Day 6 - Acapulco
Our day at Acapulco was planned to be short. The ship was sailing out at 1 PM. Since we're not early risers, we hadn't even planned to go into the port, but curiosity got the better of us. With a quick breakfast at Topsiders and the kids headed to the clubs, Ken and I ventured off the ship.
We stopped at the DEL SOL shop to buy a few t-shirts for the boys. We love the color changing shirts and buy them on each cruise. We've been impressed with how long they last.
At first we were going to walk into town. We had forgotten the map the ship provides and didn't realize how long a walk that would be. After chatting with a few taxi drivers, Ken negotiated the $3 / person fee to get us to town.
There were two sections: the Mexican (old) and the American (old, but more modern). One of the significant differences was that the new section allowed high rise hotels right on the beach. Acapulco was once the place to come for the jetset crowd. After living in Mexico for a number of years, my brother, Timmy, recommended Puerto Vallarta over Acapulco. I think we'd agree with him on that one.
The taxi driver dropped us off at one of the big shopping mall. The entire drive, the taxi driver kept talking about a wonderful silver factory that offered 1/2 off the regular prices for silver. We found out later that it was a place for poor quality that would change color while you were it! The maill we visitied was very similar to a mall in the states . . .including a Starbucks! And you know I had to get my ice tea which I'd been missing on the ship . . .lol. We spent all of 10 minutes walking around and seeing stores we didn't even want to enter (although the hush puppy shoes looked tempting).
Ken and I headed outdoors. Ken wanted to walk a bit. That lasted about one block when the heat hit us. It had be rainy and cloudy earlier, but as soon as the sun broke through, the combined heat and humidity was overwhelming. We continued walking and looking for a taxi. The buldings were concrete high rises with open air shops on the first floor. They were your typical tourist traps with every thing from t-shirts to sand toys to tacky souveniors.
After crossing the street at a crosswalk (crossing the street was taking your life in your hands with the wild white and blue painted VW bug - the old one - taxis fly down the streets), we waited on a curb hoping one of the ancient bug taxis would stop for us. Seeing so many of the same type of taxi made the place look like a set from an old movie instead of bustling metropolis.
At last a taxi stopped for us. Ken bargained for a ride, and they said, "No" and drove off. We were getting sweater by the minute . . .LOL. Another bug taxi pulled up, Ken negotiated his price, and we got in. There was NO air conditioning!! Ken and I had decided to head to the flea market in the old side of town to find a few trinkets. It was interesting to drive down the streets of an old Mexican town. Again, lots of open air stores in concreat buildings, but now they sold more every day wears. The one I liked the best sold various kinds of popscicles. I saw a mom with her two children purchasing different colored icy relief in one of the stores. You could see the excitement on the children's faces. It reminded me of going to our Gelato store at home.
After a number of near misses with other vehicles and pedestrians, we arrived at the flea market. It was just what you would expect: spacious, open air vendors full of every colorful trinket imaginable. And there were colorful characters there as well. The first one met us and opened the door of the taxi to dislodge us from our tight quarters. He ended up being our guide (for a price) through the market. Ken was looking for a new belt and I was just looking.
Ken loves to bargain and he's really perfected his skill. Admittedly, I'm not very good at it b/c I get impatient with the process. I like shopping for bargains, but I really don't want to argue about it . . .LOL. Ken, on the other hand, enjoys the process. He is always willing to walk away and find the item somewhere else. He had decided on a price for his belt. The first vendor would not come down so he walked away. He found another vendor and after walking away, the vendor rushed after his and gave it to him for the price. We went through the whole process again with a vase and plate that I selected. I messed it up by getting impatient (the ship would be leaving soon!), but we still got a pretty good deal (Ken says he would have gotten his price and I agree . . . I was more patient on future buys).
We asked our market guide for a taxi and he wanted more than double what we had paid for a much shorter distance. Ken decided we should just walk the 10 blocks back to ship (okay, it might not have been 10 blocks, but in the heat, it seemed at least that far!!). We had to go BACK through the Mexican area I thought was a bit scary. Well, we always seem to have exciting adventures. As we walk by the open air shops and folks standing to pull in buyers, Ken said, "Hola" to everyone. He was having a grand time as I tried to hurry to ship. I must say, everyone was very friendly and cordial. Ken had the right idea.
After boarding the ship, we checked on the boys and headed to the pool to cool off. WE were waiting to pull out at 1 PM and were suprised we didn't pull out until almost 2 PM. DCL was on a schedule to get to the Panama Canal. They had paid a special fee to be taken through the canal at certain time. Turns out, some friends were on the horseback riding excursion and they got back 45 minutes later than scheduled. DCL had to wait for the 25 people since it was one of their excursions. Rumor had it that if we left late there was also a financial penalty. When the ship left Acapulo, it was flying. It was very rocky for the rest of the night. The adult pool at quiet cove looked more like a wave pool! One of servers at dinner missed dinner b/c she was seasick!
Tonight was our special dinner in PALO, the adult only restaurant. It is a treat to have a classy dinner in a classy place with just Ken and I. Since the boys weren't locked in to their clubs this trip, we asked them to go to dinner without us. They did a great job taking care of each other and behaving well.
Well, our dinner was spectacular! This was the first time we'd been at PALO before sunset. PALOs is located on the top deck at the aft (or back) of the ship. It was stunning to watch the sunset while we enjoyed an opulent dinner. Sunsets on the open sea are extra colorful. With the bit of clouds hovering, the hues of gold and pink streaked through the sky. Usually I get their fillet minion, but this time I tried the lobster and crab ravoli. I was glad I did. Ken and I look forward to the chocolate suffle with chocolate and vanilla creme. I realize I could make these at home, but it is such a treat each time we come to PALO.
After a filling meal at PALOs we checked on the boys and headed for bed. Both boys stayed out late and had a blast.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Day 5 - Another day on the high seas
Day 5 - Another Day on the High Seas
One of the most special parts of this cruise is the EIGHT sea days. While visiting foreign ports is exciting, it is also exhausting. This is a vacation, right? That is what the sea days bring; rest and relaxation. DCL offers countless opportunities for busy-ness, but I think our family enjoys the chance to just rest.
And rest we did . . . we woke about 9 AM; or rather I woke about 9 AM and attempted to convince the rest of the family to wake up. With the curtains closed in our cabin, it is difficult to tell what time of day it is. I've been insisting that the curtains be open before we go to bed so I'll have some feeling of the time in the morning. It still doesn't really work that well . . .LOL.
For breakfast we have a choice of going to Topsiders up on the top deck aft (on the back of the ship) for a buffet with no extra service or to Parrot Cay with a buffet and table service. Topsiders tends to be very noisy any time of day and it takes longer to get through the lines. We prefer to Parrot Cay for breakfast because it is a bit quieter and because of the table service for drinks. Both location have about the same food . . including those freshly made omelets that Ken and I have each morning. I'm not a breakfast person, but I've found if I eat that omelet I'm less tempted to eat a lot of junkie food during the day.
The boys were off to the kids clubs. Ken and I returned to the room to spend some time on the laptop. It was so cool to be at sea and still be able to pay bills online.
At 2 PM, fellow wenches from our DIS board group were getting together for a Scrapbook Swap. I love scrapbooking, but find I don't have as much time to do it as I'd like. I didn't sign up for the exchange b/c it was so insane before I left I home. However, I wanted to see what amazing pages the other ladies had come up with.
