Good News Wants to Know … Your Favorite Vacation Spot or Summer Tradition

The lazy days of summer are upon us, which means many are taking time off from their community efforts to vacation and spend time with family. As we continue this feature designed to acquaint you with community leaders who are making a difference in South Florida, this month Good News Wants to Know… Does your family have a favorite vacation spot or summer family tradition?

 

For 20 years we spent a week enjoying water sports on Lake June in Lake Placid, Florida, followed up by a week at the Christian Business Men’s Connection (CBMC) Southeast Christian family conference in North Carolina. Going to camp with the kids was an enriching vacation for everyone.

-William C. Davell, Director, Tripp Scott Attorneys at law

 

 

What do you do when you need a break from the constant demands of a busy schedule? For some maybe it’s a day of fishing, golf or just taking the time to read a good book. For me, it’s a trip down memory lane in Northern Michigan. The weather is amazing, the local community makes it fun to explore and eating out with friends doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. the pace is significantly less and the people you meet are warm and engaging. Late nights on the lake with family around a campfire with guitars and singing with the occasional fire fly dancing the night away is priceless. Looking upwards reminds me of what an amazing world our Lord has created and blessed us with. A moment to pause and reflect… take five young man… take five.

-Andy Mitchell, President/CEO, The Fairwinds Group

 

As a family we were just grateful to get away anywhere in the USA. However, our most memorable vacation was

our road trip to the Grand Canyon, Nevada and Utah!

-Bernard King, Pastor, Cornerstone Bible Fellowship

 

 

 

Summer vacations are all about family, and spending quality time together is the key. Anywhere where there’s a beach is good with us. Personally though, we love going back to the Jersey Shore, just 50 miles from Philadelphia where we grew up. We had a summer home in Ventnor/Margate, N.J., and when the weekend came, my brothers and I went “down to the shore” every summer. Great memories growing up were made there, and we still love going back, riding bikes on the boardwalk of Atlantic City and eating our favorite subs from The White House in Atlantic City. Today many of our same friends still go there with their families too, so it’s always fun to see old friends. The beach there is totally different than South Florida, and even the scent in the air is quite unique. We also love heading down to the Keys or over to Naples. Always great fun, food, fishing and lazy days just chillin’ there, and it’s only a short drive away, which makes it quick and easy to get to. Summer Fun… Gotta Love it!

-Bill Feinberg, President, Allied Kitchen & Bath

 

Growing up my parents used to take us to Mackinac Island every Summer. Long Michigan days roaming carless roads, eating too much fudge and building forts in the backyard. Can’t wait to restart that tradition one day with my kids.

-Bob Denison, President, Denison Yacht Sales

 

 

 

Our family always starts the summer season off with a great patriotic tradition in our community – the Independence Day parade and celebration on July 4th in Lauderdale By The Sea. Following that, we try to spend time together, sometimes on beaches and other times in the peaceful valleys of wine country in northern California. The most important part of any of our trips is the tradition of being together. My wife and I have traveled with her family since we got married in 1995, so spending time together is the most important part of a summer vacation. I may propose putting that on hold and asking them to canvass our neighborhoods for my campaign for the State House of Representatives, but I’m not sure how much they will like that “vacation” idea!

-Chip LaMarca, Commissioner, District 4, Broward County Commission

 

Our favorite vacation spot is the North Carolina mountains. We have made it a family tradition to go every summer and we enjoy hiking, swimming in waterfalls and playing board games on the porch. Each night we take golf cart rides looking for deer and we make S’mores by the fireplace. It’s a great break from the Summer heat of South Florida. We are so thankful to be able to do this each year.

-Chris Lane, Executive Director, First Priority of South Florida

 

 

Our family’s favorite vacation spot was Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. We loved riding our bikes everywhere and sailing along the coast. Now, participating in missions projects around the world is our favorite vacation plan.

