The
Birth of a Plan
Lynne
and Matt had a few days off at the end of July to spend with Savannah before
school started back on August 4th.
Prices were high this time of year, looking at a quick getaway to a
beach resort in Florida or South Carolina as it is high season, and most of the
‘deals’ had already been booked, leaving vacancies only for the higher end
resorts. Looking for a deal, daily was getting a little frustrating for this impromptu
last minute idea for a getaway.
Tired
from weeks of running errands, work, church building needed repairs, and
emergency room trips for my parents (Penni), Dennis and I were having dinner
one night when he said, “we need a
weekend away”. I immediately sent Lynne
a text and asked if she and Matt would be interested in splitting the cost with
us for a condo for a few days. This was NOT a trip I had planned and budgeted
for either, so this would be the ideal solution.
The
idea proved easier than reality. Finding an affordable, available, condo in
prime season, without a six or seven night minimum took hours and days of phone
calls and internet searches. Finally, we found something suitable at Gulf
Highlands Beach Resort in Panama City Beach, Florida. A 1 Bedroom/ 1 Bath that would sleep 5 with a
separate bedroom, we agreed, while small, this would work. We were very familiar with this resort as we
have friends that own vacation homes there and over the past twenty-five years
we had stayed in one or another of the units and were always very satisfied.
Not a beach front resort, the gated complex does boast 10 pools on site, tennis
courts, a designated walkway across the street to a beach clubhouse with small
restaurant and large pool, and the star attraction – the beach and ocean. None of our friends units were available for
the days we needed, so after searching, we settled on one we found in VRBO with
many good reviews, except one (more on that later).
Excited,
we counted the few days left until time to pack and go. We worked on Monday and
Tuesday morning (except for Matt – who was off on Tuesday). Driving separately,
Lynne and Matt left about 11:30 and Dennis and were able to get away around 1:00
p.m. Finally, sit back and relax – here goes…
Next
up – Day One
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