Graceland, Memphis, TN

Took a trip to Graceland since we had never been there before. Even though it is now "dated" it's still a very impressive place! It's amazing to think that someone who has been dead for so long is still so popular! One disappointment for the day...there were no Elvis impersonators there that day! There were several different parts of the tour...Elvis' car museum, Costumes, Elvis at Night (did you know he had insomnia?), his airplanes and then of course, Graceland itself.

The gameroom at Graceland is covered in material. I can't remember how many yards any more, but it was a LOT! The ceiling and all the walls are covered...my pictures don't do the room justice! It actually looked pretty good!

Even when he was alive, Elvis wanted to maintain some privacy so you didn't see the upstairs of Graceland. That was the families private area. There was even a curtain at the top of the staircase so you really didn't see anything!

We didn't realize how much money that Elvis gave away. He was constantly donating to various causes and it was also very common for him to give to complete strangers! There was an entire wall covered with cancelled checks that he had sent to different organizations, etc.!

My last picture is only a very small area of awards that Elvis received over the years. It's amazing to think that a man who had earned so much, not only monetarily but in recognition and awards would die the way that he did. Of course, drugs were never mentioned...it said that he died from a heart problem.

Along the Mighty Mississippi!

Left Gadsden, AL this morning heading west. Once again, took smaller highways through some beautiful country! We traveled through Alabama, Mississippi and just a small part of Tennessee before stopping here, West Memphis, AR. The "draw" here wasn't because it's in Arkansas but rather the campground is situated right on the Mississippi River! Their ad says that they are so close - sometimes they're in the river! You have to drive through some pretty depressed neighborhoods and then an industrial area, and then you see the trees! Not to worry though...Lots of clear sky where the RV's are parked!

Took a walk along the Mississippi to watch the tug boats and barges travel along the river. One tug was pushing a whole lot of barges (not this picture), you could "feel" the power behind those engines! They might have even been Detroits! (That's an "inside" joke...so many of our friends tease Don about our engine!)

Lots of benches so you can sit and enjoy the river as you're watching. Tess put her paws in the water a time or two, but Don never let her get all the way in. He really wasn't in a very good area and din't have secure footing! Not to mention that I don't think he would have wanted to go in and get her, if she had a problem! :-)

Although we don't have a "waterfront" spot, we have a great view of the river! Tomorrow morning we will meet Kim, Tim and Ashleigh for a quick visit before Ashleigh goes to her dad's for her Spring Break. She'll be back next week though and we'll be in Cabot then! After that it will be a visit to Memphis. Might visit Graceland, but we haven't made our plans yet! :-) We won't worry about leaving the motorhome for the day...the river is at 22' and it crests at 31'! The lady in the office said that it shouldn't reach that level until NEXT Friday but then it was supposed to go back down.

An interesting note...we put in 130 gallons of fuel today, we only have a 150 gallon tank! Let's see...20 gallons at 5.5 - 6 miles per gallon! Yikes! This fill cost $326.71! Flying J was $2.519!

Noccalula Falls - Gadsden, AL

Left Warner Robins, Georgia on Wednesday morning and heading west! It's been a wonderful trip to the east coast and Florida but everyone has finally headed in their own direction! We all have had so many memorable memories! Lots of fun times, people and places!

I left plenty of time to get to Little Rock (our next "real" stopping point) so Don and I took off from the highways and meandered through areas of "real" America! It's a slower pace and lots of traffic lights but we consider it an adventure! It was incredible to see some of the houses - from very elaborate to very dismal! Lots of land in between and since it's the beginning of Spring, we saw lots of blooms and buds! Incredible color all around! It was just beautiful! It was made into an even "more" adventure when Don first missed a turn...he decided to turn on a street and when we got to the end of this VERY tight road, I had to get out and hold a bush out of the way so that the tow car would make it around the corner without hitting the pole at the corner!! So we go around again (it was this circular road) and he turned on the wrong street! I wouldn't let him make anymore turns that we weren't sure about so while I quickly scanned the map, we decided to just follow this road and see where it took us! Our GPS recalculates so we knew that ultimately we would end up at our chosen destination!

