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Annual Recap

Our 2023 Recap- A Year of Adventure!

Welcome to our 2023 recap!  We’ll be updating this post throughout the year to recap all of our 2023 adventures!  We can’t wait to share all of the fun with you!  This year we have a grown-ups-only trip to Iceland planned and an 8-day family Caribbean cruise on the books.  On the cruise, we’ll be visiting Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten.  We’ll also be visiting more theme parks (SeaWorld), state parks, and national parks!  Who knows where else the year will take us!

Let's Dive into the 2023 Recap!

January

[Fort Matanzas] [SeaWorld Orlando] [Blue Spring State Park]

Fort Matanzas National Monument

Our first road trip of the year took us down to St. Augustine to celebrate Smiley’s birthday.  We had lunch at one of our favorite restaurants, Ford’s Garage, before continuing south to Fort Matanzas National Monument.  This National Park Site is the last remaining Spanish watchtower in the US.  

The watch tower was completed in 1742.  It was built near the site where Pedro Menendez ordered the killing of over 100 French Huguenots.  Over the period of a couple of weeks, nearly 300 French were slaughtered by the Spanish between St. Augustine and Fort Caroline.

The following weekend, we made a road trip down to SeaWorld Orlando to celebrate Smiley turning 9.  She’s been wanting to visit the theme park since she was 6, and we finally caved in!  It was so cold and windy during our visit that the roller coasters were closed for half the day.  She still managed to ride Mako and Manta, so she was a happy girl!

We ended up spending most of our time in the Sesame Street part of the park, which all three kids enjoyed.  

The kids examining rays at SeaWorld Orlando
The aquariums at SeaWorld Orlando were fun to look at!

We also caught the Sesame Street parade, the dolphin show, and a game show.  All in all, it was a pretty fun day- the babes had fun, and that’s what really matters.

While we were there, we picked up my teacher pass and the boys VPK passes so all 3 of us will get in free for the rest of the year.  Perhaps we’ll head back down when it gets a little warmer so Smiley can ride a few more coasters.

On the way home from Orlando, we stopped by Blue Spring State Park.  On cold days, manatees flock to the springs because the water temperature is higher there than in the rivers.  The numbers range from dozens to hundreds of manatees, depending on the day.  On the day we visited, an impressive 625 manatee were counted in the spring run!  It was so cool to see the graceful, gentle manatees warm themselves in the spring.

Manatees at Blue Spring State Park

The following weekend, Ashley took the kids up to North Carolina to drop off some Christmas gifts for the Carolina clan and to spend some time with the kids grandparents and great-grandparents.

Blog Posts Published:

How to Spend a Day in Nassau, Bahamas Without Cruise Excursions
The New and Improved Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
Why You Should Add DC’s National Children’s Museum to Your Itinerary
The Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg, Virginia- the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Income Generated from
5 Suitcases:  $214.16

February

 

 

[Bird Island Park] [Sunshine Park] [Sheffield Park] [Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens]

 

Bird Island Park

February was an extremely busy month for us!  All 3 kid started ball and our daughter started Girls on the Run (a running club).  Suddenly, our life became consumed by extra curricular activities!  Between our busy schedule and sicknesses, we didn’t have many adventures.  

I did, however, get to spend time mapping out our trips for spring and summer.  I finalized everything for our trip to Iceland, booked our summer road trip, and booked a quick solo weekend for myself in March.  

One of our first outings was a trip to our local zoo with a friend of the family.  The babes always have so much fun interacting with the animals.  There’s a particular bonobo that runs to the glass every time it sees the kids.  It likes to mimic the kids movements- it’s the cutest thing!

We made a last minute decision to scrap a roadtrip over President’s Day Weekend and decided to check out some local parks, instead.

We started off at Bird Island Park, where we got to play on the playground, stroll along the boardwalk looking for fish and turtles, and make our way through a turtle-shaped hedge maze.  Afterwards, we went to one of our local parks, Sunshine Park.  It was so nice getting out and doing something (other than running and baseball/softball).

The weather in late February was in the 80s, so it was perfect for hitting up one of our favorite lakes.  The kids swam a bit and played on the boogie boards.  These babies love the water!

At the end of the month, my brother and his family joined us in Callahan for a drive through laser light show we covered for Instagram.   The hour-long light show was synchronized with pop songs and throwbacks.  The babes had so much fun dancing with their cousins. The laser show was really cool!

Blog Posts Published:

15 Must See Places in Washington DC +  
    Tips for Planning Your Itinerary
10 Great Wolf Lodge Tips & Tricks
6 Free Things to do in Nassau, Bahamas
The Ultimate Guide to the National Mall
    & Beyond

Income Generated from 5 Suitcases: $253.51

March

 

 

[Camp Milton Historic Preserve] [Northbank Riverwalk] [Big Talbot Island State Park]
[Black Rock Beach] [Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens] [Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge]
 [Kelly Park/Rock Springs] [SeaWorld Orlando] [Wekiwa Springs State Park]
[James Weldon Johnson Park] [Museum of Contemporary Art] [Huguenot Beach]

 

The weather at the beginning of the month was a DREAM.  It was perfect for getting outside and enjoying our beautiful home state of Florida.  We kicked off the month with a trip to Camp Milton Historic Preserve.  During the Civil War, Camp Milton was home to 8,000 troops.  Confederate soldiers, and slaves, constructed over 7 miles of earth works to protect the camp.  Remnants of the earth works remain on the site today.  

The preserve is connected to the Jacksonville Baldwin Rail Trail, a 14 mile stretch of paved trail.  The kids had so much fun riding their scooters and bikes on the trail.  It was the perfect place for them to stretch their legs and practice their riding skills.

March is Spring Break month here in Florida. 4/5 of us have off of work/school for an entire week.

Here’s what we did the last couple of Spring Breaks:  

2021- Cumberland Island National Seashore, strawberry picking, DeLeon Springs, Alexander Springs, and Sweet Pete’s
2022- Cruise to Amber Cove and Grand Turk

Our Family on the Locks of Love Bridge

We decided to include some weekend activities in this time, so that Ashley could join in on some of the fun.

On Saturday, we started our day by visiting a coffee shop called Bitty and Beau’s which employees people with different abilities.  It is such a fun atmosphere full of love, acceptance, and embracing diversity.  Afterwards, we scooted on over to the Northbank to walk along the river.  We started at the YMCA and walked eastbound to the colorful Locks of Love Bridge and to Corkscrew Park, an outdoor gym area.

Afterwards we went to our local ballpark to practice our hitting and fielding for t-ball/softball.

The next day, we decided to visit a couple of local trails.  We hiked Big Pine Trail (1 mile) and Black Rock Trail (1 mile) at Big Talbot Island State Park.  Black Rock Trail is one of our favorites because it empties out onto a beach called Black Rock.  Black Rock is sometimes called Boneyard Beach because it is covered with sun-bleached downed trees.

After two days of cold and rain, we were finally able to head back outside for our next adventure.  We braved the cold to spend a couple of hours at the Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens.  It was so nice because the zoo was pretty empty due to the weather.

 

Black Rock Beach, Big Talbot Island

Later in the week, we took a road trip up to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia.  The Okefenokee is the largest black swamp in all of North America.  It estimated that between 10k – 13k alligators call this swamp home.  The swamp is considered to be one of the 7 Natural Wonders of Georgia.

We hiked 3 miles worth of trails/boardwalk and drove around the paved scenic loop.  We saw 7 alligators (one of the boys counted 64…hahaha), 2 snakes, and more turtles than we could count.

The babes really enjoyed the Chesser Island Homestead.  The homestead was built in the mid-1800s by the Chesser family.  During our visit, the interior of the home was closed however, I have toured the inside on a previous visit.  The interior is decorated with period furniture.

The home, and the several outbuildings, give insight as to what life was like on the swamp 170+ years ago.  The kids favorite part was the syrup shed where they were able to work the water pump and play with several of the tools in the shed.  They had a blast pretending to make sugar cane syrup!

That same weekend, I took a solo trip down to Orlando.  On my way in to town, I stopped by Kelly Park to check out the gorgeous Rock Springs.  I brought along my paddle board and float, but it was only in the 40s while I was there, so I didn’t end up getting in the water.  Still, it was absolutely gorgeous to look at!  The springs form a natural lazy river.  This place is typically slammed, so I was very lucky to have the place pretty much to myself!

 

Afterwards, I headed to SeaWorld Orlando to check out the Seven Seas Food Festival.  

I had a lanyard that granted me 15 food/drink samples at the park.  After fasting for 16+ hours, I was ready to eat!  Be sure to check out our blog post on the Seven Seas Food Festival for all the details.

The main reason for me going down was that my favorite band of all time (we’re talking 25+ years!) was playing at the festival.  I ended the night with singing and dancing to Hanson.

The next morning, I woke up and hit up my second spring of the weekend, Wekiwa Springs.  Again, I opted not to get in due to the weather- although I was super tempted.  The water is a consistent 72 degrees, so it would have actually felt warm in the spring.  It was the getting out part that I was worried about. I walked around the swimming area, down the spring run, and did a mile loop trail through the woods. 

I absolutely love spending time at the springs, I wish they were closer to home.  Our closest springs about about 1.5 hours away.  I’m going to make a point of visiting a few more this week…and getting in the water!

The following weekend was a busy one!  The kids all had games and team photos.  Afterwards, we went downtown to check out the sidewalk chalk artists at Art at the Park.  The babes loved being able to create their own artwork and enjoyed the incredible works of art created by artists of all age.

