My son moved down to Gainesville, Florida in July for school. It’s always hard to let go and let our children move on in life but I am so proud of him for making this big decision in his life! He moved there with his girlfriend and one of his friends and is having what I think will be the best time of his life. I had the pleasure of visiting him last week and I would like to share with you our experience!

We left last Wednesday and the Minneapolis airport was chaotic. They only have one Security Checkpoint for those who do not have TSA precheck so lines are long. So for those of you who do not have this, ARRIVE EARLY!

Luckily I had applied for TSA precheck so I was able to go to the much shorter and quicker line. I HIGHLY recommend this for anyone who travels at least once a year. It is only 85.00 for 5 years and includes one child 12 or younger. You do not have to take your shoes off, your electronics or liquids out of your bag and is a huge time saver.

When we arrived in Gainesville, the weather was hot and humid, about 100 degrees with the heat index. My son picked us up and we stopped for some Indian food. For those that know me, one of the best experiences I have on vacation involves food. I love trying new and different foods! We had fun trying new restaurants but the best was deep fried Alligator and Bairdi Crab. YUMMY!

This vacation overall was so much fun. However, the best part of our trip was our trip to Clearwater Beach. I had been there as a child so this was a new experience for me. I have planned many, many trips to this area but there is nothing like first hand knowledge and experience!

We stayed at the Residence Inn Clearwater Beach which was in a great area and right across the street from the beach. The rooms were nice and spacious and included Breakfast each morning. Beach access was across the street from the hotel. We spent most of our time on the beach which was beautiful with white sand and blue waters. The water felt like luke warm bath water, much warmer than I have experienced in other places I have been too.

The first day, we were on the beach in the late afternoon which still gets plenty of sun since Clearwater is on the West Coast. The sunset was amazing, with all the reds and oranges this is one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen!

The second day, we spent all day on the Beach. This is a very popular beach so it was quite crowded. There are several hotels and resorts along the beach, perfect for those that like an ocean view, quick access to the beach and beautiful sunsets!

The rest of this vacation involved eating out, watching the Twins games (a bond both Evan and I share!), and getting to know the area that my son now lives in. It was a quick trip (only 3 nights) but I am hoping to make it a little longer next time. There are quite a few beaches within a couple hours from Gainesville that I would like to see.

In conclusion, this was a great trip that I will never forget. Getting to see my son flourish and create his future was the best part. And satisfying my need to travel, see new places and getting ideas for my clients was a huge plus!

Our next trip will be to Maui in December. Can’t wait to share that trip with you as well. Thanks for reading!