Saturday, June 20, 2009

As the sun sets over the lake on our last day here, we reflect on the many wonderful friends we’ve made, the fantastic experiences we’ve shared, and the amazing food we’ve tried and enjoyed.

Today, we attempted to pack in as many fun, lake activities as possible (before having to pack to go home)--wave running, shuffleboard, swimming, soccer, basketball, horseshoes, croquet, fishing, reading, picture taking, eating 7-layer dip, going to Famous Dave’s Original Restaurant for more of the best BBQ, and viewing our own private, spectacular fireworks display on the lake put on by our hosts and our cabin caretaker.

You’ve all heard my daily descriptions, Ross’s eloquent way of writing, and Mary’s musings, and now in honor of Father’s Day and fathers everywhere, Joel will share his perspective on our last day in Hayward, Wisconsin at the Tamarack cabins on Round Lake…

Perfect is the only word to describe our week here with Dave and his wife Kathy. We really have enjoyed getting to know them and the extended group of family and friends that made us feel so welcome. Paul, Mark and Chris, James and Colleen and the kids, John and Lance, Chris and Eric and all of the other Original Famous Dave’s people too numerous to mention.

The weather was absolutely amazing and to walk out of our cabins in the morning and to witness the sun hitting the lake surrounded by trees is something out of a nature mural. Taking the pontoon boat out around the lake and watching a bald eagle soar out of its nest was amazing. Deb’s family has always been such a joy to be with and the lively discussion and superb food are what I always look forward to. One surprise was getting to try Dave’s Wild Rice soup. I am a huge fan of soup, and I can honestly tell you that it was the best wild rice soup I have ever had! We will hate to say goodbye tomorrow but the memories and friends we have made will always be very special to us. I will also hate saying goodbye to the ribs, brisket, catfish, soup, and pizza! I know I will have to see Bev soon for more 7 layer dip, pizza, and quesadillas along with her incredible wit and charm she brings to the table. This has been just one more incredible trip with Deb’s family, and I am so thankful they think to include us on their many adventures. I could go on and on but one word describes the people, the food, and the location….perfect!

Friday, June 19, 2009

At 4:45 a.m., the lightning and thunder were a spectacular beginning to a torrential downpour with wind and what we thought was some hail. Turned out it wasn’t hail, but pine cones from the tall pine trees surrounding the cabin that were plopping down on to our deck. Sleep had eluded Joel and I for much of the night prior to the storm when Mary had come in and climbed in our bed after a nightmare about bugs. I can’t imagine why she was having a bad dream about bugs—there are only triple the amount of creepy crawly and flying things here than there are in Iowa. Joel had to get up and go help out with a computer issue at the Famous Dave’s Restaurant at 7 a.m. and I went back to sleep for a couple more hours. I’m still pretty wiped out, so I’m going to let Mary tell about the rest of our day…

This morning we went downtown and we went to all these stores. Some were cool and some were interesting. So when we get to this candy store called Tremblay’s Sweet Shop where I drooled and drooled and drooled…it was so good I had to go back. We went to the bakery store which had huge danishes that I decided I must be in heaven. And so I had to skip the ice cream and go right to the bakery. Then we went back to our cabin and we had quesadillas for lunch which were so good. We went to a restaurant called Old Hayward Eatery and Brew Pub so Ross and Daddy could eat since they were out on the boat fishing when we had our quesadillas. Then we went back to town once more and went to some stores that we didn’t see before and some that we had seen.

When we went to the candy store again I bought some candy for myself and we watched the guys making the fudge on the big marble slab. My candy was taffy from taffy town which was flavors chocolate chip, chocolate malt, and chocolate—yeah, I know, mostly chocolate. And then we showed Dad the bakery, and then he was like let’s go straight to the ice cream, because I am so hungry. And so when we got there, the name of the ice cream store was West’s Hayward Dairy. We were the first people in line to pick the choices of our ice cream. My mom got the flavor Minnesotas Nut So Goody, and my brother got the sinful something and I was thinking of getting chocolate since that’s what I usually get, but when my mom told me about the s’mores, I went straight to the s’mores and my dad got that, too. We thought our ice cream was so good, we didn’t think we could eat supper.

