Friday (3/22) We all got up early and started moving very quickly. I started doing stuff around the house that needs to get done while Adrian and the boys started packing us up. We worked quickly and I was shocked that we were ready around 11:30. We decided to heat up the last of the leftovers and eat lunch quickly before hitting the road. After lunch and a quick stop for gas, we were on the road shortly after noon on our way to Florida. We did really well and made it quickly thru Ohio and the northern part of Kentucky. The we hit horrible traffic in central Kentucky and lost nearly an hour of time in that. After that, we sailed again for the rest of the day and made it just in to Georgia before we were ready to stop for the night. Unfortunately we had a tough time finding a hotel with availability and had to drive almost another hour before we finally found a room for the night. It was not an ideal room but we made it work. We saw the end of the Ohio State basketball game and then settled down to get some rest. It was a long day in the car and we were all exhausted!!
Saturday (3/23) Day two of traveling started later than we had planned. We got up around 8am and got moving and packed up for the day. Then we headed into the lobby for our "free continental breakfast" and it was horrible! They had a few pieces of bread, a bagel & some cereal. So we quickly decided to hit the road and find a place to eat. Turns out there was an IHOP right up the road so we headed there and all enjoyed Oreo pancakes before we hit the road for the last leg of our trip.
We started out great and it was smooth sailing thru Atlanta. Then about 30 or so miles south of Atlanta we got stuck in horrible traffic. It slowed us down a lot and we lost close to an hour. Then the traffic was hit or miss for a while before we hit another super slow spot in northern Florida. The whole drive, with stops took us like 10 hours, should have been 7-8 with stops. It was very frustrating and we were all losing our patience by the end of the day. Finally around 8pm we arrived at my parents' house!! They had dinner ready for us so we ate and relaxed for a bit before emptying the car. When we were settled in, we watched a little bit of basketball and then all headed to bed for the night since we were exhausted. It was a very long trip and I am looking forward to relaxing for a few days before we have to do it all again to get back home!
Sunday (3/24) We all slept in this morning and had a very lazy day. We had a slow start with a slow, late breakfast and some catching up with my parents. Then when we all finally motivated off the couches, we headed to the pool in my parents' development. We enjoyed having it mostly to ourselves since it was a little chilly for Florida. The boys loved swimming and then playing on the small playground that was also there. After a few hours of sun and fun, we headed back to the house. Adrian and AJ headed out to a local game store to check it out and play a few games while the rest of us stayed behind to get dinner ready and relax some more. We enjoyed a nice barbecue for dinner and then watched the OSU basketball game and were bummed, but not surprised, they didn't win. We spent the rest of the night, relaxing, chatting and planning out our week. It was exactly the day we needed after two days on the road!
Monday (3/25) We were a little quicker getting up and moving this morning, but not much since we are in full vacation mode. When we finally got up and ready, we headed out to the beach for the day. We went to a small beach on the Gulf of Mexico and had a great time! None of the 5 of us have ever been to the Gulf so it was a new experience for all of us. The water was cold but felt great and was super blue and clear. The sand was great, the boys loved building a sand castle with it. We spent a few hours playing in the sun, sand and water and it was a great way to spend a day!
After sitting in pretty bad traffic to get home, it was later than we were expecting. Adrian and I had dinner reservations at a nice restaurant but we missed them so we just went to Carrabba's for a quick date night instead. My parents took the boys to Red Robin for dinner and then out for ice cream. It wasn't exactly what we planned but it still turned out to be a great night. When we all got home, we got everyone settled down and to bed because tomorrow is an early morning for us.
Tuesday (3/26) We were up and moving early to head to Busch Gardens for the day! We were all excited to ride the rides, especially my mom who normally has to ride by herself. We got there a little after the park opened and got right down to riding. Zak was still up and down about whether he wanted to ride the big rides, but he rode a few during the day. Some highlights for us were Cobra Curse, Kumba, River Rapids and our favorite, Cheetah Hunt. AJ and my mom rode Shekra which has a 90 degree drop that none of the rest of us were brave enough to try. Zak did enjoy standing in the splash zone for the ride and got soaked head to toe while providing entertainment for all those around us. We stayed until the park closed and had an awesome day together! We got home, had a quick dinner and then headed to bed because we were all exhausted after a long, fun day.
Wednesday (3/27) Happy Birthday to ME!! We had a great day celebrating in the sun again today. We got up and got moving pretty quickly to head down to Sarasota to visit my Aunt Sue at her campground. We had a great time playing with her dog, Barney, swimming in her pool, playing mini golf and eating a delicious lunch and cake. We spent most of the day there before heading home to have dinner with my parents and my brother Jon who flew in for his annual golf trip and came to my parents' house for a short visit before heading down to Naples to golf. We had a great dinner together and then spent the rest of the night catching up and hanging out. It was a great way to celebrate turning 43!!
Thursday (3/28) It's our last full day of vacation and it's another jam packed day. Adrian got up and moving early to go golfing with my father and my brothers. They had a fun time, although it sounds like most of them didn't golf very well. While they were there, my mom and I took the boys to "Dinosaur World" for the day. We had a great day exploring the dinosaurs, watching a few shows and playing on the play areas. When we finished up there, we went down the street to a local winery and had a quick tasting while the boys played in their play area. The wine was delicious, especially the peach chardonnay and Key West key lime wines.
After we finished up, we headed home to meet up with the guys for another celebratory dinner. We enjoyed delicious stuffed shells and then Oreo ice cream cake for dessert. My brothers headed out to meet their friends for the weekend and the rest of us enjoyed some basketball and tried to play the game "Escape: Dinosaurs." It's an escape room that you do at home but unfortunately we weren't able to escape in the allotted time. We saved the game where we were and will try again when we get home. After all of that, we headed to bed to be ready to hit the road back to Ohio bright and early tomorrow.
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