On Saturdays, the Museum of Contemporary Art offers free admission, so while we were across the street, we decided to stop by.  This worked out perfectly because I’ve been wanting to check out the Milagros “Flutter Zone” installment (pictured right).  It features a combination of patterns, color, light, and music.  You’re able to interact with the piece by crawling inside of it and playing an organ.  It was a pretty fun and unique experience.

The boys experimenting with sound at Museum of Contemporary Art JAX
Kids at Huguenot 2023

We wrapped up our beautiful and busy weekend with a visit to the beach.  We found several starfish and crabs, built sandcastle and took our boogie boards for a spin.  It was a great way to close out the busy week and a great reminder of what’s to come this summer!

Blog Posts Published: 
All You Need to Know About Visiting SeaWorld Orlando with Kids
5 of the Best Beaches in St. Thomas
Do I Need to Book an Excursion in Amber Cove?
Ultimate Guide to the 2023 Seven Seas Food Festival at SeaWorld

Income Generated from
5 Suitcases:  $106.00

April

We started off April with a trip to the kids favorite camp ground (it’s top secret!).  As soon as we found out my parents would be camping there this weekend, we made plans to visit them.  They got to swim in the pool, paddleboard in the lagoon, play catch, and hangout with all of their cousins.  It was quite possibly the best April Fools Day ever!

Easter weekend and our kids Gotcha Day overlapped this year.  We had family come in to town to help us celebrate!  We hung out at breweries (which our babes love!) and did a bit of axe throwing. 

Later in the month, we celebrated love at the Strides for Pride 5k.  We didn’t run, this time, but cheered some of the runners on and checked out the vendors.  The kids are big fans of events like this because they walk away with a ton of swag.  Afterwards, we met up with our neighbor friends at our local swimming hole for some fun in the sun before they move to Texas.

 

Blog Posts Published: 

Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History: A Must See in DC!
How to See Manatees at Blue Spring State Park
Touring the Library of Congress- The World’s Largest Library
Easy-to-Use Printable Cruising Ducks
Free Things to do in St. Thomas
10 Must See Things at the National Museum of American History

Income Generated from
5 Suitcases:  $113.76

May

May was a little hectic.  I wrapped up my 9th year of teaching, the boys graduated from VPK, Smiley kicked the state tests ass, and we spent a lot of time at the ballfield.  The month wasn’t a total wash. We squeezed in some time at the lake with our neighbors before they moved to Texas. We also spent some time out on the boat with our framily.

Over Memorial Day weekend, we drove up to North Carolina to visit with Ashley’s side of the family. The kids went bowling for the first time and weren’t really fans 🤣 I think if they had a little more sleep they would have enjoyed it more.

In the month of May we published 4 posts:

National Museum of American History- Iconic Treasures from America’s Past
10 Tips for Riding the DC Metro That Will Make Your Trip Easier
10 Practical Tips for Visiting Washington DC with Kids
Florida State Park Bucket List

Income Generated from
5 Suitcases:  $232.52

June

With the stress of school behind us for a couple of months, we had a fun month!  We spent lots of time at the beach catching crabs and snails, looking for shark teeth, and catching fish.  We’re also making the most of our zoo membership and visiting the some of our favorite animals.  

Later in the month, we drove down to St. Augustine to celebrate a day of love at their Pride Parade.  We discovered our new favorite donut shop (Peace, Love and Donuts) and spent some time strolling around St. George Street and Constitution Plaza.  

At the end of the month, we drove 600 miles from Florida to Kentucky.  We were invited to check out the Camp Jellystone at Mammoth Cave.  Despite the terrible weather (we had severe thunderstorms our entire stay!), we still managed to have an excellent time.  When it rained, we headed into town to explore.  We ate at a charming Amish restaurant, visited a replica of Stonehenge called Kentucky Stonehenge, and visited the American Cave Museum.

The amazing thing about this Jellystone it is within just a few miles of Mammoth Cave National Park!  We booked the 2-hour, 2-mile historical tour.  It was AWESOME (minus the 572 steps…).  Afterward, we drove out into the country to visit Abraham Lincoln’s Birthplace  National Historical Park.  

In the month of June we published 5 posts:

Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge
Popular Caribbean Cruise Ports
8 Hamilton-Inspired Things to do in DC
Fort Matanzas: A Local’s Guide
Guide to the Great Wolf Lodge Water Park in Williamsburg

Income Generated from
5 Suitcases:  $44.14

July

Our Kentucky road trip carried over into the month of July.  We stopped by the Aviation Heritage Park in Bowling Green, strolled around the Western Kentucky University campus (to see the pioneer cabin and the Abraham Lincoln statue), took a book ride inside of a cave at the Lost River Cave, and rounded out our trip with a trip to the National Corvette Museum.

We had a wonderful time exploring the state of Kentucky together!  With this trip, the babes could add Kentucky to their list of states they’ve been to and traveled to a different time zone for the first time!  

Blue Lagoon, Iceland

Later in the month, we dropped the babes off with their grandparents and headed to Iceland to celebrate my 40th birthday.  We spent an entire week exploring the Land of Fire and Ice.

We visited the Blue Lagoon, Thingvellir National Park, explored an Ice Cave, checked out Diamond Beach, went whale watching, and hiked to countless waterfalls. 

It was such an incredible week!  It was the perfect way to celebrate my birthday.

In the Month of July we published 3 posts:

Guide to Great Wolf Lodge Water Park in Williamsburg
Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park in Mammoth Cave
Abraham Lincoln’s Birthplace National Historical Park

August

After getting back from Iceland on the 2nd, we fit in as much time with the kids as we could before school started back up.   We enjoyed boat days with our besties, hung out at the zoo, hit up the beach and soaked up the last few days of summer.

Up close and personal with Banks, the newest jaguar at our zoo

September

Our first trip to Medieval Times!

Just because school was back in session doesn’t mean our adventures were over!  In September we spent a long weekend down in Orlando with Ashley’s boss and his family.  We all shared a timeshare and spent the weekend floating down a lazy river and watching the babes launch themselves down waterslides.

The kids favorite part of our mini-roadtrip was a very special dinner at Medieval Times.  They being able to eat with their hands (shocker!) and enjoyed watching the jousting matches and medieval games.  

October

October was all about baseball and softball for us!  The kiddos started back up in August.  We love our nights at the ballpark.

November

In November we celebrated the boys 6th birthday with an 8-day cruise to San Juan, Amber Cove, St. Maarten, and St. Thomas.  My parents joined us, which made our trip even more exciting!

Our first top was Amber Cove, Dominican Republic.  We actually celebrated the boys 5th birthday with a cruise to the DR the year before.  On that trip, we had to book a “bubble tour” because the boys weren’t vaccinated.  Because of that, we didn’t really get to experience the DR like I wanted to.  

This time, we took full advantage of our day in Puerto Plata!  For the boys birthday, my parents bought an excursion to Monkeyland, a place they’d visited on past trips.

Monkeyland, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

Monkeyland is a natural jungle habitat that is home to super friendly squirrel monkeys.  Part of our tour included a visit to an “authentic Dominican home” and a demonstration/sampling of Dominican coffee.  The home part wasn’t very entertaining, but we enjoyed watching them make coffee by grinding the beans with a mortar and pedestal.  I wasn’t sure if I’d like it since I normally take my coffee with creamer but it was to DIE for!  They also made cocoa for the babes (which was great!) but ours liked the coffee just as much.

Next came the part we were all waiting for, Monkeyland!  I was a little nervous that Scoop would get overstimulated so we brought along his noise cancelling headphones, but he wasn’t able to take them in.  He ended up being perfectly fine (thank goodness!).  

I can’t even begin to tell you how many squirrel monkeys were inside the enclosure.  As soon as we walked in, the squirrel monkeys swarmed us hopping off of our heads, backs, and arms.  It was so much fun!

One of my goals on our trip was to cross off a National Park while we were visiting some of the US Territories.  While we were in Puerto Rico, we visit the San Juan Historic Site, the oldest European construction in all of the US territories and one of the oldest in the New World.  We got a chance to check out both Castillo San Felipe del Morro and Castillo San Cristobal.  

The next day we were in St. Maarten, where we planned a beach day.  We hopped a water taxi over to the Great Bay Beach.  The beach was easy to get too, and despite constantly being hassled by the locals to buy things, we enjoyed our time at the beach.

Our last port was St. Thomas, a place Ashley and I both had visited many times before.  We talked about catching the ferry over to St. John to collect another stamp in our National Park Passports, but nixed the morning we arrived.  Instead, we walked around and did a bit of shopping.  While were exploring, we came across the Pirate’s Treasure Museum- which ended up being the perfect spot to check out with the kids.  They had tons of pirate artifacts and treasure alongside interactive displays and games.  The museum was very well done and the babes really enjoyed it!

