Experience Gifts for the Holidays – Mini Golf

If the spa isn’t your thing, and heights freak you out, and you’re still looking for an economical gift, may I suggest golf and beer? 

Putt’n Around is a mini-golf course in Delray Beach, just north of Atlantic Avenue, full of fun, friendly competition, and most importantly, booze.

What can we say?  We like cider!

Putt’n Around places a priority on drinking while golfing, which is why this ranks as one of my favorite “experience” gifts for the holidays.  While you are golfing on one of the two 18-hole courses, you can sip your beer along the route.

Her score was probably 100, but she has a beer
in hand, so she's still smiling!

The course itself isn’t very challenging – even the youngest players can guide their balls across the green.

That kid is my brother-in-law... he's only 7, but
totally fits the part of a golfer with that hat!

But the actual course isn’t the allure at Putt’n Around.  If you’re on the 5^th hole and you run out of alcohol (it happens!), you just call the front desk and they deliver your drinks. 

There is no way we can walk away from a game like this! 
Course service, please!

This mini-golf mecca is always offering great specials.  I’ve purchased deals through Groupon (two for one), but you can also get great deals just by becoming Facebook friends with Putt’n Around.  If you are forced to pay regular price, it’s only $9.85 per person for 18 holes.

Is that Tiger Woods I see?

Total Cost: $9.85/person, plus drinks

Best Deal:  Getting a round for as little as $5.30, just by checking Putt’n Around’s Facebook page (I saw that deal there myself!)

Holidays in Palm Beach County - Celebrate for Free!

The Thanksgiving preparations haven’t yet started, let alone finished, but Christmas is already in the air.  In fact, tonight, the tree in CityPlace was lit up for the first time and the first snow fell!

This picture is actually from 2010, but you get the picture

So, what better way to celebrate the season than by participating in the free holiday festivities?  Here’s a breakdown of the holiday events going down in Palm Beach County, alphabetized by city.

Boca Raton

Courtesy of City of Boca Raton's website

Friday, November 23, 5:30pm

Holiday Lighting Extravaganza

At Mizner Park Amphitheater, you won’t just find a tree lighting, it’s a virtual tree lighting.  I’m not really sure what that means, but leave it to Boca to not actually have those pesky pine needles to pick up.  There will also be fireworks and “optical illusions” according to the city’s website.  The lighting celebration starts at 7:30pm.

Wednesday, December 5

Holiday Street Parade

The parade route stretches on Federal Highway from SE 8^th Street north to Mizner Park.  Not sure if that virtual tree will still be around, or what.

Saturday, December 8, 6:30pm

Holiday Boat Parade

The waterway parade starts at the Delray-Boca border at the C-15 Canal and travels south to the Hillsboro Boulevard Bridge.  If you don’t own a mansion on the Intracoastal in Boca, you can snag bleacher seating at Red Reef Park (Red Reef Park normally has a $20 parking fee, not sure if that will be applicable this night or not).

Where to go for more information:

City of Boca Raton Website 
Mizner Park Amphitheater Website
Boat Parade

Boynton Beach

Saturday, December 1, 5pm

Street Parade, Tree Lighting, and Concert

The fun in Boynton starts at 5pm with the holiday parade down Federal Highway.  I live off Federal Highway, but unfortunately the parade is not in my neck of the woods.  The parade will start on SE 12^th and head north to Ocean Avenue.  Then at 6:30pm, the tree lighting takes place at Ocean Avenue Amphitheater.  Right after that, you can jam out to a concert on Ocean Avenue hosted by Virginia and Jason from Wild 95.5.  I hate to be a stalker, but I really like the KVJ show, so I’m probably going to stalk them.

Friday, December 7th, 6:30pm

Boynton and Delray Beach Holiday Boat Parade

I literally have the best seat in the house for this parade because it starts at the Boynton Inlet, which I can see right from my dock.

Best seat in the house - we brought wine, of course!

Now, the parade isn’t really something to write home about in the sense of the boats.  They are fun to see, all lit up, but there are usually only a few, maybe about 15. 

Very hard to capture by camera!

