2 Kids,2 Dogs,1200 Miles: 2 More Weeks in FL 2 - Finished with a Blast! P40

[FreezinRafiki]

That is a deal! You can't even park at Yankee Stadium for $15. Heck you can get 2 people into that game and eat till sick for less than the parking there. BTW, was it all you can drink beer for that price?

I thought you said you weren't reading along anymore?

No, beer was not included in that price - only soda. They did have another all you can drink beer promotion going on but that was priced separately and I didn't partake.

Great seats!

They sure were.

Grandpa has some good connections!

I'd like to say yes, but as far as I know, he doesn't. He just went down there, started asking around and bugged the right people enough.

Maybe they should up those tickets to $20 and put the extra $5 towards getting a better sound system.

Or I need a better microphone on my point & shoot camera.

Awwww... remember that comment I made about them not having dry clothes in the truck? I take it back. I saw that coming with those flip-flop on. I'm glad he wasn't hurt.... or too embarrassed.

He just fell on grass - he's hit stuff much harder than that before.

Great job Madison!!!!

You should be proud! They both did a great job!!!!

Thanks Tim!

I thought you said it costs $15?

No, the admission ticket costs $15. The wristband came with it.

Hopefully he makes it big and you can sell those balls to pay for college.

That would be nice, but I have no idea who he was and his signature is too sloppy to make out!

Really? This thing is almost over?

Yup, but I'll have another starting up as soon as I finish, so you'll have plenty more to read!

I got that "several fans" bit from Keith Olbermann doing Sportscenter highlights of a Houston Oilers game years ago after they had announced they were moving to Tennessee.

Reading this, I can totally hear him saying that!

Can't say I ever thought of that.

Maybe wrap the words around a butterfly. Those a classy.

If you're like me, that means it goes 3 yards further into the woods.

I like playing courses with lots of trees. Occasionally my ball hits one and bounces back onto the fairway.

I will defend Evan and say the pretty girl just did not give detailed directions to Evan. As for the falling down.... gravity does happen.

Exactly! Blame the team employee!

Madison had great directions and did a great job. Heck they both did.

Thanks!

Always nice to have an all you can eat ballgame.

 

[afwdwfan]

Weed-eaters and machetes are far too dangerous for kids. But they're both a pretty good shot with the flamethrower.

Well, that might be even more helpful!

Almost. Parking at Miller Park is $10, leaving $5 for tickets for my family of 4. The Brewers sell "Uecker Seats" for $1 each (waaaaaay up behind home plate, obstructed view, only available on a walk up basis on game day). So, as long as service fees are less that 25 cents per ticket, we could stretch $15 into an MLB game. If you don't want to eat.

Here's the logic I was using... 6 people at $15/person is $90

At Cinicinnati, Parking is 10 bucks, and 6 tickets for view level seats is $12. Bleacher seats are less, but I forget if they are 8 or 10. Anyway, 6 view level seats and parking would be $8 cheaper, and that would give you enough money to buy one beer and even get a quarter back.

Yup and yup. The guys watering down the infield dirt were kind enough to point him to the mound.

Maybe he just didn't have all the water park fun out of his system from Gatorland.

As soon as your wife retires, you have to it!

Everybody loves Landon, he's like the unofficial mascot. He could get away with it and she wouldn't get in trouble anyway.

Sometimes he goes and hangs out with the cheerleaders along the baseline, and it isn't like he hasn't gone onto the floor before.

 

[FreezinRafiki]

Here's the logic I was using... 6 people at $15/person is $90

At Cinicinnati, Parking is 10 bucks, and 6 tickets for view level seats is $12. Bleacher seats are less, but I forget if they are 8 or 10. Anyway, 6 view level seats and parking would be $8 cheaper, and that would give you enough money to buy one beer and even get a quarter back.

It's amazing how much a "cheap" day actually costs. The Brewers have a tie in promotion with the local minor league hockey team, the Milwaukee Admirals. For $16/person you got a ticket to a hockey game and a ticket to a Brewer game. Well, the hockey tickets are normally $15-$30, so it's basically a free Brewer ticket. Add in parking, some food (because who can say "no" when Madison asks for nachos) some drinks, and your free ticket just cost you $75.

Everybody loves Landon, he's like the unofficial mascot. He could get away with it and she wouldn't get in trouble anyway.

Everybody love kids. That's why the short gangster in the Bugs Bunny cartoons always dressed up like a baby.

Sometimes he goes and hangs out with the cheerleaders along the baseline, and it isn't like he hasn't gone onto the floor before.

 

[FreezinRafiki]

Dawn broke on the morning of July 7th, and brought with it our last full day in Florida. Well, I assume it broke. I was sleeping. We all were - it was a full day yesterday between Gatorland and the ball park.

Bambi's dad and I grabbed our clubs for one more round, heading over to Cleveland Heights Country Club. We had golfed here on one of our previous trips and really liked it. It's a municipal course, so the fees are very reasonable, but the course was in excellent condition.

