Down The East Coast and Back Again. Featuring: The Simpson‘s, The Mouse and Fay.

[shadowryter]

Hi Linda,

I am WAY behind on reading trip reports, so continue or if you have continued THANKS. I am having fun reading your report.

Peggy

Hi Peggy,
No problem, I'm in the same boat. Reading others TR's, back to posting, back to reading. It's all good. Now back to reading.

 

[shadowryter]

Really nice picture
Something so calming about this lobby.
Blue Glowtini
I wonder if this is the same drink I had at Narcoossees?
My guess is that it was the same. I think it's dubbed, "A Year of a Million Dreams."

DD’s Menu
Wow the menu is really fun!!
This was fun. I hope they continue with it next year. The situation is still up in the air. Hopefully it will all work out.

Now I am really sorry I didn't keep my Coral Reef reservation. Great pictures and descriptions.
Thanks Peggy. Just remember there's always next time.

 

[shadowryter]

Saturday ~ August 23<SUP>rd</SUP> Our 2<SUP>nd</SUP> Day at Disney

Today we were going to start our day off with a trip to the Animal Kingdom ending with dinner at Ohana’s. When we arrived we saw there were hoards of teenage girls all wearing matching t-shirts approaching the park. We were lucky enough to get in before they did as they all gathered in one area with their chaperones. Our first order of business was to get a locker to store our ponchos then it was off to Everest to get a fast pass before heading for Kilamanjaro Safaris. We’ve tried the Safaris twice in the past and really didn’t see any animals. Okay a bird, a croc but nothing much else. They say that the third try is the charm and this time we lucked out. We headed to Everest but not before we stopped for a couple Photopass pictures. I was disappointed the day before as all the photographers seemed to be hibernating. I guess a soggy Epcot day can do that.

We walked right on to Everest and just as we reached the part where the tracks are broken the ride stopped and voice came out of nowhere. “Will the person in the blue shirt please remain in your seat.” Huh? Who on earth would try to get our of this thing just because it pauses a moment before plunging backwards. Some people I guess. After Everest we wandered through the park, despite the weather it was quite crowded. We got another photo op and caught a glimpse of Devine. When then proceeded to do DD’s favorite thing besides the ride which is shopping. DD and DH found some tee shirts they liked and clowned around with some hats.

Devine

Dan and Heather

After an hour or so the clouds came in really heavy so we went to Y&Y for our 1:00 ADR, where a nice CM led us through the restaurant and up the stairs. Are sever, James arrived promptly and we ordered appetizers of Seared Pork Pot Stickers and Spring Rolls. They were both very good and since DD had never had a pot sticker until our dinner at Ruby Tuesday before we left home she was now hooked on these pretty much.

Seared Pork Pot Stickers & Spring Rolls

Yak & Yeti Décor

Menu

Continued on next post...

 

[shadowryter]

Continued from previous post...

Our entrees followed as soon as the empty appy plates were cleared. DD ordered the Sweet and Sour Chicken with Jasmine rice and veggies, DH, the Tempura Shrimp with brown rice and veggies and I had the Shaoxing Steak and shrimp, with jasmine rice and veggies. All these entrees were fantastic, juicy, tender and flavorful. We all cleaned our plates and wanted dessert. DD and I shared the Fried Wontons w/pineapple and vanilla ice cream while DH enjoyed a piece of Mango pie.

Sweet & Sour Chicken

Tempura Shrimp

Shaoxing Steak and Shrimp

Fried Wontons w/pineapple

Mango Pie

DD and I were wearing our birthday buttons and received countless birthday wishes from CM’s and guests alike but our sever at Y&Y never seemed to notice. We weren’t expecting anything maybe just an acknowledgement from James would have been nice. But nothing. He seemed to be in a rush all through our meal and the restaurant was far from full. I almost ordered a cake for here and was glad that I changed my mind, afterall we just had a yummy cake at CR the day before not to mention the huge and very delicious one at the Portofino. Sad to say my family was already caked out! We left full and had to decide what to do next and by now it was raining off and on. Since we missed Finding Nemo - The Musical the last time it was an easy decision. We got in line and waited forever and when the doors to the theatre opened so did the clouds. Luckily we got inside before getting wet again.
I must admit I was a little skeptical about this show even though I loved Festival of the Lion King. But I have to admit I really loved it. Though the only part I could have done without was the constant voice telling us to “Please push down to the end of the row as far a possible.” I felt like the woman next to me was practically on my lap. Then there was the “Do not save seats,” speech. Like anyone really listened to that. All in all the show was quite enjoyable and I would recommend it anyone. It’s one of those must sees.

