wilma-bride
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- Joined
- Jul 13, 2005
- Messages
- 22,681
Tuesday 31st August 2010
We both slept really well, with me waking first just before 7. I took my book and went out on the balcony to read. I was soon joined by Gary and we enjoyed the early morning warmth before heading back inside to get showered, dressed and packed. Tim had told us the previous evening that he could serve breakfast at a time to suit us, since we were the only guests staying that night, so we agreed on 9am.
He had gone to a lot of trouble. Sadly, a lot of it was wasted on yours truly, Miss Fussypants. First, we were presented with fresh orange juice and a choice of tea or coffee. Then Tim brought out some glasses filled with yoghurt, granola and fresh fruit. Gary really enjoyed it but I am not a fan of blueberries and there were a lot of them I kept trying to swallow them whole as I didnt want to be rude and not eat it.
Next, Tim brought us out a dish which he had made himself. It was an egg/sausage dish with a cheesy sauce, served in a ramekin with a fresh, warm croissant to dip in. I tried to be brave and stuck my spoon in it but it smelled really strong and I just couldnt bring myself to try it. I did apologise profusely to Tim, explaining that I was incredibly fussy. I ate the croissant, which was lovely. Gary did taste the egg dish but it was too cheesy (remember I said he doesnt like melted cheese at all) so he couldnt eat it either. I think we both felt guilty as Tim had clearly made a huge effort to present us with something other than your regular bacon and egg.
Once breakfast was finished, we said our goodbyes and packed up the car, heading out of St Augustine across the Bridge of Lions to the lighthouse. It was $18 for the two of us to get in and we had a lovely wander through the grounds before climbing the steps (I did count them but, for some reason, didnt write down how many there were) to the top of the lighthouse. At first, it was quite easy going as there were plenty of little rest areas. However, as you climbed higher and the lighthouse narrowed, so there was less space for the rest platforms. As there were people climbing the steps behind us and not much room to pass, we had to keep going too so I was puffing and panting like a marathon runner by the time we reached the top.
It was well worth it, though, as the view from the top was absolutely amazing. You could literally see for miles. It was very blowy up there though. Unfortunately, I have got no pictures from the top, I think because I had the video camera with me. You will just have to take my word for it that it was awesome.
We descended the stairs and walked across to the museum, where we learned all about the lighthouse and its previous keepers and history.
Time was marching on and we really needed to make a move so we hit the road. We had decided to take the coast road (the A1A) down to Ormond Beach and it was a great choice. Although it was a slower road, the views were spectacular out across the Atlantic Ocean. We stopped at a little beach a few miles down the road and wandered down to the beach to have a look around. It was quite a grey day and the water didnt look very inviting and, while we were listening to the radio a bit later, we heard that a rip-current warning had been issued and people were being advised not to swim. It was a shame, really, that it was a little bit overcast as Im sure the drive would have been even more beautiful on a clear, sunny day. There were some beautiful houses along the coast road, most of them with private beach access, jetties and boat houses.
Once we reached Daytona Beach, we picked up the I4 towards Orlando. We were getting a bit hungry so stopped at a Steak n Shake for a late lunch.
Gary ordered the Western BBQ Burger and a Strawnilla shake, although the nilla part of the shake tasted more like nana.
I had the Chicken Melt and a Chocmint Cookie shake.
The food was lovely, cooked to order and very fresh. The shakes were pretty good, too, although Gary still swears that the Fribble shake from Friendlys is the best ever. The check came to $22 inc tip what a bargain!
After leaving Steak n Shake we stopped at a nearby gas station to top up before continuing our journey to Walt Disney World.
We arrived at the Boardwalk Inn around 3pm and checked in, although the room was not ready. We didnt want to go far so wandered around the Boardwalk to ESPN, where we had a couple of diet cokes. At 4pm on the dot, we went back to Boardwalk and the room was ready. We were given room 1125, which was a ground (1st) floor studio at the far end of the villas hallway. We had a part car park/part water view not unpleasant and pretty good for a standard view. Although at first, the room location seemed bad, it actually worked out pretty well as were right near the quiet pool and a short walk to the very end of the corridor brought us to a back exit and out onto the walkway to Hollywood Studios. So, generally, we were very happy with the room and the location.
We showered, changed and unpacked and then headed off to the Belle Vue Lounge, where we were meeting Margaret (a friend from the Dibb) and her children, Katherine and Michael. They were a little late arriving and Margaret was a bit flustered but she soon relaxed with the aid of a large G&T (or something of that ilk)
I had my usual drink of preference, a Very Berry Punch.
