Shelley Funke Frommeyer, CFP ®, Founder, CEO & Wealth Advisor
1. Kentucky State Parks
Particularly Grayson Lake, 314 Grayson Lake State Park Rd, Olive Hill KY 41164
There is a beautiful, secret Grotto that can only be accessed by Kayak or canoe. The hiking is fun & family friendly for our kids & grandkids. There is also golf, that is wonderful for some Mother/Daughter time!
2. North Carolina Outer Banks
On one of our 10 visits to the Outer Banks, we entered a family sandcastle building contest and won 2nd place with our Sea Turtle ‘FroBert’.
We especially love the hard-hitting waves of the Atlantic Coast and have had to purchase skin shirts for all the boys from too much skin lost in the surf! We love to explore and find local dives and ice cream shops at every visit. Our family motto is vacation is best experienced with ice cream at least ONCE EVERY DAY!
Scott Reynolds, CFP ®, Wealth Advisor
1. Panorama Ski Resort – British Columbia Canada
We used to go every Feb with my family for a week. At the time most of the lodging was ski to your door.
2. Disney Cruise
Disney Cruise was amazing, food unbelievable and shows each night were fantastic. Would like to go without kids, adult only areas are awesome with hardly anyone there. Would like to visit the parks and cruise combo!
Ericka Steele, Business Operations Manager
1. Kauai, Hawaii
Kauai is (in my unbiased opinion) the best Hawaiian island. It’s much quieter than Oahu and has my all-time favorite hike to Hanakapiai Falls. Other must dos include a dip in Queen’s bath, Mountain Tubing, breakfast at Kountry Kitchen, and snorkeling at Lawai Beach.
2. Pacuare Lodge, Costa Rica
This is an Eco lodge located in Limon, Costa Rica. The rooms are illuminated with lanterns and candles and the little electricity the lodge does use is generated by a turbine in a nearby stream. Transport to and from the lodge includes white water rafting and experiences include canyoning and plenty of rainforest hiking.
Samantha Cornelius, Associate Relationship Manager
Every summer my family and I venture down to somewhere new in the Florida/South Carolina area. My whole life, we’ve never been to the same place twice, but there is one tradition that applies no matter where we go: the family dinner competition. Each year we split up into pairs and plan 1-2 meals to cook for the week. My family, given our overly competitive nature, then scores each meal on a scale from 1-10 and at the end of the week the pair with the highest total score gets ultimate bragging rights-and sometimes a small monetary prize depending on the fierceness of the competition that year.
What started out as a fun activity to help take the pressures of cooking off my parents and save money on eating out has quickly become a ruthless competition resulting in some of the best food I’ve ever had. From homemade chocolate lava cake (yes, we do dessert too) to my mom’s authentic Italian lasagna, we can always count on an exceptional meal to end the night. I, for one, have already started planning my meals for our vacation a month from now and fully plan on winning, but more importantly, bonding with my family in this unique way, as we do each year.
Ivan Lo, Operations Associate
1. Tokyo, Japan
Have been there twice. Japanese people are very polite. Sushi, sashimi, and ramen noodles are super delicious. City is extremely modernized with subway lines connecting almost every part of the city. I know a little bit of Japanese, but English should be fine when visiting the city.
2. Singapore
Have also been there twice. Famous for its cuisine, Hainanese chicken rice and Bah Kut Teh (Pork Ribs Tea). Lots of fun on the island of Sentosa especially in one of the two Universal Studios in Asia. Be careful: Do not chew a gum or you will be charged!
Eric Wheeler, Administrative Intern
Brigantine, NJ is a quaint town & island located just outside of Atlantic City, NJ. My parents used to be co-owners with my extended family, so we would go every summer for vacation. If you love a scene away from the hustle and bustle of city life, Brigantine is the perfect getaway. Brigantine is very community oriented and emphasizes supporting local businesses. The two places my family loved to satisfy our sweet tooth, Aversa’s Italian Bakery and Aunt B’s Ice Cream. Looking for a small bite to eat or day drinking?? You’re in luck, there is a Grill & Bar right on the beach called Laguna. Along the beach, you can find numerous sand volleyball courts and views of beautiful homes right at the shore. Some traditions my family had were sunrise and sunset beach walks and going on night drives around the island to look at all the houses. When we were little, my siblings and I would go play at Shark Park playground or kick around at the soccer field right by Brigantine Skate Park. If you’re looking for a cozy, lowkey vacation, Brigantine is the place for you!
Lisa Kessler, Client Relations Manager
1. Ponce Inlet – Daytona Beach Shores
Before I could even walk, my Dad (a self-proclaimed beach bum) would load up our family every year & head down to Daytona Beach. To this day it is one of my favorite places to go. We have some many memories: dinners at North Turn & Aunt Catfishes, evening walks on the boardwalk where we played games and rode rides, nightly beach walks with flashlights we used to find crabs. It’s a wonderful place for family traditions!
2. Isla Mujeres, Mexico
Isla is a beautiful little island off the coast of Cancun, a 20-minute ferry ride. I’ve been there several time and while many people simply take a day trip over from Cancun, we’ve always stayed on the island. The people, the culture, the food – everything is amazing! When we traveled there with my Dad, we would always bring paper for the English school located on the island, along with toys to pass out to the kids in the colonies. My Dad also sponsored some of the high school kids on the island, so they could attend college. It is truly a magical and uplifting place with water as clear and blue as ever!
