"Live Life Like it's a Vacation": May 2021

Tuesday, May 25, 2021

5-25-21 Orlando - Atlanta

Or Reunion to Dallas, Ga. to be exact.

Today was the day we checked out of the Wyndham Reunion Resort. Got loaded up and on the road about 9 am.

Ken had been in touch with our x-neighbors when we lived in Buford. They were in the process of moving to Kathleen, Ga., about 5 miles from where we use to live in Perry! Figured that would be a good spot to take a break, so we arranged to meet them and go out for an early dinner at one of our favorite places when we use to live there---El J's.

Took about 4.5 hours to get to their place. Then they followed us to El Js. We had a really nice visit. They're about our kids' age, but we had a great visit. Even their 9 year old son was actually quite good the 3 hours we sat in the restaurant talking.

After eating, we parted ways. We headed to the butcher shop to pick up some meat for the kids. They loved that place. I was a little worried about the meat sitting thawed for another 2.5 hour ride, but the young man made a "red-neck cooler for us" (box with a plastic bag in it filled with ice and the meats.) It worked great!

Burgers for $8.85/pound! Got them 6.

They also love the Hawaiian sausage.

packed up in our "cooler".

We visited long enough that we made it to Atlanta after rush hour. Still a lot of traffic, but not stop and go.

And that ended another drive-to vacation. Turned out much better then I feared.

2021-May 17-25 Reunion and Clearwater Beach, Florida

2021 May Florida trip to Reunion

If you told me a year ago we'd have at least 4 road trips with Ken ahead of us, I would have been skeptical. Especially with a worldwide pandemic going on for over a year! But, thankfully, we have---Panama City, Destin, Lake Marion, and now Orlando! And in a couple weeks, we're off to St. Louis and Knoxville for another 7 nights (around Ken's 51st class reunion).

This was another rather impromptu trip. Josh had vacation time he had to take and we had Worldmark points that were expired in a Hawaii reservation for March 2021. I knew if I called WM I could have them put them in another reservation, but it had to be for a trip before the end of June or the points would be gone for good. So I let Angie search for a trip. She found a 3 bedroom accessible condo in Reunion, Florida, for 3 nights and another 3 nights in Pompano, Fl. With the extra room in Reunion, Ken agreed to go, too. But I didn't want to drive back from S. Florida, and didn't want to just go for 3 nights, so I booked 3 more nights at Reunion before Angie's 3 using our VIP Wyndham membership. Ultimately Angie also decided they didn't want to drive back from S. Florida, too, so I moved her reservation back up to Reunion following the 3 days they already had reserved. They couldn't go earlier because of Layla's school. About a week before the trip, I found 2 nights at the Wyndham Clearwater Beach resort in a 1 bedroom condo and asked them if they wanted to go there, too, since it was almost the same distance from Atlanta as Orlando. She said yes. Only problem with that was that Wyndham isn't allowing guest check in at their premium resorts right now since owners had to cancel so many vacations last year. No problem, Ken and I just stayed in Reunion the extra days with the kids, then drove out to Clearwater and checked them in. I was always curious about that resort, so I didn't mind going and spending the day with them, then going back to Reunion for our last night (minus the kids, again).

5-17-21 travel day to Orlando

our accommodations: Worldmark/Wyndham Reunion Resort

5-18-21 hanging around the resort and shopping

5-19-21 Lakefront Park

5-20-21 waiting for the kids to make it down

5-21-21 Disney Springs

5-22-21 Animal Kingdom

5-23-21 Apopka Wildlife Drive

5-24-21 Clearwater Beach (Wyndham Clearwater Beach Resort)

5-25-21 back to Atlanta

I was somewhat anxious about this trip. With Ken now 16 months since being diagnosed with Glioblastoma, I was afraid it would be really hard on him. But he seemed to enjoy it---as did the rest of us.

Monday, May 24, 2021

2021 Wyndham Clearwater Beach Resort

1 bedroom unit

We were staying in Reunion for a week, so when I noticed 2 nights pop up at Clearwater Beach at the end of that week, I booked it. We had never been to Clearwater Beach and know how hard it is to get into. I've been curious about this resort for quite some time.

