What To Do On Departure Day

It's Departure Day.  Should you go to a park before leaving?  Have a special breakfast?  Do some shopping?

We decided to go reserve our partial day for Animal Kingdom, and here's why.

As I said many, many posts ago, we drove our own car all the way from Texas to Walt Disney World.  This proved advantageous in many ways, one of which was a flexible departure time.  Although, we had to check out of our beloved Old Key West by 11am, nobody said we had to vacate Disney property altogether.  Since Animal Kingdom closes early anyway, we figured we'd stay until shortly before closing, then point our transport toward Tallahassee where we'd stay for the night.

Since the ole SUV was loaded down with luggage, we decided we'd leave it at Old Key West and use the Disney bus system to get to and from Animal Kingdom.  The kids were excited since they think of the bus ride as another attraction.  There were very few people on the AK bus at this time of day (late morning) and it was a relaxing drive.

We piled out of the bus, did the turnstile boogie, and entered into the wha-?  What is this heat?

We had entered the rain forest!  Complete with humidity so thick you could cut through it with a machete!

Seriously, I looked around to see where they were pumping in the water vapor.  It was crazy hot.  But no time to tarry.  We only had a few hours.

This was our first visit to AK ever so we found it rather difficult to decide what we needed Fastpasses for and how to navigate through the park.  My people looked to me to make this decision.  Seriously, didn't I tell them I had not studied up on this stuff so as not to be made fun of?  This is a huge park and there's no hub and spoke layout here.

But never let it be said that I can not rise to the occasion.  I thought it best to split our tickets between Expedition Everest and Kali River Rapids, knowing we'd Child Swap on both so we'd get the "free" Fastpass for a second ride.

Our first attraction would be Kilimanjaro Safari.  The line was quite long, and, well, scratch that.  We only had about a 30 minute wait, but it seemed longer because we weren't familiar with the twisty turny queue and the heat.  It made the line seem so much longer.  Finally, we glimpsed this monster.

I'm familiar with the NahTahZu saying regarding AK and I agree.  It's not.  There's so much more.  While Kilimanjaro is an attraction in which you will be looking at wild animals, it also puts you in a poacher-chasing adventure across the savannah, all the while looking at wild animals which, and I'll be honest, is kind of like a zoo...of which I am NahTahFan.  There, I said it.

But I will queue up for that attraction again because it's not just looking at animals.  Those Disney geniuses have put us in the middle of a story and it's a smidge different each time because you never know what those animals are going to do or which ones you're going to get a glimpse of.  Genius.

Just around the river bend we entered Asia for our whitewater rafting adventure.  We had FM#3 measured just for grins and they let him through!  We donned our trusty ponchos and literally walked onto this ride.

Double E, Expedition Everest, was next.  Me and CB rode it first so we could report back to FM#1.  He just wasn't too sure he wanted to ride it.  Let's face it.  That climb up into the mountain looks daunting.  Don't we all assume there's a steep drop on the other side?  And that whole "going backwards" thing.  Yeah.

Well, a less than 5 minute queue landed us in our little train and I was a bit nervous.  Remember that rapid pulse I mentioned prior to boarding the Tower of Terror?  But, again, what we do for our children.  But I was glad I did because the ride was fantastic!

I'm a HUGE Big Thunder Mountain fan, and Space Mountain fan, and Splash Mountain fan.  So I couldn't not attack this mountain as well.  Yes, I just used a double negative to make a point.

We reported to FM#1 that Everest was like Big Thunder on steroids, so he decided to give it a go.  Queuing up a second time, we saw just enough of the queue to want to see more, but the line moved too quickly.  And as we were standing there behind that little gate, the next ones to board, FM#1 decided to unqueue.  He just couldn't do it.  He tried, but he just wasn't ready.

But CB and I couldn't let being 'next' slip away, so we let FM#3 find MawMaw and the brothers out front and we chased the yeti again.  Awesome!

From there we wandered around not really knowing what to do next.  We noticed the ropes were out for the parade and people were starting to scope out their spots, so we ducked into It's Tough To Be A Bug.  It was just a short wait until the next show started.

This attraction is so clever, so fun.  I can just imagine being on the team that was given the task of designing this one.  I'm such a sucker for 4D animation.

