Trip Report The Dry Heat Expedition (Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Disneyland)--UPDATE 6/12 (KSC and DTD)

[GoofyFan1515]

Okay, I totally apologize for being AWOL and a terrible DISer on your TR. I got your original Captsignal and posted on Page 2, but somehow it didn't subscribe me or something, so I totally lost interaction with your whole TR so far.

Anyway, now that I am back on board with it, I am trying desperately to play catch up, but I am going to have to do it in chunks until I get current again, and most of the banter will have to be sacrificed for now.

I made it up to the Bryce Canyon updates! You are travelling a part of the country I hadn't ever been to before (except parts of Arizona and the Grand Canyon) and is definitely on my bucket list! You have way too many absolutely gorgeous pictures so far to comment on, but with each update so far I found myself absolutely drooling at the beautiful views, and thinking about how soon I can plan a trip to see them all personally.

Looks like that National Park annual pass is going to pay off handsomely, and is already racking up the savings for you! I enjoyed reading your Dam updates like so many others, and that is another place I need to visit in person, although I have seen it from the air, and also small parts of Las Vegas, but like you, a little bit goes a long way!

And just an FYI with your Dinoco (Sinclair) gas prices in Cedar City, Utah.......Gas Buddy now lists prices at that station as $1.92, so it has dropped to almost half since you were there............

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

So... still being punished?

He was up crying at 4:00 a.m. last night for about 45 minutes or so. So, yes.

Not that it mattered since the alternative was going to just be blocking a few of the locals and their friends in.

Hey, you do what you gotta do.

You're the highway engineer guy. You should be telling them what it's called. You're the expert.

But I thought everyone was an expert on highways.

Come on... don't dis the PB&J. You had your burgers yesterday!

The PB&J is what helps us take these trips. But it really does have a cumulative effect.

Stupid road construction. What kind of moron decides to close a whole road down just to do some repairs on it?

Buncha jerks, I tell ya. Hey, look, you're an expert now!

Live a little, Julie!

Mark, you were well within reason to drive on the wrong side. I'd have definitely done the same.

I'm glad somebody has my back here.

Yep... complete no brainer. I'd be out of there as fast as possible.

I'm guessing you're about as into trees as we are. Which is to say, not very.

I think they put the national park in the wrong place.

Don't worry, we'll see more.

You nailed that description.

I thought it would be interesting to see the reactions of people who grew up visiting Disneyland as a kid vs. people who grew up going to WDW. With WDW as my point of reference, Disneyland felt very odd in a lot of ways.

Well, it appears that they may just have the bigger castle.

I've been saving my daughter's reaction to the Disneyland castle for a later chapter.

Ah... the perfect evening.

You could certainly do a lot worse.

I was hoping to make it to Tortilla Jo's at some point. We just never got around to it. It definitely smelled incredible when we walked by though.

If you get back, go with any of the beef dishes. Very tender and flavorful.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

you are at Disneyland. Yes, I saw the Joshua tree and all that mud/dirt you drove in. But I'd much rather see DL.

Having now seen both, I agree 100%.

I'm glad you didn't hit too much traffic.

Me too. That was definitely a concern.

A castle hotel by THE castle? Well, I'm glad it was clean and had beds and a bathroom for your group.

That's really all you need.

Dinner place looks cute...and how nice of Scotty to not be able to eat it all so you could have some (he probably saw you glaring at him and was afraid to eat it all ).

He was actually feeling a little under the weather. Not that it mattered to me, I just wanted more food.

Nice job on the KatMark hat, Scotty. Two

I figured you'd approve.

Yay...a pic of the kids in front of DL.

Don't worry, there will be more to come!

I'm sure you'll have no trouble getting up the next morning...you have your own personal small sized alarm clock.

Yeah, its hard to enjoy nature's beauty when Disneyland beckons! Glad you made it on property...the food looks good! Love the hat picks!

I could still have enjoyed nature's beauty in the form of the Grand Canyon. But trees vs. Disneyland? Yeah, not happening.

I'm deducting points from this update since there were no gratuitous Drew pics.

Jill in CO

Can I earn them back?

 

[KatMark]

Don't you feed this poor kid?

 

[dgbg100106]

Don't you feed this poor kid?

lmao

 

[glennbo123]

Woohoo! 44, ladies! That's me!

Gonna get me some cold cuts today! Woo!

Icky, is that you?

