I'll never stay off property again!! April 22-30th TR!!

[gellybean]

All caught up!

Soooo glad you liked AKL! I love it!!! Your TR is making me miss it.

Your review of the fried shrimp at Mara is making me glad we hit up Boma so many times!

I felt the same about Le Cellier. The food is really yummy but I don't know that it's some place I feel I have to dine at every trip.
Teppan Edo, though, was one of our faves for sure!! I drool just thinking about eating there again. YUM! I don't like ginger either! ICK!

Way to go gently forcing your DD to ride some things. Kids are so funny about what they think is scary and not scary. I think you did the right thing to encourage her to get on some things that you knew wouldn't scare her.

Splash Mountain is Dash's favorite ride, hands down! So glad both your kiddos enjoyed it!

Sorry the Pirate makeover check in process was sorta a bust. Makes me glad we didn't do it. I can totally see though, where you had to after after having a princess makeover. Makes me glad I have two boys.

And holy cow at those people pinning you in!!! I think I woulda used my wide loaded tush to nudge some folks out the way!

Sorry you had to witness some questionable parenting. I get having melt downs and reaching the end of your rope but it amazes me sometimes the things parents will say to their kids in public, much less at all!! Way to feel proud of your mothering skillz. I say you had every right to be proud!

I totally love how you can talk to strangers there and not feel weird about it. I'm the kinda person that never meets a stranger regardless, and sometimes when I say something out of the blue to someone I don't know in the supermarket, they and my hubby look at me like I'm nuts. In Disney, it's the norm! Love that!! Just another reason Disney is so me!

Can't wait to read more more more!! Looking forward to your thoughts on Sanaa. We haven't eaten there yet!

 

[stayhomemom77]

Okay, going to reply to you lovely posts friends and then do the next installment tomorrow. Thanks for coming over here and giving me some love!!

Mndisneygirl: I really did like the DxDP but it was A LOOOOOOT of food. I think if we had planned some signature restaurants and spread it out a bit more it would have been better. It was too much for us for such a short time period but we might try it again (and upgrade) if they offer free dining at a time when we can go back. Honestly though, I think the regular dining plan was more our speed.

Thanks for the note taking compliment...I've always fancied myself a writer. I'm flattered that I've inspired you for your next trip and I'll be reading along when you do your TR.

2 Eagle Mom: I'm afraid that 1900 Park Fare and CRT were our only character breakfasts. DH is not much of a breakfast person (although the rest of us totally are) so we only booked two. We wanted to try Crystal Palace and Cape May Cafe though and likely will on our next trip. Sorry I couldn't be more help.

Pixie Planner: Thanks for the tip about the Norway option. I think we'll likely go this route next time should we feel the need to dine with the princesses again.

gellybean: I have only one thing to say...

Sanaa=AMAZING!!

The review is coming (obviously) but you will not be disappointed if you are expecting a rave. It was FABULOUS and I fully intend on going back over and over again.

 

[2_Eagle_Mom]

Julie - not to worry about the character breakfasts. I just don't think the others in our party are big Pooh fans. More the Fab Five. I guess I'll do some more research to see where there's a character breakfast with those characters. The thought of getting into the park early before the crowds IS appealing though.

Hmmmm..

 

[stayhomemom77]

Tuesday was a park free day. Ahhh!!

We slept in until about 8:30 a.m. and then went down to Mara for a dine-in breakfast around 9 a.m. DH got the waffle meal and so did DD and DS (kid ones, of course). I got the Bounty Meal and couldn’t finish it. The others helped me polish it off. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE breakfast food but DH is more of a cereal kind of fella so we didn't use our meals for breakfast too many times on the regular dining plan. I did like that with the deluxe plan I got to have three meals but it was so much food that I'm not sure we'd ever do it again. Maybe if free dining was offered and we just paid for the upgrade. Plus the kids would have to start eating like elephants to help us devour all of it. Another split stay would be helpful too...

We then set off to leisurely explore the grounds and the animal viewing areas. DH was excited about doing this all together but the kids were a bit of a drag and couldn’t wait to be done.

Have any of you ever experienced this?? DH thought it was so interesting (humorous) that he decided to take pictures. I thought he was weird, but now I get to share it!!

YOU + GOD = LOVE it was. I guess he didn't get a picture of the final effect.

We spent a fair amount of time at the Hakuna Matata playground…the kids were out of their heads with excitement about this.