There was unanimous love for the bugs until we got sprayed and the lights went out.  That's when FM#3 let out a scream that probably scared Hopper.  The older boys loved the surprise at the end, especially that it was so unexpected.  I'll just leave it at that.

The only thing that makes me sad is that we didn't find out until after we got home that the entire attraction is under the Tree of Life!  How could we have missed that?  Honestly, there's so much to see in Animal Kingdom and the pathways wind and twist and the park looks like it's been there for decades.  Although you could tour the park in a day, you could spend numerous visits discovering the architecture, the pathways, the textures.  And we didn't even scratch the surface.

It was about 3:30pm so we meandered in and out of a couple of shops, FM#2 & 3 buying the softest Eeyore and Mickey.  When we made it back to the front of the park, I realized this was it.  We were heading home now, leaving Walt Disney World behind.  WAIT!

I hadn't bought an souvenirs for myself!  Can you imagine getting all the way home and realizing you hadn't bought anything to remember your trip?  Thankfully, there was one last shop at the park entrance.

We all looked around the shop - and around and around - not rushing to get on the bus.  Thinking back on it, maybe we were all taking it in one last time before heading home.  My souvenir?  The entire trip I had looked for a white visor with classic Mickey on it, but hadn't been able to find it anywhere.  Only ones with Minnie. So I decided on some charms for my Crocs.  Not a big splurge, but I figured they would make for some fun conversation starters.

As we turned toward the bus stop, we saw Donald walking by.  Oh, no!  He looked like he was leaving.  FM#3 was going to miss him again.  But then he stopped.  What?  CB and I looked at each other and realized at the same time that good ole Donald was just getting in place for his meet and greet!

Magic Moment #15 - FM#3 finally got to see Donald Duck up close and personal.  We were the first people to meet him and FM#3 was intrigued by his safari outfit.  He was quite pleased that he met the Donald Duck.  You can tell by the crossed-armed cockiness.

And this chance encounter, literally the last possible moment, right before boarding the bus, was the perfect end to a wonderful vacation.  The planning was great fun, calling the Mouse everyday, looking at websites, and pictures, and talking to people about their past trips, and sharing it with MawMaw, and getting to ride the attractions we had only heard about, and getting to see our children's faces as they experienced all this for the first time.

We had no definite expectations for this vacation, yet we were blessed with more than we could've imagined.  I can read back over these many blog posts and look through our photographs and replay every day back in my mind.

So Many Magical Moments!

Laid Back Day 7

Our plan today was to spend the first half of the day at Downtown Disney and the second half at Epcot.

After getting to bed so late the night before, we slept in a bit the next morning and took some time to feed the birds.  Tuppence a bag.

Magic Moment #13 - Since we were on the first floor and were near a pond, the boys had numerous opportunities to feed all the birds.

This picture doesn't do justice to the amounts of ducks and birds that would come up to our patio.  Once they realized we had food, word spread like wildfire!  There were so many different kinds.  The white, long-beaked ones were so aggressive!  Once the bread was gone, they waddled back to the pond.

Downtown Disney was great fun if only for the Lego Store!  It was our first destination and the only one the boys were focused on.  After well over an hour, we were finally able to get the Legomaniacs out of there!

Italian ices and Ghirardelli chocolate did the trick.  FREE Ghirardelli chocolate!  It's great to walk into that scrumptious boutique and be offered that scrumptious square.

We thoroughly - very thoroughly - enjoyed the World of Disney.  World of Disney had so many interesting displays, obvious and not so obvious.  Coupled with all the different shopping areas inside that one store and the fact that my family was spread out amongst them, there was no way I could concentrate on all that was going on in there.  Must. Go. Back.

And how many times did I go around and around and around looking at all the pins at Pin Trader's?!

Upon leaving the parking lot, one of my boys spotted our Magic Moment #14, a Hidden Mickey in the clouds.

There's that side profile I told you would come up again!

I Love Beans!

On tap for the afternoon was a nice rest back at OKW.  We had a late night dinner planned for Hoop Dee Doo and we knew we'd need a nap.

It was dark by the time we started getting ready.  And it was raining heavily.

