We don't wanna go home!!! Nov 1-8, 2008 Magic Western

[wuv tigger]

It was great seeing Carl & Donna again.

What great Grandparents they are. I would hope that I would want to take my grandkids on a cruise

[dvc4life]

Ellen -

You have sold me on doing the brunch. We have not done that before and it looks fabulous!!!!!! We just ate dinner there for the first time in October and loved it.

Thanks for the pictures and please keep them coming!

[Camster0307]

Originally Posted by podsnel

YAY KATHY!!!!! you looked GORGEOUS at our meet!

I'll second that!

[TigerKat]

Originally Posted by Camster0307

I'll second that!

Aww, you guys are too sweet!

[bfosbenner]

I finally got to the tail of your report so I can post.

Sorry I did not get to the DIS meet. We were actually taking a tour of the spa. This was our first time in there and our 4th cruise.

I love your report and keep it comming. We brought the "grand parents" for their first time so we had fun being there tour guides. They loved it.

We dined with Jeff, Darlene and Catherine. (plutospup) which was a great time at dinner each night.

Ellen,
We rebooked for the Oct 30, 2010 also.

[wuv tigger]

I have a viral inner ear infection ... meaning there are NO antibiotics to help clear it up sooner

And ain't doing well! I sure hope this vertigo - headache - nausea starts to clear up REALLY soon.

I don't want to visit the ER again or worse yet, get admitted.

wuv tigger

[podsnel]

Originally Posted by dvc4life

Ellen -

You have sold me on doing the brunch. We have not done that before and it looks fabulous!!!!!! We just ate dinner there for the first time in October and loved it.

Thanks for the pictures and please keep them coming!

There will ALWAYS be more pictures in my report!!

Originally Posted by bfosbenner

I finally got to the tail of your report so I can post.

Sorry I did not get to the DIS meet. We were actually taking a tour of the spa. This was our first time in there and our 4th cruise.

I love your report and keep it comming. We brought the "grand parents" for their first time so we had fun being there tour guides. They loved it.

We dined with Jeff, Darlene and Catherine. (plutospup) which was a great time at dinner each night.

Ellen,
We rebooked for the Oct 30, 2010 also.

Sorry we didn't meet, but maybe on the next one- that's great that you were able to eat with Pluto's Pup every night- we had very nice people at the table next to us, really enjoyed them.

Originally Posted by wuv tigger

I have a viral inner ear infection ... meaning there are NO antibiotics to help clear it up sooner

And ain't doing well! I sure hope this vertigo - headache - nausea starts to clear up REALLY soon.

I don't want to visit the ER again or worse yet, get admitted.

wuv tigger

I'm so sorry you're still not feeling well... Hang in there, Judy-

I'll have an update tomorrow, see you soon!

[podsnel]

Originally Posted by plutospup

The blue cheese pizza was outstanding!

Ellen, it was great meeting you. The cruise was wonderful, especially meeting so many Disers. Except for Grand Cayman, as Bret would say, "the weather was spectacular"!

Thanks for writing this TR, so we can relive a wonderful experience.

Hey Birthday Buddy!

Really nice to meet you, too- sorry we didn't see more of each other. I am glad to hear you enjoyed yourself, and I hear you had some nice dinner companions! Thanks for reading my TR...I love writing it!

[2_Eagle_Mom]

I just found your TR and it's fantastic! We will be going on the Magic in May to celebrate our 25th anniversary and I'm trying to read as many Western TRs as possible to see what we have in store. I love all the photos (will be using them to talk DH into doing the brunch). Can't wait to hear about the rest of the cruise...

[nobodycares]

Great Trip Report.

I really enjoyed your posts about the MNSSHP. We were not brave enough to attempt that on top of the cruise so it was great to see your photos.

Keep those pictures coming. We were on deck 10 port side for the sail away party. It is fun to spot other DIs'ers in your photo's

We rebooked another Western too but for 8/22. I'd like to wait till 2010 but the Magic is abroad that summer.

[Mom2PrincessesLinSy]

Hey hon, just finally got to catch up on the report, its been quite a busy week at work, and I haven't even been able to get online! (Darn kids!)

Looks like Palo Brunch wasn't to be missed. Too bad we did! I was really sad I never did get a reservation for it! Maybe on the Baltic I'll be able to get ONE!!

Glad to see you had just a great time and could let your hair down and relax. Most likely not something you get to experience too often!

[Paula13]

Great report! We will be on a Western in May. We just found out that our DD will not be able to be in the stack & will be in the Disney Quest. Could you tell me what type of activies your son did. My DD is 13, were there many kids there around the 13-14 age group? Thanks in advance!

