1/2/18 - A New Year, a New Destination

What a ride. The holidays have treated us extremely well. We had a wonderful Christmas with my (Ben's) family in Lakeland, FL, and managed to do some sightseeing and relaxing while we were at it. We started in the greater Orlando area to visit with my sister and her family for a little bit before pressing onward to Lakeland. The night we arrived in lakeland, we actually hopped in a car and went back to Orlando in an attempt to see a movie, but traffic delayed us so much that we were unable to make it on time, so we just walked around Downtown Disney (Disney Springs) instead, and enjoyed the sights. The weather was essentially perfect for our entire stay in Lakeland, which was about 13 days. It was a bit longer than most of our stays, but we needed the relaxation and time for minor repairs. My dad was extremely helpful in ensuring that we minimized our leaks and maximized our safety. We enjoyed everyone's company, and had some very tasty food! :) Somehow it never rained while we were there too, which was nice (today it has rained nearly all day). After the fun Christmas festivities, we headed west to Tampa (saw Cigar City Brewing), and then South to Miami for New Year's Eve and some proper beaches. We watched the big Orange rise to ring in the New Year, and saw Pitbull put on a decent free concert. The traffic leaving was pretty bad, but the rest of the night was a good time. My uncle was kind enough to help us out and ensure we didn't get lost or kidnapped, and was a fun tour guide. He was a great sport, and it was awesome to hang out and catch up a bit.