurks around the bend.

Plan to spend a few hours at Boggy Creek Airboat Adventures because they have more to explore, including all-terrain bicycles to rent, a gator pond with over 30 juvenile alligators, a tiki bar where you can grab a snack or beverage, a delicious restaurant called Boggy Bottom BBQ, and gem mining. We got a couple buckets and the boys had a blast looking for gems, fossils and real shark teeth.

One of our most favorite parts of the day was spending time in the authenic Native American Village that is right on site. Little Big Mountain and his sister share tales of their ancestors and a forgotten way of life. These demonstrations are held at different times during the day so be sure to call and ask when they will be when you book. Believe me, you will not want to miss it!

My family was enthralled with learning all about Native American culture and it was described in a way to hold an adult’s attention while still making it fun and relatable for kids!

If you are looking for an adventure, Boggy Creek Airboat Adventures is where it’s at. It’s a great way to spend the day while still having more than enough time hang at the hotel pool.

Check them out at their Website, Twitter and Facebook.

Boggy Creek Airboat Rides
2001 E. Southport Rd.
Kissimmee, FL 34746
Phone:407-344-9550
Email: [email protected]