The McSparklesons Sail the Magic... AGAIN! $500 Potato Chips! 3/13

[karajeboo]

Originally Posted by Wicket's Mom

I have to say I would be sitting in the boat wih Timmy & Ally! No touching sea creatures for me!

Originally Posted by anewmac

there you go rubbing it in lol (its ok I would too)

Oh Mother of Wicket, ya wimp!

Originally Posted by saintstickets

Coming out of lurkdomville here to comment...

I'm with MAGICFOR2 here....I thought you were modeling for a new swimsuit idea!

Hmmmmmm...I'm going to go back into lurkdomville without comment on this one!
(Oops, I guess that was a comment, wasn't it?!)

Well, if you must know, Jordan said he makes ALL women pose with starfish like this..... That silly Jordan!

As for my NorCal tour, I came in at just under 900 photos.... So disappointed in myself! But really, we packed so much into 5 days that I was too tired to take any more shots. I'll post some later.

And Drea, I fell in LOVE with Cali, not so much SF, but the whole state that I saw - the diversity from SF to Yosemite then to Pebble Beach, and just driving from one area to another. I want to to go Southern Cal next.....

[stinksmom]

Looks like a great day of snorkeling and relaxing. And you ended it the perfect way - Margaritaville! Our goal is to visit as many of those as possible - we've been to a handful now and looking forward to the new one in Chicago over Labor Day weeked

And yes - we are booked for the 2013 NYE cruise on the Fantasy!! As long as our school calendar doesn't ruin it for us (DH is a teacher and it would be just typical of our district to make the teachers return on Friday Jan. 3). Keeping our fingers crossed they will get the full week off.

Can't wait to hear more about your cruise!

[Nikki'sMommy]

That Jordan sure is a fine specimen...

Love your TRs!

[karajeboo]

Originally Posted by stinksmom

Looks like a great day of snorkeling and relaxing. And you ended it the perfect way - Margaritaville! Our goal is to visit as many of those as possible - we've been to a handful now and looking forward to the new one in Chicago over Labor Day weeked

And yes - we are booked for the 2013 NYE cruise on the Fantasy!! As long as our school calendar doesn't ruin it for us (DH is a teacher and it would be just typical of our district to make the teachers return on Friday Jan. 3). Keeping our fingers crossed they will get the full week off.

Can't wait to hear more about your cruise!

Did you join the thread for the NYE cruise and the Facebook page???? I can't believe how much activity there is already and it's over 500 days away!!!

Originally Posted by Nikki'sMommy

That Jordan sure is a fine specimen...

Love your TRs!

Why yes, yes he is!!!!

[karajeboo]

We interrupt this trip report for a mini-TR.......

I was lucky enough to be included in a business trip of Jeff's to "entertain" a big customer.... This customer has become a good friend to Jeff so after they went and played Pebble Beach a couple of years ago, this year the customer said, "hey, I think we should bring our wives!" So there were 3 couples this year and not only did I get to tee off from #7 on Pebble Beach (and if you golf, you know this is THE hole of holes!!!!), but I got to see San Francisco and Yosemite as well, two places that were brand new to me! Well, Pebble was brand new, too.... So stick with me, The Magic will be back soon....

Guess where we are!!!



The Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite....



And even BETTER view of our view from the Ahwahnee....



Our room





OUr view out of the dining room in the Ahwahnee, courtesy of two gals from the front desk who we chatted up the night before. They sent a bottle of wine to our table, had appys ready for us, and secured us "the most requested" table in the room!



Yosemite was so much more than I ever imagined - really put the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park to shame......



Miss California hopped on our tram tour!!!



The only falls that were not dried up - Bridal Veil fall. Sadly even Yosemite was dry this summer....



Then, the piece de resistance..... or however you spell that in French....

PEBBLE BEACH!!! I was so jealous when Jeff played 2 years ago, and so thrilled when I knew I was going this year. I didn't play, but I was able to ride the whole course and took a bazillion photos. The sun even came out on about hole #12. Absolutely amazing!

We stayed at the Inn at Spanish Bay....





Uh, yeah, it really is that nice of a room......

