In light of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, many condominium complexes and beach homes were without a single renter this Summer. While that is sad news for them, it is helpful news to you. There are specials running now to try to attract tourists to the area. Some beaches were completely untouched by the oil.
In searching for luxury condos for a client recently, I ran across a gorgeous resort called Phoenix West. It is fairly new, has indoor and outdoor pools complete with water slides, beautifully decorated condos, and is right on the water - Gulf side. The Perdido Key location can't be beat for sugary white sand, clean water, and fresh seafood. It is my favorite beach in the world!
Next time you are looking for a relaxing beach vacation, try Phoenix West at Perdido Key. If you are looking for a Southern beach vacation this Fall, there are some amazing offers out there right now that you don't want to miss. It would be my privilege to plan something for you and your family!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
DVR: It's Not Just About The Horses
Friday's are always hard at DVR because you know that night means packing, and the next day means leaving. We are so blessed to live right here in Colorado - we can actually visit the ranch in the Winter time, too. Last year we stayed over there for a few nights and skied at Monarch. DVR is a totally different place in the snow. The mules hang around and actually do work on the ranch, but the horses are in Winter pasture.
Back to Friday: at dinner, Harold presents the Mule Certificates. If you are blessed enough during the week to ride Sugar, Cricket, Ruth or one of the other mules, you get a Mule Certificate, entitling you to brag all year about your exploits.
After dinner, the kids put on their skit at the old western town. Usually the same plot, good guys live in the town, bad guys cause trouble, good guys throw them in jail, but never the same experience.
Later in the evening there is ice cream at the lodge. Lot of folks take their pictures up to the office to be loaded onto the DVR computer and Brock puts together a slide show. During the ice cream reception, there is a continuous slide show of all the pictures taken that week. It's really fun to see other people's pictures - especially if they happen to be of your family.
Friday evening gives us a chance to say goodbye to old friends and new ones. It's also a time to say goodbye to the staff, who by then are like family. It's much like the end of a family reunion when you say "Y'all come see us!".
This year we are very blessed to have one of the staff girls from a few years ago going to graduate school right here in Colorado Springs. It's like having a niece move to town.
Saturday brings a quiet breakfast as many of the guests leave before breakfast to make out of state flights. And then, well, we have to leave.
Another Strickland family vacation comes to a close, but for this one, we KNOW we'll do it again next Summer.
We have committed to going to Deer Valley Ranch every year no matter what our financial situation is. (We prefer the whole enchilada - the ranch package where everything is included. But some years, like this one when finances are lean and mean, we do a la cart and that saves us some money.)
We measure our growth by the ranch, both physically for the girls - we have their picture taken next to the same fence every year, and relationally for all of us. It is an anchor for our family, a fixed point. We may be all over the place (figuratively speaking) during the school year, but during that one week of every Summer, we 4 are able to take our focus from the chaos of the world and turn it to the family that Jesus has made us. Sometimes it is a place of healing, sometimes it is a place of respite, sometimes it is just plain fun, and sometimes it is a week of non-stop worship of the One who spoke such a beautiful place into existence. But everytime, God shows up to each of us in the way we need that particular week.
So here is my sales pitch: If you are looking for an extraordinary vacation for your family next Summer, please consider DVR. I am working on a group rate for their opening week next Summer, June 4 - 11. I hope you'll check back here for details through the year.
Thank you for taking this journey with me. I know a week turned into 6 weeks, but that is okay with me. The longer I can draw out my Deer Valley time, the better!
Please look at our Legacy Family Facebook page for a slideshow of our week.
Back to Friday: at dinner, Harold presents the Mule Certificates. If you are blessed enough during the week to ride Sugar, Cricket, Ruth or one of the other mules, you get a Mule Certificate, entitling you to brag all year about your exploits.
After dinner, the kids put on their skit at the old western town. Usually the same plot, good guys live in the town, bad guys cause trouble, good guys throw them in jail, but never the same experience.
Later in the evening there is ice cream at the lodge. Lot of folks take their pictures up to the office to be loaded onto the DVR computer and Brock puts together a slide show. During the ice cream reception, there is a continuous slide show of all the pictures taken that week. It's really fun to see other people's pictures - especially if they happen to be of your family.