We went back to our cabin and went onto the boat over to Famous Dave’s Restaurant where we got t-shirts. While the grown-ups were buying their t-shirts, me and Andrew went to the arcade. Andrew was playing a hunting game, and he showed me like this stampede scene of the game and at the end of the stampede, there’s this lion that comes at you closer and closer each time you chuck this thing at it. I don’t usually play hunting games, but we were just laughing about it. Back out on the boat, me and Andrew were playing a game of gibberish words.

Ross went on a sailboat ride and mom just stayed at our cabin and read her book.

I played on the swing and then we went to Dave’s cabin for supper where we had his Chicken Wild Rice soup, Bev’s pizza, and Dave’s burgers. I ate so many pieces of pizza, I could not count. After I ate some pizza I did so many things like watching Baby Brad; playing soccer games with Andrew, Christopher, and Chris; and going crazy, while the grown-ups played horseshoes and talked.

We’re back at our cabin relaxing a bit now before we go out for our nightly bonfire. See ya tomorrow!

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Started the morning off early once again, when the temperature is still cool and the air is fresh and crisp and the constant mixed orchestra of the overly enthusiastic song birds is practically an assault on the hearing. The faint scent of fried breakfast foods filtered through the air attracting hungry little children and coffee carrying adults.

Throughout the day everyone found something to keep themselves occupied. Some ventured out on to the lake to sink into a deep depression as hooks kept being reeled in wormless and fishless. An occasional note was left by a few sarcastic fish stating that we should keep trying; maybe we'll get lucky. An hour later, it never changed.

Some went into town to do some shopping and endulge on the pleasures of many seductive candies, chocolates, and heavenly homemade ice cream. Still some decided to slip into a deep state of unconciousness and prepare for the day's later events.

For lunch Bev created a preview of her famous pizza to try for those that would not be around in the evening for the endless pizza buffet.

At 2:00 PM the meeting of the minds was in session. The majority of the people sat and endured the endless streams of information at the meeting. While the minority stayed and fished, swam in the lake, and pushed the jet skis to their limits.

When the meeting was over the battle of the best pizza maker was on. Bev the wise and legendary Collins vs. Dave the Cunning and Famous Anderson. I'm not sure how many people were actually comparing whose pizza was better, it was just a matter of how many pieces you could eat before everyone else got to it.

A vigorous competition of badminton, soccer, and croquet followed after everyone had reached the point of discomfort and agony, of course. Once the night fell upon us, the mosquito population seemed to quadruple and chased the crowd into the safety of their cabins. The night finished with everyone peacefully relaxin' and letting the day's many events creep over them and drive them into a much needed sleep--in order to prepare for another day in paradise.

Deb's Note: Today's blog was written by my son Ross. He does me proud--I couldn't have said it better myself!

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

There’s something about waking up, peering out the window, and gazing out across a lake that just makes the day start off great! It doesn’t hurt that just three doors down in Cabin #7 Bev has eggs, bacon, and toast cooking for anyone hungry for breakfast.

First item on the agenda after breakfast today was the purchase of fishing licenses and bait. The fish got fed well off the dock this morning with the catch and release method of fishing. What was funny was that the kids (who didn’t need to purchase a license to fish) caught the most fish. It was such a delight to see their faces light up and hear their squeals when reeling in each fish. They all picked up on casting and became pros. I had great fun “catching” their expressions in pictures.

I got to do one of my favorite relaxing pastimes (after my first favorite pastime of photographing my vacation): sitting on the deck overlooking the lake, reading a good book, and sipping my coffee. While sitting there, Dave (THE Famous Dave) drove up and extended an invitation to come hear him speak at his restaurant. Bev and I went over and listened to his motivational speech that he was giving to some 70 realtors and bankers assembled to hear the advice from this multi-millionaire.

Back at the cabins, Bev was in her kitchen (again) preparing quesadillas for our lunch. I taught everyone how to wave a pizza pan at the smoke alarm to get it to stop beeping. Thankfully, Bev will be teaching everyone what she does best with a pizza pan tomorrow!

Out on the pontoon boat, we took another tour around the lake; and then the kids cooled off in the water before we got ready for dinner. For our meal tonight, we were guests of Dave Anderson at his original Famous Dave’s Restaurant which he built 15 years ago. Dave ordered the feast for all of us consisting of the best ribs, brisket, corn muffins, coleslaw, BBQ baked beans, corn on the cob, BBQ chicken, and fries. To top it off (as if eating with THE Famous Dave at the Original Famous Dave’s is not enough), his bread pudding is a melt-in-your-mouth delicacy not found anywhere else.

