glen's travel log

200809-1-USA Florida BAHAMAS

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 14:13:12 GMT

200809

MONDAY 1 SEPTEMBER 2009 –Royal Caribbean are supposed to be posting a bulletin at 10am about any revised itinerary. Its after 11am when we find out that instead of being on Coco Cay island tomorrow we will be in Nassau and the full day in Nassau on Wednesday is now a day in Key West. Not overly happy having been to Key West 3 months ago but better that than getting caught up in Hanna. Jamie drops us at the port just after 12am and check in begins speedily. All going well until they check our passports. Our 10-year visa expires on 8^th September and although this cruise arrives back on 5^th September they are concerned we won’t be allowed back in. Explain that the 8^th is arrival not departure date and show them that we are stamped to stay until January. They are not convinced and send for an immigration officer. After conferring they say everything is OK but don’t explain what OK means. Steve chases after the official for a full explanation then turns around to come back to me but walks straight into a glass wall. He bounces off it with a resounding thud and collapses on the floor. Along with others I race over. He gets up and staggers against a wall whilst someone gets a chair. His nose seems red and has a bump on it but it is not bleeding. A crowd of officials gather and I ask for an ice pack. Royal Caribbean staff virtually insists he gets medical attention even though Steve thinks he will be OK. I get him some ice from the drinks machine and before long the Sheriff joins us followed by two fire service paramedics. When Steve says he doesn’t want to go to hospital they cancel the ambulance that is en route. Talk about making a drama out of a crisis! Whilst Steve is giving them personal details I finish checking in. We have an outside cabin on deck 8 and it is adequate but on the small side. Head up to Windjammer for a buffet lunch. I buy the soft drinks package at $6 (£3.30) per day plus 15% - $27.60 - £15). You get a special mug that with free refills for the duration of the trip. Not sure whether it will pay off or not as water, lemonade, iced tea, coffee and tea seem to be available for free in most places. After lunch we have a rest in the room. Steve has a bit of a bump coming up on his forehead and the makings of a couple of black eyes. Around 4pm there is the lifeboat drill followed by sail away on the pool deck. It’s quite strange to be looking out on the Ron Jon Hotel and Jetty Park campground where we stayed 3 weeks ago. Checking our schedule we are very disappointed to find that tomorrow we only have from noon until 6pm in Nassau meaning we probably don’t have time to take the local busses all around the island as planned. Change to the early sitting evening meal and the food and service are excellent. A wide choice and all very tasty. The evening show with comedian Steve Shaffer is great, either the American sense of humour has changed or we have adapted as he has us chuckling away. After another exploratory walk around ship we return for a rest before the 70’s and 80’s music. Steve’s head is hurting a lot now so when he falls asleep I call it a day. We are woken after 11pm with loud band music coming from the floor below. The thumping noise does not go down well with Steve but we can’t be bothered to get up and do anything about it tonight.

ROYAL CARIBBEAN, SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS

PORT CANAVERAL TOWARDS BAHAMAS

TUESDAY 2 SEPTEMBER – Food being a big part of cruising we can’t resist a full cooked breakfast and more. I check at reception about the noise and find that the Bolero lounge has late entertainment each night. We are offered a cabin on deck 9 which should be quieter with just cabins above and below. As a bonus it is a little larger than the other and has an unobstructed view. It’s an attractive approach to THE BAHAMAS Providence Island with the capital of Nassau. We pass many smaller islands with lots of shacks. Dock right by the main town with big colonial style buildings, all very pretty in pink, and opposite Paradise Island with the ostentatious Atlantis Hotel and casino, quite a contrast. With over 2000 passengers on board the line to leave ship spans 2 decks and takes ages to pass through security. With around 5 hours on shore and Steve still not 100% we settle for a walk around the town. Set off through Parliament Square then up the attractive Queens Staircase for views from Fort Fincastle. After that we stroll through the town and call in to one of the oldest homes “Balcony House” where a donation gets us a free tour. There are 4 cruise ships in port and the waterfront area is well geared up for them as shopping seems to be many peoples reason for cruising. $4 (£2.20) each gets us a seat in a shared taxi over to Paradise Island. Atlantis is quite amazing with a massive aquarium in the main lobby that is even bigger than the ones at Sea World. The décor is fabulous with lots of glass ceiling features but as a non-resident you cannot get out to their man made beach areas. The $3 (£1.65) ferry back gives us even better views of the hotel. Back on board mid afternoon for a snooze and only just wake in time to get ready for formal night. As on our last cruise this does not seem to be adhered to with a few guests being allowed in wearing T-Shirts and shorts. Of course I have my trusty little black dress and Steve still has his suit from the last cruise so we manage to look the part. We have a really nice meal and I round it off with 3 puddings. Down in the theatre it is the Captains reception where we get free champagne and punch whilst the Captain introduces himself and the crew. Learn that when this ship was built 20 years ago it was the biggest ocean liner ever but today with 2300 passengers on board it is comparatively mid size. Steve is feeling sleepy again so we retire to watch a movie and have an early night.

ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISE

NASSAU TOWARDS KEY WEST

WEDNESDAY 3 SEPTEMBER – We are not scheduled to arrive in port until the afternoon so get up late for leisurely breakfasts then sit by the pool. After lunch Steve retires for a sleep whilst I stay to watch the “men’s sexy legs competition” which is really funny as they award things like the most obvious tourist legs! Docking in Key West USA is impressive as we are right in town by Mallory Square. Although we dock before 3pm we cannot leave ship until immigration has seen everyone. Steve now feels much better and his head only hurts when he touches it so there’s a simple answer to that! As soon as we can we head towards Duval Street, which we walk along before returning via the Bahamian area. Unusually we are ashore until tomorrow morning and with alcohol expensive on board most guests are happy to hit the bars of Key West. Return for our evening meal leaving us time to disembark for the sunset waterfront entertainment. Whilst the sunset is no great shakes the entertainment is good and we especially like the escapologists who gets out of chains and a straight jacket.

ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISE,

KEY WEST PORT

THURSDAY 4 SEPTEMBER – By the time we awake we are well under way. Although we are sailing parallel to the Keys unfortunately we are too far off shore to see them. It’s a glorious day and perfect for lying out by the pools. I go into grazing mode taking a small snack every hour rather than big meals. The belly flop competition is great fun with men put into size categories. Unsurprisingly the super sized man wins with the biggest splash. At the afternoon trivial quiz we team up with and American couple but even with us giving them the correct answers to 3 European relevant questions we still only score 7 out of 15 – having said that the winners only had. Steve watches the Casino poker tournament whilst I head to Sudoku challenge. Not all the ships clocks are synchronised so I arrive after it has started but get stuck in. It is all done on speed and the first correct entry is handed in after 7 ½ minutes. I get the silver medal with my 9-minute entry, which is not bad considering I was more than 1 ½ minutes late in starting. Our final evening meal is excellent. Whilst not everything on the ship is the best we have come across the dining room service certainly is. A couple next to us had mentioned they were a little disappointed there were neither crepes nor crème Brule on the menu. We had been chatting about curries to the Goan headwaiter. Amazingly we find that a shrimp curry has been cooked specially for us and the other couple get both the desserts they wished for. A quick session of line dancing helps my food go down before the evening show themed on the 60’s 70’s and 80’s. The 1000 sea theatre is packed and the show rounded off with the cruise director showing us the 10 funniest questions he has been asked. End up in the Voltage lounge for “The Quest”. We are asked to form teams for 8 – 10 people and given a number. Casey calls out a challenge, such as “I want 1 man to bring me 3 ladies bra’s in their hands” and the team members who do this within a set time get a point. It is hilarious and has us in stitches and will be a highlight of the cruise. Hand on afterwards for some disco dancing but the sway of the ships finally sends us to our cabin sometime after midnight.

ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISE

KEY WEST TOWARDS PORT CANAVERAL

FRIAY 5 SEPTEMBER – With only carry on baggage we have no specific disembarkation time. Jamie is meeting us around 10am so rather than racing off after 7am we linger as long as possible. It is a very miserable rainy day. Apparently we have avoided Hanna as she is now up the coast ahead of us but this is a side effect. The last guests are asked to leave ship just after 9am so we are pleasantly surprised to find Jamie waiting for us under a big umbrella. He takes us home and tells us about the weather forecast with Ike now heading our way. Looks like this is going to be a bad season for hurricanes. Back in the motorhome we find a puddle on the floor under the air conditioner. Steve sets to work mopping up and tracing the leak whilst I unpack. At 1pm we have an appointment at Leisure RV as the Dometic fridge company have a recall on our model for a fire shield fitting at their expense. Whilst there Steve mentions our roof leak and we find out that a gasket is missing but its not something they stock. In the interim they have made a temporary seal with something else but with the storms heading this way we need to think about getting it fixed properly. Jamie has some home made soup waiting for us on return after which we take an afternoon nap. In the evening we go back to Village Inn for coffee and pie and our stomachs cope much better with this than the cruise dinners!