Friday evening gives us a chance to say goodbye to old friends and new ones. It's also a time to say goodbye to the staff, who by then are like family. It's much like the end of a family reunion when you say "Y'all come see us!".
This year we are very blessed to have one of the staff girls from a few years ago going to graduate school right here in Colorado Springs. It's like having a niece move to town.
Saturday brings a quiet breakfast as many of the guests leave before breakfast to make out of state flights. And then, well, we have to leave.
Another Strickland family vacation comes to a close, but for this one, we KNOW we'll do it again next Summer.
We have committed to going to Deer Valley Ranch every year no matter what our financial situation is. (We prefer the whole enchilada - the ranch package where everything is included. But some years, like this one when finances are lean and mean, we do a la cart and that saves us some money.)
We measure our growth by the ranch, both physically for the girls - we have their picture taken next to the same fence every year, and relationally for all of us. It is an anchor for our family, a fixed point. We may be all over the place (figuratively speaking) during the school year, but during that one week of every Summer, we 4 are able to take our focus from the chaos of the world and turn it to the family that Jesus has made us. Sometimes it is a place of healing, sometimes it is a place of respite, sometimes it is just plain fun, and sometimes it is a week of non-stop worship of the One who spoke such a beautiful place into existence. But everytime, God shows up to each of us in the way we need that particular week.
So here is my sales pitch: If you are looking for an extraordinary vacation for your family next Summer, please consider DVR. I am working on a group rate for their opening week next Summer, June 4 - 11. I hope you'll check back here for details through the year.
Thank you for taking this journey with me. I know a week turned into 6 weeks, but that is okay with me. The longer I can draw out my Deer Valley time, the better!
Please look at our Legacy Family Facebook page for a slideshow of our week.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Whitewater Rafting at Deer Valley Ranch???
Well, yes, sort of. Included in the Ranch Package is a half day of whitewater rafting at a terrific rafting company called Noah's Ark. The employees there are screened similarly to the staff at Deer Valley Ranch, so they are of similar caliber.
For about 2 hours the Strickland and Post girls floated down the Arkansas River with Zach, a young single man that we tried to fix up during our trip. Personally, I was trying to attach him to Niece #1, but for some reason it embarassed her so her mom made me stop.
Here are a couple of pictures from our afternoon.
After the rafting trip, and after the comedy show put on by two staff members from Noah's Ark on the bus back to their business, we headed back to DVR for yet another yummy, homecooked dinner.
I forgot to mention that Thursday lunch is one of my favorite meals. We have a BBQ on the deck, and a husband and wife team from nearby play some beautiful mountain music. I keep saying every year that I'm going to buy a CD, but I never remember.
Lots of things about Thursday are my favorites. Thursday night is the Western Party. For about an hour and a half, the wranglers and staff folks entertain the guests with stories, skits, music, and sometimes spitting (depending on the year). We laugh more on this one night of the year than any other. Just goes to show us all that you can have fun, entertain, laugh until you have to go you-know-where (especially at my stage in life) without any racy humor, inuendo or profane language. Again, this is Deer Valley at its best.
Thursday night is also a sad night, because it means we only have one more day at the ranch. But even then the plan is formulated to come back next year. . .
For about 2 hours the Strickland and Post girls floated down the Arkansas River with Zach, a young single man that we tried to fix up during our trip. Personally, I was trying to attach him to Niece #1, but for some reason it embarassed her so her mom made me stop.
Here are a couple of pictures from our afternoon.
After the rafting trip, and after the comedy show put on by two staff members from Noah's Ark on the bus back to their business, we headed back to DVR for yet another yummy, homecooked dinner.
I forgot to mention that Thursday lunch is one of my favorite meals. We have a BBQ on the deck, and a husband and wife team from nearby play some beautiful mountain music. I keep saying every year that I'm going to buy a CD, but I never remember.
Lots of things about Thursday are my favorites. Thursday night is the Western Party. For about an hour and a half, the wranglers and staff folks entertain the guests with stories, skits, music, and sometimes spitting (depending on the year). We laugh more on this one night of the year than any other. Just goes to show us all that you can have fun, entertain, laugh until you have to go you-know-where (especially at my stage in life) without any racy humor, inuendo or profane language. Again, this is Deer Valley at its best.
Thursday night is also a sad night, because it means we only have one more day at the ranch. But even then the plan is formulated to come back next year. . .
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