St. Augustine, FL

 I love history. Seriously. The only thing that makes history better is ghost stories enmeshed with history. I said it and I am proud of it.

St. Augustine, Florida has something for every history lover for sure. And then some.

Is your era pre-colonial America? 

St. Augustine is the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the continental United States, with a history that spans over 400 years.  Founded in 1565, we found that wandering the original streets brought us back to Portugal and Spain - the layouts of the streets, the cobblestone, the courtyards of the early homes, even the tile marking the homes.  We had to stop ourselves from saying "Portugal" and "Spain" for fear that our friend would be annoyed with us.  

We wandered into several craftsman shops and just fell in love with the tile, art, and ceramics.  It's a good thing that we flew, because if we had had our car, I would have purchased quite a bit of pottery!

The American Golden Age

St. Augustine was really quite the destination in the 1880s -  roaring '20's.  Walking through the town, particularly Flager University, was a walk through history. The design, the art, the mood and feelings all captivate and absolutely made us want to return for more time in this area.

While we were within easy walking distance to Flagler, we also appreciated the hop on hop off trolley.  There is a lot to see and this gal is not the spring chicken she used to be.  I was very happy to hop on to a trolley to get across town and then wander over there.  The one day that we unintentionally walked everything was a bit exhausting. (and I may have been a little cranky and grateful for the pool at our rental house!)

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The All American Road Trip

Do you love new adventures and exploring new areas? I have loved "family drives" since I was a kid.   When I was young, my parents would put us all in the car and head out to a mountain lake, a fair, an historical site, a beach ... you never knew where you'd end up!  

As an adult, I love to continue to explore.  I like to map out a path and then stop and explore as the mood strikes or places I've highlighted on my list. How else would I know that there is a life sized recreation of Stonehenge in Virginia, known as "Foamhenge"?
 

And I definitely would not have otherwise spent 2 hours exploring the most amazing boot barn somewhere in Missouri (yes, I do have boots from that stop!), wandered the coast of North Carolina envisioning the Wright Brothers' first flight, or exploring funky metal work shops and collections in Arizona. 

When I'm mapping out a road trip (for me or for a client), after I have all the important things settled -- the

hotels, the main route, then the fun begins.  What are the quirky things to see on the way? Famous restaurant that you saw on a TV show?  Area where some of your favorite old westerns were filmed? Scope them out, make a list, and keep it in your itinerary. 

As a travel agent, I find out what my clients enjoy - history? food? science? fossils? and then I research these things on their travel path.  Roadtrip vacations can be so much fun if you are flexible and willing to veer off the beaten path every once in a while.

You might not stop at everything on your list, but you can have options available based on the mood in the car. 

Sometimes the unexpected stops add to the best family memories and stories!

What are some of the fun stops you've made on your travels? Share in the comments!

Disney World for Adults

If you have visited Disney World with your children, you have spent major bucks on an exhausting, foot aching, long days vacation. 

And it was fun. The kids laughed, smiled, hopefully gave you lots of appreciative hugs. 

But you needed a vacation to recover from your vacation.

So let's talk about visiting Disney World WITHOUT the kids.  Yes. You can. And it's great!

Enjoy your resort. Book a deluxe resort...the amenities are worth it for your adult vacation.

Sleep in and then take a book and a beverage and relax poolside. No rushing to get to a park. No guilt for sitting still, and no whims to cater to except your own.

Visit your favorite park for a casual trip. You don't have to do every ride and attraction. Get a beverage and people watch. Have a conversation with your partner, or even a stranger.  Do one or two favorite spots and then leave before its steamy hot.

Visit an upscale restaurant where you can enjoy a meal and, in some cases, a beautiful view.

The hot tubs are great, especially at the end of the day. Relax with a book and a beverage and feel the stresses melt away.