2021 Year in Review

It’s that time of the year again where we look back at what we have been up to for the past year.  This year (2021) is not much more different from 2020 as we try to navigate traveling with a baby-turned-toddler amidst a global pandemic. That’s on top of raising the baby, looking after our financial lives and holding full time jobs.

Here’s our 2021 year in review where we talk about travel and link back to posts to help you plan your trips! You can also read about our 2021 in armchair travel on a separate post on this site.

The start of 2021 was fun. My husband and I were both working from home remotely due to the pandemic, so we decided to split our time between Jacksonville, FL and Sarasota, FL, opening our schedule to more local adventures. Just because we’re not traveling as much as before, doesn’t mean you can’t travel locally – and with a baby! 

Here are some tips on how to travel with a baby and how to travel with a full time job: 

• How to Travel with a Baby
• How to Travel every Weekend
• Why We Travel
• How to Quit Your Job to Travel

Other Year End Recap Posts:

• 2020 Year in Review
• Our 2020 Travel Plans
• 2019 Year in Review
• 2019 Life Updates: We Took a Break/Advice for Changing Jobs
• 2017 Travels and Experiences on a Budget
• 2017 Budget Year In Review
• A Look Back on 2016
• Here’s what we did with 25 vacation days (in 2016)

January 2021: Warmer places to travel to during the winter: Savannah, GA and Ft Myers, FL

To start off, in case you are new on this site, our home base is in Jacksonville, FL with a secondary home base in Sarasota, FL. We do a lot of things within these two cities in FL. Here are some posts about Jacksonville and Sarasota:

• Things to do in Jacksonville FL
• What to Do in Sarasota Florida
• Indoor Activities in Jacksonville, FL
• Things to do in Sarasota, FL

Celebrating the New Year in Savannah, GA 

Our family was looking for a quick weekend getaway to celebrate the new year and with Hyatt free night certificates expiring soon, we booked one night at the Hyatt Regency in Savannah. We opted for this instead of the Andaz Savannah because of the views and of the easy parking situation (traveling with a toddler could be tough). 

The little guy enjoyed the rooftop views from the pool area and the top floor. He also loved dancing to the music blasting on the speakers. River and Bay streets are readily accessible from the Hyatt Regency Savannah. The major tourist spots are also a quick walk away. Managed to get a ghost tour in the evening and it was fun! 

Some Savannah posts to help you plan and enjoy your trip: 

• St Patrick’s Day Survival Guide 
• Free things to do in Savannah GA

Weekend in Sanibel Island and Fort Myers, Fl

Our second base is in Sarasota, and since we got a free weekend where my mom in law can look after the baby, my husband and I snuck off to visit Sanibel Island and Fort Myers. 

While we did not make it to the beach, we did end up driving through the JN Ding Darling Preserve and Gene’s Books. 

Even though the weather was not entirely with us, we did enjoy our hike and drive through the JN Ding Darling Preserve, and our little bookish minds were nourished when we went to Gene’s Books. This bookstore specializes in new books but are marked down. They have multiple cottages across 2 locations depending on the book genre you’re most interested in. In our case, it’s non-fiction with a dash of international books and mystery. 

Crossing the causeway to Sanibel Island can be expensive because of the toll fee – but so are accommodation options located on the island. Next time, we will try to go in the early morning and make a whole day out of our stay in Sanibel and Captiva to make the toll fee across the bridge worth it!  

• Weekend in Ft Myers FL

Shark teeth hunting in Venice, FL

I honestly got obsessed with hunting for shark teeth while we were in Nokomis Beach on one of our Sarasota trips. During that visit, we were lucky enough to find tiny shark’s teeth. Eventually, we headed over to Caspersen Beach in Venice, the most popular place to look for shark’s teeth. 

Caspersen is much more crowded than Nokomis, and though we were not able to find megalodon teeth, we did end up with some small shark teeth finds, one of which may make it on a DIY necklace someday. 

