A few weeks ago I traveled to Ocala, Florida with my family to surprise my grandma for her 90th birthday. We left after work on a Thursday night Jet Blue flight. This was my first time on Jet Blue, and it was an enjoyable flight. This may have been because our flight was delayed and I was too tired to stay awake for most of the flight, but still the flight was pleasant with a personal television screen for each person to watch movies, television, listen to music, or play games. I tried to stay awake for the repeat "Jersey Shore" episode, that originally aired while we were delayed in the airport, but I couldn't manage to keep my eyes open through the end. We arrived in Florida quickly, very quickly it was only a 2 hour 12 minutes flight. However, we did not completely arrive at our destination just yet. Once we landed, we rented a car and drove an hour to our hotel in Ocala. It was now around 4am, and we were exhausted.
The next day we slept in, and then went to meet my dad and stepmom at a store. The idea was that we would follow them back to my grandma's house and surprise her. She did not know her grandkids were coming for her birthday. The last time we saw her and my great aunt, her 92-year-old sister who she now lives with, was about 4 years ago. Needless to say they were both caught off-guard and easily surprised when we walked through their door. After opening birthday presents it was time for lunch. We were starving! My grandma picked a Mexican restaurant, and it was delicious, but very heavy. After lunch we headed back to my grandma's house to play games and have cake.
The next day we met for an early lunch at a Seafood restaurant then headed to Downtown Disney. We did not have enough time to go to Disney World or Universal Studios, so we settled for visiting Downtown Disney and the City Walk at Universal. It was also my brother-in-laws birthday the day before, so to celebrate we went to a Cuban restaurant called Bongos in Downtown Disney. The restaurant was of course delicious, and the margaritas, which were served in a souvenir glass, were amazing. The restaurant had live music and dancing, we enjoyed our dinner eating al fresco in the warm air. The 80 degree weather was a pleasant change from the usual March weather we were used to.
Downtown Disney was fun with a magical presence. Of course nothing compares to actually being at Disney World, but Downtown Disney was a close second. They had tons of shops and restaurants, we walked all around and of course stopped for a few souvenirs. After our late night dinner, we headed back to the hotel we were staying at in Orlando. The next morning we packed all of our belongings, and headed back to the airport. This time the drive to the airport was a quick 20 minutes, since we decided to stay in Orlando the night before. Once arriving at the airport, we returned the rented Tahoe and chose a place to have lunch. While we ate we watched people form a very long line for security, where we all were glad we were going to a different security line for our flight. However, after lunch we all realized we in fact had to join that very long line since it was the security line that led to our gate. The line went by quicker than expected, and before long we were in our seats traveling back home.
It was a quick weekend getaway, but much appreciated. My family greatly appreciated the gesture to come visit for my grandma's birthday, and we enjoyed visiting. However, the short trip was a tease for someone who loves to travel as much as I do. So stay tuned, for I am already planning the next trip of 2012.
I should also mention that this grandma, who recently celebrated her 90th birthday, is the same grandma of mine who survived breast cancer. She is one of the reasons why I decided to participate in the 2012 Avon Walk for Breast Cancer this coming October, and in honor of her birthday I would greatly appreciate donations of any amount. I have to raise $1,800 in order to walk, but I am determined to exceed that minimum amount. Each donation is tax deductible, and the money goes to support research to find a cure or prevention, as well as programs that enable all patients to access quality care. It is a great cause, and any donation is greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance!!
To donate please visit my personal donation page: Avon Walk Donation Page
