Spring break 2022 - trip 2 - Club Wyndham Clearwater Beach

Between the twenty-four hours of trip #1 and trip #2, my youngest daughter returned from South Carolina with a stomach virus. The kind that kept us awake all night with her expelling and me cleaning. By the time my check-in time for the beach arrived, I was ready to hightail it out of Dodge.

Maddy and I took this second "staycation." We slept late, walked everywhere, ate out, and relaxed. I drank pricey beach drinks that weren't worth the money and watched the daily sunset. Somehow, and I'm blaming Darcy's illness, I arrived without a beach chair and sunscreen. That limited my activities. Because Clearwater Beach has little land available, one pool serves the resort owners' building and the hotel. Ugh. It was crowded and dirty. I went in once for an hour. The second day, instead of writing, I people-watched. 

I can't say I'm a huge fan of this Club Wyndham resort. While my units (I've stayed in a four-bedroom presidential and a one-bedroom) were tidy, both furniture sets had stains and were terribly uncomfortable. In this unit, the floor mat had a dirt patch in the corner that probably could've disappeared with some elbow grease. Instead, their answer was to pull a chair over it. 

There is only the one pool. The owner's lounge was a dinky room without an excellent wifi coffee machine or incentives to visit. A cabinet housed five books and several games, all with missing pieces. There are no activities for children--no fun pool games or trivia. It's a glorified hotel close to the beach. Comparing this resort to Bonnet Creek is night and day.

Still, we made the most of being out of a sick household and staring at four different walls. I met some nice folks from Wisconsin and Pennsylvania and befriended the maintenance man, so Madison got a break from listening to me.

I'll chalk this week up as a win, especially in my resolution category! Next up is a writer's conference this coming weekend on the other coast.

Spring Break 2022 - trip #1 - Club Wyndham Bonnet Creek

Tech Guy had to burn some vacation days. Because I refuse to travel outside my Club Wyndham resorts, for which I pay an exorbitant monthly maintenance fee, and since it's spring break in Florida, which means excessive plane tickets, we compromised and traveled to Orlando for a four day weekend.

It was delightful.

The resort updated us to a three-bedroom/two-bath unit. It was the size of a house. We each took a bathroom, and I used one of the bedrooms for my dressing room. I also spent the first night in the other bedroom after Tech Guy fell asleep at 9:30 p.m. across the master king-size bed. 

We hiked the resort and Disney Springs. We played a round of putt-putt golf. We visited different restaurants. Tom exercised while I worked, and later, he indulged me on my quest to try craft cocktails.

On our last night, Madison and her cousin Olivia joined us. We took them upstairs to the owners' lounge on the roof and served them coffee from the fancy wifi machine, and we watched the Disney parks' fireworks from Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios.

Traffic was a nightmare coming and going. Where are these people headed on a Monday afternoon? The drive that should take us a little over an hour took longer than two. Still, it was nice to get away and travel again. Also, in Florida, easy to forget masks, social distancing, and sanitizing our hands. Ugh.

We returned home Monday night just in time to welcome Darcy home from her trip to South Carolina. She brought with her a stomach bug, and the two of us were up all night while she puked and pooped. 

Luckily for me, I was out of there the next day for trip number two...

Spring Break 2021 - blueberry picking

Tom found a new blueberry farm. He's been twice, and since Darcy and Oleg are on Spring Break, he thought it would be a great family outing. One he thought of spur-of-the-moment, pulling us from our beds on a Sunday morning. 

Maddy didn't play along. She stayed in bed. It was hot. We didn't get there until a little before eleven. We started off in the blackberries, and I was unimpressed. We have better blackberry bushes at our farm in Indiana--except those come with chiggers. These were mostly picked over. Tom and Oleg ate more than they put in their buckets.

The blueberry bushes were smaller than the ones at the other farm. They, too, were picked over, but we managed to pick six pounds. Tom made a blueberry crumble with half of them. He tweaked my recipe and left out half the amount of sugar. Darcy put it in the category of his spaghetti with melted American cheese--in the trash.

Still, it was fun to be outdoors doing something different. I'm thinking maybe we should plant our own blueberry crop for next year since I have zero pineapples blooming. 

Spring Break 2020

We planned Spring Break several months ago, and when we were unable to find plane tickets under $500 because we live in Spring Break tourist destination, we settled--on Orlando. We figured we'd use it as a home base and travel to other areas for day trips (St. Augustine was one). I secured a three-bedroom suite with my Wyndham points, and we began planning.

Then came COVD 19.

What to do. What to do.

I worried. I discussed it with health officials. But this was way before closings and way before our leader came to the realization this wasn't fake news.

By then, we were in Orlando--self quarantined in a resort.

At least we have four different walls to stare at daily, although it's day five, and the troops are a tad edgy.

