Vacation Here We Come

We're off to the see the wizard....  Oh wait, not the wizard.  But we're definitely off to see some sights.  This morning we're pushing off on our epic family Spring Break road trip.  Today we're driving back to Indiana to pick up the boys and then it's off to Ohio and Pennyslvania.  This will be the boys' first official road trip.  So excited to start our adventure. 

For the blog, I am taking my laptop and will be periodically checking.  I've also got a few more posts scheduled.  Plus, I will be posting the names of the contest winers once they are contacted. 

See ya!

Disney or Bust!

It's official.  In about one hour we are piling into the car and heading to Indy to catch a plane to Orlando. We're going to Disney World!!!!! I have decided to have a computer free vacation.  I will not be taking my laptop.  I will not be on Facebook.  I will not be updating my blog.  I will have my phone, but will mostly leave it in the hotel.  I want to spend some great time with the boys away from most technology. So I won't be around to respond to any comments on the blog or FB crap.  Never fear, I will be back on Sunday.  And then I will return to my regularly scheduled posting!

Top Ten Tuesday: Places to See Before I Die

I was having a hard time coming up with 10 Favorite Minor Characters, so I'm doing another me Top Ten. This week: My Top Ten Places to See Before I Die.  I hope to do a "Dream Vacation" post for each of these, but getting some great pictures and finding some great places of interest may take a while.  So here's a little list to spark my imagination. In no particular order: 1. Greece -- The History, the Culture, the Food, the Mystery, the Alcohol.  How could I not got to Greece and see the cradle of our Western Civilization?  I want to see Athens, but also the small villages and islands off the mainland.  This would be a great honeymoon!

2. Grand Canyon -- I feel like I must see this natural wonder.  I know it's a huge hole in the ground, but the scale is so massive, I just can't truly picture it in my mind.

3. Italy -- I want the wine and the sun and the food.

4. Alexandria, Egypt -- The shining city of ancient times.  I would love to see where the Nile empties into the Mediterranean, where Alexander the Great planned the jewel of his empire, where the lighthouse and library once stood.

5. Ireland -- Those green rolling hills call to me and I'm not even Irish!

6. Barcelona, Spain -- Ever since taking Spanish in high school, I've wanted to visit this coastal city known for its food.  Plus it would be fun to actually try out my Spanish.

7. Austrailia (probably Sydney) -- The Land Down Under just seems like a great place to visit.

8. Turkey -- The mix of Western and Eastern culture intrigues me.  Plus great food and music!

9. Morocco -- Another interesting mix of African and Muslim cultures creating a whole new city.

10. San Francisco, California -- Yeah, Yeah I've already been here, but I would love to go again.  I absolutely adored the city when I vacationed there a couple of years ago.  I would love to revisit all my favorite spots and hit some of those places that I missed.

Where do you want to go?

Dream Vacation: Disney World

Sitting in snowy Indiana, I start to travel (in my mind of course).  Where do I go?  Better question: Where do I start?  I thought I would include a weekly or so post about my dream vacation places.  This week: Disney World.

I went to Disney World almost every other year as a child.  And I loved it!  Grandma and Grandpa lived in Florida (Jupiter, near West Palm Beach) all through my childhood.  We would visit them yearly, and sometimes we would drive up to Disney World.  I haven't been there in probably 15-20 years.  I would love to see the changes to the parks.  Last time I was there, the Animal Kingdom didn't even exist...  Typhoon Lagoon had just opened (awesome water park), but now there's Blizzard Beach also.  Towards the end of my stay in Florida, the family started going to other amusement parks, specifically Universal Studios, instead of Disney.  But Disney always held a special place in my heart.

My mom has been kicking around the idea of taking my boys to Disney World at the end of the school year.  Mom's looking into inclusive packages (hotels, food, parks, airfare, and other attractions) for one low price.  Okay not low, but lower than the advertised prices.  The deal is she will pay for the boys and any adults that come (i.e. me, my stepdad, and possibly J) must pay for themselves.  I could do that.  The boys are of an age that I think they could handle the rigors of Disney.  And I would get to go to Disney again.

Say what you want about commercialization, I love Disney World.  I want to ride Space Mountain and have breakfast with the characters and check out the cheesiness of Tomorrow Land (hover crafts anyone?).  And eat in Mexico's outdoor seeming courtyard at Epcot (always my favorite) and ride the dinosaur ride (hope it's still there).  And climb into the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse, always a fun treat.  And sing along to the birds in the Tiki Tiki Tiki Room (hope they're still there).  And ride Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and Snow White and Peter Pan and Dumbo... all the old rides.  And see the new rides.  And swim in the waterparks.  And eat some overpriced, but still good food.  And get a chocolate covered frozen banana as a cool treat.  And see the laser parade at night.  I could go on all day.

In preparation for a possible trip, I checked out a few Disney guides from the library.  I love looking at travel books/guides.  I like planning, making itineraries, things to see.  I do spontaneity, but like to have a basic plan.  So I started a Disney World notebook, highlighting the must see attractions, tips, and general information.  And we haven't even booked anything yet.  But mark my words, we will get there this summer.  We have to get there this summer.  I need my Disney World fix.