-Deborah Cusick, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship FAU Campus Volunteer

 

 

 

 

Family summertime favorites… Nightly dinners together, trip to Orlando for parks and resort and long drive in the mini-van to see grandparents. Plus a lot of running around by Mom as she is the ‘taxi’ service for kids while I go to work. Parent’s vacation starts third week of August. LOL

-Dennis DeMarois, Director, The Gathering Palm Beach County

 

 

 

 

 

Parents, siblings, nephews, nieces and grandkids…everyone in the family plans for the 3rd week of July being “family week” at Lake Kashagawigamog, 150 miles north of Toronto, Canada. For 30 years we have been getting together, and often it includes a new member to the family making about 22 this coming July. It is a week of encouraging one another, catching up on individual accomplishments and sharing solutions to challenges but taking lots of time for watersports, volleyball, hiking, games and campfires. It is a family tradition we all cherish.

-Don Campion, President, Banyan Air Service

 

 

The only prerequisite for our summer vacations is that they have to be epic. Our favorite: 7500 miles in a minivan, 20 states in 20 days. And we lived to tell about it.

-Doug Sauder, Pastor, Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale

 

 

 

 

My family grew up in the Midwest, and my brother still has a place on the lake of the Ozark’s in Missouri. My grown children and their families still go there when possible around the 4th of July. Lots of fun complete with fireworks and all the cousins!

-Fred Scarbrough, DVM, Founder, Scarbrough Animal Hospital and Hope South Florida

 

 

 

We don’t have a favorite spot because we like to visit new places; however, we attend the National Urban League conference each year which is held in various cities. This year’s conference will be in Columbus, Ohio.

-Germaine Smith-Baugh, President and CEO, Urban League of Broward County

 

 

 

 

 

Our family travels to Sanibel Island for one week every summer to celebrate my dad’s birthday. My mom purchased a timeshare for my dad’s 40th birthday many years ago, and it has been a great family tradition to visit there ever since.

-George R. Moraitis, Jr., Moraitis, Cofar, Karney, Moraitis & Quailey

 

 

 

 

For the past seven years, our summer family time is traveling to Chicago to celebrate our two Granddaughter’s “summer birthdays.” Thankfully they were both born in the summer!

-Gita Santangelo, Community Prayer Partner

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the past 22 years, our family vacations have been spent in Captiva. Many fun memories were made there when the kids were young, and now that they are grown and our family is expanding, we look forward to making new and special memories for years to come.

-Gregg Wallick, President/CEO, Best Roofing

 

 

 

 

 

One of our favorite spots to go with family in the past has been Hawk’s Cay Resort on Duck Key. It’s a beautiful place to disconnect and enjoy the wonderful Keys vibes.

-John Novoa, Financial Associate, Southeast Region, Thrivent Financial

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the last few years, our family loves to get together for a “staycation” at Lago Mar Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale. We have my mom and dad, my brother and three sisters, all the spouses, our four children, and our nieces and nephews (about 25 in all). Lago Mar is an incredible place with an old Florida feel; wide, beautiful beach; multiple pools; wonderful rooms; plenty of recreational and relaxation options; great amenities; and, a truly amazing and friendly staff. The service is always outstanding, and the setting is perfect, so our extended family always has an awesome time together.

-John P. “Jack” Seiler, Attorney, Seiler, Zaden, Rimes & Wahlbrink, and former Fort Lauderdale Mayor

 

 

 

 

 

Dear friends introduced us to Montana. Glacier National Park is a beloved vacation spot for us. The jaw-dropping scenery is a little slice of heaven.

-Karen Granger, Community Relations Director, Palm Beach County, 4KIDS OF South Florida

 

 

 

 

 

Our family enjoys our lake cabin in the foothills of the Smokey Mountains.

-Mike Pappas, CEO/President, The Keyes Company/Illustrated Properties

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ever since we got married in 1970, our favorite vacation spot is Sanibel Island the first week of June. It’s not too hot yet, the summer rains haven’t started, and it’s not crowded like it is in the season. We’ve had opportunities to travel the world but still love to go back to Sanibel every chance we get!

