Will You Chill Out if I Sprinkle You With Pixie Dust? The End p136 *New TR Link* p138

[MEK]

Originally Posted by PracPerfPatricia

Loved hearing about your visit with K & T ... it's nice to be able to combine vacation with a visit to friends...

Several DISers really encouraged me to drop our first night at BWV and go spend the night at K & T's house. I am very glad I did. I didn't want to at first, because BWV was the only DVC resort I hadn't stayed in. I am so glad I made the decision to go to Daytona. It was the best choice.

Originally Posted by PracPerfPatricia

Great photos... and I can't even imagine being able to drive up on a beach... ... no happen in these parts ... .... I almost fainted when I found out you can make bonfires on California beaches...

Tell me about it. There isn't even enough room for all the people on the Jersey shore/ Delaware beach, let only a few hundred cars.

Very cool about the bonfires. I think, although I'm not positive, that you can do that at the Outer Bank with a permit. I could be wrong. I know fireworks are strictly forbidden down there.

Originally Posted by PracPerfPatricia

Your talking about Daytona, got me thinking that there is so much more to Florida that WDW... that it would be really fun to do a Florida road trip......

The pull of Disney is soooo strong... but It would be fun to check out the rest of the state- at least a little bit...

Hmmm....gonna think about that a bit...

I totally agree with you. I really need to see more of Florida than just Orlando and Daytona. Although I have been to Vero.

I really want to visit the Keys and I want to visit some of the beaches on the gulf coast. St. Augustine is another place I am dying to see.

Originally Posted by PracPerfPatricia

Speaking of Disney... isn't your next trip just around the corner...?

(Pictures Mary Ellen lots of them... especially of Food & Wine...

Yup - 2 weeks from Tuesday. Don't worry - I will take tons of pics. I already bought all my memory cards. The only problem is I am still in the throes of soccer season, so my hard drive is jammed packed. I am just going to have to delete the soccer pics and pull them back from my external hard drive when I need them. There just isn't room for everything.

Originally Posted by Moira222

Oooh i saw that menu for Morrocco and could taste the shawerma.mmmmm

YUMMMMMMMMMMMMM! My new favortie QS place.

Originally Posted by Moira222

I have never been in that QS in Japan. Its beautiful back there!
You really made the most of a quick trip around WS.

Isn't it pretty back there in Japan? That was my first trip back there as well. I really liked it.

We did do pretty good on our quick trip, didn't we?

Originally Posted by Moira222

AOA is so colorful but i agree the inside hallways were not appealing. I think its the blue. But i would like to explore it myself. I think i could take a week and just visit DTD and the resorts!

Yeah - it felt kind of dark in there, but maybe its different in each of the different buildings. I am looking forward to seeing more pictures of the place because it really is very cool.

Originally Posted by Moira222

Daytona beach looks just lovely. How nice to have a chance to catch up with old friends.

It was great and I hope we get to do the same thing next June (now that we added that trip).

Originally Posted by Moira222

Nice cliffhanger. What does happen when you dont check in online?

Let's just say that checking in at almost 8pm on a Saturday night is NOT the time to NOT do online check-in. My mistake. DOH!

Originally Posted by marDgreen88

Beautiful beach pictures! That duck nest is the cutest thing!!!

Thank you and I got such a kick out of seeing that nest. It made me want to pick up and move to Florida right that second. Of course, I have three cats, so I don't think any ducks would be making a nest in my backyard.

Originally Posted by Wicket's Mom

I've been to Daytona Beach several times. Usually during spring break & the beach is usually cold & quite windy. We did get the car stcuck in the sand one time. You have to be careful to stay where the signs tell you!

It was chilly that first evening, so I imagine it can be quite cool and windy in the off season.

Oh NO! Can't believe you got stuck. Actually, I bet it happens a lot. I'm sure in does in the OBX in the areas you can drive on the sand. The roadway where we were was very, very hard packed, so no worries there.

Did you start your TR yet????????????????

