I had a nice visit with my parents and sister the other day. We had a nice dinner, good conversation, and as moms love to do, mine pulled out an old family photo album full of pictures I had not seen in a long time. Some were from a very early family beach vacation (I think I was about four or five), and one picture in particular I could actually remember. It was a picture of me standing on the balcony of our hotel, just gazing out the beach and the Gulf beyond. I can remember pressing my face against the balcony bars and being completely mesmerized by the view.
I realized that in this way, I haven’t changed much since childhood—I still sit on my Gulf-front balcony with a mesmerized gaze. (Only now I sit in a chair with a cold adult beverage.) In fact, this is one of my favorite reasons for vacationing in a Phoenix All Suites Hotel—just me, my beverages, and my balcony. It’s the epitome of relaxation.
And really, my enjoyment of balcony views isn’t the only thing that hasn’t changed. I still love spending time in the hotel pool (splashing and diving as a kid, floating with minimal splashing now). And I still enjoy digging in the sand on the beach—more with my toes now as I sit and read a good book and not as often with a shovel and bucket (though it has been known to happen).
One thing that’s different now: I get to sleep in my Phoenix hotel’s bedroom rather than a hideaway bed or even a sleeping bag. We didn’t get to stay in the Phoenix All Suites Hotels when I was a child, but I have a feeling my sister and I would’ve really liked the bunk beds that are available in the rooms.