Finding Nemo

When Nemo got out it was raining a bit and we headed for the exit and for the lockers to retrieve our ponchos. We barely got past the entrance when it started to downpour and we were putting on our ponchos while running to the bus. Once on the bus, it rained so hard that you could see the splash of water come up to the bottom of the bus windows.

Bus ride

What happened before the bus ride....


To be continued……
We’re on our way to the Poly and a cat fight!

 

[loribell]

Oh boy my favorite park. Great update Linda!

 

[shadowryter]

Thanks again loribell. Didn't realize how many pictures I posted and ran into the dreaded 25 pic's limit. Had to start again to finish the day off. Next time I'll know.

 

[shadowryter]

Saturday ~ August 23<SUP>rd</SUP> Our 2<SUP>nd</SUP> Day at Disney ~ part 2

The bus ride wasn’t a long ride and before we knew it we were at the Poly. We were about 40 minutes early and had hoped to just sit in the lounge, order a drink and relax until dinner. Only when we got there they announced that the Spirit of Aloha luau was canceled and everyone was in the lounge. DH and I were trying to scope out a place to sit when he saw someone leave. I just started to move when a couple of small children dove over the plants and jumped onto the seats. A this point we saw a couple of woman verbally sparring over the seat, they were shouting and arms and expletive’s were flying. I opted to stand and wait and get my drink when we were seated for dinner, it wasn’t worth the hassle. At this point a man showed up with his guitar and started to play and sing. I guess even he knew the natives were restless and was hoping a chorus of Tiny Bubbles might be in order.

Performer at Poly

Tiki

When our ADR time arrived I checked us in and we were seated within 15 minutes. Ohana’s was packed and the aroma of those skewers filled the air. We ordered drinks, DD a coke, me a Pina Colava and a Malibu McCaw for DH and all the while we are watching children, chasing a coconut around the restaurant with a broom. Most were in between the tables after the runaway coconuts but it was so much fun to watch.

Pina Colava

Malibu McCaw

In no time at all our appetizers and sides arrived, along with the pineapple bread and minutes later the skewers. This was only our 2<SUP>nd</SUP> trip to Ohana’s for dinner. The first being in 04 and we were really disappointed when they took the shrimp off the menu and replaced it with sausage, therefore not returning in 06. So we were very happy to hear the shrimp was back, and so delicious.

Pineapple Bread

Salad

Dipping sauces

Chicken Wings

Pot Stickers

Broccoli

Noodles

Turkey and Pork

Beef

Shrimp

I never realized until I started to post these pictures of how much food we had here! And it’s not over yet!

After we finished our dinner our CM Chris brought us the banana bread pudding. OMG! This was so yummy and so filling. I felt like I couldn’t eat another bite when Chris returned with the cutest cupcake with 2 candles and wished DD and I a happy birthday. By the way DH ate most of the cupcake.

Banana Foster’s bread pudding

Chris our CM

Birthday cupcake

I don’t know who this guy was but he kept bringing on the shrimp!

My happy and full family

On our way out we stopped to chat to the lady who sets up all the games for the kids and I asked for a picture. She noticed our birthday buttons and began to pile on the silk leis. I swear DD and I were buried in them, but it was fun.

Aloha!

Working hard to make those yummy skewers

After that it was back to the Swan where I believe some sort of banquet was going on. Suddenly I felt out of place, “I” in my shorts and tee shirt, “them” in their cocktail dresses and gowns! What a mix. We stopped by the gift shop where DD tried on the latest in birthday fashion then we headed to Picabu at the Dolphin for some late night snacks and a bottle of wine before calling it a night.

