We also looked into going out West or taking a cruise.... both were too expensive for this year but have been placed on the back burner for future vacation in next two years.
During one of our trips to Canada we visited a beach on Lake Superior that was absolutely gorgeous. We were amazed it was actually Canada because it looked Caribbean.
We thought.... well Lake Superior is also on the US side so maybe we should go to Michigan and
do a little camping, see the dunes... you know something DIFFERENT! I did some research and found a few places that looked like they might be nice but still didn't get much excitement from anyone.
I must tell you that I am a planner... I will plan and plan and plan until I am blue in the face. The fact that April was approaching and we didn't have reservations anywhere was driving me insane. I always "research", find the best place with the best deal, make reservations WAY in advance and then we talk about it for 9 months so we are giddy with excitement by the time vacation gets here. I will even go to the extent of printing out maps to all the locations we are going and place them in a folder labeled... "vacation".... I know... so original isn't it??? Ask anyone who knows me...... I plan for things and write them on the calendar way in advance. I need organization of our activities for some reason. But, at the same time I can be very spontaneous... not ALL the time... but sometimes. :)
Ok, so now that you know I was out of my mind with worry over no reservations.... no confirmation numbers..... no maps...... AND no destination!!!! I would bring up places we COULD go to and maybe one person in the family would say "yeah" that sounds cool while I get an eye roll or a turned up nose from someone else. Soooooooooo, guess where we are going on vacation this year????????? Yep, you guessed it FLORIDA!
BUT, we are doing something RADICALLY different this year. We are going to the GULF side instead of the ATLANTIC side. oooooooooh scary different. :) This still had me in a panic because it was a different location so I still had to find the perfect condo on the perfect beach with the perfect price within walking distance of perfect activities. I couldn't just call sweet Estelle who has rented her condo to us 5 times and make reservations for the same week.
Well, after several days of searching I found it! I found the perfect condo, on the perfect beach with a perfect price AND it is within walking distance of ice cream shops, all sorts of little stores and a public beach. We are staying in Siesta Key on Crescent Beach. It is a private beach to give us our quiet time together yet we are close enough to get crazy with people if we choose to do so.
Better yet, the owner lives in Cincinnati and he has called a couple times and has put my mind at ease on several issues. It is always hard to believe what you see on the Internet so speaking to him personally, and asking him questions, has helped a lot. AND I told him we really liked his condo but that it was a little out of our price range for our vacation budget so he said he would come down $200.00 for that week. Now tell me God was not helping me deal with my stressing..... as petty as my issues were.... I was stressing. I said we will take it... and thank you very much.
Ok, ... perfect condo on perfect beach.... check. Map printed out to location.... check. Week marked off on the calendar.... check. Animal sitters........ check. I started sleeping much better.
We typically end up on vacation on our birthdays. Ours meaning mine, Greg's and Nick's birthday on August 1st. Leslie has always been such a great sport about us all having the same birthday. We really don't make a big deal out of it... Nick has a party before we leave on vacation and then while on vacation we typically do our "big" activity for the trip on our actual birthday. We were so excited to find out that this year you can get into a Disney park FREE on your birthday. Ohhhhhhh, they didn't know they were dealing with the Jergens when they sat around their table and came up with this idea. We will enjoy a day at Disney for the 4 of us for $75.00. What a great deal huh?? I am excited.
Now we have to decide which park..... how can something so fun be so difficult?? I am about to give everyone their ticket and say..... pick a park... if we are together great if not, have a great time. Seriously!!!!! It is Disney people.... THE happiest place on earth.
The kid in Greg and I would love to go to The Magic Kingdom..... the electric parade..... the castle...It's a Small World..... Pirates.... ah the list could go on and on. However I think Disney takes on a whole different meaning for Greg and I. When we were little Disney was the bomb. We couldn't wait to watch The Wonderful World of Disney each week, we couldn't watch Disney movies anytime we wanted to... there were no DVD's of our favorite movie. If it didn't come on TV then you had to go see it in the theater. Our kids on the other hand have SOOOO much to see and do. We have purchased Kings Island passes several years in a row and they can watch a Disney movie anytime they want and it is taken for granted. Disney is not set on the same pedestal as Greg and I place it on. So, we are taking this into consideration when deciding what park to go to. We have been to Disney Land so it is not like we have never been, it is just hard to look at that castle and not walk through those gates... sigh. We do know that Disney Hollywood would offer much more age appropriate rides for our kids....so it looks like we are between Hollywood and Epcot. We will have a family meeting and take a vote, I will let you know.Even though the park decision is still up in the air... I know it will be Disney SOMETHING therefore I can make hotel reservations. :) It is going to be a great vacation. I will write later on why Florida keeps calling us back and why it is so sentimental to us.
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