Saturday, we got up, and, instead of eating continental breakfast at the hotel, decided to go out and try the Express Cafe- we'd walked by there the evening before, but they weren't open. The line for The Lady and Sons was already 2 blocks long at 8:30 (and they don't open til 11!) so once again, I was glad we weren't going there. Breakfast was really delicious, and it was nice to stretch our legs before starting out again.
We had a pretty uneventful drive to our hotel- we'd decided to stop just north of Nashville for the evening. The hotel has recently changed to all non-smoking, and our first room REEKED of cigarette smoke. We ended up moving to a room on another floor, which was much better. Continental breakfast in the morning, before starting on the home stretch.
We were do to stop and switch drivers, and have lunch around Louisville. I read on our map that there was an arboretum just South of there which had a cafe, and we decided to stop. Bernheim Arboretum was REALLY nice- and the cafe had much tastier food than McDonalds. The kids meals (3.99) were served on a Frisbee (6.99) that we got to keep. And after we ate we drove over to the kids playground which was really nice- we had a fun break playing there. The rest of the drive home was pretty quiet- we made one final stop for coffee and to change drivers, and made it home in time for dinner (and to start laundry- ugh!)
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Tybee and horses
For our full day, we'd planned on spending most of the day at Fort Pulaski and Tybee Island, since we weren't sure how much history the kids would be into, in Savannah. We got to the fort, and Isabelle got a workbook about the park, where if she completed activities about the park, she'd get a junior ranger certificate, and badge. She had a lot of fun doing that, and I think it made us explore the Fort more thoroughly than we might have otherwise. It was hot, of course, and we also needed to get over to Tybee to eat some lunch before our reservations for a dolphin tour, so we finished as much as we could of the book. We ran into a ranger on the way out who signed her certificate, and took her name and address so they could send her a badge when they get more in.
We ate lunch at Cafe Loco, near the boat dock. Food was ok, but service was seriously slow...it killed time until our tour though.
We went with Captain Mike's dolphin tours and had a great time. There are lots of shrimp boats around Tybee, and dolphins (as well as seagulls and pelicans) follow them, to score an easy meal of the bycatch they dump of the side. So we saw tons of all of those (and got tons of pictures of dorsal fins, and water where a dolphin WAS...along with a few good pictures of actual dolphins!). The girls were getting tired and crabby by the end of the tour though. Our plan had been to go to the beach- but it was SO crowded, and we couldn't find parking (and all they wanted was to go back to the hotel), so after stopping for drinks and ice cream, we drove back to Savannah- the girls slept until we got back, and then were wide awake and eager to play (the big game they played at the hotel was Cheerleeder- Isabelle made up the cheers and then taught them to Rebecca- their team was "Team Dolfin" :) )
After letting them play for a while, we decided to take a walk and do some shopping. We'd talked about doing a carriage tour of Savannah after seeing them while we were walking in the downtown area. We knew they left from City Market so we headed in that direction.
If you're a fan of Paula Deen, you know her restaurant The Lady and Sons is in downtown Savannah. Andrew had already nixed it, not really being a fan of southern style cooking...and I knew it was a bad choice as busy as it is. But I wanted to stop by her store next door, so we headed there first. The line for the restaurant was insane- it was at least 3 or 4 blocks long, on both sides of the street. So I was glad we were only going to the store! After that, we stopped at a couple of other stores- nour-ish, for some neat soaps and bath fizzies, and Savannah Bee Company, where we got to taste test a bunch of yummy honey. They also had a play area shaped like a giant hive, where they kids played while we shopped.
When were were done there, we headed to City Market, where we decided on Cafe at City Market (simple enough, right? :) )for dinner. It was pretty cool- 50's themed in it's decor, and we pointed out lots of celebrity photos (they had lots of Elvis and Marilyn Monroe, in particular!) to the girls, while eating pizza- Andrew had salmon with cream cheese and red onion, I had spinich/tomato and feta, and Isabelle had cheese. Rebecca was not hungry and just requested a vanilla shake (great dinner, huh? :) ). After we finished, we bought tickets for our carriage tour, and hung out until it was time. We really enjoyed the tour, and got to see lots of the downtown area (including a debutante party outdoors in one of the squares- how were they not dying in formal wear in that heat?).
After finishing the tour, we made one last stop- at the Savannah Candy Company. Wow! So much yummy stuff- we got to watch salt water taffy and pralines being made (and we got a sample- and of course, bought some- of the pralines). We got a few treats and then started back to the hotel. We had a scary moment though- cars are required to stop for pedestrians in the crosswalks. A southbound car stopped for us...but the northbound car nearly plowed right over Isabelle, who had walked a couple of steps ahead!!! (and the really creepy thing- the car that almost hit her was from a ghost-tour company- it was a hearse!!) We made it back to the hotel in one piece though (and skipped the cookies, since we had so much candy!)
We ate lunch at Cafe Loco, near the boat dock. Food was ok, but service was seriously slow...it killed time until our tour though.