Even with the little distractions, we made it to our campground within the time we expected. Lots and lots of trees which we were concerned about! Lots of trees = no satellite. No satellite = no t.v. and no internet. No t.v. = grumpy husband, no internet = grumpy wife AND husband! The campground parked us at the end of the campground and we actually DID get satellite! We were amazed, thank goodness there weren't more leaves and/or branches! It's actually a beautiful campground in the mountains. Quiet and peaceful with full 50-amp hook-ups, water and sewer!

The park is actually owned and managed by the City of Gadsden and has recently undergone about $3 million of renovations! Today we went to the Falls...a park separate from the campground. The area was originally known as the Black Creek Falls but legend has it that an Indian Chief's daughter who was known for her beauty and loveliness of character was filled with grief after her father refused to allow her to marry the love of her heart and instead promised her to another rich neighboring Indian Chief. Overcome with sorrow, she wandered off on her wedding day where the soft call of the water beckoned her. One leap and her troubles were over.

There is a walking trail down to the waterfalls and the pool below. It was an easy walk and beautful to see. After seeing the bottom of the falls we wandered through the many pioneer cabins and buildings that have been restored throughout the park. If any repairs and/or restorations had to be made they have been made using primitive tools or methods! After that is was through the petting zoo and walking by the animal exhibits that are here. We saw a tiger, lynx, llama, deer, and many others. They have all been disabled in some way and wouldn't survive in their natural environments. There is also a train that wanders around the park but it was out of service today for repairs. There is a separate miniature golf course, but we didn't pay the extra to use it!

Tomorrow we head to West Memphis, AR to the Tom Sawyer's Mississippi River RV Park. It's ad says to "call ahead, sometimes we are on the river and sometimes we're in it"!

Another New Adventure!

Since we weren't going to the FMCA rally but wanted to go in on a day pass we needed to find a spot in the area for a couple of nights. Not having much success with anything "close" we decided to join Lew & Dottie Anderson along with a few others who were going to the old fairgrounds in Warner Robins, GA. We had to stay in Macon until after the caravan of coaches left from the rally going to Perry. They began to depart around 9:00 and it was some time before they all got out! It was actually kind of fun to see the 200 coaches being staged and moved out in some orderly fashion! Glad that I wasn't out there "directing" since it was darn cold and you had to bundle up to stay warm! Quite a difference from the first few days in Macon when we turned on the AC! We only had to drive about 10 miles so we didn't even have time to get the engine warmed up! :-)

It's hard to believe that at one time a Monaco rally was held here with over 700 coaches! Now some of the land has been sold off and there's not much left! I think there are about 10 electric plug-ins, water and a dump site. It's close to Perry (where the FMCA rally is being held) and the price is right! Close to the dump is an area that has horses. Around the horses is an electrical wire about waist high. I took Tess over to see the horses and she barked, and barked and barked at them. The horses looked at Tess wondering "what the heck is this little black and white thing and why is it making so much noise"! Tess being the BRAVE dog that she is jumped everytime either I or one of the three horses moved or made a noise! At one point Tess jumped up and touched the electrical wire. She jumped, yelped and oh my gosh...it was so funny! I'm sure she thought that one of the horses had done it (zapped her)! No more barking and she was as docile as anything! You just had to be there but it was hilarious!

After we got all settled, Dottie and I headed to the local Super Wal-Mart to stock up on groceries! After four nights of no cooking, it was back to "normal"! Besides making dinner it was pretty much a relaxing evening and recuperating from the hectic days of the rally! Sunday was a day to sleep in late and catch up! Today we did some chores around the motorhomes and decided to have pizza for dinner. A trip "into" town to a local pizzeria. Don had a shirt on from Humphrey's in Gillette, WY. The young girl at the counter read his shirt and was so excited! Her dad lived in Gillette and she would be going there this summer. We made quite a stir at the counter as we told them briefly of our motorhome lifestyle! It's amazing the reactions we get when people find out we're just traveling all over the U.S. in our motorhomes! Yummy pizza and great friends made for another enjoyable evening! Tomorrow we head into the FMCA rally for the day!

Monaco Pre-Rally, Macon, GA

After spending the weekend in Miami, we finally got on the road late Monday afternoon. After a stop for fuel (lots of it as a matter of fact) we headed north! When we stopped for fuel I found a credit card on the ground. Not wanting to leave it with the attendant at the station, I called the credit card company and they cancelled the card. I had no way to "find" the card holder at that time, but at least it wasn't in the hands of someone that might use/abuse it!

