A Full Day in Flip Flops

A Full Day in Flip Flops The best in touristy travel destinations with a gluten-free angle. Free weekend… Where we going?

09/02/2026

We head to one of our favorite places in Southern California - Pizza Port in Carlsbad Village. We try delicious Pizza, Salads, and Apps, including some Gluten-Free options that are to die for.

This laid back Pizza joint is a local favorite serving up delectable food and craft beer in the area since 1987. This location was the second in this small chain of 5 opened in 1997.

While the food is certainly worth the stop, the brew pub has grown a reputation for serving up some of the best beers in town, and honestly in the world. With tons of taps with rotating creations brewed by Pizza Port itself, there is an option for any taste. From Hazy IPA’s to dark stouts and every variety in between, Pizza port has won over 91 medals/awards from the Great American Beer Festival.

So whether it is the fantastic pies or cold beers that you are craving, they have you covered.

This is also a very Gluten-Free friendly stop for those who are looking for that option. From pizzas, apps, salads, and more they have you covered in your quest to eat good food without the worry of eating something you can’t.

This location also holds a special place in our hearts as we rented out the patio for our wedding reception after getting married just minutes away on the Carlsbad Warm Waters Beach.

Join us for an honest review and catch some SoCal vibes at this iconic restaurant in one of our favorite cities in the world.

Address -
571 Carlsbad Village Drive
Carlsbad, CA 92008
Phone -
(760) 720–7007

08/31/2026

We are in Old Town San Diego to visit “America’s Most Haunted House” - The Whaley House. Join us on a self guided walking tour of this historic property in beautiful Old Town San Diego.

We walk the property and enter this well known haunted house to see for ourselves if there are spirits to be found.

From the 2nd court house in the city, to the upstairs theater, and the famous interior archway marking the spot of the gallows where this house was built on, we are there to see it all. Do we have a run in with “Yankee Jim?” Is the presence of Violet Whaley present during our visit? Most importantly… do we see any of the famous ghosts cats that are known to frequent the nursery upstairs?

Watch to find out and see what makes this famous landmark a must see museum on your next trip to Southern California.

Address -
2476 San Diego Ave,
San Diego, CA 92110
Phone -
(619) 786-1143

08/28/2026

This iconic restaurant is home to delicious Kansas City style Barbeque, tasty appetizers, and cold beers. However, the slow cooked meats and ice cold drafts are not the reason most people think to visit this tourist stop in San Diego in the Harbour District near Seaport Village and the USS Midway.

After a stroke of luck where the location director stopped in to grab a cold beer while exploring the area for filming locations, the bar was shut down for a day to film the famous “sleezy bar scene” in the original box office hit “Top Gun.”

Now the location is filled with memorabilia and images shot from the famous film. Sit down to play a few keys on the original piano from the movie, belly up to the bar where Maverick and Goose enjoyed a cold one, and grab a t-shirt and some souvenir aviator sun glasses to mark the occasion.

All of this, plus being owned and operated by two true Kansas Citianians it feels a little bit like home for us in the Southern California area. The location is packed with Chiefs, Royals, Kansas Jayhawks, K-State Wildcats, and Mizzou Tigers memorabilia where there isn’t Top Gun history.

So, is this a worthy spot to grab lunch or dinner on your trip to SoCal, or is it better suited as a quick stop to grab a drink and see part of movie history.

We try it out and give our thoughts on how this measures up to true Kansas City BBQ from 3 people who live in the Kansas City area and are no strangers to world class barbeque restaurants.

Watch to find out.

Address -
600 W Harbor Dr,
San Diego, CA 92101
Phone -
(619) 231-9680

08/28/2026

We check in from the Kansas City airport and preview our trip to the San Diego area.

What are we planning to do? Why are we headed west? And what are we all looking forward to?

Watch to find out and stay tuned to follow our adventures in Southern California.

08/28/2026

We made our first ever trip to Springfield, Missouri’s Dickerson Park Zoo. Join us on a full walking tour as check out all the exhibits and animals that this place has to offer.

This zoo is an accredited member institution of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, so you get a 50% discount if you are a friends of the zoo member at another in this program.

Since 1923 this has been Springfield’s Zoo and has gone through updates and is a regional tourism destination and a leader in conservation education.

Join us on our trip around the property to see all the highlights (and lowlights) as we determine if this is a stop you should add on your next trip to the southern Missouri area.

