Travel Day to Siesta Key

People have warned me over the past few years, that trying to get away for a summer vacation when there are teenagers in the house is a tricky affair.  They weren't kidding.  Between summer school, soccer and cross country conditioning, and cousins camp, there isn't much time to squeeze in a family vacation that lasts more than an extended weekend.  Last summer we just couldn't get away, so we opted for a staycation that included a few trips to local beaches.

As the winter of 2011 dragged on, Baird and I both realized we were almost desperate to get away, and were pining for the warmth of the Florida sun.  We decided to take the kids to Siesta Key and introduce them to the beauty of a white-sand beach.

We all got up bright and early this morning, planning to arrive in Siesta Key (via Atlanta, Sarasota, and a short drive to the cottage) by late afternoon; however, a serious storm blew thru Atlanta and shut down the airport, giving us a delayed departure from Chicago, long layover in Atlanta, and making us all more than a little bit antsy to get to our destination.  Here's where we'll be staying for the week:

We quickly settled in, then headed our for a fantastic dinner at The Cottage

We normally do not allow our children to play with their food, but tonight's casual atmosphere of outdoor-dining-with-tikki-lights-and-paper-menus made me want to bend the rules a little and let Erin stretch her creative side with the leftovers from Baird's steamer bucket:

It's gonna be a great week!