Hello from sunny Sarasota! I hope you guys are having a good week so far. We’ve been enjoying plenty of sunshine and good food since our arrival in Florida late Monday morning.
The trip is a bit of a hybrid trip for us – part blog travel trip, part family trip and I’ve been loving the extra time with our loved ones. Ryan and I actually had a trip to Sarasota to see my in-laws booked for the end of January that we had to cancel at the very last minute following my 12-week prenatal appointment that ended in tears. We originally rescheduled the trip for later this week week and when I got an email inviting me to see the Tropicana orange groves, we figured it would be the perfect opportunity for Chase and me to fly down early and spend some extra time with my in-laws. (Ryan will be joining us early this afternoon.)
My mother-in-law underwent unexpected emergency surgery two weeks ago (when I mentioned Ryan went out of town a while back, he went to visit his mother) and while it’s been hard to see her in pain during our visit, I am so, so grateful she is okay. The logistics of our plans shifted around a bit and I’m grateful we’ve been able to merge a blog trip into extra time with family. So let’s catch up, shall we!?
Monday
Chase and I caught and early flight to Sarasota on Monday morning and our airplane-obsessed toddler was in heaven from the minute we passed through security and he caught a glimpse of the airplanes on the runway.
He had the time of his life at the airport as he pointed at planes and ran from window to window. I figured this was a great sign for our flight and boarded the plane feeling relatively calm. Chase did great when we sat on the runway but the take off and landing had him in tears. Our seat was right on the window and very loud and the shaking and loud noises were a little much for Chase. I felt so bad for him as he whimpered in my arms and said, “All done! All done!” over and over again. I tried to tell him it would be over soon and once the plane hit smoother skies, he quickly calmed and was a happy camper in the sky. I packed books and a handful of new-to-Chase snacks which worked well. He also had fun with is train toys. Since more tears occurred during the decent, we deplaned and Chase was looking a little worse for wear but he lit up immediately when he saw my mom waiting for us at baggage claim!
When our plans changed and everything happened with my mother-in-law’s surgery, my mom offered to drive in town and spend some quality time with Chase while I headed off on my blog trip adventures. It was such a kind offer and I loved the extra time with my mom and know Chase had a ball soaking up every minute of the extra love that came his way from his grandma!
Once we were all reunited, we headed off to The Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota for a one-night stay. We all felt very lucky to be able to stay together at such a beautiful hotel and I was really impressed with how sweet and accommodating everyone at the hotel was toward our energetic toddler. (Chase received a toy car upon our arrival from the concierge known affectionately around the hotel as “Grandma Kathy” who was the sweetest woman. She very quickly became Chase’s new favorite person.) Our room was comfortable and beautiful and Chase promptly went down for a nap within 10 minutes of our arrival.
Tropicana Event Kick Off
The itinerary for our trip included slightly less than 24-hours of Tropicana fun so it was a very short but very sweet experience!
Full disclosure: My travel and accommodations were paid for by Tropicana who also sponsored this post.
The trip kicked off at the spa where our group met to chat about the benefits of vitamin-C before we were treated to the most wonderful vitamin-C facials to help fight free-radicals and sun damage to our skin.
I haven’t had a facial in years (I think I’ve maybe had two in my entire life) so it was such a treat and I soaked up all of my aesthetician’s advice. (Apparently those Clarisonic brushes are worth it… I have some research to do because my face felt so soft after my facial and I am dying to re-create certain aspects of the experience at home.) After our facials, we had free time until dinner and I divided my time between chatting with the other bloggers and spending time with my mom and Chase once everyone else went back to their rooms.
I arrived back in the room as Chase was finishing up a snack after his nap (apparently he napped like a champ – I guess travel stress will do that to a toddler!) and we decided to check out the pool for an hour before I had to get ready for dinner.
After lots of splashing, we headed up to our room and got Chase ready for bed before it was time for me to head off to dinner. Our group dinner took place outside along the water and it was simply stunning. The centerpieces were unbelievably gorgeous and we were all thoroughly impressed by the beautiful spread.
It looked more like a wedding to me than a simple group dinner and I felt very fortunate to be able to dine with a handful of women I greatly admire through their blogging, YouTube and social media businesses. We dined on a three-course meal created by talented chefs who incorporated oranges and orange juice into every dish. (The orange oregano vinaigrette on the salad was so light and delicious and you better believe I’ll be doing my best to make something similar at home soon!)
Dinner wrapped up around 9:30 p.m. but a handful of us lingered for another hour or so to chat away and get to know each other and the kind public relations team behind Tropicana who invited us to Sarasota.