The problem was that today was one of those days that they use to make the course into excellent condition. When I called the day before to see if they had a tee time, they told me that the greens were being aerated, but we could still golf if we wanted. Well, none of the other courses in our budget had availability (mostly because anyone that would be golfing here, was golfing there), so we took it.

They discounted our fees even further because of the conditions and we were off. The fairways were in nice shape, but the greens did pose a challenge - there were holes every 8-10", with little cores littered all over the rest of it. Putting was like trying to avoid a tiny minefield.

But, it is my policy to never complain about a round of golf. Besides, between the aeration and the oppressive Florida heat (note: I'm not complaining about the golf, I'm complaining about the weather) the course was basically empty. This allowed us the opportunity to try some ... unorthodox shots. Like skipping the ball over a small pond, trying to clear the 300 yard lake instead of going around, or poking your 9 iron into the swampy area off the green to see if anything is living in there.

We finished up the round and crossed the street to Common Ground Park, where Bambi, Grandma and the kids were playing.

Common Ground is billed as Polk County's 1st Inclusive Park - meaning there is stuff there for children of all abilities and disabilities. It's large, has a wide array of playground equipment, statues, musical stations, exquisite landscaping etc. The kids love it. And it's free. The parents love it too.

But it was hot, so we soon took shelter in a Firehouse Subs for lunch. The food was good, but the Coke Machine was even better. It was one of those fancy touch screen models that could dispense up to 106 different flavors of soda. (Picture borrowed from the someone else on the Internet, because I didn't have my camera inside)

The biggest problem was the line for the machine was never less than 6 or 7 people deep. It takes a while to look at all the choices and decide what you want!

We finished lunch, walked outside, and realized: Yup, it still hot in Florida in July. Off to the pool!

(note the penguin on Evan's goggles. Interesting choice. I don't think anyone would want to be swimming in water suited to a penguin's taste.)

We would spend the rest of the day just hanging out with Grandma & Grandpa. Aside from a few hours tomorrow, it would be almost 4 months until we would see them again (and yes, there will be a TR about that one, just as soon as I finish this TR).

However, later in the evening, we got the itch to head back over to Disney World one last time before heading home. I wanted to find a shirt that I had seen earlier in Animal Kingdom but couldn't find my size. I had checked just about every other store we were in, but no one had it in an XL. And Evan was itching to ride Star Tours some more. Madison wanted to stay with Grandma and bake cookies and cupcakes, so Bambi, Evan and I saddled up the ole coolant rocket, said our prayers, and hit the road.

Our first stop was Downtown Disney who had the shirt...in Large. We wandered the Lego Store for a bit...wait, that doesn't sound right. Let me try again. We squeezed our way into the Lego Store, slowly moved along with the rest of the herd, got a few glimpses of merchandise and left empty handed. Yeah, that sounds more like what happened.

So, with item one on my list yet to be checked off, we drove over to Hollywood Studios to check off Evan's item. (OK, it may have been on my list as well.)

When you pull into a park's parking lot just a few hours before closing time, you typically don't run into many of the guys in the jaunty yellow outfits directing you to a parking spot. Thus, we drove right to the front row, found a vacant spot and occupied it. I was thinking of inserting an Occupy DHS Parking Lot joke here, but it might be a bit dated already. Feel free to fill in your own if you want.

As we made our way up Hollywood Bvld, I ducked into a store, and sure enough, they had the shirt in my size!

Deciding to pick it up on our way out, we did a hyperspace jump and made it to Star Tours in less than 12 parsecs.

I'm not sure if that last little fella has a name, but if you stop and listen to him for a bit:
a) You'll get run over by the rest of the people in the queue that don't want to stop
b) You'll recognize the voice of another famous Disney World flight attendant.

Fantasmic was going on, so the rest of the park was pretty dead. This was awesome, because it let us ride 3 or 4 times before the motion simulator movement made us all a bit queasy.

We headed out to the front of the park, bought the shirt, and stopped for one last Photopass shot before we left Disney Property, never to return again. Well, until the end of October anyway.

But Don't Leave Yet! Of all of the cool things that happened during this trip, we may have saved the best for last. It's something that won't happen again. That's next...

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Dawn broke on the morning of July 7th, and brought with it our last full day in Florida. Well, I assume it broke. I was sleeping.

The sun rose… you were aware of it… all is well

They discounted our fees even further because of the conditions and we were off.

A bit of a win… we’ll see how that pans out.

Putting was like trying to avoid a tiny minefield.

Golf in Cambodia (I did not just think that did I? )

Conceptually this is closer akin to miniature golf then the older version of the game.

This allowed us the opportunity to try some ... unorthodox shots. Like skipping the ball over a small pond, trying to clear the 300 yard lake instead of going around, or poking your 9 iron into the swampy area off the green to see if anything is living in there.

I take it you weren’t using those expensive day-glow yellow balls this day.

Common Ground is billed as Polk County's 1st Inclusive Park…
…the kids love it. And it's free. The parents love it too.

