Every February, I start to get really restless and lose my patience for what always seems like a never-ending winter season. Luckily, it’s at this time that we usually have the chance to escape the frozen midwest and spend a few days in paradise — also known as Marco Island, Florida.
The JW Marriott in Marco Island has been our winter oasis since even before my son was born, and now both kids love it as much as we do. (This is not a sponsored post, by the way!) This year definitely did not disappoint.
While many of our family vacations are jam-packed with sightseeing and activities, this is not one of them. We are more than happy to just hang out by the pool and at the beach, and of course, eat plenty of great food.
My favorite meal is the breakfast buffet at the resort, and then the rest of the mornings we walk to a restaurant nearby so that we don’t feel like total slugs the entire vacation :)
My son got really into swimming in the ocean this year, while my daughter prefers to camp out on the beach and build sand castles. My husband Zach and I usually take turns with them, and it’s nice to have a little one-on-one bonding time with both kids.
This year, we had a babysitter watch the kids one evening so that we could visit the new rooftop bar at the hotel and watch the sunset, and then eat dinner on the beach. That was such a treat!
On the last night of the trip, we had an early dinner so that we could make it down to the water in time for sunset. This is the BEST time to get photos (including the one at the top of this post), and I love this shot my husband captured of Mia Belle and I right after the sun disappeared.
On our last day, we fit in some sun and fun before we had to head to the airport. I always have the hardest time ending our little Florida getaway, mostly because it means trading perfect weather for freezing temps and gray skies.
Ending vacation is bittersweet, but we know we’ll have next year’s winter escape to look forward to. Coming here always make me ask the question, “Why do we live in a place where the air hurts my face?” But I suppose that only makes us appreciate our vacations even more.