TITUSVILLE

SATURDAY 6 SEPTEMBER – Hurricane Ike has changed course and seems to be heading the way we had intended going. Jamie is in no rush for us to leave so we will spend today here monitoring the storm and doing odd jobs. We now think the air conditioner leak was due to the side winds and rain and unavoidable under the conditions so on that basis it is even more important for us to hurricane hop along. Cook a fish dinner at Jamie’s then spend the day relaxing and tour planning. I had lost a bit of weight before the cruise and decided that having my belly pierced would inspire me to keep going. Jamie does piercing and gives me a friend’s rate of $10 (£5.50) including jewellery. It’s a bit uncomfortable but not really painful if I change my mind (or don’t lose more weight) I can just take it out.

TITUSVILLE 2

SUNDAY 7 SEPTEMBER – We leave after the Grand Prix TV coverage has finished. For the first time in 4 months we are back on the road with no fixed destination for the day and boy does it feel good. We came down the coastal road so hop on the 95 to get us north quickly. Petrol prices are dropping and we fill up at $3.56 (£2) but the exchange rate is worse for us around $1.80 = £1 so it is really no cheaper. Turn inland and make our way to Deleon Springs State Park, $5 (£2.75). An underground spring bubbles up into a man made swimming pool before spilling over into a river. It’s a beautiful spot and obviously very popular with locals. The old sugar mill has been converted into a restaurant and the photographs show it surrounded by lush green lawns. Today the floodwater almost reaches the front of it. I’m not sure about getting my new piercing wet so only go for a paddle in the cool clear waters. In the middle of the swimming area is an underground cave and we see divers swimming out to it. Leave around 4pm and off hwy 40 turn down St Johns road to the state forest. The gate is closed as the area is flooded but this suits us fine as a track beside the gate gives us a nice free camp for the night. We can barely hear the traffic but have a noisy night surrounded by croaking frogs!

NR ASTOR, ST JOHN RIVER ROAD

MONDAY 8 SEPTEMBER – We are woken early when a noisy car pulls up opposite. The couple in it walk around the gate to walk in the forest. Ocala is the largest city in the area and we head to the RV dealer to see about getting a service for Harry. They advertise one at $39.99 but this turns out to be just an oil change and once you add on anything else at all it jumps up to their hourly rate of $105 so we give it a miss. We are heading to the town of Hawthorne to meet Rich & Phyllis. 6-years ago they did a home exchange with my cousin Karen in Wakefield and she has put us in touch with them. At the moment they are building a new home for themselves but suggest we meet at their lakeside log cabin around 5pm but can arrive early and settle ourselves in. On a large plot of land we find a traditional style cabin with rocking chairs on the porch and behind it a beautiful screened swimming pool. Beyond this a boardwalk leads down to the lake. Rich arrives and we are soon getting on a like a house on fire with much in common. Along with his partner Phyllis they are living in their motorhome on a plot of land where they have just about finished building their new home. The cabin is rented out most of the time but when they have had weekenders in they come back to stay during the week. Once the market picks up they are planning to sell it along with their other rental properties in order to do more travelling. He suggests we go to the “Blue Water Bay” in Melrose to meet Phyllis for a meal. The original bar and restaurant burnt down and was rebuilt in 2003 but made to look old. Phyllis is waiting for us and has bumped into her son Houston there. Again we find lots to chat about and notice that this is more like and English style pub with locals bobbing in and out including Houston’s father in law Matt. On Monday they have a special $9.99 (£5.50) menu with some interesting choices. Steve and the others opt for salmon en croute topped with crabmeat whilst I pick the crawfish Creole over herb rice. All the meals are outstanding. My visit to the bathroom turns up a few surprises. Electronic gadgets abound but the one I like best is the sensor near the door, which opens the door automatically when you wave your hand in front of it. I comment on how impressed I am to the owner and he says a friend markets these products and put them in for him but most are sold in India of all places. It’s quite late when we leave but we will see more of Rich and Phyll as we have volunteered to help them with some painting at he new house.

HAWTHORNE

TUESDAY 9 SEPTEMBER – Phyll was originally a barber but now does ladies hair and today is working at a nursing home and has left before we get up. Rich joins us for breakfast in the motorhome after which we drive to their new home. First he gives us a tour of the estate and takes us down to the jetty on the nearby lake. Its easy to see how high it as the adjoining swamp is now completely flooded. Their home is in modern style with open plan lounge, diner and kitchen on the ground floor as well as two en-bedrooms. Upstairs covers only part of the building and will a combination of study and a place where Phyll’s grandchildren can hang out sleep when they visit. Today one of the bedroom ceilings and the upstairs rooms high sloping ceiling need painting. It takes us back to doing up Parkwood as I begin dong the ceiling edges whilst Steve does the rest with the roller. Once we have finished the bedroom we join Rich upstairs and it is not even lunchtime before we are done. After showering at the cabin we have lunch in our motorhome. Join Rich for a ride into Gainesville, a University City and home to the Gators football team. After driving past the stadium we visit Home Depot for Rich to get more supplies. We’ve time for a dip in the swimming pool before Phyll returns and join us for a meal in the motorhome.

HAWTHORNE 2

WEDNESDAY 10 SEPTEMBER – We wake to a warm but cloudy morning, perfect for giving the motorhome a good clean so we get stuck in. Steve treats the rubber roof and starts working his way down whilst I start at the bottom working up. Rain stops work just before we are finished but we are exhausted anyway. It is a heavy storm and probably a sidekick to hurricane Ike. According to the news it is an enormous storm over 600 miles across and heading for Texas. Rich calls in for a drink in the evening.

HAWTHORNE 3

THURSDAY 11 SEPTEMBER – Rich takes us out for breakfast and Lois’s and we have a great feed. He drops us off before heading to the house. There is no more work we can help him with so stay at home to potter round and enjoy the pool. In the evening Phyll and Rich join us for a curry and we talk more about motorhoming as they seem keen to visit us in Mexico this winter either in their motorhome or by flying out to join us in ours.

HAWTHORNE 4

FRIDAY 12 SEPTEMER – Join Phyll and Rich for breakfast by the pool. He is trying to sell 4 of his 5 houses in order to travel much more but the market here is on the decline so not the best of times to get out of it. They are a great couple and we hope to meet again in the near future. Head off to Alachua where we are booked in at the Ford dealer Santa Fe for a service. Arrive a little early for our 1pm appointment but we are all done and out just after 2pm with a bill just under $100 (£55). After picking up wi-fi in High Springs we continue to O’Leno State Park where they are supposed to have primitive camping at $4 pp but they tell us it is $16.50. Back track to where we saw a sign to the Florida Birding trail on Old Bellamy Road. A mile or so along the track ends in the park area but it is attached to O’Leno and closed from sunset to sunrise. Heading back to the main road we find a nice little track on our left that will suit us fine for overnight. It’s a very hot night but nice and peaceful.

OLD BELLAMY ROAD, OFF HWY 441, 2^ND LEFT SOUTH OF O’LENO

SATURDAY 13 SEPTEMBER – Our 33^rd wedding anniversary. We plan to visit some springs where you can ride down the river on tubes. Heading towards Ichetucknee State Park we see lots of places that rent out tubes and dinghies but we have an airbed that should do the job. Admission is $5 (£2.75) a car but at the moment they will take a book donation in place of it. We walk upstream to enter the river, a 10-minute stroll through the forest. A platform makes it easy to launch the airbed and then we are off floating on the natural lazy river. Being a spring the water is 72F year round, perfect for keeping you cool but not cold. The water is very clear and a nice turquoise colour but flowing slowly, all very pretty with Spanish moss strewn trees forming a canopy. At the half waypoint we hop out and find that some people have apparently decided not to do the full trip and abandoned their tubes so we pick one up. Reckon we are well over an hour floating down to the end where ropes guide you to the exit platform. Tubes and dinghies are deposited here for collection and most people have someone waiting to pick them up in a car but we walk the 20 minutes back to the main parking area. To get to the north section of the park you have to leave and drive around the outside. Again it’s a very pretty spot and this time you get to see where the springs bubble up. Ichetucknee is a pretty one and great to swim in with goggles as you can see down into the cave and admire lots of colourful plants under the crystal clear water. A track enables you to walk to the “Blue Hole” downstream, which is even bigger and much quieter but a bit colder. After making use of the showers we head off around 4pm and cross the Suwannee River, the one that crops up in many songs. Troy Springs sound good as a civil war ship was scuppered here but never re floated so the wreck can be seen under water. Unfortunately we arrive to find that due to the heavy rains from Fay the area is flooded and the water no longer clear. Heading back out we see a side road marked “Ruth Springs Road” and we immediately see a sign saying it is public land. A side road that loops around becomes a perfect overnight spot for us with grass and shade.

