Before I launch into a bit of a recap of our Summer Vacation, let me please remind any former Google Reader subscribers that 1 – I am crying with you and 2 – I switched to Feedly and highly recommend you do the same (just make sure to put everything in Titles-only mode).
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So, on to our Summer Vacation recap. You need some personal history first, though.
When I was 7 my parents got a timeshare and we went to Disney. We stayed at a resort and wore Mickey Mouse cover-ups, got ears and rode the tea cups and It’s a Small World.
Since that year, I traveled with my family every summer using my parent’s timeshare. We’re beach people and even though the timeshare was technically in Myrtle Beach, SC, we often found ourselves on some Florida coast.
Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach, Vero Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Marco Island—so many fond memories.
For our family’s last summer vacation before I went to college, my parents splurged and took us to St. Thomas. It was my favorite vacation we took and I still dream of floating in crystal clear water hearing a man running down the beach yelling Cocktails. We never drank a cocktail but it was the principle, you know?
So, after I got engaged after my freshman year of college, I began taking my summer vacations with Scott and his family.
Due to several unfortunate factors, we didn’t plan a trip with his family this year so my parents planned a last-minute trip using their timeshare to, you guessed it, Florida. This time we ended up in Palm Beach, Florida (Riviera Beach, if you must be technical).
If I have my calculations round about right, it had been 15 years since I’d been on a Summer vacation with my family.
So, as I was walking into the resort, I had a bit of nostalgia of all the resorts we had visited when I was younger but also had a bit of a full-circle moment as I realized my girls are just a few years older than I was when we first started trekking to Florida.
It felt a little bit like home this past week and I realized just how lucky I was as a child and really, how lucky I was this week.
With all the stress of going into summer working and the water leak and just life, it couldn’t have been better timed. I honestly don’t know what kind of crazy person I would have been if I hadn’t driven 10 hours away last week. A time for everything, yes?
All that to say I guess that there’s a lot of rip-offs out there but I’ll be the first to say over 25 years later that my parent’s timeshare was a well-spent investment that I’m more grateful for than ever, especially this year.
I’m certainly not suggesting that a resort is the only way to relax. We have family-friends that super duper love their beach-side campground and we have loved all of our summers at a beach house rental with Scott’s family. I’m just saying timeshares can turn out to be a wise financial decision that gives back for generations, contrary to what some might think.
Every vacation is different and provides unique memories, timeshare or not, and these are a few of mine from Palm Beach.
We started off with one of my favorite memories—a $17 strawberry daiquiri—a splurge by Scott. That was one big honkin’ drink. The kids thought it was the best thing ever—probably because we’re way too cheap to do anything like that on a normal basis. All 7 of us enjoyed it.
I think it’s especially hilarious with the hat and sunglasses Scott bought the girls at Claire’s. It’s like HI, WE’RE ON VACATION.
We stayed pool side a few days where we did our normal routine of flips, handstands and such until one night we went to swim and a toddler had pooped in the pool for the second time that day. Lexi saw the poop in the bottom of the pool and then it just kind of ruined the whole deal for us.
We spent the rest of the time at the ocean. As you can see, it wasn’t terribly rough in the waters and there was almost no one on the beach so the kids were free to romp around on their own. This development, due to both age and environment, was glorious. Dear parents of little ones, the beach CAN be enjoyable!
I spent a lot of time in my happy place. I finished four books during the week and started into a 5th. My Twitterature post for July will be fat and happy.
I also bought this hat and felt super cool wearing it even if I’m not nearly cool enough to pull it off. But no one in Palm Beach knew.
On a whim, Scott decided to rent a paddle board. This is another anomaly as we’re not the renting type people. (Are you noticing all the splurging is on Scott’s part? I’m just sayin’)
But I admit, it was an awesome move on his part.
Emma was all about the board and went out right away. It took my mom a little convincing to get me out there and Lexi was in full-on temper tantrum mode about leaving the beach when he got it until she got a good talking-to by Grandma and I ordered her out there to GO HAVE SOME FUN WITH HER DADDY!
Clearly, we were torturing her.
Mid-week we decided we should you know, DO SOMETHING, so we decided on this amphibious tour called the Diva Duck. It toured Palm Beach and then took you in the water way and showed you a few of the mansions on Palm Beach.
Let me save you the cash and the sweaty leather seats and share my two favorite parts.
This mansion sits on Palm Beach and is owned by Celine Dion’s mother. Celine supposedly bought it for her mother for Mother’s Day. Hi, mom, here’s a card and OH, HERE’S A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR HOUSE.
This is George Clooney’s yacht named Encore that is docked in Palm Beach.
I desperately wanted it to pull out while we were on the Diva Duck and be like HI, GEORGE CLOONEY, WE’RE PASSING YOU ON THE WATER. We never saw him nor any other celebrity but apparently Palm Beach is full of them.
Except not in June.
We drove through Palm Beach later ourselves and most of the mansions were boarded up and those that weren’t, had sheets on the furniture.
Worth Avenue, which is the Rodeo Drive of Palm Beach, was like a ghost town even though it sports shops like Tiffany’s. We even found our cricket gear there too! It was good thing that we bought them there because our sports surface specialists were just about done with the pitch.
And let me say, I wouldn’t mind a revisit.
It wasn’t perfect—we had our moments, but the rest was good. Very, very good.
Tell me: where and what is your favorite summer vacation memory?
Great recap! It was a awesome week for us! Mom
My parents bought a time share in 1983, they used it with family and friends until about 8 years ago. Then it was left for anyone of the their children to use. So far only Jake (my son) an I use it every year. We go for the long labor day weekend to the original week/place they bought. Throughout the year, I look for last minute getaways to buy. We are lake people, not beach people though. The beauty of it all is that I found a small 250 acre lake, that only has about 28 units directly on the lake. We will be vacationing in less than a month. Pure peace! Most of the time,, we can buy an extra week for $200-$300. I have always loved my parents having a time share. Glad you all were able to have a great experience with your family timeshare.
That lake place sounds lovely! How nice you guys get to use it!
no picture of Lexi’s Dave & Buster’s pic?! That was the funniest moment of the whole trip for me.
That might need a post all on its own.
Great pictures! Looks like y’all had fun 🙂 I keep trying to talk my family into going on a big family vacation trip, but since we live so far away now we can’t ever make it happen.
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