Florida

Florida!  If you asked me many years ago what I thought of Florida, I'd probably have said I don't really think about it.  But over the years, I kept getting drawn back there.  First was a work trip for Ken in 1988 which the kids and I tagged along to.  Then when the Angie graduated from high school in 1999 I arranged a short trip to Florida and the Bahamas as a family senior trip.  Then there were a couple of my work trips there for winter meetings in Orlando.  Dad joined me for one of them and bought into the RCI resort I had gotten a bonus vacation at (Orange Lake Resort).  So Dad and I started going almost every year to use his 5th week of the year at Orange Lake Resort.  Then we started venturing out to S. Florida.  Eventually Angie and Josh even moved to S. Florida and we really started going there a lot.  I was hooked!!!  Fell in love with S. Florida.  We even moved there to be near the kids, then they moved to Georgia.  So we followed them to Georgia and are back to vacationing in Florida.

 

1988 Orlando

 

1999-Florida/Bahamas trip

 

2002 Jan. first trip to Orlando with Dad

 

2003---Orlando, Feb., with Dad and Angie

 

2004 winter Florida/1st cruise experience!

 

2005 Orlando with Dad followed by a do-over Disney Cruise

 

2008 Orlando---last trip with Dad

 

2009 - June; Sunny West Palm Beach

 

2009 May Orlando "Sunshine state" trip

 

2009 Oct Pompano trip with Ken 

 

2010 Orlando with David and Jane

 

2011 Oct.--Pompano Beach, Florida Sisters' trip 

 

2012 -April trip to Orlando with a Disney fanatic

 

2012 Sept to Coral Springs to visit the kids

 

2012 Nov. S Florida to visit the kids

 

2013 Feb. trip to Florida (Sea World)

 

2014 Just a little cross country drive to Florida in June/July

 

2015-2016 Living in South Florida!!!!

 

2017 Feb. 4-11 Orlando trip:

 

2020-Feb 1-4 Orlando 

 

2020-6 Panama City Beach trip

 

2020-sept 27- Oct 1 Destin, Fl. 4 night vacation

 

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

 

 2025 Dec. Panama City Beach Respite trip

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2011 Oct.--Pompano Beach, Florida Sisters' trip

The last few years, my sister and I have managed to go on some pretty great "sisters'" vacations.  So in Nov. of 2011, we decided it was time to do another one.  Since Ken and I already had a cruise out of Fort Lauderdale planned in Nov., I asked Carolyn if she would like to come out and join me a week early and piddle around southeastern Florida.  She agreed to, so I booked us a 2 bedroom condo at Wyndham Sea Gardens in Pompano Beach, just north of Fort Lauderdale.  It's actually about 5 different resorts combined into one: North and South Cabanas Buildings (closest to the office); North and South Waterfalls buildings (just past the Cabanas buildings); Ocean Palms Building (the newest and most updated  at a 90 degree angle to the ends of the Waterfall buildings); Key West Building (the oldest and set off to the side by itself), and the North and South Ocean View Buildings (all studios, I believe).  Ken and I had stayed in the Ocean Palms Building and really liked it alot.  So when all I could get was in the Key West Building, I was afraid it would be old and grungy and disappointing after having stayed in the new Ocean Palms Building.  Although Ken and I are Wyndham owners, I actually picked this week up from RCI exchange company really cheaply.  I also know exchangers are often given the worst rooms, so that had me worried, too.  None of my VIP benefits with Wyndham would be honored as an exchange guest.

Things didn't start out too well.  I arrived a little after check-in time of 4pm and they didn't have our room ready yet.  I waited over an hour before it was ready.  Once in the room, I noticed the plastic cover on the door lock was broken and the toilette seat in the master bedroom was on the bathroom floor.  So I called maintenance, then had to rush out to head back to the airport to pick up my sister, Carolyn.  By now it was raining cats and dogs again.  I waited at the cell phone lot for quite awhile past her arrival time.  Suddenly the "Arrivals" board changed to list her flight as "Cancelled".  What?????  It took off!  Where was it???  After a frantic call to home to have Ken check the internet, Carolyn finally called to say her plane had landed----in West Palm Beach, about 50 miles away.  She was given the option of getting off the plane there or waiting for the weather to get better and continue on to Fort Lauderdale.  We decided she should get off and I'd drive to West Palm Beach to get her.  About an hour later we were on our way back to Pompano from West Palm Beach.

Back at Sea Gardens, things started looking up.  The repairs were made before we got back.  My fears of the older Key West Building not being nice was unfounded.  It had just been renovated and was actually very pretty, not as fancy as Ocean Palms, but quite acceptable!  It didn't look like much from the outside, but it did have it's own pool---albeit cold pool. 

 Our 2 bedroom unit really was roomy and clean.  Although we thought the little bar in the diningroom was rather odd.  The kitchen was behind the bar and was quite small, but adequate.

 This view is from the door leading out to the patio.  The master bedroom is the first door on the right.  The 2nd bedroom is the far door to the right.  Not seen is the tv cabinet and large flat screen tv to the left. 

2009 Oct - Pompano Beach, Florida

Day 1:
Finally Oct. 13 arrived and it was time for another trip. We had some Wyndham points to use this year and it was our first experience using our points. I was surprised when Ken suggested coming back to Florida.  Before he could change his mind, I booked it!  Instead of Orlando, though, we decided to go down to Pompano Beach by Ft. Lauderdale. I had to split the reservation, so we'll have to move down the street to another Wyndham in a couple days for the rest of the week. If the next one is this nice, I'll be really happy! I think Ken's even impressed.

Here's our resort, Royal Vista.

This is about half of our unit--a 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo with full kitchen, free wifi, and great views. The whole area to the right is the master suite, complete with large jacuzzi and huge bathroom with washer and drier. To the left is the 2nd bedroom suite with 2 queen beds and a large attached bathroom. This picture doesn't show the large entertainment center directly to my right with stereo, tv, desk, and cabinets. Behind me is the lanai with a side view of the ocean. You can actually see sunrise and sunset from the lanai.

 master bedroom

2nd bedroom

                   

Here's the ocean view from our patio. We're on the 8th of 9 floors--rm 8806.

By the time we got to the resort, it was past 4. After unloading and checking out the resort, we headed across the street to Stingers for pizza. It was pretty good, not great, but we were pretty hungry.  By the time we were done there, it was getting dark.  That pretty much does it for our first day.