Disney’s Animal Kingdom - November 10, 2012

This is our last “vacation” day in Florida and we headed out on the early shuttle to Animal Kingdom. It had been over 12 years since Tobey and I had been to Animal Kingdom and there were lots of changes. We enjoyed the 3-D “It’s Tough to be a Bug” show and sang along (I did, anyway) to the music at the Festival of the Lion King.

The Kilimanjaro Safari ride though an African-style savanna was wonderful. It was funny to hear the couple behind us on the truck comment that the animals were real! Even though we had a fast pass the line was still quite long – about 30 minutes - because the rhinos had been in the middle of the road and refused to move, so several of the trucks were held up!



Since we broke Ann and Gary into the roller coaster circuit with Space Mountain, we all decided to try the “Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain".

It was awesome – so awesome that when we finished the ride with our fast pass, we jumped back into line and did it again! It goes backwards part of the way, inside the mountain in the dark.

We also enjoyed the Flights of Wonder bird show and the Maharajah Jungle Trek where we saw Komodo dragons, tigers, giant fruit bats, and monkeys. Disney is doing an incredible job with education and talking about conservation in many of the programs.

We ended the day early so we could go back to Bruno’s Restaurant for dinner and dessert, before relaxing in the hot tub. It was a great way to end our week in Florida!

Cape Canaveral , Titusville - November 9, 2012

After watching the weather reports, we decided that today was the day to head to the beach. Even though it was still a little breezy, it was a great day.

We parked at Cherie Down City Park and walked the beach to the pier – more than two miles.


We stopped to watch the surfers along the way. When we reached the pier, we headed out to the street and another mile plus to Ron Jon’s Surf Shop so Ann and Gary could get some souvenirs for their son. It is huge – and had just about any surf related item you would ever want.

After shopping we stopped at the Sandbar Sports Grill for a snack. It wasn’t fancy, but we shared the fish and shrimp tacos – and they were delicious! http://www.sandbarsportsgrill.net/

Fortified with our snack, we walked the beach all the way back to the park – about three miles.

We had fun collecting seashells and dodging the incoming tide. When we got back to the park, we grabbed our beach towels and watch the kite-surfers on the beach.
We spent most of the afternoon relaxing on the beach then headed to Titusville where Ann and Gary promised us an incredible meal – and they didn’t lie! We went to the Dixie Crossroads Seafood Restaurant for an early dinner.

When we sat down we were served the most unusual free appetizer – corn fitters covered with powdered sugar. They tasted a little like funnel cakes and were really yummy! Ann and Gary recommended the rock shrimp, so we decided to give it a try. OH MY GOSH! It was incredible!!! The shrimp tasted like lobster and were served with drawn butter. Dinner included a wonderful fish soup and baked potato – then we asked for another basket of fritters for dessert! We are adding Dixie Crossroads to our list of places to go again! http://dixiecrossroads.com/index.asp

Magic Kingdom - November 8, 2012

We slept in today because we knew we were planning to stay late at the Magic Kingdom. We drove to the park instead of taking the shuttle so we didn’t have to worry about missing the fireworks. Arriving about noon, we headed straight to Space Mountain to grab a fast pass. Tobey and I gave Ann and Gary such a bad time about not riding it that they agreed to give it a try. As soon as the ride ended, Gary’s first words were, “That was fun. Can we do it again?” So, that is exactly what we did! Tobey and I decided we had created a monster, but they were really good natured about our teasing!


We managed to watch a couple parades and shows in the park, as well as going on several of the rides again.

It was so fun to see the characters and the kids reacting to them. Some of the characters got off the floats and danced and interacted with the kids. FUN!


We stayed for the Electric Parade, followed by the fireworks. Cinderella’s castle has very cool lighting which changed throughout the parade and fireworks.


It really is magical at the Magic Kingdom!

Disney Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom Orlando November 6 & 7, 2012

Tuesday we woke to drizzly rain but headed out to Disney Hollywood Studios anyway. By the time the shuttle delivered us to the transfer station at Epcot, and our bus to Disney Hollywood Studio, the weather was clearing, just cool.

We caught several of the shows, including Indiana Jones and the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt show. It was really interesting to learn how they do the driving scenes in movies – many of the cars are built with a duplicate car that has the driver facing backwards, but with a face painted on the back of their helmet so they appear to be facing forward!

 They even had a couple stunts where McQueen, from the Cars movie, got into the action.