There were about 20 ladies in a Category 3 cabin. It was cool just to enjoy the inside of a much larger cabin! Many of the ladies had terrific creations which they shared. It was also great to put more faces together with names we'd been chatting with online for 18 months! I was overwhelmed by their generosity. Many of them had extras and offered them to me even though I hadn't signed up to participate. Thanks to them, I have a great head start on my TOAL scrapbook!
Ken and I had discovered that the Quiet Cove (the adult only pool) was nearly empty each day around 5 PM. Since we were in the late seating at 8 PM, we took advantage of the quiet and enjoyed the pool.
After an hour or so swimming and sitting in the hot tub, I headed down to our room to pick up Peter and start getting ready for dinner. As soon as a sweaty Peter jumped into the shower (he had been on the sports deck playing dodgeball again), I headed to the Rainforest.
DCL's Vista Spa has a wonderful, relaxing hideaway called the Rainforest. It consists of two hot steam baths, a dry sauna, a number of aromatic showers and those warm stone chairs. It is some oasis! A few cruises ago, I discovered that it is nearly empty around dinner time AND that I could get my shower THERE while the rest of the boys got ready in the room. Since I"m the only girl in our cabin, it just makes things so much easier. I return to our cabin completely refreshed and ready to head to dinner.
We were having another casual dinner tonight at Lumiere's. We were counting the number of roses in the ceiling lights. There are four.
Tonight we celebrated Kaleb's birthday in style! We had promised him a special celebration since things were so busy at home for his birthday this year. The servers in Lumiere's gathered round and everyone sang Happy Birthday to Kaleb. DCL prepares a special cake for celebrations. Kaleb was excited to eat the huge chocolate birthday sign on his cake.
After dinner, Kaleb and Ken went to play ping pong again, Peter headed to his club, and I headed to the movies. Tonight we got to see Swing Vote. Ken joined me after dropping of Kaleb. It was fun to get to see a movie together. We enjoy going to movies, but don't seem to have the time lately. DCL's onboard movie theater seems to get more crowded, but it's great to see first run movies for free.
After another exciting day, we retired by 1 AM so we'd be ready for Acapulco tomorrow.
One of the most special parts of this cruise is the EIGHT sea days. While visiting foreign ports is exciting, it is also exhausting. This is a vacation, right? That is what the sea days bring; rest and relaxation. DCL offers countless opportunities for busy-ness, but I think our family enjoys the chance to just rest.
And rest we did . . . we woke about 9 AM; or rather I woke about 9 AM and attempted to convince the rest of the family to wake up. With the curtains closed in our cabin, it is difficult to tell what time of day it is. I've been insisting that the curtains be open before we go to bed so I'll have some feeling of the time in the morning. It still doesn't really work that well . . .LOL.
For breakfast we have a choice of going to Topsiders up on the top deck aft (on the back of the ship) for a buffet with no extra service or to Parrot Cay with a buffet and table service. Topsiders tends to be very noisy any time of day and it takes longer to get through the lines. We prefer to Parrot Cay for breakfast because it is a bit quieter and because of the table service for drinks. Both location have about the same food . . including those freshly made omelets that Ken and I have each morning. I'm not a breakfast person, but I've found if I eat that omelet I'm less tempted to eat a lot of junkie food during the day.
The boys were off to the kids clubs. Ken and I returned to the room to spend some time on the laptop. It was so cool to be at sea and still be able to pay bills online.
At 2 PM, fellow wenches from our DIS board group were getting together for a Scrapbook Swap. I love scrapbooking, but find I don't have as much time to do it as I'd like. I didn't sign up for the exchange b/c it was so insane before I left I home. However, I wanted to see what amazing pages the other ladies had come up with.
There were about 20 ladies in a Category 3 cabin. It was cool just to enjoy the inside of a much larger cabin! Many of the ladies had terrific creations which they shared. It was also great to put more faces together with names we'd been chatting with online for 18 months! I was overwhelmed by their generosity. Many of them had extras and offered them to me even though I hadn't signed up to participate. Thanks to them, I have a great head start on my TOAL scrapbook!
Ken and I had discovered that the Quiet Cove (the adult only pool) was nearly empty each day around 5 PM. Since we were in the late seating at 8 PM, we took advantage of the quiet and enjoyed the pool.
After an hour or so swimming and sitting in the hot tub, I headed down to our room to pick up Peter and start getting ready for dinner. As soon as a sweaty Peter jumped into the shower (he had been on the sports deck playing dodgeball again), I headed to the Rainforest.
DCL's Vista Spa has a wonderful, relaxing hideaway called the Rainforest. It consists of two hot steam baths, a dry sauna, a number of aromatic showers and those warm stone chairs. It is some oasis! A few cruises ago, I discovered that it is nearly empty around dinner time AND that I could get my shower THERE while the rest of the boys got ready in the room. Since I"m the only girl in our cabin, it just makes things so much easier. I return to our cabin completely refreshed and ready to head to dinner.
We were having another casual dinner tonight at Lumiere's. We were counting the number of roses in the ceiling lights. There are four.
Tonight we celebrated Kaleb's birthday in style! We had promised him a special celebration since things were so busy at home for his birthday this year. The servers in Lumiere's gathered round and everyone sang Happy Birthday to Kaleb. DCL prepares a special cake for celebrations. Kaleb was excited to eat the huge chocolate birthday sign on his cake.
After dinner, Kaleb and Ken went to play ping pong again, Peter headed to his club, and I headed to the movies. Tonight we got to see Swing Vote. Ken joined me after dropping of Kaleb. It was fun to get to see a movie together. We enjoy going to movies, but don't seem to have the time lately. DCL's onboard movie theater seems to get more crowded, but it's great to see first run movies for free.
After another exciting day, we retired by 1 AM so we'd be ready for Acapulco tomorrow.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Day 4 - Puerta Vallarta
Day 4 - Puerto Vallarta
Today was our day to sleep in! We got up just in time for breakfast in Parrot Cay (around 10 AM). We had to move the clocks ahead an hour so that helped, too.
Parrot Cay has been wonderful for breakfast. We love sitting by the window and looking out over the port. Ken and I both enjoy having omelets made for us each morning. We are doing well eating SOME healthy foods. Parrot Cay is bright and colorful as well as full of parrots (not live ones . . .LOL). They are carved in the ceiling and painted on the polls throughout the room. When you leave, you can hear the sounds of parrots in the rain forest. The buffet is just what the kids ordered! They can have Mickey-shaped pancakes every day. Peter especially likes the assortment of donuts available. Our only parent rule for meals is that they eat some fruit or veggie with each meal. The peeled oranges and grapefruits are sweet and melt in your mouth!
While the kids headed to their clubs (sounds like they are there a lot, huh?), Ken and I headed out the PV for a quick tour and to see what we could see. We stopped at our favorite jeweler, Diamonds International, to see what watches they had. Ken is looking for a specific new watch. They had so many beautiful things, but we held off from purchasing. We decided to walk down the street to DEL SOL to purchase t-shirts for the boys. On trips like this, I only bring a few t-shirts and buy them at the ports as we go. The boys love wearing them, so it a great way to get useful souvenirs. On the way, we met many friendly locals. One was an American that had graduated from Liberty University! We were impressed how friendly and helpful everyone was with being pushy. It was refreshing after our beach vendor experience the day before.