We went with Captain Mike's dolphin tours and had a great time. There are lots of shrimp boats around Tybee, and dolphins (as well as seagulls and pelicans) follow them, to score an easy meal of the bycatch they dump of the side. So we saw tons of all of those (and got tons of pictures of dorsal fins, and water where a dolphin WAS...along with a few good pictures of actual dolphins!). The girls were getting tired and crabby by the end of the tour though. Our plan had been to go to the beach- but it was SO crowded, and we couldn't find parking (and all they wanted was to go back to the hotel), so after stopping for drinks and ice cream, we drove back to Savannah- the girls slept until we got back, and then were wide awake and eager to play (the big game they played at the hotel was Cheerleeder- Isabelle made up the cheers and then taught them to Rebecca- their team was "Team Dolfin" :) )
After letting them play for a while, we decided to take a walk and do some shopping. We'd talked about doing a carriage tour of Savannah after seeing them while we were walking in the downtown area. We knew they left from City Market so we headed in that direction.
If you're a fan of Paula Deen, you know her restaurant The Lady and Sons is in downtown Savannah. Andrew had already nixed it, not really being a fan of southern style cooking...and I knew it was a bad choice as busy as it is. But I wanted to stop by her store next door, so we headed there first. The line for the restaurant was insane- it was at least 3 or 4 blocks long, on both sides of the street. So I was glad we were only going to the store! After that, we stopped at a couple of other stores- nour-ish, for some neat soaps and bath fizzies, and Savannah Bee Company, where we got to taste test a bunch of yummy honey. They also had a play area shaped like a giant hive, where they kids played while we shopped.
When were were done there, we headed to City Market, where we decided on Cafe at City Market (simple enough, right? :) )for dinner. It was pretty cool- 50's themed in it's decor, and we pointed out lots of celebrity photos (they had lots of Elvis and Marilyn Monroe, in particular!) to the girls, while eating pizza- Andrew had salmon with cream cheese and red onion, I had spinich/tomato and feta, and Isabelle had cheese. Rebecca was not hungry and just requested a vanilla shake (great dinner, huh? :) ). After we finished, we bought tickets for our carriage tour, and hung out until it was time. We really enjoyed the tour, and got to see lots of the downtown area (including a debutante party outdoors in one of the squares- how were they not dying in formal wear in that heat?).
After finishing the tour, we made one last stop- at the Savannah Candy Company. Wow! So much yummy stuff- we got to watch salt water taffy and pralines being made (and we got a sample- and of course, bought some- of the pralines). We got a few treats and then started back to the hotel. We had a scary moment though- cars are required to stop for pedestrians in the crosswalks. A southbound car stopped for us...but the northbound car nearly plowed right over Isabelle, who had walked a couple of steps ahead!!! (and the really creepy thing- the car that almost hit her was from a ghost-tour company- it was a hearse!!) We made it back to the hotel in one piece though (and skipped the cookies, since we had so much candy!)
Last day of Wonder, first day of Savannah
For our final day, we debated whether to go to breakfast on the ship, or to just depart as soon as we could so that we could get a start on driving. I decided that since were were assigned to first seating (at Tritons again) we should go ahead and go...it was our last chance for "free" food, and we got to say goodbye 1 final time to our servers. As it turned out, the ship didn't have the all clear to disembark until about 10 minutes before we finished breakfast, so it worked out well.
We had our carry-ons with us, so we gathered them up and headed off the ship. A porter helped find our stuff (and, as a side note- when we were listening to the announcements about what you could and couldn't take through customs, they said "no opened packaged food". And I remembered the morning of our departure that I'd packed our trail mix- which I brought on the ship, as the cruise terminal parking lot warned of ant infestation if you left food in the car- in our luggage the night before. After looking through all our luggage, we found it...and the porter told us that, no, it was fine to take that through customs. So we repacked and were off). We were all sad to leave the ship (the girls tell us every day that they want to go back) and it was a bit rainy, so it was a bit of a gloomy start for our trip to Savannah.
We made better time than we thought though, and as we were driving into downtown, we were struck by how beautiful it was. I think most of the people we met there were from somewhere else, and it's easy to see why. We decided to go ahead and get lunch at the Pirates House (we'd read mixed reviews about the food but figured the atmosphere would be cool). It turned out to be decent food, and a lot of fun looking around the restaurant. The kids menus had punch out pirate hats, with mustache earring and coins, so that was a big hit.
We then drove to the Juliet Gordon Lowe birthplace (as parents to a Daisy/soon to be Brownie, and a soon to be Daisy Scout, we figured it was the place to go). Rebecca was a little bored, I think, but Isabelle enjoyed it, and they both enjoyed wandering around in the garden. We decided to walk around the downtown area, stopping at a cafe for drinks, and then walking over to the Cathedral (which was gorgeous!). They were getting a bit squirrely, and eager to go to the hotel, so started back (walking through a couple of squares- so pretty!).