RUTH SPRINGS OFF 27 NEAR TROY SPRINGS STATE PARK

SUNDAY 14 SEPTEMBER – We explore further along the main track after our loop and Steve walks into the next track, as it looks narrow. He returns to tell me a steep, twisted and uneven track drops down to a beautiful natural spring and he thinks we can make it. He’s right and we end up parked under shady trees beside a natural headspring and spend the day alternating between lounging around and bathing. Few people come by and it is really peaceful. Late afternoon it begins raining so we retreat up the hill in case it becomes too slippery but enabling us to go down for a late skinny dip. Returning down the main road to our overnight spot we can see what a difference a small amount of rain makes as the track is already very muddy and boggy. Finally we get a cooler night making it easier to sleep.

RUTH SPRINGS 2

MONDAY 15 SEPTEMBER – Back to the springs for another relaxing day. Around 2.30pm it begins raining so we take our cue and leave. The next big town is Perry where we use the library for Internet. Looks like we may have to travel slower than planned as pretty much all the coastline of Texas was wiped out by Ike and people are still stranded in cars. Settle onto the Wal*Mart car park for the night.

PERRY WAL*MART

200808-2-USA Florida

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 01:28:43 GMT

SATURDAY 16 AUGUST – All wake up at leisure and then Steve joins Claire and the kids for a last visit to Blizzard Beach Water Park. I pack up the van and at 10am drive up to the car park. Daz tries to do the Disney check in but it only applies to direct international flights. When the swimmers return I have dinner ready as our last meal together. Around 2pm they board the Disney Magical Express coach to the airport. It has been a fantastic 2 weeks together but very tiring and we probably tried to pack too much into it but we just about muddled through. Steve & I stop for a quick shop en route to Cypress Cove. I expected the store to be busy on Saturday but people are piling shopping carts high and it is mayhem. When we get set up at the Cove we hear the news that hurricane Fay is due to hit Orlando area on Tuesday and this is probably why people were stocking up. 3 loads of washing later we have the van pretty much back to normal and spend the evening with Steve watching Olympics on TV and me on the Internet.

CYPRESS COVE RESORT

SUNDAY 17 AUGUST – Lie in until almost 8am then get back into routine with a game of petanque. Throughout the day more warnings are put out about hurricane Fay so we walk around the resort and decide that either the laundry or the toilet block will be our bolthole when it hits. There’s a Doctor here today doing skin cancer checks so we both go along and find that I have one suspicious freckle and Steve has a few that we should get checked out in the future. Speak to Daz & Claire on skype and learn that they had good flights back but are now feeling very tired. Natasha slept the whole time on the long leg. We get lots of brief spells of rain and see many people packing up to return to their homes but overall its rather a nice day and much cooler than it has been. Manage to fit in my 40 lengths of the pool late afternoon. It is now getting like a ghost town here with the weekenders leaving and other packing up to go back and protect their homes.

CYPRESS COVE 2

MONDAY 18 AUGUST – At petanque only one other player shows up. Throughout the day staff go around tying things down and removing anything that is likely to blow around. We have just our adjoining neighbours left in our row and they are sleeping out tomorrow night as they have friends arriving to stay in a villa. At the pool area just a few loungers and chairs have been left out for use but I do get chance of a good swim without weaving amongst people. By evening the site seems deserted so we are surprised to find people have shown up to play cribbage and enjoy a couple of games each before we are knocked out. All TV channels are carrying bulletins about Fay and knowing that the office at the Cove is closing at 2.30pm tomorrow we have to make a decision by then as to whether to tough it out in the motorhome or rent a villa for the night. All local knowledge says staying in a motorhome is not an option but I am having trouble convincing Steve of this. Jamie in Titusville asked us to go over there but knowing how often weather forecasters get it wrong we could be out of the frying pan and into the fire doing that.

CYPRESS COVE 3

TUESDAY 19 AUGUST – Its fine when we wake up but you can tell it will soon be raining so we don’t even attempt petanque. Latest storm update is that the eye of the storm is heading further east and going to hit Titusville but that our area is now under tornado watch. The storm has not worsened to a hurricane but may do so once it hits land. I know all this is pointing to it being less of a threat but against Steve’s wishes I books us a villa at the reduced hurricane special rate of $45 (£22.50) night. Throughout the day I sit in the room watching movies and using the Internet whilst Steve watches Olympics in the motorhome. We get lots of rainy spells and wind but nothing that bad so it looks like I have boobed. At least it is quiet overnight as it would probably be noisy in the van with the rain on the roof.

CYPRESS COVE 4, VILLA 1166

WEDNESDAY 20 AUGUST – Linger in the room until 11am checkout. Even around the van the only signs of the storm are a few broken twigs. It rains for most of the day but during an afternoon dry spell I put in 44lengths of the pool. At least we have TV reception so Steve can watch Olympics and Internet to keep me entertained.

CYPRESS COVE 5

THURSDAY 21 AUGUST – It has rained most of the night. I’ve ordered a few things on line through Amazon and my first package arrives, a mini SD card for the telephone. It was really cheap; including postage $11 (£6) so I’m surprised to find the 2GB card comes with an adapter to turn it into a regular SD card that I can use with my camera. Achieve m 46-length target in an empty pool. Once the rain stops the wind picks up and it is pretty wild. Make it to the evening Euchre session but only 6 of us turn up.

CYPRESS COVE 5

FRIDAY 22 AUGUST – It’s still dull and windy and in fact turns into a bad day with lots of very heavy downpours and some strong winds. Again between the rains I swim and am up to 48 lengths. At the evening crab races there are only 13 entries and with 10 heats Steve soon becomes a winner and gets a 2 for 1 drinks voucher. It’s the last race and my crab is still in there but storms home and as the last winner I get 2 vouchers. In the grand finale ours have both gone back to sleep. Its Rock and Roll weekend at he Cove but only about a dozen people show up at Cheeks for the disco and they are just sitting around so we opt to stay home and watch a movie.

CYPRESS COVE 6

SATURDAY 23 AUGUST – It’s a very pleasant morning and enough people turn up for petanque. Return to do some cleaning on the motorhome as the awning has got quite a bit of mould on it which all comes off with a good scrubbing. In the afternoon Steve sits by the pool whilst I put in 50 lengths but has to return before I’m finished as a storm begins. Again we get torrential rain for a few hours. At the evening trivia Steve wins one of the round but selecting the price from 1-10 he ends up with the lowest value one of a free drink. Classic Rock weekend includes a live band and we sit and listen for half and hour or so but recognise nothing so return home.

CYPRESS COVE 7

SUNDAY 24 AUGUST – We begin the nice day with petanque. In the afternoon Mike shows up at the pool. 52 lengths on the score card today.

CYPRESS COVE 8

MONDAY 25 AUGUST – No one at petanque so that upsets our routine. Our neighbours John & Margaret leave so now we have a nice view up the street. Sporting events are 56 lengths in the pool and cribbage in the evening. I’ve ordered a couple of things on line through Amazon. It worked really well as they delivered them here but my English billing address meant I didn’t have to pay any tax.

CYRESS COVE 9

TUESDAY 26 AUGUST – Morning petanque. I have fun trying out my new toys. A Hawking mini dish to extend and amplify my wi-fi and a portable mini hard drive to back up my computer. 60 lengths of the pool and an evening playing Euchre.

CYPRESS COVE 10

WEDNESDAY 27 AUGUST – No players for petanque again. Begin our cruise preparation by digging out our fancy gear and checking if it needs washing etc. Unfortunately I am so unused to ironing that I forget I have left the hot iron out and burn my arm reaching past it. There is a nudist research library here, open on skeleton hours, and today we pay a visit. They have an amazing array of bound naturist magazines from all over the world and copies of almost all the naturist videos that they have now put onto DVD. Spend the evening by the pool bouncing between the hot tub and the cooler pool until thunder and lightening force us home.

CYPRESS COVE 11

THURSDAY 28 AUGUST – After petanque I do a load of laundry. Other than sheets and sarongs we have little washing whilst here so it has taken us 12 days to create enough to fill a machine. Vern arrives onto the site next door and brings doom and gloom about the approaching newly forming storm Hanna that could hit the Caribbean next week. Ignoring the rumbling thunder I persevere to reach my targeted 64 lengths of the pool (1 mile). I’m glad I have managed it but boy is it boring – how on earth Claire swam for miles and miles beats me although she probably swims 3 or 4 times faster than I do. I certainly wouldn’t get any prizes for style or speed. Richard is the only one to turn up for Euchre so we play a 3 handed game.

CYPRESS COVE 13

FRIDAY 29 AUGUST – This is the start of Labour Day weekend and people begin arriving early in the day. In the evening we join John & Meg for a drink before heading for the crab races. Again I have a winner so Steve says we have to stay longer so he can use the 2 for 1 drink voucher to get some whiskey. When we get home we end up going in to John & Megs and are up late chatting whilst Steve makes a bit of a hole in Johns whiskey. Steve flakes out on our sofa and is not well through the night.