We made it to DEL SOL and purchased a few t-shirts. Then we realized the time and started looking for a taxi back to the ship. It had taken at least 15-20 minute to make the 3 mile drive to town from the cruise terminal. We wanted to make it back in time to pickup the boys for our 2 PM excursion.
We had the opportunity to do the Zip Lines with our Pirate friends from DIS, but the prices wasn't that much more to do it through Disney. Ken felt safer with Disney so that's the route we took. For our group of 14, we met two OLD Chevy Suburban taxis to take us to the office of our zipline agent. They had great stories about PV flooding and only the Suburbans being able to get people out of the lower hotels.
We arrived at Adventure Vallarta and had to wait about 25 minutes for the truck to take us to the rainforest. It was really a ploy to get us to buy their merchandise while we waited (obvious ploys don't usually work on us).
Then we saw the vehicle we were to ride for ONE hour up into the mountains!! Just imagine the army transport trucks you've seen in World War II movies painted bright yellow and that was what were to ride in!! Our only luxury were the canvas roof and padded seats with seat belts. It was quite a squeeze to get 14 adults and children into this truck!
Now the adventure truly began! We rode for an eternity going up and down mountains. Passing dilapidated Mexican villages. Climbing through rock canyons that looked like they were ready to crash down at any moment. And to top it off, we pulled into a rough dirt/mud road with ruts that looked deeper than the truck's tires. We just prayed we didn't catapult into the ravine as we struggled up and down the mountain to the zipline start point.
Once back on solid ground, we were great by our cheerful zipline guides. What a fun job they had and you could tell they really enjoyed it, too. The guides helped us put on the necessary gear for the ziplines including the bandanna that went under our safety hats (did I mention how HOT it was!). Were still melted from the drive up! The guides then shared a safety lesson and we were off trekking across our first bridge over a canyon.
It hard to explain the sensation of sailing through the air right, under the thick green canopy of the rainforest, only connected to two ropes with pulleys and a safety harness. It was pretty close to flying in my mind! It was fabulous. Kaleb and Peter picked it up quickly. Peter was showing off and copying the crazy antics of the guides. After flying through the air a few times (and find it difficult to stop - I hit a tree instead of a small Mexican guide . ..LOL), we got to do a Tarzan swing. The guides asked Peter if he would like them to spin him, and spin him they did! It was so funny to see him spinning through the air to the other side. He was laughing so hard. They spun Kaleb a little, but Ken was picked up by the lady guide and given a good spin! He said it was wild seeing green spinning overhead into one big circle. I requested NOT to be spun, but the guide didn't pull the rope back up. I ended sliding into the landing on my butt (soooo much dirt on my shorts!!).
As we were finishing the rest of our ziplines, we began to hear rain on the top of the forest canopy. Our last event was to repel 75 feet off the final platform. It was quick and easy, but then the rain broke. It was PORING! I don't ever recall being in such a hard rain. The drops were as big as quarters. At that point we were told we needed to hike back to the base we started. None of the hiking had been easy. Now it was really raining and we had about a 15 minute hike UPHILL to get back. I never knew my shorts weighed so much WET! We were basically hiking through a mountain stream uphill, but we made it. We had earned our dessert that night.
After reviewing the ton of pictures they took, we conceded to purchase the CD of the trip. Then they told us they would MAIL them! We almost didn't spend the $$, but because it was a DCL excursion, we felt pretty safe that Disney would back it up. Then it was back to the truck for the ride back. Now remember it had been raining HARD for about 30-45 minutes. We were concerned what happened to a dirt/mud road when it really rained. We were about to find out. I started out with my eyes closed! We had ridden the Indian Jones ride at Disney Land. We felt like we were back on that ride one more time. The truck lunged from one side to another. We were so glad to see the paved road again. As we drove the rain let up and we started to dry. About half way back, it rained again and stopped and we started to dry. Then right before we got to the port, the skies opened up for a third time. It was raining cats and dogs as we RAN from the truck across the port to the Disney Magic.
So often with DCL it is the little things that make this cruise special. This was one of those times! As we boarded we were handed a big towel . . a bit WARM towel! We were so glad to be back on board. It had been an amazing adventure.
Now we arrived back on the ship at 7:15. Our dinner was scheduled for 8 PM. We all needed showers. We stripped off our clothes (which I ran down to the laundry room to start in the wash) and quickly got showers. We were only a few minutes late for dinner at Lumiere's.
After dinner the kids went, yet again, to their clubs. First, Kaleb wanted to play a round of table tennis with Ken and I needed to finish the laundry I'd started. Ken and I were to meet at the movies to watch Definitely Maybe. We like that we can see many movies while we're on board in a lovely theatre. So how, Ken went to watch the Ventriloquist (which was so funny) and I ended up at the movies on my own. We met up at the end, collected the boys and headed for another refreshing nights sleep. Have I mentioned how well we sleep on board? I don't know if it is the mattresses or the rocking of the ship or maybe both, but we sleep best on the Magic.
Today was our day to sleep in! We got up just in time for breakfast in Parrot Cay (around 10 AM). We had to move the clocks ahead an hour so that helped, too.
Parrot Cay has been wonderful for breakfast. We love sitting by the window and looking out over the port. Ken and I both enjoy having omelets made for us each morning. We are doing well eating SOME healthy foods. Parrot Cay is bright and colorful as well as full of parrots (not live ones . . .LOL). They are carved in the ceiling and painted on the polls throughout the room. When you leave, you can hear the sounds of parrots in the rain forest. The buffet is just what the kids ordered! They can have Mickey-shaped pancakes every day. Peter especially likes the assortment of donuts available. Our only parent rule for meals is that they eat some fruit or veggie with each meal. The peeled oranges and grapefruits are sweet and melt in your mouth!
While the kids headed to their clubs (sounds like they are there a lot, huh?), Ken and I headed out the PV for a quick tour and to see what we could see. We stopped at our favorite jeweler, Diamonds International, to see what watches they had. Ken is looking for a specific new watch. They had so many beautiful things, but we held off from purchasing. We decided to walk down the street to DEL SOL to purchase t-shirts for the boys. On trips like this, I only bring a few t-shirts and buy them at the ports as we go. The boys love wearing them, so it a great way to get useful souvenirs. On the way, we met many friendly locals. One was an American that had graduated from Liberty University! We were impressed how friendly and helpful everyone was with being pushy. It was refreshing after our beach vendor experience the day before.
We made it to DEL SOL and purchased a few t-shirts. Then we realized the time and started looking for a taxi back to the ship. It had taken at least 15-20 minute to make the 3 mile drive to town from the cruise terminal. We wanted to make it back in time to pickup the boys for our 2 PM excursion.
We had the opportunity to do the Zip Lines with our Pirate friends from DIS, but the prices wasn't that much more to do it through Disney. Ken felt safer with Disney so that's the route we took. For our group of 14, we met two OLD Chevy Suburban taxis to take us to the office of our zipline agent. They had great stories about PV flooding and only the Suburbans being able to get people out of the lower hotels.
We arrived at Adventure Vallarta and had to wait about 25 minutes for the truck to take us to the rainforest. It was really a ploy to get us to buy their merchandise while we waited (obvious ploys don't usually work on us).
Then we saw the vehicle we were to ride for ONE hour up into the mountains!! Just imagine the army transport trucks you've seen in World War II movies painted bright yellow and that was what were to ride in!! Our only luxury were the canvas roof and padded seats with seat belts. It was quite a squeeze to get 14 adults and children into this truck!