The hotel was great- we stayed at the Planters Inn, which was right downtown. The staff was very friendly, and we arrived just before their complimentary wine and cheese reception (they do it nightly). I was still really full from lunch, and just hung out in the room and read, but Andrew and the girls went and had lots of good stuff (the girls skipped the wine ;) ).
We hung out and relaxed a bit longer before walking down by the river to look for somwhere to eat dinner. (I forgot to bring the camera!). We ended up at a little greek diner- the girls had sandwiches, and Andrew and I split saganaki, and a greek salad, and the guy behind the counter gave us a complimentary order of calamari. Afterwards, we walked a little longer, until the sky started to darken, and we saw lightning in the distance, and we decided we'd better get back to the hotel! The rain held off until we were back in the room...and we go back just in time for the freshly baked cookies that they had out in the lobby.
It was the girls bedtime, and so we just chilled and read a bit longer in the room.
We had our carry-ons with us, so we gathered them up and headed off the ship. A porter helped find our stuff (and, as a side note- when we were listening to the announcements about what you could and couldn't take through customs, they said "no opened packaged food". And I remembered the morning of our departure that I'd packed our trail mix- which I brought on the ship, as the cruise terminal parking lot warned of ant infestation if you left food in the car- in our luggage the night before. After looking through all our luggage, we found it...and the porter told us that, no, it was fine to take that through customs. So we repacked and were off). We were all sad to leave the ship (the girls tell us every day that they want to go back) and it was a bit rainy, so it was a bit of a gloomy start for our trip to Savannah.
We made better time than we thought though, and as we were driving into downtown, we were struck by how beautiful it was. I think most of the people we met there were from somewhere else, and it's easy to see why. We decided to go ahead and get lunch at the Pirates House (we'd read mixed reviews about the food but figured the atmosphere would be cool). It turned out to be decent food, and a lot of fun looking around the restaurant. The kids menus had punch out pirate hats, with mustache earring and coins, so that was a big hit.
We then drove to the Juliet Gordon Lowe birthplace (as parents to a Daisy/soon to be Brownie, and a soon to be Daisy Scout, we figured it was the place to go). Rebecca was a little bored, I think, but Isabelle enjoyed it, and they both enjoyed wandering around in the garden. We decided to walk around the downtown area, stopping at a cafe for drinks, and then walking over to the Cathedral (which was gorgeous!). They were getting a bit squirrely, and eager to go to the hotel, so started back (walking through a couple of squares- so pretty!).
The hotel was great- we stayed at the Planters Inn, which was right downtown. The staff was very friendly, and we arrived just before their complimentary wine and cheese reception (they do it nightly). I was still really full from lunch, and just hung out in the room and read, but Andrew and the girls went and had lots of good stuff (the girls skipped the wine ;) ).
We hung out and relaxed a bit longer before walking down by the river to look for somwhere to eat dinner. (I forgot to bring the camera!). We ended up at a little greek diner- the girls had sandwiches, and Andrew and I split saganaki, and a greek salad, and the guy behind the counter gave us a complimentary order of calamari. Afterwards, we walked a little longer, until the sky started to darken, and we saw lightning in the distance, and we decided we'd better get back to the hotel! The rain held off until we were back in the room...and we go back just in time for the freshly baked cookies that they had out in the lobby.
It was the girls bedtime, and so we just chilled and read a bit longer in the room.
At Sea
We woke up feeling quite a bit better, but still pretty red and sore. Unfortunately, our two big plans for the day had been visiting the Vista Spa (the Rainforest Room- heated massagers and different saunas) and hanging out by the pool. So both of those things were out! Instead, we had a quiet morning, exploring the ship some more, playing shuffleboard and meeting characters. Andrew and I sat in the shade watching an ice carving demonstration while the kids made chocolate chip cookies in the kids club. (We also enjoyed a kid free lunch at the Beach Blanket Buffet, while they ate with the kids club).
After that, the movie theater was having an encore showing of Up (in 3-D!) so we were excited to have a second chance to see it. We all really enjoyed it (although it was very sad at parts :( ), and Rebecca spent the next day asking us to buy her Doug (the dog from the movie).
THen it was time to go back and change for dinner. Our last evening was at Triton's, which is probably the most elegant of the resturants. I started off with Escargots Gratines (and shared some with Andrew who decided they counted more like seafood or poultry, than meat :) ), and the Market Salad (with yummy peppered goat cheese!) and Andrew and the girls had Tomato-Basil soup (Andrew loved his- it was a bit too seasoned for the girls taste). For main course I had the 3 Cheese Lobster Macaroni, and Andrew had the Seared Sea Bass. We were getting full, but not full enough to skip dessert! We shared again- Andrew orderd the Grand Marnier Souffle, and I got the Sweet Temptations (small servings of Creme Brulee, Chocolate Mousse and Praline Petite Choux (pastry filled with Hazelnut cream). And at the end of the meal, Putu made more origami- a fish for Rebecca and a jumping frog (which was much fought over!) for Isabelle.