The playground is really something, as far as playgrounds go. There are little grass huts on top of the equipment that the kids (and I) thought were cool, the entire area is well shaded and there are several benches for parents to sit on as well as a water fountain which DS availed himself of several times. At four p.m. a lifeguard came over with a damp rag to wipe all the equipment down. I was impressed. The area is safe and aesthetically pleasing as well as functional. Two thumbs waaay up from Mom, Dad and the kiddies too.
We only tore them away from the park with the promise of a swim.

DH went back to the room to drop off the camera and got “lost”. He was gone about half an hour just checking stuff out and taking more pictures. He was in no hurry to return to us since we’d rushed him on the morning exploration and he knew we were happy in the pool. He came back eventually and I tried to explain to him what he been going on while he had been absent.

I told him that the kids and I had been dealing with a torpedo, which he took to mean some guy in a speedo. Is this a standard euphemism?? He seemed to think it was, so there was a bit of miscommunication there which will become clearer once I tell you what I had meant by torpedo.
The kids and I stayed in the shallow area waiting for Daddy to come back. The water was about chest deep for them and there were other kids playing near us which we entirely ignored. But there was one little girl (I would guess about 11 or 12 years old) that refused to be ignored. She had on her little goggles and was playing by herself and kept shooting underwater between the kids’ feet and right through our little circle. Now this little girl was on the chunky side and was easily twice the size of my kids so she sort of made them nervous because she was actually making contact and I think they were worried this "big kid" was going to knock them down. I just found it annoying and I couldn’t figure out to whom she belonged. There didn’t seem to be any other family members anywhere near her. To this day it remains a mystery.

Anyway, she was still zooming around (and through) us when DH came back and so torpedo was my “code word” to describe her behavior because she was within hearing distance. He’d seen her doing it, so I thought he’d clue in but since torpedo means something else in his language he got visibly upset. Small wonder when you consider he thought some man in a speedo was swimming through our kids legs!! He scolded me for “scaring him like that.”

Some random thoughts:

DD decided to do a Dug impression that I thought was really funny. She was pretending to tell me something and it went sort of like this:
“Did you know I saw a real….SQUIRREL!!” She thought this was HILARIOUS!!

Also, at the playground they demanded my attention again and again. Here’s my question…just how many times can you hear, “Mommy…look!” before it loses all meaning? Just wondering. Anyway, moving on…

We hit up Mara again for our lunch, but this time we had it in our room. It was a late lunch…2 p.m. I forget completely what they ate. I knew we were having dinner in a couple of hours so I opted to have DS’s leftover steak. It was delicious but still far too filling. I checked out our leftover moose’s too. They looked more like road kill in all honesty. DH had dropped our bag of leftovers at some point before they made it into the fridge and it showed. The kids ate them anyway…they still tasted good.

Everyone bathed and showered after that and then we headed down to the pool area for 3 p.m. for a colouring activity for the kids. Again….wild with joy over this little experience and it came FREE with the room stay. We made an encore appearance at the Hakuna Matata playground for an hour and at 5 p.m. we headed over to Simba’s Cubhouse to drop the kids off.
Mom and Dad were having dinner at Sanaa and the kids considered this stay at the cubhouse a special privilege. Works for me!!

DH and I took care of the paperwork and then headed over on foot to Kidiani. It doesn’t seem as far as it actually is…reaching the end of the building only takes a moment, but getting all the way around to the front lobby takes a good 10 to 15 minutes. I had dressed up for our night out and was definitely wearing the wrong shoes for the occasion! I just kept thinking about how I was going to have to do this again on the way back. I DID get blisters incidentally…just little ones thankfully.

We checked in and then ran upstairs to catch a bit (spectating) of the drumming class. DH and I both thought it was great. Our buzzer went off after about 5 minutes. We weren’t seated near the windows but I didn’t care. The décor is quite beautiful and both DH and I commented on how nice it was not to have the kids there distracting us. I actually got to look the server in the eye…how novel!!

We ordered the bread service to start and went with the dips that he recommended (Red Chile Sambal, Red Pepper Hummus and I forget which other one). We paid for this OOP and were not disappointed. I ordered a mega berry smoothie and DH got the mango one. I tried his and it was tasty but liked my own better.

For entrees, I ordered the tandoori shrimp (sooo tasty) and he got shrimp with green curry and the chicken with red curry. He liked the chicken better but thought it was all tasty. He ended up finishing my shrimp for me…my food was amazing but I was getting so full from the smoothie and the bread.

