Day 1 (part 1) - Thursday, November 11, 2004:
CAST OF CHARACTERS:
MOM - 57 year old somewhat disney nut.
ME - 34 year old DISNEY NUT who has had to wait one full year for her Disney fix.
History:
Mom and I had been to Disney a number of times before. We have stayed offsite and onsite and have done combination trips both on/off as well. Our last trip together was in Dec. 2002 and was offsite (we stayed for 11 days and did a number of days at US as well). My first solo trip was this exact time last Nov and was onsite at PORS. When we can afford it we do attempt to stay onsite but have had wonderful stays offsite in the past.
Prior to this trip when I began making plans, I had decided to rent DVC points from a member to stay at Boardwalk. This worked out great, deal was made with DVC member in July for a studio. I was then going to add a day on before and after my 6 nights at BW at a moderate or PC. Mom chimed in September and asked if we could be back home by the 2nd weekend so that we could get out dogs out of the kennel ASAP (last trip when the dogs were in the kennel for 11 days they were depressed when we got them out and had lost several pounds). So I only added one additional night on prior to the BW stay. Lucky for me there was a postcard in my file and I received a rate with tax for Coronado Springs for one night at $88.09. Great rate.
Mom also decided that we should leave directly when I get off of work on Thursday as her bf is a big blubbering baby (BBB) and makes a scene when she goes on vacation. I was originally going to come home and sleep for awhile and then begin the drive to DW at midnight (oh well with that plan). We've asked him in the past not to do this but he is incapable and mom is tired of the guilty feeling that he lives her with. As the bf works an evening shift, we would be gone before he could make the scene and he was only told about the trip on Wednesday night, woo hoo.
BEGIN TRIP:
I was so anxious and exicted at work that 5:00 wouldn't come soon enough. Everyone knew I was going and couldn't wait to get rid of me (they we all wishing me the best). By 5:30 I was home (we live in a double house, she has her side and I have mine, we have a shared door between us). Mom had dropped off our dogs at the kennels and was running late, she smelled like dog and needed a bath so was taking one. I decided to take one as well being I worked all day and was now going to be in the car all night. We packed everything in my car the night before so only had to lock up the houses. We officially began our vacation at 6:30 p.m. House locked up, plants watered, plenty of cat food left out for our 2 ferrell cats and away we go.
We drove about 30 miles and stopped to eat dinner around 7:15 in Slidell, LA (I was born and raised here, this is where the I-10 and I-12 meet back up in LA and this is the last city before you enter Mississippi). Outback Steakhouse was very good as usually, we split a bloomin onion and each had ceasar salads. We were on the road again at 8:10 p.m. and were singing our vacation song and laughing that BBB Bf couldn't make mom feel guilty this trip. HA, HA.
HURRICANE IVAN:
We reached Pensacola, FL around 10:30/11:00ish. This is ground zero for Hurricane Ivan. The damage to this area is very event. The trees show that the wind was going in one direction as they are ALL leaning in that direction. All the signs are off of their post, some were broken in pieces and others were placed leaning agains their post so that you could still read a number of them. The hurricane did thinen out the trees along the roadway and it is very evident at 11:00 at night. I forgot that we would have to cross the escambia bay bridge (I had it mixed up with another bridge), luckily for us mom had it right about leaving after work as there would've been a back up at this bridge if it were earlier in the evening. The Escambia Bay Bridge links one part of Pensacola, FL with another part and the bridge is part of the I-10 (this is the double bridge that has 2 east bound lanes and 2 west bound lanes. TV news reporters showed the 2 eastbound lanes of the bridge knocked over in the water. Now everyone is down to using the westbound lanes of the other bridge (one lane for each direction). Thank god that we hit this at this point in the night.
After crossing the bridge and going through several miles of construction on the interstate after the bridge we had to stop for gas. At this point I was tired and yawning so mom would have to drive. I told her I was going to fall asleep for a bit and did for an hour. At this point it was officially about 1:00 Friday morning. Mom is nervous about driving at night so she was driving slowly and it was taking us forever to get to Tallahassee. At this point mom was tired too. I offered to attempt to drive to make it to Tallahassee but we both were tired. We stopped at a security guarded rest stop (mom didn't want to pay for a room that we would only use for a few hours). Well we fell asleep in the car about 2:00 a.m.
Friday, November 12th, 2004:
We woke up about 5:30 a.m. at the rest stop (both of us had krienks in our necks). Got out and stretched and popped up our cooler to get a few drinks and a little something to eat. I began the next phase of the drive and as daylight approached, you could still see tree damage in this area. We drove through Tallahassee then Lake City and decided to stop and eat breakfast in Gainsville. We stopped at the Waffle House around 8:30 ish and had a nice breakfast then drove right next door for gas and to get some more ice for our cold food. I noticed that Gainsville was a bit more traveled and it turned out that it was the Universities homecoming and they were getting ready for a parade in another hour or so. Gas station was full of people heading to the homecoming parade.
We'll we headed out on I-75 about 9:45 and were happy to be heading to Orlando and Coronado Springs. When we hit the Turnpike we really noticed tree damage and signs down in that area as well.
Okay this is long enough going to part 2 wherein we check into Coronado Springs
RECAP:
Leaving behind BBB bf without guilty feeling -
Driving in middle of night when tired -
Hurricane damage all over Florida -
Arriving in Orlando -
CAST OF CHARACTERS:
MOM - 57 year old somewhat disney nut.
