The Year In Review: DIT Takes Disney Love To A New Level In 2017

[wdwpoohbear...Jennifer 40]

I think I will be going to Texas in 2024.  I've never been to Austin or Waco so those are my two choices I will have to explore.  Waco gets more time so I will have to be there on the day of the eclipse.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

16 hours ago, Cortezcapt (Derek) said:

Kingsland is where my family is out there. Fredericksburg is nice though haven't been there in years. Remember my mom doing a lot of shopping while we were there.

I know a lot can change in 6 years, but as of right now I'm thinking a trip to Fredericksburg sounds nice.  

Then again, if I head home to Buffalo I can fill up on wings, beef on wecks, fish fries, etc.  Hmm...

16 hours ago, h2odivers...Ray said:

Thanks for the info.

btw. Fredericksburg is a great little German town.   It seems like the whole area is Little Germany  

It will probably be to cold but the original Schlitterbahn waterpark in close by in New Braunsfel Texas.  It is consistently voted one of the best water parks in America. 

How is the weather in that part of TX in early April?  

11 hours ago, LONE-STAR said:

If you're in New Braunfels don't forget to float the Guadalupe River and go camping at Camp Huaco Springs

That sounds awesome.  I've never spent time there.  I've been in San Antonio and San Marcos...so I guess I drove through New Braunfels to get between the two.  But didn't stop.  I should check that out someday.  

10 hours ago, fladogfan aka Gretchen said:

Thanks for sharing your trips with us Dave.  Your description of the eclipse  was very vivid, no photos needed.  Good plan for Anna during eclipse.

Heading to Texas for the next total eclipse, probably won't need to worry about snow

Thanks Gretchen!

1 hour ago, WannaBeImagineer said:

So is that your favorite campground around there?  We've never camped there but have looked at it a few times and I hadn't even heard of that one.

Any suggestions around Austin also?

Thanks!

I'd also be curious to hear those suggestions.  

48 minutes ago, wdwpoohbear...Jennifer said:

I think I will be going to Texas in 2024.  I've never been to Austin or Waco so those are my two choices I will have to explore.  Waco gets more time so I will have to be there on the day of the eclipse.

Good plan.  You can stop by and see Chip and Joanna too.  

[momof3kids-Yvonne 596]

So I am sitting here thinking. Wow! 2017 has gone by fast. You're almost to the fall season.

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[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

18 minutes ago, DaveInTN said:

Then again, if I head home to Buffalo I can fill up on wings, beef on wecks, fish fries, etc.  Hmm...

Beef on Weck. I forgot about that. After trying the Fort Wilderness Food Truck version, I need to get to Buffalo sometime to see what that's all about. 

TCD

[DaveInTN 3,247]

54 minutes ago, momof3kids-Yvonne said:

So I am sitting here thinking. Wow! 2017 has gone by fast. You're almost to the fall season.

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True, but I have one more summer trip to share....a quick one.  Coming up.  

42 minutes ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

Beef on Weck. I forgot about that. After trying the Fort Wilderness Food Truck version, I need to get to Buffalo sometime to see what that's all about. 

TCD

You must.  I'll tell you where to go.  Plus I'll guide you to the best pizza and wing joints in town too.  I'm hungry just thinking about it.  

[DaveInTN 3,247]

Thanks for continuing on this journey with me.  I'm enjoying reliving our year.  Yes, trip reports can be a lot of work, but it's a fulfilling experience too.  I recommend you give it a try sometime if you've never done one.  

So, I know I posted the last update on the Great American Eclipse, which was on August 21.  I purposely skipped over another trip from early August, as I figured it would be boring and somewhat repetitive of a trip report I did a couple of years ago.  But now I've decided to backtrack a couple of weeks and share some pics from that trip.  

Trip #4 - JW Marriott Orlando

One or two of you may recall a report I did previously about the JW Marriott in Orlando.  INC and I got away for a long weekend there a couple of years ago, and we subsequently returned with all of our kids.  It's actually the last family trip we all took pre-son in law.  Anyways, INC and I had planned a trip with Stella, our soon to be 12 year old, earlier last summer to Washington DC.  We had felt that a trip with just Stella would be nice for her, as for most of her life Anna has dominated the family dynamic for a variety of reasons.  Stella was 5 years old when Anna came home, and things changed dramatically.  We planned the DC trip for a time when I was going there for work anyways and would tack on a few extra days.  Then INC's mother had some serious health issues including a couple of surgeries, and our summer was pretty much shot.  We then decided to plan a trip just before school started, and since it didn't correlate with a work trip we switched our plans to the JW Marriott.  Stella was sad not to  be visiting the sites in DC, but the lazy river in Orlando quickly got her over it.  

