thefouramigosblog

Wyatt woke up and donned his Star Wars helmet. I guess he really loves it.

Our first day at Universal it rained cats and dogs. Luckily we packed our rain gear. Landon didn’t want to wear a Disney poncho at Universal so he wore my jacket and I wore the poncho.

We started to wait on a line for King Kong but they raised the time from 75 minutes to 145. I guess everyone wanted out of the rain. So out of the line – moving on., hoping to find a shorter line. I checked to see how much the passes to avoid the lines would be for tomorrow. It would cost $1k for the four of us. In slow season it would be half that but then you really don’t need them. I guess we will have to pick and choose carefully.

We grabbed a quick bite. Well actually the boys split a pizza. They do love pizza. Bruce and I had enough at breakfast. We made it to the Harry Potter village. We watched a cute little show.

Then we took the Harry Potter ride. So proud of Landon for braving it.

The ride was awesome. Afterwards we took the Hogwart Express to Universal.

We rode the Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts walking through the bank before getting on the ride.

Landon walked with us but decided not to ride. It was pretty scary with a big drop. Wyatt was even scared but loved it.

We did some photo stops with Jaws, Beetlejuice and the Simpsons.

We went to the Horror Make up show and Bourne Stunt Show.

All in all an extremely fun day.

Today we had a rough start but headed to the park early anyway. The weather was nice and sunny and not too hot

First ride today was Spiderman with a short 15 minute wait. Landon opted out. Then King Kong and Landon joined us. He said he would go on one ride today and this was it. Luckily there was only a 15 minute wait. So far so good.

Landon was a bit scared.

We ran into Popeye and Olive Oyl. I have to say I was so much more impressed with the number of characters we saw at Universal. At Disney we really didn’t see many at all.

Bruce and I took Wyatt on the Jurassic Park Adventure. A bit of a mistake. I think he finally reached his limits with the fear factor. Plus he hurt his lip. Nothing that ice cream didn’t fix though.

We ventured into Harry Potter land again and road the Harry Pitter and the Forbidden Journey again. No Landon. He’s done with the rides. He did good though and we didn’t want to push too much.

Then onto Simpsons and Men in Black. Wyatt enjoyed these rides. I think Landon would have too but he had enough yesterday.

Wyatt met quite a few characters today.

While Landon focused on creating drinks with his coca cola mug.

Our final shot before we bid Universal farewell.

35 miles and Poppop and Mimos are beat.

#orlando#universalstudios#simpsons#meninblack#jurassicpark#dinosaurs#harrypotter#beetlejuice

We were up late last night with the amazing fireworks at the Magic Kingdom, so I decided to let everyone sleep in. We missed the early time for those staying in Disney resorts but the extra shuteye was worth it. We packed up our stuff – not an easy task- and headed to Hollywood Studios. Our first ride was Star Tours.

As you can see, Landon is still tired. But the ride got everyone’s adrenaline pumping. It was fun and the boys enjoyed it. Only about a 20-minute wait with most of it walking to get on the ride.

Our next stop was the Indiana Jones stunt show. The boys loved it. Sometimes I’m a little derelict in taking photos. So none on this one. The show started shortly after we sat in our seats and it was great fun!

We ate lunch a little early and then headed over to the muppets in 3-D.

After that we had a 70-minute wait for Star Wars: the Rise of the Resistance.

The boys are hard-pressed to smile after an hour wait.

I should have bought the lightning passes. For those traveling during peak season, get the Genie +. It gives you much faster access to the rides. If you are retired or travel off-peak like Bruce and me, we haven’t found it necessary.

Finally, after 70+ minutes we arrived!!

We really didn’t know what to expect on Star wars: Rise of the Resistance. We entered several rooms. Wyatt, the little actor, raised his hands when we were captured.

We were in vehicles that moved, dropped and had a lot of action. The boys said it was the best ride. Well worth the wait!

Afterwards, Wyatt and I checked out the entire Star Wars area.

I think we were pretty much spent. We saw enough today. We did take a quick ride on a gondola. Wyatt wearing his new star wars helmet.

Our next three days will be over near Universal at the Hyatt House. We have bunk beds this time. Wyatt is already relaxing on the upper bunk.

A quick dinner and some showers, then you bed. Tomorrow Universal.