CYPRESS COVE 14

SATURDAY 30 AUGUST – Steve is still rough in the morning so I go alone to petanque. It’s Daniels 11^th birthday but he’s away at a scout camp so we can’t talk to him but learn he had a good ten pin bowling party on Thursday. Sherri gives me a lift up to the supermarket for a shop. Late afternoon we get a heavy downpour, which puts paid to the petanque competition. End up just having the meal in the Terrace and defer the game until tomorrow morning.

CYPRESS COVE 15

SUNDAY 31 AUGUST – It’s a cloudy morning but dry enough for the petanque tournament. It is set up so teams of ladies play teams of men and before the second game new teams are drawn. Total team points are added up and the men end up just winning. Then they play some fun games. For the last one you all throw your boule on the court with no target then someone throws the couch ball over his or her shoulder and the nearest ball to it wins. I’m a winner and get a great Cypress Cove T-shirt as my prize. We are both sad to leave the Cove having had a great time and made some new friends but at least the weather isn’t enticing us to linger. Set off after lunch and take the toll road ($1 and $1.25) over to Titusville. Jamie comes out to great us and as our 3^rd visit to him he calls out “welcome home”. Spend the afternoon catching up on news then head out to the chain restaurant “The Village” for supper. They are famous for their pies and do a package deal of starter, main course and half a pie slice at very reasonable prices. My key lime pie is excellent. Fellow couchsurfer Pedro joins us for coffee afterwards. We met him at Jamie’s when he arrived from Portugal to begin his helicopter pilot training course. He has now progressed to having done 3 solo flights and tells us all about it. Back I Jamie’s I monitor tropical storm Hanna and conclude that it looks unlikely that our cruise to the Bahamas will go ahead as planned. Reckon we will find out in the morning what the new itinerary is and so long as it isn’t a cruise to nowhere we will go along with it. TITUSVILLE

200808-1-USA Florida

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 23:30:50 GMT

200808

FRIDAY 1 AUGUST – We are a bit later setting out and there are really long queues to get into Aquatica car park. Again there is no charge to park the RV. This time we secure ourselves a seat at the beach and leave the kids to roam freely. In the afternoon we take the free shuttle bus over to Sea World. There are a number of shows the kids want to do again and a few attractions we have missed. After the dolphin show the kids buy a tray of fish, $7 (£3.50) to feed them. Even without food they come right up to the edge for you to stroke them and it is a great experience. On the way out an official at the stingray pool gives some fish scraps away. This time the kids are quite nervous about feeding the fish and usually end up dropping it.

TURKEY LAKE 5

SATURDAY 2 AUGUST – We try a different approach route but it is even worse and by the time we have parked in Aquatica they have put up signs to say the park is full and no one will be admitted until 3.30pm. Take the shuttle over to Sea World and today I buy one of the all day dining wrist bands $25.95 (£13). Whilst Steve and Natasha look at the dolphin nursery Daniel and I go in search of breakfast and he is happy with his chicken nugget feast. Throughout the day I am able to pop into certain restaurants and take 1 main course, 1 starter or desert and 1 drink so I make the most of this and manage to feed us all quite easily. Today Natasha gets lucky and wins on the wacky wire and brings out a giant Shamu. Late afternoon Aquatica is still pretty busy but Daniel is more than happy just sitting in the fast river rapids whilst Natasha wanders around with me. The park is open until 10pm and after dark things quieten down so that the kid manage to get on loads more rides. Decide to leave around 9.30pm to beat the crowds. We’re all fit to burst with food and Daniel declares he has never been so full nor had a day when he has eaten chicken nuggets for breakfast, lunch, tea and supper.

TURKEY LAKE 6

SUNDAY 3 AUGUST – Wake up to receive a text message saying Claire & Daz are on their way although she is upset as they took her tan accelerator off her at Manchester airport check in. We have a really busy morning washing all the bedding and clothes and swapping beds over again. Natasha is a great help Steve clean outside the van and the floors inside. Leave around midday and call in for a Wal*Mart shop en route to stock up on groceries for 6 of us. We are going to be staying at the Disney Fort Wilderness campground for the first and last 4 days of their visit. This means we get free transport for them to and from the airport, free transport around Disney and the chance to return to the motorhome throughout the day. Our site is in Possum Patch circle that has a comfort station (toilets, showers and laundry). The sites are level and a good size with picnic table, water and electricity. Once we have settled in we head off to check out the bus system and to use our timeshare earned voucher to pick up the Disney tickets. All the Disney buses run every 20 minutes so after picking up the tickets at the studios I decide we will visit Pleasure Island and explore a bit of the area. This soon has to be abandoned as although the buses run frequently you can waste a lot of time if you have just missed one. Arrive back around 5.30pm for tea and to await Claire & Daz’s arrival on the Disney Magical Express shuttle bus. Around 8am a mini bus pulls up at our site with them onboard. Although the last couple have weeks have gone really quickly the kids are glad to see their parents. Within minutes of their arrival they have dropped their bags in the van so we can walk across to the Chip & Dale campfire. There’s a band playing country songs to be followed by Winnie the Pooh movie. Daniel & Natasha enjoy roasting marshmallows over a log fire but we are all too tired to stay up and watch the movie or the 10pm Magic Kingdom fireworks and are all tucked up in bed by 9.30pm.

DISNEY FORT WILDERNESS CAMPGROUND

$47 + TAX (£24) campsite for 2 + $2 (£1) per extra person

MONDAY 4 AUGUST – After breakfast on the patio we are raring to go. Steve has chosen not to do any of the Disney attractions but joins us on the bus to Typhoon Lagoon. Arrive just as it opens at 9am enabling us to get on some of the more popular rides without waiting long. Snorkelling over the sharks and fish takes all Natasha’s courage but she does it and even wants a second go. There are some excellent rides and the wave pool is enormous. By midday the queues are building up and it’s also very hot so we catch the bus back to the campground for lunch. This time we make great connections and are back within ½ hour. It’s handy being able to return for a bite to eat, change of clothes and a brief rest. Our afternoon plan is to visit Animal Kingdom and we arrive there around 2pm. It’s a somewhat confusing park as all the theme lands are around an island and not all directly connected. The centre of the island is the magnificent 145-foot “Tree of Life” carved with over 300 animal images. Our fast pass for Dinosaur is for around 5pm so with time to spare we take in the musical Nemo show, which is pretty good. Walking via Asia to Africa we catch the 4pm parade before taking the Kilimanjaro Safari. A small African village has been created and from the edge of it we board a safari truck for an 18-minute drive through a game reserve with an excellent variety of wildlife. Unlike our safaris in Africa you are pretty much guaranteed sightings, as it is such a small area. Wander through the Pangani Forest but it’s not great so we head back to DinoLand and some rides. We keep plodding on but Daz has backache, I have neck ache, Claire has a headache and we are all a bit footsore. As Disney guests we have an extra 3-hours in the park after it officially closes at 8pm but after a fantastic ride on “Expedition Everest” we are all done for and arrive back just before 10pm

FORT WILDERNESS 2

TUESDAY 5 AUGUST – New plan for the day, we will chill in the morning then hit the park after lunch hoping to stay very late. Take a boat across the lake to Wilderness Lodge, a very impressive artificial Disney version of the real thing. Our afternoon park is Epcot and with 2 days to do it in we concentrate on the front area of Future World. An amazing show is “Turtle talk with Crush” an animated show that somehow interacts with the audience. Mission Space is an impressive ride and the “orange” sector puts you into a rocket that launches into space and bounces around. After the spectacular 9pm firework display we are again all tired and head for home.

FORT WILDERNESS 3

WEDNESDAY 6 AUGUST – Plan C is to get up when we are ready and head to Hollywood Studios but this doesn’t get us there until after 10am and it is already busy. Fast Pass Tower of Terror and do other rides whilst waiting for it. We do seem to get into more shows and onto more rides than we have done in the other parks and the park layout is easier to understand and more compact. It’s the hottest day this summer peaking at over 100F and we sure feel it so once again have to call it a day earlier than planned and arrive back around 8.30pm.

