Seven Days, 2075 miles

Hot and humid Epcot!

We started our family vacation to Florida last Saturday and returned Friday night. I can't recall a time when I was so happy to be home, especially since John didn't go and he was home sick all week. By family, I mean my mom, dad and aunt. We went to visit a friend in Orlando, then hopped up to Gainesville to visit Mac & Amanda, who used to work with mom at Sears, and then to Atlanta to visit the niece of my aunt's friend.

During this journey, I did most of the driving... carting the old folks down and up the east coast. I never realized how wacky my folks are. Have they always been this way or is it just that they're getting old? For example, my dad has always been a map fiend. He has always been very thorough about researching the route we're to navigate before our travels. I remember the trips to AAA to obtain the TripTik, maps and guide books before every vacation as a kid. But now my dad's obsession with travel seems to have extended beyond just the maps and directions. He tracks mileage and time milestones as we hit various points in our trip such as crossing into a new state, gas stops, lunch stops, etc. He records these milestones into a mini tape recorder. What does he do with this info???

Overall, the trip was fun, although tiring. I got to see folks I hadn't seen in 20 years or more. I realize this is probably one of the last road trips like this I'll be able to take with my parents, so I tried my hardest to cherish every moment, even when my mom was back seat driving with no map in hand or idea where we were headed. It's nice to be home.