Our last day at Disney…the sun appears while the riders on ToT disappear…

 

[loribell]

Another great installment.

I have never eaten at Ohana for dinner but it looks yummy!

 

[havinfun]

Hi.

I still loving your report. The food at Ohana's looked really good. I am sad I missed the Nemo show after seeing your pics. I did get to see "Lion King" and liked that. What a down pour you endured. I liked the wheelchair with the ghost.

Peggy

 

[shadowryter]

Another great installment.

I have never eaten at Ohana for dinner but it looks yummy!

The food is really good and soooo much. We came back becasue the shrimp skewers did. Hawiian sausage belongs on a breakfast plate. For me anyway.

Hi.

I still loving your report. The food at Ohana's looked really good. I am sad I missed the Nemo show after seeing your pics. I did get to see "Lion King" and liked that. What a down pour you endured. I liked the wheelchair with the ghost.

Peggy

Sorry you missed Nemo. I wasn't quite sure but when I saw it I loved it. We tried in 06 but it was impossible to get in. I remember someone all excited saying. "Have you seen Nemo?" and my DH replied out of the blue. "Yes. He was delicious." You have to under Dan's humor. And guess what? We missed the Lion King. I liked the wheelchair ghost too. ...but not the down pour.

 

[shadowryter]

Sunday ~ August 24<SUP>th</SUP> Our 3<SUP>rd</SUP> Day at Disney

We all got up early to get ready for our 8am ADR at the Grand Floridian Café. I went out on the balcony to realize it wasn’t raining, so I grabbed my camera and tried to get a few shots. Before we left I asked DD if she wanted to wear her birthday button, which she reminded me….(you’ve heard it before so I won’t say it again) so we left it behind. I had asked on the boards the best way to get to an early breakfast and the poster’s were right. Take a cab! This was easy as they are parked up and down the entrance of the Swan, just waiting for someone. The trip to the Grand Floridian took only minutes and costs $18.00, but it was worth it.

Pictures from Balcony

We got to the Café right on time, checked in and was seated within 5 minutes. My DH and DD knew what they wanted to order after viewing the menu before we left home as did I. We all ordered coffee and juice and DD and DH ordered the Lobster Eggs Benedict with a side of bacon while I ordered the Stuffed Croissant. As I sat at the table I noticed the slip of paper the CM at the podium gave me had our last name spelled incorrectly. Not a problem for most but I had previously ordered two mini castle cakes for our birthday celebration. I excused myself and explained the situation to which I received a blank stare and the dreaded. “I don’t have anything listed here.” Another CM within ear shot smiled and said he knew what I was talking about because he was just discussing it a while ago.

GF Café

Feeling a sense of relief I returned to our table and enjoyed my scrumptious breakfast. DD and DH said their Lobster Eggs Benedict was unbelievable, but my croissant. OMG, I’ve never tasted something so heavenly. It was filled with sweetened mascarpone cheese with chocolate chips, and covered in fresh strawberries, blueberries and walnuts. I’d got back just for that anytime. When we were finished our CM, Gail brought the “cake” to our table. Now I knew I had ordered two and by now I realized, they did forget, but at least we had one which happened to have my name one it. After all I was wearing my birthday button. It is smaller than the pictures let you believe but it is delicious. I had ordered the cheesecake for myself (chocolate for DD) and it was smooth and creamy and we each savored a little bite. But after such a filling breakfast I think it was a good thing just to have one.

Lobster Eggs Benedict

Stuffed Croissant

Mini Castle Cheesecake

Our birthday breakfast

After breakfast we wondered around the GF for a while, then took the monorail to the TTC and the bus to the Studios. This was the first blue sky I had seen in days.

Those young ladies from AK seemed to follow us there, They were in small groups and spent most of their time snapping pictures of themselves and their friends. I think I was blinded at point. We grabbed a fast pass for ToT and went directly to RnR. The wait was only about 25 minutes so we got in line and struck up a conversation with the family behind us. They were visiting from the Midwest and were spending their last day with their teenage son. It seemed that the following day he was starting his internship with Disney. They were very proud of him.
We rode RnR and then had our pictures taken by a Photopass photographer before heading for ToT.

