Down by the Riverside (and Fort): A TCD End of Summer Trip Report

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

I have caught up on the report now. I'm sad that it's coming to an end.

Great job on getting the otter pictures! I never doubted Lou or Deb, but I like picture proof. I have seen them in Crystal River, but never at the fort. I guess I need to go sit on Bob's dock and wait.

I'm assuming your going to finish this report by the weekend so you can give us some football news/pictures next week?

I'm here til Monday, you are just a short drive away,& you are more than welcome to come over. Though it would probably be wise to do it before doodle gets here as I can't be responsible for her behavior!

And here I thought you were the "wild thing" :rofl2:

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

TCD, I think those photos are doctored, b/c we all know otters steal beer and I didn't see any beer cans/bottles/kegs around them....just sayin.....

But maybe those otters are under age or attending AA, if so, then Outstanding! :banana:

I am thinking they had their beer stash in the grass they kept going in to. Or under Bob's dock. In fact, these may be otters that Bob trained to bring him beer.

Wow, that is just amazing :banana:

It was more amazing to see it in person.

Maybe try to get down to the dock early one morning and see if you can see them for yourself!

Awesome!!! I haven't seen them at the fort Before but i have seen them twice i think at Buena Vista Palace. My DGF loves that hotel for some reason.

I have seen otters in Bay Lake before.

And my DD's saw some swimming around Discovery Island once.

They aren't really that rare around central Florida.

But, I had never seen otters in the Fort before.

I was reading this report without signing in. Then I had to sign in so that I could say..

Outstanding job!!!! Until now I truly believed that otters at the fort was a myth.

:bravo:

Thanks, KFK!

I didn't have trouble believing that otters would occasionally show up in the Fort.

But, I had never seen them before.

Oh sure Kim, Debbie and I say we've seen them, I also have photos, and we're chopped liver. But TCD says it and it's Ga Ga Go Go, oh Andrew.

Anyway nice job Andrew. I'm not jealous. Well, maybe just a little.

Sorry, Lou.

But do not be jealous.

It is hard to be TCD.

Fighting the ladies off all the time and everything.

As far as I know, the only photo anyone ever attempted to post of an otter in the Fort was anolefan, who posted a blurry one a while back.

These photos are a BFD because they clearly show otters right smack in the middle of the Fort.

Otters!?!

How awesome!! We have some river otters at our local zoo and I swear I could watch them all day! Seeing them free and au naturale like that must have been amazing!

Great job on the pics!!

There are a lot of otters in Florida.

They are pretty cool critters.

I could watch them all day too.

It is amazing. I watch them every now and then, not lately though for some reason, in the tiny little pond across the street from Pleasure Island next to the Hess gas station.

Every now and then otters show up in a retention pond near my house.

They hang out there for a while looking like they're having a blast, and then they move on.

They seem to always have a wing man.

Well I'll be an otter's uncle.

That is pretty cool!!

I'm surprised Jim hasn't come around yet with his Nutria theories. But I've compared your pics to pics of Nutria online. And those sure look like otters to me!

Yeah.

I'm expected the nutria reference too.

But, these were definitely common river otters.

I have caught up on the report now. I'm sad that it's coming to an end.

Great job on getting the otter pictures! I never doubted Lou or Deb, but I like picture proof. I have seen them in Crystal River, but never at the fort. I guess I need to go sit on Bob's dock and wait.

I'm assuming your going to finish this report by the weekend so you can give us some football news/pictures next week?

I'm here til Monday, you are just a short drive away,& you are more than welcome to come over. Though it would probably be wise to do it before doodle gets here as I can't be responsible for her behavior!

I see you were up early this morning. Good job.

Yes, I am going to wrap this report up.

In fact, my last installment is coming up next.

Thanks for the offer, but I have a really busy weekend planned. And it does involve football. I really wish that I could make it over to the Fort, but I just don't see a way.

TCD

[Roller ... aka Ed 351]

Thanks for the offer, but I have a really busy weekend planned. And it does involve football. I really wish that I could make it over to the Fort, but I just don't see a way.

TCD

I'm hoping it might include a chance to meet somewhere for a meal - or just a snack ... and a chance to meet TCD :banana:

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Well, here we are again.