Still, chilling on the dock behind your house and watching a boat parade is pretty sweet.  Let me know if anyone wants to come over, I’ll bring the cooler!  The parade ends at the Delray Beach/Boca border (the same place where the Boca boat parade begins)

Where to go for more information:

Street Parade Lighting, and Concert
Boat Parade

Delray Beach

Thursday, November 29, 5:30pm
Tree Lighting

It’s quite the sight… see the 100-foot tall tree light up for the first time this season!  The tree is located in Old School Square, right off Atlantic Avenue.  In the picture above, you can see me rapping with Santa a few years back.  If you can’t make the tree lighting ceremony, you can see the tree lit up all the way until January 10 from 10am to 10pm daily.

Friday, December 7th, 6:30pm

Boynton and Delray Beach Holiday Boat Parade

See the Boynton Beach section above.

Saturday, December 8th, 6pm

Holiday Parade and Menorah Lighting

The parade takes place along Atlantic Avenue.  The Menorah Lighting will be at Old School Square, where you can also see the 100-foot tree and maybe even take in a little ice skating (warning: the rink is very small and is made of plastic, not ice).

Where to go for more information:

Downtown Delray Beach website

Jupiter

Saturday, December 1, 8pm

Holiday Boat Parade

The parade runs from Palm Beach, just south of the North Palm Beach Marina and travels up the Intracoastal to Jupiter.  There are several points for the general, non-boat-owning public to view the parade, including Sawfish Bay Park and Lighthouse Park.  The parade starts in Palm Beach at 6pm and should arrive in Jupiter about 8pm.

Where to go for more information:

Jupiter website
Palm Beach website

Palm Beach

See Jupiter Holiday Boat Parade above.

West Palm Beach

Saturday, December 15, Noon-5pm

Snow Day

Kids can play in mounds of snow in CityPlace.  I’ve been to an event similar to this before and even though the actual “snow” is slightly disappointing (this is Florida), it’s still fun to wear mittens and jackets while it’s 70 degrees out.

Saturday, December 1, Anytime

Sand and Sea-Sun’s Greetings

Only in Florida, you can see the holidays celebrated by sand sculptures.  You can see the sculptures throughout downtown West Palm Beach, including at the Waterfront and near the library.  The sculptors get to work in November and you can see the completed works through all of December.

Thursday, December 6, 6pm

Tree Lighting

The annual tree lighting will take place at Clematis by Night, which is a pretty awesome event in itself.  If Boca has a “virtual” tree and Delray has a 100-foot tall tree, West Palm Beach is not to be outdone, as this city will have a 35-foot tall tree made of sand standing at the Waterfront.  The tree will have real lights hanging from it, so I just hope nothing catches on fire.

Where to go for more information:
Sand and Sea Sun’s Greetings

Total Cost: Free!

Best Deal: Watching the Delray/Boynton Boat Parade from my backyard

What do you do to celebrate the holidays for free?

Delray Beach’s 1st Annual Wine and Seafood Festival

Sometimes when an event occurs for the first time ever, you have to work out some kinks and mishaps.

I think it’s pretty safe to say Delray Beach’s 1^st Annual Wine and Seafood Festival went off pretty much without a hitch.  You can call it the Delray Affair Lite.

More than a two-hundred local business sold items like
clothing, painted signs and even wine chillers.

You didn’t have to pay a dime to get inside.  The unique location gave businesses east of the bridge an opportunity to benefit from the large influx of people (all of the other events in Delray are on Atlantic Avenue west of the Intracoastal).  Festival-goers could stop at one of several tents along the way to sample wines. 

One tent had a wine and food tasting that rotated well-known restaurants and caterers in our area.

Doesn't get anymore famous than this, folks.  This chef is
probably most well-know for... catering my wedding! But,
he also had a wine and food pairing at the festival that looked
unbelievably delicious!

Speaking of my wedding, the person who organized this whole event was none other than my other wedding caterer, who goes by the name of “Irish.”  Irish was able to snag some bracelets so we could drink free.

We put the bracelets to good use.  Thank you, Irish, for
contributing to my on-going alochol problem.

We spent most of our time at a mobile, yes, mobile, bar on Atlantic Ave.  A bar you can drive around?  What will they think of next?!

One of those lovely bartenders also served at my wedding... thanks Mary Ann!

Even the pups could get in on the action.

