Taking a few days from the normal routine was truly fun! I can’t say it was relaxing because we crammed a lot into a few days. But it’s time well-spent with my daughter and granddaughters. I’ll share a few pictures.
When we arrive in Tampa, we have our first round of vacation obstacles. Little Samantha’s bag didn’t arrive with the rest of ours. So, while waiting for it to get there on the next plane from Dallas, we head to the rental car place to pick up a car. Then, we go back to the airport terminal to get her bag.
We head out of Tampa across the bridge into Clearwater when my daughter notices the low tire light is on. And literally within the next five minutes, it goes from 23 PSI to 10 PSI. Yep, we have a flat. So, a long wait ensues while they sent someone out to fix it.
Almost two hours later, someone finally arrives to take the flat tire off and put the donut on. We crack up when a car pulls up next to us with a sign on top that reads “Pop-A-Lock.” At this point, even amid the frustration, it became quite funny. The poor guy that changed the tire had done a little too much meth in his life, but hey, he was nice and got the tire changed.
Once the donut is on, we head back to the rental car place and my daughter, being an attorney, was determined that they cancel the contract and refund her money. They did so without any resistance, she went to the next place and got a great car for over 50% less than the other place was charging. We finally arrived at our hotel in Clearwater at 11:50 pm. Barely in time to keep our room reservation, but as they say, “all’s well that ends well.”
The hotel has a resident parrot, so my daughter and granddaughters posed with it the next morning.
Day one – Legoland. What can I say? The girls absolutely loved everything about it!
Then after a hot sweaty day, we indulged in the water park. We didn’t get any photos because we left our cameras safe and dry in a locker.
This was on the way back to Tampa after dinner.
Day two was spent at the Clearwater Aquarium, where the famed Dolphin, Winter, lives. The movie about Winter was what prompted this entire trip. The girls wanted to see him.
We all loved everything about the aquarium. We got to feed dolphins. I don’t have those pictures yet, but they were adorable. At one point, the two dolphins kissed the girls on the cheek. They also got to feed stingrays.
The Clearwater, Florida beaches are known for their white sand and clear blue water. This was not the case for us as something called a Red Tide had killed hundreds of fish and they lined the beach. They stunk and were unsightly, so we had to walk quite a ways down to a place that was cleaner to go into the water, and even then we were a little leery of getting in it. But the girls couldn’t be denied.
That was it for me. I came back home and they went on to Orlando, where my daughter has a good friend from college they were going to visit.
I am a tired MiMi (That’s what the girls call me) but I will get rested up. 🙂
On a completely different subject, the winner of my Newsletter Giveaway of a $20 Amazon Gift Card is Michael Hall!!
Congratulations, Michael! Check your email!
And a huge THANK YOU to all my new subscribers!
Writing and Music 
An “interesting” start to your vacation, but all in all, it looks like everyone had a great time!
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Thanks, Mark!
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Looks like a fun time Jan – other than the stupid car stuff. Your daughter was certainly right to take no guff with that car. It must have been great to spend time with your daughter and grandies 🙂 ❤
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It was a great little getaway, Debby. Thank you for stopping by!
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🙂
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It looked like a fun trip, Jan. Never bern to LegoLand,but want to see it someday. Sorry sbout the tire, but glad it worked out for you. Great pictures!
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It was a great trip, Denise. I hope you get to go to LegoLand. It was a blast! Thanks for stopping by and hope you enjoyed your days away!
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Making memories is what it’s all about. Glad you overcame the typical travel obstacles.
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You are so right, Pete! The time spent with family is precious! Thank you for stopping by.
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Emergencies are part of a real vacation. You have a chance to show your kids how you handle emergencies without imploding. It looks like you had lots of fun.
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That’s true, Jacqui. I hadn’t even thought of that, but it was a good way to show the girls you can keep a good sense of humor despite the troubles. Thanks for stopping by!
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I’ve rarely had a vacation that went perfectly. When I go with my adult kids, I am thrilled to see how well they handle problems. Yay!
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Despite the mishaps, looks like you had a good time. Welcome home!
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Thank you, Joan! It’s always fun to go and good to get back home again.
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Sounds like a wonderful time. Red tide is a horrible thing. It stings the eyes and gets in the throat. So sorry it was there when you were.
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Yes. we were pretty leery of going in the water, but the girls were so excited we had to do it. Thanks for stopping by!
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😊
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It sounds like a wonderful time, Jan, despite the difficulties in the beginning. It’s a pity about the beach but it seem like made a plan.
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Thanks, Robbie. Yes, it was a great time, and memories were made that we’ll laugh about for years to come!
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This year’s red tide made national news the other night. Apparently, it’s an exceptional version of the event. Glad you managed to dodge the blues and had fun anyway.
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It was such a strange feeling to arrive at the beach to find all the dead fish and tons of seaweed. But, we managed it anyway. I couldn’t help but think how this would be a good scene in a horror story. 🙂
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There you go… A bit of research and you could be onto something.
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My son LOVED Legoland when he was younger. You took the girls at just the right age. My little man collected over 100 lego characters back in those days. Lol! Red Tide sucks. I live on the east coast, so we aren’t having to deal with it, for which I am very grateful because I’m heading to the beach in just a few minutes. I’m glad you had a great time with your daughter and granddaughters, Jan. 🙂
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So glad you are not having to deal with the Red Tide in your area, Yvette. Yes, I agree. It was the perfect age to take the girls. It was so much fun. Thank you for stopping by and have a great day!
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Ugh about the luggage and flat tire, but otherwise it sounds like you had a great trip. Congrats to Michael!
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Right, Priscilla. There always has to be something that goes wrong on any vacation. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
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Shows that we must always approach family trips with good humor – things always go wrong! But this looked so worth it! Lovely you got to enjoy this time with your “girls.”
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So true, Maura Beth. A good sense of humor will get us through difficulties. Thank you for stopping by!
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So glad you got to spend time with your girls!! Nothing better and they all looked so happy in spite of the rough start. xo
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You are right, Darlene. There is nothing better! Thank you for stopping by!
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Thanks for sharing your trip with us, Jan. I loved all of the photos! I’m happy you had a nice time with your beautiful family. xo
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My pleasure, Jill! Thank you for stopping by and enjoying it with me!
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Ups and downs and all-around wonderful time! YAY! Your smile says everything, Jan. 😊
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It was truly a fun time! Thank you, Gwen!
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Looks like everyone enjoyed that!
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For sure, Dan! Thanks for stopping by!
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What a fun trip!
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It truly was! Thanks for stopping by, Alethea!
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