We drove later than normal...in fact it was very dark and very late when we finally stopped for the evening. I had called the campground in Lake City, FL (the same campground we had stayed in at the beginning of our Florida) and made arrangements to come in later than their office was opened. Once we pulled into the campground and got hooked-up, I did laundry...until the wee hours of the morning! We had been "dry" camping (no hook-ups) and would be "dry" camping once we reached the Monaco rally! At this point I had internet service and tried to find the card holder from the found credit card. I figured that if *I* had lost my card, I would at least want to know that someone had found it! I found about 8 phone numbers, tried calling two and then decided it was getting too late to be calling. Found an internet address, but my e-mail was returned. It was up early the next morning and on the road again. I tried calling the rest of the numbers I had found but had no luck. Oh well...I tried!

We finally pulled into Macon, GA about 1:30 pm where one of the first people we saw was our friend, Lew Anderson. Lew was on the parking committee for the rally and was able to save us a spot that was in a pretty good location. We got parked, leveled and went right in to get our registration packet and "begin" the rally! We basically had missed the wine and heavy hors devours the previous evening when they preview the new coaches and breakfast this morning. We made it just in time for the ice cream social! At a Monaco rally they fix two items on your coach for the price of the parts (no labor). We turned in our list and talked to them about our break down in Florida. Don brought the piece of hose that had the "hole" in it...in fact, we had lots and lots of people ask us why he was carrying the hose! Monaco asked us to bring them the copy of the bill so it looks like they will pick up the cost (almost $500)! Yeah...this is why we are so loyal to Monaco and are on our second coach! It was great to see most of our "West Coast" gang and others that we knew! It wasn't too long before it was time for dinner and then entertainment followed! I ended up going straight to bed once we returned home! I must have been tired!

Up early for breakfast, seminars, crafts, and looking at all the coaches! I wouldn't get to the vendors until the next day! I took a class with Jean Bahnson and Marlene Rae where we made a crystal bracelet. It was a fun class and I was able to help the person sitting to the left of me and really needed my help! :-) It wasn't long after our class before it was time for the evening fun to begin. Each evening Monaco sponsors something like wine, margaritas, beer, etc. At 5:00 the bar opens and at 6:00 it's time for dinner, announcements and entertainment follows. Lots of alcohol flowing at these events and they serve pretty much top stuff but darn, they don't serve Kahlua. If they allow it, I usually bring my own! (Some venues won't let you bring in your own alcohol). We had great food all four nights of the rally...and lots of it! Our entertainment was several bands and a comedian. The last night the band was really fun and we danced quite a few times. I even managed to get Don to stay until the band stopped playing! Now that's unusual!

One of the other things that normally happens at a Monaco rally is a "Red Hat Luncheon" for the ladies. Most of the times it is held where the rally is but this time it was in a historic building in downtown Macon. The building was exquisite and breathtaking. They arranged to have us picked up by local trolleys to take us to the event (I don't know the "name" of the bulding). We had a wonderful lunch and yummy dessert followed by a true fashion show. It was lots of fun and I'm glad that I went.

I almost forgot to mention that there were 440 coaches at this rally! Almost all of them were Monacos! The rallies are lots of fun and we meet new people and old friends along the way! As with everything else, everything comes to an end at some time. It was sad to see the ending of this one since it really marked the "end" of our "West Coast" gang since almost everyone was going in separate directions! A few of our friends went on to the FMCA rally in Perry, a few miles from Macon! We chose not to...Monaco rally about 400 coaches, FMCA about 4,000 or more. We will go in on a "day pass" to see the vendors and possibly check out some of the coaches!

The Beach at Ft. Lauderdale

Since I had an extra couple of days in Florida, I spent Sunday with Nancy. We drove to the coast and took the water taxi that runs along the Inter-Coastal. We didn't go far before we got off...had lunch at Sloppy Joe's - Fort Lauderdale (the "original" is in Key West). Let me tell you...that place was hoppin' as well as all the other food places along the beach! Enjoyed eating outside with a wonderful view of the ocean! Lots of sailboats, people and sun! After we had lunch we got back on the water taxi (you buy a ticket that's good for all day...you can get on and off any time you want).