Address -
1401 W Norton Rd
Springfield, MO 65803
Phone -
Info Hotline: 417-864-1800
Office Phone: 417-833-1570

08/25/2026

We make a return trip to one of our favorite attractions we have ever been to. This time camera in hand so we can lead you on a full walking tour of this massive themed attraction in Springfield, MO.

From the brilliantly done National Museum featuring beautiful scenes of animals throughout the world, in these impressive wildlife galleries to the immersive aquarium we see it all in this video.

This aquarium, which is the masterpiece from the mind of Bass Pro Shop founder and conservationist Johnny Morris, is a multiple time winner of USA Today’s best aquarium in the nation. We tend to agree that it is hard to beat.

The accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums property is truly stunning and a must stop for anyone visiting the Springfield or Branson, Missouri areas, and we tend to think that it is worth a trip even if you aren’t in the area.

Join us as we discover everything this popular place has to offer and find out if in our opinion this is the best aquarium in all of America.

Address -
500 W Sunshine St,
Springfield, MO 65807
Phone -
(800) 456-4812

08/24/2026

We channel our inner ghost hunters and tour the famous Pythian Castle in Springfield, Missouri with hopes of capturing evidence of the paranormal.

Join us as we take in the sites and history from this stunning property built in 1913. From tales of former residents who still haunt the giant rooms to tales of German and Italian prisoners who were held captive during the U.S Military’s ownership of the property.

This 90 minute guided tour includes trips to the ballroom, POW cells, boiler room, underground tunnel and more all while mixing the history of the historic castle with the ghostly tales of the residents who may still call these walls their home in the afterlife.

Do we capture any footage of these spirits? Do we recommend this on your next trip to the Springfield Area? Watch and find out during this review and tour at one of Missouri’s most famous haunted locations.

Address -
1451 E Pythian St,
Springfield, MO 65802
Phone -
(417) 865-1464

08/24/2026

For more than 70 years Johnny’s Tavern has been a staple for thirsty college kids, locals, and those visiting the Kansas City Area. A favorite spot to grab a beer and watch a game, this regional chain with 14 total locations is a fantastic sports bar and grill.

A little known secret is that it also boasts some of the best pizza you can find. Their new york style crust is always baked to perfection, and an array of fresh toppings makes these pies some of our favorites anywhere we have been locally or during all of our travels.

However, the reason for this video is to point out what might be the best deal around when it comes to this popular menu item. On Mondays at any Johnny’s tavern you can get a 1 topping 18 inch pizza for just $10.00. Feed the whole family or grab a large pizza that will allow for left overs for the rest of the week.

This option is available for dine in our carryout and makes for an easy decision if we are looking to grab an affordable dinner to start out the work week.

Join us as we head to our “local” Johnny’s off of K10 and Ridgeview to catch the vibes of our favorite bar and grill in the area, and check out why this weekly special is the best in the city.
Restaurantreview

08/11/2026

After building up to the main event with stops at Holiday World, the Cincinnati Zoo, and Kings Island we finally make it to Cedar Point where we spend two days getting all the rides we can on some of the worlds best roller coasters.

While the trip was a return many years in the making for Derek, it was a first for Anabelle and Lindsay. We ride the current tallest roller coaster in America - Top Thrill 2, All of our first ever tilt coasters in Siren’s Curse, and Derek gets back on his all time favorite while the girls get their first experience with Steel Vengeance.

Join us as we hit all the coasters and get reactions from two first time visitors and one long time roller coaster enthusiast, who just can’t get enough of this unbelievable amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio.

We try to squeeze as much as we possibly can into this massive 363 acre mega park and find out why this truly is “A Place Like No Other.”

Is this still the pinnacle of parks for roller coasters, or has the Cedar Fair/Six Flags merger impacted the quality in a negative way? We try to get to the bottom of this and bring you our thoughts and reactions from throughout the park along the way.

Watch the video to see our experience at America’s Rock ‘n’ Roller Coast - Cedar Point.

05/27/2026

We dig deeper into our upcoming road trip and each of us gives our top 5 things we are looking forward to as we prepare for our massive road trip. After thoughtful research we all have things that we can’t wait to experience at Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, The Cincinnati Zoo, Kings Island, Cedar Point, and The Columbus Zoo.

While this is mostly a return trip for Derek with a few notable exceptions, this is a brand new adventure for both Lindsay and Anabelle.

So what is on our lists? Watch to find out and follow us to see if these things made the cut as we bring you along on this 8 day road trip through the Midwest and Ohio Valley to some of America’s best Theme Parks and Zoos.

Address

571 Carlsbad Village Dr.
Phoenix, AZ
92008

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