The Star Tours ride was lots of fun - even Ann and Gary enjoyed it! We had fun with the the 3-D movies and different stage performances. Ann and Gary were good sports and went to the Fantasmic show to save great seats while Tobey and I rode the Rock n Roller Coaster and the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. We all had a great time.
It was fun to see the the streets all decorated for Christmas as we left the park at the end of the evening!
Wednesday we took the early shuttle so we could get to the Magic Kingdom early. It was a chilly, windy morning, but we took the ferry anyway.
We quickly headed to Space Mountain so Tobey and I could either ride or get a fast pass. It was closed for a maintenance issue, so we got a fast pass so we could return later and bypass the lines once it opened. We had fun on Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin trying our luck at shooting our laser guns at the targets. Like many of the rides at the park, they take your picture as you go through. We didn’t buy the picture, but I did manage to take a picture of our picture! Is that cheating?? We got Ann and Gary to go on two different roller coasters with us – the one below is the kiddies’ Barnstormer Coaster.

We rode the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad twice – both times with Ann and Gary. It was lots of fun. We hit many of the classic rides like Pirates of the Caribbean, the Jungle Ride, and the Haunted Mansion. We saw some of the characters including Chip and Dale and Tigger and Winnie the Pooh.

We ended the day early so we could go out to an early dinner.

We found a GREAT Italian restaurant not far from our condo – Bruno’s Italian Restaurant. When we drove up it didn’t look like much from the outside – in a strip mall next to a discount souvenir shop, but when we entered the restaurant, our noses told us we had picked a great spot. The service was really friendly, the garlic rolls fantastic, and the wine was good. We all ordered something different, Tobey had the shrimp Alfredo, I had the veal parmesan, Ann the shrimp Diablo; and Gary had the Brigole. They were all fantastic! We couldn’t stop eating, but we were stuffed. When our waiter came back to see if we wanted dessert, we could barely move, so we all declined. Next time we have to split the entrees so we can try their desserts!

We are heading back to the Magic Kingdom on Thursday and plan to stay late to see the fireworks. We may even get Gary to join us on Space Mountain …

We’re off to Florida - November 4 & 5, 2012

Several months ago our friends, Ann & Gary, invited us to go to Florida with them.  We enjoy going to Disney, but haven’t been here  in over 12 years so we quickly said, “yes!”

Before we knew it, our departure day was here. With suitcases packed, we set the alarm for 4:00 a.m. in order to get to Denver airport for our 8:15 a.m.flight. Gary was a little stressed because he likes arriving at the airport at least two hours before the flight, but Tobey and I are more of the “less is more” when it comes to waiting around the airport kind of folks! It worked out okay – he had time to purchase some breakfast to carry on and we arrived at the gate and immediately boarded the plane. The close arrival gave us something to tease Gary about!

After an uneventful flight, we arrived in Orlando, picked up the rental car, had lunch, and headed to Ann & Gary’s condo.

This morning we took advantage of the resort’s shuttle to Epcot Center for the day.

We had a great time going on the rides and touring the different countries in the World Showcase. The “Wine and Food Festival” was going on, so we also had fun trying different foods. We tasted the shrimp tacos and strawberry-lime margaritas from Mexico, empanadas from Argentina, chocolate cannelloni from Italy, but the Belgian waffle with fruit compote was my favorite!

As evening drew near, we headed back to “Future World” to catch a couple rides we had bypassed earlier in the day. Tobey and I both liked the “Mission Space” ride. We talked Ann and Gary into the “orange team” which is a more intense journey than the “green team” in a simulator ride to Mars. We probably should have split up because they were both a little green when the ride was over!

Our final ride was “Spaceship Earth” which takes you inside the giant globe. It was fun and interesting, and a good way to end the day.

Roller Derby in “The Fort”

Last week Tobey saw an ad in the paper for a roller derby match and he decided we should go. We had seen the movie, Whip It, with Drew Barrymore, but it did nothing to prepares us for what roller derby in Fort Collins would be.

We arrived early at the Qdoba Events Center in Fort Collins because we had been told it would be a packed house. Not so much … Unlike the raised track with rails around it as seen in the movie, this track was a flat track marked with fluorescent pink tape on the floor. PVH arrived with an ambulance and two paramedics – just in case.

At 7pm we were treated to a junior division exhibition match. These little girls were somewhere between 7 and 10 years old and were quite the skaters! Like the movie, all of the skaters had their special monikers which they went by. Mega Drama, pictured above, was a “jammer,” or one of the skaters who could score points. She had her entire family there to cheer her on – Drama Mama, Drama Daddy, Drama Sista, Drama Grammy, (all wearing tee shirts with their names on them. The other team had better blockers, so Mega Drama’s team ended up losing. The main event, the competition between the Fort Collins’ nationally ranked travel team, the Micro Bruisers (in blue) , facing off against the Castle Rock ‘N Rollers Greatest Hits began shortly after the Juniors.  With “jammers” like “Slim Skatey” and “98 Pounds of Steel",  and blockers, “Inner Demon” and “Battle C Portman”, the Micro Bruisers were off to a fast start which never let up. Try as they might, the Castle Rock ‘n Rollers could not get past the Micro Bruisers and lost 212 to 49!