-Nancy McDonald, President/CEO, Hope Women’s Centers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My family’s favorite vacation spot is Sanibel Island, near Fort Myers, Fla., where the beaches are beautiful and scenic and the fishing is great.

-O’Neal Dozier, Pastor, Worldwide Christian Center

 

 

 

 

 

Our family does not have a have a favorite spot. We like to explore a variety of different areas. We do travel to several areas of the west coast of Florida and upstate New York since family are nearby.

-Patricia Colangelo, EdS, Director of Operations – Florida, Trinity International University

 

 

 

 

For 18 years our family went to a Christian family camp in Tyler, Texas, called Pine Cove. Each family stayed in their own rooms or cabin and had a common dining hall. Not only did our family enjoy the experience together but we also made life long relationships with other families around the country. Now our son Dwight and his wife Blaire and their two little ones have just gotten back from a new Pine Cove Camp in South Carolina and have continued the tradition. The Rogers family would highly recommend this camping to everyone.

-Romney C. Rogers, Managing Partner, Rogers, Morris & Ziegler LLP

 

 

When we want to get away for a while, we head to Orange Lake Resort in Orlando.

-Dr. Rosby Glover, Executive Director, Mount Bethel Human Services Corp.

 

 

 

 

 

 

My children are grown now and we rarely all go on a trip together (someone has to stay home and take care of the dogs). While we sometimes take small trips with all of us, mostly it is in smaller groups. Charity and my wife Cindy sometimes take Ella Grace, our new granddaughter, to a beach and stay for a few days. Josiah and I are often seen at magician’s conventions together.

-Samuel Lamerson, PhD, President/Professor of New Testament, Knox Theological Seminary

 

 

 

 

Highlands North Carolina has been our family tradition for 40 years. We love it.

-Scott Baugh, Lead Pastor, Journey Church South Florida

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we do go on vacation, we enjoy going to our home in Lake Lure, N.C.

-Sue Trombino, Founder, Women Impacting the Nation

 

 

 

 

 

Favorite family vacation spot?  in a word – WATER. As long as we are in/on the water, the location does not matter. Swim, snorkel, dive, tube, kayak, paddle board, fish, go fast or anchor out… we are happy. “The wetter the better!”

-Susan Kassing, Community Leader

 

 

 

 

We love to visit the Pacific Northwest. My husband, John, lived in Oregon for many years. We love to scale the Cascade mountains, hike the trails at the Columbia Gorge, visit Cannon Beach, and take in all the majestic mountains. In the month of August, daylight seems to go on forever. And Oregon is famous for their roses; they are in bloom everywhere. It is one of our favorite places to visit.

-Tewannah Aman, Executive Director, Broward County Right to Life

 

 

 

My parents have a house on a lake in southwest North Carolina, and we have been heading up there every year since I was a kid. My parents (and often times one or more of my brothers and their families) and my uncle and aunt and cousins and their kids also head up to the same lake (two houses) at the same time. Each year we ask our kids if they’d like to do something different (secretly hoping they’ll say “no”) and each year they’ve said “no!”

-Tom Hendrikse, Senior Pastor, Rio Vista Community Church

 

 

 

We have a summer vacation tradition that we started seven years ago when our first grandchild was born. As a family, we want to enjoy all that Florida has to offer, so we go to a different area in Florida every year. We have been to St. Pete Beach, St. Augustine, Siesta Key, Cocoa Beach, Homosassa, St. Johns River, NASA, and this year we’ll be heading to Clearwater Beach. And, of course, we’ve been to Orlando a few times, as well.

-Thomas L. Lukasik, Vice President Community Engagement, 4KIDS of South Florida

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have a Christmas Tree Farm in the North Carolina mountains that we all dearly love. For over 30 years our family has enjoyed making memories in that special place.

-Virlee “Vee” Stepelton, Ministry Advocate

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