At the end of the line.

I just have this last post to do, and another TCD trip report is finished.

But don't you worry, the next trip is never far off.

We were just enjoying the otter show from TnBob's dock.

I headed out to the 900 loop bus stop, and back to the parking lot.

I was back to POR before 9 am.

The girls had asked me to wake them at 9 so we could get some breakfast before heading out.

I got them up, and we headed down to the food court.

Boy, it's nice to have a decent restaurant available to get a quick meal at your resort.

They had several stations open at the food court, including one where a chef would make you an omelet to order.

We just went with the basic breakfast platters.

While I was waiting in line, an attractive young woman came up to me and said, "Hey! It's the man!" I had no idea what she was talking about. Then she told me that she and her family had been at the Monster's Inc. Laugh Floor last night, and had seen me there. I told her that I was not "The Man," but rather I was "That Guy." Then she called over to her husband to point out that "That Guy" was there in line with her.

As I said, it's hard being a famous celebrity.

But someone has to do it.

The food court was busy.

And, these food courts are great places to people watch.

You know what I saw a whole lot of?

Soda thieves!

They were everywhere.

All weekend long.

There is a thread here on FF.net discussing a test program Disney is running at the value resorts where the self serve drink machines will have to be activated by a chip embedded in your cup.

If you want to know why they would go to such extremes, spend a few moments at a resort food court and watch what goes on there.

It's amazing.

The thing is that Disney does nothing about it. In fact, they are currently contributing to the problem. The rooms in POR have coffee makers. In our room, right next to the coffee maker was a stack of styrofoam cups. They were identical to the cups that they sell at the food court. I am guessing that they are putting these in the rooms to use them up, as they apparently aren't going to sell this type of cup in the value resorts any longer. So, you know what I saw all weekend? Folks carrying those cups in to the food court and filling them up at the drink stations. I must have seen over a hundred people do this. I also saw every type of mug Disney has sold over the last 20 years, and very few of the current version of the refillable mugs.

Until I saw this, I thought the chip thing was stupid. But now I see why Disney is going there. I don't blame them at all.

Anyway, we enjoyed our breakfast.

And, then headed back to the room, packed up and left.

This is the last photo from our trip. It's a last look at the nice pool which was just outside our building:

I have to tell you that as much as I enjoy camping, it sure is nice to just be able to pick up your suitcase and leave.

It usually takes me a couple of hours to get packed up at the Fort.

And, then I have a lot of stuff to unload and put away when I get home. Not to mention a bunch of towels and sheets to wash.

I could get used to this POR thing.

And that is that.

The end.

It's been real.

Until next time, TCD is out.

[caveat lector 181]

As always, thanks to TCD for sharing. Even when not staying at the Fort, you provided copious amounts of Fort related ambiance.

btw, I think you should consider copyright on "cornerectomy" (sp?) :rofl2:

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

You know there is a problem with hurry TCD through a trip report. It brings the end sooner than I'd like.....

Great report.. now you need to hurry back to the Fort so you can start another one. Not rushing you or anything...just saying :rofl2:

[Hotmamac aka Misty 11]

That girl was right.

You ARE "the man"!

Thanks for another great report. It's been fun!

[stefa70 205]

Thanks for another great report. While it is a nice change to stay in a resort, the atmosphere just isn't the same. Not to mention that it would cramp your style. No swamps trails to trudge through, no vine infested areas where you could risk life & limb to find some ancient train tracks, and no GAG dinners!

It's kind of like casting Indian Jones in the next Steel Magnolia movie...it just doesn't quite fit. ^-^

I hope you have a great time with your football plans for the weekend. I will drink a drink in your honor. :cheers:

[TheLug 10]

Bravo!!!!

Remember the Geese!!!!

They will always prevail!!!

Remember that a group of geese on the group is called a gaggle.

And in the air they are called a skein.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

As always, thanks to TCD for sharing. Even when not staying at the Fort, you provided copious amounts of Fort related ambiance.

btw, I think you should consider copyright on "cornerectomy" (sp?) :rofl2:

And thank you for reading.

Maybe I'll have one of my kids add cornerectomy to Urban Dictionary.

You know there is a problem with hurry TCD through a trip report. It brings the end sooner than I'd like.....

