Thursday, July 16, 2009

My 24 Hour Annapolis Vacation Re-Cap



My husband had to work this entire week in Annapolis - which is about a 45 mile drive from our house. And DH's job was paying for the hotel for the week. Although it's not too far, it seems like it takes forever to get there since a good part of the drive is on a two lane road, and it's difficult to pass slow moving cars because of the oncoming traffic. Then you have to deal with Annapolis traffic.

Anyhow, Jacob's summer camp was having a field trip to Annapolis on Wednesday, so I figured it would be a little change of scenery for us to spend Tuesday night in Annapolis. So on Tuesday afternoon, I picked Jacob up from summer camp, then drove to Annapolis to spend the night. Then on Wednesday morning, I went to the field trip location and dropped Jacob off with his group.

Our itinerary: got to the hotel around 5:30 - we changed into our swimsuits and went swimming until around 7pm. Went to dinner at Red Robin with DH and then walked around the mall a little. Then at 8:30pm, went to Chuck E. Cheese (it was near the hotel) and spent a half hour playing games until it closed at 9pm. They have a new Deal or No Deal video game which Jacob loved. Of course I buy the Chuck E. Cheese game tokens with coupons - so we always have a supply of tokens.

The next morning Jacob and I went back to Chuck E Cheese at 9am to play some more (since the camp group wasn't going to be in town until around 10:30am). Chuck E. Cheese is very peaceful at 9am. Then after I dropped Jacob off with his camp group, I went shopping. I went back to the mall to buy something I spotted the previous night - a birthday gift for a niece. Also bought a few things for me - a $1 Martha Stewart book and a $1 Festivus CD. I may give the CD to my DH for Xmas. When I peeled off the $1 Borders sticker on the Martha book, underneath there was a $18.88 Wal-mart price tag. Borders had a bunch of these books, so I'm guessing they were Walmart leftovers or something. Also went to Trader Joes and Whole Foods and bought a few things. Annapolis is our closest location for Trader Joes and Whole Foods. But the Traders Joes doesn't sell alcohol (so no two buck chuck).

And since I still had some time, I hit the Annapolis Goodwill store. I swear, visiting other thrift stores just makes me realize how great my local thrift stores are. Do people really spend $8.00 on used, crappy, no name shoes? I think I am turning into a Thrift Store Snob. Don't get me wrong, I can deal with a disorganized thrift store, as long as it's cheap. But I ain't paying no $8 on used crappy shoes. I can understand why some people really dislike thrift stores. If all they have is overpriced, disorganized thrift stores in their area, I wouldn't like them either.

And on Wednesday afternoon, I was able to stop at one of my local thrifts on the way home and bought a few things.

The only things I bought at the Goodwill were two CDs for $1.75 each - a little more than I usually spend for CDs, but I had to have some CDs of my boyfriend Edwin McCain

Also in the pic is some stuff I bought this week.

$1 Viewmaster reels Great Smoky Mountains (I heard that Viewmaster is no longer making souvenir type reels)

$1 a 2003 edition of Little Black Sambo
$1 Martha Rules book
$1 Nemo software for Jacob
$1 Festivus CD
$1.50 Mary Kay pressed powder (new)
$1 Mary Kay makeup case - new - fits the pressed powder
$2 pair of Aerosoles shoes for me
$1.50 Made in Denmark bottle opener



7 comments:

Beth said...

How cool to find the reel for a view master of the Great Smokie Mtns! I used to have one of those view master things when I was a little girl. I'm just a few hrs away from the Smokies, too!

Cheap&Sweet: Life on the scales said...

I went to my local goodwill yesterday and they had small used, thin, and very dingy hotel like towels for $4.00. I was mad I just wanted to put down the one thing I found and leave. I think they over mark things because they have half of colors & days, guess where I wont be anytime soon.

ThriftyAnnabella said...

Our Goodwill doesn't even have sales anymore so what it's priced is what you'll pay. I agree $8 for shoes is ridiculous. That's why I don't go there too much.

Anonymous said...

And, now you know why those of us in Annapolis are envious of you in Calvert County! :)Wishing I had great thrifts and plentiful yard sales like you! Another CEG spouse waving from to you from the Bay Bridge! Michelle

Chris the Yardsale Queen said...

Michelle - I forgot to mention - I'm not crazy about how Whole Foods & Bed,Bath,Beyond is now in the Annapolis Town Center. I don't like having to park in a parking garage to go grocery shopping. I thought the whole layout of the area was confusing and not pretty. I didn't even go to the Bed,Bath & Beyond - I wanted to but I didn't want to deal with having take the elevator down to the parking garage to put my groceries away, and then figure out how to find BB&B.

It sorta reminded me of where we stayed in Myrtle Beach - a planned living/shopping community Market Common Myrtle Beach but it's not nearly as pretty or organized as that.

PocketChange said...

I hate the Annapolis Goodwill store too! I usually can't even find anything there worth buying when they have 50% off sales either. And instead of a mall, give me a good, clean, well organized, cheap thrift store run by sweet little ole ladies any day of the week, and I'm bound to find something I can't live without!

Anonymous said...

Chris - I don't care for the new Annapolis Town Center area at all. I guess instead of going out, they decided to go up. I've yet to go into Whole Foods as I prefer Trader Joe's (only on occasion though as it's a budget buster for me and I can do much better at Shopper's!). They are supposed to be putting a Kohl's in next to Shopper's, where Value City was. Email me at bookworm814 at comcast.net and we can share/chat about local deals since we have many of the same stores.