March 2, 2016

Let’s Take a Trip (or 3)~A Travel Journal

Martie Sound Off! Florida Keys, Las Vegas, Miami, Sisters, travel journal 2 Comments

Travel Journal

For some reason, I’m thinking a lot about travel.  Maybe it’s because my girls are roaring around the world this summer with the Aunties, or it could even be just because it’s March now, and March means the onset of Spring.  Whatever the reason, travel is on the brain. Let’s hit the road and take to the skies today and revisit my travel journal – I promise some beautiful sights!

It has been a few years since we’ve been anywhere far from home, honestly. Our trip to Disney World two years ago was a dream come true for all of us, but you’ve read my very raw journal on that trip.  And, honestly, not all of our trips are as a family. Last summer Pooh went to Chicago with a group of her peers, and I whined about that here on the blog, as well, just like I did when Tigger went to camp for a week.  Coach seems content to stay home unless I drag him off on a family vacation, but I have a tendency to run off with my sister(s) on occasion.  Madre and I like to hit the road every now and then, too, but we always find ourselves in the same place…the casinos on the Mississippi River!

Las Vegas

Speaking of casinos, one of my most memorable trips will always be the weekend that Jimmie took me to Las Vegas. This is the first stop in my travel journal.

She whisked us away on a Friday evening and we were home on Monday night…I didn’t even miss a day of work!  We spent appoximately 7 1/2 minutes gambling, and the rest of the time we walked and ate, walked and ate, walked and ate…we didn’t want to miss a single sight, or a single meal.  Las Vegas has so much more to offer than just gambling!  I’m sure we visited every hotel and casino on the strip, all on foot.

We toured the giant M&M store, listened to some street musicians, and even ventured off the strip to celebrate the Super Bowl at a place that didn’t have a $300 cover charge.  It was pretty epic. I cant remember if it was for my 37th or 38th birthday, sadly, but you know how the memory begins to fail after 40.  I had lots more pictures, too, but that was two smart phones ago.

The Florida keys

In the summer of ’10, we did take a family trip to the Florida Keys (thanks to the Aunties, once more).

We all went down, including Madre, to celebrate Auntie Anne’s 70th birthday; it was the girls’ first trip on an airplane!  Auntie Susanne took us on a marvelous boat ride out to a place she called “The Marvins”, which I later figured out is Marvin Key (I don’t ask questions; I do research).

It’s a little island in the middle of nowhere, and you can walk all the way around it on the sand.  It was absolutely gorgeous.

One thing I’m sad about for our upcoming trip there is that Auntie Susanne won’t be there to take us out on her boat!  But we will get to bask in the gorgeous sunset,

and enjoy the tropical air. I’m so looking forward to it! Having a new entry in my travel journal will be so exciting.

miami

One of my most treasured trips is and will always be Miami, with Jimmie and The Squirt.

We stayed on the famous South Beach, and, thanks to The Squirt, we didn’t just flop in the sand all day and party all night

(ok, we did a little of that, too).  My little sister can navigate her way around anywhere, and she took us on some sight-seeing tours of Miami that I will never forget in our rented Mustang convertible (The Squirt chose well).  

I loved the art-deco architecture, the posh North Beach neighborhoods, and of course, the food. No travel journal is complete without describing and remembering the eats.

Thanks to The Squirt’s tireless research, we found the best Cuban spot, too.  A Cuban sandwich is as good as it’s proclaimed to be, trust me.

The Squirt even exposed us to some culture, insisting we visit Villa Vizcaya.  What a gorgeous old place, full of history and architectural wonders. This is one of my favorite stops in my travel journal.

This trip was so much more than food and sight-seeing. Jimmie and I are just a few years older (cough cough) than The Squirt, so this was our first sister trip.

I sure hope it won’t be our last.  We had such an awesome time, just the three of us, and made memories that we’ll all treasure for years to come. You might be able to tell that this is one of my favorites in my travel journal.

gotta go home sometime

I have a few other trips in my travel journal, and my camera roll, but we better head on back before we get jet-lagged.  Do you have any trips planned this summer?  What’s your favorite place to travel to?  I sure am jealous of my daughters’ upcoming trip to Europe, and I keep pressing them to be sure and do this, or that, for me.  They absolutely must eat spaghetti carbonara in Italy, and chocolate croissants in France (if they get to go…hoping the borders reopen).  Auntie Anne took Madre, Jimmie and me to Europe when I was 18, and although I do have fond memories of the museums, the drives, and the historical landmarks, it’s the food that leaves a really lasting impression.

It just hit me…Jimmie’s on a cruise right now, so I’m missing our daily chats.  The Squirt is heading off into the wild unknown in September, joining the Peace Corp with an invitation to Paraguay.  Jealous much?  I envy my sisters’ travel schedules, and I miss them when they’re gone, but I’m elated for them both that they have enough sense to get out and see the world.

I honestly can’t wait for Coach’s and my summer trip to the Keys.  Is it too early to start packing?

X,O,X,O,   Martie