Now the adventure truly began! We rode for an eternity going up and down mountains. Passing dilapidated Mexican villages. Climbing through rock canyons that looked like they were ready to crash down at any moment. And to top it off, we pulled into a rough dirt/mud road with ruts that looked deeper than the truck's tires. We just prayed we didn't catapult into the ravine as we struggled up and down the mountain to the zipline start point.
Once back on solid ground, we were great by our cheerful zipline guides. What a fun job they had and you could tell they really enjoyed it, too. The guides helped us put on the necessary gear for the ziplines including the bandanna that went under our safety hats (did I mention how HOT it was!). Were still melted from the drive up! The guides then shared a safety lesson and we were off trekking across our first bridge over a canyon.
It hard to explain the sensation of sailing through the air right, under the thick green canopy of the rainforest, only connected to two ropes with pulleys and a safety harness. It was pretty close to flying in my mind! It was fabulous. Kaleb and Peter picked it up quickly. Peter was showing off and copying the crazy antics of the guides. After flying through the air a few times (and find it difficult to stop - I hit a tree instead of a small Mexican guide . ..LOL), we got to do a Tarzan swing. The guides asked Peter if he would like them to spin him, and spin him they did! It was so funny to see him spinning through the air to the other side. He was laughing so hard. They spun Kaleb a little, but Ken was picked up by the lady guide and given a good spin! He said it was wild seeing green spinning overhead into one big circle. I requested NOT to be spun, but the guide didn't pull the rope back up. I ended sliding into the landing on my butt (soooo much dirt on my shorts!!).
As we were finishing the rest of our ziplines, we began to hear rain on the top of the forest canopy. Our last event was to repel 75 feet off the final platform. It was quick and easy, but then the rain broke. It was PORING! I don't ever recall being in such a hard rain. The drops were as big as quarters. At that point we were told we needed to hike back to the base we started. None of the hiking had been easy. Now it was really raining and we had about a 15 minute hike UPHILL to get back. I never knew my shorts weighed so much WET! We were basically hiking through a mountain stream uphill, but we made it. We had earned our dessert that night.
After reviewing the ton of pictures they took, we conceded to purchase the CD of the trip. Then they told us they would MAIL them! We almost didn't spend the $$, but because it was a DCL excursion, we felt pretty safe that Disney would back it up. Then it was back to the truck for the ride back. Now remember it had been raining HARD for about 30-45 minutes. We were concerned what happened to a dirt/mud road when it really rained. We were about to find out. I started out with my eyes closed! We had ridden the Indian Jones ride at Disney Land. We felt like we were back on that ride one more time. The truck lunged from one side to another. We were so glad to see the paved road again. As we drove the rain let up and we started to dry. About half way back, it rained again and stopped and we started to dry. Then right before we got to the port, the skies opened up for a third time. It was raining cats and dogs as we RAN from the truck across the port to the Disney Magic.
So often with DCL it is the little things that make this cruise special. This was one of those times! As we boarded we were handed a big towel . . a bit WARM towel! We were so glad to be back on board. It had been an amazing adventure.
Now we arrived back on the ship at 7:15. Our dinner was scheduled for 8 PM. We all needed showers. We stripped off our clothes (which I ran down to the laundry room to start in the wash) and quickly got showers. We were only a few minutes late for dinner at Lumiere's.
After dinner the kids went, yet again, to their clubs. First, Kaleb wanted to play a round of table tennis with Ken and I needed to finish the laundry I'd started. Ken and I were to meet at the movies to watch Definitely Maybe. We like that we can see many movies while we're on board in a lovely theatre. So how, Ken went to watch the Ventriloquist (which was so funny) and I ended up at the movies on my own. We met up at the end, collected the boys and headed for another refreshing nights sleep. Have I mentioned how well we sleep on board? I don't know if it is the mattresses or the rocking of the ship or maybe both, but we sleep best on the Magic.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Day 3 - Cabo San Lucas
Day 3 - Cabo San Lucas
Can the days get any brighter? It was another day of bright sun, blue skies, and emerald green waters. Today we were meeting friends from the DIS board for "non-excursion" excursion to Medrano Beach.
Cabo is the only port we needed to tender so the group met at the Promenade Lounge and headed to the gangway together. There were 40+ in our group. DL passed out the tender tickets so we could all ride a boat together. I stopped to pickup water bottles and a lanyard carrier (and was the last to get on the tender boat!).
After an uneventful ride across the bay, we arrived at the docks. All around us were arid, dusty mountains with growing buildings gouged into the mountain sides. There was building projects everywhere you looked. Oh, and did I mention it was HOT! Although it was only 80 degrees, the sun was searing. Glad we had put our suntan lotion on before leaving the ship.
At the docks we gathered around our leader, Roger (who had been to Cabo many times and knew just the right place on the beach), as he was attacked by water taxi drivers wanting our business. Negotiating for taxis in Mexico is always an adventure! First it was $3.00 per person. Then we walked two blocks and oh, sorry, it's now $1.00 more to enter the private dock (did I mention how HOT it was!!). So we said, "NO" to the $1.00 which meant we now had to walk back to where we started and continue for another 3-4 blocks (actually docks in the marina) to get to the water taxi. Now, our driver wanted $10 to give us a tour and to be there to pick us up. You could hear the chorus as we all chanted $3!!! . . .LOL
At last we were getting on the water taxi. Now this vehicle was not what I imagined. It was basically a large brightly colored rowboat with an attached outboard motor and a canopy to keep a bit of the sun off. The tender ride across the bay was fairly smooth, but the water taxi was rough! You were going fast enough to capture the spray off the waves and a few good ducks into the waves, the water washed aboard. I was concerned that we might sink before getting to the beach!
Then we landed on Medrano Beach, but at the wrong end of the beach . . . it was the CLOSER end for the taxi. A few of our riders made a fuss that we paid to get to Tabascos NOT this end of the beach, and the taxi driver reluctantly took us around to the beach we wanted to go. We were thankful we pushed it as the "5 min walk" was really about 1/2 mile in HOT sand!
We had a blast at Medrano Beach. The waves were VERY strong. I don't think we would have let the kids play in the water at home with such a rip current, but we all got used to strength of the waves and had a great work out! The sand was rough and grainy, but the beautiful water was crystal clear. YOu could see your feet when the waves weren't crashing.
Tabascos allowed us to used their beach chairs as long as we bought some food or drink. Their fresh salsa was delicious. I love the fresh veggies here.
One other interesting phenonemom was the vendors. We were on the beach for about 3 hours. Every 5 - 10 minutes another vendor wandered by and open a box or a bag or display their heavy load while asking us to purchase in broken English or great Spanish. What was amusing was it was the same 4 or 5 vendors, but they kept coming by with different wares. From blankets (who needs blankets on a hot beacH??) to jewelry to ceramics, they had everything! I must have said, "No, gracias" aa thousand times . . .LOL
It was getting HOTTER and hotter. We decided to head back to the ship around 1 PM. The sun had already worn us out for the day. Ken signaled a water taxi and they raced to the beach. It had been an adventure getting OFF the taxi (they just ran up to the beach and you jumped from the front!). Now, we had to figure out how to get BACK into the boat . . .LOL. The strong men held the boats in the surging surf while the women and children jump, slid or crawled into the boat. And off we went back to the tender terminal.
