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Archive for January, 2015

Beach Vacation II

23 Jan

This summer the kids were dying for another beach vacation, and so were we I admit. We went to Daytona Beach in Florida. It was great! We stayed at the Wyndam Worldmark for only $70 per night, which is a steal of a deal. We are all about vacationing on off days (Sun-Thurs if possible), going to church on the way, packing in our own breakfasts and lunches, and picking fun places to eat out for dinners. The kids absolutely love the water and sand so no extra entertainment is required. We took a beach umbrella this year to cut down on the sunburn and make it a little less hot for the 8-month Mommy. There was a kids play pool with slides and a lazy river at the hotel so that added to the water fun.

Daytona Beach is on the coast with a river running beside it. In fact, one sign said “Beaches” to the east and “DeLand” to the west! Funny. There are nice bridges, good scenery, and a mild temperature. The water is warm with good waves and some animals to see, and the sand was the finest white sand I have ever walked on. All in all, it was relaxing and fun. Some favorite highlights were:

  • A discussion of the Spanish moss on the trees along the drive,
  • A stay in Macon, Georgia, and totally friendly people at church,
  • A general good impression of Georgia overall (we would definitely go back there),
  • A sign for Emory University (except she was asleep as we went past),
  • Discovering that Jacksonville, Florida, is a beautiful city built on St. John’s River,
  • Being surprised by a wrap-around balcony and jetted tub in our room,
  • The fine white sand and of course the ocean,
  • Finding live snails with gorgeous shells on the beach,
  • Digging in the SAND (Oliver),
  • Surfing and seashells (Merayla),
  • Pelicans flying in formation right along the ridge of a wave (Cristian),
  • Floating out to sea (Mommy),
  • “Valu!” (Emmie),
  • Marshmellow sandwiches,
  • Watching a dolphin and a manatee peek out of the water,
  • A small carnival on the beach where Merayla went on her first rollercoaster ride with Aunt Char,
  • Oliver and Daddy racing cars around a track with Chris and Savannah,
  • Meeting a whittler on the pier that gave us a free statue of a gnome,
  • Getting caught under the pier with nowhere to go without wet shoes,
  • Oliver becoming a rhino, literally,
  • The most romantic restaurant in Daytona,
  • Not being able to squeeze past the car turned either way (Mommy),
  • The wild ride home, and Emmie saying, “Oh My!” over and over in a super deep voice (see last video post).