For the 2020 Holiday season, Olivia and I decided to make the quick trip down to South Florida to visit her family for a few days. Only a short hour and a half flight from RDU to Fort Lauderdale (and another 20 minutes to her parents in Boca Raton), we always jump at the opportunity to head south to spend time with the in-laws. We always have so much fun together, and it certainly doesn’t hurt escaping the winter temperatures of North Carolina. Check out the video below for a recap of our trip:
Our plans for this vacation had been altered significantly, as we were originally planning on bringing my whole family down to Boca before heading north to Orlando for a few days of fun at the parks. As we got closer to trip-time, my parents made the difficult decision to stay put in Raleigh (given the current COVID-19 climate). We adjusted our plans and cancelled our stay in Orlando to extend our time in Boca with Olivia’s family. It was a bummer that my parents could come along for the trip, but it was definitely the right call and it will make next time together all that more special.
Our accommodations for the week were in nearby Deerfield Beach at the Wyndham right on the main strip of the beach. This is actually a hotel we stayed at last year when I brought my mother down for a few days, so we kinda knew what to expect going in. I was also able to secure a corner room that provided for some awesome sunrises/sunsets, so that was a nice bonus.
Just as our last trip, we had an excellent stay at the Wyndham. The hotel is clean, modern, the staff is awesome (shoutout to CJ at the hotel bar), and you can’t beat the location being just steps from great dining and the beachfront. We were also able to enjoy the pool this time around, which was super secluded and offered a nice alternative to the sandy beach.
In terms of dining this time around, Olivia’s family made some excellent choices for our nightly meals. Her brother Austin also flew in on Christmas eve, so it was great to have the whole crew together for the holiday. Our big Christmas day meal was at a quaint Italian restaurant called Novello. It was absolutely perfect; they had a covered outside dining area lined with heaters that kept us warm on the brisk afternoon. The food was some of the best Italian I’ve had, and we paired it perfectly with a delicious bottle of wine. It was an excellent meal to finish of our Christmas celebration.
We were fortunate to have a few days of good weather, so Olivia and I certainly took advantage of some good sun on the beach. As mentioned earlier, after getting tired of the crowds and the beach we would grab a drink from CJ at the bar and head to the pool deck. The pool was super secluded and made for a great afternoon napping spot.
The other outdoor activity that is being to become a tradition for Boca visits was a trip to the local miniature golf track, Putt’n Around in Delray Beach. It is one of the coolest places I have ever been. Two excellent courses; both challenging and replete with awesome theming and water features. They also do Halloween and Christmas overlays during the months of October and December! If that isn’t fun enough, they are loaded in the clubhouse with some great snacks and a full bar–they will even deliver you drinks on the course mid-round! It was a heated battle this time around, but Austin managed to win the day with a birdie on 18.
Our original plan was to return home on the 27th of December, but after not wanting to pack our things and leave our family, we decided (mid-way through Breakfast) that we would extend our stay an extra night. We lucked out with hotel availability for our room, but switching our flights was a piece of cake. It turned out to be a great decision as we got one more day of sun and I was able to celebrate my birthday (a day early) with Olivia’s family. It truly was a great end to the trip.
Thanks for taking the time to read about our Christmas trip to Florida! Although the beginning of January should be pretty slow, keep an eye out for my next adventure towards the end of the month when I head out west for another snowboard trip to Breckenridge, Colorado!
– Walker
Texas-Ranger Travels 