We managed to choke down our dessert…should have just taken it to go. We got the dessert sampler: the cake was really good, the kulfi amazing (as you can see we ate it before either one of us got a pic of it) I didn’t try the Chai cream as I don't drink tea or coffee but DH said it was good.

We rolled out of there (and I DO mean rolled….SO FULL) about an hour after having been seated. Our server German (pronounced Herman) was great…loved him.

We then walked around Kidani for a bit…checked out the animal viewing spots and the statues and stuff. It’s a really nice place but we like AKL better. Eventually, I had to beg DH to return to the room so I could change into some pants with an elastic waist and relieve the suffering of my aching feet.

A few Kidani pics:

We picked up the kids at 8 p.m. and got them into bed for 8:30 p.m. I have to say, they didn’t complain about having to leave the cubhouse…although I think they wanted to (complain that is…not leave). If we stay here on our next trip we are likely going to do this again. One night (a few hours) of grown up time for Mom and Dad…just to keep us sane although really, I have no complaints…the kids were awesome with the small exception of the stroller troubles.

Next up...a return trip to Epcot!!

 

[Dizneydawn]

I'm Here!!! I wanted to subscribe before I lost it again! Now I will go back and read!!!

 

[tlenzendorf]

I'm here too! I like the looks of Saratoga Springs, but it just looked way too big of a place for us. AKL I loved when we stayed there!

Isn't it great to have just a little bit of time without the kids? I think our older 2 would be too old, but I think the younger one may like it.

I'm ready for more!

 

[stayhomemom77]

The following morning we got to Epcot right at nine. The plan was for Mommy and DS to go right on Test Track since we hadn’t been on in the previous year. But… I was denied. He heard the loud racing noise and bailed.

He passed on trying again for Mission: Space so we went to Ellen’s Energy Adventure. I liked it…the kids were sort of lukewarm about it although DS did enjoy the dinosaurs and DH thought it was rubbish. Well, you can’t please ‘em all!

Then we went to Innoventions.

We checked out a few of the displays and the kids were thrilled when we found the Velcro area. They were actually pulled up on stage to do the “build a tower” challenge and were happy with their creations. Afterward three of us made a frog…DS is now keeping mine safe for me and now he can't be separated from his other frog friend so I'm never getting him back.

We checked out a few more exhibits (they LOVED the piggy bank one…wanted to go right back in as soon as we had finished it) before heading over to the Seas for a washroom break and to check in for lunch at Coral Reef.

Our reservations were for 11:50 a.m. but we checked in early (11:35 a.m.) so we could use the rest room. When we were coming out of the bathroom five minutes later they were calling our name. At first they were going to seat us on the middle tier but I could see that there were a few open tables right next to the tank so I asked if it would be possible to be seated there instead. We were accommodated.

DH was thrilled I’d had the guts to ask to be seated elsewhere. I didn’t think it was so gutsy…I’d just said, “Would it be possible to sit next to the tank?” and they said “sure”. The kids were so interested in the marine life that we could hardly get them to attend to us long enough to put in their food order not to mention trying to get them to eat.

Our server was Mulan. She was….brisk, I guess is the word for her. She’s fast and she knows her potatoes but she wasn’t overly friendly. Still we had no complaints. I got a lemonade, the lobster ravioli and cheesecake for dessert. DH got coke, the Mahi Mahi and a crème brulee for dessert. DD got the kid’s pizza meal and DS got chicken and fries with lobster bisque as his entrée. He actually had a few bites of the bisque but DH and I finished it off for him…it was delicious.

We all liked our food…mine was great and the portion size was perfect for lunch. I left satisfied but not full. My dessert was good…everyone tried a bite and I had a bite of DH’s crème brulee and was disappointed. It tasted burnt and I though I know it's supposed to look that way, I don't think it's supposed to taste that way. DH didn't like it much either. The kids were given plastic dolphins for their birthdays. We left at 12:45 p.m.

I’d come here again gladly. It was a great experience but there are a few other places that we want to check out before first so I don’t think it’ll happen on the next trip, but for sure the time after that.

We then did Turtle Talk (the room was so full, I had to stand) and explored that area. Then we headed to Spaceship Earth and then got some Disney dollars to bring home for rewarding good behavior between now and the next trip. A good incentive for the kids and a great gift for the cousins…they were thrilled. I cannot even begin to describe how geeked (it's a DH word, it means excited) the all were to get one disney dollar...even my 12 year old nephew thought it was a cool souvie. Am I smart, or what??