#hollywoodstudios#disney#starwars#indianajones#hyatthouse

Another morning of waking early and heading to the Magic Kingdom.

The early half hour was for Tomorrowland and Fantasyland so we headed to Tomorrowland and rode Buzz Lightyear. After that the boys went on Speedway.

Of course, we stopped in It’s a Small World to cool off. Then headed to Haunted Mansion which was closed.

We waited in a long line at Peter Pans Flight. The ride kept breaking down so the wait was over an hour. There were a few fun moments along the way.

We watched the parade after eating funnel cakes. My stomach will never be the same. I think the boys enjoyed the parade and afterwards went to the Hall of Presidents and Country Bear Jamboree.

Wyatt met a bear.

I have to say Disney has been a disappointment. The staff, which used to bubble over with enthusiasm, are for the most part lackluster. The boys, wearing their first time pins, have barely been acknowledged. And the streets which were pristine in year’s past are now littered with popcorn, wrappers and who knows what. Today four rides were down – the haunted mansion, pirates, thunder mountain and the riverboat. At guest services, they did give the four of us passes to the haunted mansion if it started operating again.

We headed back to the hotel midday for a rest and some pool time. Temperatures were in the 90’s and it was bright sun!Landon napped and Wyatt, Bruce and I went in the pool. Wyatt then played a water balloon game at the pool.

After a little rest, back to the park. Haunted Mansion and Pirates were up and running. First stop Haunted Mansion. The lightning pass was nice. No waiting in line. However, there were several moments when the ride stopped. Luckily it started again without us having to be rescued in a haunted mansion. The same thing happened in the Pirates of the Caribbean. A bottleneck of boats and we were hung up. But it started working again.

Wyatt and I stopped to ride on Aladdin’s carpet. He controlled the ride and we went higher up than all the other carpets.

We ate a quick dinner at Casey’s – corn dogs for the boys and a hot dog for Bruce. I just ate leftovers. Then a show Monsters inc. which was good and the Carousel of Progress. I think the boys found that interesting. We waited until the fireworks and I think even Landon was glad he didn’t miss it.

Tomorrow it’s Hollywood Studios! 8.5 miles today!

#disney#magickingdom#amusementpark#piratesofthecaribbean#hauntedmansion

Our 6.5 hour journey from Florence to Disney turned more into 9 hours. We stopped at Home Depot to buy terra stuff because I found ants in my car. That’s the best stuff. Then we went next door to fill up on cake cookies and other junk food.

The trip was grueling but all smiles when we arrived at the All sports Resort in Disney. It’s one of their value resorts but it’s cute for the kids.

Wyatt had time for a quick swim and to check out the hotel.

Morning came too quickly. We were up and out by 6:30 so we could be at the park for the early hours at 7:30.

Our first ride was Avatar. The boys loved it. It was a 3-D ride on sort of a cycle with motion. We were avatars riding banshees.

We rode on almost every ride. Dinosaurs was their second favorite and Landon didn’t want to go. He was a little nervous.

We went to a bird show which was great. A live bald eagle, parrots, owls and more.

We walked to Gorilla Falls. They have about 10 gorillas living here. I actually thought they were going to be animatronics but they were real.

We had to buy rain slickers for the boys and Bruce. I brought my rain jacket.

Bruce and Landon went back to the hotel for a nap and Wyatt and I waited two hours to go on Avatar again.

He didn’t complain a bit because he was so excited. Then we went to see Micky and Minnie. His first character siting.

We met up with Bruce and Landon and went on safari. We saw lot of great animals including lions, cheetahs, giraffes and hippos. This was a favorite of Landons.

And of course The Tree of Life.

Tomorrow the Magic Kingdom. I hope I can walk. 9.5 miles today.

#disney#animalkingdom#avatar#allsportsresort#birds#orlando#summerfun

After we left Mike’s we headed south to spend two days with Colin and Renee. On our way, we stopped at McDonald’s for Bruce’s favorite drink, a caramel frappe. This was a very Maine-looking McDonald’s.

After a six hour drive we arrived at Colin’s home. Alyse and Ed came over with the kids.

We ate pizza from Rossini’s. I sure missed that.

Sally, the Irish Setter, was adorable.

The next morning we took a hike through the woods at Hurd Park.

Sally had a drink from the river.

In the afternoon we had a cookout at Alyse’s house. The pool was a bit chilly for us Floridians but we went in anyway.

