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7/5 Magic Western Trip Report: July 3-4 Travel Days
Day#1 on the road at last
Warning this is one of those long detailed reports. Read on at your own risk.
Your crew: Denise, 40 something, compulsive trip planner, member of the DIS boards. Andy also 40 something middle school administrator coming off a challenging year. Chelsea, 17, high school senior, is getting an early graduation present by cruising, also a member of the DIS board. Taylor, 14 high school sophomore. Hope 11 just starting into middle school.
Its finally here, after over a year of planning, months of talking to fellow cruisers on the DIS board, reading everything I can get my hands or computer screen on, we are ready. The plan calls for Denise to go to work for a few hours to tie up loose ends and Andy to pack the car. Hitch #1, two weeks prior to leaving Andy is assigned to a new school and they require his presence. OK, no problem, Denise will tie up work loose ends on the second and Andy goes in for a half day, while Denise closes up the house and runs those last minute errands.
Normally, our WDW drives are one long marathon. This time will be a little different. Taylor has spent the previous week with our church youth group building two houses in Fayetteville, NC. We will drive the six hours to Fayetteville, spend the night, pick up Taylor and complete the drive to the port the next day. This is a first experience in booking hotels online so well get what we get in NC.
Somehow it never occurred to either of the adults in the group that this was in fact the start of a holiday weekend and we were driving around Washington DC. The flashing overhead sign on route 50 warning of a six-mile back up was therefore a rude awakening. We had already planned on using the alternate route, but now the flashing sign was advising everyone else to do the same. Out comes in laptop forced into service, as a DVD player and the girl are happily oblivious to the conversation in the front of the van. We find long drives a wonderful time to catch up with the details of each others lives and generally reconnect. As back-up three of are all at the same point in the new Harry Potter book, so whoever is not driving is the reader.
We arrive in NC in the early evening and check into the Fayetteville comfort inn. The nice receptionist gives us a recommendation for dinner with directions. Andy and Chelsea go off to see how accurate Map Quest was is directing us to where Taylor is staying. Hope and I opt for a rest and a walk around the hotel in search of a laundry room to take care of a weeks worth of Taylor laundry. No luck, no laundry, I should have read the hotel description more thoroughly. According to the directions, we are only 17 minutes away from Taylor so after and hour and half I start to worry. They finally return, having had to stop and ask directions three times. Taylor is well other than slightly hoarse, and thankfully, he had done laundry during the week. Andy confessed to having stressed over not being able to find our son, and had visions of him going back to Maryland and us missing the cruise. Strange, that never made my list of things to stress over.
Much relieved we head off to dinner. A local place owned by a Greek family that features Italian food. Just like our local establishment with the same heritage, the portions are huge. Unlike our local favorite, this one has my favorite Southern beverage, sweet tea. On our way back we see a Habitat for Humanity village and check out the neat modest sized homes, wondering if our son has helped to build one them. Several of them still look in the final stages of construction. One hotel room and four people, plus the anticipation of the delights to come, make for a difficult nights sleep.
Day #2
Among the amenities included with this hotel are a free breakfast and a free car wash. Breakfast starts at six and Taylor can be picked up at seven, so by five thirty I am quietly doing my yoga while Andy showers. Everyone is ready shortly after 6:00 so we head to breakfast. Hope tries out grits and decides this particular southern food is not for her. Once fed, we take advantage of the car wash to de-bug the van before heading off to pick up our son.
This time the drive really does take 17 minutes. Instead of being up and ready at seven, the plan is to get the kids up at seven. Since, we were told originally that we could not pick him up until nine, anything before that is good. We run into several adults who tell us how wonderful our son was. (Always nice to hear.) Andy braves the room full of semi- awake high schoolers to find our son and his stuff. I swear he is taller and definitely thinner than he was a week ago. Stories of his amazing week take us well into SC before he and his sisters fall asleep. I envy my kids ability to sleep soundly in moving vehicles.
Driving somewhere in the never-ending road construction that is the Florida highway system, it starts to hit me. The rest of the family is napping and I start to wonder, what have I really done. For months I have been talking to folks on the DIS board. We have made plans for meets and brunch and high tea. I personally am responsible for the brunch ressies for 10 people. I am supposed to be meeting some of them at the Radisson tonight. This is like a blind date only on a massive scale. Will I like them, will they like me, will Andy, who really isnt into large gatherings just sit there and say nothing? (all right DISers you can stop laughing now) I think I can now start to relate to what Hope is feeling about starting in a new and bigger school.
