Another Relaxing Day of Pool, Putt-Putt and Logans

April 3, 2014

Our normal routine was to sleep in,  hit the pool and get around for some type of outing.  Today was no different.  We had a little pool and sun time and then we came back to relax a little and get showered up.  Adri Grandma and I went to Putt-Putt.  This is always a fun thing to do on vacation.

We ate in dinner the condo three nights and ate out on the others.  One thing we always like to do is go to a steak place.  We had a coupon for a free appetizer at Logan's so that is  where we went.  It wasn't up to our normal Logan's standard, but it was still a good meal. 

Adri and I made it back in time for some late-night racquetball!   

Finally, Parkesdale Farms Shortcake

April 2, 2014

Since we were not able to hit Parkesdale Farms for shortcake on our way to the condo Saturday, we had to pick another day to go.  The Shepherd baseball team had a scrimmage in Lakeland on Wednesday at 1:30, so we figured that would be a good day to do to Plant City.  That way we could stop by Lakeland on the the way back at hit some of the scrimmage.

We have gone to Parksdale Farms every year.  We have gotten pictures with the kids sitting in the strawberry with the bowl of shortcake and crowns on their heads.  This year we would have to do this without Alex.  The shortcake and shakes were as good as usual.  We took our pictures and bought a tiny bit of produce.

We were able to get to the scrimmage and see a few innings, but we had made arrangements to watch Christian and Anya so Kelly and Nate could have some adult time.  Once the kids arrived, we went to the pool, had dinner, and the kids played Monopoly.

 
Adri and I still had a little time to play racquetball before bed.






 

Pool, Wonder Works, and the Comedy Dinner Show

April 1, 2014

We started Tuesday with some pool time.  The sun was shining and it was warm by mid-morning.  The resort had two pools.  Though there was one a little closer to our building, we headed for the one with the hot tub and slides.  There weren't many chairs, but we were able to find a good spot and spend as much time as we wanted by the pool.

 We decided that our outing for the day would be a trip to Wonder Works.  This is a hands-on, three story building that has an earthquake simulator, hurricane simulator, 4-D roller coaster simulators, ropes course, laser tag, etc.  There are over 100 different things to do.

Connected to Wonder Works was the Outta Control Dinner Show. The dinner part of the dinner show was unlimited pizza, popcorn, salad, and pop.  I can't say it was the best tasting, but it was more about the show than the food.  The food was filling because we could eat a lot!  The show was very good.  It was really a magic/comedy show.  I don't know how the guy did some of what he did.  As it turned out I got to be a part of the act.  It was not like the cruises when I jumped up and acted crazy.  He just picked me this time.  It was a lot of fun and we had some great laughs.  It was a good outing. 

Shop, Shop Til You Drop - Shop, Shop Never Stop

March 31, 2014

Adri's first order of business was to shop.  There is some good shopping in the area.  Kristi wasn't feeling well, so Adri, Grandma and I headed out to the Florida Mall, then Platos Closet, and finally the Premium Outlet Mall.  As you can see, at least Adri and Grandma had some success.

After our feet were about to fall off, Adri still wanted to play tennis.  So, dad had to suck it up.

Getting Settled for the Week and Meeting Up with Family

March 30, 2014

Our first order of business was to get our food for the week.  So, our first outing was to Walmart for groceries.  Being able to prepare meals is one of the great benefits of the condo accommodations.  It was nice to see the sunshine and feel the warmth.By the time we slept in a little, everyone got ready, and we got out the door, we needed to get lunch so we stopped at Denny's.

We had made contact with Kelly and Nate and had made plans to meet for dinner.  This was also the day that both Michigan State and Michigan were playing their Elite Eight games in hopes of going to the Final Four.  Out plan was to get groceries and come back to watch the games before heading to dinner.

The State game was disappointing.  Adri and I started our string of tennis matches between the MSU and UofM games.  The UofM game was just as disappointing.  When it was over we headed to dinner.  We had decided to meet Nate, Kelly, and the kids at Unos for a nice dinner.  If you are unfamiliar with Unos, check out this link, UNOS.

So Much for the Day One Itinerary

March 29, 2014

This year we decided to fly rather than drive to Florida.  It was a little more expense but Kristi found a pretty good "fly with rental car" deal.  It was still more expensive, but when you think of the gas and the depreciation the extra miles would add, it made it close enough to bite the bullet and fly.

We have done this before, but maybe only once or twice.  After leaving Alex, we headed to Detroit to stay the night before heading to the Detroit Airport for a 10:53 flight.  We had a bad experience with Spirit Airlines before and swore we would never fly them again, but Kristi really wanted to fly and this was the best deal we had seen.  It seemed worth the risk.  If it weren't so aggravating, it would be comical, but the night before we flew, I had a thought that Spirit probably had a different weight limit for luggage than the rest of the industry.  We have traveled to many places and flown many times.  The baggage limit is always 50 pounds.  We have a luggage scale so we can make sure we have the correct weight.  Well, as we were getting ready to check our luggage, Kristi noticed a little sign the indicated that with Spirit your initial baggage fee was for bags up to 40 pounds.  My premonition foretold the reality that is Spirit Airlines.

We made a few adjustments, threw more in the carry-ons (which also cost) and headed for the gate.  The luggage thing was an inconvenience, but we managed.  Everything else looked as if it was going to go as planned.  It was not long before we were notified that the flight would be delayed about an hour.  We were picking up my mom from her cousin who was bringing her up to meet us.  I called and let her know we were going to be late.  They ended up bringing her all the way to the airport.

Our itinerary included picking up mom and stopping by Parkesdale Farms for strawberry shortcake on our way to the condo.  With an hour delay and them deciding to bring mom all the way to the airport, we could adjust but still meet the itinerary plan.  About an hour later, they started to board the plane.  We were actually in line, and they announced we were going to be delayed another hour.  Those who had already boarded came off.  There was bad weather and back-ups at the Tampa Airport.  This process happened again about an hour later.  This time everyone was on the plane before they announced the delay.  Our 10:53 am flight finally took off at 3:00 pm.  That put is in Tampa about 5:30.  No shortcake today!

Once we retrieved our luggage we headed for the rental car desk.  There was a long line and it was taking each person a long time at the desk.  Our long travel day got even longer as we waited about an hour and a half to get our rental car.  So, we finally arrived at our condo in Kissimmee about 9:30 pm.  We were tired and frustrated that our plans didn't work out, but grateful that we finally made it to the warmth of Florida.

A Bittersweet Start to Spring Break 2014

March 28, 2014

All but two years (2004 when we were putting the finishing touches on our new house and the year Adri was born), we have traveled as a family to Florida for Spring Break.  Kristi and I have come down since 1996 and the kids have come from newborns until now.  This has been the Spring Break plan for the past 15 years, but now, Alex is 16 and a member of the high school band.  The band takes a trip every other year with the band students.  This year they were going to New York City.  So, Alex had the opportunity to do some amazing things with his band friends.  But that meant he would not be coming to Florida with the rest of us.

This was a little tough, just because it is the first time we have not come down all together.  But, who could give up the opportunity to see New York City with all of the internationally known sites, such as the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, September 11 Memorial, Radio City Music Hall.  There was even more to see and do.

So, we dropped off Alex, and the rest of us headed to Florida.