This is my niece-dog, Bailey, who is bellying up
to the bar

Even though it was free to enter, there are some costs:

Wine: $8 per glass or $50 for a bracelet (that’s according to the Sun-Sentinel)

Food: Varied, I paid $12 for conch fritters (delicious!)
Seminars: $20 for a wine and food pairing
Parking: $5

And here’s what I actually paid:

Total Cost: $12 for food, $5 for parking = $17

Best Deal: Drinking for free!

Courtesy of Colleen M.

Did you catch the Wine and Seafood Festival?  Do you wish you had?

Living Local for a Year

This year, I made it my New Year’s resolution to attend at least one local event every month.  I felt like this would increase my appreciation for arts and leisure, as well as show support for my community.  Here’s what I came up with:

January

 

I go to more triathlon events than I can shake a stick at, but this one was a little different.  It was called the Delray Mile Swim, and it benefitted the lifeguards.  I did not compete, but Frank did, and I, of course, was there to support.  It was $25 to enter and was a beautiful way to start off the year!

 

February

Garlic Fest in Delray Beach is always a good time.  Where else can you get garlic ice cream, garlic French fries, and see some of the best musical acts of the past?

Courtesy of Colleen M., she's the one drinking in the
picture with me!

This year, I went with my sister-in-law to see G Love and the Special Sauce.  While, I wouldn’t say Garlic Fest is the most economical event on the planet (tickets are $10 to get in, and then you have to pay for food and/or rides), there were discount coupons available.  For instance, Gotta Half It offered two adult tickets and four drink tickets for just $24, which is quite the deal, considering it is $20 normally for two adults.

Believe it or not, we had great "seats," as it was
standing room only, but my iPhone is ancient
and therefore does not take great pictures

 

I, however, know one of the people who organize Garlic Fest and got in for free!

March

Lots of cities have lots of good St. Patrick’s Day festivals, but I think Delray Beach has the best.

Though I don't necessarily have the best seat in the
house, you can see some marines in the parade walking by.

The parade is free and really, parking is the biggest pain.  I think the best parking is at NE 3^rd Avenue and NE 3^rd Street.  That way after the parade down Atlantic is over, you’re still close to the bars to party.

My dear friend, Tom, came all the way from Tallahassee to party
with us!  Actually, he was in town for spring training, but I
appreciated the visit nonetheless!

 

Bonus: You can bring your own booze (I usually pack a cooler full of beer) to the parade.

April

We went to a few things in April, starting with…

Reggae Fest

Hey mon!

 

Reggae Fest in downtown Lake Worth is a way to celebrate your inner Rastafarian.  It’s also a way to see Inner Circle.

"Girl, I want to make you sweat, sweat 'til you can't sweat no more..."

 

It helps to know one of the people in charge of events in Palm Beach County.  Reggae Fest also provided a good outlet for kids as well.

My 7-year old brother-in-law climbed to the top
hoping to win $50, but didn't realize you had to
climb the "center" route :(

 

Again, there were discount coupons out there (like through gopalmbeaches.com, but we got in for free!

Delray Affair

The Delray Affair is a free festival, basically focusing on arts and crafts and food.  In the last few years I’ve been, I’ve eaten a lot of arepas, purchased a cool earring holder made by a company based out of North Carolina, and got this *great* shirt for my friend Melissa.

This shirt was perfect for Melissa because
she's always proclaiming everything is a hot mess!

 

West Palm Beach Rodeo

 

I love an opportunity to wear a cowboy hat and more importantly, I love when Frank wears his cowboy boots.  We bought tickets for a small rodeo at the South Florida Fairgrounds off Groupon, though all the discount websites were offering similar deals.

 

For $24 total (regular price, $50), we saw barrel races, roping, and bull-riding – yee haw!

May

SunFest

In my opinion, SunFest in West Palm Beach is pretty much the least economical thing you can do, unless you buy a pass for all five days.  One day is $37, but five days is only $69. 

 

Luckily, Bonnie and I got free tickets to see Snoop Dogg.

Snoop looks a little blurry, but that's pretty much how everyone
at the concert was seeing him considering the amount of smoke in the air

 

Added bonus – totally got a contact high as the police presence there did nothing to deter people from smoking.