We had some time before the show, and, since we hadn't really gone to much of the entertainment, decided to go to the lounge, where they were having How Well Do You Know Your Disney Music? (which seemed like a perfect choice, since I'd been quizzing everyone on the music playing at Animator's Palette when we ate there.) They had a pianist play a few bars of various music from movies, theme parks, shows. Some of them were really easy (It's a Small World), and some were really hard (a bit from the Broadway version of Beauty and the Beast). They also had bonus questions (who was the actress that played the male lead in the show this comes from?), so there were 15 songs, but 40+ possible points. Our family ended up in a 3 way tie, and, after the bonus questions, tied (twice!) with another family. So they declared us both winners, and gave us a gold medal, and a hat that said Winner (which was a big hit the rest of the evening).
The final stage show was Disney Dreams....An Enchanted Classic. It was a really awesome show...until un unscheduled stop due to technical difficulties. The performance has bits where actors and props rise from below stage...and part of the mechanism failed, leaving a gaping whole in the stage where the cast was supposed to be dancing. While they fixed it, they had kids in the audience volunteer to come up and sing. Once again- Isabelle was unexpectedly shy, and had finally considered going up...when they fixed it. The cast was really professional, and didn't seem flustered at all by the unexpected break. I was glad to see the end of the show, and we finished in time to get to Until We Meet Again, where they brought out all of the characters (including Peter Pan and Anne Marie- the stars of Disney Dreams) to have a last appearance and sign autographs.
It was a lot of fun- we hadn't caught up with a couple of the characters before, and since Rebecca was wearing the Winner hat the whole time, everyone made an extra big deal over them. After getting the autographs, Andrew took the girls back for bed, and some frantic last minute packing (since luggage had to be out by 11, and it was 10:30- although, in all fairness, we were mostly packed), while I stuck around to get a final photo of the entire cast (and to pick up some pixie dust- Mickey shaped confetti that they dropped from the ceiling).
After that, the movie theater was having an encore showing of Up (in 3-D!) so we were excited to have a second chance to see it. We all really enjoyed it (although it was very sad at parts :( ), and Rebecca spent the next day asking us to buy her Doug (the dog from the movie).
THen it was time to go back and change for dinner. Our last evening was at Triton's, which is probably the most elegant of the resturants. I started off with Escargots Gratines (and shared some with Andrew who decided they counted more like seafood or poultry, than meat :) ), and the Market Salad (with yummy peppered goat cheese!) and Andrew and the girls had Tomato-Basil soup (Andrew loved his- it was a bit too seasoned for the girls taste). For main course I had the 3 Cheese Lobster Macaroni, and Andrew had the Seared Sea Bass. We were getting full, but not full enough to skip dessert! We shared again- Andrew orderd the Grand Marnier Souffle, and I got the Sweet Temptations (small servings of Creme Brulee, Chocolate Mousse and Praline Petite Choux (pastry filled with Hazelnut cream). And at the end of the meal, Putu made more origami- a fish for Rebecca and a jumping frog (which was much fought over!) for Isabelle.
We had some time before the show, and, since we hadn't really gone to much of the entertainment, decided to go to the lounge, where they were having How Well Do You Know Your Disney Music? (which seemed like a perfect choice, since I'd been quizzing everyone on the music playing at Animator's Palette when we ate there.) They had a pianist play a few bars of various music from movies, theme parks, shows. Some of them were really easy (It's a Small World), and some were really hard (a bit from the Broadway version of Beauty and the Beast). They also had bonus questions (who was the actress that played the male lead in the show this comes from?), so there were 15 songs, but 40+ possible points. Our family ended up in a 3 way tie, and, after the bonus questions, tied (twice!) with another family. So they declared us both winners, and gave us a gold medal, and a hat that said Winner (which was a big hit the rest of the evening).
The final stage show was Disney Dreams....An Enchanted Classic. It was a really awesome show...until un unscheduled stop due to technical difficulties. The performance has bits where actors and props rise from below stage...and part of the mechanism failed, leaving a gaping whole in the stage where the cast was supposed to be dancing. While they fixed it, they had kids in the audience volunteer to come up and sing. Once again- Isabelle was unexpectedly shy, and had finally considered going up...when they fixed it. The cast was really professional, and didn't seem flustered at all by the unexpected break. I was glad to see the end of the show, and we finished in time to get to Until We Meet Again, where they brought out all of the characters (including Peter Pan and Anne Marie- the stars of Disney Dreams) to have a last appearance and sign autographs.
It was a lot of fun- we hadn't caught up with a couple of the characters before, and since Rebecca was wearing the Winner hat the whole time, everyone made an extra big deal over them. After getting the autographs, Andrew took the girls back for bed, and some frantic last minute packing (since luggage had to be out by 11, and it was 10:30- although, in all fairness, we were mostly packed), while I stuck around to get a final photo of the entire cast (and to pick up some pixie dust- Mickey shaped confetti that they dropped from the ceiling).