[MEK]

Originally Posted by scottny

I have caught up.

What a great report so far.

Thanks! I am impressed you are all caught up. I still have to read the middle section of your TR...that and the last update. But no worries, I will.

Originally Posted by scottny

Nice that you 2 now have adult time.

It was about time, right?

Originally Posted by scottny

Where is the path to OKW? We r staying SSR and would love to walk over for our Olivia's dinner?

If you are staying at the Grandstand:

Walk over to the pathway to the treehouse villas. Go into the treehouse section and past the internal bus stop on your left. After that you will se a bridge on your left. Cross the bridge and turn right. The end of the path will be in the middle of OKW. You will be close to the main street. Hang a left and follow the road/path to the Hospitality House.

From SSR Registration:

Go past Bell Service and walk down a slight hill/road to the backside of the golf course club house.

Continue to walk straight. You will see a bridge.

Go across the bridge and bear to the right. This is the path that will take you right to OKW.

It is probably 1.5 miles (i'm estimating) from Registration to Olivias. But it really is a nice walk. So peaceful. It mostly follows the water. You could also rent bikes and go over that way.

Originally Posted by scottny

Too much to comment on. Seems like an overall good time with the family.

It has its rough patches, as always happens with newbies. But for the most part, I think the trip went really well. The kids enjoyed it and the parents are now converts, so it had a happy ending!

Originally Posted by scottny

That lunch in Morocco looked so good. it is on my list.

So good. You will not be disappointed.

Originally Posted by scottny

Daytona Beach is so fun. I love going and parking on the beach.

We had a lovely time at Daytona. On one of these trips I would love to be able to stay for a few nights and rent a place right on the beach. That would be wonderful.

Originally Posted by scottny

Looking forward to more.

I am going to try to update 2X a week until I leave. I know I won't finish my TR, but I should be able to get all the way through Day 9.

Originally Posted by DisMomAmy

Thanks for the tour of AoA. Not sure I'll have the chance to stay there so it's nice to see the resort through other people's pictures.

Your welcome. I think its so much fun to see pictures of new resorts and this one certainly is special. I hope you do get to do a drive by one of these visits.

Originally Posted by DisMomAmy

Fun 24 visit with your friends. So cool that you can park on the beach! I think that would make me nervous though... having all those cars driving around near the people.

We had a great visit.

I really wasn't nervous about the cars because the beach is so big and the cars are really confined to both areas. But, you're right, when you are not used to looking for cars on a beach, it does create a potentially hazardous situation. It is weird to "look both ways" before crossing the beach.

Originally Posted by Pinkocto

What a wonderful visit with your friends

We had a great visit. I can't wait to see them again, hopefully next June. We were actually talking about how we should meet up for a vacation sometime. We were thinking New Orleans.

Originally Posted by Pinkocto

I would love to do something like that, what a fabulous adventure they had! If only I had more money...

They said part of the key was they could not live like tourists. They had to be very frugal. K's dad managed their assets while they were away. The both had good paying jobs, so they were able to sock away a bit of money. And all the repair and upgrade work on the boat he did himself, at a fraction of the cost.

Originally Posted by Pinkocto

Loved the pictures as usual Especially the umbrella ones. I agree, that last one was definitely post card material.

Thanks! I really like that one. Dumb luck, as usual.

Originally Posted by Pinkocto

I hope church goes well.

Actually, it went pretty well. Maybe I should wait until the last minute to rehearse all the time.

Originally Posted by mickeystoontown

Gorgeous pictures of Daytona! It sounds as if your friends have led a very adventurous life. I'm sure it was great to spend some time catching up with them on the lanai even if the end result was a slight hangover.

Yes, it was definitely worth the hangover, especially since it was gone by afternoon. We did have a great time.

They really did have quite the adventure and I am still blown away that they had the guts and the know-how to pull that off. At one point, K actually got sick with Malaria. Nice, huh?

