**Disclosure: The opinions below are of my own, your opinion may vary. The VIP coupon, giftcard, information and additional gift card to give away were all provided by Safeway and Fiber One through MyBlogSpark.
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It had it's own little kitchen area with a refrigerator, microwave, sink and coffee maker. I have to mention the towels - these were actually soft and big enough to fit around me!! LOL! Most towels at most motels have been washed so many times that they are so rough and tiny too. The only downside I found at this chain is that only one of the three we stayed at had laundry facilities. We ended up getting back in our room late that night and had expected to do laundry - then found out they had not laundry room so ended up having to go to a coin operated wash. Other than that it was a great affordable stay!
The Red Roof Inn has been around since 1973 offering guests a clean, comfortable room at an affordable price and trusted by trusted by many. You can be sure to find one along your route with 345 properties in 36 states. The Inn seems to run many promotions from time to time. We took advantage of the Denny's Promotion they were running throughout the month of March which allowed us to receive a coupon for a buy one get one free Grand Slam at Denny's. You can also sign up for their RediCard where you'll enjoy special member-only benefits. You can visit www.redroof.com for rates and more information. 
Did you know that tooth decay is the most common chronic childhood disease today (source: Oral Health America) More than 51 million hours of schooling are lost annually due to the lack of dental care among children. One of our stops along the way to San Francisco was a visit to the Dental Ronald McDonald Care Mobile in Richmond, CA. We were so amazed at our visit to the Ronald McDonald House a few months ago that we were eager to visit the mobile care unit! Not receiving dental care can lead to a more serious illness, and not only effect your health but your self-esteem as well. The first thing that most people notice is your smile and not having confidence about your smile can lead to low self-esteem and depression. There are only two Ronald McDonald Care Mobile Dental offices in California - this one in Richmond, and one in Santa Clara. 
Once inside, we were amazed at how it looked just like an actual dentist office - maybe even a bit better looking than some I've seen..... They do more than just an exam here - they can do a full cleaning, x-rays, and even some minor dental work for those that need it. If it's major work that needs to be done they will refer the patient out to a children's specialist. Many of the patients seen here have not seen a dentist in a very long time; and some not at all. Lack of dental care has a profound impact on not only the patient, but the community as well. It can lead to lower educational attainment, reduced family income, lost worker productivity, and a strained national and world economy.
Safari West is home to over 400 exotic mammals and birds on 400 acres of land in Santa Rosa, CA. These animals are given a chance to live in their natural habitat and gives us an opportunity to observe them first hand and up close. This is not just like any other zoo where you walk around looking at the animals in cages, but you actually get up close and personal with many of them. This wildlife preserve was established by Peter Lang in 1989 who had an ongoing mission to preserve wildlife through breeding, education, research and public interaction.
The above picture is from our jeep tour of the property. This is really how close you come to the animals, it's their land...and your just a guest driving by! It is home to cheetahs, lemurs, cape buffalo, zebras, and so many more. I have to say, the tour is not exactly what we thought it would be - we expected more adventure, more excitement and a more variety of animals. We started off the tour with a walk around a few of the caged animals - typical to a walk at the zoo. We visited birds, the cheetahs, and the lemurs - which were out in the open, but close enough to walk to. Then we hopped in the jeep, with everyone taking turns to sit up top. Our youngest daughter was not tall enough yet, so I stayed down below with her, while my husband and son sat up top first. The terrain was a bit rough, but I think that was mostly due to all the recent rain the area has had, there was alot of mud and water puddles to go through. That actually made the tour a bit more exciting - especially for the kids who loved the 4-wheeling through the mud! The animals were very spread out, but then they have so much free land to roam there were times we had to go in search of the animals. The tour in the jeep lasted about two hours which turned out perfect because as soon as we were done dinner was about ready.
The area in the above picture is where lunch and dinner is cooked and served buffet style. It's all you can eat, which is what I would expect it to be at the price they charge!! Dinner is $29 for adults and $17 per child. The night we were there they were serving BBQ Chicken (white meat), rice, twice baked potatoes, green beans, salad, and soup. The food was OK, but not as good as we were looking forward too. The chicken was great - always gotta love BBQ Chicken! But again, it was really over priced......I would never pay that much for what was served - really should be half that! Loved the fire pit and eating outdoors with a view of the animals and the scenery. 
The tents you see in the above picture was the most amazing part of the trip!! They call them their African Safari Tents. These are heavily lined with canvas and have thick plastic windows and are imported from Africa. The furniture is mostly entirely crafted from on site wood. The beds were huge, so soft and very very comfortable!! I wanted one for my own house! I would not recommend a visit during the winter months as even with our stay it got very cold!! Each tent does have an electric blanket on each bed as well as a wall heater which keeps it comfortable at night. The windows are covered by Velcro flaps which is very cool - especially during the warmer months you can keep them open and have a view of the animals and all the open land. There are no TVs or phones in the tents, which make it more meaningful and gives you more time to really enjoy your visit. They also have a lake on site and each night during the warmer months they will meet you out there in the evening to feed the catfish - which the kids loved!!
All in all it can be a pretty amazing experience, but is a slower pace and not as adventurous as we expected. Another downside is the price - it can be very expensive, and with the economy the way it is, it would make it tough for many to visit. The safari tent is it's own experience which I would recommend to anyone just looking for that experience without traveling all the way to Africa. The kids were a bit bored after taking the tour, it would be nice to see them have more activities or stuff to keep the kids busy. Honestly I would go just as a couple and take advantage of the beautiful Safari Tents and scenery. This is not something I would plan if coming in from out of town, I would have rather spend more time visiting family or sightseeing the historic spots around town......
Reservations are required and the following prices are listed as of today -
Visit www.safariwest.com for more information
For more information on CO safety and Underwriters Laboratories visit www.ul.com
Kroger has announced their new beauty care line for women seeking effortless beauty. Personally I cannot believe that Korger did not do this long ago - but I was so excited to be given the opportunity to try their new product line. I have always searched for the "perfect" hair products for my hair. My hair is long and thick - which means I have to wash it every day or I feel like it's dirty and stringy! That also means I need a good product that will help ease styling as well as give me that extra volume and moisture my hair needs. I guess you could say I have that idea in me that the more you pay for the item the better quality you will get. That also goes with store brands. I am more of a brand name person who normally would not give store brands a second look unless I really on a budget and trying to save a few dollars. I can say, I love the look of their new line - it seems fresh and does not have the typical "store brand" look.
Product description from Kroger -
Starting today - you can purchase or upgrade your passports to Disney's new Premier Passport. The pass is available at both California and Florida Parks. The pass will include -
Rhoost is more fashionable and modern. Fitting in with the decor more, while at the same time protecting our children. Rhoost products are made from a recyclable thermoplastic elastomer, which feels like a rubber - something I can be certain that would not hurt my child if they were to fall against it. With the plastic, the children were still capable of scraping themselves. This new product was easy to use and clean, and withheld the test of my children pulling and twisting at it. 
Electrolux and Kelly Ripa are joining together to support the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. At a recent "cake-off" event, five teams of bakers decorated their own cakes for the cause. You love cake, don't you? Come on, you can admit it - it's for a good cause, that's your excuse this time! Kelly's Cake Off For A Cause gives you a chance to support the research by voting for your favorite cake from Kelly's Cake Off. For every vote cast, Electrolux will donate a $1.00 to OCRF as part as it's $500,000 commitment to help fight ovarian cancer! You can even decorate and send a special cake to a friend, family member or someone you love. For every cake sent, Electrolux will donate another $1.00 to OCRF.