Monday, June 29, 2009
Castaway Cay
This was easily the best and worst day of our entire vacation. Best because Castaway Cay is Disney's private island in the Bahamas- and of course, is utterly perfect. Worst...I'll get to that in a bit.
We started the morning off with a very nice sit down breakfast at Triton's (the only restaurant we hadn't eaten at yet), and then we were off to the island. Since it was Disney's own private port, they had character greetings- we met several, including my favorite, Captain Jack Sparrow, who posed in front of the actual Flying Dutchmen from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. (The girls really didn't want to be photographed with him...but I insisted :) ).
First stop was snorkeling. I had only been once when I was 16, and Andrew and the girls had never been. They had a shop where you could rent gear, and a dedicated snorkel area. So we got set up...and the kids snorkeled for about 1-2 minutes. Between the fins being uncomfortable and the mask being uncomfortable, and not liking the salt water when some of it got under the masks...it didn't last long. I held out a little longer...but the fins WERE a bit uncomfortable, and the salt water DID sting the eyes...and swallowing about 3 mouthfuls of it were about as much as I could stand. Andrew loved it though. The rest of us got a bit crabby waiting for him to finish, but spirits were raised with some refreshment from the bar (water and Sprite for the girls, Strawberry Daquiri for me :) ). After Andrew got back we all went to play in the sand and the water. The girls had fun making a mermaid out of Andrew (hee hee) and we all really enjoyed the water which was perfect temperature. Soon it was time for lunch at the island barbeque (had to have a cheeseburger in paradise :)).
After lunch, we decided to rent a paddle boat- it was pretty cool, we got really close to our ship and the Dutchman (of course, the camera was back on the beach). But, it was really hot, so we didn't end up staying out for long. We were close to the store, so we bought postcards and addressed them while enjoying more island hospitality (Andrew and I split Planter's Punch and a Conch Kooler). Then we decided to go back into the water for a bit before going back to the ship (which, in hindsight, was a big mistake- we'd all already had way too much sun! We didn't realize until dinner that the temperature had been up to 112, actual temperature). Finally, we got back...and realized how horribly sunburned we were (the kids not so badly, since they already had good color from being out playing daily at daycare). We decided to go down to dinner, even though we weren't that hungry, since it was pirate night.
The themeing was really fun- the wait staff dressed like pirates of course, and the menus were rolled up treasure maps. At the end of the dinner, the waiters gathered up some of the guests (including Isabelle and Rebecca) to do the limbo. It was a long continous line, and they never dropped it very low (Isabelle actually is very limber- comes from years of gymnastics- and was a little disappointed, but they had fun). And at the end of the meal (I had Blackbeards Jumbo Crabcake, and the Treasure of the Seas Grilled Shrimp and Seared Salmon, Andrew had the Sunken Vegetable Treasure- we split White Chocolate Cheesecake and Rum Barbossa for dessert- but a lot of the meal was uneaten, since we were feeling pretty bad at that point), Putu made an origami tulip for Rebecca!
I was really glad to have my shawl with me that evening- I was freezing, and felt like I had the flu (Andrew started feeling that way soon, as well). We decided to skip UP which was the special program at Walt Disney Theater that evening (and we'd been really looking forward to) in favor of a nap, hoping we'd feel up to the Pirate Party that evening. Unfortunately, we weren't feeling any better, and the kids were feeling really tired, and not in a party mood. We needed to get the beds turned down though, so we all went out to deck to sit for about 15 minutes while things were set up for us (no towel animal for us, though, since we missed the usual turndown by our cabin steward). I actually did catch some of the fireworks through our porthole, and it was pretty cool- sorry we missed the real thing.
We started the morning off with a very nice sit down breakfast at Triton's (the only restaurant we hadn't eaten at yet), and then we were off to the island. Since it was Disney's own private port, they had character greetings- we met several, including my favorite, Captain Jack Sparrow, who posed in front of the actual Flying Dutchmen from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. (The girls really didn't want to be photographed with him...but I insisted :) ).
First stop was snorkeling. I had only been once when I was 16, and Andrew and the girls had never been. They had a shop where you could rent gear, and a dedicated snorkel area. So we got set up...and the kids snorkeled for about 1-2 minutes. Between the fins being uncomfortable and the mask being uncomfortable, and not liking the salt water when some of it got under the masks...it didn't last long. I held out a little longer...but the fins WERE a bit uncomfortable, and the salt water DID sting the eyes...and swallowing about 3 mouthfuls of it were about as much as I could stand. Andrew loved it though. The rest of us got a bit crabby waiting for him to finish, but spirits were raised with some refreshment from the bar (water and Sprite for the girls, Strawberry Daquiri for me :) ). After Andrew got back we all went to play in the sand and the water. The girls had fun making a mermaid out of Andrew (hee hee) and we all really enjoyed the water which was perfect temperature. Soon it was time for lunch at the island barbeque (had to have a cheeseburger in paradise :)).