I’d be keen on it were my boy a might younger.
Actually it looks like a rather well designed park. Quite the find.

…but the Coke Machine was even better. It was one of those fancy touch screen models that could dispense up to 106 different flavors of soda.

Interesting… I’ve not run across such as of yet.

The biggest problem was the line for the machine was never less than 6 or 7 people deep. It takes a while to look at all the choices and decide what you want!

That I can believe.

(and yes, there will be a TR about that one, just as soon as I finish this TR).

Two at once… I’m just saying.

However, later in the evening, we got the itch to head back over to Disney World one last time before heading home.

Imagine that.

Madison wanted to stay with Grandma and bake cookies and cupcakes, so Bambi, Evan and I saddled up the ole coolant rocket, said our prayers, and hit the road.

Wow….
It’s not every day that a young’en will choose baking over Disney.

Our first stop was Downtown Disney who had the shirt...in Large.

Oh well… win some, loose some, loose some more.

Thus, we drove right to the front row, found a vacant spot and occupied it.

One of the up sides to arriving late in the evening.

As we made our way up Hollywood Bvld, I ducked into a store, and sure enough, they had the shirt in my size!

There we go… now all is right with the world.
You were just looking in the wrong place.

Deciding to pick it up on our way out,

Potential tactical error there…

…we did a hyperspace jump and made it to Star Tours in less than 12 parsecs.

George can tell a good yarn.
Fact checking… not his strong suit
(he has a bad habit of making unnecessary revisions as well)

b) You'll recognize the voice of another famous Disney World flight attendant.

Warburton?

I’ve not been down there since the renovation was completed so I’m just takking a stab at this one.

Fantasmic was going on, so the rest of the park was pretty dead.

One of the best things about Fantasmic…
Not that I didn’t enjoy that show… but I like an empty park better. I’m forced to travel in the high summer, so empty parks are a rare treat.

We headed out to the front of the park, bought the shirt…

Cool… waiting wasn’t a tactical error

and stopped for one last Photopass shot before we left Disney Property, never to return again.

Well, until the end of October anyway.

That’s better (yah… like I was buyin’ that one).

But Don't Leave Yet! Of all of the cool things that happened during this trip, we may have saved the best for last. It's something that won't happen again. That's next...

Oh my… did y’all get to see Atlantis?

I hope so, but I can’t even begin to explain just how jealous this is going to make me.

 

[IheartDDuck]

The last day already! *sob*

I love the fact that the robot at Star Tours has the voice of the Chief Flight Attendant. I love him!

BTW, I love the golf ball swimming game. I may have to use that in the future...and recommend it to my dad for the water hazards on the golf course.

 

[afwdwfan]

Putting was like trying to avoid a tiny minefield.

You make it sound like this actually made it more difficult than normal.

But, it is my policy to never complain about a round of golf.

I don't complain... but yelling and cussing are definitely a big part of my game.

This allowed us the opportunity to try some ... unorthodox shots. Like skipping the ball over a small pond, trying to clear the 300 yard lake instead of going around, or poking your 9 iron into the swampy area off the green to see if anything is living in there.

What's so unorthodox about all that?

The biggest problem was the line for the machine was never less than 6 or 7 people deep. It takes a while to look at all the choices and decide what you want!

And then it is probably like the self checkout line at Wal-Mart, where you get stuck behind someone less tech savvy who can't figure out how to make the thing work.

(and yes, there will be a TR about that one, just as soon as I finish this TR).

Are you actually going to get that one done before your next trip?

However, later in the evening, we got the itch to head back over to Disney World one last time before heading home.

That's an itch I get a lot. I still haven't found anything to take care of it. Just have to scratch it every once in a while.

Madison wanted to stay with Grandma and bake cookies and cupcakes, so Bambi, Evan and I saddled up the ole coolant rocket, said our prayers, and hit the road.

I can never fault Madison for wanthing to stay with Grandma, but I would have a hard time saying no to Disney World.

(OK, it may have been on my list as well.)

I hope it was!

We headed out to the front of the park, bought the shirt, and stopped for one last Photopass shot before we left Disney Property, never to return again. Well, until the end of October anyway.

Very nice end to the evening!

But Don't Leave Yet! Of all of the cool things that happened during this trip, we may have saved the best for last. It's something that won't happen again. That's next...

Bang... controlled burn... won't happen again...

Did the rocket van finally go up in smoke?

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

The problem was that today was one of those days that they use to make the course into excellent condition. When I called the day before to see if they had a tee time, they told me that the greens were being aerated, but we could still golf if we wanted. Well, none of the other courses in our budget had availability (mostly because anyone that would be golfing here, was golfing there), so we took it.

Good thing you didn't have to worry about rope drop.

They discounted our fees even further because of the conditions and we were off. The fairways were in nice shape, but the greens did pose a challenge - there were holes every 8-10", with little cores littered all over the rest of it. Putting was like trying to avoid a tiny minefield.

