So we've been friends for over 30 years. I was 11 years old when my parents moved us from California to Kentucky and to be honest, I thought my world had ended. Little did I know that I would find a friend that became like a brother to me within just a month of our arrival. Ernie and I, as long as we've known each other, had never taken a trip together. We had talked about a trip to Europe or going on a cruise but the timing was never right. Both of us with busy families, could never put that trip on the calendar.
April 2021 we finally made it happen. Shelly and I had taken a trip with our girls to Universal Studios Orlando the first week of December 2020 and Ernie and his family the week after. We had two days left of our five day park hopper passes we had purchased and they had season passes so they suggested taking both our families on a joint vacation for spring break. We jumped at the idea and soon booked the trip.
A nice leisurely vacation with no set schedule is definitely my jam with no places to be by certain times and the ability to just sit back and relax. We spent a couple days at the park enjoying all that Universal has to offer from City Walk, Universal Studios, and Island of Adventure to Harry Potter World and the Hogwart's Express you can without a doubt fill two days with all the rides, shows, and food. If you do decide to visit, I suggest stopping by The Three Broomsticks for a nice hot cup of Butterbeer. Even in the April Florida heat that drink just make your taste buds go crazy.
In between the two fun filled days at the park we decided to drive out to a beach somewhere to spend some time out on the sand taking in those Florida rays. And where is the best beach around when your in the Orlando area? Cocoa Beach, a long popular destination to those seeking the sun has 6 miles of ocean beaches with numerous beach access points from one end of the city to the other. Although Covid restrictions kept us from walking the pier, I had a great time spending a few hours laying out on the sand while Shelly and girls spent their time a little different. They can't miss the opportunity of turning any location into a photo shoot. And of course we couldn't miss the opportunity of visiting the world's largest Ron Jon Surf Shop at 52,000 square feet. This store has everything beach and is a "beach" to get out of without spending a few bucks on some new beach apparel.
The rest of our time was spent at the resort. Now if you've never stayed at a resort I highly recommend spending a little more and taking advantage of the luxury they have to offer. The amenities they offer versus that of a hotel can make all the difference in your general experience. We shared a three bedroom Suite at the Hilton Grand Vacations at SeaWorld and they definitely did not disappoint. With the four of us and our four kids, this was plenty of room to stretch out. From the quality of the room, the facilities, and the staff to the close proximity to Universal we couldn't have been happier with how it turned out. Their pool area is pretty great and the only thing I would have like to see was maybe a swim up bar.
I don't know what kind of plans you have for your next vacation but I will say that a family trip to Orlando should be on your To-Do list; especially with long time friends. As this is my first post and I am not yet doing any reviews I won't go into to much detail of each of the restaurants and other attractions we visited but I do hope you enjoyed my story and hope you come back for more. Please subscribe to get more stories and updates on my past and future trips and everything else coming soon. And so I ask, Do You Ever Wander? Thanks for reading!
Much Love,
Then Wander Guy