Sites Visited in 2023

Florida

Florida

Georgia

  • Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge

Kentucky

Iceland

Iceland

  • Dettifoss
  • Akureyri Botanical Garden
  • Hofsos Pool
  • Hraunfoss
  • Barnafoss
  • Deildartunguhver 

Dominican Republic

  • Monkeyland
  • Amber Cove

Puerto Rico

  • Castillo San Felipe del Morrow
  • Castillo San Cristobal

St. Maarten

  • Monkeyland
  • Amber Cove

St. Thomas

  • Pirate’s Treasure
    Museum

2023 Recap Numbers

Number of PBJs Devoured on Adventures: 40

Number of Charcuterie Boxes Eaten:  6

Number of Buc-ee’s Stops:  10

Numbers of Miles Traveled for Adventures: 13,239.19 miles

Our 2023 Goals

Goal

Progress

  •  Visit SeaWorld
  • In January, we drove down to SeaWorld Orlando to spend the day riding rollercoasters and catching animal shows.
  • Elle went back to SeaWorld in March to check out the Seven Seas Food Festival.
  •  Take a Cruise
  • In November, 23 took an 8 day cruise to celebrate the guys turning 6.  We visited the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten.
  •  Spend some time in the mountains
  • Ashley took the kids up to the mountains in January.
  • We spent Memorial Day weekend in the mountains
  • We’re planning on visiting Kentucky this summer.
  • Visit at least 3 new springs
  • We visited Blue Spring State Park in January, but this isn’t a new spring for us.  We still have some work to do on this goal.
  • In March, Elle visited Rock Springs and Wekiwa Springs.
  •  Visit at least 2 National Park Sites
  • We visited Fort Matanzas National Monument in St. Augustine early in January.
  • We visited the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in March
  • In June we went to Mammoth Cave and Abraham Lincoln’s Birth Place National Historical Park
  • In November we visited the San Juan National Historic Site in Puerto Rico.
  •  Add a new state to the list of places we’ve been
  • Ashley and the kids added a new state to their list this summer during our road trip to Kentucky.
  • Plan our Christmas trip
  • This year’s Christmas trip is going to look a little different…we’re not going on it until the summer.  We’ll be hitting the Florida keys with some friends.
  • Accrue airline miles
  • Smiley did a report on Montana which inspired her to want to visit.  It’s somewhere Ashley and I have always wanted to go, so we’re going to try to make it happen in 2024.  
  •  Increase Instagram followers by 10% (4719)
  • 2023 has been a great year for us on the ‘Gram.  We met this goal during the first 2 months of the year.
  •  Increase blog traffic by 50% (85,417 visitors)
  • We have several posts that are ranking really well on Google so we’re hopeful well be able to achieve this goal.

    March update– we’re nearly 1/2 way there
    April update– we’ve officially surpassed our # of visitors from last year.
    May update- We’re about 10,000 visitors away from our mark!
    June update- We are less than 1000 visitors away!
    July update- mission accomplished!

  •  Add content for 1 state and 2 countries
  • Create 12 YouTube videos
  • Visit somewhere new each month
  • This was my favorite goal from last year so I’m bringing it back for 2023!
    January– Fort Matanzas, SeaWorld Orlando
    February–  Bird Island Park
    March- Camp Milton Historic Preserve, Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Rock Springs, Wekiwa Springs
  • April- Stumpy’s Hatchet House
  • May- Bowling alley
  • June- Mammoth Cave National Park, Abraham Lincoln Birth Place National Historical Park, Kentucky Stonehenge, American Cave Museum, Jellystone Mammoth Cave
  • July- National Corvette Museum, Aviation Heritage Museum, Lost River Cave, see Iceland sites above
  •  Generate $1,000 in income from 5 Suitcases
  • We make money from Google AdSense and have monetized our Facebook and Instagram.  Every time you visit the blog, or like comment on our content on social media, or watch our Reels we generate income.  We use this money to fund our adventures!  We’d love it if you follow us on our socials to help us out!
  • July Update- we are about $7 away from meeting this goal.
  • August Update- Mission accomplished!

The 2023 Recap for the Blog

Top 5 Posts

Nerdy Numbers

New Posts: 27
Traffic Increase:  TBD
Estimated Miles Traveled: 13,240

Annual Focus

New Pages

Last updated: 8/05/23

We look forward to sharing our adventures with you in 2023!   Be sure to give us a like on Facebook or follow us on Instagram so you don’t miss out on the fun!  

Categories
Annual Recap

Our 2022 Recap- All of our Adventures Wrapped Up Into One Post!

Welcome to the 2022 Recap!  In this post we’ll map out all of our adventures for the year!  We started the tradition of posting our recap early in the year, rather waiting until the end, last year and love the way it came together!  We had an absolute blast in 2021, and we’re excited to share with you our 2022 recap!

This year we’re adding a bit of spontaneity to our adventures.  For Christmas, we got a book called “Adventure Challenge: Family Edition“.  In it, there are 50 different mystery activities for us to complete this year.  We’ll be sharing that with you all, as well.  If you aren’t already doing so, follow us on Instagram so you don’t miss out on the fun.

Check Out Our 2022 Recap

January

[Sheffield Park] [Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve State Park] [Silver Springs State Park] [Huguenot Park]

 

Apparently 2022 is going to be the year of parks for us because on January 2nd, we hit up yet another park (after visiting Sheffield Park the day before).  We took our lab, Lady Belle, to Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve State Park for a hike.  One downside of Pumpkin Hill is that the trails aren’t well marked.  We’ve been lost in the park before and I was terrified that it was going to happen again.  We ended up on a trail that lead to an excellent launching site on the creek.  We’ll definitely have to come back with our paddle board or kayaks!

Each year we let the kids choose whether they want to have a birthday party or go on an “adventure” for their birthday.  Smiley selected an adventure.  She decided that she had so much fun at Legoland (where we celebrated the boys 4th birthday), that she wanted to celebrate hers there, as well.  Unfortunately, in January, the COVID numbers started to spike again.  We gave her the option to go to Legoland with one of us during the month of January, or wait until the numbers went down and all 5 of us could go together (since the twins aren’t old enough to be vaccinated).  Being the sweetheart that she is, she chose to wait.

We wanted to reward her for her selflessness with a day trip to celebrate her 8th birthday.  To celebrate, we headed down to Silver Springs State Park.  We hopped on a clear bottomed boat tour.

We got to see several different spring vents, at least 5 manatee, an alligator, turtles, birds, and countless fish.  We also saw a sunken 400 year old dug out canoe and learned about the history of the indigenous people that ones called this place home.  We also learned about all of the films that were shot at Silver Springs.  

After the boat tour, we spent a lot of time wandering around the park.  We hiked, strolled the boardwalks, ran around the large fields, and searched for the park’s famous monkeys.  Unfortunately, we didn’t spot any.  Before we even left the park, the kids were making plans to visit again soon so we could kayak and paddleboard.

In December of 2021, our home was burglarized and we had 2 cars and an ATV stolen.  After a ton of back and forth with insurance companies and mechanics, we were finally able to get a replacement.  Ashley has been wanting a Jeep Gladiator since they were first released and she was finally able to get one.  To break it in, we took the Jeep to our favorite beach, Huguenot, where she got to dip it in the water, take it out on the small 4WD path, and drive it on the beach.  We all had such a great time!

In the middle of January, the weather turned cold and wet causing most of our family to get sick which put a hold on our paddling trips to the springs.  And then, it finally happened.  One of us caught COVID which meant for 10 days we did virtually nothing.  

February

 

 

[Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park] [Little Talbot Island State Park] [Sheffield Park]

 

By the first weekend in February, we were all healthy enough to venture out on our first adventure of the month.  We asked our Instagram family to vote on where we should visit. It was a tie between the springs and Paynes Prairie.  Remarkably it was a tie!  Since the weather was in the 50s, we decided to head to Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park for a bit of hiking.  The Florida state park is known for its population of wild horses, bison, and alligator population.   Crazily, we didn’t see either of those animals! We did, however, see some deer, armadillos, and several different species of birds.  Next time, we’ll check out the northern entrance of the park in hopes of seeing the horses and bison!

Of course, we couldn’t be by Gainesville and NOT stop by the University of Florida.  On the home, we made a quick detour to drive through the campus and swing by Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

After our trip to Paynes Prairie, we had another round of sickness and a cold spell that caused us to stay home.  Once the weather warmed up a little bit (and the ear infections and sniffles cleared), we headed to the beach.  We’re very fortunate to be surrounded by several state parks within just miles of our home.

We decided to hit up Little Talbot Island State Park.  The park is located about 3 miles from our usual beach (Huguenot Memorial Park).  However, unlike Huguenot, you cannot drive on the beaches at Little Talbot.  Admittedly, it was nice to not have to worry about cars while we searched for sharks teeth and shells.

When we got to the park, we chatted with the park ranger who gave us a handy picture guide that showed all of the different shells and sharks teeth that litter the beach.  Smiley enjoyed referring to the infographic while the boys splashed in the tide pools.  It felt so good to be back at the beach again!  

Later, we headed to our favorite swimming hole, at Sheffield Park, to take the paddleboard for a spin.  Man, have I missed paddling!

Oh!  And the biggest news of all in February… After having been stolen and be worked on at the shop for nearly 3 months we finally got our Ford Explorer back!  

March

[Amber Cove/Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic] [Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos]

In March we had our first BIG adventure of the year.   We took the kids on their very first cruise, and they left the country for the first time!  What was their first country, you might ask?  The Dominican Republic! The DR was gorgeous!  It reminded me a lot of St. Thomas.  We spent the day at the Playa Bachata Spa Resort in Maimon.  The resort has a beautiful palm tree lined beach with a ton of loungers.  The kids were a little annoyed with the seaweed, so we spent more time at the pool than in the beach.  The had such a great time splashing around with some of the local kids.

Puerto Plata, Amber Cove, Dominican Republic
Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos

Our second port was Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos.  This my third trip to Grand Turk, and I couldn’t wait for the kids to get to experience it.  The island itself isn’t very picturesque- there’s actually not much to do in Grand Turk aside from the beach.  Carnival has an absolutely stunning beach right next to the pier so we spent the morning relaxing at that beach.  Later in the day, we migrated over to the Margaritaville pool and Smiley tested out the FlowRider (and loved it!).  