[podsnel]

Again. Well, for DH and I it is again, as we had been here before a few years ago. That trip was to celebrate my, and our friend, Alex's, 40th birthday. It was all grown-ups and we were 4 couples- we stayed at the Pier House at the end of Duval St., and it was a BLAST even though it rained pretty much the entire time, and we never saw one of those famous Key West sunsets, unless you count the one that was going on when we were all waiting for the plane home at the airport (I don't). This trip to Key West was going to be just a little bit different than that! So I tried to think of things to do with the kids that would hold their attention. We knew the southernmost point was a must, and then we'd wing it. Thought they might like one of those electric cars for a couple of hours, so I arranged for one through Tropical Rentals. I called TR when we got off the ship, and they picked us up and took us to their agency. They were actually right around the corner from the southernmost, so we waited to start our 2 hour rental until after we had walked over to take the obligatory Key West pic-



Guess who was standing behind us in line and graciously took the pic? Jenny2 to the rescue!!! I TOLD you, Jenny2 was everywhere on our vacation!!

After the DSs scouted the water for Cubans, and I don't mean cigars, we picked up our electric car and headed out for our Key West adventure in "WHERE'S the PARKING?"



We checked out the beach side-





-and then went in the wrong direction that we weren't supposed to go in as per the rental agent. No worries! A quick u-turn across a 4 lane highway in our vehicle set at 25 mph max, and God-bless-us-every-one, we were on our way to the docks to see some boats! ( Really it was fine- we would never put our boys in danger- or at least I wouldn't, but I wasn't driving) .

Pay attention, here come those 6 toed cats...


Did ya see any?

We were heading over to the docks, I thought the boys might like the boats and ....key west ice cream factory, of course!



Mommy and Daddy would like something else...



Everyone's happy! While looking at the boats, we saw some fish-



...and tried to psych the kids up for their first real snorkeling experience in a couple of days (more on THAT later!).

They liked climbing on the anchor-





and then we decided it was time to take the electric car back. They were very nice and accomodating at Tropical Rentals, I would use them again if i was looking for an ec in KW. We turned down their offer of a ride back to port, preferring instead to go for a nice loooong walk down Duval St. My boys' favorites? Asking this guy some questions....



(he was sooooo tight-lipped!). But the best? PUPPIES! Teeny tiny little PUPPIES!!!!



WHY they refuse to pose, I do not know, but they are too cute and toy-like, and I think they know it!!



We stayed here awhile enjoying these little pups. Oddly, the shop owner did not find it at all amusing when I asked if we could buy one for our golden retriever to use as a chew toy. (Really, that's a BIG joke- our golden would bow down and totally be run over and controlled by any of 'em!).

After the puppies, we continued down Duval on our way back to the Magic- the kids were really asking to go back to their clubs. Hmmm....what will Mom & Dad DO in Key West without kids????

Something for you to ponder while I see about the dishes....

[podsnel]

We went back to the ship, and both boys were ecstatic about getting back to their new friends in their clubs (does it GET any better than 24 hours a day happiness all around???).



I had not been smart in the morning after brunch shoe-wise, so a quick trip back to the cabin remedied that situation. WOW. What a difference a supportive shoe makes. Just because you're not in the parks- don't forget your feet need the right shoes!

DH had one and only one concern on SUNDAY in Key West...."Where am I watching the GIANTS???!!!" I have to say, this may have been his only request for the whole week. So, we needed to make sure it all worked out! Our favorite place when we had been here before was Sloppy Joes- we just loved it there. Everyone is friendly, you can dance and dance and feel like you're 15 (when you know you aren't!) and who doesn't like that! Well, we weren't here for that endless dancing etc., but Sloppy's was playing the Giants and that's what works for DH! He stayed there, but I had other needs....I needed that calamari at Margaritaville. So I left DH in the hands of a very capable and friendly bartender, and I wandered the streets of Key West, alone, in search of squid. Oh come on! You're NEVER ALONE in Key West!!!

I saw this on the way- the speedboats were in for races (just like last time we were here...hmmmmmmm) and had a parade-





Fun fun fun! I sat at the bar at Margaritaville...

all by myself

and ordered calamari and a margarita- and I ate alllllllll that calamari. And that was a baaaaad idea- not that it wasn't scrumptious (although, truthfully, the last time I had it, it was one of a kind,and now- everyone has this calamari. But still, it's good, and worth the trip.) It was just very filling. For many, many hours. For me. Anyway....

Went back to see DH at Sloppy Joe's , where the really nice bartender had become his best friend, and we watched the game until the half-



And then Carlos Santana came on stage!!!!



Ok, not really, but doesn't it look like Carlos?
We were on our way back to the ship, but I just wanted to say.... If you are ever in Key West and wonder what this is-



...it's the smallest bar in Key west. And it's a LOT of fun. And it's really, really small, I hope you like to stand. But it's not for today.

Because today, we need to see the Giants and the sunset. And when you're on the Magic, and in a port you soon will leave, there's only one way to do that....

[Alice_on_WONDERland]

Hey girl!

Lovin' your trip report! Keep the good stuff comin'...can't wait for more!