Ten Things Thankful: Fall Road Trip addition.
Oh dears. I shan’t even look at the last time I posted.
I need to go back over the last few weeks and put a few great things – down.
Ten Things Thankful: Fall Break with the Kids Addition.
Hadn’t visited my sister and nephews in Sarasota for a while. So the two youngest and I piled into the 2001 Infiniti and headed southward down I-75.
If I kept giving them ice cream — they couldn’t yell at each other with their mouths full.
10. So thankful said Infiniti ran great all 8 hours.
Nothing like having a car that’s paid for and runs great.
9. Electronic devices.
Though I believe hand-held, mind-numbing devices will be the end of the civilized world – they do come in handy on an 8 hour drive.
8. No bloodshed.
No bloodshed on drive down I-75. Thanks to the evil electronic devices for kids and talk radio for me to listen to. With no satellite radio in my 2001 wondermobile, I take what I can get in range. Which ends up being a little NPR, Hannity and Sports radio. I find the truth is somewhere in between.
7. Florida is good.
Okay. There has been way too much change in the state of Florida since my birth. Good change being the advent of my nephews, central air and Disney. The two latter have been the catalyst for most of this change (good and bad), but that is another column entirely.
Sitting out at my sister’s house, on a lake, in a quiet hood (except the occasional shrill of the a Sandhill Crane) reminds me of what was good in my childhood.
6.Siesta Key.
Siesta Key is the bomb. This from a girl of the Atlantic Coast. Just one afternoon there with my toes in the sand and the sun damaging my neck, makes up for 25.8 rainy winter ones in Central Georgia.
5. LegoLand.
This requires explanation. You know how mothers wring their hands and wipe tears away as their child graduates from elementary school. Seems like I do that with theme parks.
I figured that the kids and I would do a theme park as we headed northward. Busch Gardens would be a likely stop and my kids would love it. On the other hand, I was far more calculating. I didn’t mention Busch Gardens and only suggested Legoland saying I had a great coupon deal, which was true.
Here’s the motive behind the madness of a middle-age mom wanting to go to Legoland. I realized this is the last time my 10 year old would probably even consider going to a theme park that’s target market is 4-year-olds and grandparents with lots of money.
I love Legoland. There I said it. And this was the last time, I had a legit reason for going.
4. Never underestimate the power of a water gun fight.
The kids were complaining, as a teen and tween are wont to do at Legoland and then we found the Chima water gun ride.
I now know the key to world peace is to get all the countries – the crazies and borderline crazies – into a room with water cannons.
Everyone will be laughing and best buddies in the end.
3. Did I mention the water cannon ride? Adults enjoyed this more than the kids.
A selfie while I’m under attack.
2. I lost my keys.
Yes. After a full day at Legoland, it’s a slight bummer to go out to your car and discover your keys missing from your backpack. But thanks to my always prepared mummy, there was a spare in my wallet.
1. Margaritas. Well, actually a margarita. As in one. The kids and I pulled off the interstate for a night’s stay in Gainesville. As I went out prowling Archer Road like the huntress I am – I spotted a Chuy’s. We voted and decided a sit down meal was best way for mom to recoup for the day.
Filled with chips and with a slightly happy margarita mind, I was glad that we had taken off four days ago.
Thankful even.
Road trips, yea or nay?
Jamie, missed you, so happy to see you here! I love the bird photo! Anyway… road trip!!!! I have never been but always wanted to go to the LegoLand in Denmark… I dont know if ours are comperable so I guess I should start here seeing as I will probably never get to Denmark.
We went to a mall type Lego place in Atlanta. It does not seem to compare with your experience. I am glad you had this special time to bond. The tweens and teens grow up much too fast. 😉
I LOVE road trips! I plan ours with stops at weird places (this summer: world’s largest peanut, Texas State Prison Museum, and a natural alligator habitat, for starters). My kids keep most of the bickering and squabbling to a minimum. It would be heavenly to be able to drive to a gorgeous beach like that! Did your keys ever turn up?
I love the photo of the gull–you caught that expression perfectly!
No shame in loving Legoland. 🙂
Yes Kristi. That gull was telling all the other gulls that the potato chip was his. Very forcefully I might add. 🙂
Dianne they did. Yippee. Not for many days later. My son found them at school in a tiny obscure zippered pocket of his book bag that I used for the day. Can’t believe I missed it but those book bags have so many spots to squirrel things away.