The kids had a great time in the pool.

Today we picked up the boys, Landon and Wyatt, and set off on our adventure.

#connecticut#hurdpark#summerfun#mcdonalds#pool#swim

Our trip to Haverhill, MA was slow going. What was supposed to be a 6 hour drive ended up taking over 8. But we arrived with a warm welcome from our friends, Dawna and Tony.

Dawna made a delicious meal of Haddock, which we really can’t get down south. We engaged in lots of good conversation and a trip to the ice cream parlor for some positively delicious pistachio ice cream.

Later in the evening we met Tony’s son, Mark, who was a delight.

The next morning we are at a local breakfast place before heading to Tony’s Beach House in Wells, Maine. It’s a lovely little cottage that Dawna’s gifted talents for decorating made it particularly charming.

We walked over to the beach which was a block away.

Fragrant wild roses lined the path.

The sky was overcast and it was a bit chilly plus a fog drifted across the beach like a blanket.

Yet there were still people surfing. The water in Maine is quite chilly even late in the summer.

Although it was a short visit, it was great seeing dear friends.

Off we went to Brewer Maine to visit Bruce’s brother, Mike. We arrived around 3 and headed out for a lobster dinner.

Pepper’s Landing was a really nice little restaurant with a view of a dam.

Bruce’s niece, Kristi, and her family joined us.

Of course, I ordered a lobster 🦞. It’s been a while. I have made a point of only eating lobster in Maine. I guess I need to visit more often.

9-year-old Garret wanted a lobster but I shared a little of mine with him. I also showed him how to pull it apart not to miss any of it’s meat.

Drafton, who will be 12, doesn’t like seafood. He’s a mac and cheese kid.

We visited Grammy and Grampy Maines Cemetery in Ellsworth. We had some difficulty finding it but with the cemetery name and google maps it brought us right to their plot. Bruce placed some flowers on the grave.

After that we stopped at Jordans for lunch. This was a place we frequented with Grammy and Grampy Maine.

I had fried clams and they were delicious! Sorry, no pictures.

Sitting back at the house, some wild turkeys ran across Mike’s lawn.

Now we are heading south to Connecticut for the next phase of the trip. A two week trip with grandsons.

#pepperslanding#maine#lobster#haverhill#wellsmaine#beach

I know it’s not Dubai or some tropical island, but our new adventure is a driving trip to visit friends and family and bring two of our grandsons back to Florida.

Our first stop was outside Savannah at a Hyatt Place. I’m trying to limit our driving time each travel day to six to eight hours.

The hotel was ok. I have explorist status with Hyatt so that gets us bottles of water and 2 snacks. Not a big deal. They said we were upgraded so our room was more a suite.

For dinner, we are at Sam Sneads, which was right next to the hotel.

I had a salad and Bruce had a fish sandwich. All was fairly good.

Our next stop was Clayton, NC to visit my daughter and family.

My daughter and son-in-law are starting a new business in Garner, NC. It’s an indoor golf center where they will have golf instruction as well as golf simulators. They are also going to have a small bistro serving light meals and drinks. It’s called Sully’s Golf & Gather.

Their current temporary location has been a great interim spot while they are renovating the new space. Mike was teaching a class when we dropped in.

We met Kevin, Kadyn’s Dad, at Logan’s Roadhouse for dinner. Lots of fun and laughs.

The next day we took Kadyn to the spa to get our nails done. I always love going with my girls. Unfortunately, Lauren couldn’t come with us.

We stopped at Bob Evans for lunch afterwards. We’ve been taking Kadyn there since she was a little girl.

The next stop was the outlet mall. The first couple of stores she tried on a few things but really didn’t like the clothes. Kadyn ended up with socks at Nautica and two pairs of Jeans at Levi’s.

To finish up the day we had frozen yogurt.

During Dinnertime we picked Kevin up at his house and played with Breezy, Kadyn’s bunny.

We also saw some of her amazing artwork.

Finally, dinner at Kaze Japanese Restaurant in Garner. Lauren, Kadyn and I shared a sushi boat. The food was great!

The next morning we were on the road again. Spent the night in Grantville, PA and went over to the Hollywood Casino where we gave our donation. We stayed at Tru Hilton. It was reasonably priced, bed was comfortable but was just a so so hotel. I like the Hamptons better for the lower priced Hiltons.