We make it to the Radisson in good time, map quest being right on about the directions. Check in is painless, the pool looks inviting which is a good thing since tempers are a little frayed after the long drive. I mentally bless myself for spending the extra money to book a one- bedroom suite. Two huge beds, a whirlpool, frig, microwave coffee maker, two TVs a real table to eat breakfast and a sleeper sofa. This is heaven after two days on the road. Andy and I go in search of a laundry to finish up Taylors clothes and take care of yesterdays dirty dudes. Chelsea and I look around for DISers but dont see any at the pool. Andy and I do meet folks that are going with us. We answer questions and Andy lets them in on his secret favorite beverage the Conk cooler.
Refreshed by a swim and some time out of the car, the next thought is food. Again the DIS board comes through with a seafood and tiki bar (two of Taylors favorite things) called Gills. They even have a web site with a coupon for out of town guests. The front desk is great about directions and tells us they dont take reservations, so off we go. We take a very small side trip to make sure we know the way to the ship tomorrow and then its Gills. OK, I keep forgetting that this really is a holiday for the rest of the country and not just us. The place is right on the water and packed to. . .well the Gills. We spend the time waiting for our table by watching the boats launch from the public boat ramp next door. The coast guard is nearby checking out for the required number of life vest. Some things are the same everywhere. I know right now a thousand miles away, boats are launching from our neighborhood beach and folks are heading out to see the fireworks at the Naval Academy just as they are doing here.
The seafood was wonderful; there was even something for our non-seafood daughter. Just dont expect them to fry anything other than french fries. The key lime colada was very nice. The drive is over, I have a frozen rum drink and the diet is forgotten, yep, Im now officially on vacation. Taylor starts his bar shirt collection here.
Darkness has fallen by the time we leave. All up and down the beach there are fireworks. The rest of the family head off to bed, while Chelsea and I take a last look for DISers at the pool. The area is packed but no one looks like they are going on the cruise. We decide to view the fireworks from the parking lot. Here we see another family doing the same thing. Turns out we have run into our first DIS family. Shelly and her family had made better time than expected and arrived the day before. We catch up on the last few days as the fireworks finish doing their thing. This is good; at least well know one set of faces tomorrow.
It has been a long day and will be an exciting one tomorrow. This bed is more comfortable, my family is back together and I am exhausted. Sleep comes easily.
Day#1 on the road at last
Warning this is one of those long detailed reports. Read on at your own risk.
Your crew: Denise, 40 something, compulsive trip planner, member of the DIS boards. Andy also 40 something middle school administrator coming off a challenging year. Chelsea, 17, high school senior, is getting an early graduation present by cruising, also a member of the DIS board. Taylor, 14 high school sophomore. Hope 11 just starting into middle school.
Its finally here, after over a year of planning, months of talking to fellow cruisers on the DIS board, reading everything I can get my hands or computer screen on, we are ready. The plan calls for Denise to go to work for a few hours to tie up loose ends and Andy to pack the car. Hitch #1, two weeks prior to leaving Andy is assigned to a new school and they require his presence. OK, no problem, Denise will tie up work loose ends on the second and Andy goes in for a half day, while Denise closes up the house and runs those last minute errands.
Normally, our WDW drives are one long marathon. This time will be a little different. Taylor has spent the previous week with our church youth group building two houses in Fayetteville, NC. We will drive the six hours to Fayetteville, spend the night, pick up Taylor and complete the drive to the port the next day. This is a first experience in booking hotels online so well get what we get in NC.
Somehow it never occurred to either of the adults in the group that this was in fact the start of a holiday weekend and we were driving around Washington DC. The flashing overhead sign on route 50 warning of a six-mile back up was therefore a rude awakening. We had already planned on using the alternate route, but now the flashing sign was advising everyone else to do the same. Out comes in laptop forced into service, as a DVD player and the girl are happily oblivious to the conversation in the front of the van. We find long drives a wonderful time to catch up with the details of each others lives and generally reconnect. As back-up three of are all at the same point in the new Harry Potter book, so whoever is not driving is the reader.
We arrive in NC in the early evening and check into the Fayetteville comfort inn. The nice receptionist gives us a recommendation for dinner with directions. Andy and Chelsea go off to see how accurate Map Quest was is directing us to where Taylor is staying. Hope and I opt for a rest and a walk around the hotel in search of a laundry room to take care of a weeks worth of Taylor laundry. No luck, no laundry, I should have read the hotel description more thoroughly. According to the directions, we are only 17 minutes away from Taylor so after and hour and half I start to worry. They finally return, having had to stop and ask directions three times. Taylor is well other than slightly hoarse, and thankfully, he had done laundry during the week. Andy confessed to having stressed over not being able to find our son, and had visions of him going back to Maryland and us missing the cruise. Strange, that never made my list of things to stress over.
