Mmm... nice: "Sitting in the room after having room service deliver my dinner and looking at a beautiful sunset is my way of relaxing." Maybe a little far, but I will have to look at that option! Joanie: I'm in Northern Virginia. How far to go? I would go as far as the West Coast, but don't want to go overseas (because of the extra travel time --would rather that time be spent at the location). Camlan: Have no problem spending time with the nephews -- on the contrary! They always make me laugh. (Until I get the dinner bill!) A few more details about me: Lived in Miami Beach, so I kinda got my beach fill there; Visited Sanibel -- is it basically the same as Captiva?; lived in Chicago, still love it -- looked quickly at New Year's week for a quick getaway, but really expensive (had I thought about that a few months ago, that would've been among the top choices); also have a niece in Boston, and the last time I was in Boston for more than a day, I was in either junior high or high school! But I think I'd want it to be during warmer weather. I do want to go to the aquarium there and maybe a day trip back to Cape Cod and go on one of the dolphin-searching boats I was on years ago. Haven't been to San Francisco -- does anybody have any rec's for someplace that's a cross between a hotel and a more relaxing veg-out "inn"? I know there are bed-and-breakfasts there, but the quality and experience would probably be wasted on me. (Hmm. I guess there are a few nice options on my list!)

Thank you for your kind words. Where was your family's company located? I understand the method the Sterchi family employed very early on (they bought the land this house was built on in 1845 and passed it down) was to purchase wooded land, cut the trees and make furniture out of the hardwood and then turn the land into very productive farmland. Our house was the 3rd house built on this spot that served as the main house on a 1,500 acre estate. Of course Sterchi Brothers Furniture stores were all over the southeast. I believe there were 76 stores operating when it was sold to a major furniture chain.

Really? Cool. Maybe that will get me to use it? Nah probably not. As for motion sickness, I used the Scopolamine in Antarctica. Worked but made me drowsy. I prefer dramamine actually. I will try Nekotish's method. Honestly I am not too worried due to the short duration of the ferry we chose. Scopolamine patches are as effective as Dramamine at preventing motion sickness. And in general, both scopolamine and Dramamine are well-tolerated. Dry mouth, drowsiness, and blurry vision are common side effects

I can understand your concerns, but planning includes looking into the future and understanding how your family dynamics will most likely change. Planning for traffic flow and furniture placement when you design the home is always better than leaving it to chance. Thinking about aging in place before you get old is important if you plan on aging in place. If you haven't thought about it, built in furniture or freestanding won't change the fact that the bathroom won't be big enough for a wheelchair or needs a walk in shower instead of a tub/shower combo, that all the bedrooms are on the second floor or the hallways are too narrow. Our family changed a lot over 40 years. My parents got old. Kids grew up and moved out, got married, had children, some moved back home for various periods of time, some moved out of town and needed a place to stay when they came home with their families to visit or to stay for a stretch while they found a local home when they moved back from wherever. Some of the grandkids moved in and moved out again when they needed a home. After my dad died, my sister and her family moved in to care for my mom. The fact that our home worked well for over 40 years without ever having to move the built in furniture tells me that the built in furniture didn't cause hardship. If anything, having the sofas built into the alcoves left the centers of the rooms more wide open than freestanding furniture would have and allowed more space for wheelchair turns or using a walker (mom used both before passing away). It also left large expanses of open space to place folding tables and chairs as the family gatherings grew from the original 8 to over 30. As with most families we did reach a time when the home no longer met our needs. My mom had to go into full nursing care, my sister and her family continued to live in our family home until after after my mom passed away. By then their two sons had both gone off to college and it was just the two of them. 3000 sf, a pool and over 2 acres of land was more than they wanted or needed. We all hated to see the home sold, but it was time. I think we were all a bit surprised at how quickly and easily it sold. We didn't think anyone would want a home that had such specific details, but the couple who bought the home loved MCM FLW style architecture. They didn't care that there were 2 bedrooms with 3 of everything. They wanted space for their kids and grandkids to come and stay when they visited. It has been 20 years since it was sold and they still own the home, so I guess it is functioning well for them as well.