After lunch, we decided to rent a paddle boat- it was pretty cool, we got really close to our ship and the Dutchman (of course, the camera was back on the beach). But, it was really hot, so we didn't end up staying out for long. We were close to the store, so we bought postcards and addressed them while enjoying more island hospitality (Andrew and I split Planter's Punch and a Conch Kooler). Then we decided to go back into the water for a bit before going back to the ship (which, in hindsight, was a big mistake- we'd all already had way too much sun! We didn't realize until dinner that the temperature had been up to 112, actual temperature). Finally, we got back...and realized how horribly sunburned we were (the kids not so badly, since they already had good color from being out playing daily at daycare). We decided to go down to dinner, even though we weren't that hungry, since it was pirate night.
The themeing was really fun- the wait staff dressed like pirates of course, and the menus were rolled up treasure maps. At the end of the dinner, the waiters gathered up some of the guests (including Isabelle and Rebecca) to do the limbo. It was a long continous line, and they never dropped it very low (Isabelle actually is very limber- comes from years of gymnastics- and was a little disappointed, but they had fun). And at the end of the meal (I had Blackbeards Jumbo Crabcake, and the Treasure of the Seas Grilled Shrimp and Seared Salmon, Andrew had the Sunken Vegetable Treasure- we split White Chocolate Cheesecake and Rum Barbossa for dessert- but a lot of the meal was uneaten, since we were feeling pretty bad at that point), Putu made an origami tulip for Rebecca!
I was really glad to have my shawl with me that evening- I was freezing, and felt like I had the flu (Andrew started feeling that way soon, as well). We decided to skip UP which was the special program at Walt Disney Theater that evening (and we'd been really looking forward to) in favor of a nap, hoping we'd feel up to the Pirate Party that evening. Unfortunately, we weren't feeling any better, and the kids were feeling really tired, and not in a party mood. We needed to get the beds turned down though, so we all went out to deck to sit for about 15 minutes while things were set up for us (no towel animal for us, though, since we missed the usual turndown by our cabin steward). I actually did catch some of the fireworks through our porthole, and it was pretty cool- sorry we missed the real thing.
Nassau and Palo
Our first full day started with room service breakfast, since we had an early couples massage scheduled at the Vista spa, and needed to get the girls fed and off to the kids club. (They had a great time- when I picked them up, they were in the Animator's Palette being taught by an illustrator how to draw Mickey Mouse). Massage was wonderful, but between changing, and getting ready in the massage suite, the actual massage, talking with the therapists afterwards, and getting showered and dressed, our 50 minute massage turned into an hour and a half, so we got a later start on our Nassau day than planned. Original plan had been to go out, walk to the Pirate Museum (which we did- very creepy and very cool), the Christ Church Cathedral (where I went, while Andrew and the girls browsed the museum gift shop)- it was gorgeous. Then back to the ship for lunch (which we also did- Beach Blanket buffet- lots of yummy stuff).
In the afternoon, though, we'd planned on taking a taxi to the gardens/zoo, where they have a trained flamingo show. We realized that we'd miss the show...and were feeling a bit tired from our walking in the morning, and decided to skip it (we'd heard mixed reviews anyway). Instead, we went swimming (and spent lots of time in the hot tub- the girls are big fans...me too!), until we were rained out. At that point....I think we just went back to the room and relaxed until time to change for dinner...which was one of the high points of the trip.
We had reservations for two at Palo, the adults only restaurant. This was our anniversary dinner (just a little late, but hey...who cares). The kids went to the kids club, where they got dinner from Beach Blanket Buffet (again...but this time it was open only for them) and spent the evening making flubber- which they loved!
Palo was wonderful. Our server was Michael from the Phillipines, and he was great- he took the picture of us, after admiring my camera (the rainbow picture is the Atlantis resort in Nassau, taken from the window by our table). He then brought us bread, with several dipping sauces and an antipasto plate- prosciutto, bresaolo (which is a cured, dryed beef, thinly sliced), parmesan cubes, and olives. Since Andrew doesn't eat beef or pork, I really scored on that one (Yum! Ate more than I meant to of that!). He got all the olives though.
Then we got our appetizers. Andrew had a field greens salad, and Melanzane al Funghetto (which is a sauteed eggplant, with Balsamic, and garlic...it actually came with a small field greens salad on top of it, so he had lots of salad! ;) ). I had their version of Capresse salad- yum! Before out main course, came they brought out a lemon sorbet to cleanse the palate- so tasty! Then we each had pasta- Andrew had lobster and mascarpone ravioli, and I had Penne Arrabiata (it came with a spoon marked "pasta" on the handle...I had to figure out what to do with it!! :) ).
On the way to the restaurant we'd run into our cabin steward who advised us to make sure to try the chocolate souffle (and Michael recommended it as well), so I ordered that, and Andrew got the Chocolate Amaretto Indulgence so we could split. We had espresso after that and they brought us a complimentary limoncello to end the meal. Once again- yum!