The water taxi was fun! We had great tour guides along the way pointing out all the homes along the Inter-Coastal. There were homes owned by lots of famous people as well as homes owned by wealthy families as well! You should have seen the yachts parked outside many of them! Of course, there were lots of yachts running up and down as well and it was nothing to see them outside of some of the bars and restaurants!


The beach at Fort Lauderdale was the first time in Florida I saw waves at the beach! What's up with that? The water was pretty warm...especially since I'm used to that cold Pacific Ocean water! Lots of people at the beach, you could tell it was Spring Break for many!

The day flew by. By the time we got back to our stop it was 8:00 p.m. I took Nancy home and had to say good-bye! It was lots of fun to see her after so much time. I'm hoping that we'll be able to get together sooner than 5 years!

Fort Lauderdale, FL

One of the things I had to do in Florida was to stop and see my long-time friend, Nancy who moved to Florida about 4 or 5 years ago. I hadn't seen her in 5 or 6 so a visit was LONG over due!

I met Nancy in the early 80's when I lived in Missouri for a couple of years. Nancy had just become a stay at home mom and I needed a babysitter! Our relationship soon became one as friends and we have remained friends through the years! We've seen our children grow up together and witnessed many changes in our own lives as well!

Nancy knew we were coming, but I didn't know exactly when or how long. I didn't tell her once I knew the exact date...I kind of wanted to surprise her...and I did! The day that we arrived in Fort Lauderdale, I quickly got my things done around the motorhome and then drove to Nancy's work...a local pharmacy! There were a couple of people in line and I waited my turn! She looked at me, said "may I help you" and I told her I wanted to refill a prescription. She asked me my name and I told her, a split second later she screamed "Vicki" and we hugged! Since the last time I saw her I've put on a few pounds, my hair is white (it's really blond) and I'm wearing glasses instead of contacts! It was so funny! I left shortly after meeting all her co-workers and drove to her house to pick up her daughter, Amanda. I brought Amanda to the motorhome and we waited for Nancy to get off work and meet us at the motorhome! After a short visit with Amanda and getting caught up with her, Nancy arrived and the three girls set out for Mexican food! We had a great dinner and headed back to the motorhome. We talked for hours before Nancy and Amanda headed home! (Hmmm...Nancy didn't take a short cut home, but DID get home - finally!)

The next day, after Nancy got off work I met her at her house and finally got to meet Dale, her boyfriend. We (Nancy and I) headed off to get pedicures and enjoyed our time relaxing and talking! After that we went back to try to find a Brazilian restaurant but that never panned out, so we decided a steakhouse would have to do! Amanda and I left to pick up Don but once we got to the motorhome, Don decided it was too late for him to eat, so Amanda and I headed back to their house! We all piled in the car and headed for the Original Steakhouse! Had another great dinner, lots of fun and great conversation! Since it was getting late, we headed back to their house and after a little while I said I needed to get home! We said our good-byes because we thought we were pulling out the next morning!

Well, our motorhome decided it needed a break (see my previous blog entry) and we ended up in Miami. It had been a long day for Don and I and Nancy had worked all day...after two nights of being up late with me! We decided that we would just have to wait until Saturday and get together then!

This morning dawns bright and beautiful. Dale and Nancy drive to Miami and we load up to head for South Beach and brunch. South Beach was a mass of cars and people. We look for a parking spot in vain and decided to drive a little farther to have a better chance at finding something. Not long after their car begins acting strange and as we go over this bridge...it conks out! The guys put the hood up and look to see if there are any obvious problems. I kind of watch traffic to make sure no one rear ends us. We decide to try to start the car so we can get off the bridge and lo and behold it starts! Quickly got off the bridge and pulled into a parking lot. The car is acting like it's got a bad fuel filter so Don and Dale look for where it might be. They quickly learn that this model year it's in the fuel tank. There are also no tools in the car, so we decide that it might be best to get back to the motorhome. Once back here we load into our car and head out for a bite to eat. We were going to eat "locally" in Little Havana but I'm not sure why the guys decided they wanted to go to Hollywood, so Hollywood we went! Ended up at an Argentine Steakhouse and had a very good late lunch/early dinner! Once more had a great time talking and visiting with Nancy and Dale and Don seemed to enjoy each others company as well! We enjoyed looking at all the condominium projects/apartments going up in the area and the yachts we saw earlier around South Beach. Were awed at the cruise ships that were in the canals waiting for new passengers as well as the Condos going up around South Beach for $5.8 MILLION pre-construction specials! Yikes! Back at the motorhome reality sets in and Dale and Nancy decided they should head back to Fort Lauderdale before it got dark in case the car decided it too needed a break! Hugs and good-byes, but Nancy and I will get together again tomorrow! They made it back home safely and decided that the car just didn't want to be in South Beach! A trip to the mechanic next week to check the fuel filter is on the agenda though!

