If I Won The Lottery

Glad to know I'm not the only one who sat around dreaming up what I would do had I won the ridiculous Powerball recently. Hank and I have talked about this on multiple car trips, but I'm sure given the actual opportunity, we would probably freak out and not do anything at all. So I'm putting our plan in writing should we ever need to use it.

Thanks to Hang On Honey, Tiny Joys, and Perfectly Imperfect Jenn for hosting such a fun link up on this holiday weekend Friday!




First things first- grown up responsibilities (i.e. student loan debt):
Let's face it. So many of us face this burden, and it downright sucks. I paid off my first student loan last year, and I'm oh so close to getting the second one knocked out. But I'd also lump in my sibling's debts, and a college fund for all nieces and nephews. We'd also likely give both sets of parents a chunk of change for retirement and old-folks homes (nice ones!) because we aren't wiping any butts when they get old. :) (We love you guys, we really do- but I'm sure you understand we're only willing to go so far).
I think it also goes without saying that we'd created a charitable fund that would contribute annually to several of our favorite charities. We already donate regularly to a few, and would be thrilled to help out at a much higher level.

Now lets get on to the fun stuff! I introduce to you the Baker-Holland Hotel.
Last spring we took the scenic route home from a trip to visit Hank's family in Oklahoma. It was so much fun driving through small towns that I'd never seen before. We rolled into Mineral Wells and were surprised to see this tall building on the horizon. It looked old and deserted, but totally fascinating. We detoured off the main road, and were thrilled to come upon this little gem:

In its heyday, it was known as the Baker Hotel, and was a tourist destination for socializing and interesting spa treatments with Mineral Well's crazy water. You could tell from the grounds that it was once a thing of beauty, and we could not help but think what it could be turned into now. A complete renovation would likely be $100 million plus, so we'd have to win some serious cash to accomplish this. But given the opportunity, I can't help but think how much we would enjoy such a crazy project. Between Hank's design expertise, and my hospitality interests, we'd make a stellar team. If you're as interested in old, deserted (and possibly haunted) buildings, click on this link for a really great photo tour. 
Of course, no lottery win would be complete without travel. We'd likely create a specific investment fund that would pay for annual trips with its earnings. There are so many places we'd love to see, that it would probably take the rest of our lives to do it all. Plus, you have to make room for one beach and one ski trip a year. That's what rich people do, right?!
And if we decide we're too lazy to purchase a renovate an entire hotel, we can always revert to a back-up plan, buying a house like this on Lake Austin. Ending each day with happy hour on the deck overlooking the lake doesn't sound too shabby to me.

So there you have it, our wild and crazy dreams should we ever win the lottery. What would you do?