ME - 34 year old DISNEY NUT who has had to wait one full year for her Disney fix.
History:
Mom and I had been to Disney a number of times before. We have stayed offsite and onsite and have done combination trips both on/off as well. Our last trip together was in Dec. 2002 and was offsite (we stayed for 11 days and did a number of days at US as well). My first solo trip was this exact time last Nov and was onsite at PORS. When we can afford it we do attempt to stay onsite but have had wonderful stays offsite in the past.
Prior to this trip when I began making plans, I had decided to rent DVC points from a member to stay at Boardwalk. This worked out great, deal was made with DVC member in July for a studio. I was then going to add a day on before and after my 6 nights at BW at a moderate or PC. Mom chimed in September and asked if we could be back home by the 2nd weekend so that we could get out dogs out of the kennel ASAP (last trip when the dogs were in the kennel for 11 days they were depressed when we got them out and had lost several pounds). So I only added one additional night on prior to the BW stay. Lucky for me there was a postcard in my file and I received a rate with tax for Coronado Springs for one night at $88.09. Great rate.
Mom also decided that we should leave directly when I get off of work on Thursday as her bf is a big blubbering baby (BBB) and makes a scene when she goes on vacation. I was originally going to come home and sleep for awhile and then begin the drive to DW at midnight (oh well with that plan). We've asked him in the past not to do this but he is incapable and mom is tired of the guilty feeling that he lives her with. As the bf works an evening shift, we would be gone before he could make the scene and he was only told about the trip on Wednesday night, woo hoo.
BEGIN TRIP:
I was so anxious and exicted at work that 5:00 wouldn't come soon enough. Everyone knew I was going and couldn't wait to get rid of me (they we all wishing me the best). By 5:30 I was home (we live in a double house, she has her side and I have mine, we have a shared door between us). Mom had dropped off our dogs at the kennels and was running late, she smelled like dog and needed a bath so was taking one. I decided to take one as well being I worked all day and was now going to be in the car all night. We packed everything in my car the night before so only had to lock up the houses. We officially began our vacation at 6:30 p.m. House locked up, plants watered, plenty of cat food left out for our 2 ferrell cats and away we go.
We drove about 30 miles and stopped to eat dinner around 7:15 in Slidell, LA (I was born and raised here, this is where the I-10 and I-12 meet back up in LA and this is the last city before you enter Mississippi). Outback Steakhouse was very good as usually, we split a bloomin onion and each had ceasar salads. We were on the road again at 8:10 p.m. and were singing our vacation song and laughing that BBB Bf couldn't make mom feel guilty this trip. HA, HA.
HURRICANE IVAN:
We reached Pensacola, FL around 10:30/11:00ish. This is ground zero for Hurricane Ivan. The damage to this area is very event. The trees show that the wind was going in one direction as they are ALL leaning in that direction. All the signs are off of their post, some were broken in pieces and others were placed leaning agains their post so that you could still read a number of them. The hurricane did thinen out the trees along the roadway and it is very evident at 11:00 at night. I forgot that we would have to cross the escambia bay bridge (I had it mixed up with another bridge), luckily for us mom had it right about leaving after work as there would've been a back up at this bridge if it were earlier in the evening. The Escambia Bay Bridge links one part of Pensacola, FL with another part and the bridge is part of the I-10 (this is the double bridge that has 2 east bound lanes and 2 west bound lanes. TV news reporters showed the 2 eastbound lanes of the bridge knocked over in the water. Now everyone is down to using the westbound lanes of the other bridge (one lane for each direction). Thank god that we hit this at this point in the night.
After crossing the bridge and going through several miles of construction on the interstate after the bridge we had to stop for gas. At this point I was tired and yawning so mom would have to drive. I told her I was going to fall asleep for a bit and did for an hour. At this point it was officially about 1:00 Friday morning. Mom is nervous about driving at night so she was driving slowly and it was taking us forever to get to Tallahassee. At this point mom was tired too. I offered to attempt to drive to make it to Tallahassee but we both were tired. We stopped at a security guarded rest stop (mom didn't want to pay for a room that we would only use for a few hours). Well we fell asleep in the car about 2:00 a.m.
Friday, November 12th, 2004:
We woke up about 5:30 a.m. at the rest stop (both of us had krienks in our necks). Got out and stretched and popped up our cooler to get a few drinks and a little something to eat. I began the next phase of the drive and as daylight approached, you could still see tree damage in this area. We drove through Tallahassee then Lake City and decided to stop and eat breakfast in Gainsville. We stopped at the Waffle House around 8:30 ish and had a nice breakfast then drove right next door for gas and to get some more ice for our cold food. I noticed that Gainsville was a bit more traveled and it turned out that it was the Universities homecoming and they were getting ready for a parade in another hour or so. Gas station was full of people heading to the homecoming parade.
We'll we headed out on I-75 about 9:45 and were happy to be heading to Orlando and Coronado Springs. When we hit the Turnpike we really noticed tree damage and signs down in that area as well.
Okay this is long enough going to part 2 wherein we check into Coronado Springs
RECAP:
Leaving behind BBB bf without guilty feeling -
Driving in middle of night when tired -
Hurricane damage all over Florida -
Arriving in Orlando -