What's Wrong With This Picture?

Don and I are supposed to be on our way to Macon, GA for a Monaco International pre-Rally. We are supposed to meet a group of friends on Sunday, but it doesn't look like we'll be making it! Might not make it on Monday or Tuesday or Wednesday! Heck...we might be lucky if we make it to the rally at all!

Rolled out of Fort Lauderdale on time this morning. Drove north and we were on I-95 just north of Fort Lauderdale when the Lo Cool buzzer and light began flashing. We pulled over, Don put coolant in and we got back on the road. I blamed him for not checking the fluid levels before we left. A mile or so down the road, the light came on and our Turbo gauge began going up and down erratically. Along with that came loss of power. I got on the phone to Monaco and he wanted Don to check something in the back of the engine. We got off the highway entirely at that point and discovered that we had fluid all over the back of the motorhome and the car in tow! Time to call Coach Net, our towing service! That was 11:30 a.m. At 1:30 p.m. I called Coach Net and found out that it would be at least 2 HOURS before the tow truck would arrive. Why hadn't they called us to let us know that instead of ME calling them? They told me the name of the company coming to get us and I called them to confirm the 2 hour wait time. While I was on the phone with them, he got a radio call from his lo-boy, the unit that was coming to pick us up. He was down on the side of the road. They wouldn't be able to come get us after all. Coach Net had told me they had called many companies and no one had the equipment to tow us. Not unheard of within the RV world especially with our 45' motorhome. I asked the guy at the towing company if he could recommend someone else. He gave me the name and I called that company. He would also be around 2 hours, it was strictly cash and they charged $250/hr! Even dealing with Coach Net it would be CASH and we would have to get refunded. I called Coach Net and broke the news. About that time Don lost his cool and called Coach Net himself. I got on the GPS and looked up towing companies NEAR where we were. They didn't have anything but he recommended someone that did. I called Coach Net and gave them that information.

Fast forward a little. I'm sitting on the couch, waiting for a phone call, Don is sitting in the passenger seat when he sees a car to the side of us and he says "he's going to hit the car in front of him", tires lock up, screech and yes, he hits the guy in front who had stopped or slowed down. They pull over in front of us, the guy in the back car (the hitter) keeps pointing back to us and it's obvious that he's blaming us or telling the guy in front (the hittee) that he was looking at us, we were in his way or something! Now we are well over to the right hand side, it's marked off like an island and very wide AND we had been sitting there for hours! We could have parked two motorhomes side by side and still had plenty of room to walk around AND be out of traffic! Police arrive (oh yeah, I forgot that an hour earlier we had a cop pull over a speeder and they pulled in front of us, gave/got the ticket and off they went)! So after the cop takes the accident report he backs up to us and asks if everything is o.k. We told him our sob story and that we were waiting for a tow truck. He told me that he could have a wrecker here in 15 minutes - GUARANTEED! He asked me to confirm where our tow truck was and said he'd wait while doing his report. About the same time Coach Net called to confirm the wrecker was on it's way. I think it's about 3:30 by now. Wrecker calls to confirm where we are and arrives at 4:00 p.m. Now remember, we started this entire process with our first phone call to Coach Net at 11:30 a.m.!!!! Cop leaves, wrecker (hook not a lo-boy) begins hooking up. I'm on the phone to different "closer" shops (we were supposed to be headed to Miami...hey, that's the wrong way) to see if they could work on us. What I heard was..."two weeks, Tuesday, not until late Monday". Looks like we're heading to Miami! At 4:22 P.M. we finally are moving! Don's with the tow truck, I'm in the car behind. At 7:30 p.m. we finally pull into the Florida Detroit Diesel-Allison shop in Miami. Do you realize that IF we had gone with the "CASH" guy, it would have been $750.00 out of our pocket! Yikes...they must know that we only have State Quarters in our safe and a few Canadian dollars, that's why they got another tow company!!!