In case you’re looking for some new blogs and YouTube channels to check out, here’s a list of the talented women I had the pleasure of meeting (or reuniting with in the case of Taralynn and Gina!) on this trip:
- Julia from Lemon Stripes
- Gina from Running to the Kitchen
- Davida from The Healthy Maven
- Hallie from Among Other Things
- Cara from Cara Loren
- Lee from Fit Foodie Finds
- Taralynn from Simply Taralynn
- Myka from Myka Stauffer
With temperatures in the low 70s, it was a lovely night be be outside enjoying the salty sea breezes!
Tuesday
Tuesday morning began around 7 a.m. with a light breakfast on the terrace of the hotel before our group was ushered onto a bus headed to Tropicana’s orange groves!
(Me and Lee!)
Though I found myself referring to the groves as “Tropicana’s groves,” the company actually works with more than 400 growers across Florida and sources their oranges from these individual growers.
I was really looking forward to touring the groves and could not get over the smell of the orange blossoms as we stepped off the bus.
The blossoms were so incredibly fragrant and peeking up at trees absolutely bursting with fresh Florida oranges was breathtaking. While we explored the groves, we learned a little bit more about the oranges that surrounded us, Tropicana 100% pure-squeezed orange juice (nothing added – no water, sugar or preservatives, etc.) and the process it takes to get the the oranges “from grove to glass.”
Each tree in the grove typically produces around 500 oranges (or around 8.4 gallons of orange juice) annually. One fact I found particularly interesting is that unlike bananas, once picked, oranges do not continue to ripen and only begin to rot so it is important to juice them quickly for optimal taste. Once picked, the oranges in the groves are juiced within 8 to 24 hours.
Another fun fact: 97 percent of the oranges grown in Florida are juicing oranges while California’s drier climate lends itself to producing more oranges used simply for eating.
We were able to drink the juice squeezed from oranges right off the tree during our visit and the perfectly sweet and slightly tart juice was so wonderfully refreshing. Yum!
After our juice break, we headed off to the factory to see where the oranges are juiced and bottled.
The thick tubes you see in the above photo are actually blown into the large bottles that hold Tropicana juice. I asked why they appear tinted and aren’t perfectly clear and apparently that is to block out UV rays and protect the vitamins and nutrients in the juice!
Once our time at the factory was over, we headed back for a box lunch before half of our group caught early flights back home while the other half took advantage of the sunshine at the pool!
Before we checked out of the hotel, I linked back up with my mom and Chase and made sure to sneak in some last-minute swimming at the Beach Club pool located right off South Lido Beach in Sarasota.
We couldn’t resist walking out onto the beach as well and I am fairly certain I saw Chad, the super muscle-y, possibly crazy guy from Jojo’s season of The Bachelorette, walking along the beach when we were dipping our toes in the surf. I’m not sure if he’s from the Sarasota area and I didn’t have the guts to ask if it was him but I’m pretty darn positive. Totally random, right!?
After our goodbyes at the pool, my mom, Chase and I made a beeline for my in-laws’ house to meet up with Ryan’s mom and Les who just arrived back home from a doctor’s appointment. It was so, so good to see them and watch them love on Chase again!! Chase was in heaven showing them his cars and trucks and it was such a treat to see him with his grandparents. (Chase’s great grandmother came by yesterday to see him and we’ll have lots of time with her over the course of the next few days as well!)
My mom, Les, Diane and I enjoyed a delicious dinner of Les’ incredible meat sauce with pasta and Chase was also quite a fan. He’s typically pretty picky with adult food but he was ALL IN on Les’ sauce and meatballs!
Chase was ready for bed soon after dinner and once he was snoozing away in his pack ‘n’ play, I joined my mom, Les and Diane on the couch to watch The Voice and simply enjoy a relaxing evening together. I crashed hard the minute my head hit the pillow that night!
Questions of the Day
- Have you ever had a random reality show contestant sighting?
I’ve actually seen another contestant from The Bachelor on a flight back to Florida from New York before but I think that’s it!
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What a fun trip! Your beautiful photos are making me want to go on a beach trip so badly lol. I think we’re going camping on the beach at the end of April, but Texas beaches are nowhere near as pretty (or blue!) as Florida, that’s for sure.
I’ve never been camping on a beach! That sounds SO fun. I hope you guys have the best time!
I saw Alexia Echevarria from Real Housewives of Miami in Las Vegas at Elton John’s show. It was kinda funny because we were following each other to see the photos they take and apparently she thought I was following her and she asked if I wanted a picture. I didn’t. For one not really a Housewives watcher of any city, two I dont know what I’d do with her picture, but I didn’t know how to politely decline so I just said sure. It was an awkward looking photo as we stood there, but she seemed nice. My husband met Chip Gaines in Lawrence at a KU basketball game. Now he I would’ve liked to meet so I could’ve ask a few pointers about my house?