FORT WILDERNESS 4

THURSDAY 7 AUGUST – New plan is an early start to get to Blizzard Beach for the Disney guest extra morning hour. This gets us into the park at 8am and surprisingly we all make it on time. The most famous attraction is the Summit Plummet a 120-foot waterslide but once we arrive at the entrance only Claire & I are brave enough to go for it. I almost wish I hadn’t as the bottom part of the steep drop has you surfing along the water and it really hurts the bottom of your back. Teamboat Springs is the longest family raft ride in the world and great fun as it twists and turns along a 1400’ course of waterfalls and rapids. By the time the park opens to everyone the queues are long so we take on the less thrilling rides and enjoy ourselves until midday. Back at Fort Wilderness Steve has checked out of the campground and is waiting in the day parking area. (We’re surprised it isn’t full of vehicles as it is a free parking spot from which you can get free buses to all the Disney attractions rather than pay the $13 parking fees). Our lunch stop is the Golden Coral all you can eat buffet restaurant where Steve & I get away with the seniors price and as we have a voucher it is only $6.50 (£3.25) each for the full buffet and unlimited drinks. Claire & family are well impressed and all manage to overeat. It’s possibly a mistake to take highway 50 out to the coast as the first stretch is within Orlando area and there are lots of traffic lights. Do another shop at Titusville Wal*Mart before heading to visit our Couchsurfing friend Jamie. He has kindly invited us all to visit, Steve & I will sleep in his home whilst the family camp in the motorhome. He is looking after his daughter’s collie puppy Angus and Daniel & Natasha fall in love with him. We chat and catch up on Jamie’s news and admire his handiwork where he is fixing up his park home. It’s an incredibly hot night and unfortunately Jamie’s extension cable is not powerful enough to run the air conditioner in the van so the kids are in for a hot and sweaty night. Thunder rumbles and we get lots of lightening but it is a dry storm and does not clear the air. Getting ready for bed I notice that I have some quite large bruises on the upper half of my bum cheeks from the ride!

TITUSVILLE

FRIDAY 8 AUGUST – Steve & I sleep in until after 8am and wake to find the family all up and dressed and breakfasted. They have not had the best of nights but did manage some sleep. Daniel & Natasha both take Angus for a walk before we leave. Arrive just before the 10am opening of the Space museum in town. The volunteer was once head of the shuttle programme and points out some interesting pieces in the museum. Next stop is the Kennedy Space Centre where we stay in the motorhome whilst the family do the tour. We have been before and at $38.95 (£20) a head are not bothered about doing it again. It’s just after 11am when we return to the van. Early afternoon a big storm is brewing and an announcement goes out to tell everyone to stay inside. Thunder lightening and a short but heavy downpour accompanied by wind follows. It’s obviously a very good attraction, as the family don’t come back until after 6pm and even then did no to everything that was possible. Just a few miles away is Jetty Park campground where we have booked a site. It’s a smallish camp on the edge of the canal and behind a beautiful beach. Even before I have served tea the kids are down at the beach and also return for a late swim. Claire and I walk along the jetty and spot racoons in the rocks.

JETTY PARK

$25 (£12.50) Inc electric and water

SATURDAY 9 AUGUST – I have a restless night. At one stage Natasha falls out of the over cab bed and lands on top of me and later on Daniel seems to be playing a game of blind mans buff and feeling his way around the van! I get up for an early walk and swim then return to take Daniel and Natasha for their first dip of the day. After breakfast the Wilson’s go off to the beach whilst Steve and I do a few odd jobs. Throughout the day we make it to the beach only to have to return when a brief storm comes through. According to the weather report these are the backlash of severe storms hitting Orlando so we are still better off. During an afternoon swim small turtles can be seen in the water. Drive down to Cocoa Beach Pier for an evening meal at the Atlantic restaurant. It’s a great location with fine views up the beach and nice food. Back at Jetty Park the Wilsons go out for an evening stroll and see a family of racoons.

JETTY PARK 2

SUNDAY 10 AUGUST – Steve & I did a timeshare presentation back in May and part of the reward was 1 night in a 1-bedroom apartment at the Cape Caribbe Ron Jon Hotel. Its right night to Jetty Park so as soon as we are ready we re locate to their car park. I do a pre check in enabling us to use their swimming pool and water park until our room is ready. There is a children cinema, mini golf and other amenities free to use so Daniel & Natasha are very happy. We get into our room early afternoon and Steve commandeers the TV to watch the Olympic games whilst I make full use of the washing machine and tumble dryer! The apartment is large and well appointed, the Wilsons are taking the bedroom with 2 double beds and Steve & I will sleep on the sofa bed in the lounge. I cook us a pasta meal in the evening and its nice to be able to all sit around the table to enjoy it. We are looking out over the canal and watch 3 large cruise ships departing. This reminds me of a special offer I received on the Internet and with free wi-fi at the hotel it is only a matter of time before Steve & I are booked. On 1^st September we are doing a 4-day cruise to the Bahamas on the Royal Caribbean International ship Sovereign of the Seas. At $219 (£110) each for an outside cabin even with taxes and fuel supplements it still only totals $587 (£295) and we get $20 (£10) each on board credit.

PORT CANAVERAL, RON JON CAPE CARIBBE HOTEL

MONDAY 11 AUGUST – We have to be out of the room by 10am but can use the pool area as long as we like. A man and a woman are walking round with baby alligators promoting their show tomorrow night. With their snouts taped up they are offered to you for photographs and even Claire plucks up courage to participate. Claire works on her tan whilst the rest of us flit around. Leave around 3pm and take the toll motorway back towards Orlando incurring 3 payments totalling $2.75 (£1.40) so probably worth it. Make a slow tour up International Drive before returning to Golden Coral. The evening meal is $11.99 (£6) but includes steak and boy do we get our moneys worth. Daniel just about eats himself sick and has to leave before the rest of us are finished! The nearby Wal*Mart on Turkey Lake Road say we can stay overnight so we park up and spend the rest of the evening in the store. I get my home haircut tidied up for the cruise and the Wilsons do some souvenir shopping. It’s another hot night and a little noisy so none of us sleep really well.

WAL*MART ORLANDO, TURKEY LAKE ROAD

TUESDAY 12 AUGUST – Make an early start to drive back to Fort Wilderness campground. Although check in isn’t until 1pm we again to a pre check in and get our resident passes enabling us to take in the extra morning hour at Magic Kingdom. To get there you take the bus through the campground and then a boat across. Arriving at 8.30am we find they have in fact opened the part to everyone negating our advantage. It is still a great park with all types or rides and shows and lots of fast past options. We make the most of theses and flit between Tomorrow Land and Frontier Land to take in the major rides. Catch the show in front of the castle and most of the rides before tiredness kicks in. I set off back with Daz & Natasha leaving Claire & Daniel to follow after they return for a second helping of the very funny Monsters Inc show.

FORT WILDERNESS CAMPGROUND

WEDNESDAY 13 AUGUST – First park of the day is Typhoon Lagoon where Daz & Daniel head off together and us girls set out to do all the rides on tubes. After my bashing on Plummet Summit and subsequent bruises I am steering well clear of any other rides. Claire is struggling with a blocked ear so after a while sits it out whilst Natasha & I play in the wave pool. Natasha is crawling in the shallows when I see a wave coming but she doesn’t get up when I call her and gets dragged in to the shore. Unfortunately the bottom of the pool is like sand paper and she grazes her back. I walk back to Claire to say I am taking her to First Aid and Claire decides to join us to mention about her ear. The First Aid office is unmanned as they have just had a girl collapse at the nearby restaurant and they are all busy with resuscitation. Once the paramedics arrive to take over we get our minor injuries attended to. Natasha has some numbing antiseptic sprayed on her back and Claire is given some anti-inflammatory tablets and told to buy an alcohol product called “Swimmers Ear” to dry her ear canal out. Meet up with Daz & Daniel for some Disney photos in the wave pool. In all the parks there are professional photographers eager to take your picture. You then get a wristband with a card on and can later go on line to look at your picture and then have the option of buying some or even spending $130 (£65) to get them all on CD and then be able to edit them with Disney scripts and logos. Back to camp for lunch. In the afternoon Steve joins Daz when he goes off for a round of golf whilst the rest of us return to Magic Kingdom. Arrive in perfect time for the afternoon parade and then begin picking up on the rides we didn’t do yesterday and repeating the ones we particularly enjoyed. It all works out really well and we round it off with the fantastic evening “Spectra Magic” parade followed by the fireworks over the castle. Manage to race out of the park and straight onto a boat getting us back within ½ hour.

FORT WILDERNESS CAMPGROUND 2

THURSDAY 14 AUGUST – We’ve realised that the early and late hours are not working but have heard that the other parks are quieter on the days without extra hours so plan accordingly. Today we will spend the morning picking up the things we missed at Hollywood Studios. Claire & I are the only ones up for an early start and everyone else opts to miss it and have a lie in. At Indiana Jones set we chat to one of the employees and he gives us fast passes for the first showing. Nearby is “Sounds Dangerous – Starring Drew Carey” and just as we are heading towards the theatre doors and man jumps out at us from behind a pillar. “Congratulations” he says, “you have just won a Dream fast pass as part of the Disney Year of a Million Dreams giveaway”. 30,000 people are expected visit the park today and at random 300 will be given these passes. Once we have recovered from the surprise we figure that as everyone entering this attractions is getting them they are targeting people early in the park and doing one of the lesser visited attractions; enabling him to hand them out without being mobbed. Now we can take our time knowing that we can just waltz up to the major attractions at any time and get straight on. Toy Story seems to be the most popular ride so we have another go on that plus all the other major rides. Indiana Jones gets cancelled part way through due to a storm but by mid-day we have done all we set out to and more and return to camp. In the afternoon I opt to stay behind whilst Steve joins the Wilsons for a visit to Disney Market Place area. They return after 10pm as Steve has managed to get into Disney Quest amusement arcade and also Hollywood Studios on my ticket. The new system is that they take your fingerprint the first time you use your ticket to prevent people swapping them but he just pretended he had picked my card up by mistake and got away with it.