We flew to MCO and took a Mears car to the hotel, and after checking in and getting in a quick swim, we hit the lobby bar for drinks and appetizers. 

Stella got the ubiquitous Shirley Temple.  

We decided to walk over to the adjacent Ritz Carlton for some more drinks and snacks, and on the way we passed through the hotel's convention area.  It was evening, so the place was quiet, but an Insurance company was holding meetings there that week and they had this fun little photo op sitting in the hall.

We ultimately ended up outside by the lake, where they have the most comfortable hammocks ever set up.  INC and I fell asleep in one of these a couple of years ago.  But we had company this time, so no napping occurred.  

The next morning, we repeated our daily morning routine from our previous stays here....we hit Starbucks in the lobby (yeah, I know) for oatmeal and coffee, and went to grab our favorite spots by the lazy river to spend the day.  

We like these particular seats because they are shady, and this is our view.  

That's a waterfall in the background, which produces incredibly relaxing sounds all day.  

We floated around the river, then relaxed in the chairs, then floated, then relaxed...etc etc.  Until it was close to noon, at which point I flipped the flag up on the back of my chair to indicate I wanted a server to stop by.  Which they promptly did, and then they brought us these.

More selfies ensued.  LOL.  

Later that day, Stella wanted to rent one of those surrey bikes like they have at Disney.  The property here is fairly large, so we got a bit of a workout in pedaling that thing around.  I'm glad Florida is flat.  

I joined INC in the backseat and let Stella take us on a tour.

That evening, we decided to go offsite for dinner, which we did on two of the evenings.  We have experienced all of the onsite restaurants on previous trips, and they are pretty pricey.  Good, but pricey.  So we Ubered to the I-Drive area on two occasions for some grub.  On that evening, we went to the Kobe Japanese steakhouse.  Stella had never been to a hibachi place, and she thoroughly enjoyed it. 

The next day, I rented a car from the onsite Hertz so that we could drive over to Sarasota to see my parents.  They had moved from the Villages to Sarasota just a month before our trip, in large part to be close to my brother, and we wanted to see them and their new home.  While in Sarasota that afternoon, we drove down to the jetty in Nokomis, where my Dad likes to go fishing.  

That's my Dad in the background, taking a pic as well.  

We drove back to Orlando later that afternoon, returned the rental, and headed inside the hotel to clean up and decide where to have dinner.  While considering that question, we grabbed a drink and some apps in one of the hotel bars. 

This place has the best stinkin pretzels ever.

If I remember right, we snacked our way through dinner that evening.  

On our last day, it was more lazy river time.

We had lunch poolside....I had an Ahi Tuna Salad.

INC had some other type of salad.

We floated more.

And that about sums up our long weekend.  Lazy river, drinks, appetizers, a visit with Mom and Dad, and more lazy river.  Stella enjoyed her time alone with INC and me.  Anna enjoyed her time with big sister Gwen and Caleb.  And I enjoyed everything, as I usually do.  

In the next update....who's ready for some Dolly??

 

 

 

 

[Robin 48]

What a nice thing for your daughter I'm sure she loved having all the attention!

[momof3kids-Yvonne 596]

I'm so glad Stella, INC and you were able to get away for some quality time. I am still trying to grasp in my mind how she is now 12. In my mind I still see her and Bob's granddaughter Riley (Peanut) playing at the playground Defeated Creek.

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[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

Agreed!! They all grow up waaaaay too fast. I remember specifically about the picture of her the day you bought the travel trailer (before this motor home) and she was a tired and pouting 5 yo

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

A+ parenting right there!  Good job!

Is anyone truly ever ready for some Dolly?

Bring it on!

TCD

[TN22.....Brady 22]

Okay, I gotta ask about the beer flight....Pilsner (yep), Wit (yep, ), Chili??????? (never heard of that one). Do you recall if you liked it?

[DaveInTN 3,247]

2 hours ago, Robin said:

What a nice thing for your daughter I'm sure she loved having all the attention!

Oh, she did.  She also enjoyed rubbing it in to her sisters.   

1 hour ago, momof3kids-Yvonne said:

I'm so glad Stella, INC and you were able to get away for some quality time. I am still trying to grasp in my mind how she is now 12. In my mind I still see her and Bob's granddaughter Riley (Peanut) playing at the playground Defeated Creek.

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Yes, and being terrorized by a gorilla.  

1 hour ago, mouseketab.....Carol said:

Agreed!! They all grow up waaaaay too fast. I remember specifically about the picture of her the day you bought the travel trailer (before this motor home) and she was a tired and pouting 5 yo

Good memory.  Here is a pic from the show.  