Hahaha! I hope you have that pic framed in your house somewhere
What a fun and whirlwind trip. I’m tired thinking about it, ha. So so glad you have time with your mom and in laws! Plus, that pool looks amazing! Hope your mother in law is feeling better!
Thank you for your kind thoughts! She’s definitely doing better every day! <3
That dinner table is absolutely stunning! So is the pool! So glad you were able to enjoy time with family during your trip!
I actually saw you in Savannah a few years ago when you were there for the rock and roll half marathon but you were with a group and I was too scared to say anything. Hahha
Also, met Mario Lopez at a sushi bar in downtown Charlotte. He was super cool and offered to give us the rest of his Saki.
Aw I wish I could’ve met you!!! That’s funny about Mario Lopez though — I’m sure it was hard not to call him “Slater” the whole time! Haha!
Aww, poor Chase on the flight! Maybe he will do better on the way home. That centerpiece DOES look wedding worthy and absolutely beautiful – I’d love to see how they incorporate oranges/OJ into all the meals, so fun. Enjoy the rest of your trip!
I hope so! Ryan and I are on the same flight home together and I don’t think our seat is right on the wing/engine, so I’m hoping that will help! <3 And thanks for the kind wishes!
Sounds like such a nice trip!! This made me laugh because I never see anyone REALLY famous but I do have a weird tendency to see Bachelor stars! I stood next to Emily Maynard once at the Charlotte airport and I think I just stared at her because she was very very pregnant and she looked SO beautiful. I also was in a Crossfit class (my one and only) once with Graham (remember him??).
I do remember him!! So random!
Yes… a Clarisonic is definitely worth it! I splurged on one earlier his year and my face has never felt so soft and it has a natural glow to it!
Beautiful pictures! Love the centerpieces!
Glad to hear it! My sister also got one last year and raves about it… maybe it’s time to take the plunge!
What beautiful pictures! Looks like you’re having a a great trip! I used to work in Sarasota every winter for the opera and you MUST go to Station 400 for breakfast/brunch! 400 N Lemon. It’s the BEST!! Have a great time with your family xo
We ate at Station 400 when we were here a while back and it was wonderful! Thank you for the recommendations!!
Hahah oh my gosh that photo of chase surfing, thats a cute one I saw lots of IG snaps from the Trop event and was super jealous- lucky you! Yes! I saw spencer and heidi once at my university, hah!
I saw Juan Pablo the ex-bachelor on the 6 train subway platform in NYC! He looked extremely disheveled and had on some WACKY sneakers and a rolling suitcase! And being the creeper that I am, I immediately found his Instagram to see if it had any hints about his travels, and sure enough, the latest photo he posted was his feet in those crazy shoes resting on his suitcase leaving Miami (to come to NYC, I guess!) I couldn’t stop staring!
What a trip! And how special to spend time with your family, especially your mother-in-law.
I saw Lauren Conrad and about died over my girl crush!
Hi Julie – I have an 18 month old son, so not far behind Chase. I was just looking at new bathing suits for him this week. I remember seeing the hooded swim shirts last year and thought they were so cute. I’m not really finding any online that I like. Was wondering where you found his swim gear?
His shorts were actually a hand-me-down from Carters and Ryan’s dad gave us the top which he bought when he was on vacation a year ago. I realize that’s not much help! I’m sorry! I think Target usually has some decent swim gear when it starts to get warmer outside!
What a beautiful, sunny trip!! I miss the ocean.
I don’t see many reality celebs but I do see a lot of athletes in Colorado. Emma Coburn frequently does her workouts on the track by my home, and it’s not uncommon to catch Kara on the trails near me either.
I also randomly saw a Bachelor star! A few years ago, my husband and I were out for a day hike in Colorado, and we bumped into Nikki from Juan Pablo’s season. She was with her mom and brother, and we chatted to them for a few minutes about trail stuff. I tried to play it cool so I didn’t get a picture, but it was definitely her.
Also, about ten years ago, we were skiing in Crested Butte, CO, and we were stopped by Bill Murray so that we could take a picture of him and the person he was with! He was really nice. Oh my gosh! I just remembered that several years ago, also in Crested Butte, we met Tim Skerritt (he played the dad in Steel Magnolias among many other things). He used to own a restaurant there. Apparently, I’ve had more celebrity sightings than I realized!
