Liz
Make a miracle!
- Joined
- Aug 18, 1999
- Messages
- 4,909
Cast:
ME - 43, Author of this report, grew up in Florida, too many WDW trips to really count
PAUL - 50, my dear husband, several WDW trips under his belt
JEFF - 14, our dear son, this is about his 6th trip to WDW
LAURA - 13, our dear daughter, her 6th trip also. Will be participating in the U.S. Transplant Games in Orlando.
MY MOM - late 60's, been to WDW many times, last time 5 years ago
JUNE 29 - SATURDAY
Had a 6:00 AM wake up call today. Every day the first thing I did was head for the balcony to look outside. Almost every morning I saw a guy riding some little motorized bike smoothing out the sand on the beach. I enjoyed my last few moments on my Dolphin balcony. It was such a fun week but it ended all too quickly.
As we left I ran into Daisy's Garden one last time to look around. I'd been in there several times already but I guess I was just delaying the inevitable fact that we did have to leave.
We needed to be at the car to leave by 8:00 AM. As we were getting in the car I looked at my watch - 8:00 AM on the dot.
If you are driving down I-4 east for any reason and need to stop for gas or a restroom stop, we stopped at a Mobil station called "On The Run" around exit 102 (I didn't think to write it down till we left). We stopped here for gas on our way to Jacksonville and used the restroom. It was really nice and clean. I wrote it down so we could remember to stop here in the future if need be.
Back in Jacksonville we dropped my mom's luggage off at her house, then we all went out to lunch together. Mom drove her car and we drove the rental so we could just head straight to the airport after eating. Its always so sad to leave my mom. And I don't know when we'll be back.
We returned the car at the Jax. airport with no problems, and went through security screenings like we had experienced on the way to Florida, except this time I was the one chosen for extra screening.
After a 3 hour drive (almost) from Orlando to Jacksonville, a 1 hour flight from Jacksonville to Atlanta and a 3 hour flight from Atlanta to Salt Lake City I was about to lose my mind by the time we got back to Utah. I was sooooo tired of sitting!
So that brings me to the end of another great vacation. Thankfully no one got sick. We've had that experience before where Laura was sick the whole vacation and it was no fun, not to mention the worry of it all. This vacation was definitely not commando, but we've been very fortunate to visit the World three years in a row now, which for us is a real treat. The sad thing is there is no trip out there in the future to look forward to. I have no idea when we'll be able to get back! Two days after we got home Paul started a new job that is a slight cut in pay but has much better insurance benefits, which we desperately need for Laura. Hopefully next year we can go again but more likely two years from now. But I know Mickey (& my mom!) will be waiting, and it will be as fabulous as it always has been!
Budget for the day:
$14 Gas as we left Orlando
$26 Lunch
$5 Gas to top off tank just before returning rental car
$15 Gifts for people back home
ME - 43, Author of this report, grew up in Florida, too many WDW trips to really count
PAUL - 50, my dear husband, several WDW trips under his belt
JEFF - 14, our dear son, this is about his 6th trip to WDW
LAURA - 13, our dear daughter, her 6th trip also. Will be participating in the U.S. Transplant Games in Orlando.
MY MOM - late 60's, been to WDW many times, last time 5 years ago
JUNE 29 - SATURDAY
Had a 6:00 AM wake up call today. Every day the first thing I did was head for the balcony to look outside. Almost every morning I saw a guy riding some little motorized bike smoothing out the sand on the beach. I enjoyed my last few moments on my Dolphin balcony. It was such a fun week but it ended all too quickly.
As we left I ran into Daisy's Garden one last time to look around. I'd been in there several times already but I guess I was just delaying the inevitable fact that we did have to leave.
We needed to be at the car to leave by 8:00 AM. As we were getting in the car I looked at my watch - 8:00 AM on the dot.
If you are driving down I-4 east for any reason and need to stop for gas or a restroom stop, we stopped at a Mobil station called "On The Run" around exit 102 (I didn't think to write it down till we left). We stopped here for gas on our way to Jacksonville and used the restroom. It was really nice and clean. I wrote it down so we could remember to stop here in the future if need be.
Back in Jacksonville we dropped my mom's luggage off at her house, then we all went out to lunch together. Mom drove her car and we drove the rental so we could just head straight to the airport after eating. Its always so sad to leave my mom. And I don't know when we'll be back.
We returned the car at the Jax. airport with no problems, and went through security screenings like we had experienced on the way to Florida, except this time I was the one chosen for extra screening.
After a 3 hour drive (almost) from Orlando to Jacksonville, a 1 hour flight from Jacksonville to Atlanta and a 3 hour flight from Atlanta to Salt Lake City I was about to lose my mind by the time we got back to Utah. I was sooooo tired of sitting!
So that brings me to the end of another great vacation. Thankfully no one got sick. We've had that experience before where Laura was sick the whole vacation and it was no fun, not to mention the worry of it all. This vacation was definitely not commando, but we've been very fortunate to visit the World three years in a row now, which for us is a real treat. The sad thing is there is no trip out there in the future to look forward to. I have no idea when we'll be able to get back! Two days after we got home Paul started a new job that is a slight cut in pay but has much better insurance benefits, which we desperately need for Laura. Hopefully next year we can go again but more likely two years from now. But I know Mickey (& my mom!) will be waiting, and it will be as fabulous as it always has been!
Budget for the day:
$14 Gas as we left Orlando
$26 Lunch
$5 Gas to top off tank just before returning rental car
$15 Gifts for people back home
