Vacation should be designed to give you down time and yet on an off day someone will say (usually me), "So - what do ya'll want to do?" It is just in our nature. That is the way it is. This one one of those days. The girls were certainly going to sleep in and then we made our way out to Disney Springs. Not many photos for this day - Addison and Megan went shopping while Emily and myself went to Toy Story 5.
Continuing to roll with different stages of life, our girls are certainly old enough to be trusted in the parks on their own. So it is that, mostly because of finances, only the two girls would park hop today. Megan and I would resort hop and we would connect at the end of the day.
Side One: The Resorts
Dinner at the Polynesian and sunset on the beach waiting for the boat parade and fireworks
The girls started out in Disney Studios with early entry. I know because I was their Uber
Many times in this blog you will notice that our vacations are sometimes difficult to pull off. In fact, there is a year where the title of the first post was titled "the vacation that almost wasn't." That vacation was surely in jeopardy until the moment we left, but it was by no means the only one. Several of them were in doubt until the day we left - but so far, we have always left and this is no accident. Megan and I decided from the beginning of our marriage, that these experiences would be a priority - a high priority - and so it remains.
Our vacations have been in doubt for many reasons. Mostly financial but also job loss, job concerns, and health of family members just to name a few. This year we encountered a new one - it involves life circumstances, not for us as parents, but mostly for our children. All of our girls have jobs this year. Olivia is working at a Camp Sea Fearer and simply would not be able to go on this vacation. Addison is working at Little Fork Ranch and also would not be able to be off for an extended period. However, coming off of the Disney College Program, she was eager to accompany us for a few days if Disney World should prove to be part of our vacation. Emily Grace is a camp counselor at the Twin Rivers YMCA, but did have a somewhat more flexible schedule than the other girls.
Emily Grace was asked about preferences of where she most wanted to go. She said that she always loves Disney and that she wants to experience a beach with clear waters. And so with those parameters we were off.
Once again this is our vacation and welcome to it.
Megan and I left on Thursday afternoon and due to a problem with the rental car we were off - but later than scheduled.
We spent the night at a Holiday Inn Express in Kingsland, Georgia right on the Georgia - Florida line.
We left Emily Grace with a friend in charge of the house because Addison spent the night at horse camp. Two good girls but we were more than a little put off by the photo that arrived a few minutes after we talked to her until we noticed that Vivian had a third hand. AI nearly gave us heart failure.
The last full day of being in Florida together was upon us. It always comes before you know it and it also gives to us a heavy heart. Times unfettered and together are hard to come by and, though we know it cannot go on for long at the time, we do love these times.
I have always heard that the largest McDonald's in the world was not far from us on International Drive. Ever the tourist trap junkie, I needed to see it.
After McDonald's everyone did some of their own activities at the vacation house and then we set out for Wilderness Lodge. Wilderness Lodge is built to resemble the old lodges in the National Parks of the West United States.