Oh Zoe, it’s nice to be missed. And it is really a pretty little park in Florida but how fun to go “Old School” With Legoland in Denmark. Maybe if I’m not too ancient when grandkids appear, we can head there. 🙂
As Lucas gets older, I’m loving road trips a little more. When he was super tiny, they were not the most fun. What a great fall break!!
I think you’re just about at prime traveling time. There is that magic age when kids love to explore with their parents and are unabashedly excited about it. Then they hit tweenage and most of the things parents suggest for fun — is most lame. And only made bearable if a friend comes along.
Sarasota! YOu were in my neck of the woods!!! Its funny once I read that it was an eight hour drive I just knew it was from Georgia. Maybe I have made that trip a bit too often in the past!
I love a good family trip. I am weird like that. I was traumatized in the past by two of our family vacations. Well one was only half way a family vacation but anyway. We have gone to Orlando for the past two years as vacation and it has been wonderous!
There is something about those theme parks and loosing keys. It is a conspiracy if you ask me.
Well, I grew up in Winter Park and I always love coming back to the Florida sand, salt and sunshine. Orlando is a good catch-all. There are really cool, fun places for family fun and if you search — there are still glimpses of old Florida. Canoe trips down winding spring fed rivers and wonderful fish sammies at old out-of-the-way fish camps. Sarasota is beautiful. Love it.
The white sands of Siesta Key are always a big winner in my book!
I know Carol. If only it wasn’t eight hours away.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE roadtrips! Yours sure looks like fun to me! I’m actually flying out to Florida with my husband in less than two days now.
It looks like you had so much fun, and indeed you have a lot to be grateful for!
That is an extraordinary photo of the bird on the beach. I am very impressed!
PS I love Florida. It’s where we want to retire….
Have fun Wendy — this is a great time of year. Seems like the humidity is lower but still warm.
That bird was a trip. He/she? was very protective of any food we might toss towards the birds. He definitely wanted to be top bird.
What fun! I love a road trip with my girlfriends. My method is to leave early, randomly choosing a direction and where we hit by nightfall is where we start exploring. I took a road trip this summer with my (grown) son and daughter in law up to Delaware (from Georgia). It was exhausting, but great. Here’s to your next adventure!
Margaritas AND Legoland? Now THAT is my kind of road trip. I’ve wanted to take my grandsons to Legoland for quite some time. Now I want to even more. In San Diego, though, I think, not Florida (just cuz it’s closer).
A great memorable time, it seems! Hooray for you and yours!
I am quite familiar with Legoland have an 8 and 10 year old. Glad to see I have a kindred spirit out there. I will look for you the next time I am there!
Okay, you know how to take a road trip! I want to go with you next time! Love that picture of the bird, by the way. Wow!
Jamie, I just love you. And one day I’m determined to meet you in person. I also love road trips and Legoland. I’ll never forget playing mini golf there with my kids and father in law who lives on a golf course in San Diego. I’ve never seen anyone so comically serious about lining up his shots. I wanted to go “Dude! Chill out. This is putt putt!!!”
Wonderful photos and comments. Your kids will remember this trip long after they’ve grown up…which will be in about 10 minutes!
Ah what great pics and great fun! I miss those road trips when my kids were young!
What a great list for what sounds like a successful road trip! Water cannons do make life worth living don’t they? Thanks for the oh so deeply felt smile!
I am a fan of Legoland, but that is not a big surprise considering I loved Legos as a kid.
The beach is always a place of refuge for me, sand between my toes and water up to my nose and I am happy.
This list is a good idea, I ought to try it sometime. I think we forget how much good there is in our lives sometimes.
Mercy Maud! That’s a lotta comments! You have surely been missed. What a (/an almost) perfect fall break. 🙂
We need to catch up. Again. xo
yes. We need a walk …….
I feel the same Angela. I bet we’ve have a ball at Legoland.
WHOA! You must have slipped in at the very last minute! Your road trip looks so good, and the weather looks FABULOUS! I’m so pleased you had a gorgeous time and lots of laughs together as a family.
Did you ever find the key again?
Oh, LegoLand! We took my son Miles there last year and had a blast! Loved the boat with the water blasters!