 

[jedijill]

Can I earn them back?

+100 points. Thanks for my cuteness update for the day!

Jill in Sunny, Warm, Non-snowy Colorado!

 

[glennbo123]

1:23 p.m.—There’s another one. Zippadee doo dah.

Dad, you want an aspirin?

By the way, if it feels like I'm speeding through the entire day just to get to the Disney stuff, you're absolutely right.

Oh no, I'm enthralled.

Julie smiles. “I’m feeling it,” she says. “I’m feeling it now.” And we all know what she means. Disney magic in the air.

We’re headed to a dinner reservation at Tortilla Jo’s, just down the way.

6:00 p.m.—We wait a bit for our table and then are seated. Julie and Sarah have actually eaten here before. They went to the Rose Bowl parade a couple of years back, and stopped by Downtown Disney on that previous visit. When they returned, they came back raving about this place. So it seemed appropriate to eat here and see what all the fuss was about.

From your write-up it sounded like some dishes were hits, others not so much. Maybe not "rave-worthy" this time around?

7:15 p.m.—We’ve had our dinner, done our browsing, and we have an early start for a long day tomorrow. So we reluctantly decide to close up shop for the night and try and turn in early.

If we can sleep, of course. As Julie said, we’re feeling it now. We never expected to be on Disney property so soon after our last trip. It almost feels like a bonus. We set the alarm early, but I don’t think anyone is going to have a problem being ready to go in the morning. We can’t wait to see what’s behind all those hedgerows.

Yay, can't wait!

 

[glennbo123]

Jill in Sunny, Warm, Non-snowy Colorado!

Oh that's just mean.

 

[jedijill]

Oh that's just mean.

72 today and 76 tomorrow in Denver.

Jill in CO

 

[afwdwfan]

Don't you feed this poor kid?

There was some food left on the other side of that plate and he wasn't about to let it go to waste.

72 today and 76 tomorrow in Denver.

Jill in CO

WHAT????

You'll pay for it later this spring...

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

That’s the thing… it ain’t a “steak sandwich” (Philly or otherwise).
It a seared ribeye steak…
that happens to be served along with a bun and free reign of the fixin’s bar

Apples vs oranges

Interesting. That wasn't what I had pictured at all. You almost wonder why they need the bun!

Probably so, but do you believe that’s actually something that’s up for question?

Um...I'll get back to you on that.

Sure you can. You’re a dad…
It’s part of the bargain we all struck to be allowed into the club in the first place.

I thought being a dad meant you had sunk to the bottom already.

Don’t know exactly why, but that one tickles me every time is see it.
I give mister Woods credit for not taking himself too seriously.

They just aired a new commercial with Mr. Woods last night. It was also hilarious.

Who likes to do things in increments of 40; be it days, months, years…
Just sayin.

Don’t say that the Carolinas never offered up anything good for humanity.

Who would ever say such a thing? At the very least, you'll always be ahead of New Jersey.

If it’s between 6:00 and 11:00 (am or pm), the sign is on. It really is that simple.
Don’t no one need no app on their phone to figure that one out.

I figured that was the case. Why would anyone go in there if the sign isn't lit?

Yah… that would be just a bit of an issue.

Well, nobody goes there for the coffee.

Either/or… better then calling it the road to nowhere.

Yeah...about that...

Oh wait, appears I spoke too soon.

We're in the middle.

That should put you at just about the halfway point toward being declared a Park then.

So I've got that going for me, which is nice.

A good thought then.
Right?

We did get the passport stamp. So we have that going for--oh, never mind.

Well at least you had donuts for breakfast.
(not to mention you are on the way toward much greater things)

The upside is that Disneyland looks so much better after this!

So… I wasn’t all that far off by posting a picture of the Wagon Queen Family Truckster back there then, ehhhh?.

Other than going airborne, it might as well have been a photo of our van.

I tell ya’, I’d have been driving British or given it up long before you did.

It's hard when you have no idea when it will end. Maybe the next rise...ok, maybe the next one...

Best to cut your losses at this point.
It is an unfair comparison, but the state of the road really made this choice unavoidable.

We'd gotten past the construction at that point, but it had used up all of our goodwill and patience.

Figures…

As my wife so eloquently put it: "#%@& Joshua trees."

“Oh no… Nooooooo, no no. Nope… Ummmmm, yes. A bit…”

Well, we did do the hat. And the nose. But she's a witch!

Timed that well then.

