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Hilton HHonors Great Getaway: Adventure in Orlando Day 2 #HHGetaway

Recently Hilton HHonors sent two bloggers and myself on a Great Getaway adventure to experience Orlando, Florida.  We were getting the chance to experience the  Great Getaway Giveaway as if we were the winner and off on an adventure.  We were put up at the Hilton Grand Vacations Suites at SeaWorld and we got to tour backstage at SeaWorld and dine with sharks on our first day.  The adventures of zip lining over alligators and exploring trails on horseback were still to come.  The experiences of the weekend are something I will never forget and the people I shared them with will always hold a place in my heart.  Read about Day One….

The Great Getaway Day 2

Breakfast Collage

Our Breakfast Adventure

Our second day of the #HHGetaway was jammed pack of adventure.  Even breakfast at the hotel was an adventure when our gracious host, Anthony, ordered the infamous Brunch Burger featuring an Angus beef cheese burger topped with a fried egg and bacon and served on a waffle bun with a side of syrup.  The Coral Reef bar & grille is a great way to start the day.  I had the Eggs Benedict served on a rich bread pudding.  Yes, we were off to a great start!

Horseback Riding HHGetaway

Our Adventure Activities Day 2

Adventure CollageWhen I was in middle school I used to go horseback riding all the time with our neighbors, The Bradshaws.  We rode both bareback and with saddles so I was so excited to find out I was going to be going horseback riding at the Horse World Riding Stables.  I’ve lived in or near the area for over 11 years and never knew the place existed.  We all geared up for the Intermediate ride that included occasional trotting.  I do not recall trotting being so challenging.  I thought a couple times I was going to go flying off my horse, but after the hour I was still riding proud and tall.  I had no idea I had that much core strength.  What a great workout!

After our trail ride we headed into Kissimmee to have lunch and experience some real country barbecue at Fat Boys’  Bar-B-Q.   We sampled lots of different foods including fried okra – which is a staple in my house.  We love fried okra!  Right after lunch we were off to our next adventure!

Ziplining HHGetaway

I tried zip-lining once a couple years ago and I just couldn’t get past my fear of heights.  I was petrified and I ended up chickening out, but this was an adventure so I really just had to push myself to do it.  I wont mention that we had to zip line over a bunch of alligators at Gatorland!  The Screamin’ Gator Zip Line is freaking awesome!  The guides were so good at making sure I was comfortable and they were always offering encouragement when anyone doubted themselves.  It was definitely one of the highlights of our trip because I conquered one of my biggest all time fears!

Afterwards we headed across the street to Private Island Ice Cream where they specialize in all yummy kinds of topping and add-ins for ice cream made in front of your eyes with liquid nitrogen!  My favorite?  Bacon and Sea Salt Caramel Ice Cream!  What a great way to end the day before going back to the hotel to get ready for our dinner adventure at Johnny’s Hideaway.

The Final Adventure: Dinner at Johnny’s Hideaway

Dinner Collagewm

With prawns bigger than my hand and a porterhouse steak that could feed a family the culinary masterpieces of Johnnies Hideaway in Orlando were the perfect “wrap up” for our weekend adventure.  The to-die-for Truffled Portabella Fries make my mouth water every time I think about them.  You haven’t had a portabella mushroom until you have tried one of these! They were crispy and delicious and the perfect appetizer if you can only have one.  The prawn was an experience all on it’s own and tasted like a cross between lobster, rock shrimp, an shrimp if that is possible.  Next time I’m getting the filet instead of the porterhouse because it looked beautiful and truth be told the porterhouse was just too big.  Dessert?  Yes, we ordered it even though not one of us had room to eat more than a spoonful.  Our dining experience was almost perfect except after our appetizers were ordered we never saw our server again.  Apparently she was cut (much too soon) and our new server either didn’t know he took our table over or was just too busy to get back to us.  After 30 minutes or so he finally returned but the service just didn’t live up to the food.  I’m glad I was in such great company though and we all got to share some great stories with each other so the slow service wasn’t as annoying as it would have been otherwise.

Provisions Collage

After dinner we all went back to our rooms to prepare for our departure the following morning.  Having a full-size kitchen came in handy because I got to store all my leftovers and the stuff I bought at the Provisions Market & Fresh Deli & Pizza for my family. The market carries everything you could ask for from photo frames to Jack Daniels.  This is where we met for breakfast the next morning to say our goodbyes.  It was a sad day.  I hated leaving my new friends and the beautiful resort.  I’m especially sad that I didn’t get to enjoy the gorgeous resort grounds and pool, but I plan on going back when I can.

property Collage

About The Great Getaway

Now through September 30, 2013, Hilton HHonors is encouraging travelers around the world to save with The Great Getaway, offering hotel rates as low as $100 in the U.S., up to 25% off stays in the Middle East and Africa, and up to 20% off stays in Asia Pacific when booking within the Hilton Worldwide portfolio.  To book a stay, visit Hilton Weekends.

About The Great Getaway Giveaway

Members can enter the Hilton HHonors Great Getaway Giveaway for the chance to vote and win one of four trips from June 10 through August 4, 2013.

Each of the four getaways focuses on a different passion-point for travel – relaxation, adventure, culture, and food/wine – providing all HHonors members with the chance to win a  trip that fits their personal passion.  HHonors members can vote on the prize destination for each getaway, with winning destinations revealed every two weeks throughout the summer.  Members can vote on their preferred prize destinations once daily.

Relaxation: June 10 – June 21
Adventure: June 24 – July 7
Culture: July 8 – July 21
Food/Wine: July 22 – August 4

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HHonors Getaway

About Hilton HHonors

Hilton HHonors is the guest-loyalty program for the brand Hilton Worldwide.  Signing up is FREE and you can start earning points immediately to be used towards Premium Room Rewards, Room Upgrade Rewards, Points & Money Rewards and Standard Room Rewards.  Not only can you earn upgrades but you can use points to purchase unique experiences (such as an Adventurers Getaway), make charitable contributions, purchase select merchandise and more.  HHonors is the only guest-loyalty program that offers ‘No Blackout Dates’ and “Points and Miles’ for the same stay, worldwide.

* The PR reps for our adventure were Meg and Anthony and they were beyond incredible.  Jen, who couldn’t join us, did a great job making sure everything flowed smoothly and I hope to meet her some day as well.  Thank you  guys for putting together such an incredible adventure.

Comments

  1. Mary Ambrosino says

    It sounds wonderful especially the ice cream. A perfect get-away. I would have liked to see you on the zip line.

  2. You got over your fear of heights and tried zip lining again! So proud of you! I agree the service at the restaurant was bad, but thank goodness we had each other for our own entertainment! Can you imagine if we were just with our families.. haha!

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