The day we got back, we started looking at booking another cruise.  The kids had such a wonderful time, but both Ashley and I were a little disappointed by the cruising experience.  Between the 2 of us we’ve been on over 20 cruises with Carnival and this one was our least favorite experience.  There wasn’t a ton of stuff to do on the ship.  The last time we were on the ship (in 2019) there were a ton of kids activities.  Unfortunately, they got rid of almost every single one of them.  The kids didn’t know any different- but we certainly did.

April

[Huguenot Beach] [Legoland Florida] [Peppa Pig Theme Park]

April was pretty quiet for us.  I was battling some health issues which had me down for the count for nearly 2 weeks.  We spent a couple of weekends at our favorite beach, but other than that we didn’t get up to much…until our trip to Legoland and Peppa Pig Theme Park!

Earlier this year, Smiley chose to visit Legoland for her birthday.  Unfortunately, we had to put the trip on pause because of a spike in COVID numbers.  To reward her for her patience, we tacked on a day at Peppa Pig Theme Park AND invited some friends to join us.  

The kids at Legoland Florida
Smiley at Legoland Florida

As always, Legoland Florida DID NOT disappoint.  We had so much fun showing our friends one of our favorite theme parks.  We got to ride a few different rides this time, which was really cool!  

The Battle of Bricksburg water ride is my new favorite!  Smiley tried out new roller coasters- the wooden Coastersaurus and Legoland’s fastest roller coaster- the Lego Technic Coaster which has a  foot drop and hits speeds of 28 mph.  The boys enjoyed try out the Boat School ride and Stinky fell in love with the Beetle Bounce ride which features sudden drops down from a tower.  These kids are BRAVE!

The next day we spent the morning at Florida’s newest theme park, Peppa Pig Theme Park.  The park is quaint and super adorable.  It’s what we call a 1/2 day park- one that you can see and do everything in just 1/2 a day.  We arrived at the park just before it opened and were able to ride all of the rides, watch a show, do character meet and greets and have lunch in about 3 hours.

The park is well thought out and sensory-friendly.  We really enjoyed hanging out at Peppa Pig Theme Park, it’s perfect for little kids!

The Kids Relaxing in Peppa Pig's house at Peppa Pig Theme Park- Florida

May

[Huguenot Beach] [Mudslinger Tours]

May brought along more days with salt in the air and our toes in the sand.  We also had our best shark tooth hunting expedition ever! Believe it or not, we actually had to leave the beach and head inland to Central Florida in order to find them!  For millions of years, Florida was underwater.  This means that the land that we walk on now was once the floor of the ocean.  Along the creek beds and rivers in the Sunshine State, there are millions of shark teeth and fossils just waiting to be discovered!  We booked a tour with Mudslinger Tours out of Gainesville.  After about 4 hours in the creek, we found more than 100 shark teeth! This is an absolute must-do if you find yourself in Central Florida!

June

 

 

[Main Beach] [Salt Springs] [Yogi’s Jellystone Park] [Jacksonville Zoo] [Play Factory & Cafe]

 

It’s Ashley’s birthday month!  Fun fact- Ashley hates birthdays.  We try to make the best of them by spending our time in the great outdoors.  On her birthday, we packed up the Jeep and spent the morning at the Main Beach in Fernandina Beach.  The next day, we headed to the Ocala National Forest to visit Salt Springs.

In case you couldn’t tell, we love exploring springs!  Salt Springs reminded me a lot of the nearby Alexander Springs.  A lot of the spring run was rather shallow, making it perfect for kids.  The only downsides were that there were lots of rocks (we totally recommend packing water shoes!) and you can’t paddle at the springs (however, you can paddle just beyond the park boundaries).  

As always, Smiley had a blast swimming, exploring, and living her best life.  The twins were a little apprehensive when we first got in (because it was cold and it is deep near the entrance), but once they got in the shallow waters they were perfectly fine.  

In the middle of the month, we took a trip to Jellystone in Golden Valley, NC.  This trip has become one of our favorite family traditions!  Rather than staying at an Air BNB when we go up to visit Ashley’s side of the family, we stay at Jellystone.  It costs about the same as we’d spend at an Air BNB, but it comes with a ton of amenities.

We spent 5 days splashing in the creek and splash pad and swimming in the lake in pool.  We played putt putt golf, did some mining, watched the sunset over the mountains, rode bikes and zoomed around in the golf cart. 

This year, they added a new inflatable obstacle course in the lake.  Boy was that fun!  

Last year, the boys would only go down the small 2-3 foot toddler waterslide at the water park.  This year they tackled the largest slides in the park…again, and again, and again!  It was definitely a trip to remember!

Later in the month, we checked out a new play place called Play Factory & Cafe, spent a few days at the zoo and hit up the park with our cousins.

July

[Huguenot Park] [Fort Caroline] [Ribault Monument] [Cade Museum] [Florida Museum of Natural History] [MOSH] [Hands on Children’s Museum] [Jacksonville Zoo]

It finally happened.   After four of us avoided COVID for two years, we finally caught it.  Honestly, once the twins tested positive, I knew Ashley and I would as well.  This meant we were down for the count for not just one week, but two since Ashley and I didn’t test positive until several days after the guys did.

Once we were clear to be around people again, we tried our very best to make up for being isolated for two weeks.  We went to our favorite beach where we played in tidal pools and let the current carry us on our boogie boards.

While Smiley was away at camp, the guys and I had fun exploring a bunch of kid-friendly sights here in town.  We went to the Hands on Children’s Museum, checked out the dinosaur exhibit at MOSH, walked the Southbank downtown, and hung out at our local zoo.

The boys LOVED the Hands on Children’s Museum, which is really more like a large play space rather than a museum.  They got to learn all about our community through hands-on exploration.

One of our goals this year was to spend more time in Gainesville.  So, we took a spontaneous trip down to The Swamp to check out two different museums.  First, we hit up the Florida Museum of Natural History.   The museum’s exhibits were focused on the animals and indigenous people that lived/live in Florida.  They had an impressive collection of fossils of animals that once called this area home.

We added on the Butterfly Garden and Fossil exhibits to maximize our visit.  The kids were huge fans of the butterflies and loved being surrounded by hundreds of friendly fluttering insects.  The fossil exhibit was also pretty cool, although it was a little over our kids heads.  It was neat being able to talk to a scientist as he cleaned up an old turtle shell fossil.   If you’re short on time, we suggest skipping the extra fossil exhibit as the museum has an impressive collection of fossils included with their normal exhibits.

Their favorite museum, however, was the Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention.  They loved all of the hands-on exhibits.  The museum features lots of opportunities for kids to use their imagination, spark some creativity, and learn about topics such as space and innovation.  

Later in the month, we headed to one of our local National Park sites, Fort Caroline, where the kids got their very first Junior Ranger badge!  Although we’ve visited several NPS sites, this was the first time we did the activities required to collect the badge.  The questions the kids had to answer were pretty tough, but it added an interesting element to our visit.  While we were at Fort Caroline, we stopped by the nearby Ribault Monument, a replica of a column erected by Jean Ribault when he first arrived in Florida. 

We visited our local zoo at least 5 times this month.  We definitely make the most out of our annual pass every summer!  The kids love greeting each of the animals and spending time at the splash park.

August

[Anastasia State Park] [St. Mary’s Aquatic Center]

Like many families, August means back to school for the 5 Suitcases crew.  Before the twins started VPK, Smiley started 3rd grade, and Elle began her 9th year of teaching, we managed to squeeze a little more fun in.

We spent some time visiting some of our favorite parks- Pirate Playground (Fernandina) and Landon Park (Jax). 

We also met some friends down in St. Augustine and spent some quality time on the water.  Between fishing and swimming, we squeezed in a history lesson about Castillo de San Marcos and the Massacre at Matanzas.  The kids loved fishing and were stoked that they caught several fish.  My favorite part was dropping anchor at Conch Island (home of Anastasia State Park) and simply relaxing before heading back to work.

After the first week of school, Smiley and Ashley went up to North Carolina to visit family.  Meanwhile, the twins and I struck out on our own adventure!  We headed to Georgia to check out the St. Marys Aquatic Center.  The center had a lazy river, water slides, and a super-fun splash area.  They were in heaven!

September

[Ripley’s Believe it or Not!] [Beyond Van Gogh Immersive Exhibit]

In September, we took a day trip down to St. Augustine to visit our favorite donut shop, The Donut Experience, Ripley’s Believe It or Not, and to have lunch at Ford’s Garage.  

I haven’t been to Ripley’s in years, so it was pretty cool to see what the museum of oddities has evolved into.  The museum offered free admission to teachers and 50% off for their guests during the month of September, so we decided to check it out.  They had a cool collection of space things which was a hit with the boys.  Smiley was pretty intrigued at all of the unusual art work.  Ashley has decided she hates going to museums with us because we “rush through things”…she likes to take time to read EVERY THING where we’re more visual folks.

We were invited to an Influencer event to preview the traveling Beyond Van Gogh Immersive Exhibit.  Naturally, I took my favorite art lover- Smiley to check it out.  Before the event, we learned all about Vincent Van Gogh and his journey to becoming one of the most famous artists in history.  

The Immersive Exhibit was really cool, although I was expecting the space to be a little larger- perhaps more than one wrong.  As you stand in the middle of a large room, the walls and floors are illuminated with Van Gogh’s masterpieces.  The art work seems to dance and come to life.  The movement reminded me of the various brush strokes that Van Gogh utilized in his works.  