Shakespeare at the Pavilion

This was one of the best events I went to all year!  The Take Heed Theatre Company put on  Much Ado About Nothing at the Old School Pavilion in Delray Beach.   It was free, but they were asking for donations, so we gifted $10.  We sat on blankets right next to the stage, chomped on barbecue that Frank’s mom made us, and watched a very entertaining production of the Shakespeare classic.

June

We spent most of June in Italy, so we didn’t do much locally.  Cry me a river, I know.

July

And we spent most of July at various places that weren’t our home, but what we normally do on Fourth of July is go to Delray Beach’s Fourth of July Celebration.

 

It’s free and we can ride our bikes from Frank’s mom’s house, thereby not having to deal with the ridiculous problem of parking.

August

The local events are a little slow in August, but what I did a lot of is going to the Boynton Beach farmer’s market.

 

This is an extremely small market, but what the vendors do have is quality.  We rode our bikes from our house (so very economical of us!) and ate delicious granola from Fun with Food (an organic stand, but I can’t seem to find anything about them online).  We also had the best mandarin orange bread from CookieLicious Pastry Shop!

 

September

Here’s what I did not do in September and am a little annoyed about.  Every year, we participate in Flavor Palm Beach, which is a month-long of awesome restaurant deals in Palm Beach County.  In the past, we’ve discovered a bunch of delicious restaurants during this month, including Pistache in West Palm Beach, a French eatery, where for just $30, you can get an appetizer, entrée, and dessert (yum, crème brulee!).

This year, I totally missed the bus.  So, don’t be like me and miss this event… I’m putting it on my calendar now for next year.

October

Today is the first day of October, so here's what I'm thinking for the rest of the year.

 

Yes, my brother-in-law is really wearing lederhosen... why not?

 

Every year we go to Oktoberfest and this year will be no exception.  It runs for two weekends, October 12, 13, 14 and 19, 20, 21.

I’m also thinking I’ll attend the Boynton Beach Haunted Pirate Fest on October 27 or 28 because I’m a sucker for pirates.  Argh!

November

For the first time ever, Delray Beach is holding a Wine and Seafood Festival.  It’s on November 10 and 11 and I will definitely be there to see the inaugural event.

December

In the holiday season, every local town has a Christmas tree lighting.  I will check out one of them, probably in Boynton Beach.  I will most definitely be watching the Boynton Beach Boat Parade, even though it’s really only like six boats, because they drive down the Intracoastal, right behind my house.

So, what are your "can't-miss" local events?

Pub Crawl in Delray Beach

If you haven’t heard about Delray Beach yet (and you should have because I talked about it yesterday on the blog!), you are due for a visit.  It’s a charming beach town that the rest of the world hasn’t really discovered yet.  Although the sand is beautiful and the shops sell local art, I think the best way to see the town is… by bar.



And preferably with a bagpiper leading you,
which is what we did!
Courtesy of Amy S.

Well, you’re in luck!  Frank and I laid out a pub crawl route that we took post-wedding that saved our guests some dinero while drinking.

 

5:30pm – Crane’s BeachHouse

Chillin' next to the pool, on a little patch of sand, at the tiki bar.
Courtesy of Amy S.

 

Crane’s BeachHouse has the best bar in all of Delray Beach.  Not that many people know about it, which is kind of unfortunate for Crane’s.  Not only do they have two-for-one drinks from 2pm-6pm, the tiki bar also supplies different snacks throughout the evening.  And I’m not talking just some potato chips, I’ve seen pizza and chicken wings… for free!  Plus, a live band usually starts at 5pm, so you can munch while listening to the jams.

6:30pm – Boston’s on the Beach

Boston’s on the Beach is a bar dedicated to… Boston.  The Red Sox, the Celtics, and all things Beantown are on display in this bar.  Unfortunately, this bar used to be a little ratty and just my style, but it has been re-done in the last year to be a little more upscale.  Which means a little higher prices too. 

Not sure we are upscale clientele, but I like to think so!
Courtesy of Annette F.

 

People really enjoy the Sandbar, Boston’s outdoor bar.  I have not been there yet, but their website shows half price drinks on some days, including Mojito Monday… that’s pretty economical!

