Howey-in-the-Hills, FL March 1 - 6, 2016

March 1, 2016 -Road trip to see Barb and Frank! Back down I-75 we go, with Meme in the backseat, to spend some quality time with Barb, Frank, and Louie.  Luckily, it was smooth sailing all of the way, and we met Uncle Hugh and Aunt Sharon at the McDonald's at exit 329.  We loaded Meme's luggage into their car, and off we all went.  It was perfect "Chamber of Commerce" weather as we pulled into the Tricomi's driveway, just in time for happy hour.

March 2 - Barb and I enjoyed a great walk around the golf course before breakfast.  Then, it was time to play our first round of golf. After a few holes, Rob was a bit dizzy, which we later learned was due to his new medication, so he and Frank returned to the house, while Barb and I finished our round. 

March 3 - Off we go, on another Tricomi adventure - this time an airboat ride!

What a blast!   We saw an assortment of wildlife, including alligators, turtles, and amazing birds.  Our airboat captain has to be related to Evil Kneevil, because he enjoyed crazy turns at a VERY fast speed.  On the way home, we stopped by the Villages to enjoy lunch at a lovely restaurant with outdoor seating.  It felt very European.  That evening, we HAD to visit Boondocker's for our traditional seafood dinner.

March 4 - Barb and I enjoyed our "girl's out" day by beginning with a lovely quilt show in Mt. Dora sponsored by Lake County Quilt Guild.  We then stopped by her quilt shop to see if the long arm quilter had her quilt ready, so naturally, I had to do a little shopping.  But then, we went to Mt. Dora where I did my BIG shopping at M's - my absolute favorite boutique. We then slipped into the wine store to select a couple of bottles to take to their lovely Canadian neighbors, Ann and Duncan, who had invited us for dinner.  Next stop - manicures and pedicures.  Wow, do I love the local nail salon, where wine is served.  It was such fun being pampered!  Ann and Duncan prepared an amazing meal, and as always, we had such a fabulous time.

March 5 - Time for another round of golf!  I really could get used to this routine.  Luckily, the Sandhill Cranes decided to make an appearance.  I am so fascinated by these crazy birds, and I was beginning to think that I wouldn't see them on this trip, when all of a sudden, there they were!  Yay! Barb and Frank prepared our "New Year's Eve" - a bit belated - dinner to celebrate with Ann and Duncan. Hopefully, we've convinced all our of them to come see us around the end of April.

March 6 - All too quickly, it's time to leave.  Fortunately, we won't have to wait too long to see our dear friends, as they plan to visit next month.

Disney World - February 15 - 20, 2016

Sigh, it truly is a magical place!  Our multi-generation family vacation to Disney World,
February 15 - 20, 2016, was amazing. 

February 15 - Robin, Nancy, Jim, David and Lily traveled in one car, while Rob, Lana, Lou, and Rita followed closely behind.  We stopped in a Chick-fil-a in Tifton, GA for lunch.  While waiting in line, we heard, "Doctor Kleimon, Doctor Kleimon" only to discover a former fifth grader, also enjoying lunch.  Small world, right?  Without any delays, we arrived at the Army's lovely resort, Shades of Green, around 1700 hours.  Ari and Robert had arrived shortly before us.  Everyone settled into the spacious, beyond-expectations rooms before we assembled back in the lobby for dinner.  We all enjoyed the Mexican buffet at one of the fabulous dining rooms on the resort.  We decided to turn in early, because tomorrow we anticipated a very busy day!

February 16 - After a delicious breakfast, we loaded onto the shuttle bus - destination - The Magic Kingdom.  We all had on our matching patriotic Disney t-shirts, thanks to Nancy, as well as our loaded Magic Bands, thanks to Robin, and we were ready!  Our first fast pass, Pirates of the Caribbean was temporarily closed, so we rode Aladdin's Flying Carpet, then strolled over to ride the carousel and then rode It's a Small, Small World.  By then, it was time for Peter Pan's ride, which was fantastic.  We went back to Pirates of the Caribbean, another favorite!  At this point, our group split, with some remaining in the Magic Kingdom and others returning to the resort for some rest, or in my case, pool time.  We had 6:15 dinner reservations at T-Rex located on Downtown Disney Springs.  It was a really cool restaurant decorated like the inside of an iceberg with all sorts of dinosaurs.  Needless to say, David and Lily LOVED it!

Once again, some folks returned to the resort, while others returned to the Magic Kingdom.

February 17 - Epcot was our destination today!  First ride - Test Track - which was a super fast race car ride that zoomed along at 74 MPH both inside the building and then outside.  Both great-grandmothers rode this crazy ride!  Next, we had some pictures made with Disney characters, then rode the awesome Life ride, a science ride (yay, Jim) which also proved to be quite fascinating.

Later, we rode the ride inside of the big Epcot icon, before some of the group headed back for rest time.  The rest of us visited a few more rides and enjoyed Mickey Mouse pretzels before heading back.  Robin and I played a round of golf, while Nancy and Jim took the kids to the pool.  We enjoyed a delicious dinner at Mario's before heading back to the Magic Kingdom for the electric parade and fireworks.

February 18 - Hollywood Studios was a blast!  We played games in the Toy Story ride, rode a crazy elevator drop, Haunted Hotel, enjoyed a fabulous Indian Jones backstage show, and again had "Chamber of Commerce" perfect weather.  Our afternoon routine of some folks returning to the resort, while others stayed out to play, really seemed to work!  After dinner, we took the great grandmothers back to the Magic Kingdom for the electric parade.  Another late night, and another great day ends.

February 19 - Animal Kingdom (my personal favorite) was superb!  First, we saw the Lion King Show, which was truly spectacular!  Then, we took a train ride through the park before heading onto our safari.  This fast pass was THE BEST because the line was very, very long!  Some of us stayed to enjoy lunch, then howled in The Bug's Life show.  While waiting for a ride, the Kruger crowd met up with some friends from St. Peter, so Robert and I took Lily and David over to the dinosaur rides.  We all enjoyed a couple more rides before heading over to Hollywood Studios to see the Funtasia Show, which was fabulous. 

February 20 - Sadly, it was time for everyone to go home.  I like Lily's suggestion, "I wish we could live at Disney World!"