Detroit came out to look at the coach, it's now almost 8:00 and it's been dark for some time! They finally find the problem...the heater hose has been rubbing against some clamp. Monaco didn't put it in a "loom" and over the 24,000 miles it developed a leak! When the guy came a little while later to connect the drive shaft so we can start up, put the slides out and level he said it was wet everywhere! I guess this hose runs to and fro, up and back, here and there and everywhere! The good news is they know what the problem is, the bad news is they aren't sure they have that much hose. The good news is they are open until 11:00 p.m. The bad news is the parts department is closed! Good news is they can fix it, bad news is they won't start until Monday. It's at least an all day job, so at the best we can get on the road on Tuesday. That means we would get to Macon about Thursday! I think that's the day the rally is over! We're only 593 miles away! So close, yet so far away!

This facility has a guard on duty with a closed gate. The guard took both Don and I on a tour of the shop and grounds! It's huge here. They have a spot where yachts can pull up for work (we're right on the canal that leads directly to the ocean! We go by this area and man, does it smell good! The mechanics are having a barbecue! I walked over a little later and told them how good it smelled! They didn't take the hint, but then I asked if I brought over a couple of hamburger patties if they would have two extra buns. We were starving! They said sure and off I went! Took back our plates, burgers and some Fritos! They gladly grilled our burgers! Those things tasted pretty darn good...especially since it was after 9:00 p.m.

So here we sit in a lovely, greasy, noisy (did I mention that we are in the flight path of the Miami International Airport?) well lit camp spot! We have an extension cord draped about 100' away so at least we can keep the batteries up. If we need water, we can run some hoses. Thank goodness that Don made sure our water tank was full and the gray tank was empty! It ain't Macon, GA but I guess we can have an adventure to write about! We're hoping that we can get Monaco to agree to pay for the repair or at the least split the cost with us! It was something that they didn't do and should have that caused the problem so it makes sense, but we are now out of warranty! My other concern is getting a refund of the almost $300 for the rally since it IS a Monaco problem and not us just deciding that we aren't coming! Might be time to check into a new Winnebago, huh?

Tomorrow we will have breakfast with my girlfriend, Nancy, who we stopped here to see in the first place, and then head to South Beach! Never know where we might head after that!

Disney Days...

Here we are at Fort Wilderness in Orlando, FL ready to "do" five days at the theme parks here. Our campsite is heavily shaded and we are lucky that we are able to get internet but not t.v. We wouldn't be so lucky if it weren't for the fact that our site has cable! Don would NOT be a happy camper for five days without t.v.! It's very lush and should be tranquil except that we are near the bus stops (a great thing for us, but not too quiet) and right up near the marina. We can get the boat over to the Magic Kingdom in just minutes however, each time the boat comes in or leaves it toots it's horn! I'm sure it's a safety thing but it's still loud! :-) It's AMAZING to see what some people bring to "decorate" their sites! All our full-timing friends have "stuff" but this is ridiculous! The person that arrived on Friday next to us has a huge blow-up Tigger with an Easter egg...it's only the beginning of March, but... She also has a light that is Mickey shaped. It' s attached to the parks light post! On the opposite side of Tigger is this Mickey character. He looks like he might be resin, but it might be plastic! A couple of Disney flags, a Mickey light on her table and several other things as well! Crazy!!


Our first day is at Epcot. We get up early and head for the bus. It takes two buses but we get there pretty quickly. Sure beats having to try to get parking and then a tram before getting into the park! I had some pre-conceived notions of what Epcot would be and it doesn't live up to those expectations! It's still a fun day and we see lots of the park. We went back to the motorhome in the late afternoon, let Tess have some time outside, eat dinner and then it's back for the evening light show. I love fireworks, parades and light shows! Don came back for this one, but I won't get him back for any others. That's o.k. since it's so easy to get back to the motorhome I feel very comfortable getting back on my own! While we were waiting for the light show I took the opportunity to see more of Epcot. I'm sure there's more to see and we hope to come back again another time to see those things not only at Disney but in the Orlando area that we've missed. Almost forgot to mention a ride that we went on Mission: Space. Don and I had a choice of two different rides on this one. Green or Orange...orange having more "spins". By the time we got off we were both feeling very nauseated! Don got over it in about an hour. It stayed with me throughout the night! Yuck...not the way I want to feel after riding a ride!