We kept hoping it would slack up, but it didn't.  We checked the local weather report on TV while we were getting ready and there was a tornado spotted in a nearby town.

Onward.

We made it to the parking lot of Fort Wilderness in driving rain.  Upon opening our doors, we realized we weren't going to be able to wear our shoes as the parking lot was flooded.  CB decided we weren't going to try it anyway and hoped we could get into the lot that was closer to the bus stop.

So back out onto the main road we went.  When we got to the security gate, the guard would not let us in.  CB explained the situation and told him all the wanted to do was drop us off and then he'd come back out and park in the other lot.  The guard relented, thankfully.  It's not a pretty sight when CB is being nice and the other person is being irrational.

He dropped us off at the bus stop and by the time he got back to the other lot, it was only sprinkling.  After what seemed like a long time of waiting, the bus to Pioneer Hall finally arrived and we boarded with everyone else who had booked a late night dinner.

We had great seats two to three tables back a little to the left of the stage. The dinner was yummy and the entertainment was superb, if you like corny - and I do.

FM#2 loved the ribs and he and his brother were serenaded by Sixbits.

Yep, Magic Moment #12.

Magic Kingdom Revisited

The skies were promising this day. Perhaps too promising as we decided to leave the ponchos in the car. Giving it further consideration, CB turned back to retrieve them as the rest of us headed for the Monorail. We'd meet up at the stroller rental.

Magic Moment #9 comes to us courtesy of the Monorail.

While my companions were waiting for the monorail I went to find a Cast Member to inquire if anyone was waiting to ride in the front compartment. The attendant said, "You are!" So I jogged back to retrieve my party and share the good news. Unfortunately, only four people can ride in the front compartment. It does not matter how large or small they are. Four. Only four. So MawMaw sat in the compartment behind us.

It never occurred to me that people were allowed to ride in the front compartment and I never would've known to ask if not for the Unofficial Guide! [Love that book! It's sitting beside me right now!]

Here we are going into the Contemporary. This further confirmed my love for the Monorail. When we arrived at the Magic Kingdom, the Monorail driver gave the boys official Monorail licenses.

We met up with CB, got FM#1's chariot, and embarked on our hot/sunny/humid day. But to that we were accustomed. We're from Texas, after all.

Due to the improved weather from the previous day, the crowds had increased a bit, plus this day had Extra Magic Hours.

Our park rotation started in Adventureland again because we wanted to ride Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, and Pirates. Today we started out with the Magic Carpets of Aladdin.

While waiting in line we noticed that, to go along with the Arabian theme, jewels were embedded in the concrete. Oooh! Aaah! This ride was similar to Dumbo except not only can you make your magic carpet rise and fall, you can make it tilt and pitch. And there's a camel that will spit on you.

Right across from Aladdin are tikis that squirt water. The boys enjoyed a bit of refreshment and then we headed to Pirates! While they were in the Pirates gift shop - again! - trying oh so hard to make their way to the queue, I ran down to Splash Mountain and Big Thunder to get Fast Passes. On my way, Woody and his friends were just wrapping up their parade through Frontierland so I paused for that.

He's the rootin-est tootin-est cowboy in the wild, wild west!

Knowing not everyone would ride both Splash and Big Thunder Mountain, I split our six tickets, 3 and 3, between the two Fast Pass machines and ran back to the Caribbean. We had a longer wait this day because of the crowds, but it wasn't too bad. The people behind us kept trying to squeeze in front of us, but we spread out shoulder to shoulder. Don't mess with Texas.

The boys got another adventure through Pirate land and noticed new and different things this time around. Again, back to the gift shop. CB wanted to surprise the boys at Christmas with a gift from here since they loved it so much. FM#1 got a flag which is hanging in his room. FM#2 got a set of metal jail keys that he uses as part of his various costumes. And FM#3 got a sword set that came with sound effects, a dagger, an eye patch, and a parrot.

We bid farewell to Pirates ("the coolest ride ever") and walked quickly (much to the disapproval of my party) to Splash Mountain where CB and I were the only ones wanting to ride. I donned my rain poncho because I just wasn't in the mood to get wet on such a hot day. Good thing, too, because when we got to the bottom of the Big Drop, a huge sploosh of water kerplunked on me at the bottom of the hill before rounding the corner. (I was sitting on the right side of the log, if anyone is interested.)