The exhibit has mixed reviews.  While it is impressive, the ticket price is a little steep for what you get in the experience.  If you’re able to find a discounted ticket- then perhaps it would be worth the cost.

 

 

Later in the month we were invited to a couple of more events- our favorite was Tacos  & Tequila Festival here in downtown Jacksonville. For once, we got a babysitter and hit up an event sans kids.  Ashley has decided she’s never attending another festival without VIP ever again.  We were spoiled by the crew at Visit Jax and had access to everything the event had to offer! We spent two days indulging in all the tequila we could drink and scrumptious tacos. We can’t wait to go again next year!

October

[National Museum of American History] [White House Visitor Center] [The White House] [National Museum of Natural History] [Library of Congress] [Ford’s Theatre] [National Children’s Museum] [National Air and Space Museum]

The desk Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence on-National American History Museum

The kids spent the summer learning about Washington, DC and our nation’s leaders.  In October, the time finally came to see all of these historic places in person.  The kids took their first flight (which may have been one of the highlights of their trip) and got to ride the Metro for the first time.

We didn’t pack a ton into our itinerary because I didn’t want to rush the Smithsonian museums and I didn’t want to over-do it with the kids.  Even with us taking it “easy”, we managed to walk more than 25 miles during our long weekend in DC!

We arrived in DC mid-afternoon on Friday.  We walked from our hotel to the National Mall.  Along the way, I managed to get us lost and we went about 2.5 miles out of our way.  Oops!  

Because of this, we didn’t get to see as much of the National Mall as I wanted us to.  We managed to see the Washington Monument and spend some time in the National Museum of American History.

On Saturday, we started off our morning with a visit to the White House Visitor Center.  We walked around The President’s Park, and snapped photos of Ben Franklin and A. Ham’s statues before queueing up for our White House Tour.  The White House tour was an amazing experience.  This was my 4th trip to the nation’s capital and my first time inside the White House.  It was really neat to see the relics that decorate the White House and the portraits and statues of the people who helped to shape our nation.  I’m so glad that we had this opportunity!

Dude...they actually let US inside the White House!
Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History

Our next stop was Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.  The boys thought all of the dinosaur skeletons were “super awesome” and Smiley was super impressed with all of the gemstones.  We even got to touch actual space rocks, which was really rad.  

We capped off the day with a tour of the Library of Congress.  Here we saw Thomas Jefferson’s Library, scoped out the children’s library, and marveled at the world’s largest library.

On Sunday, we began our day with a tour of Ford’s Theater.  We did the total experience which included the museum, the theater, the Petersen House where Abraham Lincoln died, and the Aftermath Museum.

Since we had such an emotionally heavy morning, we switched up our plans a little bit.  Instead of going to the National Archives, we lightened things up a bit with lunch at the Hardrock Cafe and a spontaneous trip to the National Children’s Museum.  This place was such a great find!  The kids spent a couple of hours climbing and sliding, creating, and building, and checking out all of the STEM activities in the museum.  I’m so glad we added this to the itinerary.  The kids had so much fun here!

Innovation Sandbox exhibit at the National Children's Museum
Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum

After being closed for renovations, the National Air and Space Museum had its grand re-opening the weekend we were in DC.  Man was this place packed!  At this point (October 2022), only 40% of the museum is open however it is super impressive.  The museum has a remarkable collection of airplanes, sports cars, spacecrafts, and memorabilia.  I wish we had more time to explore this incredible museum.  We had just under 2 hours to explore and could have easily spent more time there (and would have had it not been closing time).  I can’t wait to see how this museum evolves once it is completely re-opened.

We ended our day with dinner at an Italian restaurant in Chinatown and an evening stroll past the National Mall.  The kids like seeing the monuments lit up at night.  It was a wonderful way to cap off our trip.

We saw and learned so much in DC, I hope that the memories of this weekend will stay with the kids for a lifetime.

November

Man, November was ROUGH!  We spent the first three weekends battling sicknesses.  Between asthma flareups, the flu and allergies, 3/5 of us were down for the count.   Unfortunately, this cut into our November plans.  

Fortunately, the twins were well enough for us to venture off to Green Cove Springs for their birthday adventure.  This year, their gift was VIP tickets to the Monster Truck Show.

Kids with Monster Truck

First, we got to ride in the Redneck Road Trip Monster Truck (pictured above).  Holy crap, did they thrash us around!  Smiley loved it, and the boys were sure if they wanted to laugh or cry.  By the end of the ride, they decided it was “kinda fun, kinda scary.”  I agree with this assessment!

Next, we got to meet all of the drivers, get their autographs, and check out their trucks during the Pit Party. At the Pit Party we made friends with one of the drivers.  Before the Monster Truck Show, she stopped by our seats to give high fives and say hello before hopping in her truck.

The kids loved the monster truck show.  Thank goodness we had ear protectors because it was loud!  The kids enjoyed watching the trucks perform their super awesome tricks, but were perhaps more impressed by the freestyle Motocross riders.

Later in the month, our daughter ran her first 5k with her cousin, my brother, and our friend down in St. Augustine at the World Golf Village.  It was such a fun, uplifting event!  She’s planning on doing another 5k after Easter, hopefully we’ll be able to squeeze in a few St. Auggie activities next time!

December

[Great Wolf Lodge- Williamsburg] [Colonial Williamsburg]

In December, we covered a ton of Christmas events!  We did everything from Dazzling Nights at the Jacksonville Arboretum to Deck the Chairs out at Jax Beach.  We caught the Broadway Musical “Elf the Musical” and the Cirque Musica Winter Wonderland performance.  We saw all of the best lights in the city and marveled at the Gingerbread Extravaganza downtown!

We kept our road trips and jaunts to a minimum during November and December as we geared up for our big Christmas trip to the Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg, Virginia.

The day after Christmas we packed up the Explorer and drove all the way from Florida up to Virginia.  It was the kids and Ashley’s first time ever visiting Virginia.  As part of the kids Christmas gift, we spent 4 nights at the Great Wolf Lodge.  We played MagiQuest, bowling, laser tag, and played in the massive indoor waterpark.  

While we were in Virginia, we made a pitstop at Colonial Williamsburg.  In a word, it was incredible!  In my head, it was going to be like St. Augustine- a row of historic buildings surrounded by bars and restaurants.  I was totally wrong! 

It was an entire re-constructed/preserved town of Colonial-period homes and shops.  It was super charming and stunning!  The town was filled with costumed period actors that taught us about the history of Williamsburg and the trades the skilled workers performed.  

Our kids had lots of questions for the tradespeople and learned quite a bit.  It was a very cool, interactive, learning experience for them.  I wish we had planned better and spent more time in Colonial Williamsburg.

Sites Visited in 2022

Florida

Florida

Florida

Caribbean

  • Pirate Playground
  • Landon Park
  • Ripley’s Believe It or Not!- St. Augustine

Georgia

  • St. Marys Aquatic Center

North Carolina

Washington, DC

Virginia

  • Great Wolf Lodge
  • Colonial Williamsburg

2022 Recap Numbers

Number of Juice Boxes Consumed on Adventures:  55

Number of PBJs Devoured on Adventures:  40

Number of Charcuterie Boxes Eaten:  13

Numbers of Miles Traveled for Adventures: 7515 miles

Silver Springs State Park

Our Progress Towards Our 2022 Goals

This year we set goals for our lives, travels, and website.  Check out our progress so far…

Goal

Progress

  • ✔ Visit Legoland
  • We finally made it back to Legoland!  This time, we took a few friends with us.  We also tacked on a day at Florida’s newest theme park: Peppa Pig Theme Park!
  • ✔ Hit the High Seas
  • In March we took a 6 day cruise to the Dominican Republic and Turks and Caicos.
  • ✔ Visit the Mountains
  • Visit at least 3 new springs
  • ✔ Spend Some Time in Gainesville
  • ✔ Visit 2 National Park Sites
  • This July we spent some time at the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve.  We visited Fort Caroline and the Ribault Monument.  The kids also collected their first Junior Ranger badges!  In October we took the kids to Washington, DC where we explore the National Mall, Presidential Park and more!
  • ✔ Add a New State to our List of Places We’ve Been
  • The day after Christmas we packed up the Explorer and drove from Florida to Virginia for our Christmas Trip.
  • ✔ Plan Our Christmas Trip
  • Our 2nd annual Christmas Trip took us to Great Wolf Lodge in Virginia.  While we were in the area, we spent 1/2 a day at Colonial Williamsburg.
  • ✔ Create 12 New YouTube Videos
  • Visit Somewhere New Each Month.

The 2022 Recap for The Blog

Top 5 Posts

Nerdy Numbers

New Posts: 54
Traffic Increase:  260+%
Estimated Miles Traveled: 7515  (for family  adventures only)

Annual Focus

New Pages

And Now on To 2023!

We hope you’ve enjoyed our 2022 recap as much as we have enjoyed writing it!  It’s been a fun way to look back and reflect on all of the fun we had. 

So…now it’s on to 2023.  What will the future hold?  What are our goals, resolutions, dreams, and plans for 5 Suitcases?  Check out our goals post to see what we have in store for 2023.

Ripley's Believe It or Not- St. Augustine, FL

We look forward to sharing our adventures with you in 2023!   Be sure to give us a like on Facebook or follow us on Instagram and Twitter so you don’t miss out on the fun!  