We have a spacious suite. Here, in Reunion Resort, they are not units but suites. We have three bedrooms and three bathrooms, a sizable living area, a kitchen, and a balcony where I stare at the most massive sandpit for a golf course I've ever seen. If I have to be quarantined, there are worse places, I suppose.

Day one, we loaded up with supplies. Day two and day three were spent poolside with minimal people. There are eleven pools on-site, but we opted to only go to the pool in our area, and when more than ten people arrived later in the day, we headed home.

Day four was spent in our suite watching the stock market blow through our savings, and now on day five, we are going stir crazy. Do we go home? Do we stay? What to do. What to do.

One by one places are closing. Here, the pools are still open, but we aren't sure for how long. I received an email from Club Wyndham telling me to stay home, that the vacation experience I've come to expect won't happen. Uh???

Supposedly the pools are closed. Uh???

The fitness center did close today before Darcy got in her workout. Instead, we walked around outside.

We've put together three puzzles, played cards and board games, cooked every meal in our suite, and watched more HGTV, Lifetime, and Hallmark than ever.

I've colored in my Jason Momoa fantasy coloring book, and we've only left for grocery runs, and then purchased only what we needed.

We have requested and received more toilet paper. Thus far, apparently no shortage in Reunion.

We have a feeling our days are numbered. We spoke to a Wyndham employee who said as of Friday, they'd be released so perhaps we will be sent home then. As for now, we remain isolated in the resort, following protocol, washing our hands, only venturing out for necessities. 

Reality won't be so different at home for the girls and me. Not so for SueG who must return to work and Darcy's man who returns to the college campus.

Let's hope the will get worse before it gets better adage isn't true. I'm hoping, like the pollen on my tree, that this comes and goes quickly. Fingers crossed. 

Spring Break 2018 - Day 3

From the travel journal -

Cara - Notice I'm the keeper of the records. Sigh. If only Darcy were here--

We got out of the unit a half an hour over our ten o'clock morning checkout time. We had no elevator in our building, so I had to walk to Building Four to get the wheeled luggage rack. I took the stairs, got the item, and pushed the elevator button. A Wyndham cleaning crew waited with me, all of us staring at the elevator doors. 

It showed it was on the second floor. Five minutes later, it was still on the second floor. We waited another five minutes, and the cleaning supervisor went off to tell maintenance. I went back up the stairs, minus the luggage rack, to give out the bad news. We carried our stuff down the three flights of stairs in two trips.

No one has yet to bitch to me about checking out late, but I try hard to follow the rules as I know how it is to be on the other end when wanting to check in early. The earlier we depart, the earlier the cleaning crew gets inside to ready the room for early arrivals. So on and so forth.

We decided that today we would shop. Madison has somehow broken all of her shoes and is down to one pair. These she has worn until the straps are literally hanging by threads. She needs shoes. Desperately. 

SueG said we'd hit the Orlando outlets.

We ate again at Cracker Barrel, where the same two ladies welcomed us like old friends. From the Barrel, we looked up the nearest outlet and headed there. It was packed with European shoppers dragging rolling suitcases.

Shopping with Madison is quite the experience. SueG has had a taste of it, but her kids have not. I give credit to Sydney, who hung in the longest. She continued following Madison around while the rest of us sat and had a drink. We did not get in our 5,000 steps goal.

At first, we couldn't find any shoe stores except sneaker places like Nike and New Balance. While Madison owns a pair of sneakers, they are rarely worn, although she informed me in the New Balance store that the ones she did own needed to be replaced--for "the gym," which sent me into a laughing fit. She bought a pair of sneakers.

We walked and walked and walked to find a shoe store that sold other shoes. I thought maybe shoe stores didn't have outlets when Madison suddenly pointed and exclaimed: "FINALLY".

More laughter. We did not enter. 

Eventually, we found a map and some stores, but alas, left with only the sneakers.

Purchases made:

• Cara: Fossil sunglasses
• SueG: Ray-Ban sunglasses to use after her cataract surgery in April. Water.
• Maddy: New Balance sneakers and some clothes from Charlotte Russe, which is going out of business.
• Alex: A soda
• Sydney: Nothing

The trip home was uneventful and quiet. The youngsters were on their electronic devices, although Madison and Alex correctly answered the trivia I threw at them when we passed by Polytechnic College.

Me: "Name something we learned about Polytechnic College."

SueG: "It's the only one in Florida."

Me: "I'm not counting that as an answer."

Alex: "They have two dormitories."

Me: "Correct. Five points for Alex."

Madison: "It has is the only college with a fully digital library."

Me: "Correct. Five points to Madison."

SueG: "And ten points to me because my answer was right too. It is the only Polytechnic school in Florida. Remember, it's a long walk home from here."

And another traveling Spring Break is in the books.

