Still Traveling

By Lisa Stauffer

January 19, 2005 9:43 AM | Link to this

Hi Paula You mentioned people seem to get around the requirement to have adults with the kids. Here’s a cautionary tale.

Last Spring break in Destin, where my in-laws live, a mom rented a house for her college-age daughter and friends, while she rented herself another place down the beach. This mom claimed to the rental agency that she was staying with the kids.

Well, their first night there, the daughter and friends went out clubbing and a bunch of other kids followed them back to the house. They partied loudly around the rental house’s tiny pool. By 5 am, the police were there. By 6 am, the rental agency was there. First this college-age girl claimed Mom was sleeping upstairs the whole time, then she claimed it was all the other kids’ fault, that she couldn’t make them leave. The rental agency found damage to the house and beer cans on the lawn. So, regardless of excuses, the girl and her mom were held responsible.

By 9 am the kids were kicked out, and Mom lost her week’s rental fee. And, as all the hotels were full, there was nowhere else for them to go in Destin. So their vacation week was squandered, too.

So the moral is, if someone’s going to try to skirt the adult requirement (in Destin at least), they’d better not have any loud parties, and they’d better know how to shut it down if other kids try to start one. And the kids should be warned that every rental house has someone who’s keeping an eye on it — after all, no owner wants to have his property damaged by a group of kids. So their actions will be noticed, and reported back to the owner/rental agency.

Like I said, just a cautionary tale.

By Amanda

January 19, 2005 11:09 AM | Link to this

Hi Lisa Paula’s out today, gallivanting again. So I’m saying, “You know that’s right” in her place. I think parents want to trust that their daughter or son couldn’t possibily misbehave, and most of the time that trust isn’t misplaced. But when you get in a party atmosphere where some kids are acting outrageously, a kind of “group think” takes over — and the thinking gets a little fuzzy after a beer or two. That’s how “Girls Gone Wild” videos get made. Are you planning a spring break trip this year, and where are you going? Amanda

By Lisa Stauffer

January 19, 2005 9:05 PM | Link to this

Hi Amanda My husband’s parents moved to Destin about 6 years ago, and since then, every Spring break that’s where we go. Before that, I spent many, many Spring breaks in Laguna Beach, just west of Panama City. Now it’s usually just me and my 2 kids who go to Destin, as my husband has to work.

We’re extremely lucky. My in-laws live one block off the beach in a house that can sleep all of us comfortably. We rarely go out to eat during Spring break, as the traffic is horrendous. If we do any driving, it’s before noon. It’s very relaxing since we can walk to the beach, to a bookstore, to an ice cream shop, etc.

After the party incident last year the rental agencies for this neighborhood are screening people more carefully.

I’d like to write more about my Spring breaks in Laguna Beach, since Panama City has gotten such a bad reputation for wild partying. I’ll post that tomorrow.

By Lisa Stauffer

January 20, 2005 3:18 PM | Link to this

In the last 33 years, I’ve spent most of my Spring breaks near Panama City, Florida. Back in 1972, my parents built a cabin two blocks from the Gulf in Laguna Beach, 3 miles west of Panama City Beach. For the next 13 years, every Spring break was spent with my family in this tiny house.

With teachers for parents, Spring break was a family vacation. All through the cold winter days, we’d long for the purr of waves breaking on sand, for warm sunshine, for the smell of salt air, and for key-lime doughnuts.

In the Spring, the Gulf of Mexico has its trademark blue-green hue, but it’s too chilly for all but Canadians to swim. Wading was possible, if my feet didn’t get too numb. I’d fish, though, luring flounder up off the sand and into the frying pan. But the best part was simply being there. No tests, no boyfriend stress, no peer pressure, no classes to go to. I’d spend hours beach combing, and often found treasures washed up by the extra-high winter tides. Somehow even shopping was better there, especially when Panama City still had locally-owned shops which discounted their out-of-season clothes by 75%.

My Spring breaks in Laguna Beach were unkindly cut short when I had to go to work after graduate school. I’d somehow never realized most people didn’t get much vacation time, since, as teachers, my parents had been off every time I’d been out of school.

Today, little has changed about my parents’ beach house. The kitchen is still painted cantaloupe. The walls are hung with paintings made by family and friends. And there’s still only one bathroom. There are no fancy porches and no Seaside-style renovations; just a square house on stilts with a deck and one old palm tree.

For the last decade, I’ve been able to take my children on Spring breaks. Sometimes we go to Laguna Beach. My children enjoy eating key lime doughnuts on the deck, as well as beach combing and shopping, as much as I did.

Luckily Laguna Beach is still calm. Panama City’s wild Spring breakers stick to the area where the clubs are. There are no cool clubs in Laguna Beach. So far, at least, it’s strictly old Florida with little houses and family hotels.