The rest of the afternoon was spent with the boys in the clubs and mom and dad resting in the adult pool.
Tonight's dinner was at Parrot Cay. We had big plans after dinner, but as soon as we hit the cabin to change our clothes, we all fell asleep. Tomorrow was the big day with our zip line excursion. We wanted to be rested.
Can the days get any brighter? It was another day of bright sun, blue skies, and emerald green waters. Today we were meeting friends from the DIS board for "non-excursion" excursion to Medrano Beach.
Cabo is the only port we needed to tender so the group met at the Promenade Lounge and headed to the gangway together. There were 40+ in our group. DL passed out the tender tickets so we could all ride a boat together. I stopped to pickup water bottles and a lanyard carrier (and was the last to get on the tender boat!).
After an uneventful ride across the bay, we arrived at the docks. All around us were arid, dusty mountains with growing buildings gouged into the mountain sides. There was building projects everywhere you looked. Oh, and did I mention it was HOT! Although it was only 80 degrees, the sun was searing. Glad we had put our suntan lotion on before leaving the ship.
At the docks we gathered around our leader, Roger (who had been to Cabo many times and knew just the right place on the beach), as he was attacked by water taxi drivers wanting our business. Negotiating for taxis in Mexico is always an adventure! First it was $3.00 per person. Then we walked two blocks and oh, sorry, it's now $1.00 more to enter the private dock (did I mention how HOT it was!!). So we said, "NO" to the $1.00 which meant we now had to walk back to where we started and continue for another 3-4 blocks (actually docks in the marina) to get to the water taxi. Now, our driver wanted $10 to give us a tour and to be there to pick us up. You could hear the chorus as we all chanted $3!!! . . .LOL
At last we were getting on the water taxi. Now this vehicle was not what I imagined. It was basically a large brightly colored rowboat with an attached outboard motor and a canopy to keep a bit of the sun off. The tender ride across the bay was fairly smooth, but the water taxi was rough! You were going fast enough to capture the spray off the waves and a few good ducks into the waves, the water washed aboard. I was concerned that we might sink before getting to the beach!
Then we landed on Medrano Beach, but at the wrong end of the beach . . . it was the CLOSER end for the taxi. A few of our riders made a fuss that we paid to get to Tabascos NOT this end of the beach, and the taxi driver reluctantly took us around to the beach we wanted to go. We were thankful we pushed it as the "5 min walk" was really about 1/2 mile in HOT sand!
We had a blast at Medrano Beach. The waves were VERY strong. I don't think we would have let the kids play in the water at home with such a rip current, but we all got used to strength of the waves and had a great work out! The sand was rough and grainy, but the beautiful water was crystal clear. YOu could see your feet when the waves weren't crashing.
Tabascos allowed us to used their beach chairs as long as we bought some food or drink. Their fresh salsa was delicious. I love the fresh veggies here.
One other interesting phenonemom was the vendors. We were on the beach for about 3 hours. Every 5 - 10 minutes another vendor wandered by and open a box or a bag or display their heavy load while asking us to purchase in broken English or great Spanish. What was amusing was it was the same 4 or 5 vendors, but they kept coming by with different wares. From blankets (who needs blankets on a hot beacH??) to jewelry to ceramics, they had everything! I must have said, "No, gracias" aa thousand times . . .LOL
It was getting HOTTER and hotter. We decided to head back to the ship around 1 PM. The sun had already worn us out for the day. Ken signaled a water taxi and they raced to the beach. It had been an adventure getting OFF the taxi (they just ran up to the beach and you jumped from the front!). Now, we had to figure out how to get BACK into the boat . . .LOL. The strong men held the boats in the surging surf while the women and children jump, slid or crawled into the boat. And off we went back to the tender terminal.
The rest of the afternoon was spent with the boys in the clubs and mom and dad resting in the adult pool.
Tonight's dinner was at Parrot Cay. We had big plans after dinner, but as soon as we hit the cabin to change our clothes, we all fell asleep. Tomorrow was the big day with our zip line excursion. We wanted to be rested.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Day 2 - Day at Sea
Day 2 – Sea Day
Today marks our first sea day. All of us love the days at sea. It is fun to visit different ports, but even more fun to enjoy the ship activities, pool, and plain relaxing.
We started our day with the kids’ postcard exchange. Our DIS group had organized for participating kids to bring and exchange postcards from their hometown or state. It was wild watching 70 kids go round the circle and share their creative postcards.
Next was breakfast. We headed to Parrot Cay for their fabulous breakfast buffet. Ken and I love the omelets to order. Peter likes the many pastries and donuts. Kaleb enjoys something new each day. I missed the Art of the Appetizer class that I wanted to attend, but Ken and I were able to attend the one hour lecture by a 16 year Panama Canal veteran. It was informative and funny. While Kaleb and Peter enjoyed the kids’ clubs, Ken and I relaxed for the rest of the day.
Tonight was our first formal night. Peter and Kaleb looked fabulous in their suits. Kaleb looked all grown up in one of the Ken’s ties. Ken wore the tux he rented for the trip. It’s always an adventure to rent a tux and hope it fits. I wore my blue long dress and jacket. We had a wonderful time in Animator’s Palette. There was no light show, but it was cool anyway.
After dinner, the boys wanted to head back to their kids’ clubs. Ken and I headed to a stand up comedy routine (adult time . . . Yeah) by Rod Pearson. He was terribly funny. It was refreshing to hear a clean comic that was funny, too.
After the show, as we were heading to bed, we found a few late night buffets. This was something that Disney has really improved upon. There used to be a few cold munchies coming out of the adult clubs. Now, it’s quite a bit more food and spread out between different venues.
Off to bed to get enough rest for our non-excursion on Tuesday.
Today marks our first sea day. All of us love the days at sea. It is fun to visit different ports, but even more fun to enjoy the ship activities, pool, and plain relaxing.
We started our day with the kids’ postcard exchange. Our DIS group had organized for participating kids to bring and exchange postcards from their hometown or state. It was wild watching 70 kids go round the circle and share their creative postcards.
Next was breakfast. We headed to Parrot Cay for their fabulous breakfast buffet. Ken and I love the omelets to order. Peter likes the many pastries and donuts. Kaleb enjoys something new each day. I missed the Art of the Appetizer class that I wanted to attend, but Ken and I were able to attend the one hour lecture by a 16 year Panama Canal veteran. It was informative and funny. While Kaleb and Peter enjoyed the kids’ clubs, Ken and I relaxed for the rest of the day.
Tonight was our first formal night. Peter and Kaleb looked fabulous in their suits. Kaleb looked all grown up in one of the Ken’s ties. Ken wore the tux he rented for the trip. It’s always an adventure to rent a tux and hope it fits. I wore my blue long dress and jacket. We had a wonderful time in Animator’s Palette. There was no light show, but it was cool anyway.
After dinner, the boys wanted to head back to their kids’ clubs. Ken and I headed to a stand up comedy routine (adult time . . . Yeah) by Rod Pearson. He was terribly funny. It was refreshing to hear a clean comic that was funny, too.
After the show, as we were heading to bed, we found a few late night buffets. This was something that Disney has really improved upon. There used to be a few cold munchies coming out of the adult clubs. Now, it’s quite a bit more food and spread out between different venues.
