I recently had one of the best weeks I’ve ever had, and I know my wife and kids would say the same thing. We took the week off and went on our first real family vacation to the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla.
I say it was the first real family vacation because it was the first time ever we all got on a plane and flew somewhere together as a family. And when we arrived, all we did was spend time together having fun — no work, no school and none of the hassles of everyday life.
The kids absolutely loved it. Our son, Christian, wasn’t as impressed as I thought he’d be with Magic Kingdom, but he sure did like Animal Kingdom. I don’t think he stopped having fun for a moment the whole time he was there. He just ran from one attraction to the other without a care in the world.
Our daughter, Bella, was beyond impressed with the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. She’s a big fan of Princess Aurora (Snow White) so naturally we had her in their makeup and dressing rooms. She loved it. I actually had tears in my eyes when I saw how she looked and how she responded, and Hank Cherry doesn’t have tears in his eyes very often.
My wife, Jaclyn, was in her element, too. Just having fun with the kids and having all her family together for a fun time. I can’t tell you what it did for me to see what it did for her. You know, we’re gone a lot fishing the Bassmaster Elite Series. The wives don’t have it all that easy. There’s a lot that’s put on them. I’m glad she had the experience she deserves.
I strongly encourage everyone to take a real family vacation. It doesn’t have to be to Disney or any place special. It’s just about having family time away from everything, especially the negative social and political stuff that so common in our society now. I’m telling you, it’s really refreshing.
Another thing that I experienced was that I got to see the kids for all day, every day. You see things that you didn’t know before, things about their personalities and attitudes that make them unique. Fathers don’t always see as much of that as mothers. It was great, a real experience.
The only negative in the whole trip was the fact that I got food poisoning at the end, a bad case of it. It’s lasted for three days, but now it’s getting better. I’m hoping it’ll be all cleared up by Monday when we start prefishing. That’ll make the 2019 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks & Wildlife Department a better deal for me.
And speaking of that, I have to say that this one’s my favorite tournament, not counting the Bassmaster Classic. Where else can you make one cast and walk away with a brand new Toyota Tundra pickup truck?
That’ll do it for now. It’s time I try to eat something, get a little rest and go fishin’.
Don’t blend.
