Soldier's Wife, Crazy Life

Military Discounts

Hawks Cay Resort Celebrates its 15th Annual Heroes Salute Program

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Hawks Cay Resort, an iconic destination resort in the Florida Keys, is celebrating the 15th annual anniversary of its Heroes Salute program, honoring active and retired members of the military, fire and rescue, police, first responders, and medical personnel with special programming, packages and discounts available August 1 through December 25. This year’s program will be bigger and better than ever before with military veteranCraig Morgan performing at a special Key to Countryconcert during the Labor Day Weekend tribute event.

Annually, the Heroes Salute program offers qualified heroes the best rates of the year from August 1 through December 25. Guests who book with the Heroes Salute package will also receive discounts on resort amenities, including spa treatments at Calm Waters Spa, in-water Dolphin Connection experiences, group snorkeling at Solé Watersports, fishing charters from Hawks Cay Marina and many more. Heroes Salute rate starts at $169 and can be booked at hawkscayheroes.com.

“Heroes Salute has really grown into something special over the last 15 years. What started as just a small tribute event one weekend has turned into our most popular and rewarding program of the year,” said Bob Moore, acting general manager at Hawks Cay Resort. “Every fall, Hawks Cay becomes a sanctuary for our heroes to unwind and enjoy some rest and relaxation with their loved ones. Showing the heroes community our appreciation is the most important thing we do here. It means a lot to everyone in the Hawks Cay community.”

To celebrate the launch of the seasonal program, Hawks Cay is hosting Heroes Salute Weekend September 1-3 with celebrations including fun-filled, patriotic festivities, including a hero tribute ceremony, 5K run, touch-a-truck event, live music, fireworks, games, contests and more. To commemorate the milestone anniversary, the resort will also host its popular Keys to Country concert series with a special performance by internationally acclaimed country music singer and military veteran Craig Morgan, who will take to the oceanside stage on Sunday, September 3. Weekend events can be found atfloridakeysheroes.com,and guests interested in adding the concert to their reservation should use promo code HEROKC.

Recognizing those who support our heroes, civilians interested in honoring our service members and first responders can book the Heroes Supporters package from August 1 through December 25 to receive a 15 percent discount on accommodations when a donation $5 or more is made to the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation.

Learn more about Hawks Cay’s Heroes Salute program by visiting www.hawkscayheroes.comorhawkscay.com.

About Hawks Cay Resort

A recipient of the prestigious AAA Four Diamond Award and a member of the Preferred Hotel Group Lifestyle Collection, Hawks Cay Resort is located on Duck Key in the Middle Florida Keys. Situated roughly halfway between Key Largo and Key West at mile marker 61, this 60-acre, tropical destination is easily accessible by car, boat or plane yet feels worlds away from everyday life. Alongside the aquamarine water of the Atlantic Ocean, guests enjoy offshore, flats and backcountry fishing; diving; kayaking and standup paddle-boarding programs; Cliff Drysdale tennis program, and the only resort-based Dolphin Connection program with complimentary daily viewings in the continental U.S. The resort boasts 177 guestrooms and 250 two- and three-bedroom villas, a full-service marina, six restaurants, saltwater lagoon, six swimming pools, kid and teen clubs and the award-winning Calm Waters Spa. For more information, please visitwww.hawkscay.com.

Use a Military Discount at These 3 Amusement Parks this Summer

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Knott's Berry Farm

It’s summer! Time for family vacations and keeping kids busy while they are out of school. What better way to do so than taking them to an amusement park? You should already know about the Disney military discount but we don’t all have the ability or the budget to plan a big Disney trip, even with their fantastic discount.

Well, you don’t have to travel to Disney to find a good military discount on an amusement park. Here are three other amusement parks within the United States that you can use a military discount at.

Dollywood Military Discount

Dollywood is Dolly Parton’s amusement park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, in the Great Smoky Mountains. The theme park is a four-hour car ride from Fort Campbell, and close to other military installations in the south. Dollywood started in the 1960s as Rebel Railroad, becoming Goldrush Junction, then Silver Dollar City until 1986 when Dolly Parton bought into the park and Dollywood was born.

Dollywood offers special military tickets to US active duty military, retired military, veterans, reservists, their spouses, and dependents. They offer a military discount on 1-Day, 2-Day, and 3-Day tickets as well as on season passes. You can buy your tickets here.

Knott’s Berry Farm Discount

I grew up going to Knott’s Berry Farm so this amusement park will always have a special place in my heart. Located in Buena Park, California, a few miles from Disneyland, this park has fun for all ages.

Knott’s began in the 1920s when the Knott family sold their berries, pies, and preserves at a roadside stand. Ghost Town was created in 1940, and a summer-long county fair was opened in the 1950s. The first ride, the Log Ride, my personal favorite, was opened in 1969. By the time I was a small child in the 1980s, Knott’s was a full-functioning amusement park. Knott’s is now owned by Cedar Fair and offers a military discount on tickets. You can buy your tickets here.

Knott’s Berry Farm also has Military Tribute Days in November and December. This is when active duty military, retired military, and veterans can receive a more discounted rate for them and up to five guests. Last year the tickets were only $20, what a deal!

Holiday World Military Discount

Holiday World and Splashin’ Safari are an amusement park and water park in Santa Claus, Indiana. Holiday World is full of family fun with the park divided up into four holiday sections, Christmas of course, Halloween, 4th of July, and Thanksgiving. You can also stay at the Santa Lodge, which we did on a family trip a few years ago, with its giant Santa statute.

Santa Claus Land opened in 1946, soon after World War Two ended. At first, the park just had a Santa, a toy shop, toy displays, as well a place to eat, and children’s rides. In the 1970s, the park changed locations and focused more on families instead of just children. In 1984, the name was changed to Holiday World to include more holidays than just Christmas.

The Holiday World military discount is $34 off a one-day admission. They also offer a couple of military season passes. You can buy your tickets here.

While these are just three examples of amusement parks with military discounts, there are many others around the country. From Sea World to Six Flags. Before planning a family trip, make sure to do your research to see where you can save some money. Even $10 off a ticket can make for some great savings when buying tickets for your whole family. You can also find military discounts at zoos, museums, and other family-friendly locations.

Where is your favorite place to find a military discount?

Did You Know Kroger Has a Military Discount?

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Does Kroger have a military discount?

Grocery shopping is not fun these days. The cost of everything has gone up it seems, and what used to be affordable now feels high priced. As military families, we do have choices. We can shop at the Commissary which gives us an average of 22% savings over regular grocery stores, with plans to raise that to 25%. However, the Commissary isn’t always the easiest place to shop.

For us, it takes anywhere from 20-30 minutes to get to the Commissary. We like to go a few times a month but Kroger is much easier to shop at on a regular basis. And luckily there is a way to save money there too. At least in the Fort Campbell area.

Kroger in Clarksville, TN, and Hopkinsville, KY offer a 10% military discount on Wednesdays. This discount is for active duty military, retired military, national guard, and reserves and their dependents. You just need to show your military ID. They might even ask you about it if you shop there on a Wednesday.

I have no idea if this discount will expand past the Fort Campbell area, but we are thankful to have the discount here.