Categories
Annual Recap

Our 2021 Recap- All of our AWESOME Adventures in One Post

As I look back on our 2021 recap, I’m amazed at how much we managed to see and do in the midst of a global pandemic!  In all honesty, I thought the year was going to be a wash as far as travel goes.   Boy, was I wrong!  The kids are now 3, 3, and 7, and we have been having so much fun exploring with them!  We are spent a lot of time time at parks, forts, and other outdoor attractions. 

This year, we started making more YouTube videos because our kids are infatuated with watching themselves run around forts and parks.  It’s been so fun watching those videos over and over again and reliving our adventures. 

Here's Our 2021 Recap....

January

[St. Augustine Pirate and Treasure Museum]

St. Augustine Pirate Museum

We kicked off the New Year by hitting the beach on January 1st.  Florida living definitely has its perks!  The boys ended up getting sick mid-January so we didn’t get to do much. Smiley and I had to reschedule our kayaking trip to Blue Spring State Park. 

Towards the end of the month they started to feel a bit better, so we took a daytrip down to historic St. Augustine.  We visited our favorite donut shop, The Donut Experiment, where they custom make your orders right in front of you.  Afterwards, we spent some time at the St. Augustine Pirate and Treasure Museum.  The kids had a blast playing with the interactive exhibits.  There were several touch screen maps and computers, replicats of cannons and even a scavenger hunt for us to participate in!  The museum is more geared towards older kids, but we still had a lot of fun during our visit.

We were hoping to visit Castillo de San Marcos while we were there but it was a bit too crowded for our liking so we skipped it and strolled down historic St. George Street, instead.  We visited the Old City Gates and the Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse in the USA.  The kids also got to see where I went to college (Flagler College).

Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse, St. Augustine
Old Water Wheel, St. Augustine

February

 

 

[Jacksonville Zoo] [Jacksonville Arboretum & Gardens] [Fort Caroline] [Kingsley Plantation] [American Beach] [Jacksonville’s Northbank] [Huguenot Beach]

 

With the kids finally healthy, we were able to get out and start exploring again.  We spent some time at the Jacksonville Zoo for the first time in months.  We did a bit of hiking at one of our favorite local green spaces, the Jacksonville Arboretum and Gardens. It was so nice to get out of the house!  The kids loved interacting with the animals and riding the train around the complex. 

The kids and LB at the Jacksonville Arboretum.

Afterwards, we went to Fort Caroline, which is a place I have been visiting since I was Smiley’s age.  Fort Caroline is a replica of a Huguenot settlement that was established in Jacksonville in 1564.  The kids had so much fun running around the fort and playing with the cannons.

February is Black History Month so we wanted to make sure we took the time to have conversations about slavery, segregation, and  equality. Smiley and I took a trip to Kingsley Plantation which is the oldest standing plantation in the state of Florida.  Not only is the main house still standing, but there are also the remnants of 25 slave quarters that remain.

Enjoying a picnic on American Beach

We had a family picnic at the historic American Beach.  During the time of segregation, people of color were not allowed to swim at most beaches in Jacksonville.  As a result, several black-only areas were created.  American Beach was the largest and most popular of these designated beaches.  It was established by Abraham Lincoln Lewis, Florida’s first black millionaire.  

We scoped out the latest downtown mural on Jacksonville’s Northbank.  An entire bridge, leading up to the Locks of Love (a bridge with locks attached to the fence), has been covered in a vibrantly colored geometric pattern.  On one side of the bridge is Corkscrew Park, an outdoor workout area.  We tried out the weights, medicine balls, and other workout equipment.  The kids had so much fun!

Locks of Love Bridge- Northbank Riverwalk

We rounded out the month with a trip to our local hangout, Huguenot Beach.  The water was much too cold (and it was jellyfish season), but the kids got in ankle deep to reload their water guns and full up their sand buckets.

March

 

[Huguenot Beach] [Ravine Gardens State Park] [Cumberland Island National Seashore] [De Leon Springs] [Alexander Springs] [Fort Frederica] [Saint Simons Island] [MOSH]

 

On March 1st we found out Smiley had to quarantine after being exposed to COVID.  She tested negative but we kept her out of school as a precaution.  Lucky for us, our favorite beach is dead during the week (when school is in session).  On the first day of quarantine, had a whole mile-long stretch of beach to ourselves.  We took the paddleboard out for a spin and combed the beach for sharks teeth.

March is peak season for azaleas (a gorgeous flowering southern plant) so we made the trek to hike the Azalea Trail at Ravine Gardens State Park.  The park was covered with azaleas that were in full-bloom!  It was absolutely beautiful!  The park has two suspension bridges, a spring that runs through it,  and several miles of trails.  

Smiley checking out the Azalea Trail
The Azalea's in full bloom at Ravine Gardens State Park

Spring Break 2021

The next week kicked of Smiley’s Spring Break.  Since I teach, it meant that we both had a whole week off.  I had a special activity/day trip planned for each day of the week to keep us busy!  On Monday, we headed to Cumberland Island National Seashore with a friend of the family.  We hiked more than 7 miles on this historic island!  During our visit we saw several horses, explored the Dungeness Ruins, walked the beach, and even visited the gravesite of one of our ancestors, “Lighthorse” Harry Lee, the father of Robert E. Lee.   Smiley hung in there and was a total trooper for the whole hike.  I was so impressed!

The next day, we took a day trip to a small town in central Florida where we picked the most gorgeous, plump strawberries.  It was a much more relaxing day and was a great way to break up our week.

Smiley strawberry picking
De Leon Springs

On Wednesday, we headed back down to central Florida to check out some springs.  We started off at De Leon Springs home of the famous Old Spanish Sugar Mill Restaurant.  The Old Sugar Mill Restaurant is known for their unique approach to breakfast.  Their menu features all you can eat pancakes that you prepare yourself.  After a delicious breakfast, we explore the beautiful park.  Next, we hit up Alexander Springs.  It was absolutely gorgeous!  In fact, we loved it so much that we went home and booked an Airbnb nearby for a long weekend in April.

We ended our Spring Break by attending a candy making class at Sweet Pete’s, a local candy store.  Pete himself showed us how to make lollipops!  It was a pretty sweet way to close out our Spring Break.

Soon, it was back to school and work for us, but that doesn’t mean it was the end of our adventures!  Later in the month, we squeezed in a few more trips to the beach.   It turns out that Spring Break came at the perfect time!  The following week a nor’easter blew into town and cooled things down tremendously.  While it was cold and rainy here in Jacksonville, it was a little warmer and dry up in Georgia’s Golden Isles.  We took a day trip to Saint Simons Island.  

Fort Frederica, Saint Simons Island

While in SSI, we took a trip to Fort Frederica National Monument.  The site is the remnants of an old British fort and town that was built by Oglethorpe to protect the colony from Spanish Florida.  As you can see in the video below, the kids spent all morning literally running all around the town.  Afterwards, we went across the street to the Wesley Memorial Gardens for a picnic.  I was hoping to stop by Christ’s Church (but there was a wedding) and the Hamilton Slave Cabins (they were closed) but we didn’t get a chance to.  Next time! 

One of the coolest and quirkiest things on Saint Simons Island is the Tree Spirits. Tree Spirits  are faces carved into trees. There are seven scattered throughout public spaces on the island.  We headed to Mallery Park to search for two of the Tree Spirits and to hit up their playground before heading back to JAX.

Scoop & Stinky posing with a Tree Spirit.

MOSH (the Museum of Science and History) just so happens to be the perfect place to spend a rainy day.  While the bad weather continued, we headed to the museum to check out the temporary exhibit Toytopia.  Smiley had been to the museum before, but it was the boys (and Ashley’s!) first time so she was excited to be able to show them around.  They all seemed to enjoy the hands-on exhibits.

We rounded out the month with more visits to Sheffield Park and Huguenot Beach.  The kids were eager to hop on the paddleboard and spend some time on the water.

April

 

[Alexander Springs] [De Leon Springs] [Celestial Farms] [Pirate’s Playground] [Egan’s Creek Greenway]

 

In April we became ambassadors for Visit Jacksonville, our local tourist board.  We were so excited to be given the opportunity to show all of the incredible things that our city has to offer!

April is Adoption Month in our home!  On 4.7.2020 we officially became a family of 5.  To celebrate our one year anniversary of officially being a family, we took a road trip down to central Florida to visit Alexander Springs and De Leon Springs (the same springs Smiley and I scoped out the month before). In fact, Smiley chose where she wanted to go.  We rented an eclectic Airbnb and spent Easter Weekend at the springs.

The Old Spanish Sugar Mill at De Leon Springs State Park
@5suitcases

Visiting Alexander Springs and De Leon Springs. #florida #floridasprings #vacation #familyvacation #springs #deleonsprings #deleonspringfl

♬ Vacation – Dirty Heads

We began our trip with a visit to an amazing construction themed playground called the North Lake Community Park.  The boys were in heaven!  The next morning, we first visited De Leon Springs where we had a pancake breakfast, explored the Visitor Center, and did a bit of hiking.  We dipped our toes in the water, but the outside temperature was still in the 50s so it was a bit too cold for a swim.  Next up, we went to nearby Alexander Springs.  We inflated the paddle board and spent some time paddle around the spring.  We spotted countless turtles and a couple of alligators.  While the boys were all about riding the nose of the board, Smiley wanted to hop in the water.  The springs have a constant temperature of 72 degrees and with the outdoor temp being 66 degrees, it was warmer in the water than it was on land.  We had a great afternoon swimming at the spring.  Let me tell you, visiting the springs in the spring is the way to go!