Following the fabulous feast, several members of our party as well as some of Dave’s family and staff met in a conference room on site for an Internet Marketing meeting. Brainstorming and picking the brains of top Internet Google experts is energizing as well as inspirational. We adjourned some three hours later to meet the rest of our group back at the cabins who were sitting around the bonfire.

The weather today was again perfect as was soaking up more of the surroundings. We’re looking forward to more of the same tomorrow.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

It's been a few days since my last post, and although we did make it back from our Disnsey World vacation, I will continue to use this blog as we are off on our next adventure.

After returning home from Disney, we celebrated Mary's 10th birthday with several parties--a weiner roast with ice cream cake, lunch at Hickory Park with ice cream, and a friend overnight so they could finish the ice cream cake.

But now we are off to Hayward, Wisconsin, where we will be guests of Famous Dave at his Tamarack Cabins on Big Round Lake also home of the Original Famous Daves. We'll be sharing the cabins with my aunt Bev and her family and we're really looking forward to all the great cooking Bev has planned. She and Famous Dave will be having a pizza cook-off and I'm sure we'll get in on some of his Legendary Pit Bar-B-Que as well.

Arrival at the cabins was around 2 p.m. After Mary found out that we had been having a little fun with her and there really weren't outhouses but actual working bathrooms in each cabin, she could settle down and begin enjoying the surroundings. Andrew immediately became Ross's new shadow and the kids had to try swimming in the lake and horsing around on the play structure at the bottom of the hill from our cabins.

I'm sitting here in my Adirondack chair on the deck of (blue) cabin #2 enjoying the view and trying to decide how I can afford my own lakefront property. It's serene paradise here. The peace and quiet is only punctuated with the occasional lapping of the waves on the shore or the call of a loon. The temperature is a perfect 70 something, and I'm basking in the glow of having just eaten my fill of Bev and Denny's 7-layer dip.

After a pontoon boat ride, we will be lighting the campfire for s'mores and singing (except for Beth--no singing for Beth!) In the meantime, I'm going to following the advice of the posted Beach Rules sign: RELAX, ENJOY, RELAX, ENJOY

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Checked out of the Clarksville Days Inn and drove to “the highlighted route.” Beth decided a good mid-day stop would be around the St. Louis arch. I began texting my sister Pam to see if she could get away from work for a bit to meet us.

Beth took the kids up in the arch for a view of the city while Bev and I met Pam and a couple of her work study students outside the entrance of the arch. We visited in the hot humid heat and shared Disney stories before they had to get back.

Our lunch stop on “the hill” at Rigazzi’s was very disappointing. I’m afraid our fabulous experience at Sal’s has forever set the standard by which we will judge all Italian cuisine—and Rigazzi’s just didn’t measure up.

After lunch, our Garmin had a little difficulty navigating us back out of town because of some unexpected road construction. By the time we found our way, we were all ready to just be out of the car for the day—so I made a phone call and got us a place for the night. Thanks Pam and Matt!!!! The kids watched TV, and we shared videos, pictures, and stories with our hostess.

Six more hours on the road tomorrow and we should be home.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

"On the road again, just can't wait to get on the road again."

Left St. Simons Island Georgia at 10 a.m. We stopped at a Cracker Barrel just north of Altlanta late afternoon. We thought we might stay in Nashville, but after driving through downtown, decided the night life wasn't very kid friendly.

A rest stop provided a beautiful view of the Tennessee River and mountains. After Beth eluded the highway patrol by taking an exit and ducking into a parking lot, we found a Days Inn outside of Clarksville to stay for the night.

Another long day on the road will commence early tomorrow.

Monday, June 8, 2009

“When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s Amore!”

Today was spent touring St. Simons Island. We had a history lesson, a lighthouse experience, an ocean view, and a special treat that there are literally no words for (if you tuned in earlier and tried to read the June 8th post).

Over a year ago, one of Bev’s pizzeria secrets DVDs was purchased by a Salvatore Cenicola. Bev and Sal had many email conversations after his purchase prior to his opening his own pizzeria last January—one of those communiqués included Sal extending an invitation to Bev to visit his Neighborhood Pizzeria if she was ever in the St. Simons Island area.