I actually like it when the greens are aerated. Like you said, you typically save money. And I can't putt anyway, so the greens make for a built-in excuse--Oh, I would have shot much better, but the greens were aerated. In fact, I think it makes for a perfect excuse to award yourself no more than 2 putts per green.

This allowed us the opportunity to try some ... unorthodox shots. Like skipping the ball over a small pond, trying to clear the 300 yard lake instead of going around, or poking your 9 iron into the swampy area off the green to see if anything is living in there.

Sounds like fun, although I'd have no shot on a 300-yard lake. Might as well just toss a ball into the water and move on.

I like this picture.

The food was good, but the Coke Machine was even better. It was one of those fancy touch screen models that could dispense up to 106 different flavors of soda.

Cool! I haven't tried one of those yet. Did you try any new combinations?

Madison wanted to stay with Grandma and bake cookies and cupcakes, so Bambi, Evan and I saddled up the ole coolant rocket, said our prayers, and hit the road.

Over Disney? Are you sure you're raising these kids right?

Let me try again. We squeezed our way into the Lego Store, slowly moved along with the rest of the herd, got a few glimpses of merchandise and left empty handed. Yeah, that sounds more like what happened.

Sounds about right. The sad part is that there isn't anything in there you can't find at any other Lego Store.

Deciding to pick it up on our way out, we did a hyperspace jump and made it to Star Tours in less than 12 parsecs.

They should call the walk to Star Tours the Kessel Run in your honor.

We headed out to the front of the park, bought the shirt, and stopped for one last Photopass shot before we left Disney Property, never to return again.

Well, until the end of October anyway.

Don't do that. You had me worried.

But Don't Leave Yet! Of all of the cool things that happened during this trip, we may have saved the best for last. It's something that won't happen again. That's next...

Something involving bacon?

 

[Poolrat]

They discounted our fees even further because of the conditions and we were off. The fairways were in nice shape, but the greens did pose a challenge - there were holes every 8-10", with little cores littered all over the rest of it. Putting was like trying to avoid a tiny minefield.

for the discount but for the minefield.

Common Ground is billed as Polk County's 1st Inclusive Park - meaning there is stuff there for children of all abilities and disabilities. It's large, has a wide array of playground equipment, statues, musical stations, exquisite landscaping etc. The kids love it. And it's free. The parents love it too.

We have one around here and it great for everyone.

But it was hot, so we soon took shelter in a Firehouse Subs for lunch. The food was good, but the Coke Machine was even better. It was one of those fancy touch screen models that could dispense up to 106 different flavors of soda. (Picture borrowed from the someone else on the Internet, because I didn't have my camera inside)

I LOVE THIS MACHINE. We have one at a Firehouse subs near us and the last time I was in I laughed at the guy in front of me for basically being a spaz. Good news is he laughed right along with me. Now I know what I looked like the last time I used that machine. I glided through filling my drink only to spew soda everywhere when I added the cherry- limeade and lime to my Diet coke with Lime. The lid and the lime created a stream of soda shooting out the lid, creating a mess. I quickly cleaned up my mess so I could collect my sandwich.

As we made our way up Hollywood Bvld, I ducked into a store, and sure enough, they had the shirt in my size!

Deciding to pick it up on our way out, we did a hyperspace jump and made it to Star Tours in less than 12 parsecs.

I did this Danger Danger Will Robinson- hoping the shirt would still be there when you came back.

We headed out to the front of the park, bought the shirt, and stopped for one last Photopass shot before we left Disney Property, never to return again. Well, until the end of October anyway.

But Don't Leave Yet! Of all of the cool things that happened during this trip, we may have saved the best for last. It's something that won't happen again. That's next...

I knew you HAD to be kidding about not coming back.

Mmmmm what could not happen again.... can't wait to hear.

 

[FreezinRafiki]

The sun rose… you were aware of it… all is well

That's what I figured.

A bit of a win… we’ll see how that pans out.

Cheap golf is always a win.

Golf in Cambodia (I did not just think that did I? )

I won't tell anyone.

Conceptually this is closer akin to miniature golf then the older version of the game.

Golf might be even better if, on one hole, you can hit driver, 4 iron, pitching wedge, and have to putt it through the clown's mouth.

I take it you weren’t using those expensive day-glow yellow balls this day.

Nope. I have a dedicated pocket in my golf bag for "found balls."

I’d be keen on it were my boy a might younger.
Actually it looks like a rather well designed park. Quite the find.

It's a great place. Only a few blocks away from Bambi's parent's old place. Across town from their new place, but still not too far.

Interesting… I’ve not run across such as of yet.

This is the only one that I've ever run into. I'm guessing they're pretty expensive and don't offer a very good return on investment

Two at once… I’m just saying.

Who's crazy enough to try that?

Wow….
It’s not every day that a young’en will choose baking over Disney.

Sweets + Grandma time can be a pretty hard hand to beat.

Oh well… win some, loose some, loose some more.

You seem to have followed me around at work this week.

