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Saturday, May 07, 2011

From 5 Star Hotel to Camping?

In Asia I live in 5 star hotels, in my personal life it's more like La Quinta Inn and Camping with facilities.

Our Pittsburgh friends are back in Florida and we have been invited to go camping in Bahia Honda, Pine Key Florida!

Last year we stayed with their parents in Cape Coral, Florida, Charlotte was 18mo, I was 3+ months pregnant with Sam. They took it easy on us, we did a day boat ride, trail walk and beach trip. Easy peasy.

2009 we stayed with their parents in Cape Coral, Florida, Charlotte was 9mo. We went to the pool, beach and overall took it easy.

2008 we stayed with their cousins in Melborne Beach, Florida. I was 7mo pregnant with Charlotte. We went to the pool, beach and took it very slow. Good thing because Charlotte was born 4 weeks later!

2007 we went camping in the Everglades. There were alligators AND crocodiles - one of the few places in the world that has Salt Water and Fresh Water allowing both beasts to congregate in the same area. We went canoeing right past the giant lazy beasts, they ignored us. We slept in a tiny barely water proofed tent that got damp from the moisture in the air at night, then got soaking wet from a horrifying rainstorm in which we huddled in the center and still got wet on our backs. The following morning freezing cold beyond what we'd packed. Husband's shoes got wet. He got bronchitis. Buzzards fought with raccoons over our food supply in the early morning hours. Husband fought them off with his belt, likely taking out a nights worth of frustration on the ugly birds. I annoyed him further by sitting in the tent with the only dry blanket saying "me Squaw, you big Chief", as he made the fire. I'm sure he was thinking, get up and help me! I'm freezing out here!!!

One might say we had children just to avoid camping with our friendly Pittsburgh duo? Ah no, but it was quite kind of them to let us get a few years of parenting under our belts before returning to the wild outdoors of Florida. And let's face it, the Florida Keys are not nearly as primitive as the Everglades!!!

3 comments:

Miss. C said...

I so would have done the same thing!!! I am not much for camping and I too adore the hotels I stay in for work. When I come back home I miss maid service, I miss clean towels that I don't have to search in baskets for and I miss not having to worry about the cost of what I am ordering on the menu!!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Miss. C said...

I so would have done the same thing!!! I am not much for camping and I too adore the hotels I stay in for work. When I come back home I miss maid service, I miss clean towels that I don't have to search in baskets for and I miss not having to worry about the cost of what I am ordering on the menu!!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Jessie said...

The best mini vacations, according to me, are the ones, where you reap all the benefits of an elaborate vacation.


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