Southport Magazine

By Lisa P. Stites

It’s that time of year. School is out and our wanderlust kicks in as we wonder where we’ll go for vacation this year. I’ve been lots of places – every state along the East Coast, New Orleans, Tennessee, mountains, beaches and the flat lands in between them. These are a few of the places my family and I love.

Florida Keys

There is the beach, and then there are the beaches in the Florida Keys. It’s going to the Caribbean without needing a passport. If you want to go for a week or more, you could drive from here, though it will be a long trip. If you want to go for a long weekend, plan on flying. There is so much to do in the Keys. There’s great snorkeling and diving, fishing, boating and water sports, sunset cruises, and Sunset Celebration and other nightlife in Key West. You’ll find fresh seafood dishes at restaurants, or you can catch your own right off a dock or on a charter boat. We have stayed in Key West with just the two of us, and we have stayed farther up the coast in Marathon with the family. I wouldn’t recommend staying in Key West with the kids. Not that they wouldn’t enjoy it, but the Keys farther north are more family-friendly and a little more affordable, though everything is expensive in the Keys. Rooms in Marathon run from $100 to $450 a night and up, while in Key West they tend to run $150 to $600 and more a night. Definitely check out John Pennekamp State Park for snorkeling and make sure you buy a disposable underwater camera or a GoPro. There are submerged cannons and it is shallow enough to stand on them, and the fish love sharing the spot with tourists. Robbie’s in Islamorada is another fun spot. You can rent a boat or charter a trip, feed huge tarpon from the dock or grab a bite to eat. Keep your eyes open and explore — there are lots of public parks and places to access the water.

Disney World, Orlando, Florida

My family loves Disney. At this point, with a teenager in the house, really it’s my husband and I that love Disney and our son goes along for the ride. There are so many ways to do Disney, and some of them are surprisingly affordable. Disney has three levels of resorts – deluxe, moderate and value. The value resorts run between $90 and $120 a night depending on the time of year while deluxe resort rooms vary from $400/night to more than $1,000/night. There are several hotels very close to Disney, however, so it is possible to spend much less on accommodations. We like to stay in the resort, park the car and use Disney transportation. For me, the ultimate Disney vacation would include a stay at the new bungalows on the lake at the Polynesian Resort, but that’s not likely to happen. We did splurge for a room in the Animal Kingdom Lodge, but just for one night. We were in a room all the way down at the end, farthest wing from the lobby, what we called the cheap seats. It also happened to be across from the spot where many animals demanded breakfast. Waking up to the sound of an African crane and seeing giraffes, ostriches and other animals in the courtyard right outside our room was well worth the price.
There are four amusement parks: Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. My best advice for a Disney vacation is to get over the idea that you are going to see and do everything. Just go and enjoy the experiences. Keep in mind that you can make reservations for breakfast before the park actually opens, giving you time to get pictures of Cinderella’s castle and Main Street fairly people-free. Ticket prices start at $105 for the Magic Kingdom for one day, $97/day for the other parks. Multiple day tickets lower the price per day; tickets that allow multiple park visits per day are also available. You can also do a quick weekend trip. It’s only a 9-hour or so drive after all. Drive to Georgia or Florida after work on a Thursday night and stay somewhere on the way. Friday morning, go to Downtown Disney and browse through all the shops – Christmas, artwork, Legos, Disney toys, hats, etc. You can check in that afternoon, and spend some time riding the monorail and exploring some of the resorts. Pick a park to visit Saturday, and then visit Downtown Disney for some souvenir shopping and lunch before heading home Sunday.

Oak Island, NC

I really don’t like the word staycation, but if you’re looking for something really affordable this year, staying home might be just the thing. Laze on the beach with a good book or a fishing pole, take a sunset cruise, rent a kayak or take lessons, learn how to paddleboard, or make an appointment to climb the lighthouse. The view is incredible from the top. There are plenty of tourist attractions that many locals have likely never visited, such as the Maritime Museum in Southport, Ingram Planetarium in Sunset Beach, the USS North Carolina Battleship on our side of the Cape Fear River and Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson. Fort Fisher and the Aquarium are a short, $5 ferry ride away. Take a day trip to Myrtle Beach (Ripley’s Aquarium at Broadway at the Beach and Alligator Adventures near Barefoot Landing offer Brunswick County residents the locals’ admission rates). But if you decide to stay here and enjoy all of the reasons we love to call it home, you might want to still give everyone the impression that you are traveling far away for vacation and can’t possibly be reached – just a suggestion!

Charlottesville, VA

Tucked comfortably into the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains is a vacation spot for history lovers and wine enthusiasts. Charlottesville, Va. is home to the University of Virginia, vineyards and orchards, brew pubs, beautiful hiking spots, and Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s home.
Charlottesville is a great spot for couples to reconnect, but it is also a destination the whole family would enjoy. Monticello is a beautiful home and touring it is a must. Don’t miss the University of Virginia campus, which Jefferson designed. The area offers all kinds of outdoor activities, such as hiking, kayaking, rafting, horseback riding, and skiing and snowboarding in the winter months.
There are many B&Bs to choose from if you’re looking for a private getaway just for two. My husband and I stayed at the Clifton Inn, a beautiful B&B that was the home of Thomas Mann Randolph, a Governor of Virginia and Jefferson’s son-in-law. The home was actually a wedding gift from Jefferson to his daughter and her husband. We were a young couple just starting out when we stayed there. We used a gift certificate and still booked the least expensive room, which was in one of the outbuildings. Due to construction outside, we were moved into one of the master suites in the main house, luckily at no extra expense. We thought we would like to have dinner at the Inn’s restaurant but were told it was booked for a private function. As we headed into town for dinner, dressed in our nicest khaki pants, we saw that the function was a black-tie affair. The next day we found out it was a victory party for the newly elected Governor. No wonder they sent us off to town. We went to a brew house for dinner and really enjoyed it. That weekend, we also toured Jefferson’s Vineyards and did a wine tasting. We found beautiful places to walk on and off the Inn’s property.

It seems no matter what we do, adventure comes our way, especially when we travel. When we headed out to Charlottesville, we planned to take the main highways to get there. We were having such a good conversation, we missed our exit and ended up outside Raleigh. It was pre-cell phone and GPS times, so we pulled into a gas station and consulted the map. We picked a new route and headed out again. It was a beautiful ride. The fall leaves were in full color and we traveled through picturesque towns. That’s the best part of traveling to new places. Wherever you decide to go this summer, be open to new experiences and don’t forget that the journey can be half the fun. Poet Robert Frost had it right – taking the road less traveled can make all the difference.