Our family vacation to Florida is off to a great start. We found a very cheap airfare deal 
out of Chicago Midway Airport (MDW) to Tampa. So great, in fact, that
each ticket was only $75 each way. (I grabbed them on sale in October.)

We usually fly out of Chicago O’Hare International, but I am so glad we
found another place to depart – without any delays!
We got to the airport so early that finding things for the kids to do
before our departure was my biggest challenge. Thank goodness for the
great kid-friendly shops at the airport. We purchased a “Where’s Waldo?”book
as soon as we arrived.

Finding that little wide-eyed man in the midst
of thousands of tiny characters was a great activity that forced my 8
and 11-year-old sons to work as a team (without any sibling rivalry)
and forget about the 2-hour wait.

Plus, we picked up some “Nuts on
Clark” popcorn – a must-have Chicago staple. (The mix of cheese and
caramel corn popcorn is a great snack for any trip through the Windy
City.)

Chicago Midway Airport is located just ten miles from downtown Chicago.
One of the fastest growing airports in the continent, Midway Airport
serves over 17 million travelers each year.

The airport offers easy access from central Chicago in under 30 minutes
via Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Orange Line buses, regional buses,
downtown and suburban shuttles, and interstate highways. An hourly
shuttle also operates between O’Hare International and Midway airports
(7:00 am to 10:00 pm).

Our flight from Chicago to Tampa was
a breeze.  We are off to enjoy the fresh air and fishing on the
Gulf-of-Mexico.  We are planning a few overnight trips along the West
Coast of Florida. We’ll stay a few days in Clearwater and then head to
Sarasota.

I will keep you posted on all of the family activities we find along
our travels. Hopefully, we’ll find some off-the-beaten path secrets to
share for a great winter holiday.