On the road...

Okay, so I've been too busy to stop and blog for a couple of weeks.  I actually did start a new post, but I ran out of time and haven't had time to get back to it and it's one of those that requires a little thought.  I've been busy traveling for work and then catching up from traveling for work...but now I'm gearing up for a fun trip with my family and friends from my alma mater!

Last week, I was in Orlando for the AACTE Conference.  What is that, you might wonder?  Well, it's a meeting geared toward those who work in higher education administration in the realm of teacher preparation.  So, there were a lot of deans, associate deans, and assessment folks there.  I fit into the "assessment folks" category, of course.  We learned about what's coming down the pike in the next two years and by the time the conference ended, we were all stressed out and thinking about other employment ventures.

I don't want to think about it anymore, so I am going to change the thread of this post and talk about what I love and that is TRAVEL!  Okay, it was a business trip, but anytime I get to travel, I am pretty happy about it.  The conference was in Orlando - I've been there too many times to count - but I still love that city.  There is so much to do with or without the family.  I've been to all the parks with the kids and in good conscience couldn't go without them, so a colleague and I decided to spend our evenings doing adult stuff...like shopping, dining, and well, doing what big people do - letting our hair down and relaxing.

We weren't able to get a room at the conference hotel, the Rosen at Shingle Creek.  The conference was actually held at the hotel - the hotel is huge with around 1500 suites and there were at least three conferences going on at the same time.  We waited until January to make our reservation and were told that we were a day late and a dollar short.  The conference rate for the hotel was $205.00 plus tax per night, but it offered the convenience of walking downstairs to dine at one of their nice restaurants and straight to the conference meeting rooms.  I asked the reservationist at Rosen if there were any other hotels and she told me that there weren't any because they were surrounded by a golf course and park.  I Googled the place and found out that there were actually some nice condos right across the street. I called them and was able to bood a 2400 square foot condo with three bedrooms and two baths for $144.00 per night.  Check this out:

http://www.vistacayholidays.com/

What about the location?  It was very conveniently located to everything.  It was very close to Sea World and Universal Studios, just off Universal Drive.  It was close to the Orlando Convention Center and right around the corner from restaurant row.  The only downside was that the complex did not offer a shuttle service to the parks.  The units are all independently owned and are all decorated differently.  The place is very beautiful and securely gated.  The pool was awesome!  I am thinking that we might book here the next time we vacation in Orlando.  I couldn't believe the price - it was actually much less expensive to rent a deluxe condo than to rent a small hotel room and we split it!  I love finding a good deal!

We are now counting down the days until our next family vacation, which I will post about soon.  I booked a group cruise - this was the first time I've tried this - and can give you the scoop on how to do it on your own.  It is pretty easy and has its perks.  Look for it next week.