Just a few miles from our house is an animal rescue called Celestial Farms.  The farm is home to sheep, goats, pigs, rabbits, horses, cows, ducks, chickens, and other animals that have been rescued and cared for.  The kids each brought along a bag of fruits, vegetables, and crackers to feed the animals.  What a great way to spend the morning!

We recently learned about a park called Pirate’s Playground in Fernandina Beach so we took a trip to scope it out.  The park was awesome!  There were a ton of interactive elements.  The boys were huge fans of the sandbox (complete with treasure!) and Smiley was obsessed with the musical instruments.  The sensory park was perfect for our little ones.  We will be back!  

Next door to the playground was Egan’s Creek Greenway.  The Greenway features 5.6 miles of trails that wind through some of northeast Florida’s finest marshland.  There was tons of wildlife and (as always!) the kids loved being able to run around freely.  Both of these locations were a great find!

Flex on me! Scoop hiking on the Greenway in Fernandina, FL

May

[Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park] [Huguenot Beach]

May is the beginning of our warmer days- aka 85 degrees+.  The first weekend of May we headed westward to Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park– one of Florida’s newest State Parks.  We got to the park by 9:30 and it was pretty dead.  By the time we left at 12:30, it was closed because they were at capacity.  

We spent the morning swimming, snorkeling, and paddleboarding.  We even rented a canoe ($27/2 hours).  The kids seemed to really enjoy the canoe ride…and WE DIDN’T TIP!  We saw a ton of turtles basking in the sun and several fish- but no gators.

The springs were stunning.  I have a feeling we’ll be back!

We spent all of the other May weekend at the beach hanging out with my brothers and their kids.  The kids introduced my nieces (7, 4, 3) to paddleboarding and they absolutely loved it!  We’re definitely a family of water babies!

June

[Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park, Golden Valley]

Each June we head up to the mountains to visit family.  In the past, we’ve just rented an AirBNB but this time, we decided to try something new; we rented a cabin at Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park in Golden Valley, NC.  The campground resort is within 30 minutes of the 4 different houses we visit when we are in the area making it the absolute perfect place to stay.

Let me just say, this place exceeded all of our expectations.  There were so many amenities at the park!  There was a water park, pool, a lake with water rentals, pillow pads, a dog park for LB and Parker, an awesome playground, and lots of planned activities.  We had so much fun that we’ve already booked a cabin for next summer!

July

[Museum of Contemporary Art] [St. Augustine Alligator Farm] [Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens] [Georgia Sea Turtle Center] [Summer Waves Water Park] [Sweet Pete’s]

@5suitcases

Today we hit up the St. Augustine Alligator Farm. The kids were super impressed with their croc and gator habitats. @staugalligatorfarmzoo

♬ Crocodile Rock - Remastered - Elton John

The beginning of July was a very wet month for us.  With Hurricane Elsa and daily storms, we spent a lot of time indoors.  We hung out at our local library, Sweet Pete’s Candy Shop (the largest candy store in the southeast), took painting classes, and went to the Museum of Contemporary Art.

One weekend, we headed down south to St. Augustine to visit the St. Augustine Alligator Farm.  It was hot…extremely hot but the zoological park was still enjoyable.  They have a large collection of alligators, crocodiles, snakes, birds, and other animals.

Later in the month, we headed to the Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens for their IllumiZoo event.  [See our TikTok video]  The kids had so much fun with all of the interactive exhibits.  Smiley especially enjoyed the new ultra-modern art section that combines art and technology.  The boys loved dancing in the multi-colored lights.  It was a great night!

We closed out the month of July with not one but two roadtrips to Jekyll Island, Georgia. On our first roadtrip, Smiley and I paid a visit the the Georgia Sea Turtle Center.  This facility serves as an education center and a hospital for sick or injured sea turtles.  While we were there, we got to watch a veterinarian perform an operation of an injured sea turtle.  We also spent some time visiting some of the sick creatures in the hospital.  It was a very enlightening day.

A couple of days later, we hopped back in the car to head back to the island.  This time, our destination was Summer Waves, a water park that I’ve been visiting since I was a child.  Last month, we visited a waterpark in North Carolina and the boys were very apprehensive about the splash area.  Miraculously, they weren’t at all scared of the splash area at Summer Waves!  It’s amazing how much more brave they were this month!  All three kids had an absolute blast playing in the fountains and sliding down the slides.  My favorite part will always be the lazy river.  

@5suitcases

☀️☀️Summer isn’t over until we say it is! ☀️ ☀️ We squeezed in one more road trip before school starts. ##SummerWaves ##JekyllIsland ##Waterpark ##Family

♬ Summertime - DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince

August

[Sheffield Park] [Merritt Island]
 
Kids and LB at the lake

We closed out the summer with a BANG!  August is one of our hottest months with the feel-like temperatures ranging from 105-115.  We spent most of the month doing indoor activities at the house.   We did manage to have a few outdoor adventures, though.

We kicked off August with a trip to our favorite swimming hole.  LB (our black lab) was in HEAVEN.  She loves it there!

Although Smiley and I headed back to school (she started the 2nd Grade!!), we didn’t let it slow us down. We continued our tradition of visiting the local library after Smiley’s swimming lessons each Saturday.

 

We booked a bioluminescent kayaking trip in Merritt Island for my birthday.  The kids weren’t old enough to join the tour so they spent the night with their grandparents.  The kayaking was awesome!  We booked our trip for the darkest part of the month so the bioluminescence would be more visible.  We also rented clear kayaks so we could see the glowing water bounce off the vessel.  Our favorite part of the trip was coming across a massive school of whiting fish.  Thousands of fish swam under our kayaks and leapt through the air.  Several people had fish jump into their kayaks.  It was so cool!  We also got to see a bobcat fishing, which was really neat.

Later in the month, we went boating with our good friends.  Scoop and Smiley had so much fun jumping off the boat and swimming.  Stinky isn’t a huge fan of swimming in open water, but he loved the boating aspect of it.  

@5suitcases

Family boat day! ##boat ##boatlife ##fyp ##toddlersoftiktok ##5suitcases ##florida ##floridalife

♬ LA LA LAND (Part 1) - Official Sound Studio

September

[Celestial Farms]

September was a wet month here in Florida.  Unfortunately, in our family with the rain comes sickness.  One of the twins has really bad asthma and the rain causes it to flair up for several days.  Because of this, we spent a lot of time playing indoors.  

We did manage to take the kids grandparents to Celestial Farms, one of our favorite hangouts.  We introduced them to our favorite goats, horses, rabbits, and BK the cow. One of the best things about the farm is that the piglets, chickens, goats, and some of the rabbits are free to roam around.  The kids enjoyed being able to pick up and cuddle the animals.

October

[NAO’s Santa Maria] [Castaway Island Preserve] [Callahan Fair]
@5suitcases

this morning we explored the Santa Maria, and learned about the true history of Columbus Day. ##themoreyouknow ##fyp ##travel ##history ##family

♬ Stranger - Official Sound Studio

October was another slow month for us.  With upcoming trips booked for November, December, and January, we stuck close to home.

A replica of Christopher Columbus’s Santa Maria pulled into port just in time for Columbus Day.  We made the trek from JAX to Fernandina to take a tour of the vessel.  The ship, itself, was tiny.  It is extremely hard to imagine over 500 people and several animals living on board the ship.  It’s no wonder so many sailors got sick and died on the voyages across the Atlantic to the New World.   

The Santa Maria is a traveling exhibition that pulls into various ports along the eastern seaboard.  The self-guided tour cost was $15 for adults and $5 for children under 12.  There is also a family package available for $35. 

While I’m not sure if I would say the cost was  worth it, it was still a pretty cool way of teaching the kids about some of the first Europeans that came to America.

After touring the ship, we did some shopping in the historic district and enjoyed lunch at The Salty Pelican.

With the weather cooling down (high 70s, low 80s) we’ve been spending more time outdoors.  We spent some time at Castaway Island Preserve, which has a remarkable trail featuring stunning views of the marshland.

This month was another first for our family!  We visited the fair for the very first time!  We spent an evening at the Callahan Fair riding tons of rides, eating fair food, and the kids even participated in a show!  The kids were obsessed with the whole fair vibe. Smiley is a huge thrill seeker and wanted to go on all of the wild, fast, and spinny rides.  Scoop and Stinky tend to be a bit more apprehensive, so it was great to see them stepping out of their comfort zones and trying new things.  Hopefully this means that they’ll be just as willing to try out the rides at LegoLand next month!

We ended the month with the kids first ferry ride.  After one of the boys soccer games, we took the ferry to cross the river rather than taking the highway.  It was quite a hit!

November

[Legoland] [Legoland Hotel] [Shady Rest Alpaca Farm]

In November the boys celebrated their 4th birthday.  We gave the boys the choice of having a big party or going on “an adventure”.  They selected an adventure so we tossed a few different ideas at them.  They decided they wanted to go to Legoland- although Jellystone in Golden Valley, NC was a close second!

Our trip to Legoland was awesome!  We booked a room at the Legoland Hotel.  There are several different room options, but we went with the Kingdom Room which had a medieval theme.  The room was super cute and the hotel was a ton of fun.  Staying at the Legoland Hotel was definitely the icing on the cake.

All three kids were obsessed with Legoland.  Stinky must have said, “This is the best day EVER!” at least 30 times.  The kids were all super brave on the rides.  The park wasn’t crowded at all so we got to ride several different rides while we were there.  We also saw this super cool water stunt show.  As we were walking out of the park, we were gifted with 5 more tickets for a return visit.  We cannot wait to go back!  Smiley has already decided that she wants to spend her birthday at Legoland, as well.