After that, it was time to pick the kids up for the evening show- this time it was Toy Story the Musical. It was fun going to a show...but this one didn't really add much to the story, and would be one I'd probably skip if we went again. Then back to the room, and another towel animal :)
In the afternoon, though, we'd planned on taking a taxi to the gardens/zoo, where they have a trained flamingo show. We realized that we'd miss the show...and were feeling a bit tired from our walking in the morning, and decided to skip it (we'd heard mixed reviews anyway). Instead, we went swimming (and spent lots of time in the hot tub- the girls are big fans...me too!), until we were rained out. At that point....I think we just went back to the room and relaxed until time to change for dinner...which was one of the high points of the trip.
We had reservations for two at Palo, the adults only restaurant. This was our anniversary dinner (just a little late, but hey...who cares). The kids went to the kids club, where they got dinner from Beach Blanket Buffet (again...but this time it was open only for them) and spent the evening making flubber- which they loved!
Palo was wonderful. Our server was Michael from the Phillipines, and he was great- he took the picture of us, after admiring my camera (the rainbow picture is the Atlantis resort in Nassau, taken from the window by our table). He then brought us bread, with several dipping sauces and an antipasto plate- prosciutto, bresaolo (which is a cured, dryed beef, thinly sliced), parmesan cubes, and olives. Since Andrew doesn't eat beef or pork, I really scored on that one (Yum! Ate more than I meant to of that!). He got all the olives though.
Then we got our appetizers. Andrew had a field greens salad, and Melanzane al Funghetto (which is a sauteed eggplant, with Balsamic, and garlic...it actually came with a small field greens salad on top of it, so he had lots of salad! ;) ). I had their version of Capresse salad- yum! Before out main course, came they brought out a lemon sorbet to cleanse the palate- so tasty! Then we each had pasta- Andrew had lobster and mascarpone ravioli, and I had Penne Arrabiata (it came with a spoon marked "pasta" on the handle...I had to figure out what to do with it!! :) ).
On the way to the restaurant we'd run into our cabin steward who advised us to make sure to try the chocolate souffle (and Michael recommended it as well), so I ordered that, and Andrew got the Chocolate Amaretto Indulgence so we could split. We had espresso after that and they brought us a complimentary limoncello to end the meal. Once again- yum!
After that, it was time to pick the kids up for the evening show- this time it was Toy Story the Musical. It was fun going to a show...but this one didn't really add much to the story, and would be one I'd probably skip if we went again. Then back to the room, and another towel animal :)
Dinner and a show
After the sailaway party, it was time to change for dinner. Disney has 3 main restaurants that they use for dining, and you are assigned a rotation of each of these restaurants (and are also free to go to the upper deck buffet, or make a reservation for one of your evenings at Palo, the adults only restaurant). The wait staff travels with you through the rotation, so even though you are eating at different restaurants, you still get the cruise experience of really getting to know your servers. Our first dinner was at Animators Palette, which is a really cool restaurant. The decor in the restaurant starts out all in black and white animation (including the waiters vests), but the dinner show (set to tunes from Disney movies of course) is that the art on the walls changes and lights up during the meal. By the end of dinner, the walls are colorful, and the waiters change to brightly colored vests. Our waiters were Carlos (I think, from Peru) and Putu, from Indonesia (who managed to get Rebecca to eat, better than we did!), and they were awesome.
We started off the meal with specialty cocktails (I can't remember what they were called, but...yum!) I had the Wild Mushroom Risotto with Porcini and Black Bean Chipotle cakes, Andrew had the Ahi Tuna Tartare and the Phyllo wrapped Salmon Fillet. For dessert, we split the Cranberry and Orange Cheesecake and Double Fudge Chocolate Cake.
After dinner, the kids asked to go to the Kids Club, so DH and I took a walk around the ship, enjoying the sun starting to set over the water, and touring the spa where we went the next morning for a massage. Then it was time to pick up the kids for the Golden Mickey's. It's a stage show set up like an awards show where they feature numbers from different movies. You walk up to the theater on the red carpet, where lots of cast members posing as paparazzi pretend to take your picture. They also have someone doing interviews with people who are on their way inside- it's projected on the screen in the theater. Surprisingly, Isabelle didn't want to be interviewd. No flash photographer, and camera display needed to be turned of, so pictures aren't the greatest (but this is the only show I actually brought my camera to!).
When the show ended it was time to head back to the room where our cabin steward had worked his magic on the beds- turning down ours, and leaving chocolate and a towel animal, and transform the couch area into bunk beds.
We started off the meal with specialty cocktails (I can't remember what they were called, but...yum!) I had the Wild Mushroom Risotto with Porcini and Black Bean Chipotle cakes, Andrew had the Ahi Tuna Tartare and the Phyllo wrapped Salmon Fillet. For dessert, we split the Cranberry and Orange Cheesecake and Double Fudge Chocolate Cake.
