Florida/Bahamas Summer Trip 2009

In the summer of 2009, my family and I took a 10 day trip to Orlando, FL, Fort Lauderdale, FL, and a 3 day cruise to Nassau, Bahamas (the cruise being included in the 10 days). The first place we arrived was Orlando. Pulling up to the condo, Bahama Bay Resorts, I saw beautiful palm trees, other breath taking condo’s, as well as sand. When we pulled up to our condo, I noticed it was right by a small lake. Our condo was on the third floor with a lovely view of Orlando. The condo consisted of a kitchen, washer and dryer, two bathrooms, two bedrooms, a living room, and a dining room. It was awesome! There was also a balcony attached to our room with a table setting on it.

One of my favorite activities that we did in Orlando was go to a new water park called Aquatica. It was by far the best water park I have ever been to. There were many different water slides that were outstanding,two wave pools, lazy pool, two children areas, great foods, and souvenir shops.One of the water slides went through a pool of water where you could see the dolphins and fish as your sliding. Another slide had 7 different slides going at once, and you could race other vacationers. This one had a lot of twists and turns and went pretty fast. It ended with a step drop.

During our time at Orlando we also went to a Chinese buffet called Grand China, and it was great. They had many different Chinese food and even some American food to accommodate those who might not eat Chinese food. My favorite was the numerous types of chicken they served. Our last day in Orlando we visited my family from my mother’s side. The next morning we drove to Fort Lauderdale to visit my uncle, his wife, and his two daughters.

In Fort Lauderdale, my uncle lives in a huge mansion in Parkland. His mansion is an adobe styled house, with a courtyard, a pool inside of the courtyard accompanied with outside furniture and a television, extremely tall ceilings and doors, a brick-curved drive way, garage, and a gulf course right across the road. I could not begin to count how many rooms, bedrooms, and bathrooms there are. And what makes the mansion convenient, is that it is all on one floor. My Uncle Bill’s mansion is phenomenal! After spending quality time with each other, and having dinner, we hit the sack to be rested for our 3 day cruise that was approaching the next morning.

I had never been to he Bahamas until this past summer, and I can truly say it was the best trip I have ever taken. We took our cruise to Nassau, Bahamas on the Bahamas Celebration. This ship had a pool, hot tub, water slide, arcades, clubs, bars, restaurants, ice cream parlor, live entertainment including dancers, singers, comedians and magicians, casino, and a spa. I was in complete awe seeing everything that they had to offer. The cabin we stayed in even had drinks in the refrigerator, as well as candy and stacks. They offered rooms with one bed, two beds, bunk beds, and even decks connected to some of the rooms. During the cruise my family and I visited most of the attractions on the ship as well as parties. The second day on the cruise, I awoke in the morning, and when I looked out the window I saw that we had made it to the Bahamas. I had never seen anything like it in person. It had a paradise feel to it, and a tropical look to it. The island was so beautiful that it looked fake. I saw a lot of stands where Bahamians tried selling you souvenirs or purses, sandy roads, adobe styled houses, the beach water was clear, and the whole vibe of Nassau was tropical. While in Nassau, my family and I first took a tour of the island. We saw forts, mansions, the beach of course, and a lot of selling vendors just to name a few. I won’t spoil the whole experience for you. We also relaxed on the beach and even met other tourists as well as locals. I forgot to mention that the day we were in Nassau was also the 4th of July. After spending the day in Nassau, it was time to set sail again and enjoy the rest of the 4th on the ship. There was a pool party, entertainment, as well as a deck party to celebrate our independence. It was truly a blast!! The employees really cater to you to ensure you are having the time of your life. The last day on the cruise we were on the ship the entire time, and all I could see was the ocean for miles and miles. I spent most of this day with my mother. We watched “Slumdog Millionaire,” which was being played on a big screen, enjoyed some ice cream at the parlor, and relaxed. At night my family and I had dinner and then attended a comedy and magic show. I even got to compete in a little pageant for Ms. Bahamas Celebration and won!! Our night ended with a last night celebration in one of the ship’s clubs. Unfortunately, the next morning it was time to depart the ship and return back to Fort Lauderdale to go back home to St. Louis.

I am extremely happy my family and I took this vacation. It was long, however it was the best vacation I had ever been on. Now, I want to travel to more tropical areas, as well as go on more cruises. I must warn you though, there is a big chance you might gain weight on the duration of the trip because the food was magnificent and they continuously feed you! You will never go hungry. I highly recommend you take a cruise to the Bahamas! It was an awesome experience and I hope to do it again soon.