One of the up sides to arriving late in the evening.

There we go… now all is right with the world.
You were just looking in the wrong place.

It's always in the last place you look. Which just makes sense - why keep looking in other places after you find it?

Potential tactical error there…

True. But it was a calculated risk - they had 3 XLs on the rack. I felt pretty good with my chances.

George can tell a good yarn.
Fact checking… not his strong suit
(he has a bad habit of making unnecessary revisions as well)

Just because a parsec is a unit of length and he used it as a unit of time...

Warburton?

I’ve not been down there since the renovation was completed so I’m just takking a stab at this one.

It's synthesized to sound robotic and futuristic, but still undeniably Patrick Warburton.

One of the best things about Fantasmic…
Not that I didn’t enjoy that show… but I like an empty park better. I’m forced to travel in the high summer, so empty parks are a rare treat.

I agree - good show. But I agree more - empty parks rule!

Cool… waiting wasn’t a tactical error

Just playing the odds.

That’s better (yah… like I was buyin’ that one).

I didn't think anyone would. But it was fun to type.

Oh my… did y’all get to see Atlantis?

I hope so, but I can’t even begin to explain just how jealous this is going to make me.

Maaaaaaaaaybe.

 

[FreezinRafiki]

The last day already! *sob*

Last full day. We've still a story to tell about the next day.

I love the fact that the robot at Star Tours has the voice of the Chief Flight Attendant. I love him!

Me too. His dry sense of humor is awesome.

BTW, I love the golf ball swimming game. I may have to use that in the future...and recommend it to my dad for the water hazards on the golf course.

So much easier that running to Walmart to pick up the pool sticks - and they do the exact same thing.

You make it sound like this actually made it more difficult than normal.

No, but it is a great excuse when you 8-putt a hole

I don't complain... but yelling and cussing are definitely a big part of my game.

Swearing is the best club in my bag.

What's so unorthodox about all that?

Unorthodox may not be the best word. But it sounded better than "ball wasting"

And then it is probably like the self checkout line at Wal-Mart, where you get stuck behind someone less tech savvy who can't figure out how to make the thing work.

Do I have to scan each egg separately?

Are you actually going to get that one done before your next trip?

I'd like to say yes, but I had planned to have this one done before the cruise.

That's an itch I get a lot. I still haven't found anything to take care of it. Just have to scratch it every once in a while.

And I've found that trip to my local Disney Store really does nothing to help anymore. Seems I've built up my tolerance.

I can never fault Madison for wanthing to stay with Grandma, but I would have a hard time saying no to Disney World.

True, but it would be several months before she saw grandma again.

Very nice end to the evening!

Bang... controlled burn... won't happen again...

Did the rocket van finally go up in smoke?

Good guess, but....

 

[FreezinRafiki]

Good thing you didn't have to worry about rope drop.

I could have totally pushed that retired guy out of they way to get the frist tee time.

I actually like it when the greens are aerated. Like you said, you typically save money. And I can't putt anyway, so the greens make for a built-in excuse--Oh, I would have shot much better, but the greens were aerated. In fact, I think it makes for a perfect excuse to award yourself no more than 2 putts per green.

On holes 1-4 I use the excuse "My back was stiff and I wasn't warmed up properly." On holes 5-13 I use the excuse "I was drunk." 14-18: "Ah, who cares..."

Sounds like fun, although I'd have no shot on a 300-yard lake. Might as well just toss a ball into the water and move on.

I never said I cleared it. Or even came close. But it's fun to watch the first 120 yards of the flight and think "My God, it might have a chance!" Then it's fun to watch the big splash it makes.

I like this picture.

Cool! I haven't tried one of those yet. Did you try any new combinations?

My first fill up was Diet Cherry Coke. After that, the line was too long so I got an iced tea out of the other machine.

Over Disney? Are you sure you're raising these kids right?

45 minute drive there, an hour or so shopping and a few rides, then 45 minutes back vs unlimited sugar being supervised by only grandma & grandpa. It's not a bad trade off

Sounds about right. The sad part is that there isn't anything in there you can't find at any other Lego Store.

That may be, but the closest Lego Store to us is Chicago.

They should call the walk to Star Tours the Kessel Run in your honor.

I'd be honored. Evan navigated. I asked him for comment, and he said:
"Rrrrrrr-ghghghghgh"

Don't do that. You had me worried.

Sorry. I should have warned you not read this until you've had your morning coffee.

Something involving bacon?

I'm pretty sure bacon was involved...

 

[FreezinRafiki]

for the discount but for the minefield.

All in all, a pretty good morning.

We have one around here and it great for everyone.

There was probably 100 kids there (day care field trips, etc). Nobody looked like there were having a bad time.

I LOVE THIS MACHINE. We have one at a Firehouse subs near us and the last time I was in I laughed at the guy in front of me for basically being a spaz. Good news is he laughed right along with me. Now I know what I looked like the last time I used that machine. I glided through filling my drink only to spew soda everywhere when I added the cherry- limeade and lime to my Diet coke with Lime. The lid and the lime created a stream of soda shooting out the lid, creating a mess. I quickly cleaned up my mess so I could collect my sandwich.