Rock 'n Rollercoaster

We walked right in while the regular line had a 90 minute wait, so this was great. We were in the furthest line getting really close to our 13<SUP>th</SUP> floor plummet, when we heard a bell ring. I didn’t pay attention at first until we realized the line wasn’t moving. No one was going it but also no one was coming out and the bell keeping ringing. DH said it sounded like they were working on the electrical system. After about ½ hour, people started leaving by the service elevator, most had ADR’s, some were tired of the wait. We just hung in there. About 15 more minuets passed and finally the ride elevator door opened. Those people were stuck inside for more than 45 mins. A man next to us called his family who told him the ride was shut down and it could be anywhere from a few more minutes to hours. Suddenly everything went dead silent. All the sounds inside are piped in. Who knew? So after a little more than an hour they opened the door and gave all of a return FastPass to use at any time.
Our Arrival at DHS

What’s that bright thing in the sky?

With the sun finally shining, it heated up fast, so we stopped for a frozen lemonade and ducked in and out of the shops just to cool down. We made our way over to Star Tours and DH and DD were mesmerized to see Darth Vader demonstrating sword play with some onlookers. We walked right on the ride and after did some shopping as our ADR for Sci-Fi was approaching.

To be continued…more of the Studios and why Heather couldn’t escape from her Birthday button.

 

[loribell]

Woo Hoo!!! Another update and a great one at that. I'm glad the sun finally popped it's head back out from behind the clouds. It would have been awful to be stuck on that elevator all that time! Glad it wasn't you.

 

[shadowryter]

Sunday ~ August 24<SUP>th</SUP> Our 3<SUP>rd</SUP> Day at Disney ~ Part 2

We checked in at the Sci-Fi podium and was seated within 10 minutes. Our CM, Alli was at our table, (excuse me car) right away. She was a little thing and had to sit on the cars to get high enough to speak to her customers. The first thing she said was, “Here are my birthday girls.” (okay it was noted on the ADR) We decided to share an order of onion rings and ordered our drinks, a strawberry shake for DH, Lunar Landing for me and cherry coke for DD when Alli looked at my DD. “Where’s your birthday button?” Where DD explained…”I lost it.” Yeah, right. “Oh. Well, I’ll be right back with your drinks and a new birthday button for you.” DH and I laughed as DD rolled her eyes. Alli returned with our drinks and DD’s b-day button which she wrote 18<SUP>th</SUP> onto it along with her name. DH and I laughed some more as DD put on her button. “Just for you, mom,” she told me.
Sci-Fi Dine-In

Lunar Landing

Strawberry Milkshake

Onion rings

By the time our entrees were served we picked up a couple of hitchhikers. Alli took their orders while we enjoyed ours. DH had the pastrami sandwich w/fries and I the turkey sandwich w/the cucumber/melon salad. We switched ½ of the sandwich to get a taste of both. DD had the Ribs and fries, which she said was good but could have used more sauce. After our lunch we all declined dessert and was waiting for our bill when Alli showed up with two ice cream sundaes complete with candles and asked for the people around us to join her in a chorus of Happy Birthday. After everyone sang and applauded our hitchhiker’s left but not before giving my DD 2 Dream Fast Passes.

Pastrami sandwich w/ fries

Turkey sandwich w/cucumber/melon salad

Ribs w/fries

Birthday sundae

DD with birthday sundae

Our Family

After lunch we went to the Journey into Narnia: Prince Caspian exhibition, which was nice but there was no Prince Caspian to be found.

