Post by Dave on Aug 31, 2018 8:45:48 GMT -5
We usually plan our trips to make sure we have hotel / dining reservations. If it doesn’t go as planned, we call it an “adventure”. On this trip we had several adventures.
First stop was in Ocala, Florida. We checked in to a Holiday Inn and Suites at about 1:00 PM and got settled in. We had planned to have dinner at Harry’s Bar and Grill at about 5:00. We changed clothes and the rain started.. Not a summer shower. This was a monsoon. It was still raining at 5:30 so we decided to stay in and have room service. We usually don’t have room service because we have found it to be sketchy at best. Turns out the hotel restaurant is a four-star facility and the food was delivered to our room fresh, hot and absolutely delicious. We were thrilled. And stuffed.
The next morning we traveled to the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell. We cleaned around DW’s parents grave (brushed a little dirt off of the marker) and located a grave for a friend’s relative. Back in the car and went to Cracker Barrel for lunch and then off to Spring Hill.
We checked into a Holiday Inn and did a little sight-seeing. The next morning we went to Wichee Wachee Springs for the mermaid show. Then the adventure started. This was this Sunday before school started. Bad decision. The place was slammed. It was about three people from park capacity. We should have figured that out when we couldn’t find a parking place. We left and will try again when it’s cooler and on a weekday. Off to Plant City.
Checked in to another Holiday Inn (all of the Holiday Inns on this trip were wonderful (great food, great service, reasonable prices). Plant City is the home of an annual air show known as Sun ‘n Fun hosted by the Florida Air Museum at the Lakeland Linder Regional Airport. I am an Air Force vet and an ex-pilot. If it involves the military and airplanes, I am all in.
One of the most interesting ‘machines’ on display is the Cosmic Muffin. It’s a 1939 Boeing 307 Stratoliner aircraft. It was originally owned by Howard Hughes. After changing hands several times, it was turned into a motor-yacht. Strange.
That afternoon it was off to Caribbean Beach for a few days. We went straight to Animal Kingdom for Na’vi River Journey, lunch at Yak and Yeti and shopping. I did the on-line check in and we got a text at about 3:30 that our room was ready. We went to our room, unpacked and headed for Epcot where a new adventure awaited.
DW has severe back problems and has to use an electric cart. We have our own cart, so we don’t have to rent a Disney cart. We had just gotten off of Soarin’ when her cart started giving her problems. It would beep a few times and then quit. We reseated the battery pack, recycled the drive unit and said some bad words. Nothing helped. We finally nursed it to the Disney cart rental place where we rented a cart. The cast members agreed to charge the battery and keep our cart until we could decide what to do. In the meantime, I called the Apple cart rental place in Kissimmee and arranged to have a cart delivered to our resort that afternoon. Disney carts are $50.00 a day; the Apple cart was $80.00 for three days. No brainer. Then it was lunch at Coral Reef and more shopping. When we returned the Disney cart they allowed DW to ride it to the bus stop and sent a cast member with us so we could get out the gate and he could return the cart. Disney was very accommodating. Two days later back to Epcot to retrieve our cart. DW parked in the parking lot while I went to get our worthless cart. Again a cast member followed me all the way to the parking lot in case it quit again. I am recovering from back surgery and I can’t push the cart. Of course, the stupid thing worked fine all the way to the car. We went to Olivia’s for breakfast and then headed home. First stop was the cart repair shop. Hopefully the new battery pack will solve the problem. For $190.00 it better.
We’re looking forward to our next Disney trip in December. I could do without the adventures.
