So Middle Child is looking at colleges.  *sigh*.   One on her list is Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, FL.  Financially it’s nearly impossible to check out all 5 colleges on her list, especially the out of state ones…but we got a GREAT deal on a flight (also covered by our miles!) and….it’s within hours of Universal Studio’s new Harry Potter thing!

I tend to be very organized.  To a fault sometimes.  So it surprised me when, at 9pm the night before we left…I was still drying laundry to pack, and getting things together for the week for Shane because…..he wasn’t going!  Nope!  He doesn’t like to fly!  Woot!

Woot?  You say?  You’re going on a vacation alone with three kids?  Yes, woot.   We can enjoy a ride through Florida without his lead foot making us see the scenery at 120mph…and walk through the park like normal people rather than blowing by slow walkers enjoying their vacation.  He’ll meander about the house in his skivies for 4 days and we’ll bring him home a souvenir golf ball.   He’ll be gloriously happy.

Being the cheap-ass frugal person I am….I made everyone get out a small duffel bag and pack all their stuff in a carry-on.   No $25/per checked bag in this party.   Everyone was to roll each item tightly to fit in their bag.  Of course upon opening the boy’s bag…I found a rumpled up pile of clothes in no order.   *sigh*  “did you just pick stuff up off your floor and cram it in here?” I asked, smelling the clothes for the truth.   (they smelled clean!)  WAIT!  “One pair of underwear?” “I wasn’t done packing yet”…“Pack at least 4″….”FOUR?  For God’s sake, how long are we gonna be gone?”

We booked the trip through Expedia.com.  Great deals, but OH WHAT A PAIN.   First off, we had to do it over the phone because there were issues online.   So our agent….in where else but….MANILA?….took our reservations.   When the confirmation came via email, my name was spelled wrong even though I spelled it for him 600 times.   So back on the phone for another 1 hour wait for them to call the airlines and change it.   24 hours before the trip I printed off the boarding passes.  ALL the names had an issue.  All missing middle names (boarding pass/drivers license must match)…and, my name still spelled wrong.  UGHHHHH.   Same thing on the way back.   Spent an hour at the hotel on the phone with Continental getting the names corrected.  So, Expedia?   Not.  So.  Expedient.

Leaving Cleveland

Having a seatbelt slap fight. Yes, they are 5. No one heard them because of the toddler screamin a few rows behind us. The. entire. trip.

Flying over Charlotte

Cool quarry from the air (over Charlotte)

Beautiful Clouds!

Beautiful Florida Coastline

Folks, we will be experiencing some turbulance.....

Don't worry, they're faking it.

Approaching Ft. Lauderdale for landing.

Ft. Lauderdale from the air..

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From Fort Lauderdale we took our lives in our hands and drove the I-95 to Boca Raton. Home of Florida Atlantic University.   Scariest frickin 20 minutes since our road trip out west.   We got to our hotel.   The Boca Raton Plaza Hotel.    Don’t stay there.  Let’s just say,

Sleep with one eye open and your hand on your purse.

I felt more comfortable keeping my shoes on the whole time.   I looked clean enough….but it was old-ish, the carpet sucked and it stunk.  Stank?  And OMG, check out this great latch on our patio door.  One screw popping out, the other missing.  Yup…I felt safe.

Alan laughed hysterically at the room service menu with the misspelled words.

Here’s the college we visited….Florida Atlantic University.   It was nice.  Hot.  95 degrees.  The perfect day for a 2 hour walking tour.    My sweat was sweating.    Here’s a peak inside FAU.

Dorm (A suite. Two rooms and a bathroom.)

Bathroom in dorm

FAU landscape

FAU pool

FAU rec center

More Rec Center

Part of the campus

Not what I was expecting to see.

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More to come on Boca, Orlando and Harry Potter at Universal….in an upcoming post.

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