So…our lunch was at Sal’s Neighborhood Pizzeria with Pie Guy, Sal Cenicola. We immediately fell in love with Sal, the pizzeria, his pizza, and his enthusiasm. Walking into his restaurant, the heavenly aroma of the cuisine, the music and décor all made it feel like we’d stepped into a New York Pizzeria or a quaint café in Italy. There’s a mural depicting Venice on one section of the back wall, red and white checkered cloths covering the tables, and a wood bar enclosing the pizza making area and brick oven. On the other walls painted a deep rich red hung different photograph displays. Behind the cash register are all the pictures of Sal from his youth during his 18 year boxing career. Sal is pictured with Sylvester Stallone, Rocky Marciano, and Don King, to drop just a few names. As we exclaim over the pictures, Sal shows us some of his fancy footwork jabbing and dodging imaginary blows. As Bev moves over to look at another grouping of pictures, Sal starts shouting from behind the bar where he’s tossing our pie in the air that the pictures there are of his parents when they got married and his dad as a young boy, and Sal’s two boys ages 7 and 9 with his wife Lisa.

Meanwhile, I’m reading a framed article on another wall from a local publication tracking Sal’s life from boxing, to salon owner, to paratrooper, family man, and finally pie guy! His resume is just as impressive as his personality. As he pats out and tosses the pizza dough, he sings to the music playing and never misses acknowledging every customer coming or going. I could come up with a hundred adjectives to describe Sal, but until you actually experience his southern New Jersey hospitality, it’s an experience you couldn’t possibly imagine! We had such a good time at lunch that we went back for dinner. Over the course of two meals, we got to sample several of his dishes and a couple kinds of pizza. We also had the privilege of trying items from the dessert menu—New York style cheesecake, gelato, and cannoli. Again, adjectives like rich, creamy, heavenly don’t even come close to describing the desserts. Beth even has a video of me licking my dessert plate clean that she won’t delete in the event she needs it for blackmailing purposes at some point in the future.

Our history lesson was learned at Fort Frederica. In the early 1700s, Georgia was the epicenter of a centuries-old conflict between Spain and Britain. In 1736, James Oglethorpe established Fort Frederica to protect his southern boundary. Colonists from England, Scotland and the Germanic States came to Frederica to support the endeavor. Today, we stopped to explore the archeological remnants of Frederica which are protected by the National Park Service.

The St. Simons Island Lighthouse is one of only five surviving light towers in Georgia. Beth, Bev, and the boys climbed the 129 steps to view neighboring Jekyll Island, the mainland Glynn County, and the south end of St. Simons Island. The current lighthouse and the lighthouse keeper’s dwelling were built in 1872.

After the lighthouse tour, we walked to East Beach at the historic Coast Guard Station which is St. Simon’s most popular beach location. We played in the ocean, watched the dolphins, walked out on the pier, and enjoyed the cool ocean breeze during an afternoon shower.

A quick swim at the hotel pool and then to bed. We begin our 20+ our drive back to Iowa tomorrow. What an incredible vacation we’ve had!!

Sunday, June 7, 2009

How can this possibly be our last day?? Didn't we just get here? We have had such a fantastic time! But, unfortunately we do have to leave today, so we packed up and checked out of the Blue Heron Beach Resort. (Not before I went across the parking lot to get a caramel machiatto from Starbucks, however).

It was only fitting that we finish our time at Disney the way we began--wearing our matching Disney Road Trip shirts and going to Epcot! Right inside the park entrance we found characters Stitch and Daisy Duck greeting park guests for pictures and autographs. We waited in line for our turn and then stood in an even longer line for the Spaceship Earth ride.

Over at Club Cool, we had one last frozen coke. At Mission Space, Beth and I played one last game of Mission Space Race with Superman and his new wife while the kids played one last time in the Mission Space play area. We watched the toilet water fountain erupt and Beth tells us that means it's noon. Baby Brad took one last ride in the stroller, and we had one last picture taken with Spaceship Earth in the background. On our way out of the park, Mary and I breathe in deeply, listen to the Disney music, and try and etch the colorful sights around us in our mind so we don't forget the magic.