And Gary had his usual lager of some kind...
We chatted for a while and then Margaret and co. left for their 6pm ADR (although they didnt leave till 6.15)
We finished our drinks, then caught a bus to Magic Kingdom, then the monorail to the Polynesian Resort where we had an ADR at Kona Café.
To drink, I ordered a Kona Cool Sundown which was delicious.
Gary, meanwhile, opted for a non-alcoholic Pomegranate Lemonade.
Our server also brought us some delicious Hawaiian sweet bread. I expected this to be like the bread served at Ohana, which I didnt like, but it wasnt at all. It was just like a sweet white loaf. It took all of our willpower not to demolish the whole thing. When our server returned to take our orders, I remarked how delicious it was and he said he would bring us a loaf, wrapped, to take home with us.
We ordered the wings (without the mustard drizzle) as an appetiser to share. They were lovely but it was a massive portion and we only hate half of them, since we wanted to save ourselves for main and dessert. Our server boxed up the remaining wings and brought them out with the promised bread.
For main, I was completely torn between the Pomegranate Pork Chop and the Teriyaki Steak. After much deliberating, I chose the steak but requested roasted fingerling potatoes instead of mash. The steak was delicious but I didnt care much for the pineapple salsa on the top.
Gary was going to have the steak but, at the last minute, did a complete about-turn and chose the Asian Noodles with Chicken. He really enjoyed this dish.
Although we were both full, we couldnt pass up the opportunity to try some of the delicious desserts. Gary is a complete sucker for crème brulee so the Banana Crème Brulee was an obvious choice for him.
I was going to have the Kilauea Torte but worried it might be a bit sickly so played it safe and had the White Chocolate Cheesecake, which was very light and incredibly delicious. I didnt really like the chocolate strands over the top but polished off the rest.
The check, inc tip, came to $100. It was a delicious meal, though, and one which remains a firm favourite of ours. We will definitely return to Kona Café in the future.
With our doggy bag of wings and bread (which, sadly, never got eaten as we were always either too full or it was too early), we caught the monorail back to the Magic Kingdom and hopped on a bus to the Boardwalk. We popped into Seashore Sweets and bought a Sprite Zero. Back in the room, we watched Glee before retiring to bed with our full bellies
We both slept really well, with me waking first just before 7. I took my book and went out on the balcony to read. I was soon joined by Gary and we enjoyed the early morning warmth before heading back inside to get showered, dressed and packed. Tim had told us the previous evening that he could serve breakfast at a time to suit us, since we were the only guests staying that night, so we agreed on 9am.
He had gone to a lot of trouble. Sadly, a lot of it was wasted on yours truly, Miss Fussypants. First, we were presented with fresh orange juice and a choice of tea or coffee. Then Tim brought out some glasses filled with yoghurt, granola and fresh fruit. Gary really enjoyed it but I am not a fan of blueberries and there were a lot of them I kept trying to swallow them whole as I didnt want to be rude and not eat it.
Next, Tim brought us out a dish which he had made himself. It was an egg/sausage dish with a cheesy sauce, served in a ramekin with a fresh, warm croissant to dip in. I tried to be brave and stuck my spoon in it but it smelled really strong and I just couldnt bring myself to try it. I did apologise profusely to Tim, explaining that I was incredibly fussy. I ate the croissant, which was lovely. Gary did taste the egg dish but it was too cheesy (remember I said he doesnt like melted cheese at all) so he couldnt eat it either. I think we both felt guilty as Tim had clearly made a huge effort to present us with something other than your regular bacon and egg.
Once breakfast was finished, we said our goodbyes and packed up the car, heading out of St Augustine across the Bridge of Lions to the lighthouse. It was $18 for the two of us to get in and we had a lovely wander through the grounds before climbing the steps (I did count them but, for some reason, didnt write down how many there were) to the top of the lighthouse. At first, it was quite easy going as there were plenty of little rest areas. However, as you climbed higher and the lighthouse narrowed, so there was less space for the rest platforms. As there were people climbing the steps behind us and not much room to pass, we had to keep going too so I was puffing and panting like a marathon runner by the time we reached the top.
It was well worth it, though, as the view from the top was absolutely amazing. You could literally see for miles. It was very blowy up there though. Unfortunately, I have got no pictures from the top, I think because I had the video camera with me. You will just have to take my word for it that it was awesome.
We descended the stairs and walked across to the museum, where we learned all about the lighthouse and its previous keepers and history.