I had remembered reading a post that Sorcerer Mickey was nearby along with Wall-e so I hurried over to the Animation Courtyard to find Mickey and the line was soooo short. Yeah. The photographer used my camera as well as his own and took some great pics. He even took separate pictures of the birthday girls which was nice. After we went to the little area where we found Wall-e all by himself and took some pics of each other. No Photopass op here but it was still fun to do. Then DH spied Frozone, (to which I replied, “Who?”) and we had our pictures taken with him. I was really happy with the pictures taken here because with all the rain previously the characters and Photopass photographers were no where in sight.
Sorcerer Mickey

Wall-e

Frozone

After indulging in a Mickey bar we walked right onto ToT again and this time everything was fine. It was a great ride. I honestly lost count of how many times the elevator dropped, but it was more than I remembered.

Tower of Terror

On our way out of DHS I remembered I still had those Dream Fast Passes, so I headed for the first couple I saw and handed them the passes, explaining how we got them, a gift of sorts not won. They were extremely grateful and said this was their first day at the Studios. It made me feel kind of good to pass on a little magic.

To be continued… A Happy Birthday sing along and EMT’s at CRT!

 

[tlinus]

wonderful report - cannot wait to read more

 

[shadowryter]

wonderful report - cannot wait to read more

Thanks.

 

[shadowryter]

Sunday ~ August 24<SUP>th</SUP> Our 3<SUP>rd</SUP> Day at Disney ~ Part 3

We took the Friendship boat back to the Swan. It was packed and had standing room only. DD and DH were sitting a few rows back and I found a seat in front but somehow the captain noticed her birthday button. He asked her if today was her birthday, in which she said, no. He said it didn’t matter and when he caught me laughing he said. I’ll get to you next. He led the boat in a chorus of Happy Birthday to which DD turned crimson but I think inside she enjoyed it. Then he turned to me and repeated the whole process. Everyone on the boat sang loud and clear for each of us. Another memorable Disney moment.

By the time we got back to the Swan I really wasn’t feeling well. I had been drenched by Fay and frozen by air-conditioning a dozen times over and it was finally catching up to me. DH and DD made a trip a Picabu and brought back some soda and throat lozenges along with some other snacks. We had a ADR at CRT for 7:00 and I was beginning to think I wouldn’t make it. But then I remembered that I had ordered 2 Slipper Desserts for our last dinner on our last night at of our Disney birthday trip. How could I miss that? One cute note. When we returned to our room we found DD’s stuffy’s lounging on the beds.

After freshening up we went to catch the bus to the Magic Kingdom. The only problem was we sat there for 20 minutes or more and no busses to MK, just lot’s of DTD and returning Typhoon Lagoon. So DH decided it might be best to take a taxi as we were getting really close to our ADR time. The ride worked out fine except the driver can’t bring you to the front of the park like they can at the resorts door. He dropped us off as close as he could and it was only a short walk to the entrance of MK. This trip cost us $15 w/tip. We were making good time as me made our way down Main Street and toward the castle, but here was when we ran into a little glitch. I forgot about the show on the castle forecourt so when we approached our way was blocked. We had to go all the way around the back and now it was 6:55, and I felt like I was breathing through a straw. We arrived around 15 minutes late but that didn’t seem to matter. I guess a lot of guests ran into the same problem.

Once inside we got in line to have our pic’s taken with Cinderella, then it was a short wait before we headed upstairs and was seated. But first we needed to pass the EMT’s and the stretcher that was placed in the isle. A man, in his mid-forties maybe, had an oxygen mask on and the EMT’s were gathered around him. I don’t know what happened but it was great to see them leave without the patient.
Our CM, Alexis, came to our table and we ordered everything at the same time. (I don’t really like doing this but it seems the way of the castle.) I guess the three of us had our minds on the same wavelength because we all ordered the corn and crab soup, prime rib and chocolate cream cheese buckle. I know, kind of boring when it comes to pictures and reviews but it was real easy on Alexis. This was the second time we had dinner at CRT so I had a little something to compare with. I love the corn and crab soup but this time it was really salty. The prime rib was cooked perfectly but again the sauce was like brine.

Pretzel Bread

Honey Mustard Butter & Plan Butter

Corn and Crab soup

Prime Rib

Chocolate Cream Cheese Buckle

Around the middle of our meal I was beginning to feel like I might need those EMT’s myself. I started choking and couldn’t catch my breath. Just love it when people stare at you but soon the attention was off of me and onto the show when Susie, Perla and Fairy Godmother arrived. It was a cute show and I so wanted to catch one of those fly by pic’s with my DD but the woman with the pictures was in the way, so all I got was a video clip of Susie (or Perla?) kissing DH’s head.