We made a final trip to Downtown Disney for last minute shopping and lunch at McDonald's, and hit one last Disney outlet store on our way out of town. We were on our way about 4:30 p.m. and arrived in St. Simons Island, Georgia around 8 p.m. to check into the Hampton Inn. The kids are thrilled to eat at McDonald's again and burn off some energy in the McDonald's playplace.

We discuss the high points of our trip and name our favorite parks, rides, attractions, and places to eat. We talk again about the way Baby Brad loves all the characters and how proud Beth is of him that he's not even two years old yet and knows how to "queue" up in line for rides and attractions.

Our magic moments included an American Idol Experience of a lifetime, a Kris Allen sighting, multiple Fast Pass bonuses, and vouchers for a tour in November (when Beth goes again with a group of 32) since we forgot our Magic Kingdom tour last week. For Mary and I, every moment in Disney with Beth is magic--thanks again, Beth!!

Saturday, June 6, 2009

“A wish is a powerful thing, especially when it comes from the heart.” – Jiminy Cricket

Bev and Beth got up before dawn to attend an annual pass holder’s sale at World of Disney in Downtown Disney. Hoping for tremendous discounts, they were mightily disappointed with the small selection of marked down inventory and no discounts on regular merchandise.
Patrick was scheduled to fly back to Colorado today, so Beth drove him to the airport before we got on with our last full day at Walt Disney World.

With only seven days away from Mary’s 10th birthday, we decided to begin celebrating today. Andrew and Christopher decided to stay at the resort today with Grammy, so Beth, baby Brad, Mary, and I took off for another day at Magic Kingdom.

We rode the Monorail from the Ticket and Transportation Center to Magic Kingdom riding in the front car with the driver. We have now ridden all modes of Disney transportation—bus, boat, and monorail. Immediately inside the park, we got a birthday button for Mary to wear at Guest Relations, and I spotted Chip & Dale for a quick character photo and autograph. Baby Brad is really enjoying all the character interaction. His excitement is contagious and fun to watch considering most kids his age are crying and clinging to their parents when they meet a character face to face. Brad boldly walks right up to within a foot of the character then turns around and backs up into them for his photo op. We hadn’t gotten very far after that when we had to duck into the Emporium gift shop during the first thunderstorm of the day.

Climbing aboard the Walt Disney World Railroad, we traveled to Mickey’s Toontown Fair to walk through Mickey and Minnie’s Country houses. At Toontown’s Hall of Fame Tent, we stood in line to greet Disney’s Princesses: Aurora, Cinderella, and Belle. Brad was so funny when he met Cinderella. He kept pointing back and forth toward Aurora and Belle as if to say, “Did you know there are two other princesses here with you?” In the Judge’s Tent, we waited in line to greet Mickey and Minnie. Mary wants to know why there are no Fast Passes for Character Spots and bathroom breaks.

The White Rabbit was greeting guests outside the Mad Tea Party ride and Brad backed up into him for a picture. We grabbed a quick bite of lunch at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe before Mary and I rode on the spinning tea cup ride and then Stitch’s Great Escape while Beth and Baby Brad played at Pooh’s outdoor play area.

Our dinner reservations were at the Swan Hotel restaurant, Garden Grove Grill--an Italian cuisine buffet including a build-your-own pasta bar complete with character interactions from Goofy and Pluto. Since Mary was still wearing her birthday button, they brought out a dessert and sang to her. The food was so authentically rich and tasty. I was going to go back for round two but filled up from the dessert bar instead trying one of about seven different desserts. It’s a good thing I lost 30 pounds before coming to Disney, because I put it all back on at this one sitting!!

Back to Magic Kingdom, we rode one last time on Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin where Mary beat all our scores, and then we rode on Snow White’s Scary Adventure ride before positioning ourselves right in front of the castle for the evening magic. At 9 p.m., the lighted parade SpectroMagic began. There are no words to describe this magical experience and video doesn’t even begin to capture the breathtaking light show. At 10 p.m., the Wishes nighttime spectacular closes the park day. Wishes is an impressive synchronized fireworks display with music and Disney character voices that you won't experience anywhere else! Tinker Bell floats out of the top of the castle at one point and is covered with incredible lights. After the show, Mary’s sentiment just says it all: “Doesn’t that just make you feel good?”

Indeed, Mary, the whole trip has just made us feel wonderfully good!