[englishrose47]

Hi MEK !!I am finally getting caught up !!Between work, memory books and a touch of flu from my flu shot I have not ben on the Dis much !! I did however update my ptr title to just Bubba and Tink and have started the TR of Universal. It felt sooooo wrong being in Orlando and not at DisneyI can't wait till I'm there in 111 days

[MEK]

Originally Posted by englishrose47

Hi MEK !!I am finally getting caught up !!Between work, memory books and a touch of flu from my flu shot I have not ben on the Dis much !!

Oh No - You got sick from your flu shot? That is a total bummer. I should be getting mine this week. Hope you are feeling much better.

Originally Posted by englishrose47

I did however update my ptr title to just Bubba and Tink and have started the TR of Universal. It felt sooooo wrong being in Orlando and not at DisneyI can't wait till I'm there in 111 days

So you went to Universal? cool! It does feel wrong to be Orlando and not go to Disney, doesn't it?

[natebenma]

I loved everything about your little side trip to Daytona. Well, except for maybe your hangover.

I love the beach, and I'm enjoying that 3 of my favorite TRs are all at the beach right now!

I have never been to Daytona. I loved seeing what it was like.

K & T's sail around the world sounds fascinating! How cool that you got to spend some time with them in New Zealand.

Great pictures of the duck eggs and mommy duck. How cool is that! She is beautiful!

Surf looked rough, but a lot of fun. Love the warm southern waters, compared to the chilly New England oceans I am used to.

Crabby Joes looked like a really fun place to eat.

If you are going to spend some time away from "the bubble", a visit with friends at the beach with plenty of wine certainly is a great option to have.

[Nermel9]

Loved hearing about your side trip to Daytona! I can't believe your friends sailed around the world, that sounds like so much fun! Daytona looks really pretty, I loved seeing all of your pictures! It must be fun to drive on the beach!

[MEK]

Originally Posted by natebenma

I loved everything about your little side trip to Daytona. Well, except for maybe your hangover.

Yeah - the hangover wasn't all that fun, but fortunately it didn't last long. That's what happens when you friend makes his own wine. The bottles kept appearing.

Originally Posted by natebenma

I love the beach, and I'm enjoying that 3 of my favorite TRs are all at the beach right now!

That's funny because two of the TR's I am subbed to are at Vero (Cynthia and Glenn) and now I really want to go back. The beach is nicer at Daytona, but the ambiance at VB is better.

Originally Posted by natebenma

I have never been to Daytona. I loved seeing what it was like.

It's a pretty cool place to visit. I have really enjoyed all my trips there.

Originally Posted by natebenma

K & T's sail around the world sounds fascinating! How cool that you got to spend some time with them in New Zealand.

Their trip was totally amazing and meeting up with them in New Zealand was wonderful. I was pregnant with my oldest son at the time and I was really nervous about traveling, but Denny said he was going "with or without me".
So I went. It was definitely the trip of a life time. WOW. What an amazingly clean and beautiful country and the people were SO incredibly nice.

Originally Posted by natebenma

Great pictures of the duck eggs and mommy duck. How cool is that! She is beautiful!

Isn't she cool? I though that was just the best thing ever. I'm so glad I got to see her nest.

Originally Posted by natebenma

Surf looked rough, but a lot of fun. Love the warm southern waters, compared to the chilly New England oceans I am used to.

Tell me about it. I guess Delaware isn't quite as bad as New England, but the water is absolutely freezing in June. By August and September it is like Daytona and then it goes and gets cold again. Darn.

Originally Posted by natebenma

Crabby Joes looked like a really fun place to eat.

That place was pretty cool. So glad that K & T suggested it. It was a great reprieve from the sun with the exact same scenery. Score!

Originally Posted by natebenma

If you are going to spend some time away from "the bubble", a visit with friends at the beach with plenty of wine certainly is a great option to have.

It was the best trip away from the bubble that I can think of. I completely forgot that Kevin made his own wine. He literally had an entire closet full of it.