Out of the mouths of someone else's babe

On the bus tour, Ken explained how NASA owned the largest beachfront real estate. Most of it is still unbuilt and in its natural state. It was beautiful and gave us an idea of what Florida once looked like. Even the launch pads that are built by the water were beautiful. A great idea to be near the ocean, for sure.

While we had a snack and sat outside at the visitor's center, I suddenly realized something.

Me: "We didn't think this through very well. We should've brought our bathing suits and traveled the twelve miles to Cocoa Beach. We could've seen the Atlantic. Done some swimming. I mean, have your kids ever seen the Atlantic Ocean?"

SueG: "Um...wait, yes. Last year on our trip to Myrtle Beach."

Me: "Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Okay then, but they didn't get to swim in it--not that today is a day we would swim in the ocean."

Alex: "What did you just ask? Have we seen what?"

Me: "I asked your mother if you'd ever seen the Atlantic Ocean."

Alex: "I just saw it on the bus tour!"

Spring Break 2019 - Day 2

From the Travel Journal -

Madison - I didn't get any sleep last night. Usually, Mom's snores are gentle and quiet, but NOT LAST NIGHT!

Cara - It's because I drank two cocktails. Which I should have done before Karaoke. Then I might have gotten up to sing. As it was, I shot all my excitement out with my BINGO win. Everyone was jealous, of course when I won. They were annoyed that they hadn't gotten up to get another card like I did. The AD kept saying we had terrible cards. Why not get another one then? Whatever.

The New Jersey Cowboys fan asked what building we were in at the end of the night. Maybe he knew about our plan to consider coming over every other week and wanted to make sure we were legit. Instead of lying as I've taught my children all these years, I gave it up. Building 3. Not a good thing and my kid was horrified. But the man was in a motorized wheelchair and never stood during standing Bingo, and Building 3 didn't have an elevator, so I figured he'd never find us if he came looking. Although as loud as the Glenn family is, he might have discovered us had he somehow gotten up the stairs. My bad. He was Building 11, by the way. We didn't go look him up.

We are now off to the Kennedy Space Center. Our time of departure was 7:30 this morning, and we blame Alex for being late--he took time to poop. 

 Madison and I did not. It might be a long day.

We took the back toll roads to avoid I4 morning traffic. We kept forgetting it was Monday. That's the problem with no school and with getting off our regular routine. We thought it was Saturday. Threw me off all day. We had no traffic issues and arrived before the place opened. Nothing looked familiar to me. We parked ($10 for parking) and hit the bathrooms. Having Madison along, rest assured you will see all the restrooms at every place you visit. God love her.

It was not crowded. At all. We were expecting a terrible crowd, but apparently, all Spring Breakers went to the Orlando Parks. We heard the lines at Disney were wrapped around the park. We were grateful the day was cool and overcast. We couldn't have asked for a better day.

5:13 p.m.

SueG: It was different then I remembered. I don't know how long it's been. I don't think I ever brought Santosh so a long, long time. It was different, especially the bus tour, and how you can't get off and walk around like you used to be able to do. It's amazing how big those rockets are standing next to them compared with how they look when watching on TV. And I was impressed with the KSC prices. Very reasonable compared to Disney and Universal. Even in the gift shop. Very reasonable.

Alex: Cara and I, in the end, got in a capsule. We had to lie down on our backs with our feet up like the astronauts did. Cara was impressed we got in there and did that with no incident. I was impressed we got out of there and were able to stand up without incident.

Sydney: Maddy and I went on the space shuttle simulator. We had to wait in line, and in the line, we went up a ramp and into a room where we got the basic rundown on an actual launch and what we could expect on this simulator. From there, we went into another room, stood on a dot that gave us our seat number. Then we went got on the ride, heard the safety rules, and had our belts checked. Then we were tilted back to 90 degrees so that we were lying back like Cara and Alex were in the capsule. Then they tilted us forward and then back again. The countdown began, and at six, we started to feel it. It started shaking and was very loud. After the boosers were released, the ride got smoother, which we were told would happen. The whole point we were told was to get to where the fuel was released. At that point, the ride ended, and we got off. It wasn't truly that long. It just seemed like it.

Cara: I'm with SueG. SO different from what I remembered from my last visit, which I think was with Tom and Madison, but that could be wrong. Tom believes we took both children, but I only remember Madison there. I've been to the KSC several times; with my parents and brother and with my friends during Spring Break trips in the 80s. I'll have to look for pictures to accompany this recap on the blog. Of course, that means I'll have to sift through pictures from my boxes that were supposed to be scanned long ago...Sigh.

1982 Family Trip

1984 Trip with my friend Michelle

The weather was great. Overcast, and 70 degrees. It was actually chilly at times in the air conditioning and with the breeze off the ocean. Quite pleasant and unexpected. I brought my Spring Break 2018 sweater (read about that HERE), and I wore it the entire time. Turned out to be an even better thing --the weather I mean and not the sweater --as we forgot the sunscreen. Luckily, we never needed it.

