Florida...Finally!

Has it really been three weeks since my last post?  Oh my goodness, it has!  I do apologize for not posting sooner.  Summer days have taken over.  School's out and my girls are home on vacation.  Summer always seems to flutter by too quickly, so we have been busy filling up our days; always doing something, going somewhere, and keeping things interesting!   But today, it is SO hot and muggy out there, the only thing this girl wants to do is keep cool indoors and catch up with you!

We arrived in Ormond Beach, Florida on the afternoon of Friday, June 7th.  Here is a picture of the sweet little bungalow we rented.  It was the place we called home for nearly one week.

We loved it so much, we may return again one day!

One of my favorite things about Florida are the beautiful palm trees.  You can find them everywhere!
I wish I could buy one and plant it in my backyard, but we all know that wouldn't last!  The poor thing would be buried by snow in no time!

Gorgeous Ormond Beach!  We spent many hours here; beachcombing, walking along the shore and soaking up the sunshine!

My little mermaid carrying our collection of shells

Nuno doing some shore fishing

We took a drive to Downtown Disney - one of our favorite places to be in Florida!  Isn't this Mickey Mouse Fountain gorgeous?

My girls and I enjoying our first ever Mickey Mouse ice cream bar!
Can you say, happy?!



On Monday, June 10th, we celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary at one of my favorite places on earth!

Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World!  The day couldn't have been more perfect!

Driving through the gates

Let the memories begin...

Our first ever visit and photo with Mickey Mouse!  "He" was so sweet!

Walking right down the middle of Main Street, USA!

The breathtaking Cinderella's Castle!

Big Thunder Mountain roller coaster, definitely the ride where I screamed and laughed the most!
I am a chicken when it comes to roller coasters, by the way!  However, it was so much FUN!

Another highlight was getting an autograph and our picture taken with Minnie Mouse!



An entire day filled with fun, magic, and excitement made for a very tired little girl...

and the rest of us, as well!


I will leave you with these two links.  They are short 30 second video clips from our
visit to Magic Kingdom

I still have more photos to share with you from our road trip, but I will have to save them for next time!  Until then, try to keep cool and enjoy these lazy, hazy days of summer!  xoxo

The Joy is in the Journey

I love to travel.  The thought of visiting new places and discovering new things thrills and excites me.  Every year, Nuno and I try to get away with our girls to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Some years we've stayed close to home, other years, we've flown to far-away places. But, my favorite way to travel is by car.  I love road trips.  As some of you may know, I am not a fan of air travel, although, if I have to fly to get somewhere, I will.  

This year, we decided to rent a car and drive down south to Florida.  We had flown to Orlando, Florida, once before, but this time, we drove - approximately 2100 km or 1300 miles (each way).  I cannot tell you how wonderful the drive was!  My girls were the most wonderful road companions.  Not once, did they complain about the drive or how long it was going to take to get there.  The joy was in the journey and in the places we saw along the way.  

OH, THE PLACES YOU'LL GO! 

On day one of our trip, we drove from our home in Barrie, Ontario to the Canada/US border at Niagara Falls, and on through the states of New York, Pennsylvania,  and West Virginia!

One of the most breathtaking sights along the way were the mountain views in the state of West Virginia.

We had to pull over to take in the majestic landscape.  It was simply stunning!

We stayed overnight in West Virginia and then headed out again in the early morning hours towards the state of Virginia; boasting equally breath-taking mountain and valley views.  

On day two, we continued driving through the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.  It was almost lunch hour as we neared toward the city of Savannah, Georgia.  We decided to stop there for lunch.  And thank goodness, we did!

 

GETTING THERE IS HALF THE FUN!

It was stifling hot and so humid when we arrived in Savannah.  Honestly, I couldn't care less because my heart skipped a beat when I found myself in this beautiful city.  What a wonderful, unexpected surprise!  This enchanting place stole my heart - the architecture, the gardens, the squares, the food, oh my goodness!  

 My girls and I in the city market square

For lunch, we ate chicken gumbo at the old Pirates' House restaurant 

We browsed through some of the shops and walked along the city streets and squares.

 Time flew way too quickly and we had to say goodbye to Savannah.  I hoped we would return here on our way back home.  The state of Florida was coming up next.  How exciting!  We were almost there!!

Stay tuned for my next post...