Off to bed to get enough rest for our non-excursion on Tuesday.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Day 1 - All Aboard
Day 1 – All Aboard
Our adventures began right away on this trip. We were scheduled to ride one of the Pirate buses organized by other pirates from the DIS Boards. Fortunately one of the coordinators was in our hotel. We would be thankful for that later
Ken went to McDonalds to grab a quick breakfast while I finished checking email. Ken signaled that he was leaving and was half way down the street before he realized that Peter had not joined them. I’m sure it was some scene in McDs when Ken found Peter checking out the Happy Meal toys. . . LOL
After a quick breakfast, we gathered our many bags and headed out to the curb to catch the Pirate Bus. We were there at 8:30 and three other families had made it as well. Then we waited. Finally at 9:30 our bus arrived; only to find out there was no more room for ANY luggage. As the women (or hens as Ken called us) chatted and made phone calls, the men took charge and loaded the luggage into the seats in the front of the bus. Oh, did I mention our driver was extremely upset and screaming in Japanese to someone on his cell phone. We were unsure if he spoke much English as he didn’t understand much of our directions.
And we’re off to catch our cruise. We had originally intended to stop for water at a local grocery store, but decided against it as a group due to the lateness of the hour and the attitude of the driver. When we arrived at the Port of Los Angeles, our driver started driving around a parking lot agacent to the cruise terminal. He finally stopped in front of a row of port-a-potties (we wondered if this was our potty break . . .LOL). Security guards with guns started running towards us . . . .to open the gate to let us into the cruise terminal. We finally made it to the Disney Magic.
Board was a bit odd from Florida. We got to the LONG Castaway line (the line for folks that have sailed on DCL previously) and got checked in. However we still didn’t have a boarding number. I chatted with a few other folks from our DIS group and they didn’t have boarding number either. By the time I found out we needed to go to the other side of the building, they were passing out #12!!!!(we’ve never been more than 4!!!). Needless to say we were a bit disappointed, but knew they wouldn’t leave without us.
We boarded around 1 PM. Parrot Cay was pretty crowded so we grabbed a quick bit at Topsiders. It was great sitting out on the warm deck and enjoying the view of the California hills. (ADD PICS)
While waiting for our cabin to be ready, we went to visit the Stack. This is Kaleb’s first year in the teen hangout. We were glad there were counselors there to watch out for them. They had also redone the Stack again. It was more open and had more hanging around spaces out in the open.
Finally our cabin for the next 15 days was ready for us to enjoy! We were in #2108 this time. It’s just down the hall from the aft elevators. Plus it is on the same hall as the 2nd deck laundry and Ocean Quest (where Peter will be spending his days). The Castaway gift was the best yet. It was a large carry bag, a red mesh bag (as before), two water bottles, and notebook for a journal. The carry bag will be great for heading to the Rainforest.
At 2:00 PM we had our first DIS Meet on Deck 10. It was cool meeting so many faces we had been talking to for the past 18 months, but way too hot to stand on that deck for very long . . .LOL After the lifeboat drill with our bright orange life preservers, Ken and the boys headed to the Sail Away party on Deck 10. Me, I headed back to the room to finish unpacking ALL the luggage we brought. With only 6 suitcases for 4 people, I thought we packed pretty light, but those bags didn’t feel light. I also wanted to start laundry, but the quarters and detergent were in the last bag (or so I thought).
Before we knew it, it was time to get ready for our 8 PM dinner. I had paid for they cruise long Rainforest Room, so I headed up there for a shower. I had the place to myself!! The showers are amazing with cool faucets (I selected the rainshower type) and aromatherapy soaps and shampoos. After a quick shower there, I was already feeling refreshed. I can’t wait to go back and hang out in the Rainforest room! When I got back to the room, the men folk were finishing up their preparations and we were off to our first dinner on the cruise.
We were excited to start at Lumiere’s. It’s the classiest of the restaurants. The food was amazing as always. I had a chicken wrap appetizer, Blue Crab and Seafood Chowder, a huge steak, and Mint chocolate chip ice cream with carmel sauce.
By the time dinner was over, I realized how tired I was. As much as I wanted to enjoy some of the adult shows, I knew I would just fall asleep. We headed back to the cabin to snooze – well , all except Kaleb. Kaleb headed to the Stack for the 411. I’d read on the boards that the teens need to be there the first night to get to know everyone. Kaleb was back by 11:15 PM. We slept as only you can sleep on a comfy bed and rolling seas.
More tomorrow.
Our adventures began right away on this trip. We were scheduled to ride one of the Pirate buses organized by other pirates from the DIS Boards. Fortunately one of the coordinators was in our hotel. We would be thankful for that later
Ken went to McDonalds to grab a quick breakfast while I finished checking email. Ken signaled that he was leaving and was half way down the street before he realized that Peter had not joined them. I’m sure it was some scene in McDs when Ken found Peter checking out the Happy Meal toys. . . LOL
After a quick breakfast, we gathered our many bags and headed out to the curb to catch the Pirate Bus. We were there at 8:30 and three other families had made it as well. Then we waited. Finally at 9:30 our bus arrived; only to find out there was no more room for ANY luggage. As the women (or hens as Ken called us) chatted and made phone calls, the men took charge and loaded the luggage into the seats in the front of the bus. Oh, did I mention our driver was extremely upset and screaming in Japanese to someone on his cell phone. We were unsure if he spoke much English as he didn’t understand much of our directions.
And we’re off to catch our cruise. We had originally intended to stop for water at a local grocery store, but decided against it as a group due to the lateness of the hour and the attitude of the driver. When we arrived at the Port of Los Angeles, our driver started driving around a parking lot agacent to the cruise terminal. He finally stopped in front of a row of port-a-potties (we wondered if this was our potty break . . .LOL). Security guards with guns started running towards us . . . .to open the gate to let us into the cruise terminal. We finally made it to the Disney Magic.
Board was a bit odd from Florida. We got to the LONG Castaway line (the line for folks that have sailed on DCL previously) and got checked in. However we still didn’t have a boarding number. I chatted with a few other folks from our DIS group and they didn’t have boarding number either. By the time I found out we needed to go to the other side of the building, they were passing out #12!!!!(we’ve never been more than 4!!!). Needless to say we were a bit disappointed, but knew they wouldn’t leave without us.
We boarded around 1 PM. Parrot Cay was pretty crowded so we grabbed a quick bit at Topsiders. It was great sitting out on the warm deck and enjoying the view of the California hills. (ADD PICS)
While waiting for our cabin to be ready, we went to visit the Stack. This is Kaleb’s first year in the teen hangout. We were glad there were counselors there to watch out for them. They had also redone the Stack again. It was more open and had more hanging around spaces out in the open.
Finally our cabin for the next 15 days was ready for us to enjoy! We were in #2108 this time. It’s just down the hall from the aft elevators. Plus it is on the same hall as the 2nd deck laundry and Ocean Quest (where Peter will be spending his days). The Castaway gift was the best yet. It was a large carry bag, a red mesh bag (as before), two water bottles, and notebook for a journal. The carry bag will be great for heading to the Rainforest.
At 2:00 PM we had our first DIS Meet on Deck 10. It was cool meeting so many faces we had been talking to for the past 18 months, but way too hot to stand on that deck for very long . . .LOL After the lifeboat drill with our bright orange life preservers, Ken and the boys headed to the Sail Away party on Deck 10. Me, I headed back to the room to finish unpacking ALL the luggage we brought. With only 6 suitcases for 4 people, I thought we packed pretty light, but those bags didn’t feel light. I also wanted to start laundry, but the quarters and detergent were in the last bag (or so I thought).