As my oldest child enters high school, I’m sure her friends will start planning trips to rowdier places. But I don’t think I’ll have to insist she come with us instead. I think my parents’ beach house has worked its magic on a second generation. Or maybe it’s the key lime doughnuts….

By Rachel

January 21, 2005 9:31 AM | Link to this

Teens should never be allowed to travel alone and some parents need adult supervision as well. Be careful when sending you kids to a spring break destination with a “trusted adult.”

By An educator who has heard a lot

January 21, 2005 11:55 AM | Link to this

Having been a teacher for quite some time, I am always amazed at the stories I hear my high school students telling when they return from what seems to be often-unsupervised spring break trips. Parents, if 1/8 of what I’ve heard is even close to being true, don’t even consider allowing your high schooler on a trip without parental supervision that you know and trust.

By Paula

January 21, 2005 12:03 PM | Link to this

Having read the last two comments, my feeling is that my “good” girl and her friends need supervision even though they are “good” girls! We won’t want our “good” girls to go “bad.” Or worse, “wild.”

By Eric

January 21, 2005 3:03 PM | Link to this

Puula, just a little correction to your story the Ocean Walk in Daytona Beach is separate, although very close to the old Adam’s Mark hotel. Ocean Walk is a timeshare/ hotel that will be there for awhile. Adam’s Mark was sold to Hilton Resorts.

The City of Daytona Beach wants to drive Spring Break and other party weekends away from the beachside, so the smaller businesses and hotels go out of business. Most of the new laws and policies are trying to drive $$$ out and lower property values. Look in the future for a new boardwalk in DB and a more South Beach style, new Ocean Walk is a good example. DB will never survive as a family spot with Orlando and the Mouse soo close. Just my rant.

By Amanda

January 21, 2005 3:15 PM | Link to this

Hi Eric You sound like a Daytona resident (or former resident). Any tips on where to stay or what to do for people who might be considering Daytona for spring break? Amanda

By Josh Crabb

January 21, 2005 3:44 PM | Link to this

Spring break is wild, just let me tell you after about the 4th or 5th day you forget where you are. I do. I love it. Go back every year. Kids watch out for the stds

By Ringleader

January 22, 2005 4:35 PM | Link to this

You settled on the Sandestin Hilton????for Spring Break. You will be missing in action. No Spring Break there. It will be more like a nursing home, they do not even celebrate St Patricks, much less Mardi Gras.

By Paula

January 24, 2005 11:10 AM | Link to this

Nursing home, huh? Well, that’s fine by me. Our girls are not looking for a “scene.” They just want to get some sun, do some shopping, maybe hit the spa and kick back. They’re not going to meet boys — most of them have boyfriends anyway. Plus, how much partying can they do with three moms hanging around!!?? But I see your point: We wouldn’t have chosen the Hilton if we were wanted a lot of action.

By Paula

January 24, 2005 11:23 AM | Link to this

A note to Eric — thanks for blogging. I am aware that the Hilton (formerly Adam’s Mark) is separate from the timeshare section. But the Ocean Walk development encompasses the hotel, condos, shopping/entertainment area and the convention center.

Interesting comments on the SoBe-ification of DB. The Ocean Walk development is nice, but I liked the tacky old DB myself. Ah, the price of progress!

By Joyce Daniel

January 24, 2005 11:48 AM | Link to this

For our 25th anniversary, we went online looking for “the” place to celebrate. We found Cabo San Lucas on the southern most tip of Baja, Mexico. We found a 3 bedroom condo (sleeps 12) on the 3rd floor of a small luxury condo unit that had an incredible 220 degree view of the ocean. 3 pools, gorgeous, quiet, ez access to restaurants, tons of activities, spas, Cabo San Lucas and San Jose, numerous golf courses, etc. 7 days of paradise and of course, I’m ready to go again. Place was called Cabo Tranquilo and I think they have a web site. The place was brand new and had everything you could possibly need/want in the condo. There are direct flights from Atlanta. Airport there is SJD. Water was purified and safe to drink. It was a great place weather-wise in the winter but we want to go there in the summer next time with our kids. We watched whales playing in the ocean right off our deck….while rocking in rocking chairs. We checked out other hotels, etc. but really liked the location, amenities, accessibility, and the place overall of Cabo Tranquilo. Staff spoke English and were very helpful. All in all it was a place I would like to return to…………often.

By Beverly

January 25, 2005 11:01 AM | Link to this

This is really helpful! Were there kids there? I travel with my daughter and I would want her to have other children to play with. Were the meals pricey, or pretty reasonable?

By Paula

January 25, 2005 11:08 AM | Link to this

Hey, Beverly — Not sure if you’re inquiring about the place at cabo or sandestin hilton — clarify and hopefully we can answer your questions! Thanks!