From here we trotted next door to Big Thunder Mountain where three of us jumped aboard. We not only used our Fast Passes, but we got a Child Swap so we could Fast Pass it again. On our way out of the ride a lady handed us each a packet and said something about Year of a Million Dreams.

Yes, Magic Moment #10! When we got outside we saw that we had received Year of a Million Dreams trading pins and matching lanyard. Cool! Little did we know when sitting in Pinocchio's Village Haus Restaurant the previous day oohing and aahing over that family's perpetual Fast Pass, that we'd get our own surprise in the Year of a Million Dreams.

Now we'd have to start getting pins.

At this point we had convinced MawMaw that Big Thunder Mountain wasn't a roller coaster and that she should definitely ride it so me and FM#1 took her on it using the Child Swap pass. She wasn't amused. As we zigged zagged along the track I kept looking back at her and she would say, "This IS a roller coaster!" She clearly does not know what a real roller coaster is like for Big Thunder is not one. She survived anyway.

From here we went to a MawMaw favorite - Country Bear Jamboree! She loves these corny bears. We enjoyed the respite, A/C, and goofy show and exited across the breezeway for lunch at Pecos Bill's Cafe. Bill serves up burgers and taco salads, but what is unique about this place is that they have a fixin's bar. You can add the usuals to your burger, but they also have sauteed onions and mushrooms and salsa. Yum.

Magic Moment #11. Upon exiting the restaurant we stepped out onto the sidewalk and the afternoon parade was in full swing. We had a front row seat. What timing! And FM#3 got to see Donald Duck! So many things would come together during this vacation.

As the last float went by we found our stroller amid the sea of blue and pointed ourselves toward the Haunted Mansion, Round Two.

From this picture all you can see is Gracey Mansion. If you look at aerial maps of Disney World...what?

You've never seen Disney from the air?

Wh-, wh-, I just don't understand. Don't you spend inordinate amounts of time looking at the Wonderful World of Disney on www.bing.com/maps? Is it just me?

Well, when you go there - and you will - use the Bird's Eye feature. You'll see that what is in the picture above is only a facade. The actual Haunted Mansion ride takes place in a huge warehouse type building. Does that spoil the magic? Not for me! It's fascinating how they have filled your field of vision with only what is necessary to create the illusion. You are completely convinced that this ride is inside that house! Or at least I was!

After picking up our Ghost Host we threatened the boys with It's a Small World. Mua ha ha! Aren't we fun parents? But their begging and pleading for Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin was more than we could bear.

Once in Tomorrowland, CB and the older FM's wanted to try Stitch's Great Escape. My Unofficial Guide strongly recommended to pass up this attraction. When it first came out it was too scary so they toned it down. Now it's apparently just bad. Or 'lame' according to FM#1 and 2. Stitch burps on you at one point and they said it smelled horrible. Not a funny horrible either. Gross, oniony kind of horrible.

So on to Buzz where there was no line! Again, the bad thing about not spending any time standing in the queue is that you miss the little nuances along the way. We did spot a Hidden Mickey and took a picture of it while several people went around us. Can you spot it?

We walked back up Main Street; gazed lovingly at the Crystal Palace where we had enjoyed a yummy breakfast the morning before; peered into the shops; gathered our packages at Package Pick-Up; and headed for the Monorail. Again, we asked to ride up front. This time CB and the boys got the front row seat.

A good end to a good day. But was it the end?

Hint: The Hidden Mickey in the Buzz Lightyear photo is right in the middle. It's not the typical three-circle silhouette; it's the side profile silhouette.

Remember this side silhouette. You'll see it again, Mouseketeers!

The Best Hotel EVER!

We were in Building 49.

Now, according to the Unofficial guidebook, Building 49 was one to be avoided. Looking at the map it really is only a hop, skip, and a jump to the main road, Buena Vista Drive. They must've figured there would be a lot of road noise. Mais no. Not for us. I never heard any noise from the road at all. I couldn't even see the road and only knew it was there because I saw it on the map.