We had our picture taken, walked through the rocket garden, which was different from what I remembered. I remembered horizontal rockets, and these were all vertical.

1982

While we walked through the rocket garden, one of the NASA people took our picture with some new technology. Apparently, we will be able to see ourselves from the space station or something. I just now realized we never looked that up while we were there. Bummer. I bet it was a great picture that we could've purchased. The lady suggested we hit the bus tour first, so we got in line for that.

I chatted with the guy behind me in line. It was his first trip here, and he was really pumped. He was from Dallas. I asked if he was a Cowboys fan, a bit worried now after Mr. New Jersey from last night, but this guy shrugged and said he didn't follow football. Okay. I could deal with that. We chatted some more.

We were first on Ken's bus. He told us it was the Happy Bus, which brought to mind him gassing us with marijuana fumes, but turned out he wanted us to literally be happy.

Happy that we were alive thanks to a spiritual being. Then Ken got maudlin and a tad religious as if something had occurred in his life recently that had him rethinking things, but then he suddenly shook it off, hopped in the driver's seat, started the bus and off we went. All of us breathed a sigh of relief.

I didn't realize how much land NASA owns. Prime ocean real estate no less. It's part of the Merrit Island wildlife refuge, and Ken made sure to point out alligators, the largest eagle's nest ever, egrets, and birds.

Ken stopped right under a bald eagle sitting on a pole. It was the coolest thing ever. He was just sitting there looking like the photographs one sees of bald eagles on television or National Geography magazine, and I handed Madison my phone to capture the moment seeing as she insisted on the window seat. She and I do not agree with her photography skills. She got him as he took flight.

Madison: "An action shot. Ted's Nature Photography has nothing on me!"

Uh huh. You people can be the judge on that. Here's my nephew's SITE. Those are Madison's pictures of the bald eagle above. Sigh.

The tour was about an hour. We had a TV that gave us information on NASA and everything we were seeing. Ken would occasionally pause it to add in his two cents. It was an excellent tour. We got to drive around Elon Musk, and his Space X rented pad at launchpad 39. Space X is renting for twenty years this pad and is planning on launching a rocket in April.

A U.S. Airforce rocket is launching from a different pad this Friday after being pushed back from Wednesday launch. Jeez, so close to seeing an actual takeoff. That was an item on my mother's bucket list. She never got to view it. It would've been cool to see it for her. Maybe one day, I'll send her ashes into space. She was really into NASA and the space program.

We also drove by Boeing, who rents a pad. Soon these companies are planning on taking people into space to hang out at the International Space Center. Not something I'm going to save up for quite yet. Maybe one day, my great-grandchildren will do that. That'd be cool.

We finally were dropped off at the Apollo building, where we could wander around. Apollo is housed there, and WOW, that thing is HUGE. We watched a movie about the history of Apollo and then got to walk around and under it.

We had lunch at the Cafe, made the same walk the astronauts take to board their aircraft, and we explored all sorts of exhibits before we boarded Esther's bus for the ride back to the visitor's center. It's hard to jot down all that we did. There was so much to see and do. Tons of historical movies. Real footage from takeoffs. We didn't get through the entire park. We missed out on the Heroes and Legends section and another theater. I'd say it's a definite two-day affair if you want to see everything. I'll come back someday to do that. Maybe when a launch is happening.

For me, the coolest thing to see was the space shuttle. It was hanging in one of the buildings, and I took a panorama view of it. I probably hung out there over 45 minutes just checking it all out. I mean, WOW. That thing can hold several buses inside it. 

 

We left before it closed at 6:00 p.m. because we were tired and sore from all the walking. We drove home and got into some five o'clock traffic, but it wasn't too bad. Of course, I wasn't driving after spending all day at a park, but SueG is the master driver after all.

We had dinner at Cracker Barrel, made some junk food purchases, and headed back to Cypress Palms. We forgot about checking in on the activities for the night. We played another Madison made-up singing game and then showered. Alex went to bed first, and the girls stayed up talking. I caved first, and I slept well. The only regret I had was not being able to sleep in late on this trip.

Favorite Thing at KSC

• SueG - I liked the bus tour and the Imax movie
• Alex - The bus tour
• Maddy - The Imax movie
• Sydney - The Shuttle simulator ride
• Cara - Seeing Space Shuttle Atlantis

Least Favorite Thing at KSC

• SueG - The Mars Experience talk
• Alex - Mars
• Maddy - The Lunar Theater. They gave a lot of clips but failed to contextualize.
• Sydney - The Mars Experience
• Cara - The fact that the coffee and pastry place closed at 3:00 p.m. I could've used a pick-me-up about then and had to settle for a Pepsi instead. Oh, that and Alex picking on Sydney, which got on my nerves after a bit.