We then rode Living with the Land again (had to…family favourite) and then waited 30 minutes with our fastpasses to ride Soarin’. The standby line had been posted as 40 minutes so I’m not sure what happened there but it was a long wait.

Another priority was to see the acrobats in China so that was our next destination.

Then we had to get our pictures taken with the troll and then we hopped on Malestrom. The boys decided to look scared but DD said, "he's my boyfriend, so we girls had to pose as if we liked him.

The wait time for Malestrom was posted at 20 minutes but we waited a bit longer than that. As we got off the boat (totally bypassed the movie...thank you DIS) DS got my attention and shouted, “We waited THAT long for THAT short of a ride.” He got mad when I started laughing and several people around us were chucking too. DH leaned over and muttered a soft, “Amen.”


We then went on the Mexico boat ride which was much better received. We stood to listen to the Mariachi band and then I took a grumpy DS to the crystal store right next to the Donald ride and bought a necklace with Donald etched onto it. It’s cute and I love it!!

After that, it was time to head to France for dinner. This was one of the most looked forward to dinners on my part and I was….disappointed. It was really like being in France though, I can say that at least. We were there for 2 hours and we waited a LOOOOOONG time for the bill. I don’t know why…it was just like Ohana where the server disappeared completely for like 20 minutes. Maybe it really was a union mandated break or something?

Anyway, we checked in at 5:50 p.m. for our 5:50 p.m. ressie. We had a seat on one of the benches and were taken into the restaurant at 6 p.m. We liked where we were seated…we were on the right hand side of the restaurant and thought we weren’t right next to them, we had a lovely view out of the windows. Our server was Gaelle and DH and I both ordered off the Prix Fixe menu.

The food was excellent. I ordered a diet caffeine free coke, the blue salad (very tasty…gobbled every bite) gratin du macaroni (made with gruyere cheese….yummo!!) and the profiteroles for dessert. Good but not necessary to try again. DH ordered the Lobster Bisque (better than Coral Reef), the ribs and the profiteroles too. DS ordered orange juice, cheese pastry, a cookie for dessert and chicken. DD ordered a salad, orange juice, a cookie and a cheeseburger.
I would have been happier with the meal if the service hadn’t been so terrible. DH even suggested that we just go, although not seriously. I’m afraid I have to confess that this delay did affect her tip and though I felt guilty about it…I felt justified. I’d go back but only after every other restaurant in Epcot that we want to try had been checked off the list. The food was great but the wait was excruciating.

One funny thing…for some reason on this trip I had seen SEVERAL people (grownups) picking their noses. Just walking or standing or sitting there in broad daylight…picking their noses in public! Talk about gross!! During our time at Chefs des France I mentioned this to DH and he quipped, “They’re probably not on the Disney Dining Plan.”

Ewww!! I was then forced to wonder whether or not any of those people had done more than just PICK their noses. Alright, too much information I know but it was too funny!

We waited 20 minutes between the time we requested the check and the time it was brought to the table. We left at 7:40 p.m. and got to the bus stop at 8 p.m.

It was a while before the bus came and it was 9 p.m. before the kids settled down to sleep. DH and I organized and packed up quite a bit of our luggage and he brought much of it down to the car.

Up next, Animal Kingdom!!

 

[stayhomemom77]

We took the bus to AK and for once made rope drop…we didn’t actually SEE the show (there was some rooting around in the bag and some delay getting a park map and putting on sun block etc) but we were THERE for it!!

Our first official order of business was to hit up the safari. We had a great time once again and once that was done, I suggested we bypass the trails that were shaded and do them later once the heat of the day had set in. The kids protested but DH saw the sense of this and agreed.

We stopped to do some drumming and on the way to Kali River Rapids, DH grabbed the autograph book and hopped in line to meet Turk. Neither of the kids wanted to join him. I would have just passed on but he wanted to take advantage of the short line so we waited (impatiently) while he took care of it.

We got SOAKED on the rapids. Absolutely DRENCHED!! And the kids were thrilled!! It took a loooong time for me to dry.

Next we were on to the Boneyard…we hung out here for quite a while just like last year.

We finally dragged them away so we could do the Triceratop Spin and get an ice cream. After a pit stop we just sort of wandered around taking pictures and checking things out…we even caught a bit of musical show. Then we headed to Asia for lunch.

Checked in at 12:40 p.m. for a 1 p.m. reservation at Yak and Yeti and were seated immediately. The kids had wanted to get pressed pennies and were upset that they were going to seat us right away. The gent that showed us to our table waited patiently for them to get their coins done.

