Today I am linking up with Shay and Erica, for another edition of Let’s Look! Each month they highlight a topic and share a little about how everyone handles it. Today is favorite family vacations!
As a family, some of our best memories haven’t come from big milestones or holidays. They’ve come from packing the car, chasing sunsets, and exploring somewhere new together. With kids, every trip becomes a little adventure. Some are relaxing, some are chaotic, and some become the stories we laugh about for years.
Today I thought it would be fun to share a few of our favorite family vacations. These are trips that made the best memories, the ones we still talk about, and the places we’d happily go back to again. Well, some of them haha
2001 – St. John’s Virgin Islands.
We went to St. John’s Virgin Islands to celebrate my parents 25th wedding anniversary. We arrived in St. Thomas, and had to take a boat to St. John’s. We snorkeled, we took a mini day cruise on a yacht and had some yummy food and drinks! I remember snorkeling around a tiny little island and we saw baby sharks way down below and my mom freaked out so I swam back to the boat with her. I do not like myself with short short hair! My brother was like the typical Hollister high school guy.
Somewhere between 2002 & 2004 – Cancun, Mexico.
Nobody in my family could remember what year or find any photos of the trip to Cancun, Mexico! This trip stands out for me because it’s the vacation my mom found her black tequila she loves so much. I remember holding her up walking on the beach to sit down on a beach chair. I also remember my brother and I roaming the streets at night without a care in the world in Mexico. Nowadays? I would be soo scared to let my kids roam the streets alone! This googled image is from the resort we stayed at, just look at that crystal clear water!
2006 – Sanibel Island, Florida.
This trip stands out for me because we drove down to Florida with just the aunts and cousins. We stayed in a condo on the water. We were soo young! My favorite memory about this vacation is when my little cousin Austin asked me to take him to the horizon out in the ocean. It was the cutest thing! I also remember watching the fireworks (4th of July) from the rooftop of our condo. And thank you to my Aunt for sending me her scrapbook photos!
2007 – Lake Michigan
My mom’s entire side of the family went to Michigan for a week. We had this big house right on the lake, it was beautiful! All four of my aunts plus their families, and my uncle and his family. My brother brought his girlfriend, and I brought my boyfriend. We all had matching shirts! My grandpa and grandma took my mom and her siblings to Michigan for vacations when they were younger.
2012 Fort Myers Beach, Florida.
Went to Fort Myers Beach when Brady and Natalie were little. My parents used to have a condo twenty minutes from the beach, so it was nice to go there for vacations.
2012 Fort Myers Beach, Florida.
Went to Fort Myers Beach with just Kevin and I when we were dating. When Brady and Natalie would go on vacation with their mom, we would go to my parents condo to the beach! You find out a lot about a person by traveling with them, and I can say after traveling with Kevin I knew he was my person. We would sleep in, eat breakfast, and go to the beach all day long. Just sit there. It was the best! On the flight home from this particular trip, we got stuck in Charlotte and had to spend the night in the airport. Their were no hotel rooms available, so we took turns sleeping I guess? Kevin took a picture of me sleeping on the floor, I guess it was better than sitting up in the airport chairs.
2013 Honeymoon – Fort Myers Beach & Key West, Florida.
We went to Key West and Fort Myers Beach for our honeymoon! When we booked the trip, we had no idea that their was something called Fantasy Fest going on in Key West! If you aren’t familiar with it, you can read all about it here, Fantasy Fest. Let’s just say we felt out of place with our clothes on! LMAO. We stayed in Fort Myers at my parents condo, and then took 2 days to go to Key West, and then back to Fort Myers Beach. We took the Key West Express ferry from Fort Myers to Key West. Lots of fun memories from our honeymoon!
2022 – Fort Myers Beach, Florida.
Our first vacation with little Huxley! We stayed at the best condo, right on the beach. Huxley did great on the plane, and he loved the beach. And I love how Hadley wears a hat every vacation. It was fun!
2023 – Destin, Florida.
Destin is my second favorite place to vacation. It’s a lot more touristy, but the water is just beautiful! And there is always something to do in Destin. We drove to Destin, and took our time. We stopped at Buc-ee’s, and then stayed at a hotel to break up the drive for the kids. We rented a pontoon boat, and it was hilarious because Kevin gets so nervous driving a boat on the ocean. Kevin and Hadley took a day to do fun things like bumper boats, race tracks, things like that.
2025 – Anna Maria Island, Florida.
If I had to pick one place that truly feels like our happy place, it would be Anna Maria Island, Florida. There’s something magical about the soft white sand, the turquoise water, and the slower pace of life on the island. The days are simple there. Beach walks, ice cream runs, sunsets that look like they belong on a postcard.
The kids love the ocean, and most importantly the golf cart! And I love how everyone just relaxes. No rush, no big plans, just sunshine and family time. The small island life is definitely for me, it’s so relaxing!
What a fun post to write! We love vacations!