Much relieved we head off to dinner. A local place owned by a Greek family that features Italian food. Just like our local establishment with the same heritage, the portions are huge. Unlike our local favorite, this one has my favorite Southern beverage, sweet tea. On our way back we see a Habitat for Humanity village and check out the neat modest sized homes, wondering if our son has helped to build one them. Several of them still look in the final stages of construction. One hotel room and four people, plus the anticipation of the delights to come, make for a difficult nights sleep.
Day #2
Among the amenities included with this hotel are a free breakfast and a free car wash. Breakfast starts at six and Taylor can be picked up at seven, so by five thirty I am quietly doing my yoga while Andy showers. Everyone is ready shortly after 6:00 so we head to breakfast. Hope tries out grits and decides this particular southern food is not for her. Once fed, we take advantage of the car wash to de-bug the van before heading off to pick up our son.
This time the drive really does take 17 minutes. Instead of being up and ready at seven, the plan is to get the kids up at seven. Since, we were told originally that we could not pick him up until nine, anything before that is good. We run into several adults who tell us how wonderful our son was. (Always nice to hear.) Andy braves the room full of semi- awake high schoolers to find our son and his stuff. I swear he is taller and definitely thinner than he was a week ago. Stories of his amazing week take us well into SC before he and his sisters fall asleep. I envy my kids ability to sleep soundly in moving vehicles.
Driving somewhere in the never-ending road construction that is the Florida highway system, it starts to hit me. The rest of the family is napping and I start to wonder, what have I really done. For months I have been talking to folks on the DIS board. We have made plans for meets and brunch and high tea. I personally am responsible for the brunch ressies for 10 people. I am supposed to be meeting some of them at the Radisson tonight. This is like a blind date only on a massive scale. Will I like them, will they like me, will Andy, who really isnt into large gatherings just sit there and say nothing? (all right DISers you can stop laughing now) I think I can now start to relate to what Hope is feeling about starting in a new and bigger school.
We make it to the Radisson in good time, map quest being right on about the directions. Check in is painless, the pool looks inviting which is a good thing since tempers are a little frayed after the long drive. I mentally bless myself for spending the extra money to book a one- bedroom suite. Two huge beds, a whirlpool, frig, microwave coffee maker, two TVs a real table to eat breakfast and a sleeper sofa. This is heaven after two days on the road. Andy and I go in search of a laundry to finish up Taylors clothes and take care of yesterdays dirty dudes. Chelsea and I look around for DISers but dont see any at the pool. Andy and I do meet folks that are going with us. We answer questions and Andy lets them in on his secret favorite beverage the Conk cooler.
Refreshed by a swim and some time out of the car, the next thought is food. Again the DIS board comes through with a seafood and tiki bar (two of Taylors favorite things) called Gills. They even have a web site with a coupon for out of town guests. The front desk is great about directions and tells us they dont take reservations, so off we go. We take a very small side trip to make sure we know the way to the ship tomorrow and then its Gills. OK, I keep forgetting that this really is a holiday for the rest of the country and not just us. The place is right on the water and packed to. . .well the Gills. We spend the time waiting for our table by watching the boats launch from the public boat ramp next door. The coast guard is nearby checking out for the required number of life vest. Some things are the same everywhere. I know right now a thousand miles away, boats are launching from our neighborhood beach and folks are heading out to see the fireworks at the Naval Academy just as they are doing here.
The seafood was wonderful; there was even something for our non-seafood daughter. Just dont expect them to fry anything other than french fries. The key lime colada was very nice. The drive is over, I have a frozen rum drink and the diet is forgotten, yep, Im now officially on vacation. Taylor starts his bar shirt collection here.
Darkness has fallen by the time we leave. All up and down the beach there are fireworks. The rest of the family head off to bed, while Chelsea and I take a last look for DISers at the pool. The area is packed but no one looks like they are going on the cruise. We decide to view the fireworks from the parking lot. Here we see another family doing the same thing. Turns out we have run into our first DIS family. Shelly and her family had made better time than expected and arrived the day before. We catch up on the last few days as the fireworks finish doing their thing. This is good; at least well know one set of faces tomorrow.
It has been a long day and will be an exciting one tomorrow. This bed is more comfortable, my family is back together and I am exhausted. Sleep comes easily.