We arrived about 3pm and they had our unit available. Angie and I were dropping off the luggage (the guys were in the other car looking for somewhere to park), but heard loud metalic clanking coming from above. After a couple calls, we found out they were working on the balcony above. So we were moved to another room.

The unit was small but nicely appointed.

The bed was comfy

kitchen was open.

view from our balcony.

the other room---reversed living room of the first one.

It did take some doing to find a luggage cart, but we finally did.

The pier is convenient to the resort (the resort is the light gray buildings to the right of the pier)

another view towards the Wyndham Clearwater Resort from the pier. (the 2 gray buildings. The first one is the Wyndham Grand hotel, the 2nd building is the timeshare units.

nice beach!

volleyball anyone?

back on the pier. It cost $1 to go all the way to the end, but about 2/3rds of the pier was free.

from the pier

the large boardwalk across from the resort.

5-24-21 over to Clearwater Beach

Today was the day the kids were checking in to the Wyndham Clearwater resort for 2 nights. So after they packed up and loaded up, we followed them in our car. I had checked the distance of Clearwater - Atlanta and it was only 30 minutes longer then from Reunion. So I assumed it was only 30 minutes to get to Clearwater from Reunion. Wrong! It didn't occur to me that you didn't have to go back to Orlando to go home! I didn't even think about I-75 running all the way down Georgia and turning towards the Gulf coast after entering Florida! So I was a little surprised to find it was actually about a 2 hour drive from Reunion - Clearwater Beach. But I was really curious about that Wyndham resort and love seeing the beach, so I was happy to go there for the day; then Ken and I drove back to REunion for the night before heading back to Atlanta the next day.

Before we headed to Clearwater, Angie took a few more pictures of Layla at the REunion resort. Layla certainly is photogenic ad knows how to work it!

By now she was really starting to feel the full effects of her latest cold. Good think there are so many tissue boxes at the resort. We took them all and she went through most of them while on the trip.

The drive to Clearwater wasn't bad. Did take about 2 hours, but I was excited to be going to see the beach.

and I LOVE palm trees!!!!

Angie and I went and checked into the Wyndham while the guys rode around---ending up in the parking lot next to the Wyndham and on the beach. Check in was smooth. Soon we were in their 1 bedroom unit. The view from that room was of the bay behind the beach. Not bad, but not the Gulf.

The unit was pretty nice---and very modern.

With Layla being so sick and waking up several times in the middle of the night the last couple days, 1 bedroom was good for them. Layla just slept with them.

As we were checking out the unit, we started hearing loud clanking noises from above. Called maintenance and found out they were working on the lanai above us. So I called the front desk and asked if they could move us and they did.

the new unit was the reverse of this one, but just as nice---and much quieter.

This unit even had a pretty good view of the Gulf.

I even like the artwork in these units.

We concluded this new unit was slightly smaller, but just as nice.

All checked in, we headed out to pick up the guys and go find something for dinner. After driving around and trying a couple places with long lines and no parking, we came across this place.

Cute little place and turned out to be very good!

They even had $1 beer specials

the fried grouper sandwiches were really good, too.

Layla was still feeling down, but coping pretty well.

After dinner, we went back to the condo and settled in.

Didn't take long for poor little Layla to zonk out.

While the guys rested and Layla slept, Angie and I walked down to the pier. The two grey buildings are the Wyndham---the hotel, The Grand on the left and the timeshare units on the right.

The wide walkway

on the pier.

Even had volleyball courts right outside the resort.

another look at the Wyndhams

looks like the kind of bucket the resort gave Layla when they went to the beach the next day.

across the water

a grackle helping herself to some minnow bait.

It was the first time any of us had been to Clearwater Beach. Looks like a place we'd like to get back to someday.

Sunday, May 23, 2021

5-23-21 Apopka Wildlife drive

After a tiring day yesterday, today we planned to take a ride to the Apopka Wildlife drive and do a nice leisurely 11 miles ride through the area.

Again Ken and I got up with Layla and let angie and Josh sleep a bit more. Then I made breakfast.

We all rode to apopka together---Ken in the front seat, me in the back folding bench so I could slide from side to side. Almost immediately we started counting alligators.