That's a lot of lime!

I did this Danger Danger Will Robinson- hoping the shirt would still be there when you came back.

Like I said to Rob, there were 3 of them in my size, so I felt pretty good. And if they were all gone 45 minutes later, then I guess it wasn't meant to be.

I knew you HAD to be kidding about not coming back.

Of course!

Mmmmm what could not happen again.... can't wait to hear.

I hope to get it done soon, but maybe not until next week.

 

[petals]

Liking the new update!

You should check my latest update out (trip report linked in sig.) You got a mention in my last update

 

[KatMark]

NO! NO! NO! Say it isn't so. After all the grief I gave you over how long it was taking you to finish this, nbow it is at an end?

What a great last day...some park time, some swimming, a final visit to Disney to ride Star Tours until you were ready to lose your meal and Madison making cupcakes with grandma. It sounds like a perfect day to me.

Can I guess what happened that won't happen again?????

 

[that's nice]

I'm no golfer but your golf outing with the mine fields on the green didn't sound too good. At least the mine fields were only from aerated greens and not those Canadians.

Looks like the kids needed some down time... playing at the playground seemed like a good call.

I'm shocked Madison didn't want to go to the parks with you!

Great photopass pic at DHS!

 

[FreezinRafiki]

Liking the new update!

You should check my latest update out (trip report linked in sig.) You got a mention in my last update

Ooo...I'll certainly have to jump over and do that!

NO! NO! NO! Say it isn't so. After all the grief I gave you over how long it was taking you to finish this, nbow it is at an end?

It's true. But as soon as I finish, you can give me grief about how long it is taking me to finish my next one.

What a great last day...some park time, some swimming, a final visit to Disney to ride Star Tours until you were ready to lose your meal and Madison making cupcakes with grandma. It sounds like a perfect day to me.

Nice and relaxing! We've still got a 20+ hour ride ahead of us - we don't want to get to burned out right before that.

Can I guess what happened that won't happen again?????

By all means!

I'm no golfer but your golf outing with the mine fields on the green didn't sound too good. At least the mine fields were only from aerated greens and not those Canadians.

Yes, these obstacles didn't smell. Or get stuck on your shoe.

Looks like the kids needed some down time... playing at the playground seemed like a good call.

I give Bambi the credit for that. Actually, she usually gets credit for all the good things we do.

I'm shocked Madison didn't want to go to the parks with you!

After all the stuff we had done over the past two weeks, even she knows her limits. And baking with grandma has it's own rewards.

Great photopass pic at DHS!

Thanks!

 

[FreezinRafiki]

The day had come that we had been agonizing over for the past few days. But decisions had to be made. Big ones that, if done properly, could lead to a lifetime of memories. It was July 8th, 2011, and a mere 90 miles north east of Grandma & Grandpa's house, STS-135 was preparing to launch. Maybe.

We knew that NASA was retiring it's Space Shuttle Fleet after this mission. Sure, there would be other rocket launches in the future that we could go see, but it could be years - decades, probably - before we could witness a manned launch again.

I had been checking the weather forecasts and NASA websites, and the probability of a launch was never greater than about 30% due to concerns for clouds, thunderstorms and lightening in the area. This was not looking good.

So we left it up to Evan. He had a t-ball game scheduled for Saturday afternoon back home in Racine. Do we leave Friday morning, make the 22 hour drive home and get to your t-ball game or do we head to Florida's Space Coast, along with what was estimated at 1 million other people and hope to catch the last ever shuttle launch. Knowing full well that there was a 7 in 10 chance that we wouldn't see anything, we decided to give it a try.

So we all climbed into our own little technological marvel and headed east. We didn't really have a destination in mind - just get a far east as we can before the scheduled launch at 11:26, find a clear view of the eastern sky, and wait.

We headed up to Orlando, then took 528 East towards Cape Canaveral. We kept hearing radio reports of 50 mile backups on the highways around the Cape, but we were still moving along nicely. Finally, just as we approached the intersection with 520, we saw in the distance (luckily, Florida is flat, and you can see forever) a mass of cars on the highway - not moving. We took 520 south east and kept on moving.

We made it to Cocoa West and I-95 by around 9:30 and decided to hit up the local Waffle House for breakfast. Just like the astronauts do! It was pretty crowded, but there were 6 seats at the counter so we all bellied up and scarfed down some waffles.

Now it was decision time. It was about an hour until launch. According the reports I was seeing on Twitter, chances of launch still stood at 30%. Do we press on to the north east, into the throngs of people, trying to get closer or do we head back west about 5 miles to a boat launch area that we passed? The boat launch was in the middle of nowhere so there would be a clear view. The downside was the 21 miles between it and launch pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center. We knew we'd never get close enough actually see the shuttle on the launch pad, so we decided the safest bet was the boat launch. And a bit of good news came, though. Some of the clouds were breaking up and chances of a launch increased to 60%

It turned out to be a very nice facility. It had bathrooms and a fairly new boardwalk along he edge of the water. But as you can see from that photo, there was still plenty of cloud cover over Eastern Florida.