Other places visited:  

• Crane’s Roost Park in Altamonte Springs, FL 

February 2021: Rediscovering what’s in our backyard (Jacksonville, FL and Sarasota/Bradenton, FL)

It’s Peter’s birthday month! We used to travel to different destinations whenever we celebrate a holiday or a birthday but not this year! We opted to stay with his parents in Sarasota for 2 weeks instead. 

February 2021 was the month when we refinanced our mortgage for our primary residence! Instead of a 20 year mortgage from 2019, we opted to get a 15 year instead at a much lower rate than our previous 20 year rate (4% vs 3%). This will enable us to pay our home 5 years early for only an extra $110 a month. 

Paying off our mortgage early is one of our FIRE goals, so the less expenses we’ll pay in the future, the better! 

Other places visited: 

• Anna Maria Island, Bradenton, FL 
• Loaded Canon Distillery, Bradenton, FL 

March 2021: Buying a fridge and a weekend in Tallahassee 

Home repair alert! In late 2020 our main fridge started slowly dying. We even got a repairman for a second opinion but the fridge we inherited was 20+ years old, so we opted to buy a few fridge during Black Friday 2020. Our fridge was not delivered until March but man, major appliances can be expensive to replace, but is a necessity. 

A Weekend in Tallahassee

Our little family also decided to do a quick weekend getaway in Tallahassee. It didn’t turn out as well as we hoped since we only went for an overnight trip instead of the planned 2 nights, but we made the most out of it and visited a few new places, which will eventually become a post on Voyage Florida.

April 2021: Florida City, the Everglades, and Everglades City 

Even though we live in Florida, we have never really been to Everglades National Park, so we thought it was about time to visit. 

We took a road trip from Sarasota and visited all Everglades National Park Visitor Centers (4 in total): 

• Everglades City 
• Shark Valley (in Ochopee off US 41/Tamiami Trail) 
• Ernest Coe 
• Flamingo 

Here are some highlights of the trip: 

• Shark Valley Bike Ride
• 3 Days in Everglades National Park

The Everglades is one of those places that’s really amazing to visit, but the best time to go is during winter, spring or autumn when it’s not so hot and muggy in South Florida. You can then enjoy most of the hikes. Do not miss the Anhinga Trail – this is where you’ll see most of the alligators that the Everglades is known for! 

The hidden Missile Base within the Everglades (the cold war in Florida) 

If there is a chance to visit the Nike Missile Base on the dates you are visiting, sign up for the tour – it’s free! 

You’ll get to see an original missile from the cold war, installed in the Everglades as a preventative measure against the missiles that the Soviets installed in Cuba. The history is quite amazing, and would love to write more about it on a separate post.  

Other places visited: 

• MOSH museum in Jacksonville, FL 
• Staycations at 2 Sonesta Hotels
• Orlando, FL – stayed at the Sheraton Vistana Villages Resort 
• Urfer Family Park in Sarasota, FL to hike and see the cows 
• Circus Hammock Hike in Sarasota, FL  

May 2021: Flying for the first time in a long time to the Caribbean (USVI)

In what felt like an eternity, we managed to get on the plane again! Our last flight was in July 2019 on a 3 day trip to Raleigh, when I was approximately 6 months pregnant. 

1 year and 10 months after that trip, we boarded a plane from Miami to St Thomas, USVI. It was our first time on US territory in the Caribbean and it definitely won’t be the last. Here are some trip highlights: 

• How to Spend 4 days in USVI
• Day trip to St John from St Thomas USVI
• Day trip to Water Island
• Bunker Inn Hotel Review 
• One Day in Charlotte Amalie (St Thomas)

The US Virgin Islands were a delightful vacation spot considering the uncertain state that the pandemic put on our travel plans. They are still open to visitors, and best of all, no need to do a covid test on your way back to the mainland US since they are still US territory! 

Crowley Museum and Nature Park in Myakka City

One of our highlights while on a weekend in Sarasota was visiting the Crowley Museum and Nature Park in Myakka City. The place shows old buildings and what it was like to live in the ‘cracker’ age of Florida. We will write a separate post about this on our other blog, Voyage Florida, and will update the link here as soon as it is done! 

This location is within a 30 minute drive from our second base in Sarasota, and our toddler loved running around the open space and looking at the animals. You can even touch the animals too, if you are so inclined! 