The best part of the trip was the day we drove from Yosemite to Pebble Beach cause it was my birthday, so that night, we sat outside at Spanish Bay listening to the bagpiper.



A bagpiper plays 365 days a year at Spanish Bay and it was so neat! They hand out blankets, and if you're lucky you can grab a spot by one of the firepits (or you can reserve a section for a mere $1000!!!!!) - we got lucky and got seats......

And Jeff arranging with the caddy to let me tee off on #7 - he just grabbed someone's 9 iron and I was off!



We are getting a storm and I don't want to lose this post so I'll be back in a second to show you what else happened at Spanish Bay on my birthday!!!!

[karajeboo]

Deleted and reposted youtube video below.....

[jenseib]

Looks like a fabulous trip.....the video isn't working for me...but it might be my computer.

[Wicket's Mom]

The video didn't work for me either!
Looks like you had a wonderful trip. I loved the Grand Canyon & you say Yosemite was better? Wow!

Score on teeing off at #7!

[karajeboo]

Hmmm, all of a sudden my video is gone from photobucket.... Let me see if I can get it back up.

[karajeboo]

Well I can't figure out photobucket - I've never liked it for videos but uploading clips to youtube from a Mac is a pain.... Let me see what I can do here.....

[JKSWonder]

Yosemite looks amazing! We've been to Grand Canyon, but this one is still on the must do list.

[karajeboo]

I'm uploading the video to youtube right now, so hopefully I'll have it ready in a few minutes....

And here it is!!! This was my favorite part of the entire trip!!!

Happy Birthday to KARA! - VIDEO - click to play

Yosemite was so much more than I ever imagined. I was really not looking forward to it at all. I'm a city girl, so I was more excited to see San Fran and the nice Hilton downtown where we upgraded to city views, waaaaaaaay up high in the tower rooms. I was SOOOO excited for San Fran....

As it ended up, I was most impressed with Pebble Beach, truly awed by the golf course, the waves crashing on the rocks, the sea lions, and the Inn at Spanish Bay. Very impressed.

Part of my problem was that I had a terrible anxiety attack in Yosemite. Driving in from SF, we took Hwy 120 and when we told people in Yosemite, they were like, "YOU DROVE THE 120????" It was VERY high, with VERY steep clips, sheer face cliffs, straight drop offs, and NO GUARDRAILS!!!! It was the scariest thing I think I've ever done. Jeff was driving a big ole Suburban, speed limit was only 25 and because it was so steep, it felt like he had to gun the engine to get it moving, so it was just very scary. He admitted to white knuckling it the whole drive.

So once we got into Yosemite, the drive was better, and once we got to the Ahwahnee, we checked in, then took a valley tour. The next morning we drove over an hour to Mariposa Grove in Wawona. We got there and they said we needed to take a bus into the grove as the parking was full there. It was at this time that I freaked. I mean, crying, saying no way could I do it, full on anxiety attack. I just couldn't take the drive next to the high drop offs anymore, especially in a bus. So I sat out that tour.......

Literally, sat on the porch of the Wawona Hotel and relaxed. We found a great park ranger who gave us a good route of "escape" for me as we were heading out of Yosemite after that. I am pleased to say there were no more cliffs for me.

Jeff loved it so much he jokes about becoming a park ranger. At least I hope he's joking!!!! He wants to go back before Ally gets out of school so she can experience it, too. So we are hoping she continues with golf, and I said if she can secure a golf scholarship (no pressure kid!!!!) then we can all go and play Pebble Beach as a family, and go to Yosemite..... maybe.

[karajeboo]

Once we finished our drinks in Margaritaville, it was time to say goodbye to Grand Cayman and love me tender back to the ship....

I must say, I'm glad we were one of only 3 ships in port this day because tender service was a piece of cake!!!



Behind the Magic was a Costa ship, and I don't know about you but I don't think I'll ever look at Costa ships the same way again....

BIG Disney ship.....



Little Disney ship....





We had lots of time to get ready for dinner once we got back, tonight was French Dinner in Lumiere's.....

Ally posing in front of our door....



Watching the Fantasy blow by us!!! Showoff..... I mean, we are both going to Cozumel the next day, and we left first, so why the rush????