Friday, June 05, 2009

It’s a jungle out there—at Animal Kingdom that is. We started the day with a latte and pastry at a vendor cart just outside the park before taking in the kids’ favorite attraction. Mary, Andrew, Chris, and baby Brad could’ve played all day at the bone yard fossil fun site. Junior archeologist, Mary, led her team of excavating cadets on a wild dig uncovering an exciting adventure.

New a couple years ago, Finding Nemo—the Musical, was a colorful theater production of this Disney movie. It reminded me of the Broadway version of “The Lion King” with a cast of brilliant actors bringing the ocean story to life on stage through puppetry.

Restaurantosaurus was our stop for a light lunch before Andrew and Patrick headed out to ride Expedition Everest. The rest of us took off on the Maharajah Jungle Trek. We didn’t get very far though before having to take cover from an early afternoon thunder shower.

On Kilimanjaro Safari, an open-air, rough terrain vehicle takes you on an expedition through an African-style savannah providing plenty of scenery and exotic animals for pictures and video.

Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade brought our day at Animal Kingdom to a close with colorful floats and fun music—several characters paused to give the kids a hug or a high five.

Our last night at Beach Club Villas, Beth checked out Expedia.com to book our last two nights of lodging. I thought we may have been in for some unpleasant accommodations at the Blue Heron Beach Resort when neither the address nor the name came up in the Garmin. However, this condominium located on the shores of Lake Bryan is one of Orlando’s newest resorts and made the Beach Club Villas look like Port Orleans on Riverside. Eight of us were more than comfortable with all the amenities of home away from home including a beautiful view of the lake from our deck. After we got checked in and unloaded the luggage, Beth took us to a couple Disney Outlet stores where we shopped for some discounted souvenirs—(don’t tell the people I give gifts to).

It was the happiest place on earth at Downtown Disney tonight with thousands of people enjoying their happy selves in the Marketplace and Pleasure Island. We, of course, made our favorite stops at Earl of Sandwich, Ghirardelli, and the Lego place. At Ghirardelli we sang one more round of Happy Birthday to Andrew as he enjoyed seven cherries in honor of his seventh birthday.

Mary purchased her very own Mickey and Minnie Mouse plush toys to remember this special trip.

Patrick was on a mission today to set a world’s record for hitting all the parks in one day using all the different modes of transportation and eating something from each park as well as riding on at least one attraction at each park—he is truly his mother’s son!!

As I sit here and enjoy the breathtaking view of the lake from our window, I know Mary and I will treasure this amazing vacation for years and years to come. What a great way to start our summer 2009—and we still have a day and a half of Disney fun left!!

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Disney: Day 9—my new best friends are Solarcaine, padded moleskin, and warm, dry socks!!! The sky opened up today while we were on the Jungle Cruise boat tour at Magic Kingdom and soaked us to the bone. Up until then, we had been having such a good time taking castle pictures, riding rides, and checking out all the attractions that we completely forgot to show up for the Family Magic Tour Beth had scheduled for us at 11 a.m. today!

Beth has been such a fantastic tour guide all on her own, I can’t imagine anyone going to Disney without Beth and having even a fraction of the fun or seeing even a glimpse of the awesome experiences Mary and I have been honored to be a part of during this trip. I may have sunburned skin and calloused feet, but it’s all part of “Beth’s Disney Boot Camp,” and I wouldn’t have it any other way. With Beth’s extensive knowledge of the parks, the magic is ongoing and not just a “moment” here and there!! It’s not just at the parks either, but back at the hotel rooms, as well. On one of our return trips to the room, the kids were all ecstatic to find that the Disney Elf had paid them a visit with toys and gifts waiting for them on the beds—like the Mickey-shaped towels mousekeeping leaves on the beds!! I even had a new wooden shoe to add to my collection from the Disney Elf—Yay!!

Anyway, back to Magic Kingdom today, we continued to observe Andrew’s birthday stretching out the fun the way all birthdays should be celebrated! A plethora of Magic Kingdom rides and attractions were enjoyed including Peter Pan’s Flight, Winnie the Pooh, It’s a Small World, Mickey’s PhilharMagic, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor, Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress, Pirates of the Caribbean, Tom Sawyer Island, and Tomorrowland Speedway. I let Mary drive on the Speedway ride, and decided when it comes time for her to learn to drive in a real car; Joel is going to have to teach her. I would show you the video so you could see what I’m talking about, but Mary deleted it!