FORT WILDERNESS 3

FRIDAY 15 AUGUST – I’ve got confused about the morning arrangements and get up at 7.30am for an 8am. By 8.10am I decide to go off alone as I am the only one who wants to do the ride “Soarin” and this is one of the 2 rides that are particularly difficult to get on. I arrive just before they open the gates at 8.45am and make my way through to the cordoned off area until they blow they let us pass at 9am. Fast Track is my first choice and using the single person line I get on straight away. It’s a brilliant ride where they put you in a test car of 6 people and run it through the test track. I’m so impressed that I pick up a fast pass to return within the hour. “Soarin” only has a short queue when I arrive and this is also a good ride and something different. You are seated in one of 3 rows of suspended seats. When the flight begins the rows move forwards and upwards so they are aligned vertically. In front of you is a half rounded screen on which they show a tour over California accompanied by smells, sounds and wind effects at the appropriate moment. It really does give the impression that you are on a hang glider and I want to go again. Already so pick up a fast pass but already it is timed for this afternoon. After my second Test track ride the World Showcase is about to open and I immediately join the queue for the Norwegian ride Maelstrom. Afterwards I take my time wandering around admiring the features of each country and realise that there is now only Japan that we have not visited. Back in Future World I pick up a few more rides and shows and also do a test run on a “Segway” before leaving around 4pm. Just for the fun of it I take the monorail to Magic Kingdom and then through 3 of the resorts before catching a boat back from the Contemporary Resort. The Wilsons are not back so must be having a good time. They arrive back around 8pm having found lots for the kids to do in the World Showcase. Daz takes them swimming and they stay in the pool until almost 10pm whilst Claire packs

FORT WILDERNESS CAMPGROUND 4

200807 - 2- England USA Florida

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 00:53:58 GMT

TUESDAY 15 JULY – Steve gets the results of his wellness blood test and they are all good so he instantly perks up! Join Mom & Dad for a ride to Shipley to shop at Asda, they won’t have to do this for much longer as a branch is due to open in Keighley. The afternoon walk with Dad is not quite so good as it is cold and breezy and he finds it hard to breathe. Claire takes us to her place in the evening so I can use the Internet. Being without my laptop now makes me realise how much I have come to rely on it. It’s almost the end of the school year so Claire has to shuttle Daniel and Natasha to and from the school disco. Of course this gives us all an opportunity to sing, “3 more sleeps to go”.

KEIGHLEY 6, MOM & DADS

WEDNESDAY 16 JULY – It’s a dry morning so I clean all Mom & Dads windows inside and out, of course this prompts and immediate drizzle. Early afternoon we decide to go out to look for a new arm chair for Mom as Dad has taken to using hers and the sofa bed is not all that comfy for sitting on all day. We find nothing but manage to pick up my laptop, £45 charge but they have put some personal files back on and at least it now works. Mom drops us at bowling where Steve joins Nancy and Dave to play a catch up game blind. Afterwards we return to Rod & Nancy’s and get nostalgic for Mexico whilst eating a taco meal. Stop up chatting really late as Nancy has taken the day off tomorrow.

WILSDEN

THURSDA 17 JULY – It’s a dull drizzly morning so we make quite a slow start. Finally decide that on Nancy’s suggestion we will go to Standedge Tunnel a Marsden near Huddersfield. It the highest, longest and deepest canal tunnel in Britain and after a walk from the village to the tunnel we book onto the 1pm glass roofed barge trip, £4.50. Our guide tells us of the engineering feat involved in hacking a tunnel through a big hill to enable cargo to be shipped between Lancashire and Yorkshire. It took 17 years to complete amidst many problems including the fact that both ends of the tunnel ended up 37’ apart and needed an “s” bend to join them. The visitor centre completes the story and we are both impressed. Rod takes us back to Claire’s in Keighley. She flies in with Daniel and Natasha and as soon as Daz gets home they leave Natasha in our care and head out to Daniels school leaving BBQ. We return to Mom & Dads for our last night camped in the lounge

KEIGHLEY, MOM & DADs

FRIDAY 18 JULY – Mom & Dad said to wake them when we left around ¼ to 7 but there’s no waking Dad for anything. Daz picks us up and we pile into the car for our journey to Manchester airport. He drops us at Terminal 2 and passes Daniel (10) and Natasha (8) into our care. We’re flying on the 10.55am US Airways to Philadelphia and have checked in on line and printed our boarding passes. Other than a couple of windbreaks we only have hand luggage and I reckon they could also go on the plane in the area where they stow pushchairs etc. At the first security point they study our boarding passes and say they are not real. I explain that I printed them on line so they phone someone up and then say we are clear to proceed with our hand luggage as is. Next there is a major line up for the big security check with US Airways passengers diverted to a different line. Once we decant all our liquid containers into plastic bags and put the laptop into a separate tray we continue. Steve is asked to open his bag and there they find my jar of Pataks curry paste. (For some reason we have been unable to buy curry in any form in America and as we are going for 1-year I figure a jar of paste will go a long way). Unbeknown to me paste is classified as a liquid and being over 100ml must be put into the checked in baggage. We explain that we are not checking anything in and that we will leave it behind. Only then do they decide that we cannot take the windbreak on board and must check that in so they take the curry paste and tape it to the windbreak. We must then wait in a seating area whilst Steve returns to the special check in area for people who have checked in on line! He takes ages coming back to us and says that he was told the on line boarding pass was no good so he had to wait to have a different one printed out. They said we would all have to go back but once he explains that someone has already phoned through and cleared us they let him return to the same security line he has already been through. Now we are in a very small shopping area with a WH Smiths and Boots the Chemist. It all seems much smaller than I remember so I ask someone in Smiths if this is the only one in this area and they tell me yes. We queue for ages to make our purchase and then walk through what was obviously the original security area into the departure terminal proper where there is a huge shopping area including a much bigger Smiths and Boots. At this point they don’t tell you your gate so you have to gamble whether to go left or right and find a seating area. Whilst seated a guy comes over to Steve and asks if he would like to take part in a survey about Manchester airport efficiency. He tells Steve that they deliberately don’t give you a departure gate number until the last minute in the hope you will spend longer in the shopping area! Just as our flight is beginning to board they ask for the Swatman party to go to a member of security staff. Now they start telling us off for not going to the on line check in desk to have our security interview and why haven’t we got proper boarding cards. It’s the same lady who shouted at Steve before so I take over and explain it from our point of view. She aggress that we have been misled and should have been give the correct information on line and finally says that they have no more boarding passes to print for us and we must use the on line paper ones. She asks about our baggage and electrical good and if any of them have been in for repair recently. Having got my laptop back from repair on Wednesday and my mobile from unlocking yesterday I should own up but do you think I do? In all honesty the people who worked on them didn’t know we were going to be flying to America and would have had no reason to sabotage them. The final unbelievable stop is when we get to the front of the boarding line and the girl who collects the boarding passes says ours are wrong. Yet again we explain it all but she insists holding us up whilst she finds the stroppy security girl to confirm things. At last we board the plane and take up our 2 abreast seats. I have Natasha next to me with Steve and Daniel behind us. Soon after take off we get drinks service and a meal then settle down to make the most of the in flight personal movies. The kids both have brief naps but at the time I try to snooze Natasha discovers it is fun to keep popping up the blind to see just how bright and sunny it is outside! On board they hand out immigration forms for those who don’t have visas plus customs declarations. We land roughly on time in Philadelphia USA, and head to passport control where we are immediately reprimanded for not having completed forms for Steve & myself who have the visas. They should have given us the forms on board so now we must fill out cards and then rejoin the line up. This time we find we have all the correct paperwork but must proceed for secondary interview, as we don’t have a departure ticket. We went through this in Boston so it was not unexpected. This time we get a very amenable immigration officer who totally understands what we want to do but has to refer it to a higher officer because of the amount of time spent in America already. Our 10-year multi entry 6 month stay visa expires in September and he is happy to give us a 6 month entry but concerned at what we will do when we return from Mexico as he isn’t sure they can issue the 3 month entry under the visa waiver scheme at land borders. We explain that we have less than ½ hour to make our flight connection but procedure must be followed. Ask if we can collect our windbreak at which point he reads my customs declaration and asks about the tick to say we have food. Now I have to explain to an American why we should want to bring in Custard Powder, Bisto Gravy powder and why we have a jar or curry attached to our windbreak! He tells me to leave Steve and the kids, collect the windbreak and he will work on that side of things. Unsurprisingly the curry jar is smashed and paste is oozing everywhere. When I get back he has got the all clear for us all and escorts us to the customs area to save us time with his explanation about the food. That’s all OK but the problem is now the plant we are bringing in – the windbreak! It’s made of wooden poles and wood is a plant so must be inspected. At last we are given the all clear so grab our stuff and begin legging it out only to turn a bend to find a long queue for transit passengers to clear security. We catch one the people walking round and explain that we have little time to make our flight connection. She goes away and comes back and tells us we must listen for our name to be called amongst others who have connections to make. Meanwhile I decide to remove the smashed curry jar and end up with cut fingers that bleed and curry everywhere – what a nightmare. Our names are never called and we reach the front of the line where we must present our individual passports and boarding cards. The security lady does not want to handle our boarding cards as they have fresh blood on them so takes ages trying to manipulate everything with a pen. Again we think we can make a run for it but turn a corner to find another line for security. By now we have just about given up on our flight. Again we must put electrical goods and liquids into trays but the lady stops the scanner to ask about the windbreak. This is crazy but I try to stay calm whilst attempting to explain what they are and why we are bringing them. In the end someone says, ah yes they are to give you shade from the sun so I just say yes. Well we’ve less than 10 minutes to get to the other side of the terminal but there is always a chance our onward flight is delayed so we begin to leg it. The kids and I have the trolley bags and Steve has the carry pack and windbreak and leaps ahead. We now find out that wearing rubber Crocs and trying to run on a rubber surface is impossible as the Crocs keep trying to trip you up an eventually catch Natasha and Daniel out who both take a bit of a tumble. They are actually OK but I call to Steve that it is not worth risking them hurting themselves and to give up. He says he will go on ahead on the off chance of holding things for us and we will do a fast walk. Even fast walking we all keep tripping but manage to stay upright. Reach the boarding gate and there are no passengers left but they accept our printed boarding passes and tell us to race through. Our seats have already been given to people on stand by so we just take what is left with Steve and the kids together and me in a different row. An announcement goes out that a family of 3 have just shown up and if 1 person would give up their seat to allow them to board they will be given loads of freebies. Obviously everyone is desperate to get to Orlando so in the end a mother and child board and leave Dad behind. How lucky were we to get there ahead of them? Minutes later we are taking off and gathering our breath. Land a little early in Orlando and it’s plain sailing with no customs or security just a shuttle train ride to the main terminal building. Cindi, Ken & Kay are waiting to meet us and what a welcome sight. The kids comment on how hot it is but in fact the daytime temperature has already dropped to the 70’s as it’s after 6pm. Catch up on news during the journey to Cypress Cove Resort. It’s great to be back home and I take the kids to the swimming pool whilst Kay fixes us some hamburgers. After eating the kids manage a second swim before we return to bed. Steve & Natasha take the over cab bunk, Daniel the dinette, me on the sofa and Ken & Kay in the bedroom once they get back from the bar.

