Day 1: Fort Lauderdale - On our way

We arrived at Ft Lauderdale Airport the evening of 5/25/2009. A storm was coming in. Which produced one of those landings where people clap afterwards; excited at landing without casualty. We then sat in the plane and waited for the storm to pass and the airport to open the gate and allow us entrance.

After finding a Taxi that could carry 7 people and our luggage and a 10 min drive, we arrived at the hotel. We entered the parking garage to the sounds of horns honking and a sign that read "Taxi's for BeachPlace Hotel P3". The hotel was built on top of a public parking garage for the public beach and today was Memorial Day. The storm had emptied the beach of people. A mass exodus was under way.

We slowly drove past the traffic. Our driver occasionally laughing and commenting, in a foreign language, about the scene ahead. The traffic was insane. The line of cars trying to get out of the garage was filled with drunk, swim suited people. Wet haired, excited, laughing, jumping out of cars, hanging out of windows, talking, laughing, puking, red plastic cuped, sandy, standing up in car roof windows people. For three levels of parking garage, I resisted the impulse to cover my kids eyes and wondered about where I had taken them. I decided then and there that Cassidy and Tanner would NOT go to Ft Lauderdale when they graduated High school.

Halfway through the drive the driver stopped the van and discussed the traffic, again in the foreign language, with another taxi driver who was on the way out of the garage. Our driver then recounted to us that the other taxi driver, now on P2, had already waited an hour in the line of cars.

Once settled, we left for dinner and then the beach. Based on the suggestion of the concierge we ate at H20. Described as a "Trendy People-Watching Waterside Spot" we called an"Overpriced Tourist- trap" and vowed to not eat at an ocean front restaurant again.

We then went to the beach to see the ocean and play in its waves. Tanner and Cassidy had a blast. Dillon (the baby) however decided the water was something to fear. The kids played until the sun set.

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Casi's Take (In case you were not able to keep up on her blog)

OK we are Florida and its awesome!!!! the flight sucked, it was 2 hours and 40 minuets to Chicago and a one hour layover, after that its about 3 hours to Florida, but the landing was insane!!!! whenever you looked out the window you could see lightning flashing everywhere! when we finally got on the ground we had to wait about 15 minutes (because there was a "tornado" warning) till a gate was open and ready for us to get out of the airplane. when we got out of the airport it was really hectic, there were taxis everywhere trying to pick people up, and trying to get us in there cars, we had 7 people, me, mom, dad, tanner, and our friends, brandon, kate, and there baby boy dillan. so we needed a lot of room for us and our luggage, so we had told this one guy that we had 7 people, he had gone away, i had forgot about him but then he came back with a van, enough room for 7 people. So he took my dads suitcase and started getting us in. When entering our hotel you have to go through a parking thingy, its about 4 or 5 levels up and level three is taxi drop off, its only a 2 way so all the cars trying to get out are backed up all the way about level 3. Our poor poor taxi driver :) Once we got to our room, we were amazed, we walked into my families room, there was a bathroom, and small little sink a bed a hideaway couch, balcony looking over the ocean, beautiful, and a plasma sreen tv, but whats that? a door, to the LIVING ROOM AND KITCHEN AND LAUNDRY ROOM!!!!! another balcony, another bedroom (for our friends) and 2 other tvs, this is awesome!!!!! after running through our room a few million time we get dressed and go out for dinner, after we eat we go to the ocean!!! we play in the waves and finally go to our hotel and sleep :) more tomorrow, on what we did today! :D