7:30pm – Deck 84

When the sun is setting, Deck 84 is the place to be.  It’s right on the Intracoastal, so you always have a cool breeze blowing.

That's the Intracoastal behind this fine group of gentlemen,
right next to Deck 84.
Courtesy of Marit Karen Glaser Schulz

 

Happy hour runs Monday through Friday from 3pm to 7pm, so if you get there late, you miss the specials, but catch a lot of ambience.  This place is always bustling with people, but not in a too crowded kind of way.  More like in a “hey, let’s be friends with strangers” kind of way.

8:30pm – Hurricane

Hurricane has the best live music.  In fact, we went here on a wedding night (stayin’ classy) and the band dedicated two songs to us: “Crazy B*tch” and “F*ck Her Gently.”  If that doesn’t scream romance, I don’t know what does.

 

Courtesy of Amy S.

The live music doesn’t really get going until 10pm, but in the meantime, you can chill on the outdoor patio or play darts.

Hurricane deserves at least a couple of hours, so stay awhile.

11:00pm – Blue Anchor

I’ve had some truly fantastic times at the Blue Anchor.  In fact, it’s where I watched the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton at 5am.  Unfortunately, those pictures were lost in a horrific hard drive crash.

Luckily, there are pictures from my wedding weekend.



Some of my best friends joined me for the debauchery!
Courtesy of Amy S.

Blue Anchor is the place to hear tunes like the Beatles and Rolling Stones.  And after you’ve been to four other bars, believe me, that’s exactly what you want!  It’s a good dancing crowd, just make sure you go late enough or the crowd is a little on the older side.  But which I mean, a lot on the older side.

Total Cost: If you buy only one drink per bar (some on happy hour, which would equal two drinks!), you’ll probably spend under $25

Best Deal: Buy one, get one at Crane’s BeachHouse, along with free food!

Delray Beach Hotel Review - Crane's BeachHouse

During the summer of 2009, the economy was at a pretty low point.  Frank and I took the opportunity to embark on a bunch of “staycations,” including the cutest hotel in Delray Beach, Crane’s BeachHouse.  Three years later, we stayed at the same hotel during our wedding weekend!

This is in 2009.  Three years later, we look a
little different, but Crane's is still the same!

Crane’s is right off Atlantic Avenue (the main drag in Delray Beach), on a tiny street called Gleason.

Courtesty of The Big Day Wedding Photography

 

When you walk in, you leave the busy city life for a tropical oasis.

Nope, Frank and I aren't on a deserted island,
this is just at Crane's BeachHouse!
Courtesty of The Big Day Wedding Photography

 

You’ll see several little colorful touches around the property that remind me of the Florida Keys.

Courtesy of The Big Day Wedding Photography - Those were my wedding
photographers in case you couldn't tell

 

There are not one, but two pools, one of which is represented by this horrible photo.
 

It was very humid out this day

One of the pools also has a little patch of sand with a pretty awesome tiki bar.  At night, there’s even a live band!

That's the tiki bar, now closed, behind us.
Courtesy of The Big Day Wedding Photography

 

Inside, the rooms are spacious, clean, and have that “island” feel.

This is considered an "efficiency" room.

 

The hotel has three types of rooms, efficiencies, one-bedroom suites, and two bedroom-suites.  I have seen all of them and stayed in the efficiency and one-bedroom suites.

The one bedroom suite is incredibly spacious, with a small
dining table, kitchen, living room, bathroom and bedroom.

 

While there’s really not enough space in the efficiencies for more than two people, the one-bedroom suites can easily four people.

Especially if those four people are having a drink.  No, but for
real, the rooms are big.

 

There is a breakfast in the morning, with bagels and other pastries, certainly enough to get your day started.  But the best part about Crane’s BeachHouse is that the price.  While in season (meaning November through April), you might pay $200-$300 for a room, during the summer those prices drop dramatically.  Every summer I get an email advertising rooms for just $99!

If you go to Crane’s home page, you’ll see several specials listed right now, including Florida rates.  You won’t be disappointed, and most of all, once here, you’ll have “no worries.”

Courtesy of The Big Day Wedding Photography

 

Total Cost: $99/night during summer nights

Best Deal: Happy hour at the Tiki Bar, where it’s two for one!