For lunch, we stopped at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café for burgers, chicken, fries, and dessert. Mary got reacquainted with her old pal, Push. She was hoping Push would show up again for more trash talk, and she was not disappointed. She and Andrew followed Push (the walking, talking refuse container) around getting the garbage on all the latest news.

After lunch, we were just in time to catch the Celebrate A Dream Come True Parade in front of the castle before the first downpour of the day. In between rain showers, we did manage to get a couple character autographs with Buzz Lightyear and Pinnochio; but the most enjoyable character spot today was during supper at The Crystal Palace—buffet dining with Pooh and friends. As Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, and Piglet make their way around the restaurant; all the kids collect autographs and hugs while the parents collect the pictures and videos. It was a ton of fun and the food was great—especially the dessert buffet!!

Back at the hotel, we spent most of the evening organizing and packing as we must check out of the beautiful Beach Club Villas tomorrow.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Today is Andrew’s actual 7th birthday!! We got up early so he could open a few presents in our hotel room and then we drove to Coronado Springs Resort where we had breakfast at Pepper Market. Hollywood Studios was our park destination today where, in honor of Andrew’s birthday, his mom tried an amazingly brave stunt. More about that in a minute.
Tigger and Eeyore were standing near Mickey’s big sorcerer hat braving the heat for pictures and autographs. So we stood in line and waited for that perfect photo op. Meanwhile, Beth bravely made her way through the crowds to secure fast passes for our favorite ride—Toy Story Mania. However, even that act paled against her outstanding exploit--which I’ll explain in detail coming up.

Journey Into Narnia: Prince Caspian, is a walk through attraction we checked out which included scenes from the movie as well as housing props and costumes for display. We watched the Indiana Jones Adventure where they selected brave volunteers from the audience to participate in the show. I’d like to tell you that Beth was chosen as one of the brave individuals used on the stage for the show, but she wasn’t and that wouldn’t even have compared to the feat she attempted today.

Unbeknownst to me, Beth had prepared an acapella performance to audition with at the American Idol Experience in the event I had not been able to get into a show last week. Now, my cousin (who looks like a girl who could sing) has been telling me for years that singing just wasn’t something she could do. People standing in front of her in church even plug their ears when she sings—so she says. I just figured it was all a ploy to get me to try out first and that she actually had a lovely voice.

We got right into the studio for her first audition and waited by the silver star to be called in. I was so excited encouraging her and telling her she would go all the way to the finale show. We chatted with some of the other park guests who were nervously awaiting their turn to audition and congratulated those that exited from the audition rooms going on to their second audition.
When Beth was called in, I was able to go in with her. The gal behind the desk asked Beth to tell about her and music. Beth’s response was an honest statement: she has loved music all her life and knows she’s probably not the best singer, but that she could make up for it with enthusiasm.
When Beth began singing her rendition of “Old Time Rock and Roll”, I was blown away!

PAUSE (for dramatic effect)

She really CAN’T sing!! I was trying to look the opposite of flabbergasted as was the gal behind the desk. But then…

PAUSE (for further drama)

…Beth broke into a disco move, started motioning toward the door, and began repeating the same lyrics she had just sung instead of singing the next verse. As I prayed for the audition to be over, I was wishing I was landing on Mars in Mission Space instead of sitting in the room.
The very kind and tactful Disney cast member behind the American Idol Experience desk told Beth that she was right—she probably isn’t the best singer, but that she would love to go to a karaoke bar with her sometime. She went on to explain that as a Disney park attraction any one meeting the age requirement is welcome to audition, but also as a park attraction, Disney sets the bar pretty high for the shows that park guests watch for entertainment. We were thanked for coming in and escorted out. And that’s all I have to say about that.

At 1:20, we went to the Lights, Motor, Action show and at 3:40 p.m., we had reservations at the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater for Andrew’s birthday lunch. At the check-in counter, it’s impossible to tell what kind of dining experience is ahead. When our party was called, we walked down a long hallway and into a theater that resembled an outdoor drive-in theater at night. With a 50’s theme, each table is a convertible car with seats and benches all pointing at a big screen with black and white movie clips and concession stand popcorn commercials. Lunch was delicious followed by a Mickey Mouse shaped birthday cake with candles and a chorus of “Happy Birthday”—thankfully our singing drowned out Beth’s singing.