After dinner, the kids asked to go to the Kids Club, so DH and I took a walk around the ship, enjoying the sun starting to set over the water, and touring the spa where we went the next morning for a massage. Then it was time to pick up the kids for the Golden Mickey's. It's a stage show set up like an awards show where they feature numbers from different movies. You walk up to the theater on the red carpet, where lots of cast members posing as paparazzi pretend to take your picture. They also have someone doing interviews with people who are on their way inside- it's projected on the screen in the theater. Surprisingly, Isabelle didn't want to be interviewd. No flash photographer, and camera display needed to be turned of, so pictures aren't the greatest (but this is the only show I actually brought my camera to!).
When the show ended it was time to head back to the room where our cabin steward had worked his magic on the beds- turning down ours, and leaving chocolate and a towel animal, and transform the couch area into bunk beds.
Our tropical vacation-starting out.
We decided to drive instead of flying this time- first time we ever took a long car trip with the kids. We were a bit nervous and stocked up on a bunch of stuff...lap desks, journals, coloring pages, activity books, car games. Of course we brought the DVD player with some new movies (always a hit). But the surprise hit was the books on tape I picked up at the library. We listened to several of the Magic Treehouse books, From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (one of my favorites growing up- both girls enjoyed it) and Peter and the Starcatchers (that one bored Rebecca a little, but the rest of us loved it!). We started of Friday after work, and got as far as the Best Western in Shepherdsville, KY, just south of Louisville. Got up the next morning and had breakfast at Denny's (complimentary from the hotel) and then hit the road again. We made it to Chatanooga, TN for lunch, and ate at a place called Blacksmith's Bar and Bistro. The girls were crabby (and not hungry) and the service was slow, but we had some really tasty salads. And the restaurant was right across from Lookout Mountain, so after lunch, we watched the train start up, the track- no time to go on, ourselves, but pretty cool. After that the girls napped until we passed Atlanta and hit Starbucks as our afternoon break. We made it to Valdosta, GA for our evening rest (we already had a reservation, or we might have tried to push on a bit. But the girls were getting pretty tired, so it was good to stop when we did). Breakfast in the hotel lobby (where the girls were transfixed by Kit Kittredge playing on the big TV) and then back in the car for the final push. We were preceeding very nicely on schedule, until we hit the Florida tollway, and Rebecca needed to use the restroom. Who knew there were no places to stop off the tollway? A 30 minute detour and I don't know how many extra tolls later, we were finally on our way again. We were excited to see the port, but drove by our turn the first time. I admit to being rather stressed by them time I got everyone dropped off at the terminal and parked the car. Entering security though, I was standing in front of a family having more drama than ours (2 college age kids and their mom- the girls was picking on her mom for holding on to his credit card...they were both old enough to be responsible...then it turned out the girl had packed her passport in her checked luggage!) Finally got on board the Disney Wonder. They take a family photo first and then make a big fanfare of announcing your name and all the staff clap. Our room was ready so we were able to drop off our stuff look around briefly, and then head up to catch the buffet at Parrot Cay. I have to make a comment here about the ships cleanliness. We were so surprised to be met at the entrance to the restaurant by a cast member holding wet wipes. The handed them out at all the restaurants, getting on and off the ships....they're really commited to keeping everyone as healthy as possible! Then we had a bit of free time to drop by the kids club to meeth the staff and have a look around. That place was awesome! The staff was really responsive and involved, and there was always something going on. (and, in return to the cleanliness idea, the kids were always given soap at the entry, and had to go straight to the sinks to wash up). The kids often wanted to go there, even when we didn't have any grown-up stuff to do by ourselves. After that we went back to the room, and called family for one last chat before horrible roaming charges, and then it was time for the lifeboat drill. Ah the fun, of walking around the ship wearing huge life preservers and then standing out in the hot sun in them....the ship across from us (I think it was Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas) was having their life boat drill at the same time...partners in misery :) After putting away the vests, we were able to unpack, and then it was time for the sail away party. We were on the upper deck, so we didn't have a great view of the stage, but could hear the music, and were able to go over the the side of the railing to wave at everyone as we actually set sail! (and, other than feeling a little funny at times, from the motion, I didn't get sea-sick once!!!)
Sunday, June 28, 2009
New title and removing layers of dust.
That about says it all doesn't it? Our lives are boring enough that it's been over a year, since I've updated! During that time, Isabelle graduated from 1st grade, and Rebecca graduated from preschool. I'm sad to see my baby grow up...but truthfully, it will be nice to have them both at the same school!
Our big adventure was this summer- we just got back from a 4 night cruise to the Caribbean, to celebrate our 10th anniversary, and added on a couple days in Savannah to finish off our vacation.
So without further ado, I'll talk about our trip. (Not sure how many posts- I'm going to try to add pictures!)
Our big adventure was this summer- we just got back from a 4 night cruise to the Caribbean, to celebrate our 10th anniversary, and added on a couple days in Savannah to finish off our vacation.
So without further ado, I'll talk about our trip. (Not sure how many posts- I'm going to try to add pictures!)
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