Onward north! Our next stop is at out friends in Massachusetts.

#sullysgolf&gather#hollywoodcasino#grantvillepa#samsneadrestaurant#logansroadhouse#kazejapaneserestaurant#truhilton#hyattplace

After a very hectic and fast pace through Israel, we needed a little R&R. I booked three nights at the Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah. I booked this using my $200 credit for Fine Hotels and Resorts from Amex. I used 40,000 Amex points and the room for 3 nights was $265 total.

They upgraded me to a deluxe sea view. I also received free daily breakfast, $100 hotel credit and unlimited water. They left a fruit platter and chocolates in the room.

We were picked up at the airport by a private driver and it was an interesting ride to the hotel. So many tall buildings and very interesting architecture.

This is Dubai’s Museum of the Future.

For dinner tonight, we ate Pad Thai at the hotel. I forgot to take pictures of the food. This was the view at our table.

We caught a little sun behind the building.

After dinner we walked around the hotel and checked out the pool.

The hotel had a wonderful buffet breakfast. Omelets, crepes and many varieties of fruits and baked goods.

We spent a few hours on the beach. The water was divine.

We could see Atlantis from the beach. The new Atlantis looks like Legos.

We booked a driver to take us to several areas and we had tickets for the Burj Khalifa, the worlds tallest building. Our first stop was Burj Al Arab, the world’s only 7 star hotel.

Across from the hotel is a water park.

Our next stop was the Jumeirah Mosque which was built in the 1970’s.

We spent a little time at the Souk market. I bought a scarf and hibiscus tea.

At last it was time to go to the tallest building, Burj Al Arab. We had VIP tickets so we didn’t have to wait in line. They also served cappuccino and dates and pastry.

We took the elevator up to floor 125 then switched to go to floor 148.

The buildings below looked as though they were photoshopped.

We watched the sun go down from the top of Burj

It was an amazing evening. Afterwards we had dinner at the Italian restaurant at the Waldorf, Social. We ordered hibiscus tea. I had cannelloni and Bruce had eggplant. They also gave us many other things to taste.

We spent the next day lounging at the beach and getting ready for the long flight home.

It was a grueling 20 hours and of course, I’m home sick. I always end my trips this way.

Here are a few random shots of Dubai, which we loved!

Home Sweet Home!

#dubai#waldorfastoria#burjalarab#burjkhalifa#atlantis

We began our day at the Garden Tomb where some believe Christ was intombed.

It was a lovely place, peaceful and serene, but as our guide said maybe not his tomb.

The Garden surrounding the area was lovely.

The area by the cave is where they think Jesus was crucified. This was all within the area of the Garden Tomb.

We next traveled to Mount Zion in Jerusalem to The Cenacle, dining room in Latin, which is the upper room traditionally known to be the site of the Last Supper, the final meal Jesus had with his disciples. According to our guide, this is very unlikely and what most likely took place was that Jesus said to look for a man who is carrying a pitcher of water. Since women usually carried the water, the most likely man who carried water would be a monk or Essene Jew like those in Qumran. A sect was within the old city of Jerusalem and that is probably where the last supper was held.

Zion Gate, a historic gate of the old city of Jerusalem was built in July 1540.

During the nineteenth century, a leper colony, slaughter house and livestock market were located in this vicinity until they were torn down under British rule.

For lunch we traveled to a Bedouin camp where some of our crew went for camel rides. Our friends, Sandy and Scott were up for a ride!

The story of Abraham unfolded as we ate at his table. I have to say the hummus in Israel is amazing.

In the afternoon we headed back to Jerusalem and walked the Via Delarosa, which was the path that Jesus walked toward his crucifixion.

Our final stop was at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which contains two holy sites- one where Jesus was crucified and one where he was intombed.

People were kneeling down and kissing a slab of marble on which they believe Jesus was readied for burial.

The cave in which Jesus was intombed was inside the church. Our tour guide went inside but would not allow us to go inside stating it wasn’t safe.

This is part of the church. It was very crowded with the exception of this section.

After our visit at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, we headed back to the hotel. Tired but happy! Our tour is over but Bruce and I head to Dubai tomorrow!

#churchoftheholysepulchre#jerusalem#viadelarosa#mountzion#zionsgate#israel#gardentomb