another clue

Word on the street is that there is a new Clue movie in the works, based on the board game. Why must Hollywood ruin another classic?

sand

I don’t like Florida.

It’s flat, it’s pastel, and during the summer months it’s really too hot for human inhabitants.

Yet somehow my trips to Florida turn out to be some of the most fun and relaxing vacations I’ve ever taken. Maybe it’s time to rethink my stance on the state and embrace the good times.

Satellite Beach

Past Florida Flings

March 2001 - My first trip to the state. We went to Clearwater Beach for spring break.  When your break is in early March you tend to be the only non-retirees in the state. Still, we made friends with Bossa, the hotelier, and I learned to play Shuffleboard. We managed a day by the pool despite the weather and had time for a one-way trip on the Jolly Trolley.  The booze cruise was pretty nice too.

February 2003 - My first trip to Disney World.  Russell and I ate and drank our way through the international experience that is Epcot.  I also got Mickey ears.

June 2004 – My bachelorette party in Miami.  Days on the beach, nights at The Clevelander, and the biggest rally EVER. 

August 2006 – It was hot.  Everything in the condo was covered in a thick layer of mold.  We barely escaped the Everglades with our lives.  

April 2007 – My very first professional association conference and it happened at Disney World.  Very professional, no?  I stayed at the Polynesian Hotel and would go for a late swim in the pool every night after the families had sent the kids off to bed.

February 2009 – Three nights in a condo on Satellite Beach.  There was line dance watching, (very cold) swimming and sunburn.  But mostly it was just relaxing in warmer weather.

Seattle, October 2008

For as much as it was love at first sight with Portland, I never really cared much for Seattle. My time there had been limited in the past so this time I was determined to see a bit more of the city.

It was pouring when I arrived the first night so, despite my good intentions, I saw nothing more than the hotel bar and the inside of my room. It was bright and sunny, if not bitterly cold, in the morning, so I made my way out into the city. My first stop was Pike Place market. I had been told to look for the fish tossing, but instead found only some delicious fish and chips.

Tourist that I was, I next made my way to the monorail entrance and, after waiting in line with many, many families on vacation, rode it to the Space Needle. It felt a little like being at Disney World, though a little less exciting.

From there I was on a mission. On our honeymoon Russell and I had eaten some awesome doughnuts a place within walking distance of the Space Needle. I remembered walking under the monorail track, so I followed it for blocks until I found what I was looking for. It was just as good as I remembered.

Seattle felt a little more like San Francisco this time around and I found myself really enjoying my day in the city.  It would have been nice to have even more time there, but I was anxious to get to my next stop, Vancouver, BC.