I live in Charlotte, and have seen Emily Maynard a couples of times – once at the Midtown Target with her family and once in the waiting room at a doctor’s office. She’s just as pretty in person and struck me as very normal (and probably nice, too), although I didn’t speak with her because I didn’t want to bug her.
A much weirder celeb sighting I had was about 7 years ago, when on my honeymoon in Hawaii, I’m positive I saw Cam Gigandet in the lobby of my hotel outside the buffet area (at Turtle Bay). This was not too long after his role in Twilight and that movie with Christina Aguilera when he was all over the place. I keep trying to look without being obvious to see if it was him and am certain I just came off looking like a total creeper.
That’s great you were able to mix business with pleasure for this trip. And your mom is a SAINT!!! Aren’t grandparents the best?! I’d love to see the full menu that y’all had with Tropicana!!
Yes!!! I feel so, so lucky to have some incredible grandparents in Chase’s life! And I snapped a pic of the menu so I’ll report back with all the details when I’m back at my laptop! The main course was grouper & the orange cream cake for dessert was wonderful!
YUM! Grouper and orange pair so well together. What an awesome trip! Do you do a lot of work with Tropicana throughout the year?
What a fun experience – and perfect to fit into your plans, too.
I’m so glad that the whole family is well. That can be so scary, but it sounds like everything has worked out. Phew!
XO, Jessica
http://www.semisweettooth.com
We were in Chinatown in San Francisco and I think they were filming part of the Amazing Race while we were there since we saw 3 “teams of people running like mad and arguing. HA! We did meet Josh and Brent (Amazing Race 12 (I think) winners) but that wasn’t random. We went to Sharon Springs, NY and did a Beekman Farm tour. I think you would absolutely LOVE that. They do a few farm tours a year and they are worth every penny (not expensive) just to see all the goats and the property. Perfect girlfriends or mother/daughter getaway in the Fall for Harvest Festival!
That tour sounds so fun!!! And too funny about the Amazing Race run in!
Sounds like you and Chase are having a great trip so far. I bet it smelled amazing in the orange grove. I hope your mother in law heals quickly!
Hi! Your trip looked heavenly! What a gorgeous pool/beach and it seems like you had a really wonderful time learning about Tropicana and mingling with the other bloggers. So jealous of that gorgeous dinner! I think my favorite part of that was the adorable placecards made out of the oranges, so creative. I follow Taralynn as well and have really enjoyed both of your photos!
Glad you got some family time in too <3
I don't think I have ever seen a reality star randomly.. though Ben from the Bachelor went to Indiana University where I also went. All of my girlfriends went down for the school's annual bike race last spring and saw him & Lauren. Naturally, the one year I pass on the trip…. !
Have a great Thursday!
What a fun trip! Tropicana seems like a wonderful company. When I went to LA with my mom a few years ago to see a taping of The Ellen Degeneres Show, we were actually on the plane there with an American Idol contestant at the time that performed on her show at the taping we were at!
Looks like a great trip! What gorgeous views, as well as a beautiful table setting at the dinner! Random question, but what color nail polish are you wearing in the orange picture? It’s so different, I love it! Enjoy the rest of your trip
The orange groves look so pretty! I love being anywhere by the beach, so I’m super jealous!
I have had a couple of random reality sightings: Ruben Studdard from American Idol, and Hildy from Trading Spaces, both in my local mall in Atlanta!
Prayers for your mother in law!
What a FUN getaway!! I am craving that gorgeous ocean water right now…ahh so beautiful!! I love that Chase loves flying! I still have never flown with A. but I’m so nervous for when that day comes! Chase is probably a pro by now!
Sounds like such a great trip
I live in Denver and have seen Ben Higgins and Lauren Bushnell from The Bachelor around town a few times. It helps that we also go to the same Lagree Fitness studio.
I would love to try a class at a Lagree studio. It seems like an amazing workout!
It’s best, I’m beyond obsessed, you would love it!
Looks like such a great trip! I read Lee and Davida’s blogs too! Fun that you all go to tour together!
Omg you totally should have asked if it was Chad! lol. Looks like such a fun trip and so jealous of the nice florida sun, have a great rest of your trip with family!
I do really like my Clarisonic Mia as well. Although, my dermatologist recommended not using it daily. I have pretty sensitive skin, so I use it about three times a week to get a good deep clean. If I use it more, my skin tends to get red and flare up.
Your trip looks awesome! What an amazing opportunity, and nice that it worked out for you to see family as well
The summer after Kaitlyn’s season of The Bachelorette, I went to a couple music festivals that Nick (and others) were apparently at as well, based on Instagram, but I never saw him or any of the other contestants. I had an ongoing joke with my roommates though that that was my #1 goal at the festivals! Haha.