If it were a weekday, we might still be on the way.

It is a creature of its circumstances.
And the reason Walt went into stealth mode to buy up land in Fla. barely a decade later.

Yeah, you can definitely see why he said, "We're not going to let this happen again." Never let it be said they don't learn from their mistakes.

Yes… yes it is.
And they pretty much perfected the art.

Nobody remembers it after they go home, but the music makes such a difference in the atmosphere.

Good plan…
We’ll call it Operation Goofy Grin.

Works for me.

Rose Bowl?
Interesting… Can’t remember whether I’ve heard that story or not; might have.
So what prompted the adventure, again?

Sorry, that should have read, "Rose Bowl Parade". I see my wife answered that one...that was a nice birthday trip!

(although truth be told, the parade was their least favorite part!)

Is that now the official name for hat pictures?
I can deal with that.

I liked the term Stupid Hat Pictures®, but Kathy protested that one. She's pretty much claimed ownership on these, so I'll give her the credit.

“I’m too excited to go to sleep.”
Well… Drew will be waking you up in a bit anyway, so no real loss there.

Thanks for reminding me.

I don’t know… Some of us are pretty dense.
How about a hint?

Well, I can promise there will be no Joshua trees.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Mark's parents have done a "big" birthday trip for the kids. David got to go to the Player's Championship in Florida and Sarah got to go to the Rose Bowl Parade and some other things in Southern California. That was when she was about to turn 10, I think....way back in 2012? In numbers it doesn't seem to be that long ago, but things have REALLY changed since then!

We're just old. Can't remember anything anymore.

However bad Mark makes this sound......it was worse....we were all DONE with Joshua Tree.....the kid who is always prone to getting motion sickness was the only one NOT feeling sick.

And you didn't want another 2 hours of that?

They were the "puffins" of this trip. That's right. I said puffin. Ask Mark about THAT adventure.

I'm still trying to forget that trip.

&$@! Joshua Trees.....

Exactly.

What a sap!!! I'm tearing up reading this!! Must. Go. Back.

Ya know....Drew will be needing a first haircut at some point....I hear the barber shop on Main Street is a GREAT place to get it done.

Woohoo! Budget Committee Approval! Now we just need to find a budget.

All. The. Time.

You love it. Admit it.

I think it was at this point that Scotty said he was feeling sick....and that's why he couldn't get the tacos. I started to get some anxiety about our ONE day in Disneyland!!!!! We don't got time to be sick!! Ain't nobody got time for that!!!

Seriously. But could you pass another taco?

Mark!!! The Budget Committee just gave you permission! Get it booked now before she changes her mind!!

Wait...how do I actually pay for this?

Try watching your kid puke in the parking lot while you're getting luggage out of your rental car right after you checked into your hotel at Disneyland...

Here's what I think of your theme park...

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Well at this point your are technically correct. It's I-10 once you're East of Redlands, but once you get into the populated region it's called "The 10". You probably took the 60 to the 91 so most likely you never drove on the portion called "The 10".

I went wherever Darth Vader told me to go (he's the voice on our GPS).

I'm not sure why I've always thought Phoenix was an 8 hour drive, I guess that's when you're not driving on a Sunday and going through LA proper.

I don't even want to think about what it would be like to drive through LA proper.

I never realized that it got promoted to National Park Status. I still think of it as the National Monument, shows you how long it's been since I visited.

Really? You haven't rushed back for multiple visits every year?

Sounds like a lovely drive.

It was probably still better than LA rush hour. At least we were moving.

I was going to mention a while back that on the trip to Vegas, there are Joshua Trees all along the side of the road. No need for a special trip or anything.

Oh, don't worry. We noticed those as well!

See, now this seems normal to me as this is how I had known Disney Parks to be ever since my first visit in the early 70s. Imagine my surprise to get to WDW and think "What the heck is with all this wide open swamp land? Why don't they put something in here instead of have all that unused space?

I figured it would be a completely different experience from those who grew up with Disneyland as the home park.

So would you rather have a Denny's instead of swamp land?

I didn't realize that you had changed hotels. I think the Castle Inn looks like a cool place to stay as I've driven past it on Harbor. I've heard it needs a refurb, but if the beds and facilities are clean, that's about all you need.