Time was marching on and we really needed to make a move so we hit the road. We had decided to take the coast road (the A1A) down to Ormond Beach and it was a great choice. Although it was a slower road, the views were spectacular out across the Atlantic Ocean. We stopped at a little beach a few miles down the road and wandered down to the beach to have a look around. It was quite a grey day and the water didnt look very inviting and, while we were listening to the radio a bit later, we heard that a rip-current warning had been issued and people were being advised not to swim. It was a shame, really, that it was a little bit overcast as Im sure the drive would have been even more beautiful on a clear, sunny day. There were some beautiful houses along the coast road, most of them with private beach access, jetties and boat houses.
Once we reached Daytona Beach, we picked up the I4 towards Orlando. We were getting a bit hungry so stopped at a Steak n Shake for a late lunch.
Gary ordered the Western BBQ Burger and a Strawnilla shake, although the nilla part of the shake tasted more like nana.
I had the Chicken Melt and a Chocmint Cookie shake.
The food was lovely, cooked to order and very fresh. The shakes were pretty good, too, although Gary still swears that the Fribble shake from Friendlys is the best ever. The check came to $22 inc tip what a bargain!
After leaving Steak n Shake we stopped at a nearby gas station to top up before continuing our journey to Walt Disney World.
We arrived at the Boardwalk Inn around 3pm and checked in, although the room was not ready. We didnt want to go far so wandered around the Boardwalk to ESPN, where we had a couple of diet cokes. At 4pm on the dot, we went back to Boardwalk and the room was ready. We were given room 1125, which was a ground (1st) floor studio at the far end of the villas hallway. We had a part car park/part water view not unpleasant and pretty good for a standard view. Although at first, the room location seemed bad, it actually worked out pretty well as were right near the quiet pool and a short walk to the very end of the corridor brought us to a back exit and out onto the walkway to Hollywood Studios. So, generally, we were very happy with the room and the location.
We showered, changed and unpacked and then headed off to the Belle Vue Lounge, where we were meeting Margaret (a friend from the Dibb) and her children, Katherine and Michael. They were a little late arriving and Margaret was a bit flustered but she soon relaxed with the aid of a large G&T (or something of that ilk)
I had my usual drink of preference, a Very Berry Punch.
And Gary had his usual lager of some kind...
We chatted for a while and then Margaret and co. left for their 6pm ADR (although they didnt leave till 6.15)
We finished our drinks, then caught a bus to Magic Kingdom, then the monorail to the Polynesian Resort where we had an ADR at Kona Café.
To drink, I ordered a Kona Cool Sundown which was delicious.
Gary, meanwhile, opted for a non-alcoholic Pomegranate Lemonade.
Our server also brought us some delicious Hawaiian sweet bread. I expected this to be like the bread served at Ohana, which I didnt like, but it wasnt at all. It was just like a sweet white loaf. It took all of our willpower not to demolish the whole thing. When our server returned to take our orders, I remarked how delicious it was and he said he would bring us a loaf, wrapped, to take home with us.
We ordered the wings (without the mustard drizzle) as an appetiser to share. They were lovely but it was a massive portion and we only hate half of them, since we wanted to save ourselves for main and dessert. Our server boxed up the remaining wings and brought them out with the promised bread.
For main, I was completely torn between the Pomegranate Pork Chop and the Teriyaki Steak. After much deliberating, I chose the steak but requested roasted fingerling potatoes instead of mash. The steak was delicious but I didnt care much for the pineapple salsa on the top.
Gary was going to have the steak but, at the last minute, did a complete about-turn and chose the Asian Noodles with Chicken. He really enjoyed this dish.
Although we were both full, we couldnt pass up the opportunity to try some of the delicious desserts. Gary is a complete sucker for crème brulee so the Banana Crème Brulee was an obvious choice for him.
I was going to have the Kilauea Torte but worried it might be a bit sickly so played it safe and had the White Chocolate Cheesecake, which was very light and incredibly delicious. I didnt really like the chocolate strands over the top but polished off the rest.
The check, inc tip, came to $100. It was a delicious meal, though, and one which remains a firm favourite of ours. We will definitely return to Kona Café in the future.
With our doggy bag of wings and bread (which, sadly, never got eaten as we were always either too full or it was too early), we caught the monorail back to the Magic Kingdom and hopped on a bus to the Boardwalk. We popped into Seashore Sweets and bought a Sprite Zero. Back in the room, we watched Glee before retiring to bed with our full bellies