He took us upstairs to a small room with three other tables. Again waited 20 minutes for the check…what IS that about? Otherwise though we had really good service from Nikki and this restaurant is absolutely gorgeous!

DS in particular liked this restaurant...yeah, that's right...the fussy eater!! I got the shrimp and steak, and it was pretty good. DH got the seared miso salmon. He liked it a lot. DD got a burger and DS got the chicken bites. There was a lot of time in between visits from our server but we could see that she was really busy and she was on top of things when she did come to check up on us. I liked the décor of this place but the food isn’t really my style. I made this reservation for DH mostly and it did not disappoint. I would come here again only if DH requested it but only because I’m not a fan of Asian food…everything else was good.

We then went to get in line to see the Lion King. We sat in the giraffe section just like last time. DS stayed awake through the entire thing this time. He liked it. DD was mesmerized. They both really enjoyed the “fire guy.” DD was chosen to go up front (on stage??) and make a noise like a giraffe. It was really cute. She was so funny!

We did the Pangani trail next…the boys were far more interested in this than the girls were…we were just phonin’ it in. We missed the Maharaji trek unfortunately…we girls would have enjoyed that one better if last year is any indication. After that (we were heading to the jungle trek) the parade was starting so we found a spot and checked it out.

Our one crappy parade pic...DH took mostly video:

I passed on a snack (HOW could they be hungry??) but the others got giant brownies, and a rice krispie treat. We decided at that point just to go. The kids had enjoyed the parade but I was dead on my feet and we decided that the trek wasn’t that important and we departed.

We spent some time in the AKL gift shop, the kids spent the remainder of their money and I finally found a small pressed penny holder for them. DH got his Oakley’s here and we got a few post cards, some fridge magnets and trading pin starter kits for the kids. I’m only sad I waited this long to tell DS about them because he was so excited. Although he got Cars pins and then refused to trade with the CM that rang him up. She had mostly girly ones, so I don’t blame him.

After that we had just enough time to dump our stuff in the room before checking in at Boma. We checked in at 6:10 p.m. for our 6:15 p.m. reservation and we were seated right at 6:15 p.m. We left at 7:25 p.m.

What can I say about Boma?? I wasn’t a big fan. I didn’t’ hate it but I didn’t love it either and I can’t really say why. Maybe it had to do with our old, arthritic server who couldn’t even handle her tables by herself. (Okay, I know that's so mean but seriously why was this lady working there if she couldn't actually DO the work??)

She came with cupcakes for the kids but she was TOO nice…it was actually creepy and she plopped down next to the kids to take their second drink orders and talk to them about the cupcakes before she brought them and they were highly alarmed by this. I suggested to my husband that she needed to break so she didn’t fall over mid shift. Nasty of me, I know but I REALLY didn't like this server.

She circled the bottom of the check where it says tip not included. No one else ANYWHERE had done that. I thought it was rude. I probably overreacted but I was seriously ticked by it. Now, she KNEW from talking to us at the beginning that this was our last table service meal.

Call me crazy, but I assumed that she would know that we were aware tipping process. Besides, we hardly saw her…someone else took our drink order and brought them….someone else cleared our plates. I dunno, maybe I’m making too much out of this…I was a tad tired and grumpy that day but she really got on my nerves…and she’s the only one that did, other irritations notwithstanding.

I also didn’t find much of the food appealing. I passed on dessert almost entirely…I tried one square and a cookie and skipped all the meats and most of the sides too. I certainly didn’t eat $30 worth. Again with the 20 minute wait for the bill…and we couldn’t even request it from her…we had to ask the fellow that took our drink order and cleared our plates.

I’d try it again though…DH really liked it and the kids had no complaints and it’s especially convenient when staying at the AKL. I think my mood and the aversion to food that was coming on from eating myself sick too many times had a lot to do with my dislike of this restaurant experience. Like Ohana, I think I need a do-over on this one.

We got some milk for cereal the following morning and then I put the kids to bed while DH finished packing the car. Tomorrow was our last Disney day and we were spending it at the Magic Kingdom!!

 

[stayhomemom77]

We were all ready for our final day at Disney. We were going to be starting home after dinner, so we had until about 6 p.m. at the MK.

We were up and off in fairly good time. We parked in Pluto 16 and took the monorail over. I insisted on renting a stroller (should have done this the entire time) and our pace was much quicker after that. We went right to Fantasyland and got Peter Pan fastpasses. Then we rode the carousel. DD insisted we sit in the carriage…yippee!! That was sort of anti-climactic but what could I do?