Yeah, I don't think I'd give it "cool place to stay" status. It was dated, and nothing special. But also not a bad place. And the walk to the gates was pretty easy. We had originally booked that one Best Western, but then this deal gave us a hotel on Harbor Blvd. for a better rate, so we figured we should probably go with that for both $$ and the shorter walk with the stroller.

Well it looks like a typical city block, but it is well within the Disney Time, Space and Financial Disruption Continuum. No dollar menu at THAT McDonald's!

Naturally.

I've only eaten here once and I don't really remember much about the meal, but since this is a Patina Group restaurant, I would expect nothing less than wonderful food.

Just get the beef dishes, and avoid the tamale.

You can never go wrong with funny hat pictures!

True statement!

I know what it’s like to be sick of Pop Tarts. My first year of college, I ate a (cold) Pop Tart every morning while walking to class. To this day, I just cannot eat a Pop Tart. It’s like I’ve used up my life’s allotment of them and can’t imagine consuming another. Mmmmmm, donuts!

Yeah, I'm not huge on Pop Tarts either. But they are cheap.

Donuts >>> Pop Tarts.

, California! But, um, what? Do they have a big problem with people entering the state and then leaving their animals and turning around? Is California like the magical safe haven for animals (to go back in time)? Strange sign.

There was also a separate booth we had to drive through for the Agricultural Dept. to check for fruits and vegetables. It was completely unmanned, though.

Wow, I guess Joshua Tree was just to get you so used to bumps that the Matterhorn would feel smooth?

Never thought of it that way...

Cute hotel and the location seems great.

The location was very good. It was definitely nice being able to walk to the parks.

Woo hoo for being on Disney property!!

Always a great feeling!

So, yeah, uhm.....the Joshua Tree looks pretty cool, but not worth driving over dirt for 20 miles when you could actually see them on the side of the highway. But kudos to you for continuing you pursuit of the educational value of the national park.

If nothing else, we got our National Park stamp. So now we don't have to go back.

The Castle Hotel looks cute and its super close. I love it!

You guys seem to be more impressed with the castle theme than I was!

Yay for DTD. I can definitely sense the Disney magic now. I can't wait until tomorrow.

It makes me sad thinking that I have no Disney trips on the horizon.

I guess the upside is that I'm doing I'm without my pants tied around my head.

This would qualify as a "pictures or it didn't happen" scenario.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Mark's parents have done a "big" birthday trip for the kids. David got to go to the Player's Championship in Florida and Sarah got to go to the Rose Bowl Parade and some other things in Southern California. That was when she was about to turn 10, I think....way back in 2012? In numbers it doesn't seem to be that long ago, but things have REALLY changed since then!

Ahhhh... that’s really cool.
So, has Scotty considered what his big adventure might end up being,
or is that still quite a ways off on the horizon?

They were the "puffins" of this trip. That's right. I said puffin. Ask Mark about THAT adventure.

I believe I’ve actually heard a bit about that one.
This “adventure” does seem to belong in a similar category.

&$@! Joshua Trees.....

Great as an album title…
Not so great as a destination

Interesting. That wasn't what I had pictured at all. You almost wonder why they need the bun!

Probably not but they do make ‘em fresh on site and it does go along with the “you dress it the way you want it – burger fixin’s bar” theme of the place.

Down this way… that’s generally what we mean when we say “steak sandwich”
(remember, this is also originally a Texas restaurant chain)

This far south, when the sandwich in question is some type of riff on what y’all are more accustomed to, we’ll usually add the “Philly” or “Cheese” prefix to it to denote the difference.

I thought being a dad meant you had sunk to the bottom already.

No it means that you get to start off at the known bottom…
and will continue to descend from there.

Well, we did do the hat. And the nose. But she's a witch!

She turned me into a newt!
Well… I got better.


(Oh, good catch by the way)

Yeah, you can definitely see why he said, "We're not going to let this happen again." Never let it be said they don't learn from their mistakes.

That they do.
And it’s a good thing because they have made a few doozies.

Nobody remembers it after they go home, but the music makes such a difference in the atmosphere.

Most may not remember it…
But all would miss it if it weren’t there.

It’d be like leaving salt entirely out of cooking.

Sorry, that should have read, "Rose Bowl Parade". I see my wife answered that one...that was a nice birthday trip!

(although truth be told, the parade was their least favorite part!)

With all that Cali has to offer, I can see how that could be true.
(Had they gone the year before though, they would have seen at least one better band on the route that day.)