My bleary-eyed picture with DD

Our Picture with Cindy

When dinner was finished Alexis returned with two slipper desserts complete with candles. (I almost forgot about it). DD seemed to enjoy this, though I was just to full and miserable to. DH was worried about me and wanted to go back to the Swan at which I told him. Noooo! It was EMH tonight and we couldn’t leave without doing something. When we were about to leave Alexis came back and handed DD and I a Magical Moments certificate to commemorate our B-days. It was a wonderful ending to a great meal that almost didn’t happen.

Slipper Desserts

Magic Moments Certificate

We left Cindy’s castle and made a beeline to DH’s favorite ride, pirates of the Caribbean. The line was really short and soon we found out why. You guessed it. Pirates was down. Our only other recourse? On to the Haunted Mansion and on our way why not get our EMH bracelets?

Hearse outside of HM

Steam Boat

We rode the Mansion and enjoyed the subtle changes then it was off to Pirates again since we overheard someone say it was up and running. We were in line for about thirty minutes and all the while some guy, his wife and their eight kids tried everything they could to jump ahead of us. Why? They’d only get ahead three seats, however DH made sure that didn‘t happen. We were nearing the end of the ride you know the part with the pirates trying to get the keys from the dog when all of a sudden we bumped into the boat in front of us and was then bumped from behind. It took about 15 minutes to exit the ride so I don’t know if there was a problem or just too many boats at one time.

Pirates

After Pirates we did some more shopping for more tee shirts. I swear I could open my own private Disney shop with all the tee shirts these two have collected over the years. So after adding a couple more to their collection we headed towards the castle only to be re-routed around the back once more and soon we learned why as the music and fireworks of Wishes started. Now I’ve seen Wishes down Main Street, on Main Street and directly in front of the castle but never from behind. Actually we seemed to be sandwiched in between somewhere because the music was a bit faint and the fireworks was all around us. It was a different point of view but to tell you the truth I’d rather be out front.

Wishes from in between

Castle

After Wishes we followed the crowd out of the park, by way of the stores. It was only around 10pm and I surprised that I had lasted this long but it had been a long day for me at least and now all I could think of was getting back to the hotel, packing and getting some sleep. Tomorrow was breakfast at Boma’s followed by a stop at Down Town Disney, then we were headed back up the coast.

Next stop….Saint Augustine Beach and a Haunted Lighthouse.

 

[loribell]

Dang it is almost over. I hope you felt better for the drive home.

 

[Hollywoodhaha]

Aww!
Those slipper desserts look SCRUMPTIOUS!
I want one now ..

 

[shadowryter]

Dang it is almost over. I hope you felt better for the drive home.

All good things must come to an end. Then of course there's always next year. As far as feeling better? Didn't happen.

Aww!
Those slipper desserts look SCRUMPTIOUS!
I want one now ..

I could go for one too. I hardly took a bite since I was sick.

 

[shadowryter]

Monday ~ August 25<SUP>th</SUP>

All I really wanted to do was sleep in this morning. I coughed all night long and I know I kept poor DH and DD awake. We had decided the night before that we would cancel Boma’s and I would call first thing in the morning. What DD and DH didn’t know was that I had ordered a cake for our last morning of our birthday trip. I crawled out of bed a little after 8am and called the cake hotline that connected me to Boma’s. I guess the Cm I spoke to heard it in my voice, or lack of. I canceled the ADR though begrudgingly and then was connected to the bakery. I told the Cm that I was sick and unfortunately had to cancel my ADR and my Zebra cake. Their response? “Don’t you worry. I’ve taken care of it. You just get better, ok.” Wow, he was so sweet and concerned and I admit I was relieved to know that I wouldn’t be charged $55 for a cake I couldn’t have. But sick or not I finished the packing I started the night before, got sleepy D and DH out of bed and moving, snapped a few more pic’s on the way to checking out and we were off. Our wonderful stay at the Swan was over. Next stop Saint Augustine Beach, but not before a visit to DTD for some last minute shopping.