We wandered around for a bit watching the fishermen on one end of the pier and the fish on the other. Smart Fish.

One fisherman said he hadn't gotten a bite all day. So (come on, you all know what's coming next, right? I mean, you have to. You've read this entire TR.) I bit him.

We spent the next 45 minutes wandering around and exploring the area.

I don't know why the fisherman were having such bad luck. This guy caught a fish on his first try.

As launch time got closer, the pier began to fill up. Closer and closer we got to 11:26. People on Twitter said the countdown continued. We scanned the sky, looking for any signs of it.

11:24. The crowd waits in anticipation. We're secure in our spot along the pier where the guard rails are about 8 inches lower - a spot built for easier fishing that also made for a nice viewing area for the kids.

11:25. Everyone is staring - but no one really knows exactly which direction. Due East? North East? Somewhere in between?

11:26. Still waiting. No one on the pier is talking. All eyes are on the horizon.

11:27. Uh oh. What's going on? Did they scrub the launch? Is the weather bad? Are they having mechanical problems?

11:28. This isn't good. No news on Twitter. Is my cell phone clock wrong? It can't be - it get's it's time from Verizon.

11:29. Everyone still looking, waiting. Suddenly, Bambi's mom screams "THERE IT IS!"

We watched in awe as the flaming rockets lifted high into the air. It was quiet for a moment, then we heard the woooooosh and the distant roar of the solid rocket boosters and the three main shuttle engines. It slowly disappeared into the clouds, reappeared briefly, and then was gone.

(I later found out that at the 31 second mark of the countdown, the launch team did not get confirmation that the Gaseous Oxygen Vent Arm properly retracted and latched. The crew verified via closed circuit cameras that the arm was latched, and the countdown resumed.)

We headed back to the van, protecting ourselves from the blistering mid-day sun (i guess?)

All said and done, we traveled for roughly an hour and a half, saw the shuttle for 1 minute, 34 seconds, then drove another 90 minutes or so back to Grandma & Grandpa's house. And I want to make this next part completely clear:

Totally Worth It.​

We took a pretty big chance that we would drive all that way and not see anything. But we ended up seeing a bit of history: The last Space Shuttle launch. Just before lift off, shuttle launch director Mike Leinbach radioed to Commander Chris Ferguson "Good luck to you and your crew on the final flight of this true American icon. Good luck, godspeed and have a little fun up there." Commander Ferguson replied "Thanks to you and your team Mike, We're completing a chapter of a journey that will never end. The crew of Atlantis is ready to launch".

The kids may not remember this in 5 or 10 years. But we will. And we'll remind them of about it occasionally. And when they're old enough and perhaps reading about this chapter of American History in school, hopefully the memories will come back to them. About the time they stood on a pier in the middle of a Florida swamp - with their mom and dad and grandma and grandpa - and experienced the fullest of the human spirit. To explore, to learn, to understand. They'll learn about the engineering marvels that we created to be able to slip the surly bonds of earth and touch the face of God. And they'll feel a connection to it and, hopefully, it will instill that spirit in them.

And if that happens, then I will have done my job as a father.


We arrived back in Lakeland in the early afternoon, packed up the van, said our goodbyes, and started the long journey north.

We hit a drive through in Valdosta, GA and got a sense that we were almost home.

Mmm....Wisconsin Butter....

But we still had about 1,000 miles ahead of us. As we always have, we drove straight through the night. 2 kids, 2 dog, 1,200 miles. It's an odd feeling, leaning up against the van, filling up the tank at a gas station at 3am. Thinking back to a time, say 3 hours ago, when you were leaning up against the van, filling up the tank at a gas station at midnight. I didn't keep very close track of the fuel costs for this trip, but it was far less than the cost of 4 plane tickets, a rental car and kenneling the dogs for a fortnight. (That's a fancy word that means "two weeks." I think we need to bring it back into mainstream American vernacular.)

We hit sunrise in Indiana. I was very pretty, but I was too lazy to walk out into the road to cut the gas station sign out of the picture.

We're a bit cramped in the van, but we can get comfortable. Some more than others.

The final tally:

19 hours and 22 minutes, minus the time zone change from Florida to Wisconsin, and we made it back in time to quickly unload the van and get to Evan's T-ball game!

(I have a picture of him standing in the outfield picking his nose, but this one seems more dramatic)


So, there it is. The third and final installment of the "2 Kids, 2 Dogs, 1200 Miles" saga. This Spring Ryder will make his grand entrance, making 3 kids. Our next few trips will be via air, but in 3 years or so, once he's potty trained, I'm sure we'll be hitting the open road once again.