Next it was Philharmagic and all the while DD was insisting we go to Toontown. As soon as it was 10 a.m. we headed over there.
We did Goofy’s barnstormer first (DD balked at it even though she had been on bigger rides but I told her she had no choice) and she loved it!! What is with that kid? Then we checked out Mickey’s and then Minnie’s before heading to Toon Park (which the kid’s call Pluto’s Playland). We went on Donald’s boat and then left for lunch.

We ate lunch at Peco’s Bills and while the kids were finishing DH ran to get Splash fastpasses. I had the Taco Salad and it made me feel ill. I’m not a big fan of ground beef and I’d had more than my share of carnivorous foods on this trip so it was all me…I’m sure the food was just fine. I didn’t eat the taco bowl although the others tried it and liked it. DH got the double burger but I forget what the kids got.

DD and DH went on BTMRR right after lunch but DS didn’t want to go on it so he and I went into the Briar Patch store (something like that) and I spent the rest of my spending money. I got him a Wall E racer (because R2 needed a buddy) and we found DD some birthstone Mickey head earrings for her birthday. DS was thrilled with this find!!

We returned to our spot to wait for them just as they were coming off the ride. DD was grinning from ear to ear. “I LOVE that ride,” she gushed. We then headed to POTC and the Jungle Cruise before returning to ride Splash.

We waited a LOOOOONG time (30 minutes but it felt much longer) in line for such a corny ride (Jungle Cruise). I told DH on the way out that I could cheerfully skip that one next trip. He agreed. Some lady took the opportunity of such a long wait (she was behind us) to nurse her baby. I dunno how she manage to stand and do it…I never could. I was successful at managing to keep the kids from noticing what she was doing until she was done. It didn't bother me at all, but I know my kids would have been staring and asking all kinds of potentially embarrassing questions so I thought distracting them was a prudent measure.

After we splashed down the mountain we went over to the Tomorrowland Speedway. This was our last attraction of the day. I drove with DD. I worked the pedal and she worked the wheel. Of course we kept banging into the rail and she experienced a bit of road rage. There were a lot of exasperated exclamations during that short ride!! Too funny!! Once we had finished it the kids got their driver’s licenses (and were tickled pink about them).

DH wanted to know what we should do next. I confessed that I was done. I was willing to go to anything else the rest of them might want to see and do but I was ready to throw in the towel. DH suggested that we leave on a high note so we told the kids it was time to go. Surprisingly, we didn’t hear one argument. I think they were tired too.

We still had our QS dinner credits left so I suggested that we get sandwiches from the bakery and (since it was only 4 p.m.) eat them in the car once we were en route. This process took an extremely long time. We got our food fairly quickly but we were using 5 QS credits and our 4 remaining snack credits and the cashier was earning her ears and needed another CM to talk her through the entire transaction. It took a really long time and the kids began acting up.

Finally, we had all our credits used up and we packed everything into bags so we could go. We hit the restroom one final time and then returned the stroller.

I don’t think Walt wanted us to leave because it took over an hour to get out of the park (from the Bakery) and then once we were finally standing in line for the monorail…they didn’t let us board it. We waited 20 minutes (our magic wait time!!) before all the safety checks or whatever they were doing were finished and we were able to get on the train. It was a little after 5 p.m. when we pulled out of the MK parking lot.

We had reservations to stay at the same hotel in Lake Park, GA that we had stayed in on the way down. But we had left earlier than anticipated and made good driving time so we were nearing the GA/FL border at 8 p.m. I told DH that I wished I hadn’t booked our room there and he said he was wishing the same thing. I suggested that we just keep driving until we felt like stopping and we’d just wing it for a room for the night. DH agreed.

We ended up driving until Dalton, GA and crashed at the Holiday Inn Express. We left our leftover bakery things in their fridge. (Dang it!!) We didn’t get there until late but we really wanted to leave ourselves a shorter drive for the following day. I took turns driving so that DH could doze a bit and we got to the hotel at 2 a.m. Despite being short on sleep we were both awake at 8 a.m. and decided to just get on the road. There were some thunderstorms along the route and we had to stop for potty breaks more than we wanted to but we didn’t have any traffic difficulties. We made good time and got to Detroit in about 10 hours. We waited at the tunnel for a while but cheered heartily when we crossed into Canadian soil (or cement).
Customs took a while too, although our turn was fairly quick and we stopped to get milk and dinner and were home by 8:30 p.m. At last!!

Stay tuned for final thoughts!!