My family used to do a road trip every year to Tampa.
We live in Jacksonville, Florida so the drive was around three hours.
It was nice seeing a different city. We would stay at a swanky hotel, eat some good food, and see a professional hockey game. We did it every year for Christmas. It was pretty fun since we all were hockey fans. Then everyone got married and had kids. Suddenly driving three hours to Tampa to see a game isn’t possible. I kind of thought our days in Tampa were over. Then my sister started researching and found that Tampa offers all sorts of kid friendly attractions. There are Busch Gardens, the Tampa Zoo, the Florida Aquarium, and Adventure Island. Suddenly the trip to Tampa for Christmas was happening again. The hotel we stay in is kid friendly. There is a pool, tons of other kids, and it is a mess. We don’t eat at fine restaurants or get drunk anymore. It is all local food that is cheap, easy, and hopefully healthy. No more hockey games but amusement and water parks. Animals, fish, and parks are all great. It is a lot of work and effort to make Tampa happen every year. I still enjoy the trip. Instead of coming home relaxed I do come home feeling like I need a vacation. I am glad that the kids enjoy our Florida road trip every year though. It makes the holidays a little more special. Tampa offers quite a bit for a diverse crowd.