Marriott mini-vacation

What do you call a one night vacation, 10 minutes from home? We deemed it a "stay-cation". Mom and the kids and I packed ALL our stuff which sufficiently filled the back of my SUV and drove 10 minutes to the local Marriott Hotel and Spa. With rooms overlooking the Tennessee River, this is by far the nicest hotel in town and it just so happens to have the best pool area in the tri-cities too! We packed our food, down to the coffee creamer, each child's own bed, computers, swimsuits and toothbrushes. We actually needed a cart just to get to our 2nd floor room for our unique one night stay. We checked in and set up camp at the pool with our surplus of snacks and baby paraphernalia. That night we ordered pizza delivered by Daddy and watched TV from the hotel room. Mom and I each had our own heavenly bed since dad decided not to stay with us and each child's bed traveled with us. The next morning, we enjoyed breakfast from our cooler in tow. We again made the most of the pool facilities. Jackson really loved the waterslide and I liked the cave and waterfall as did Lincoln. He liked the sound of the water falling and was mesmerized by the warm outdoor air. I even sat for a while in the graded-entry shallow area and read some of my new library book "The Memory Keepers Daughter."
So long are the days of packing light... Who am I kidding, I was never one to pack light so adding a little more kid stuff is no big deal to me! This just goes to prove, you don't have to go far to experience a taste of luxury.