You won’t believe what we did next!  We found out that there was an alpaca farm not too far from our house.  They hosted a Small Business Saturday right after Thanksgiving, so we obviously had to check it out.  The farm was super small, and not what we expected at all, but it was a really cool experience.  The farm does private tours, so we’ll have to look into booking one of those after the New Year!

The Kids with Santa and a freakin' Alpaca

December

 

[Jacksonville Arboretum & Gardens] [Jacksonville Zoo] [Yellow Bluff Fort] [El Faro Memorial] [Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park] [Margaritaville at Lanier Islands]

 

Oh.  My.  God.  I cannot believe it is the end of the year!  At the beginning of the month, we were invited by Visit Jax to check out the city’s latest holiday event:  Dazzling Nights at the Jacksonville Arboretum and Gardens.  This is one of our favorite local attractions, so we were really excited to check out their inaugural event.  The arboretum was all decked out with holiday décor,  Christmas lights, laser lights, and even a super fun interactive light-up path.  We strolled 3/4 a mile of illuminated trails, signing and dancing to the music as we meandered through the woods.  It was a lot of fun!  It will be interesting to see what this event evolves into in the future!

Elephant spraying water at the Jacksonville Zoo

Later in the week, we went to the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens to visit the animals.  With the weather being a bit cooler, the animals were a bit more active.  The rhinos and elephants, in particular, were super friendly!  We even got a chance to see Santa!

Sadly, shortly after that our world got SHOOK.  While we were sleeping, someone broke into our home, stole our electronics, snagged our keys, and stole 3 of our vehicles.  Afterwards, we tried as best we could to keep things as normal as possible, for the kids sake.

We went to see our local hockey team, visited the El Faro Memorial, and visited nearby Civil War Era earthworks known as Yellow Bluff Fort.

As part of the kids Christmas present, we gave them a trip to see snow for the very first time.   The Margaritaville at Lanier Islands puts on a winter event called Snow Island that has ice skating, snow tubing, a snow ball pit, a light show, and carnival rides.  On the 27th, we hit the highway to head to Snow Island.  On the way, we stopped by the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park.  The park represents 17,000 years worth of human habitation.

Ocmulgee Mounds National Historic Park

It features the oldest Earth Lodge in the USA.  We even got to go inside the mound to see where important ceremonies were held.  Stopping at the mounds was a great way to break up our trip to Lake Lanier.

Getting ready to snow tube at Snow Island Margaritaville Lanier Island!

While at Lanier Island, we stayed at the Legacy Lodge which offered a free shuttle to the Snow Island attraction.  We purchased the all-access pass so we could enjoy all of the attractions throughout the day!  Before leaving, we asked the kids what they were most excited about.  Smiley wanted to go snow tubing (check!), Stinky wanted to throw snowballs (check!), and Scoop wanted to go ice skating (check!).  The park also had a lot of carnival rides- I swear we rode each one at least twice.  We ended the day by checking out the walk-through light show.

The kids had so much fun at Snow Island.  We’re talking about going back during the summer to see how Margaritaville measures up in the summer.  We’ve been to Margaritaville’s throughout the Caribbean (we also have one in Jacksonville that we’ve never been to!), so it’ll be fun to compare it with the others.

Sites Visited in 2021

Florida

Florida

  • Local Parks:

Georgia

North Carolina

The 2021 Recap for The Blog

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And now on to 2022...

We hope you’ve enjoyed our 2021 recap as much as we have enjoyed writing it!  It’s been a fun way to look back and reflect on all of the fun we had, despite the state of the world.   

So…now it’s on to 2022.  What will the future hold?  What are our goals, resolutions, dreams, and plans for 5 Suitcases?  Check out our goals post to see what we have in store for 2022.

We look forward to sharing our adventures with you in 2022!   Be sure to give us a like on Facebook or follow us on Instagram and Twitter so you don’t miss out on the fun!  

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Annual Recap

2020 Recap- Our Adventures From This Year

Watching airplanes take off

When I started to think back and plan out our 2020 recap, I initially thought that we didn’t get much accomplished on the travel-front this year. However, as I looked through pictures, I realize we did a lot more than I thought we did. Our original plan was to start traveling with the kids, once our adoption was finalized in April. Then, obviously, COVID got in the way of things.

Our 2020 Recap

January

In January, we headed down to Disney World to celebrate Smiley’s 6th birthday. We spent two days exploring the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom with the kids. They had an absolute blast getting up close and personal with Mickey, Minnie, and a handful of princesses. We even got lucky with the lines (and our FastPasses!) and got to squeeze in a TON of rides!

February

In February, we headed up to North Carolina to visit Ashley’s side of the family. While we were there, we rode an elevator to the top of Chimney Rock. We climbed even higher to reach the chimney at an elevation of 2280 feet! We spent some time exploring Lake Lure and the surrounding area.

Watching airplanes take off

March

At the beginning of March, we went into self-isolation. We spent the month playing in our backyard and going on walks around the neighborhood. We’d go and park nearby the airport and watch the airplanes take off and land, just to get out of the house.

April

April was our adoption month! On April 7th, we made our family of 5 official via Zoom. Since it was a Taco Tuesday, we celebrated with tacos, cake, and champagne.

May

In May, we were treated to a flyover by the Blue Angels. Our house just happens to be right under their flight path so we had front row seats to their air show! With the weather warming up, we started to spend a lot of our time out at the beach- where we were able to easily social distance. And, if we weren’t at Huguenot Beach, we were in the backyard zooming down the waterslide!

June

Come June, we started to get a little stir crazy. We started hitting some of the local parks to break up our beach days. The kids quickly fell in love with the Jacksonville Arboretum and Gardens, which had been a favorite of ours for quite some time.

We also headed north a couple of times to Fort Clinch in Fernandina Beach. Sometimes we’d explore the Civil War Era fort, but most of the time we’d just comb the beach for sharks teeth.

July

In July, our zoo opened back up for those who had zoo memberships. The Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens has an AMAZING splash park so we hit the zoo often to escape the hot hot heat. We also branched out and started checking out other local parks like Castaway Island Preserve, The El Faro Memorial, and Blackrock Beach.

We also headed south to St. Augustine and Palm Coast to visit the Washington Oaks and Gardens State Park, Marineland, and Castillo de San Marcos.

We rented a camper and spent a couple of days in Orange City, Florida. Our little family spent two days floating down the spring run at Blue Spring State Park. We even went on a boat tour to see the marsh up close and personal! Since we were so close to Orlando, we headed to Disney Springs where we had dinner at Rainforest Cafe and did a bit of shopping and playing.

The boys headed back to daycare so that they could begin adjusting to being back on a schedule. This gave Smiley and I a chance to explore some cool places like The Cummer Art Gallery & Gardens, Riverside Park, Memorial Park, and historic St. Augustine.

We also spent lots of time out on the paddle board and kayak.

Our July Recap

August

We crammed as much as we could into the first couple of weeks of August- before school started back up. We visited the Museum of Science and History, the South Bank Riverwalk, and Catty Shack Ranch (a local favorite!)

With school back in session, we made sure to make the most of our weekends. We spent our Saturdays kayaking and paddleboarding at Huguenot Memorial Park. On Sundays we’d visit places like the local waterfalls or an ice cream shop.

Our August Recap

September

The twins were sick quite a bit during the month of September so we spent a lot of time at home. When they were well, we managed to visit the playground, the Jacksonville Zoo, the beach, and Tree Hill Nature Center.

October

October was another slow month for us. We did manage to take a trip to Congaree & Penn, a local farm to visit their pumpkin patch.

November

COVID numbers started to rise again during the month of November so we continued to spend more and more time at home. We did manage to participate in 2 walks. The first one was a 5K around downtown Jacksonville that we did to raise awareness for suicide prevention. The second one was at our favorite local park, in honor of a friend of ours who has breast cancer.

We also visited with my parents, while they were camping at one of our favorite lakes, Kingsley Lake. It was great being able to spend the day floating on unicorn rafts, paddle boarding, and jumping off the dock.

December

During the month of December, Florida was seeing more than 10,000 new COVID cases each day. The twins have weakened immune systems so we continued to be cautious. We canceled a cabin on a lake that we rented for a post-Christmas vacation with our extended family. We also nixed our trip to Charleston and stayed close to home.

What will 2021 bring us?

As of right now, 2021 is a big question mark for us, as it probably is for most people. When the numbers go back down, we’ll most likely venture up to the mountains so the kids can see the other half of our family. We haven’t been able to see them since January and it’ll be good to be able to take in some of that fresh mountain air again.

Surely, we’ll spend most of our summer paddleboarding and kayaking at our two favorite lakes and the beach. It would be nice if we could squeeze in a few more trips to some more of Florida’s remarkable natural springs.

We have a cruise scheduled during the month of November, over the twin’s 4th birthday. We ended up having to cancel their birthday party this year because COVID numbers were on the rise. We’d like to make it up to them by taking them on their very first cruise. The cruise leaves out of Miami and will take us to Half Moon Cay, Nassau, and Grand Turk– three incredible ports in the Caribbean. We’re cautiously optimistic about being able to actually go.

2021 is the first year that we plan on gifting the kids a trip for Christmas. The twins will be 4 and Smiley will almost be 8 at, at the time, so we finally feel like they’re old enough to start gifting experiences. Right now, we’re planning on taking them to Margaritaville at Lanier Island, in Georgia, for their winter Snow Island experience. We’ll spend a couple of days snow tubing, skating, and tossing snowballs at each other. Our Florida babies have never seen snow!

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