SHHH.. Don't tell the kids

[snowmedic]

So, after 2 years of not being at the Fort, we are finally returning.
We have been trying our hardest to keep this trip a secret from our DD's 15 and 7, but it is hard to do when you have MBs and Annual Passes arriving by
Fed Ex every other day. We keep telling them that we are going in March and we are just getting things together before winter hours start up.

We will be leaving in 16 days and staying 1 week with my parents in Shalimar Fl. We will be visiting my sister and her husband while there. Then we will be off to the Fort. We will be there from Nov. 1 -
Nov. 15.

Until then we have more tickets to order and more excuses to think of when the 7 year old ask more questions.

 

[tiggerdad]

Our trip is November 14-23 and my kids have no clue. Taking my niece, who also has no clue. We are telling them we are heading to the beach for the weekend. My plan is to drive through the night and if I am lucky they won't figure it out until the welcome sign on the Western Way. If I am very lucky and they are still asleep, I'll make it all the way to the Fort, at which point I'll let the CMs tell them where they are.

 

[Sur]

Smuggling at its best! Why didn't anyone ever do this kinda thing for me?!?! Our vacations always began with family arguments, mom having to clean/disinfect the house before we left, and absolutely NEVER included Disney! Boo!

 

[PrincessCooper's Mom]

We did this to my daughter, 6, last February. Me, my mom, and my sister. Left about 7pm. When she asked where we were going we told her shopping, midnight madness sale. She has been to Disney several times so I could not believe she did not figure it out but she did not. We arrived about 1am. There was no traffic and we were able to stop in front of the arch entrance and tell her to lookup. It was perfect! I have it all on video!!!

 

[Teamubr]

This is so cool. I wish we could have pulled it off when my DS was younger. He's 16 now and enjoys the planning as much as I do. Our drive is so long (17 hrs) and he knows the only places we take the camper for that long of a trip are WDW or Destin.

j

 

[bama_ed]

Good for you, snowmedic!

Two trip in the next several months - wowza.

Will these be tent trips, popup trips, or "other"?

Inquiring minds want to know...

Bama Ed

 

[snowmedic]

This is so cool. I wish we could have pulled it off when my DS was younger. He's 16 now and enjoys the planning as much as I do. Our drive is so long (17 hrs) and he knows the only places we take the camper for that long of a trip are WDW or Destin.

j

My 7 yr. old is the same way. We have a Chevy 1500 and she calls it the Florida truck. We only drive it a couple times when home and the rest of the time is when we go to the Fort, that's when we put the most miles on it in a year. But, we are not taking the Florida truck this year. ( To be continued).

 

[snowmedic]

Good for you, snowmedic!

Two trip in the next several months - wowza.

Will these be tent trips, popup trips, or "other"?

Inquiring minds want to know...

Bama Ed

Thanks Bama Ed, we will be bringing with us this year a new tent.
It is bigger, 18 x 17 than the one we went with 2 yrs. ago. I have to look at your post on campsite sizes, we stayed in the 2000 loop last time, and we want to try out the 1500 loop this time. When I do my online check-in I'm going to request and see if it happens.

 

[snowmedic]

Our trip is November 14-23 and my kids have no clue. Taking my niece, who also has no clue. We are telling them we are heading to the beach for the weekend. My plan is to drive through the night and if I am lucky they won't figure it out until the welcome sign on the Western Way. If I am very lucky and they are still asleep, I'll make it all the way to the Fort, at which point I'll let the CMs tell them where they are.

Tiggerdad, I knew you are going to be there when I am, by one day, maybe we can meet up and say Hi. I will have my Dis sign out and post our site number.

 

[tiggerdad]

My plan is drive the 12 hours through the night and arrive around 8-9 am on November 14. We will be at the Fort all day that day. Hopefully they will have us a site open. I'm gambling on that. Doing Hoop at 4:30 and evening movie. Gotta lot of decorations to put up that day too.

I'll follow your posts and see where ya are.