Great report.. now you need to hurry back to the Fort so you can start another one. Not rushing you or anything...just saying :rofl2:

Don't worry.

Here's the plan:

As soon as Little Lisa and S70's Labor Day TR's start to wind down, I'll pop over to the Fort for a visit, and come on back with a new trip report.

That girl was right.

You ARE "the man"!

Thanks for another great report. It's been fun!

Well thanks.

I'm glad you liked it.

But I'm not "The Man;" I'm just "That Guy."

Thanks for another great report. While it is a nice change to stay in a resort, the atmosphere just isn't the same. Not to mention that it would cramp your style. No swamps trails to trudge through, no vine infested areas where you could risk life & limb to find some ancient train tracks, and no GAG dinners!

It's kind of like casting Indian Jones in the next Steel Magnolia movie...it just doesn't quite fit. ^-^

I hope you have a great time with your football plans for the weekend. I will drink a drink in your honor. :cheers:

S70-

You're right. I belong at the Fort. Thanks for reminding me.

I hope you do have a drink in my honor. And please give Lou a big kiss for me. And any other fiends too.

I'll have a drink in your honor as well!

Bravo!!!!

Remember the Geese!!!!

They will always prevail!!!

Remember that a group of geese on the group is called a gaggle.

And in the air they are called a skein.

OK Lug.

When you first started this goose business I figured you were just drunk again.

But, here we go again.

You had better stop drinking so much.

Just sayin'

TCD

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

well that might hold me for a few weeks.... might!

[Lou... 3,118]

Thanks for the offer, but I have a really busy weekend planned. And it does involve football. I really wish that I could make it over to the Fort, but I just don't see a way.

He'll be there, kinda.

I'll be giving out spikes that TCD gave me during a well executed clandistine operation at the Poly a couple of weeks ago.

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

have fun everyone!!!

[scooterminnie...paula 20]

Thank you for a great report.

[kampfirekim 260]

As usual, awesome report!

I thoroughly enjoyed seeing POR from your perspective. It is definitely a consideration for our next trip.

Looking forward to hearing all about your next visit.

:bravo:

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

As always, a great trip report!

[momof3kids-Yvonne 596]

Thank You! Loved this report.

[dblr....Rennie 224]

Thanks for a wonderful trip report now we have a few new things to add to our list to see on our next trip, thanks again.

[TheLug 10]

OK Lug.

When you first started this goose business I figured you were just drunk again.

But, here we go again.

You had better stop drinking so much.

Just sayin'

TCD

Hold I'm not an alchie. I do partake in a few adult beverages while hanging with fiends / friends. But I think that in all my days of fiendishly posting and facebooking and chatting I have only partaken in drunken debachery online 2 times.

The first was on the original other stupid place. On one of my original Fort work trips in the 800 loop.

The second was the other night in the chat room here on ff.

But... Now that you mention It I bet I could get all kungadrunk'd up and start one he(( of a TCD trip report hi-jack. I bet it would last 2 plus pages.

[Roller ... aka Ed 351]

Only a 2 page hijack? We've done some close to 15 - although we have be asked not to do that again! Get your Snark on when you hijack over here!

[TheLug 10]

O and by the way...

They are always here from Canada. And they always prevail

Sorry had to take advantage on first post on page 17

[Lou... 3,118]

Finally, something useful out of Canada.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

It's over??? Man, this was a fast report. But a good one. Thanks TCD.

[TheLug 10]

Finally, something useful out of Canada.

Lou I am literally sitting in my hotel room alone laughing. That was great..

[Sunset Lady 6]

TCD thanks for the trip report. I enjoyed all your pictures especially the ones of POR. I have not ventured back to the Alligator Bayou section before, but I plan to on our next visit. (hopefully next year) POR is part of the draw for us to come to Disney, its so nice to pull in the parking lot (from our 16 hour drive) and leave the car, and let Disney take us to where we need to be. Of course I have to agree with you about the cramming so many people on the buses, do not like that at all.

We also enjoy all the beautiful landscaping and walking trails, and a nice food court.

I want to also thank you for the information about the water bridge. I can't wait to share this info with my husband and son. We always wondered what this was on our previous trips.

Looking forward to your next adventure!

Lynn