Day two is spent at the Magic Kingdom. It looks much like Disneyland but feels smaller. The entire area of Walt Disney World is huge, but the park itself FEELS smaller! A few rides aren't there that are in Anaheim, but there are a few new ones too. We had a great time and actually never had to stand in line for too long. Most of the more popular rides have times listed on how long it is to wait. I don't think we ever waited as long as the signs might say. Many of them we walked basically right on. This was a great time to enjoy the parks of Disney! Don left in the afternoon and I stayed on to watch the parade. Made it back to the motorhome for a quick dinner and then I headed back to watch the parade at night and then fireworks. Being by yourself it's much easier to find a spot to sit. I was sitting on the curb and decided to go into a store for a quick "look". When I came back out my "spot" was gone and the streets were full! Walked a little ways and found another spot to land! The parade and freworks that followed were done in true Disney fashion and I was glad that I spent the time waiting to see them both! They were awesome!



Day three is spent at Disney MGM Studios. It was the beginning of ESPN the weekend at MGM. There seemed to be a LOT of people there for that. On Friday, there were sports games being played, lots of things to see and look at, and "stars" in the athletic field. Not into sports so they didn't mean a thing to me. We did have this picture taken by ESPN/Directv, but didn't care to stand in the mobs to see someone we didn't even know! Don and I decided to tackle the "Tower of Terror". Oh my! It was fun, but I oan't believe how scary it was! I kept hoping the ride would be over - SOON! Screams were coming out without my wnating them to! You actually lift up out of your seat! It was dun, but scary too! Another ride that we almost did (we both chickened out after Tower) was Rock and Roll Coaster. I have some trouble with my ears and equilibrium so I didn't want to mess with going upside down when it rolls! Enjoyed the back stage tour and the "performance" of "Muppets" in 3D. It's amazing what you see when wearing 3D glasses! We laughed and had a great time watching it! Once again, Don headed back to the motorhome and I waited for the "Beauty and the Beast" performance and of course, Fantasmic! I've seen it at Disneyland and wanted to see it again! At MGM they actually have a stage to see it at instead of watching along the street. You still have to get there early, but it was easier waiting while sitting than standing!

Decided that since we were actually leaving on our "5th" day, that we would spend our last day "in" Disney at the Animal Kingdom, come home early and have dinner at the dinner show at Fort Wilderness "Hoop Dee Doo". Again, it took two buses but we never had a long wait on any of our bus trips. Got into the park and headed for the "safari". One of the cast members at another park told us to get there early when the animals are up and about. That was good advice, except the weather had changed and it was cooler. Based on the previous days we were both in shorts and short sleeves. I almost went back to get a sweatshirt or jacket, but decided I could go without. Sure wish I had it several times! One of the funniest things happened while on the safari ride! We had a couple of ostriches chasing us and each other. They raced after us, turned to the right, came around, running after us again and finally turned away! It was pretty funny. Someone on the ride said that they had ridden it many times and never saw that happen! The Animal Kingdom was a small version of a zoo with Disney characters, a few shows and a couple of rides. One of the rides was a white water rafting ride where you were guaranteed to get wet. They sold rain ponchos close-by. Since it was pretty cool...we decided to skip it! This park seemed to be busier in comparison but I think it was because this was on Saturday! All the fast passes were given out early so if you wanted to get on one of the more popular rides...you had to wait in line. Everest had a 40 minute wait and we decided to forgo it. It looked like it was very similar to the Matterhorn so I don't think we missed much. Headed back to the buses and got on. Our bus had another stop "Blizzard Beach" on of the water parks. It had about 20-30 cars in the parking lot and sure wasn't very busy! A group of kids got on to head back to Fort Wilderness and asked them if it was cold. They told us only when they got out of the water! They did feel that they had exclusive treatment since they weren't at all busy! They were glad to get on the bus! Just about got back when it started to rain! Not a bad day for planning on getting home early!