I was struck this summer (my first summer at the resort) by the number of guests who have grown up coming to Two Inlets Resort and now bring their own kids - our legacy guests, their parents, and their kids.
I loved hearing stories of our earliest and youngest guests, months old, now in middle school and enjoying Two Inlets Resort with gusto & imagination, their self-proclaimed second home. I myself remember meeting all of my cousins at the lake every summer, organized by my matriarch Grandma Squirt, water skiing, watching my baby cousin crawl naked into the lake, playing volleyball, late night bonfires, maybe a little skinny dipping (only once!). This was the first summer since that time that my entire extended family gathered outside of a holiday or wedding and it was right here at the resort ... some getting to meet the new babies in the family for the first time.
The generational gift that grandparents and parents are providing for their kids’ childhood is so beautiful! It is saying to their kids — unplugging is important, I want to spend time with you, and connect with your imagination, use nature to do it.
As I’m thinking through holiday gift giving and reflecting on this last year, I love the idea of experience gifts, choosing to give experiences together instead of toys. My fondest memories this year happened here at the resort, or when I was gathered with friends and family, when people were together, rather than over things, I think my kids would say the same. We’ve tried experience gifts in the past, Jameson received a pool pass from his grandpa & nana, and a movie & ride ticket with his uncle from CA. I won’t lie, I got a great deal of benefit from these gifts, but so did Jameson, so did his uncle, as did anyone who he went to the pool with!
My brothers and I were brainstorming about this year’s holiday giving. We all agreed we’d rather give experiences than toys this year and we thought back to Two Inlets. We want to spend time together, see our kids swim, dig in the sand, dance, giggle, and get to know each other. We want them to have the same memories with cousins that we did and more! We want them to have bath time in the lake and squeal at the sight of a turtle eating a minnow.
Here’s an awesome list of experience gift ideas and I’d like to add one more — a long weekend or week at the lake, where you can do all of these together! So join us and let your imaginations dream again, find rest, make memories, and just be together.
Happy holidays from Two Inlets Resort! We’re dreaming of the warm weather and are excited to see you in the next season!
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PS If you have stories or pictures to share of your families gathering together at Two Inlets, please send our way! We love them!
Also, Two Inlets makes the perfect family picture setting, for all of those gifts that include pictures! These were taken by jennichristi.com.
