When it Comes to Vacations, Give 'em the World

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#006633" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="03fd6c00ddvuru.jpg"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#0066FF" FACE="Arial" ><B>SheriZiemann.com</B></FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#333399" FACE="Arial" >    </FONT> |     <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="SheriZiemann.com"><U>home</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Be a Tourist in Your Hometown"><U>Be a Tourist in Your Hometown</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Give Your Childand Yourselfan Unfettered"><U>Give Your Child--and Yourself--an Unfettered Life</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id24.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Staying Healthy on the Road"><U>Staying Healthy on the Road</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Take a Vacation, Discover Your Family"><U>Take a Vacation, Discover Your Family</U></A>   |   <B>When it Comes to Vacations, Give 'em the World</B>   |   <A HREF="id38.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="In honor of Jameson Peshlakai"><U>In honor of Jameson Peshlakai</U></A></div> <div> When it Comes to Vacations, Give 'em the World</div> <div> <B>Article Appeared in </B><I><B>Family Time </B></I><B>Magazine</B></div> <div> <B>July 2001</B></div> <div> <B>By Sheri L. Ziemann, with Miss Hope Ziemann</B></div> <bR> <div> The only two problems with vacationing at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida?  Not enough time, not enough money.  But with some careful planning and a little wild spontaneity, your family can come home with pockets full of memories, a “Goofy” hat or two-and plans for your next trip to the happiest place you'll ever visit.  </div> <bR> <div> This won't be the usual “Be sure to ride Cinderella's Carousel and have breakfast with Pooh in the Crystal Palace” travel story.  If you have children and access to the Internet, you can find all those great places on your own-with a little help from Mr. Disney's associates.  What we'll give you here is a look at some alternative spots to stay in the Orlando area that offer a little something different-and wonderful.</div> <bR> <div> For this, our second excursion to WDW (the first took place the summer before Hope turned two, so she didn't remember much about it), now-six Hope and I invited our dear friend and grown-up playmate Kelly to come along.  The three of us packed our swimsuits, sunscreen, and several rolls of film and headed south for four way-too-short days.</div> <bR> <div> Our first stroke of genius was renting a sporty little convertible.  Since our research took place in early March, we soaked up the warm sun like natural sea sponges.  Day and night, we let the warm wind blow through our hair and sang loudly with the Beatles “1” CD we'd packed for such a glorious occasion.  Those stars looked brilliant while driving back to the hotel from the Magic Kingdom fireworks display!</div> <bR> <div> Our first stop was the Holiday Inn Family Suites Resort in Lake Buena Vista.  Just minutes away from the Magic Kingdom and its adjacent theme parks, this hotel was a destination all by itself.  Boasting two pools (one for families and one for adults in search of a little peace), a miniature golf “course,” and a clown-driven train, one thing sets this Holiday Inn apart from every other hotel.    Every guest room is actually a suite.  For families, there are two bedrooms, one for adults and the other decorated in various kid-friendly themes, with bunk beds, a play table and even a TV/VCR combo.</div> <bR> <div> For business travelers (now why didn't my former corporate life include a stopping place like this?) there are Executive Suites in which the second bedroom is actually an office, complete with computer and Internet access.  It's all the comforts of an office away from home (plus that quieter, adult pool I was telling you about, just outside the door).</div> <bR> <div> One of our favorite suites on the tour was the Cinema Suite, which contained in its second bedroom space, instead of bunk beds, a large screen TV and actual movie theatre seats from which to watch your favorite flicks.  A real joy for movie buffs!</div> <bR> <div> Every suite has a kitchenette with refrigerator, microwave and dinette table and chairs, plus a hide-a-bed sofa and roll away bed, plus TV's and VCR's (DVD players in the Cinema Suites) in the living rooms and bedrooms.  All of this for $109-179, depending on which suite you choose and the dates of your stay.  If we'd been anywhere but 15 minutes from Walt Disney World, we would have never left!  They can be found on the web (even their web site is fun!) at <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Garamond" ><A HREF="http://www.hifamilysuites.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.hifamilysuites.com"><U><U>www.hifamilysuites.com</U></U></A></FONT> or by calling toll-free (877) 387-5437.