Little Moments Add Up to Big Fun in Florida

When you live in this region of the country, chances are good you’ve vacationed in Florida. After awhile, you begin to take it for granted. To keep that from happening during my family’s last trip, I decided to focus on the little moments of the trip, not just the big ones (such as visiting the house of that famous mouse).

I started by reminding myself that the journey could be as much fun as the destination. To put that sentiment in perspective: I drove alone with my children, Ethan (11) and Autumn (8), all the way to Bradenton Beach, Florida. That’s about 14 hours drive time, excluding stops. Now, before you become too impressed, we did stop in Atlanta and spend the night with some friends.

When you’re driving, there are so many interesting sights, but you won’t see them if you aren’t looking. So, we looked. As we pulled off on an exit ramp for our 243rd restroom stop, there was an SUV in front of us. On the bumper was a banana peel. I laughed, thinking of all the things I’d set on my bumper through the years. The kids had fun speculating how long the peel had been there and how far it had traveled.

Some of our best adventures were not only small, they were free, sort of. We stayed at BridgeWalk Hotel (http://www.silverresorts.com/bridgewalk or 1.866.779.2545) at Bradenton Beach. They are the only hotel on the beach to offer a free breakfast. With some instruction from the hotel’s fantastically friendly staff, the kids learned to make waffles in a “magic machine” that turned out perfect waffles every time.

Autumn also admired the flip–flop tablecloths and plates in the breakfast room. When she discovered there were even flip–flop designs on the mints, she was truly in love.

BridgeWalk provided the kids with sand buckets and shovels, so Ethan designed a game. He dug a hole by the edge of the ocean. The object of the game was to protect the hole from the water. He built tall walls and engineered trenches and “run off” canals. It was a challenging task because as the tide was coming in, he and Autumn frantically tried to build up the defenses. Their enthusiasm was contagious. The next thing I knew, I was rushing around filling buckets with sand and dumping them as fast as my aching arms could move.

Another time on the beach, Autumn asked me to help her build a moat. My first reaction was to suggest a castle, or a fortress, or something traditional. Then I realized, “Phooey! We’re on vacation! If she wants a moat, then I’ll start digging.” Autumn ended up happy and with a moat. I ended up happy and with sore arms, again.

One of the hotel’s freebies turned out to be expensive. BridgeWalk provided us with complimentary appetizers at the Sun House Restaurant. Ethan chose coconut shrimp for his appetizer, and now he’s hooked! I was more delighted with the view. I could’ve sat for hours on the third-floor deck, sipping my frothy, fruity drink and enjoying the sun setting on the Gulf of Mexico.

My husband, Ross, joined us later in the week. The day he arrived we ate lunch at the Beach House Restaurant (http://www.groupersandwich.com or 941.779.2222). Our server, Greg, brought umbrellas for Ethan’s and Autumn’s drinks. They were ecstatic. You would’ve thought he had handed them hundred dollar bills. Autumn looked at her fancy umbrella, looked at the ocean, smiled, and said, “Now, this is paradise.”

As we drove up and down Gulf Drive, we kept passing a barbecue restaurant called Mr. Bones (http://www.mrbonesbbq.com or 941.778.6614). The dancing skeleton on the sign was so intriguing that we had to eat there. While we waited to be seated, the kids selected a drink from an open coffin filled with ice. The walls were lined with masks which kept the kids entertained. Ethan and Autumn made funny comments. Well, at least they thought the comments were funny. I was just glad they weren’t harassing me.

My kids are picky eaters. It drives me crazy. They like pizza and chicken nuggets. Ethan decided to be brave and try the ribs at Mr. Bones. He loved them. Yes, they were delicious, but couldn’t he fall in love with something cheap? Between the ribs and the shrimp, this trip was becoming more expensive all the time.

Our only disappointment – other than Ethan’s new pricey food preferences – was the size of the crowds. Anna Maria Island (where Bradenton Beach is located) has been called an undiscovered gem. Well, let me tell you, it’s been discovered at Spring Break time. It’s too crowded! However, summer and fall haven’t fallen prey to crowds and are still great times to visit.

Here’s some friendly advice. The island is NOT a good fit if your family prefers non-stop children’s activities, wild nightlife, or even fast food. (There’s none on the island.) Personally, I like a place to relax and enjoy the beach. So, this laid-back island was perfect for me.

It was bittersweet to leave Bradenton Beach and head to Orlando. We stayed at the Gaylord Palms Hotel (http://www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylord-palms or 407.586.2000). The hotel provided a free bus to Walt Disney World, where we had a magical day, of course. The weather forecast called for rain, so it wasn’t crowded until afternoon. In fact, the beach on Anna Maria Island was more jam-packed than Disney.

Happily, so many of the things we did on non-Disney days were magical, too. We ate at the hotel’s Villa de Flora restaurant (407.586.1114). It was fun to discover all the goodies at the food stations at the breakfast buffet. Rob Gioia, the Villa de Flora General Manager, told me about their sustainable program. It always impresses me when restaurants use produce from local growers.

Rob mentioned that the orange and tomato crops had been damaged this spring, but that the strawberries were the worst. I wasn’t worried about the strawberries. I was worried about the oranges. We can’t grow those in Southern Indiana.

By the time we arrived in Florida, I was starved for a sweet, juicy orange. I drank three glasses of their incredible fresh-squeezed orange juice.

We could’ve spent days exploring inside the Gaylord Palms. We’re talking four acres of indoor gardens. Call me a wimp, but I can’t think of a better way to walk through the jungle than on lovely paved walkways.

Sadly, we didn’t have time play with the outside “toys” at the hotel. Ethan and Autumn did manage to look longingly at the outdoor pool with the cool slides when we went to the H2O Sports Bar & Cantina to pick up a pizza. Ross also looked longingly at the putting green and grumbled because he didn’t get to inspect the sand volleyball court.

All of our little adventures added up to one big fantastic trip. Now, if I could just find a way to get some of Gaylord Palms’ orange juice with a Beach House umbrella in my glass delivered to my house, life would be perfect.

Ethan’s Perspective (Age 11)

On the outside, the Gaylord Palms looks like a hotel. On the inside, it’s like a jungle. There are paths to walk with cool plants and a glass roof. They even have alligators. Some would swim around while others would lie on the rocks. There were also turtles, who were mainly swimming. They were both fun to watch.

The balcony of our room was right over top of the Häagen-Dazs ice cream store. We stopped by one night, and the ice cream was delicious. It really hit the spot.

The beach was exhilarating. I played football, volleyball, and Frisbee. No one joined me in the ocean because they all thought the water was too cold. The first two days, I couldn’t swim very far because of the undertow. The waves were huge. Some of them were over my head. I would try to jump either at, or over, the waves. Sometimes I would dive into them. Occasionally I’d get a mouthful of salty water, but it was still a lot of fun.

At the Beach House Restaurant, my soft drink came with an umbrella in it. For dessert, I had Italian shaved ice. The food was awesome, and the service was great. The whole time I had a great view of the ocean. My trip to Florida was incredible.