Andrew was given a Disney gift card to use at any store in the park worth $63, and he took great care in selecting just the right toys for his money. We then took the leftover cake back to the resort and Beth and the boys went for a swim before Beth and Andrew and Mary and I went back to Hollywood Studios for magic hours. Playhouse Disney was hosting a dance party with a host of characters, great music, and balloon animal sculptors. Beth and Mickey Mouse did the Electric Slide and Mary and Goofy danced to the Hokey Pokey. We rode the boat back over to the resort, had a little bit more of Andrew’s chocolate Mickey Mouse cake for a midnight snack, and now I need to go to bed!

Tuesday, June 02, 2009

At Walt Disney World, everyday is a celebration. The music and lights, colors and characters, the shows and attractions, and the nightly fireworks extravaganza combine to amuse and entertain all the senses and provide for a perpetual party. For our family, today was the first day of our own special celebration. Andrew will be seven on June 3rd, so starting today, we all wore buttons proclaiming we are celebrating Andrew’s birthday (except for Andrew who wears the “Happy Birthday!” button). All the cast members acknowledge his special day, and he is treated like royalty.

The Epcot Character Spot was our first stop today where we collected autographs and pictures with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto. At The Land in Future World, we rode on Living with the Land and viewed The Circle of Life film featuring characters from “The Lion King.” These environmental based attractions helped prepare us for the Behind the Seeds tour we were scheduled to take at 11:15. An intern took us on a guided journey of the innovative gardening and farming techniques used right at Disney to grow and harvest food that is used right at the parks. We got an in-depth look at hydroponics as well as other new ways to garden that are used in lieu of growing plants in the soil. Bev asked very good questions as an avid gardener, and we all got to see a nine pound lemon and a mouse shaped pumpkin. After the tour, we went on the Soarin’ ride again. (If anyone knows what happens to your shoes if they fall off during the Soarin’ ride, will you please email Bev with the answer?).

In the World Showcase at the Teppan Edo in Japan, we were treated to dinner and a show as the cook prepared our food right at the table. Eri, our cook, tried to make Andrew believe that mushrooms were chocolate, and the castle she made for us out of onion rings doubled as a steaming volcano and a tasty addition to our meal. Andrew received a special birthday ice cream treat and chef’s hat, and everyone sang to him as well. Mary ate most of her meal with her chopsticks, and then we fought over the rights to the Chocolate Ginger Cake.

At some point today, Club Cool and a souvenir shopping stop at Mouse Gear occurred where the boys got frozen Cokes and Mary purchased her very own stuffed Mickey Mouse. We also had a chance encounter with Baloo and an Aristocat who were out in the park greeting guests, signing autographs, and posing for pictures.

After lunch we checked out the 3-D “Honey, I Shrunk the Audience” attraction, Journey Into the Imagination with Figment, and ImageWorks interactive labs in the Imagination part of Future World.

Our supper reservations were just for the girls (and Baby Brad) in Norway at the Akershus for the Princess Storybook dinner. A three-course meal and princess encounters made this a great dining experience. Belle, Cinderella, Ariel, Aurora, and Snow White all greeted us for pictures and autographs. Clearly, Baby Brad was most enamored with Snow White, but it was Belle that gave him the peck on the cheek.

We met up with Patrick, Andrew, and Christopher in America after supper to view the American Adventure—an inspirational story of America and its people. Immediately after the show, we found a spot from Japan to watch the amazing IllumiNations Reflections of Earth. This outstanding show with the wonderfully choreographed music, lights, fire, water, and fireworks is breathtaking and should be something everyone makes sure they see when going to Disney.
Today were extra magic hours at Epcot for those staying in Disney Resorts, so midnight was park closing for us instead of nine. Bonus attractions we went on during the magic hours included the Maelstrom boat ride in Norway, the Gran Fiesta Tour starring the Three Caballeros in Mexico, and Mission Space in Future World. I was a little leery of riding Mission Space, but Patrick wanted Mary and I to try it, so we finally gave in to go on the less intense journey to Mars. I figured if my cousin Beth would go on it, surely it was safe and I would be able to handle it!! Little did I know she would ditch us and not ride it after Mary and the boys and I had already gotten into our space pods. Mary actually enjoyed it, but I probably won’t go on it again.