 

[bama_ed]

Tiggerdad, I knew you are going to be there when I am, by one day, maybe we can meet up and say Hi.

Oh I bet you two kids will hit it off!



Bama Ed

PS - I'm going to spread the word to my friends on Squirrel 'Net...

 

[tiggerdad]

Come on Ed, give a guy a chance. I'm still trying to convince my wife to let me bring the Jack Russell terrier for protection.

 

[4077]

My plan is drive the 12 hours through the night and arrive around 8-9 am on November 14. We will be at the Fort all day that day. Hopefully they will have us a site open. I'm gambling on that. Doing Hoop at 4:30 and evening movie. Gotta lot of decorations to put up that day too. I'll follow your posts and see where ya are.

Must be great to have that new implant that allows you not to sleep...lol

 

[tiggerdad]

Must be great to have that new implant that allows you not to sleep...lol

It's called being all jacked up on Mountain Dew. I really hope my site is ready on arrival. If I can sneak in a short nap I'll be fine. Otherwise I'll look and act like Doc. Brown from Back to the Future.

 

[snowmedic]

My plan is drive the 12 hours through the night and arrive around 8-9 am on November 14. We will be at the Fort all day that day. Hopefully they will have us a site open. I'm gambling on that. Doing Hoop at 4:30 and evening movie. Gotta lot of decorations to put up that day too.

I'll follow your posts and see where ya are.

If I drive 12 hrs from my house it will only get me to South of the Border in SC.
I believe it is going to take me 23 hrs. to get to Shalimar, (Destin) Fl.
Then from there I believe it is about 4 1/2 - 5 hrs. to the Fort. ( some one let me know if it is any different.)
At this point I am not planning on driving straight through, going to work 10 hrs., come home get cleaned up then head out. Planning on stopping just the other side of DC on 95, probably around 1:30 a.m.

 

[FortWildernessCamper]

Go for it TIggerdad! we did a 10hr trip from MD to OH and my DH was really loopy during our walkthru of our new RV!

 

[tiggerdad]

I work 12 hour shifts in the ED, evenings and nights so I am already adjusted to schedule. What I'll do is stay up all night stuffing camper, washing truck and cleaning it out, etc. Then sleep all day getting up to take a shower and hit the road for "the beach".

My kids are oblivious to my plans...

 

[snowmedic]

Well, we are down to 12 days, just put the EZ Pass into the car and did some more shopping to get ready for the trip. Got some camping stuff together already, along with some Christmas lights , some for decoration and some just so we don't have to run a lantern. (Should give off plenty of light in the campsite). Seems like it will never get here and we are so ready to follow the geese south for the winter, even if it is only for three weeks.

 

[Teamubr]

I work 12 hour shifts in the ED, evenings and nights so I am already adjusted to schedule.

After I read your plans I thought you were probably doing 12 hour nights. I was on nights for 12 years in the ICU. Most of those 12 hour shifts. You strangely do get used to being up 24+ hours and still appear to function semi-normally.
Not sure its healthy, but it seemed to work.

Snowmedic-
Just curious, but why are you going through Destin to get from Vermont to the Fort? I've been to Destin and the Fort quite a few times. They don't line up very well from Vermont (or St Louis)

j

 

[snowmedic]

After I read your plans I thought you were probably doing 12 hour nights. I was on nights for 12 years in the ICU. Most of those 12 hour shifts. You strangely do get used to being up 24+ hours and still appear to function semi-normally.
Not sure its healthy, but it seemed to work.

Snowmedic-
Just curious, but why are you going through Destin to get from Vermont to the Fort? I've been to Destin and the Fort quite a few times. They don't line up very well from Vermont (or St Louis)

j

Teamubr, My parents live in the military retirement village in Shalimar, they use to live in Palm Bay. And my sister lives in Destin. We are going to visit for a week before heading over to the Fort.
We went back to Vt. a few years ago from Destin and didn't care for the back roads up to Atlanta, so we are going to go down 95 to Jacksonville and cut across 10.