Before we knew it, it was time to get ready for our 8 PM dinner. I had paid for they cruise long Rainforest Room, so I headed up there for a shower. I had the place to myself!! The showers are amazing with cool faucets (I selected the rainshower type) and aromatherapy soaps and shampoos. After a quick shower there, I was already feeling refreshed. I can’t wait to go back and hang out in the Rainforest room! When I got back to the room, the men folk were finishing up their preparations and we were off to our first dinner on the cruise.
We were excited to start at Lumiere’s. It’s the classiest of the restaurants. The food was amazing as always. I had a chicken wrap appetizer, Blue Crab and Seafood Chowder, a huge steak, and Mint chocolate chip ice cream with carmel sauce.
By the time dinner was over, I realized how tired I was. As much as I wanted to enjoy some of the adult shows, I knew I would just fall asleep. We headed back to the cabin to snooze – well , all except Kaleb. Kaleb headed to the Stack for the 411. I’d read on the boards that the teens need to be there the first night to get to know everyone. Kaleb was back by 11:15 PM. We slept as only you can sleep on a comfy bed and rolling seas.
More tomorrow.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Another Amazing Day at Disney
Can't believe I went to bed last night without posting to you about our exciting day.
We decided the continental breakfast in the scary restaurant wouldn't do so this morning we went to IHOP for breakfast (that should give you an indication how SCARY the breakfast the day before was . . .LOL). I think IHOP here cost at least TWICE as much as at home, but we left filled and happy.
We were headed for California Adventures. We got to the park at 9:00 AM only to discover it didn't open until TEN (how did we miss that?). We were near the front of the line and decided to wait it out. It was a huge blessing when the gates opened at 9:30 AM instead. While waiting, the boys decided they really wanted to do the big rollercoaster, Screamin California, first. It was at the direct opposite end of the park from the entrance! Since I wasn't going I took my time getting there. After entering the park, the boys were stopped at another gate BEFORE getting to the roller coaster. That section of the park didn't open until 10 AM, but now they were nearly first in line!
I took some time to go and explore the amazing California Grand Hotel. Designed in the craftsman style, it was a stunning piece of architecture. I enjoyed seeing how they combined the woods with the soothing patterns and palate. Next time I hope we can stay there.
After riding the roller coaster (which was worth the effort), we enjoyed the cool rides in DCA. My favorite this time was the Muppet 3-D movie. Nothing gets you laughing like those silly muppets.
After a few hour break to take naps (and for me to finish up my work before leaving dry land and a free internet connection), we went to meet some new friends from the DIS boards for DL's Fantasmic show. It was amazing finally meeting many of the folks we had chatted with online for nearly 18 months! Monica (GOT2TRAVEL) saved a huge spot for us with her five blankets and large pirate flag. With the number she counted and those that arrived later, we probably had 75 folks on those five blankets . . .LOL And the show was terrrific. Disney always seems to have the best fireworks displays. I'm still trying to figure out how they got the fire lit on the water.
We're headed out to catch our pirate bus to the port in a few minutes.
Here are a few webcams to see the Magic float by as we leave today at 5 PM PST
http://www.watchthewater.org/beach.cfm?bid=17
http://www.eaglemarineservices.com/la/lagatecam.html
More later
We decided the continental breakfast in the scary restaurant wouldn't do so this morning we went to IHOP for breakfast (that should give you an indication how SCARY the breakfast the day before was . . .LOL). I think IHOP here cost at least TWICE as much as at home, but we left filled and happy.
We were headed for California Adventures. We got to the park at 9:00 AM only to discover it didn't open until TEN (how did we miss that?). We were near the front of the line and decided to wait it out. It was a huge blessing when the gates opened at 9:30 AM instead. While waiting, the boys decided they really wanted to do the big rollercoaster, Screamin California, first. It was at the direct opposite end of the park from the entrance! Since I wasn't going I took my time getting there. After entering the park, the boys were stopped at another gate BEFORE getting to the roller coaster. That section of the park didn't open until 10 AM, but now they were nearly first in line!
I took some time to go and explore the amazing California Grand Hotel. Designed in the craftsman style, it was a stunning piece of architecture. I enjoyed seeing how they combined the woods with the soothing patterns and palate. Next time I hope we can stay there.
After riding the roller coaster (which was worth the effort), we enjoyed the cool rides in DCA. My favorite this time was the Muppet 3-D movie. Nothing gets you laughing like those silly muppets.
After a few hour break to take naps (and for me to finish up my work before leaving dry land and a free internet connection), we went to meet some new friends from the DIS boards for DL's Fantasmic show. It was amazing finally meeting many of the folks we had chatted with online for nearly 18 months! Monica (GOT2TRAVEL) saved a huge spot for us with her five blankets and large pirate flag. With the number she counted and those that arrived later, we probably had 75 folks on those five blankets . . .LOL And the show was terrrific. Disney always seems to have the best fireworks displays. I'm still trying to figure out how they got the fire lit on the water.
We're headed out to catch our pirate bus to the port in a few minutes.
Here are a few webcams to see the Magic float by as we leave today at 5 PM PST
http://www.watchthewater.org/beach.cfm?bid=17
http://www.eaglemarineservices.com/la/lagatecam.html
More later
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Done Disney Land
What an amazing day. We had a blast at Disney Land today. For three of us, it was our first visit. For Ken (DH), it was his first return trip since visiting as a kid. It was fun to see what Ken remembered as we went through. In true Disney style, everything was beautiful. We are so spoiled by the grounds at Busch Gardens and Disney keeps up as well.
We each had a favorite ride today:
One surprise was Space Mountain. I was a bit concerned about riding it again because I don't like roller coasters with big drops. Ken was so kind to encourage me to go enjoy it and reminded me how many times I've ridden Space Mountain in WDW (As a teenager, I once rode the ride 30 times in a row b/c the girl I was with liked one of the CMs . . .LOL). Needless to say, I loved Space Mountain (again), however, Ken came off a bit queasy. He jumped right back on the horse to ride the Matterhorn . . .
Speaking of CM (Cast Members) . . . I must say, the ones here at DL are much friendlier and more helpful than the ones in WDW. Repeatedly, we were offered help in the morning when we were lost. I was extra impressed with the CM who offered to walk us to our dinner venue and help us get reservations. It also a treat for Ken to chat about how things were at DL when he was a kid.
We took the monorail back to Downtown Disney for dinner. We dined at Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen. It was spectacular! Ken and I split a meal of filet minion medallions and Kaleb tried some Jambalaya. We brought enough home for lunch tomorrow. It was a special treat to have such wonderful Cajun food.
Well off to bed. We have a full day at California Adventure and meeting some of friends from the Disney Cruise.
We each had a favorite ride today:
- Kaleb - Matterhorn (it was a rollercoaster of course)
- Peter - Buzz Lightyear (of course . .. LOL. He got a very high score shooting at Z's)
- Ken - Pirates of the Carribbean (we rode it twice - it was just like he rode when he was a kid)
- Theresa - Indiana Jones ride (I almost got off before it started, but it was amazing! Great movements and great sets. The rolling ball was the best part.)