We stopped on the way for a little rodent lovin.....



Time for Ally to show off how little butts fit in the portholes....



But we were all starving so no more stopping for photos.....



Jeff and I both started off with "Gaston's" Escargots Gratinés
Herb-marinated Snails with Finely Chopped Mushrooms, topped with Garlic Butter



Oh yummmmm!

Ally, who had been ordering off the adult menu most of the trip, was VERY excited for her Three-Cheese Lobster Macaroni
Lobster Meat, Gruyère, and Cheddar Cheese Sauce tossed with Tubular Pasta and topped with a Parmesan Wafer





And that's when it happened. We right then and there discovered.... Ally is not our child. She didn't like lobster!!!! I mean, surely she was switched at birth?????

I had the Lumiere's Seared Sea Bass
With a Mushroom Herb Risotto, Sweet Onion Marmalade, and garnished with a Potato Crisp



It was just "okay." Nothing to write home about, mainly because I would have gotten home before the letter, and what with email nowadays, why would I write home anyway? That's just silly!

Besides, I think my palate was crushed after learning that Ally belongs to some other poor saps.....

I'm pretty sure that Jeff ordered the Slowly Braised Lamb Shank
With a Creamy Polenta and Portobello Mushroom in a Red Wine Sauce, but I can't remember. What with trying to figure out whether I should email or text home, since I'm sure as heck not WRITING a letter, I lost track of photos for a minute....

He ordered a lot of lamb and steak on this cruise and seemed to enjoy them all.

My favorite dessert on the cruise..... Yes, I love it more than the Palo chocolate souffle....

Grand Marnier Soufflé
With Vanilla Sauce



I guess because I've got the recipe for the chocolate souffle and I've made it a handful of times, that's why I like the Grand Marnier... it's special!

Tori ordered nothing for dessert.....



And did I mention we were celebrating another birthday at our table???



Happy Birthday Daddy!!!



We didn't have time to stop at see the squirrels.....



But they saw us!!!

We were on our way to officer pin trading!!!



And look who walked in right in the middle of it! I saw him coming and said to Ally, "Oh no, who's driving the ship? Is it Goofy????"



To which Captain Oblivious said, "Oh, yahhhhh." I really don't think he was there for officer pin trading. He just wanted to check out the McSparklesons... yeah, that's it!







AFter hanging with the officers, it was time for me to see ALL of Villains Tonight! If you remember last year, there was a bit of a wardrobe malfunction caused by a certain child that I thought was mine but just discovered this night that she belongs to the wolves.... So we made our way into the WD Theater and were ready to go! Except Ally bailed on us again. She was out with her new friends, and having the time of her life.....

After Villains, it was time for bed - the sea and sun (and cute captains!) about did us in for the day!

Up next: Cozumel, home of the ALL INCLUSIVE excursion!!!! Put the Plow in the Ground, Ladies!!!

[JKSWonder]

Originally Posted by karajeboo

Part of my problem was that I had a terrible anxiety attack in Yosemite. Driving in from SF, we took Hwy 120 and when we told people in Yosemite, they were like, "YOU DROVE THE 120????" It was VERY high, with VERY steep clips, sheer face cliffs, straight drop offs, and NO GUARDRAILS!!!! It was the scariest thing I think I've ever done. Jeff was driving a big ole Suburban, speed limit was only 25 and because it was so steep, it felt like he had to gun the engine to get it moving, so it was just very scary. He admitted to white knuckling it the whole drive.

This is exactly the same way I felt driving up Mt. Lemon in Tucson, AZ. My sister was driving and I was hanging onto the car door for dear life. It's a twisty drive up a mountain on a two lane road and although there are guardrails, I had no faith that those things would save us one bit should our rented economy car go hurtling towards one of them.

I also hate driving on the Taconic Parkway in New York, which we have to do when we go camping. It's small, it's twisty, it's super dark, there are rock faces on each side and deer that run across the road. I age every time we go on it.

[KristiMc]

I have to stick up for Ally here. I love lobster - but the Mac and Cheese with the lobster was not a good dish. I'm not sure how you can screw up Mac and Cheese but they did.