Part-Time Paradise

How did it work out Marty? I have a similar situation developing for when I visit this summer

Nice. Ready to share similar experiences in a few months.

Gallery rather. I've done too much research and conflating restaurants. Maybe I need to go back an shovel some more to clear my head. Thanks

I'm seeing a trend here... Sit upstairs at lunch, unless I like noise and padding Mickey's retirement fund. Thanks for the highlight on Trail's End v HDDR. The only problem with that logic is that my son loves any food delivered on the bone: Fried chicken, ribs, turkey legs, pork chops...keep your hands clear. Trail's End might be a treat at the end of the week when bub wants some ribs and Chef Dad doesn't want to cook. The Biergarten sounds good. I appreciate the resounding feedback from everyone on it. The kiddos like it when we eat at these type spots

Thanks. I don't know what made me think it wasn't an ADR place. Maybe after reading the 400th review online my comprehension slipped. Good feedback on BOG. No one really mentions that in their reviews.

After shoveling the drive for the fourth time today, I'm done with winter and ready to start thinking about my summer trip. My ADR window opens on Christmas Eve. I've been mulling around what I want to shoot for. Not a WDW rookie, but a FW rookie. Between my 3 other trips and studying the forum and other sites I've narrowed a list. Unfortunately a lot of reviews I've found are months or years old. Here's what I've been mulling around: -For sure we're hitting HDDR. -Also going to Trail's End (I know it's not a ADR joint). If you had to chose one meal would you choose breakfast,

Well poop. I have gone to Hawaii for work a few times this year and wanted to bring them to a little Hawaii in FL. This is my 4th trip to WDW, but first at FW and first with my RV. The more and more I look through ADRs the more I think about taking the time to head back to the camper to make dinner before attacking back out into the parks instead of rushing all over to make reservations.

Hello all, My ADR windows opens on Christmas Eve (early Christmas presents for me!). Last trip we did a ton of character dinners. Kids didn't get as much out of it as we'd hoped and the food didn't necessarily wow us on many of them. I've decided that for sure we're doing HDDR. We'd really hoped for Mickey's Backyard BBQ (RIP), but since that's not a choice I'm considering Spirit of Aloha. Pawing through the bowels of the site, most of the discussion about SOA is 4+ years old and the reviews are mixed. Has anyone hit SOA recently? Thanks

Bummer, they are all slowing up on my phone. I'll tinker around when I get back to a computer. It was a fun weekend

A small trip report from this weekend. I have traveled a lot this year for work. Also the kids' activities coupled with school means I barely see them anymore. So I decided to give Mom a quiet weekend alone and we loaded up the camper to head to Watkins Woolen Mill State Park and State Historic Site (that's a mouthful, huh?). We stopped at WWMSPSHS (gotta have a good acronym too right?) last year and toured the historic mill and the Watkins' home. They are incredibly preserved and the Missouri Dept of Natural Resources does a good job telling the history of the Watkins, the mill, and

I am thoroughly impressed the amount of data-mining this community can aggregate from online and in person about FW. Now you need to find the hints about the Backyard BBQ coming back. It was one of my favorite memories with the kids the last time we were at WDW.

That park looks amazing. The FHU isn't a necessity, especially since we'd be on FHU at FW for a week. The beach access looks great. Thanks! Looks like a great stopover. Based on what I plan for the day, I don't think ATL traffic later in the day are going to mesh with my vacation disposition. You had me at Sausage Store. That might be a bit further to drive, reference above ATL traffic comment, but I might be capable of the drive for a store dedicated to pork delicacies.

Alright, my reservations are booked. Decided to check in on Sunday and check out on Saturday. Have some time to smell the flowers. I have plenty of time, but I can't help planning the trip down there. KS to FL is a big trip. Planning to stop near the KY/TN border off of I-24 on Day 1. Northern GA off I-75 on Day 2. Then cruise into Disney mid-day SUN. I have a few spots we'd like to stop along the way (Fort Donalson Natl Monument, Ocmulgee Natl Monument...kids love the NPS Jr Ranger Program). We're not opposed to staying in a Wal-Mart, Cabela's, etc on the way down, but does an

Thanks for both responses. I know every where else I want to go, Sunday is usually a good time to arrive. Disney seems to be the exception on everything. Also, thanks for the suggestion for a travel counselor. I have a friend that's already locked me up in perpetuity for any Disney trips.