KISSIMMEE - CYPRESS COVE RESORT

SATURDAY 19 JULY – It’s been a warm night so we have slept with the blinds up and windows open. I’ve been awake on and off for ages but wait until Daniel stirs. We get up and I take him on an exploratory walk. Meet someone and find out it is 7am so we’ve not done too badly. At the second pool we meet Steve & Natasha coming the other way and learn that Ken & Kay are also up so its back for breakfast. Whilst Steve & Ken play petanque I take the kids swimming. Return home for Daniel to make a web page about his holiday, http://daniel-at-florida.wetpaint.com and then Steve can take them swimming. Unfortunately the swimming pool has no shade and it’s the hottest day for ages here, 100F in the shade, so we have to curtail the pool visits at lunchtime. I play Poo Head and Golf card games with the kids then we encourage them to have a bit of a rest but to no avail. Steve takes them off to the air-conditioned games room where they play table tennis. In the evening we head to the Terrace Lounge for the Trivial Pursuit quiz. 3 contestants try to answer questions with each correct answer getting them $1m. However if they get a question wrong and someone in the audience answers it correctly then they take their place and their winnings. There are 10 prizes; mostly free drinks but also a free meal and free nights stay in an apartment. Daniel manages to become a contestant and answers a couple of questions as do I but the majority are American based or about TV so we don’t have much chance. By 8.30pm the kids are lagging so the other go off to Cheers bar whilst I take them back for a snack and bed. The minute their heads touch the pillows they are away with the fairies.

CYPRESS COVE 2

SUNDAY 20 JULY – Ken & Kay are leaving today so get up at 6.30am. We are all starting to wake so get up for breakfast. I join Mike & Cindi taking them to the airport ready for their flight up to New York. On the way back I do a massive grocery shop to order for the kids. Back I home I begin rearranging Harry and washing bedding etc. Since we left it has been very humid and the outdoor furniture all has mould spots so I have to scrub all the chairs. Steve takes the kids swimming but it soon becomes too hot, 120F. After lunch Natasha and I walk down to the lake to watch the boat race but it’s just a load of old men sailing miniature yachts by remote control and with no wind it is not very exciting. Natasha tries her luck at the beach and takes a swim in the alligator infested lake. We the owner of Cypress Cove and his kids are in there so it must be safe although he does get out pretty quickly when a couple of fish bit his bum. Reckon they must be bottom feeders. Most of the afternoon we hang around by the van, Natasha doing a jigsaw and Daniel updating his web site. Late afternoon Steve takes them back to the pool. Peter from bowling is in the pool at invites us for a drink and snack in the evening. He is staying in one of the apartments and they are very spacious. Daniel and Nat stay in the bedroom watching TV whilst we chat in the lounge. Just after 8pm we notice Natasha is asleep and soon after Daniel says he is tired. We can easily carry Natasha home but Daniel is another story so we head home.

CYRPESS COVE 3

MONDAY 21 JULY – 6.30am and it is already hot and sunny. After breakfast on the terrace the kids join us at Petanque and both play really well. They are struggling a bit with the heat and humidity as we all are so we have a relaxing morning. After lunch I take them for a walk up to the shopping area, about 1 mile away. The theory is that they can walk under umbrellas for shade and get used to being out walking in the heat of the day ready for Disney. It all works very well until Natasha’s shoes start to rub on the way back. She changes with me but mine are also flip-flops and rub between her toes. In the end Daniel wears mine, I have Natasha’s and she has Daniels sandals as we hobble home. It gets cloudy late afternoon so after tea we take a pedalo out on the lake. The sky is turning really black and we get home just as a big storm starts. Not only do we get torrential rain, thunder and lightening but also a strong wind picks up. Steve & I battle to pass the things in to the kids so that we can put the awning away and lucky we did, as it gets worse. We sit in the air-conditioned motorhome passing the time playing cards. An hour later the street is like a river but the storm has passed. A few people have damage to their party tents and many things have been blown around including the pool rules sign that the kids have to fish out of the pool to have a swim. I’m very happy to make use of the laundry to wash and dry the things that got damp.

CYPRESS COVE 4

TUESDAY 22 JULY – We all have a bit of a lie in but Natasha refuses to get up even for breakfast. She crawls down in time to join Grandad for petanque whilst Daniel updates his web site. Natasha then comes with me for an hour of aqua exercises in the small pool. After lunch Cindi calls round and takes us out to Publix store in the car. Daniel is still determined not to spend money on anything he can get in England but Natasha can’t resist a big bag of gummy bears. As soon as we have arrived back the heavens open up again but this time it is just a rain storm although it does come and go for a couple of hours. Natasha goes up to Cindi’s to watch Harry Potter on TV whilst Daniel, well you’ve probably guessed, goes on the computer. After sausage, egg and chip for tea we head to the Terrace Lounge for a session of Euchre. We haven’t had time to teach Daniel & Natasha the game so they sit at another table playing Poo Head.

CYPRESS COVE 5

WEDNESDAY 23 JULY – Wake to an early storm however when it dries up it is still cloudy so we can have a long session at the pool. I swim and do aqua exercises whilst the kids just play. Early afternoon Cindi takes us for another drive. We buy a new licence tag for the motorhome, $46 (£24) year. Natasha can’t resist buying loads of toys based on “High school musical” whilst Daniel has to try the M&M chocolate variety pack. Back for another swim followed by a gusty storm so we spend the evening playing cards.