This is where I'd usually insert some kind of wrap up with poignant observations on the human spirit (or maybe a couple of fart jokes). But I just don't have the time for that. Because I have another Trip Report to start. And you, loyal readers, get first crack at it, right here:

You Best Start Believing in Ghost Stories...Halloween on the Dream and WDW

Thank you so much for reading along and reliving this trip with me. I'll see you on the next one!

-Barry-

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

We knew that NASA was retiring it's Space Shuttle Fleet after this mission. Sure, there would be other rocket launches in the future that we could go see, but it could be years - decades, probably - before we could witness a manned launch again.

You certainly don't get to witness history often. Well, check that. I guess we all technically witness history everyday. It's just that you don't often get the chance to witness something people would actually want to remember.

So we left it up to Evan. He had a t-ball game scheduled for Saturday afternoon back home in Racine. Do we leave Friday morning, make the 22 hour drive home and get to your t-ball game or do we head to Florida's Space Coast, along with what was estimated at 1 million other people and hope to catch the last ever shuttle launch. Knowing full well that there was a 7 in 10 chance that we wouldn't see anything, we decided to give it a try.

That's not terrible. Heck, I've attempted to play golf even when the weather called for a 70% chance of rain. I got soaked, but that's not the point.

We made it to Cocoa West and I-95 by around 9:30 and decided to hit up the local Waffle House for breakfast.

Mmmm...waffles. I hope the astronauts signed the placemats. Does Neil Armstrong get his hash browns covered and smothered?

We knew we'd never get close enough actually see the shuttle on the launch pad, so we decided the safest bet was the boat launch.

Judging from the map, that looks like an excellent spot. Good call!

One fisherman said he hadn't gotten a bite all day. So (come on, you all know what's coming next, right? I mean, you have to. You've read this entire TR.)

Nope, sorry. I'm not taking the bait.

I don't know why the fisherman were having such bad luck. This guy caught a fish on his first try.

Maybe the fisherman needs to rent a helicopter and try an aerial attack?

11:29. Everyone still looking, waiting. Suddenly, Bambi's mom screams "THERE IT IS!"

This. Is. AWESOME.

When my son and I were down in Florida in May, we did the Kennedy Space Center tour and got to see Discovery on the launch pad for the 2nd-to-last mission. I think we missed the launch by 3 days. What I wouldn't have given to see that. We did see a launch once in the distance at night when we were staying in Georgia. That was pretty cool. Nothing compared to this, though.

We headed back to the van, protecting ourselves from the blistering mid-day sun (i guess?)

Or protecting themselves from Doc Ock.

All said and done, we traveled for roughly an hour and a half, saw the shuttle for 1 minute, 34 seconds, then drove another 90 minutes or so back to Grandma & Grandpa's house. And I want to make this next part completely clear:

Totally Worth It.​

Agreed.

The kids may not remember this in 5 or 10 years. But we will. And we'll remind them of about it occasionally. And when they're old enough and perhaps reading about this chapter of American History in school, hopefully the memories will come back to them. About the time they stood on a pier in the middle of a Florida swamp - with their mom and dad and grandma and grandpa - and experienced the fullest of the human spirit. To explore, to learn, to understand. They'll learn about the engineering marvels that we created to be able to slip the surly bonds of earth and touch the face of God. And they'll feel a connection to it and, hopefully, it will instill that spirit in them.

And if that happens, then I will have done my job as a father.

Well said, Barry. I'd say you're off to a really good start. You have an awesome family.

Mmm....Wisconsin Butter....

Nothing about the cheddar?

for a fortnight. (That's a fancy word that means "two weeks." I think we need to bring it back into mainstream American vernacular.)

If it has the word "fort" in it, it has to be a pretty cool word.

We hit sunrise in Indiana. I was very pretty, but I was too lazy to walk out into the road to cut the gas station sign out of the picture.

That's ok. It's a healthy reminder that it's only February and gas prices are already reaching those prices again.

The final tally:

Still good at punching the afterburners on the van, I see.

(I have a picture of him standing in the outfield picking his nose, but this one seems more dramatic)

I'm impressed that you went to the game after driving all night. That's dedication. (And a desire to get every bit of value out of exorbitant Little League fees)

This is where I'd usually insert some kind of wrap up with poignant observations on the human spirit (or maybe a couple of fart jokes). But I just don't have the time for that.

I'd say you did pretty well a couple of paragraphs back. But it was lacking in fart jokes.

Thank you so much for reading along and reliving this trip with me. I'll see you on the next one!

Awesome report, Barry. We love following your adventures, and I'm looking forward to the next one. In fact, I may have already said that on the other thread. Sorry, I didn't mean to repeat myself. I'm babbling now, aren't I?

 

[rdkeim]

I enjoyed your trip report so much! You have a lovely family and another little guy to look forward to. Your last post was especially touching. Our first trip to Disney included a cruise on the pre-Disney ships - Premier I believe. We took our 5 and 7 year old boys and we saw a space shuttle launch from the ship. It was incredible and something they still remember. Ah memories. Looking forward to reading about your next adventure!