On the Road Again!

With my youngest turning nine years old, came the request to go to a Build-a-Bear store. A friend had recently given her a couple stuffed animals that were marked with their BaB. So questions came. And the showing of online pictures. That was when she knew what she wanted for her birthday. But here is the catch - there aren't any close by. The closest one is just a kiosk in the mall in a city a couple hours away. But my thinking is, if this is your first time, you need to go to an actual store. Get the whole experience. So that is what my husband and I decided to do. We decided to hit the road and go to the nearest actual store. Almost four hours drive away from us. We wanted to give her something to truly remember. 

Amarillo - Here we come!

We got a room at Home2 Suites in Amarillo. Talk about amazing service! We were checked in quickly, the room was spacious, and we even loved the indoor pool. They were shorter on options for the breakfast, but that was my kids only complaint. 

There were so many places to store things so we were not tripping over things. There was also a stocked kitchen - dishes, silverware, a cooking container, soap and new sponge to clean them up when done.

You can even request a cook top and pot. We brought our own bedding for the germophobes to make it more comfortable. 

If you need a stay for this many people that might be for more than one night, this is the place!

Build-A-Bear for the win!

My daughter loved going to BaB! The lady that was handling her experience did a fantastic job. She talked to my daughter like she was the only person there, making her feel super special. She gave tips on other places we should go to around town to make our stay better. And really just gave the stuffing process more pizazz than I expected. I was thrilled. My husband was so happy - saying that this was the best birthday for her. And she left with a stuff toy that is just going to be so well loved. I highly recommend their store if you are in the area!

There were other stores...

We were there for 2 nights, which is quite the rarity. My husband hates hotels and going on trips has to be planned so far in advanced or has to be saved for... It can just be too much of a hassle to him to bother with. So, had she not asked, this would never have been a thing. But since it was, he graced me with a mini vacation. I can't tell you how excited I had been to plan this out and how hard I worked to save up! And it was well worth it. I had made a list of places to hit up before hand. Some of them were such a hit - we will gladly go back if we are in Amarillo again!  

Back & Forth thrift store was a cute place to visit. And the owner was so friendly! We found this doll there that my youngest fell in love with. She is a Snapstar doll. My daughter is already looking to get more wigs and clothes for her. 

Game Quest was the biggest hit for every single one of us. They had games, they had trading cards, there were movies (I got an anime) and nostalgia for nerds in all kinds of other things! I even found this Barbie that is special in the face, but wearing a Spice Girls doll dress.

A friend clued me in that she is Posh Spice (aka Victoria Beckham). I love how her face looks. Though the nose has been a little smushed. 

My husband was able to get a cable for one of his original consoles. The boys both found cards for their trading games they love. My oldest daughter got a book from her favorite series. The youngest found toys from her favorite shows and movies.

We actually went twice before leaving. And it is on the list to return to the next time we head that way.

This one is along the Route 66 too, so there are plenty of other places you might enjoy visiting. Especially a lot of vintage and antique shops. 

Another game store we visited was Recycled Entertainment. This one is actually in the same strip mall as Back & Forth. You will know it by the throne out front, made of various old consoles. My husband found a game he loved for the Nintendo. 

We visited the Five Below while there. They had so many fun finds! And at the time, they were the only store open on Saturday morning from our list. I gotta say, I was wishing to find some of these at our local store later. For now, I grabbed the Teeny Tinies Gamer Essentials pack. That one was $5. 

We also stopped by one of the Goodwills, up there. I must admit, I was disappointed with their prices. Quite a bit higher than what we normally see in our town. But they did have books and movies that we have been looking for... I also grabbed this cute ornament that is a picture frame. I haven't decided if I will use it in a doll room or if I will put it on the Christmas tree. 

What would be your favorite part of this trip? What kind of places do you like to visit when you travel? Let me know! We are already thinking about the next trip we want to make.