After checking in, we curved through the resort until the road dead-ended in a cul-de-sac. Looking for our building.....there it is on the right.....where to park.....gee, I guess we'll take this spot right in front of our room!

Could it get any better?! This mere parking spot is Magic Moment #6 because everyday except the last day we were able to park in the same spot right in front of our room.

This is quite a bonus at a Disney World resort. Most of the hotels have a main parking lot and you have to walk quite a distance to your room. Something I wouldn't relish while hauling luggage or tired kids after a full day of Disney fun. But Old Key West (OKW) is laid out like an apartment complex with two- and three-story buildings dotting the property. Parking is right in front of your building.

Magic Moment #7. We opened the door and our hotel was everything we expected. It looked exactly like it did in the pictures. The boys found some hidden Mickeys. It felt great to finally be here.

We unpacked, taking advantage of ample closets and drawer space, and stowed our luggage out of sight in the entry closet not to be disturbed until the end of the week.

MawMaw and the boys had two queen-sized beds, two closets, their own TV armoire, and their own bathroom with an extra vanity area.

This was a great arrangement. MawMaw bunked with FM#3 so she had plenty of room to stretch out. There were four drawers in the armoire so they each got one. The boys shared the closet in the bedroom while MawMaw took the one right off the bathroom. And she had the extra vanity all to herself, except for an occasional tooth brusher.


This was our kitchen. It came complete with anything we needed to prepare a meal. Housekeeping came daily and would even load and run the dishwasher. They'd also leave a fresh supply of coffee which we enjoyed every morning - especially MawMaw!

The island was Snack Central, the perfect place for sodas and MawMaw's chocolate chip and sugar cookies. We munched on them everyday when we got back and they somehow lasted until the very last day when we finished them off.

These pictures were taken on our last day so you can see we definitely made ourselves at home.

Sorry for the dark photos. They looked fine when I took them. I guess my vision was tainted by my love for OKW!

The dining area which opened up to the balcony was home to breakfast, an occasional dinner, and a wicked game of Pirates Dice!

This two-bedroom villa sleeps 8 people with two of those on the sleeper sofa. The living area was where we'd plop down at the end of the day, watch TV, and scarf down the cookies.

A couple of evenings I relaxed on that love seat while MawMaw rubbed my feet. Only a mom would do that. Prior to our trip I had some sort of tendon problem or bone spur, but after all the walking I did at WDW, I haven't had any trouble with it!

This is one part of the master bathroom...my part.

Although the boys enjoyed the jacuzzi tub, too. You can glimpse our master bedroom through the shuttered opening. CB's bathroom area was next door with the shower and vanity. Remember the stop at Walgreen's in Tallahassee for shower soap? It wasn't really necessary. Disney supplied us with chunky round bars of hand soap, big round bars of bath soap, along with body wash, shampoo, and conditioner from a line called H₂O Plus.

I used some of it, but also hauled some home. They sold full-sized bottles in the gift shop, Conch Flats General Store, and I recently found it at Ulta here in town! When I smell it, it takes me right back there to Building 49.

In what I like to call The Master Wing we had a closet, our own TV armoire, and access to the balcony. Off the hallway and bathroom was a full-sized laundry room complete with a little box of Tide sitting on the washing machine. We did laundry a couple of times during the week and Mousekeeping replenished the detergent. Knowing we'd be able to do laundry saved me from packing a ton of clothes.

This place was truly like coming home at the end of each day. We could come through the door, grab a snack, chill out on the couch and watch TV - much like we do at home. For those who wanted to take a nap, we each had our own private bedroom.

Magic Moment #8. We could even feed the ducks if we wanted.

Welcome Home!

Although it was pouring rain, I could see that Disney had changed a lot since CB and I visited 16 years ago (sans niños). In particular, I noticed the roads were lined with trees and lush tropical plants - something I didn't notice before. I'm sure they serve to hide the inner machinations of life in The World, but they're also really nice to look at! (Even though at the time they were being pelted by torrential rain!)

Following the map, we made our way from the new west entrance to Buena Vista Drive, turned left at the lighthouse onto Bonnet Creek Parkway, and right onto Vacation Club Way. We rounded a turn in the road and came upon a driveway opposite a heavily wooded area and tucked into the midst of lush plants and tall trees.