Other Places Visited: 

• Disney Springs, Orlando, FL 

June 2021: A weekend in Valdosta Georgia 

Our small family went on a quick weekend trip to Valdosta, GA but since we went on a Sunday, most places were closed! 

Pro Tip: try not to go to Valdosta on a Sunday. All the small businesses are either closed or close really early (like 3pm or even earlier). We only got to go to a craft brewery, the visitor center, and the mall. 

Other places visited: 

• Downtown Sarasota, FL 

Alex also started daycare this month – hard to wrap my head around as a mom and also the costs!! Daycare is so darned expensive. However, you can get baby stuff for cheap or for free by following our tips..

July 2021: Visiting NASA’s Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville AL 

Another month where we went on an airplane and traveled to a new state/destination we have never been before! This new state is Alabama, and we visited the city of Huntsville.  Here are some highlights of our Huntsville AL trip: 

• Best Points Redemptions Hotels in Huntsville 
• Breeze Airways Review (Tampa to Huntsville) 
• 3 Days in Huntsville AL
• Where to go on Day Trips from Huntsville AL 

We also spent a weekend in Hilton Head Island, in South Carolina without the baby. Just a quick getaway, mostly to check out the Spartina 449 warehouse sale but well worth it. Stayed at the Marriott Hilton Head Island Resort which had an indoor pool! 

A weekend getaway in NYC to watch a concert

Did a quick weekend getaway to NYC to watch Bruce Springsteen perform. Peter is a big Springsteen fan so as soon as the tickets were available, I was on the virtual queue and managed to nab great tickets. 

• 3 Day New York City Itinerary (52 WW)
• A budget trip to New York City

August 2021: Nashville for a weekend 

Nashville is one of those places we have always wanted to visit, and since Allegiant Air (review) flies direct from Sarasota airport, why not? 

We spent a lovely weekend in Nashville without a car so we ended up just staying downtown. It was a fun trip but next time we visit, we will definitely rent a car and explore the outskirts of the city. This visit happened during rental carmageddon, where a one day car rental may cost up to $200+. No thank you. 

Last minute Fort Myers weekend

We stayed at the Drury Inn by the airport and loved the vibe in this hotel. Not only is there unlimited free sodas, a dinner, and breakfast, it’s also very close to the mall! This trip, we shopped at the Gulf Coast Town Center and the day after, went to Congo River Golf in Bonita Springs to play some mini golf. We even dropped by the Goodwill Bookstore in Sarasota on the way back! 

Unfortunately, we weren’t able to do a lot of other trips in this quick weekend getaway since we had to be back before 4:30pm to our home base in Sarasota, and we arrived around 5-ish in Ft Myers the day before. Still, a chance to sleep through the night and go on a trip without the baby could be amazing. 

Fort Myers Trip Planning:

• Weekend in Fort Myers

A day out in Green Cove Springs, FL 

Running out of things to see in Jacksonville, we turned to Green Cove Springs for a quick weekend day trip. There’s a Space Shuttle Fuel Tank that’s easy to drive to, as well as an outdoor rail museum. The highlight of the day trip is the military museum! All of these are free activities in Green Cove Springs, with the military museum accepting donations in lieu of an entrance fee. 

You can support the Military Museum of North Florida by buying stuff from their small gift shop or buying raffle tickets to some events or giveaways that they’re doing. Every year they also have a military demonstration in February, so it’s worth coming back to the museum for it.

September 2021: Fincon/Weekend in Austin TX 

September is my birth month so it’s always a great month to travel. We celebrated my birthday by doing a quick weekend getaway in Orlando FL, and a week later, flew to FinCon in Austin, TX! 

Quick weekend getaway to Orlando FL 

Visited Orange County Regional History Center (Free entrance thanks to the Smithsonian free day), and did some mini golf that night at the Congo River beside the hotel. Stayed at the 4 Points by Sheraton on I-Drive where the kid had a blast looking out the windows – his first time staying at a high rise! 

