The Rat's Mouth and the Mouse's Kingdom
I've now been back from my two week road trip for a bit over a week. It took a few hours and a good sushi dinner with wine to acclimate to the house again, but I'm settled in now and no longer wonder where my free continental breakfast is or what time to check out.
I'm not budging from the state again until Thanksgiving. I went to Disney World, Boca Raton (feh), Savannah and many points in between.
1) Developed strong opinions about certain motel and hotel companies. I don't care if I'm tired, in the boonies with wolves howling all around me and right next to an Econolodge. I will sleep in my car before I make that mistake again. However, I will gladly visit any Comfort or Quality Inns, and Staybridge Suites has my approval. They are all kind to the weary traveler.
2) I have been thoroughly converted to the Disney way. I went to the Mouse's kingdom expecting to laugh at the silliness and have kind of an ironic time of it. This was not to be. The Imagineers pwned. I loved the attention to detail. I marveled at the plentiful available bathroom stalls. I ate surprisingly well. I drank a lot at Epcot. I got two blisters on one pinkie toe. I had a lot of fun. Most importantly, I wore Piglet ears the whole time. Except on roller coasters.
3) I went on my first through fourth roller coasters. I thought that the ridiculous looking carnie style coaster in the Dinosaur section of Animal Kingdom wouldn't be a bad start. It was small and colorfully non-threatening looking. I was wrong and it entirely convinced me that I was in mortal peril. I screamed in genuine terror several times and still feel freaked out when I remember one particular turn. Oddly I wasn't worried at all by any of the others I went on, including Space Mountain which spooks a lot of people. I'm glad, because being terrorized by what my husband called a "kiddie coaster" was kind of embarrassing.
4) I visited Boca Raton. It was all strip malls, chain restaurants and Active Adult communities. If I didn't have in-laws there I'd never, ever go again. I did see two geckos and a lot of anoles though. And a giant snail which was probably one of that kind that eats housepaint and anything else
5) I ate Waffle House. I've generally had good service at Waffle Houses in the past. I think that was just luck. I visited one in Florida that was entirely staffed by women with the work ethic of toddlers in need of a nap. They would each find a place to go and do something useless like banging some pans around and then yell at each other about how no one was delivering the food to the customers. I'm still wondering why our order for two large coffees to go produced one regular and one partially filled large.
6) I became increasingly entranced by Irish beer and gloried in its availability on-tap in Savannah. My husband is so proud to have a wife who not only drinks Guinness, but loves the Extra Stout more.
7) Oooh, at Animal Kingdom I saw Giant Flying Foxes! I've seen bats plenty of times, but I've never seen one with the wingspan of a hawk. I could have stayed and watched them all day.
8) I pined for my cat. The last time we took a trip this long was before we closed on the house and became her people.
9) I met zee lovely littlela17 for some drinks and much talk about the wonders of Savannah.
10) I am tired now and this entry is way after the fact so I'm stopping.
I'm not budging from the state again until Thanksgiving. I went to Disney World, Boca Raton (feh), Savannah and many points in between.
1) Developed strong opinions about certain motel and hotel companies. I don't care if I'm tired, in the boonies with wolves howling all around me and right next to an Econolodge. I will sleep in my car before I make that mistake again. However, I will gladly visit any Comfort or Quality Inns, and Staybridge Suites has my approval. They are all kind to the weary traveler.
2) I have been thoroughly converted to the Disney way. I went to the Mouse's kingdom expecting to laugh at the silliness and have kind of an ironic time of it. This was not to be. The Imagineers pwned. I loved the attention to detail. I marveled at the plentiful available bathroom stalls. I ate surprisingly well. I drank a lot at Epcot. I got two blisters on one pinkie toe. I had a lot of fun. Most importantly, I wore Piglet ears the whole time. Except on roller coasters.
3) I went on my first through fourth roller coasters. I thought that the ridiculous looking carnie style coaster in the Dinosaur section of Animal Kingdom wouldn't be a bad start. It was small and colorfully non-threatening looking. I was wrong and it entirely convinced me that I was in mortal peril. I screamed in genuine terror several times and still feel freaked out when I remember one particular turn. Oddly I wasn't worried at all by any of the others I went on, including Space Mountain which spooks a lot of people. I'm glad, because being terrorized by what my husband called a "kiddie coaster" was kind of embarrassing.
4) I visited Boca Raton. It was all strip malls, chain restaurants and Active Adult communities. If I didn't have in-laws there I'd never, ever go again. I did see two geckos and a lot of anoles though. And a giant snail which was probably one of that kind that eats housepaint and anything else
5) I ate Waffle House. I've generally had good service at Waffle Houses in the past. I think that was just luck. I visited one in Florida that was entirely staffed by women with the work ethic of toddlers in need of a nap. They would each find a place to go and do something useless like banging some pans around and then yell at each other about how no one was delivering the food to the customers. I'm still wondering why our order for two large coffees to go produced one regular and one partially filled large.
6) I became increasingly entranced by Irish beer and gloried in its availability on-tap in Savannah. My husband is so proud to have a wife who not only drinks Guinness, but loves the Extra Stout more.
7) Oooh, at Animal Kingdom I saw Giant Flying Foxes! I've seen bats plenty of times, but I've never seen one with the wingspan of a hawk. I could have stayed and watched them all day.
8) I pined for my cat. The last time we took a trip this long was before we closed on the house and became her people.
9) I met zee lovely littlela17 for some drinks and much talk about the wonders of Savannah.
10) I am tired now and this entry is way after the fact so I'm stopping.