Roy Walley: Oh, hell yes. Drove the whole family to Florida. Worst 2 weeks I ever spent in my life. The smell from the back seat was terrible.
Clark Griswold: Ooooh. Ooooh, I know that smell. Roy, could you imagine if you had driven all the way to Florida and it was closed?
Roy Walley: Closed? Uh, they don't close Florida.
Rest assured if they do, it will be just before we get there.
Heading on our first-ever major family vacation attempt, as a friend has generally offered the use of her family's beach condo in Florida for a week; all we have to do is get there.
Notice I say vacation "attempt": a day before departure, we unexpectedly had to invest $750 to get our 1996 Honda Odyssey roadworthy (new radiator, ignition switch, carbon cleaning, etc.), so before we even start the trip we're $250 over budget - not a good sign.
Oh, and check out this weather forecast for the next ten days (half of which we're supposed to be frolicking on the beach). Lovely.
For perspective, I went to the video store last night to rent National Lampoon's Vacation. I kid you not: they had every Vacation movie (European, Christmas, Vegas) but the original, as it was "damaged."
I'm not making this up, folks. I swear.
2,240 miles; ten days; four children; two adults (chronologically); some kind of unrelenting travel curse we can't shake (if you don't believe me, read the posts). God help us all.
*On a lighter note, click here for more on the Wagon Queen Family Truckster. Sweet.
I love the original Family Vacation movie...
We love cross-country traveling...we just returned from our annual trip to Canada (about 2200 miles in all) and are already wondering/thinking/planning/hoping for the next trip (dh is considering Mexico - I'm not sure I'm up for that)...
Posted by: Edi | July 17, 2009 at 08:45 AM
We drive about 3,800 miles every Summer from CA to Montana/Wyoming and home. We did this 2 years ago with my parents, 7 of us in a minivan :) We are planning to repeat it this year. It's actually really fun.
Posted by: Rachel | July 17, 2009 at 09:10 AM
Hoping with Megan that this trip will break the trend! :)
Posted by: Monica | July 17, 2009 at 10:26 AM
We've not had a good experience in Florida in regards to rain. Last time we did Disney, we got drenched every single day. Drenched. And riding Big Thunder Mountain Railroad during a hailstorm? Painful yet priceless.
Posted by: Chelsea | July 17, 2009 at 10:34 AM