I liked the term Stupid Hat Pictures®, but Kathy protested that one. She's pretty much claimed ownership on these, so I'll give her the credit.

So noted.
Credit shall from hence forth be given.

Well, I can promise there will be no Joshua trees.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Oh, only 18 more years or so...

I hope I can last that long!

Who goes there for coffee....

Good point.

So after all of this would you recommend the effort to see them?

I think it depends on your level of interest in Joshua trees and desire to learn about them. We were mostly interested in breaking up the drive and getting our passport stamp. Plus, you can see many trees from the side of the road (or the interstate between LA and Las Vegas). So unless you have a specific interest, I'd probably pass.

We have decided that a pass is needed for us for sure, thanks for keeping up with all of the totals.

No problem. I did the math ahead of time with the entrance fees to see if it would be worth the purchase.

20 miles, that is unreal... David would have been on the other side also.

I thought they should have at least posted a sign telling you how long it was going to be.

I think you made the right decision here also.

I'm glad everyone else seems to think so!

It would be very hard for to turn over my hotel pick to someone else, it is hard for me to let David pick...

Yeah, I had issues with that too. But the savings were worth it to us.

I love this...

So....

I went from being really impressed you were fitting in yet another national park and admiring the will power to do so with Disney oh-so-close-yet-oh-so-far and then...that road. The sheer miles. The...nothing.

Yeah, maybe not our best decision ever. But we got that park passport stamp!

I can comfortably say I now have less than zero desire to visit Joshua Tree and it is all your fault!

Well, you can always say you learned from our mistakes.

I have always wondered if the rooms at the Castle were as cheesy as the castle is.

Really not so bad. It was a standard hotel room.

Loving the Yoda hat.

I think Scotty wears it well!

If you ever get back to TJ's, get the guacamole. It is made tableside and OH! Yum.

I will keep that in mind! I think we were avoiding appetizers and the like for cost reasons.

I think that all of us parents have said a prayer of forgiveness (or two or three) during the wee hours of the morning and baby doesn't want to sleep. Makes you wonder what in the world you did to deserve it but then we wouldn't trade our kiddos for anything in the world.

Very true. This too shall pass...eventually.

Oh wow! That dirt road drive to see the Joshua Tree looks b-a-d. John would have been driving on the wrong side of the road too. It sounds like you guys made a wise decision to get the heck outta there.

That was just painful. We stuck with it as long as we could, but continuing would have been madness.

I have heard of the place that you stayed..Castle something or other. The location seems to be one of it's selling points. I'd definitely stay somewhere that was within just a few blocks of Disneyland.

Yeah, the location is the best thing it has going for it. Just a block and a half and you're at the front gate.

I like how Julie said that she could feel "it" when you were walking to Downtown Disney. Pure Disney magic at it's best.

That music really makes a difference.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Okay, I totally apologize for being AWOL and a terrible DISer on your TR. I got your original Captsignal and posted on Page 2, but somehow it didn't subscribe me or something, so I totally lost interaction with your whole TR so far.

Welcome back Marv! Glad to have you reading again. I'd punish you for being AWOL, but it seemed like having to read this whole TR is punishment enough.

Anyway, now that I am back on board with it, I am trying desperately to play catch up, but I am going to have to do it in chunks until I get current again, and most of the banter will have to be sacrificed for now.

No banter? Sigh. I guess we'll have to make do.

I made it up to the Bryce Canyon updates! You are travelling a part of the country I hadn't ever been to before (except parts of Arizona and the Grand Canyon) and is definitely on my bucket list! You have way too many absolutely gorgeous pictures so far to comment on, but with each update so far I found myself absolutely drooling at the beautiful views, and thinking about how soon I can plan a trip to see them all personally.

I'm sure you'd love the scenery! You just need to be able to tear yourself away from Disney, which, as we all know, is not as easy as it sounds.

Looks like that National Park annual pass is going to pay off handsomely, and is already racking up the savings for you! I enjoyed reading your Dam updates like so many others, and that is another place I need to visit in person, although I have seen it from the air, and also small parts of Las Vegas, but like you, a little bit goes a long way!

Sounds like you need to get in the dam car and start exploring!

And just an FYI with your Dinoco (Sinclair) gas prices in Cedar City, Utah.......Gas Buddy now lists prices at that station as $1.92, so it has dropped to almost half since you were there............

Well, gee, thanks. I'm sure by the time we're ready to take our summer trip it will be well over $3/gallon again.

