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Anywho, I live in Chicago and my immediate family (mom) is in SC. I usually go home once a year nowadays, during Christmas. Usually I fly into Atlanta and see my friends there (I lived there for 13 years before recently moving to Chi) for several days, then drive home to SC (fly back to Chi from ATL).
This year I am debating on skipping out on Atlanta and doing half my Christmas time off in Miami, half in SC. I can do either ATL or MIA but not both.
Pros/cons:
ATL:
-Won't be able to go to MIA/vacation on the beach
-May be able to see all my friends and eat at my favorite ATL places
-May not be able to see my friends (most of them were actually busy when I came through last year), which could make a trip there a potential waste
-Much cheaper than flying to MIA
MIA:
-Won't be able to see my friends in ATL
-Will be able to vacation on the beach
-Will be able to give my mom a beach vacation (if I go to MIA she plans on joining me there)
-Costs much more than flying through ATL
Tix to ATL are $190 right now, which would leave me WAY more money for saving, dining and a little shopping over the holiday (the 'usual' for what I do this time of year).
If I do Chi>MIA>SC, that's a whopping $600. Not including hotel or one way plane ticket from MIA to SC for my mom. This would take up much of my Christmas bonus and leave less for the above mentioned things. The draw towards doing MIA is my job is ramping up quickly and getting extremely busy so it will be a long time before I can take another beach trip (my preferred vacation method) and just frikkin RELAX. So. With that said...what would YOU do?
Why vacation in the beach in Miami? There are plenty of nice beaches and beach vacation spots in Florida, Miami would probably be my last choice. A beach vacation for me at least, unless you are a student looking to party, means a quite peaceful place. Miami is anything but....
Also Miami during xmas might be slightly cool. I was there once when it had temps in the 30s, which is rare, but it happens.
I have an alternative suggestion - got to Miami, rent a car, get out of Dodge and drive to the keys. Not really good beaches there either but it's just fun.
Why vacation in the beach in Miami? There are plenty of nice beaches and beach vacation spots in Florida, Miami would probably be my last choice. A beach vacation for me at least, unless you are a student looking to party, means a quite peaceful place. Miami is anything but....
Also Miami during xmas might be slightly cool. I was there once when it had temps in the 30s, which is rare, but it happens.
The weather is a major factor to considering, thanks for mentioning. I was trying to figure out if it would be warm enough to lay out on the beach but who the heck knows what it would like come December.
Last time I went, it was pretty quiet actually *shrugs*. I guess I just like MIA. I didn't do any partying last time I went...mostly just the beach and eating out.
I guess I could entertain a third option of just flying in and out of SC. If I chose to go to MIA or ATL while there, I could rent a car and drive (although the thought of driving to MIA would make me wayyy less likely to go since it takes like 9 hours!).
The weather is a major factor to considering, thanks for mentioning. I was trying to figure out if it would be warm enough to lay out on the beach but who the heck knows what it would like come December.
Last time I went, it was pretty quiet actually *shrugs*. I guess I just like MIA. I didn't do any partying last time I went...mostly just the beach and eating out.
I guess I could entertain a third option of just flying in and out of SC. If I chose to go to MIA or ATL while there, I could rent a car and drive (although the thought of driving to MIA would make me wayyy less likely to go since it takes like 9 hours!).
oops, I edited my alternative suggestion of The Keys. And yes, Miami does have the resteraunts (is it Stone Crab season I wonder?) and the shopping so it does have that going for it. Yeah it might be warm, or it might not. It's like throwing the dice.
Personally I would skip the Atlanta part and focus on the South Carolina part and spending time with your mother. If you have opportunity to do some kind of beach vacation with her in Miami fine and if not just spend the time with your family as your Atlanta friends will probably been busy with their own families during this holiday period.
Personally I would skip the Atlanta part and focus on the South Carolina part and spending time with your mother. If you have opportunity to do some kind of beach vacation with her in Miami fine and if not just spend the time with your family as your Atlanta friends will probably been busy with their own families during this holiday period.
Makes sense. So you wouldn't 'plan up front' to fly to MIA but rather just fly in and out of SC? And just have MIA as a 'back up' plan?
Sounds good from the perspective of seeing my mom (although don't forget if I were to go to MIA, the plan was for her to meet me there so it's not like I'd have less time with her) and spending less....other than that, it'll be the 'usual' Christmas I guess. I've been doing this Christmas in SC thing for the past 15 years...since her father (who was like my father) passed a few months ago, I think both of us would prefer to actually be away, but that's another story.
Hhmmm...I'm still thinking about all of this.
Last edited by southkakkatlantan; 10-29-2014 at 02:42 PM..
Makes sense. So you wouldn't 'plan up front' to fly to MIA but rather just fly in and out of SC? And just have MIA as a 'back up' plan?
Sounds good from the perspective of seeing my mom (although don't forget if I were to go to MIA, the plan was for her to meet me there so it's not like I'd have less time with her) and spending less....other than that, it'll be the 'usual' Christmas I guess. I've been doing this Christmas in SC thing for the past 15 years...since her father (who was like my father) passed a few months ago, I think both of us would prefer to actually be away, but that's another story.
Hhmmm...I'm still thinking about all of this.
I would either just fly to SC or just fly to MIA and meet her there. I don't think that I would do both.
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