Originally Posted by Nermel9

Loved hearing about your side trip to Daytona! I can't believe your friends sailed around the world, that sounds like so much fun! Daytona looks really pretty, I loved seeing all of your pictures! It must be fun to drive on the beach!

It was cool to be able to park and walk like 50 feet from your car with all your beach stuff. How great is that? Sheesh - in Delaware you can't even find a place to park near the beach and, if you do, you are schlepping all your stuff for a mile.

K & T really did have an amazing adventure and they were incredibly brave to do what they did. Most sailors make it to the Caribbean and then stay there because its so nice they don't want to leave.

[saintstickets]

Originally Posted by marDgreen88

Hahah! Your brother has a crush on Stacey? That's hilarious. But she's awesome, so I get it.

And who DOESN'T have a crush on Stacey?!?!?

Originally Posted by MEK

Daytona beach has some nice picnic / public restrooms areas. Actually we were in Daytona Beach Shores which is south of Daytona.

That's been true of Daytona for quite some time...well, at least since the last time I was there in 1973! Great pics of the area.

Originally Posted by MEK

I was hungover, you know!

GASP!!!!

[eandesmom]

wow! What an update! I actually read it yesterday but was on my phone and that's hard to comment on very much.

7 years around the world...wow! I can't even imagine. And they are still married!

Fun fun getaway, even with the wine hangover.

What is a fish rueben? I am dying to know! Daytona looks great. I've never driven on a "warm" beach like that, there are some you can drive on up here but it's a very different feel and crowd level (understatement of the decade lol).

Ah, New Zealand. That is SO high on my list of places to go it's not even funny!

My prediction is GOOD things happen when you don't check in online. But we will see won't we! Speaking of...are you planning to for our trip?

[Wicket's Mom]

You would love St.Augustine, so neat with very old buildings. The beaches around there are nice. We camped on the beach at Anastasia Beach which was lots of fun.

Daytona is not high on my list of favorites in Florida. I prefer the Atlantic side rather than the Gulf side. Beaches are much nicer.

I haven't started my TR as yet. Got photos downloaded to computer, but now need to get them loaded to Photobucket! Its been so busy here since we returned home.

[podsnel]

What amazing friends you have there! Such an incredible adventure they lived- and so incredible that you got to visit them in New Zealand! That must have been quite a trip. Thanks for another great update.

[MEK]

Originally Posted by saintstickets

And who DOESN'T have a crush on Stacey?!?!?

Bill, Does your wife know about this???

Originally Posted by saintstickets

That's been true of Daytona for quite some time...well, at least since the last time I was there in 1973! Great pics of the area.

Thanks. I really enjoy Daytona. I know its not the greatest beach in the world, but compared to the Delaware beaches its pretty darn cool.

Originally Posted by saintstickets

GASP!!!!

Yeah - I know - I'm a lightweight. What can I say?

Originally Posted by eandesmom

wow! What an update! I actually read it yesterday but was on my phone and that's hard to comment on very much.

It's so hard to comment from the phone, isn't it? But its such a great way to check in on things!

Originally Posted by eandesmom

7 years around the world...wow! I can't even imagine. And they are still married!

I know even thought about that. Seriously, if a man dreams to sail around the world and marries a woman who can actually do that with him, I think that makes for a very long term relationship.

Originally Posted by eandesmom

Fun fun getaway, even with the wine hangover.

It was really a nice visit. I love going to see them. Their house is such an oasis and they are always doing cool little upgrades to it.

Originally Posted by eandesmom

What is a fish rueben? I am dying to know! Daytona looks great. I've never driven on a "warm" beach like that, there are some you can drive on up here but it's a very different feel and crowd level (understatement of the decade lol).

It was tilapia with all the ingredients of a traditional rueben. I was stumped at what to order, so I asked the waitress and that's what she recommended. I really wasn't thinking about calories too much that day (obviously) and it definitely hit the spot.

I've driven on the beach at the Outer Bank and you can drive on some beaches in Delaware, but its always for the purpose of fishing. This is strictly for the convenience factor and I'm all about that.