Don't you feed this poor kid?

The question is, when do we stop feeding him? He typically eats his container of baby food, several baby munchies, then stays at the table and begs for scraps from your plate, and then wants to nurse afterwards.

Icky, is that you?

That commercial never fails to make me laugh.

+100 points. Thanks for my cuteness update for the day!

Jill in Sunny, Warm, Non-snowy Colorado!

I guess I can say we're almost there with you, since that storm was a huge dud!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Dad, you want an aspirin?

I must be crazy. I'm on a pilgrimage to see a moose.

Oh no, I'm enthralled.

You know, I would have believed you except for the winky face.

From your write-up it sounded like some dishes were hits, others not so much. Maybe not "rave-worthy" this time around?

Well, they really loved the beef fajitas last time. And I really loved the beef enchilada. So I'd lean towards the beef dishes. The pork/potato tamale just didn't do it for us. I'd be willing to bet it's a rare non-delicious item, though.

Yay, can't wait!

Oh that's just mean.

72 today and 76 tomorrow in Denver.

Jill in CO

Well...as it turns out, not quite as mean as everybody thought.

There was some food left on the other side of that plate and he wasn't about to let it go to waste.

This kid won't let ANY food go to waste.

WHAT????

You'll pay for it later this spring...

I hear Colorado is the new Florida.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Ahhhh... that’s really cool.
So, has Scotty considered what his big adventure might end up being,
or is that still quite a ways off on the horizon?

If I were a betting man (and I'm not, but still), I'd look for a repeat trip to the Players Championship this May.

I believe I’ve actually heard a bit about that one.
This “adventure” does seem to belong in a similar category.

We still refer to that trip as National Lampoon's New England Vacation. That would make for one heck of a TR.

Great as an album title…
Not so great as a destination

Pretty much, yeah. At least we finally found what we were looking for.

Probably not but they do make ‘em fresh on site and it does go along with the “you dress it the way you want it – burger fixin’s bar” theme of the place.

Those rolls are pretty darn good.

Down this way… that’s generally what we mean when we say “steak sandwich”
(remember, this is also originally a Texas restaurant chain)

This far south, when the sandwich in question is some type of riff on what y’all are more accustomed to, we’ll usually add the “Philly” or “Cheese” prefix to it to denote the difference.

It's probably our one claim to food snobbery, but we always just assume it's a Philly steak sandwich, because why would you want anything else?

No it means that you get to start off at the known bottom…
and will continue to descend from there.

13 years later, and we haven't reached bottom yet.

She turned me into a newt!
Well… I got better.


(Oh, good catch by the way)

I was hoping that was what you were going for.

That they do.
And it’s a good thing because they have made a few doozies.

Nobody's perfect. Well, except my wife. (Hi honey! )

Most may not remember it…
But all would miss it if it weren’t there.

It’d be like leaving salt entirely out of cooking.

Great analogy, and 100% true.

With all that Cali has to offer, I can see how that could be true.
(Had they gone the year before though, they would have seen at least one better band on the route that day.)

Win some, lose some, I guess. Working against them were the facts that a) they had to sit out for hours in the sun, and b) my mother was there, and she's a flower geek, and so they had to wait through the line to see the floats while she peppered the attendants with questions on just about every species of flower represented on the floats.

So noted.
Credit shall from hence forth be given.

Or you can just call them Stupid Hat Pictures.®

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

If I were a betting man (and I'm not, but still), I'd look for a repeat trip to the Players Championship this May.

And I’m certain that dad hasn’t been ever so subtly and gently steering him in that direction.
Nope, not at all.

That should be a great experience for him.

Coincidentally I plan to also be passing through the Jax area a couple times this May, but it will be a bit later in the month then the Players is currently scheduled for. Too bad, cause I think I still owe you a beer or two from a couple of TRs back.

We still refer to that trip as National Lampoon's New England Vacation. That would make for one heck of a TR.

And I’d certainly sign on to read it.

Pretty much, yeah. At least we finally found what we were looking for.

Nicely done!
When someone lobs one so perfectly over the plate like that, you are expected to knock it out of the stadium.

Win some, lose some, I guess. Working against them were the facts that a) they had to sit out for hours in the sun, and b) my mother was there, and she's a flower geek, and so they had to wait through the line to see the floats while she peppered the attendants with questions on just about every species of flower represented on the floats.

Whoa… I can see what you’re on about then.