Following a competition of high school aged skaters, the second official matchup was between the Fort Collins Punchy Brewsters and the Boulder County Bombers. The Bombers had the clear advantage at the beginning of the match with their awesome jammer, “Faelust” finding her way through the Brewsters blockers. At 10pm, we decided we could officially cross “attend a roller derby” off our bucket list and headed home.

Watch the trailer of “Whip It”  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1172233/

Last Camping Trip of the Season

We have taken our last RV camping trip for the year. Two weeks ago we went to Mountain Park in the Poudre River Canyon, with our good friends, Ann and Gary. After a rainy start early on Friday afternoon, the sky cleared and we had a fantastic weekend. We had planned to hike the Mount McConnel /Kreutzer Nature Trail on Saturday, but it was still closed while the forest service was working to repair damage from the High Park Fire this summer. Instead, we walked our dogs all around the campground several times, then let Penny swim in the Poudre River. She had a blast!
We spent most of the afternoon sitting in the sun, playing cards and dominos. It was tough duty. We had fun watching the Stellar jays flit from tree to tree, and from limb to land, looking for any scraps of food that might have been dropped near the camp area. Later, we broke out the adult beverages and hor d'oeuvres before preparing dinner.

As the sun went down, Gary built a great campfire and brought out some ice cream for dessert. We shared stories by the fire while enjoying a great view of the stars.

On Sunday morning we intended to take Gary’s truck and drive further up the Canyon to an open trailhead for hiking. As we headed out of the campground, we noticed the McConnel trail was open, so we changed plans and decided to stay at Mountain Park and check it out.

Much of the 2.1 mile trail was quite slippery with loose gravel and pine needles. It was evident where there had been mudslides which required the forest service to eke out the trail and many areas where they cut down the burned trees to ensure hikers’ safety.

It was good to see lots of green still in the area, and it was encouraging to see new growth peeking up under the trees.

The High Park fire burned over 87,000 acres of land and it will be years before the area is restored to its previous beauty, but we still love camping here. This won’t be our last trip!

As September is coming to a close, the weather is starting to cool down and the winterization of the RV is almost complete. Tobey still needs to change the oil in the generator and repair the damaged solar panel while I finish cleaning and putting things away. I guess it’s time to start planning for next year!

High Park fire info: http://inciweb.org/incident/2904/

Mountain Park: http://campincolorado.com/federal/arapaho_roosevelt_nf/mountain_park/mountain_park.html

McConnel/Kreutzer Trail info: ttp://poudrewildernessvolunteers.org/trails/lower-poudre-canyon/16-mt-mcconnel-trail-kreutzer-nature-trail#description

Labor Day Weekend - Fort Collins

Tobey and I did not travel far this Labor Day weekend, opting instead to enjoy some of the activities in and around our area. Saturday morning we rode our bikes to watch the Tour de Fat parade, sponsored by New Belgium Brewing. The Tour de Fat parade attracts 20,000+ participants and raises money for Overland Mountain Bike Club, Bike Fort Collins and Fort Collins Bike Co-op.

We found a prime section of grass with shade to watch along Mountain Avenue. The parade, according to the New Belgium website, is “ is a thrilling rite of passage that includes an unparalleled costumed bicycle parade, New Belgium beer, eccentric entertainment, local food, unusual bike contests and much more. “

We chose to partake in watching the 2-hour parade!



We even saw a couple guys from our Lions Club riding in the parade.

It was a beautiful day and we had a great time. Some interesting comments from parade participants which we overheard included one from a college-aged young man saying he should have learned how to ride a bide before today! Another joked that the parade was a lot like a cross between Halloween and Mardi Gras.

After the parade we pedaled home to watch the Rocky Mountain Showdown – the CSU vs. CU football game. We had the opportunity to go to the game in Denver, but opted for the TV version instead so we didn’t have to miss the parade. It has always been fun to watch the game, but when our son went to CU Boulder, a new dimension of competition was added. (I graduated from CSU.) Saturday’s game was exciting for us. CSU scored first (field goal), but was answered by TWO CU touchdowns.

Tyler and Katie went to the game, so we did a little texting after each score … trying not to be too mean. CU’s quarterback appeared to be injured in the second half – probably from being sacked five times. CSU’s defense was the best we have seen in years! Anyway, CSU prevailed and won the game 22-17. I didn’t send any texts gloating over the victory and Tyler didn’t send any congratulating us, either.

On Sunday we headed to Denver to the Taste of Colorado. The band, Head East, was playing at 1 pm. We arrived with plenty of time to stake out a spot center stage, just behind a few people.

The music was great and the weather was hot. Tobey was able to catch TWO guitar picks, so he will be sending them off to our friend, Chris, who played with the band back in the 1970s! After the concert, we waited in line to talk to the band which was fun. We enjoyed checking out all the crafts which were for sale. Tobey and I both took a try at a game sponsored by Ford, and he won $10. Lucky guy! Guess he can pay for gas for the next trip!

We are rested now, and ready for the week ahead. We hope you had a good weekend, too!