Tuesday, August 30, 2005
FLORIDA - AUG 2005
Just back from 10 days in Sunny, Hot (and Humid) Florida. Had a great time!
We stayed at Sheraton Safari for 2 nights, which I highly recommend for families who are staying outside of Disney property.
We've stayed there numerous times. Its clean and the pool is great (snake slide) for kids 14 and under in particular.
Sat - 8/19/05 - We hung out at the pool most of the day, then went to dinner and relaxed.
Sun - 8/20/05 - We went to Daytona Beach! It was hot and we were loving it! I love the beach and Daytona is still one of my favorites!
Mon - 8/21/05 - Moved to Boardwalk Inn (Disney). Went to MGM just to ride Rock 'n Rollercoaster and Tower of Terror, then hung out
at the pool in the afternoon. To EPCOT for dinner (England - Fish n chips). Its EXTRA MAGIC HOURS (EMH) in EPCOT
tonight for Disney Resort guests! Kathy and I walked around the countries, while the kids went on Mission Space and
Test Track numerous times. Nothing like a Margarita and the boat ride in Mexico to make Kathy and I feel like we're in
Heaven! This is a big family tradition...Margarita and Mexican Boat Ride!
Tues - 8/22/05 - Hung out at Boardwalk Inn Pool, then went to Animal Kingdom in afternoon, then ate at Rain Forest Cafe. Chris was a
superb bartender/host and we wish him well as he heads off to Columbia to meet his girlfriend's family. It was
EMH at Animal Kingdom, so we went back and had more fun!!!!
Wed - 8/23/05 - A tropical storm was brewing off the Florida Coast (KATRINA), but forecasters were saying that it had only a slight chance
to develop before hitting the Palm Beach/Lauderdale area. We went to MGM in the morning, then went to Magic
Kingdom at night. (EMH) As we came home, we flipped on The Weather Channel and learned that KATRINA was
going to be a stronger tropical storm, but "nothing to worry about".
Thur - 8/24/05 Last day in Disney before heading for the Keys! We went to EPCOT in morning, then the kids stayed there and Kathy
and I packed up, then hung at the pool. We went to EPCOT later in afternoon (EMH). Weather Channel says
KATRINA is now a Category 1 Hurricane. Kathy was skeptical about heading down to Keys in early a.m., but Weather
wizards say KATRINA will hit around Miami and travel NW across state.
Fri - 8/25/05 Headed down to Keys, but KATRINA hit as Cat 2 and went SW, rather than NW. Key West hit by KATRINA as winds
were steady at around 60+ mph and torrential rains. Somehow made it to Key West and rode out KATRINA.
The predictions were ominous for Florida panhandle/Gulf area as KATRINA was expected to explode into a Cat 3 or 4
Hurricane.
Sat - 8/26/05 HURRICANE KATRINA pulled west of Key West enough to allow some sunny breaks during the day. Walked around
Duval Street as cleanup was underway and water started receding. The kids wanted to saty in and watch a movie at
night. Kathy and I met up with 3 guys we had met (Rolf & Dwight from Cocoa Beach and Rick from Orlando.) We had
a blast as we hopped from bar to bar! Met up with Dawn from NJ in Cap't Tony's and Rolf danced her around Tony's
and she became part of our roving band. Finally called it a night and headed back to Wyndam Casa Marina.
Sun - 8/27/05 KATRINA is a "monster" according to The Weather Channel. Mandatory evacuation of New Orleans was ordered
as we watched in astonishment at the TV. Decided to take a break and get our minds off of the storm and rented
scooters and we zipped all over Key West in the 93 degree sunshine. It was a great break and we had a blast! We
walked around Duval Street at night with the kids and stopped to wath the weather reports here and there. KATRINA
became a Cat 5 Hurricane and was nearing the Louisina coast. Thoughts and prayers...
Mon - 8/28/05 We watched the Weather Channel as KATRINA slammed into the New orleans area. First indications were
that she had slid just east of N.O. and that was good. Early reports were that the storm, though powerful,
was not as bad as they thought it might be. (Of course, most reporters were seemingly 50 miles from the coast)
We hung out at the pool, then left Key West around 1:30pm sowe could catch our flight in West Palm. Stopped
in Fort Lauderdale to eat at Hamburger Mary's (off Federal St).
PROLOGUE - In the ensuing days, the brightness that we felt from our vacation diminished as the devestation of Hurricane KATRINA
came into focus. Trajedy and human peril. The best and worst of humankind was coming out of the ruins left behind
from KATRINA. Looting, pilaging, anarchy, death, sickness, starvation. And the bastard Oil companies...well,
jacked up pricing, for example, 8/30 pm, gas price locally at around $2.59, very high...but gas prices 24 hours later, $3.30.
Days later, approaching $4.00 with no end in sight. Don't get me started in the politics of it all...
May God be with all of those who have been affected by KATRINA and may America wake up with a new vision,
a vision and real view of where we are and where we need to go and may we have the strength to get there as a
nation. And hopefully we can back the strength and stature and respect of the World, which we seem to have lost
in the last few years...