CYPRESS COVE 6

THURSDAY 24 JULY – Steve plays petanque whilst I take the poons swimming. I do one length breaststroke then one crawl and not only does Natasha stay the course but she swims 50 lengths to my 38! Late morning we head off for a ride with Cindi. We’re going to the cinema to see Mama Mia and she has suggested Golden Coral for a buffet lunch. Unfortunately she cannot remember where they are and we end up driving for almost 2 hours and end up on the northeast side of Orlando. She doesn’t want to admit defeat but we are all hungry and Natasha has even fallen asleep. Finally I use a map to direct us to the area where Regal cinema is. Stopping in traffic we start to smell burning and when she pulls over one of the brakes is smoking big time. We’re only a couple of block from our destination so once it has cooled down she drives there slowly then phones Mike to come out and pick us up in his car after the cinema. There are no all you can eat buffet restaurants here so we have to settle for what there is and end up at “Johnny Rockets”, a chain of traditional style diners based on the original and the prices reflect this. Mooch around the shops to kill time until the 4.30pm. movie starts. We have come in the afternoon to get the matinee prices but stuffed up on that as well as it is only the 1.30 showing that has the $2 pp discount. We pay $9.95 (£5) for adults and $6.95 (£3.50) for the kids. Cindi buys a humongous bucket of popcorn for $5.95 (£3) with a free refill. Mama Mia is brilliant, lots of Abba songs, a great story line and many funny bits. At the end most people get up to leave but we linger and an extra part comes on with Pierce Brosnan and the other men in jumpsuits, it nearly has us in tears. It’s after 7pm when we leave and Mike is waiting for us. Whilst they are deciding what to do I take the kids into a pet shop and we have to laugh at a huge rack of dog costumes. Cindi will leave her car here and pick it up tomorrow to take it to a brake place. We return to the Cove in Mike’s car. It’s the start of Parrot Head weekend and lots of people have already arrived. The swimming pool is busy and people are in holiday mood throwing balls and sponges around so Daniel and Natasha are very happy to join in.

CYPRESS COVE 7

FRIDAY 25 JULY – Steve takes the kids to the pool whilst I cut out material to make the new sofa cover. Late morning we head off with Cindi & Mike first to take Cindi’s car to Just Brakes and then for a buffet lunch at an Indian Restaurant. The kids just have chips. At the Indian supermarket I stock up on curry and popadoms and the kids have an ice cream. Dollar Tree beckons, one of the few stores where everything is $1 (50p). Daniel can’t resist a few packs of trick magic cards. Return in time for a swim before tea. 7pm in the bar is crab racing. You pick one of the painted crabs give it a name and become its trainer. For the race they stacked in the middle of a round table under a dome and once the dome is removed the first to the edge of the table is the winner. For the first 10 races the winner gets a 2 for 1 drink voucher then first round winners go in a grand finale for a bigger price. Natasha overcomes her wariness and is happy to pick them up and put them back in the centre after each race. After a walk around the camp we return for a late swim and hot tub.

CYPRESS COVE 8

SATURDAY 26 JULY – I begin to make the front seat covers whilst Steve entertains the kids. Straight after lunch the parrot head parade begins with the decorated golf cards driving through the campground in convoy. As they pass by you shoot them with water pistols or water bombs. The people on the carts squirt you back or throw out sweets, beads and Jell-O shots. Of course the kids love it and get loads of sweets and beads and then walk the parade route collecting sweets that have been left on the roadside. The rest of the afternoon is spent in the pool in full party mode. Dozens of inflatable balls are being bounced around and beads and Jell-O shots thrown in. At one stage they begin a conga and this grows to 203 people long with Daniel at the fore front. A late storm drives everyone out but initially there is no lightening so the kids play out in the street, which is now like a river. At the evening trivia quiz Daniel answers a question to go up. A man next to him has $9m and needs $10 to win so at the start of the next question Daniel buzzes in. When the quizmaster asks him why he buzzed before hearing the question he says it is to stop the other guy winning. Everyone cracks up laughing but it is even funnier when he hears the question and answers it correctly.

CYPRESS COVE 9

SUNDAY 27 JULY – Our last day at the Cove with the kids. I crack on and finish two front seat covers and 2 new cushion covers whilst Steve keeps the kids entertained. In the afternoon Steve has a nap whilst I take them for the pool party. Again there are lots of balls being thrown around, competitions and freebies thrown out. Natasha stays in so long that Steve has to take over as I am far too wrinkled. Usual evening storm and by the time it is over Natasha has fallen asleep watching TV.

CYPRESS COVE 10

MONDAY 28 JULY – I get a last load of washing in whilst Steve packs up the van. We head round to Wal*Mart for a shop. I’m halfway round with the kids when Steve tracks us down to say there is a problem with the van, as the 12v is not working at all. Head to the checkout and then decide that we would be better returning to the Cove and going onto electricity whilst we work on the problem. We’ve only been back about 5 minutes when I read up that by the door there is a 12v battery disconnect button and it seems t this has accidentally been activated. Once it is turned on everything works fine and we can leave again. Up in Orlando we cruise along International Drive to Sand Road where we visit the biggest McDonalds in the world. It’s crazy with noise inside but the kids seem to love it, especially the huge free play area upstairs. Next we drive up to Bill Fredericks Park on Turkey Lake where I have reserved us a campsite, $15 (£7.50). It’s only 10 minutes beyond Universal Studios and a very pleasant site with lots of space and plenty of trees for shade. We walk up to the playground and then the swimming pool but they have just had to close it. Apparently if they hear thunder they must close the pool until half and hour after the last thunder is heard. Spend the afternoon in the van planning but make another visit to the playground after tea.

BILL FREDERICK PARK AT TURKEY LAKE

$15 (£7.50) Electric and Water included

TUESDAY 29 JULY – The plan off attack is to drive down to Sea World and then have breakfast once we are in the queue. That way once the parking lot opens we will get a spot nearer to the entrance. It takes just 25 minutes to drive the 9 miles there arriving at 8.00am. People in cars look on enviously whilst we have a leisurely breakfast. At 8.30am the car park opens, $12 (£6) all day for a motorhome. Once the park opens at 9am we head straight to Kraken the best of the theme park rides. You hang 5 abreast in a roller coaster that does 3 turns upside down. Grandad and Natasha are not impressed and both glad to get off. Journey to Atlantis is a water ride so I sit out whilst the others have a go then its my turn. A great fun ride with a good soaking en route. Sea World is more about shows than rides so we get stuck into those beginning with Clyde & Seamore the sea lions. Steve is delighted to find the Anheuser-Bush hospitality centre where you can have 2 free beers per day plus a beer tasting session that includes snacks. Shamu killer whale show is excellent and we all get a good drenching sat near the front. By mid afternoon we have done lots of shows and all the rides so return to the van for a bite to eat and a rest. Back in the park Daniel & I return to Kraken to queue to go on the front row whilst Steve and Natasha go back to Journey to Atlantis. There’s a 45-minute wait and we are almost at the front when the ride breaks down. They keep announcing that it should be short delay and to stay in line but we don’t want to keep the others waiting. Just decide to give up and are making our way back down the line when it re opens. Do a quick about turn and soon are on board ready to ride. It is a totally different experience at the front and much more frightening and seems faster. Back at our agreed meeting point there is no sign of the others and we are just about to leave when we see them drop down the flume. Their ride has also had technical difficulties. We pick up on some of the animal experiences and more shows and having amassed a load of free vouchers for the “wacky wire” fairground attraction Daniel finally succeeds and wins a 4’ high “Sandy” stuffed character from Sponge Bob. The evening shows are equally good with a grand finale of firework display and film projected onto steam over the lake. Amazingly the kids are still going strong but on the journey back they both drop off.

TURKEY LAKE 2

WEDNESDAY 30 JULY – We’re all a bit tired so miss the early start so have breakfast before driving to Aquatica. There’s a long line for parking but the motorhome lane is empty and not only do we sail through but the parking ticket booth is unmanned. Our combined ticket gets us into the park but we cannot find any seating with shade. I return to the van for our sun umbrellas but we then find there are now seats. It’s a new park and they seem to be letting too many people in as it is packed. Settle onto seats in a café then leave the kids to explore, as we just can’t be bothered waiting in the long lines. There is a fast version of rapids that you float through at great speed and this is really funny as you can almost ski along the bottom. The slower version is on a rubber ring and takes you past the dolphin tank. Late morning there is a storm after which the park quietens down and we get loungers at the man made beach. With shorter queues on the rides the kids get stuck in and we join them on a few as well. It’s almost 7pm when we leave and stop at Wal*Mart for the kids to buy Disney souvenirs en route to the campground.

TURKEY LAKE 3

THURSDAY 31 JULY – We are all whacked and no one gets up until after 9am. The poons got a bit sunburnt yesterday so we have agreed to have a day off from the theme parks. Steve takes Natasha for an early swim whilst Daniel catches up on his diary. After a roast lunch we settle down for a nap whilst the kids play cards. Shortly afterwards I give up and take them for another swim!

TURKEY LAKE 4