One surprise was Space Mountain. I was a bit concerned about riding it again because I don't like roller coasters with big drops. Ken was so kind to encourage me to go enjoy it and reminded me how many times I've ridden Space Mountain in WDW (As a teenager, I once rode the ride 30 times in a row b/c the girl I was with liked one of the CMs . . .LOL). Needless to say, I loved Space Mountain (again), however, Ken came off a bit queasy. He jumped right back on the horse to ride the Matterhorn . . .
Speaking of CM (Cast Members) . . . I must say, the ones here at DL are much friendlier and more helpful than the ones in WDW. Repeatedly, we were offered help in the morning when we were lost. I was extra impressed with the CM who offered to walk us to our dinner venue and help us get reservations. It also a treat for Ken to chat about how things were at DL when he was a kid.
We took the monorail back to Downtown Disney for dinner. We dined at Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen. It was spectacular! Ken and I split a meal of filet minion medallions and Kaleb tried some Jambalaya. We brought enough home for lunch tomorrow. It was a special treat to have such wonderful Cajun food.
Well off to bed. We have a full day at California Adventure and meeting some of friends from the Disney Cruise.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
We Made It to California!
We were up at 3:30 AM this morning. It wasn't until we were on the airplane that this really started feeling like a vacation. Oh and did I mention we just barely made the plane? Seems my luggage that was an acceptable size only 3 months ago, suddenly grew (and I had packed LESS in it). The luggage had grown an entire INCH which suddenly required an additional $29 to be able to bring it with us. US Airlines are such a sham!
We flew from home to Atlanta. The wait was only 2 hours. Unfortunately, then we discovered there would be no food whatsoever on the plane; not even food to purchase at exorbandant prices . . .LOL. At the last minute, we ran to Moe's for breakfast burritos. For our five hour flight, we were thankful to have the food (and made the stewardess a bit jealous with the great smell).
I was blessed to sit beside a missionary headed back to China. It was a great way to spend five hours. I learned so much about China in that short period. I also learned how much more we need to pray for the churches there.
Once we landed we headed straight to our hotel: Best Western Park Place. We chose this hotel because it was exactly across from the entrance to Disney Land. Disney only has two hotels here and they can be pricey. There are a ton of hotels all the way around Disney Land. Although this hotel had great ratings, it was less than we expecting. What I didn't realize is ho
w old most of these properties are. It's clean and the air conditioning works well. What more do we really need.
We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring Downtown Disney. I loved the Anne Gedde shop (the only one in the courtry). The boys were excited to explore the LEGO store. This one had to be the biggest one we have been to yet! Both boys selected a suviniour which we'll pick up on Saturday.
For an early dinner, we headed to the Rainforest Cafe. It's one of our favorite eateries. We were so tired, it was hard to eat . .. LOL
We're back early because Ken surprised us with TWO day hopper tickets to DL. We had only planned to spend one day. Now we can hop around and enjoy both DL and Disney California Adventures.
Off to get some sleep for me, too. More soon . . .
We flew from home to Atlanta. The wait was only 2 hours. Unfortunately, then we discovered there would be no food whatsoever on the plane; not even food to purchase at exorbandant prices . . .LOL. At the last minute, we ran to Moe's for breakfast burritos. For our five hour flight, we were thankful to have the food (and made the stewardess a bit jealous with the great smell).
I was blessed to sit beside a missionary headed back to China. It was a great way to spend five hours. I learned so much about China in that short period. I also learned how much more we need to pray for the churches there.
Once we landed we headed straight to our hotel: Best Western Park Place. We chose this hotel because it was exactly across from the entrance to Disney Land. Disney only has two hotels here and they can be pricey. There are a ton of hotels all the way around Disney Land. Although this hotel had great ratings, it was less than we expecting. What I didn't realize is ho
w old most of these properties are. It's clean and the air conditioning works well. What more do we really need.We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring Downtown Disney. I loved the Anne Gedde shop (the only one in the courtry). The boys were excited to explore the LEGO store. This one had to be the biggest one we have been to yet! Both boys selected a suviniour which we'll pick up on Saturday.
For an early dinner, we headed to the Rainforest Cafe. It's one of our favorite eateries. We were so tired, it was hard to eat . .. LOL
We're back early because Ken surprised us with TWO day hopper tickets to DL. We had only planned to spend one day. Now we can hop around and enjoy both DL and Disney California Adventures.
Off to get some sleep for me, too. More soon . . .
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
T Minus 8 hours and packing
At 3:30 AM tomorrow the Wagar family will be rising (and hopefully shining) to leave for our trip. Kaleb and Peter already have their alarm set so they don't miss the 5:45 PM flight out of Newport News airport. We like to fly from Newport News because it doesn't require going over any bridges. We've had some challenges with bridges being up when we needed to go over them. It's not uncommon in this area.
We've been reading a great history book on the Panama Canal. It's called Path Between The Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914 by David McCullough. Remember he wrote 1776 and John Adams? The book does an excellent job of presenting the facts of the building of canal without a lot of commentary. We'll share questions and facts about the Panama Canal as we go along. For now, consider that President Thomas Jefferson spent $15 Million to purchase the Lousiana Purchase. For a swath of land 50 miles long and 10 miles across, as well as some of the equipment that the French left from their attempt to build the canal, President Teddy Roosevelt spent $40 Million! At the time, the purchase of the land and equipment was considered bargin (especially since the French spent almost $300 Million to TRY to build the Panama Canal).
We're nearly packed and I'm printing the magnet for our door on the cruise. More to share soon!
We've been reading a great history book on the Panama Canal. It's called Path Between The Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914 by David McCullough. Remember he wrote 1776 and John Adams? The book does an excellent job of presenting the facts of the building of canal without a lot of commentary. We'll share questions and facts about the Panama Canal as we go along. For now, consider that President Thomas Jefferson spent $15 Million to purchase the Lousiana Purchase. For a swath of land 50 miles long and 10 miles across, as well as some of the equipment that the French left from their attempt to build the canal, President Teddy Roosevelt spent $40 Million! At the time, the purchase of the land and equipment was considered bargin (especially since the French spent almost $300 Million to TRY to build the Panama Canal).
We're nearly packed and I'm printing the magnet for our door on the cruise. More to share soon!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
T Minus 4 days and much packing to go
We're down to only FOUR more days before we leave. Now you may asked if we have started packing and the answer would be NO! In fact, I just pulled the suitcases out of the closet this afternoon. They sure do look small to carry enough gear for 19 days . . .LOL
We originally planned to ship our snorkel equipment to the hotel in Anaheim, but it was $38 for 23 lbs!! It will only cost $10 to carry it on the airplane.
I also wanted to link you to a list of webcams for trip.
Well, we're off to look at a few more houses to buy in the expectation that our house will sell while we're cruising :)
More later
We originally planned to ship our snorkel equipment to the hotel in Anaheim, but it was $38 for 23 lbs!! It will only cost $10 to carry it on the airplane.
I also wanted to link you to a list of webcams for trip.
Well, we're off to look at a few more houses to buy in the expectation that our house will sell while we're cruising :)
More later
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Join Our Panama Canal Cruise
Well, we only have 8 days to go before leaving for our TOAL (trip of a lifetime) through the Panama Canal. We're excited to share this journey with our friends and family on our blog. Stay tuned for updates.
Here's our home for 15 days of our trip, the Disney Magic:
Here's our home for 15 days of our trip, the Disney Magic:
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