ex(PR)essed

My parents live in northwestern Pennsylvania. They’ve had 100+ inches of snow so far this year, and they’re rooting for Erie to get another seven inches so that they can break a record (149 inches!) and all the cold and mess of the winter can feel like it actually means something instead of just being a significant pain in the rear.

It’s no wonder then, given the weather, that cute Dave and Linda couldn’t wait to make a break for it and head to sunnier, warmer climates. They left on Feb. 27 for a two-week stay in Indian Shores, Florida, and they invited us to join them for a few days of sun and surf. Of course, we said yes and booked our airfare immediately. You don’t have to ask us twice to leave behind the frigid temperatures and put our toes in the warm-ish Gulf. Can you see why we couldn’t wait to get out of here?

My parents had rented a condo with a beachview, so we enjoyed this type of stunning finale each and every day we were there. And, yes, we all stopped what we were doing each evening to gather on the balcony for the sunset. That’s what you do on vacation. Perhaps when Floridians travel to Pennsylvania on vacation (why?), they gather around the window to watch the snow plows go by. (Or, in the case of central Pennsylvania, they gather around to watch the snow fall without a plow in sight.)

Anyhow, there were many wonderful, beachy sights to see.

Lest you think we just stumbled upon this pile of gators, allow me to clarify. Jeff and I played miniature golf on Sunday, and the course’s claim to fame was gators aplenty! I counted 18 within a rather small area. It was a hot day, so many were catching a few rays while waiting for a tourist to pay $3 to dangle a chicken liver over the rail. We just observed them and moved on, minus the chicken thing. (For more about the golf game, check out Jeff’s blog.)

In addition to seeing lots of sea critters, we also enjoyed eating lots of seafood! We scoped out some fun, delicious restaurants. At Bubba Gump’s I ate scrumptious cocunut shrimp. No grease; perfectly crispy. Delicious! At Crabby Bill’s I enjoyed a crabcake sandwich, and on our last day, at Conch Republic, I had Baja Shrimp Tacos. Yum! Each place was very beachy and all, but I was especially fond of the “attitude” at Crabby Bill’s!

Jeff has written a funny and thorough account of our trip on his blog. It’s worth checking out, although, perhaps without being there, you won’t find some of his memories as funny as I found them.

Jeff and I love going on vacation together — we discovered what good traveling partners we are when we ventured to Maine on our honeymoon. Since then, we always look forward to an adventure away. We’re fortunate that my parents also enjoy an adventure together and invite us to join them! (Read about the Bertram-Lorow vacation adventures last year here.)

All in all, our Florida trip was great. Plenty of time for sleeping and relaxing, miniature golf and swimming, eating and well, eating! We were far from ready to come back home. Who wants to leave behind 80-degree weather and my cute parents? No one? Exactly.