Having Fun in Orlando With Family and Friends

(Kissimmee, FL 67 degrees, sunny, and windy)

We left Destin a little later than planned and drove for about 6 hours. It was a long drive across the panhandle.  We decided to try boondocking for the first time and spent the night at a Cracker Barrel restaurant in their back parking lot.  There were three other rigs staying.  Cracker Barrel allows you to stay for free in hopes that  you will eat in their restaurant.  We ate  dinner their that night and breakfast the next morning. It was a win win for both the restaurant and us. 

We only had to drive for three hours the next day to the Orlando area.  We are staying at the Orange Grove Campground in Kissimmee.  We did not have a lot of time to find a park and our first three choices were sold out.  We would rate this park about a 5 or 6.  The office was very friendly and moved our site due to lots of rain.  There are a lot of park models and trailers that probably stay here all the time.  It gives the park a sort of run down appearance and the landscaping is poor. However, our location is close to where Ben is staying and the Disney parks. The rate is $300 for 7 days including tax and very reasonable for the area.  It will be just fine for a week.



Palm Tree at Universal Studios



We met Dan and Ben for dinner that night.  It was so wonderful to see our nephews.  Ben has an internship with the Disney Parks and Dan works for the Four Seasons Hotel in Seattle.  They are so much fun and we had an enjoyable evening at a Brazilian restaurant. 

On Saturday, my friend Debbie arrived from Indianapolis.  We picked her up at the airport and Ben surprised us all with free tickets to the Disney Parks.  Through some of his contacts he got us all hopper passes that allowed us to go in and out of all the parks for one day.  We met up with the boys and a couple of their friends and off we went on our whirlwind tour. 

The Gang at EPCOT

EPCOT was our first stop.  It was about 60 degrees, blue skies, and a little chilly.  We looked around and went on a space mission to Mars.  We also signed up for a fast pass to one of the rides for later in the day.

EPCOT

We then took a Disney bus to Animal Kingdom.  Dan worked there five years ago with  the same internship that Ben is taking advantage of now.  Dan was a safari driver and he wanted to check out his old stomping grounds. Because of the cool weather we saw lots of animals. On the way to ride we also saw the parade through the park. All of the characters are dressed in safari outfits.  It's a great parade.

Animal Kingdom

We also tried the new Everest roller coaster ride.  It was a fun ride and very pretty area. The attention to detail and the culture for this area was very cool. Disney sure knows how to keep you occupied while you are waiting in line. 

Everest

We took the bus to Walt Disney World just in time for the Electric Parade (a must see) and fireworks.  This park was packed as everyone was waiting for the parade. This was Debbie's first time to be at WDW.  She could not wait to see the castle and it did not disappoint.  It was all lit up in purple lights when we first arrived.  The colors change over time.  This park is certainly very magical.  Everywhere we looked people were smiling. Seeing all the little girls in their princess costumes was fun. 

Walt Disney World

After seeing the parade and getting a little dinner we went to see Mickie and the Philharmonic Orchestra.  This is my favorite and it's a delightful 3D experience.  We came out of the theatre just in time to see the fireworks.  They were fantastic.

WDW Fireworks

We saw a new show that is different every time called Monsters Inc.  This movie somehow interacts with the audience.  It was very funny and truly amazing.  By this time we were near frozen and sort of "hitting the wall".  We reluctantly left and took the monorail back to EPCOT where our car was parked...very far away.  We were very cold and tired but it certainly was a great day. 

On Sunday the boys had plans, so John, Debbie, and I decided to drive to Daytona Beach for the day.  Debbie loves the ocean and we wanted her to be able to see one before she had to return to cold, gray Indiana.  It was about 1 1/2 hour drive and at this time of year it is not very busy.  What is great about Daytona Beach is you can drive your car right on the beach.

Daytona Beach

We had a terrific lunch at the Boondocks restaurant. We had read that this restaurant was a locals hang out and good food could be found here at reasonable prices. You'll need your GPS to find it but its so worth it. Be sure to try the spicy shrimp appetizer (peel and eat shrimp with a kick).

Boondocks (Debbie with some yummy shrimp)

Our last full day was spent at Universal Studios. There are two parks at this area and we decided to go to the Islands of Adventure.  There is a new Harry Potter area at this park and most of us are fans of the  books and movies. It was very crowded in this area and we heard later to visit it in the afternoon.  The boys loved the dragon roller coaster ride (passed on that one...you go upside down). The ride through the castle was very cool. It simulated riding on a broom and it was very exciting. The line was long (75 minutes) but they did a good job of keeping you entertained while you waited.

Universal Islands of Adventure



Harry Potter

 Sadly, our time together came to an end. We took Debbie to the airport the next day and Dan left this morning.  We plan on getting back together with Ben before we leave on Friday.  It's been a fun packed few days.  I think we will all need a little time to recover.  :) 

There is a lot to like about Topsail State Park

(Destin, FL)  A camper recommended to us several months ago to be sure to check out Topsail State Park.  So, yesterday we decided for our last day in the area to spend the day at this park.  We stopped for lunch at Wendy's and found this "car" parked next to ours.  We didn't see it driving down the road.  Hopefully, it just keeps on the sidewalks.  It was tiny!

We arrived around noon at the park.  You cannot drive down to the beach to protect the dunes and area.  Instead there is a tram that will take you down or you can bike or walk to the beach (approximately 1/2 mile).  We decided to take the Turpentine Trail that is about 2 miles long.  It stops along the way at Campbell Lake and the beach. It was a very pretty trail. The paths are wide and well maintained.   

Jimmy came along too. Dog's are not allowed on the beach but he could go on the trails. Check out his new hair cut. We took him to the groomers this week and got a "summer cut". He is a whole new dog. It will be much easier now to get out all the stickers and stuff he manages to get in his coat.

The trail stopped at a Campbell Lake.  There were canoes that could be rented and a picnic area.  I liked it  but became a little nervous when I saw the beware of alligators sign. 

Eventually the mulch turned into sand on the trail.  The terrain changed quite a bit.  Here are a couple of pictures of the area just before arriving at the beach. 

We were the only people on this wonderful trail.  Where is everyone?  Seriously, people really should  get out of their cars and see these beautiful parks.  There were not any footprints on the beach except for ours.  Not complaining, mind you, just observing.

On the way back we walked through the area where the cabins are located.  They are very nice and all have a screened in porch with rocking chairs and table.  The average cost is about $125-145 per night.  These appear to be very new.  There were some older ones as you came closer to the park entrance that also looked very nice and had more landscaping.  

After our hike we drove through the campground  It is first class and the sites are full hook up (very unusual for a state park) with cable.  The sites are very nicely landscaped with some privacy between sites.  Rates are higher @ $45 per night.  For a special treat we would highly recommend this park.  It is very special. 

Site #15

Today we left the Emerald Coast,.  We really enjoyed this area and will certainly return soon.  Orlando is our next destination.  John's two nephews (Ben and Dan) will be in Orlando  So, we are heading down there to join in all the fun.  We have not seen them in a while.  Ben lives in Sao Paulo Brazil and Dan lives in Seattle.  My girl friend, Debbie, from Indianapolis is also flying down to see us.    Lots of plans are in the works.  It should be fun...come along and join us.