But are you sure you aren't mistaking her for the tired and pouting person peering into the bathroom of the trailer we bought?

 

1 hour ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

A+ parenting right there!  Good job!

Is anyone truly ever ready for some Dolly?

Bring it on!

TCD

You better get ready for Dolly....she's comin at you with double barrels a blazin.  

25 minutes ago, TN22.....Brady said:

Okay, I gotta ask about the beer flight....Pilsner (yep), Wit (yep, ), Chili??????? (never heard of that one). Do you recall if you liked it?

That spot at the hotel brews their own beer, so I always like getting a flight there and trying something new.  On a previous trip there they had a Rye beer that was out of this world.  They didn't have Rye this time, but I thought the Chili sounded interesting.  It was interesting....but I am glad I didn't have more than a small glass to drink.  It was definitely spicy, which was a weird sensation in a beer to me.  I'm glad I tried it, but wouldn't want it again.  

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

Wow, that's a much different picture than the one I remember.

OK, how much cleaning was required after you let Bob in :) (Love ya Bob, just teasin)

[DaveInTN 3,247]

3 minutes ago, mouseketab.....Carol said:

Wow, that's a much different picture than the one I remember.

OK, how much cleaning was required after you let Bob in :) (Love ya Bob, just teasin)

No, I remembered what you were talking about too but couldn't find the pic.  I went back and looked in Carbonite, and I think this is the one you were thinking of.  

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

That's the one, poor thing :) But she is definitely growing up into a lovely young lady :)

[dblr....Rennie 224]

That should get you a dad of the year award, always great to do something special one on one like that for your kids. Looked like a nice relaxing weekend with a trip to visit your parents might even get you son of the year!!!! A 2 for one, SC ORE

[fladogfan aka Gretchen 259]

1 hour ago, dblr....Rennie said:

That should get you a dad of the year award, always great to do something special one on one like that for your kids. Looked like a nice relaxing weekend with a trip to visit your parents might even get you son of the year!!!! A 2 for one, SC ORE

Yep, what Rennie said.

[Lou... 3,118]

2 hours ago, dblr....Rennie said:

That should get you a dad of the year award

I can see his head growing by the second. I hate to admit, but I'd have to vote for him, and not for just that.

[bhall 115]

I wish my dad was just like Dave :)

[DaveInTN 3,247]

5 hours ago, mouseketab.....Carol said:

That's the one, poor thing :) But she is definitely growing up into a lovely young lady :)

Yes she is.

4 hours ago, dblr....Rennie said:

That should get you a dad of the year award, always great to do something special one on one like that for your kids. Looked like a nice relaxing weekend with a trip to visit your parents might even get you son of the year!!!! A 2 for one, SC ORE

Thanks Rennie.  The check I promised you is in the mail.  

3 hours ago, fladogfan aka Gretchen said:

Yep, what Rennie said.

2 hours ago, Lou... said:

I can see his head growing by the second. I hate to admit, but I'd have to vote for him, and not for just that.

Don't go soft on me, Lou.  

6 minutes ago, bhall said:

I wish my dad was just like Dave :)

I wouldn't take you on vacation though, Bob.  

[bhall 115]

8 minutes ago, DaveInTN said:

 

I wouldn't take you on vacation though, Bob.  

Whoa, you are just like my dad.  wishes do come true!

[Cortezcapt (Derek) 156]

Sounds like a great trip.  I want a flag on the back of my chair that will call the attention of someone to bring me drinks! 

[momof3kids-Yvonne 596]

Sounds like a great trip.  I want a flag on the back of my chair that will call the attention of someone to bring me drinks! 

I'm thinking I should get one of those for the Montgomery Bell GG.

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[LONE-STAR 370]

13 hours ago, WannaBeImagineer said:

So is that your favorite campground around there?  We've never camped there but have looked at it a few times and I hadn't even heard of that one.

Any suggestions around Austin also?

Thanks!

There are maybe better campgrounds but we have always liked the section of river that it backs up to. It has Rapids, shallow water, deep water, slow water, so there is some place for every one to play. It's also nice if you want to rent there rafts or tubes they will bus you back from Gruene.  You feel like your nowhere near town but it's only 5 to 10 minutes and you have plenty places to go eat. 

http://camphuacosprings.com

[LONE-STAR 370]

I only camped in Austin for 2 nights  at a KOA 14 years ago off HWY 35. I really wasn't there to camp it was a business trip and as soon as the business was done we hooked up and went to New Braunfels to finish out the trip.