1. Siesta Key, Florida: One of our personal, ultra secret spots to vacation is Siesta Key (Siesta Beach) in Sarasota Florida. The sand is perfect white, warm water, and is the spot for some of the most beautiful sunsets in the south! During peak seasons, the beach can become a bit crowded, but if you stay at a private resort, a private beach front is normally included in the stay.

TIP: Remember to make reservations early. Once we tried to get a hotel during a spontaneous drive down and were hard pressed to find a place. Good bars and fun, just not the most luxurious/exclusive accommodations on the map.

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FUN TIP: The sand is 99% pure quartz, soft and cool on the feet. “The many awards it has earned include the 1987 Great International White Sand Challenge (in which its sand was scientifically proven to be the world’s finest, whitest finest beach sand), “The Best Sand Beach in America” (The Travel Channel, 2004)

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ANOTHER FUN TIP: The Ringling Brothers Museum and Estate is located in Sarasota and only about 20 minutes away from the beaches. Filled with one of the USA’s best art galleries, amazing architecture, and exotic plants and trees.

2. Maui, Hawaii: From GoMaui.com: Stand above a sea of clouds high atop Haleakala. Watch a 45-foot whale breach off the coast of Lahaina.  Lose count of the waterfalls along the road as you maneuver the hairpin turns of the Hana highway. One visit and it’s easy to see why Maui is called “The Magic Isle.”

The second largest Hawaiian island has a smaller population than you’d expect, making Maui popular with visitors who are looking for sophisticated diversions and amenities in the small towns and airy resorts spread throughout the island.

Kaihalulu Beach

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3. Sanibel Captiva Islands, Florida: Enjoy 15 miles of unspoiled beaches, 22 miles of bike paths, 50 types of fish, 230 types of birds, 250 types of shells and 0 stop lights. Nature activities, like bird watching and nature trail walks, are especially relaxing on this local island. Small, but friendly. Doesn’t have a real night life scene, so if you’re looking for something a little more upbeat in the evenings, you may want to consider Clearwater Beach, Florida instead for a dance filled night at Shepard’s Hotel and Resort. But Captiva Islands always make the lists for America’s Best Beaches, whereas Clearwater doesn’t.

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4. Coronado, California: This is what the Travel Channel has to say about this West Coast treasure: Coronado Central Beach, stretches 1.5 miles behind the great houses along Ocean Boulevard in front of the glamorous Hotel Del Coronado. Swimmers, bodysurfers, boogie boarders, sand sculptors, tide poolers and, from December through February, whale watchers all take to the sand and sea. North Beach attracts surfers in the morning, and at the extreme north is Dog Beach, where leashless canines can frolic in the surf.

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5. Nantucket, Massachusetts: A trip to Nantucket is like visiting a faraway fairytale land — one set against a bright blue backdrop of ocean and bay in a community of simple, weathered white cottages surrounded by wild roses. This former whaling community has quaint neighborhoods and a beach for everyone, including Surfside Beach and Children’s Beach, both of which feature calm waters and no shortage of sandcastles.

1. The Coupons that Say Spend $25 get $10 off., but the Fine Print Reads: (Does not apply to sale items, clearance items, jewelry, cosmetics, handbags, shoes, clothes, watches, men’s wear, children’s wear, home goods, furniture, women’s wear, or anything in the store. Just throw this coupon away. It’s essentially good for nothing)

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2. You Ask for…. a gift box and they give you one 10 sizes too large for your purchase. Then they look at you unsympathetically and say “Sorry. We’re out of the smaller ones. Come back next season.” I mean really, what the heck are you going to do with a coat box for a scarf??

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3. You go to the mall the DAY after Christmas and the sweater you spent $50 on is now only $15, the video game you bought your son is 20% off, and literally everything you purchased is on sale. And I’m talking about a big sale. There goes another $200 on…markups.

4. You come across that horrible gift Aunt Zelda gave you in JCPenneys and realize it was only $5, marked down to $2. Thanks Aunt Z. Really feeling the love.

How Many of these are you Guilty or Not Guilty of committing so far?

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5. The unbearable hot flashes you get while shopping because you have not just two shirts on, but an under shirt, a heavy pea coat lined with shearling, two pairs of socks, and a hat (which you can’t take off because your hair is an utter disaster). Then you strip down in the store to just one shirt and have to carry it all the rest of the shopping trip. (If you’re a man, you have to hold all of these layers for the lady, including the heavy coat.) Seriously, where are the coat checks??

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6. The moment of panic when you’re standing in the middle of a department store and completely forget 1. why you’re there 2. who you’re shopping for 3. what they specifically asked for a few weeks before. You then proceed to the “candle” section because it’s generic enough and everyone needs another Yankee candle.

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7. The moment of panic when you’re standing in the middle of a parking lot, strapped with five shopping bags, keys in hand, and completely forget….where you parked the car. So you idly wonder the parking lot, pretending you know exactly where your going, pressing the “alarm” button on the keytag, praying that you’ll hear it or see the flashing lights, smiling all the way so no one knows you forgot where you parked your car, and eventually hit straight panic mode and start running because you realize you’re going senile.

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