There it was -- Disney's Old Key West Resort.

We had to stop and tell the guard our name to which he replied, "Welcome home!" and lifted the arm on the gate. Like they had been waiting for us!

Old Key West is Walt Disney World's first Vacation Club resort which makes it at least 15 years old. It's laid out like an apartment complex with separate buildings with outside entry and close parking, and although it spans 156 acres, the trees and plants make it seem very cozy and secluded.

We headed for the Hospitality House to check-in. There was a lot of activity here as CB pulled up along the curb. We decided I'd run in and get us checked in while everyone else avoided the rain and stayed in the car.

Although I had to stand in line a while, I took the opportunity to enjoy the homey-ness of the place and the shear fact that we were finally here! The check-in and concierge area was small, not huge and cavernous, but warm and welcoming.

In hindsight, I should've ran back out to the car and had everyone come in. MawMaw and the kids could've relaxed and watched TV in Papa's Den, Old Key West's lounge off of their check-in area.

Next time, for sure!

Magic Moment #4. When I approached the front desk I explained our Annual Pass situation. The friendly check-in girl said, "No problem. I'll just give you your discount and you can show me the pass later."

Bless her heart!

Next, the friendly front desk girl gave us our free parking pass to put in the window, our door keys (aka Keys to the World) that also allowed us to charge purchases to our room, our Disney packet full of maps and fun stuff.

Magic Moment #5. Next, she pulled out the resort map and traced the route to our room. "You have a first floor room with a balcony and a view of the pond."

Did you HEAR that?! The room request I made weeks ago had been granted!

What good news to weary travelers. I could've wept right then and there! In fact, it still makes me a bit weepy just thinking about it. Year of a Million Dreams? Absolutely! I told her she just made the two-day trip worth it. I couldn't wait to get back to the car to tell everyone!

This is the view from our first floor balcony.

Big Family Vacation

We finally got our act together and went on our first official family vacation. You know -- before the oldest is in college. The one where money is spent with abandon, like we pluck it off the money tree growing in our backyard.

That one.

We went to Disney World!

Day One And We're Off! - We decided to drive because it was cheaper than flying; it would create great family memories; and we could bring a bunch of stuff we wouldn't be able to bring if we flew.

Besides, a great road trip would be fun, right?

Oh, it was. We headed out about 8:30am Saturday morning. CB and I manning the front, MawMaw and the younger two in the back, and the big guy in the Way Back with the Igloo cooler.

We were all perky and excited about our destination. Until about 9pm Saturday night. More on that later.

Driving was tiring. 1000 miles, each way. The trip there was full of excited anticipation. The kids watched DVDs and listened to books on tape most of the way. I did Sudoku. CeanBounter drove. MawMaw entertained her backseat buddies.

About 2-1/2 hours into the trip we had to stop due to, "I think I'm going to throw up," coming from the back seat courtesy of FM#2. He was watching a movie and resting the DVD player on his lap. We think the motion of the screen made him car sick.

I grabbed a plastic grocery bag and told him to lean over it until we could get stopped. I brought a couple of bags for the trash we would accumulate as we mowed through chips, crackers, cookies, water bottles, soda bottles, and CapriSuns, not thinking it might have to double as a Barf Bag.

We exited the interstate and pulled into a gas station. He put his feet on terra firma, had a few sips of Sprite, and he was good to go. Bathroom breaks for everyone!

I will call this throw-up event our Magic Moment #1 because it was a blessing the Lord sprinkled into our vacation that we were very thankful for and will remember as something really neat or exceptional that happened to us along the way.

I remember how my legs felt after being in the car for so long and trying to get around to FM#2's side of the car as quickly as possible with noodle legs.

I remember the expression on everyone's face as they stretched their legs in the parking lot of the convenience store, how we were relieved by the not-so-great bathrooms, and that excited feeling of getting back in the car to get closer and closer to Disney World!

The kids settled back into their movies; we had cold beverages in hand, empty bladders, and no one threw up! See...Magic Moment!

The weather was good the whole way and we were accompanied by those black love bugs. Everytime we stopped for gas, CB would clean the windshield. It was covered in lovebug juice and smooshed carcasses.