One last view from the balcony

One last glimpse of the Dolphin

Goodbye Swan fountain

Goodbye Swan

Our visit at DTD was a quiet one except for me coughing constantly. I was popping throat lozenges like candy. I know not the smartest thing to do. We stayed for a couple of hours and after quite a hefty bill, I realized I had packed my discount card. Could have saved a nice amount. Oh well. When we headed back to the car, we saw some of the construction going on for the new T-Rex restaurant. There was really nothing much to take pictures of which was good since my third 2 GB memory card read full. So back to the car and now it was really time to leave my Disney memories behind except for one small problem. We left DD’s balloons in the car and they were still very inflated. So we stopped and parked while DD and I hoped out and proceeded to pop the balloons, not as easy of a task as we thought. I can imagine what we must have looked like to passerby’s, stabbing at those balloons with a nail file.

Nice displays at World of Disney

Our drive back up the coast was hindered with more rain. We noticed how many of the areas were flooded, front and back yards had pools where you know they didn’t want them. It was a fairly quiet ride and we only stopped once for coffee and a snack. (darn those McDonald’s Cinni-mini’s) The Clarion Castillo Real was turning into another hard property to find and DH was loosing his temper because he hates getting lost. We went up and down the street several times and it seemed we missed a turn off that wasn’t marked very well, something that I was told later, happens all the time. Yeah.

We finally found it, a pretty little boutique hotel just across the street from the beach and after checking in, it started to pour. Yes, TA Fay was following us home. My main reason for choosing this hotel was its close proximity to the St. Augustine Lighthouse. DH, DD and myself are huge fans of the Ghost Hunters series, especially since they are based in RI and have visited my home town and a real haunted family who just happens to live a couple of streets away. Regardless of the rain, we were permitted to visit the museum but had to wait an hour since the storm was passing. The museum was fascinating and used up the hour quickly.

Clarion Castillo Real

Museum

One of the original lanterns made of individual pieces fo glass

The Lighthouse opened shortly and we walked in and immediately looked up. This was the same view we saw on the show. We started our ascent up the 219 steps to the top. It was humid after the rain and the air was thick. The lighthouse was steaming inside despite a few opened windows. We all trudged on, me taking a short rest halfway up. I thought my legs would give out but it was my lungs instead. I felt like I was breathing through a straw. Darn cold and allergies. I stopped to take a picture at each window but before long, we were at the top. The view was unbelievable and DD almost missed it, opting to stay just inside the doorway. She claims she’s afraid of heights yet she rode a Giga coaster last year at Cedar Point. Well in the end, she did inch her way out only to run into her next fear. Bees. Nice little nest at the top of the light tower.

St Augustine Lighthouse

219 steps.

View from the top

After about twenty minutes, I made my way down the spiral staircase and waited for DD and DH…and waited and waited. Seems they struck a conversation with the lighthouse keep/tour guide and got into the Ghost Hunters visit and of course, DH had to tell him all about our hometown visit.

View from the bottom (DD & DH)

They finally came down and after a visit to the gift store; we were off to find a place for dinner, locating a Red Lobster not too far away. After a wonderful meal of lobster and crab, we headed back to the hotel but unfortunately got lost again. (that darn turn) We drove around and around and up and down the wrong streets. DH started seeing red but all we could see was black. It was already night and there seemed to be an awful lack of streetlights.

Thankfully, with the help of DD, we finally found the hotel. She seems to have a knack at finding hotels, streets, anything. Honestly, she’s better than OnStar. By this time, DH and I weren’t speaking to each other because it’s always my fault when we get lost. Go figure, so I stayed outside for a bit and took some pictures of the hotel. I came back to the hotel room and by now DH had calmed down and was all-apologetic. My cold was getting worse and after downing some Nyquil, that was it for me.

Hotel at night

Next….Back to Myrtle Beach, a great show at Medieval Times and getting lost….again.