Spring Break

It's Spring Break week in Texas and we've just returned from a few days on the gulf coast of Florida (the most spectacular sand and surf anywhere in the continental U.S., no doubt).  Sadly, as has been our misfortune over the years, our spring break trip was marred by terribly cold, overcast and windy weather, effectively negating the wonder of our vacation, excepting the view from our condominium window.  

We consoled ourselves with thoughts of dinners out, books absorbed, quality time spent together and that illusive goal of relaxation. Still the weather was nothing less than miserable.  
All this had me thinking about some of our past spring breaks - many of them impaired by less than ideal weather, but part educational, part restful, while others merely represented the need for a change of scenery.  
Two thousand and one marked our first ever trip to Disney's Vero Beach resort.  It was cold then too. Still, we got to see Dodgers' Spring Training; were delighted by a surprise viewing of a Space Shuttle launch and spent a day at Disney World.
The next year, daring to tempt fate, we spent a second freezing Spring Break in Vero using the cold weather as an excuse to travel to see the Kennedy Space Center and the Piper Airplane Factory.

With the space shuttle in the background.

In 2005, we settled on an educational theme for our spring break (and a chance to visit some family as well). We began in Jamestown and Williamsburg, then traveled to see my alma mater as well as Thomas Jefferson's home, then on to Washington, D.C. for a couple of days.  Again, it was mostly freezing during our travels and was a hectic trip that was everything but restful.

What's Williamsburg without a tri-cornered hat?

In front of UVA's Rotunda 

Two years ago, we made the trip to Texas during Spring Break (to figure out if this was where we should make our home).  It was windy and sunny (as spring is here).  We then ventured to coastal Alabama, which just like Florida this week, was cold and overcast.
Finally last year, we traveled to California, both Los Angeles and San Diego. This combined the best of all vacations, sightseeing (Hollywood, DisneyLand - hard as we try, seems we can't get away from Mickey, and the San Diego Zoo); education (shout out to the Reagan and awesome Nixon libraries); and relaxation (Hotel Del Coronado, for the win!).  

A Disney Cruise (wow, in hindsight it seemed  we had a thing for "the Mouse") was warm and wonderful in 2004.

In 2009, we endeavored to see the world (or at least a corner of it) in 6 short days.  A trip to England and France was very enjoyable.  

P.S. Today is National Pi Day and yesterday the Cardinals elected a new Pope. I was a great fan of John Paul II. I even have a coffee table book in my living room about him. Tate and I were gathered around the tv for the announcement (my daughter texted me that she was watching the live stream in her computer at college)! You might have thought there was something in it for us Protestants, we were all so excited! Congratulations to Catholics everywhere!