</div> <bR> <div> The location of our next lovely stop was Chalet Suzanne Country Inn & Restaurant in Lake Wales, Florida.  This historic resort is a half-hour drive south of the Magic Kingdom, and worth exploring if you like off-the-beaten-path spots with tales to tell.  </div> <bR> <div> Near Cypress Gardens and Bok Tower Gardens, celebrities ranging from Willard Scott, Burt Wolf, and Don Johnson, to Robert Redford, Vincent Price, Astronaut Col. Jim Irwin, and President Mobuto of Zaire have sought out the Old-World charm of Chalet Suzanne.  The award-winning restaurant (with a lovely view of a lake) has a bridal suite on the second floor.  From one of the eclectic dining rooms, meals can be served to a honeymooning couple via dumbwaiter up to the private balcony that's part of the bridal suite.  (The occupants weren't open to giving us a tour when we were there.)</div> <bR> <div> Hope's favorite part of this location (as with any hotel) is the pool.  We arrived long after dark that March evening, but she had been on her best behavior all day in anticipation of taking a dip.  Despite the dropping temperature (lower 70's) we jumped into our suits after check-in and flapped our swim shoes over to the pool.  It was a beautiful night and we both marveled at the smell of tropical flowers and the shimmering stars in a velvet sky-Hope in the pool, me enrobed but nearby.</div> <bR> <div> Our suite was very charming and homey, furnished with antiques and featuring a window seat in the large bedroom.  A note here-part of the charm of Chalet Suzanne is that it's like visiting your Grandmother (our suite even smelled like my Grandma's house) or an elderly aunt.  It's not a posh hotel with thick carpeting and a bellman to serve you.  The young man who helped us with our bags felt like a distant cousin we hadn't seen since he was just “this high.”</div> <bR> <div> There are several interesting things to explore here, beginning with an airstrip for the arrival of private planes, an Autograph Garden that has a wall of tiles personalized by various visitors--famous and otherwise--over the years, and a soup cannery that produces gourmet soups that can be shipped wherever you like.  (Allergic to MSG?  Beware-most of the soups contain that pesky ingredient.)  Visit their web site at <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Garamond" ><A HREF="http://www.chaletsuzanne.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.chaletsuzanne.com"><U><U>www.chaletsuzanne.com</U></U></A></FONT>, or call (863) 676-6011. </div> <bR> <div> Our final rest stop was another out-of-the-way haven in Lake Buena Vista, the Cypress Glen, a Bed & Breakfast north of WDW.  Hope was welcomed as a special guest, but be prepared-this Art Deco gem that's situated far from the madding Disney crowds does not accommodate children under 15.  That's largely because there are only two guest rooms that handle a total of four people.  </div> <bR> <div> Our host, Sandy Sarillo, is a native of the Cary-Woodstock area, and is a fabulous chef.  We began our endless-course breakfast with “dessert”--tiny cubes of chocolate sorbet on a cloud of whipped cream-and Hope was ready to adopt Sandy as a permanent member of the family.  From fresh-squeezed juices (a must in Florida!) to pastries and fluffy yogurt and fruit concoctions, we waddled out into our day thinking we'd never eat again!</div> <bR> <div> By the time we headed back to Cypress Glen after a long hot day of sightseeing, we couldn't wait to slip into her pool and adjacent spa and just completely unravel.  Kelly was gracious enough to allow Hope and I to share the larger Sophia Suite, with a jacuzzi tub large enough for two adults and even an exercise bike.  (The 450 sq.ft. bathroom was bigger than my living room-I never wanted to leave.)</div> <bR> <div> Each guest room has its own private, direct line with a cordless phone so one can conduct business from the outdoor spa or that enormous bathtub.  Fax and data lines are also available, so business travelers who are tired of the same four walls at chain hotels can luxuriate here and still do what must be done.  The Sophia Suite is $335 for two people, while the smaller Josephine Baker room is $230, which includes breakfast and all privileges of the house, complimentary refreshments in the guest rooms' mini bars and the bar/den on the other side of the house.  If you are going to splurge on a child-free night, do it here!</div> <bR> <div> Was it hard to get up at 4:00 AM and drive that convertible back to the Orlando airport?!  You betcha!  Will we return?  Count on it.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>© </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#444444" FACE="Times New Roman" ><B>2001-2003</B></FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#2F4F4F" FACE="Times New Roman" ><B> Sheri L. Ziemann</B></FONT></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>