Vacations

 It's now been over a year since I dashed home from Florida at the beginning of the pandemic.  I'm getting itchy feet as I suspect the rest of you are as well.  So today we're going to talk about vacations.  

So far, Mardi and I are booked into two golf excursions this year, both at Pike Lake - in July with Kathy Gruhl and friends who used to golf at Byrncliff in New York State, and in September with Matt and the folks who used to golf at Sawmill Creek near Sarnia.

Normally we would spend a week or two in New Bern at the end of October/beginning of November but, because of the virus, Mardi is cool to the idea so that's a no go. 

But we do have three free days each year with our Holiday Inn Club timeshare package and they only have resorts in the U.S.  Last year we had to forego that one, but we hope to take advantage sometime in the fall with a short trip to their Lake Geneva resort in Wisconsin.

Which takes us up to our usual winter vacation at Orange Lake in Kissimmee, Florida.  This year we are going to start it a little differently.  We plan to leave Stoney Creek on December 30th with the Cincinnati area as our first day target.  On the 31st we head to Laurel, Mississippi, the home of the HGTV show Home Town.  New Year's Eve in Ben and Erin's home town watching the Pine Cone Drop and fireworks, eat at Pearl's Diner (featured on the show), explore the town the next morning, and then head for New Orleans.

A week in a one bedroom unit in Holiday Inn Club's New Orleans Resort, which is located across the street from the French Quarter, has been booked.  And at the end of April the booking window opens for us to book a two bedroom unit at Orange Lake for the rest of January and February (the week in New Orleans and the seven weeks at Orange Lake are all provided by the two resale weeks we bought on the internet several years ago).  Family and friends often join us during this time for a week's vacation at our beautiful resort (two 18 hole golf courses, two 9 hole golf courses, several eating
spots and pools everywhere).

This is Sven (Gary Parker) on the 5th tee of one of the courses.  One of the units we own is in the background across the water.

And this is the one we stayed at last year.

That takes us to Saturday, February 26.  Then, we will move to a house that Matt and Maureen have rented.  There for two weeks, following which we mail Mardi and Maureen home.  Calvin and his friend Gordon will join us for the last two weeks for a guys' golf vacation.

Sometime next summer, if Barbara and Jo-Ann are still interested, we plan a three week tour of the Maritimes, including Newfoundland.

OK, now I feel better.  Something to look forward to.

--------------------------------------------------------

Stay calm.  Be positive.  Stay well.