Monday, June 20, 2011

summer vacay :: destination grand

Last Sunday we loaded up the family truckster.  Summer vacation or bust...

SummerVacayorBust

About 3 hours down the road, my cell phone rings...

TheStrepCall

It was the pediatrician’s office letting us know that the fever virus they thought Banks had on Friday was actually strep.  Great.  What a nice start to our vacation.

I googled the nearest Publix Pharmacy to our final destination, called the nurse back to give her the number and broke the news to Banks.  What did we ever do without smart phones?

We picked up the antibiotic [which happened to be one of their free ones...did you know they did free antibiotics?], grabbed lunch at Battles Wharf Mini Mart and went to check in...

GrandView

This year our vacay was broken into 2 parts.  Sunday through Tuesday were at The Grand [never a disappointment].  I requested to be on the bottom floor of the North Bay House again.  Same great view and conveniently located near the pool and the craft patio.

Owen and I took full advantage of the hammock close to our room [under that tree in the picture above] while everyone else snoozed...

GrandHamock

Then everyone joined in on the fun...

TheBoys

We spent our days doing the morning crafts...

SunCatchers

...sun catchers & keychains.

We spent lots of time at the pool...

O&BanksPool

...where every afternoon we got tats...

OTatsPoolside

...and popsicles...

BPopPoolside

...which tasted delightful to a certain boy with strep throat!

At 4:00 the cannon firing parade came around the pool area...

GrandParade

While everyone else was listening to the cannon fire, my children did a bee line to the main lobby to avoid the long line for cookies!

The first night Aunt Stacey, Mary Reese, Owen and I took a blog readers advice for dinner...

FlyCreekCafe

Fly Creek Cafe

It did not disappoint.  They had indoor & outdoor seating.  We opted for outside.  It was wonderful.

They have a "LuLu's" like area for the kids...a huge sand pit where the kids can play while the adults wait on the food.

Mary Reese posed in one of their cut outs...

FlyMR

While Owen watched the boats coming in for the day...

FlyOwen

While the kids were playing, Aunt Stacey and I listened to a reaggae band.

The food and atmosphere were delicious & delightful.

Mary Reese ordered mac & cheese.  Little did we know it was fried mac & cheese...

FlyFriedMac&Cheese

She turned up her nose at first...then she took a bite and was hooked.

Aunt Stacey and I shared The Original Fly Creek Fish Sandwich [blackened instead of fried] and an order of Fish Tacos...

FlyFishTacos

Yum!  [It was so yum, we took the boys back the next night!]

Banks stayed in the "sick bed" with a room service order of mac & cheese...

SickBed

[You can tell he looks a little pitiful in the picture above.]

When we got home, Jody went to dinner with one of his customers.  Banks said we wanted to get out for a little bit, so we strolled around the pond posing for pictures...

3Monkeys

O&MRGrandBench

...and searching for ducks.  Luckily we found our friends...

DuckChasing

...and Owen chased them all over...



I can't say it enough...I The Grand.  They change out their activities with the seasons.  During the summer on Friday nights they do a beach bon fire complete with S'mores...

BeachSmores

...and on Saturday nights they show a movie in the pool area.  Too bad we missed those nights.  There is always the next trip!

On Tueday morning, we packed it in again and headed east...

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