I don't think I'd fit inside a 911 let alone would the roof support my 250 lbs.

For once in a long time, I have some predictability in my summer schedules at work. We already had 2019 locked up, but I'm looking at 2020 for a Florida trip and a few days at Disney in there as well. We aren't Disney newbs, but we are Fort rookies. The plan right now is towards the end of June 2020. I'm shooting to check-in on a Sunday and check out on a Thursday. What day of the week is the best to check-in so you can get the dates/spot/etc you want?

OK, let's finish this out. On Day 3 we left Tucson East back towards El Paso. We planned to stop at Fort Bowie NHS (boo-eee). The fort is interesting. It's near a spring. Several trails ran through here, Overland-Butterfield, want to say Pony Express, maybe one more. Either way, frontier folks transited through the area and stopped near there for water. A small settlement started to build with a store and some other shops. Eventually the native tribes weren't too hip on the settlers using the water and the settlement and travelers were attacked regularly. The conflict came

All the engines are pulled. They'd need some serious refurb, but yes they are able to be used again.

OK, Day 2. We woke up early in Sierra Vista and headed north towards Tucson and Saguaro NP. For the uninitiated, Saguaro (sah-whar-o) is the cactus type that you think of when someone says cactus. The one in the background of Wile E Coyote and Roadrunner cartoons. They look like huge hat racks. You'll see. I might have a picture or two. We arrived mid morning to the Eastern side of Saguaro. Saguaro is split into 2 districts...one on each side of Tucson. Reading around and talking to a few folks that had visited prior suggested that if you have only a day do the Eastern side

They look like mom and act like dad. Thanks for following

Evening Fiends, As promised, catching up on trips I've meant to document. But I'm behind again because we just got back from a trip with the new camper. I guess it's not a bad problem to have. Anyway, Thanksgiving 2017 we were still stationed in El Paso which is 15+ hours from either side of the family by car. Flying isn't much of our style, so we chose to enjoy our 4-days off by seeing more of the Southwest and having turkey as a family of 4. We set sail westward from El Paso the day after Thanksgiving towards Coronado National Memorial. We arrived just at lunch t

I'm going to be busy for a couple of days, so the next TR will have to wait awhile. But from what I've taken from other fiends, particularly TCD, a teaser gets you Dole Whipped up into a Fiend Frenzy 😄. Stay tuned for next time where the Slapwacky family avoids spending Thanksgiving with relatives to trace the path of Spanish explorers, see a valley of cactus, walk were the Frontier Army took a stand, and this:

Alright, let's finish this bad dude out. Day 7 - Torrey, UT to Ancient Cedars Mesa Verde CG, Mancos, CO. We broke camp very early to get on the road with this big drive in front of us. As all of the drives, this leg was pretty as well. It was interesting to start out in the unique UT landscape and finish the day in a John Denver song. The drive was relatively easy with plenty of places to fuel and the roads weren't corkscrews (though I like it when they're like that...keeps me engaged). To really see Mesa Verde NP, you need to buy tickets for a guided tour. We h

I wished I made more trips out that way while we were in El Paso. I'll do up a TR for a trip I did to AZ for Turkey Day 2017 sans camper soon. I thought it was going to be interesting, but I never knew until we moved out there how great it would be. We really enjoyed our 2 years in El Paso. Hard to wake up in the morning and not be surrounded by rugged mountains. I've polished my pano skills since this trip, had a few goofs here and there, but thanks. Yes, it is a must go. Go now, run...get to the chopper. But yes, go. I haven't gotten a taste of all the BLM a

Day 6 - Travel from Cannonville, UT with a pit stop in Escalante, UT for groceries to Thousand Lakes RV Park in Torrey, UT. We pulled up the stakes at a decent time and set out on our journey. We headed on UT-12 out of Cannonville. A fellow camper told us we were nuts to take that route, "it was twisty and curvy and I almost died several times." That is a bit of a stretch for me, but there are several points fairly near Cannonville that have big drop offs with no guard rails. It was pretty and wouldn't have wanted to go the longer less scenic way. We stopped in Escal