So last year while scrolling through good ol’ Facebook, I came across this bowling alley that looked super cool because it had a underwater theme to it. I was determined to take my family and so I decided to put it on my vision board for the 2020 year. We decided we would go for my son’s birthday. It was suppose to be a huge family little getaway but due to the pandemic and the many uncertainties, we ended up changing some things. However, we did end up staying in Peoria for the weekend and I’d like to share my experience. Take a look!
I booked a home through Airbnb (https://www.airbnb.com/), which is something I always do if it is more than just my children and I traveling. If other adults are traveling, the airbnb is usally cheaper than what you’d pay for a hotel and you don’t have to worry about being far away from your travel buddies. I must say that this airbnb exceeded my expectations and the photos provided still didn’t highlight how great of a house this was. It had 4 bedrooms, 4 baths, 2 living rooms and a phenomenal kitchen. The home had technology upgrades, that took some getting use to for me but were great. My favorite part of the home was the furnished balcony and the kitchen with the wine chiller located within the kitchen island.
We arrived late Friday night so we decided to order in. For whatever reason, everything was considered “too far” from the house even if it was only 15 minutes away. I wanted to try a deep dish pizza but because of the issues with getting Uber Eats to deliver, we just decided to pick up a pizza anywhere that we could. I placed an order with Bacci Pizza in Peoria that included two pizzas and a side of wings. The pizza was okay but I would have preferred better crust. I’d also say, that if it says your order will be ready in 15 to 30 minutes, go for the 30 minutes and then add 20 to 30 minutes on to that. I found out the hard way.
Moving on to Saturday, we started the day with breakfast at Childers Eatery (https://www.childerseatery.com/) located on University street. The restaurant was nice, it isn’t too big but it was still able to accommodate our party of 9. I enjoyed that it was kid friendly in atmosphere and with menu choices. Our server was very nice and helpful for our first visit there.
The menu has a lot of good choices. There were so many items that I wanted to try.
I decided to go with the Tropikale fresh squeezed juice, coffee, and s’mores. My daughter had a cute bear pancake and my son had the chicken and waffles. My cousin had french toast with fresh strawberries, grits, and eggs. Everything was so delicious. We wanted to go back for breakfast on our last morning but didn’t make it. However, I would absolutely eat there again.
Me trying to get a good photo of the bridge and water while driving. (I know, bad me.)
Pulling up you would have thought you were going to an amusement park. The children and I were so in awe of the buildings and the little items around as we drove.
Due to Covid, masks are required. You get checked in at the front desk and then they tell you which lane is yours. You have to write everyone’s name, shoe size, and form which was a little tedious. Once you give them this information they enter it into the system so that the names come up when you are ready to play automatically. Once at your lane, someone comes over to give you a menu and the bartender comes over to take your drink and food order. I had the gator bites and a fishbowl which had several different liquors. The gator bites were well seasoned and fresh. My drink had more of a juice taste than what I would have liked but after a few sips and a couple stirs, I could taste the alcohol. We also took advantage of the arcade that they had which the kids may have loved more than bowling. The arcade had plenty of games and activities for both adults and children. The children were also able to get prizes at the end.
Overall, I enjoyed my time at Uncle Buck’s Fishbowl & Grill (https://www.unclebucksfishbowlandgrill.com/). I imagined it to have a little more of the effects of being under the water such as a water moving under the lanes or sharks moving along the wall. However, we still enjoyed the environment because it was different from what we have back home in Ohio. One thing I didn’t like was them not having a drink menu and me having to go where the front desk was located and taking a photo with my phone of the drink menu in order to place an order. I just thought that was a little extra. I would still recommend that people at least check the place out during a family vacation or getaway. For the most part, I enjoyed my time in Peoria, IL and would like to go back to check out some other places.
Until next time…
Adventures with Ny 