We stayed at Sheraton Safari for 2 nights, which I highly recommend for families who are staying outside of Disney property.
We've stayed there numerous times. Its clean and the pool is great (snake slide) for kids 14 and under in particular.
Sat - 8/19/05 - We hung out at the pool most of the day, then went to dinner and relaxed.
Sun - 8/20/05 - We went to Daytona Beach! It was hot and we were loving it! I love the beach and Daytona is still one of my favorites!
Mon - 8/21/05 - Moved to Boardwalk Inn (Disney). Went to MGM just to ride Rock 'n Rollercoaster and Tower of Terror, then hung out
at the pool in the afternoon. To EPCOT for dinner (England - Fish n chips). Its EXTRA MAGIC HOURS (EMH) in EPCOT
tonight for Disney Resort guests! Kathy and I walked around the countries, while the kids went on Mission Space and
Test Track numerous times. Nothing like a Margarita and the boat ride in Mexico to make Kathy and I feel like we're in
Heaven! This is a big family tradition...Margarita and Mexican Boat Ride!
Tues - 8/22/05 - Hung out at Boardwalk Inn Pool, then went to Animal Kingdom in afternoon, then ate at Rain Forest Cafe. Chris was a
superb bartender/host and we wish him well as he heads off to Columbia to meet his girlfriend's family. It was
EMH at Animal Kingdom, so we went back and had more fun!!!!
Wed - 8/23/05 - A tropical storm was brewing off the Florida Coast (KATRINA), but forecasters were saying that it had only a slight chance
to develop before hitting the Palm Beach/Lauderdale area. We went to MGM in the morning, then went to Magic
Kingdom at night. (EMH) As we came home, we flipped on The Weather Channel and learned that KATRINA was
going to be a stronger tropical storm, but "nothing to worry about".
Thur - 8/24/05 Last day in Disney before heading for the Keys! We went to EPCOT in morning, then the kids stayed there and Kathy
and I packed up, then hung at the pool. We went to EPCOT later in afternoon (EMH). Weather Channel says
KATRINA is now a Category 1 Hurricane. Kathy was skeptical about heading down to Keys in early a.m., but Weather
wizards say KATRINA will hit around Miami and travel NW across state.
Fri - 8/25/05 Headed down to Keys, but KATRINA hit as Cat 2 and went SW, rather than NW. Key West hit by KATRINA as winds
were steady at around 60+ mph and torrential rains. Somehow made it to Key West and rode out KATRINA.
The predictions were ominous for Florida panhandle/Gulf area as KATRINA was expected to explode into a Cat 3 or 4
Hurricane.
Sat - 8/26/05 HURRICANE KATRINA pulled west of Key West enough to allow some sunny breaks during the day. Walked around
Duval Street as cleanup was underway and water started receding. The kids wanted to saty in and watch a movie at
night. Kathy and I met up with 3 guys we had met (Rolf & Dwight from Cocoa Beach and Rick from Orlando.) We had
a blast as we hopped from bar to bar! Met up with Dawn from NJ in Cap't Tony's and Rolf danced her around Tony's
and she became part of our roving band. Finally called it a night and headed back to Wyndam Casa Marina.
Sun - 8/27/05 KATRINA is a "monster" according to The Weather Channel. Mandatory evacuation of New Orleans was ordered
as we watched in astonishment at the TV. Decided to take a break and get our minds off of the storm and rented
scooters and we zipped all over Key West in the 93 degree sunshine. It was a great break and we had a blast! We
walked around Duval Street at night with the kids and stopped to wath the weather reports here and there. KATRINA
became a Cat 5 Hurricane and was nearing the Louisina coast. Thoughts and prayers...
Mon - 8/28/05 We watched the Weather Channel as KATRINA slammed into the New orleans area. First indications were
that she had slid just east of N.O. and that was good. Early reports were that the storm, though powerful,
was not as bad as they thought it might be. (Of course, most reporters were seemingly 50 miles from the coast)
We hung out at the pool, then left Key West around 1:30pm sowe could catch our flight in West Palm. Stopped
in Fort Lauderdale to eat at Hamburger Mary's (off Federal St).
PROLOGUE - In the ensuing days, the brightness that we felt from our vacation diminished as the devestation of Hurricane KATRINA
came into focus. Trajedy and human peril. The best and worst of humankind was coming out of the ruins left behind
from KATRINA. Looting, pilaging, anarchy, death, sickness, starvation. And the bastard Oil companies...well,
jacked up pricing, for example, 8/30 pm, gas price locally at around $2.59, very high...but gas prices 24 hours later, $3.30.
Days later, approaching $4.00 with no end in sight. Don't get me started in the politics of it all...
May God be with all of those who have been affected by KATRINA and may America wake up with a new vision,
a vision and real view of where we are and where we need to go and may we have the strength to get there as a
nation. And hopefully we can back the strength and stature and respect of the World, which we seem to have lost
in the last few years...
# posted by fldodreams : 9:10 AM