Originally Posted by eandesmom

Ah, New Zealand. That is SO high on my list of places to go it's not even funny!

New Zealand was amazing and we only explored the north island. Supposedly the south island is really the one to see, but our friend's boat was in Aukland at the time. Denny and I rented a car and went to all the interesting places on the north island that we could find. It really was spectacular and soooooooooooooooooooooooo clean. The people were just so incredibly nice and wanted to know EXACLTY where we lived in the US. Honestly, if it wasn't half way around the world (literally) I would be a return visitor. It's just a beautiful country.

Originally Posted by eandesmom

My prediction is GOOD things happen when you don't check in online. But we will see won't we! Speaking of...are you planning to for our trip?

I usually have excellent results with not doing on line check-in (for example, my OKW and treehouse villa), but my luck ran out with this check-in.

Originally Posted by Wicket's Mom

You would love St.Augustine, so neat with very old buildings. The beaches around there are nice. We camped on the beach at Anastasia Beach which was lots of fun.

That's what I've heard and I would love to find a way to visit it if we are going to drive next summer. I've got to work on that. I guess we could always try to drive straight through to St Augustine, which would probably be a 13 or 14 hour drive. Then we could tour around in the morning and hit Orlando in the late afternoon/ Even if we couldn't make St Augustine, I bet we could get close to Savannah and still take a drive through there.

Originally Posted by Wicket's Mom

Daytona is not high on my list of favorites in Florida. I prefer the Atlantic side rather than the Gulf side. Beaches are much nicer.

When we visit K&T we always go to Daytona Beach Shores which is supposed to be a much nicer area than actual Daytona Beach.

Originally Posted by Wicket's Mom

I haven't started my TR as yet. Got photos downloaded to computer, but now need to get them loaded to Photobucket! Its been so busy here since we returned home.

I'm glad to hear you are in the preliminary stage of organizing for your TR. I actually don't edit all my pictures at once. I edit and upload day by day. I still haven't finished editing for this trip. I need to get that done ASAP.

Originally Posted by podsnel

What amazing friends you have there! Such an incredible adventure they lived- and so incredible that you got to visit them in New Zealand! That must have been quite a trip. Thanks for another great update.

They actually are VERY amazing people because they really operated outside of the box for that adventure. It was insane how much preparation and know-how went into making that trip a reality. They did visit parts of the world where there are literally modern day pirates. They couldn't even insure the boat for the journey for that reason. If the boat sunk it would have been a total loss and they risked that.

If you ever get a chance to visit New Zealand, do it. K & T actually liked it better than Australia and they spent 6 months in each country.

[Captain_Oblivious]

Me! I've been to Daytona! Great place to hang out.

I'm glad you guys made the decision to see your friends. Always good to catch up, and keep strong relationships going. Looks like it was a great time.

And I'm so jealous that you've been to New Zealand! I'd love to travel there someday. There's a golf course there that looks amazing--it plays right to the edge of sheer cliffs. Check it out!

[saintstickets]

Originally Posted by saintstickets

And who DOESN'T have a crush on Stacey?!?!?

Originally Posted by MEK

Bill, Does your wife know about this???

Oh yeah...she knows and just rolls her eyes and shakes her head like she does for most things I say and do.

It's the same response I get when I tell her about those hot DISmoms!!!

[ShortStuff]

Wow, what an awesome side trip to Daytona Beach!! Did it make you want to move? It looks like a forever on vacation, spot to live!

I wonder how many things have dropped through the pier to be lost forever, through the cracks? My gosh, I think you were smart to put your phone away!!

My daughter has wanted to move to Florida for some time now. I keep thinking that I wouldn't like it, but after the trip we just made, I am quickly changing my mind. Ilove all things Disney, but when you get a bit away from the bubble, there is actually a really nice group of areas there. I would be happy to live in many of them. Florida has started to really grow on me.

Looking forward to more of your trip and enjoyed hearing your future trip plans also!!!