What a fun experience! I’m sooo missing the Florida sunshine, because I haven’t been since Christmas-time. And when I lived in Orlando, a girl from the bachelor worked at an older bar called Beacon, which is no longer. I would ask her about the show every time I went there. And once I met a contestant from Project Runway at Disney’s California Adventure! I took a pic with him! Have fun with the fam this weekend!
What an amazing trip! Did you get to meet new blogging friends?
Yes!! A list of everyone is linked above!
your trip looked amazing!! i’m glad to hear that your mother-in-law is doing better, and that you were able to enjoy some time in the sun. with everything you’ve been going through, it must’ve felt amazing just to get away!
in LA we see random reality show contestants all the time, but i don’t actually watch much of it other than the bachelor so i’m usually the clueless one!
That hotel looks so nice! Love my clarisonic mia!
I ran into bachelor Jake Pavelka at an airport while waiting for a hotel shuttle! I talked to him and his crew for a couple minutes!
Cara Loren has some great YouTube hair tutorials!
What a fun trip! I cannot say that I have watched enough reality TV to say that I would recognize anyone!
My parents work in the motion picture industry, so I have met several actors/actresses over the years!
Hi Julie, it looks like Chase might be wearing a rash guard shirt in the pictures. By the way, he’s super cute! My nephews will be going to the beach for the first time this summer, they will be one-year-old. We would like to keep them safe from the sun without slathering on lots of lotion. Do you recommend any rash guard shirts for babies and toddlers? Have you had any success with any? Thanks so much! I really enjoy your blog.
We love rash guards! They’re great for sun protection! We’ve actually had pretty good luck with the ones from Target that usually pop up at Target when the weather gets a little warmer. The one he is wearing in these pics was actually a gift from Ryan’s dad when he went on vacation but I LOVE the hood and am hoping I can find more with hoods this summer since Chase it a little iffy when it comes to keeping hats on his head!
How fun!! Glad that you were able to go on that blog trip! What a great work and family getaway!
Jade & Tanner live about 10 minutes away from me and I’ve run into Jade at a local froyo place. She was super sweet and friendly!
She always seemed really sweet and down-to-earth to me!
I used to see Aaron Buerge ALL the time-he was from Season 2 haha. I wasn’t even watching the Bachelor yet, but he is from my hometown of Springfield, MO. I swear, in college every time we went downtown, there was my guardian angel Aaron <3 lol!
LOL!!
Did you ever watch the show Bug Juice? It was a pre-teen/teen reality show from the late 90’s following a bunch of kids at sleep away camp. I used to love it in middle school! Anyway, randomly about 10 yrs later, I was on the train in Washington DC and spotted one of the girls from the show- all grown up (as I was!)
While shopping at the mall (Park Meadows) in Denver area a few years ago, I saw Mark Abbatista aka Abba from The Amazing Race. I watched that show religiously for years and was so excited to chat with him for a while (a good 20 minutes at least).
I also rode bike with Phil Keoghan (host of Amazing Race). He’s a cool guy!
Those are the most photogenic oranges!! I am soaking up the sunshine in this post. And love Chase on the surfboard!
Sounds like a great trip! Would love to hear more about the spa day and facial tips you scored while in Florida!
It was so fun to meet you and your sweet son! Hoping it’s not the last time xo
Aw thank you for visiting me over here! LOVED meeting you, too! Congrats again on your little one — cannot wait to see pictures of her SOON! <3
I have so many things I want to comment on, but I’ll start with the most important: I’m so sorry to hear your mother-in-law had to have an emergency surgery (!!!!!!!) but so glad it worked out all right. And THE most important thing: I’m still so sorry for you and Ryan’s loss, and I’m sending you good vibes and unexpected healing for when you least expect it. So if you feel slightly better at some random moment in the future, that might be one of my vibes, finally reaching you! (Or someone else’s – take them all!) I know grief is uneven, as I’ve said many times, so here’s to you getting exactly what you need, when you need it, in whatever form you need it.
And re: Florida – I love this blogger trip! That dinner WAS as impressive as a wedding, holy cow! Everything looks beautiful and sounds delicious. And I love that you have such a close, loving family, it’s so nice that your mom was able to be with you and help with Chase!
Speaking of that cute little guy – the pic of him looking out at the planes? Downright ADORABLE! Like, it’s practically ready to be illustrated and included in a picturebook. I love it. I know this wasn’t the aim of the photo, but the composition is so good! (I’m an artist on the side, so I’m especially appreciative of these little things.) Great post, as always!