Sometimes we had to stop for the sole purpose of cleaning the windshield because it would be hard for CB to see! And whenever we opened the car door we had to do it quickly so the love bugs wouldn't get in which they sometimes did anyway.

We would SPLAT! them or crack the window so they'd get sucked out at 80 mph.

Magic Moment #2. MawMaw cooked a roast before she left home and brought it down. We made roast beef sandwiches the night before we left and packed them in the cooler along with other goodies for on-the-road munching.

Instead of eating while driving, we needed to stretch our legs so we stopped at a little tourist center in Mississippi, or were we still in Louisiana? I think it was the west side of Mississippi.

This little tourist center was a modular building with a wood facade that made it look like a cabin. It had a porch around it. It must have been fairly new because you could still smell the stain. Apparently, they had left for lunch because even though the sign on the door said they were open, they were not.

I thought we'd have to hit the road again and look for another rest stop, but CB pulled around back where we discovered a picnic table under the covered porch. We enjoyed our roast beef sandwiches, chips, drinks, cookies, and lovebugs.

Yes, lovebugs. Only a few bothered us during our meal because the majority swirled around our car like a black cloud. We surmised they were attracted to the heat the car was giving off.

We cleaned up our picnic area, used the bathrooms which were quite clean, and somehow managed to get back in the car amid the swarm. We hit the road once more.

And now for the awards:
Worst Roads & Nastiest Bathrooms - Louisiana, a place we will be glad never to have to return to again.

What a Relief/Smoother Roads - Mississippi! We loved their visitors center. A beautiful southern plantation with FREE soda and a lunar module out front.

(From this picture can you tell who's doing the driving?)

Best Roads Overall - Florida, well-maintained roads and lots of trees! Besides, where else can you go through towns with weird names like Okahumpka?

Most Rest Areas - Florida received yet another award because it had more rest areas than I've ever seen and they were exceptionally nice. Many had a State Patrolman on duty. Saturday evening right before sunset, we stopped at one rest stop that had palm date trees. The fruit was ripe and had fallen off the trees. You could smell the sweetness in the air.

Coolest Bathroom and Magic Moment #3 goes to -- Whataburger in Somewhere, Florida. It was already dark when we stopped here and we were starting to get tired. CB wanted to keep truckin' so we decided to eat in the car, but we went inside to order so we could use their facilities. And what facilities they were! There was a flat screen TV in the men's bathroom!

This Whataburger also had one of the nicest girls working there. She was very patient with us (we were very road weary). She gave FM#3 crayons and a coloring page, made menu suggestions that would save us money - some of us weren't very hungry so a couple of meals were split. She was a delight! I wish I would've gotten her name and written a letter.

And last, but not least...

The Thank You for Sticking Out Just a Little 'Cause We're Almost to Florida Award goes to --Alabama where we crossed over a couple of bays, saw the USS Alabama, birds diving into the water, and we got to drive through a tunnel.

Are We There Yet? - And this came from the adults! I'd like to state for the record that Tallahassee is a loooong way from here! And let me just say that there are NO towns of significant size in Florida's panhandle.

After 12 hours on the road we were ready for the first leg of the trip to be over, yet we still had 3 hours to go! Because it was dark, I couldn't do Sudoku to keep myself awake and we were in the middle of nowhere so we couldn't get anything on the radio to hold our interest (or our eyes open).

Nothing but black night whizzed by as we raced toward our destination which at this point was a comfy bed and soft pillow. Brutal. Occasionally, I'd say something to CB to make sure he was awake, but mostly we quietly fought off sleep while our backseat passengers snoozed.

When we arrived in Tallahassee, we (and by "we", I mean, CB) had to unload all of the luggage from the roof of the car because we had a soft-sided luggage carrier and they don't lock like the hard-sided ones. He loaded it all, including the Igloo cooler, onto one of those bellhop carts. We were able to pile everything on it and make it up to the room in one trip.

While CB parked the car, me, MawMaw, and the FM's lugged our belongings up to our room.

Now, to make my point here, I must say that this luggage cart was seriously weighted down and very hard to push, pull, and steer. But FM#1 and I managed -- in and out of the elevator, around the corner, down the hall. There was just enough room in the elevator ("alligator" according to FM#3) for five people and a bellhop cart.

