12-Hour Anniversary: An Impromptu Day Trip to West Palm

Two weeks ago my husband Jason and I celebrated our 17th anniversary.  Over the years we’ve celebrated every way imaginable…dinner at the Obama’s favorite restaurant in Chicago, a weekend cruise, a getaway without the kids, even a night in watching TV and eating on the couch.  Each year is special in its own way, and I am notorious for saying that I really don’t care what we do, as long as we’re together.  Usually we can make this happen on our actual anniversary date…but even when we can’t, that’s okay, too.  A day is only as special as you make it. 

Cheesy?  Yes.  But also true. 

This year we threw around a few ideas.  Actually, truth be told, I had planned a weekend in Savannah for us.  But those plans were derailed with a theater show on Friday and a Bears vs. Packers game on Saturday.  I didn’t want to travel all the way to Savannah to spend the only evening we had there in a sports bar.  I love a good sports bar, and a good adventure, but this was a bit much for me. 

So we threw around what seemed like 50 different ideas before we realized our kids were going to be at a birthday party literally all day on our anniversary.  Like, what?!  How did the anniversary gods smile down on us so beautifully? 

But this realization came just two days before the “big day.”  Enter my travel agent super powers…

With literally hours to spare I threw out the most outrageous idea. 

Let’s board the Brightline train at Orlando airport in the morning, get off the train in West Palm Beach, walk around, grab some brunch, hit the beach (or Peanut Island…look it up…so cute!), grab some snacks, board the train and make it back home before kick off! 

Ambitious?  Yes.  But also totally doable!

So just before midnight I booked the Brightline for 7:20am! 

Crazy?  100%! 

What was even crazier was the fact that we sat down on the train with literally 3 minutes to spare.  For anyone doubting the validity of this IG post, this was a perfect representation of our travel styles!  My blood pressure was through the roof and I was utterly silent as we cruised into the surface lot, right into a park space, and directly through security and on the train.  I’m not kidding when I say I had shin splints for days from running in sandals.

Reality check: security is NOT like an airport and you do NOT have to be there hours early…HOWEVER getting there with more than 12 minutes to get from the parking lot to your seat is highly suggested…and not just from a travel advisor’s perspective…your heart will thank you!

We pulled out of the station right on time and settled in for the 2 hour and 12 minute ride!

It was wonderful!  Stress free (after we made it on the train) and we had a chance to just catch up and enjoy each other’s company.  No traffic.  No distractions.  Just quality time together. 

I’ll spare you the boring details…but the WPB train station stop is in the middle of one of the cutest downtown areas I’ve seen in a long time!  It actually reminded me of some northern downtown areas.  There was a mix of shopping and dining and people milling around.  The weather was GORGEOUS…a perfect January Florida day…just like the day we got married, actually!  We ate brunch outside, enjoyed a FANTASTIC coffee roastery, and just walked through town…shin splints and all!

Ultimately we decided to skip the beach and booked a Resort Day Pass (highly recommend…another blog post incoming on that later) and relax.  We don’t often find ourselves with nowhere specific to be, so we took the opportunity to enjoy the slower pace.  It was perfect for us. 

After the resort stop we took our time walking back to the train.  Did some shopping.  Stopped at Eataly (OMG one of the best sandwiches I’ve had IN MY LIFE!) and Jason bought me a beautiful flower bouquet.

It may have been one of the most impromptu anniversaries we’ve ever had.  But it was perfectly us.  We both said, several times, it was one of the best anniversaries we’ve had in a long time.  

We made it back to the Brightline station with enough time to score a few complimentary drinks (and a few more on the train back), some snacks, and a phone charge.  No elevated blood pressure this time.  Then we made it home in time for kickoff!  Absolute perfection.

Travel advisors don’t just book once in a big, life time vacations.  Sometimes they plan 12 hour adventures that knock your socks off!