Orlando Trip Planning:

• An Orlando New Years Weekend Getaway
• Orlando’s Chocolate Kingdom (Review)

A financial weekend getaway in Austin, TX 

We have been to Texas but never Austin, so we booked flights on Southwest (from Tampa) to attend Fincon and see a little bit of the city. 

The downtown area is pretty nice, and we stayed at the Hyatt Place and Hyatt Regency Austin.  We did not have a lot of time exploring the city since we were working or attending the conference, but some highlights of our trip will be posted separately. 

October 2021: House painting and other expenses

Who knew that painting a house could be that labor intensive and that exterior paint could be expensive? It was a long overdue project, which was completed through the help of the in-laws. 

Since we bought our new home in 2019, we have added a new line in our expenses for repairs, maintenance and upkeep. Extra money spent painting meant not many trips done for the month. 

Celestial Farms and Chamblins Bookmine in Jacksonville FL 

Celestial Farms is a non-profit petting zoo slash farm located on the northside of Jacksonville, close to the airport. We will post a more detailed blog about this location, but me and the toddler had so much fun! There’s plenty of things to do in Celestial Farms and lots of photo spots too!

Our favorite used bookstore in Jacksonville is Chamblins Bookmine. In November, we got a chance to visit the bookstore quickly and managed to bring home some book goodies! We do have a list of shopping in Jacksonville, and talked more about it on that post. It is a bit out of our way, but we love going to Chamblins- they have two locations, one in downtown and one on the west side of Jacksonville.

Celebrating Baby’s Second Birthday 

It’s Alex’s second birthday! We spent it safely at home with family and he enjoyed his many presents! Here’s Alex’s birth story if you are interested. When he’s older, we’ll probably gift our boy experiences, investments, and travel instead of physical items, which should make it a more meaningful month for us to celebrate!

Other Places visited: 

• Pumpkin Patch at Isle of Faith Church in Jacksonville 
• Jacksonville Beach 
• First time to trick or treat in our neighborhood with baby in tow!

November 2021 staying mostly in Jacksonville: 

We got booster shots! Yay. However, our little one is still not eligible to get his COVID shots yet since he’s only two. 

Mostly stayed at home in Jacksonville, enjoyed the Thanksgiving holidays with family in Sarasota and loaded up on books again. The baby and I got sick for almost 2 weeks because of a virus (not covid) so November was also a wash. 

For book lovers – do you find that you keep buying books even though the library is just there and that the amount of material that you have to read keeps piling up? My husband and I are both bookish nerds, and we’re trying to make our child the same. Between the 3 of us, we have already filled up a few bookshelves!

Other notable things that happened this month: 

• Baby met santa for the first time 
• Ruth Chris Steakhouse for an anniversary dinner 
• Peter’s LEGO Camp Nou (Barcelona) present 
• Weekend in Orlando Florida staying at the B Resort & Spa + Disney Springs & Congo River Golf
• Thanksgiving and Black Friday weekend – always fun to spend time with family and of course, no work!
• Mead Botanical Garden in Winter Park, FL

December 2021: a cruise after almost 3 years – our first time on Virgin Voyages

We had initially booked the Virgin Voyages cruise for December 2020 but because the CDC basically shut down all cruising during the height of the pandemic, we opted to rebook our Virgin Voyages cruise to December 2021. 

Virgin Voyages is now our favorite cruise line, and we booked a trip for next year already! More posts about Virgin Voyages coming up on the blog in the next few weeks!

A year in review of 2021

Even though we are still amidst a global pandemic, we are still finding ways to travel safely and without leaving the country. There are so many places yet to explore! It’s annoying that we can’t visit friends and family overseas in Slovakia and the Philippines. It feels so long since we’ve been back!

In lieu of traveling more, we enjoy armchair traveling through books and learning more about the history of certain places and countries. We have a roundup of our 2021 in Armchair Travel here on this blog too (link to follow). 

With a new year coming up and more travel, reading, and personal finance plans and goals to make, here’s hoping 2022 will be a better year! 

If you made it this far reading the article, thank you for visiting and reading this long post. Your visit helps support our site to grow and reach more audiences. Please share this post if it helped your trip planning as well! Have a nice (and safe) holiday and year ahead!