We got to our room and just as I was about to put the cardkey in, I heard voices coming from the other side of the door.

Laughing, talking, people having a good time.

In our room!

So back downstairs all five of us go - down the hall, around the corner, in and out of the alligator. I marched up to the clerk and announced that someone was in that particular room. He was unphased, gave us an obligatory "sorry about that", and reassigned us an empty room.

And so...

In and out of the elevator, around the corner, down the hall. Push, pull, push, pull. They don't call it LUGgage for nuttin'.

Day Two - Since we decided to forego the alarm clock, we got a late start the next morning. I was the first one up. Hey, don't laugh! I almost rolled over and went back to sleep, but I checked the clock. 10:00am. The hotel's breakfast ended at 10:30am so I threw on some clothes and went downstairs to gather sustenance for my weary traveling companions.

By the time I got back to the room, everyone was awake. We ate, dressed, and CB began the arduous task of putting all of the luggage back on the roof of the car.

When he paid the bill, they gave us a discount for our room snafu. That, coupled with MawMaw's AARP discount, was a nice little bonus.

And away we went. Clear blue skies. Crisp morning air.

After showering at the hotel we realized that the teeny weeny bars of hotel soap were not going to cut it for a group of six for a week. On our way out of town we stopped at Walgreen's to buy full-size bottles of body wash, thinking Disney would have the same miniature offerings as Comfort Suites.

As MawMaw and I jumped out of the car, FM#1 requested a bottle of Axe body wash. Snake Skin to be exact. I said he could share the body wash I would get because he had a brand new bottle of Axe back home. Once inside, MawMaw asked if she could get the Axe for him and I said yes. When he found out, he was very happy.

Florida was the prettiest of the states we went through. The morning light revealed trees that lined both sides of the interstate. I wondered if there was some huge state-sponsored tree planting because they were in neat rows.

We enjoyed the smooth ride on Florida's roads and commented on their call boxes that were placed at one mile intervals.

After putting several miles between us and Tallahassee, the skies grew gray and dreary. We stopped for lunch at Subway, gassed up, and got back on the road. Just a couple more hours til we're there!

However, a few miles down the road we slowed to a crawl due to an overturned RV. In the bumper to bumper traffic FM#1 spied this:

At some point along the Florida Turnpike, the skies cleared. With that worry aside, I decided to call Mickey Mouse and ask the following:

Question: Can we check into our hotel and receive the Annual Pass discount on our hotel without showing the Annual Pass?
Answer: No. You'll have to get the Annual Pass first which can be picked up at any of the parks' Guest Relations window.

Question: Will we have to pay for parking at the park?
Answer: Yes, ma'am. That will be $11.

Yuck. The rub here is that parking fees are waived for resort guests, but since we wouldn't be checked in yet, we wouldn't be resort guests yet.

What to do? We decided to go to the hotel first and see if they can work something out.

We zoomed over the exit ramp onto the Daniel Webster Toll Road.

Skies - clear.

Roads - new.

Sights - scenic with an occasional orange orchard.

Can You Hear Me Now? - An intermittent humming noise was coming from the luggage rack since Tallyhassy. CB determined that the load on top of the car was not as aerodynamic after he repacked it that morning. At top speed, the air rushing over our soft-sided luggage carrier made a gosh-awful hum that turned into a roar after we went through the last toll plaza. It was so loud we could feel the vibration on our seats which was nice for the first few miles, but after a while that just gets annoying.

We had to talk really loudly to hear each other. We even had to cover our ears it got so loud at one point! I couldn't concentrate on my Sudoku. The numbers were jumping around in front of my eyes because of the vibration! The roof of the car was vibrating so hard we were hoping the luggage rack didn't unscrew itself and fly off the top of the car.

Looking off to the east, we could see Disney World in the distance. We could also see dark, ominous clouds. No worries. Get the rain out now.

We exited the toll road and rounded the cloverloop. Due to our slower speed, that humming from the roof faded. Aaaaaaah, relief!

As we approached the welcome sign at Disney's Western Way entrance, the skies emptied.